Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

In Everything Give Thanks

Chapter Two

Sensing the aircraft begin its descent, Matt looked across Sarah and out the window. Leaning on Matt's shoulder, she had fallen asleep while they watched a movie together on his laptop. He placed his free hand on her cheek. "Hey. We're almost there."

Sarah yawned and stretched, sitting up as she did so. She pulled out her half of the earbud set they had shared . "How long was I asleep? I guess I missed the end of the movie."

"Only a half an hour or so. You didn't miss much; you've seen it before." He pointed out the window. "We're flying over the area just north of my parents' house. We won't see the house, but you can get an idea of what the country is like."

"Oh!" Sarah turned towards the window and gazed at the hills and trees below her. Here and there a creek or small river meandered through the landscape. Many of the trees were green, but there was a flame of red or a mass of golden yellow here and there. "It's beautiful, in a rugged sort of way. And the trees are just turning?"

Matt leaned over, his head next to Sarah's, and glanced out the window for a moment before focusing once again on putting away the laptop. "Most of the fall colors come late here, if at all. And the show is nothing compared to Virginia. The green trees are live oaks or what we call cedars—they're really juniper. They don't lose their leaves in the fall."

"Still, I think it's beautiful." She continued to stare out the window as the aircraft's path took them over increasingly populated areas and eventually approached the airport.

It did not take long to retrieve their bags and get to their rental car, a Hyundai Elantra, at the relatively small airport. Soon Matt was navigating their sedan north through the city.

"I hope you don't mind. We're going a little out of our way so you can see some of downtown."

"As long as your parents won't be wondering about us." Sarah opened up a protein bar and offered half to Matt. "Something to hold us over until lunch, since we changed time zones."

Matt took the offered snack. "Thanks. Don't worry. I texted them."

Sarah gestured to the large stadium and other buildings on their left. "Is that the University of Texas?"

Matt growled in mock disgust. "Aggies don't talk about that school."

Sarah raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Oops! Sorry."

Matt laughed a little. "I'm just teasing—we are rivals, but I don't mind talking about them. That's the stadium. You saw the tower. It's lit up orange at night because their school colors are orange and white."

"I like those kinds of traditions." She sipped water from her bottle and offered some to Matt. "What kind of things do the Aggies do? I know you told me about the Corps uniforms—you showed me your boots and your sword."

Matt took a swig from the bottle and handed it back. "And I think you know about our 'whoop.' The freshmen cadets have to greet everyone with a 'howdy.' And you've seen my ring."

"I see that you're wearing it. You told me how Aggies treat other alumni with a special respect."

"Yeah. Like we're all family. For security reasons, I have to be careful where I wear the ring while I'm working—I may not want someone to know much about me—but I definitely wear it here so I don't get a lot of questions. It's unheard of to not wear one's ring."

Sarah reached up and caressed Matt's shoulder. "You still worried?"

He glanced at her and put up a hand to his shoulder to cover hers. "I don't know if I was worried so much. Maybe just a little nervous."

"You know my mom had to tell my grandmother stories for years before she finally admitted she was an operative."

"I don't know how she did it. They lived together. And her mom was taking care of your brothers while she was working."

"Daddy used to help her cook up stories. Or ways they could make the truth work. But it was easier when she finally told them what she did. Of course that's a better idea when the family is right there and they can go to training—learn to be safe."

"Yeah."

Sarah moved her hand to Matt's cheek. "But now you have me to back you up."

He took her hand and kissed her palm. "I was just thinking last night what a blessing it's been to have you as not just my girlfriend, but my confidante. I could talk to Rene, but there are things I can tell you that I can't tell Rene. And you understand." He looked over at her. "I hope you know how much that means to me."

"You know, that goes both ways. None of my friends know what my family does for a living—except you." Sarah sighed resignedly. She was quiet for a moment before smiling over at Matt. "I guess I knew I was in love with you when I realized we were soul mates—part of that is getting along well, but it's also being able to talk about things." Sarah blushed a little, hoping Matt did not mind her using the term "soul mates." "I don't know if I've told you this, but my grandmother told me that I should wait for my soul mate." I think she was telling me Jeff was not the one.

