The tavern was decorated in garland, holly and red bows, and lit by oil lamps and candles set in various colored glass enclosures. Cal stood at the front of the bar and as they entered he introduced them.
“Ladies and gents of Rattlesnake Haven and visitors, let me announce for the very first time: Mister and Mrs. McKillop.” The small band started playing the song they had selected, ‘Till,’ and they danced. Anne looked up at her husband and smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“I love you, Robert Patrick McKillop.”
“And I, you, Anne McKillop.”
It was one of those rare nights in Rattlesnake Haven as the temperature dropped into the twenties. Anne and Bob sat with a blanket over them in front of the roaring fireplace and giggled as they sipped Champaign and listened to Samson snore on the easy chair.
Anne asked as she tweaked his nose, “Any regrets, Mister McKillop?”
“None at all, Mrs. McKillop. And you?”
She popped her feet out of the blanket and wiggled her toes in the glare of the fireplace and said, “None, except for not bringing a pair of flip-flops along. Better for dancing.”
He cringed, “Let’s not talk about dancing. I’m the world’s worst dancer.”
“Nope! Pretty sure that title goes to Tommy Wallace. I thought you did just great.”
Bob took a sip of his bubbly and said as he looked at the red and yellow flames, “Hon, sooner or later you’re going to find out that Doc Peters asked to see me before we got married…”
She nodded, joining her husband in looking at the flames, “I know. Jean told me all about it.”
“Well,” he said shaking his head, “I never took the shot.”
Anne just looked at him as he went on.
“You see, I thought that if I was lucky enough to get you simply by being the way I am, how dare I change that? I don’t want to take any chances of my being different and ruining what we’ve got. Does that make sense to you?”
With a nod and the fire’s reflection off the tear that slid down her cheek, Anne said, “Yes, and I love you, Robert Patrick McKillop”
“And I you, Mrs. McKillop.”
21
Then and Now
Later that same night Cal placed another log on their fire and, dressed in his best imitation of Dickens Christmas Carol with his nightshirt and cap on, he said to Jean who was already snuggled up in bed, “Jean, ya done a real fine job makin’ sure these two young ones got together.”
“Why, thank you, Calvin Sullivan. But it was meant to be and he just needed a small shove.”
The cowboy shrugged and added, “Hindsight sure is a wonderful thing.”
“Well, we had more goin’ for us than just hindsight.”
“Yep!” he answered with a grin, “Hindsight and the ability to time travel.” He slid under the quilt and put his arms around her and added, “She sure looked real pretty today. Reminds me of you when we were the young ones.”
She rested her head on his chest and nodded, “So many years ago, and so many dreams ago.”
“Hush, now. Don’t you be getting’ melancholy on me now. We still got lots ta do yet.” He picked up the photo album from the small round table next to the bed and said slyly, “Did ya show them the rest of the pictures we took on our last trip here?”
She joined him with a sly look and grin of her own as she answered, “No. I thought about it but decided ta let them enjoy not knowing what their future brings.”
“Come sit up with me and we’ll go through the album together. Heck, last time I saw it was a year ago.” They sat up and fluffed their pillows up together on the soft bed and opened the album.
“You looked real handsome today, Cal,” she said as they looked at the picture of them both as they stood on either side of the married couple. She turned the page and the next picture showed them in the Dust Off Tavern as they celebrated the event. The governor was dancing with his wife as the two little girls played with Samson while the Pushkin’s’ chatted away at a table with Tommy Wallace and Lisa Caputo and Tim showed some of the children his rope tricks.
She turned the page and they smiled at each other as the black and white photo showed the living room of the McKillop house. Bob and Anne both sat feeding a baby as Cal and Jean posed next to them. The caption read, ‘Bob, Anne, little Bobby and Annie and the proud godparents, Jean and Cal Sullivan: December 25, 2014’.
The beginning…
Other e-books by Robert P. McAuley:
Aviation Facts & Rumors: Book I (Free!)
Aviation Facts & Rumors: Book II
The Dripping Sands Of Time
A New Jersey Yankee In King Arthur’s Court
Vampire’s Bloodline
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book I (Free)
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book II
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book III
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book IV
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book V
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VI
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VII
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VIII
Romance in a Ghost Town Page 40