My Forever Love

by Wendy Lindstrom

  “It’s good to hear you sing again, sweetheart,” her grandmother said, rinsing her hands in the sink. Drying them on a towel, she turned to Rebecca. “I take it you’re looking forward to the day as much as I am?”

  “Perhaps more so,” Rebecca answered as she fetched a large bowl for the dish they would take to the crazy supper. “It’s shameful and shallow, perhaps, but I’m looking forward to wearing my new dress.”

  “It’s lovely and you’ll look beautiful in it.”

  “So is yours, Grandma. Dawson is going to be thoroughly smitten with you today.”

  “Bosh,” Grandma said draping the towel over a small iron hook, but her cheeks flushed and she was unable to hide her pleased smile. “I’m too old to look beautiful in anything.”

  “Not true.” Rebecca swept her grandmother into a quick hug. “Your light shines so bright it captivates everyone the instant they meet you.” She gently turned her grandmother toward the parlor. “You rest while I finish up in here. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  Laughing, her grandmother obeyed. “Thank you, honey. It will feel nice to get off my feet for a spell before Dawson arrives.

  Humming to herself, Rebecca continued with her chores. She suspected if she were home with her brothers and sisters they would tease her about her off-key singing, but she couldn’t help herself. From the moment she woke, she felt lighthearted and nearly danced her way through her morning’s work. She would be spending the whole day with Adam and their grandmother and their friends. The night wouldn’t end until after the fireworks display.

  Canoeing and fishing with Adam had brought fun and excitement to her days. She enjoyed their supper conversations and croquet matches and evening walks. She enjoyed their late night private meetings, too. But knowing she would dance in his arms this evening left her breathless with anticipation.

  Perhaps she loved to dance and was simply excited about that. Maybe it was the thought of wearing her beautiful new dress that made her happy. She and Grandma and Mary Crane had spent a lovely day lunching and shopping for dresses a week earlier after Rebecca’s visit with Doc Samuel. There were two readymade dresses that Rebecca had loved, but Mary helped her make the right choice. In hindsight Rebecca wondered how she could have considered the blue gown when the white silk moiré was so perfect for her. She wouldn’t wear it today though. There would be time between supper and the start of the soiree to change from picnic wear to evening wear, and that’s when she would don the flowing white dress that made her feel like a princess.

  Rebecca closed her eyes, imagining Adam twirling her across the dance floor. She basked in the romantic thought and envisioned their many moments to come. While she and Adam had enjoyed time together throughout their stay in Crane Landing, today would be different. They would have hours and hours together... and more than a few opportunities to converse and play and even flirt a little. A dart of excitement shot through her as she rushed to her room to prepare for the day.

  A few hours later, she sat beneath the fringed canopy of Dawson’s platform spring wagon, heading for the Grange hall. As Dawson found a spot in line with the other carriages, Rebecca saw that a crowd of people had already gathered on the lawn. They watched as a small knot of men finished maneuvering a large flagpole into the ground with ropes and pulleys and a lot of brawn.

  At the moment, Adam seemed to be in charge. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and trousers, his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms, Adam managed the rope and wood with ease. He called out commands and kept all hands working in tandem—and when the large wooden staff was finally set, he let out a big whoop of success.

  The other men joined in with their own whoops and a lot of backslapping.

  Enamored of him, Rebecca stepped down from Dawson’s carriage, her eyes drinking in the sight of his handsome smiling face.

  When he spied her, his eyes lit up and his smile widened, conveying so much: I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you. You’re beautiful... Unrolling his sleeves, he grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair back and scooped up his straw boater hat with its stylish blue striped band. He set the hat atop his head with a quick flick of his wrist and then threaded his way toward Rebecca.

  They met in a wide swath of sunshine. People milled about them and carriages continued to arrive at the Grange, but Rebecca and Adam existed alone in that slant of summer sun, their eyes on each other.

  “It felt as if you’d never get here,” he said. “You look lovely.”

