“I recognize that determined look.” He reached for her hand. “Come sit beside me. Should I be scared?”
She took his hand, but instead of sitting on the ground, she plopped herself into his lap so hard, he released a surprised, “Ooof.”
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt your ribs?”
“What are you doing?” He steadied her with one hand on her elbow.
“Putting an end to a big mistake.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m pigheaded and a perfectionist. I like things orderly.”
“Is there a surprise coming?”
“And I’m a coward.”
“Not that I ever noticed.”
She placed her hands on his shoulders. “You changed your whole life, Gabe. You moved right into a town where you’d never lived before and you made friends. You embraced something completely foreign to you—the concept of God’s love and His will for your life. You move forward and you don’t look back. You abandoned your past for a fresh start.”
“How does that make you a coward?”
“It doesn’t. I was making a comparison.”
“To you? You don’t have a past to bury.”
“I did. I hung on to those stones so I could nurse my guilt. You opened my eyes to that. I held everyone at arm’s length by expecting so much of them that they could never live up to my model of perfection.
“But I wasn’t perfect. Far from it. I was afraid. Afraid of loving…of being loved…afraid I’d let someone down or that I’d be let down. Afraid of so many things. That’s how I’ve been cowardly.”
“I believe you’re a brave woman who stands up for what she believes and for the people she loves.”
“I wanted a husband just like my father.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that standard, Elisabeth.”
“Except that there isn’t another man like him. And if there was, I wouldn’t want him.”
“Why not?”
“Because I already love a man.”
His expression flickered with uncertainty. Overhead the leaves of the oak tree rustled in the breeze. Crickets chirped in the underbrush. “You do?”
“I’ve fallen for a man who’s generous and compassionate and brave. He shares my faith, and he has a good plan for the future. A future I want to be part of.”
“Elisabeth, if there’s a surprise coming, out with it. If you tell me this man is Junie Pruitt or Lester Quinn, I’m going to dump you right out of my lap into that water.”
“It’s not Junie Pruitt or Lester Quinn.” She placed a hand on either side of his face and brushed her palms over the warm rough texture of his lean cheeks.
He brought his hands up her back to hold her more closely and stared into her eyes.
“This man has already said he loves me. And I’m praying he means it.”
He threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair. “He means it with all his heart.”
“He told me he would only say it once, so I can’t be sure.”
“That was before he thought there was a hope of having his love returned.”
“And now?” Her breath caught in her throat as she waited.
“I love you, Elisabeth. I’ve been in love with you since the moment you looked me in the eye and challenged me to get out my gun and do something about those train robbers.”
Her heart was already pounding, but at his words it raced harder. “I what?”
“I was content to sit there minding my own business, let them take their watches and baubles and be gone. You on the other hand, insisted you’d seen my gun and challenged me to stop them.”
“I did no such thing.”
“You did.”
She thought back over those moments, fraught with tension and fear. She’d done precisely as he’d said. “I did.”
They looked into each other’s eyes. He grinned.
She leaned forward and kissed him, and he met her eagerly. She put every apology, every regret, every hope into that kiss, then leaned back, still framing his head in her hands. “I love you.”
“Enough to marry me?”
Her eyes stung. “Enough to marry you tomorrow.”
He kissed her soundly. “We’d better wait until after Gil and Irene are married or we’ll steal their thunder.”
“But no longer than that,” she insisted.
“No longer than that.”
Epilogue
On a sunny morning mid-September Gabe stood beside Samuel Hart at the front of the church. Constance Graham played the wedding march and the notes from the old organ made his heart skip a beat.
The front pews were filled with family—and people who would soon be family after this ceremony. His sister held baby Rachel, who slept soundly. Her new husband, Gil, stood beside her, his expression soft as he looked down at his new wife.
Clasping hands, Abigail and Anna, dressed in frilly pale blue dresses, gave him broad and encouraging smiles. They turned every few seconds to peer over heads to the back of the church in anticipation of their sister’s entrance.
Josie gave Gabe a nod and a smile. The service hadn’t even started yet, and she took a white hankie from her sleeve and dabbed the corners of her eyes. Beside her were John and Peter, and directly behind them stood Kalli with Phillip.
The doors opened and she stood haloed in sunlight, a vision in white satin and layers of lace and pearls. She’d spent numerous hours on the details of the dress and the veil, but all he saw was Elisabeth. The woman he wanted as his wife from this day forward.
