A Fresh Start
Chapter Fifty Eight
After Jeffrey got off the phone with William, he dials the number to the head of the zoning committee. After a couple of rings, his assistant answers. "Springfield Zoning Committee."
"Yes, this is Jeffrey."
"Yes, Mr. Mayor."
"Is Councilmen Andrews in his office?"
"Yes Sir."
"I would like to speak to him."
"Yes Sir, could you hold please?"
"Of course." Jeffrey replies, as she puts him on hold.
Pushing the button for the intercom, she says. "Sir, the mayor would like to speak to you."
"Thank you, Janice." Mr. Andrews replies, picking up the phone and pushing the button for line one. "Mr. Mayor." He says.
"Hello, James." Jeffrey says, leaning back in his chair.
"How can I help you Sir?"
"I wanted to talk to you about the house on Cedar Street that's scheduled to be demolished in a couple weeks."
"Yes Sir."
"What needs to be done to stop the demolition?"
"Stop it Sir."
"Yes, I think it can be saved and it has been a part of Springfield since the town was started. It would be travesty to loose a part of the fabric that is Springfield."
"Sir, I'm not exactly sure what needs to be done. I don't control the schedule to demolish abandoned properties."
"So, who does have that control?"
"I believe the city council as a whole Sir, every month a report is sent to them about abandoned homes and property that is delinquent on city taxes. The council decides as a whole which properties can be sold and which should be scheduled for demolition."
"So I have to make a proposal before the whole city council to have the property removed from the list for demolition."
"Yes Sir."
"Thank you for the information, Mr. Andrews." Jeffrey says, sitting up.
"Yes Sir."
Jeffrey hangs up and then buzzes Stacy. "Stacy, could you please come in here?"
"Yes sir."
A few seconds later, she knocks lightly on Jeffrey's door. "Come in." He says, putting the paper he was looking at down on his desk.
"You wanted to see me Sir."
"Yes, I need you to write up a proposal concerning the house on Cedar Street that is scheduled for demolition. I want you to do all the research for the house. I want to know the owners, and their background. I want to know how the house was brought into existence and I want to know the effects of loosing a piece of Springfield's history. So speak with the citizens and get their opinion on the demolition and what they would like to be done with the house, specifically whether they would want to see the house demolished or be saved."
"Yes Sir."
"Once you've done the research, I want a proposal written so I can put it before the city council by our next meeting."
"Yes Sir."
"Thank you." Jeffrey says, picking up the paper again.
Stacey leaves and Jeffrey goes back to work.
Simmons is at the inn, when his cell phone rings. "Hello."
"Hey man, it's me."
"What's going on?" Simmons asks, walking outside.
"I might have a lead on some stuff, it's not what you asked for, but I think it will work as well."
"This has to work, it's for a job."
"I've got a meeting with a guy in a few days. I'll call you back after I've seen the product and we've discussed price."
"Alright." Simmons hangs up, as Jeffrey is leaving the office for the day.
When William gets off the phone with Jeffrey, he is looking over some papers that the Lord Chancellor has sent him when Jodi buzzes him. "Sir, Captain Wells is on line one."
"Thank you Jodi." William replies, holding down the intercom button.
Picking up the phone, he says. "Captain Wells."
"Yes, Your Highness. You wanted to be informed when we've left US airspace."
"Yes, everything went as planned?"
"Yes Sir, your nephew and niece will be on the island within a couple hours Sir."
"Notify us when you reach San Cristobel's airspace."
"Yes Sir."
William hangs up and then buzzes Jodi, she picks up. "Yes Sir."
"Jodi, contact the garage and tell them to bring my car around in a couple hours and then contact Colonel Mitchell and tell him that my nephew will be arriving within a couple hours and to be ready with a few men, not a squad, to meet them, and inform Natalie that I will be bringing them back here for a short visit before they are escorted to Alsworth."
"Yes Sir."
Again, William hangs up as Jodi calls the garage. A couple of hours later Jodi buzzes him again. "Sir, it's Captain Wells?"
"Thank you, Jodi."
Picking up the line, he says "Captain."
"Sir, we've entered San Cristobel's airspace and will be making our final approach to the private airstrip in about twenty minutes."
