by Jeff High
I cut my eyes at her and grinned. She looked up and met my stern gaze with an equal measure of glaring disdain. But I could see the corners of her mouth begin to crumble, and soon a broad grin erupted. I leaned in close to her ear and whispered.
“I love you, Constance Grace. And I always will.”
In that moment, Connie seemed to have lost all of her defensive measures. "I love you, too, Luke." She pressed her lips together firmly, and large tears began to emerge in her eyes. We continued our slow, shuffling dance until eventually, she did her best to smooth away the tears streaming down her face. Gathering herself, she spoke in a kind but resolute voice.
"Thanks for the dance, Luke. But I want you to know that as soon as we're done, I plan on smacking you for making me cry in front of everybody."
“Not a problem.”
The band kicked up a lively tune, and the dance floor filled immediately. For the next couple of hours, everyone celebrated. The laughter, the merriment, and the smiles were endless. At some point, Christine did the traditional toss of her bouquet to a rather sizeable crowd of anxious and surprisingly aggressive singles. Apparently, in the business of matrimony, all possible good omens were given full credence. Along the way I enjoyed a delightful slow dance with Madeline Chambers who was more talkative and animated than I had ever seen her. I was reminded of how much I truly liked her, and I knew that in the category of mother-in-law, I was fortunate.
It was near time to go inside and change when I felt a small hand tug on my coat sleeve. It was Adelyn House. Almost instinctively, I smiled and picked her up, balancing her on my hip.
“Adelyn, you did a wonderful job as the flower girl. You were beautiful.”
She spoke with a polite and careful pronunciation of her words.
"You're welcome. I have to leave now because Andrew and I have to go home. It’s almost our bedtime.”
“I understand. Thank you for coming and telling me.”
“I also want to congratulate you. Daddy said that’s what people are supposed to do.”
“That’s right. And thank you for that, too. But that wink you gave me at the church was congratulations enough.”
With her grandly expressive face, Adelyn stiffened her neck and gave me a puzzling look. “That wasn’t a congratulation. That was about the angels.”
It took me a moment to assimilate what she was saying. Then, I remembered. I spoke in an accommodating voice, endeavoring to humor her. “Oh, I see. And were there many angels there?”
She nodded her head up and down emphatically. “A lot. And three of them were your friends.”
I looked at her curiously. “My friends?”
"Umm-hmm. The three people in the picture at your house. The one with you as a little boy. They were there."
Forgetting all manner of etiquette, I could do little more than stare at her blankly. I was speechless. She was referring to the picture of my parents and my Aunt Grace. Adelyn was a gifted child, yet it seemed unlikely she would have concocted such a tale out of the blue, much less have the planning and forethought to wink at me as a staging for a later story. Part of me was doubtful. And yet, from deep within was a voice that cautiously hoped that perhaps it was true. I simply couldn’t know for sure. Regaining myself, I smiled and thanked her once again. I set her down and watched her walk to her waiting brother. The day held fascinations that were larger than I knew.
Soon it was time to change and make our getaway. As planned, I was changed, ready, and waiting in the front entry hall shortly after eight. As was not planned, Christine arrive some twenty minutes later. I sat patiently and chatted with the photographer, knowing that this might be a harbinger of married life. But when she did appear down the steps, the wait was all but forgotten. She was gorgeous. Wearing a light blue sundress, she looked incredible. She hugged her mother and turned to me.
I took her hand. “You ready for this?”
Under a virtual downpour of rice and a continuous roar of cheers, we dashed our way to Mr. Clancy’s carriage. After we climbed aboard, I held my breath to see if the old horse could exert the necessary inertia to get the wheels moving. To my delight, she took off abruptly; so much so that Mr. Clancy had to reign her in.
The long driveway was lined with people shouting and clapping and waving goodbye. Oil lamps had been placed along both sides, providing an enchanting illumination against the waning twilight. The moment seemed incredible, dreamlike, surreal. I was leaving Watervalley.
To my amazement, that reality threw me, and there was an unexpected moment of genuine apprehension. But it passed quickly. With my new bride, I was about to embark on an extraordinary adventure, a new and different episode on my life. When it was done, Watervalley would be here. The farmers would still plow their fields, Maylen would still cut hair, and Mayor Hickman would continue to dream up idiotic ideas that would prove that the space between his ears housed a perpetual vacancy. The seasons would roll forward, life would continue, the earth would endure. Watervalley would grow and change, but not so much as to lose its identity. For me, there was a deep and abiding comfort in that knowledge.