Instead of a practical braid, her blond hair had been fashioned into loops fastened to the back of her head, while long curls hung down her back. The veil wasn’t long or cumbersome, but a small stylish embellishment that barely covered her eyes.
Since Sam was the father of the bride as well as the preacher, he waited until she’d come halfway forward and then went to accompany her the rest of the way. He folded the veil back from her eyes and gazed into them, then took her hand and kissed her fingers.
He then turned to Gabe and offered Elisabeth’s hand. With emotion thick in his voice, he said, “I give my daughter to you to marry.”
Gabe accepted her hand. When her shining blue eyes turned to him, his heart stopped altogether. For those moments no one else existed. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever set eyes upon. And she was looking at him with such love, she took his breath away.
His heart started beating again. He took a breath. Thank You, Lord, for giving me this woman and a whole new beginning.
“We are gathered here in front of these witnesses, and in the name of our Lord God…”
Gabe Taggart was marrying the preacher’s daughter.
Dear Reader,
I heard from many readers who enjoyed The Preacher’s Wife and were eager for more stories about the Hart family, so it’s my pleasure to bring you Elisabeth and Gabe. Elisabeth expends a lot of energy on perfectionism and organization. I wholeheartedly relate to her character. It’s hard for Elisabeth to let go of the way things should be done and simply enjoy that a task is accomplished. Anything disorganized or unplanned makes her feel out of control. A train holdup and a handsome rescuer are definitely not in her plans. Shaking up her world was fun!
Thanks to all of you who take time from your busy lives to write and let me know you’ve enjoyed my stories. I appreciate each letter and email. I pray you’re having a wonderful summer and enjoying your many blessings!
Visit my blog for drawings and book news: http://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com.
All my best,
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Because she lost her mother in such a terrible manner, Elisabeth’s need for control ran deep. We often hear the adage, “Let go and let God,” but re leasing control isn’t as easy as it sounds. We’ve all probably been in a situation where it took us longer than it should have to release a problem. Are there any particular scriptures that help you remember God wants to take your burdens?
Gabe treated Elisabeth differently than everyone else, therefore her family members and the town had a glowing opinion of him. Their praise and approval irritated her. How should we react when we are the undeserving target of someone’s animosity?
Elisabeth surprised Gabe by taking his hand and praying aloud for a neighbor. She learned from her father to speak to God as openly as she would to anyone with whom she had a relationship. Which character do you relate to: Gabe, being uncomfortable about the prayer? Or Elisabeth, doing what comes naturally?
Gabe enjoyed baiting Elisabeth, and she was never sure if his questions about the Bible were posed simply to rile her or because he really wanted to know. Why do you think he had so much fun provoking her?
Elisabeth had physical reactions to the memories of losing her mother, specifically to the sound of rushing water. Do you think reactions like that are out of our control or do you believe we have authority over our bodies and our reactions?
When Elisabeth’s young brother Phillip mentioned her mother was in heaven, Gabe said he thought people made up their own beliefs to get them through grief or to justify their behavior. Why do you think that statement was so shocking to Elisabeth? Do you know someone who dismisses your beliefs in a similar manner? How can you best make your reaction to another’s unbelief into a good example?
Gabe was constantly being recognized as the man who shot the train robbers. He really didn’t want to be known for that single act, but it was the first thing people thought of. If there was one thing that people remembered about you and talked about, what would you want it to be?
Gabe’s sister, Irene, told him she had prayed for his safety all the years they were apart. Was there someone who prayed for you before you knew how to believe God on your own? Can you think of a time you know God protected you from harm because of a previous prayer?
When Dr. Barnes and his wife were held hostage by outlaws, Gabe and Sam had level heads, while Irene went into near-hysterics. If initial reactions to a critical situation show a person’s faith level, how do you think Elisabeth’s behavior measured up?
When Elisabeth and Irene discovered the opera house was located above a gambling establishment, Elisabeth knew in her spirit that it wouldn’t be wise to enter. She had a difficult time explaining that to Gabe. How would you tell someone who didn’t share your faith that you’d had a warning from God?
Gabe’s character growth during the story evolved because of his exposure to the faith of the Harts and his sister, and finally because he took it upon himself to read the Bible. Elisabeth thought Gabe might be the only example his hired men ever saw of a man who prayed. You may be the only Jesus that a friend or coworker has ever seen. Are there any changes you want to make now, so that the light of His love shines through you?
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0627-4
MARRYING THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER
Copyright © 2011 by Cheryl Ludwigs
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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