Rosa had nearly worked herself into a frenzy and was pacing around her room, wringing her hands, when her youngest sister Emily came barging in.
"Rosa, there's a boy here for you. It's Luke Miller, and he's got flowers! What is he doing here? Is he courting you? Did you know about this? How could you not tell us?" Emily shot her questions out rapid fire, ending on a self-distressed wail as only a thirteen year old girl could.
Rosa completely ignored her and ran past her, not bothering to slow down until she got near the bottom of the stairs. She didn't want Luke to see her running like that. She needed to be cool and collected, or seem like she was anyway.
She turned the corner to the foyer and there was Luke, deep in conversation with her father. Rosa drank in the sight of him. She had not seen him since his going away party two years ago. He had certainly grown up, she thought. Rosa hung back, admiring from afar. Her heart swelled. There was no need to interrupt right now, she realized, they would notice her soon enough. She drank in the sight of him. Luke had filled out in the past few years, and grown even taller. He was probably almost six feet now, and for once Rosa was happy to have taken after her father height wise. She wasn't a giant, and nowhere near as tall as Luke, but she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look at him either.
His skin was sun-kissed a rich, golden brown, and his hair was lightened from the sun. The Georgia climate had certainly been good to him. He looked relaxed and happy. Rosa fervently hoped that she had something to do with the smile on his face as he spoke to her father.
She must have made a noise or something, because suddenly they both turned and noticed her. Her father gave her an indulgent smile, but her eyes were only for Luke.
Luke was still looking expectantly at her father. He frowned, but finally nodded. "What the heck? I understand she's been waiting a long time for this, so go on and have fun, but I want her back by dinner time."
Luke nodded and Rosa's heart filled at the joy so clearly evident on his face. He held his arm out to her, and she stepped forward to take it.
Just as they turned to walk out the door, her father stopped them. "Aw, what the heck? Forget dinner, just have her home before ten!"
"Thank you, Daddy," Rosa said leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed and blustered, and Rosa could see the tears in his eyes. They walked out and he quickly shut the door behind them.
Chapter 5
Luke and Rosa walked around the town hand in hand in companionable silence. Rosa could feel the stares and whispers of the townspeople. They weren't being mean or gossipy, just curious at the new development. For the most part, everyone chose to leave them alone as it was easy to deduce their relationship was brand new, and they were too wrapped up in each other to really notice anyone else anyway.
Sometime between their second and third tour around the small downtown, Luke stopped them. "This is nice, Rosa, but we should really go somewhere and talk. Have you had lunch?"
"Yes, I've eaten. Have you?"
"I have," he said patting his stomach. "But, I could probably go for a snack," he admitted sheepishly.
Rosa smiled. "Fries and a milkshake from Adele's? It's a weakness of mine."
"Adele's, it is. I hope you don't mind if I eat again. I have been dreaming of an Adele burger for the last two years. "
Rosa smiled and laughed. "Knock yourself out, but I might have to steal a bite or two," she teased.
They quickly made their way up the road to the town's beloved 50's style burger joint and went in. Rosa took a deep breath as they entered. It was their very first public date, which was kind of a big deal, at least in Green Valley.
As they entered, all eyes were on them. Many people gave gasps of surprise, and a few others whistled, and still a few more made teasing comments, but it was all in good fun. Rosa was embarrassed and froze in horror from all the attention. She didn't move until Luke squeezed her hand encouragingly and nudged her toward a booth.
Once they had ordered their food, and the other patrons had gotten bored of watching them and returned to their business, there was a definite lull in their conversation. Rosa didn't mind. She was comfortable around Luke, and enjoyed the thrill she got from just being with him.
From their open table in the back of the restaurant, they could hear the conversations of the neighboring customers perfectly. Rosa was trying to be polite and ignore it, or think of things to say to Lucas so she wouldn't be tempted to listen in, until two older ladies from church came in and took the double table right next to theirs. They were talking loudly, and as they went to sit down, one of the ladies jumped back up with a start and began to rub her ample bottom vigorously, as the other lady looked on knowingly.
"What did you do now?" her companion asked.
"I don't know what you mean!" her friend exclaimed with a laugh. "I never do anything! I am the perfect example of a virtuous wife!"
"Uh-huh. Might I remind you that I am married to the same man, and I live in the same house. I am having absolutely no trouble sitting. What was it this time, a hissy fit over something silly? Unfinished chores, a shopping spree, a few too many mimosas?"
The lady with the sore bottom glared at her companion. "Well, if you must know, I've been having trouble dealing with stress lately, and being motivated. Gerald has instituted daily maintenance this week to see if it helps me any."
"And is it," the first asked. "Helping any, I mean."
The one with the sore bottom grinned ruefully. "Well, it's certainly helping me not spend the day sitting around on my butt all day!" she exclaimed. The two ladies burst into laughter.
Rosa was both horrified and transfixed. She didn't notice how long she had been staring until Lucas knocked on their table to get her attention.
"Rosa!" he hissed, "You are being extremely rude."
Rosa went white at Luke's admonishing tone. She was humiliated, and refused to look at him. She felt horrible, both for ignoring Luke and for eavesdropping on a private conversation.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes glued to the blue Formica tabletop.
