by Jo Noelle
Chapter 15
Bernard
A thought came to Bernard in the early morning hours. He’d spent much of the night drifting in and out of sleep. Each time he woke, his brain puzzled on how to show Clara he cared deeply for her. It finally hit on a grand idea. He would need his friends and hers to make it happen. He thought it might normally take a few days to get it all arranged, but he’d try to do it in one.
He began making plans for the party that morning, talking to the McRaes and Fontaines, and inviting people. Reverend Bing was happy to hear the news and agreed to help the couple. Bernard also requested one of Clara’s favorites, Millie’s oatmeal pie. Edwin’s sisters offered to carry his invitation around to his friends.
Bernard took a detour from his party plans after lunch to visit Chet in jail.
He sat in a cell against the wall, his wrists resting on his knees. “Does the family know I lived?” Chet asked.
“Not yet,” Bernard answered.
Chet nodded in approval. “I’d rather live in a jail and let them think I died in the avalanche.”
“Your Pa asked to come get the bodies,” KC said as he walked up. “I answered the telegram and told him I’d love nothing more that to have him enter Colorado again. The sheriff in South Fork would like to talk with him about a few things that happened while they were in town before the attempted train robbery.”
Chet nodded and smiled. “I’m dead to them.”
I was once, too. It had been exactly what he’d needed.
“My report will say that four bodies were recovered and buried,” KC said.
“That’s enough.” Chet closed his eyes.
Bernard decided to talk with Judge Milton to see what could be done for Chet. Before he left KC’s office he asked, “What’s the news on Quint Doolin?”
“The fool blew up the dynamite early and didn’t have enough time to move out of range. Luckily, the safe fell on his leg and sheltered him from most of the blast. His leg’s busted up real bad, but JT thinks it will heal. He’ll be charged with train robbery.”
Bernard shook KC’s hand. “Yeah, it isn’t over for those two. See you later tonight”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
When Bernard got back home, he found Clara on the sofa, sewing. She held the pillow up “I’m finished.” she called.
“It looks real nice, Clara.” He made his way across to her, lifting her to stand. “I wondered if you would go put on something special?”
“What’s wrong with the dress I have on now?”
“Not one thing.” He kissed her cheek. “It’s lovely, and you look lovely in it, but I have a surprise for you.”
She set the pillow on the couch. “All right.” A small smile played at her lips.
After they dressed in their finest, Bernard and Clara walked out of their house. All the lights in the dining room of Hearth and Home glowed in yellow warmth in the pale evening.
“Is your surprise for me at the restaurant?” Clara asked.
“Yes, it is.” They walked several more steps in silence. He figured Clara thought he might add to his reply, but he wanted to savor her reaction when she found out.
“Will you give me a hint?” Her voice had an extra silky sound. Did she know how much resolve it took for him not to tell her?
“No. I’d like to show you.” Excitement grew in his heart with each step they took. He planned ahead about how he would have to hold the door in a way that would allow him to see her face as they entered the restaurant to find their friends waiting for them.
He and Clara would start over tonight.
“None of the upstairs windows are lit, but all of them downstairs are. That’s a little strange. It seems too late for them to be serving dinner, doesn’t it?” she asked.
Bernard just smiled and patted her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Yes, but I believe we will have dinner.”
She stopped abruptly. “Bernard T. Newell, what are you up to?”
“I’m just setting things right, Clara. It will all be clear in a few more steps. Please trust me.”
Her arm squeezed against his. “I will always trust you.” Her smile stretched, and he nearly turned her back the other way for a quiet evening at home. Oh, what wonderful things she did to him. He loved sitting with her on the sofa. He could look into her eyes and her face for a lifetime. In fact, he hoped he would. But tonight, they had something special waiting for them.
He worried for a moment but reminded himself that the pranks had stopped. He didn’t know who had done them, but he was glad they were over. Everything would be perfect.
They stepped onto the boardwalk and could hear the happy voices of people inside. He saw excitement on her face as she looked at him. The Jacksons were standing near the window as they passed. Clara stopped for a moment and looked around. Bernard saw Hannah, Marta, Eliza, Julianne, and Beth along with their husbands. These women shared a special bond that grew out of hardship. He was glad they would share in Clara’s joy, too.
As they entered, a few men let out a cheer, and the women clapped. Clara was taken aback as she stepped shyly into the room. He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her. He knew she didn’t usually like to be the center of attention, but tonight, she would be. He led her over to his table and seated her first.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” he said to the friends gathered there. When he turned back toward Clara, the world seemed to disappear before he dropped on one knee before her.
“Clara Hatfield, I wanted our friends to share this moment with us. I wanted to declare in front of all of them that finding you was the best moment of my life. But most of all, I want you to know that I love you. I want you to be my wife, my companion, and the keeper of my heart as long as we live. Clara, will you marry me?”
The room was completely silent for a long moment, and Bernard started to wonder if he’d made a mistake.
She leaned forward and whispered, “Bernard, we’re already married.” She hadn’t whispered low enough because her friends standing nearby giggled softly at her response.
“Clara, I want you to have the choice—not because your family abandoned you, not because you feel you have nowhere else to go, and not because you feel you’re obligated to a hasty marriage. I want you to choose me.”
Tears filled her eyes, and though her hand covered her mouth, she nodded enthusiastically.
“Until you say yes, darling, I’m going to have to keep saying nice things about you.”
