Rachel laughed softly. “I’m upset, but I’m too pissed to cry,” she said honestly.
“Good for you, Rachel,” Gwen told her, reaching out and holding her hand to squeeze it tightly. “Hang on to that anger.”
Rachel laughed softly. “It’s all that’s holding me together,” she admitted.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Sam’s ex-fiancée was at the dinner,” she told Gwen quietly after a moment. “She said Sam only wanted me because he wants children. She said I could never give Sam the life that he needs and deserves.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
She looked up at Gwen, worry in her eyes. “If you could have seen how at ease Sam was at such an elegant dinner you would have seen how much he belonged with those people. He could be the head of the pediatric wing at Denver Memorial and socializing with some of the richest and most influential people in the state. Allison may be right. Maybe I’ll just hold him back.”
“Oh, pooh,” Gwen told her, disgustedly. “Sounds to me like that old girlfriend of his is full of sour grapes. She just got to you where she knew she could.”
“But Sam would be so prestigious and powerful back in Denver,” Rachel protested.
“Well then, he’d be there if he wanted to be, wouldn’t he?” Gwen pointed out. “Just because you’re his wife, it doesn’t mean he can’t work where he wants to, does it?”
“No, I wouldn’t care where he worked as long as he was happy,” Rachel admitted slowly.
“See there,” Gwen told her calmly. “You can’t be holding him back. You’re willing to go wherever he wants to go.”
“But what about him wanting me only because he wants to have children,” Rachel pointed out sadly. “I couldn’t bear to stay with him if he didn’t love me.” She looked up at Gwen and sniffed. “I love him so much, Gwen, it would kill me inside to know that he didn’t love me.”
“Rachel, I see the love in his eyes every time he looks at you,” Gwen told her honestly, her voice gentle as she spoke. “Some men can’t seem to say the words so they show you their love in the way that they talk to you and tease you and take care of you and hold you and show you kindness. Stan never once said he loved me until I was in labor with our first child. He was so scared I was going to die. When he said it, he cried his heart out all the while.” She reached out and touched Rachel’s chin to turn it to face her and saw the deep sadness in her soft brown eyes. “Besides, honey, even if his wanting a child was part of his reason for marrying you, and I’m not saying that it is or it isn’t, mind you, there isn’t anything more special and beautiful that two people can share. I can see the kind of man Sam is and I know he would be a gentle and loving father. His love for his child would equal the love he had for his child’s mother. Love grows, honey. Sam will love you more and more each day that your lives grow together. You’re the one he chose to live his life with. You’re the one he wants to wake up to every morning and go to sleep with every night. You’re the one he is building a future with. When you finally hold that precious little baby in your arms, nothing else will matter except how much you love each other and the child you’ve created together from that love.”
Rachel looked at Gwen seriously and nodded slowly. She sat there silently for a while, happy that Gwen sat beside her while she tried to sort out her feelings. The sound of the rushing stream soothed her, and she found herself relaxing. Both Mother Nature and Gwen had helped her get through her sadness. It was only a matter of minutes before she took a cleansing breath and felt the anger and pain easing from her body. She stood and reached down to help Gwen stand beside her. She hugged her new friend tightly then kissed her soft cheek.
“Thank you, Gwen,” she whispered, finally able to smile. “I hope you’re right.”
Walking back to the camper, both women smiled at the two worried faces of the men that were waiting for them. Gwen leaned toward Rachel and spoke so that only she could hear.
“Look at his face, Rachel,” she told her quietly. “That’s the face of someone who cares.”
Rachel looked at Sam, seeing the concern in his blue eyes. He had to care about her even if it was just a little. Maybe he would grow to love her as deeply as she loved him.
She knew she had no choice—she had to spend her life with him. Love may not be a part of Sam’s decision to marry her, but it was certainly a part of hers.
Paulette giggled from her comfortable position lying on her overstuffed peach couch. Roy sat on the floor by her shoulders, leaning back as he threw his head back in laughter. Sam smiled at the two of them as he sat on the recliner across from them, rubbing Rachel’s back as she sat on the arm of the chair, her body very close to his.
