“Yes, I’m feeling fine.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Aunt Corrin . . .” Amelia hugged her Aunt. “I love you.”
There came a knock at the door.
Corrin was annoyed that an interruption would come at that particular moment in time. “Who is it?”
“Ma’am, it’s me, Cassie McCormack. The Pastor sent me over here to see if everything is all right.” Corrin opened the door and the young girl continued, “The wedding was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago and everyone was worried that something happened. Oh, Miss Jackson! You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen in my whole life!”
“Thank you, Cassie.” Amelia smiled.
“Tell Mr. Strupel that Miss Jackson is fine. We are just running a little late. Tell him that she will not marry him until everything is just perfect for him. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. Thank you, Cassie”
She closed the door and resumed hugging her sweet daughter until she felt her relax in her arms.
› › ›
Miss McCormack couldn’t find the Pastor. Assuming he would be in his office, she tapped lightly on the door which promptly opened and an anxious groom was staring back at her.
“I’m supposed to tell you that Miss Jackson is fine, just running a little late. And. . . .” She paused a moment as if to think of the exact words she wished to convey. “Oh, yes. I’m supposed to tell you that Miss Jackson will not marry you until she thinks everything is just perfect for you which will take about fifteen more minutes.” The young girl beamed at Paul, having accurately accomplished her task of delivering the message to the groom.
Paul smiled at her. “Thank you, Miss McCormack.”
“Mr. Strupel, you should have seen her! She was the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen in my whole life! She almost looked like an angel! Honest!”
“I believe you.” He smiled at the thought of his lovely Angel.
“Well, if I’d have known that’s all it would take to calm you down I would have gone over there myself thirty minutes ago,” Jeremiah said when he saw the grin on Paul’s face.
Paul sat in the Pastor’s chair again and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and smiled and said, “Fifteen more minutes.”
His thoughts retraced the events of the last four months. He remembered everything so vividly, and now in fifteen more minutes his life would change forever. Even the young teen said Amelia looked like an angel. He had known that from the moment she first stepped into the saloon back in July. She had stepped right into his heart at the same time. And now Amelia Jackson was going to be his wife.
“Jeremiah. I don’t think I ever told you this, but I prayed for Amelia to come almost eight months ago.”
“You didn’t even know she existed until four months ago.”
“Yes, I did. I knew that somewhere out there in the world, God had the perfect woman for me to marry. I knew that somehow He would bring us together. I prayed for her to be a Godly woman with strength of character, unwavering depth of her convictions, intelligent, and pure. I even prayed that if it were all right with Him, I wouldn’t mind a little outer beauty too.”
The door opened, and the Pastor smiled at them. “It’s time.”
Paul jumped to his feet. “Is my tie straight?”
Jeremiah laughed again, but realizing that the door was still open and the people in the church could hear, he quieted himself, took Paul by the shoulder and looked him squarely in the eyes. “Paul, your tie is fine. I have a feeling Amelia Jackson would marry you today even if you were wearing one of my buckskin jackets and no tie. I’m very proud of you, you know. Proud to be your best man, proud of the man you’ve become. Back when you first came here, you were quite a hellion, remember?”
Paul smiled and shook his head.
“Well, who’d have thought you’d be marrying the most beautiful young lady this side of the Rockies?” He paused a moment. “I know this probably isn’t the right time, but I thought you would like to know. I’ve been doing a lot of studying on all the things you’ve been saying to me this past year and I’ve been watching you and Amelia. Well, I don’t think there two more genuine, loving, caring people anywhere else on this earth. It’s because of you two that I think I’m ready to commit myself to God, like you did last year.”
“There’s never a bad time to hear that kind of news!” Paul said as he hugged his dear friend. “Come and see me in a couple weeks. We’ll talk and pray. You know you’re my favorite brother and I love you.”
The organist began to play the wedding music and they quickly dried their eyes. Jeremiah turned to the groom and whispered, “Do you think that if I prayed, God might send me an Angel, too?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
The men stood straight and tall when they walked out of the room to take their places at the front of the church. Paul’s eager eyes stayed on the door that would soon yield his lovely bride. First, a small girl from the church congregation sauntered down the middle aisle, dropping petals from dried wildflowers for the bride to walk on---wildflowers that had been gathered by the two on their frequent jaunts to the mountains. Wildflowers to remind them of the first time Paul kissed her.
Next Corrin sashayed into the church, her crutches barely an obstruction at all. This was a controversy which appalled many of the Church folks who thought it was blasphemy to have the Saloon proprietor involved in a church wedding. Several of them weren’t in attendance because of Corrin’s presence there. But Amelia wouldn’t dream of having a wedding without her.
Corrin looked lovely in her pink toile gown, her hair strewn with wildflowers, her face beaming with pride. This was one day she had never dreamed could happen to her. Paul and Jeremiah both smiled at her, and when she had passed the last church pew, she winked at them in typical Corrin style.