He kissed her palm again and did not speak for a moment. When he found his voice again, it was husky. "I wish I could have known your grandmother."

"She would have loved you. She was a good judge of people. And grandma was feisty—more than my mother, if you can believe it—but she was elegant and gracious. And she always made time for me and my girlish problems."

Sarah had talked about her grandmother before, but not in much detail. He knew that both Amanda and Sarah still grieved the loss of Dotty. He enjoyed hearing Sarah open up. "Sounds like she loved you very much. Although I'm not a bit surprised."

"She was so happy for my mom—Daddy was a knight in shining armor, in her opinion. And she had a soft spot for him because he had lost his parents as a little boy and was raised by a bachelor uncle. I guess she saw how thrilled my dad was about having a child of his own, so she offered to take care of me. She did not want to entrust me to child care, and neither did my dad. Mom was ready to quit at one point, but Grandma said she was not too old to help raise a little girl."

Matt smiled as he imagined a small Sarah with her grandmother. "So, she was like a second mom and a grandma."

"I guess so." Sarah noticed that the scenery had changed from city to suburbs. "This seems like a nice area. Everything looks pretty new."

"It's grown a lot since I was young. The recession hasn't hit so hard here."

"Do you ever regret moving away?"

Matt glanced over at Sarah. Is she fishing, wondering if I am sorry to be in D.C.? "No. Not before I met you, and especially not since I met you. I'm really happy to be in D.C. I expect we'll buy a home someday and raise our kids there. I can't see coming back here."

She stared at him, her brow furrowing. "Well, if you change your mind, don't be afraid to tell me."

"I wouldn't take you from your family."

"You'll be my family."

"That's true, and it's sweet to say, but you know what I mean. Honestly Sarah, they understand what I do on a day-to-day basis better than my own family does."

Not sure what to say, Sarah fell silent and took in the sights. As it grew more rural, she was fascinated by what she saw. Farmhouses and outbuildings of different stripes were interspersed with small housing developments and the occasional commercial building. After several minutes she spoke. "The countryside is so beautiful." Bright red sumac flamed along the fences, while here and there a bur oak or a cedar elm glowed golden yellow in the midday sunshine.

"I'm glad you like it. It's a different kind of beauty than what we see in Virginia." He looked over his shoulder to change lanes. "We're almost there. About ten more minutes."

Sarah remained quiet as she observed the area that Matt had called home as a boy. This trip was her chance to learn more about the man that she loved and would be marrying soon.

Matt did not fail to notice her demeanor, and guessed what she might be thinking. They crossed another country highway. "Our high school was down that road a few miles. We can take a look after church on Sunday." As they drove on, he gestured to the left. "I had a couple of friends who lived down that road. The houses were more modest when we were kids. Some have stayed that way. My dad has done pretty well at his company, so he and Mom have used stock and bonus money to remodel their house and make improvements on the property. Several years ago one of their neighbors about a mile away divided his land up into large lots. Some builder came in and put up custom homes. The neighborhood has gotten a bit more upscale as the metro area has grown and people are moving farther out."

Matt slowed the Elantra and turned down a side road. After a few miles, he turned onto a country lane that was interspersed with prairie-like meadows and stands of native trees. Here and there, cactus plants clustered incongruously among grasses and shrubs. Where it was not wooded, horses stood at fences, flicking their tails. A cardinal darted across the lane, bobbing and weaving slightly as it flew in front of them. The road dipped down to a low water crossing, then traveled up a steep hill. At this high point, limestone rock dominated the landscape, along with patches of grass, live oaks, and more of the occasional deciduous plants that were showing their autumn colors. Matt turned onto a private road. "Almost there."

"No wonder you like the remoteness of the cabin."

"Yeah. The quietness reminds me of home."

The car followed the lane about a half mile past a mailbox stand and an eclectic mix of gates that varied from an opening in a barbed wire fence to an elaborate electric device with a call box. "He's a CEO. There's a helipad on top of his house."

