The Last Bloom

by Roberta C. M. DeCaprio

  He picked up the second ring which was also a rose gold band but etched with a bit of fancy scroll work.

  “And so, that ring me grandfather wore, will now be yours,” Sean concluded.

  “Me grandmother’s weddin’ band went to me sister, for her son’s wife. So, you’ll have to get yer bride a store-bought band,” Sadie added. Then she sighed. “Do ye think Cassia will like it…the engagement ring, I mean?”

  He smiled. “Yes, she’ll absolutely cherish it,” he said without a shred of doubt. Dorothea would never have valued it, as the stones were too modest. She wouldn’t have appreciated the sentiment either. But Cassia, he already knew, would treasure the ring. “Strange how I know her so well. I can vouch for what she would like and how she will react.”

  Well, ’tis the way o’ it. How true love with the right lass is supposed to be,” his father reflected.

  His smile deepened. “Yes, true love with the right woman,” he repeated, his heart swelled with happiness.

  His mother hugged him. “I’m happy for ye, son. I’ve known Cassia since she was a wee babe, and the good family she comes from. I know she will make ye a loyal, lovin’ wife, supportive o’ yer work and be a good, carin’ mother to yer children.”

  “And ye keep in mind her desires and goals as well,” his father warned. “She’s worked hard and long to be where she is. A woman workin’ in the medical field goes through a lot to qualify. She’s made it this far because she’s good at what she does. So, if ye love her true in return, ye’ll respect her right to continue her work.”

  He nodded again. “I have no intention of asking Cassia to put aside her career. In fact, I’m looking forward to her working with me here in Eagle’s Landing. I want her to be my partner professionally and personally.” He took a moment to try on the man’s ring. It fit perfectly.

  “Now, let’s hope the engagement ring fits Cassia as well,” his mother commented. “Otherwise ye will need to take it to Willow Creek for the jeweler to size it properly.”

  “Yes, that’s what I’ll need to do.” He replaced both rings in the box and closed the lid. The excitement of slipping it on her finger coursed through his body. And from that moment on, he prayed it would never leave her finger…that they’d always be together until death do them part.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Brodie waited all week to present the ring to Cassia. Busy tending to the medical needs of the community left little personal time for either of them. Besides, he didn’t want to spring such an important moment on her. Better instead to create a romantic backdrop before slipping the ring on her finger.

  The next Sunday dawned with blue skies. An occasional warm breeze swept through the late spring day, and it seemed like the perfect day to present her with the ring. After church let out, Brodie invited Cassia to a picnic by the creek, their favorite place. While she went home to change from her Sunday clothes, he rushed to his house to pack a picnic basket. He wrapped a bottle of wine and two glass goblets in a table cloth to keep them from breaking, plus a butter knife to cut slices from the small brick of cheddar cheese he added along with wheat crackers. With two homemade brownies, his mother had baked the night before, his picnic menu was complete.

  “Are you sure I can’t contribute anything more than the napkins and blanket?” she inquired when he picked her up.

  “No, this is all on me.” He escorted her to the wagon, admiring the way her yellow sundress fit her perfect form.

  Once at the creek, Cassia arranged the blanket while he spread the table cloth. Then the two of them removed the goodies from the basket and began to eat. After pouring them each a goblet of wine, he held up his for a toast.

  “To us,” he began. “Here’s to our love and our lives together.” He smiled. “As well as the lives we’ll make together.”

  She giggled. “Yes, we mustn’t forget all of those lives yet to come.”

  The sound of her mirth, so pleasing to his ear, made his smile deepen. “Nor should this be forgotten.” He placed his goblet aside and pulled the gold box from his shirt pocket. “I know I’ve already asked you this, on bended knee, but I wish to make it more…” he paused for the right word. “Binding.” He opened the lid of the gold box and took out the ring. “Cassia Rose Holmes, I love you with all of my heart, and with that said, will you wear this ring, as a symbol of my love, devotion, and commitment to our future together?”

