Choosing a robe to lie about in, Rosa carefully picked out her outfit and hung it over her bedroom door. Then, picking up her bible and her journal, she sat on the bed and began to pray for her future husband.
Rosa loved her quiet time spent in prayer, especially when it was free from the usual chaos of a busy home filled with teenage girls. She prayed fervently for Lucas, leaving nothing out. She prayed for his time in seminary school, for his teachers, and his parents, and his heart. She prayed for their future marriage, and that God would reveal to her when the time was right to begin their courtship. Finally, she prayed for herself and her own heart, that the next few years would be spent preparing her heart and mind for the possibility of being a bishop's wife. The idea of becoming the bishop's wife terrified her at this point.
She sat in prayer and contemplation until she heard the herd of elephants that were her sisters bounding up the stairs to get ready for the party themselves. With a sigh, she laid the bible on her nightstand, and tucked her journal back into its hiding place under her mattress. Her two hours had gone by much too fast, but she was very happy to have had time to spend in prayer, without the usual distractions.
Now she felt at peace about whatever would happen tonight, she realized as she went back down to the kitchen to see if she could help with anything while her mothers and sisters were getting themselves ready.
* * * * *
"Lucas! Lucas, what are you doing up there? Come on downstairs, people are starting to show up and I need you to get the door!"
Luke groaned. Sure, now he had to play host to the entire town for a party he didn't really want to be at anyway. Sometimes being the bishop's son was more trouble than it was worth. He was really looking forward to the freedom that would come from being away at seminary school for a few years. Not freedom in the usual sense per se, he knew seminary school came with its own rules and expectations, but Luke didn't mind. What he really wanted freedom from was the stifling expectations of being the bishop's son and living in a fishbowl where everyone put him up on a pedestal. He wanted to be free to make mistakes and be his own person and find his own perspectives on things. He wanted to learn and grow and become his own man, not a carbon copy of his father.
"Lucas! The doorbell is ringing and I'm still fixing my face! Can you get that, please?"
He laughed aloud at his mother's frantic tone. God forbid anyone see the Bishop's wife looking less than perfect. That was exactly what he wanted to get away from. "I'm on my way, Mother!"
Lucas was still smirking as he opened the door to find quite a large group of people waiting on his front porch. Of course, in this community, a group that large was usually only a few families. He counted three to be exact. There was the Smythe family—Brother Smythe and his three wives, along with their five young children. Lucas also recognized Ben Randall and his two wives, Mollie, and her best friend, Beth Anne. Then there was Beth Anne's father, Mr. Collins, his two wives, Sue and Mary Rose, and their four remaining daughters, only one of whom he recognized from school. The Collins' others girls were too many grades behind him.
"Come in please, we have the party set up in the back, but let me take your coats, and show you where to go." Lucas was sure he was saying the correct things as he stepped back to allow the large group inside, but his eyes were on the Collin's sisters. Rosa, in particular. That was Rosa, wasn't it? He took stock of the family in his head.
Beth Anne was there with her husband and sister-wife. Lauren and Margaret were already off at school. He remembered that they had left the previous week. He knew that there were three slightly younger sisters, whose names he didn't recall, but were present and accounted for.
So that meant the beauty in red had to be Rosa, but she didn't look like the Rosa he was used to seeing. Her ginger colored hair, usually frizzy and wild, was pulled back hung down to her waist in perfect ringlets. He was used to seeing her in plain colors, and had always gotten the impression that she preferred to blend in rather than stand out.
But tonight she was sure to stand out in her lightweight brilliant, fire red sweater, paired with her usual black maxi skirt. She was stunning, and he was struck with the notion that he was seeing her for the first time. Which of course, he knew he wasn't, not really.
He had known Rosa all his life, and had worked on the student council with her last year. She was two years his junior, of course, so they hadn't worked closely together. He had been the senior class president and she was the sophomore treasurer. She was quiet and unassuming usually, but he remembered that she had really great ideas, the few times she had decided to share them. She was really great with money and organization, and had been solely responsible for reworking the event budget for activities, making last year their best year yet for school functions. He had always been really impressed with her frugal planning, and the way she had stretched their small activity budget.