  Rebecca returned his smile. “And you look utterly dashing today, Mr. Grayson.”

  “Why thank you, my lady,” he said, swiping off his hat and executing a quick and very clumsy curtsy that made Rebecca laugh.

  “You’ll need to work on that if you hope to impress anyone,” she said, still giggling.

  “My goal was to make you laugh, at which I succeeded remarkably well, so you have just witnessed my first and last curtsy.”

  “I certainly hope so,” she said, trying to stop the giggles Adam had brought on with his ridiculous playacting.

  “I love your laugh,” he said, drinking her in within his warm and appreciative gaze.

  She would like to have lingered there and banter and play with him, but their grandmother and Dawson were standing behind them and they were surrounded by a crowd of people. “That’s quite the flagpole,” she said, motioning to the staff that stood proudly in the ground in front of the Grange.

  “I cut it myself at the mill this week.” He tipped his head, as if to share a secret with her. “Leo might have helped a little.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Where is he, by the way?”

  “Picking up Mary. They’ll be here for the flag-raising ceremony, which will happen in a few minutes.” He drew himself up and offered her his right arm. “Until then, Miss Grayson, may I show you around the tallest flagpole in town, soon to hold our country’s newest flag?”

  Rebecca slid her gloved hand into the crook of his arm, happy to have him escort her anywhere. With him in his suit and she dressed in white with a turquoise sash about her waist and a matching band about her summer hat, Rebecca envisioned them as a married couple out for a daylong event. The idea pleased her so much it stunned her. She wanted to be his wife.

  Adam proudly explained how he and Leo had carefully chosen the wood for the mast and then had shaped it with precision. They’d delivered the flagstaff early this morning to the Grange hall and had dug the deep hole for it.

  “You boys work well together,” Rebecca said, admiring the tall sturdy pole as she reined her thoughts.

  “Everybody works together here, like a family... like we Graysons do back home.”

  “It’s nice. It makes a person realize they could be at home here,” she said, dropping a hint that they could build a life here, that they could remain connected to their family in Fredonia while also creating another family right here.

  But Adam didn’t seem to notice her words because he spied Leo and Mary arriving and waved them over.

  “Do you ever think about that?” Rebecca asked.

  “About what?” Adam chuckled as Leo pantomimed exaggerated surprise at seeing the flagpole hoisted without his help.

  “Do you ever think about staying here... permanently, I mean?”

  Adam’s gaze immediately snapped to hers. “Here? No. We have a home in Fredonia awaiting our return.”

  “Then you’ve never considered it?”

  “No. You weren’t here,” he said simply.

  “I am now,” she countered softly.

  A host of questions gathered in his eyes, but Leo’s and Mary’s arrival interrupted anything Adam might have said.

  Leo hooked one strong arm around Adam’s shoulders and mock wrestled him. “Nice work on the flagpole. Other than being a little crooked, I’d say you did a good job of getting it upright. Think it’ll stand up to a stiff breeze?”

  Adam laughed and slid out of Leo’s loose hold. “That flagstaff is arrow straight and sturdy
as a tree, and you know it.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Leo said, his admiration for Adam’s work ringing in his words.

  A bugle call quieted everyone and pulled the crowd’s attention to the middle of the lawn where several dignitaries had gathered about the flagpole, including the Crane brothers—Elias, Ezra, and Dawson, all of whom had served in the War Between the States. Men doffed their hats and pressed them against their left shoulders as everyone turned to face the Stars and Stripes. The Crane family had purchased the new flag, which arrived in late June, so it was only fitting that Elias Crane held the privilege of taking hold of the halyard and raising the new flag. First, though, he talked of liberty and freedom and justice. He spoke of service, honor, and perseverance, and how a country is strongest in community.

  Then, in the sacred silence, Elias raised the twenty-first flag of the United States of America. It snapped in the breeze above the heads of men, women and children who honored the flag and all it stood for.

