by Leah Atwood
“Excuse me?” Tate had no idea what her father was talking about.
“See, look at him!” Her father pointed at Tate and laughed again. “Can you believe last night he tried pulling one over on me, asking for your hand in marriage?” His laughter tapered off as he looked around and nobody else was laughing.
Tate looked at Charity. Her family had a way of making him speechless. This wasn’t in his plans. Certainly not the way he wanted her to know he had plans to marry her one day, preferably sooner than later. If he lost her. . . A lump formed in his throat.
“Apparently he wasn’t joking,” her mother whispered in a voice loud enough they all heard.
“I’m sorry,” her father mumbled.
Tate looked at him. “Does that mean you don’t object to me courting your daughter?”
Her father looked a little pale. He shook his head. “No. You might be stuck with her oddball family though.”
The doorbell rang, which seemed to snap Charity out of her daze. She hopped up out of her seat and headed for the other room. She returned momentarily with an officer in tow. “He said he has a warrant for John’s arrest. Something about an outstanding parking ticket.”
“I paid that,” John said.
“Not according to the court house or they wouldn’t have issued a warrant for your arrest,” the officer said. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me.”
“Don’t worry, Johnny,” her mother said. “We’ll call our lawyer and have him meet us at the police station.”
“By the way, there’s a blue Honda Civic out front with four flat tires,” the officer said. “Neighbors called about someone vandalizing a vehicle in the neighborhood. If I hadn’t run the plates on it and the car behind it, I wouldn’t have known about the warrant.”
“Flat tires?” James walked briskly past the officer and ran out the front door. “No!”
“I’ll have to handcuff you,” the officer told John. He nodded and turned around with his hands behind his back.
The way he complied, Tate wondered if he’d been arrested before. With any luck, they’d outgrow their juvenile period and straighten up. Preferably before he became their brother-in-law.
“Make sure you get a hold of the lawyer,” John said as the officer led him out to the squad car. The rest of them followed.
Tate noticed that couple neighbors were peeking through their curtains. A couple of people across the street stood outside gaping.
“Why don’t we take this back inside,” Charity suggested.
“I’ll get the lawyer’s phone number,” her mother said and hurried back inside.
“Why don’t we all just sit down and enjoy the nice dinner Mom made.” Charity headed back to the kitchen table and started filling her plate with food. “I’m sure John will be home soon.”
“Charity?” Her father’s voice was stern. “What did you do?”
“Let’s just say the boys will think twice about messing with their big sister.” She smiled sweetly.
Amy’s eyes widened. She glanced at James. No doubt her shocked expression mirrored Tate’s.
James ran a hand through his hair. “You let the air out of my tires?”
“Don’t act so innocent baby brother. Today was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“But your brother?” Her mother glanced toward the doorway, clutching the lawyer's business card. “Shouldn’t I call—”
“No, Mom.” Charity took a bite of mashed potatoes. “I told Tommy to drop him off around a mile from here. The walk will do him good.” Charity pointed her fork toward her father. “And before you start any lecture, care to explain why you told my boyfriend he couldn’t date me?” She cleared her throat. “If I recall correctly, we all agreed three years ago Christmas that no one was allowed to pull practical jokes that might jeopardize a person’s relationship?”
Her father blushed. “I didn’t know it was a joke. I mean. . . I thought he was playing one.” Her father sighed and took a seat. “Dinner looks good, honey.”
Tate laughed and took his seat next to Charity. “Remind me not to ever make you mad.”
“Don’t worry,” Charity said. “You’ll never do it twice.”
Chapter Ten
After having spent Thanksgiving with her family, Tate had a newfound sense of respect for Charity. She could be laid back and easygoing, but if pushed, she shoved and didn’t take any guff off of anyone—at least her family.
Charity was a great coordinator, working to bring teachers and students together in collaboration on the play, set, and costumes. She displayed unending patience with students, even when one of them threw-up earlier that day from pre-performance jitters.
He’d already donned his costume. While he should have been more anxious about the play, he had other things on his mind. He sought Charity out. She was rushing around as usual, making sure everything was in place. People were starting to fill the auditorium for the play. “Take a deep breath.” Tate caressed her face in his palm and kissed her.
“No PDA,” Tucker hollered.
“Would you rather I spend my time giving you a detention?” Tate asked.
“No, Sir,” Tucker said. “Carry on.”
Tate laughed and gave Charity a peck on the nose. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Charity took a deep breath and sighed. “No, you’ve already done it by just being here.” She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Tate.”
“I love you too.” He didn’t tell her it was his place to be there. After all, he’d landed the starring role and hoped it would lead to an even bigger future. He’d know later tonight.
“Have you seen my parents?” Charity peeked between the crack of the curtains. “There they are. Why did they have to sit on the front row?”
“Maybe they want to get pictures of me dressed in this getup so they can use them to incriminate me the rest of my life.”
“Which means you plan on being around for a long time.” Charity looked at him and smiled.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He kissed her again. “Now, why don’t we get this show on the road?”
