“And rings,” Lyle adds, shrugging his shoulders in apology. “I had the engagement ring…hadn’t gotten around to purchasing a wedding set.”

“I’m sure I can borrow some for the ceremony,” my brother says with a nod.

Before he can run off, I throw my arms around Dane’s neck, suddenly overcome with relief. My brother and my father are the reason Lyle and I have kept our feelings hidden all these years. The weight of the world has just been lifted from my chest. “Thank you.”

His throat bobs with a hard swallow. “You look beautiful,” he whispers into my ear, hugging me tight. “Most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”

“Should I go out there and make an announcement or something?” Darci asks, interrupting our moment.

“Nah,” I say, imagining the chaos that would cause. “Let it be a surprise.”

With that, my brother takes off to complete his errand, and Darci follows to locate my other two bridesmaids and fill them in on the latest developments.

“Shit!” I say, just as Lyle starts for the door to have a chat with the pastor. “We don’t have a wedding license.”

“It’s fine,” he says, the picture of calm. “We’ll go through with the ceremony as planned and make things official at the courthouse next week.”

Another crisis averted; I draw in a deep breath. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this, you know.”

“It’s me who should be thanking you, Li’l Bit.” He smiles a longing smile. “Minutes ago, I thought I’d missed my only chance at happiness.” He pounds a fist lightly against his chest and points heavenward. “I’m thanking all that is holy that somehow this all worked out in my favor.”

“I love you, Lyle Livingston,” I say, my voice loaded with emotion. “So much.”

He stalks back over to where I’m standing, gripping either side of my face in his hands. “And I love you, Jailbait.” He presses a hard kiss to my lips—one that has me tingling from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. “If we didn’t have a hundred people and a dying man waiting, I’d show you just how much.”

“Believe me,” I rasp, “you just have.”

“Daddy…” I grip his frail hand in both of mine, out of breath after rushing over to join him in the church foyer. “There’s something I need to tell you before we walk through those doors.”

As I stand here before my father, who looks so small in his tux, his skin prematurely wrinkled from the weight he’s lost these last weeks, I can’t help but get a bit choked up. This day we’ve dreamed of for as long as I can remember—the one I’ve been training for since I got that first costume gown and veil for my third birthday—is finally here.