Christine roused me from my temporary trance. “Sweetheart, it’s time to keep your promise.”
“My promise?”
“Yes, Luke. The honeymoon.”
“Oh, right. The honeymoon. Well, tonight is Nashville, the Presidential Suite of the Hermitage Hotel. Tomorrow afternoon we catch a plane to Rome, first class, mind you. We spend the night there and then take the train to a place called Poggio Ai Santi. It’s in Tuscany and overlooks the Mediterranean. A week later we take the Eurail up through Provence to a place called Chateau De Rochecotte. We stay there for a few days and then to Paris for a few more. From Paris, we fly home.”
For the first time in memory, Christine was speechless. She flatly stared at me in a blend of excited disbelief. “Wow. That was too detailed. You couldn’t have just made it up.”
“Of course not. That’s it. That’s our honeymoon.”
“I was thinking something at the beach in Florida or maybe a place in the Caribbean. But Italy and France?”
“Italy and France.”
“How are you affording this?”
I laughed and shrugged lightly. “I’m not.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Your Uncle John. He’s paying for all of it.”
“Uncle John is paying for it?”
“Yup. I fought him tooth and nail but, in the end, he insisted. His only requirement was that I not tell anyone. Because, if where we were going got out, you would know something was up. He didn’t want to have to deal with any discussions on the subject.”
“So that’s why all the silence on the honeymoon?”
“That’s why.”
“Wow,” she said again in disbelief. “My sweet Uncle John.”
“You may be the only person alive who would put those words in the same sentence. But at any rate, I think he loves you more than you know.”
Christine looked at me artfully. “I think he loves you more you know.”
I gazed downward and smiled. “Could be.”
After a moment, I took Christine’s hand. “All I know is that for the next two weeks, we are in for an incredible time.”
By now we had reached the end of the drive and Mr. Clancy pulled the old horse to a stop. The sides of Summerfield Road were lined with parked cars. A number of the guests were already there waiting, primarily to see my reaction at the state of my Austin Healey. As I helped Christine down from the carriage, she put her hand to her mouth in dismay. “Oh, Luke. Look what they did.”
My car was covered in shaving cream and glitter. There was soap writing on the windshield along with several long strands of rope adorned with cans and bells. It was a disaster. I was unaffected.
As we walked toward it, I spoke with great amusement. “Looks like they did a masterful job of trashing the blue baby.”
Christine looked at me curiously. “What are we goin
g to do?”
Never breaking stride, I smiled and grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”
We went hurriedly past my car and then three cars beyond. I reached in my pocket and grabbed the keyless remote. The lights of the next car ahead blinked. I released Christine’s hand and nodded toward the passenger side. “Hop in.”
She did so. Seconds later, we were pulling away before any of the pranksters had a chance to catch up or realize what we had done. We were in John’s new AMG Mercedes.
“Luke. This car is incredible.”
“Yeah, John bought it two days ago. We’re just borrowing it, though.”
“Where’s all our stuff?”
“In the trunk. That’s why I had you leave your luggage at my house.”
“So, you and John had this all planned out?”
“Absolutely, this was your day, sweetheart. I wanted it to be perfect.”
Christine turned and stared ahead in a mixture of astonishment and adoration. I remained focused on the road but occasionally looked her way with a quiet, contented smile. In time her eyes softened, and she turned toward me, searching my face. She was incandescently happy.
“Something on your mind, brown eyes?”
She leaned back against her seat absorbing the moment. “Yes,” she said with quiet confidence. “I have something I want to tell you.”
I looked her cautiously. “Okay.”
“I love you, Luke Bradford. I look at you and I see the answer to a lifetime of searching, of wondering, of prayers. Being with you has been a dream that I thought would never happen. So, this may sound a little silly, but thank-you. Thank-you for pursuing me even though I kept turning you down. Thank you for being willing to stay in Watervalley because you thought that would make me happy. Thank you for loving me even though we may never be able to have children of our own. And thank you for making this day perfect, more so than I had ever imagined.”
I smiled warmly. “I’ve been in love with you from day one, Christine. So, all those things were easy.” I let a long moment pass and then added. “Now, on the other hand, dealing with your grandmother...”
