Forever in Love (Book One of the Armstrong Series)

by Rita Hestand

  "Yes, she does lovely work, too. But, no thank you mother. I'd rather Ole Jen make it for me. She already knows how to fit me so well, and she is divine with the needle."

  "Suit yourself. You'll have to pay for that yourself then."

  "Very well…" Melanie huffed.

  "Mrs. Hamilton, or may I call you mother?" Joe asked with a smile.

  "You may not. You will address me at all times as Mrs. Hamilton. But I have to ask again, why the rush? Had I not known better I would swear my daughter was pregnant, you are both in such a rush!"

  "Mother!" Melanie shouted. "Rush? But Mother, we were to be married before he went in the service. Now he's home and we don't want to wait a minute longer than necessary. I wouldn't call that a rush." Melanie explained.

  Her mother shook her head. "War changes a man, are you sure you still love each other? You barely gave yourselves time to find out if it's really, what you want. You almost need to get reacquainted."

  Joe came up to her mother once more, looking her straight in the eye. "I love your daughter with all my heart and soul. We need to be married and soon. We'd love to give you many grandchildren."

  He kissed her hand and gave her a quick bow.

  Mrs. Hamilton stared at him. "I don't remember you being in such a rush before you left. What has changed?"

  "Nearly six years have changed me. I feel as though I lost those years. I want to make up for them. I want to live the life that we can make together." Joe answered, simply. "I can provide a decent home, and hopefully children for your amusement."

  "It is odd that you have such a change of heart now." She huffed. She turned her stout body toward her daughter. "And you…how can you be so sure that you are of like minds, after all this time? He might have changed too much."

  "Some things don't change Mother," She glanced at Joe and hugged him. "You just know."

  "I wish you to reconsider, Melanie. You haven't been with him enough to know for sure. Perhaps some things have changed, and others not?" Mrs. Hamilton advised.

  "Mrs. Hamilton," Joe came to squat in front of her, so he could look into her eyes and reassure her. "I saw death, up close. I saw friends and neighbors dying. I saw some who lived, but had no hands, or arms, or legs. I saw brothers fight against brothers, fathers against sons. I saw all manner of life and death situations. Yet, nothing deterred me from how I feel about your daughter. We were meant to be together. Granted before I left, I did have some frivolous times, but that is over. I'm a fully grown man now, and that folly is behind me."

  Melanie smiled and put her arm around his waist.

  "I love him, Mother. It's that simple." Swifty got up and followed Melanie closely.

  "Alright, I'm tired of haggling with you. Off you go." Her mother waved her away. However, as they walked away, arm in arm, Mrs. Hamilton shook her head in dismay.

  Joe helped Melanie into the carriage; he turned to look at her mother. "She really isn't fond of me, is she?"

  "No, but give her time." Melanie reached for his hand. "Besides, this is my decision, not hers. You know you didn't have to take me into town, I could have gone alone." Melanie said as she noticed how nice the carriage looked. "Mother isn't used to us being a couple again."

  Swifty ran up to Joe and licked his hand. "At least Swifty likes me."

  He pet the dog behind the ears, smiled and then got in the carriage.

  He put his arm around her and brought her close as he slid beside her. "The ride into town can be very enjoyable. Especially, if you aren't in any hurry."

  She smiled at him. "Why Joe Armstrong, you wouldn't compromise me, would you?"

  "If I had my way, we'd be on a blanket right now."

  "My, you are eager," she blushed beautifully and laughed...

  Then his lips fastened to hers and the world faded for several long, breath-taking minutes.

  But as they got close to town, they both straightened their clothes and laughed at each other.

  "I love you Joe…"

  "And I can't wait to show you how much I love you!" He said lowly.

  "Kiss me one more time, before we get to town…" She challenged with a sinfully sweet smile.

  He needed no prodding and his kisses made her swoon and want more. She drank him in, and marveled at his mastery.

