Bonus Wedding Chapter
Wesley
My dad just gave me a talk I did not need. I’ve known about the birds and the bees since middle school. I didn’t need a refresher, but I guess he thought differently.
Now I’m sitting alone in one of the Sunday school rooms at church. My hands are sweaty—not shaking, exactly, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
I’m dressed and ready: jeans, brand-new cowboy boots, a tan button-up under my jacket, and a cowboy hat. I don’t wear cowboy hats much, but Addison insisted.
I haven’t seen her yet, but we talked through a propped-open door earlier.
Back to back, we held hands and even took a few pictures.
Hearing her voice calmed me more than I realized I needed.
She said she wasn’t too anxious either—only threw up once this morning, which is basically a victory.
She never thought she’d be able to get married, so the fact that she’s already come this far makes me proud.
I glance around the room and can’t help remembering how many Sundays we spent here as kids.
School was one thing, but you didn’t talk in school the way you talked in Sunday school.
We learned each other in ways that felt deeper, more honest. The walls hold a lot of memories, almost sacred in their own way.
A voice cuts through my thoughts. “Wes.”
I look up and see Jesse standing in the doorway, giving me a nod.
I check the clock above the door—one fifty five. The ceremony starts at two. My stomach knots as I stand, nerves finding a place to settle. Jesse meets me halfway, and nudges my shoulder.
“Good?” he asks with a laugh.
I let out a louder breath than I mean to. “I think.”
“Those nerves are wild, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” I laugh, “pretty damn wild.”
He man-handles my shoulders as he pushes me forward. “Deep breaths, you’ll do great.”
Standing at the altar, my legs feel shaky. I wish we’d gone without the jackets because I’m sweating through everything. Pastor Charlie stands beside me, steady as always, and the music begins.
Jesse and Ella come down the aisle first, followed by Cody and Karissa, then Mason and my sister, Harper. Each couple takes their place, and then the church rises all at once when the music changes.
My heart slams against my ribs when the back doors swing open and I see her standing there. Addison Claire Jennings, my best friend.
Her hair is curled, with some strands pulled back just like she said it would be. The bouquet is in one hand, while her other is tucked into her dad’s arm.
I can’t stop smiling. I turn fully toward her, clasping my hands together as I watch her walk down the aisle.
Her smile catches me, calming my racing heart and steadying every nerve. But the tears hit me fast and heavy, quicker than I expect.
God, she’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
The music softens as her and her dad reach the end of the aisle. He presses a kiss to her cheek, his eyes shining, before she places her hand in mine. The second her fingers slide against my palm, the nerves inside me settle.
We step forward together, facing Pastor Charlie. His voice is steady and warm, the same voice that’s guided us through sermons and Sunday mornings since we were kids.
“Family and friends,” he begins, “we’ve gathered here to witness the joining of Wesley and Addison in marriage…”
The words wash over me, but all I can focus on is her. The way her lashes are damp, the way her lip trembles when she smiles at me, the way she squeezes my hand like it’s the only anchor she’s got.
He leads us through the readings, a prayer, and then finally—our vows.
Addison takes a deep breath, then turns slightly, reaching out for Ella. Her maid of honor slips her a folded piece of paper. My heart twists when I see her hands shaking, the paper trembling between her fingers.
Before she can speak, I reach out and steady her wrist, my thumb brushing soft circles over her skin. It’s just enough to remind her I’m right here. That she doesn’t have to be nervous.
She exhales with a shaky laugh and lifts her eyes to mine.
“Wesley,” she begins, her voice soft, “you’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember–from late-night bonfires to riding four-wheelers through the fields that surround our houses, to all the hours in the barn you spent with me while I talked your ear off as you fixed whatever was broken…
even though I probably just slowed you down. ”
She looks up at me, and I’m already smiling before she continues.
“You’ve been my safe place and the love I didn’t see coming, even though everyone else did. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world that I get to also call my best friend and my husband.”
She smiles, a glint of unshed tears bright in her eyes.
My throat tightens, and I squeeze her hand gently, hoping she feels just how much those words mean to me.
“I love you so much and can’t wait to do life with you,” she finishes with a deep breath.
Pastor Charlie gives me a nudge, and I pull my paper from my pocket.
“Addison Claire,” I begin, clearing my throat, “my best friend and now my wife. I promise to walk with you through everything God gives us–the good and the bad. I know it won’t always be easy, but it’ll still be the greatest honor of my life.