“Stop,” she blurted teasingly, shaking her head. “Is there a serious bone in your body?”
“Does there need to be?”
“I guess you have a point.”
We rode along in silence. But after a short while, she leaned toward me and spoke in a sultry whisper. “So, all that is to say that I want everything to be the perfect for you, too.” She paused, moving closer to my ear. “And this day isn’t over yet.”
I spoke quietly and emphatically. “Sweetheart, I have no doubts on that subject.”
A pleased, impish grin emerged, and she tucked a loose strand of her long hair away.
“Luke, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“During the ceremony, you seemed distracted. You were looking at me the entire time, but you seemed elsewhere. Am I getting that wrong?”
“Oh, I was there the whole time. I was just looking into your eyes.”
She seemed unconvinced and lifted an amused but wary eyebrow, no doubt, somewhat skeptical of my response. “I see. And tell me, Luke Bradford,” she said playfully. “What do you see when you look in my eyes.”
I didn’t speak immediately. I doubted I would ever be able to put into words the depth of love I had for her; of how when I looked into the well of her eyes, I saw all the possibilities for happiness that one lifetime could hold. It seemed that so many things about her would always fascinate me, would always amaze me, would always be a mystery to me. And oddly, I knew that I wouldn’t want it any other way.
In time, I turned to her, smiled, and answered with a single word.
“Forever.”
POSTLUDE
Eight Months Later
LUKE SMILED AT THE receptionist but never broke stride. He was late; shamefully late. He knew the white coat and the physician’s medical ID gave him a license to bluff his way past without checking in. But once he slipped through the door to the clinic hall, he was lost. Christine had texted him the exam room number, but Vanderbilt Women’s Health was a large enterprise. A passing nurse read his apprehension. Before she could speak, he blurted, “Exam room seventeen?”
“Down the hall and to the right?”
“Thanks!”
He stepped quickly. By all calculations, this was week eighteen and missing the first ultrasound was punishable by public flogging. Acts of contrition performed in the name of marriage maintenance would be required. Rounding the corner of the long hall, the thought occurred to him; flogging might be preferable.
He shoved opened the exam room door and began a litany of apologies.
“Sorry, sorry. I got caught up in a phone call with Matthew. Big happenings on the home front. But, it can wait. So, where are we? Are we done? Did I miss it?”
Dr. Tian, the OB-GYN was stretched out in the chair next to the exam table, conversing lightly with Christine. Despite her full-blooded Chinese heritage, she spoke with a thick southern drawl, having been born and raised in the town of Cullman, Alabama.
“Well, Luke. You got here on the right day. There might be a few style points for that.”
“I can lie on the floor and let you kick me for a while.”
Dr. Tian smiled at Christine, offering her a conspiratorial wink. “Hold that thought,” she said as she rose from her chair. “We did take a preliminary peek while we were waiting.”
He turned to Christine. “So, what’s the news?” She looked at Dr. Tian, the two of them exchanging a silent, mischievous glance.
Dr. Tian filled the void. “Why don’t we show you?”
Luke sharpened his gaze, searching back and forth between the two of them. As Dr. Tian began to slowly glide the probe across Christine’s swollen abdomen, Luke studied the monitor intensely. The confusion on his face was easily read.
“Okay, I know I have a medical degree and a nifty monogramed white coat to prove it....but, I’m clueless. What am I looking at here?”
Finally breaking her silence, Christine gazed at him tenderly.
“Triplets.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to my devoted readers who have waited so patiently for this story. Seriously. I mean it. I’ll try not to be so long with the next one.
As always, thanks to my family and friends for their continued love and support.
Thanks to Lisa Strong for her wonderful artwork for the cover. Pay her a visit at https://lisastrongart.com/.
And special thanks to Bill and Teresa for their fabulous assistance with editing
Books in the Watervalley Series
More Things in Heaven and Earth
Each Shining Hour
The Splendor of Ordinary Days
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JEFF HIGH is the award winning and bestselling author of the Watervalley Series. After growing up on a farm in rural Tennessee, he attained degrees in literature and nursing. He worked for many years at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and as a travel nurse in open-heart surgery. When not at the keyboard, he divides his time between his farm in Tennessee and working as an RN in Augusta, Georgia.
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