by Kate Whitsby
He kissed her mouth softly, gently. “You’re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. You’ve got a kindness in you that goes to the bone and shines right out of you. You’re a hard worker. You’re not afraid to try new things. You’re eager to live. I want you to marry me, and I want you to spend the rest of your life with me.”
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too. You’re the man I thought Roland was. You’re kind and hardworking. You’re romantic and practical all at once and you’ve shown me how to find beauty in the simplest of things.”
He hugged her close. His strong body rested against hers. Those little butterflies took flight in her belly again.
He moved away and smiled down at her. “Now let’s get down there and get married.”
She nodded. “All right.”
She quickly dried her eyes and held her head high. Her smile was wide and radiant. She was getting married, for real and for keeps this time.
They headed across the ranch, walking quickly. The spring had unfolded all around them. Wildflowers grew in profusion. The cattle grazed on the rolling hills and the high grass, their warm smell drifting to her nose. The birds sang and insects moved in the grass.
It was truly beautiful, the ranch and Montana, and the man she had come so far to marry. She had not expected to fall in love. Neither had he. He had told her that he had hoped for nothing more than a woman who would make a pleasant wife and a good companion, and instead he had fallen in love with her.
There were blessings abounding, if one only knew where to look.
Chapter Eight
Back at his parents’ home she went into the bedroom and retrieved her dress and headed for Marianne’s room, while Thom went to his father’s room to dress and get ready.
Marianne smiled as Cecily entered the room. “We should check the dress to make sure we don’t need to do any further alterations.”
Cecily nodded. She’d been very careful not to cut the dress, because she knew she would not be the last to wear it. It hung over her arms and she held it out. Marianne took it, exclaiming over the neat stitches before declaring that it was time to get her dressed and ready.
Marianne and Julie helped her into the dress and arranged flowers in her dark hair. The heady fragrance of dandelions and daffodils wafted to Cecily’s nose as they arranged the veil below the flowers, twisting it so that the flowers showed above the delicate lace of the veil.
Marianne stepped back and clapped her hands, “Oh, you look beautiful, Cecily! I have to admit when Thom came to us and said he wanted to get a mail-order bride—well, we were doubtful. We were worried he might get a woman who was not kind or...well, we worried. But you have become so much a part of our family already, and I know you are going to make him a wonderful wife.”
Tears came to her eyes. It was high praise and she knew it. She said, “Thank you, Marianne. I love it here. I love him. I can’t wait to start my life with him, either.”
Marianne smiled, “Oh I think you already have, in many ways. You’ve lain a good foundation just by being a woman who understands him. Thom has a good heart, and a sweet disposition. He’s in love with this land and has been since he first set eyes on it. I was really worried that he’d get a city woman who pined for the city after she got out here, but I can see how much you love it. That’s important, too. This place will be your home, from now on out, and I know you two are going to have a good life. The best life, in fact.”
Cecily took a long breath. “Thank you. I know we’ll be happy, and I know we’ll always love this place and each other. I suppose the rest will work itself out as it goes.”
Marianne touched her shoulder lightly. “It usually does. Life isn’t easy, Cicely, but if it was, if we had no challenges, how would we ever appreciate its joys?”
Cecily said, “We couldn’t.”
The music started. Her nerves leaped up and so did her anticipation. John knocked on the door and when Marianne opened it, he held his arm out to her. She took it, grateful for his willingness to walk her into the parlor, where she would marry Thom.
It was a short walk, but it felt so long. She was tempted to just run to the end of it, shout out her I do and haul Thom off from there. She took measured steps instead, and when they reached the front she looked into Thom’s face and saw his eyes light up and shine; the way he was looking at her made her almost forgot to listen for her cues to say her vows.
She did, though, and before long they were married and headed back down the aisle amid a thunderous applause.
Epilogue
There had been at least two dozen guests at Thom’s parents’ house who attended the wedding, and more buggies pulled into the yard as the time for the dinner and dance drew closer. There was a long table set up for food, and everyone who came brought something to add to the table.
There were several types of pickles, and potatoes boiled, fried, and mashed. Beef, boiled, cut and fried, or roasted into savory chunks. There were numerous vegetable dishes and cheeses, too! There was the wedding cake, a lovely and tall confection that glistened under a simple glazing of sugar mixed with water and flower petals, and several pies as well as a smaller cake for the children.
The wildflowers that Cecily and Marianne had picked sat in their simple jars along the table, making it look even prettier.
The men were tuning up their instruments and people were taking plates and eating and talking.
Cecily saw Jenna coming in on Curtis’ arm and she hurried toward them, a wide smile on her face. “There you are! I’m so happy to see you!”
She went to hug Jenna, then drew back. Her eyes went to Jenna’s enlarged stomach, which she had not noticed at first because of the light shawl that Jenna wore.
Jenna chuckled. “Yes, it’s true. We are having our first baby!”
Immediately, a crowd gathered. Cecily bit her lip and asked, “May I...”
Jenna chuckled again. “Go ahead.”
Cecily put her hand to Jenna’s belly. The force of life below that flesh was so evident it left her stunned and longing. She breathed, “You’re so lucky!”
Jenna smiled. “I know. I’m so excited, too!”
Soon all the women were talking children and household chores and laughing. Cecily found herself talking, too. She was part of the family now, and she looked over to see some young girls standing close by, obviously eavesdropping and wearing such longing looks on their faces that she had to smile.
The music started. Thom appeared and tapped her on her shoulder. She turned and gave him a wide smile. He made a courtly little bow and asked, “May I have this dance?”
She laughed and said, “But of course. The first dance always goes to the husband.”
Husband. The word hit her hard. She was married.
And this time it was not only real, it was right.
Thom swept her out onto the floor. His hand rested on her waist as he guided her around the floor. They glided back and forth, their smiles radiant and happy.
Thom said, “I have to tell you, I thought the wedding ceremony would be much longer. Like hours.”
She smiled. “Really?”
He shifted easily, his body keeping time with the music. “I guess it’s because when I sat at weddings as a part of the audience, I was just thinking about how impatient I was to get to the dance afterward so the time seemed to be much longer. Today, watching you walk down that aisle, I forgot all about time. I forgot about everything.”
She straightened his tie a bit. “Have I told you that you look amazingly handsome today?”
He rested his chin on the top of her head. “No, you haven’t.”
“You do.”
“Thank you. You look beautiful.”
The music swirled up and on. His hands were steady and his steps sure.
He would lead her, but never astray.
She’d traveled a long way, and she had found the place she had been meant to be all along.
She’d found heaven on ear
th, and the man who would rule her life there.
The End
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Copyright
© 2016 by Kate Whitsby
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, or places is purely coincidental.