The day had finally come. Never in his life, did Danny Messer every think this could happen. Today was hi wedding day. His wedding, to the most beautiful country girl in the world, Lindsay Monroe. This was a day he had long looked forward too. Ever since they had continued their relationship, Danny had realized that Lindsay was the only woman he ever wanted to be with.
Danny exhaled nervously. He paced around outside the chapel doors. Flack leaned against the wall watching Danny in amusement. Danny grabbed his tie, making sure it was tied correctly. His actions only resulted in messing it up.
"Danny, stop messing' with your tie." Flack said.
"I can't help it man. You think you'd be steady on your weddin' day?" Danny asked.
"Nope. But it ain't my wedding is it?"
"Not helping Flack." Danny said. He tried to fix his tie into it correct position, but only made it even worse.
"Alright that's it! Let go of the tie Danny!" Flack ordered.
Danny released his tie and let his hands hang by his side. Flack walked to him and fixed Danny's tie. "You touch that tie again I'll cuff your hands behind your back. Now relax."
"That's easy for you to say Don. I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life." Danny said. He started pacing around again. He rubbed his hands together and ran them through his hair.
"Alright, seriously, Danny, if you can't keep your hands still I swear I'll cuff 'em." Flack said. He pulled out a comb from his pocket and shoved it into Danny's hand.
"Giving Danny a last minute fix, Flack?" Stella asked. Her bridesmaid dress swayed with her as she walked. Stella and Lindsay had done the shopping for dresses without any help from a planner, and they had done a wonderful job. Lindsay had only told Danny what the dresses looked like. Strapless corsets that had a free skirt with a sash ribbon that tied in the front. The color looked like an alteration of white and blue mixed. Lindsay said it was "taupe" with a "Windsor blue". Whatever the colors were, they worked well together. She held Danny's year and a half old son in her arms.
"He won't stop fidgeting. First his tie, not his hair. I'm about to bring out the cuffs." Flack replied.
"I can do you one better. Your son's getting a little fussy." Stella passed Caleb to Danny.
Danny hoisted his son into his arms. "Hey Caleb, what's wrong? Too many strange people?"
Caleb said nothing. He was too interesting in playing with his fathers glasses. He reached out for them, pulling them off Danny's face. Danny laughed and freed his glasses from his sons' strong grip.
"Hey, I need those." Danny laughed. Caleb reached for his glasses again. Danny leaned his head from his sons grip. "Alright, you want somethin' to play with, try this." he held out the comb Flack had given him. Caleb looked at the comb and took it from Danny.
"I've been sent here to warn you. Everyone is settled. We're starting in five minutes." Stella said.
"Thanks Stell." Danny replied.
Down the hall, the other bridesmaids emerged from their room. One of them pulled a small white wagon behind them. Caleb would be riding in it down the isle.
"How's Lindsay doin'?" Danny asked.
Stella winced a little. "Nervous, but she's trying not to show it."
Danny nodded. He exhaled deeply, shifting his weight around. He set Caleb down in the isle. "I guess this is it."
Flack gave Danny a strong pat on his shoulder, "Come on Danny, let's get you married."
The chapel doors opened. Danny walked past the congregation, noting how many people he really knew and whom he didn't. He recognized Lindsay's family near the front, minus her father. His mother and father were seated in the front, giving him encouraging smiles. Danny tried to smile, but his nerves wouldn't let him.
With his first proposal denied, Danny waited for the right moment to propose again. At first, the wait had been so torturous to him, but when their son, Caleb, had been born time just slipped from them. When marrying Lindsay came back to him, Danny hadn't hesitated a second. The next evening in the office, in front of everyone, Danny had proposed to Lindsay a second time. When Lindsay had said yes, Danny had cheered with everyone else before Lindsay threw herself into his arms. Now here he stood, six months later, ready to take the step he'd been dying to take.
"Hello Daniel." Danny snapped out of his thoughts. The reverend stood next to him. Every Sunday growing up, Danny had found the reverends sermons to be boring. But now, it felt right to have him conduct Danny's wedding.
Danny shook the reverends hand, "Thanks for doin' this Reverend."
The reverend pat Danny's hand, "It is my honor, Daniel."
