As we break through the clearing I can see why. He’s had someone cut the field next to the stream that feeds the lake and there’s a table set up with a picnic basket and two chairs with a beautiful springtime bouquet filled with my favorite flowers at the center.
“What is all of this?”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful. And romantic.” I look at him, lean over and give him a kiss. “It’s perfect.”
I dismount my horse and hand the reins to Matt who ties them to a stake he put in last summer since we come here so often. I go to the table to see what he’s brought us for lunch, but when I turn around to ask him what we’re having, I find him in front of me, cowboy hat in hand, on bended knee.
My heart beats faster and my eyes sting with emotion.
“Faith Deveraux, I love you more than you could possibly know. I promise to love you for the rest of my life and to take care of you and protect you and be everything you need. Will you marry me?”
He presents the box and when he opens it, the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen is sparkling back at me. It’s simple and elegant and not too big.
“Yes,” I whisper, feeling the tears stream down my face. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The words slipped from my mouth before I even realized what I was saying. Was I ready after all this time to get married again?
I didn’t know, but what I did know was that I loved Matt with all of my heart, soul and strength. I knew he was and would always be my best friend and that I would never have to question his motives or his intent.
He is and will always be a good man.
He got up from the ground and took me in his arms and kissed me gently, but enthusiastically.
“You’ve just made me the happiest man in the entire world,” he smiled.
“Well that’s good, because you’ve made me the happiest woman in the entire world,” I smile through tears.
It was at that particular moment my stomach decided to grumble with hunger. Very loudly.
We both laughed.
“What did you pack for us?”
“My mother made her famous pecan chicken salad sandwiches and potato salad.”
“Yum!” I say. “And what’s for dessert?”
“Chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies.”
“I can’t wait to dig in.”
“Thank you,” he says as he takes the seat opposite mine.
“For what?”
“For giving me a chance. For our friendship. For your love. For saying yes to forever with me.”
I get up from my seat and walk over to sit in his lap.
“Thank you,” I smile back at him. “For not giving up on me.”
We kiss and eat and laugh and life seems pretty darned perfect.
“Do my parents know?” I ask as I sit back down at the table and take my first bite of his mother’s pecan chicken salad. Even the bread is homemade and tastes so good.
“I asked your father for permission two days ago.”
My eyes widen.
“I take it he said yes.”
“He wished me luck. He said he would be proud to have me as a son-in-law, but he didn’t know if you were ready.”
The atmosphere turned serious for a moment and I took a sip of iced tea to wash down my food.
I look across from him and see the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Faith
I check my reflection in the mirror and feel more at peace than I have in years. I cannot wait to marry Matt and begin a new life with him.
He’s loved me and encouraged me in everything, even getting a graduate degree. I will graduate in six months with a degree in architecture. Matt has been with me every step of the way. He’s everything I could have ever asked for in a partner.
Knowing what the alternative is, I am even more grateful.
I hadn’t thought of Daniel in a long, long time. He remains in jail and will be for at least another seven years. My stomach still lurches when I think of him or even the possibility of seeing him again. However, at this point the likelihood that he would even be looking for me, knowing that I’m dead, is almost non-existent.
If he did know I was alive, he’d come for me. I know this with the same certainty that the sun will come up tomorrow. He would finish what he started.
A shiver runs through me at the thought of what he almost accomplished three years ago.
“Are you cold?” my mother asks, coming over to me and putting her arms around me.
“I’m fine,” I whisper.
“You’re visibly shaking. What is it? The wedding? Are you nervous about marrying Matt tomorrow?”
I turn and smile at her.
“Marrying Matt is the only thing I’m not nervous about. I’m marrying my best friend. I love him so much, Mom.”
“Then what’s got you so anxious, sweetheart?”
I swallow. Almost fearing saying his name out loud lest it cast some sort of curse on my life.
“Daniel,” I whisper. “I keep thinking how different I feel marrying Matt than how I felt that day marrying Daniel. I had a dread in my gut that day, mom, even though I wouldn’t admit to anyone. A feeling inside telling me that something about him wasn’t right. That I shouldn’t be marrying him. I should have trusted that instinct.”
“Shhhh,” my mother kisses my temple. “You had no way of knowing just what kind of a monster he was. True, I thought there were strange things about him, but I never dreamed he was dangerous.”
“Daddy knew,” I say. “He knew Daniel wasn’t the right man for me.”
“Yes,” my mother agreed. “Daddy knew.” She sighs deeply, then smiles at my reflection in the mirror. “He likes Matt.”
I smile.
“I like Matt too.”
“He’s kind-hearted and he’s good to you. I know I don’t have to worry about you with him. I worried when you married Daniel even though I kept it to myself.”
“I worried when I was with Daniel too,” I admit. “I just didn’t say anything.”
“Does Matt know?”
My gaze meets hers.
“About Daniel? Or about the fact I’m not the person I claim to be?”
“Legally, you are the person you claim to be,” she gives me a stern look. “But I have wondered if you ever told him.”
“No,” I admit. “I’ve never said anything to him other than I had a bad breakup before we moved here and that’s why I wasn’t ready to get into another relationship.”
She nods at me and takes a step to pick up her dress and head to the dressing room.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Should I tell him?
“Do you want to?”
I nod my head.
“I don’t want to start this marriage with secrets between us.”
“Then you should tell him,” she smiles.
“What if he feels differently about me after I tell him?”
“Then he’s not the man I think he is.”
“I’ll tell him,” I sigh out the breath I was holding. “I’ll tell him tonight after our rehearsal dinner.”
The rehearsal dinner was intimate and special and had all of the people who were closest to both of us. It was at Matt’s family’s ranch and his father grilled steaks for everyone while his mother made the most amazing food I’ve ever tasted.
Snow is already on the ground and it promises to be a harsher winter than the previous years since we moved here. I don’t mind. There’s a raw beauty to this place and I love everything about it.