The music changed to the traditional wedding march and the congregation stood, obscuring Paul’s view of the church door. He could tell by the whispers and smiles and nodding heads that Amelia was coming down the aisle. His heart pounded faster. Then he saw her. He forgot to breathe as he beheld his bride adorned with a wedding gown of ivory satin, lace and pearls. He thought he might actually be looking into the face of a real angel. Her fair skin was aglow; her cheeks were rosy pink from the innocence of her youth. Her blue-gray eyes peeked from behind a layer of delicate lace gently gracing the front of her face, and her hair had become strands of fine, luminous silk. P
Although the only thing left to complete the vision would be a pair of angel wings attached to the ivory gown that enhanced the contours of her perfect figure. His heart soared as his love went out to her, first filling the church, then the whole town, then the country. His love filled the entire earth and still could not be contained.
Amelia walked tall and straight and proud, arm in arm with her father, her pink, silver tipped cane gently tapping in front of her.
Paul smiled when he thought of the funny look she gave him five days ago when he asked her to clutch a piece of clay. ‘It’s a surprise for you. You’ll just love it,’ he had told her. He had the cane turned at the mill and then painted it pink with some old paint Mrs. Conner had leftover from her daughter’s doll house. Beau made a mold using the clay and poured pure, fine silver into it to make the handle. Paul thought of the clever, silver tip to keep the end from splintering like her old one had. The embrace and kiss she gave him when he presented her with the new cane yesterday was worth all the effort.
Her father gave Amelia away to him, and Paul tenderly took her arm and led her to the front of the church where the Pastor awaited them. He couldn’t take his eyes from her and he knew that late he wouldn’t be able to recall the order of the ceremony. But it didn’t matter. He was marrying his exquisite Angel today.
› › ›
Amelia blushed at the nearness of her groom. Her heart always beat faster when he was close, but today she was marrying him and she was acutely aware of his imm
inence. She felt the gentle touch of his gloved hand, yet was cognizant of its strength and power. Her arm was wrapped in his as she had done a myriad of times before, but today she was more aware of his ample muscles, how her arm touched his body that moved with every breath he took. She could almost hear his heart calling to hers.
They faced each other now, her hands disappearing into the depths of his. They were warm and gentle and tender and strong. She knew he would be looking at her and she hoped he was returning her smile.
He was. Paul looked ardently through the lace into her slender face. Love was written in her smile. He squeezed her hands slightly. She squeezed back.
The Pastor wanted him to repeat his words.
“I, Paul Allen Strupel, take thee, Amelia to be my lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward, until death do us part.” His voice was gentle and laced with his love for her.
Then came Amelia’s turn to repeat the precious words. She had trouble finding her voice. “I, Amelia Corrin Jackson, take thee, Paul, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to love and obey, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward, until death do us part.”
Paul saw a small tear trickle down her cheek and he reached under the veil and caught it with a trace of his gloved finger.
› › ›
Corrin wept uncontrollably. Her niece had been named after her! She hadn’t known that. She never read the documents she had signed the day Mr. Johnston had brought Amelia into her life.
If only she could get all those years back when she chose to shut Grace out of her life. . . If only she had let go of her stubborn bitterness and pride. How grateful she was to be able to have Amelia as an integral part of her life now. Such a precious, priceless gift she had been given.
She found herself thanking Amelia’s God for giving her this treasure to take care of as her own. Dear God, I’ve never been one for religion, but Amelia and Paul both believe in you and they are so happy. Thank you for giving her to me and for showing me how to love somebody once again and thank you for this marvelous feeling of being loved. When Alister left me, I shut out all love, both ways. Please forgive me for my foolish, stubborn pride. It cost me twenty years of my life and I don’t want it any more. My life has changed so much because of Amelia. She’s always talking about you being a God of love and forgiveness. Well, if she’s proof of your existence then I believe you truly must indeed be such a God!
Suddenly Corrin overflowed with love for Amelia, for Paul, for Jeremiah, and even Alister Jackson. She could hardly contain herself, and she felt so new and alive inside. She couldn’t understand what had happened to her, but it seemed like the heavy, black locks that bound up her heart where she had sheltered secret bitterness and hatred had been opened with a golden key, and had been emptied and washed clean of all the ugliness that was hidden there. Corrin wanted to go to her niece and embrace her and tell her, but this was a wedding, and she would simply have to wait to talk to her niece about her new found love.
› › ›
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The Pastor turned to Paul and nodded. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Paul dropped Amelia’s hands, drew the veil back from her face, and cupped his hands over the contours of her cheeks He bent over slightly and kissed her tenderly. But his heart pounded with excitement.
Arm in arm they followed Corrin, Jeremiah and the flower girl back down the aisle through the approving crowd, beaming from ear to ear. Uncontrollably, undeniably happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The newlyweds rode in the sleigh back to the Saloon for the reception, which was another point of contention among several members of the church community. But this had been Amelia’s home and she didn’t care what they thought.
Per Paul and Amelia’s request, the bar was closed, although Corrin couldn’t think of a better time for celebration with spirits, but they had persisted, and she finally yielded, serving only a soft punch. Corrin and some of her friends had decorated the Saloon with pink and white paper streamers and dried wildflowers. She had an ample supply of finger foods and delicacies to eat along, with the huge wedding cake adorned with pink frosting ribbons and sugar roses.