"No kidding."

"Don't worry. My parents' house isn't that fancy. Here it is. And oh, don't forget that Ranger will be greeting us, too. He's harmless—and he stays away from the fences. Can't stand the effects of his electric collar."

"He's an Australian shepherd, right?"

"Yep. He'll still try to herd us sometimes. Don't let him bother you."

The road ended and split into two driveways. The homes were far enough apart so that only the Grangers' house could be seen as they turned up the driveway and passed a stand of trees. Perched on top of a rise, the house was dominated by a dramatic, south-facing picture window. A tall woman could be seen briefly on the other side of the glass as the Elantra pulled up near the multi-car garage, which stood open on the mild fall day. A large pickup truck with an extended cab stood outside the garage. An Audi A4 sedan and a Suburban were parked inside, but much of the large space remained empty, save for the shelves of assorted boxes and tool racks that lined its walls. A light was on at a workbench that stood at one end, surrounded by shelves and cabinets.

Just as Matt had predicted, Ranger came bounding up from some unknown part of the property. Matt managed to park the car near the garage and avoid the dog at the same time.

The woman from the window was walking quickly through the garage to their Hyundai, a grin on her face. Finally meeting his mother in person, Sarah immediately noticed the resemblance to Matt. While Sharon Granger's dark blonde hair was graying, her smile reached her deep blue eyes, causing them to twinkle the same way Matt's did. He hurried to get out so he could greet his mother, ruffling the dog's fur as he walked around the vehicle.

"Matt! Sarah! Oh, I'm so excited to see you both." She gave Matt a brief hug before he helped Sarah from the car.

"It's a pleasure to meet you in person finally, Sharon." Sarah held out a hand towards Sharon, but instead was enveloped in a hug.

"I'm just so glad you could come with Matt."

Matt watched the two women, a smile on his face. Soon he noticed his father coming from the shed on the far side of the large yard.

Ranger bounded over to David Granger, then back to his wife and visitors, as if to announce their arrival.

Sharon was bubbling with enthusiasm. "How was the flight? And the drive? You must be starved—it's past lunch on the east coast. Oh there's your father, Matt. He was fixing the bread maker for me and went looking for some obscure part he didn't have near his workbench. You'd think he had everything there, but I guess not."

Sarah smiled over at Matt, who grinned back, his eyes twinkling with silent laughter. Now she knew why he liked her mother so much. They both knew how to ramble. They turned toward David Granger as he approached.

"Hullo! Sorry! I was looking for something in the shed when you drove up." He reached out to hug Sarah politely. "It's nice to meet you face to face, Sarah. Welcome to the family."

Sarah blushed and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

David turned towards Matt and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "So good to see you again, son. You look well. I suppose you're all healed up?"

Sharon's grin faded slightly. "David, he looks wonderful—better than ever. He's been telling us he was healed up for weeks." She took Sarah's arm and looked at Matt. "Why don't you bring your bags to your rooms and wash up? I have lunch waiting."

"Let me help you with those, son."

With little effort, Matt swung each bag from the trunk to the gravel before closing the trunk. He hefted both suitcases easily. "Thanks, Dad. But really, I'm fine. I've been lifting again. Perhaps you wouldn't mind grabbing our carry-on bags."

Sarah overheard the two men talking behind them as she walked with Sharon into the house, leaving the dog outside to roam his property once again.

"Are you sure that's okay? What did the doctor say?"

"She gave me the all clear weeks ago. I'm back to my old routine with the weights and I run almost every day. I thought I told you that."

"I guess you did. It just didn't seem possible."

The men stopped briefly at Matt's room, then brought Sarah's bags into the guest room, which was across the hall. Wooden shutters had been pulled open to allow more afternoon light into the east-facing room, decorated in earth tones of green, maroon, and soft autumn orange. A thick comforter graced the king-sized bed, along with a woolen afghan. An antique rocker sat in one corner.

"I hope you'll be comfortable here, Sarah." Sharon smiled in reassurance at her. "Please let me know if you need anything. The bathroom is across the hall, next to Matt's room. I set out towels for each of you. Lauren and Emma share the bathroom that sits between their rooms. You'll see them tonight."

