| |
––––––––
Montana looked at his pocket watch. The preacher seemed especially long-winded today. Perhaps the fact that he knew everyone would be staying around after church for the potluck dinner assured him of a captive audience.
“I know everyone is anxious to eat,” Matthew Morgan said. “But I assume since Mr. Kincaid has glanced at his pocket watch three times since I began preaching, that he is in an extra special hurry.”
The congregation laughed. While Montana felt a little embarrassed, he wasn’t about to apologize for his impatience on his wedding day.
“His silly grin and the rosy color of his fiancée’s cheeks are signs that I have indeed been a bit zealous today in my delivery of the Word.” Matthew smiled. “Would you both do me the honor of joining me in the front so that we can commence with this wedding?”
Several people clapped. It didn’t escape his notice that his youngest brother, Jessie, whooped and hollered. Today was a special day for celebrating, a day they would remember for the rest of their lives. Montana didn’t mind that at least one other family member had verbally echoed the excitement he himself felt inside. Ma and his two other brothers should appreciate the fact that they would at least be able to attend his wedding—something that none of them were privy to with Jessie and Sarah’s wedding.
Montana scooted out of the pew and waited for Mary to join him in the aisle before taking her smaller, delicate hand in his and walking down to the front of the church to meet the preacher. It took a great deal of concentration to keep his stride normal. If he’d taken steps as fast as his racing heart, he would have run down the aisle. While he was anxious to marry Mary, he wasn’t prepared to drag her to the altar and make a spectacle of himself.
When they stopped in front of the preacher, Montana’s heart continued to beat erratically. He glanced at Mary and something about the look of peace in her eyes transcended from her all the way clear through to his inner being. He’d loved her in her letters, and now that she was here, he loved her even more. A lifetime would never be long enough to spend getting to know everything about each other, or waking up each morning and staring at her in disbelief that such a beautiful creature had agreed to spend the rest of her life with him.
Their gazes remained locked as the wedding ceremony proceeded and he vowed to love, honor and protect her so long as the two shall live. A few snickers sounded in the congregation when he’d said protect and the preacher said cherish. Montana looked at the preacher and quickly amended, “Oh, I’ll definitely cherish her.” Glancing back at Mary, he said, “All the days of my life.”
Mary smiled and giggled, while a few of the women in the congregation let out sounds of awe.
No sooner had the preacher pronounced them man and wife, he took the opportunity to kiss his wife. She smelled of lilacs, just like her letters. He vowed to one day start her a garden, after they built their new home, then she would always have flowers to put in their home and it would smell as heavenly as she did.
“Now that the Kincaids are married, let’s all head out back for vittles and we can celebrate their happy union,” Pastor Morgan said.
Marshall was one of the first to congratulate them. He clasped Montana’s shoulder. “I know the two of you will be happy together. You’re getting a good husband, Mary. My brother will always look out for you and be a good provider.”
“I know he will,” Mary said. “Your ma has done a fine job of raising all of you boys.”
Warmth filled Marshall’s eyes. “That she did.”
“Did someone mention me?” Ma asked.
“I was telling Marshall that you’ve done a wonderful job of raising your boys. They’re all very hardworking and responsible men. You’ve got a lot to be proud of.” Mary hugged Ma.
Ma’s eyes misted.
“Are you crying, Ma?” Montana couldn’t remember a single time Ma had ever cried about anything—except Pa’s death, but that was a sad occasion.
“Don’t be silly.” Ma playfully slapped him against his arm with the back side of her hand. “I’m not the pouty sort.”
In a rare display of affection, Marshall wrapped an arm around Ma. “No, but if you want to show a soft side, your boys won’t think any less of you. Remember, you are our Ma too, even if you’ve had to fill Pa’s shoes all these years.”
Ma laughed. “Pa always said he chose a strong woman as his wife because traveling out west before it was very populated was a hard task. We covered some rough terrain on our travels.”
“So you haven’t always lived in Missouri?” Mary asked.
“No. Why don’t I tell you more about it over lunch?” Ma smiled and wrapped her arm through Mary’s, leading her toward the door. Montana and the rest of their family followed. “Montana actually got his name from our time spent passing through there.”
“Was he born there?” To his dismay, Mary seemed genuinely interested.
“Ma, you don’t have to tell her how I got my name.”
“You’re right,” Ma said. “But I’m going to anyway.”
Montana heard his brothers’ boisterous laughter ring out as they stepped outside and headed around to the back of the church. His brothers were thoroughly enjoying this tale at his expense.
“As I was saying,” Ma continued. “He was conceived in Montana.”
Mary covered her mouth, her eyebrows raised as she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Oh, my.”
“Thanks, Ma. Not something my new bride needed to hear.”
“Well, if you’re lucky,” Ma said over her shoulder, “she won’t let you name your first son Missouri.”
“Mary doesn’t need to worry about that.” Montana’s tone sounded a bit sharp in his own ears. He took a deep breath. “I’m gonna name him Graysen, after Pa.”
“What if we only have girls?” Mary asked. “After all, your Ma only had boys. God might see fit to only give us daughters.”
Montana hadn’t thought about that. Ma hadn’t raised daughters, and didn’t have any until Jessie and then he got married. Who would’ve thought a year ago that the two of them would have wives, and Jessie’s wife was with a baby due to be born by the end of the year. “I confess, I hadn’t given any real thought to a girl’s name. Maybe we could call her Graylee. Then she’d still sort of be named after her grandpa.”
“That’s a lovely idea.” Mary stepped away from Ma’s side and turned to him, planting her soft lips against his cheek in a heartwarming kiss. Mary turned to Ma and whispered in her ear. Ma nodded and pointed. “I’ll return shortly, I promise.”
Montana’s heart beat quickened. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, thank you. That won’t be necessary.” Her smile should have been comforting, but he didn’t like the thought of her not being by his side.
Once she was out of sight, he asked Ma, “Where did Mary need to go?”
“Woman stuff,” was all Ma responded.
His cheeks warmed when he realized what Ma meant. He’d have to learn to be more sympathetic to a woman’s needs now that he was married. Ma was a great woman, but she wasn’t delicate like Mary.
