After drying the last dish, Jo wiped her hands on a towel and looked imploringly at Asia, as if one of the children, needing permission to go. The housekeeper smiled with understanding. "Go on - I can finish the rest." Jo gave her hand a quick, grateful squeeze and untied her apron, her heart racing with anticipation. She needed to see him, be with him and with her heart pounding rapidly, she could no longer wait. After the students had reluctantly gone to bed, she heard Ben mention turning in as well; Nick's response had been that he'd join his brother shortly. Jo was hoping to still catch him, hoping he hadn't rushed off too quickly.
She scanned the parlor and finding it empty, grabbed her shawl from the hallway, making her way out to the front porch. The night air was crisp, stars blanketed the sky and the full moon gazed down as Nick leaned against the railing. Jo quietly shut the door behind her, not wanting to disturb him; her soft footsteps announcing her presence. She gradually made her way towards him, a calming sensation coming over her. She noticed his shoulders relax under his heavy leather jacket and a grin formed on his lips. "I stared up at these stars for five months and I realized they still look amazin', no matter where ya are… from the deck of a ship, on an island in the West Indies… in the middle of Massachusetts." He looked over at Jo as she joined him at the railing. "What matters is who's watching 'em with ya."
Jo laced her arm through his and laid her head against his shoulder. "I spent many nights up on the Widow's Walk, knowing I stared at the same sky you did. It was a comfort…" Jo looked at him, tears coming to her eyes. "After we received the news, I would sit up there, hoping for a sign that you were still watching them."
Nick brushed his thumb against her cheek, wiping away a few tears that Jo let fall. "I was," he whispered. Jo closed her eyes as he brought his lips to her forehead, a deep sigh escaping. He took her arm from his and pulled her to him, enveloping her in his embrace. She savored the feeling, all of the tension she had held onto for the last few months, slipping away. He still felt the same, held her in the same tender way, her senses overwhelmed with the familiar. She closed her eyes, a quiet finally settling over her.
"Ben told me about the money… about the shop," she said after several moments, pulling away from him to look into his eyes. Guilt flashed through him and he glanced past her, out into the yard. "Why didn't you tell me?" She searched his face, still holding desperately to him.
"I wanted to," he said slowly, Jo feeling his arms tighten around her. "I just thought it would be easier after I had enough money for the bank." He looked at her seriously. "I thought I could do this myself, Jo. I needed to."
Jo's head returned to his chest, his heartbeat rhythmically drumming in her ear. "I understand," she whispered, closing her eyes. "But you still should have told me."
She felt him chuckle and his hand gently caressed her back. She felt warm, despite the early winter air and she snuggled into him, drinking up the blissful moment. "It's gonna be tougher than I thought," he said, abruptly, his voice quiet. Jo lifted her head again, confused. "The company tends not ta pay people they think are dead." An uneasy smile lit up his face. "We might have to come up with some other way to get the loan..." The statement was formed more like a question but Jo appreciated his use of the term 'we'.
"Of course," she replied, getting lost in his eyes as he stared down at her. She sighed as he pressed his lips to hers, a soft kiss sealing the deal. He pulled back and smiled. "I love you, Jo."
The words warmed her as much as his body and she longed to hear them over and over. "I love you too," she murmured, her arms tightening around him.
"Marry me," he whispered, his intense gaze turning serious. Jo chuckled at the proposal, remembering his mother's ring still hanging around her neck. She brought her hand up to the treasured heirloom and grinned as she showed it to Nick. He nodded slowly and brought his eyes back to hers. Before she could speak, he took hold of her hand, the ring held inside. "Marry me," he repeated, "...tomorrow."
It took several minutes for Jo to fully comprehend the words. She stared at him questioningly, realization setting in. "Tomorrow?" she choked, implications crowding her mind.
"Just hear me out… I've been thinkin' 'bout this. I can ride to town in the mornin' and see if Reverend Lewis has some time tomorrow afternoon," he explained, his voice trying to sound convincing. "It don't gotta be big… It can just be the children and family. Ben's already here…"
"Nick…" Jo trailed off, overwhelmed by the situation. She had already been through the fuss of a wedding so even though she didn't need anything extravagant, it just seemed so rushed and impulsive. "We have nothing ready - what about decorations or the food… I don't even have a dress."
Nick sighed with slight frustration. "I'll ask Asia if she can cook somethin' up," he urged, gently framing her face with his hands. "And I don't care what you wear…"
Jo looked at him with uncertainty - her heart wanted nothing more than to be joined together with the man in front of her and spend the rest of her life with him. But it was just so quick. "Nick…"
He brought his eyes level with hers and brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Look - I spent the last five months away from you, each day waitin' to be with ya." He took a deep breath. "I don't think I can stand another moment apart."
