Montana Morning (35 page)

“Yours as of
tomorrow,” teased Will.  “I have until then to change her mind.”

“Fat chance,
Pops,” Jack said as he gave her braid a gentle tug.  “I’ve been courting
her for months.”

“Will is rather
charming,” she teased.

“Woman, do you
want me to show Pops just how in control of you I can be?” Jack asked with a
gleam in his eye.  Addy turned beet red and both men roared.

“What’s so funny?”
Scotty asked, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the room.  “What time is
it anyway?”

 “Time to be
up and about,” Will told him.  “We have to leave for town as soon as the
chores are done.”

“Yeah, I know,”
Scotty said, as he really looked at Addy for the first time.  “How come
your face is so red?”

“Your grandpa is
picking on me again,” she laughed.  “Now get out of my kitchen all of you,
if you want breakfast before we leave.”  Will and Scotty went to the barn
and Andy was close behind.  Jack sat drinking his coffee, watching Addy
scurry around the kitchen.

“I thought I threw
you out of here.”

“I need to ask you
something first.” Jack’s voice was low and steely.

Addy dried her
hands on the towel and turned to face him.  He was dead serious.  She
straightened her back and looked straight at him.  “Okay.”

“I’m only going to
ask once, so think it over carefully.” Jack sat with his hands wrapped around
his coffee mug, so tight his knuckles were white.  “Are you absolutely
sure, beyond any shadow of a doubt you want to marry me?”

“Jack!” She
couldn’t believe her ears.

“Hear me out,
Addy,” he said looking down at the table.  “I’m not a rich man, even with
things kind of on the mend around here, I still can’t give you all the things
I’d like to, all the things you deserve,” he paused and looked up at her. “But
you do need to know this, if you go through with it, if you marry me tomorrow,
I will never let you go, ever.  No matter what happens.  Never!”

“Nor I you. 
I love you, Jack Kilbourne, more than life itself.  I will never leave you
or forsake you.  I will always love you.” Jack watched as she came to him
with tears running down her cheeks. “How can you doubt that?”

“I guess, I keep
thinking you’ll come to your senses.” He smiled meekly, as he pulled her into
his lap.

“Well, if I do,
you can just kiss me until I can’t think.  It’s always worked for you
before!” she admitted, as he prepared to do just that.

“Good grief, if
you two keep that up, we’re all going to starve to death around here.” Will
growled, as he and Scotty came in the back door.

***

The church was
ready for tomorrow and as Helen walked through the door with her guitar, Mark
spoke up, “Now that we’re all here, let’s get this rehearsal going.  It
shouldn’t be too difficult, because Jack is walking down the aisle with
Addy. 

“There’s been a
slight change of plans, Mark,” Jack said, as his lopsided grin began to
show.  “Some bullheaded fellow insisted on giving the bride away, so I
guess I have to stand up front and wait for her with the rest of you.” He
nodded towards the back of the church.

Standing there in
his uniform was Chad. Addy ran down the aisle and threw herself into his arms.
 

“How did you get
time off?  I don’t understand, you said you couldn’t come!”

“I asked, and they
said no; your employer called my commanding officer and told him my mom was having
a heart transplant.”  Chad grinned at Jack.

Addy turned to
Jack in shock.  “You didn’t!”

“Can you deny your
heart has been taken by another?”

“No, but. ”

“Can you deny
you’ve been given an others heart?”

“No.”

“Sounds like I
told the truth then, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds like you
stretched it way, way out of proportion!” she laughed and turned to her son
once more. “You went along with this?”

“I told the
captain what was really happening, and he gave me four days” he said if Jack
wanted me here bad enough to figure out a story like that, I’d better come home
to find out what kind of a ‘nut-job’ my mom was marrying.” He slapped Jack on
the back and picked Amy up with a bear hug.

Addy smiled up at
the man who had her heart. “You’re quite the man, Cowboy.”

“You’re worth the
trouble.” He kissed her nose and turned to see everyone else visiting with
Chad.  He took her hand and led her to the back pew.  “Addy, we have
a couple of days for a short honeymoon.  I’d like to take you wherever you
want to go.”

