The morning of the wedding dawned sunny and bright. Aaden had never felt nerves like this in his entire life. He kept imagining waiting at the altar of that tiny church and seeing Kathleen walk in the door just to have her take off running in the opposite direction when she realized that her family was right and marrying him was a mistake…. He cursed at himself.

He might not be rich or high class but by god he loved that woman more than any other man in the world ever could and she loved him. And today she was going to become his wife. He walked out in the living room to find Pete and Billy passed out on the couch. He chuckled and shook his head when he saw the empty bottle of moonshine. Good thing Kathleen had said she didn't want bridesmaids and groomsmen because his family would have been a bit too hung over to stand at the altar with him.

Just then he heard a car door shut outside. He opened the door and saw Max running up toward him with Tessa walking behind him.

"I'm gonna be a ring bear today." Max said happily. Tessa laughed.

"I tried to explain to him that it's ring bearer but he said he wants to be a bear more." she said. Aaden hugged Max tight.

"Go on inside and see if you can get uncle Pete and uncle Billy to wake up." he said. Max laughed and ran in the house. Tessa crossed her arms and looked up at Aaden.

"Brent would be so happy for you today if he were still alive." she said running a hand through her auburn hair. Aaden smiled at the mention of his brother.

"Yea he always was trying to get me to find a woman." he agreed.

"I'm happy for you too… Even though I still wish sometimes that you could have felt for me the way I do for you." Tessa said with a sad smile. Aaden shook his head as he looked over at her. She was short and slender with bright auburn hair and dark eyes. She looked like a beauty but he knew that inside she was a mean cruel woman who had used her son as a pawn to try to control his brother when he'd been alive.

"You might as well give up on that dream, Tessa. I didn't want you back when Brent was alive, I didn't want you when he died and I don't want you now." he assured her. She nodded.

"I know that. I gave up on you a long time ago. But I want to thank you for being so good to Max and Max really seems to like Kathleen."

"Kathleen likes Max and as far as me being good to Max.. The boy is my nephew. He's all I got left of my big brother. I love that boy." Tessa smiled.

"Well I'll be going and let you get ready for your wedding. Could I have one last hug before you're a married man?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea." he replied. She nodded.

"I didn't think you would." she said. "You know if you ever change your mind I would let you adopt Max. Be a real dad to him." Aaden felt anger at her usual tactic of trying to use her son to get what she wanted..

"Max had a great dad. I'm just fine with being his uncle." he said. Tessa nodded and walked back to her car. She turned and saw that he already had his back to her and was walking into the house. Tessa hoped that Kathleen realized what a great man she was marrying and if she didn't and screwed things up Tessa would be waiting with open arms to comfort the big man.

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Christy and Craig pulled in a short time later. Craig jumped out of her car and then she drove away toward Aaden's parents house. Aaden raised a brow as Craig walked in.

"You two drove together in her car? Are you staying with her now?" he asked. Craig cursed and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.

"I just enjoy her company is all." he said. Aaden smiled.

"You do realize that one of your rules is never stay the night don't you?" Aaden asked.

"Shut the hell up Aaden. Don't you know you shouldn't piss off your best man right before the wedding?" Then Craig looked at the clock.

"Speaking of, we better get ready and get you down to the church." he said then he looked at Pete and Billy who were still passed out on the couch. "Have you tried waking up the sleeping beauties?" he asked. Aaden nodded.

"Yep." he replied. Craig chuckled.

"Still got that shocking collar you were using on them coonhounds?" he asked. Aaden smiled and nodded.

"Yep." he said.

"Well don't just stand there. Go get it. That'll wake em up."

888

Kathleen was feeling very much like a princess as Stacy, Tammy, mamaw and Christy fitted her into her dress and got busy doing her make-up and hair.

"And we, ladies, are finished." Christy said stepping away from Kathleen. Kathleen looked in the mirror and felt tears come to her eyes.

"Don't you dare cry child. We have just spent two hours doing you up." mamaw scolded. Kathleen smiled and blinked her tears away. She looked at herself in the mirror and could not believe it was really her looking back at her.

She looked like a princess. Her long blond hair was piled high on her head with long curled strands hanging down her neck. Her dress was strapless and tight on top and then flared and silky on the bottom. Beautiful rhinestones sparking in the light around the top edge of her dress and the waistline.

Her make up was light but very well done. The lavender eye shadow made her green eyes look like emeralds. She liked that her freckles were visible through the make-up and found that her scar did not seem to stand out so bad as she looked at herself. She knew that had more to do with Aaden than it did the make-up.. Aaden seemed to love that scar. He was always running his fingers over it and pressing his lips against it. He said he thanked God everyday for the accident that gave her that scar because without it he would never have met her and would never have found the love they now shared.