"Thank you Captain." William says. They hang up and then he dials the number to Colonel Mitchell's office. After a couple rings, he picks up. "Yes, Colonel Mitchell speaking?"
"Colonel."
"Sir." He replies, coming to attention."
"Relax Colonel." William says. "I've just heard from the pilot, they've entered San Cristobel airspace. Do you have the men ready?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good, be at the front of the palace in ten minutes."
"Yes sir."
William hangs up as he stands up. Turning the light off on his desk, he walks out of his office. "Jodi, I'm leaving for the evening, you can go now?"
"Yes Sir."
Jodi leaves after William. Walking through the palace, William walks upstairs. Opening his safe, he reaches for the semi automatic 9mm Richard had given him just before they had left for Springfield five year before.
Laying the gun on his dresser, he changes out of his suit and into a pair of jeans and polo shirt. Putting a pair of boots on, he stands up and walks over to the dresser. Checking to see if the gun is loaded, he tucks into the waist band of his jeans, before he pulls his shirt down. Reaching for his car keys, he leaves his room. He meets Colonel Mitchell as his car pulls up in front of the palace.
"Captain, are we ready?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Well then, let's go." William says as he gets into his car and Colonel Mitchell gets in on the passenger side.
Starting the car, they leave the palace, driving through the back roads till they reach the private airstrip about two miles from the palace. As they pull up, William watches as the royal jet begins its final approach and landing.
When the jet stops a few feet away from them, William gets out of his car as the flight crew opens the cabin door and Jonathan walks out of the plane holding Sarah, walking down the steps to the tarmac, Jonathan looks around, until he spots William standing beside his car. He walks slowly over to the car as William stands up.
"Jon." William says, even though he knows that it's him because he looks so much like Richard.
"Yes." Jon replies, holding Sarah as William holds his hand out
Switching Sarah to his hip, Jon takes his uncles hand and shakes it for the first time. "Welcome to San Cristobel." William says.
"Thank you."
"I think we need to get back to the palace." William says as he releases Jonathan's hand and walks around the car to the driver side, as Jon follows him.
Opening the trunk of the car, they wait for the ground crew to load up his and Sarah's luggage. When the last piece is loaded, they drive back to the palace in silence. When they reach the palace, the royal guard, begins to unload Jon and Sarah's luggage as they walk into the palace.
Looking around, Jon couldn't help but remember the few times that he had visited the palace while he was with Marissa and Alfred. The last time he had visited was right before San Cristobel had been taken over by William, Richard was President. At the time, he had wondered why he was always welcome at the palace. Why he was treated so differently when he was with Richard, than he was when he was with Marissa and Alfred?
Marissa had always said that it was because he was friends with Richard and Cassie but deep down he had known it was something different. He was able to relax when he and Marissa would visit the palace and Richard. He wasn't constantly on alert for Alfred and his rages. As he followed William through the palace, he felt different this time. It was hard for him to explain, maybe because he wasn't visiting his father, but he was there as a protected citizen of San Cristobel.
As they approached the library, William stops one of the maids. "Could you please inform Natalie that I've returned with my nephew?'
"Yes, your highness." The maid replies, curtsying before she turns away, and Jon, Sarah and William walk into the library."
"So." Jon says, following his uncle.
"I wanted to have a talk before the guards escort you and Sarah to Alsworth."
"Okay." Jon says sitting down in one of the chairs as William leans against the mantel of the fireplace.
"I want you to understand something. I'm taking a chance giving you asylum here in San Cristobel. A lot of San Cristobel's citizens depend on the Spaulding's and the factory that Richard had built down here."
"What are you saying, have you changed your mind?"
"No, you are my family and as that it's my duty to help protect you, but I also have to protect San Cristobel and its countrymen. I know this place doesn't have a lot of good memories for you, but your father..."
"My father is the best thing that's come from this island."
"Yes, he was and he was a good ruler, but that's my responsibility now."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that this country depends on the Spaulding's and the factory. I know you still harbor a lot of anger towards Alan."
"He killed Tammy, and he took my life away from me."
