This Perfect Day
Patrick tossed down another magazine and pushed himself off the couch. This was taking too long. The rest of the boys had left Killarney an hour ago. Ben had grinned when he told him a special guest would be along soon, but if this was the special guest's idea of soon, Patrick was going to give it to the person when he or she came in.
"Hey, little Brewer!"
Patrick spun around at the sound of his brother's voice. "Dave?"
Dave appeared in the doorway, his happy grin on his face. "Pat, I've missed you."
Patrick hurried across the room and hugged his brother. "It is so good to see you."
"It's good to be here." Dave stepped back and studied his little brother. "So, Tayler agreed to marry you? You are a lucky man."
Patrick smiled. "I am. But you're late."
Dave rolled his eyes. "Bloody plane took off late. Put me behind. But I'm here now."
"And we have another hour or two before I have to be at Drovers. Entertain me."
Dave struck a pose. "What do you want to hear about? Safaris or bungee jumping?"
Patrick sat down on the couch. "You went bungee jumping?"
"Hey, if you can do it, so can I. Anything to drink in this place?" Dave wondered into the kitchen. "Rhonda, you still here serving these ungrateful wretches?"
Patrick heard Rhonda laugh and went into the kitchen.
"It's good to see you, Dave," Rhonda said, hugging the tall man. "And as to your question, yes I am. But there is a Mrs. about the place now, so it makes it better."
"Ah, yes, the leetle vet. I've heard about Ingrid." Dave opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. "Do you want one, Pat?"
"Only one, you hear." Rhonda shook a spoon at Dave. "We can't have the groom arriving at the altar drunk."
Patrick laughed as Dave saluted and caught the beer his big brother tossed at him.
"You boys behave yourselves." Rhonda placed a bowl in a cooler. "I have to get this food to Drovers."
"Can you let the boys know Dave is here?" Patrick twisted the lid off his bottle and wandered to the table.
"Sure thing." Rhonda gave the boys a smile and left the room with the cooler.
"And I was hoping she would forget that so we could have something to eat." Dave opened the fridge again and pulled out a covered dish. "Now what do we have here?"
"Do they not feed you in Africa?" Pat watched as Dave pulled container after container out of the fridge.
"Oh, they feed me fine in Africa, it's on those planes that you can't get enough to eat." Dave shoved a pickle in his mouth and dumped a pile of pasta on a plate. "It's been too long since I've eaten Rhonda's cooking."
Two hours later Patrick stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the collar of the white shirt Dave had stuffed him into.
"Pat, stop playing with that." Dave slapped Pat's hand.
"It's tight."
"Relax," Ben said. "That's the only reason it's tight. You're tense."
"You think?" Patrick paced to the window and stared out across Killarny. "What am I doing?"
Ben spun him around. "You are marrying the woman you love. Now, buck up and let's get to Drovers."
"Tayler awaits," Matt said. "Come on, Pat. You'll be fine."
Patrick took a deep breath and followed his friends out of the house. Dave patted his shoulder.
"Good going, little bro. She's a special woman. Keep her."
Patrick nodded. "Thanks, Dave."
Patrick tugged at his collar again as he stood under the rose bower at the end of the aisle. How could he be so nervous? He was marrying the love of his life. Why did he feel like throwing up?
"Look alive, Pat," Dave whispered. "Here they come."
Patrick looked up and saw Moira headed down the aisle, followed by Jodi. Ingrid and Jaz came after, all smiles. After a small pause, Stevie and Grace came down. They smiled at Pat and took their places. Regan started down the aisle. She smiled at Pat, but when her gaze landed on Dave her steps faltered. With a small shudder she straightened and continued towards the front.
Patrick frowned. Had she not known Dave was coming?
Then the wedding march began and all thoughts of his brother and Regan left his head.
Tayler had arrived. Patrick swallowed. This was it, there was no turning back.
Tayler rounded the end of the aisle and paused. Patrick smiled as he saw her. White flowed down to the ground, spreading out behind her. The setting sun glinted off the rhinestones that encrusted the bodice. She held a bouquet of red and orange roses. Her hair was pulled away from her face and held back with a bundle of smaller roses.
Then she was standing in front of him. He held out his hand and she took it, stepping up beside him.
"Welcome to the marriage ceremony of Patrick and Tayler," Beth Martin said, officially beginning the ceremony. "These two have declared their love for each other and stated their desire to be married. Tayler, do promise to love Patrick and remain faithful to him until death do you part?"
Tayler smiled at Patrick. "I do."
"Patrick, do you promise to love Tayler and remain faithful to her until death do you part?"
"I do," Patrick said, his voice strong, without a wobble.
This wasn't so bad.
"At this time, Tayler and Patrick will give their vows to each other."
Tayler handed her bouquet to Regan and took Patrick's other hand. She took a deep breath as he began to speak.
"Tayler, it's been a strange and wonderful journey to bring us here. I've loved you since that first time I kissed you. I didn't know it, but I did. Now we are going off on an adventure and I know that it will be tough. We may hit some snags, but I want you to know that I will always love you. I promise that I will protect you, provide for you and never leave you."
Tayler squeezed his hands. "Patrick, I think I fell in love with you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You were always there for me even when I didn't really want you to help me. I know that I haven't always been easy to love, but I promise that I will love you no matter what. I promise to remain faithful to you, to support you and be there for you."
