Page 44 of Write Me For You

Jesse

“ S he’s still at the stables?” I asked Mrs. Scott as she hung the lights up in the rec room.

Mrs. Scott laughed. “Yes, for the thousandth time. We’ve got this covered, Jesse.”

I nodded, then blew out a long breath, hands on my hips. “I haven’t seen you this nervous in…” my mom said, trying to think. “Never.”

“It’s a big day, Mom,” I said, and her eyes shiny with unshed tears.

“I know it is, sweetheart.” She kissed me and went to help Mrs. Scott finish hanging the lights before she broke down again.

I ran my hand over my neck, then looked up to see Mr. Scott walking through the doors with Chris. They were carrying more decorations. Chris tapped me on the back as he passed. My stomach fell as I looked to my best friend.

When June and I had told him our palliative status, he was devastated.

I hated seeing him this way, so defeated, so I broke the tension by saying, “Hell, you chose the wrong team, Chris. Out of the four of us, you’re the only one who’s making it out alive.

Chemo Club for one!” Chris couldn’t help but laugh and it had been the lightness we’d needed to break through the heavy sadness.

Mr. Scott stood in front of me. “You ready, son?”

“Yes, sir,” I said, with 100 percent conviction. Mr. Scott put his hand on my shoulder, and I remembered when I’d crossed the yard from the ranch to the parent’s quarters a few days ago.

“Jesse?” Mr. Scott said as he found me at his door. “Is June okay?” His face had gone ashen.

“Yes, sir,” I said, fighting back my nerves. “I’ve come to ask you something.”

I knew I caught him off guard, as he blinked at me in surprise.

I’d gotten to know Mr. Scott well through watching football together.

He was a good man and a good dad to June.

He’d turned into someone I could lean on too and, not having a father around, that meant everything to me.

I was pretty sure this visit would go okay, but now that I was standing here, it didn’t matter that I only had weeks to live—I was the same as any man asking for their daughter’s hand.

I walked into their suite and sat down. My legs ached just from the walk over from the ranch house. I was breathless and had broken out into a pretty good sweat. Mr. Scott placed a glass of water before me.

“Take your time, son,” he said, and sat beside me.

I took several sips of water, then, looking Mr. Scott straight in the eye, said, “Can I please have your permission to marry June?”

Mr. Scott’s eyebrows rose in shock, then he glanced away. My heart slammed against my ribs. I couldn’t get a read on what he was going to say. Then he faced me again, his eyes glassy. “I never thought I’d get a chance to walk my daughter down the aisle.”

His answer made my heart ache.

He leaned toward me. “Jesse, you have my permission. Of course you do, son. You have made my daughter happier than I ever thought she could be.”

I fought to swallow the lump in my throat.

“I wish this were happening differently for y’all. I wish you were asking me and you’d go on to have your forever.”

“We will,” I said, recalling my talk with Pastor Noel. “Our forever is there; it just looks a little different to most people’s.”

Mr. Scott turned away as he choked on a sob, then took a few deep breaths. Facing me again, he said, “It would be my honor to have you as a son-in-law, Jesse. And thank you for the gift you’re given me of walking my baby down the aisle. I’ve dreamed of that moment since the day she was born.”

I gave a nervous laugh. “She has to say yes first, sir.”

“It’s gonna be a yes, son. My baby loves you more than I’ve ever seen her love anyone before.”

“You look smart,” Mr. Scott said just as my mom and Mrs. Scott turned on the twinkle lights. It was sunset, and the orange glow of the Texas sun was shining its beams through the rec room’s windows. With the strings lights everywhere inside, it looked incredible.

“June is on her way back,” Neenee said, coming into the room.

I took a deep breath. Mr. Scott gave me a hug.

Mrs. Scott followed suit. Then, my mom was last. “I’m so happy for you, baby.

You both deserve this and more.” Mom had been given time off work to come here for my final weeks.

And in the typical fashion of coming from a small town, the close-knit community had raised enough money for her to be here, so she wouldn’t struggle financially being here and so she could take time away from work… afterwards.

I’d never loved my hometown more. People often couldn’t wait to leave their rural hometowns for the bright lights of a big city.

But June and I agreed that, if we’d gotten to live our happily ever after, we would have eventually settled in a town full of people who knew our names, who greeted us each day with happy faces.

I moved into the center of the room. I wore a linen button-down and cargo shorts. I’d lost so much weight now that they hung off my frame, but June wouldn’t mind. She just loved me, not how I looked. And of course, I had to wear my baseball cap. It was my lucky charm.

The clicking of the door to outside sounded, and I heard my little sisters running. We’d distracted June by asking her to show my sisters Ginger and the other horses. Bailey had joined her, now that it was a bit far for her to travel on her own and she needed support.

