Always and Forever

by Wendy Lindstrom

  “No need to apologize. I do hope, however, that your day improved.”

  “Oh, it did, and in the most surprising way,” Nancy said. “Hal took me out to the creek and you’ll never guess what happened. We both fell in!”

  “You did? Truly?” Mary asked with a smile that became a full laugh as Nancy described how Hal had slipped on the bank and pulled her in after him. She didn’t share with Mary the heated moment that followed. She wasn’t ready to share those intimate details of her marriage with anyone yet. Besides, they likely thought she and Hal had a traditional marriage and Nancy’s excitement over a kiss would seem unusual. But as she told Mary about their afternoon together, she smiled at the thought that she had really gotten to know her husband better during their time at the gorge. “And so we ate our lunch with our shoes off and our clothes dripping.”

  Mary clasped her hands together in front of her chest and said, “It sounds like a wonderful day.”

  “It was,” Nancy said, her gaze turning to her dashing husband, who was deep in conversation with William and another man.

  “I’m so pleased Hal decided to bring you to the dance. William and I have been anticipating this evening for weeks. It’s been an age since we’ve been out dancing,” Mary said. “Wait until you see William on the floor. He’s quite the dancer and I imagine Hal is as well.”

  Nancy shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.” But as she imagined Hal taking her in his arms and turning her about the dance floor, her breath hitched in anticipation. She glanced at Hal and found him looking at her. He winked one dark-lashed eye at her, and Nancy’s stomach fluttered so wildly she thought she might swoon.

  “The dance is about to start,” Mary said, and they quickly joined their husbands.

  As the players made their final adjustments to their instruments, the caller greeted everyone and bade them take their positions on the floor for a welcome quadrille. He announced that the evening would begin with nine dances, a set of five quadrilles, a waltz, then two more quadrilles followed by another waltz. They would break for supper and then finish the evening with a set of five more quadrilles and end with a waltz.

  Hal extended his hand and executed an exaggerated, sweeping bow.

  With a laugh, Nancy placed her hand in his and he escorted her to the dance floor behind William and Mary. There they exchanged hugs with Tom and Martha Fiske, and Hal quickly introduced Nancy to Thomas and Victoria Drake, a couple about Hal’s or William’s age. Victoria was a stunning lady with her high cheekbones and elegant silver dress, her ears sparkling with emeralds that matched her green eyes. Thomas was equally attractive in his black suit, starched white shirt, and black shoes buffed to a mirror shine. Within that short span of minutes, Nancy found the Drakes such friendly, wonderful people she felt she’d known them as long as the Tuckers and Fiskes.

  Realizing she was among friends, Nancy eagerly lined up in a rectangular formation with Hal and the other three couples. She was intimately familiar with the dance from her many lessons in preparation for her birthday ball. Tonight, however, she would be dancing in a barn — with her husband.

  As the musicians played one final note on their instruments and then fell silent, Nancy felt the excitement level rise around her. That moment of silence was their cue that the dance was to begin. In the next instant the musicians opened with their first song, and Nancy and the other dancers launched into a variety of rapid, skimming steps filled with grace and gaiety that left them laughing and breathless and set the tone for the evening.

  “You are quite accomplished, Mr. Grayson,” Nancy said with a bit of coquettishness as her eyes met his and they circled one another.

  “It is my graceful and most beautiful partner that makes me appear so, Mrs. Grayson.” Eyes twinkling, he gave her a gay spin. As she came back to face him, he greeted her with a warm smile and a wink. She laughed as they each moved on to the next partner in the formation. Each time she and Hal met, the great room felt warmer, her breath shorter, her stomach lighter.

