Pastor Jeremy walked Becca out of the church, “Becca, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve chosen to stay in Silver Springs with us. I’m really looking forward to meeting your mother and her friend as well.”
“Thanks Pastor. And thanks for that in there. I was so nervous, and now I don’t even remember why.” Becca had a broad smile upon her face, and she couldn’t wait to see Kaillar. She looked around and then frowned, “I wonder where my ride is?”
Before Pastor Jeremy could answer her, a truck pulled up and Justin climbed out, “Becca, are you ready to go?”
She nodded, “Where’s Kaillar?”
“He and Mason are on their way down the mountain. Pastor, tomorrow’s the big day.”
“Yes. Are you and your bride ready to get married?”
“Jessica is stressed out. She keeps telling me there is so much to do, but really, all she needs to do is show up. Nothing else matters.”
Becca shook her head at him, “That’s why guys are never put in charge of things like this. Left up to you, she’d probably be getting married in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.”
Justin shook his head, “No. I amend my statement. I’m dying to see this dress she found.”
Becca sighed, “Me too. Gracie’s dress is pretty cool as well.”
Justin grinned, “So when are you going to be heading into Denver to find the perfect dress?”
Becca blushed, “I don’t know. Your brother and I are taking things slow.”
“What’s to take slow? You love each other, get on with your lives.”
Pastor Jeremy laughed at that, “Justin, you’re not helping our cause at all. I’m sure Kaillar and Becca will move their relationship forward when the time is right.”
*****
That time came the next afternoon. Justin and Jessica’s wedding had been amazing. This close to the holidays, Jessica had gone with pine boughs, holly berries, and poinsettias instead of flowers. All except for her bridal bouquet.
That had been a mixture of pine fronds, little sprigs of red berries, and white calla lilies brought in from a greenhouse in Denver. They had draped beautifully from her hands, and Becca thought she was the most beautiful bride ever.
Her mother and Julia had called an hour earlier to say that they had landed safely in Denver. Her mother had sold everything before leaving Hawaii, and was now going to take a few days to find a new vehicle.
Her father had maintained a substantial life insurance policy, and with the sale of the resort, her mother could well afford to buy herself a new car. The Donnelly Brothers had insisted that she purchase an SUV with four wheel drive. The chances that her mother would ever use that feature seemed unlikely, but then again…this was Colorado, and they did live in the mountains.
Kaillar came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, nuzzling her ear, “You look beautiful this afternoon.”
Becca glanced up at him and smiled, “Thank you kind sir. This dress is amazing.”
Kaillar spun her around and perused her from the top of her strawberry blonde hair that had been expertly braided and wound around her head to the tips of her ivory boots. Becca was wearing the bridal dress the girls had picked out for her, and they couldn’t have done a better job. It was a deep emerald green, almost matching her own pale eyes, and causing them to shine brightly. A soft velvet fabric that clung to her curves, and yet was loose enough to be comfortable.
They’d chosen a long gown, with a high low hemline, letting her ivory boots peek out from the front, and the material of the skirt slightly dragging behind when she stood still. “Beautiful,” Kaillar told her once more before taking her hand and leading her out the back door of the church.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something.” He pulled her behind him, snagging two jackets off the rack on his way.
“Kaillar! Those aren’t ours.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s too cold to stay outside for long, and we’ll put them back. Slip this on.” He handed her the smaller of the two jackets, and she dutifully slipped her arms into it.
He took her hand again, and pushed through the glass doors. It was dark outside, the back of the church having outdoors lights, but they had not been turned on. He continued pulling her along the shoveled sidewalk, almost two feet of snow rising on either side.
Becca shivered a bit, but the stillness of the night begged her not to utter a word of protest. She followed along, feeling a sense of excitement in the air, but not knowing why.
Kaillar finally stopped in the middle of a small courtyard and turned to face her. “Look up,” he encouraged her.
Becca slowly tipped her head back and then gasped in awe. The sky was alight with stars! She let her eyes track the night sky, the absence of artificial light and clouds letting the entire Milky Way appear for her to appreciate.
“Wow!” she whispered reverently. “That’s the most beautiful thing…”
“No. You are the most beautiful thing. Becca?”
She took one more look, and then tipped her head down to see Kaillar down on one knee with a small velvet box held out to her. She covered her mouth with her hands, searching his eyes for answers.
Kaillar watched her eyes fill with what he hoped were happy tears, and hurried to get his words out before she started crying. That was something he was slowly getting used to, but barely. He hated seeing her cry, and it didn’t matter if they were happy tears or not.
“Becca Edwards, those stars above don’t hold a candle to how you light up my life. I know we need time to grow as a couple, but I can’t go another minute without knowing that you’re going to be mine. One day.”
“Would you do me the extraordinary honor of agreeing to be my bride? To live here in this mountain town with me? To support me as I support you? To raise a family with me here?”