  “It has been thirteen years since a new flag has been created for our country,” Elias said to the gathered crowd. “I am deeply honored to raise our new flag here at Crane Landing.”

  “Did you know that?” Adam whispered to Rebecca.

  “Can’t say as I recall,” she whispered back, giving him a playful look to remind him about her memory loss.

  Adam tipped her an apologetic grin. “Of course you don’t remember. I’m sorry.” He reached out and caught her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm.

  Elias continued speaking to the crowd. “Five new stars have been added to the canton of our flag. These indicate the last of the Northwest Territories to become states, which did so in the past year. Let us give a warm welcome to Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.”

  The crowd cheered, and Rebecca’s eyes misted as a single shot was fired and then the call of the bugle sounded one last time. Its haunting tune carried out across the lawns and off to the ocean.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, moved to tears.

  Adam, with his own eyes misty, nodded as the crowd around them erupted into cheers again for country and flag and a day to celebrate both.

  The picnic began immediately following the flag-raising service. Grandma went with Dawson and the other Crane men to find their wives while Adam escorted Rebecca across the grounds. Barrels of iced tea and lemonade stood in the shade, while every table boasted a myriad assortment of fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. The scent of roasted meat filled the air as two fire pits were kept stocked with all manner of wild game, chicken and beef skewered on roasting spits.

  Nearby, a group of young girls tossed Graces hoops to each other, with the pink and white ribbons that adorned the hoops fluttering in the air. A number of teens played shuttlecock, while some rambunctious boys eyed the stacks of bats and pyramid of baseballs that Adam, Leo, and their friends would use for an afternoon of baseball.

  “I’ll join you fellas soon,” Adam promised the eager lads. Then he set up a game of lawn croquet for Rebecca, Mary, Leo, and himself.

  Rebecca didn’t need to be reminded how to hit the ball through the wickets and what counted as points because she was the reigning champ of their foursome. Despite Adam’s blatant attempts to distract her, it didn’t take her long to lead the game and outplay all of her opponents.

  Twirling her mallet over one shoulder, she asked, “Shall we play again?” They all groaned, setting her off into a fit of laughter. “I’m jesting! I’m parched and in need of a glass of lemonade.”

  “Me, too,” Mary said.

  “I’m ready to eat. I’m ravenous,” Adam said, nipping Rebecca’s earlobe.

  She gasped and clapped a hand over her ear, embarrassed by his overt display of affection. It was one thing to cuddle and kiss on her porch in the dark of night, but quite another to do so in the midst of a crowd on a sunny day. “Remember yourself, Mr. Grayson,” she said, trying to sound stern, but her breathless giggle merely encouraged his laughter.

  She’d no sooner said the words than Adam hooked his arm around her waist and swept her off toward the food tables. They filled their plates and wandered to a nearby picnic table set back in the shade. Sipping lemonade and chatting, they lingered for a long time, enjoying the hearty meal and their deepening friendship.

  From the distance rose a male chant of “Let’s-play-ball! Let’s-play-baaall!”

  “Sounds like your game is about to start,” Rebecca said. “Go on. I’ll come and cheer for you.”

  “I’d rather sit here with you,” Adam said.

  “Is that the first lie you’ve ever told me, or were there others?” she asked, and then smiled, which eventually made him smile.

  “It’s not a lie. Being with you trumps everything,” he said, “but I will admit to being a little in love with baseball as well.”

  Shaking her head, Rebecca sent him on his way with Leo, who was already standing and rolling up his shirt sleeves.

  “Come on, Adam,” Leo said. “Get the stars out of your eyes and your head in the game.”

  The baseball games were fun and competitive, with Adam’s and Leo’s team playing almost as good as the Boston Beaneaters and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Rebecca and Mary, sitting side by side beneath their sunshades and enjoying too much lemonade throughout the game, cheered the loudest as each of the men ran across the makeshift home plate. Hours later Adam made a grand slam in the final inning, bringing Leo, John Davis, Micah Crane, and himself to home and winning the competition.