  Until this evening, she’d had few occasions to touch her husband’s hands. But she had studied those long-fingered artist’s hands many times. And as she and Hal danced, images flashed through her mind of his tanned hands beneath the cuffs of his white shirt, the precise movement of his fingers and flexing of his muscled forearms as he used his woodworking tools, the relaxed curve of his fingers around a knife and fork while he ate his supper, the manly strength of his hands as he moved timber and stacked firewood and repaired the barn roof, the way he would playfully hand-wrestle Captain, the surprising gentleness in his hands when he cupped her face and kissed her. And now she was experiencing the exciting feel of his firm grip as he spun her out and back several times during the set of five lively quadrilles, each time exchanging flirtatious comments with her and keeping perfect time as the musicians played.

  He gave her one last spin as the final strains of the upbeat song echoed into the rafters above. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said, giving her a playful bow.

  Nancy didn’t want to let go of his warm hand either, but she stepped back and applauded with the rest of the dancers. Her eyes locked with Hal’s and she knew that tonight was different for them. They both wanted to be here, together, as husband and wife.

  The first waltz of the evening began and Hal fit his strong, warm hand with hers and placed his other hand at her waist. Her stomach twirled just as he swung her into their first sweeping step.

  Other couples swept past, some conversing politely, some laughing into each other’s faces, some simply enjoying the music and the dance. But they all faded away as she fell into Hal’s dark eyes and he carried her away in his arms.

  The warmth of his gaze made her steps falter. He pulled her close, improperly close, and swept her into the next step as if she’d never stumbled. Her heart beat erratically. She was out of her depths now, adrift in an ocean of feeling. All sense of play was forgotten as his eyes seemed to drink her in.

  In that moment she could see that he was vulnerable, that he cared about her.

  The knowledge thrilled her.

  Because in that moment she knew with sudden clarity she was deeply, desperately in love with her husband.

  On their next turn, he pulled her close again and whispered, “If you don’t stop looking at me with those beautiful eyes, I’m going to sweep you right out the door and kiss you.

  Nancy gasped so loudly it drew the attention of two couples twirling past them. One couple even apologized as if they’d cut too close.

  That made Hal laugh. But Nancy’s face flushed so hot she felt faint.

  “I hadn’t meant to shock you,” he said, but his smile was back and he seemed to be enjoying her loss of composure.

  “Well you did.”

  His wide, white smile let her know he wasn’t at all remorseful. “I was merely stating a fact.”

  Gracious, she hadn’t been prepared for this flirtatious side of Hal. If he was this bold with her here in the midst of all these people, what could she expect when they were alone?

  Every glance from his dark eyes was filled made her breath catch. Outwardly, he appeared to behave himself for the duration of the waltz, but Nancy felt every private squeeze he gave her hands.. He disguised his flirtation well, but Nancy was in a near-swoon by the time the waltz ended.

  It was time for the musicians and dancers to take an intermission to enjoy a light supper and much-needed refreshments.

  “I’m famished,” she declared in a desperate attempt to shift her husband’s attention to food.

  "Hal bent down and whispered near her ear, “So am I.”

  Gooseflesh covered Nancy’s neck and she sucked in a breath. “I have no idea how to respond to that,” she whispered back.

  Hal released a delighted laugh and escorted her to the food table. “I enjoy flirting with you, darling.”

  The overhead lanterns reflected off the stacks of dishes. Together they followed friends and neighbors down the long tables
of food. Nancy selected a juicy slice of pork and a small breast of chicken and added a spoonful of roasted vegetables to her plate. She topped it off with two sliced pickle halves and a fluffy roll with a perfectly buttered brown top.

  When they reached the end of the table, Nancy gawked at her plate. “I didn’t think I’d taken much, but there’s enough here to feed both of us.”

  “I’ve discovered the same thing, but I still intend to have dessert,” he said, and gestured toward a table in the corner loaded with pies and a cake and other sweets.

  Nancy glanced at the plates of cookies, cakes, and pies, not one item of which she’d prepared, and felt a pang of discomfort for coming empty-handed. But there was nothing to be done about it now. And really, only she and Hal and Mary knew the truth, thankfully.

