“I mean, things were going so well. I felt like we had finally learned how to be friends. What if I didn’t make the right decision? What if I’m going to be alone forever? You must be so disappointed in me.”
Olivia grabbed her daughter’s hands firmly. “Katherine Henry, listen to me. I am never disappointed in you. In fact, I am very much the opposite. I am inspired and amazed by you. Life hasn’t been kind to you, sweetie. I know that your father leaving left deep scars in your life. I wish your father and I could have given you an example of the way love should be, but instead I think we taught you how painful and messy love can be. But that didn’t scare you away. You’ve spent your whole adult life searching for that special love that you believe is out there, and you’ve never given up. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you always pick yourself back up and keep searching. Kate, I know that love is there for you. You were made for it. And I pray to God every single day that you’ll get it. Never lose faith, my sweet baby girl. You’ll find him.”
Kate threw her arms around her mother and let the tears roll down her cheeks. “I love you, Mom,” she said.
“I love you too, Kate. More than you’ll ever know.” She let go of her mother and wiped her eyes. “Come on, let’s go cook a fabulous unhealthy meal. You need something to take your mind off of all of this.”
Kate smiled feebly. “Sounds perfect.”
Mother and daughter worked side-by-side in the kitchen, whipping up a meal of fried chicken, garlic mashed red potatoes, and fresh green beans with butter and bacon. “We’re going to have a heart attack after we eat this, Mom. You realize that, right?”
“Absolutely. Now hand me that potato peeler.”
There was a knock at the back door. “Are you expecting someone?” Kate asked.
“Expecting…someone?” asked Olivia, backing towards the door. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Mom. Who is at the door?”
Olivia smiled at her daughter and ignored the question. “Hello, Jacob!” she said as she swung open the door.
Jacob walked into the kitchen and Kate could tell from the surprised look on his face that he was unaware that Olivia had company. “H-hello, Kate. Nice to see you again.”
Kate pushed her hair out of her eyes and glanced at her mother with a perturbed look. “Hello, Jacob. It’s nice to see you too.”
Jacob turned to Olivia and asked, “My dad said you were having some sort of pea emergency? Do you need me to take a look at something?”
“Oh right, my pea-mergency. No, I was able to figure it out. But,” she gave a sidelong glance at Kate, “as long as you’re here, why don’t you join us for dinner?”
“I don’t think we made enough for three, Mom.”
“Oh that’s all right, I’m not hungry!” said Olivia, casually waving the oven mitt she was holding in the air. “Besides, you know I don’t eat fried food. I’ll just be in my room working on my needlepoint.”
Kate shook her head in disbelief as her mother walked off down the hall, leaving her and Jacob alone in the kitchen. “She is too much.”
“I’m sorry…I had no idea you were here. I promise. I never would have intruded like this if I knew.”
“So you don’t want to have dinner with me?” asked Kate.
“No!” Jacob realized how loud his answer had been and took a deep breath before continuing. “No, I do. Very much. But only if you want me to stay.”
“Well…” said Kate cautiously, “we did make all this food, and I don’t really like eating alone. You should stay.” Kate served up a couple of plates as Jacob filled up two glasses with ice and water.
As Kate raised the fork to her mouth, Jacob asked, “Do you mind if I pray for our meal?”
Caught off guard, she put down her fork and said, “Well, of course not.”
Jacob reached across the table to grab Kate’s hand, which she gave to him slowly. “Lord, we thank you for this beautiful day and for this amazing meal you have provided for us. Thank you for the ones who prepared it. We pray that you would strengthen us as we seek to know you more and follow the plans that you have for us. We know you are a loving God and we thank you for all of the blessings you’ve given to us. And Father, please be with Kate. Fill her life with beauty and joy and help her to feel your presence. Thank you for the incredible blessing I know that she is to her mother. In Jesus’ name, amen.” Jacob squeezed her hand before releasing it.
“Amen,” said Kate, still feeling very cautious. After both had taken several bites of their meal and Jacob had complimented the cooking, Kate asked, “So how has business been?”
“Really good. I thought I was done in your mom’s garden, but we decided to add on a last minute project that I just finished a few days ago. My dad and I are also working on a big job over in the park on 12th Street. Do you know it?”
“Yes,” said Kate. “I spent lots of time there as a kid. Mostly seeing how far I could jump off the swing set.”
Jacob chuckled. “Well, the swing set is still there. Maybe you should try again before you go back home. Which is…when, by the way?”
