“I’m sure Clara will be happy to see you at her wedding tomorrow,” he said instead, standing up.
April watched as George leaned down and picked up his plate. She still couldn’t get over how much he looked like Miles, and she still couldn’t get over what Miles had done to her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” April said as George walked out of the room.
“Until then,” he replied with a glimmer of something in his eyes. That glimmer, whatever it was, stirred something in April much like the “fondness” she’d felt earlier, but she wouldn’t allow herself to feel it in light of the thoughts going through her head.
NINE
April sat on the mattress in the shed staring down at her open trunk. She’d just finished washing a small pile of laundry she’d found in the house, had watered all the farm animals, and had tended to the dishes. But, now, she had a more arduous task to tend to… She needed to find something appropriate, and appeasing, to wear to Clara’s wedding.
It was after noon the next day, and April had looked through her trunk at least four or five times. She had plenty of casual, everyday garments and a few morning church outfits, but she had nothing that seemed “right” for an evening wedding in a small Texas town.
As April looked through her trunk one last time, her hand grazed a tightly wrapped parcel contained within. April sighed as she touched the package—for, inside it was her wedding dress, the one Mrs. Wilson had given her. April dared not open the package, but she thought about the dress inside of it, and, as she did, her heart ached. From the moment that Mrs. Wilson had given it to her, she envisioned herself wearing it when she walked down the aisle to marry Miles. But, so much had happened since that moment, and, now, she realized that she’d never make that walk.
But, she thought as she sat there, she could still wear the dress. George had asked her to marry him after all. And, although he didn’t seem as adventurous and charming as his brother had seemed to be, he didn’t seem all that bad either, especially considering April’s other options—or lack thereof.
Maybe he would be a good husband, April thought to herself. Maybe I should accept hi proposal and take up a life here with him. He’s good-looking, works as a banker, and doesn’t suffer any vices. He has this lovely ranch, has a generally kind disposition, and there were those moments of “fondness” I think I felt for him… Maybe marrying George isn’t as bad an idea as it initially seemed.
Just as April sat there stewing in thought, she heard a scream from outside of the shed and quickly ran to the door. When she opened it, she saw that it was George who had screamed, yet, for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why.
“Oh no!” he yelled again, slamming his palm against his forehead. He was standing by the barn, near the clothesline, looking at the clothes April had hung out from the wash.
“What’s wrong?” April asked, rushing over to him. “What happened?”
George looked at April and shook his head from side to side in obvious irritation.
“The clothing that I set out this morning,” he answered, “you washed it.”
“Yes,” April replied. “I washed those clothes just like I washed what you set out yesterday.”
“Yes, yes,” George sighed. “The clothes I set out yesterday were dirty and needed to be washed. But, the clothes I set out today… That’s what I was planning on wearing to the wedding—though, now, there’s no chance of that.”
George flicked his hand forward, and, as it slapped against the wet shirt in front of him, several droplets of water ricocheted back in his face.
“Ohhhh,” Amy uttered, feeling her face turn warm and red. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. When I saw the clothes, I thought—”
“It’s okay,” George replied, slicking his hand against the wet shirt again. “I have other clothes I can wear. I just wanted to… I just wanted to look my best.”
As George gazed past the wet laundry at April, April saw that “something,” whatever it was, glimmer in his eyes again, and she genuinely felt compassion for him.
“I’m sure you’ll look splendid in whatever you wear,” she said. No sooner than she said it, her face felt even warmer, and she was sure she was at full blush.
George’s cheeks bulged a bit, and he grinned for a split-second before turning to the house.
“Let’s hope so,” he said, walking toward the porch. “I’ll go find something… Then, we’ll leave in about an hour or so.”
“Alright,” April replied, feeling her warm cheeks suddenly grow cold. She turned and walked back to the shed, to ready herself as well.
Approximately one hour later, April walked back out the door again. She was wearing one of her church outfits and had a scarf tied around her neck. She looked rather lovely and felt confident for the event despite her initial concerns over what to wear. And, as soon as she saw George step out onto the porch, she figured he, too, must have overcome his concerns. Indeed, he looked quite dapper in his three-piece suit. It was a lighter color than the one she’d erroneously washed and hung on the line, but the lighter color seemed to complement his features and draw out the finer, softer details of his face.
George looked away from April, bashfully, as she approached and fought back his impulses to tell her how beautiful she looked. He helped her onto the carriage, then got on as well, and, together, the two of them rode off toward town.
As they rode past the other ranches and homesteads, George made small talk with April about some of the other townsfolk and told her a few different stories that made her laugh and put a long-lasting smile on her face.
When the couple finally arrived in town, George parked his carriage near the others, then walked April to the church. The two of them entered, and, since they weren’t married yet, each took seats on opposite sides of the room. George sat with the other single men, while April sat with the other single women. But, even though they were apart, their eyes frequently found each other again and again as the rest of the townspeople came in and filled the seats.
