She pulled the kitten out of the box and held it close. “You are an extraordinary man,” she said. “It is the best surprise I’ve ever had.”
The kitten rubbed itself against her chin. “Does it have a name? Where did you get it? Oh, we’ll have to get a bed for it, and...”
“No, it doesn’t have a name. I got her from Mrs Davis, and what was the last question? Oh, the bed? Already done.”
He retrieved the box he’d left outside the door with the kitten’s supplies – bedding, bowls, and enough food to keep Grace going for at least a few days.
She stared at the kitten for long moments, and his heart felt happy. If she hadn’t sprained her ankle, this idea would never have come to him. He’d heard Mrs Davis had a litter of kittens out on their property, so it worked perfectly.
He’d had to wait until Grace was capable of looking after herself before introducing a needy kitten into her life. It had taken all his resolve not to give the surprise away.
Grace stood with the kitten still in her arms and hugged him. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You are always thinking of ways to make me happy. It is just one of the reasons I love you.”
She loves him? She loves him!
“I love you too, Grace, more than you could ever imagine. I knew this sweet ball of white fluff with little black boots on its feet would make you happy.”
“Boots! I’m going to call her boots.”
She hugged him again, and Joe knew with all his heart Grace would finally agree to marry him.
Chapter Ten
Grace was a bundle of nerves.
Joe had delivered her new gown yesterday, with instructions not to open the box until the next day.
Her two friends, Mrs Baker and Mrs Davis were there, helping her. Little Boots mewed as she wandered around.
After three months, she had finally settled in, and was growing. Grace enjoyed having a kitten again. She still missed Grumps, but Boots had repaired the hole in her heart.
Joe had finally admitted the photograph had given him the idea. She didn’t care how the idea had come to him, she was just grateful for her new companion.
“You’ve been in that bath long enough, Grace,” Mrs Baker yelled through the door. “It’s time to get out before you shrink.”
She was right. Grace had been in the bath for far too long. Her skin was beginning to pucker up, and that just wouldn’t do.
“Don’t you open the box yet,” she called. She didn’t want those two sweet ladies opening the dress box without her there. Joe had said it was a special surprise, and he knew how much she loved surprises.
She climbed out of the bath and dried herself off. She was so grateful for the modern plumbing Patrick had arranged for her when he’d built her residence.
She dried her hair as best she could, and hoped it would dry in time.
Those sweet ladies out there in her sitting room were beginning to worry. Or perhaps panic was a better word.
Wasn’t it traditional for the bride to be late for her wedding?
Her thoughts turned to Joe. What would he be doing now? He was a stickler for punctuality, so he was probably already on his way to the church.
No doubt he would drive Preacher Devon crazy once he arrived.
She strode out into her bedroom in her undergarments and wrapped up in a big white towel. The ladies were there waiting.
“Now can we open the box?” They both asked at the same time.
Grace sat on the side of the bed and glanced up at them. She was more nervous to see her wedding gown than she’d ever been before.
Joe wouldn’t let her see even a glimpse of it.
Grace swallowed, then lifted the lid to the box. On top was a notecard from Joe. But it wasn’t like those he normally wrote.
I love you more than life itself. I can’t wait for us to be husband and wife.
He drew a little heart underneath.
Tears trickled down Grace’s face at reading his words.
“Well,” Mrs Davis said with false indignation, “He never writes things like that to me!” They all laughed.
Grace wiped at her tears and reached for the gown, then gently laid it across the bed.
The three women stood staring down at it.
“He has outdone himself this time,” Mrs Davis said.
Mrs Baker added, “The man is a magician with a sewing machine.”
Grace was speechless and her eyes filled with tears again, overwhelmed by the beauty of her wedding gown – it had a silk underlay, and was made mostly of lace on the top.
She still couldn’t believe she was getting married today.
Mrs Baker suddenly disappeared, and quickly returned with a wet face cloth. “Here, put this on your eyes. We can’t have you walking down the aisle with red, puffy eyes.” She handed the cloth to Grace. “What would Joe say?”
