He’d taken the doors off the second and third floors, as he no longer needed them to be separate apartments. The master suite now functioned as one—or would once he and Lacy said I-do today, and then she moved in with him as his wife.
They certainly didn’t need the upper two floors in the large farmhouse, but Mitch sure hoped they would eventually. He’d never been a patient man, and the past few months since he’d asked Lacy to be his wife had been some of the slowest of his life.
He changed into his deep, dark, midnight blue tuxedo while Chaz laced up a pair of shoes Mitch had never worn before. His father left the room and returned with a hat box, from which he produced a custom-made navy-blue cowboy hat.
Link gave him the same cufflinks he’d worn to marry his wife, Misty, and Mitch held out his arms so his cousin could put them on.
Daddy handed him the hat, and Mitch settled it onto his head.The dogs, he said, and he turned toward the king-sized bed in the room.I have their clothes here.
Lacy’s father would walk her down the aisle, and Mitch found it wholly unfair that the groom just edged into the scene from the side. Of course, he wanted all the attention on Lacy, and he couldn’t wait to see her dress.
But he wanted to walk down the aisle too, and he’d chosen his four hearing dogs to accompany him. Maven and Sunshine had bright pink dresses with fluffy skirts and pearl-studded leashes, though they didn’t need leashes to stay at his side.
William and Champ would wear custom-tailored, identical tuxedos to the one Mitch sported, and their leashes boasted a rich, brown leather to match his shoes.
He picked up the tuxedos and kept one for himself, handing the other to Daddy. Then he gave one dress to Link and one to Chaz, and the four of them set about getting the canine quad dressed for the wedding.
Link caught his eye.You have seven minutes, brother.
Mitch nodded, his pulse suddenly throbbing and blocking his airway. Last he’d checked, the facilities company had been setting up the tents and rows of chairs, and he’d ordered heaters to make sure the crowd would be comfortable.
Because the crowd…Mitch swallowed his nerves, knowing they wouldn’t stay down for long. His property had to be filled with cars and trucks by now, and since he’d been sipping coffee in his kitchen, he hadn’t noticed.
His family was huge, and they themselves had organized carpools from Shiloh Ridge to Mitch’s estate on the east side of town to reduce the number of vehicles. He’d asked them to do that, so they’d have more space for guests.
After all, he knew a lot of people in town, and if he didn’t, someone in the Glover family did. They’d sent over six hundredannouncements for today’s ceremony and reception, with the former happening at the pond behind the house that Lacy loved so much, and the latter taking place in the quad atSigns for Success.
Not only that, but over half the on-campus students who attended classes at his Deaf Academy had delayed their departure for the Christmas holidays by a day so they could attend his and Lacy’s nuptials.
His father put his hand on Mitch’s shoulder, and he blinked his way into the present. “Everything is set, son,” he said, his mouth moving with his hands. “Guests are in place, and your mother is ready at the altar.”
“All the tables and chairs are ready in the quad,” Chaz said. “The caterers are ready too.”
Mitch nodded, still a bit awed at what money could accomplish. Cactus Glover had been the best thing that had ever happened to Mitch, and his love for the man swelled and grew and overflowed as he stepped into his daddy and hugged him tightly.
Daddy gave the best hugs ever, and he simply held Mitch back, standing there for as long as Mitch needed and wanted. Finally, he stepped back, and he hugged Chaz and Link, his best men. He could’ve asked any number of Glovers, but he’d limited it to these two, plus Lacy’s brother.
Do we have a minute?Mitch asked, reaching to adjust his cowboy hat.Maybe you could say a prayer, Daddy.
Mitch was still rediscovering his faith, and it had become a journey that Mitch was learning would be slow, yet glorious.
His father was never one to stand out in a crowd, but he swept his cowboy hat from his head and closed his eyes. Mitch quickly followed him, but he didn’t bow his head or close his eyes. Chaz and Link did, but Mitch watched his daddy as he started to sign.
“Dear Lord,” he said. “We ask a special blessing on this land today, where Mitchell and Lacy will be wed. We ask Thee to calm their nerves and remind them each of how much they love one another. We ask Thee to pour out an abundance of love here today, that all present will feel it—from those they need to, and from Thee.”
Daddy’s hands paused for a moment, then fell to his sides. He quickly raised them again, his expression more pained as he frowned. “We’re grateful for the many blessings we enjoy, especially this farm and Deaf Academy, as well as the ranch Thou has entrusted to the Glovers. We ask Thee to help us be good stewards of the bounty Thou has blessed us with, and to help Mitch and Lacy grow and learn together in a way that will unite them with each other, with this Academy, and with Thee.”
His mouth stopped moving, but he kept signing until the end of the sentence. Then Daddy opened his eyes and said, “Amen.”
Amen, Mitch said, his watch vibrating to let him know Link and Chaz had also said it. He stepped into his father again, gripping him tightly. He then hugged his brother, and then Link, and they each took a leash and headed out of the bedroom.
On the back porch, Mitch collected all four leashes, positioning Maven and Champ on his left and Sunshine and William on his left. His family members went down the steps and through the backyard and fields to the path that led to the pond.
Mitch needed to make that journey too, and he took a deep breath before descending the steps and heading toward the nine, white-peaked tents a couple hundred yards away.
Pink bows hung from every pole holding up the tents, and the aisle was lined with navy-blue silk, white flowers with winter greenery, and lanterns. Mitch paused at the end of the aisle, his eyes locked onto his mother’s.
She too wore dark blue today, her graying hair pinned up elegantly. She lifted one hand in a wave, her smile rich and loving, even from this distance.