The play started ten minutes late due to a wardrobe malfunction. Only one of the students messed up their lines, which made the audience laugh, so it wasn’t a bad thing. The cast received a standing ovation. Tate took control of things after the applause settled down. “I’d like to ask Miss Fletcher to come up on stage.”
She gripped the microphone, she was holding to her chest, and looked at him for confirmation. He nodded and signaled for Tucker to go get the flowers he’d purchased for her.
“I’d like to thank Miss Fletcher for making the first school play a success,” Tate said and took the dozen red roses from Tucker and handed them to Charity. The audience applauded. Tate reached into his pocket and pulled out the gray velveteen box as he bent down on one knee. “I’d also like to ask Miss Fletcher if she would consider changing her name to Mrs. Stephens.”
“Me?” Her eyes widened. Tate would have been concerned if she didn’t have such a silly grin on her face.
“Yes, you.” Tate smiled. “Will you marry me?”
Charity looked at her parents who were both nodding their approval.
“Say yes,” James shouted.
Tears trickled down her face. She looked at Tate and nodded. “Yes.”
Tate slid the two carat diamond engagement ring on her finger, then stood and hoisted her up in his arms for a kiss that drew a louder applause and another standing ovation from the audience.
Epilogue
June, the following year
Tate led Charity and Jen to their seats near the front of The Muny outdoor theatre. “If this wasn’t Matthias’ first performance, we wouldn’t be here tonight.”
“I know, Tate,” Jen said. “You’ve told me a thousand times.”
“I have not.”
Charity almost laughed at his childish outburst. “I
think your sister knows that we’re getting married tomorrow. After all, she is one of my bridesmaids.”
Tate frowned.
“You’re starting to act like Scrooge again,” Charity said in a singsong voice.
“You know our wedding is haunting me.”
She reminded herself that she’d been married before and he hadn’t. Everyone was bound to be nervous the first time they got married. Given what happened the last time he was going to get married, it was no wonder he was filled with trepidation. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, taking his hand in hers to show emotional support. “I love you.”
He stroked her left hand with his thumb. “Do you want me to hold your ring for you?”
“No. I’m quite capable of holding it myself and you can put the wedding ring on that finger as well tomorrow morning.” She wished he’d agreed to elope like she’d suggested. But Tate insisted she have a real wedding and even on paying for it since it wasn’t her first. He wanted her to have a wonderful memory that they would share for a lifetime. And they would if she didn’t end up strangling him first.
“What’s so funny?” He peered into her eyes. She knew he was trying to read her thoughts. He’d done it a lot as their wedding day had grown closer.
“You are.” Charity leaned her head on his shoulder. “I can’t wait until tomorrow night when we’re on our honeymoon.”
“Me either,” his voice was husky. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Do you know how hard it has been to wait to take you to my bed?”
She looked up at him. “It hasn’t been easy for me to wait either.”
Jen leaned over toward them. “Please tell me you’re both not going to talk during the performance.”
“Shh,” Tate said. “It’s about to begin.”
Jen reached across Charity and slapped Tate with her program.
“Do you see how violent you make people?” he told Charity. “She gets that from you.”
Charity giggled. “Then behave and neither one of us will hit you.”
“I’d be offended, but it wouldn’t do me any good,” Tate whispered as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play.
When the play ended, and everyone was filing out of their seats to head for the exits, Charity and Jen got separated from Tate. Charity’s heart raced. “Tate’s going to freak out.”
“He’ll find us,” Jen said. “He knows we’ve got to pick up Matthias. I’m sure he’ll head there.”
“You’re right.” Jen knew her brother better than Charity did. Tate had to figure they wouldn’t leave without his nephew, and Charity would obviously go congratulate him after the show since they’d driven separately than his sister and nephew. “I’m going to run to the bathroom, and I’ll meet you backstage.”
The line was longer than Charity anticipated. At least fifteen to twenty minutes had elapsed by the time she’d gotten to use the bathroom and wash her hands. She felt the outside pocket of her purse vibrate and realized she hadn’t turned her ringer back on after the show ended. She had numerous missed calls from Tate. She called him back. “Hey, sorry. The line was long.”
“What line?” Tate’s voice was frantic. “Where are you?”
“The bathroom.” Charity dried her hands with a paper towel and exited the restroom. “Didn’t Jen tell you where I was?”
“No. Where’s she at?”
“She went backstage to get Matthias.” She looked around outside the restroom and spotted Tate in the distance, looking out toward the parking lot. Her heart ached at his insecurity. “Honey, turn around,” she told him and waved at him when he did. “I’m right here. Where I’ll always be.”
They started walking toward each other. “Tomorrow when you are standing down at the front of the aisle, waiting for me, you don’t have to worry. I’ll be there, and I’ll be there every morning when you wake up.”
The next morning, Charity’s mother was escorted to her seat on the front pew of the church. As the music played, Mandi, who’d worked hard to lose her post-baby weight to fit into her bridesmaid dress, his sister, and a childhood friend of Charity’s were escorted down the aisle by a couple of Tate’s friends from his summer job. He’d arranged to have a video of their tandem jump, play at their reception. Charity had taken more than one leap of faith by going out with him and agreeing to marry him.
