The three couples met back at the SUV and began the short trip back to the hotel.
"It is just too hot down here," Shane remarked.
Oliver laughed. "You know, that reminds me of a freezing cold day back in Colorado a few years ago when you said you would rather be anywhere but there."
"I stand corrected," Shane returned. "This is ridiculous!"
Oliver grinned, adjusting the vents to send air directly to Shane. "I distinctly remember that phrase as well."
Shane gulped the bottle of water that Oliver had bought her on the way out of the festival grounds. "Yep, from one extreme to the other. I prefer middle ground."
"You, my dear, rarely prefer middle ground," Oliver responded, still laughing.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Shane retorted.
"You're passionate. Remember what I told you about that," Oliver whispered with a wink.
Shane blushed.
They made it back to the hotel to cool off and get dressed for the evening's events. Victoria had insisted that Oliver and Shane attend the wedding and reception, as well as the Dormans. Fortunately, the Hasletts' paths had not crossed with Victoria at the festival, so their visit remained a secret until time for the ceremony.
"I guess we really are crashing the wedding," Clarice commented with a chuckle as they entered the hotel.
"Well, I think you two should go see the bride a few minutes beforehand," Shane suggested. "It would mean a lot for her to know that you're there."
"I hope so," Clarice replied.
"I know so!" Shane exclaimed with a grin.
A couple of hours later, Oliver was tying his tie when Shane stepped out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a knee-length, off-the-shoulder royal blue dress and her hair flowed easily around her shoulders. Oliver did a double-take, and forgetting about the tie, turned to her.
"Shane, you are absolutely breathtaking," Oliver complimented her, an expression of adoration written in every one of his facial features.
She smiled. "Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself. Want me to tie your tie?"
"Oh, sure," he told her as they closed the distance between them. "I was working on it, but I, uh, got a little distracted."
Shane laughed as she finished his tie. "There! It's perfect."
"Yes," he agreed, gazing at her face inches from his. "It sure is."
Their eyes locked. Then Shane's phone dinged and Oliver sighed.
"It's already five o'clock anyway, Oliver," Shane teasingly chastised him with a sly grin.
He grimaced at her playfully.
Shane checked her phone. "It's Rita. She said they will be ready in five minutes. Let's go, wedding crasher." She winked at him and they headed out the door.
A little while later, the O'Tooles, Dormans, and Clarice were all sitting near the front of the church, waiting for the ceremony to begin. It was a small, intimate gathering of no more than thirty people. The sanctuary was simply but elegantly decorated with white tulle and exquisite flower arrangements.
"Hey, where's Dalbert?" Norman asked.
"Oh, he'll be here in a few minutes," Clarice responded, her eyes sparkling.
Sure enough, after the wedding ceremony began, Dalbert made his way down the aisle, escorting an angelic young brunette who only had eyes for her groom. Shane, Rita, and Clarice all cried at the sight of them. Oliver and Norman were slightly misty-eyed, too.
The ceremony began and the couple began to recite the vows they had written one another. Oliver reached for Shane's hand and she continued wiping her eyes with her free hand. As the groom was finishing his vows to his bride, he told Victoria, "I will spend the rest of my life loving you to the best of my ability….but you and I both know that God loves you exceedingly more."
Shane gasped quietly, looking at Oliver, and the tears rolled harder. He squeezed her hand and looked back at her, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes. They knew beyond a doubt that God had orchestrated every single detail for this marriage to occur, just as he did for their own.