“He’d probably say he didn’t care,” Mrs Davis said. “Provided he got to marry his beautiful Grace.”
Grace lay down on the bed and placed the cloth over her eyes. It was hard to believe that in less than an hour she’d been a married woman.
It was even harder to believe she had fallen in love, and with such a wonderful, caring man.
* * *
Grace stood at the back of the church.
He could see she was nervous, but oh Lord, she looked magnificent. He had spent the better part of two weeks designing and making her gown.
He’d had to order far more lace than he’d ever used on any other project. He vowed it would be his best creation yet, and it was.
There was no way he would ask Grace to make her own wedding bonnet, so he made that too. He had never made a bonnet before, and it wasn’t easy. He’d had to send away for a pattern. Imagine that – Graceful Bonnets stood less than fifteen yards across the way, and he couldn’t ask Grace for a pattern.
That would have spoiled the surprise.
She held a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hands – white carnations to go along with her white dress. He chuckled to himself – he would not have been at all surprised to see her enter the church with Boots in her hands instead of a bouquet. Those two were inseparable.
Grace was a picture of perfection, and in a few minutes they would be joined together in marriage. Forever.
Joe couldn’t believe how fortunate he’d been in meeting Grace. Or how fortunate he’d been with her choosing Grand Falls to set up her new business.
He grinned at her surprise at having her father come out of nowhere to walk her down the aisle. George Sunderland had been pleasantly surprised to receive Joe’s letter, and of course he and his wife wanted to be at their daughter’s wedding. He promised he had changed his tyrannical ways.
He thought he would never outshine Boots as a surprise, but this would be his best surprise yet. Joe vowed to make this her best day ever, and hoped that’s what he’d done.
Glancing up, he saw the surprise on Grace’s face at her father’s presence, and the two hugged each other. Then Meredith, her mother, joined them.
He watched as Grace wiped the tears from her eyes, but her smile was a mile wide. He automatically knew Mrs Baker and Mrs Davis, who had kept his surprise secret, would be having conniptions over her tears.
Her parents placed themselves either side of their only daughter and they all prepared to make their way down to Joe and Preacher Devon.
It seemed to take a lifetime, but when they finally arrived, her father handed Grace over to him. Joe held both of her hands tightly. There was no way he was letting go now that he’d got her into the church.
The preacher glanced at Joe. “Ready?”
He was more than ready – he wanted to be married to the love of his life. “Absolutely,” he said.
“What about you, Grace,” Preacher Devon asked.
She wiped another stray tear, and Joe caressed her cheek. “I’m ready too.”
The preacher leaned forward and whispered. “Then let’s get this ceremony started.”
And that’s exactly what he did. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...”
When they were finally pronounced husband and wife, Joe turned to his new wife. “I love you,” he said quietly, then leaned in and kissed her. He didn’t want to stop, but knew he must.
After all the paperwork was done, and he held the marriage certificate in his hand, Joe was beyond ecstatic. Grace was finally his wife, and they could begin their new life together.
He held her hand firmly as they walked back down the aisle and out the door. Soon everyone was outside throwing rice at them.
Joe decided it was more rice than he’d seen in his entire life.
Epilogue
Two years later...
“You really need to slow down, Grace.”
She brushed Joe’s words aside. “Let me finish these last few bonnets and I’ll stop, I promise.”
She looked exhausted and he was exasperated with her. Their second baby was due in a few days, and he couldn’t get her to stop working.
Her parents had recently moved into Grace’s little residence – they wanted to be closer to Grace and their grandchildren, which he could fully understand.
Of course he offered for them to move in to the family home, but they would have none of it. Joe was not displeased.
Besides, it was a good deterrent for potential robbers to steer clear of Graceful Bonnets having them there.
“Honestly,” he said, “I don’t even know how you still fit behind the sewing machine.” He stared down at her. “I think it’s time we thought about getting someone in for you to train. With two children, it’s not going to be easy for you to continue.
She looked truly dismayed. “But I love making bonnets,” she said, her bottom lip wobbling.