Her lips were painted red and shimmered with gloss and light pink rouge caused her cheekbones to pop.

"I look beautiful." she said quietly.

"Of course you do child." Mamaw replied. "Our Aaden certainly wouldn't have picked an old hag to spend the rest of his life with." Kathleen laughed and hugged mamaw tight.

"Is it time to get to the church?" she asked. Christy nodded and Kathleen looked her up and down. She was dressed in her red satin maid of honor gown with her brown poodle like curls pinned back on her head and as usual she looked gorgeous. Tammy and Mamaw were both wearing more matronly dresses with flowers and lace. Stacy on the other hand was wearing a slinky black dress that plunged low in front and only covered about ¼ of her very long legs. Kathleen laughed to herself. Stacy's entire wardrobe seemed to be modeled after Dasiy Duke but Stacy was one of the sweetest people she had ever met.

"Let's go get you married girl." Christy said taking her by the hand. All the woman climbed into Stacy's jeep. The men and kids were already waiting at the church.

Kathleen waited in the jeep while the other women went inside and made sure everything was ready. Max, Brooke and Kylie all walked outside dressed like miniature brides and groom. Evan was with them.

"Are you ready Kathleen?" he asked as she walked up to the church. She looked around for her parents. She could see their Jaguar parked in the lot looking very out of place among the fourwheel drive trucks and jeeps. Edward was standing beside it and Kathleen wondered why he wasn't inside. Before she could ask him what he was doing outside her father walked out of the church followed by Tom.

Evan put his arms around the kids and looked at Kathleen.

"We'll just wait in the entryway there and when you are ready you come on in and let us know." he said matter-of-factly.

888

Aaden was waiting up at the altar feeling like a nervous damn wreck. He sure as hell hadn't expected to see Tom show up with Charles and Dorothy but there he had been. All five feet five inches of the arrogant bastard.

Aaden knew that Kathleen was outside and so when he saw Tom follow Charles out that way he had felt a feeling a lot like panic grip his chest. He knew Kathleen loved him but what if they talked her out of marrying him… He did the only thing he knew to do since he didn't think Pete and Billy had brought their moonshine into the church. He closed his eyes and prayed.

888

Kathleen could not believe her eyes as her father and Tom walked up to her.

"You brought him with you to my wedding?" she demanded of her father. Charles nodded.

"Of course I did. He was a very important part of your life for a long time and he wanted to come." Charles said. Kathleen felt the tears welling in her eyes but pushed them aside.. Everyone had worked too hard on her today to ruin her make-up over someone like Tom and her father.

"I can't believe this." she said matter-of-factly but then she laughed. "What am I saying… Yes I can believe this. I should have known better than to think that you actually wanted to be here to support me today."

"What are you talking about? Your mother and I both came to support you today." Charles said angrily. Kathleen shrieked with a mixture of irritation and rage.

"Bullshit!" she screamed. She knew that everyone in the church could probably hear her but she didn't care. She didn't see Aaden run to the door at the sound of her shout. But he stayed there and simply watched letting her handle this however she wanted.

"You probably only came in hopes that I would come to my senses and run to you and say 'oh daddy you were right and I was wrong!' and then I would turn to Tom and fall into his waiting arms and vow to him my undying devotion…." She stopped speaking and when her father and Tom said nothing she knew without a doubt that she was right.

"You are both pathetic. Tom, first Aaden jacks your damn jaw for you and then I bust your head and still you come back for more. Give it up you egotistical jackass. I don't love you. I don't even like you. You are a weak spineless coward who has to beat a woman to make himself feel like a man.

"And you father are no better and I do not want you walking me down the aisle." she said. Charles eyes filled with hurt.

"What do you mean? I'm your father and it's my right to walk you down the aisle."

"You have never been a real father to me." she reminded him. "No, when I was growing up the only man I had to wipe my tears, tell me I was worth a damn, triumph over my victories and feel pain when I failed was Edward." She motioned for Edward to come to her and he did. She could see the pride in his eyes as he stood next to her.

"Edward, would you walk me down the aisle today?" she asked. He nodded and swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"Of course I would Kathleen. It would be an honor." he said. Charles exploded with rage.

"An honor! It would be an outrage! Girl I think I need to knock some sense into you!" he shouted. He raised his hand to strike Kathleen but before he could bring his hand down Edward's fist connected sharply with his chin and he stumbled backwards.

Charles looked at Edward with complete shock while Tom took several steps back. He had no intention of being hit today.

"How dare you strike me!" Charles declared. But Kathleen could see the fear in his eyes and knew that his anger was just a cover for the fear he had for Edward.

"How dare you raise your hand to Kathleen." Edward replied. Kathleen realized for the first time just how tall and strong Edward was. He was easily sixty years old but he seemed more than capable of handling her father.