“Mom!” Roy blurted out, laughing. He wiped his eyes to remove the moisture that filled them. “You didn’t!”
Kay Monroe laughed despite her resolve to stay serious. There was no way she could stay serious and tell the story about the day Sam had entered her home completely naked in the middle of her afternoon tea with the ladies from her church.
“Roy, I swear to you, Sam didn’t even bat an eye,” Kay promised her son. She smiled at the members of her family, settling her gaze on the man who sat beside her on the comfortable loveseat.
Jarod sat quietly next to her, ever straight and tall, smiling slightly. Despite his casual clothes and comfort level with this family, there was always an elegance and formality about him.
“Master Samuel, I always wondered where you obtained that china plate,” he said formally, sending them all into convulsive laughter once again.
Jarod couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He looked around the small living room and counted his blessings to have been a part of this wonderful family for so many years. His friendship with Joanna McCoy was one that he would always cherish. He had promised her that he would look after her son, but it was a promise that he never needed to make. His love for his young charge was genuine and strong. He felt as if Sam was his own son.
Kay leaned over and reached for Jarod’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Jarod, you always make me laugh,” she told him sincerely, smiling at him broadly.
Sam smiled as he saw the slight blush that covered Jarod’s cheeks. He looked up at Rachel and inclined his head toward the elderly couple then looked at Roy and Paulette and did the same.
Roy looked at Paulette and winked, sending Paulette into another fit of giggles. Only they knew that they had already discussed getting Kay Monroe and Jarod together—just as they had discussed getting Sam and Rachel together.
Rachel looked at her cousin and his wife and saw their conspiratorial grins. Turning to Sam, she saw him looking at Roy and Paulette in confusion. When Paulette’s giggles turned to laughter, she was sure something was going on that she and Sam weren’t aware of.
“Okay, Paulette, what’s up with you?” Rachel asked her suspiciously. “Have you been sneaking into the wine?”
“No, I’ve been a good girl,” Paulette promised, raising her hand to swear to her honesty.
“She has,” Roy agreed. “She’s been resting and letting Mom take care of us.”
He turned to grab hold of the hand that rested on his shoulder lovingly and kissed it lightly. He smiled at his wife, relief filling him at the healthy and happy look of her.
Rachel smiled as she got up from the chair, reluctantly leaving Sam’s touch to face the group. “I’ve got to get going to the mall to see if I can find a dress for tomorrow,” she said reluctantly, not wanting the family evening to end.
“I want to go,” Paulette said quickly, sitting up with some difficulty.
“No, Paulette,” Roy protested.
“Oh, please,” Paulette begged. “Kay, tell them how much I rested today.”
“She really did rest all day,” Kay admitted. “But, Paulette, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea. You would have to do a lot of walking and that wouldn’t be good for you.”
“How about if we rent a wheelchair where you can rent the baby carriages? That would be okay, wouldn’t it, Sam?” she asked him, her face turning toward him with an expression of pleading that tugged at his heart.
“Well,” he began. “Let me check your blood pressure first.”
He stood to go to his truck to retrieve his medical bag. Pulling his truck keys out of his pocket, he was about to walk out of the house when Rachel grabbed for his keys and brushed past him to go and get his bag. He smiled and looked at Paulette.
“I think Rachel wants you to go, too,” he told her laughing.
Rachel was back quickly and set the black bag on the coffee table next to the sofa. She knelt on the floor next to Paulette and waited while Sam sat at the edge of the couch and took out the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. She waited patiently while Sam placed the earpieces of the stethoscope in his ears, wrapped the cuff around Paulette’s arm, and set the stethoscope in the hollow of her arm. He pumped up the cuff and released the air slowly, concentrating on the gauge before him and the sound of Paulette’s heartbeat in his ears. When it was almost deflated, he pulled at the closure of the cuff and removed the stethoscope from his ears.
“Not bad,” he said seriously. “How has the baby’s movement been?”