This time, Clara left her chair, and with a rough voice, she whispered, “Yes, Bernard, I will marry you. I choose you every morning and night.” She leaned into Bernard’s arms, kneeling with him on the floor. She kissed him as if the whole world had disappeared and her friends didn’t fill the room.
Then Bernard heard Reverend Bing’s voice. “That kind of thing usually comes after I say the parts about I do.”
Bernard stood and helped Clara stand beside him. Reverend Bing walked to the other side of the room. Julianne and Millie stood at the front as Clara’s attendants, and Judge Milton stood as Bernard’s. Their friends parted to both sides of the room, and Bernard extended his arm, walking Clara up the aisle, coming to a stop in front of Reverend Bing.
“Dear friends, we have a special joy this evening to witness the spiritual joining of this couple. The law might say that Bernard Newell and Clara Hatfield have already been married, but it is their wish to solemnize their love and commitment before God and their friends today.”
Bernard held Clara’s right hand. He looked at the delicate fingers and felt her soft skin. He lifted her hand to his lips.
Reverend Bing cleared his throat. “You keep doing that, Bernard, and I’ll make sure this is the longest wedding sermon in the history of my service.”
“Longer than mine?” Edwin asked to the laughter of the room.
“I’ll mind my manners,” Bernard replied, but kept his eyes on Clara. “Keep it short.”
Reverend Bin
g started again. “In as much as Bernard and Clara have already agreed to live as man and wife in the eyes of the law, I ask each of you, will you live as man and wife in the eyes of the Lord? God ordained marriage between the first two people He created. We are taught in Corinthians that love suffers long and is kind. When we love, we do not envy or think ourselves better than the other but believe the best we can of our spouse and seek their happiness. For love to endure, we bear, believe, and hope.”
Bernard clung to that word. Hope, he had learned, was the act of clinging to the Lord’s love. Hope in his marriage would be clinging to Clara’s love. His heart expanded. Clara’s beauty was obvious, but now he knew her goodness, too.
“Clara, do you promise to love Bernard?”
“I do.”
“Bernard, do you promise to love Clara?”
Bernard slipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved a golden ring. Then he lifted Clara’s hand and removed the foil cigar band. He pushed the ring onto her finger and looked into her eyes. “I do.”
Her lips broke into an open smile, and her eyes were alive with affection. Bernard thought himself the luckiest man in Creede.
“May the Lord grant His blessings on your marriage and your life together.” The reverend looked at the couple. “Now, Bernard, you may kiss your bride.”
Bernard joined both of his hands with Clara’s and kissed her with all the love and promise that his heart could give to her, then whispered to her, “I’ll do a better job of that later.”
Friends lined up beside Bernard to slap his back or hug Clara. Her eyes twinkled, and her skin glowed. This was the joy she should have had at her wedding. It filled Bernard’s heart to see it.
“I requested a special treat for you. Would you care for some oatmeal pie, Mrs. Newell?” He led her back to toward their seats.
“I would. It’s my favorite.”
They retrieved a plate from the refreshment table. When Bernard picked his up, he noticed a penny under it. He checked under a couple more—no pennies. He looked around, but no one seemed to take particular notice. A fiddler began, and couples joined in with dancing. They ate the rich dessert, danced, and watched their friends celebrate their union.
Bernard enjoyed the party and their guests and the happiness he saw on his wife’s face. “Shall we go home, darling?” he asked some time later.
Clara nodded, a pretty smirk on her lips. “Yes. I believe you promised me some tea.”
About the Author
Jo Noelle is a Colorado native but lived in several other mountain states--Idaho, Utah, and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking (especially desserts), builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and by the way, she's two people--a mother/daughter writing team. We write sweet romance stories with contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, or time-travel twists.
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Connect with Jo Noelle online:
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P.S. I Love You
Lucky in Love
Waiting on Waylon
Kisses With KC
Suffrage and Suitors
Learning to Love
Newbie
All By My Selfie
One Last Summer
Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life
Amnesty
Years & an Ocean
See all of Jo Noelle’s books on Amazon.com
Cowboys and Angels Series
Here’s what’s already out:
Book 1: Beatrice the Bride
Book 2: Lucky in Love
Book 3: Rescuing the Rancher
Book 4: Taming the Trainer
Book 5: Mail Order Merchant
Book 6: Waiting on Waylon
Book 7: Hannah the Healer
Book 8: Wooing the Widow
Book 9: Bribing the Blacksmith
Book 10: Bargaining for Baby
Book 11: Kisses With KC
Book 12: Banking on Beth
Book 13: Captivating the Carpenter
Book 14: Reforming the Rebel
Book 15: Tea for Two
Book 16: Suffrage and Suitors
Book 17: Persuading the Preacher
Book 18: Healing the Hooligan
Book 19: Loving the Landlord
Book 20: Capturing the Cook
Book 21: Learning to Love
Hang onto your hat—there’ll be more!
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Also by Jo Noelle
P.S. I Love You
Lucky in Love
Waiting on Waylon
Kisses With KC
Suffrage and Suitors
Learning to Love
Newbie
All By My Selfie
One Last Summer
Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life
Amnesty
Years & an Ocean
See all of Jo Noelle’s books on Amazon.com
Copyright © 2018 by Jo Noelle
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Little Box Press LLC is the exclusive publisher.
The events, names, and characters are fictitious, and any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental.