A short while later, a plump man and three plump boys entered the church and walked up to the front of it. Then, a moment later, the reverend entered, cleared his throat, and called the services to order.
A woman started playing the organ from the back of the church, and, just as April turned to see whence the sound came, she saw Clara walk in, adorned in a simple, tasteful gown. Clara smiled and nodded at April, then continued her procession down the aisle.
The wedding ceremony itself, was rather quick and to the point, and, within about a half-hour it was done. But, indeed, with the end of the ceremony, the celebration had only just begun. The townsfolk had organized a party in the town square—and, what’s more, the reverend reminded folks that business, school, and other services would be postponed the next day, in order to give the guests some time to recuperate from their late nights.
As the townspeople began leaving the church for the town square, April made her way toward the door, where she waited for George to finish up a conversation he was having with another man. A few moments later, he joined her, and the two of them walked to the town square.
Once they were in the town square, April excused herself from George to go congratulate Clara and give her a hug. The two women stood and talked for several minutes before George came over and interrupted them.
“I’m going to go around and talk with a few more people,” George told April. “Then, we will leave.”
“What?” April asked, looking at Clara before looking at him. “The celebration has only started.”
“Yes,” George replied. “But, there’s no need for us to loiter here when there’s work to be done at home. Plus, tomorrow is a work day.”
“But, the minister said all work is postponed tomorrow,” April whined, like a child. “And, we wouldn’t be ‘loitering’ here. We’d be celebrating this special, blessed day.”
“We’ve already celebrated it by coming here and paying our respects
in God’s house,” George retorted, cocking his head. “What comes after that is excess. We don’t need music, dancing, or whiskey to have fun, now do we?”
Clara bowed her head and, sensing the tone of their conversation, politely walked away from April and George.
“I didn’t say I needed, or wanted, whiskey,” April snapped back as soon as Clara was out of ear shot. “But, what’s wrong with music and dancing?”
“There’s nothing wrong with music and dancing,” George responded. “But, when there’s work to be done, it’s not necessary. If we stay here celebrating, the chores back at the ranch won’t get done tonight. And, unfortunately, they won’t go away. They’ll have to be done at some point… And, even though business is postponed tomorrow, that kind of work isn’t, which means I’d be laboring at it before going into the bank, which isn’t something I want to do.”
“Whatever chores we don’t finish tonight, I’ll take care of tomorrow,” April said, offering what sounded, to her, like a bargain.
“No,” George replied quite simply.
“No?” April asked.
“No,” George repeated. “There are chores that need done tonight.”
“Fine then,” April said, raising her voice. “Go home and do them… I’ll stay here.”
“Oh no you won’t!” George exclaimed. “No wife of mine… I mean no woman… I mean... no person staying in my house will disregard my wishes like that!”
“Your wishes are just that,” April replied, lowering her voice and narrowing her eyes. “They are yours. My wishes, apparently, are quite different… I came out here to Texas to get married and live a life filled with adventure and excitement, not to sit around with some old goat who can’t recognize fun when it’s right in front of his face.”
As soon as she said those words, April realized how harsh they sounded—and, when she saw the look on George’s face, she realized that they must’ve hurt, too. The color seemed to drain from his cheeks, and he had an empty, hollow look in his eyes.
“Have it your way,” he said in a huff, shaking his head. “But how, pray tell, will you get back to the ranch? I rode you here, remember.”
April shook her head as well. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll find a way. I’ll walk if I have to. It’s not that far.”
George gave April a look that was meant to reach inside of her and shake something into place. But, alas, his look did nothing of the sort, and she turned from him, put a fake smile on her face, and walked off toward the crowd.
George watched as April walked off and bowed his head. Though he didn’t like the fight they’d just had, he prayed it was the worst event the night would bring.
TEN
What a wonderful evening, April told herself as she walked back to George’s ranch from the town square. She’d left over an hour early, and had just passed the wooded area she noticed on her way to “Crawford’s place” two days earlier.
And what a beautiful town, she went on as she neared the orchard. Even—or, perhaps, especially—in the dark, her surroundings looked enchanting and mesmerizing, and she felt invigorated by all that she saw.
As April passed the orchard and neared the pond, she remembered the children she’d seen playing at the swimming hole the day before. They looked like they were having so much fun.
Hmmm, April hummed to herself. I haven’t been swimming in ages. Just then, she had an idea. She’d already had an evening of great fun, so why not more fun on top of that? It was late, and no one was around. I could go for a quick dip, she thought.
No sooner than the thought hit her, April found herself walking toward the hole. She looked around again, just to double-check that no one else was there, and, once she confirmed that no one was, she removed her scarf from her neck. Then, she removed her blouse, skirt, and shoes.
April stood there, in the moonlight, unabashedly wearing nothing but her cotton slip. It was long brown slip that covered most of her body, mind you; but, still, it wasn’t the type of garment a woman was supposed to wear in public, even at a swimming hole.