A group of musicians had been hired to play for the guests who poured into the hall, greeting the bride and groom on their way in to the reception.
After the guests had all congratulated Paul and Amelia, the couple was about to turn and join the festivities when Jeremiah stopped them.
“Hey, I didn’t get to kiss the bride.” He held her chin at an upward slant and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. “If you ever get tired of this rogue, you know where to find me.” He smiled impishly at Paul and entered before them into the Saloon.
The wedding couple was ushered to the table containing the cake and was instructed to cut it. Paul placed Amelia’s hand around the knife and wrapped his around hers, skillfully guiding the knife through the luscious confection. He gave a small piece to her and instructed her to hold it out for him to eat from her fingers, which she did.
He then took a piece and told her he would do the same. He suspended the cake in front of her face and she opened her mouth to wait for him to help her take a bite. But Paul stopped to look mischievously at the crowd. Many of them were prodding him to smash the cake into her face, and when she realized what was taking place, she fumbled to grasp his arms to prevent him from his dastardly intentions. She tried to push his hand away. The crowd roared with laughter. Amelia was no match for Paul’s strength, so she simply backed away from the table, but he caught her around the waist with his free hand and pulled her close to him, still waving the cake in front of her.
“I owed you one, remember? Now we’re even.” Paul smashed the small piece of cake into her mouth.
The guests cheered and everyone, including Amelia laughed. After all, his knack for being unpredictable at times was one of the many traits she loved about Paul. He cleaned her face with a napkin and kissed her.
“Mm, you’ve never tasted sweeter.”
Amelia slugged his arm and then hugged him.
The newlyweds mingled with the crowd, getting separated sometime during the evening. But Paul kept a watchful eye on her at all times, sometimes to the annoyance of guests who were trying to hold a conversation with him. He was so enamored of her and enjoyed watching her talk with the guests. He could easily spot her in a crowd across the room; she was glowing and she never stopped smiling. She would frequently push her veil away from her face and chatter excitedly to someone. Once in awhile, she would either hug someone or be hugged, and a couple of times, she held out her hand to show off her ring. He watched as Corrin and Amelia took turns speaking in each other’s ears, then both cried and hugged each other generously. She was his wife and Paul couldn’t think of anything else but her.
Someone announced the Bride’s dance. He meandered through the crowd to Amelia and came up behind her and placed his arms around her waist.
“I love you, Angel. May I have this dance?”
Amelia twirled in his arms to face him and answered him with a smile. He took her cane and handed it to a guest to hold and took her right hand in his left. Her left arm slipped up to his shoulder, and he pulled her close to him and began to waltz with her. The guests applauded the newlyweds, and couple by couple joined them on the dance floor.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mrs. Strupel?” he asked her.
She beamed at his calling her that, and in her most charming Southern accent she answered him, “I have never been happier in my life, Mr. Strupel. I think someone has pulled the floor out from under my feet, because I’ve literally been floating on air all evening.”
He smiled at her. When the waltz was finished, Paul and Amelia lingered in each other’s arms, neither of them wanting to ever be apart again. It was Jeremiah who broke their reverie once again by tapping Paul on the shoulder.
“Excuse me,
but I believe this next dance is mine.”
Paul broke his embrace and said loud enough for Jeremiah to hear, “If he tries anything, just call for me.” He threw an ornery look at his best man and left the dance floor to get some punch.
› › ›
Jeremiah had been noticing that the groom had been keeping a watchful eye on Amelia, so he led her all around the room, knowing it would be more difficult for Paul to keep an eye on them---just to tease him. They danced very near the stairway for a moment. Two voices were overheard coming from underneath the open staircase.
“Well, she’s too young to be marrying someone forty years old. It just isn’t natural,” an older woman’s voice was heard.
“And with her blindness and all---well, she certainly can’t be a proper wife to him,” came a second voice.
Amelia breathed deeply and almost stopped dancing. Jeremiah tried to get her to head away from the gossip, but she wouldn’t move.
Paul had noticed something was wrong from across the room and made his way toward his new wife.
The voices continued. “I know what you mean. She can’t cook, or clean or sew. It’s quite obvious to me as to what exactly was on his mind when he married her.”
“And that’s probably the only thing she’ll be able to bring into this marriage.”
Amelia broke free of Jeremiah’s hold and felt her way around the stairs, just as Paul arrived at the scene. Jeremiah stopped him from grabbing her and put his hand to his mouth to gesture to Paul to remain quiet. Amelia made her way to where the elderly ladies stood.
“Ladies, how are you this evening? I trust you are enjoying yourself?”
“Why, yes, Mrs. Strupel. Thank you. This is a wonderful party. And the wedding was beautiful.”
“Well, it is a shame that you have to be leaving so soon then.”
“Why, we weren’t leaving yet.” The ladies looked at each other and then back at Amelia.
Angel In The Saloon (Brides of Glory Gulch) Page 23