His intensity touched Jo and she swallowed the lump in her throat, the doubts and questions gradually disappearing. "Are you sure?" she tried once more. "Maybe after being on that island, you're just feeling anxious."
Nick shook his head. "After bein' on that island, I learned just how quickly things can change." He took her hands in his, squeezing them with emphasis. "I don't wanna waste another day."
Jo stared into his eyes, several moments passing between them before she slowly nodded. "Tomorrow..." she whispered, assured by Nick's grin. He sighed gratefully as he drew her into him again, Jo closing her eyes as she snuggled into his embrace. Somehow, in someway, it felt right, and she felt at peace with the urgency. She allowed the night air to envelop them and the stars to watch over them before speaking again. "So… who's going to tell my sisters?"
XXXXX
Nick yawned as he made his way from the barn to the back door, the sun barely peeking over the trees. He had been up for a while - a hurried trip to town had made for an early start to the day and now all he could think about was a big mug of Asia's hot coffee. As he opened the door, the familiar smells of a Plumfield morning hit him; the sizzling bacon and freshly baked biscuits brought a smile to his face. He had missed this.
"Mornin' Asia," Nick said, finding the housekeeper elbow deep in dough. She startled at his voice and nearly dropped her rolling pin. "Sorry," he mumbled at her shocked expression.
She gave him a sheepish smile. "Never you mind," she said returning to the dough. "I just gotta get used to hearin' your voice again." She sighed, looking at him seriously. "And we're all grateful that we can."
Nick nodded, heading towards the stove with a cup in hand. "Jo up yet?"
"Yeah - she said she'll be down in a bit - although it seems like she's been up for hours," Asia commented. Nick felt a twinge of guilt, knowing he was the cause of the lack of sleep. But he was just hoping that she hadn't changed her mind - he had never been so sure of anything in his life. He wanted to marry that woman and the sooner, the better. They just needed the plans to come together.
He wandered over to the table and leaned up against a chair. "So, I know ya just did a bunch of cookin' for Thanksgiving," he said carefully, "but I was wonderin' if you would mind makin' somethin' special tonight."
"Somethin' special?" Asia eyed him suspiciously. "What for?"
Footsteps on the back stairs interrupted the conversation and Nick looked up to see Jo on the landing, a huge smile on her face at the sight of him. "Mornin'," he said, setting down his cup of coffee, his gaze locked with hers.
"Good morning," she said, stepping towards him, a look of expectation on her face. "So?"
Nick chuckled with relief at her excitement. "So?" he teased. Her expression turned to mock anger and he relented, knowing that if she hadn't had much sleep, he shouldn't push too far. "Reverend Lewis said he can be here at 4."
"What's happenin' at 4?" Asia asked, her head still down, rolling dough.
Nick glanced at Jo, grabbing her hand, her eyes lit with anticipation. "Um…" he said slowly, the news a bit more difficult to explain than he had originally thought.
"A wedding," Jo jumped in, her hand squeezing his fingers, both anxiously awaiting Asia's reaction.
The housekeeper paused her work, her thoughts obviously working overtime. "A weddin'?" she asked, slowly turning towards them. "Who's weddin'?"
Nick knew his grin gave the news away. "Our weddin'..."
Asia's eyes grew large, and she shook her head. "Now, when did this happen?" she scolded, wiping her hands on her apron.
Jo gave Nick a concerned glance as the housekeeper slowly made her way towards the couple. "Last night?" Nick offered, worried about the disapproval.
Asia stopped in front of Jo, a big grin appearing on her face, her eyes filling with tears as she drew Jo into a hug. "It's 'bout time you two did somethin'."
Nick breathed a sigh of relief as he moved to give his friend a hug. "Well, I couldn't wait anymore."
"I'm so happy for the two of you," Asia said, releasing him and smacking a hand against Nick's arm. "Now I am gonna have to find somethin' special to make tonight. You're not givin' me much time."
Jo shared Asia's teary gaze and smiled, her hand finding Nick's again. "It doesn't have to be anything extravagant." She looked at Nick. "We just want something small."
"Well, I'll think of somethin'," Asia said, returning to her ball of biscuit dough. "And you don't have to worry about a thing - at least with the food." She picked up the rolling pin again. "What else needs to get done?"
Nick could see the list of things running through Jo's mind but before she could get too anxious, he brought her hand to his lips. "Nothin'."
Jo looked at him doubtfully. "Nothing? Really?"
"Trust me Jo. I've got it all under control."
"What about a dress?" She took her hand from his grasp and crossed her arms, glaring at him.
"Well, okay… you can worry about the dress - if you want." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "But like I told ya last night - I don't care what you wear."
Asia shook her head at the interaction. "Well, I know one thing you'll be needin' to worry about." She looked at the couple again, eying Jo cautiously. "What are your sisters gonna say?"