The pianist started the chorus line. The chapel doors opened slowly. Kendall emerged first with Adam. Both smiled brightly as they walked toward Danny. Adam released Kendall and moved behind Danny and Flack. Next came Sid and his escort. Danny tried to stifle his laughter upon seeing Sid in a tux. Behind him, Danny could hear Flack suffering from the same problem. Sheldon came next, escorting one of Lindsay's cousins. Danny noted Sheldon's gazes back at his partner, making a note to tease him about it later. Finally came Stella escorted by Mac. The two seemed to walk naturally side by side in the atmosphere. They both smiled brightly as they joined the others.
The pianist made the transition into the wedding march. Everyone in the congregation stood and turned. The chapel doors opened again. The small flower girl walked down the isle, dropping tiny petals as she walked. Danny's nervous stomach whirled about like a hurricane. Thousands of questions plagued his mind. Then everything vanished when he caught a glimpse of a white dress. Danny suddenly felt his heart skip a beat gazing at the angel walking next to her father. She stood tall, arm linked with her father. Each step they took was in sync with each other and the music. Her gown was strapless, holding to the curves of her body. The silk was scrunched together, giving the dress a look of wonderful elegance. Her hair was partially curled in tight ringlets, cascading around her face. The veil covered up her face, but Danny couldn't miss Lindsay's bright brown eyes staring right at him. As they reached the steps of the podium, her father lifted her veil, revealing Lindsay lovely face. Her father took Lindsay's hand and placed it into Danny's. The two stepped up to the reverend as the march came to a graceful end.
"You look beautiful Lindsay." Danny whispered.
Lindsay smiled, "You clean up pretty good yourself, Messer."
"Dear friends and family, this wonderful day we gather in this church to witness this union. Ladies and gentlemen, never has a union of two people, ever been as long awaited as one such as this. Having watched young Daniel grow up, and now seeing this young woman, there is no doubt in my mind this union shall last forever. For years I would ask Daniel when he would ever settle, and every year it would be the same response." Danny averted his eyes from the reverend. Lindsay gave his hand a squeeze. Danny could tell she was enjoying this. "Now, to finally see this day, and to see which woman god had to bring, I see the wait was worth it for everyone. We are honored with the knowledge that both bride and groom have written their own vows and we shall now proceed. Daniel."
Danny took a deep breath and looked at Lindsay. "In all my life, I never thought I would ever stand here. Marriage just wasn't somethin' I saw in my life. Course, I should've taken a hint from Mac when he said it could happen. Lesson learned, if your boss says you can fall in love, you better believe him." Danny paused as the congregation laughed. "Then you came into my life. A country girl from Montana, set on making out here in the big city, I never really gave you a fair chance. But you managed to show me up a number of times, and you changed my mind. You never ceased to amaze me every time we worked together. It was always your detailed work that broke the case. You dealt with the hand you were given in every case, and you beat 'em. Then you dealt with me. You put up with me so many times; I can't understand why you're still here.
"I can't take you to France, or Italy. I can't buy you a castle and give you jewels. I can't give you everything you deserve. All that I can give, all that I have to offer you, is what God gave me. My heart, my soul, my life. All that I am is all I can give you. Every mornin' we're still together, I keep asking myself, "what can I give her?" and it's always the same answer. No matter how many times I screw up, you're always ready to give me a hand. You always give me another reason to go one with my life. And I know that I've screwed up time and time again, but I don't think I would change anything if I couldn't stand here with you today. Because my life is with you and Caleb and I wouldn't change any of that." Danny said. His heart beat wildly in his chest.
"Lindsay."
"When I first moved out here, everyone was telling me that things are different out east. They told me things would be tough. However, they never told me how stubborn the men were. Maybe if they had, I would've been ready for you. You constant jokes and nicknames kept me on my toes. You just let on so many times that you didn't want me around, and tried everything to get rid of me. Guess no one told you how stubborn country girls are." Several guests laughed quietly. Mostly those from Lindsay's family, but Danny included. "But then I remembered something my mom told me. She said, "When boys treat you that way, they're hiding how they feel." I never thought twice about it, until I spoke with Sid. Then suddenly, everything made sense to me. Then, your antics toward me were nothing.
