Only in Oklahoma (At the Altar Book 6) Read online

  "You'd better," Haley said with a frown. "Do you even know where you're moving to yet?"

  Michaela shrugged. "No earthly idea. It's killing me."

  "I can't imagine packing up all of my stuff so I can marry a man I've never met and move to who knows where. You're braver than I am."

  "I don't know if bravery has anything to do with it." Michaela taped the top of a box and moved it to the floor, sitting on her bed where the box had been. "Have you never thought that you just wanted to run away and start fresh? To get away from everything you've ever known?"

  Haley shrugged. "Well, sure. I think everyone has, but no one ever actually does it!"

  "Not usually. But I'm being given that opportunity. There's no reason not to do it. I want to marry. I'm at a crossroads in my life. It seems like now is the time to trust God and just do it."

  "I hope your marriage is everything you dream it will be."

  Michaela grinned. "Me too. And I hope the same for you. At least you know Kyle. You know what he does that makes you crazy. I get to start figuring all that stuff out tomorrow." There was no doubt in her mind her future husband would have some habit that she'd want to break his fingers over.

  Haley laughed. "Find the stuff that he does that makes you smile and laugh first. Try not to dwell on the crazy-making stuff, because once you find the good qualities, it's easier to overlook the annoying ones."

  "I sure hope I find stuff to love about him right off. It's difficult to know with a stranger."

  "I'm glad my boss let me have the day off work to go to your wedding. Who gets married on a Wednesday anyway?"

  Michaela shrugged. "Lachele told me it would be better to marry during the week, given his profession. I don't know. I guess we'll learn all about him tomorrow."

  "I can still call you when I need to talk, right? Even though we won't be roomies?"

  "You'd better! I plan on calling you every time he annoys me!" Michaela said with a laugh.

  "Maybe you should talk to him when he annoys you," Haley suggested.

  "We'll see just how annoyed I am." Michaela winked at her friend. "I need to finish getting this stuff packed. And I don't want to."

  "Do you want a hand?"

  "I thought you'd never ask!"

  "Well, I do have a wedding to go to tomorrow, so I should probably be painting my toenails. The sandals won't look nearly as good without pretty toes."

  Michaela pushed at Haley's shoulder, laughing. "We'll paint each other's toes after we pack."

  "You have a deal!"

  *****

  When Jon got to the church, Dr. Lachele grabbed his arm and dragged him into a small room at the back. "You ready?" she asked.

  "I think so." He looked down at his suit. He'd gotten to New York the night before and paid the outrageous prices for a place to get ready. Taking his suitcase with him to the church where he was about to marry seemed strange, but he couldn't think of an alternative.

  "I told your bride to pack for a honeymoon. She's already in the bride's room getting ready."

  Jon felt his heart beat a little faster at her words. "I can't wait to meet her." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Is it possible for us to talk, just for a minute, before the ceremony?"

  Lachele shook her head. "Absolutely not. You see each other for the first time at the altar like every couple I introduce."

  "But—all right. I signed a contract agreeing to that, didn't I?" He sighed, sinking into a chair. "I do want to ask for one thing that you may not like, but it's important to me."

  "What?" Dr. Lachele looked skeptical, but at least she was willing to listen.

  "Would it be all right with you if I stood on one side of a door, with it open just a little, and held her hand and prayed with her?"

  Her face softened as she nodded. "I can go for that. It's not my usual procedure, of course, but I can see where you'd want to invite God into your marriage before it even starts." She walked to the door and put her hand on the knob, before turning back to him. "Wait here while I tell her what you want to do."

  Jon nodded, a huge sense of relief coming over him at her words. "No problem."

  He stared at the closed door, getting more nervous by the minute, taking deep breaths. He was about to pray with his future wife for the first time without ever seeing her face.

  Dr. Lachele came back into the room and held the door wide. "She's ready for you."

  He got to his feet and followed Dr. Lachele out into the short hallway that led to the bride's room. When she knocked on the door, it opened a few inches and a hand came out through the gap.

