by Annie Lane
Thomas dropped to his haunches in the mud right beside Charlotte. He watched in wonder at the way Rosy nestled her head into Charlotte’s lap, finding comfort somehow in her gentle words.
It astounded him.
Rosy had never given anyone else the time of day, and now here she was, writhing around in pain, and Charlotte was the only one she wanted. He smiled to himself as he moved to clear out a space inside her pen. He laid down some fresh hay and pulled a few sheets of timber over the top of the stall to offer them some shelter from the rain. Water was pooling in the divots of Rosy’s hooves and he wanted to keep the area as dry and protected as he could once the piglets arrived.
For the next hour solid, Thomas paced back and forth like any expectant father might and Charlotte nursed Rosy through the worst of it, whispering sweet words of encouragement into her pointy, pink ears.
After a few more groans, the likes of which had Charlotte rethinking the idea of childbirth altogether, the first of the tiny piglets slithered its way out into the world and started squawking and squealing so loud that it rivaled the rain pouring down around them. Junior was right on the money – six girls and six boys would make up Rosy and Snog’s happy family.
Charlotte burst into tears again, scooping the messy little bundles up into her arms. She held them to her chest and rocked back on forth like it was the most natural thing in the world. Catching Thomas in the corner of her eye, she looked up … and lo and behold, the most incredible thing happened right there in the middle of all the chaos.
Thomas smiled at her.
Not just any smile though. It was the most enormous, beautiful, heart-melting smile she’d ever seen. One that, for whatever reason, he’d chosen to keep to himself this whole time. Now that he’d shared it with her, there was no going back and Charlotte looked forward to seeing that smile every day for the rest of her life.
Once Rosy was settled again and the piglets were happily feeding on their mother’s milk, Charlotte looked down at herself. Her hands were caked in thick, brown mud, her dress was soaked through and her hair was plastered to each side of her face. She looked a wreck. Though when she glanced over at Thomas again, who seemed completely exhausted, but as content as any proud father might be, she realized he didn’t look much better.
She started to laugh. And then so did Thomas.
He tried to contain himself, he really did, but what was the point? Charlotte had seen him at his worst and he’d seen her in much the same light, so he flopped back down into the mud beside her and continued to laugh until his sides ached. He’d never laughed so hard in all his life, and the fact that he had Charlotte right there beside him to laugh with, made his armor disintegrate and get washed away with the torrent of water that was seeping slowly into the ground.
He paused, knowing he had to make things right. He owed it to Charlotte.
Taking her left hand in his – covered in grime as it was, yet still the most precious thing he’d ever held – Thomas Ackerman looked deep into the ocean and decided to take the biggest swim of his life. He dived straight in, headfirst, without hesitation, he said, “Charlotte. Lovely Charlotte, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
“Yes!” Charlotte shrieked, still laughing.
Thomas laughed too. “It would make me mighty proud to call you my wife.”
Charlotte looked down at their entwined fingers and couldn’t believe how perfectly they slotted together. Thomas seemed to like holding her hand for some reason, and if the truth be told, she liked it too, so they sat there for a while, just holding hands and enjoying the idea of being officially engaged.
Thomas Ackerman was a good man.
A kind man.
A gentle man.
He might not have been the most romantic man, or offered her the most grand of proposals, but every single part of her filled with devotion for him.
He was her Thomas … and she knew that that’s the way it would stay.
Chapter 19
The days that followed were filled with much of the same. Cooking, cleaning and making preparations for the upcoming wedding. Thomas and Charlotte traded shy glances as they cared for the piglets – watching the other blush or grin with the silly look of a love-sick teenager – and by the time Sunday morning rolled around, the entire town was aflutter with anticipation of the pending nuptials.
Once the preacher finished up with his sermon, a rather short one too Thomas got to thinking, considering the good hour he’d taken to get his point across the week before, the congregation dispersed faster than it ever had before and Thomas said his goodbyes as he headed off in the wagon.
He was soon to be married and nothing could destroy his good mood. He felt like he was floating about on a cloud. He was excited by his plans for the morning, and nothing was going to derail him – the river banks would be full at this time of the year and he planned on spending a few hours down there while he filled the wagon to the brim. Then he had to hurry back to the ranch and arrange everything just so for their wedding day.
He wanted it to be perfect for Charlotte. She deserved the very best and Thomas had it set in his mind that he was going to be the one to give it to her – so he put off paying his respects to his Ma and Pa and promised to stop by one day through the week.
Louise Calhoun and Mabel Clay had somehow taken charge of all things bridal. Charlotte sat in the chair in Louise’s spare room and let the two women fuss over her. They were actually getting on for a change, so Charlotte just let them go about their business without causing too much of an objection.
For hours they styled her hair just so, curling it and teasing it and pinning it in ways Charlotte had never seen before. But she loved it when they were finished and she knew Thomas would too. It was lady-like and classy and elegant all rolled into one. When they were done, both ladies stood back and gazed in wonder at Charlotte’s exquisiteness.
