Posted August 1, 2020
Reaching across the table, Emeline took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You were perfectly clear, Barnabas, it's I who wasn't clear." She smiled. "I would gladly take your name and get the ranch started. And what better man to start a family with than a galoot?"
Her heart was soaring, she couldn't recall having been happier in a very long time, even though it was a quiet sort of joy. And now that he'd proposed, she realized/admitted that such a thing had been at the back of her mind for some time now.
"We can work things out later, now is time to celebrate." Her smile widened and she laughed. "I do love you, Barnabas Pike!"
Posted August 1, 2020
Reaching across the table, Emeline took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You were perfectly clear, Barnabas, it's I who wasn't clear." She smiled. "I would gladly take your name and get the ranch started. And what better man to start a family with than a galoot?"
He grinned almost sheepishly. “A man cain’t never be too sure ‘bout such things. But thet there’s ma Christmas! I 'spose I’m about the luckiest man in Kalispell this mornin’.”
Her heart was soaring, she couldn't recall having been happier in a very long time, even though it was a quiet sort of joy. And now that he'd proposed, she realized/admitted that such a thing had been at the back of her mind for some time now.
"We can work things out later, now is time to celebrate." Her smile widened and she laughed. "I do love you, Barnabas Pike!"
“Shore is, in spite of all’a this snow an’ cold.” He crowed, then suddenly sobered, she had actually said it! “I guess I loved you from the first time I saw you.” He admitted. “Celebratin’s what we’ll do every day from now on. I promise.”
Posted August 2, 2020
Emeline's cheeks turned bright red when he declared that he had loved her from the start. "I had the feeling there was something about you," she confessed, "but I was stubborn, it took me a while to allow myself the freedom to love again." He certainly would understand, he knew well enough what she had been through. "I'm glad you were patient and persistent."
It occurred to her that there would be no more nights alone, that she'd have a companion to help her with decisions and all, and that she had another chance at a family.
"Our celebrating starts today, then!" Standing, she moved around the table so she was standing in front of him, then held out her hand. "I would very much like to hug you, Mr. Pike."
Posted August 3, 2020
Emeline's cheeks turned bright red when he declared that he had loved her from the start. "I had the feeling there was something about you," she confessed, "but I was stubborn, it took me a while to allow myself the freedom to love again." He certainly would understand, he knew well enough what she had been through. "I'm glad you were patient and persistent."
“Cain’t say as I planned on bein’ patient, not a tall, but persistent, now I’ll surely admit to thet. He confessed. “I knew, given time, you’d be worth the wait, an’ I weren’t in no rush.” Which was true, although he had hoped things might have moved faster than they did, he was quite content that things had worked out as they had.
It occurred to her that there would be no more nights alone, that she'd have a companion to help her with decisions and all, and that she had another chance at a family.
"Our celebrating starts today, then!" Standing, she moved around the table so she was standing in front of him, then held out her hand. "I would very much like to hug you, Mr. Pike."
“Well now, Tha’d be jest fine with me, Em.” Pike said as he rose to his feet and stepped forward, taking her in his arms and gently drawing her in. “Gonna be lots of these betwixt you an me.” He added as he held her. He was surprised that instead of the feelings he thought he would have, a calm had come over him, as if this then, was how it was supposed to be, without haste.
Posted August 4, 2020
They had embraced before, but propriety had always made those encounters brief and shallow. Now, though, she could let him hold her, she could relish the feeling of being in the arms of a man who cared about her, who was going to help her and protect her, yet let her have her independence.
Sighing, she leaned against him and rested her head on his chest, allowing as how she could gladly just stay here forever.
And funny, for a proposal, you'd think there would be more energy, more excitement -- she remembered screaming and running home to tell her mother when Andrew had proposed, and then remembering that she hadn't told him 'Yes' yet! But she'd been a girl then, ignorant of life, enthusiastic.
This, though...it was as if they had been together all their lives, and this was just another step in that friendship.
"Oh, Barnabas...you've given me so many things to think about now!" Emeline laughed, then sighed again, taking a step back. "I always thought that St. Nicholas was a myth, but I believe this is the best Christmas ever!"
Posted August 5, 2020
“Not much ta think on, really. Cain’t build til spring, but we kin plan how it’ll look, how may rooms an’ sech.” He said., his voice just above a whisper. “We had them plans already, I jest sortta finalized em fer us. Well, that an’ askin’ fer yer hand. Don’t believe I was all thet good at it, but then I ain’t sure how one’d be good at it either.”