  They found a spot at a back table where Tom and Martha Fiske were reserving bench space for them and the Tuckers. Hal put his plate on the table and excused himself to fetch their beverages. Nancy placed her plate next to his and then sat beside Martha. While situating her skirts around her section of the bench, she said, “What a wonderful night!”

  “It is, indeed,” Martha readily agreed.

  Nancy took in Martha’s flushed cheeks and sky blue eyes, the same shade of blue as her dress. “You are absolutely glowing this evening, Martha. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I can’t breathe,” Martha said with a laugh. “I’m afraid if I eat anything my dress seams will burst. This will be the last I wear this gown until after the baby is born.”

  Hal returned with two glasses of lemonade. After he sat, Nancy turned to him. “Thank you for this evening, Hal. I’ve discovered that I quite enjoy dancing in a barn… and with you.”

  “Likewise,” he said, his words quiet and for her ears only. “When I saw the flyer in the mercantile earlier this week, I knew you would enjoy it. Seemed a perfect way to celebrate your birthday, and so here we are.”

  “I’ve never been so happy,” she said. “Truly, Hal. Not ever.”

  He slid his hand over and gave hers a brief squeeze. “I want to make you this happy every day.”

  She smiled, wanting to turn her hand over and link fingers with him. Instead, she turned her attention to the safety of eating her meal. They enjoyed their supper and chatted gaily with their friends throughout supper. The Fiskes and Tuckers were eagerly anticipating the upcoming weekend and their dinner at Hal and Nancy’s home.

  Nancy gave up halfway through her meal and watched Hal scoop the last of a buttered sweet potato slice onto his fork. “I see you made quick work of eating your supper.”

  “I’m eager to get you back in my arms,” he quipped.

  She was eager, too, but they took time to eat a slice of pie, apple for her, mincemeat for Hal, before the musicians signaled the dancing would begin again.

  Martha patted her slightly rounding belly and said that she and Tom would sit out the rest of the quadrilles, so Nancy and Hal followed Mary and William onto the floor.

  This time they formed a square with three couples they didn’t know, which gave them an opportunity to make more friends. Nancy found herself laughing and smiling as the four couples danced the compilation of quadrilles. As the lively songs came to an end, she pressed her hand to her heart, hoping to calm its beating and catch her breath before the last dance.

  But less than a minute later the musicians filled the cavernous barn with the last song of the evening, and all couples danced alone. As the flowing strains of the waltz filled the air, Hal clasped her hand and pulled her close, perhaps a little too close, and swept her across the floor.

  Nancy followed his lead through the sweeping steps and across the floor. This waltz was a popular dance at many of her parent’s parties. She and Elizabeth used to watch from the top of the stairs when they were children, but as they got older their parents would allow them to attend for a while and her father would always dance a waltz and a quadrille with each of his girls.

  “What’s put that frown on your face?” Hal asked, drawing her a little closer.

  Something she didn’t want to talk about and thoughts that didn’t belong in their beautiful evening. “I’m pouting because I wanted another slice of pie.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Truly?”

  “Good heavens, no!” She laughed. “I was jesting. I won’t need to eat again until tomorrow evening.”

  “Good,” he said, “because I plan to dance with you until then.”

  “I think I could manage that,” she said, enjoying their byplay. “I’m sad to know this is the last song of the night and it’s almost over.”

  “It’s not our last dance,” he said. A storm of emotions swirled in his eyes as he held in his arms, dancing to the flowing strains of the waltz. She felt the brush of his knee against her leg as he drew her close for a brief moment. Her heart thumped in her chest and her stomach fluttered as Hal looked down at her with dark eyes.

  “The song is ending,” he said, dancing her off the floor. “Let’s thank our hosts and hurry out before the drive is congested with carriages. “I slipped out earlier to check on Gus and he said he’s ready to go when we are.”

  Nancy smiled and felt deeply grateful for Hal’s wonderful sense of humor.

  With a playful wink, Hal tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and guided her toward the door where Thomas and Victoria Drake stood to bid their guests goodnight.

  “It was such a pleasure to meet you,” Nancy said to the Drakes. “Thank you both for this lovely event.”