” I pause to breathe, knowing this next part is going to be long.
“I remember sitting in Sunday school together a few years ago, when we were told to write down our worries on slips of paper and tuck them into our Bibles. It was a list we could one day come back to, and, hopefully, cross off. I still remember yours: living on your own, going on a date, getting married. And today? You get to cross every single one of those off.”
I lift my eyes to hers, the glisten in them pulling hard at me. My voice softens. “And I want you to know… I couldn’t be any prouder of you.”
The tears threatening to spill down her cheeks nearly undo me. I clear my throat and glance back at the paper in my hand, steadying myself before I go on.
“Mine never made it into my Bible,” I admit. “I kept my paper tucked in my nightstand all these years, hidden because I didn’t want anyone to see it. Because the only thing I wrote down… was the worry that I’d never get the chance to be with you.”
I pause. The room stirs, and Addison’s tears spill faster.My chest tightens, but I press on.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the worn slip of paper, its edges soft and fragile from being folded and unfolded for years. I hold it up for her to see. “You think I’m joking? It’s right here.”
Addison’s bottom lip trembles as she steps forward to wrap her arms around my neck. Totally not in the ceremony plans, but it doesn’t matter. I hold her tight as the crowd lets out a collective “aww,” and for a second, it feels like the whole world is standing still–just me, her, and this moment.
When she pulls away, I clear my throat again, my thumb brushing one of her tears.
“Addison, I promise to love you as my wife and as my best friend for the rest of my life. I promise to listen when you need to talk, to pray with you always, and to fight for us every single day. You are my answered prayer, my anchor and my greatest blessing. And I’ll spend every day making sure you know that. ”
She carefully wipes away her tears, and I do the same before I reach for her hand.
Pastor Charlie clears his throat, giving us all a minute to pull ourselves together, but the sniffles keep rolling through the church like a wave.
“Well… I don’t think there’s a dry eye left in the room, which says everything we need to know,” Charlie says, getting a laugh out of all of us.
I squeeze Addison’s hand, brushing my thumb over her ring finger where her band will sit in just a minute.
Pastor Charlie gives us both a second to breathe, then nods. “Alright. Let’s see if we can get through the rest without flooding the place.”
The church chuckles softly, and it helps settle me again.
He asks for the rings, and Jesse fumbles in his pocket like he’s lost them. The crowd laughs, and I shake my head—typical. He finally produces them, handing mine over with a pat on my shoulder.
Addison’s hand trembles as I slide the band onto her finger. Mine isn’t much better.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Pastor Charlie barely finishes before the church erupts—cheers, applause, and a fresh round of sniffles.
“You may kiss your bride,” he adds and steps out of the shot.
Addison barely gets a breath in before I pull her in, kissing her like she’s the only person in this room. Everyone claps and cheers.
When we finally pull apart, she’s smiling just as big as I am.
We turn to face the crowd for the first time as husband and wife and step down the aisle together, through a blur of cheers, tears, and the kind of joy you can’t bottle up–even if you wanted to.
* * *
The barn’s buzzing, laughter’s bouncing off the rafters, and string lights are swaying in the evening breeze that slips through the open doors.
The smell of barbecue and sweet tea lingers in the air, and everyone’s packed shoulder to shoulder around long wooden tables.
The DJ grabs the mic, his voice cutting through the noise.
“Alright, you two, are you ready to have your first dance? And then we’ll eat.”
Addison and I walk to the middle of the concrete floor, swept clean for tonight. My hand is steady in hers, but my heart’s pounding. I’m trying not to look toward the corner, so she doesn’t catch on too soon.
I hold her waist between my hands, hers resting around my neck, and an acoustic guitar sounds. I can’t help but smile. Her face is confused as she looks around,trying to find it.
“No, you didn’t!” she gasps, her jaw dropping as she looks back at me.
“Just for you,” I say.
Her eyes return to Kayce Warren standing by the DJ table with a guitar slung over his shoulder and the microphone adjusted to his height as he continues strumming.
I lean down to her ear. “Remember when you joked about it?”
Her smile spreads wide, cheeks full. She nods, eyes shining. “On our road trip.”
I shake my head. “I never forgot it.”
She leans in to kiss me asKayce’s voice, low and steady, starts into Cole Swindell’s Forever to Me.
It’s the song that became ours without us ever planning it. Watching Addie’s eyes glass over, I already know that this will be her favorite part of the day.