The tears won out and spilled from her eyes even as she nodded her head and whispered, “Yes. I love you too.”
Kaillar surged to his feet and swept her up in his arms, kissing her to celebrate their newfound commitment. “Thank you. My number one goal in life is going to make you so happy, you run out of tears.” He removed the ring from the box, and slipped it on her finger.
Becca smiled at him and then kissed him again, “Kai, you are the most amazing man I’ve ever met. I thank God every day for bringing you into my life.”
Kaillar hugged her close, “As do I.” He closed his eyes and then softly started to pray. For the healing that Becca was experiencing. For restoring her relationship with her mother, and for coming home to God. For bringing the perfect woman into his life, and providing him with just the right answers at the right time.
Becca started shivering, and he hustled them both back inside, returning the borrowed jackets, and then taking her hand and leading her back inside the reception. She was glowing with happiness, and he wasn’t surprised at all when both Gracie and Jessica crossed the room and wrapped her in a hug.
He took the box of tissues Mason produced, and handed them to the women. The tears were already flowing. “I’m telling you, we need to invest in a company that makes tissues. Can you imagine what they’re going to be like when kids start arriving?”
Mason grinned, “Beautiful. And crying.”
Kaillar chuckled, and then retrieved his new fiancé from the small circle of women, “Sorry girls, but she’s mine. Jessica, go cry on your husband. Mason, you and Gracie will be getting married in another week and a half.”
Mason smiled, watching as Justin joined them. “Lose something, brother?”
Justin smiled and pulled Jessica into his arms, “No. I knew she was just over here getting rid of any extra tears she might have stored up. You girls need to figure out another way to express your emotions. Every time we see tears falling from your beautiful eyes, it breaks our heart.”
“These were happy tears,” Becca told him softly, liking the feel of having Kaillar’s
arms wrapped around her waist.
He bent his head to whisper next to her ear, “Doesn’t matter, sugar. It still breaks our hearts.”
Becca glanced up at him and promised, “I’ll try not to cry as much.”
He smiled, “Go ahead and cry. Then I have an excuse to offer you the comfort of my arms.”
Becca grinned and realized his brothers were taking advantage of the situation as well. She looked at the other two couples, and couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in such a short amount of time. Three weeks earlier, she’d been looking at living alone in Denver, no firm job prospect in mind, and both of her friends moving to other cities.
Now she was getting married, going to be running a motel and boarding house with her mother and family friend Julia, and living in a town that was so special to her. Silver Springs might be a small town, but the miracles that had been wrought in her life because of this small town were anything but small.
Epilogue
Five months later, Saturday morning in early May at the Three Brother’s Lodge…
“I’m sad the school year is almost over,” Jessica said to the room in general as she helped bring food to the table. She and Justin had been married in the first part of December, with Gracie and Mason following a week and a half later.
Mason had moved to town with Gracie, taking over the second master suite in the William’s house. As the town doctor, she felt that it was important for her to be close to her office, and Mason had readily agreed. The school board had leased the property for their new school teacher, Jessica, and there were still times when she and Justin stayed in town, especially on nights when the weather turned foul, and driving up and down the mountain to get her to school was dangerous.
Kaillar and Becca had gotten married the second Saturday in March. It had been a cold and blustery day outside, with snow falling, and grey clouds blotting out the sunshine. But inside the small church, flowers had been blooming, and love had flowed around them as they celebrated the beginning of their married life.
That had been two months ago, and as had become custom, all three couples were at the lodge for the weekend. While the girls made brunch, the guys had gone out to take care of the chores. Everyone was working well together, and these times were always the highlight of not just Becca’s week, but everyone seemed to look forward to them.
“That just about does it,” Becca told the other two women. Before anyone could reply, the front doors opened, and the three men came walking in.
“Breakfast smells amazing,” Kaillar told her as he joined her and kissed her on the cheek.
Justin kissed Jessica and took a seat at the table, pulling her down to sit beside him. Mason and Gracie took seats on the opposite side of the table, and soon everyone was enjoying good food and good company.
“I was thinking that we could saddle up the horses and go for a ride after we eat,” Justin suggested.
Mason and Kaillar both nodded their heads before Mason turned to Gracie, Sounds good, huh?”
“Sounds fun, but I think I’ll stick around here this morning. I’ve got just a few work things I need to clear up so I can enjoy the rest of the weekend.”
Mason looked disappointed, “Are you sure?”
Gracie smiled at him and nodded, “I’m sure.”
Justin took Jessica’s hand, “You up for a ride?”
Jessica shook her head, “I think I might stay here as well. You guys go and take Becca with you. I’ll even start lunch while you’re all out.”
“Mac and cheese?” he asked with a grin.
“Sure. Mac and cheese it is.”
“Uhm…I think I’ll stick around as well. But you guys go and have fun,” Becca said in a too bright voice.