"Are you going to be able to control yourself when he's here, or if Lizzie happens to be here? They will visit the factory on occasion, can you guarantee that you'll stay where you are and not try to see Alan or Lizzie?" William says, as someone knocks on the library door. "Come in."
Walking into the library, Natalie bows slightly as she says. "You sent for me Sir."
"Yes, Natalie. I wanted to inform you that my nephew and niece have arrived and that they will be taking the final trip to Alsworth."
"Yes Sir." Natalie replies, turning to Jonathan and Sarah. "Welcome to San Cristobel."
"Thank you." Jon replies, before turning back to William. "Alan still wants me dead, and he still wants Sarah, I'm all she has, so I have to protect her, until she's able to protect herself. I will always hate Alan, and I will always want to avenge Tammy, but I can't risk my need for revenge on Sarah's life."
"So, you'll…."
"I'll stay in Alsworth and I'll stay away when the Spaulding's visit the factory."
"Good, I think the guard has everything ready for you and Sarah. This is the final leg of the trip. You must follow the guard's orders and the orders written in the asylum papers that you signed. You have a new name…."
"Lex Linford, where did you come up with that name?"
"I didn't, one of Natalie's assistant's came up with it, along with Sarah's name."
"Well, I like her name, Chancey Linford."
"Yes, well it means risk taker."
"That certainly describes her grandmother. What does Lex mean?"
"It's short for Alexander and means mysterious. Linford means bold man, now you also have a new passport, address. Those will be your names from now on, until such time as something happens to Alan and you can come out of hiding, or Sarah becomes of age.
We've arranged for you to start a job next week at one of the companies in Alsworth. There are directions to the site in your paperwork and who you report too. Reva and Richard are providing you with an extra allowance on top of the money you make working to help support Sarah. You have one week to settle in."
"Will Mom and Dad be able to come and visit?"
"Yes, but they will have to stay away from the palace when they do. If you do anything to blow this, we will not be able to protect you."
"I'm not going to…."
"I'm just warning you Jon, once you leave the palace your protection is bound by the rules in the asylum agreement that you signed."
"I understand. What if this company decides to do business with Spaulding and I'm asked to go to the factory either during a Spaulding visit or not?"
"They won't, the President of the company has assured me that you will not be required to have any contact with the Spaulding's with your new position."
"Do you know what I'll be doing?"
"No."
"Okay." Jon says, as Colonel Mitchell knocks on the door.
"Come in." William calls.
Colonel Mitchell walks into the library, bowing slightly he says. "Sir, the guard is ready to escort Mr. Linford and his daughter to Alsworth."
"Thank you, Captain." William says, standing up as Jon stands up, holding Sarah and followed by Natalie.
They leave the library, following Colonel Mitchell through the palace to where the royal guard is waiting for them. When they walk out of the palace, a black van is waiting for them. It has no markings on it, so anyone who sees it will not know that it's a palace van.
As they walk down the stairs to the van, William says, as he looks at Sarah. "She's a beautiful girl."
"Thank you." When they reach the bottom of the steps, he turns to William and asks. "Would you like to hold her? She is your niece." Jon says, holding Sarah out to him.
Taking her, William holds her close to him, remembering how it felt to hold Will, and the smell of him, the softness of his skin and hair when he laid his head on his shoulder and how he felt holding him. Turning to Jon, he hands Sarah back to him before he turns away. Reaching up, he wipes the tears from his eyes before he turns back around.
"You both take care." He says, his voice a little rough.
"We will." Jon says, before he turns and climbs into the van.
Buckling Sarah into her car seat as Colonel Mitchell gets in, followed by the guards. William closes the door, as the driver starts the van. Stepping back, he watches as Jon and Sarah pull away from the palace.
Richard and Cassie are walking between the house and barn when Richard stops. "What?" Cassie asks, as she stops beside him.
"We set the date for the wedding, and you want to have it here at the farm." He says, looking at the barn.
"Yes." Cassie replies, still not following where he was going.
"Why don't we have it in the barn?" Richard says, still looking at the barn and not paying attention to Cassie or her reaction to that suggestion. "It's the perfect and it's where we started."
"We started on the beach in San Cristobel." Cassie says softly, looking away from the barn and away from him.