Louise fixed a veil securely in place and tucked a tiny bow into a curl right beside her ear. “Just a little something special from me to you. Now hurry along Charlotte and slip on your dress. You’ve been spending so much time out at the ranch that we had to guess with the alterations. I hope the waist is small enough, you’re only a slip of a thing compared to me on my wedding day.”
Mabel handed Charlotte her mother’s tea-colored handkerchief. “We’ve only a few minutes to spare before we need to leave. People will start talking otherwise, and there’s nothing worse than that, I swear it, nothing worse at all.”
In no time at all, Charlotte was boarding the wagon and making her way toward the farm. On passing the small church, Charlotte felt a little poignant but she let it go.
Nothing was going to spoil her day.
She squeezed the handkerchief in her hand and instantly felt the love pour through her body. Her parents were watching over her and she knew in some innate way that they would be sitting right up front today, smiling down on her.
As they pulled to a halt at the front of the house, Junior suddenly made an appearance, one hand covering his eyes, the other arm flailing around as he fought to make his way through the group of women who had descended, oohing and aahing, and all the while trying to sneak first glimpse of the beautiful bride.
“Pa says I ain’t to peek, but if it suits you Miss Charlotte, it’d be my grayonya to walk ya down the aisle.”
“Great honor,” Charlotte corrected him.
“Yeah, one of those! I promise, Miss Charlotte, I won’t let ya down.”
Charlotte smiled at the boy and peeled his fingers away from his face. It delighted her no end when Junior’s eyes lit up as bright as stars in the sky when he saw her in her dress. He’d never seen anything quite so fanciful before. She was as magnificent as any woman he’d ever laid eyes on – beside his Ma o’ course – and he’d been looking for a whole eight years now.
“Well, since you’ve gone and worn your Sunday best, then I think it only fair to grant you this noble task. I would love nothing more than for you to accompany me down the
aisle.”
Junior bounced around on his feet and then held out the crook of his arm, waiting for Charlotte to ready herself. “There’s quite a crowd waiting, Miss Charlotte. They’s gonna die when they see you comin’.”
Charlotte paused a moment to catch her breath, her hand resting on the porch railing. And that’s when she noticed it. Just sitting right there like it always belonged. Not one, but two wicker chairs. They both faced in the same direction, overlooking the paddocks where the cattle were mainly head down, chewing peacefully on the long grass off by the boundary fence.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Pa says it’s my duty to get you there on time, Miss Charlotte,” said Junior, craning his neck back to see her face. “Can we please get going now or I might find myself bent over a barrel?”
The pleading look in Junior’s eyes and the way his dimple sunk a little further into his cheek set Charlotte into action and she smiled back at the boy, happy to go along with whatever he wanted. He had a way of wrapping people around his little finger and Charlotte was certainly no exception. She sucked back another deep breath and as they rounded the back of the house – heading for a part of the land she’d never seen before – she took the very first, tentative step into the unknown.
Her future.
It took Charlotte a moment to absorb everything at once. Of course she knew lawn to be green, her memory told her so, but she’d never seen a color so vibrant before as the meadow stretched out before her.
Two tall willow trees framed each side of the make-shift aisle, letting just enough sunlight through so that it danced across the faces of each and every guest. Beneath the garden trellis that separated the house from the fields, Charlotte caught a glimpse of pink. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but as she walked through the archway and out into the other side, her heart stopped for real this time.
She couldn’t believe it. There was pink as far as the eye could see.
Every inch of ground was covered in bitterroots. Hundreds of them. Maybe even thousands. Small bunches of bitterroot flowers were gathered together with pretty white ribbons at the end of each row and the altar was draped with an enormous spray of green, delicately sprinkled with even more bitterroot blooms. Charlotte doubted there was a bitterroot left in the whole of Montana, and in that moment, she couldn’t have been any happier. Who knew?
Thomas Ackerman was a romantic after all.
Chapter 20
Thomas stood as proud as any man could be. He’d spent hours and hours fixing things just the way he thought Charlotte might like. He glanced around, first at the expectant faces of the townsfolk seated before him, and then over to Earl, who had stepped in as his best man.
The two shared a moment, neither one of them saying a single word, but they both spoke volumes with the emotions that bled out of them. Thomas knew times like this were tough on Earl without Grace by his side, but she would be shining her light down on her two boys today, that much Thomas was certain of. It’s just the kind of woman she was.
Thomas looked up when the preacher cleared his throat.
Charlotte Bates had stepped out from behind the trellis and was gazing in sheer wonder at the meadow that surrounded her. She was smiling like he’d never seen her smile before and Thomas loved the idea that he was able to make her so happy. If pink was her favorite color, then pink was what she was going to get.
As she slowly walked down the aisle, serenaded by the soothing strings of a violin, he got that funny feeling in his chest again. Never had a creature of such beauty graced his presence.
Her dress was absolutely divine. Ivory lace hugged her hour-glass figure and the skirt was full and pleated. What looked to Thomas like the finest of pearls decorated a long train that stretched out behind her and a veil flowed from the back of Charlotte’s head, her hair cascading over her shoulders in curls so soft they looked like satin. Each bauble of her veil caught the sunlight and created a halo around her, muted yet luminous at the same time, and every single one of the guests could feel it deep down inside their bones. What they were witnessing today was nothing short of a miracle.