“Becca, you like to ride. Now anyways. Come with us…”
Becca shook her head, “I really shouldn’t….I mean, I can’t…” She was stammering all over herself trying to come up with a reason to not go riding. She didn’t do a good enough job, and Kaillar narrowed his eyes at her.
“What’s going on?”
“Yeah, I think I might like to ask the same question,” Mason replied, watching his wife carefully.
Becca blushed and then shook her head, “Nothing is going on.”
“You’re hiding something.”
Her blush intensified, and she closed her eyes and wished she’d practiced being a better liar. “I just don’t want to go riding. Not today.”
Kaillar watched her, suspicion lurking in his eyes before he asked, “And when might you feel like going riding.”
Becca smiled up at him, realizing he was putting two and two together, and coming up with five. “Maybe another six months, give or take a few weeks.”
“You’re pregnant?” Gracie asked, joy lighting up her features.
Becca nodded, “I think so.”
Gracie beamed at her, and then whispered to the room in general, her eyes firmly fixed on her husband, “We can raise our children together then. I’m two months pregnant as well.”
Mason looked at Kaillar, who was still watching his wife with a mixture of shock and approval. “Well, here I thought we might be to a point where I didn’t have to pack a box of tissues around with me. Guess I was wrong.”
Kaillar shook his head, and looked at Jessica. “Don’t tell me you’re pregnant as well?”
Jessica stuck her tongue out at him and tossed her hair, “Fine I won’t. Justin dear, I’m pregnant.”
Becca, Gracie, and Jessica were all crying by this time and chattering away about how close their children were going to be. “This is so cool!”
The three men finished their brunch, and then headed out for a ride. When they were standing on the top of the ridge, overlooking the mountains and valleys below and in the distance, Justin finally spoke up.
“What are the odds that we would all find the loves of our lives within a few weeks of one another? And now, we’re all going to have children.”
Mason grinned, “What do you think Uncle Jed would say if he could be here right now?”
The three men were quiet for several long moments. Finally, Justin spoke up. “I think he’d remind us of all the life lessons we learned. How to be a good steward of the land and resources. How to love the Lord and our family.”
“But most of all, I think he’d remind us that children need to be nurtured and led in the right direction. He’d remind us to always be good role models. And I think he’d tell us how proud he is of the men we’ve become.”
Justin looked at his brothers, one on either side of him and laughed, “The Donnelly Brothers are going to be daddies!”
Mason whooped and laughed. Kaillar tipped his head back and howled. “God has been very good to us.”
Justin and Mason agreed. “He sure has been. Now, I say we go back to the lodge and spend some time with our women. Hopefully by now they’ve stopped crying.”
“Don’t bank on it. They’re probably already planning nurseries and playdates.”
Mason frowned, “You think so? That means they’ll expect us to put together cribs and changing tables, and whatever else they can find.”
“Welcome to fatherhood, boys!” Justin told them, turning his horse around and heading back to the lodge. He’d take whatever blessings God sent him and Jessica’s way.
Once they had taken care of their horses, he stopped and waited for Mason and Kaillar to join him. “Boys, we’re going to be much better parents to our kids than our mom even tried to be. Uncle Jed was only one man, and he taught us well. Our children are going to be the most loved kids in the county.”
Becca, Gracie and Jessica were standing on the front porch and overheard his comment. “We already feel like the most loved women in the county,” Gracie called out.
“Good.” Each man collected his wife, and soon they were sitting around the living room, making plans for workdays and deciding where they were going to put a nursery. When Stacie
and Julia walked in several hours later, the boys accepted their congratulations, and then each man handed their wife their own box of tissues.
Life was good, and they were living proof that God could take any situation and turn it around for good. The Three Brothers Lodge was intact and would be for generations to come. Filled with love and the promise of God’s blessing over their lives.
Thank You
Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing to read my books out of the thousands that merit reading. I recognize that reading takes time and quietness, so I am grateful that you have designed your lives to allow for this enriching endeavor, whatever the book's title and subject.
Now more than ever before, Amazon reviews and Social Media play vital role in helping individuals make their reading choices. If any of my books have moved you, inspired you, or educated you, please share your reactions with others by posting an Amazon review as well as via email, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, -- or even old-fashioned face-to-face conversation! And when you receive my announcement of my new book, please pass it along. Thank you.
For updates about New Releases, as well as exclusive promotions, visit my website and sign up for the VIP mailing list. Click here to get started: www.morrisfenrisbooks.com
I invite you to connect with me through Social media:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorrisFenris/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morris_fenris
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorMorris/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormorrisfenris/
For my portfolio of books on Amazon, please visit my Author Page:
Amazon USA: amazon.com/author/morrisfenris
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morris%20Fenris/e/B00FXLWKRC
You can also contact me by email: [email protected]
With profound gratitude, and with hope for your continued reading pleasure,
Morris Fenris
Three Brothers Lodge - The Complete Series Box Set Page 28