Something in her voice gets his attention and he turns to look at her. "Cassie." He says. She doesn't reply as she continues to stare at the field behind the barn. "What's wrong?" He asks, walking around her till he's blocking her view. "Cassie." He says again.
Sighing, she looks at him and then walks around him, walking over to the fence. Leaning against it, she watches the sun as it sets. Following behind her, he stands beside her. He's afraid to press her, but yet he's curious. Her reaction to the suggestion that they have the wedding in the barn wasn't at all as he expected. They had some history in that barn. After several minutes, he says "Cassie."
Closing her eyes, she stands there for a few moments before she opens them. Looking across the field, she says." We can't have the wedding in the barn?"
"Why not, it's the perfect place. We have…."
"It's where Edmund and I got married." She says softly.
"You married Edmund in the barn. Edmund… he…."
"Yes, we were married in the barn."
"Edmund would never…."
"He suggested it and it was the last place I saw you."
"I thought the last place you saw me was at that Beacon."
"I saw you that day, the day Reva turned the life support off, but I saw you one more time, right after Jeffrey came to town. Edmund and I had met in the barn, and we…. Well we were in the barn and I fell asleep and I saw you standing in front of me and you turned to me and you told me to go on and love someone else, that you wanted me to be happy and that you were sending someone to me. Well actually that part came at the séance that Chris…."
"The what?"
"Séance, when Jeffrey came to town, Reva was working with this guy that was a psychic, he arranged a séance for Reva and she invited me. That night he told me that you told him that you were sending someone to love and protect me. I thought that you meant Edmund and then we were in the barn and I saw you again, and you didn't seem angry that I was with him so I…. Anyway, Edmund and I got married in the barn, in January, Jeffrey married us."
"Jeffrey married you, after being in San Cristobel and knowing all the things that he did about Edmund, he let you married him?"
"He tried to stop me. He told me that he was in love with me but I didn't want to listen to him. I didn't want to know."
"So, you and Edmund were married in the barn?"
"Yes, so maybe we should have the wedding somewhere else here on the farm?'
"No." Richard says, looking at her.
"Richard."
"I…. I wasn't here to stop you Cassie and I know how stubborn you can be. I hate the fact that you married my brother in there, but I think we need to have it there."
"What! Why?"
"I want to make it ours again."
"Richard."
"Cassie." He says, turning to her and taking her hands. "I want to marry you. And I think we need to do it where we first started to feel things for each other."
"But that was in San Cristobel."
"Yes, that was in San Cristobel, but we started to feel things here for each other too, even though I was still focused on Reva and you were convinced that we could never be together because I was focused on Reva and getting Catherine back."
"But Edmund and I…."
"Did you love Edmund when you married him?"
"No, I've always loved you, you know that."
"Then I say that this is still our barn." Richard says taking Cassie's hand and leading her back towards the barn, when they reach the doors, he stops. "And we are building a life, for us, in Springfield. And it's not built on fairytales and Princes and Princesses but on two people that love each other deeply and completely. We've had a little detour, but we've always been together and this is our barn and our farm and I will marry you, right here." He says, leading her into the barn and stopping precisely at the spot where Jeffrey married her to Edmund.
Pulling her to him, he kisses her. Wrapping her arms around him, she moves closer to him, deepening his kiss. After a couple of seconds, he steps back. Leaning his forehead against hers, he tries to get control of his emotions. She can sense the struggle inside him.
"Rich…."
He kisses her again, as he pulls her to him. Slipping his hands under her shirt he holds her tightly as he begins to walk towards one of the stalls. She can sense the fight going on inside him. Breaking the kiss, she whispers. "It's okay."
"Cassie." He whispers, breathing hard while he fights the need burning inside him.
"Do what you have to do?"
"I don't want you to think I'm trying to punish you." He says softly, looking into her eyes.
"I don't." She says. "You need this, we need this. Make this our place again." She says softly, as she leans in and kisses him
Wrapping his arms around her, he holds her tightly for a couple seconds before he releases her and begins to tug on her shirt. Lifting her arms, she steps back. Watching him, she doesn't move as he pulls it up over her head. Slowly he moves his eyes down her body as she drops her arms to her side, hiding nothing from him.
