His Forever Valentine (13 page)

“Their wedding!” Nellie Davis shouted to the crowd.

Tom’s shoulders slumped as he shook his head in defeat.

“Is this true, Charlotte?” Matthew demanded.

She looked at him, looked to Tom, and sobbed anew.

“Congratulations!” Mrs. Davis cried. “I knew you’d ask her tonight!”

Matthew turned away, saw Rose, and grabbed her. “I’m sorry
you had to see me strike him.
Did
he insult you?”

“I wasn’t even here
, I went to get some punch.”

Matthew glanced around as if trying to remember wh
ere he was, then sniffed at the punch in her hand. “How did I mix up… I thought … oh bother!”

A crowd had gathered around Tom and Charlotte at this point, and the congratulations exploded
out of them.  Matthew watched as everyone patted them on the back and shook the deputy’s hands.

“I’ve made a fool of myself tonight, Rose. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“If you think he insulted me in any way, you’re wrong, but he must have said something to Charlotte, she’s crying something awful. But … smiling?”

“He did it, he asked her to marry him,” he said in disbelief.

Rose took his hand. “Let’s have a double wedding.”

“What? You want to share your day with …”

“With Charlotte. Please, I know she’ll want to.”

“But our wedding is tomorrow, she hasn’t a dress … does she?” he asked nervously.

  Rose glanced around before she whispered in his ear. “Her mother had Mrs. Jorgensen make her one.”

Matthew’s head jerked back and forth between Rose and Charlotte. “How do you know?”

“Your mother told me.”

“Oh for the love of …”

“Please, Matthew, I know it would mean a lot to her, and it would keep her mother from badgering her.”

Matthew took a deep breath. “You have a point on that score. All right, if that’s what you want, go speak with her.”

Rose smiled in delight, and went to go tell her friend the good news.

* * *

“What have I done?” Tom mumbled to himself as Mr. Quinn held a white shirt up to him. 

“This ought to fit you fine! And I got pants too! Consider it a wedding gift.”

Tom stared at him. He was still in shock.  Last night was a blur, and the only thing he kept thinking about was Rose.  He had to leave town, he couldn’t stay and watch her marry another man.  He figured it out the week before as he looked at the wanted posters.  He needed to go home, get back to his family’s farm, and start over there.  Even if it meant being Sheriff Hughes’s deputy for a time, he could make it work.  He planned to tell Charlotte last night at the dance, and tell her he’d be praying for her and her mission of forgiveness.  But then, everything happened at once, and here he was, in a tiny room at the church being dressed up in wedding clothes by Mr. Quinn and Mr. Davis.

He could have stopped it, could have said something, but Charlotte started to cry, told him he was her only true support, and then Matthew tapped him on the shoulder, and punched him in the jaw.

But that wasn’t the worst of it, he didn’t speak up when he should have, and now the whole town thought he proposed. And when Rose ran up to Charlotte and offered to let them take their vows together, that did it. The crowd went wild, and then Charlotte looked at him with those big eyes of hers and he caved. Who would marry her if he didn’t?  Who would come to her rescue every time one of the townsfolk talked behind her back? Who would help her find the forgiveness she so desperately needed?  Somebody had to, so it might as well be him.  Besides, as soon as she got what she needed, he’d take the advice given him by everyone, and get her away from her mother. He’d take her to Clear Creek, yes, that’s what he’d do and …

“You cut a de
cent figure, deputy!” Mr. Davis said. “Never thought I’d see the day, when my little Charlotte would finally land a man!”

Tom realized he was fully dressed as Mr. Quinn yanked him toward the pulpit where Matthew already stood.  He shoved his spectacles up his nose and gulped.  He looked as nervous as a cat, and stared wide eyed down the center aisle. 

Mr. Davis and Mr. Quinn hurried to the back of the church using another aisle, and disappeared.

The organ began to play.

Tom gulped.

Matthew gulped.

And the preacher stepped to the pulpit.

All three men froze when the brides came into view.

“She’s beautiful,” Matthew said.

“She certainly is …” Tom added.

Matthew glared at him.

“Charlotte, I meant Charlotte.”

“Of course you did.”

  “Quiet, the both of you!” the preacher warned.

  The crowded church ooo’d and ahhh’d until finally, Rose and Charlotte reached them. Tom sucked in a breath as he took Charlotte’s hand. All four faced the preacher, Charlotte on Tom’s left, Rose on his right.  His spine went stiff and his gut twisted. Did all grooms go through this?”

Suddenly the music stopped
.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, to  …

  Matthew took Rose’s hand, just as she took Tom’s and gave it a squeeze. Tom’s eyes about jumped out of his sockets as Charlotte took his other and shook with a silent sob. He nervously glanced over his shoulder and wondered if anyone noticed, but the lace dripping off of Rose’s sleeve probably hid the fact she held his hand. Was it her way of saying congratulations?

The preacher droned on, and his words became a jumble as Tom’s ears started to ring. At some
point he remembered Rose let his hand go, and he felt a sudden disconnection, as if something in his heart snapped. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on what the preacher was saying.

“If there be anyone here that has reason that these two … er … four should not be wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.” The preacher scanned the crowded church for any reaction. Tom felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple and looked nervously to Matthew.  He looked about to chew his lower lip off, and also turned slightly in the crowd’s direction.

“Let us continue on,” the preacher announced.

Tom squeezed Charlotte’s hand, and she burst out sobbing. He leaned toward her. “It’s all right, honey,” he whispered. “I know you’re nervous
, but don’t cry.”

Suddenly, Rose grabbed his other hand again. He slowly turned his head toward her …

“Repeat after me,” the preacher called. “I, Matthew Quinn, take you Rose Smith, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward …”

Rose let out a wail.