  “We were honored to have you as our guests,” Victoria said, giving Nancy a warm hug while Thomas and Hal shook hands. “We would like to have you and Hal to supper some evening soon.”

  Nancy and Hal both expressed their delight and appreciation, and then with a final thank you to their hosts, Hal whisked Nancy outside to their carriage. He lit the carriage lanterns and got them on the road home just as the crowd of guests were making their way outside.

  The sound of peepers and the rhythmic jangle of Gus’s harness created a heartbeat in the warm night. A vast sky of stars twinkled overhead, and from time to time Nancy caught a hint of Hal’s warm, spicy cologne.

  Never in her life had she experienced such a romantic night. Each look from her husband made her flush. Until meeting Hal, she hadn’t known such intense feelings existed.

  Sighing, she leaned back against the seat and gazed up at the night sky. “The stars look like twinkling diamonds; don’t you agree? They appear so close I think I could touch them if I stood on the seat.”

  He arched an eyebrow at her. “Shall I assist you up?”

  She laughed. “I’m afraid we would hit a bump and I’d tumble off into the shadows and you’d never find me.”

  “I’d find you, darling. I’d just look for the starlight sparkling in your eyes,” he said, looking over at her, his gaze filled with warmth.

  “If you’re looking for eyes shining in the dark you might pluck a bear from the field instead of me.” She shuddered. “Do you ever wonder what’s out there in the woods watching us?”

  He laughed, his gaze surveying her face as if thoroughly delighted with her. “Not unless I hear a growl or something large moving quickly through the brush.”

  “You’re terrifying me, Hal.”

  He chuckled and lifted his arm to the seat back. “Come here.” He slipped his arm around her and tucked her against his warm side. “I’ll keep you safe, darling. You just enjoy the stars and this nice summer night.”

  “I am, Hal. This is an evening I’ll never forget.”

  “I intend to make certain you don’t.”

  Shocked, she glanced up expecting to see a teasing grin on his face. But instead, in the glow of their lanterns, she saw dark eyes filled with adoration.

  “I’ve been waiting all night to do this.” He dipped his head and kissed her.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  At the Tucker’s livery door, Hal climbed out and secured the carriage. William was right behi
nd them and would tend to Gus and the carriage. That was part of the service William provided at his livery and the added benefit he insisted on giving Hal when he’d rented the carriage. So Hal rewarded Gus with a sugar cube and a friendly pat on the neck as he thanked the magnificent animal for his service.

  Then he turned to help Nancy out. He held her hand as they cut through the orchard. A sliver of moonlight shimmered on the creek but didn’t provide ample light by which to navigate the grassy apple orchard. Nancy hiked her dress higher, but continued to stumble over the thick clusters of grass. Hal easily kept her upright, but the third time she caught her slipper in a thick clump of grass, he realized his mistake. “I’m sorry, Nancy. I should have dropped you at the house before returning the carriage.”

  “And deny me this exciting challenge and a romantic walk beneath the stars? No, thank you.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than she stumbled against him. She laughed and glanced up at him. “These slippers work much better on a dance floor.”

  “Allow me, darling.” Hal reached down and lifted her into his arms.

  She hooked her arms around his neck, her face close to his. “Is this your tricky way of getting me in your arms, Mr. Grayson?”

  “I’m afraid you’ve caught me.”

  “I’m glad I did,” she said, her boldness surprising and pleasing him.

  He stopped and angled her face toward the weak light of the moon. “Are you glad?” he asked, searching her face, needing to know. “Are you happy with me? With our marriage?”

  She cupped his cheek. “The only way I could be happier is to know that you don’t regret marrying me.”

  “The only thing I’ve regretted is not being able to give you more.”

  “I don’t need a thing that we don’t already have, Hal.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”

  “You cannot carry me all the way home,” she whispered against his cheek.

  “Perhaps not, but I aim to try.” He hefted her higher in his arms. “Hold on.”