“Do you have any
place in mind?” she asked.

“Nope, just
anywhere you want to go will be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.
Anywhere you want.”

Addy, leaned over
and whispered in his ear; his eyebrows shot up.

“What did you
say?”

She whispered once
more in his ear and he turned to look her in the eye.

“Addy, are you
absolutely sure, that’s what you want to do?”

“Positive.” She
took his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

Mark smiled at Amy
and announced, “If you two will quit making out in the back pew, we can go on with
the rehearsal.”

“Positive?” Jack
asked again and she nodded. 

***

Maggie had a
wonderful dinner for the whole family after the rehearsal and laughter filled
the house for hours. 
          

At last, around
midnight, Red spoke up.  “Time to call a halt to all this
tomfoolery.  I need my beauty sleep.”

Chad chuckled.
“Uncle Red there aren’t enough hours in the day to make you beautiful.” 

“Beauty is in the
eyes of the beholder,” Maggie countered.

“Always did know
you needed glasses, Maggie,” Chad declared, as Jack and his family got ready to
leave.

“I’ll see you at
two o’clock tomorrow,” Jack whispered in Addy’s ear, as he kissed her good
night. He held her at arms-length and looked into her eyes.  “Woman, I
sure do love you,” he said just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“I love you too,
Cowboy.   Jackson Kilbourne, don’t you dare be late!”

“Fat chance,” Will
groused.  “He’ll probably have us there at noon.”

***

Chad found his
mother standing in the dining room window, staring out at the stars.

I’m so glad you
could be here for our wedding.  It makes my happiness complete.”

“Jack knew
that.  That’s why he called the Captain.”

“Was your Captain
upset?  I hope he didn’t get you in hot water.” Addy said, as she turned
to look at the handsome young man standing beside her.

“Actually, I think
the Captain got a big hoot out of it; Jack did level with him before he hung
up.  He didn’t want the Captain calling me in and telling me you had a
heart attack or something,” he said, as he laughed and squeezed his mother’s
shoulders.

“And he still let
you come?  He must be a nice man.”

“He IS a nice man
and so is Jack.  Mom, I can’t get over how he looks at you.  Most of
us fellows, well we kind of get embarrassed if we think other folks know how
crazy we are about a girl. You know?”

“Yes, I know.”
Addy smiled, remembering the girls Chad had liked as he grew up.  He never
had been one for carrying his heart on his sleeve.

“Jack is
different, when he looks at you, even across the room, his eyes just light up.”

“Maybe, what
you’re seeing is the reflection from mine.”

“You two have
something going for you most folks would die for, you know that don’t you?”

“Yes, and it’s all
the more special because all our family is happy, truly happy for us.”

“Will and I were
talking about that earlier this evening and we’ve learned a lot.”

“I don’t quite
follow you, Chad.”

“We’ve learned
about caring, giving all we have plus a little more, and never taking for
granted the people we love.  Will said he did that with his wife, and I
know Dad did with you too.”

“Now don’t go
there, Chad,” Addy stammered.

“Mom, it’s
okay.  I remember you telling us over and over when we were teenagers the
kind of love you build a marriage on, the kind of marriage God intended was
very difficult to find, but worth waiting for.” He grinned down at her and
confessed, “I figured it was your way of warning us not to get too involved
with anyone we didn’t want to spend the rest of our lives
with.”     

Addy laughed
softly.  “Did it work?”

“Yeah!  But I
always wondered how I would know for sure when the right girl came along. Now I
know.”

“How’s that?”
 Addy tipped her head up so she could see into his eyes.

Chad could see his
mom’s smile reflected in the window.  “When a young lady looks at me like
you look at Jack, even when he’s not looking, and I can’t take my eyes off her,
can’t stop smiling at her, and my heart sings at the very thought of her, like
Jack’s does for you, then I’ll know it’s right.” He kissed her on the cheek. 
“You’d better go the bed, Mom.  Tomorrow is a going to be a very long
day.”

“Good night,
Honey,” Addy said, as she kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I’d have been
here even if it meant going AWOL,” Chad whispered, as he pushed her towards her
room. “Night, Mom.”