"You are fired." Charles said. Edward laughed.

"I quit." he replied.

"So what am I supposed to do? I drove all the way out here to walk you down the aisle?" Charles demanded of his daughter. Kathleen shrugged.

"That's really not my problem." she replied. "You are more than welcome to stay and watch me marry the man of my dreams and then I'm sure we'll have more than enough beer and barbecue wings at the reception if you and mother want to stay."

"Let's go find a seat Tom." Charles said not knowing what else to say or do. He turned and walked back toward the church with Tom on his heels. Tom couldn't believe how beautiful Kathleen looked today and he realized that he truly had been a fool to let her go…

Aaden walked back into the church as well and took his place up by the altar. He was full of pride for Kathleen. He had picked one hell of a woman to be his wife that was for sure.

Soon all was ready to go and Craig and Christy walked arm in arm down the aisle before separating and moving to their places. Then Max came down the aisle with Brook on one arm and Kylie on the other.

"That a boy!" Billy shouted out. The church filled with laughter from everyone except Kathleen's parents and Tom. The kids went to stand in their places and then Aaden's great aunt started playing the wedding march on the old church organ and Kathleen entered the church on Edwards arm.

She took Aaden's breath away and as she walked closer to him he felt his knees growing weak. He must have swayed a little because Craig grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

"You alright there big guy?" he asked. Aaden nodded.

"Yep." he replied. The guests all chuckled. When Kathleen and Edward got up to the altar the preacher cleared his throat.

"Who gives this woman to be wed?" he asked. Edward stood proudly.

"I do." he replied. He kissed Kathleen's cheek and then put her hand into Aaden's and went and took a seat next to one of Aaden's aunts who just happened to be a widow around his age. She smiled over at him when he sat down and Edward blushed and smiled back.

As Kathleen stepped on the single step to the altar she tripped over her own feet and nearly fell face first to the ground but Aaden caught her. She hear Tom chuckling but Aaden just looked into her eyes and smiled.

"Told you I'd be there to catch you from now on." he said softly.

The ceremony was short and simple. Both Aaden and Kathleen shed a few tears in their happiness as they listened to the other say their vows. Finally the preacher came to the end.

"And if there is anyone who has reason why these two should not be wed please speak now or forever hold your piece." he said. To everyone's shock Tom stood up. Kathleen felt her heart fall to the floor.. She did not want that asshole ruining this for her.

"I have a reason." he said his voice full of arrogance as he looked at Aaden and Kathleen. Before anyone could respond Pete stood up from where he was sitting behind Tom and pulled a bottle of whiskey from his overall pocket and whacked it hard across the back of Tom's head. Tom fell to the floor unconscious. Charles scooted away from him and Dorothy jumped to her feet with a scream as she covered her face with her hands. Kathleen looked around but no one else seemed to be too bothered by what had just happened.

Pete looked up at the preacher who was hiding a smile behind the bible in his hands.

"Go ahead preacher man. I believe the man done changed his mind." he said sitting back down. The preacher nodded and cleared his throat before continuing.

"Then by the power given to me by the state of Kentucky, the good Lord above and uh Pete's whiskey bottle, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Aaden took Kathleen in his arms and kissed her with all the passion and love he held inside while everyone in the church stood and cheered except of course for Charles and Dorothy who had already stormed from the church and Tom who had regained consciousness and was currently crawling down the aisle trying to make it out the door without being hit again.

888

The reception was held at Keith and Tammy's house. There was target shooting, fourwheeler riding, a home town country band playing all the biggest hits from Nashville and lots of dancing.

As the band started playing Eric Churches "Guys Like Me" Aaden took Kathleen into his arms and led her to where the other couples were dancing. He sang the words to her as they danced.

"Guys like me drink too many beers on Friday after work. Our best blue jeans have skoal rings. We wear our boots to church. A little rough around the edges it's hard to believe that God sends girls like you.. For guys like me." Kathleen smiled and kissed him.

"You are my dream come true Aaden." she said. He chuckled and kissed her hair.

"You poor thing." he said teasingly. She pulled away from him enough to look him up and down. He was wearing a black tux with a red silk vest. He had long since taken the black tux jacket off. He had his baseball cap on his head and his dirty boots on his feet.. He was the most handsome sight she had ever seen.

"I'm serious." she said. "Do you know what you are?" He smiled and pulled her back into his arms.

"No. Tell me." he replied.

"You are my prince charming." she replied. He laughed.

"Me? I didn't think prince charming drank beer, wore baseball caps, or camouflage and isn't he supposed to ride a white horse instead of a beat up Chevy truck?" he asked. She thought for a second before replying.

"Ok then I know what you are." she said.

"What?"

"You are my redneck Prince Charming." she replied. "And I wouldn't have you any other way."