  "You know I loved the letters," She whispered.

  "Letters?"

  "Yes, the ones you wrote while you were in the service. You signed them all the same…Forever in Love." She blushed slightly as his eyes went from her head to her feet.

  Joe nodded. "Oh yes, well, I am forever in love with you…"

  She chuckled. "You did write the letters yourself, didn't you?"

  "Of course I did."

  "I saved every one of them." She said. The admission brought a shared bottomless moment of bliss between them.

  Chapter Six

  Melanie shopped for an hour; the storeowner encouraged her to shop for the finest materials.

  "Getting' married, huh?" Tinker Daniels, the owner's wife asked. She was a thin woman with her hair in a knot on her head and a stern look on her face. However, Melanie knew her as kind, and she always managed to pull a smile from the woman.

  "Yes, Joe Armstrong has come home to claim me." She laughed.

  "Well, it's about time too. So you're getting married?" Tinker smiled at her.

  "Yes, as soon as we can get it together."

  "He fought for the north, didn't he?"

  "Yes ma'am he did. Joe's a man of conviction. He loves this country. He said he hated the states breaking up as they did. He wanted to keep the country the same."

  "Well, I guess we are all back in the union now, but it feels a little different, doesn't it?"

  "A little." Melanie tried to smile.

  "Look at this silk, see the quality of it. It does not wrinkle. It's one of the finest silks in the store. All the way from New York. You can't get any better than this. You'll need lace, and beads, and netting for a veil."

  "Oh yes, this is lovely. If it's the right price, I'll take it."

  "Since it's for your wedding, I'll give you a discount, consider it a wedding gift. I'll take fifty percent off. I'd give it to you, but it did come all the way from New York, and shipping it here, cost a small fortune."

  "Oh," Melanie grabbed her and hugged her to her. "You are just too sweet to do that. But I'll take it. It's beautiful. Can you wrap it up for me, so I can take it to Ole Jen to make for me?"

  "Of course darlin'. You'll be a lovely bride. And don't forget to tell everyone where you got the material." Tinker began wrapping it for her after she cut the material. Then she stared at her for a long moment. "Ole Jen is going to make your dress?"

  "Yes, she's a wonderful seamstress," Melanie said. "Why?"

  "B-but your mother has a seamstress here in town…"

  "I know, but I'd rather Ole Jen do it for me. She knows me so well. She's even fitted me several times, so I prefer to use her. I won't have to spend a lot of time modeling for her."

  "I see." Tinker sounded almost offended.

  "Well, thank you for your help. And it's a beautiful wedding gift. I'm sure Joe will thank you too."

  Tinker smiled. "I'm happy for you, Melanie. It's time you were happy again. It's been a while since you smiled so much. I can see the love in your eyes. We all know how long you've waited. I'm just glad it was worth the time."

  She looked around for Joe as she had the owner put her things in the carriage. He was walking down the boardwalk on the other side of the street. He waved to her.

  Melanie smiled to herself, when she saw him. Then she thought about her mother. Her mother had almost ruined it for her this morning. She couldn't allow that happening. She was so happy, and she wanted everyone else to be happy too. Everything was as it should be and she would soon be Mrs. Joseph Armstrong. Just thinking the name in her head made her dizzy. She'd dreamed of being his wife forever and now it was coming true. And Joe, he had merely matured and come of age. She was
proud of him.

  Only she knew how much he'd changed. She wondered if all men changed during a war. She wondered if others would see the change in him.

  He was so passionate and caring.

  She was madly in love with him, even more so than when he was away.

  She felt he had come full circle in being a man. He was tender, caring and very attentive. He also exuded confidence that assured her of her position with him. Even she had wavered before the war was over, asking herself if Joe really loved her. Had he written Carmen the same letters and signed them the same? But all doubt fled when he took her in his arms. His kisses left no doubt as to his feelings.

  Joe had always been passionate, but she was pleasantly surprised at his zeal to be married. He'd never been that anxious for marriage.