“Are they orders?” If they were, he’d tackle them. Grace was in no position to be sewing at this point in her pregnancy.
“No, but...”
He reached out for her hands. “Grace,” he said gently. “Please stop.” She looked ready to collapse with exhaustion. If it hadn’t been for her mother, he wouldn’t know Grace was working – she was meant to be home resting.
Joe helped her to her feet. “No, no, no!” she screamed as her waters broke. “Not yet, not now.”
“I’ll go get the Doc,” George Sunderland said urgently.
“I’ll take her home,” Joe said. He turned to Grace’s mother. “Meredith, can you please look after little Henry?”
He was surprised at how calm he was, considering the panic he went into when Henry was born. But second time around it wasn’t as bad.
At least he didn’t think it was. Not yet anyway.
Their home wasn’t far, so he carried her. There was no way he was letting her walk.
Doc Spencer arrived with his wife around the same time they did, and everything was prepared. Meredith and George came soon after with young Henry, Joe’s little apprentice as he called him.
One day he would be Joe’s apprentice, and nothing would make him prouder. He could picture the sign on the door already – Joseph Harkley & Son
He sighed. It was a long way off, and he had to concentrate on the task at hand. Grace and their new baby.
Meredith handed Henry to him, then shoo’d the men out of the house, except the Doc of course.
This was the part he hated. Being banished from his wife’s side. He didn’t want to lose her, and it was agony waiting outside, hearing her screams, not knowing what was going on.
But he did as he was ordered, and they paced the street. They had to go far enough away that young Henry couldn’t hear his mother’s agonizing screams.
They decided to go to the diner instead. Mrs Baker looked after them well, especially little Henry, whom she adored.
Joe took a few sips of his coffee, then paced the room. “Oh for goodness sakes, Joe, sit down.” Mrs Baker practically ordered him.
He did as he was told and took a few more sips, then paced the floor again. This time she stared at him and shook her head.
Two hours later Meredith ran through the door to fetch them. Joe stared at her. Only two hours? Something must be terribly wrong, and his heart thudded in his chest.
“Is she...? He couldn’t say the words.
Meredith grinned. “Grace is perfectly fine, and so is baby Alice. My daughter is just as stubborn as she always was.” She walked toward him and reached out her arms to hug him. “She’s been in labor all day but didn’t tell anyone.”
He should have expected nothing less. This was Grace they were talking about.
“Come on, Henry. Time to meet your baby sister.” Joe leaned down and picked the boy up. George and Meredith joined them.
By the time they arrived back at the house, Doc Spencer had finished everything he needed to do. Joe went in first, Henry stayed with his grandparents. He sat on the edge of the bed, and studied Grace, then their new baby daughter.
“She’s beautiful like her mother,” he said quietly as she breastfed their newborn. “She has your blonde hair too.”
He leaned in and hugged them both, knowing he was the luckiest man in the world. He had a perfect family and a perfect life.
“Baby.” Little Henry came running in, his little legs couldn’t get there fast enough. “Baby,” he repeated, his arms outstretched.
“Meet your new baby sister,” Joe told him as he picked the toddler up. “This is Alice.”
Henry leaned in and kissed his little sister. “Baby play.”
Grace and Joe both laughed. It would be a long time before Alice would be able to play. They hugged their beautiful family, and Joe said a silent prayer of thanks to God for sending Grace to him.
“Reow.” They all turned their heads at the fluffy white interloper.
“Boots!” Henry wriggled until his father let him on the floor to play with their wonderful feline who was well entrenched in their family.
His family was complete, but Joe would never be unhappy if it happened to grow a little more.
The End
From the Author
Thank you so much for reading my book – I hope you enjoyed it.
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About the Author
Multi-published, best selling and award-winning author, Cheryl Wright, former secretary, debt collector, account manager, writing coach, and shopping tour hostess, loves reading.
She writes both contemporary and historical western romance, as well as contemporary romance and romantic suspense.
She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is married with two adult children and has six grandchildren.
When she’s not writing, she can be found in her craft room making greeting cards.
Check out Cheryl’s Amazon page for a full list of her other books.
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