Kate sighed. “Oh, I don’t know. I really shouldn’t be away from work for too long. But I’m not ready to go back. I just…I just needed to get away.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Not really. You remember Ian, right?”
Jacob nodded, surprised to hear the man’s name that he thought was out of Kate’s life for good.
“Well, things just got really complicated. Again. Neither of us can seem to figure out how to be in each other’s life. Things always get messy.”
“Things don’t have to be complicated. I think sometimes the more complicated things are, the more obvious it becomes that it wasn’t meant to be.”
“That’s a little naïve, don’t you think? Life gets messy. Relationships take work. It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
“Making it work isn’t simple. But I believe that falling in love is.”
Kate shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of chicken. She wiped her hands on her napkin and said, “I don’t think I can eat any more. I’m stuffed.”
“So am I,” said Jacob, getting up from his seat and picking up both plates. “I’ll take care of the dishes. Do you want to sit down in the living room and relax?”
Kate wasn’t used to the feeling of someone else taking care of her. It made her feel uncomfortable. But she fought against her natural tendency to take care of herself and said, “Yes, that sounds good. I’ll be in the living room.”
She curled up on the couch and grabbed a gardening magazine from the coffee table. She flipped it open to somewhere in the middle, and although she staring at it, she wasn’t reading it. She heard the sound of running water and pictured Jacob with his sleeves rolled up, cleaning up after her in the kitchen.
He’s a good man, she thought. I can tell. I know my mom wouldn’t keep him around if he wasn’t. She brought her hand to her lips, remembering the kiss between them from months ago.
Kate Henry, stop it! You are absolutely ridiculous! You think that every single man in your life is your future husband. You need to learn how to be happy on your own. God never promised you a husband. It’s about time to get used to a life without one.
Just then Kate heard the water turn off. She heard footsteps and looked up from the magazine she wasn’t reading to see Jacob standing in the living room. Without a word, he picked up a blanket from the corner and laid it over Kate’s legs.
“Thank you,” she said. “I was…a little chilly.”
He gazed at her before responding, “I thought you might be.”
She pulled the blanket closer around her body. Stop it, Kate. You’re going to be alone. He’s not the one. You’re just going to get hurt again.
“Thank you for dinner, Kate. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.”
“Maybe,” she whispered as she watched him walk down the hall and out the door.
~~~~~
&
nbsp; Olivia was in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee when Kate came shuffling down the hall. Kate was wearing hot pink pajama pants and a white hooded sweatshirt and her hair was its normal morning-wild.
“Good morning, sweetie. Coffee?”
“No, I think I need to wake up a little bit more first. I feel like a zombie.”
“Maybe some fresh air would do you some good. Why don’t you go outside and take a walk?”
“Good idea, Mom.” Kate slipped on a pair of shoes that were by the door and trudged out into the garden.
She took a deep breath and could smell the sweet aromas of all the flowers that surrounded her, and she felt instantly calmer. Wanting to be alone with her thoughts, she set off down the familiar path towards the creek.
As she strolled along, she looked towards the creek and couldn’t believe her eyes. I must be daydreaming, she thought. This can’t possibly be real. But with every step towards the patch of land that used to be empty, built up only in her mind, she started to realize that this was no dream.
Kate approached the beautiful white gazebo and ran her fingers through the delicate purple wisteria blossoms. She stepped into the middle of the gazebo and spun around to take it all in. There were rose bushes surrounding the whole structure. Roses of every color, it seemed. She sat down inside the gazebo in total shock.
She noticed a small white envelope sitting next to her that had gone unnoticed as it blended in with the bright white paint of the gazebo. She took the envelope and opened it, pulling out a single sheet of paper.
Dear Kate,
The first time I met you, I was struck by how genuine and vulnerable you were with me. I’ve been so used to building up my defenses, but somehow you caught me off guard and I was immediately taken in by the amazing person you seemed to be. When you were home to take care of your mom, I was so stupid to try to kiss you. I just couldn’t help myself. I never ever open up to people about my life, and you were just so compassionate and supportive, and talking about Denise made me feel so lonely.
I apologize for what I did then, but I make no apologies for what I’ve done now. I built you this gazebo, Kate. I remember every word that you said the day we first met, and I hope this is just how you pictured it. I built this for you because you deserve it. You are the most magnificent woman I have ever met, and you deserve to have the magnificent setting that you dreamed of.
