Big Bad Professor(54)
On the morning of their wedding, Amy wore a lush ivory calico concoction that consisted of a polonaise—one boasting a yoke front and back trimmed with ruffled lace—and a frothy bustled full-length skirt with a flounced trim and a lengthy cascading train; one that also came lined with the finest lace. She carried a dew glistened bouquet of radiant golden roses, picked from her own garden; additional florals adorned the strands of her free-flowing reddish gold hair, in the form of fresh grown baby’s breath that completed her ethereal look.
The beams of a brilliant Texas sun guided her tender footfall as she made her way between fresh blooming rows of golden roses; the most splendorous of which stood tall and proud at the center of the garden.
It seemed odd, she figured, to compare her very masculine figure of a future husband to a rose; yet as she beheld the manner in which his flowing blond hair and bronzed face both shone in the light above them and the way that his crystalline eyes came aglow the moment that he saw her, she knew full well that the comparison fit.
Briefly dragging her gaze away from the subject of her keen attention, she beamed at the assembly of family and friends gathered to witness their nuptials that day.
Her smile shone especially bright the moment she saw Amelia, herself adorned in a charming lilac print calico dress with a lace collar, puffed sleeves and full skirt. A matching floral headband atop her still bald head completed the adorable look.
Holding Amelia was a glowing Aunt Grace, herself wearing a puffed sleeved, high-collared dress of lavender calico as well as a snide smile; one that just seemed to scream, “I told you so.”
Finally, Amy’s gaze returned to the man of her heart; one dressed resplendent and much in the fashion of a frontier groom.
Wearing a sleek cotton yoked shirt with a banded collar and stamped metal buttons, along with a black paisley vest with matching jacket and trousers as well as a smart bolo tie, Thomas looked every inch the handsome dashing bridegroom; one who held out his hands to her as she joined him at the altar.
The couple stared deep into one another’s eyes as their attending pastor—a short, balding gentleman who appeared just a bit out of place at the center of a field but smiled gamely all the same—began to state the classic and conventional vows of matrimony.
Then, as there was nothing remotely conventional about the two of them and their most peculiar romance, they said vows all their own—because they could.
“My darling Amy,” Thomas addressed his new wife, tone warm and sincere. “When I ordered myself a mail order bride, I well imagined a woman that reflects your beauty and grace. I never imagined someone of your incredible spirit and amazing intelligence. You are an exquisite human being, Amy, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you and Amelia.”
Amy smiled.
“My dear Thomas,” she returned, clasping his hands tight between hers. “When I answered your ad for a mail order bride, I was darned and determined not to fall in love with you—and the sole reason I use the word darned, mind you, is because my aunt and daughter are present. Yep, my convictions ran pretty strong. Darned strong, as a matter of fact,” she paused here to acknowledge the laughter of the crowd, adding in a softer, more serious tone, “I never imagined that I could fall in love again; but when a woman meets the perfect man—one who is kind, handsome, intelligent, hardworking, and endlessly loving—then what else can she do?”
“Well I know what you do,” he told her, adding as he swept his new wife up in his strong arms and pulled her closer than close, “You marry him.”
Amy thought a moment, then nodded.
“Well if you insist Cowboy. I’ll do just that,” she assented, adding as she waggled her eyes in something of a playful tease, “As long as you agree to give me one of those humdinger kisses for which you really should be famous. Then another. Then another. And if you fancy, you can keep on kissing me, for the rest of our natural lives.”
So the deal was made.
****
THE END
The Yellow Rose – A Clean Western Historical Romance
The singular act of shucking an ear of corn might not be considered the most glamorous or intellectually challenging activity; but, for some odd and inexplicable reason, Abigail Tompkins loved every moment of it.
Standing side by side with her parents, Ray and Sandra Tompkins, the owners and proprietors of the Diamond T Ranch in the heart of Austin, Texas, she basked with a smile in the sumptuous rays of the golden Texas sun; also reveling in the vision of endless emerald green fields that signified their life and industry.
Every morning she joined her parents in the tending of their 50-acre farm; a modest but fertile plot that also had served as the site of her childhood home.