Matthew gritted his teeth and bent to her. “Shhhh, it’s all right darling, I know you’r
e nervous, but don’t cry.”

Tom leaned back to see past Rose, and g
ave him confused look. He’d used the exact words he said to Charlotte, sans the endearment.  Matthew shrugged and gave his attention back to the preacher.

“Son, are you going to say the words?”

Matthew shook himself. “Oh, yes, yes of course! Ah … er …” he glanced around as inconspicuously as possible before he leaned toward him. “What did you say?”

The preacher looked at him in shock and shook his head. “I
, Matthew Quinn take Rose…” he whispered at him.

“Oh yes, so sorry … I Matthew Quinn,” he squeaked.

Charlotte’s entire body shook, but was she laughing or  …

A horrible wail erupted from both women.

“Oh, don’t you just
love
weddings!” Mrs. Quinn wailed along with them from the front pew.

Matthew continued to recite his vows after the preacher, and Rose
, ever so slowly, let her hand fall out of Tom’s.  As did Charlotte …

He l
ooked at her, then at Rose, and heard Matthew say, “for as long as we both shall live…”

The words grated on Tom’s nerves like fingernails on a
slate.  He stiffened, his usual, easy-going reserve, shattered. “Stop!”

Charlotte and Rose let loose a wail to rival … well, suffice to say it was really loud …

Tom ignored them and leaned forward to see past Rose. “Matthew Quinn! We can’t go on like this!” He looked at Rose, but didn’t straighten up. “I love you!”

She let out another wail just as Matthew’s eyes flicked to Charlotte. “And I love you! This has all got to come out in the open!”

Mrs. Davis screamed.

The preacher looked them all over and threw his hands up in the air. “Will somebody tell me what’s going on?”

The crowd in the church gaped at the four. Arlan Weaver and his brothers stood in the back and laughed hysterically.

Tom held a hand up to the preacher. “Just a moment.”  He took a step back, pulled Rose and Charlotte together, and kept pulling until they had switched places. He then looked to Matthew who nodded in approval.

“This is highly irregular!” the preacher cried. “You can’t switch brides in the middle of a ceremony!”

“Who says we can’t?” Matthew asked. “You don’t see them objecting, do you?”

The preacher looked at the women, and was even so bold as to lift their veils so he could see their faces. “And you’re all right with this?”

They both nodded and wailed anew.

Nellie Davis and Mrs. Quinn screamed at the same time, and thankfully,
both
swooned!

Tom sighed in satisfaction, as did Matthew. The o
nly two meddling mothers to cause them any trouble, were both passed out cold.

And the rest of the town? Well, like Arlan, those with eyes to see, did.  Of course, with Arlan and his brothers there, who was going to argue?

Epilogue

One month later …

“I so love having tea with you,” Rose said as she watched Charlotte pour. “I’m glad everything worked out for Abbey and Billy, but I know you’re going to miss them.”

“Yes,
Matthew and I plan to visit as often as we can, and I’m sure they’ll be coming here on occasion.  In time, we might move to Oregon City as well.”

“You will come see Tom and me before you do, won’t you?”

“To Clear Creek? Of course!  You don’t think I’m going to miss out on a chance to see if all those stories he tells are true, do you?”

Rose laughed. “I hate to admit it, but I can’t wait either!  There is one person in that town though
, I worry about.”

“If
they even exist, but I do have to ask, which one?  The giants he talks about, or the Cooke brothers?  What about the miracle working doctor?”

“None of those,” Rose admitted.

  “Then which one?”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “The one called, Mrs.
Dunnigan
.”

“I don’t recall that one, he must not have told me.”

“Trust me, if he did, you’d remember!”

  “
Abbey said that Mrs. Riley is going to help Matthew’s aunt obtain a mail order bride for Arlan.” Charlotte announced, changing the subject.

“Are they going to send for one through the Ridgley Mail Order Bride service?”

“I don’t know, were there any girls ready to leave Winslow after you?”

“Some, but I’m not sure when their birthdays are.  I know she was getting other applicants in besides the one’s here.  Who knows where the next bride will go?”

“Yes, who knows,” she agreed and set the teapot down. “All I know is I couldn’t be happier, if Tom hadn’t spoken up when he did …”

“I would have!” Rose finished for her.

Charlotte giggled. “Me too!”

  “And me!” Matthew chortled as he entered the parlor.  “Ahhhh, tea. Lovely.”

“I gotta quit sneaking over here and doing this,” Tom announced as he followed Matthew. “I’m supposed to be working ya know.”

“You’re protecting the cookies,” Rose said. “Because if you don’t, I might eat them all.”

They all laughed at that. 

“Well,” Matthew began. “I propose we break with convention, and … make a pact.”

“A pact?” Tom asked. “You mean like a … a … deal?”

“A pledge,” Matthew offered.

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte asked, confused. “I remember the last time you wanted to break with convention.”

“That none of us will ever, EVER stick our noses into the love lives of our children unless of course it involves their safety.”

“Ohhhhh,” came three voices in unison.

“What say you?” Matthew asked as he looked at all three in turn. He then held out his hand.  Each put a hand over it, and each took a deep breath.

“I hope I’m up to it,” Tom said. “Especially if’n we have daughters!”

“Ok, do we all agree?” Matthew began. “No meddling, no intrusions, no butting in, no…”

He continued the list, as Leona Riley along with Mrs. Quinn continued theirs in the kitchen.  “Let’s see, Samuel Johnson, Arlan Weaver, the twins are
not
ready to get married just yet, who does that leave?”

Mrs. Quinn quirked her brow,
“I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll think of someone!”

Mrs. Riley giggled and winked. “That we will,
Betsy, oh yes!  That we will!

The End