I don’t expect anything from you in return for this. But you told me that I need to stop punishing myself, and I’m trying to take steps in that direction, so Kate – please consider me. I want to take care of you, to walk through life with you, and to love you more fiercely than you have ever been loved. I think the deepest desire of every person is to be truly known. I want to know all of you. Every part. And I want you to know all of me. I’ll always appreciate everything that you are, and look forward to everything we can become together. I’ll never stop doing everything that I can to make you happy.
Please let me love you. Jacob
Kate let her hands fall into her lap, still clutching the letter. Tears were forming in her eyes as she reeled from the words she had just read. This couldn’t really be happening. She was convinced that there was no man in the world who could fulfill the emptiness inside of her, but those words…Jacob’s words…those were words she had longed to hear all her life. Someone who needed her. Someone who wanted to know her and love her.
Kate heard footsteps and looked up to see Jacob walking down the path towards the gazebo. He was carrying a single white rose and had nothing but hope and love in his eyes. He approached her slowly, tentatively.
“Do you really mean all of this?” she asked, holding up the letter.
“Every word.”
“Jacob, I…I’m so…”
He dropped the rose and pulled her close. His lips were almost touching hers, and he looked her straight into her eyes. “Kate, please trust me. I want you. I need you. Don’t be afraid.”
“But…Jacob, we…we barely know each other, and…”
“I know you, Kate. I know your heart. I know you are good and compassionate and so incredibly full of life. You’re everything I ever wanted.” He reached one hand up and touched her cheek. “No…you’re more.”
Tears were rolling down her face. She had never heard such sincere words before. As she breathed deeply and smelled the sweet scents of the roses and wisteria surrounding her in this amazing place Jacob had built just for her, she felt herself releasing all of her doubts and fears. It was at that moment that she fell in love with Jacob Patterson.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for all of this. For what you’ve built, for what you said…”
He leaned in slightly and gave her a tender kiss. I never imagined I would be so lucky, he thought to himself. I am going to hold on to her and never let her go.
~~~~~
Olivia backed away from the kitchen window from where she had watched the entire scene unfold. “She found him,” she said to herself, with a smile that only a mother could have.
Epilogue
“My darling, I have never seen a more beautiful woman in my life,” said Olivia as she fluffed Kate’s veil. Kate stood in her childhood bedroom in front of a full length mirror. Her curls were pinned up loosely on her head. Her strapless lace gown adorned with subtle crystals flowed gently down to the floor. She clutched a bouquet of white roses, freshly picked from her mother’s garden. She looked, in a word, radiant. “Are you ready?”
Kate turned from the mirror and faced her mother. “I am,” she said softly.
The small gathering of guests was waiting in their seats in front of the gazebo where the wedding was to take place. Kate never wanted a big wedding. All she wanted was to be surrounded by people whom she loved. With no bridesmaids or groomsmen, Kate took a deep breath and began to walk towards the gazebo where Jacob stood. “Wow,” he whispered as he saw his bride approaching.
The guests stood up as Kate walked slowly down the aisle. She passed Brooke and Darren; Amy, Rick, and the children (with a third on the way); Meredith; and her two parents – Olivia, and her soon-to-be father Jerry. She saw Jacob wipe a tear from his eye as she approached him. He grabbed her hand and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Glad you could make it,” he whispered.
“Well I happened to be in the neighborhood in a wedding dress,” she replied, squeezing his hand.
It had been a year since that day in the gazebo, and Kate and Jacob had never been more sure about anything in their lives. The year flew by as they continued to get to know one another and they fell deeper in love with each other with each passing day. Within six months they were engaged.
Promises were made, tears were shed, and two single people became one in the garden that day. As Kate and Jacob walked back down the aisle as man and wife, Jacob pulled her over beside a willow tree to share a special moment with his bride. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. Then, pressing his cheek against hers, he whispered, “Let me pray for us.”
Still wrapped in a tight embrace, Kate nodded and felt the warm breath of her husband in her ear as he spoke. “Lord, I have never felt more blessed or more loved in my life than I do at this very moment. Thank you for allowing Kate and I to find each other. I pray that our marriage would honor you, and that we will continue to challenge each other to draw closer to you every day. I will never leave this woman. I will love and protect and cherish her every day of my life. We love you, Lord.”
“Amen,” whispered Kate. With a sweet smile and a gleam in her eyes, she squeezed her husband even tighter and said, “Now kiss me some more.”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13<
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Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
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