  He was hers; she squeezed herself with the knowledge.

  Joe walked across the street. "Through already?" He asked.

  "I was lucky; I found just the right material. Ole Jen will love working with this, and the beads and lace, oh my, they are lovely. And Tinker gave me a discount." She gushed.

  "The real beauty is you, not the dress." He winked and helped her up into the carriage.

  She blushed once more, his implication touched her.

  "Sometimes…I have to pinch myself to believe this is really happening. I mean…I've spent so much time, fantasizing about it, and now it is going to happen…."

  "You know, Melanie, I spent a lot of time thinking about our marriage too and how great it will be. I want a house full of children. I want to make you happy." He began, but losing his train of thought when he saw the sparkle in her eyes.

  He leaned to kiss her.

  Tinker had seen it through the window of her store. She smiled sincerely and waved her goodbye.

  The sun kept peeking through the leaves of the trees, and it was already getting warm. They had ridden several miles out of town. She asked him to stop so she could get her hat.

  He pulled to the side of the road and searched through her things in the back until he found the hat, it had a wide brim to shade her eyes and he brought it to her and tied it on her, stopping long enough to kiss her properly.

  "That's a pretty hat…" He whispered.

  "It's called a touring hat. My cousin Rachel bought it for me a couple of years ago when she visited New Orleans. She was lucky to have found something so beautiful still in the stores."

  But Joe was more interested in her.

  Melanie beamed, his kisses ignited a fire within her and she found her resistance melting away. She'd waited so long for him to come home, she didn't want to wait a minute longer to get married.

  He bent his head and touched his lips to hers once more.

  His lips were tentatively exploring, soft, and she shifted to be closer to him. Joe was such a clean man, always smelling so nice.

  As he backed away to see the effect of his kiss, he smiled.

  "Am I brazen for allowing you such privileges?" She asked her voice low, and husky.

  "You are never brazen. But I think this wedding should be hurried up as you inspire lust in me." He said with a chuckle.

  "I love you, Joe…have I told you that today?" She asked breathlessly.

  "And I you…." He whispered as his lips feathered hers. "I can't let myself go, yet. Not until we are married, but I aim to please you beyond your wildest dreams, my darling." Joe proclaimed.

  "We haven't talked about where we shall live." She tried to break the spell he was weaving.

  He glanced at her. "Well, since I'm to manage or help manage my father's property, I would naturally assume it would be at Golden Manor. But, if that does not suit you, we could live at your mother's house until we build a place of our own."

  She seemed to reason that through. "Under the circumstances, it might be best if we lived at Golden Manor until we have a home of our own. I don't want Mother warring with you every day. She must have time to accept this marriage as a reality. And I don't want her making problems for us." Melanie frowned.

  "She hates me that much?"

  "She doesn't hate you." Melanie rushed to say. "But I am her only daughter. She raised seven sons, four of which died in the war. The other three are still not home. Now I am leaving her too. It's too much for her right now. We must be patient with her, but of course, I won't allow her to interfere in our married life. When she sees how happy we are, she can't help but love you for it."

  "You are absolutely right. Then we will live at Golden Manor and we will visit her often so she doesn't become lonely. Once we have children, she will have them to fill her days. Father wants us to have Golden Manor. He wants you to be the lady of Golden Manor. What do you think?" Joe insisted.

  "I think I've got a lot to learn, but I am very at home there, I must admit and I love the house."

  "And about children?"

  "Children…oh, we haven't talked much about that." She sighed.

  "I don't think we have to, do we?" Joe smiled. "The war has held us back from our dreams, but now they can be realized."

  "Have you heard from your cousin, Christopher or Zane?" She asked, changing the subject.

  "As a matter of fact, I haven't. I thought they would have beat me home. Father checks the obituaries every day, and their names haven't shown up. I expect them home any time now."

