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“I’m not sure whether I liked Mertie’s wedding better, or Amara’s.” Doyle spoke as he held Olive tight against him, slow dancing to whatever music was playing. Come to think of it, they were probably going a little bit slower than the music dictated, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to hold her forever.

“I think they’re tied in my opinion as well. And it makes me a little bit nervous, because my wedding might not measure up.”

“It’s not a competition.” He smiled down at her. “And I can guarantee you that you’re going to have the groom who’s the most in love. If that means anything.”

“I think that’s probably one of the most important things. I have an upright, honorable man, and I don’t really care what my wedding looks like.”

“All right then. I wouldn’t give it another thought. But I am having a good time, and the food was just as good here too.”

“You think people are going to get tired of making food? Should we really ask everyone to bring another dish for another wedding?”

“I was kinda thinking that we might ask Cassie if she wanted to cater it?” He left that question open-ended, because, while he was pretty sure that Olive didn’t harbor any hard feelings toward Cassie and wasn’t the slightest bit concerned about any kind of feelings that he might have toward her, he didn’t want to take that for granted.

“That’s an awesome idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. She could use the money, and the people in Raspberry Ridge could use a break from having to make a casserole every Friday and come to a wedding. At least they can ditch the casserole, but there’s definitely going to be a wedding.”

“What do you think about having it down on the pebble beach?” he asked.

“Wow. You have really great ideas. Are you sure you haven’t planned a wedding before?”

“Maybe I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about yours and my wedding, but it’s the first, and hopefully only, wedding I’ll ever plan.”

“I don’t know, maybe you have a future as a wedding planner, because I think that’s a really great idea. I wonder if that’ll be enough time for Cassie?”

“And she’d probably want some kind of idea of the number of people coming, and then we’re getting into a little bit more figuring than what I want to. You think there’s about the same number of people here as was at Mertie’s wedding?”

“I think so. You’re saying you think we can probably figure on the same number coming to ours?” She tilted her head and leaned back just a little.

“Bingo.”

“I agree with that.” Olive moved her head and laid it on his chest.

He looked out at the people who had come to celebrate Amara and Hobert’s nuptials. Funny that they had been brought up to dislike Hobert without even knowing why and that Amara ended up marrying him.

“I think Dabney has found her purpose in life,” Doyle said.

“Dabney?” She lifted her head and looked around, smiling when she finally found her. “Oh my goodness. She’s with Dominic and Vera, a twin in each arm, and two kids grabbing onto her dress, begging her to go play with them.”

“And the other two kids are at the door, motioning for her to come. I think she has an entourage.”

“I think Vera and Dominic can use a little break. And Dabney is so responsible. She’s probably the one teenager in the entire world who can handle six kids better than most adults.”

“I can’t argue with that.” He looked down at the baby sleeping in the car seat. “I have a feeling that Livvy is going to be just as good with children as what Dabney is.”

“What gives you that idea?”

“Well, I guess I should talk to you about it, but I was thinking we would have at least six of our own, maybe more.”

“Really? After all the work that a baby is, you want six or more?”

“Well, doesn’t the Bible say that we’re supposed to populate the world?”

“Don’t you think that’s already been done?” she asked, with not a little bit of irony in her voice. “Eight billion people is pretty populated.”

“But the birth rate of Americans is going down. We can do what we can to combat that and keep our country populated. Plus, God actually said to be fruitful and multiply. That probably means we should have at least three. But that really isn’t multiplication, when two become three. It should be four or six or something like that.”

“You’re really set on that number six.”

“I’m happy with ten. We can compromise.”

“Hmm. I think I’m going to have to think about that for a little bit.”

“Yeah. Maybe eight. That’s a nice middle-of-the-road number.”

“I think you’re teasing me,” she said, looking up into his eyes with a glint in her own. “But I like the idea of having a bunch of little redheaded kids, tall and lanky with your teasing green eyes.”

“You like my eyes, huh?”

“I like all of you,” she corrected.

He smiled, and she laid her head on his chest again.

He knew there would be hard times ahead, no life was without them, but he had a godly woman by his side, and he had a God who was in control of everything. They would face the golden dawn together. It was all a man could ask for.