  Her eyes widened when she saw the ring, and then they filled with tears. “Yes, Brodie O’Clarity, I shall be honored to wear your ring,” she choked out, putting aside her goblet to stretch forward her hand. After he slipped it upon her finger, she gasped. “It’s a perfect fit.”

  “That’s because it was meant to be upon your finger,” he said, before pulling her close. Their lips fused in a long, passionate kiss. Her warm, sweet mouth and the heady aroma of her lavender-scented skin brought sparks of desire throughout his being. He’d always crave her, just as strong and as much as he did this very instant.

  She broke away, holding up her hand to admire the ring. “This is absolutely beautiful, Brodie…the stones, the etchings—so amazing.”

  His heart swelled. “It belonged to my maternal great grandmother, and no doubt, many ancestor brides before her,” he explained. “And this,” he began, lifting the man’s wedding band from the box, “was my father’s grandfather’s ring, and the one I will wear.”

  She took the man’s band from him, and after examining it, her face lit with wonder. “Can you imagine the history we’ll be wearing around our fingers? The love stories of each generation have been captured within these rings…each of them unique, with their own trials, tribulations, and victories. And now,” she added, “we will add our own love story to the rest.” She sighed, handing him back his ring. “Oh, Brodie, with so many beautiful spirits accompanying us through our life-long journey together, I know we will be happy forever.”

  Her words made his eyes brim with unshed tears, as he searched her beautiful face. Not only was every ounce of his bride-to-be’s outer shell perfectly precious, but her kind and loving heart as well.

  “I knew you’d feel the sentiment of this ring,” he whispered. “That’s another reason only you were meant to wear it again.”

  “My father believes there are no coincidences,” she softly reflected.

  “And I agree with him wholeheartedly,” he countered.

  “I do too.” She traced the contour of his jaw with a finger. “We were destined to be right here, at this exact time, to do exactly what we are doing.”

  He leaned closer. “And to seal it all with this exact kiss.” Again he captured her lips with his.

  After their picnic ended, he took Cassia home. Together they shared their news, Cassia showing her parents the engagement ring. Reverend Holmes shook Brodie’s hand, tears of joy filling his eyes. Amanda Holmes hugged him, her tears of happiness cascading down her cheeks. He knew these people since he was a small boy, and now they’d be family. He couldn’t be more pleased as they were kind and generous, always welcoming people into their home and hearts. They shared whatever they had, tried to see the best in everyone, and brought their daughter up to envy no one, never judge anyone, and appreciate what she had. He couldn’t ask for better in-laws or a more loving and loyal mate.

  “Is there a woman’s wedding band to match the engagement ring,” Amanda inquired, breaking through his thoughts.

  “Yes, but my mother’s sister was given that ring for her son’s nuptials,” he explained. He gazed over at Cassia. “We’ll have to take a trip into Willow Creek and pick another out at the jewelers.”

  “Unless…” Amanda began.

  “Do tell, Mama.”

  “I was thinking, if you’d like to continue to keep the bands traditional, I have one I’ve been saving for you,” Amanda offered.

  Cassia’s face brightened like a child spotting gifts left by Santa beneath the Christmas tree. “The one you’ve always worn at the end of the gold chain
around your neck?”

  Amanda giggled. Cassia had inherited the same joyous and light laugh which he adored so well. “Yes, that very ring.” Amanda reached beneath the collar of her blouse to pull the chain free. “It was my father’s grandmother’s, I believe. My mother wore it when my parents wed, and then I…” she clipped her sentence.

  “And then your mother wore it when she wed Proud Eagle,” Reverend Holmes finished. “Gabriel wears the man’s band, as that is what my dear friend would have wanted,” he added with a reassuring smile.

  For a long moment, the room went quiet. Brodie knew all about Amanda’s first marriage to the Apache warrior. His remains rest in Cassia’s family’s plot. He also knew Reverend Holmes held no malice toward the man or the union he once shared with Amanda, as Proud Eagle had also become his good friend. Brodie wasn’t so sure he could be as congenial. He wasn’t, by nature, a jealous person. But the thought of Cassia once loving and being loved by another man might cause him a strong bit of trouble.