"I can't wait to meet them."

"And they can't wait to meet you. David, could you please help me with something in the kitchen?" Sharon glanced at Matt and smiled before they left the room.

Matt drew close to Sarah. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. I could have brought in the carry-on."

"You're still supposed to be watching that shoulder. Where do you want your suitcase?"

"Right over there seems like a good spot." She gestured to an open space near the closet. She spoke quietly. "Your mom reminds me of my mom—actually my grandmother—the way she's so friendly."

"And rambles?" Matt grinned over at Sarah after setting up her suitcase for her.

"Yes. My mom doesn't ramble as much as she used to. My grandmother never slowed down. Daddy has never been afraid to remind my mother if she was rambling, but he would get this dazed look on his face when Grandma would go on about something."

Matt went to Sarah and wrapped his arms around her. "Mom loves you already. I can tell."

"I don't know about 'loves.' We hardly know each other."

"She knows how much you mean to me. And how good you are for me." He leaned down to kiss her. "We should wash up before we get the bell."

Sarah followed Matt into the hall. "The bell?"

"Mom rings a bell to call us to meals. Saves her the trouble of yelling. I always found it kind of annoying."

Sarah chuckled. "Good thing you're not a British servant in a big house."

Matt rolled his eyes and gestured to the bathroom. "You go first." He walked into his room while she went to wash her hands.

A few minutes later, Sarah found Matt looking over the shelves in his room. "All done."

He turned to her. "You should check these out while I'm in there. Almost all of my stuff has been either thrown out or shipped to D.C., but my mom still keeps my books on the shelf so I have something to read while I'm home. You might like to read one of them. I'll show you my yearbooks later."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Oh! I can't wait!" Sarah took a moment to look around Matt's room. Except for the books and a couple of photos and A&M prints, it did not display his personality the way his apartment did. Painted white bookshelves had been built along one wall above a computer desk. The north facing window's dark blue curtains had been pulled open. The tan bedspread was simple and masculine, as was the dark blue blanket folded at its foot. A few pillows in matching blue and tan colors were arranged by the headboard and a matching pillow offered an accent to the large overstuffed chair in one corner.

Glancing over the books on the shelves, Sarah was pleased to see that there were several historical novels. Leaning over the dresser, she examined the photos on the wall. One showed a much younger Matt, probably high school age, with his friends. His build was much slighter, almost skinny, and the expression on his face was rather impish as he lazily draped an arm over the shoulders of a girl she did not recognize. Several other people his age had posed for the photo as well. The other picture showed a more mature and muscular Matt, in his Corps uniform, receiving an award. She looked back at the girl in the other photo. She was not leaning against Matt. In fact, she was carefully maintaining a respectable distance, it seemed. Sarah mentally shook herself. Don't be jealous, silly. This is at least seven years old.

She jumped when a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. I can't believe I let him sneak up on me like that.

"Sorry I startled you. That's Kate. We were all in youth group together. This photo was taken at our youth group's high school graduation party."

"Looks like you were all close. You've told me about a few of your friends, but have you all stayed in touch?"

Matt looked at her and answered slowly. "Well, they all use social media, and of course that's out of the question for me. But Kate and some of the guys have stayed in touch by emailing me every few weeks or so. I should probably tell you that Kate is like a sister to me. Please don't worry about her. She has a boyfriend, and she's really excited we're engaged. I think I told you that she's hoping to meet you."

"I remember hearing about Kate more than once." Sarah felt a little foolish for having entertained any thoughts of jealousy.

Matt followed her down the hall to the kitchen and lunch. They passed by the living room, the centerpiece of which was the picture window. From the hall Sarah could see that the window commanded a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. Sheer curtains had been opened to allow for an unobstructed view.

Matt placed his hand on her back when she paused. "You can see the lights of the suburbs at night—but boy, that room gets hot in the summer if we don't close the drapes."

Sharon stepped out of the kitchen. "There you are. Let Sarah eat something. Then you can show her all over if you want."

