A Bride Worth Waiting For

by Jeanie Smith Cash

  We need to pray for a miracle before we go to see my parents, Cole. Because that’s what it’s going to take to change the way my father feels. But I’m going to take you with me if you’re willing to go and trust the Lord to deal with my dad.”

  “If you’re sure that’s what you want to do. I love you, Darlin. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

  “I’m very sure. I love you too, Cole.”

  Cole drew her into his arms for a minute and kissed her. If you want to give me your flight information I’ll make mine to match.”

  Bethany got her tickets and Cole wrote the information down. I was thinking about going home to spend an early Christmas with my family anyway. I told your grandparents I’d stay here to help since Christmas is a busy time at the lodge. Maybe I’ll spend Friday evening and Saturday with my family and if things work out we can spend Saturday evening with yours. “

  “Okay, I’ll talk to my parents Friday evening. Why don’t you plan to come for supper Saturday evening and we’ll just have to trust the Lord to work this out, Cole.”

  “He could see the fear in her eyes. Don’t be afraid, Darlin. I believe we’re meant to be together and the Lord knows I won’t make you choose between me and your father, so I believe He has a plan for us.” Cole held and kissed her again. He loved the way she fit perfectly in his arms. As he held her he began to pray softly. “Lord, this seems like a mountain to us, we need a miracle here. We know nothing is too big for you. Please help us to trust you to take care of this.”

  Chapter Nine

  Cole kissed Bethany goodnight and went back to his room to call his parents. He explained everything to them and asked them to pray. They assured him that they would and he told them he’d see them Friday night.

  “Tell your mom and dad hello and we’ll see them at Christmas.” Elizabeth said as she and Mack kissed Bethany goodbye Friday at the airport.

  “Cole, take care of our little girl and we’ll see you both Sunday evening,” Mack said.

  “Oh, Papa,” Bethany smiled affectionately. “I’m not a little girl anymore and since the doctor released me I can even walk on my own now.”

  “I’m glad you can walk again, but you’ll always be our little girl, Sunshine,” Mack said and hugged her.

  “I’ll take good care of her, Mack.” Cole grabbed their two bags and followed Bethany into the airport.

  Cole’s parents picked them up in Springfield. After introductions and a short visit they dropped Bethany off at her parent’s home promising to pray. She just loved them, they were such warm people and they made her feel so comfortable.

  Bethany dreaded talking to her father but decided she might as well get it over with first thing, there was no since putting it off she’d just have to worry about it that much longer.

  “Mom, Dad I’m home.” Bethany called as she walked in the door.

  “Hi Honey.” Her mother hugged her. “It’s good to see you’re okay we were worried.”

  “Yes, it is. How’s my girl?” Her father grabbed her in a big hug. “It’s good to see you, Princess.

  “I’m fine now. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “Annie, how about getting us some of those cookies you just took out of the oven and a glass of milk while I take Bethany’s luggage to her apartment,” Her dad said.

  “That sounds good.” Bethany smiled. “I have something I need to talk to you both about; this will be a good time to do that.”

  When her dad came back her mother said, “I’ll get the cookies, Chuck. Why don’t you poor the milk and then we can sit down and talk in the kitchen at the table.”

  When they were all seated Bethany asked, “Dad, how’s granddad doing?”

  “As well as he can from a wheelchair I suppose.”

  Bethany winced at his tone. Well, this wasn’t going to get any easier so she might as well just say it. “Dad, Mom, I met a wonderful Christian man on the plane to Gram and Papa’s. He’s a fireman Paramedic by profession, but he lost his partner and very close friend in a fire a few weeks ago. He’s on a leave of absence for six months. Gram and Papa hired him for the winter as their ski instructor.”

  “Oh, Honey. That’s wonderful but, I’m sorry about his friend.” Her mother handed her the plate of cookies.

  “Yes, it’s been very hard on him. I’d like for you to meet him. He came with me; he’s visiting his family. I’d like for him to come for supper tomorrow evening so you can get to know him, if that’s okay.”

