Chapter Three
"Just one more step - careful, careful." Rafe continued to lead Alison to their destination.
"Ok - seriously, I know you want to surprise me but you'd better let me take this scarf off before I - oh - Rafe---" Alison trailed off. "I know exactly where we are."
"Really?" Rafe said, his voice edged with disappointment.
"You can't fool me, Rafe Kovich. I'd know this place anywhere." Alison said with a smile.
"OK, then, if you're so smart. Where are we?"
"The barn." She said simply as she untied the blindfold herself. It was indeed their barn.
It had been so long, she turned to take it all in. It was just as she remembered. She saw their names he had carved once again on the post, just where they belonged.
Despite the fact that this was where she had had to say goodbye to him last - it was her favorite place on earth. Nothing could erase the happiness she had first felt here with him.
She turned to look at him, her eyes glistening with joyful tears, all the love she had for him shining in her eyes.
"Happy Anniversary." Rafe almost whispered as he pulled her into his arms.
"Anniversary?" Alison asked, her eyes squinting slightly. "Which one?"
"Our wedding. I mean, the one we had here. Don't tell me you don't remember."
"I remember everything." she replied - echoing the words he had finally spoken to her months earlier. If he meant that anniversary she'd be just as happy. Against all odds, he had fallen in love with her again. Further proof, not that she needed it, that they were destined for one another. She leaned in to kiss him then. "But, we've had so many - ummm - memories here that I didn't know which to choose." She kissed him again, just 'cause he had such a cute look on his face.
His arms tightened around her as he spoke. "Well, I know that we've got a ton to deal with right now, what with Caleb---"
"--- and my mother and Livvie and now Joshua" Alison finished for him, moving in closer.
"Exactly, and it just didn't seem right. I mean, our "real" wedding was ruined." Rafe's tone was beginning to get bitter.
"But, you know, don't you? I'm already your wife." Alison responded - lifting her hand to move his face so that his eyes met hers.
He just looked at her then - so much in love that he was almost unable to speak.
"Alison --- " He said her name like a prayer as he leaned his forehead to hers.
"So?" she asked, with a familiar look in her eyes. Rafe loved that look. He lifted her hand to his lips, placing kisses first on her palm and then slowly moved his lips to her wrist.
As he kissed her there he could feel her pulse quicken and smiled as he said, "So. I just thought we needed a day. Alone. By ourselves."
"Alone. Where no one can find us?" Alison asked, moving just out of reach, slipping off her denim jacket.
"Yep."
"Where Ian or Lucy or Jack or Jamal or worst of all my mother won't start to knock the door down?" she questioned again as she started pulling the pins from her hair, the long, blond strands swirling past her shoulders.
"Exactly."
"Where I have you all to myself?"
"umm, hmm" Rafe found it more and more difficult to concentrate as he watched her begin to unbutton her shirt.
"Rafe, can I ask you something?"
"Anything." he replied, and unable to resist touching her any longer - he reached for her and pulled her to him.
"You do realize that this particular anniversary was almost 2 months ago, don't you?" Her arms circled his neck, bringing his lips close to hers.
"Does it really matter?" he asked between kisses, each one more passionate than the next.
" Nope. Not to me" she laughed, as they sank down together into the hay.
"Just one more step - careful, careful." Rafe continued to lead Alison to their destination.
"Ok - seriously, I know you want to surprise me but you'd better let me take this scarf off before I - oh - Rafe---" Alison trailed off. "I know exactly where we are."
"Really?" Rafe said, his voice edged with disappointment.
"You can't fool me, Rafe Kovich. I'd know this place anywhere." Alison said with a smile.
"OK, then, if you're so smart. Where are we?"
"The barn." She said simply as she untied the blindfold herself. It was indeed their barn.
It had been so long, she turned to take it all in. It was just as she remembered. She saw their names he had carved once again on the post, just where they belonged.
Despite the fact that this was where she had had to say goodbye to him last - it was her favorite place on earth. Nothing could erase the happiness she had first felt here with him.
She turned to look at him, her eyes glistening with joyful tears, all the love she had for him shining in her eyes.
"Happy Anniversary." Rafe almost whispered as he pulled her into his arms.
"Anniversary?" Alison asked, her eyes squinting slightly. "Which one?"
"Our wedding. I mean, the one we had here. Don't tell me you don't remember."
"I remember everything." she replied - echoing the words he had finally spoken to her months earlier. If he meant that anniversary she'd be just as happy. Against all odds, he had fallen in love with her again. Further proof, not that she needed it, that they were destined for one another. She leaned in to kiss him then. "But, we've had so many - ummm - memories here that I didn't know which to choose." She kissed him again, just 'cause he had such a cute look on his face.
His arms tightened around her as he spoke. "Well, I know that we've got a ton to deal with right now, what with Caleb---"
"--- and my mother and Livvie and now Joshua" Alison finished for him, moving in closer.
"Exactly, and it just didn't seem right. I mean, our "real" wedding was ruined." Rafe's tone was beginning to get bitter.
"But, you know, don't you? I'm already your wife." Alison responded - lifting her hand to move his face so that his eyes met hers.
He just looked at her then - so much in love that he was almost unable to speak.
"Alison --- " He said her name like a prayer as he leaned his forehead to hers.
"So?" she asked, with a familiar look in her eyes. Rafe loved that look. He lifted her hand to his lips, placing kisses first on her palm and then slowly moved his lips to her wrist.
As he kissed her there he could feel her pulse quicken and smiled as he said, "So. I just thought we needed a day. Alone. By ourselves."
"Alone. Where no one can find us?" Alison asked, moving just out of reach, slipping off her denim jacket.
"Yep."
"Where Ian or Lucy or Jack or Jamal or worst of all my mother won't start to knock the door down?" she questioned again as she started pulling the pins from her hair, the long, blond strands swirling past her shoulders.
"Exactly."
"Where I have you all to myself?"
"umm, hmm" Rafe found it more and more difficult to concentrate as he watched her begin to unbutton her shirt.
"Rafe, can I ask you something?"
"Anything." he replied, and unable to resist touching her any longer - he reached for her and pulled her to him.
"You do realize that this particular anniversary was almost 2 months ago, don't you?" Her arms circled his neck, bringing his lips close to hers.
"Does it really matter?" he asked between kisses, each one more passionate than the next.
" Nope. Not to me" she laughed, as they sank down together into the hay.