  "I hope they are alright. There were so many that have died in this 'God forsaken' war. Personally, even though the south lost, I'm glad it came to an end. But you are right; many have taken some time to return for one reason or another."

  "Yes, you are right, but there are still some die hard southerners that would have kept fighting if they could. And we must think now of rebuilding and making a new life for ourselves. We can't dwell on the past. It does no good. I should know." Joe said solemnly. "The war is over and we must put it in the past where it belongs. And begin to rebuild."

  "I'm sorry, I am sure you saw plenty of sorrow in those years. And it has changed you considerably. But I love the new you…" She said and squeezed his hand.

  "You keep saying that. Which of your brothers died?" He asked as though he couldn't put it away from him.

  "Jared, Michael, Samuel, and John. Two at Gettysburg, two in Arkansas. Seth, Cody, and Brock have not returned. We don't know if they were killed in action, in some hospital somewhere or just took off on their own. We've not heard a word. It has distressed mother considerably." Melanie cried.

  "I'm sorry for your loss. But I'm sure the others will come home as soon as they can." He assured her. "There are many soldiers that are in hospitals and just being released from prison camps. The camps were deplorable and some didn't make it out of them. Some were terribly mistreated. A fact that neither side wants to admit to."

  "I hope and pray they are not in any of them. It would kill mother if she lost another son…"

  "We must think positively my dear. They will return. Now, on a brighter note, where do you want to be married?" He asked her.

  "At the little church in the valley, where we both belong." She burst into a smile again.

  "Ah yes, then we must talk to the preacher and make those arrangements. Is brother Miles still preaching there?"

  "No, he joined the south and was killed three months later. Brother Timothy Freeman is the minister now. He's younger and very enthusiastic. The congregation loves him."

  "As will I, I'm sure," Joe assured her.

  She smiled into his shining eyes.

  "I'm sure Mother will want to make most of the arrangements." Melanie smiled. "It will give her something to do with her time. It might even be good for her disposition."

  "Good. Would you mind if we stopped under that oak tree there and cooled off?" He asked when they had traveled some distance.

  "Not at all…" she said glancing at the tree. She removed her hat as he pulled to the side and rested the carriage under the shade of the tree.

  He looked at it, before spreading a blanket for them to sit on. "You know other states weren
't as lucky as we. Georgia was burned. I'm afraid Sherman's zest for victory led him to be carried away. War often comes that way. All the old beauty of Georgia gone and lay in ashes. I look at this tree and realize how fortunate we have been. Many plantations were ravaged during the war. The suffering and the way it seemed to defeat the south, losing that is. I remember how proud everyone was to march off to war. Now, things are different. Texas fared well except it is bankrupt now. It will take years before it is restored to its former glory."

  She sat down and waited for him to join her.

  He looked at her an apologized. "There I am again, talking about the war."

  She took his hand in hers, lacing her fingers with his, she looked into his eyes. "I'm sure you have many memories to share about the war. And you need to share them. To rid them in your mind. Because you were right, we must think of the future, not the past."

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her warmly. "We are going to be so happy….I don't want to think about the war, I want to think about our future together."

  She smiled and leaned into him.

  He took her into his arms and let her lay her head in his lap, as they got comfortable. He tickled her with a feather he'd pulled from her hat.

  She wrinkled her nose as the feather traveled slowly down her nose, her chin and down to the front of her dress, resting at her breast.

  He let it dangle there. "That is where I want to lay my head," He smiled down into her eyes. "I want the privilege of being able to do so, anytime I wish."

  She giggled.

  "Do you wear a gown at night?" He asked boldly.

  She blushed profusely, looked about them and then answered. "Of course," she gasped. "Such a question. If mother heard you ask it, she'd faint from the shock of it."

  "Once we are married you will have no use for them. I want nothing between us. I want to look at you every day, kiss you until you want me, and then start all over." He said huskily.

  She squirmed a little uneasily. "You make me blush…"