  “That’ll be fine, Honey. We’ll look forward to meeting him.” Annie smiled.

  “What do you know about this man, Bethany?” Chuck asked.

  “His family owns several hundred acres outside of town here, Dad. He works for the Springfield Fire Department. He and his family are good Christians and he’s very good to me.”

  “What’s his name, Bethany? Do we know his family?”

  Bethany hesitated, she knew he was going to explode when she told him Cole’s name. She looked straight at him. “His name is Cole Beckman, Dad.”

  “What!” He stood so fast he knocked his chair backwards. “That man will never be welcome in my house! I can’t believe you’d have anything to do with him after what he did to your grandfather.

  “I love him, Dad.”

  “Well, he’s not coming here and you might as well know now that we won’t be coming to your grandparents for Christmas either, if he’s going to be there!”

  “Wait a minute, Chuck. This is my parents we’re talking about,” Annie said.

  “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. You can go if you want, but I’m not going anywhere that man will be! Bethany, you are my daughter, you know how I feel about Cole Beckman and his family. I forbid you to see him again!”

  Bethany stood up then. “I am an adult in case you haven’t noticed and I love Cole. He was sixteen Dad! It was an accident. I assure you no one has suffered more over Granddad’s accident than Cole has. He can’t change what happened that night and you cannot tell me I can’t see him!”

  “That man is not welcome in my house!” He banged his fist on the table and Bethany jumped. She’d never seen her dad so angry.

  “Then I guess I won’t be welcome either, Dad because I love Cole and one day in the future I’m going to marry him if he decides to ask me.” Bethany turned away and started to walk out of the house tears in her eyes.

  “Alright stop! Right here right now.” Annie stood up. “Bethany, come back here! Chuck, this has gone on long enough! Bethany is our only child and you will not alienate her over this. It’s time you forgave Cole Beckman and his family. Have you forgotten what the scriptures say about forgiveness? The Lord died to forgive you of your sins, you aren’t being asked to die, just to forgive! Colossians 3:13 says Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

  It’s time, Chuck Stillman that you get on your knees before the Lord! I assure you He isn’t pleased with the way your acting!

  Bethany was so shocked she couldn’t even say anything. She had never heard her mother raise her voice at anyone especially not her father. Obviously he hadn’t either because he stopped and listened to her. Bethany realized the scripture her mother had just quoted was the same one the Lord had brought to her mind on forgiveness the night she and Cole talked.

  Bethany’s cell phone rang and she excused herself to go to her apartment answering it on the way. She felt she needed to give her parents some time alone. It was Cole.

  “Hi, Cole.” Bethany unlocked her door and went inside. She sat in her rocking chair with a heavy heart and put her feet up on the matching stool.

  “Bethany, you sound upset, Darlin. Are you alright?”

  “Yes, I’m okay. She proceeded to tell Cole what had taken place with her father and how her mother had interceded. “I’ve never seen my father like that and I couldn’t believe my mother raised her voice, Cole. In all of my twenty-three years I’ve never heard her raise he
r voice. But my father stopped and listened to her. They were talking when I left the room. I pray she can get through to him.”

  “I’m sorry I caused a problem between you and your father, Darlin. There is no one who feels worse about your grandfather being in that wheelchair than I do and about the way your father feels about me and my family. Believe me if there was any way I could go back and change that night, I certainly would. ”

  “I know that, Cole and I love my father, but he’s the one in the wrong here. My mother’s right about him needing to forgive. He raised me in a Christian home and always taught me to be forgiving. I’ve even heard my grandfather try to talk to him about this and he wouldn’t listen. Granddad doesn’t hold any animosity against you and your family.”

  “I’m glad to hear that and I will continue to pray for your father. I know the Lord has a plan, Darlin. We just have to trust Him.”

  “I know you’re right, it’s just that I’ve never seen my father lose his temper like that.”

  “He wouldn’t hurt you, would he?”