  He took the hand in his, marveling at how much smaller it was than his, and said in his best pastor voice, "Let us pray." He thanked God for giving him a bride who was willing to pray with him, and asked Him to be part of their marriage. "I know we will only make it through with Your help, Father. Please help us to remember to rely on You every day of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen."

  He heard a soft "amen" from the other side of the door, and he dropped her hand. Wanting to say something more to her, he bit his tongue and walked back to the room he'd been put in. The rules had already been broken for him, and he couldn't ask for more. He rubbed his hand on the leg of his pants, still feeling her fingers entwined with his.

  Her touch had affected him in ways he hadn't expected, and he sat staring at the wall, waiting. He looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes until the wedding. Seeing her face for the first time would thrill him to no end. His bride.

  His body reacted, and he fidgeted nervously. He had to stop that from happening when she was walking down the aisle toward him. It wasn't the kind of response a pastor should have in public.

  *****

  After the door closed, and Michaela heard his footsteps walk away, her heart was still beating erratically. He was a strong Christian, whoever he was. And his touch had made her weak in the knees. She was surprised she'd been able to stay on her feet.

  Her mother was watching her from across the room, a smile touching her lips. "Lachele did good."

  Michaela nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh, she really did. I can't believe it." Deep inside she'd reacted to his touch. Her heart had reacted to his prayer. She was about to marry a man she could care about, and already respected. She couldn't believe it.

  Lachele walked into the room then. "So are we ready?"

  Michaela didn't say a word as she walked across the room hugging the older woman close. "Ready? I couldn't be more ready. Thank you, Lachele."

  Lachele grinned, her green eyes lighting up at the emotion on Michaela's face. "Do you see now why I thought of you when I met him?"

  Michaela nodded. "Yes, I do." She took a deep breath. "I could fall in love with just his voice."

  Lachele leaned close, as if to impart a great secret. "He's hot too!"

  Michaela laughed. "He sounds it, for sure!"

  A knock at the door had Lachele hurrying over to see who it was. "Come on in, Keith. Are you ready?"

  Michaela looked up to see her father at the door, tugging at the tight collar on his shirt. "I hate ties!" he complained.

  Michaela could count the number of times she'd seen him in a suit and tie on one hand. He worked with his hands, and he loved it. "I'm glad you made it, Daddy."

  He smiled at her. "I'd do anything for you." Keith turned his attention to Lachele. "You sure this man is good enough for my baby girl?"

  Angela, Michaela's mother, nodded. "I'm sure. He just came and prayed through the door with her."

  Keith blinked a few times, and a smile spread across his face. "A good Christian man is all I'm looking for."

  Michaela decided telling her father that the man made her weak in the knees was going just a bit too far. "I'm going to be very happy."

  He reached out and cupped her cheek, kissing her forehead. "I know you are. I'm really happy for you."

  Chapter Two

  Standing at the front of the church, waiting for his bride
was nerve wracking, Jon decided. How had he not realized just how difficult it was to be on this side of things? He'd performed many weddings, but seeing it from this angle was truly eye-opening.

  The music changed and his eyes were glued to the back of the sanctuary. The doors opened and there she was, seeming to float down the aisle on the arm of an older man he could only assume was her father.

  Her hair was dark and tinted reddish. She looked elegant in her wedding gown, strapless but covering everything that needed to be covered. He couldn't see what color her eyes were from there, but he imagined them to be blue. Her lips looked soft, and he couldn't wait to kiss them. Would she be nervous?

  As soon as she stepped into the sanctuary, Michaela's eyes found him, waiting for her at the altar. He had dark hair and a smile that had her heart beating faster. She ached to touch him.

  She remembered nothing at all about the service later, only his smile. She must have made the right replies to the questions Pastor Jenkins asked, but all she remembered was the feel of his hand in hers.

  It seemed like a loud roar when he said, "You may now kiss your bride."

