by Nancy Hopper
"Sounds like good advice." Tasha mused.
"I’m very proud of her. And I don’t think she was as much in love as she thought she was. She was shocked and shaken at being so deceived, but she’s already on her way back to the land of the living. In fact, I thought it might be best if she met you." He suggested lightly. "You know, I think the less she wonders about you, the better off we will be."
"Oh." Tasha said softly. "Wow. Can she take it, Tim?"
"Yeah. Actually, I think she's pretty curious about you. And Honey, she is determined to like you. She doesn't want to come between us."
"Well; that's good." Tasha decided.
"Can I send for her? Maybe she could spend a week or so up here; and then we could all go to Jackson, together."
Tasha agreed. It all made her a bit nervous, but it had to be faced sometime. She thought perhaps it was wisdom, to keep things moving forward.
The air was crisp, and the pines were fragrant. Tim took her far back into the hills, on an old, abandoned service road where they would be very alone. When they were far away and it was completely silent, Tim stopped the horses, and smiled at Tasha.
"Ever since I met you, I've been wanting to bring you someplace like this." He admitted.
"Oh?" she asked lightly. She turned her face down, and wished there was a place to run away to.
He sighed heavily, and watched her with sadness. "Tasha, please don’t shut me out again. What is it that you need? What haven't I said, or done? What are you waiting for?" he asked her worriedly.
She shrugged and looked past him, at the towering hills above them that were showing the long shadows of late afternoon. She laughed shortly. "How about assurance that you'll never die and leave me alone?" she suggested facetiously.
Tim looked fearlessly into her eyes. "I can promise you that my life is the Lord's. He won't let me leave one second earlier than His appointed plan dictates. So with Him in control, you have nothing to fear.”
He took her hands in his. "Even if you don't understand it, there is always a reason when someone you love is taken home. It's hard, Tasha. I can only imagine how hard it was for you. But it's not going to happen to you, again."
She sighed and smiled. "Of course, you're right. Sometimes, it's just kind of scary. I don't know, I just never imagined getting close to another man. I don't know, Tim. I hope that we can be as happy as you'd like for us to be."
"We will. Tasha, we will. I promise you." He whispered, pulling her into his arms, and kissing the top of her head. "Don't be afraid. Honey, don't. Let me take care of you. I want to, so desperately."
She looked up at him fearfully.
He smiled almost sadly. “Come on, let’s walk a little bit.” he suggested. He got down, and set the brake on the surrey. Then he walked around the cart, and held a hand up to Tasha.
She looked down at him, and slowly gave him her hand. Now that the time had come, she was strangely reluctant to go through with her promises. She loved Tim, but she was terribly afraid. With his absence and all the family aspects to brood upon, she'd become quite uncertain that this plan of his was going to work.
He lifted her down and just smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He let go, and just gently took her hand. They walked in silence for a time, listening to the birds and breathing in the winter magic.
It was still misty in the trees, though the sun was shining above. The light filtered down onto them, warming the chill that seemed to have fallen.
He looked at her with amusement and affection. “Feet getting cold?” he asked. The double meaning was clear, and Tasha gave him a withering look in response.
He chuckled at her. “You don’t think you’re going to be able to keep this old stallion out of your bed, I hope?” he teased. “I have to tell you, I’ve been pretty anxious to get myself there. At this point, I might forget my manners, if you were to put up a fuss.” he teased.
Tasha’s lips twitched into a smile, despite her wish to control her face. She arched an eyebrow, and looked up at Timothy sardonically. “You take a lot for granted, Mr. Rain.” she answered smoothly.
“Do I, now?” he challenged. He laughed, and put his hands on her arms to stop her. He turned her to face him, and looked down at her with amused determination on his face. “You need some convincing?” he questioned pointedly.
She stared up at him, battling with the fear; and, her love of the man. “You’re incorrigible.” she accused.
