Matthew smiled as she turned around and he calmed himself enough to slowly and carefully undo the ties. He slid it forward towards her arm as he placed tiny kisses on her shoulders and the back of her neck.
Grace was really caught up in the moment. It felt so good to be touched by a man again.
It wasn’t long before they were making love for the first time.
“Wow!” he said.
“Yeah,” Grace agreed as she kissed his neck and nibbled on his earlobe. “It was amazing,” she whispered in his ear. It felt so good being in the arms of a man again and she knew things would be okay.
“We better get back downstairs before we’re missed though,” Matthew said.
“You’re right,” Grace agreed and sat up.
They found their respective clothes and Matthew helped Grace back into her dress. “I enjoyed taking this off more than putting it back on,” Matthew told her as he kissed her neck again.
She turned and smiled at him.
When they had composed themselves, they left the room and made their way back the way they’d left. They reappeared back into the same corner they had been in before they left and they waited there for a short time before Matthew grabbed a glass of wine off a passing tray and stepped out onto the dance floor.
The room got quiet quickly and he raised his glass. “I want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting Grace and I tonight and I want to make a toast to her, the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said.
“To Grace,” many voices said at once and the clinking of glasses filled the room.
He stepped back to Grace’s side and took her hand in his. He led her back to the dance floor and took her into his arms. This is where he wanted to keep her for the rest of their lives.
Grace was ecstatic. She never thought she would ever be happy again without Donald and even though she knew that she had loved him deeply, she also knew she would love Matthew almost as much. She couldn’t wait for the wedding.
Chapter 9
Katie woke again feeling extremely confused yet full of desire. She had no idea what was going on or why she was still having these dreams. Was it Grace’s way of saying that life does go on? Or was it just the first time she’d had a chance to share all of the thoughts and feelings she was having with someone. She was never allowed to speak of Donald to her family and Katie was sure that communications with the MacKays would slowly have been prohibited until she would have been cut off completely.
She rolled over and ran her hand across Dean’s chest. He moaned and opened his eyes. “Hey beautiful,” he said quietly. “What’s up?”
She ran her hand down his body and stopped at his erection. “Guess that’s my question to you,” she replied. “Did you have the same dream?”
“Matthew and Grace making love?” he asked. He hadn’t realized he’d dreamed it until she’d asked.
Katie nodded.
They talked about the dream and Katie wondered out loud why she was still having these dreams. “What’s the point?”
Dean shrugged his shoulders. “Why am I having them?” he asked. “None of this pertains to me now.”
It was Katie’s turn to shrug as she couldn’t answer that either. “I’m not sure we’ll ever understand.” She looked at the clock. It was 4:00 in the morning. “Guess we should get some sleep,” she said.
Dean nodded. “Yeah, or we’ll never make it to church in the morning,” he agreed.
They went back to sleep and slept contentedly in each other’s arms, dreamless, until morning when it was a race to get to church. They had woken late since they had been awake for part of the night and then they had taken the chance of showering together and ended up making love.
“I really need to get a few more things from my place,” Dean said as he was trying to find something to wear.
“Why don’t you get everything from your place,” Katie said before she could stop herself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” she apologized. “I just…”
“Don’t worry, I understood what you meant. It only makes sense,” he told her and swatted her bottom as she was trying to apply her makeup.
“Are you sure? I know we hadn’t decided on all of that stuff yet,” she told him.
“Yeah, I’m sure. We could do great things with your house,” he said. “It’s old, and it’s fantastic. May need some new wiring and stuff, but yeah, I like it better than mine,” he assured her.
Katie slid her hand into his and they drove to church quickly. They made it on time and were greeted by the usual onslaught of regular churchgoers. Several congratulated them on their engagement and they looked at each other trying to figure out how they could have known.
“I told everyone at the library yesterday,” Katie told him.
“If you told Betty the whole town will know by now,” Dean said.
They sat down and enjoyed the service but Katie looked around her and imagined how the place would look decorated with flowers and pew bows for a wedding. She saw herself walking down the aisle and Dean waiting for her at the front of the church. But as she closed her eyes, she also envisioned candelabras and twinkling lights. “I want to get married at Christmas,” she whispered to Dean.
“That soon?” he asked.
“Is that too soon for you?” she asked.
“That’s not what I meant at all, I’d marry you tomorrow if you’d agree to it,” he replied.
Katie let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
“Christmas it is. And it’s beautiful in here at that time of year.”
“And we can still have the reception at the restaurant,” Katie added.
They turned their attention back to the sermon then, content that they had managed to at least decide the season. They would just have to work out a date when they could sit down and really talk about it.
After church, many of the same people came up to ask them when the wedding would be and if they had set a date yet.
“We haven’t set a date yet, but we want to get married at Christmas,” Katie told them.