  Bethany heard the concern in Cole’s voice. “No, he loves us. He isn’t violent, just angry.”

  “I would imagine some of that anger is the hurt he feels for your grandfather and the limitations put on him by his condition. I can understand how he feels, Bethany.”

  “I can too, Cole. But as Christians we can’t hold a grudge, it hurts us more than anyone else.”

  “You’re certainly right about that. We need to continue to pray.”

  “Yes, we do. Can you come for supper tomorrow evening?”

  “I’d love to come, but are you sure it won’t make things worse for you?”

  “I want you to come and I believe the Lord will work it out.”

  “Okay, what time?”

  “How about six o’clock?”

  “I’ll be there. I love you, Darlin. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “Thank you. I love you too, Cole. Goodnight.” Bethany closed her cell phone.

  Chapter Ten

  Bethany was about to get ready for bed when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find her mother there.

  “Would you please come down stairs, Honey? You’re father wants to talk to you.”

  Bethany followed her mother back down stairs. She took a seat at the table where she’d been sitting earlier across from her father. Please, Lord. Work this out; You know how much I love Cole.

  “You can ask your young man to dinner tomorrow night. I’ll be polite, that’s as far as I can go right now.” Her father got up and walked out of the room.

  “Give him some time, Honey. I believe with prayer he’ll come around.” Her mother hugged her.

  “Thank you, Mom. I appreciate your help in this. I love Cole so much, but I love Dad too and Cole is adamant that I won’t be made to choose between them.”

  “Well, that says a lot about your young man, Honey. He obviously loves you.”

  “Yes, he does, Mom and I know you’re going to love him. Dad would too if he’d just give him a chance. Cole and his family are wonderful people. His parents and brother picked us up at the airport earlier and I immediately felt comfortable with them. The Lord just shines through them.”

  “Why don’t you ask them to come tomorrow evening with Cole. Maybe he’ll feel more comfortable having his parents and his brother along for support and we can get to know them too.”

  “I think that’s a great idea, Mom.” Bethany hugged her mother. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Honey. Now you’d better go to bed you look tired and stop worrying, everything is going to be alright.”

  “Okay, goodnight.” Bethany kissed her mother and went up to her apartment to get ready for bed.

  The next evening when Cole and his family arrived, Bethany introduced them. “Mom, Dad, this is Cole Beckman, his father Bruce, mother Jenny, and his younger brother Carl. This is my mother and father, Annie and Chuck Stillman and my granddad Charles Stillman.”

  They all made the appropriate responses. If her father’s weren’t the warmest no one made any comment on it.

  “Come in please and sit down.” Annie smiled. “Supper will be ready in just a few minutes.”

  “I hear you play the fiddle, Cole,” Charles said. “I’ve always enjoyed bluegrass music, especially gospel bluegrass.”

  That broke the ice and the conversation went well as they gathered around the table. Bethany noticed her father was polite as he’d said he would be, but he didn’t go out of his way to hold a conversation with Cole and his family. They had just about finished supper when suddenly her granddad got chocked. Her dad patted him on the back in an attempt to dislodge the food from his throat, but it didn’t work. Bethany was sitting next to her grandfather and she jumped up, he couldn’t get any air and he was turning blue.

  “Granddad!” Bethany cried. Cole rushed over to him and her dad helped him lift her grandfather out of the wheelchair. Cole quickly and efficiently preformed the Heimlich maneuver dislodging the food from his throat. Her grandfather began to cough and Cole set him gently back into his chair.

  “Are you okay now, Mr. Stillman?” Cole stooped down and handed the older gentleman his glass from the table helping him to take a few swallows. Bethany was shaking so bad she had to sit down. She felt Cole take hold of her hand and squeeze gently.

  “I’m okay now, thanks to you young man. You just saved my life. If you hadn’t been here I believe I’d have met my maker.” Bethany realized her granddad was trying to instill a little humor into the situation to lighten the mood and ease some of the fear they’d just faced.

