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Her father strolled up to Wade and eyed him a minute. "I'm counting on you to take good care of my daughter. Just because you got her in this deal, don't mean I release you from your responsibilities son. She'll make you a fine wife, of that I'm sure. But…never forget we love her."
"I won't forget." Wade assured him.
"Good, now where will you be taking her?" Her Pa asked.
"To my boat, "The Lady Belle. We'll board her just the other side of Marksville, Louisiana." We'll be living and traveling on the boat most of the time, except when we stop off at a port. But I'll bring her home off and on, for visits. My mother will be living with us too." Wade told him.
"Your mother, huh?" Her Pa eyed Wade.
"Yes, she's an invalid." Wade explained.
"Oh, I didn't know. Beth never mentioned it. Will Beth be taking care of her?"
"My mother is quite capable of taking care of herself, mostly, but I'm hoping they will get along." Wade explained. "She'll be good company for her."
Mr. Sawyer eyed him now. "You didn't marry my daughter to have a companion for your mother, did ya?"
Wade's gaze narrowed. "On the contrary." His eyes swept the porch where Beth stood in the dress he'd given her and he smiled like a silly school boy as he admired her. "I married your daughter for selfish reasons of my own, she's beautiful, look at her. I knew that dress would look lovely on her, but I never imagined that." He gestured toward the porch. "She's quite a woman, a little naïve but I'm falling in love with her as we speak."
Her father glanced and his mouth hung open. He couldn't get his breath for a minute.
"Well…she is something, alright. Uh-huh, well, then treat her right." Mr. Sawyer said and walked off to help his wife carry a dish out to the table.
When the music started up, Wade pulled his wife from a crowd of women and they danced. Everyone let them lead the dance and joined in later.
Beth stared into the eyes of her new husband, and most of the fear and anxieties began to fade.
She felt the ring on her finger. During the wedding so much of it was a blur, due to her butterflies, she hadn't given the ring much attention, but now, she felt the weight of it and looked into the sparkling diamond.
"This ring must have cost a fortune. I've never had anything so beautiful in all my life. Except maybe, this dress. It was so thoughtful of you."
He almost stopped dancing, but he danced her to a secluded area for a moment. "The ring was my mother's. But the dress was all my idea. Your mother helped me pick it out, actually."
"The ring is beautiful, but the dress…" She sighed
"Makes you the most beautiful woman here." He whispered for her ears alone.
"I've never had much jewelry. Well, that isn't true either, I've never had any jewelry."
"You will now, I'll see to that." He smiled temptingly.
She looked into his face, with a sudden kind of calm, "You are very generous…"
"Beth, as long as I can provide well, I will. And when I can't, perhaps you will remember the good times we've shared."
"I make you this promise, I will remember them…"
"Well, Mrs. Cahill, I haven't had a chance to tell you, but you are absolutely beautiful this morning." He waltzed her around the yard. "When I first came to the church this morning, I was a nervous wreck, marriage is as new to me, as it is to you. But when I saw you coming down the aisle and the serene smile on your lips, my nerves quieted."
The sound of her new name on his lips, made her giddy inside for some reason. She was Mrs. Wade Cahill now. Strangely, she had practically grown up in one week. How could it happen so fast? How could she go from play acting to getting married in one week?
She couldn't stop the flush to her cheeks, but when he brushed his lips over hers, she felt a strange thread of a bond growing between them.
"I know this is all new to you, but I'll grow on you, you'll see." He promised with a smile.
She stared into his blue eyes and smiled, "You already are."
His gaze took her in, and a slow burning smile…lit his face. His head bent again to take her lips. The kiss was passionate and sweet, sweeping her mind away to another world. She felt addicted to these wonderful kisses of his. A week ago, she'd kissed her pillow. Wade Cahill had taken her away from those days of childhood dreams and shown her the dreams of a woman.
