Chapter 54: I Do

~To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow—this is a human offering that can border on miraculous~. —Elizabeth Gilbert

Dannie stood in her long white gown in Mrs. Simmens’s parlor.

Today was the long-awaited wedding day, and the ladies of the Martin and Simmens households were preparing to depart for the church.

On this festive day, Dannie allowed herself to believe that maybe she was pretty. Perhaps not forever—perhaps tomorrow she would go back to being plain, unattractive Dannie. But today, as she looked at her reflection, she pronounced herself not just petty, but…beautiful.

“You weddin’ dress is a dream,” Sophie sighed as she carefully fixed the veil over Dannie’s delicate hairstyle. “Though I still think we should have added more lace. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s nice and all but a little too simple, if you ask me.”

“I like it the way it is,” Annie argued. “There’s no need to guild a lily. You can save all that lace for yer wedding day.”

“I’m not getting married any time soon! And I have yet to forgive Dannie for runnin’ off and gettin’ married without my blessin’.”

“I have your father’s blessing. That was all I really needed.”

“Oh, go ahead, break my heart all the way.”

“Dearest Sophie.” Dannie put her arms around her friend. “The Cora Belle isn’t all that far away.”

“It’s further than the town. Already, we hardly ever saw you. Now it will be never ever.”

“How dramatic you are.” Annie shook her head. “I’m losing her as a roommate, and I’m perfectly fine.”

“I would love to have you two come visit me once we have settled.”

“Have you seen your new home yet?” Sophie questioned.

“I haven’t. Jake wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Prepare yourself for the worst, then.”

Dannie burst out laughing at this and gave Sophie a kiss. “I hope one day, the two of you will be able to get along—but that will take a combined effort.”

“Can you imagine yourself as a cowboy’s wife? And out on a lonely ranch surrounded by ragtag men?”

“Sophie, you paint such wonderful pictures with words,” Dannie giggled as she turned back to the mirror. “I think I will make a good cowboy’s wife. Mrs. Simmens has taught me how to cook. I can now wash and starch and iron as well as any woman here. I’ve always known how to sew, and I think I can master gardening if I put my mind to it.”

“Still, you will be the only woman.”

“All the more reason for you to come and visit me. And who knows, maybe the other cowboys will start following Jake’s good example.”

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Martin. “Dannie dear, you look so lovely. How I wish your parents could see you now. They would be so proud.”

“They can see me,” Dannie said with a soft smile, raising her eyes. “I can feel them with me right now. I know they are happy about the way everything turned out.”

“I have a present for you.” Mr. Martin handed Dannie the box he was holding in his hands. “I wanted to give it to you before we left for the church, give it to you while you are still Danielle Preston.”

Dannie took the box and set it on the table. Opening the lid, she gave a gasp of delight. “Oh, Mr. Martin!” she cried in a thrilled voice.

“What is it?”

Sophie and Annie leaned over Dannie’s shoulder, trying to see what sort of wonderful gift Sophie’s father could have given.

Gently, Dannie pulled out a beautiful silver flute and showed it to the other girls. “How did you ever?” she asked in disbelief.

“Wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to obtain.” Mr. Martin smiled mysteriously. “But it is here, and it is in one piece.”

“Oh, play somethin’, Dannie,” Sophie begged. Dannie shook her head.

“I haven’t practiced in over a year. I’ll be terrible. I won’t play in public until I am as good as I used to be.”

“But that means Jake will get to hear you play that thing before I do!” Sophie grumbled.

“Speaking of Jake…” Mr. Martin glanced at the clock. “It is high time we got to the church. We don’t want to keep the groom waiting.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Dannie?” Sophie teased as Mr. Martin looped Dannie’s arm through his.

“Afraid of what?”

“That Jake will chicken out at the last minute and not show up?”

Dannie laughed and shook her head. “He’s not like that, silly.”

“Daddy said he was so nervous when he was gettin’ married that he barely made it to the church,” Sophie pointed out. “Who says Jake will be any different?”

“But I did make it,” Mr. Martin put in. “And if I know Jake, he’s already there, wondering what is taking us so long.”

***

“Ya nervous?” Sam asked as he stood by Jake at the altar.

“Should I be?”

“Ain’t it common to get all nervous when standin’ at the altar?”

Jake shook his head. “I’ve been waitin’ for this day for three months, and I see absolutely no reason why I should get nervous. I was nervous when I asked her to marry me. That was the hard part. This is the easy part. I don’t even have to come up with any speeches, just nod my head and say ~I do~.”

“What if she changes her mind an’ decides not to show up?”

“Dannie is not like that.”

“They’re all like that.” Sam winked at Jake. “Or so I remember you tellin’ a certain Abner Shaw.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, a man is allowed to change his mind, ain’t he?”

Sam chuckled. “Fine, fine, we won’t go there. I’m just tryin’ to get you to be at least a little uneasy.”

“Appreciate your support, Samuel Carthwrite!”

“Now, don’t go usin’ that tone with me. I just find it unfair that you’re all calm and composed. Why, when I was gettin’ married, I was so anxious the sweat was pourin’ down my brow at such an alarmin’ rate, I was sure I was meltin’—even though it was the middle of winter.”

“You were married?” Jake looked over at Sam in surprise.

“Long, long time ago.” Sam sadly nodded his head. “But let’s not remember the gone days; this is a day we want to think of everythin’ that is happy an’ hopeful.”