"Hey, now, look at me." Luke's voice was extremely kind. "It is not entirely your fault. They were being very loud and drawing attention to themselves. Frankly, they should know better. But, you should know better than to eavesdrop."
"I do, I do know better," she stammered. "It's just—how can they talk about it so casually, and so publicly? Aren't they embarrassed?"
"I admit they probably were speaking a little more loudly than was appropriate, but why should they be embarrassed? Domestic discipline is as common around here as plural marriage. We openly talk about our polygamous beliefs, so why not our other beliefs as well?"
"I… do you believe in domestic discipline, Luke?"
He smiled a bit and laced his fingers together against the table. "This is kind of heavy conversation for the beginning of our first date, but since you asked, I do. I am a big proponent for domestic discipline and what it can do for a marriage. Is that a problem?"
"I…. No, it's just..." Rosa trailed off. She could literally feel her face turning purple. She hated that her complexion did that. It was not a good color for her. "Most women don't mind it because they go from being spanked by their parents as children, to being spanked by their husband as adults. But, my father doesn't believe in spanking his children, at least not his daughters, and he only had girls."
Luke did a slight double take. "So, you're saying that you've never had a spanking?"
Rosa could not believe that this was the very first real conversation she and Luke were having. She nearly wanted to curse the loud mouthed ladies at the next table. Her only consolation was that Luke looked as displeased about it as she felt. However, he was still looking at her expectantly, and Rosa realized he was waiting for an answer. "No, I never have," she admitted quietly.
"Does it bother you too much that I intend to have domestic discipline in my marriage?" Luke actually looked afraid at the thought of upsetting her, but she
could also see from his steely gaze, that he would not be swayed from his position on the subject.
"Truthfully?" she asked and Luke nodded. "I realize that I would be hard pressed to find a man here who doesn't expect to live that way. My father spanks my mothers, just not us kids. So, I do understand it. I am a little terrified at the idea of a real spanking, but I understand how the concept is beneficial when practiced correctly with someone you trust. And I do trust you, Lucas."
His relief was obvious. "I'm so glad to hear you say that, Rosa. I promise to never make you doubt that trust." He paused. "I do believe in domestic discipline, and I do want it to be a part of our life. But, it's like my dad always says, if you don't want to be punished, don't do anything to warrant a punishment."
Rosa smiled. "My father says the same thing."
Luke sighed as the waitress headed towards them with their food. "I think it's time we moved to lighter conversation."
Rosa let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. And drew it in once more at Luke's last words.
"I don't ever want to catch you eavesdropping like that again, Rosa. It's not becoming."
Rosa dipped a fry in her ketchup and nodded, praying that this truly was the end of that part of the conversation. "Yes, Lucas, I understand."
* * * * *
Luke enjoyed watching Rosa. She had most definitely blossomed into a beautiful young woman while he was gone. Not that she hadn't been beautiful before, he reminded himself, he had always been intrigued by her. But she was the total package, beautiful inside and out. He knew that not everyone saw what he did. Even his friends had made rude remarks in her direction over the years. Not him, though. He had always held her in high regard. And how blessed he had been with the news that he had been chosen to join her in marriage.
Aside from the scene at Adele's, and the awkward conversation that followed, they had spent a blissful day getting to know each other. After eating, they had gone out to the lake and sat on the shore for hours. Just holding hands and talking.
They kept it light after the heavy conversation of earlier, and talked about their plans and goals, how many children they wanted and other fun but important details. He learned that Rosa's favorite color was red, and that she played violin. He told her about his time in Georgia, and about his wacky roommate at seminary. Most importantly, they set a wedding date. They would court for six weeks, which was almost twice as long as the norm, but Rosa was set on a wedding in Mid-September. The leaves were starting to turn, but the weather was not too hot or too cold. They were to be married at the church on September 19th.
Luke would have married her tomorrow, if possible, but he wanted Rosa to have the wedding of her dreams. He would have agreed to anything just to see her smile like that.
He had her home before dark and made plans to pick her up for church the following morning, as long as her parents approved. He went home on cloud nine. He could not have imagined a better homecoming.
Chapter 6
Rosa and Luke were on a date in the city. Luke had insisted that they take a day and get away from everyone. Their wedding was only three weeks away, and aside from that first date, they hardly had an hour to themselves. Most of their dates so far had been church functions, family dinners, and wedding related errands.
They had also spent a lot of time house hunting. They finally found a small carriage house near the church. Until he officially became bishop, it was all Luke could afford. It had been vacant for years, and they would spend the next few weeks trying to fix it up.
He hadn't even told Rosa about it yet. At the moment, it was a complete disaster. He and his dad planned to spend a few days working in there before they even brought Rosa to see it. She was stressed enough about wedding details, he didn't want to add to it. He knew as hectic as the last three weeks had been, the next three were going to be worse. They needed some time together before things got really crazy.
Luke also planned today as the day they talked about domestic discipline and how it would fit into their marriage. He wanted everything laid out beforehand, so there would be no surprises on either side. From this point on, he would discipline her whenever it was warranted.