  Amanda broke the silence. “And I want you, should you agree, to wear the woman’s band.”

  Cassia frowned. “Why wasn’t it given to either Raven or Sunny, as they are older and were married first?”

  Amanda sighed. “Well, I was still wearing it when Raven wed in Ireland and Sunny in England.” Her eyes saddened. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much my heart ached for missing their special day.” She sighed again, heavily this time. “At the time it was impossible for me to attend either ceremony, and there wasn’t anything I could do about the situation. But now, circumstances are different. I no longer wear the ring, and I can be at my youngest daughter’s wedding.”

  Brodie turned to Cassia. “I’d say it is another ring meant for only you to wear again.”

  Cassia leaned over to hug her mother. “I’d be honored to wear it, Mama.” She tried the gold band on briefly, to make sure it fit, and it did, like it was made for her.

  Cassia marveled at the way the rings sat upon her finger. “Although one ring is of yellow gold and the other of rose gold, the two look well together. In a striking way, they complement each other…like the union of two families, the bride’s side and groom’s joining together to make one large, new clan.”

  He pulled her close. “Somehow I knew such a symbolic notion wouldn’t be wasted on you.”

  “And so, the next step would be to set a date,” Reverend Holmes suggested.

  Cassia looked up at him with a wistful expression. “I know you wanted to be married soon, but if we could wait until the fall, around October, then Gabriel will have fetched Riley and Anita from England. Sunny and Rafe will have already closed up Bentley Manor for the winter, so they’d be able to attend along with Raven and Braiton from Ireland.” She smiled. “Perhaps even Silas could return, completing my family’s attendance.”

  Here, it was nearing June, and his desire to make her his filled him continuously. But from the hopeful look in her eyes, his agreement to wait until her siblings could be present was extremely important to her.

  “Besides,” Amanda added. “Getting a gown made and making all the other preparations… Well, to do it properly, we’ll need such a span of time.”

  “I concede.” He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Cassia’s forehead. “October, it will be, but early October. In fact, the earlier the better.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Each day seemed like a whirlwind taking over every breathing moment of Cassia’s life. School let out for the summer, and her promise to tutor Ruth Ann in the first waves of a medical career began. The two of them spent every Tuesday and Thursday at the clinic. Ruth Ann took to the training immediately, and Cassia couldn’t help but believe the younger girl was made for helping others. She rose to the occasion when her sister needed great care. Ruth Ann did well with the elderly, the children, and the infants. Basically, everyone liked her and felt at ease with her either assisting Cassia or aiding a patient in an area she could handle on her own.

  Every morning before work, Cassia kept her word at helping Alma Lee. Real progress over the weeks had been made, as Alma Lee no longer stared into the abyss, spoke when she was spoken to, could feed herself, and was able to use the outhouse by day. At night, because she was given medication to help her relax, she slept through nature’s call. So, it was still necessary for her to wear the towel wrappings covered with Ruth Ann’s creation of rubber pants. Each morning, when Cassia went into Alma Lee’s room, it took some coaxing to get her fully alert enough for her to be changed, bathed, and dressed for the day. As Cassia made conversation with her, Alma Lee smiled and responded. Every day was better than the day prior, and she had real hope Alma Lee would pull through her breakdown and be back to normal.

  One morning, when she entered Alma Lee’s room, she found her sitting in the rocking chair at the far corner of the room. The towel, rubber pants, and Alma Lee’s night gown were knotted in a ball on the floor. Naked, except for a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Alma Lee rocked in silence, tears streaming down her beautiful face. Cassia quickly made her way to the other woman, knelt in front of her, and took each of her hands. “What’s wrong, Alma Lee? Please tell me so I can help you.”

  Alma Lee pointed to the soiled towel. “I don’t like wearin’ that…that there…towel.” She cast her eyes down in shame. “It’s embarrassin’ to have to be cleaned and changed like I’ve been.” She met Cassia’s gaze. “I’m not a baby. I’m a grown woman.”

