The wedding was small; neither of them had ever wanted anything big. They held the ceremony in the small village church and Hamish was gratified to note that the pews were full up of happy, smiling people. Flora, Isobel's boss at the Journal, had overseen the decorating of the church and there were vases of fresh wildflowers everywhere. The windows of the building were all open to let in sunlight and some of the temperate late-spring air.

Isobel had invited Alex, which she didn't tell him about until after she had sent the invitation. Hamish was surprised she had decided to turn out for this. But she had. She was sitting towards the back with a man Hamish had never seen before. He was glad she had come, though. Glad their relationship hadn't been broken completely beyond repair.

Hamish startled out of his thoughts as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Barney, one of his groomsmen, grinning at him and nodding towards the church doors. Looking past Barney, Hamish could see Rory smiling as well. He turned to look down the aisle as the wooden doors swung open and sunlight flooded in. The band started up.

Isobel had asked Agnes and Esme to act as bridesmaids for her and Hamish smiled as they walked in single file, slowly up the aisle, strewing flower petals behind them, in their bonny green frocks.

Isobel wore the same dress her mother had worn - simple ivory lace that bared her shoulders but covered her right to her wrists, with a deep green ribbon accentuating her tiny waist and a crown of flowers on her head. Hamish had never truly thought to marry, but she was beautiful, this woman who was his best friend and would be his wife. His breath caught and felt a warm surge of happiness spread through him as he watched her come down the aisle towards him, smiling, on John's arm.

Originally, TV John MacIver had intended to play with the band, but Isobel didn't have any close male relatives and she had asked John if he might give her away. Hamish could still remember the tears in his old friend's eyes as he had laughed and swung Isobel about. John came to a halt in front of Hamish and squeezed Isobel's hands tightly in his before wrapping them in Hamish's.

Hamish felt his heart in his throat and he held tightly to Isobel's hands as she beamed up at him. He barely heard as the minister moved through the welcome and the various prayers before the vows.

Hamish finally glanced up from Isobel's eyes to the minister as he spoke the prelude to the vows. "Hamish and Isobel. As you are about to speak your vows to each other, remember that openness, honesty, forgiveness, and loyalty are the foundation of an enduring love. No other ties are more tender, no vows more sacred, no promises more profound, than these you now make.

"Hamish Duncan Macbeth, will you have this woman, Isobel Aileana Sutherland, to be your wife, and will you pledge your loyalty to her, in all love and honour, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her and cherish her according to the ordinances of God in the holy bond of marriage?"

He held tighter to her hands, his voice hoarse as he whispered, "I will."

"Isobel Aileana Sutherland, will you have this man, Hamish Duncan Macbeth, to be your husband, and will you pledge your loyalty to him, in all love and honour, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with him and cherish him according to the ordinances of God in the holy bond of marriage?"

Hamish could see her eyes welling with tears as she smiled at him and nodded. "I will."

The minister smiled at them. "You may make your vows."

Hamish coughed to clear his throat. "I, Hamish, take you, Isobel, to be my wife. Before God and these witnesses, I will be your loving and faithful husband; in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live."

Isobel ducked her head for a moment before looking up at him again and when she spoke he could hear that her voice was just as hoarse with tears as his. "I, Isobel, take you, Hamish, to be my husband. Before God and these witnesses, I will be your loving and faithful wife; in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live."

Then the minister called for the rings and Barney passed the rings to Hamish and Isobel as the minister said a prayer over them, finishing as they both turned back to him, "The rings are tangible reminders that you each give the gift of yourself to the other. Let them be signs of your love."

He nodded to them and Hamish took Isobel's left hand in his own and holding the ring over her finger as he spoke. "Isobel, this ring I give you in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." He pushed the ring onto her finger and offered up his own hand.

He could feel her fingers shake slightly as she repeated the promise to him. "Hamish , this ring I give you in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." She slid the gold band onto his finger and then clutched his hands tightly as they turned back to the minister.

"By the authority committed to me as a minister of the Church of Christ, I declare that Hamish and Isobel are now husband and wife, according to the ordinance of God and the law of the state; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Whom God has joined together, let no one set asunder."

And with that Isobel leapt into his arms and Hamish caught her tight to him, pressing his lips to hers in what would have been a kiss if they could stop smiling long enough to form the proper shapes with their lips. He could vaguely hear the cheering of their audience as he swung her around and she buried her face in his neck, laughing.

Some time later, Hamish sat in the village hall with Isobel in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head leaning on his shoulder, while his arms held her tight around the waist. It was into the wee hours of the morning and the party was starting to die down, though some of the younger folk were still up dancing.

He pulled Isobel's left arm back from across his chest so he could rub his thumb over the rings sitting pretty on her finger. She sat up so she could look him in the eye with the same gentle smile she'd been wearing all day.

"Are you happy, love?" he asked softly.

She nodded and smiled wider. "Very happy Hamish. Are you happy?"

He smiled in return. "Aye." he nodded. "Aye, I'm very happy too, love."