  She turned toward her new husband, whose name she hadn't caught, with her heart pounding in her chest. He stroked her hair away from her face, touching her soft skin. "May I?" he asked softly.

  She felt a smile curve her lips. They were married and he was asking if he could kiss her. Could he be any more perfect? She nodded almost imperceptibly.

  He put his hand at her waist and pulled her toward him, his heart racing a mile a minute. He was going to spend his life with this woman. He would make love with her, and she would have his children. He stopped his brain there. Things would get uncomfortable if he thought about making love with her. No, he needed to get through this first kiss first.

  His thumb rested against her face at the corner of her lips, and he leaned down, gently brushing his lips against hers, holding her close to him. One brief kiss wasn't enough. He moved his lips close to her ear. "We're going to turn toward the congregation, and then run through the church. We'll go to the bride's room so we can talk."

  "Yes," she whispered back, loving the idea of a few minutes alone with him before the onslaught of well-wishes.

  The pastor announced, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jon Larson!"

  As soon as the man said his name, Jon squeezed her hand to let her know to run, and she did. They ran right past everyone and into the room where she'd gotten ready, and he locked the door behind them. "Thank you for going along with my plan," he said, pulling her toward him with the hand he still held.

  "Happily. I wanted a few minutes alone too." She smiled up at him, staring into his brown eyes. "I'm so glad you asked me to pray before the wedding. That meant so much to me."

  "Me too," he whispered, lowering his head for a more leisurely kiss. He nipped at her bottom lip, his tongue going out to taste her. She tasted of—orange? "You taste good. Citrusy."

  She laughed. "Tic Tacs. You want one?"

  "No, I'll just taste yours." He kissed her again, more insistently this time. After a moment, he lifted his head. "You're making me forget I'm in a church."

  She led him to a couple of chairs sitting beside each other, sinking into one of them. "Tell me about yourself."

  He sat beside her, his hand clinging to hers, his thumb constantly caressing the palm of her hand. He couldn't seem to stop touching her. "I'm a pastor in a small town in Southern Kansas, right near the Kansas Oklahoma border."

  "So you live in Kansas?" She had visions of flying houses and a small dog named Toto.

  He shook his head. "Actually I live in Oklahoma. The town I live in, Teaville, is half in Oklahoma and half in Kansas."

  "I see." She had heard of Teaville somewhere, and after a moment it hit her. "Samara moved to Teaville!"

  He nodded. "You know Samara? I married her and her husband Henry. That's how I found out about Dr. Lachele."

  "Oh, wow. Small world. I love Sami. She's one of my favorite people in the whole world. I'm so excited I'll know someone there." She grinned at him. "And you're a pastor? I just graduated from college a couple of weeks ago. I studied early childhood education. I was a children's minister all through college."

  His eyes lit up at her words. "Really? A children's minister?"

  She nodded. "I'm certified to teach, though, so I'll have to find something there." She still didn't know if she wanted to go into children's ministry or teaching. At that moment, she didn't care to think about anything but being with her new husband.

  "You can help with the children's ministry in our church, of course."

  She nodded. "I can. I'll want to do more than that, though. I need to use my degree since I worked so hard for it."

  He nodded. "I can understand that." He pulled her hand to his lips, kissing the palm. "We should probably go out and pretend to care that people are here."

  She grinned. "Lachele said you were taking me on a honeymoon before going home. Where are we going?"

  "I thought we'd take a train up to Plymouth, Massachusetts. I've never been, and I'm a history buff. Would be nice to see Plymouth Rock. Walk the beach where persecuted Christians first settled our country."

  "I've been, but I love it there. They have the best saltwater taffy. Oh, and the lobster rolls are to die for. If you've never had a lobster roll in New England, you're missing out."

  He grinned. "This is the first time I've ever been to the East Coast. So no, I've never had a New England lobster roll. I've never even had a lobster roll. I bought us train tickets from here to Boston, and I figured we'd rent a car when we got there."