  “You’re right, Alma Lee, and no one thinks of you as anything but a grown woman. You are a very brave woman who has been strongly grieved,” she soothed. “All of us have taken into great consideration the reason for your condition and know you need time to get past the tragedy you’ve been through.”

  “The medicine Mama gives me before bed makes me too sleepy. When I feel the need to use the pot, I try to get up, but I am too weak to do anythin’ but fall back to sleep. And then when ya come in the mornin’, I’m wet,” Alma Lee explained. “But this mornin’ was different, ’cause I didn’t drink all the tea Mama gave me before bed. When she left the kitchen for a spell to help Ruth Ann with her hair, I dumped the tea in the sink. Then early this mornin’ when the need struck me, I tried to make it to the pot…honest and truly I did. I knew what I should do, but by the time I got that awful towel off me, it was too late,” Alma Lee went on. “And I ended up wettin’ in the towel.” She frowned. “I was so mad at myself for bein’ so stupid.”

  “You are anything but stupid, and I don’t want to hear you say such a thing about yourself again.” She took a handkerchief from her pocket and dried the other woman’s tears. “You’re doing remarkably well, and I’m so very proud of you. Do you hear me?”

  Alma Lee nodded.

  “Perhaps it’s time to stop giving you the sleeping powder.”

  Alma Lee’s face brightened. “Do ya think so, Cassia?”

  She smiled and hugged Alma Lee. “Yes, I truly do. We’ll still cover the bed with a rubber sheet for a time, though. Just until we’re sure you won’t have any more accidents.”

  Alma Lee sighed. “I reckon that would be a wise thing to do.”

  Pulling back, she searched the other woman’s face. “But I want you to promise me you will stop feeling embarrassed or stupid, even if an accident should occur. If you stop pressuring yourself and instead take each day as it comes and each new accomplishment as a sign you’re healing, you’ll get through all of this quicker and with a positive spirit.”

  “I promise,” Alma Lee agreed.

  After leaving the Boyd homestead, Cassia would go on to put in a full day’s work either seeing patients at the office, going on house calls, or clinic duty. Not to mention, since her engagement, the wedding preparations. She hired Olivia Beachum to make her bridal gown, so there were the nightly fittings to attend. And family obligations also lined up…dinner at Brodie’s parents’ home, dinner with her parents, invites at Brodie’s sister, Shailyn’s home, Nora Dodd’s home, and this
evening, dinner in Willow Creek at Brodie’s other sister Betsy’s home.

  She sat quietly in the wagon, letting the beautiful spring night air clear her senses and play havoc with a few wisps of curls framing her face. It was the first real moment of this entire day, so far, she was required to do absolutely nothing but relax.

  “You’ve been rather silent tonight. Are you feeling ill?” Brodie inquired concerned.

  She stifled a smile. Her husband-to-be would always be a doctor first, worried for her health. “No…just relaxing, I suppose.”

  “We should have done this Willow Creek dinner on the weekend.”

  She stretched her back. “All is fine, Brodie, really. I’m actually enjoying the ride and being able to absorb the peaceful silence of the night.” Then, with a sigh she added, “Sometimes it’s nice to just sit quietly and not have to be doing anything in particular.”

  “Lately, my love, I’ve become worried about you. And if you ask me, you work too hard.”

  She glanced his way, catching his frown. “You should talk, Brodie O’Clarity.”

  His frown deepened. “It’s different for me.”

  She arched a brow. “Oh, really. How is that?”

  “I’m a man,” he stated flatly.

  She giggled at his determined conviction of the statement. “Well, I am truly grateful for that wonderful fact,” she teased. “But men can get sick and tired from overworking just as well as women. Look at what happened to your father.”

  “Yes, but my father is an elderly man, and you’re just a wisp of a thing.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, a bit determined herself. “I’m just as hardy as you.”

  “You go from sunup to sundown, and rarely do I see you stop to have a proper meal,” he scolded softly. “And if this keeps up, I’m going to be making a house call to your sickbed.”