The pianist played the wedding march and everyone stood. Tate held his breath. The moment of truth. When Charity walked through the back doors of the church, her arm laced through her father’s, Tate let out a deep breath. She was beautiful in her white lace gown. Her bare shoulders tempted him with bits of flesh, he was anxious to kiss.
Charity’s father placed her hand in Tate’s and together they walked up the stairs to the platform. Tate was glad they hadn’t elected to write their own vows. The only thing running through his mind was, “I do” and “you may now kiss the bride”. He barely heard a word the preacher said. The stray curls, dangling from Charity’s updo, lay softly against her skin. The bodice of her dress revealed a temptation he’d waited long to enjoy. When the preacher pronounced them man and wife, Tate claimed her lips as if his next breath depended on her. A lifetime would never be long enough to spend in her embrace.
Falling in Love
Sample Chapter
SEASONS OF THE HEART, Novella 1 ~ Contemporary Christian Romance
Golden Glory thrashed in the straw on the dirt floor, a shaft of sunlight illuminating the horse's perked ears and frightened eyes. Katie pulled her T-shirt over her nose to ward off the stench from the day's droppings, which wafted through the too-warm-air of the dilapidated barn.
“What do you want me to do?” Katie Morgan asked her veterinarian boss, Wade McAlester. She stood behind him in the confined space of the horse’s stall as he checked the position of the foal in its mother’s uterus.
“Kneel down and speak softly to her. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be too much longer.”
Straw crunched beneath her feet as she went around to the horse’s head and knelt. Carefully, she pulled off her gloves and laid them aside, not wanting to startle the horse that was already preoccupied with her own discomfort. Katie pulled at the T-shirt that clung to her perspiration-drenched chest.
“Easy girl. It won’t be long now. Your baby will be here soon." Somewhere in the barn a pig squealed while Katie stroked Golden Glory’s soft blonde mane. "Shh.”
“She gonna be okay, doc?” Fred Eaker leaned against the wooden stall and frowned. This was his horse, Golden Glory’s first colt.
Wade's friend didn’t want to lose his prize mare’s foal. “I’ll do everything I can.”
He’d helped to deliver other animals around Fred’s ranch. It was no wonder the old man had such confidence in him. Fred didn’t care what university Wade went to, just that he could do the job.
Bringing Katie along was a good thing. It was the only way she was going to get a chance at becoming a veterinarian in this county. Several of the locals had an aversion to students from the college coming around ‘helping’ them out with their livestock. After a couple students tried mock bull fighting with Old Man Jenkin’s bull, quite a few of the locals turned their noses up at the students in general because of their wild behavior.
Some of the old timers were still funny about having women in this profession, too. Not that he really understood why. Whatever the reason, Wade was determined to help Katie succeed. The more he brought her on his rounds, the more the locals became accustomed to her. It was only a matter of time until she gained their trust. He was sure of it. She’d already worked her way into his heart.
Golden Glory grunted and her eyes widened in distress. “It’s okay girl. I’ll help you. Easy.”
Katie stroked the horse’s mane softly, offering words of reassurance as Wade reached in to guide the foal. She didn’t have time to look at Fred who stood erect, anxious in his helplessness or she would have seen his fist clenched while he waited in frustrated anti
cipation. With all that was going on, Wade noticed. Whenever Katie was near all of his senses went on alert, but he made sure to conceal his feelings safely from her view, as well as others.
“I can’t… can’t get the other hoof.” Wade’s brow filled with perspiration and his normally soft, brown locks clung to it. His tanned muscles flexed as he strained to guide the colt out of its mother’s womb. “There. I’ve got you now.”
As the foal slid out, Katie beamed, her eyes shining with admiration. When Wade finished caring for the horse and the foal, he stood and stretched. Katie flung herself into his arms, nearly knocking him off balance.
“I knew you could do it.” She planted a kiss on his cheek.
Wade longed to embrace her in his arms. Instead, he forced himself to keep his arms at his sides while she clung to him. The flowery scent of perfume teased his senses and offered a more refreshing smell than the straw and dust in the old barn. He allowed her to hug him a couple moments longer than he should have. “I’m a little too messy to be hugging. Not to mention we have company.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Katie released him immediately. “You better go wash up.”
Wade lowered his gaze, his attention drawn to her snug fitting T-shirt. She smiled innocently and started to look down to see what he was staring at on her shirt when the sound of metal clanking and the muffled curse brought their attention back to Fred.
Katie smiled at Fred, who only raised his eyebrow in reply.
“Sorry. Things still seem to be a bit out of place since Martha died. How’s my horse? Think she’ll be okay, doc?”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Wade said over his shoulder as he washed off with the hose. “She’s a little tired, but she’ll be fine.” He then told Fred what to watch for and instructed him to call if anything out of the ordinary happened.
Katie observed Fred as he removed his Stetson and wiped his brow with his forearm before replacing his hat. He reminded her of an old-timer out of one of the ageless westerns she’d seen on TV, except he was in color. Her mood became solemn when she thought of him having to go it alone without his wife by his side.