Then, June walked through the door and instantly took my breath away. She was dressed in her sage-green dress, the one that I adored. Her matching headscarf brought out her deep-brown eyes and her face was flushed from being outside in the fresh air.

“Jesse?” she said, looking around the room in confusion. It no longer looked like the rec room; it looked like something from a movie, with lights glittering in every corner and a carpet of rose petals on the ground.

June froze, eyes wide. “Jesse?” she said again, but I saw her swallow a nervously.

Walking to her, I took hold of her hands and said, “Junebug.” Her breathing hitched as I squeezed them.

Looking her straight in the eyes, I said, “June Scott, I love you more than I ever knew I could love someone.” I’d hoped my voice would stay strong, but the minute June’s hands were in mine and her attention was all on me, it broke.

“Meeting you has been the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” Tears began to fall down her face.

“I hoped that we would have had more time. I prayed to anyone who would listen for us to be able to continue this love story out in the big, wide world.” I cleared my throat, so I could keep going.

“But in the end, all we have is now. And I couldn’t wait one more minute to ask you a very important question. ”

June held her breath as I got down on one knee. My joints screamed as I did, and it wasn’t a pretty descent—the aches and pains were almost too much to bear. But when I looked up at June and her hand was over her mouth in happiness, all the pain washed away.

“June Scott, my Junebug, would you please do me the honor of a lifetime and become my wife?”

A sob tore from June’s mouth. “Yes,” she whispered. “It will always be yes, Jesse.”

I pulled the ring from my pocket. Mr. Scott had given it to me; it had belonged to June’s grandma. It was a simple gold band with a small diamond in the center. It was understated but beautiful, exactly like the girl who would wear it from now on.

I slid the ring on her finger. It was a little big, but June looked down at it like I’d gifted her a star from the sky. I made a move to get up, but my leg screamed in agony.

June stared at me adoringly, and I said, “I should be kissing you right now, Junebug, but I might need some help in getting up.”

Her lips twitched and then she filled the room with her beautiful laughter, only making the twinkling setting more magical.

Mr. Scott appeared and helped me to my feet. I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he—and most of our families—had been listening just outside the room. After I was standing, he left us alone, and June was staring up at me like I was her everything.

“There,” I said, heart melting at her beaming face.

“I made it off the floor.” I placed my hands on either side of her face, then moved in to kiss her.

June’s lips were soft, and I tasted her tears as they cascaded down her cheeks.

They mixed with mine, but none of them were from sadness.

I was so full of happiness that I thought I’d burst.

When we broke apart, I pressed my forehead to hers. “You’re going to be my wife.” Wife. Never had a word sounded so perfect.

“I love you,” June said, and I studied every part of her face.

“How does a wedding in three days sound?” June watched me, questions in her gaze. “Pastor Noel has agreed to marry us.”

“In three days?” she asked, eyes wide.

“I thought we’d better move fast, seeing as how we don’t have the luxury of time,” I joked, and June fought a smile. “Or else our wedding might just turn into a funeral.”

“Jesse!” June said, shaking her head in admonishment. But the glint in her eyes showed me she was enjoying my dark humor, despite it perhaps hitting too close to home.

“Three days sounds perfect,” she said.

I wanted to walk to the chapel now and make it happen. But I also knew that June had dreamed of her wedding her whole life, and if there was one thing I wasn’t selfish about, it was June’s happiness.

“Can we come in now?” Chris shouted from the doorway. “Your parents are about to barge in you if you don’t say yes!” We turned and laughed at our family and friends waiting in the doorway.

“Yes!” June said, holding her left hand up to her mom and dad. “I’m getting married!” Mr. Scott scooped June up in his arms. “You get to walk me down the aisle, Daddy,” June said, and Mr. Scott’s eyes closed.

“I know, baby. I cannot wait,” he whispered, opening them again and staring adoringly at his daughter.

Mom hugged me, and Lucy and Emily ran straight to June, forgetting about me entirely. “Can we be your bridesmaids?” Lucy asked my fiancée.

My fiancée.

Emily hit Lucy on the arm. “You have to ask nicely! We talked about this!”

I laughed, and as June’s eyes met mine, there was no more fear, no more pain, just happiness reflecting back at all of us.

“Of course you can,” June said to the little monsters. “Who else would I have? You’re going to be my sisters.” Those words were an arrow to the chest. Lucy and Emily jumped on June, screaming in excitement.

For the first time since I’d been told I was on palliative care, I wished time to go faster. I couldn’t wait for three days from now to get here.

I couldn’t wait to be able to call my Junebug my wife.