Chapter 63

Preparations for the Big Day

Jack and Elizabeth were putting some inside touches on the house. By this time, the house was totally enclosed with all of the doors and windows installed. A month ago, Jack had taken her to Union City to shop, they had such a better selection than the merchantile or anything that Ned could've ordered. So, she was in her kitchen putting away the things that they had purchased. Jack and Lee hade her a beautiful table to match the gorgeous cabinets made out of dark wood. She was putting her new set of pots and pans in a cabinet when she heard Jack whistling down the stairs.

"Hey,how's it goin down here? I say the upstairs is all ready to be lived in." Jack came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as her nuzzled his nose in her hair and enjoyed her scent of vanilla sugar.

" Can you believe that our special day is at the end of the week? These 6 months have gone by so quickly and it seemed like we were never going to get everything done." Elizabeth still had a feeling that they were forgetting to do something but she couldn't quite put her finger on what they had forgotten.

"But we did... with alot of help from our friends, everythin is all ready for the wedding. He turned her around in his arms, so that he was looking her straight in her eyes. But... are you ready to marry me?"

"Jack, I'm ready right now to marry you and I was ready the night that you asked me to marry you. I would have married you right at that moment. I can't wait to walk down that aisle to you, say our vows and walk back again,this time as your wife." she scruntched up her nose and wiggled it in the way that he loved.

"What do you say that we both get going? I have my bachelor lunch that the guys are throwing for me, and you have the party to get to that all of your friends are having for you. May I escort you to town Miss Thatcher?" she smiled and took his arm that he offered.

Walking into town hand in hand, they came to the restaurant, which Abigail had closed for the day.

"Make sure that you have a good time sweetheart. Before you know it, we'll be married and we won't have to tell each other goodbye." Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek and said that he would find her later.

"You have lots of fun with all of your friends too and behave yourselves:)" She looked behind her, smiled at her fiance and went inside. Jack kept walking down the street to the saloon. Lucas had agreed to close for the afternoon and had offered the saloon as the venue for Jack's lunch.

"Abigail, this soup is delicious! I hope that you will share the recipe with me, because Jack loves soup as much as I do." Elizabeth was having such a good time with all of her friends. Abigail had made a light lunch for the ladies, of soup and salad. She had made a corn chowder,full of shrimp, bacon and lots of corn. Along with it, came a caeser salad with the best caeser dressing that she had ever was getting a little brisk in the afternoons so the soup tasted extra yummy. After they nibbled on an assortment of different cookies that Abigail had made, Rosemary spoke.

"Well are we ready for presents?" Excitement rose in the room as presents began to pile in front of her. She had never received so many lovely things, many things for their house and a few things that Jack would like:) "Here's one more." Rosemary handed her a small box. She had already given her one from her and Lee, so Elizabeth wondered what this could be. Slowly she opened the box...

"Oh Rosemary, they are beautiful." In the box was a a pair of earrings in the shape of tiny crosses with tiny diamonds all through them.

"These were my grandmother's, then my mom's and then they were passed down to me. She actually gave them to me when I was engaged before but it never worked out. I was hoping that you would wear them on your wedding day. They will take care of your something borrowed, because I need them back ha ha." The room burst out in laughter and then Rosemary got a sentimental look on her face. "I hope that they will be a reiminder and comfort to you, for those who we would love to be in our lives and here for your special day but can't be." Elizabeth teared up slightly as she thought of her own grandmother, her parents and Jack's family that couldn't be here for the wedding.

"Thank you so much Rosemary, I would be honored to wear them on our special day." she got up out of her seat and embraced her friend.

"Ok ladies, no more tears, more fun." Abigail stated, then laughed.

Meanwhile at the saloon

Lucas, the newest owner of the saloon, had just passed out beers to everyone.

"So Jack, are you getting nervous yet buddy?" Jack just threw his head back and laughed at Lee's question.

"Let me tell you something Lee.. It's true, both Elizabeth and I might be a little bit nervous due to all the task of getting every single thing done, but she is the woman that I've been looking for my entire life." Jack laid his hand on Lee's shoulder,silently thanking him for the life of friendship. Lee knew exactly what he was saying, so he just smiled a smile that spoke a thousand words.

"Ok fellows, lunch is ready!" BIll, who was currently the mayor of Hope Valley,turned out to be a great cook. Also being another of Jack's good friends, he offered to handle the food for the party. Today, he had made a spread of ribs, hot sausage, coleslaw and various things for dessert.

"Thanks for doing this Bill, if you need a gift idea for us, you could teach Elizabeth how to make this hot sausage, it's awesome." Jack stuffed another bite in his mouth, showing everyone how much he enjoyed it.

Later on after the parties, Jack and Elizabeth came walking down the street at the same time.

"Hey how was your party?" Jack gave her a kiss when her had closed the distance between them.

"It was really nice, and we got some very nice things for the house. I'm heading there now to put it all away. You were right, the people in this town have been so nice to us. They have taken me under their wing since the first day that I came. How was your lunch with all of the guys?"

"It was also very nice. I think we can definately agree that they people in this town want the very best for us. When Saturday arrives, they will all be there to witness us becoming one."Jack squeezed her hand as they arrived at the homestead.

After getting settled inside, Elizabeth felt the need to ask him about her thoughts that she had before at her party.

"Jack, have you had any thought about our parents and if we shoud've invited them and included them in the wedding?" Elizabeth was happy that she finally had gotten out the thing that she had been dreading asking him.

"Sweetheart, I didn't want to get your hopes up but I talked to my mom awhile ago about that. She said that she wished that she could be here but she can't make wishes us all the best though and she is so happy for us. Plus I wasn't sure how you would feel about inviting your parents, mainly because of how you told me how Thanksgiving was." Jack's face was full of concern.

"To be completely honest, my dream since I was a little girl ,was to have the man of my dreams go to my father, and ask him for his blessing for our marriage. Although, now that I've seen the kind of life that my father had in his mind for me, I'm not sure. He wanted me with a man that worked for him, was wealthy and didn't care about anything that I wanted...or the simple fact that I didn't love him like I love you Jack." By now she had big tears streaming down her face.

"Hey hey hey... Jack spoke softly,but she kept crying. Elizabeth, look at me. Your life is turning out exactly the way that you want it to. I'm so sorry for the way that your parents have it set in their minds how your life should be and who you should be with. I'm hoping that you feel the same way, but I'm planning on marrying you no matter what."

"Oh Jack, I feel the same way. Nothing is going to stop me from marrying you. You know, I wanted to call my parents to at least when we got engaged, but something stopped me. They way that my father treated me before and after I wanted to go to dinner with Tom. How he wanted me to stay at home with them instead of meeting your brother. How he didn't even hug me goodbye when I left. I wanted to see if maybe he had a change of heart, my mother isn't as bad as my father though when it comes to running my life. "Elizabeth put her hand on his cheek." I know in my heart that you're the right man for me, and our marriage doesn't need blessed by anyone but God."

"You're so right, you always are." with that he gave her a long and slow kiss, one that left them both wanting more. This would be the last kiss he would give her as Miss Elizabeth Thatcher.