  Bethany’s dad sat back down in the chair on the other side of her grandfather’s and took hold of his hand. “Dad, are you sure you’re okay? You really gave us a scare.”

  “I’m fine now, no need to fuss.”

  Bethany was surprised when her father got up, laid his hand on Cole’s shoulder and said, “Thank you. I appreciate what you just did for my father. He’s right, you saved his life. ”

  “No thanks are necessary, sir. I’m just glad I was able to help him.”

  That changed her father’s whole demeanor toward Cole and his family and the rest of the evening went very well.

  Bethany’s father and Mother walked out to the car with Bethany and Cole as they were leaving for the airport the next afternoon. Bethany hugged her mother as her father shook Cole’s hand. Her father hugged her and said. “We’ll see you in Lake Tahoe for Christmas.”

  “I’m so glad, Daddy. I’ll look forward to it. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Princess. Have a good flight.”

  Cole and Bethany took a nap on the flight and in just a few hours they arrived back at the lodge safely.

  The next morning Bethany and Cole went to Incline Village with her grandparents, Carla, Melanie, and Michelle to Christmas shop and buy a Christmas tree. Bethany thought her feet would fall off before they were through but finally they made it home. Cole and her grandfather brought the eight foot tree in and set it in the stand.

  “Oh my! It is a big one,” Bethany said. She, Cole and her three friends spent the afternoon decorating the tree and wrapping the gifts they had bought while in town. Bethany hoped Cole would like the gift she’d bought for him. It was a dark brown suede jacket that had a fiddle and a banjo with the necks crossed on the back, with music notes and Bluegrass Music written across it in Royal blue letters.

  “Where is everyone? It’s Christmas Eve. I can’t believe we’re the only ones here.” Bethany set her hot chocolate on the coffee table. She and Cole were in the main room downstairs enjoying a blazing fire in the fireplace, while across from them the colorful lights twinkled on the tree.

  “Last minute errands I would imagine.” Cole glanced at his watch.

  “Papa and Gram went to the airport to pick up my parents and granddad. But I would have thought some of the guests would have been in here. I hope Carla, Melanie, and Michelle made it home okay. I miss
them already and they haven’t been gone but one day.”

  “I’m sure they did, Darlin and they’ll be back before you know it.” Cole smiled. “Now stop worrying and enjoy the fire.”

  Christmas morning Cole knocked on Bethany’s door and waited for her to open it.

  “Hi, come on in, Merry Christmas.” She smiled and gave him a kiss.

  “Merry Christmas to you, I have something for you before we go down to your grandparents.” Cole followed her into the living room and sat on the sofa beside her.

  He handed her a small box and as she unwrapped it she kept glancing up at him as if she suspected what might be inside.

  Cole loved the way her eyes lit up as she opened the box and saw the solitaire diamond ring inside. She looked up at him with a big smile.

  “Bethany, I love you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me, Darlin?”

  “Yes, Yes! Oh, Cole! Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife.” She gave him a big hug.

  Cole took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger placing a kiss where it rested. “I love you, Darlin. You are my whole world.”

  “And you are mine, Cole. I love you so much. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  Cole kissed her and then held her in his arms. “I wasn’t about to give up on you. I know in my heart that you are the mate the Lord has chosen for me and therefore your love was, a love worth waiting for.”

  “I’m so glad because I feel the same way about you.”

  Cole kissed her again and held her for a minute longer. “I guess we’d better go on down your family will wonder where we are.”

  Bethany grabbed her purse and they went down to her grandparents and knocked on the door.

  As soon as they walked in Bethany and Cole wished everyone Merry Christmas and then Bethany showed them all her ring. She was pleased that everyone congratulated them even her father. Cole loved his jacket and Bethany couldn’t remember ever having a happier Christmas. Later sitting in the dining room with all of the guests her father stood and made the announcement that his daughter was marrying Cole Beckman and everyone cheered and congratulated her and Cole.