“Yep.” he agreed happily. “Now, listen to me, lady. When you made me go home to Jackson, you promised me all kinds of tantalizing things. Do you recall that day?” he asked pointedly.
“Yes. I do.” she answered tersely.
“Good.” he said with exaggeration. “Then, all I have to do is convince you that it will be pleasant duty. I know that you’re a woman of your word.”
He chuckled deep in his chest as she blushed. “What is it with you? When I’m here, you love me. When I’m gone, you think you don’t need me.”
She shrugged. “When you’re not here, I can live as I always did, I suppose. When you’re here, you don’t allow me to do anything but be aware of you.”
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment.” he growled.
“Sure, it is.” she argued. “It’s very much a compliment, when I tell you I can’t ignore you.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is, at that.” he agreed. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll just have to start chipping away at that ice wall again.”
“What ice wall?” she drawled.
“The ice wall you always put up, whenever I go away.” he accused. “I don’t really know why you bother. You know it won’t do you any good.”
Tasha smiled, a very frosty smile. It was clear that she wasn’t pleased. “You should watch yourself.” she cautioned. “You could make a woman angry.”
“We don’t want that.” he agreed immediately. “Didn’t mean to upset you. I just get frustrated when I feel like I have to start over again, every time.” he sighed.
Tasha turned to face him with a pacific smile. “You don’t. As you reminded me, I am a woman of my word.”
He laughed. “You make it sound like a fate worse than death.” he accused.
“No.” she denied. She ran a hand up his chest. “Not at all. But frightening, none the less.”
Tim chuckled, and put his arms around the small of her back. “Well. Let’s just dispel those fears. Shall we?” he asked, smiling down at her with bedroom eyes.
She just stared up at him as he pulled her into his arms, and bent his head over hers. Tasha smiled, and put her hands up to stroke Tim’s face with her perfectly manicured, soft, beautiful hands. She almost purred as his lips gently covered hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and met him aggressively.
Tim sighed, and almost groaned as she kissed him and teased him unmercifully with her tongue. “Is that better?” she baited.
“You know it.” he growled. “Just take it easy on me, girl. I’m a little bit raw. I’m depending on you to keep me out of sin's way until you meet me at the altar.”
She laughed. “You’re depending on me?” she exclaimed.
“I’m wearing pretty thin. Maybe you’d better hurry with this wedding.”
“It was your job to set a date, if I remember correctly.” she teased. “Instead, you turned my father inside out.”
Tim grinned. “Well, then. I guess this is the next step, isn’t it?” he contended.
Tasha was immediately frozen into a fearful statue. What could he mean by that?
He raised her chin with an insistent finger. "Since the first time I was with you, honey, I've wanted to give you this." He confided. He took a burgundy velvet ring box out of his pocket, and opened it for her.
Tasha gasped. There was a beautiful solitaire diamond ring, fashioned into a heart. It was a sizable stone. She looked at Timothy in dismay.
Tim’s eyes never left hers as he went to one knee in the snow, and took her hand
. "Tasha, at last I can do this properly. Will you marry me?" he asked softly.
"Tim – Tim, I love you." She whispered, reaching forward to kiss his cheek tenderly. "I will, and I will take very good care of this." She promised.
Tim slipped the ring on her finger, and smiled up at her in satisfaction. "Doggone it, woman, you had me wondering there for a second." He complained. "I'm sure glad you decided to give me the right answer."
She sighed. "Tim, who could resist you?" she countered. "You handsome thing! I can't take another round of chasing."
He laughed. "Good!" he said heartily.
She admired her ring, and smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. "It's so beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a diamond cut this way. It's so like you to find something unique."
He grinned. "I want you to remember every time you look at your hand that you've got my heart in your hands. As soon as I saw this ring, I thought it would be the one."
She could only agree.
Tim gave her a look that made her heart skip a beat, as he gathered her in his arms. His kisses made her wish that they could go on forever.