Watching her breasts rise and fall with each breath she takes. Reaching out, he lightly touches her left breast. He can feel her heart beating beneath it, its tempo increasing with just his hand laying there. Taking a step closer to him, she lays her hands at his waist as she looks up at him. Moving her hands around his waist, she lays a hand at the button on his jeans.
Opening them as he leans over and kisses her, wrapping one arm around her, she lays her hands against his stomach as he moves his hands up her back, to the clasp on her bra, opening it, he steps back as she moves her hands away from his waist and lets it fall to the floor. "Cassie." He whispers as he reaches out and lightly caresses her breast.
Cupping her as he looks up into her eyes, and suddenly it changes. It's not about her and Edmund, it's not about erasing his memory, or even making the barn theirs again. It's always been about them, their life, their family, their children. Edmund meant nothing. So he had tried to replace him for a time, so Cassie had turned to Edmund to be close to him. She loved him, she always had and she always would and nothing and no one could change that. Cassie felt the change in him.
Stepping closer to him, she lightly kisses him as she reaches down and touches him, holding him through his jeans. "Cassie." He gasps when he feels her hand against him. "I love you and only you, Richard Winslow." She says, looking up at him.
"I know." He says softly, closing his eyes and feeling his body respond to her touch and feeling his heart fill with love.
Laying his hands at her hips, he kisses her before he takes a step back again. Taking her hand he helps her down to the ground, standing over her he lifts one foot as he leans back against the door to the stall. Suddenly the door swings open and he stumbles backwards, falling as Cassie realizes what's happening. "Richard." She says scrambling up and over to the door as he lays sprawled on his back, laughing. "Are you okay?" She asks, watching him intently.
He nods as he sits up and looks at her. She starts to laugh along with him. "Talk about killing the mood." He says as he tries to catch his breath.
"Are you really okay?" She asks, as he crawls into the stall.
"I'm fine." He replies, smiling as he watches her.
Reaching up, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Leaning over, he kisses her lightly, laying her hand on his neck, kissing him softly. "I love you." She says, as he reaches up and lightly kisses her, nibbling on her lips.
Moving closer to her, wrapping an arm around her he holds her as they kiss. After a couple seconds, he breaks the kiss. Sitting back, he reaches up and lightly runs his fingers over her face. When he reaches her lips, she lightly kisses the tips of his fingers.
"You have no idea what you do to me." He says, laying his hand at her waist.
"I think I know." Cassie whispers, laying a hand at his waist.
Slowly moving down from his waist, she slips her hand between his thighs, cupping him. "Cassie." He sighs, laying his forehead against hers.
For a few moments they remain that way. When Cassie starts to slowly caress him, he sits up. Laying a hand on her cheek, he lays the other at her waist, unbuttoning her shorts as she reaches for the zipper on his jeans. Tugging until his jeans lay open. Laying her hand on top of him, she swallows his groan as he leans over and kisses her.
Leaning over, he forces her back into the hay, she feels him begin to move across her jaw, lightly kissing her until he reaches her ear. Nibbling and kissing the side of his neck for a few seconds, before he moves on, slowly making his way down her body, kissing and nibbling on her neck. "Richard." She gasps, arching her body closer to his and remembering that she can tempt him as much as he's tempting her.
After a few seconds, she realizes that if they were going to continue, that he has taking his boots off.. Reaching for the waist band of his jeans, she begins to tug as she breaks the kiss. "Cassie." He gasps as he feels her pulling away.
"Finish what you started." She says, leaning back and slowly running her eyes over his body, stopping at his waist.
Sitting back, she watches as he leans back, pulling his boots off, he kneels before her. Tugging on his jeans, he shakes his head no when she reaches to help him and she sits back again. Moving to sit in the straw, he kicks his jeans off. Slowly she moves her eyes over his body, lightly licking her lips as she stops at his waist.
Reaching for his boxers, she reaches out to stop him as she kneels before him. Reaching for and tugging on her shorts. She lies down in the straw and arching her hips, she tugs her shorts to her feet and then kicks them off as he leans over her. "I want you so much." He says, slowly moving his eyes over her body.
