Meant to Marry Me: Nashville Country Dreams Part 1 novel Chapter 51

Trent watched Bree walk down the aisle. He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t stop at her seat. It had been a shock that she’d stayed as long as she did. The fact that she had actually sang that song at his wedding, while staring into his eyes, let him know how much he meant to her--she really did love him, still.

And here he was, holding the hands of a woman he knew had cheated on him with his best friend, getting ready to say, “I do.” I do--what? Want to be with you? Want to spend the rest of my life with you? Treasure you? Trust you? Love you? Were any of those things true?

Trent thought about that picture he’d been staring at all morning. What was it screaming out at him that Monica was still lying? He couldn’t quite place it, but he knew it was there. If only he could put his finger on it, maybe it would be enough for him to realize he was making a mistake.

“Have you the ring?” the pastor asked, and by his tone, it seemed like maybe it wasn’t the first time he’d said it.

“The ring?” Trent repeated.

“Yes, the ring.”

He turned to Hank, and he dropped the wedding band into his hand. Monica stuck her left hand out, her engagement ring in place, twinkling at him.

And it hit him--right then and there--like a ton of bricks. Like a punch to the gut. “The ring,” he said, even though the pastor was telling him to say something else, to repeat, “With this ring I thee wed.” He couldn’t repeat that phrase, though. Not to Monica. “The ring….” Trent said again.

Monica had an awkward smile plastered to her face. Her eyes darted from Trent to the crowd and then back again. “Trent?” she asked. “Put the ring on… my finger.”

“The ring was on your finger.” It was almost to himself, not to her, but then he looked up, looked her straight in the eyes. “You said it was a long time ago, but it wasn’t. You were wearing your ring.”

“No, I wasn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “It was a different ring.”