In Every Heartbeat - By Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,48

and faced Reverend Shankle. Although she was a last-minute replacement for Lorna’s chosen bridesmaid—the poor girl had contracted a fever and been ordered to bed by the doctor—she couldn’t deny a sense of pride in playing an important part in the wedding ceremony.

From the front bench, Cookie Ramona cried copiously into an embroidered handkerchief while the reverend solemnly advised the bride and groom of the sanctities of marriage. Libby’s gaze drifted across the row of faces at the front of the barn. Maelle and Isabelle, serving as the bride’s attendants, each wore expressions of introspection. Libby wondered if they were reliving their own wedding ceremonies in their minds.

On the other side of Lorna and Matt, Clancy—the weathered sheepherder—repeatedly cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot, as if eager to be finished with the ceremony. Next to Clancy, Aaron Rowley seemed to be examining his wife, and the

tenderness in his face made Libby’s heart skip a beat. She tried to memorize Mr. Rowley’s expression—it would be the perfect look for one of her story heroes to offer his beloved.

Her gaze shifted to Petey, on the far right. And her heart swelled. How handsome he looked today in his finest suit, his thick blond hair combed straight back and glistening with macassar oil, his chin high and shoulders square. The solemn set of his lips told her how seriously he held the privilege of standing up with the man who had brought him to Shay’s Ford.

Countless times, Petey had talked about the day Matt Tucker rescued him from the hands of a cruel employer. He held Matt in high esteem, and Libby’s admiration for Matt grew in those moments that she witnessed Petey’s pride at being in the wedding ceremony. Matt could easily have chosen Jackson Harders instead— his standing in the community would certainly be elevated by having a lawyer serve as one of his groomsmen—but instead he’d chosen Petey, a cast-aside, unwanted boy.

Today, however, Libby realized with a start, Petey bore little resemblance to the boy she’d met ten years ago. When, she wondered, had he grown from adolescent awkwardness into this handsome, self-assured man? While she stared at him, awed by the transformation that seemed to have taken place before her eyes, his face shifted. His gaze collided with hers and held. For several seconds they stared at one another across the swept dirt floor while the minister’s voice continued, paper fans stirred the air, and Cookie Ramona softly sobbed.

Libby’s breath caught in her lungs as Petey’s lips curved ever so slightly and tenderness set his blue eyes aglow. She saw in his face the same expression of rapture Aaron Rowley offered to his wife—the same look she’d frequently seen pass between Jackson and Maelle. Pleasant chills climbed her spine and wriggled down her arms to her hands, where her fingers trembled, causing the wild flowers to quiver. Uncertain and overwhelmed, she glanced away, and looked instead at Matt. She gasped. Petey’s expression while looking at her had mimicked the one Matt was—at this very moment—bestowing upon his bride.

Unbidden, her focus returned to Petey, and disappointment sagged her shoulders. He’d shifted his attention to the minister, who lifted his hands and announced, “I now present Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Tucker.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Matt, you may kiss your bride.”

The barn exploded in wild applause as Matt leaned forward and touched his lips to Lorna’s. Tears rained down Lorna’s face, and she dashed to her mother’s arms for a hug before returning to Matt with a joyous giggle that echoed from the rafters. Matt and Lorna exited the barn amidst applause and congratulations. Clancy offered his bony elbow to Maelle, and they followed the newly married bride and groom down the aisle. Mr. and Mrs. Rowley trailed behind them, and only Libby and Petey remained.

With a crooked grin, Petey offered Libby his arm. Odd feelings coursed through her middle, making her hesitant to place her hand in his elbow. But why? Hadn’t she clung to Petey’s arm hundreds of times over the years? Yet suddenly everything had changed, and she didn’t know why.

Reverend Shankle cleared his throat, bobbing his chin at them. Libby recognized his silent command for them to leave. Drawing in a shaky breath, she gingerly slid her hand into the curve of Petey’s elbow. The same chills that had swept her frame earlier returned, and her fingers tightened. They walked together, Petey’s slight limp causing his arm to bump against her ribs

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