Beth turned to Regan. "The rings."
Regan tipped her hand and the rings made a soft click as they landed in Beth's hand. Beth held out her hand and Patrick took the small gold band he had bought.
"Patrick, do you give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?" Beth asked.
"I do." Patrick slid the ring onto Tayler's finger.
Tayler took the larger gold band and slid it up to Patrick's first knuckle.
"Tayler, do give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?"
"I do." She slid the ring all the way up and smiled. "I love you."
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Beth said, smiling. "You may now kiss the bride."
Patrick leaned down and whispered, "I love you."
Tayler raised her head and smiled. "Kiss me already."
As laughter flitted through the guests, Patrick wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and kissed her. Tayler's lips curled into a smile and she pressed herself closer to him.
"Enough already!" Marcus called. "Don't make us sick."
Patrick held Tayler a little longer and then stepped back. She smiled at him before turning to face their friends.
"It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Brewer," Beth announced.
Amid the cheering and laughter Patrick and Tayler made their way down the red aisle. At the end they stopped and turned as their friends came down to congratulate them.
"Oh, Tayler, you're gorgeous," Regan said. "Take care of her, Patrick."
"I will," Patrick said. "Thanks, Regan."
His arm became numb as the well wishers filed past. He smiled and thanked people, gave hugs and all along he just wanted to take Tayler away somewhere and be alone.
"Finally, their gone," he whispered to Tayler as the last guest headed towards the reception area.
Tayler looked at him. "Are you eager to be rid of our guests, Mr. Brewer?"
"Yes, in fact I am, Mrs. Brewer." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "But I suppose that wouldn't be very polite.
"No," Tayler said shaking her head. "Come on, they're waiting."
With Tayler's hand in his and a heart filled with light, Patrick lead the way to were the guests waited.
"It is with great pleasure that I announce the bride and groom," Regan said as they made their way to the table.
"Patrick and Tayler Brewer," Dave continued. "I wish you both every comfort and blessing in life. Go down life's path together."
Patrick smiled at his brother. He knew how much it cost Dave to say those words. Dave had tried so many times to make it work with a woman and he was still alone. One day he would find someone, Patrick knew it.
Patrick helped Tayler sit at the head table and then sat himself. The guests sat down and a line of servers came from the house, carrying steaming plates of food.
"Where did you find servers on such short notice?" Tayler asked Regan, as her maid of honour sat down.
"Oh, we had them on standby." Regan held out her glass and one of the servers filled it with wine. "They thought this would be great fun."
"Thank you, thank you for everything," Tayler said. "Really, Patrick, you did amazing."
"Well, as much as I'd like to take all the credit, it was mostly the girls." Patrick grinned. "I can't tell the difference between white linen and snow linen."
Tayler laughed. "Pat, I love you."
"Seriously, if you two are going to kiss again, I'm going to hurl." Dave swallowed his wine and waved the server over.
"Dave, do not get drunk before you have to give your speech," Patrick demanded.
When Dave was drunk he was unpredictable. And that was not something he wanted to deal with on his wedding day.
"Don't worry about him," Tayler whispered. "Regan and Ben will keep him under control."
Patrick kissed her hand and then dug into the food that was placed before him. How the girls had managed to pull this day off, he'd never know but they had done amazing. The day had been perfect and it was only getting better.
"Attention, all you guests. It's time for the bridal couples' first dance," Grace called out from the porch. "Come on you two, front centre."
Patrick held out his hand to Tayler and she placed hers in his. He led his wife onto the dance floor and rested one hand on her waist.
"I hope you're good at this," he whispered. "Waltzing wasn't on my list of things to do before I died."
Tayler laughed. "Just follow my lead."
"Aren't you supposed to follow me?" Patrick swung her around.
"Oi, you two, there's no music."
Patrick looked at Grace and grinned. "Well, get on it."
Grace rolled her eyes. "Alright, you two. This one's for you."
Grace nodded to the man behind her and he sat down at the keyboard. Grace held the mike up and waited for the intro to the song. "This Perfect Day. It's your favourite, Tayler."
This day, this perfect day.
Peace, peace at last.
Love blurs, love blurs my eyes.
And my heart is in your hands.
No more yearning, no more fears,
For you have brought me home.
No more yearning, no more tears.
Oh, safe harbour of my home.
Oh, safe harbour of thou own.
Patrick swept Tayler in a circle and then followed her lead as she led him across the floor.
"You're not bad," she whispered as Grace headed into the second verse.
I dream, I dream of you,
I dream, soul to soul.
Just you, just you alone.
And I trust and I trust in you.
No more yearning, no more fears,
For you have brought me home.
No more yearning, no more tears.
Oh safe harbour of my home.
Oh safe harbour of thou own.
Patrick held Tayler close and swayed with the music. The dance floor had filled with couples and he saw Dave holding Regan. He raised his eyebrows. Maybe there was still something between them.
"Tay, look."
Tayler looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Maybe we will be attending another wedding sometime soon."
"If Dave leaves Africa," Patrick said. "Regan will never leave Drovers."
"Why are we talking about your brother? You're supposed to be telling me how beautiful I am and how much you love me." Tayler kissed his cheek.
"You are beautiful and I love you." He swung her around and kissed her lips. "You are mine. No one shall take you from me."