Her decisions hadn't been all that popular with the student body though, he recalled. Especially when she voted to abolish the school wide dance in favor of a school wide trip. She had received a lot of flak over that one. But her argument that a school dance was in direct opposition to their fundamental belief system made perfect sense to him. The school trip to the water park she had organized instead had been a lot more fun than a few awkward hours, sweating in a hot gym in their Sunday best, dancing with people they were never meant to be with. He had admired her guts and conviction.
And now he was admiring her.
Oh but, no—that was wrong. This was exactly why she had stood up against dances. Essentially, he was ogling someone else's future bride. And that was not okay. Not with him, and certainly not with her, he knew.
Embarrassed at his attraction, he pulled his gaze away and led the group out to the back yard. When the doorbell rang again, he was relieved for the excuse to pull away without being rude. He resolved to stay as far away from Rosa as possible tonight, whenever it was polite and proper to do so.
Pushing thoughts of her from his mind, he exhaled deeply, put on a fake smile, and pulled the door open to greet the next group.
This one was easier, a group of his school buddies, or at least the ones who hadn't yet left for school themselves, anyway. Smiling, he high fived Brandon, Jeremiah, and Bradley, and ushered them in. He didn't need to show them where to go, as they had practically grown up here as children playing together. They razzed him a little about the fanciness of the party, but he took it good naturedly. Coming from them, he had expected nothing less.
He gave Brandon a good natured shove as the group walked off in the direction of refreshments. He didn't join them, though, noticing that there were several families on their way toward him.
He couldn't however stifle his groan as he recognized the Atwoods.
The Atwoods were fairly new to the community, and Luke wasn't quite sure what to make of them yet. Especially Carolyn Atwood. It was Luke's understanding that they weren't new to the lifestyle, just to Green Valley. They had moved from a polygamous community in southern Georgia. Luke wasn't sure where this community was, or what belief system their particular sect subscribed to, but with one look at Carolyn, you could tell that she was completely different than the Green Valley girls he was used to.
Carolyn seemed determined to hang on to her southern belle image for dear life, even though it was making her more enemies than friends, as far as he could tell. And then there was the way she dressed. It wasn't immodest by the standards of secular society, he realized, but among the ladies of Green Valley, in their long skirts and equally modest blouses, Carolyn's summer sundresses were practically indecent. Her hemline barely reached mid-knee most days, and at best, she had tiny cap sleeves. They weren't cut low enough to be immodest, but they barely met the dress code at Green Valley High.
And don't forget the way she talked. Her thick southern accent was so exaggerated it grated on Luke's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. And her expressions—good Lord, oh her expressions! Sometimes he got a real kic
k out of the crazy things she said, but other times, she was just a bit too over the top. He swore she did it only to get attention.
That, Luke suspected, was the same reason she dressed as she did. And why her accent seemed much thicker on some days than others. He felt bad for her. She obviously felt the need to put on airs to get attention. He wished she would knock it off and just be herself.
She had been in his senior English class last year, even though she was just a junior, so he knew she was a lot more intelligent that she let on. The few times she came out of herself long enough to drop all the ridiculous southern euphemisms, she had actually been very interesting, adding depth to what were otherwise mundane discussions.
He hoped she got comfortable enough this year to drop the act and not cling so dearly to everything that made her stand out like a sore thumb. She would be a senior this year, and if he recalled correctly, her birthday was in December which meant she would be eighteen soon. Old enough to marry, if she could shut her yap long enough to hear which way God nudged her. One thing was for certain, Luke thought to himself, as he watched her saunter away to join a group of girls her age. Whoever was lucky—or maybe unlucky—enough to be chosen for her, was going to be a very busy man for a few years trying to get that one under control. If she married anyone Luke ended up knowing, which, was pretty much everyone, Luke vowed to come back for the wedding and gift the poor man with a paddle for a wedding present.