  Afterward, in high spirits, the foursome strolled the grounds and took a leisurely walk to the beach. Once there the couples headed in opposite directions to afford one another a bit of privacy.

  “I’m surprised you and Mary watched the whole match,” Adam said. “I’d have thought you might inspect the tables of crafts or converse with the women folk.”

  “I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

  “I can never take my eyes off you,” Adam quipped.

  “I’m serious,” she said, stopping to face him. “You’re really talented. It was fun to watch. Baseball was much more exciting than the crafts or conversation I would have found at the pavilion.”

  “In that regard you haven’t changed at all, Rebecca.”

  “Is my preference for excitement undesirable? There were plenty of other ladies watching the game.”

  Adam laughed and picked a thin stone out of the sand. “I love your penchant for excitement and adventure,” he said. He tossed the stone into the ocean. It skipped twice before it sank.

  “Have we always played so openly?” she asked, her gaze focused on the vast body of water because she was unable to meet his eyes while asking such a pointed question.

  “Yes, we’ve always played and been honest about our feelings for each other.” He took her hands and turned her to face him. “Living that way has allowed us a wonderful freedom in our relationship. Knowing that you loved and desired me and longed for our marriage as deeply as I did was the only thing that kept me going while I was away at university.”

  “I can’t remember that,” she said softly, “but I can tell you honestly that I love... your friendship and the comfort of your arms... and the sound of your voice and the woodsy scent I smell on your neck and clothes.”

  “How I’ve longed to hear words like that again from your sweet lips.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her forehead, drew in a deep breath and took her hand in his. “The smell of your hair and the feel of your small hand in mine will always make my knees weak. I love so many things about you I can’t begin to list them all.”

  She smiled at the beautiful man in front of her. “You probably shouldn’t since we’re standing on the beach with a crowd around us. It might be safer to skip stones, but it appears you wore out your pitching arm,” she said, steering the conversation back to a safe topic.

  “You think so?” he asked, challenge ripe in his voice.

  “As a matter of fact I do. I’d wager I can
out skip you with our first three throws,” she said.

  Adam took the bait and proved her wrong, but their laughter floated down the beach and brought them another step closer to each other and a new and exciting adult love.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  After eating lightly at the crazy supper Rebecca and her grandmother rode back to the house in Dawson’s rented carriage. They washed off the dust of a day spent picnicking and then began their toilette for the evening.

  Rebecca donned her gown of white silk moiré accented in palest pink, with a fitted bodice, small puffed sleeves, and an A-line skirt that flared as she moved. In keeping with the gown’s simplicity, her only adornment was a choker of pearls about her throat and a glimmer of silver pins amid her upswept hair.

  Jojo scampered beneath the flowing fabric of Rebecca’s dress hem and batted at her bare toes.

  Laughing, Rebecca watched Jojo’s tiny paws peep out from beneath the lace hem, pounce on her foot, then zip back beneath the fabric curtain. “You little scamp. You’d better not snag my dress with your sharp kitty claws.” Rebecca bent over and fished Jojo from beneath her skirt. She brought the little minx to her face and rubbed her nose against Jojo’s tiny furry face. “I love you, little one. Thank you for rescuing me.”

  In that moment Rebecca realized she was healing. For the first time since she had awakened to a world of strangers, she felt she possessed substance. She was refilling her well of memories, making friends, and falling in love with a darling kitten and a man who took her breath away. She couldn’t seem to recover her past, but she was making a new life right here at Crane Landing.

  “Come on, Jojo. I need to feed you before I leave.” Rebecca returned Jojo to the floor. With her bare toes she nudged a ball of yarn across the hardwood and smiled as the kitten barreled after it.

  While Jojo was in pursuit, Rebecca drew on her hose and shoes, then affixed a dance card to her waist. A pair of elbow-length gloves in the softest kid, French heeled slippers, and a small pink and white silk fan completed her outfit. Scooping Jojo into her arms, she headed downstairs.