"If anybody here sees any reason why Alex and Fiona should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace." The celebrant peruses the crowd, looking for any sign of an admission. Beside the groom, Nick Ryan shifts slightly.
"Right then, Alex Ryan, do you take Fi-", the celebrant pauses, staring curiously at Nick who has stepped forward abruptly in front of the almost-wed couple.
"Nick, what are you doing mate?" Alex hisses from his position beside Fiona.
"I'm sorry for the disruption everyone, but I believe my brother has something he'd like to say to Fiona." Nick turns his gaze towards Alex and nods. "Alex?"
"Alex, what's going on?" Fiona's deadly quiet voice can be heard by everyone in the first three rows, who're all standing as still as statues, staring at Alex.
"Fuck." Alex mutters to himself, glaring at Nick. "Fi, there's something I need to say. I-I can't marry you. I'm sorry."
There's an audible gasp among the guests, followed by quick, low murmurings. "What?" Fiona's voice is dangerously low and her eyes are growing darker by the second. Her hands begin to shake and she purses her lips. "You can't marry me or you won't?"
"Both. There's…someone else. I'm in love with someone else. Always have been. I'm so sorry-", Alex is cut off as Fiona's hand slaps across his face, making him stumble and catch his breath. Alex raises his own hand to his face and feels the bruise forming already.
"You're a bastard, Alex Ryan!" Fiona rages at Alex before turning on her heel and running down the aisle towards the cars. Around them, the guests are whispering, shell-shocked.
Alex glances sheepishly at Nick and states, "I know I deserved that, but you could've talked me out of this earlier mate."
Nick just shakes his head and replies, "Well I wouldn't have needed to do anything if you'd just pulled your head in and realized what was right in front of you the whole time Alex. Think you've got somewhere you need to be, right?" Nick glances at the second row of guests, where his wife Tess and the girls from Drovers Run are seated; Jodi, Kate, little Charlotte and Stevie. Alex follows his gaze, looking towards the end of the bench where Stevie is-was seated. Stevie's gone. Looking towards Tess for an indication, she shrugs her shoulders and mouths the words, "Go find her Alex."
Taking off at a run towards the yards, Alex prays that Nat hasn't put all the horses out in paddocks. Thankfully, there's one roaming around in the round pen, picking at bits of hay. Saddling him up in record time, Alex throws himself onto the horse's back and sets off at a canter out the gate towards the main boundry fence with Drovers, hoping Stevie is heading back on the main road. He urges his horse on faster, hoping to catch her at the turnoff on Gungellan Road.
Galloping through paddocks and over fallen tree trunks, Alex reaches the main boundry fence within minutes. Pulling his horse up, he scans the horizon for the homestead at Drovers Run. Shortening up his reins, Alexs begins to set off at a gallop towards the cluster of buildings he's spotted, knowing the scenery of the Drovers surroundings well. As he's galloping across yet another paddock, a red-brown ute barreling through the paddock to the right of him catches his eye; Stevie.