Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, but Kathryn had been wide awake well before the sun appeared across the Eastern horizon. Saturday morning she had met Bill secretly in his office where he gave her the finalized paperwork for her wedding gift to Nathan. Today, after they met with Pastor Joseph to make decisions about their wedding ceremony, her gift would be revealed. Keeping a secret from Nathan as they spent time together all afternoon Saturday was the most difficult thing she had ever done. Kathryn had taken Allie to lunch at the café and asked her to be her maid of honor, which led to a delighted squeal and a big hug from her daughter-to-be.
Saturday evening, Nathan and Kathryn made dinner for Thomas and Anne and asked them to be in the wedding party. Both readily agreed, as little Elsie cooed in support of their growing family. Allie was getting close to her little almost-cousin, and talked constantly about becoming a big sister. Nathan’s desire for a child was growing as he spent more time holding Elsie, and as his wedding to Kate drew near. Having a family of his own was so close he could almost taste it, but he wouldn’t let himself get too excited until Pastor Joseph announced the two of them to be husband and wife.
Nathan woke up Sunday morning to the smell of coffee and bacon wafting upstairs, and knew he must have slept in too long if Allie had started cooking her own breakfast. His mind had been too full to get a good night’s rest. Kate had been acting strange, and even Thomas told him she had snuck out early Saturday morning without an explanation. He sincerely hoped she wasn’t getting cold feet. Nathan wanted to be optimistic, but his life had been one disappointment after another. He threw on some casual clothes and wandered downstairs where Allie was just making him a plate of breakfast and placing it on the table.
“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Allie greeted him. “Church starts in one hour so you better eat breakfast and get dressed. I know you are discussing wedding plans with Pastor Joseph after, so you might want to be on time today.”
“Sorry,” Nathan apologized. “I didn’t sleep very well last night. Thank you for always taking care of me, Allie girl. I don’t know what I would do without you.” She sat next to him at the kitchen table and the two of them ate together in relative silence for a few minutes.
“I can’t believe I get to be the maid of honor,” Allie said excitedly. “I wonder if I’m going to get another brand new dress? Do you know what colors you are going to use for your wedding?”
“Um…” Nathan hesitated for a minute. “Should I know this? We did make a lot of decisions about the wedding, but I don’t remember colors coming up. I guess we’ll talk about that later today. I’m sure whatever dress you wear, you will be the most beautiful maid of honor I’ve ever seen.”
Allie rolled her eyes and scowled. “You have to say that because you are my Dad.”
Nathan laughed. “No, I say that because it’s true.” They had finished eating, and took the dishes to the sink where he washed and Allie dried. When they were finished cleaning up, he headed upstairs to get ready for church.
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After breakfast with the rest of the family, Kathryn went to her room to change and waited for Nathan to come over so they could walk to church together. It was killing her to keep secrets from her soon-to-be husband, but she was certain he would forgive her once she made the big reveal later that day. She hoped things wouldn’t be awkward during church services and their meeting with the pastor. When she had finished getting dressed and doing her hair, Kathryn sat on her bed and mindlessly picked up the magazine Clara had given her from the dress shop so she could look at ideas for Allie and Anne’s dresses for the wedding.
Getting lost in her thoughts, Kathryn was surprised to suddenly hear a knock at the door downstairs. Butterflies went wild in her stomach as she quickly stood up, smoothed her skirt, and grabbed her handbag before leaving her room and making her way down the stairs. Anne and Thomas were still in their room fussing over baby Elsie, so she was the first to reach the door.
Nathan nervously knocked on the Bradshaw’s door. Allie had gone ahead with her friends, but promised she would sit with him and Kathryn during the service. After a minute or two, he heard familiar footsteps head toward the door and it swung open, revealing his very beautiful fiancé. She wore a light blue dress that was among his favorites, and her hair was partially up with the rest flowing down her back in loose curls. His heart sped up as he contemplated marrying this woman in a few weeks. She smiled warmly, and stepped out on the porch.
As Kathryn opened the door and took in a breath at how handsome Nathan looked in his navy suit, she smiled and joined him outside. “Good morning,” she greeted him, moving in for a warm embrace. “You always look so handsome in that suit,” she murmured, nuzzling her face into his strong chest.
All of his worries started to fade as Nathan wrapped his arms around Kate and breathed in her intoxicating scent. “Thank you, my love. But you are the one who looks beautiful. Are we not waiting for the rest of the family?”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Are you disappointed you have to walk alone with me?” she teased. “Thomas and Anne were getting themselves and the baby ready. They will join us shortly. I’m assuming Allie wanted to walk with her friends?”
“How did you guess?” Nathan questioned with a smirk. “She’ll meet us there, then after church she is going on a picnic with Opal’s family so we can meet with Pastor Joseph and have our own picnic lunch together.” He grabbed Kate’s hand and led her down the stairs and onto the street leading into town. They talked of trivial matters and said hello to many other Hope Valley citizens also walking to church on the beautiful Sabbath morning.
