After a minute, she urged him to enter her. He obeyed and her body clenched around him in anticipation. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeper into her, aware of his thickness as he began moving inside her. She let out a soft moan and held him to her, encouraging him to increase the momentum of his thrusting. They worked together, both striving for the same goal, and she climaxed again, this time deep inside her core, right before he grew taut and released his seed.
Breathing heavy, he relaxed in her arms and brushed her cheek with his lips. Smiling in satisfaction, she ran her fingers up and down his back, her legs still wrapped around his waist, keeping him buried inside her. She loved the way he felt in her and was always reluctant to lose their connection.
He kissed her again, no longer urgent. His tongue brushed hers, and they remained content to continue kissing, neither in any hurry to end the moment. After a couple minutes, he ended the kiss and pulled out of her. Though she missed having him inside her, she did enjoy it when he wrapped his arms around her and held her protectively in his arms. Glad he was her husband and they had shared such a wonderful memory together, she let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. He kissed the top of her head, and she draped her arm over his waist. Warm and secure, her eyelids grew heavy. And, before she realized it, she was fast asleep.
***
The next day, Sally decided to see Ethel Mae. She took the long way to her friend’s house, choosing to take a stroll through the park so she could sort through her mixed feelings. It’d do no good to express her woes to her friend until she could put her feelings into words. It usually came easy to her, but for some reason, she had a hard time pinpointing exactly what bothered her. Sure, Rick’s parents didn’t approve of her. But why? Could it be the matter of not knowing he married someone as soon as he did? Or was there more to it than that?
With a sigh, she twirled her parasol in her hands and left the park so she could walk down the street that would take her to her friend’s house. She suspected these visits to her friend’s wouldn’t last much longer. She tried not to think about losing her friend, but at times like this when she needed someone to talk to, it was hard not to. Ethel Mae understood her, and what was better, she didn’t mind all her quirks. If she rambled on too much, Ethel Mae kept listening to her. Where would Sally find another friend like that?
She approached Ethel Mae’s house and saw that her friend was saying good-bye to Samuel on the front porch. She slowed her steps to a halt and waited, not wishing to interrupt them. Samuel told her a joke, and she laughed, her face glowing with the thrill of being in love. Sally smiled. It was a bittersweet experience to be happy for her friend and yet sad about losing her. But her friend deserved to be with a good man, and there was no doubt that Samuel would love her the way she deserved.
Samuel kissed her hand before he headed down the porch steps. Sally took that as her cue and stepped forward. When they passed, he tipped his hat and greeted her. She nodded and returned his greeting. She still didn’t think he was better looking than Rick, but it suited her just fine that Ethel Mae thought so.
As she went up the steps, she caught the wistful look on her friend’s face and couldn’t resist teasing her. “Whatever will you do with your time until he returns?”
Ethel Mae’s gaze met hers and she giggled. “Oh, Sally! You know what I’ll be doing.”
“Yes, I do. You’ll be waiting on this very spot for him to come back.”
“That’s just silly. I’ll take time to go inside to eat.”
Sally chuckled and went over to the swing. She closed her parasol and sat down. “I hope you sleep, too, though I suggest you don’t do it standing.”
Her friend joined her and settled next to her. “He’s wonderful. I can’t believe my good fortune! Is this what it’s like for you and Rick? Does he make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world?”
Sally nodded. “Yes, he does, but…” She paused and fiddled with the handle of her parasol. How much should she tell her friend?
“But what?”
Sighing, she shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly. As you know, I met his parents yesterday.”
“Yes, I know. What happened?”
“I don’t know how to explain it, but it seemed as if his mother would make these…these condescending remarks. I got the impression she didn’t like me, and I don’t think his father cares for me either, though he was nicer.”
Turning to face her, Ethel Mae asked, “What did she say?”
“Well, I put the small fork in the wrong place and didn’t season or cook the pot roast right.”
Ethel Mae frowned. “She said all that?”
Sally nodded. “I think she was trying to find things to criticize. I just don’t know why.”
“Did you say something to upset her?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Sally thought over everything that happened during supper and shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I told her my pa used to work at a factory and I know she didn’t think that was a good job, but it wasn’t anything that should have upset her. I was polite.”
“I know you were polite. You’d have no reason not to be.”
“Exactly. I never met them, and I love their son. Why wouldn’t I want to welcome them into my house?” She shook her head and ran her thumb along the smooth handle of the parasol. “I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m not even sure I did do anything wrong. Rick said they didn’t know he married me, so they were shocked. He would have written a letter but didn’t have time.”
“Everything did happen suddenly,” Ethel Mae replied. “Even so, there’s no reason why things shouldn’t have gone well at supper.”
“No. I suppose there’s not.” She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “What would you do if you were me?”
“I’d talk to Rick.”
“I did. He said I did nothing wrong. He said it was his fault and that he should have written to them right away so they knew we got married.”
“But you don’t think that would have made a difference?”