"What do you specifically want?" Cassie asks, slowly running her hands down her body.
"Umm, I want to know exactly how much you want me."
"Touch me." Cassie says, lying back as he moves towards her.
Laying his hand on her stomach, he feels the rhythm of her breathing deepen even more. Leaning over her, he begins to nibble on her neck, moving up to her ear. "Richard, please." She sighs, closing her eyes as she arches her hips, reaching for him.
He slowly begins to move his hand down, caressing her stomach and lower abdomen before slipping his fingers under her panties. Moving down from her neck, he lays little kisses across her upper chest, slowly moving down to her breast. Leaning back, he watches them rise and fall rapidly as she reaches up and tries to pull him down to her.
"Love me, Richard. Please!" She says, as he leans over her, taking her nipple into his mouth. Softly caressing her with his tongue, as he moves his hand down, slipping between her thighs, opening them as she arches her back "Oh, Richard." She cries.
For several moments, he concentrates on her, pleasing her, loving her until she rolls to her side, forcing him back and on his side. Lifting one leg, she moves closer to him, trapping his hand between them as she begins to move her hips against his.
Releasing her breast, he gasps as he looks up at her. "Cassie, darling."
Moving away from her, he pulls his hand away as she gasps until she realizes what he wants. Moving to kneel in the hay she begins to tug on her panties as he follows her, pulling his boxers down, freeing his erection and watching as she reveals hers to him. For a couple of moments he kneels there, watching her as she lays down in the hay and tugs her panties down her legs, kicking them away from them as she lays there looking at him, slowly moving her eyes down his body, stopping at his erection for a few seconds, lightly licking her lips as she moves on, and stopping at his hands and boxers.
He seems frozen in time, watching her, watching him until she reaches out and light touches him, slowly moving her hand along his body, caressing him. "Cassie." He gasps, as he feels his body begin to tremble.
After a couple of seconds, he moves away from her lying down in the hay, he kicks his boxers off as he reaches for her and she moves into his arms, straddling him. Lying down on top of him as she kisses him and he wraps his arms around her. Holding her tightly, she presses her body against his. Slowly she begins to move against him, caressing him.
"Cassie." He gasps. "Darling, I need you."
Sitting up, she moves away from him. Slowly running her hands down his chest, lightly scratching him until she reaches for him, wrapping her hand around him, she moves into position, guiding him into her. "Richard." She moans, at his first touch, sighing softly as he fills her.
"Love me, Cassie." He whispers softly, reaching up and laying his hands at her hips and holding tightly to her as she begins to rock back and forth. "You feel so good."
"So do you handsome." She says, leaning over him and placing her hand on either side of him, she begins to rise and fall, taking him as deeply inside herself as she can
"Oh, darling!" he groans, as he closes his eyes, and arches his back as she begins to tighten around him.
Leaning up, he wraps one arm around her waist, pulling her to him as they roll to their side, laying one leg across his hips, she gasps as he begins to thrust against her.
"Richard!" she screams, holding him against her.
She feels her body beginning to spin out of control. He increases his thrusts as she begins to rock against him again. Each of them reaching and reacting to the other.
"I'm almost… there. Richard!" she cries, as she's filled with waves of intense release
Richard continues to thrust, pushing against her clinging body as waves of her release washes over him, holding him tightly, caressing him and deepening his desire. "Cassie." He groans, as he feels the waves of desire burning inside him, rush through him, filing them both with release. Holding her against him, he thrusts one last time and then he's still.
Cassie moves closer to him, laying her head against his chest, she wraps her arms around him, holding him tightly. After a few moments, she lightly kisses the center of his chest as she whispers. "That's what I wanted when I was with Edmund and I never got it."
Tightening his arms around her, he kisses the top of her head, accepting her surrender and realizing that this was truly their home and their life. "I love you." He says softly, kissing her again as he pulls her against him.
She feels him filling her again, and slowly she begins to move against him, rocking her hips as he thrusts deep inside her. It's only a couple of moments before release rushes through them again.
For several minutes, they lay there, holding each other. Turning, Richard lightly kisses her forehead before he says "I want to explain what just happened here."