“Constant,” she said simply, smiling when Sam reached forward to touch her stomach just as the baby moved within her.
Sam smiled, leaving his hand on her belly as he turned to face Rachel. “I guess she can go with you as long as we push her around in the wheelchair.”
Rachel took his medical instruments from him and placed them in his bag, smiling as she snapped it shut and looked at her cousin. “I guess we’re all going shopping,” she said happily.
“We can go in my car,” Jarod said as he stood. He tugged on his sport coat to straighten it and buttoned the middle button.
Kay looked up at him and smiled. She stood slowly and touched his arm as Jarod looked down at her. The tender smile that they shared was not lost on the rest of the family. They watched Jarod step back to allow Kay to pass as he held the front door open for her, waiting patiently while she exited the home of her son, her purse tucked neatly under her arm. He couldn’t help but smile softly at her as he saw the happiness on her face.
“Let’s go, children,” Kay called over her shoulder as she and Jarod led the way outside.
Sam laughed as he watched them go. “Let’s go, children,” he echoed Kay’s words, winking at Rachel as he helped Paulette up from the couch.
With the aid of Sam, Roy, and Rachel, Paulette was carefully guided from her home and was safely buckled in Jarod’s car within minutes. Sam sat in the back seat with Roy and Paulette, while Rachel sat in front, with Kay sitting in the middle next to Jarod. Rachel smiled when she saw how totally at ease Kay was sitting by Jarod’s side.
Once at the dress shop in the neighboring town mall, Kay, Rachel, and Paulette insisted on shopping alone. The men were ordered to keep themselves busy and stay away from them for at least an hour. Once Paulette was safely seated in the available mall wheelchair, Sam allowed her to leave his sight.
“Paulette, my cell phone is on if you need me,” he told her worriedly.
Paulette nodded and took his hand gently. “I’ll be fine. Really, Sam,” she told him, smiling. “Go play with Roy and Jarod. This is your last night as a bachelor.”
Sam straightened and reached out to pull Rachel to his side. “Don’t I know it,” he whispered against her cheek.
Rachel laughed softly and kissed his lips quickly. “Go,” she told him. “I have shopping to do.”
Sam released her reluctantly and turned to face Roy and Jarod. “We have our orders, men,” he told them, smiling.
Roy was about to say something when Jarod stepped forward and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I believe the nearest tavern is this way, Master Samuel,” he told him formally.
Sam laughed and faced the elder man squarely. “Jarod, when are you going to stop calling me Master Samuel?” he asked him in exasperation.
“I believe after the second drink, sir,” he answered seriously.
Sam laughed loudly and clapped him on the shoulder. “Jarod, you always made me laugh,” he told him with obvious enjoyment in his voice.
“I’m glad, sir,” Jarod answered dryly. He turned to face the women and bowed slightly. “Ladies. We shall return in two hour’s time.” He turned and walked away, followed by a laughing Sam.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be the designated driver tonight,” Roy promised as he kissed his wife quickly. He turned and quickened his steps to catch up with Jarod and Sam.
The women couldn’t help but laugh. The happiness they were feeling was mostly because of the incredible love they shared for the men who had just walked away.
“Ready?” Kay asked Rachel, excited to be with her in her quest for the perfect dress.
“Ready,” Rachel told her, turning to step behind the wheelchair to carefully push it and its precious cargo in the direction of the formal dress shop.
They were inside
Jean’s Dress Boutique
for nearly twenty minutes when Rachel spotted a flash of white on a rack that had mostly dark dresses hanging on it. She walked to it slowly and reached forward to pull it out, gasping at the beauty of it as she held it up to view. The entire dress was made of white lace over taffeta with a delicate webbing that cast a mother-of-pearl shine. The long sleeves were tight fitting, coming to a point at the wrist, with a loop that would encircle her middle finger to hold it in place. The bodice was tapered, and she knew it would hug her body like an old-fashioned corset, coming to a point at her navel before flowing out into a beautifully full, floor-length skirt.