Allie was standing under the shade of a tree outside of the church talking to Robert. Nathan groaned and Kathryn couldn’t help but chuckle at anxiety the budding teenage romance was causing him. “Ah, I now see why she was in such a hurry to get ahead of you,” she snickered.
“I like Robert,” he started to explain, but ended it at that before he said something he might regret.
When Allie saw Nathan and Kathryn, she quickly left Robert to come meet them on their way into the church. “You both made it,” she uttered a little breathlessly, with some color spreading over her cheeks. “I was just saying hi to Robert. Are you ready to go inside?” The church bell began ringing, signaling it was time for everyone to get inside so the services could begin. They found an empty pew a few rows from the front where they settled in and saved a place for the other Bradshaws.
Both Nathan and Kate had a hard time staying awake, due to their sleep struggles the night before. Allie kept poking her Dad in the ribs to wake him up when he drifted off, and Kathryn would pinch herself when she started to feel drowsy. Thomas, Anne, and Elsie made it just in time for the sermon. Kathryn held her little niece, which helped her remain alert, and Nathan made faces at the baby which made her coo and smile in response. When church was over, everyone filed out of the church, but Nathan and Kathryn remained seated.
When Pastor Joseph had finished shaking hands and talking with everyone as they left, he came back and sat in the pew across from the soon-to-be-married couple. “Now then,” he began. “You are all set to be married in just a few weeks. I wanted to make sure your wedding ceremony is what you want, as well as give you a little counsel of what to expect out of your marriage.”
“We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us,” Kathryn began, squeezing Nathan’s hand with excitement and a bit of apprehension. “We are grateful you have agreed to perform the ceremony for us.”
“Of course,” Joseph replied. “I think you two make a wonderful couple and are such good examples of public service in our community. Now, are you planning on having your ceremony in the church?”
“Do we have to make that decision right now?” Kathryn asked, looking at Nathan to gauge his response. “I need to discuss this with Nathan this afternoon, so we could let you know later this week what our final decision is as far as location goes.”
Nathan sat in stunned silence, unsure of what was going on in Kate’s mind. “We probably should have talked about that when we were making all of the other plans this weekend,” he admitted. “I guess it is just a good thing we are figuring out what details we missed now before the wedding gets any closer.”
Joseph just smiled in a reassuring manner. “I think God is present when two people are joined together in marriage, no matter the location. You two talk about it and just let me know when and where I need to be on that day. Mostly, I wanted to find out what you were wanting as far as verses you may want me to read, and if you want to recite your own vows or just do something traditional. Of course you can discuss all of that as well and let me know in advance. But more than that, I just wanted to get to know the two of you better and find out how you feel about the sacred institution of marriage. As you know, a wedding is just one day...the marriage lasts a lifetime. I just have a few suggestions, mostly from personal experience, on how to make your relationship last through the good and bad times you will assuredly face.”
Both Nathan and Kathryn leaned in close together and he put his arm around her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “We would be honored to take any advice you have to give,” Nathan assured him. “My parents and my sister - Allie’s mom - did not have successful marriages, so I am sad to say that was never modeled to me growing up. However, I have had some mentors among the Mounties who did have the kind of marriage I always hoped to have someday. I feel Kate and I have a very solid foundation and a desire to have a strong and loving marriage.”
“I am very fortunate my parents did have an affectionate relationship growing up, but sadly my mother was sick most of my life and passed away when I was just younger than Allie. Later I lived with my aunt who has never married, and even though she has a very full life, I always had the desire to marry and have a family. I never thought I would find a man like Nathan who completely values the same things I do and understands me. It feels like I’ve known him my entire life.”
Nodding his head to indicate his understanding of where the two of them were coming from, Joseph continued. “Thank you both for sharing some of your past experiences with me. It is very clear that the two of you have very good communication, and that is one of the keys to success in any relationship. You both deal with the public in your professions, and that has no doubt helped you with those skills. Now, I know you have both dealt with being hurt by people you trusted and who were supposed to protect you. When joining as husband and wife, we all have the desire to never hurt that other person. But life happens, and that just isn’t possible. How we work through conflict is one of the most important skills we can attain. I’m not going to keep you any longer, but think about what I’ve said. You two go have some lunch together and really communicate. We’ll meet again next week and finalize everything for your ceremony, as well as discuss how you think your relationship is doing as we go into the final days before you are officially bound together for life.”
Nathan and Kathryn shook Pastor Joseph’s hand and thanked him for his wise words. They both knew they had a lot to talk about. As the two of them walked hand in hand back to the row houses to get the lunch she had packed before leaving for church, both were silently formulating in their minds what needed to be discussed.
Still feeling like she was keeping something from him, Nathan analyzed his fiancé but quietly waited for her to open up to him. He waited outside while she quickly grabbed the basket and a blanket from her house. Offering to carry the supplies, he asked: “Where would you like to have this picnic?” She let him hold the blanket, but gripped the basket tightly and wouldn’t let him take it from her.
