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He leaned into her, his face going serious, "I want to make all your dreams come true, Trudy." He whispered and kissed her long and thoroughly.
She couldn't stop the smile that lit her lips, but she shook her head, "Not all of them. I won't have anything to dream about then."
When he pulled away, he took her hand in his, threaded their fingers and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her.
"I have a few dreams myself that I hope will come true very soon." He smiled warmly at her.
She figured she knew what he was dreaming, it had been on her mind too.
The white clapboard church sat in the middle of a huge field. There was a high steeple and a bell rang to gather everyone.
As they arrived the preacher was greeting everyone. He was a tall, thin man, almost gaunt. He had a weary and weathered look about him, with no passion for life in his face. His cheeks were hallowed, and his blue eyes penetrated the soul as he stared into her innocent gaze.
When she walked up to him, he smiled. "There she is, I've been wondering if you were better."
"Much better, thank you Reverend."
"So glad you are here today." The Reverend smiled.
"Me too." She grinned and waited until her husband was through speaking with him before going inside.
"Here you're going to be taking the cattle to the railhead soon."
"Yes, just a few days now."
"Guess my congregation will be smaller during that time."
"I'm afraid you are right."
Lance didn't talk very personal with the Reverend and Trudy watched them carefully. Just from his tone of voice, she knew Lance didn't care for the Reverend, although she had no idea what was between them. She chose to remain silent for this was no place to speak of it. Many of the women came to meet her and introduced themselves to her. She was a bit overwhelmed, trying to remember their names.
The service wasn't long, the choir sang several hymns and they had a baptism afterwards for three children, all in the same family.
"Wonder what they did?" Lance whispered in her ear.
She looked puzzled.
He smiled, "Three kids in the same family, I suspect they got in trouble for something and this is their day or reckoning."
Trudy smiled at him.
There was a church picnic afterwards and Trudy had brought two pies, and fried chicken, potato salad and baked beans. The men couldn't wait to taste it all.
Children ran and played in the open field. Trudy and Lance sat on the lawn of the church and spread several blankets out, the men all crowded around them and they talked for a long while, as they watched the children play. It was one day they all seemed to relax.
Trudy got to know the boys a bit better as they sat and talked about their growing up days, how some had skipped church for many years and then gone back to it later. How some still doubted. All the men that worked for Lance had a fairly solid background though. All were local boys that he'd known for a long time before hiring them.
Rusty's girlfriend was there, Trudy got a glimpse of her as they managed to sneak off and have a few moments together. The girl had bright red hair, and although she had freckles, they were beginning to fade, and her pale skin was beautiful. She was thin like her father, but not very tall. She seemed thrilled to see Rusty though. It was obvious they were in love just from their expressions and smiles.
The Reverend didn't know she was gone until someone told some of the others that there was a couple sparkin' in the trees.
The Reverend went to check, his face a mask of frowns, and it wasn't long before he was pulling his daughter back to the picnic grounds and giving Rusty some advice about how to court his daughter properly.
Rusty came to flop down on one of the blankets. "Sorry Rusty, it was that big mouth, Jim Norton who blabbed about you and the girl." George told him.
"At least I got to kiss her before he caught us." Rusty laughed.
The Reverend didn't smile the rest of the day. His face seemed to dissolve into wrinkles.