Addy lay in bed
praying for her marriage and her combined family. She gave thanks for the many
blessings God had bestowed on her life. An hour later she was still listing the
blessings.

 “Sweet and
Precious Savior, you know how my heart is overflowing with joy and
thanksgiving.  If I were to list all you have done for me, all you have
given, it would take a lifetime.  Teach me to use what you have given me
to the blessing of those around me, and I will give you the praise forever.
Amen.”

“Mom, you look
fantastic!” Amy said, as she braided flowers into Addy’s hair.  “I thought
you’d wear your hair up, but it looks beautiful like this, with the flowers
laced through it.”

She noticed her
mom playing with her ring finger.  “Feels strange without the ring?” she
asked, as she gave Addy an understanding smile.

“I’ve only been
wearing it a few weeks, but I feel incomplete without it,” Addy
confessed.  “Silly I know.”

“No, it’s not, but
Jack must have had a good reason for wanting it back, maybe he’s having it
engraved or something.”

“Perhaps.”

“Are you two ready
yet?” Chad’s voice boomed through the door.

Amy opened the
door and Chad stepped inside.  “I think I’ve changed my mind about giving
you away,” he said as he gave his mom a peck on the nose.  “You look good
enough to keep.”

***

The church was
full to overflowing. Addy and Chad had to make their way up a crowded sidewalk
to get to the door.  Their family was standing at the front of the church
as Mark took his place at the pulpit.

“Not too late to
change your mind,” Chad said as he gave her his arm.

“Not on your
life.” Addy smiled and took a very big breath.

Chad nodded to
Mark and the music began.  As they came down the aisle, Jack watched every
step they took.  It was as if they moved in slow motion, Addy with flowers
in her hair, in a dress of green the color of her eyes; never on this earth had
there ever been an angel as beautiful as she was at this moment. When they
reached the front of the church, Chad put Addy’s hand in Jack’s.  As they
stood there looking into each other’s eyes, time stood still.  The depth
of caring was there for everyone to see and to feel, given so freely, so
purely.

Mark led them
through a ceremony filled with the grace of a loving God.  The music was
played, the vows exchanged with reverence and humility. When Jack slipped the
ring on her finger, it was the same ring as he had given her before, but added
to each side was a band of pure gold. His ring matched it perfectly.

“What God has joined
together, let no man put asunder!” Mark proclaimed.  “You, Sir, may kiss
your bride.”

“I love you with
all my heart, Addy Kilbourne.” Jack held her in his arms and thanked God for
her, and then he gave her a kiss to be remembered. Laughter and applause filled
the small church as Jack stepped behind her, brushing her hair with his
lips.  “My wife and I would like to thank each and every one of you, for
sharing this very special day with us, and we would like to invite you all to
join us at the Valley Grange . . .”

“Does that include
me?” a booming voice asked from the back of the church.  Standing in the
aisle was Randy Mueller. He had a gun in his hand.  Jack quickly pushed
Addy behind him.

“Randy, don’t do
anything you’ll be sorry for,” Jack said calmly.  “Nothing is ever solved
by bloodshed.” As Jack tried to reason with him, one of the men in the back of
the church approached Mueller from behind.

“I’ve got nothing
left to lose,” Mueller said as he started up the aisle.  “I might as well
take a few of you with me,” and he raised the gun.  The man behind Mueller
tackled him, but he fired as he went down.  Jack slumped at Addy’s feet,
blood oozing from his head.  Addy fell to her knees and cradled him in her
arms. “Oh Precious Savior, please don’t take him,” she prayed, as her tears
fell on Jack’s cheek.  Addy felt as if her heart was shattering within her
chest.  She was so weak she could not draw a breath, but as Dr. Rodgers
tried to pull Jack from her arms, she clung to him with the strength of a tiger
protecting her young.

“Addy,” Dr.
Rodgers said softly, “Let me take a look at him, please.  I can’t help him
if you don’t.”  Addy was numb, nothing made sense.  Chad pried her
arms away and she sat in silence, there on her knees and pleaded with God to
save her husband.  Will held her in his arms and waited. Addy looked up
and saw Scotty standing alone, staring down at his grandpa.  There were no
tears. He was in shock.