  "That works. First, though, we have to go deal with people." She got to her feet, and when he'd followed suit, she stepped close to him, wrapping her arms around him and inhaling his scent. "Why do I already feel so comfortable with you?"

  He rested his cheek on top of her head. "Because we prayed together."

  She sighed. "I think that must be it." Leading the way from the room, she walked toward the fellowship hall, her hand still firmly gripping his. "When do we leave?" It was only noon, but she was ready to be on their way. She wanted to be alone with him.

  "Train leaves at four. We'll be in Plymouth around eight by the time we rent a car and everything. If traffic cooperates that is."

  "Sounds lovely. We'd better enjoy the food here." Michaela stepped into the fellowship hall, and they were immediately surrounded. There had been less than fifty people at the wedding, because most people couldn't get off work with such short notice, but it felt like hundreds with them all crowded around her as they were.

  She introduced Jon around, her eyes searching the room for her parents. Finally she spotted them, and broke away from the crowd, leading him to her father first. "Daddy, this is my new husband, Jon. Jon, this is my father, Keith Hunter."

  Jon held his hand out, suddenly nervous. It was odd shaking the hand of a man when he knew he'd be taking his daughter to bed that night. He forced the thought from his mind. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

  Keith nodded, gripping his hand tightly. "Nice to meet you too. Let's talk."

  Michaela watched as her father led her new husband off, looking at her mother with wide eyes. "What's Daddy doing?"

  Her mother grinned. "Did you really think you were going to get out of here without your father getting to know your new husband?"

  Once they were apart from the crowd, Keith turned to Jon. "What do you do?"

  "I'm a pastor of a small non-denominational church in Teaville, Kansas. Michaela and I will be living just across the border in Oklahoma, in South Teaville."

  "Oklahoma? You're moving my baby girl to Oklahoma? Are you kidding me?"

  Jon smiled nervously. "You're welcome to visit any time!" Having anticipated an overbearing father of the bride, he pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. "Here's my address, phone number, and the phone number of my mentor from the seminary I attended. I've listed all of the deacons of my church and their ph
one numbers. The phone number for the Teaville police is there, both for Kansas and Oklahoma. If there's anything I've forgotten that you need, please let me know what it is, and I'll provide the information immediately."

  Keith took the list and looked over it. "Looks like you've covered most of the things I'd have asked for. One more question, though."

  Jon nodded. "I'll answer anything."

  "Why did you have to resort to marrying a stranger? Why not find a girl the normal way? Single pastors don't typically have a hard time finding a wife."

  "As soon as I moved to Teaville, all the single women in my congregation started bringing over casseroles and cakes. They all made it very clear that they were interested." Jon sighed. "I didn't want to be pursued. I don't really have time to date, because the church keeps me extremely busy, so I decided to contact Dr. Lachele. One of her employees, Samara, married one of the men in my congregation, and they're happy. Dr. Lachele took care of their match." He shrugged. "It really seemed the simplest thing to do."

  "I guess I can understand that. What if Michaela is too nervous to sleep with you tonight? What happens then?"

  "Then I get her a room of her own at the hotel, and we wait." Jon could say that easily after their shared kisses, because he had a feeling she was not at all worried about the wedding night. If he was wrong, he'd just do as he said and get her a room.

  "Really?"

  Jon nodded. "Really. I would never do anything to jeopardize trust between my wife and me."

  "I can deal with that." Keith held his hand out. "Welcome to the family. Remember, though. If I find out you've hurt one hair on my baby girl's head? I'll hunt you down and castrate you myself."

  Jon flinched at the word castrate but forced himself to nod, shaking the older man's hand. "I won't hurt her, sir."

  "I know you won't. You wouldn't be leaving with her otherwise." Keith walked back toward the women, smiling at his daughter. "I didn't hurt him."

  Michaela didn't even want to think about what had been said. She just reached for her new husband's hand again. "We're not staying terribly long," she said softly. "We're going to take the train up to Plymouth and spend a couple of days there before going to Oklahoma."