“Narrows down the dates then doesn’t it?” said one lady they barely knew.
They nodded.
“Let’s get out of here, we have a wedding to plan,” Dean said taking her hand.
They kindly said goodbye to others they passed on their way out and Dean opened Katie’s car door for her and waited for her to get inside.
Katie started feeling sick on her way home and by the time they arrived back at home she could barely get out of the car.
“Are you okay?” Dean asked.
“I feel really sick again,” she said.
Dean helped her out of the car and then picked her up into his arms. They got inside the house and he carried her straight to the bedroom where he placed her gently on the bed. With a concerned look he sat beside her and took her hand. “I’m really worried about you,” he said.
Katie almost jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Dean followed and held her hair back.
When she finished throwing up, Dean helped her back to bed and brought her a glass of water. “I’m going to make you a cup of tea and you’re going to rest here for the rest of the afternoon and tomorrow you’re going to the doctor.
Katie nodded and Dean left her to go to the kitchen.
She rested her head back against the pillows and sighed. She couldn’t figure out why she was feeling the way she was and how come it was so sporadic. Her eyes drifted closed and just as Dean was coming back into the room with her tea she sat bolt upright.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. He set the tea down on the bedside table and sat back down on the bed.
“Do you think you could find me a calendar?” she asked.
“What? Why?” he asked. “You don’t want to pick a date while you’re feeling this way do you?”
“There’s one in the office, please bring it to me,” she said ignoring his comment.
He left the room then and went to fi
nd what she was asking for. He retrieved it from her desk and brought it to her. He handed it to her and sat on the bed again as she looked at the months before her.
“We can’t get married in the past,” he teased.
That has to be it, she thought to herself. But should I tell him? She wondered.
“What is it?” he asked her again.
“I think I might know what the problem is,” she told him.
“What? Is it something you ate?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think it’s something I ate, but I think it’s something that will go away in nine months,” she hinted.
Dean looked at her and his eyes grew wide. “Do you really think so?” he asked.
“There’s one way to find out if you don’t mind a trip to the drug store this afternoon,” she said.
“I don’t mind at all,” Dean said. He was suddenly very excited about the prospect of becoming a father as well as a husband. Then his mind turned to the thought that he wouldn’t get more time alone with Katie now.
“What’s wrong?” Katie asked seeing his face fall.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” he told her.
“No, you seemed to be really happy but then your face changed. You’re not happy about something, what is it?” she prodded.
“It’s really nothing. It was just a quick passing thought I had,” he reassured her.
“What?” she asked.
“Well, it was just a passing thought that if you’re going to have a baby, there just won’t be as much time for us after we’re married,” he said. “But I’m really okay with it, it was just a passing thought, okay?” he said.
Katie nodded and tears filled her eyes. She thought back to Grace and Donald and how they had had so little time at all and Donald had never known about their baby.
“Are you thinking about Grace?” Dean asked sensing that she was.
Katie nodded again. “They had no time together and she lost him. She had his baby but they never had a chance to share it. We can change all of that,” she said.
“I know. I’m going to have some lunch, because I’m hungry, and then I’m going to go down to the drug store and get you a kit.”
He kissed her before he left the room and Katie got up to change out of the dress she’d worn to church that morning and into something more comfortable. She lay back on the bed and rested her head against the pillows once more. She was suddenly very tired and she didn’t even realize her eyes had closed.
Chapter 10
Grace married Matthew in a magnificent wedding that October. The fall leaves were brightly coloured as a backdrop to the day and the sun shone brightly. Going to the altar they carried a secret and that was that Grace was pregnant. She was glowing as she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm and Matthew matched her bright smile as she approached him at the altar. She had chosen a gorgeous off-the-shoulder gown with long sleeves, a fitted bodice and the fullest skirt she could find with as many layers of petticoats beneath as she could fit. The gown had a cathedral length train with as much beadwork on it as on the rest of the dress. She looked as though she was floating down the aisle, her father her anchor. When she stepped to the front of the church and her father slid her arm into Matthew’s, Matthew couldn’t help but step forward and kiss her cheek. “You look absolutely delectable,” he whispered.
They turned their attention to the minister who began the service in the typical fashion. He carried on through the service and when he asked them if they would promise to raise their children they answered appropriately but shared an extra special smile.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride,” the minister said.
Matthew leaned down and kissed Grace, pulling her into his arms. “I will keep you safe forever,” he whispered to her. They turned and walked down the aisle arm in arm to begin their future together.
“Katie, Katie,” Grace was calling.
“Mmmm,” Katie moaned in her sleep. Dean had come to tell her that he was leaving but found she was sleeping. He had turned to leave the room when he heard her moan. “What is it?” he asked but never got a reply.
“When you find true love keep it,” Grace was telling her.
“Have I found it?” Katie asked. Again Dean attempted to ask her what she had found with no answer.