Love was in the air. Pure and simple.
Junior took his responsibilities very seriously and never once missed a step. His small hand stayed wrapped tight around Charlotte’s elbow until they reached the very end of the aisle, where he curtsied once and then took his rightful place, seated right beside Mabel, the Calhouns, Gabe, Doc Lawson’s brood and the odd cowhand. Earl laughed. Never had he been more proud of his boy and his eyes watered a little with the emotion of it all.
Eyes as blue as the sea finally found Thomas standing not two feet in front of her and his steady gaze was all Charlotte needed to settle her nerves. Suddenly the loneliness she’d felt as a child was completely forgotten, and the idea that she would never be alone again had her dancing around inside her own body. Thomas would be right by her side for the rest of her days and that’s exactly how she wanted it.
By the time they were holding hands, swapping rings and declaring their vows to each other, the preacher’s words were all jumbled inside Charlotte’s head. It wasn’t until she heard him declare, I now pronounce you husband and wife, that all her thoughts turned to the man standing before her.
The man she’d just married.
She giggled and laughed all at once, happier than she’d ever dreamed possible. On the preacher’s command, Thomas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Charlotte’s tiny waist, inching her closer. He closed his eyes, leaned his head off to one side and then brushed his lips ever so gently across his bride’s mouth.
Charlotte’s knees went weak.
Thomas was so close to her, so warm and firm against her body, and she didn’t expect to enjoy the kiss quite so much.
She often wondered why people closed their eyes when they felt something so deeply – like singing a hymn in Church or praying to God, or smelling a rose for the first time – but now she knew why. The answer was right there in front of her and all around her from what she could tell. It was because all the wonderful things in life are worth savoring. And sometimes the only way to do that is to block out the rest of the world.
So that’s just what she did.
She closed her eyes and she kissed Thomas back with all the love, and all the passion, and all the devotion she felt inside her.
The small reception went smoothly, though it passed by in a blur. The drinks flowed and the music rang out into the evening and even the Calhouns got up for a dance or two. Charlotte knew she would never remember everyone’s name; there were just so many new faces. So she decided that although she’d done her level best, she would just nod politely and thank each and every one of them as they left the ranch for home.
They were an eccentric mix, but Charlotte knew them all to be good and honest folk and could see herself settling in amongst them just fine.
In fact one of them had even left a pot of soup sitting on the side bench insisting no bride should have to fix supper on her own wedding day and for that Charlotte was more than thankful. Who it was exactly, she wasn’t sure, but she would work it all out in good time.
Food was the last thing on her mind though, she wasn’t hungry in the slightest and she doubted Thomas was either.
She’d just watched him devour four large baked potatoes and not spill a single speck on his white, button-up shirt. She guessed her husband was just talented like that.
It had been a long day and although Charlotte was glad all the guests were having a wonderful time, she was more eager to slip out of her wedding dress and take Thomas up on that offer of a long, soaking bath.
Chapter 21
The meadow was silent at last, the final congratulations were uttered well after it was dark and Thomas was now enjoying the solitude of his farm once more. The stars were twinkling in the night sky above him and the silvery moon sat full and round, just like it had done so many weeks before.
Thomas petted Rosy’s head a few times, te
lling her all about the day he’d had and enquiring after the piglets, all the while conscious of the fact that Charlotte was bathing and relaxing in the tub just on the other side of the wall.
The panic set in again. Though this time it was mixed with something different. A peculiar thrill raced through his veins and chased most of the panic away, to the point that he was more looking forward to the evening now.
“I might head on inside, Rosy. I think I’ll be alright. You get yourself some rest.”
Once Charlotte was dried off and changed into her nightgown, she heard Thomas rustling about in the kitchen. All the guests had long gone and the cleaning up was to a point where both the newlyweds were totally exhausted and would deal with the rest of it tomorrow. His steps were heavy and deliberate as he walked down the hallway, like he was warning her of his approach.
When he tapped his knuckles on the bedroom door, Charlotte sunk beneath the covers and bit down on her bottom lip so hard she was worried she might draw blood.
“Come … come in, Thomas,” she stuttered, anxiously. Her stomach flipped at the thought of what was about to happen. As much as she’d found great pleasure in the way Thomas had kissed her at the ceremony, she was suddenly full-up with butterflies racing around inside her. Thomas would want to do more than just kiss her now. It was to be expected. She was his wife, after all.
He edged into the room, glad for the darkness. He didn’t need her seeing the uncertainty on his face or the worry in his eyes as he went about the act. He wanted to make it enjoyable for Charlotte. He wanted her to find contentment in his touch and joy in his longing. Just hours before he had made the most solemn of vows, to cherish her and honor her all the days of his life. And that’s exactly what he intended to do.
“You are so beautiful,” Thomas whispered the words as he lifted back the sheet and slipped into bed beside her. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you all day.”