“What is takin’ them so long?” Jake grumbled.

“Oh, be patient, Jake. You’ve got to let women take their time.”

“I’ve been patient. I’ve been patient for three whole months; I’m tired of being patient!”

Sam laughed and slapped Jake on the back. “I’m surprised you made me your best man an’ not Clay Walkers.”

“Well, number one, I have to say it really is thanks to you that Dannie and I are getting married. Nothin’ would have happened if you hadn’t pulled me out to that silly dance. And number two, you know Clay will never set foot inside a church.”

“Right, I forgot about that. I wonder, does the boss mind that your wife is a rather religious person? He does have this personal vendetta against religion.”

“I told him, and he said he don’t care. You know how Clay is; as long as you don’t force somethin’ he don’t like on him, he’s cool with everythin’. I’ve never seen a more composed man in all my life. I’ll bet even if a tornado swept through the area and destroyed his ranch, he’d be like, oh well, nothin’ lasts forever.”

Sam chuckled at this and shook his head a little as he thought of the young owner of the Cora Belle.

Hearing a noise outside, he nudged Jake, who grew alert and stood up straight.

Soon the doors of the church opened, and Mr. Martin appeared, Jake’s bride by his side.

Jake took a deep breath. This was it. Just a few more minutes and that lovely girl in white would be his—and he would be hers.

***

“Do you, Jacob Carver Wade, take this woman, Danielle Frances Preston, to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God’s holy ordinance?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Danielle Frances Preston, take this man, Jacob Carver Wade, to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, and to obey, till death do you part, according to God’s holy ordinance?”

“I do.”

“With the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Reverend Simmens smiled as he spoke the last words.

Jake’s eyes shone as he leaned over and placed a kiss on his wife’s lips.

Mrs. Martin stood by her husband, crying tears of joy. Sam was almost happier than Jake as he shook Jake’s hand, offering his most hearty congratulations.

Sophie and Annie tried not to cry as they kissed the now Mrs. Jacob Wade. Caleb grinned from ear to ear and warned Jake he might not know what he had bargained for.

Mr. Martin also shook Jake’s hand, telling him to take good care of Dannie. Mack sighed and looked at Dannie a little wistfully. Other people from the town offered congratulations and words of advice.

Dannie caught a glimpse of a very gloomy Cal and tried to give him a supportive, sympathetic smile. He was a very good youth, and the girls of the town all swooned over him. Surely, he would be able to find himself a good, loving, and suitable wife?

After the festive wedding supper held in the reverend’s parlor, Jake helped Dannie into the wagon and, climbing up next to her, twitched the reins.

The wedding guests stood on the front porch, waving goodbye as Jake took his wife to the Cora Belle Ranch that was to be her home from now on.

***

“Here we are,” Jake said as he pulled the horses to a halt in front of the small, one-story house. He jumped down and lifted Dannie out. “Only, I’m warnin’ you, it’s not all that well set up inside. I mean, it’s clean and neat but…”

“Oh, Jake,” Dannie couldn’t help laughing. “I didn’t marry you because you were a good housekeeper but because you’re a bad one. Don’t worry, I love it already and with a little work, we’ll make it a home.”

A smile broke out on Jake’s face as he lifted his wife in his arms and gently kissed her. “Welcome home, Danielle Wade.”

Epilogue

It had been a week since Jake’s wedding, and Clayton Walkers figured it was safe enough to visit his cattle driver and wish him all the happiness.

Jake welcomed him warmly and introduced him to his wife. Clay was curious about this woman who had been able to transform the most bachelor of bachelors into a married man.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Wade,” he smiled.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Walkers,” she said in a polite voice. “Jake has told me a lot about you.”

“Likewise. Congratulations on your nuptials. Jake told me you were a great reader, and I have brought you a book as a wedding gift. I don’t know how much American literature you have been exposed to, and have taken it upon myself to introduce you to it.”

“Thank you.” She accepted the book and read the title. “Edgar Allan Poe? How delightful. Father was a great fan of his.”

Clay could not hide his surprise. “Really? I thought your father was a minister of the church?”

“He was.”

“Mr. Poe’s works are rather…well…dark, so to speak.”

“And?” She let out a merry laugh. “There is no rule that, just because poetry and fiction are on the darker side, a reverend can’t enjoy talent when he reads it. Thank you very much, Mr. Walkers. I had to leave all of Poe’s works behind when I crossed the ocean. Now I can start collecting it again.”

“My pleasure,” Clay said with a smile. He left as soon as politeness allowed. The newlyweds were just that—newlyweds—and it was awkward to be around them for too long.

But it wasn’t just that.

Seeing Jake and his new bride caused the old wounds to be reopened—and the memories came rushing in.

He had worked so hard to erase those memories, but they would not go away. He had locked himself up on the ranch to hide from them, but they persisted in resurfacing at any given opportunity.

“At least Jake is happy,” Clay comforted himself. “He deserves happiness after all he’s been through. And as for me…”

Out of the corner of his eye, Clay spotted a dark bird circling the sky. He paused as he watched the bird fly off into the twilight. A chilly wind blew about as the darkness settled upon him. A darkness that spoke of sadness, of betrayal, and of death.

“As for me,” Clay repeated, “Quoth the Raven, Nevermore.”

End of Book