Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
P enny Walker stood in the front of all of her sons, their wives, and all of her grandchildren. She held little five-year-old Trap’s hand, his sweet fingers against hers making her heart melt all the way to her toes.
She couldn’t believe one of her grandsons was getting married today. Momma blinked, and she could see herself and Gideon standing at the altar. Yes, Gideon had been older than Ollie. She’d been slightly older than Aurora, but the girl reminded Momma so much of herself.
A strong woman with big dreams. A woman with a plan. A woman with skills.
Oliver had gotten a really good girl to like him. He’d taken care of her, and now he was going to become her husband.
“Dear friends,” Judge Glover said, and Momma sure did love the way he officiated weddings. She’d been to a few of the other Glover weddings, and he always brought such a calming spirit with him.
Momma watched as Oliver’s boxy shoulders relaxed, and the last of Ward Glover’s guitar chords faded into silence. He slipped from the stool near the front of the hall and faded into the crowd.
Gideon squeezed her hand, and Momma looked at him. “Reminds me of us,” he murmured.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Momma whispered as Judge said he was actually glad to be the one on that side of the altar for the first time.
“I’m not nearly as nervous as I usually am,” he said. “Because I know that if I make a mistake, both Ollie and Aurora will forgive me.” He beamed at them and then faced the crowd. “That’s what’s been on my mind these past few weeks since these two showed up at my house and asked me to do this for them. Forgiveness.”
Momma leaned into her husband’s arm, because they’d had many opportunities over the years to forgive each other. She’d watched her sons make mistakes with their wives and families, and she’d watched forgiveness mend the wounds in their hearts and rebuild bridges.
“Sometimes we can get these seeds of darkness in our hearts,” Judge said. “It can take years to root them out and let the light back in. The fastest way to get those gardens replanted and get the joy back into your life is to seek the forgiveness you need. If you’ve done something wrong, apologize. Give forgiveness as easily as you’d like to receive it.”
He focused on Ollie and Aurora again. “There’s something I’ve wanted for sixteen long years, and both of you know what it is.” He grinned at them, and Momma found herself leaning forward, as she didn’t know what it was.
“To win the Christmas light show,” Aurora said, and Judge nodded.
A chuckle escaped his mouth. “To win the Christmas light show. There’s still two more days of voting, and you know where I am right now?”
“Third,” someone called, and Momma twisted toward the voice.
“Third,” Judge confirmed. “I’ve been third for six years in a row. Third. I hate being third. I just keep thinking that if I could get second, I’d be so happy, but this morning when I woke up, I knew I didn’t want second either.”
Momma wasn’t sure where he was going with this, and she shifted her feet. She was an old lady, and standing for a ceremony that lasted much longer would be hard.
“No one wants to be second,” Judge said. “And my counsel to you today, Ollie and Aurora, and everyone who can hear my voice, is to put your spouse first. Put each other first. Don’t ever let your partner think they’re second, because no one wants to be second. It will take forgiveness to put each other first. You’ll have to forgive yourself for bad behavior. You’ll have to forgive him when he hurts you, and he’ll have to forgive you when you stay up all night sewing when he wants you to come to bed.”
Judge grinned at the couple, and they looked at one another again. Though Momma could only see their profiles, she could see the curve of their lips as they smiled together.
Her heart warmed all over again, and Gideon’s hand in hers tightened.
“Let’s get this marriage done,” Judge said. “But before we all break and make a run for a table, I want everyone to look at their spouse and think about where they are in your life. Are they first? Do you have something to be forgiven for? Do they? Can you give it to them freely? I encourage you do so, if possible.”
He cleared his throat. “All right, you two. Aurora Jacqueline Martin, do you take Oliver Quinn Osburn to be your legally and lawfully wedded husband?”
Momma leaned forward again, but the girl spoke in a loud, clear voice when she said, “Yes.”
“And do you, Oliver Quinn Osburn, take Aurora Jacqueline Martin, to be your legally and lawfully wedded wife?”
“I sure do,” Oliver said, and a smile burst onto Momma’s face.
Judge had barely started the sentence proclaiming them husband and wife before the whooping started. Momma knew her boys could raise the roof on any building with their whistles, catcalls, voices, and applause.
They were only rivaled by the Glovers, who were much larger and working hard to catch up with the number of grandchildren in the Walker family.
Momma let her tears flow down her face as she clapped as loudly as her aged and weathered hands would allow.
Oliver and Aurora finally kissed, and Momma pressed both hands to her heartbeat. “Oh,” she sighed with joy. “They’re going to have such an amazing life.”
Beside her, her loud cowboy husband who’d given her all those loud, cowboy sons, whistled through his teeth just before grabbing onto her arm as the crowd of men and women surged toward Oliver and Aurora.
Momma let his parents have the first hugs, and in fact, she stepped around the beautiful, one-of-a-kind altar to Judge Glover.
“That was such a beautiful ceremony,” she said, taking the man into a hug. “It did my heart such good.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“I heard you got engaged a few days ago.”
“That’s right,” Judge said, stepping back and smiling at her.
“Who’s going to marry you?” She glanced at Oliver as he moved around through all the uncles—his and Aurora’s.
“I think we’re going to ask Pastor Corning,” Judge said. “Or Willa.” A woman came to his side, and they did look like they belonged together. “This is her.” Judge smiled down at the pretty dark blonde. “June, this is Penny Walker, Oliver’s grandmother.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” June said.
“This is Juniper Nichols,” Judge said right before pressing his lips to her temple.
“When are you two getting married?” Momma asked.
“You know, we haven’t set a date yet.” Judge looked at her, and June looked up at him.
“We’re waiting for my dad to get his travel schedule for the spring and summer,” June said. “They live in California.”
Momma nodded, smiling at the couple. “Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” they said together, and Momma turned to the younger couple who’d tied the knot that day.
“Oh,” she said, turning back to Judge. She put one hand on his forearm, and he leaned down to hear her better. “I’ll pray for you to win the light show.”
“We’ll have to watch it and vote,” Gideon said, reaching Momma’s side after diving right into the fray of black-suited men.
“I would love that,” Judge said.
“Okay,” someone yelled, and it didn’t sound like one of her sons. Sure enough, Bishop Glover had gotten up on a chair and was waving both arms. “The bride and groom would like you to take your seats at a table. They’re going to serve lunch in five minutes.”
Momma put pressure on Gideon’s arm, and he got the silent message. “Oliver,” Momma called, and before her grandson could get swept away in the crowd again, she wanted to hug him. She wanted to tell him how proud she was of the man he’d become.
Thankfully, the Lord amplified her voice, and Oliver turned back to her. “Grandma.” He rushed toward her and wrapped her up in a hug.
She loved nothing more than a hug from one of her grandchildren, and a boy with a heart this gold made Momma extra grateful for him. She told him all the things she wanted to, and he stepped out of her arms and took his wife’s hand again.
“Okay,” he said, his voice only a little wobbly. He brushed his free hand across his face. “Let’s go, Rory. We’ve got people to feed.”
With that, he and Aurora walked into the kitchen in their formal wedding clothes and started bringing out plates of food. Momma marveled that they were serving the food at their own wedding, and she wasn’t the only one.
But Oliver and Aurora waved away all attempts to help, and Gideon took Momma to a couple of open spots at a table with Wyatt’s family. She reached for their youngest and cradled the little boy in her lap, gazing around at the beauty of combining two families into one.