A Love Lost to the Years novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: The Small Wedding

Saturday came in clear and cold, with a thin wind off the lake and ice at the edges of the gravel.

There were twenty-two people on the lot, which was twenty-two more than Kenneth had planned for.

Sonya stood at the front in a green dress and a puffer jacket.

She held a folded paper she had been told to read from.

The old millhand sat in a folding chair with his cap on his knee.

The old lawyer stood behind him with his cane.

The assistant stood beside the lawyer with a thermos, and her face was not entirely dry.

The bakery woman had made a cake that leaned slightly to the left.

No one had been asked to wear anything but what they had.

Annabel came across the gravel at noon in a camel-colored coat he had never seen and her hair pinned back, alone.

She had not wanted anyone to walk her.

She had said she'd been walked into rooms enough.

Kenneth stood on the old slab with his hands at his sides.

He found he could not stop looking at her.

She stopped in front of him and looked up.

"You're early," she said.

"I've been early since nine."

"You look terrible."

"I haven't slept."

"Neither have I."

Sonya cleared her throat and unfolded her paper.

"We are gathered here today," she read.

"Because my brother is a very patient man and his wife is a very lucky woman."

"Sonya," said Kenneth.

"That's the opening. I'm skipping to the middle." She crumpled the paper into her pocket. "Say your things. I'm cold."

Keep reading free with an account. Start A Love Lost to the Years from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.