Free Wildfire Wedding by Lynette Sowell

bells ringing in your ears and stars in your eyes, but days will come when Luke will not be your favorite person.”
    “I know.” A movement from the direction of the pool caught Krista’s attention.
    Sami left the pool and used the handrail to slide into the hot tub. “I hope you don’t mind me joining.”
    “Not at all.” Nana moved over a little.
    Krista shifted in front of one of the water jets and let it pound her back. “Nana’s giving me a pep talk about marriage.”
    “Is it getting through?” Nana smiled at her.
    “I think so.” Krista returned the grin, though her heart still quavered a bit.
    “I ought to take notes.” Sami flicked her wet ponytail over her shoulder. “I’m not even seeing anyone. It’s been ages. I got burned once, figured the right guy will pursue me long enough if he’s the one. What does Nana say?”
    “Nana says you need to pray lots, not just for the heart of the man you’ll marry, but about the state of your own heart.” Nana stood and moved for the railing. “Girls, I should prepare for bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late.” She carefully stepped out of the hot tub, fetched her towel, and headed across the patio to the rear of the house.
    “She’s in great shape for a lady her age.” Sami gestured with her head.
    “That she is. Every morning, without fail, she does twenty minutes of stretches.” Krista extended her legs in front of her and let the bubbling water massage them. “Would you believe she can still do the splits?”
    “Honest?”
    “Yup.” Krista closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She grinned, but the expression felt like a tied-on mask.
    “What’s eating you now.”
    “I was really rude to Jeff. In spite of myself, I do care. And I can’t take back what I said. But he had the nerve to suggest Luke went wholeheartedly into his party life, headfirst.”
    “Jeff is right, you know.” Sami held up one hand. “Don’t get mad at me for agreeing with him. Luke’s a red-blooded adult male who’s capable of making his own decisions. God gave him free will just like He did to you. To all of us.”
    “I know that, too. Here I’ve been blaming Jeff one-hundred percent for influencing Luke to leave his faith and leave me.” Krista swallowed hard. “But now—the idea that there’s a possibility that one day Luke could let me down like that again—like I told Nana, that terrifies me.”
    “Love is a risk. Which is why I’m steering clear until I know I’ve found a man I can trust with my heart.”
    “You’re a smart woman not to settle. I’ve seen people do just that.” Krista lifted her left hand out of the bubbling froth and looked at her sparkling ring. Luke had placed that ring on her finger under the shadow of a large oak tree on her great-great-grandparents' former farm.
    “Krista, you should see your face. The night before your wedding, and you look mopey. The whole idea of having a wedding is speaking your vows before God, your friends, your family. We’re all behind you two lasting for the rest of your lives.” Sami’s grin spread across her face. “Now that’s a cause for celebration. You could spend time worrying about what could go wrong. Just think about everything the two of you have gone through and all that can go right.”
    Krista tried to smile, but her thoughts lay miles away with the fire and not the wedding.
     
    SEVEN
                  Smoke rose high above the rippling acres of ranch land and mocked the line of firefighters trying to hold the fire back. Luke gritted his teeth and swung his ax, removing some low-lying scrub from the earth. The fire would not win, even if his group had to work through the night when humidity was on their side.
    He paused to snatch his water bottle from his pack and surveyed the progress. They'd cut a swath of defensible space twenty feet wide from the edge of the fire. His fellow workers in their yellow Nomex jackets showed up against