Lunch was a relaxed affair in the upscale, modern kitchen. Recessed lighting and large windows made the room bright despite the dark wooden cabinets and floors; a rustic table and chairs offered a pleasant contrast to the brushed metal appliances. A high counter with stools offered a transition to the attached family room.

For lunch there was homemade soup and sandwiches, with mixed fruit on the side. Matt and his mother did most of the talking while Sarah listened. Although his father appeared to be paying attention to Sharon's questions and Matt's updates, Sarah did not miss him glancing her way from time to time. She could not help noticing that while Matt favored his mother in many ways, he had inherited his intense gray eyes and his quiet demeanor from his father. She resolved to find an opportunity to visit with David. I just hope that we can become friendly with one another for Matt's sake.

"Well it seems that you have put that awful accident behind you, dear. I'm so glad work is going well. And you told me that Sarah will be starting there after you get back. Is that right, Sarah?"

"Yes. I'll be working in research."

"But I thought you were a docent at a museum." David's tone was not unfriendly, but his question was slightly abrupt.

"I was an assistant to the curator at a museum, which included serving as a docent. But this was a wonderful opportunity I could not pass up." Sarah focused on using her normal mannerisms. She wondered if David knew how to determine if someone were not telling the truth. Besides, I'm not lying. Yet. She did not look at Matt, afraid that might cause her to give something away.

"Will you be working for your parents, then?"

"No, I'm afraid not. They are going into retirement and doing some consulting work."

"How nice that they can retire early. I'm hoping David can do the same in ten years or so. We have thought of traveling and helping missions organizations before we get too old."

Sarah smiled. "What a wonderful idea." She looked over at David.

He spoke gruffly. "Yes. We have some friends who have done that already. I don't believe in sitting around or playing golf all day. I like to fix things. Sharon likes to help people—she's kept up her nursing certification and worked the occasional shift."

"It was nice that you could have the afternoon off, David."

"This is a special occasion. I work from home sometimes anyway."

Sharon put her hand on Matt's arm to make sure she had his attention. "Matt, I believe the girls have planned a party with the Westfields. It would be at their house—I offered, but Kate insisted on hosting. She's staying there over the weekend so she can see you. It would be tomorrow night."

He turned to Sarah. "I hope you won't mind. They're family friends from a ways back. They want to meet you, and we always get together when I'm in town. We'll probably see many of the people from the photo, including Kate, of course. Her apartment is about forty-five minutes away, so it will be a good time to visit with her."

"That would be great."

David interjected, "I hope you won't mind doing a little hunting in the morning, son. The weather is supposed to change and I won't have much time next week."

Matt looked over at Sarah again, a frown starting to form on his face, but Sharon broke in.

"I thought the girls and I could have coffee together and chat. Just the women. Does that appeal to you, Sarah?"

"I'd love it." She smiled at Sharon.

Matt scooted his chair closer to Sarah's and put his arm across the back of hers. "I've planned a few outings with Sarah. She's never been to Austin or San Antonio. I thought I could take her down to San Antonio next week. And a night on the town—go to Sixth Street. Maybe another day a few of us could go downtown and tour the Capitol, hit a restaurant?"

"Poor Sarah. We're planning her entire vacation. I hope we're not overwhelming you." Sharon stood up to clear the dishes and rested a hand on Sarah's shoulder briefly as she passed by.

"Oh, it's all good. Matt really did plan those things with me ahead of time. I can't wait."

"If you're sure." She looked at Matt as she came back to her seat. "Just please remember that Thursday is Thanksgiving and your grandparents are coming for an early dinner with us." Her eyes twinkled at him as she teased.

Sarah broke in. "And I plan to help you in the kitchen. Do you cook on Wednesday?"

"Thank you. That would be nice. We do cook a lot of things on Wednesday. With your help, we ladies will have more time to relax this year, once the cooking is done. My mother is not up to cooking that kind of meal anymore, so my parents will come on Thursday just for the day. I do believe they're planning to come to the wedding, too."