Long before she was ready for him to stop, Tim pulled away and sighed heavily. "Let's go plan that wedding." He suggested dryly.
Tim spent the next few days with the children, talking to them about how he loved their mother; how he hoped and planned things would be. He planted seeds in their minds about the kind of relationship he wanted to have with them; about the kind of family they could become.
Oddly enough, Naomi had become extremely receptive when Tasha confirmed that Timothy had been a very close friend of her father’s. Somehow, in her mind, that made it all right for Tim to take his place in their family. And once Naomi was convinced, it was easy for Lucas to follow suit.
Tim was very relieved to find them accepting and open to the changes that were coming. He wanted it to be good for them, and for them to feel very secure.
Because of the logistics and distance between their homes, Tim and Tasha decided to get married in Jackson Hole, and spend some time there before, getting things ready for the children. Brent and Lucinda would keep the children, until Tim and Tasha returned from their honeymoon.
Most of Tim's family and ministry organization lived close to Jackson. The few friends that Tasha would want at the wedding could certainly afford to fly.
Tasha's first call was to Elaine, to have her set the necessary dates aside, and start working on a dress. Tasha was delighted to find that Elaine was very willing to come to Salt Lake and look over the wedding party for sizing. She wanted to do it all for Tasha. The colors would be deep emerald green and white.
"What do you think about black tuxedos, white shirts, and burgundy cummerbunds, ties and handkerchiefs?" Elaine asked eagerly.
"Sounds perfect." Tasha agreed.
Tim had thought that once he had a ring on Tasha's fingers, things would quickly fall into place. Unfortunately, the road was still to be a bit bumpy. The following afternoon, Lucinda found Tasha in the Library, and cleared her throat.
"Miss Tasha? You have a visitor. A young woman named Debora Walden Wright."
"Deb? Really? Send her up, Lucy, and please bring up some refreshments."
"Yes, Ma'am." Lucinda agreed with a pout.
"Well, now. What's the matter with you?" Tasha asked curiously.
"She means you no well, Miss Tasha." Lucinda informed her darkly.
"Lucinda; she is my dear friend." Tasha assured her.
"I will show her up here. Call if you need me." Lucinda said.
Lucinda showed a woman upstairs who had brown hair
done in a short, curled style. She was wearing a very smart, tailored brown suit with a velvet collar.
"Deb! I barely recognize you! Just look at you!" Tasha exclaimed with delight.
"Hello, Tasha. How are you?" Debora asked, with a definite cool note in her voice.
Tasha stopped short of delivering the hug she'd been ready to bestow, and looked into Debora's remote eyes. "I am fine. Please, sit down." She urged.
Deb nodded, and sat demurely on an upholstered chair.
Tasha took a chair across from her, and waited serenely for whatever was coming. It seemed incredible that Debora could have changed so much, but she was very different from the sweet, carefree girl Tasha had once known. She was reserved -- dramatically so, and very formal.
"So, I haven’t seen you since Gary’s funeral. Didn’t you tell me then, that you had married Doug Wright? Please forgive me for not remembering." Tasha asked.
"Yes. I did." Deb answered severely.
"Well; are you happy?" Tasha asked, grasping for something to say.
"Yes. Very." Deborah answered woodenly.
Tasha sighed tiredly. "Debora, I have a feeling that you had a specific purpose for coming here, and it was not to tell me that you've missed me, was it?"
Debora raised an arched eyebrow. "No. I will be very happy to come to the point. I have come to see you about Gary's children. Your notoriety has been very distressing to our family."
Tasha smiled. "Yes, it's been distressing to everybody. The children are fine."
"Are they? Tasha, we are concerned about your relationship with this man, and the fact that it appears you're having an affair. We'd like to take the children and provide them with a stable family atmosphere. At least, temporarily."