“I don’t know,” Sally said, brushing a wisp of hair from her forehead. “Maybe. Maybe not. I kept getting the feeling that his mother wouldn’t be happy with me no matter what I did at supper. As for his father…” She shrugged. “I sensed his mother was more upset with me. Maybe I’m imagining it. Yes, things were awkward, but I might have misunderstood the situation. Maybe she takes a while to like new people.”
“I wish I’d been there so I could have seen how she talked to you. Sometimes it’s easier to see what’s going on if you’re not involved in a situation.”
Sally nodded. How true that was.
“I know what you should do! See if your family will have you, Rick, and his parents over for supper. Then you can see what your ma says. She’s good at figuring out what people are thinking.”
“That’s a terrific idea, Ethel Mae!”
“Sure, it is. I’m more than good looking. I have a sharp mind, too.”
Feeling much better, Sally giggled and teased, “And you thought you had no redeeming qualities.”
She laughed and nudged her in the side. “I’m sure you do, too. We just need to find them.”
Sally chuckled at the joke and hugged her friend. “Thank you. You always seem to know what to say to make me feel better. I’m going to miss you when you marry Samuel and run off to California.”
She gasped. “Did he say something to Rick about proposing to me?”
“No, not in so many words.”
“Sally, you’ll be the death of me if you don’t tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know anything. Not really.”
Her friend groaned and collapsed in the swing. “Why do you make me suffer like this?”
Sally laughed. “Alright. Now, no one said anything definite, but Samuel was supposed to leave for California a couple days ago and didn’t. Rick thinks it’s because he’s waiting to see whether or not you’ll marry him and g
o to California with him.”
Ethel Mae straightened up and clasped her hands together. “Really? Rick said that?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Sally!” Ethel Mae hugged her. “You’re the most wonderful friend a girl can have!”
“All I did was tell you what Rick said.”
“And what a terrific thing he said!”
Blinking back her tears, Sally smiled at her friend’s excitement. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Sally. I really will.”
“But this is good. You’ll be happy with Samuel.”
“And you’re happy with Rick.”
Sally nodded and hugged her friend. “Yes. Providence has been good to both of us.”
Ethel Mae brushed a tear from her eye before she clasped Sally’s hands in hers. “I want you by my side as my matron of honor when I get married.”
“I’ll be delighted.”
“If he is going to propose, I need to get started on a dress. Then I should pick out some flowers to use. I wonder if Samuel will want to get married like you and Rick did or if he’ll want to marry in a church. Oh, there’s so many things to consider! I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Ideally, we’d begin with his proposal.” Sally let go of her hands and motioned to her hair. “But for now, we’ll get you a new hat and work on your dress.”
“Yes. You’re right. What I’ll wear is a good thing to consider.”
Together, they made plans on her upcoming wedding.
Chapter Seventeen
“You rented a carriage so all of us could to go to my family’s together?” Sally asked, turning from the mirror in her bedroom to face Rick who stood by the window.
“I had to,” he said as he slipped his tie around his neck. “They don’t have any way to go out to your family’s farm, and even if they did, they don’t know how to get there.”
“You could have given them directions.”
He paused while finishing his tie and offered her a sympathetic smile. “I know this won’t be easy for you.” He stepped over to her and kissed her. “I’ll be with you.”
She forced a smile but couldn’t get rid of the knots in her stomach. Looking back at her reflection, she brushed her hair, ignoring her shaky hands as best as she could. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant day. She already knew it wasn’t because it required her to be with his parents, but she assumed they’d meet his parents at her family’s place so her time of being alone with them and Rick would be minimized. But now she would have to spend an entire two hours with them since going out there took an hour and coming back took another hour.
After she finished brushing her hair, she pulled it back in a loose bun. She stood back from the mirror to inspect her clothes. She’d chosen her Sunday dress for this occasion. It was a pretty blue and went well with the cameo around her neck. She took a deep breath and nodded. She could do this. As long as she didn’t say anything, she might get through this without upsetting his parents. After all, how could they get upset if she didn’t say anything?
Rick slipped on his vest and sighed. “I wish I had told them I was planning to marry you when I decided to propose. If I had, this wouldn’t be a problem. All I can do is promise you that I’ll be with you. If they can’t accept you, then they can’t accept me because I made the decision to marry you.”
She knew he meant to put her mind at ease, but she couldn’t stop worrying about the day.
“Are you ready to go?” he softly asked as he put on his suit jacket.
No, but did it matter? It’d been her idea for his parents to meet hers so she could find out if she was imagining things as Ethel Mae suggested, but right now she wished she could undo the invitation.
“Sally?”
She looked at Rick whose worried expression made her feel a little bit better. “I’m ready.”
“Would you like to wait for me to bring the carriage or come with me to pick it up?”
“I might as well come with you,” she replied, thinking that standing around in the house and waiting for him would make her restless. She grabbed her hat and put it on. “Let’s go.”