But, alas, these things didn’t bother April one bit. She tied her scarf around her hips, just to make sure her slip stayed in place, then slowly walked into water.
The water was cold, but it felt refreshing on this warm Texas night, and, as April’s body became immersed in it, she felt as though it washed “new life” into her. She felt incredibly happy and carefree, and, without even realizing it, broke into song, singing those hymns she’d practiced for many months.
As April sang the chorus to one of her favorite songs, she leaned back in the water and started swimming, laxly, on her back. She wondered what George would think of her if he saw her swimming like this, and she started to laugh. But, just as the laughter hit her, something else hit her as well.
April felt a terrible pain in her calf. It felt as though someone was squeezing it and shaking it.
“Ouch!” April screamed, jolting her body in the water. Her voice sounded far less melodic, and far more desperate, than it had just a minute earlier.
“Owww!’ she yelped as the pain traveled up her leg and seized her thigh. She tried, as best she could, to turn her body over. But, as she tried to tread and move the water with her aching leg, she only ended up pushing herself further back.
April tasted the dirty water as it started to fill her mouth, and she heard her voice gurgle as she spit it out and yelled. The dark night sky above her started to swell and distort, and the sounds of nature—the frogs, crickets, and other nighttime creatures—went from being very loud to making almost no noise at all.
April’s head felt heavy, and the water was filling her mouth again. She heard a loud crash and saw the face of an angel, then everything… went black.
The next thing April knew, she felt air, not water, around her and felt land, not air, beneath her back. The water wasn’t coming into her mouth now, but, instead, was coming out. She spit out a huge mouthful, then opened her eyes—and, lo and behold, she saw the angel’s face again. But, this time, she put a name to it.
“George?” she asked, staring up at the figure towering above her. There was water dripping from his light brown hair and a look of pure anguish in his eyes. “What happened? Where are we? I was swimming, and—”
“And, luckily, I heard your singing and happened by just in time,” George interjected, completing both April’s sentence and train of thought.
“But, I thought you went back to the ranch,” April said, trying to sit up.
“I did,” George replied. “But, no sooner than I got home, I started worrying about you. So, after mulling in my thoughts for a while, I decided to walk back toward town, in the hopes that I’d run into you along the way, so that I could walk with you and make sure you got home safely.
“I’d just made it here, to the swimming hole, when I heard you singing. I didn’t know it was you singing, but I stopped to listen to the song. And, then, I heard you cry out in pain, and I ran over and—”
“Saved me,” April said, with a smile.
“Yes,” George said. His voice sounded shaky, and, just then, April noticed that it wasn’t just water that wet his face. There were tears on his cheeks too.
“I’m so glad I got here when I did,” George said. “One minute later, and…. Well, I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want to think about losing you.”
For all the times that April had envisioned Mile’s standing in the moonlight, she’d never envisioned anything like what she saw now. George had the same face, more or less, but it wore an expression that she’d never seen before in her life. She could tell that this man had, somehow, in some way, for whatever reason, developed sincere feelings for her and was truly concerned about her wellbeing.
“You know,” George said, turning his face from April’s and staring up at the moon, “after Miles ran off, before you arrived, I prayed to God and asked him to give me more direction and meaning in my life… and, then, you appeared.
“When I realized what my brother had done to you—how he called you out here to get married, and then discarded you without care—I proposed to you without even thinking, because something told me that it was the right thing to do. And, ever since I did, I’ve been questioning why. I wanted to know what made me think it was the right thing to do.
“It wasn’t until tonight, when I got home and worried about you getting home safely that I realized what that things was—or, rather Who it was... It was God—answering my prayer. He, not Miles or the sheriff, brought you here to me, and it isn’t out of my sense of duty to clean up my brother’s messes, or out of my sense of chivalry, that I want to marry you. It’s because I know, in my heart, that it’s God’s plan. I believe we were meant to be together… just like I believe I was meant to hear you singing exactly how and when I did.”
April gazed up at George, and those feelings of “fondness” hit her again—tenfold.
“Well, thank God for His plans then,” she said, smiling at George. Her body was cold from the ordeal, but her heart felt very warm. She felt loved.
“Let’s get you home and settled in,” George said, holding out his hand to help April up.
April took his hand, and, in the moment their skin touched, she felt something unfamiliar, a current of some sort, shoot through her body. Not only did she feel loved, but she felt love too.
George and April made their way back to the ranch at a slow, somewhat leisurely pace. All the while, they talked with each other. April told George about some of the festivities he missed at the celebration, and George explained to April the time-sensitive nature of some of his ranching work. It wasn’t that he was a stubborn stickler, he told her, it’s just that certain things needed to be done at certain times, elsewise the entire ranch operation suffered a loss.
After a bit more conversation, they finally came up on George’s land, and, much to both of their surprise, there was a dark figure sitting, waiting, on the porch.
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