He took her to his favorite Italian bistro for lunch, and he was pleased to learn that they had similar tastes. After a long lunch, they got some cannoli to go, and he took her to a park that he had loved as a kid. There was a big lake in the middle, with trails to walk all around. People fished the lake and there were picnic tables and gazebos spread all around. It was the perfect spot for a private conversation.
They walked around a bit before taking a seat at a picnic table beneath a cluster of oak trees. Luke took Rosa's hand across the table. "It's time for us to have that talk," he told her seriously.
"The DD talk?" Rosa used the popular abbreviated terminology.
"It's time to discuss starter rules, and discuss what kinds of punishments you can expect if you disobey."
She was having a hard time meeting his eyes, and Luke could see that she was uncomfortable. He felt for her, but he wasn't going to beat around the bush, or put off having this talk any longer. It was too important. "Rosa, I need you to answer me. This isn't going to be a one-sided conversation. These are things we both need to agree on."
Rosa nodded, but she was still refusing to look at him.
"Rosa, I'm very serious," he insisted, squeezing her hand. "I know you're uncomfortable, I get it. Don't forget, this is new territory to both of us. You've never been spanked before, and I've never given someone a spanking."
That got her attention. She finally looked up at him and smiled. "We'll have our first time together. I like that."
"We'll experience a lot of firsts together," he told her, his tone laden with innuendo. He knew he was bordering on inappropriate, but he couldn't help it. He loved to see her blush.
"Lucas! Stop!" she squealed and smacked at his hand across the table.
As she did, that he reached out and grabbed her arm, holding it with his. "Can we get back to the subject at hand then? Are you ready to participate?" His tone was firm but kind.
"Yes Lucas, I'm sorry. It's just so embarrassing!"
"Well then, let's get it over with, okay?" He pulled a small memo pad out of his jacket pocket. "I've listed out some basic rules to start with, and we can always add to it if needed."
The rules he had decided on were pretty simple and encompassing, and Rosa agreed easily. No disrespect, dishonesty, disobedience, or dangerous behavior. He knew they had to be things she already expected, as they were pretty common rules for all domestic discipline marriages. Luke spent a few minutes explaining what he expected in terms of each of them, but it was pretty basic. Treat herself and him with respect, follow the household rules, don't speed, don’t text and drive, or leave doors unlocked, things like that. He also reminded her of his forthcoming position in the church.
"Rosa, from this point on, everything you do reflects on me. You can be my greatest asset or my biggest liability. It is of utmost importance that even now, you regard yourself as a bishop's wife and act accordingly. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes, Lucas," she said.
* * * * *
After their talk, they made their way to a popular shopping center, and took in a movie. Then, Lucas insisted that they go into a jewelry store. Rosa assumed that they were just window shopping, so when the jeweler greeted Luke by name, and took him into the back room, she was confused.
When Lucas came out and got down on one knee in front of her, holding a small, but beautiful, diamond solitaire ring, she was shocked beyond belief. She squealed, and said yes, even though that was a given, and helped him to his feet. She wanted so badly to kiss him, but it was custom to save that for the wedding ceremony. She settled for a hug, and after having the jeweler take their picture, they thanked him, and walked out of the jewelry store hand in hand. Rosa made Lucas walk to the right of her, so she could admire her ring from time to time, while still hol
ding his hand.
She was so enthralled by the day, and her new engagement ring, that she failed to see trouble heading their way—in the form of Carolyn Atwood. Had she seen her coming, she would have crossed the street to avoid her, but she was too wrapped up in her happiness to take notice until it was too late.
Carolyn looked as annoyingly perfect as usual, with her blond ringlets and her southern belle dress. Rosa felt a smidge of her usual feelings of insignificance and comparison creeping up on her, but she quickly pushed them away. She was no longer the shy, plain, wallflower of her school-girl days. It had been over a year since she had last seen Carolyn. But the past year had been an important one for Rosa, and she had changed drastically inside and out. She was comfortable in her own skin, and she would not allow Carolyn to intimidate her. Besides, she had the one thing Carolyn did not. She had Lucas.
And now she had the diamond ring to prove he was hers, as well.
Carolyn stopped short in front of them, and immediately began to fawn over Luke, and ignore that Rosa was even there.
"Lucas Miller! Is that you? Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! It's been what, two years?" Carolyn drawled, grabbing Luke to her chest in a forced hug. Luke sent Rosa a deer caught in headlights look, and carefully disentangled himself from the force that was Carolyn.
Rosa breathed a sigh of relief. Of course Luke had it under control. He always knew just how to handle Carolyn.
"Carolyn." Luke's greeting was short but kind. He was never unkind, Rosa realized. He would make a wonderful bishop.
"Luke," Carolyn drawled, running a finger across his chest suggestively. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" She puffed out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout and Rosa couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.
Luke was too nice. He actually fell for Carolyn's pouting, and apologized for his short greeting. Rosa couldn't believe it. She had always thought Luke too smart for Carolyn's wiles, and now with a pout and flutter he was eating out of her hand?
Luke's First Bride Page 4