* * * * *
The party was going off without a hitch, and while Rosa was staying close to her sisters and a few girls from her class, she was able to observe Luke from a safe distance without being too obvious. She was having a good time, until The Atwoods arrived.
Their daughter, Carolyn, was a certified snob, disguised as a sugary sweet southern belle. A wolf in sheep's clothing, as far as Rosa was concerned. And she'd been on Rosa's case from the second she arrived at Green Valley High School. And, Rosa noted with a sinking in her stomach, she coming closer.
Rosa drew a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she took in the sight that was Carolyn Atwood. Carolyn's hair was always styled into ten large, golden ringlets, reminiscent of innocent girls from years past, but her style of dress was more Stepford Wives. Tonight was no exception. If anything she looked even more immodest than usual. In school, she had always been careful to have her dresses just long enough to meet dress code standards, with her sleeves as short as she could get them. Her necklines never explicitly showed, but always hinted, at her 'ample décolletage,' as she referred to it. Tonight, without the district's heady restrictions in place, Carolyn was showing it all in her typical southern glory. Her brightly patterned floral dress hit just above her knees, and Rosa was pretty sure there were no sleeves to be had underneath the bright pink cardigan she wore. Her precious 'décolletage' was a lot less hidden than usual. Her unusually large breasts bounced as she spoke.
"Why, Rosa Collins, is that really you? I would hardly recognize you! Aren't you just the cutest lil' thang?" Carolyn exclaimed, leaning in to Rosa's circle conspiratorially as if they were really long lost friends.
"Cut the crap, Carolyn," Rosa replied, to the sheer delight, and shock, of her small group. Rosa never swore, not even a little bit. But for some reason, anytime Carolyn was around her, she completely lost her head, and all her manners went flying out the nearest window.
Carolyn just smirked and carried on in her exaggerated southern speak. "Why, I do declare, I haven't seen all y'all in a coon's age! Y'all sure have grown into your own this summer. Have y'all finally moved into your training bras now? I know you've been waiting for this day for a long time! Oh, and it's finally come! Why you must be happier than a pig in mud! Forget Lucas, we should be throwing this party for the three of you, to celebrate your impending womanhood." Carolyn was really on a roll now, and her sugary accent was getting thicker with each disparaging word. "Hey y'all." She was talking louder, as if she aimed to address the entire party.
Rosa gritted her teeth, as she spotted her younger sister, Jean Marie, ready to pounce on Carolyn like a feral cat. If anyone could take the vile woman on, it would be athletic Jean. But Rosa wasn't about to let her create a scene like that. Rosa jumped in front, creating a barrier between the two. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold her sister off for long, but—thankfully—across the yard, Luke must have spied them and noticed the trouble that was brewing. He quickly made his way over to them.
"Hey now, Ladies," he greeted the group with a lazy drawl that belied his true intentions.
Rosa was the only one that had seen him coming, and the rest of the girls quickly deflated, trying their hardest to act like he had just interrupted a friendly chat. Rosa watched in disgust as Luke swung an arm across Carolyn's shoulder, and turned her away from the crowd.
"Now, Miss Carolyn," he said, "my mama was just telling me that she was dying for the recipe for your berry cobbler. She said it was the best she had since her trip down south over twenty years ago. So, why don't you just mosey over there and put the woman out of her misery. I know I'd be much obliged to ya now."
Rosa stifled a laugh at Luke's exaggerated accent and use of southern expressions. Carolyn was eating it up, of course, and batting her eyelashes at Luke as she tried to drag him along with her. Rosa was pleased to see him quickly disengage from her grasp and give her a slight shove towards a large group of church ladies gathered in a circle around his mother.
Turning back to Rosa and her friends, he gave a wink. "That should keep her busy for a while. Those ladies can talk circles around her, and that's saying something!"