With a reassuring smile, he took her by the arm and led her out of the house. The walk to get the carriage was a few blocks away, but it seemed to pass too fast. And before she knew it, she was sitting beside Rick in the carriage as he pulled up to the hotel his parents were staying at. She wondered if there was any chance they’d decide Omaha wasn’t suited for them and return to Vermont, but that probably wouldn’t be her luck. If they had another child to latch onto, perhaps they might, but as it was, Rick was all they had.
The only saving grace was that they sat in the back row of seats while she remained up front with Rick. She spent most of her time staring at the rolling hills in the distance while Rick rambled on about the things he’d done that week at his job. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have been interested in what he had to say, but all she could think about was how his parents were sitting behind her, probably staring at her in displeasure. Too bad she had no idea what she’d done to upset them.
“It sounds like that job of yours keeps you busy,” his father said.
“It does,” Rick replied as he led the horses onto her family’s property. “I’m never bored.”
“Well, it was something you’ve wanted to do ever since you were a child.”
“Yes, and it’s better than I thought it would be.”
From there, an uncomfortable silence fell over the group, and Sally breathed a sigh of relief when her family’s house came into view. Tom was shouting at Joel who was laughing, and Jenny was trying to yell over Tom’s shouts that he and Joel better stop fighting. Meanwhile, David ignored the whole thing in favor of washing his horse. It was just as she remembered when she lived there, and for a moment, a wave of homesickness washed over her. She never thought she’d miss the chaos that Tom and Joel seemed to provide day after day, but she did, especially since their silly arguments didn’t come with in-laws who didn’t like her.
She glanced at Rick who smiled at her. He was worth it. She knew from the moment she saw him that they were meant to be together, and no matter what circumstances they would face, as long as they stayed together, things would be alright. She turned her gaze to his mother who shook her head as Tom chased after Joel, shouting that this time Joel wasn’t going to get away from him. Sally could imagine what his mother was thinking. Undoubtedly, she couldn’t understand why the two weren’t behaving better. It was something Sally often thought in the past, but it bothered her that his mother couldn’t see that even if Tom and Joel seemed to be fighting, this was their way of having fun. Unlike David who was serious all the time, Tom and Joel knew how to laugh and enjoy the day. Perhaps she should have understood that sooner instead of finding them annoying.
Jenny rang the bell on the porch, bringing Sally’s attention to her. She straightened in her seat, eager to get out of the carriage. So far, so good. Being quiet proved to be a good strategy, and as long as she could keep it up, she should manage through the rest of the day in peace.
Rick pulled the carriage to a stop by the barn and set the brake. She waited for him to come to her side before holding her hand out so he could help her down. He gave her a reassuring pat on the small of her back, something that helped settle her nerves.
As his father helped his mother down from the carriage, Tom rushed over to them. “You must be Rick’s parents,” he greeted, slightly out of breath.
Curious, Sally glanced around the property, and sure enough, Joel was out of sight, proof that he had outsmarted Tom once again. Amused that a nine year old could keep winning against a seventeen year old, she chuckled.
Rick’s mother turned her gaze in her direction. “Is there something funny about Rick being our son?”
Surprised, Sally grew serious. “No. I’m sorry. I was laughing about something else.”
“Really?”
By the expression on h
is parents’ faces, Sally realized they expected her to explain the situation to them. Clearing her throat, she said, “Well, it was my brothers. Joel is so small he can hide just about anywhere, and Tom always seems to miss him.”
“I don’t always miss him,” Tom argued.
“You don’t see him?” Sally asked her brother, glancing at the tree not too far from them where Joel hung from one of the large branches.
Tom followed her gaze and stomped his foot on the ground. “How was I to know to look up? He’s usually hiding somewhere lower.”
“It’s amazing you can find your boots in the morning,” Joel snickered, swinging back and forth.
“That boy ought to get down from there,” Rick’s mother murmured to his father. “By the way he’s acting, he’s going to fall and break a bone.”
“He’s just having fun,” Rick said.
“He can have fun without being reckless. You never did anything so foolish,” she argued, shaking her head. Looking at Sally, she added, “Your mother approves of that?”
Not sure of how to respond for any reply would undoubtedly displease her, Sally offered a weak shrug and turned her attention back to Tom and David who went to unhitch the horses to they could put them in the pasture. Beside her, Rick sighed but didn’t say anything.
Sally’s father came out from the barn and hurried over to greet them. “Good to meet you,” he said, cleaning his hands on a handkerchief. He held his hand out and shook Rick’s father’s hand before nodding a greeting to his mother. “I hear you’re moving to Omaha.”
“Yes, yes we are,” Rick’s father said.
“Did you find a house yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll find something soon.”
“There’s plenty to choose from. It won’t be long before you’re settled in.”
Sally resisted the urge to grimace. Had her father said those words before she met Rick’s parents, then it wouldn’t have stung as much as it did.
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