Sharon took a sip of iced tea. "How is the wedding planning coming? I think it's sweet you want to get married right away, but it must be a nightmare for you, Sarah."

Matt put his arm around Sarah's shoulders while she answered. "It was pretty crazy the last couple of weeks, but almost everything has been reserved, ordered, or whatever. The wedding invitations are coming while I'm out of town, but my sisters-in-law have offered to help me get them addressed and in the mail once I'm back. My parents will still be in England."

"But you'll just be starting out at your new job."

"Well, I won't be full-time at first. And we can get a lot of it done on the Sunday afternoon before that. My family was planning to get together anyway."

"I'll stuff envelopes and put stamps on them or something." Matt squeezed her shoulders in reassurance.

"That's sweet, Matt." She turned to Matt briefly before returning her attention to Sharon. "At this rate, we may be done in couple of hours."

"You are an organized bunch. Have you picked out a place for your honeymoon?"

Matt shifted in his chair, his arm still around Sarah's shoulders. "I just made all the reservations and got plane tickets this week. We decided to go skiing in Winter Park. Sarah's never been there, and I found a nice condo in town."

"Oh, you could drive up to Grand Lake one day. It's so lovely there."

"I'm not sure the lodge will be open, but the restaurants in town will be."

"Perfect. And you have to go to the German restaurant in Winter Park. Be sure to say hello for us."

"Sharon, they'll be on a honeymoon. Let them plan it," David interjected.

Sarah blushed a little and Matt squeezed her shoulders again. She could feel him suppressing a laugh as he leaned lightly against her.

Sharon laughed a little and got up to finish clearing the table. "Sorry! I just love going there. I hope you'll love it, too, Sarah. Winter Park is a huge resort with plenty to do and the surrounding area is beautiful."

Sarah started to get up from her chair. "Please let me help you."

David got up. "Not this time, Sarah. Matt probably wants to show you around. There's a lot to see beyond the house and yard."

As they stepped outside, Sarah marveled at the mild climate. "It's so nice here. I only need this sweater."

"Here, boy!" Matt held out his hand. Ranger trotted up and greeted them eagerly before following the couple.

"It's supposed to cool off tomorrow night. A few cold days, then it will warm up again. Sometimes we get an ice storm or even some snow."

He paused by the rose bushes near the driveway. "You've heard me talk about my mother's roses…"

Sarah stepped over to the bushes and leaned down to breathe in the scent of the blooms. "They are lovely. English roses. No wonder you enjoy the fragrance." Matt watched her, idly petting the shepherd as Sarah stopped to smell the flowers on each plant.

"It's a bit of work to grow roses on this rocky hill. Dad and I brought in a lot of soil. Maybe that's why they mean so much to my mom."

"And you enjoy them, too. They're lovely."

As they moved away, Matt wrapped his arm around Sarah's waist.

He stopped and turned towards her after they had crossed the driveway. "You were great when my dad asked about your job. I'm sorry if that was hard for you."

"I hope I didn't look like I was lying. I was so nervous."

"You were perfect—and you didn't lie."

"Thanks. I hope we won't have to do that much."

Matt took her hand and kissed it, then began leading her further away from the house. Ranger bounded in among the trees ahead of them, then disappeared. As they walked further away from the yard, Matt noticed Sarah had grown quiet and was glancing about them. "A penny for your thoughts."

"I guess I'm a little worried about those wild boar you mentioned. You aren't armed."

He placed his hand on her back. "Oh, they won't come this close to the house. And they don't like the area where we're going. It's too open."

Sarah nodded and tried to relax. She allowed herself to be distracted by the brilliant colors of autumn leaves here and there along the path and the birds that flitted from tree to tree nearby. Soon they reached a clearing at a high point on the trail. "My dad and I built this bench while I was in high school. He's kept it nice over the years."

"You both did a lovely job on it."

Matt guided her over and they sat down to enjoy the view. A light breeze played with the loose hair about her face and she pushed it back.

"It's beautiful here, Matt. I'm so glad you brought me to meet your folks. Thank you."

Matt placed a hand on her cheek. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me."