"You don't have to. I know…." Cassie says, looking up at him.
"I love you and I am so happy that we're back together, but it hurts to know that you were with Edmund, Jeffrey and Josh. I don't mind Jeffrey. I can understand him. And I can even understand to a point Josh, but Edmund, that hurts…."
"I didn't do…."
"I know you didn't do it to hurt me. I know you thought I was dead. I'm only saying this because I want you to understand something." Richard says, releasing her and sitting up with her following him. "When I woke up in the hospital, you were the first thing I thought about. And when you walked into my room, I was never more relieved than at that moment. I guess maybe I thought something had happened to you because you weren't there. And for a few moments it was just us, and we were together, and then Jeffrey told me about you and him, in San Cristobel and here in Springfield, along with Edmund and apart of me that night, wanted so much to get out of that bed and hurt him, but I couldn't. I wanted to hurt you too."
"Richard…." She says, as he lays a finger across her lips.
"I wanted to hurt you for giving up on us so quickly, but that night, as I laid there after Jeffrey left and I thought about everything. I realized that it wasn't totally your fault. It still hurt, but I know that you were only trying to survive in a world you never thought you would have to survive in again." Richard says, reaching up and wiping away a tear that is rolling down her cheek. "I know how much you hurt after Hart died and I know I brought some peace to you when we met in San Cristobel. It allowed you to let him go and love me."
What I'm trying to say, is a few minutes ago, when you told me about you and Edmund, getting married here in the barn a part of me wanted to tear this building down." Richard says, looking around the barn. "But when you stood there before me with hands at your side, showing me everything, I realized that it didn't matter what had happened here with you and Edmund, because I know you love me."
"I do love you Richard. And I can't explain what happened to you anymore than I can explain it to myself. When me and Edmund were working on the benefit for San Cristobel I wanted to see another side to him. I wanted to believe that he could be you. I know that's crazy. But I felt so alone after you left. I had Tammy, RJ and Will and they missed you as much as I missed you. I had the mounting bills from your hospital stay and again I found myself back where I was when you proposed to me in that alley."
"Cassie, you didn't…."
"No, I didn't start stripping again. I was going to but Danny stopped me."
"Danny."
"Yes, he helped me find out about your will and the DNR order you had signed and he helped me forge another one after we found out that Edmund had the original destroyed. He was a close friend to me in the weeks after you were gone. He gave me a loan to pay off the hospital and the other debts that we had, and he ran interference between me and the family when I couldn't make the payments to him on time. And then I found out about your job…."
"Cassie, I wanted to protect you. I was…."
"I know why you did what you did. I wasn't happy at first that you lied to me about what you were doing and that you didn't tell me the extent of the problems we had, but I know why you didn't, and I even understand why you went to Reva instead of me. I was hurt when I first found out and furious at Reva for not telling me, but I understand.
But back to Edmund, when we started to work on the benefit for San Cristobel, I was so alone. And he touched something inside me. It was no more than my need for you, I realize that now. But I convinced myself, or I tried to convince myself that he had changed, he was different. He was you. I know that sounds bad, but it's what I was doing. It's why we could never last, because I wasn't in love with him. I was in love with the connection I felt from him to you."
Moving over to her, he wraps his arms around her, holding her for a few moments before she says, "If you want to get married in this barn, then its okay with me."
"I think it's the right place Cassie. We were falling in love the night you forced me to sleep out here when I came after Reva, we didn't know it then, or maybe we did, but if we're going to build a life here in Springfield then I believe we need to be married in the place where our life started."
"Alright." She says, turning in his arms and kissing him.
When she leans back, he says. "I think it's time we went back inside."
"Okay." She says, as he releases her.
Getting up, he reaches down and helps her up. Gathering up their clothes, they get dressed in silence. And as Cassie pulls her t-shirt back down, he walks over to her. Loosely wrapping his arms around her waist, he leans in and kisses her softly before he steps back and says. "I love you Mrs. Winslow."
"I love you too, Mr. Winslow."
Taking her hand he leads her out of the stall and through the barn and when they reach the yard, he puts his arms across her shoulders as he pulls her to him and she puts her arm around his waist as they walk back to the farm house.
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