"Things were never easy between us. When you told me your feelings, I wasn't ready to return them. I needed time, and you gave it to me. You let me work things out, and you waited. When we were together, I found everything I never expected to find. Things I never realized I needed. I'd never been so happy with anyone. And when we were apart, the only reason I could think to keep going, was that I might see you. Then you fought. You fought till we were together again. You worked so hard to bring us back together, and you worked so hard when I was pregnant with Caleb. You were the perfect father I wanted for my children. When I first said no, I could tell you how horrible I felt for it. I wanted so bad to say yes, and ever since you asked, I kept praying you would ask me again." Lindsay looked down and took a deep breath before she continued. Danny watched Lindsay try to keep her tears back. She lifted her head back up. "I don't need a vacation in France or Italy. I don't need to live in a castle, or were expensive jewelry. The only thing I need is what I live for every day, you and Caleb. That is all I'll ever need from you Danny." Lindsay finished.
"Such loving words, from two people in love. You have heard vows, but never have I heard such vows as powerful as I have today. As you take the first steps from your single lives and start the journey to become one, take each step with caution and at the same time, with daring. These days, we all witness how short life is. Treasure your moments together, treasure each other." The reverend said. He turned his head toward Flack and then Stella. Danny turned around and received the ring from Flack. He held the golden band with care between his fingers. Lindsay held his ring in her delicate fingers.
"Daniel, do take Lindsay to be your wife? Will you honor her, comfort her, and forsake all others, so long as you shall live?" the reverend asked.
"I will. I do." Danny took Lindsay's left hand. He held the ring at the tip of her finger. "I, Daniel Messer, take you, Lindsay Monroe, to be lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." His slid the golden ban onto her finger.
"Do you, Lindsay, take Daniel to be your husband? Will you honor him, comfort him, and forsake all others, so long as you shall live?
Danny caught a glimpse of a tear in her eyes as she spoke. "I do. I, Lindsay Monroe, take you, Daniel Messer, to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Danny had to fight back his own tears at Lindsay's words. The gold band slid onto Danny's finger.
The reverend lifted his head to the congregation, "If there is anyone who can think of a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace." Whether it was the number of cops, or rednecks present in the church, everyone remand silent. The revered glanced about the church before he continued. "Then, by the power vested in me, I proudly pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Danny wasted no time. He pulled Lindsay into his arms and kissed her passionately. His hand gently held her chin up to him. Lindsay's arms wrapped around Danny's neck, causing her to stand on her tiptoes.
"I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Messer." the reverend said. The church erupted in applauses. Danny and Lindsay waved to the congregation. Sheldon whistled loudly.
"About time!" Flack shouted. The rest of the team laughed. Danny turned to Flack and gave him a quick pat on his shoulder.
Lindsay took Danny's arm quickly. His attack against Flack was quickly forgotten. They stepped down from the podium and walked down the isle arm in arm. The chapel doors opened wide as they walked out of the church. Lindsay stopped as she gazed outside. The weather report hadn't mention the possibility of snow, but a small amount of fresh powder lay on the ground. Small flakes drifted slowly onto the ground. Everyone watched in aw as the flakes drifted from the sky.
"It's beautiful." Lindsay said.
Danny wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Kinda, but it can't beat you."
Lindsay looked at Danny, "You can be so cheesy, you know that."
Danny smirked, "It's about to get better. Your carriage awaits, Mrs. Messer."
Lindsay looked down at the steps of the church. A white horse-drawn carriage waited. The driver stood by the opened door. Lindsay stood in aw, never had she imagined her wedding to be so beautiful. Danny's arm slipped from around her waist and took her hand. He pulled her from the steps as the rice was thrown into the air. Lindsay laughed as she tried to keep up with Danny. As they reach the carriage, Danny stopped abruptly. Before Lindsay could ask, Danny took her into his arms and dipped her. Lindsay was overtaken with surprise as he kissed her deeply. Several people cheered loudly. Danny lift Lindsay back up and helped her into the carriage. The driver closed the door behind Danny and started to drive away. Danny and Lindsay waved as the carriage pulled away from the church. Everyone stood outside, waving back, calling after them.
Danny wrapped his arm around Lindsay's shoulder, "Well Mrs. Messer, are you happy with the ceremony?"
Lindsay looked up and smiled, "Yes, Mr. Messer. Very happy."