From his expression, Sarah had no doubt that it did. He leaned in to kiss her lightly. He caressed her face and looked thoughtful. "You know, we say we're engaged, but I've been frustrated that you had no ring to show off to the world."

"It's okay, Matt. It was so sweet of you and your mom to design one for me. I'm honored that I'll be wearing your great grandmother's ring—or a re-creation of it—for the rest of my life. It's only been a couple of weeks."

Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet-covered box. He opened it and took out the ring, slipping the box back into his pocket.

"Oh," she breathed, a little surprised. "You have it with you."

"My mom had this waiting on the desk in my old room. I was wondering how to present it to you. I thought of proposing again, but what if you didn't say 'yes' the second time?"

Sarah detected a hint of seriousness behind Matt's light banter. Oh, he's nervous. Why? "I wouldn't be here if that was going to be the case."

A note of relief was in his voice as he replied. "I'll take that as an invitation to say the words again." He looked into Sarah's expressive eyes, which were very full at the moment. "Beloved Sarah, I love you so very much. You're my best friend, and I can't imagine living without you. Will you marry me and grow old with me?" His arm went about her shoulders in anticipation of her answer.

Sarah smiled and hesitated only briefly as she formed her words. "Yes. I would be honored to marry you, Matt. You're the love of my life and my best friend. I want to grow old with you, too." Sarah was determined not to cry this time, but a single tear ran down her cheek.

Matt wiped the tear away with his thumb before placing the ring on Sarah's finger. It fit perfectly. He held her hand for a moment, watching the sun reflect off the diamond and the sapphires. "It looks so lovely on you." He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly, then wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him.

"Matt, you must know that I can't wait to marry you. You don't need to worry about that."

"You've been so busy lately—and little distant…" He spoke so quietly she could barely hear him.

Her voice was soft, too. "You wanted to be sure."

"I didn't say that."

"No, you didn't, but that's what you were thinking. I'm sorry. I get wrapped up in things. I was worried we wouldn't be able to pull off a wedding in two months. But Mom and I got so much done."

"Can you relax now?"

"I fully intend to." Sarah smiled up at Matt.

Leaning his head towards hers, he reached up to brush the hair from her cheek. As he did so, he ran his thumb over the thin scar on her temple, partially hidden by the delicate hair at the side of her face. Moving his thumb to the small scar on her neck, a grave expression flitted over his face as he thought briefly of how she had received those marks. His touch was a gentle caress as his hand slipped under her braid to the soft skin at the base of her neck. He kissed her slowly and ran his other hand around her waist to the small of her back while she let her hands explore his chest and move down to circle his waist before they came to a rest on his lower back.

After several more long kisses, Matt finally pulled away. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were dark as he looked at her. "I want you so badly right now, Sarah." It was more of an apology than a request. Trembling slightly, he ran a hand over her arm before cupping her cheek once again.

For her part, Sarah had never felt such desire for Matt as she did then. She looked in his eyes and did not say anything for a long moment. Finally she spoke. "I guess coming to your parents' house was a good idea." She tried to smile.

He laughed quietly. "Yeah. Kind of puts the stop on things. My dad would kill me if he caught me making love to you before we were married. And I'd never forgive myself for messing up our wedding night after we'd agreed to wait. I'm sorry."

"Please don't be. Your words are always so nice, but your touches and kisses also make me feel loved."

"Oh God. This is so hard."

"I know. But we can do it. And we'll have a wonderful wedding night. I'm sure of it." Despite her bold words, Sarah was blushing.

"You're an amazing kisser, you know. And the way it feels when you touch me…"

Sarah looked down, using the opportunity to admire the ring that now graced her left hand. It felt strange to wear jewelry on that finger, but it would be a pleasant reminder of the new life that they would start together soon. For now they needed to enjoy the anticipation of their wedding. "Maybe we should think about going back soon."

Matt caressed her face once more, but only offered her a brief kiss before he stood and pulled her to her feet. He embraced her for a moment, resting his chin on her shoulder affectionately while she leaned against his chest. They held hands as they made their way back down the path to the house.