“If the world weren’t blanketed in white out there I’d say we could ride out to our property. I like the sound’a thet, our property.” He was consumed with joy tempered with contentment. “Lovin’ you was the easiest thing ever Emeline.”
Posted August 7, 2020
"It'll be clear in a day or so, and we can ride our horses to our property." She smiled up at him, then relaxed into his embrace again. "We can figure out the house later, there's time for that..." She was actually looking forward to planning all that with him, but there were more immediate issues.
"I was thinking more on...marriage plans." She didn't want to say 'wedding', she'd done that and didn't need a lot of hoopla, so the sort of ceremony would be up to him. Honestly, tomorrow with the Justice of the Peace was fine with her! "And making room for you here." She laughed. "I thought you were going to tell me that you were wanted for murder!"
Posted August 7, 2020
"It'll be clear in a day or so, and we can ride our horses to our property." She smiled up at him, then relaxed into his embrace again. "We can figure out the house later, there's time for that..." She was actually looking forward to planning all that with him, but there were more immediate issues.
He smiled, liking where he was at the moment, "Reckon it will, jest hope we kin git them horses outta the barn. Take some doin’ on the street, and then there’s the trail ta contend with, but we’ll see.” He said, knowing it depended on how much more snow fell. Horses didn’t much care for snow up to their bellies. “Back up on Sun Mountain, things wuz differn’t. They had the man power ta clear the boardwalks, an the traffic ta plow through the streets, an’ the rails too. Busy place Virginia City."
"I was thinking more on...marriage plans." She didn't want to say 'wedding', she'd done that and didn't need a lot of hoopla, so the sort of ceremony would be up to him. Honestly, tomorrow with the Justice of the Peace was fine with her! "And making room for you here." She laughed. "I thought you were going to tell me that you were wanted for murder!"
“Not so’s you’d notice, I ain’t. Guyer’d have me in a cell was I wanted, fer anything.” He laughed. “Now, about them weddin’ plans, yer talkin’ about. Reckon I’d ask Guyer ta stand up for me. Fella oughtta have a best man, an’ he’ll do. But you bein’ the bride an’ all, best I let you decide how we’ll do this. Best I stay at the boardin' house till tie the knot.”
Posted August 8, 2020
"I'll have to think on things." Emeline didn't want him to feel as if she didn't care enough about him to want a more formal ceremony, but then, she didn't think it would really matter to him...and she didn't want to put it off too far. No flowers in Winter, bad weather making access hard and the weather poor...
"I don't want to wait until Spring, I know that much!" Especially when he pointed out that he couldn't, of course, stay here until they were actually married. But then, that would give her some time to rearrange things to make it more conducive to a couple. "I do need to talk to some people, too." Maybe Clare would like to attend?
"So...do you still want breakfast? Or to sit and talk things out? Oh, I have a present for you, not nearly grand, though." She most assuredly hadn't expected any of this! And strangely, she was itching to get out of the fancy dress and back into a simple skirt and blouse!
Posted August 8, 2020
"I'll have to think on things." Emeline didn't want him to feel as if she didn't care enough about him to want a more formal ceremony, but then, she didn't think it would really matter to him...and she didn't want to put it off too far. No flowers in Winter, bad weather making access hard and the weather poor...
Pike was far from being an non understanding man. He knew that for him it was a simple matter of simply asking the question, the hard part, and then following along with what would come next, although he had only asked the question once before. Weddings were high on a woman’s list.
“Well sure, ya need ta do thet. It’s knee deep out there, gonna be tough fer a bit ta git anythin’ done around here.” He said, nodding his head
"I don't want to wait until Spring, I know that much!" Especially when he pointed out that he couldn't, of course, stay here until they were actually married. But then, that would give her some time to rearrange things to make it more conducive to a couple. "I do need to talk to some people, too." Maybe Clare would like to attend?
“Sure as shootin’, there’s folks that’d feel bad if’n we didn’t invite ‘em.” He stated, realizing there were people that should be invited. Friends of both of them, though she probably had the longer list. “Look we’ll jest take the time whot we need, weather’s gonna be a factor, no doubt about it. So maybe we jest handle taday fer now.”
"So...do you still want breakfast? Or to sit and talk things out? Oh, I have a present for you, not nearly grand, though." She most assuredly hadn't expected any of this! And strangely, she was itching to get out of the fancy dress and back into a simple skirt and blouse!
“Shore, and while we eat we kin still talk. We do thet purdy well.” He suggested. “A present? Then I’m sure it’s plenty grand, Em.” He smiled. “Ya know, I kin jest head downstairs whilst you change clothes. Ya oughtta be comfortable, an I shorely don’t mind.”