Tasha just looked at her for a moment, in shock. "You can't be serious! Debora, I am not having an affair with anybody. A few photographs in a magazine that have been misinterpreted do not constitute a basis for taking my children away. For your information, I am getting married to a wonderful man. We have everything perfectly in hand."
"The Pentecostal Tabloids that have smeared my cousin's good name, hardly appear to agree." Debora said coldly. "I hardly think that getting involved with another man so soon after Gary's death was wise."
Tasha just set her jaw. "Debora. Three years or thirty, it doesn't matter to Gary. He's dead. I didn't go looking for Tim, God sent him to me. I'd think that you would be happy that the children I and have had a good, Christian man come along! He is so fine, I know that you would love him."
"Actually, I don't think so." Debora argued. "I have seen him on television; and we all agree that he is excessive and irreverent."
Tasha gasped. "Well, Gary thought that he was all right. They were very good friends, actually."
"I am aware of that. Mr. Rain was a nice young man when he and Gary were in college. However, this stance that he has taken for excessiveness of expression in the church, is simply not our way. We don't want Gary's children raised with this mentality."
"Well, I'm sorry that you disagree. But you can't have my children." Tasha answered firmly.
"Tasha, you were no good when Gary picked you up out of the gutter, and you've sunk lower now. We'll fight fire with fire." Deborah threatened harshly.
"No, you won't." A calm, masculine voice intruded. Both women looked up at the balcony, to find Tim standing over the rail, watching. They both jumped when Tim's book shut with a snap. He slowly came down the steps, and stood behind Tasha's chair. His eyes were piercing, and his face was set like stone.
"I don't know why you think you have the right to come in here and threaten to take Tasha's children, but you had better think again. This is pathetic."
"Tim, this is Debora Wright. She is Gary's cousin." Tasha intervened quietly.
"I don't care if she's the Queen of England, I'm not going to tolerate any more of this." He said firmly. "Lady, just because you haven't been able to have children doesn't mean you have a right to your cousin's." Tim said quietly.
Debora gasped and paled. "Who told you that?"
"You've tried everything -- fertility pills, operations, injections. When that didn't work, you began to listen to lies that told you it wasn't fair for Tasha to have kids. You began to yearn and lust after her children, feeding on the lies of the press.”
"Now, you hear me." Tim said i
n a low voice. "There is not a judge in the land who would give you custody of these children. They are the healthiest, happiest, most loved children I've ever met. I suggest that you get on your face before God; and allow Him to search your heart, and show you what you're trying to do. It's not pretty."
Debora just looked at him in shock. He stared her down without flagging.
"It … it may be true that Doug and I have not been able to have any children. I really thought it would be best if Naomi and Lucas came to be with us. But, I can see that I was mistaken. I owe you an apology." She said quickly.
"Accepted." Tasha replied immediately.
"I will be going." Debora said, flashing a fearful look at the two of them. She got up and left, without further ado.
Tasha looked at Tim in amazement. He’d done the incredible, one more time. He gave her a knowing look and a wink, then he went back upstairs to the Library loft to continue his studies.
Finally, the day came for Elaine to fly in for a visit. Tasha could hardly wait! She needed Elaine's help, her flair for color and fashion. She could hardly keep her feet on the ground!
She'd been lonely, too. Tim had flown out to Jackson to take care of some business matters, and he and Elaine were coming in to Salt Lake airport almost simultaneously. Tasha was ecstatic to be able to pick them both up at once.
She waited for Tim's flight, first. When he got off the plane, he looked tired; but very happy to see her. There were a few reporters waiting, but they were respectful, and just took their pictures.
Tim spoke to them briefly, then they went to the baggage claim area. Once Tim had his luggage, he and Tasha went to the truck and stashed them. Then, it was back inside the terminal to wait for Elaine's flight.
While they waited, they ate something in one of the airport restaurants, and caught up. Tasha marveled that they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. When they went to the gate, they discovered that Elaine's plane was going to be a bit late landing.