“Yes Katie, you and Dean will bring Donald and I together, please don’t give up,” Grace said.
“I won’t, I love him too much,” Katie replied. Dean listened to what she was saying in her sleep and wondered if it was Grace she was talking to. Had the dreams finally surfaced to this point? Had Grace finally realized the impact she was having on her great granddaughter? Would this be the end of the dreams?
He kissed her gently on the cheek and slipped out of the room.
Katie woke a short time later and remembered the dream. It had been fabulous to watch Grace marry the second time and see how happy she was. But why had Grace been talking to her? Was this the end of the foray into the past? Had Grace said all she had to say?
She couldn’t wait until she walked down the aisle to meet Dean in a few months and she searched for the calendar that had been left in the room. She picked it up off the bed beside her and looked forward to December. The ninth seemed to be the perfect day to her. It was two weeks before Christmas and would be absolutely wonderful. She closed her eyes and imagined herself walking down the aisle at the church, her father giving her away and the knowledge that they too would be having a baby. She imagined wearing the same gown as Grace, if she could find it and get it cleaned up, with the billowy skirt and the image of herself floating down the aisle. She smiled at the thought.
“What are you smiling about?” Dean said startling her.
“I was thinking about December the ninth,” she replied.
“What’s on December ninth?” he asked.
“Well, if you agree it will be our wedding day,” she told him.
“It sounds great,” he said. “What else did you have in mind?” he asked.
“I was thinking of our church, and me walking down the aisle and our reception at the restaurant with our friends and family.”
“It sounds delightful,” he said again. “I happened to slip out to the drug store while you were asleep,” he told her holding out the bag. “Did you have a good conversation by the way?” he asked.
“Grace was actually talking to me Dean,” she said. “It was amazing. I felt so close to her.”
“Do you think this will all stop now?” Dean asked.
“I don’t know, maybe. If we know that she’s happy, and that I’m happy, we’re happy, maybe that’s all she needs to know,” Katie said.
“How are you feeling?” Dean asked. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Katie nodded and reached up as Dean kissed her. He left the bag on the bed and went to the kitchen to boil the kettle.
Katie looked at the bag before she reached inside and pulled out the box. She read the label and it seemed that ‘Pregnancy Test’ was emblazoned on the front. She opened the end of the box and pulled out what had been sent: a small cup, a one-time-use dropper and the most important part of all, the little stick that would tell her whether she was right or not. She pulled out the instructions and read them through twice before she got up and carried it all into the bathroom where she set it up on the counter before filling the little cup.
Afterwards, she took her watch, waited for the second hand to reach the twelve and placed the required number of drops in the slot on the test. She could hear Dean climbing the stairs with her tea but stayed sitting on the closed toilet waiting. She changed her mind about that and slipped out of the bathroom and met him as he was walking into the room. “Thank you,” she said to him as he set the cup and saucer on the bedside table. She sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for the cup and took a sip.
“How is it?” he asked.
“It’s perfect. You always make the best tea,” she told him.
&n
bsp; “How are you feeling now?” he asked. “Now that you’ve had a nap and some tea.”
“I do feel quite a bit better. I’m even a little hungry,” she told him.
“I could warm up some soup for you,” he offered.
“That would be really great,” she told him relieved that she could once more get him out of the room before her five minutes was up.
“I’ll be right back then,” he told her and went back out the door.
Katie got up and went back into the bathroom to check the test. The ‘+’ was already very clearly showing on the test and it wasn’t even time yet. She got very excited to realize that she was indeed carrying a baby and that in so many ways everything was so similar to Grace. Then she realized that there wouldn’t have been an early pregnancy test available for Grace to know. She may have had to wait until she was 3 months before she finally visited the doctor and was made aware that she was in fact pregnant. She looked at her watch and saw that her five minutes was up and she looked again at the ‘+’ sign that shone bright pink in the little square on the stick and smiled. She wondered if it was a boy or a girl and she wondered when she would be due. Nine months would be April of the following year. A May baby, she thought and then remembered that it had been March that Grace had had her baby.
“Here you go,” Dean called out. “Soup’s ready.”
She stepped out of the bathroom and couldn’t control her smile.
“Did you do it?” Dean asked.
Katie only nodded as she sat back down on the bed and let Dean set the tray over her legs.
“So?” Dean said.
“Go have a look, it’s on the counter,” she told him.
Dean disappeared into the bathroom and next she heard a loud ‘Whoop!’ when he had obviously read it. He returned from the bathroom with a smile on his face. “We’re going to have a baby,” he said excitedly. “I love you so much,” he said to her.
Katie laughed. He was just like a little kid.
He leaned over her and placed a long, hard kiss on her lips and then lowered himself to the bed and sat beside her. “When will it be here?” he asked.
Til We Meet Again Page 7