“I would like to go to the Grant Family special spot over there.” Kathryn pointed to the grove of trees that hid the waterfall and river in the beautiful place where they had shared so many wonderful moments together, including their engagement. “Summer isn’t going to last much longer, and I want to soak up every last moment of beautiful weather.”
Nathan smiled. “You won’t get any argument from me. Let’s get moving because I’m starving.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward their destination enthusiastically. As they approached the place where they had to make their way through heavy shrubbery, he thoughtfully observed, “You know, if we cut through some of this thick greenery and opened it up we would probably enjoy it better.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kathryn agreed. They entered the clearing and sat in their usual spot near the river and Nathan spread out the blanket. She started spreading out their meal on nice plates and pulled out her own single candlestick with a single candle inside.
Eyes widening in surprise, Nathan wondered what this fancy date was about. “I think you are spoiling me,” he confessed. “Are you finally going to let me in on what you’ve been hiding from me this weekend?”
“Yes, but first let’s eat,” Kathryn requested. Enjoying the chicken salad sandwiches, carrots, and sodas she had bought at the Mercantile the day before, they talked and laughed together about anything and everything. For dessert she pulled out two pieces of chocolate cake. “I know apple pie is your favorite, but the café was all out and I didn’t have time to make one. Anne made this cake and told me to take some pieces for our lunch.”
Giving a delightful “Mmmmmm” sound, Nathan said: “A piece of chocolate cake always hits the spot for me after a delicious meal. Thank you for all of this, it was wonderful.” He took Kate’s hand and moved her closer to him. They sat together enjoying the beautiful scenery and peace and quiet in such a beautiful location. “Now, we need to take Pastor Joseph’s advice and really communicate. I don’t like the feeling of you shutting me out.”
Kathryn pulled back the towel that was covering the basket, revealing a folder with papers inside. She handed the folder to Nathan with a nervous smile. “I only kept this from you because it is my wedding present to you. Bill was kind enough to help me, making a trip to Benson Hills to finalize and secure this gift. I hope you like it, and forgive me for being secretive. I promise that keeping anything from you is torture for me, and I promise to try and never do it again.”
Opening the folder, Nathan pulled out a deed for a parcel of land. Five acres in Hope Valley, and as he looked closer he realized they were in the middle of the land she purchased for them. “How were you able to do this?” he asked in total shock. “I looked into buying this land, and they said the owner refused to sell.”
“As I was thinking about getting married and growing our family, I knew we needed a bigger house and land our children could play on that we could call our own. I knew this is the place I wanted to spend my life as Mrs. Grant. I went to Bill and asked him if he knew who owned the land, or if it was even a possibility to purchase “our spot”. He knew the owner hadn’t been willing to sell in the past, but was now in poor health and had to move away from the area to Benson Hills to live with his son. None of the family could afford to take care of the land and needed the money to take care of their father more than they needed the land. So Bill rode out there, put in an offer that was accepted and that was that. I had saved enough from my teaching wages the past few years to pay it outright, so we didn’t even have to go into debt. Now all we have to do is clear some of the land and prepare it to build a home for us to live in eventually.”
Tears formed in Nathan’s eyes as he stood up and pulled Kate into his arms. “No one has ever done anything this thoughtful for me in my entire life. I never dreamed I would have a real family with a wife as beautiful and amazing as you, a wonderful daughter and hopefully more children, and a piece of land that has meant so much to me where I can build a home. You have given me the world Kathryn Bradshaw. I wish I could marry you right now.” He caressed her face with his hand and pulled her in closer to him. Pulling her chin up and bending down, their lips met meekly at first. Then suddenly passion flowed from both, wanting each other more than ever, but knowing the days were numbered to when they could fully show each other the depth of their feelings. Nathan was the first to ease up and end the kiss gently like it had started. As their lips finally parted, he pulled her head into his chest and rested his chin on her head, relishing her closeness as their racing hearts began slowing to a more normal rhythm.
“So I guess you liked your gift?” Kathryn quipped, trying to catch her breath. “I think we better head back...and be more careful at being alone the next few weeks before we are officially wed. You are getting hard to resist.” Her cheeks were bright red, and she was glad her head was resting against Nathan’s chest so he couldn't see her embarrassment.
After a few minutes, they both began clearing up their meal and folding the blanket. “So I guess we have some decisions to make,” Nathan commented as they worked. “Do you want to get married in the church, or did you have somewhere else in mind? I personally have always wanted to get married in nature, which is where I feel closest to God.”
“It’s like you were reading my mind,” Kathryn articulated. “I thought we could have the ceremony right here, but like you said we would probably need to clear some of this foliage to make a better path for people to come. Mr. Landis has offered the new school for us to have our reception. I want the ceremony to be small with only our closest family and friends, but everyone will be invited to come celebrate with us at the reception. What do you think?”
“It sounds perfect to me,” Nathan happily agreed. “Now talk to me about colors.”
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