Rosa gave Luke a grateful smile, and he blushed, looking down at the ground for a few moments. When he looked back up, he addressed the group, but his eyes were on her. "I just wanted to tell all you lovely ladies how nice you look tonight, and how refreshing it is to see a group of beautiful young ladies, such as yourself, who understand the value of their bodies and the importance of modesty." With a nod he spun on his heel, and jogged back towards his group of friends, leaving her group stammering and blushing over his kind words.
The party went on for a few hours, but they saw neither Luke nor Carolyn come back their way. Rosa stayed with her friends but followed Luke with her eyes the whole evening.
She didn't see Luke again before he left for seminary a few days later, but the memory of his words, and the way he looked at her, stayed with her as she waited for her eighteenth birthday.
Chapter 3
Green Valley, Utah
Present day
Rosa's eighteenth birthday was a grand celebration, at least in her way of thinking. It had fallen on a Saturday, so she had the added bonus of not having to go to school on her birthday. She had slept in and woken up to her favorite breakfast of fatty bacon, golden biscuits, potatoes o' Brien, and mixed greens, with lots of butter and spice.
Her father had to work at the grocery that afternoon, but he had taken the morning off. As she sat at the breakfast table, he came up behind her and kissed her forehead before setting a gaily wrapped box down in front of her. Rosa didn't have to open it. She knew just what it was. Her father gave each of them a beautiful golden locket when they turned eighteen. They liked to joke that he bought a lot of them in bulk years ago, and had each of them just waiting around in his drawer until their respective birthdays, but they knew it wasn't true.
Each locket given over the years had been slightly different than the last and suited perfectly to the recipient. Her father liked to say, that even though he worked a lot and wasn't around much, he was always paying attention to his girls. He knew each one of them. The lockets were his sweet way of proving that to be true. Rosa beamed at him, teary eyed, and set the box aside for later, saving it to open when it was just the two of them.
After breakfast, her mothers took everyone shopping in the city. Rosa picked out a beautiful dress for her graduation ceremony the following month, as well as got a makeover in a salon. For the first time, Rosa was allowed more than blush, mas
cara, and lip-gloss.
She saw Sue discreetly slip the makeup artist her card. "Whatever she needs," her mother said with a smile to the lady.
Rosa was grateful, but kept it simple. She chose only some face wash, eyeliner, and a new shade of lipstick, as well as a concealer stick the woman swore she couldn't live without.
They took in a matinee movie in the mall theatre, and ate at a wonderful outdoor café for lunch. On their way home they swung by Bishop Miller's to pick up the cake his wife, Nancy, had made for her party that evening. It was not a big party, by any means. Rosa's older sisters came in for the weekend to celebrate with her, and of course her sister, Beth Anne, came with Mollie and Ben, along with a few of Rosa's closest friends from school. They had a lovely evening of visiting and playing board games. Mary Rose made her famous lasagna, which was Rosa's favorite, and the cake Mrs. Miller had made was as mouthwatering as usual.
After the last of the guests had left, and her sisters had gone up to bed, Rosa was alone with Mary Rose helping her clean up the kitchen. They stood in silence, Rosa drying dishes while Mary Rose washed.
"Did you have a nice birthday?" her mother asked, looking at her with a sad smile. Rosa understood. She had 2 older sisters, but they were Sue's daughters. Rosa was Mary Rose's oldest, her first to turn eighteen.
"It was perfect, Mother," Rosa told her happily.
"It's time for you to start praying for your husband, that He will reveal it to you in his time," Mary Rose said quietly.
Rosa pursed her lips, trying to contain her happiness. She had known this was coming, and that it was finally time for her to reveal the secret she had been keeping for the last two years.
"What is it daughter? You look like the cat that swallowed the canary," Mary Rose told her, an inquisitive look covering her face as she set the pot she had been scrubbing down into the sink of soapy water and turning to her.
"He already has, Mother," Rosa admitted. "It was revealed to me in a dream, the summer before my junior year. I've been waiting for so long to share my news with you, and now that I finally am allowed, I don't think I can bear to share it!"
Luke's First Bride Page 2