Summer of Joy (38 page)

Then they were putting the wedding rings on each other’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

Judge Wilson smiled at Jocie’s dad and said, “You may kiss the bride.”

Jocie’s dad lifted Leigh’s wedding veil and kissed her. Leigh was crying. Her happy tears. Jocie wanted to shout she was so happy.

Judge Wilson looked up at the people in the pews and said, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. David Brooke.”

Jessica Sanderson started playing the going-out music and Zella jumped up on her feet in her front row seat on the groom’s side and started clapping. Jocie laughed out loud. Then everybody was standing up clapping as the bride and groom swept past them down the aisle.

Wes tucked Jocie’s hand up under his arm as they followed them out. Jocie leaned over close to Wes and said, “Maybe I’ll pass on that Jupiter wedding and have an earth wedding after all. If I ever get married.”

“I’ll be there, Jo. Blue spots on my forehead and all.”

Ann H. Gabhart
and her husband live on a farm just over the hill from where she grew up in central Kentucky. She’s active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet. Ann is the author of over a dozen novels for adults and young adults. Her first inspirational novel,
The Scent of Lilacs
, was one of Booklist’s top ten inspirational novels of 2006.

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