Chapter 3

The instant Rachel grabbed his hand he was instantly transported to a snowy field surrounded by trees and a frozen pond, the sounds of laughter that met his ears were like a silver bell tinkling in the breeze, and when he turned around his heart started to beat in triple time, because standing beside a half built snowman was a tiny girl with long brown hair in two braids, and the deepest darkest chocolate eyes he had seen in his life, which if he thinks about it it's not really that long because after all he is only 6 years old, but whatever he thinks the girl in front of him is the prettiest and nicest one in all of Ohio. While he was standing there like a dress shop dummy an icy cold snowball landed in his face, jolting him out of his daze and turning his mind back on, the vision he was staring at opened her plump pink lips and called in a cheeky voice.

"Ha, ha I got you Cwis, you can't get me" she ran away her giggles leaving Chris with no other option except to race after her.

"You cheeky little monkey Becca, I'm going to make you sorry" and he begins to follow his tiny tormentor, the sound of their laughter ringing across the open field.

A while later with pink cheeks and soggy clothes, Chris and Becca made their way back to the warmth of the fire at the Harmon house. Where Chris's Mom, makes them hot chocolate and their all time favorite oatmeal and honey cookies. Chris and Becca were best friends and had been ever since they had started school and they didn't know anyone else. Chris had come to Becca's rescue when another girl Margie Norman, who was a bossy know it all even at age 7, wanted to be the center of attention; she told Chris he had to play with her because she wanted him to be her best friend, but he said no he wanted to be friends with other children not just her, as he was telling her this she noticed him staring at a tiny little dark haired girl who was standing in line waiting patiently for a turn on the rope swing. Margie took off in an angry huff and pushed the girl over as she stormed past saying in a nasty tone that Becca should stay away from her best friend. Poor Becca fell down and skinned her knee and elbow, and as the push shocked her she started to cry. Chris saw the whole thing and ran as fast as he could and told Margie off, saying he didn't want her as a friend if she went around doing things like that to other children who weren't bothering anyone. He bent down to help Becca off the dusty ground, telling her gently that he would take her to the teacher. Becca thanked Chris and dried her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, she looks up into his concerned face and smiles at him, she tells him her name is Rebecca Barrett, and asks him what his name is, he tells her it's Christopher Harmon, and asks if she is okay she nods her head the long dark brown braids moving with the action, he says that's good and gives her a soft smile making his little face glow with happiness. From that day forward, Chris and Rebecca were best friends; they spent all their time after school together, sometimes at Becca's house or at Chris's. They spent a lot of time in the cubby house down by the creek at the back of Chris's house, catching frogs and fish, climbing the giant buckeye trees and getting to know each other.

Other people tried to get between their close friendship but as they grew closer and closer over the following years, their feelings started to change from childhood best friends to more mature ones. By the time he was 17 Chris knew that what he was feeling for Becca was much more than friendship. On Rebecca's 16th birthday Chris plucked up the courage to ask her if he could kiss her on the lips, he was so nervous and kept wiping his palms on his cotton overall clad thighs and blushing a very deep shade of red, but he wasn't going to back down. He knew he was in love with Rebecca and wanted to tell her so badly but was waiting until she confirmed her feelings for him. He was getting lost in his thoughts and when Becca said "yes" it took him a minute to remember what they were talking about. Then Becca's plump lips were on his and he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest, it was everything he was hoping it would be and when he pulled away to see a pout on the pink lips he was just kissing the words slipped out and he said in a pant

"I love you Becca, I have felt like this for a while please say you feel the same, because if you don't I will feel pretty dumb, declaring my feelings and yo.."

His rambling is cut short when the softest pair of lips in the world reconnected with his and the same words escaped in a breathy, soft whisper.

"Of course I love you how could I not, you are the most perfect boy in the whole world and I don't want to be with anyone else ever".

Chris responded with another deep kiss and when they finally pulled away needing air, both their faces were flushed with happiness and sporting the widest smiles in the whole world.

Margie Norman was always pestering Chris and trying to get close, forever trying to talk him into taking her to the town dances and other such gatherings, he always turned her down, she had grown into a pretty young woman with curly auburn hair with bright green eyes, but that was about all the nice things you could say about her, just because her parents were rich mill owners, she expected to get what she wanted all the time. Margie was a nasty vindictive spoilt brat, who was the perfect daughter around her parents and the town elders, but led the boys in town on and spread untruths about anyone who called her out on her terrible unbecoming behavior. She has had her sights set on Chris since she was 13 years old, he certainly was a catch and he had grown into a very handsome young man indeed, about 6ft-3 inches tall, light brown hair, cinnamon eyes and dimples in his cheeks that showed up every time he smiled. She kept telling herself he would make her a very good husband as he was bound to inherit his father's furniture business one day; she had her future all planned out, but she knew deep down that the plans in her mind wouldn't work because he had never had any contact other than polite conversation since their first days at school, or shown even the slightest interest in her and she knew it was because of Rebecca . She didn't have any feelings for Chris other than lust and the idea that he would just fall in love with her because it was what she wanted. She was also very aware Chris had no feelings what so ever for her as the only girl he could ever see was Rebecca. Chris and Becca had decided to just ignore all the nasty untruths spread around town about Rebecca, because they and their families and friends knew none of it was true. They wanted to be together forever and had made a pact to be true to each other until the time was right for them to become betrothed and eventually marry.

After they finished school Chris was apprenticed to his father and began learning the fine art of furniture making including design and upholstery. He quickly showed a talent with the raw materials and designed some wonderful pieces, which soon became very popular with customers some as far away as Lima and Dayton. He was in his spare time working on designs for a bed, side tables and dresser with a carved mirror that would be a wedding gift for his Rebecca one day.

Rebecca started training as a school teacher, she loved her work with the little first and second graders. The classes were usually combined, with children aged from 5-8 in one class then the older ones in separate classes. She was so happy when she saw the children's faces when they finally understood what she was talking about when it came to the number sums on the chalkboard and their readers. History and Geography were taught a little, as was Art and Music. Becca loved reading and art, and encouraged her students to love it as well. One of the highlights for her was the last day of school before summer break. While letting the children have some free time in the yard little Tommy Blackwood, who was always a shy quiet boy, sometimes teased and made fun of because he had a stutter and was a bit slower at catching on to some things compared to the other children, comes and sits next to her as Rebecca was watching her class and says slowly taking his time to get his words out carefully,

"Miss Rebecca do you want to hear me read? I learned it proper and I can read with no mistakes."

Rebecca leans down to whisper softly as she gives him a beaming proud smile. "Of course Tommy I would love to hear you read please show me how well you have learnt".

Tommy was so proud of himself he didn't make a single mistake or stutter once the whole time he was reading. All Rebecca could do was smile at him and tell him how proud she was. When the bell went to end the day and the children had all gone Rebecca sat and thought for a moment about how fulfilled she felt about her work and the joy it gave her helping a child overcome a setback and believe in themselves.

She wanted to see Chris and tell him about her day she knew he would be taking his meal break soon, so after collecting her purse and placing her sun bonnet atop her brunette curls, she locks her classroom and makes her way down Main Street towards 'Harmon and Son Fine Furniture'. When she arrives she can see Chris talking to an older couple, discussing an order or something. She is too busy watching him with a soft love filled gaze, to pay attention to the young smartly dressed man who stops next to her and says in a snobbish voice with an shameless smirk on his face,

"My what a surprise, I thought this was a furniture store not one dealing in fine works of art"

Rebecca is taken aback by the forward way she is being addressed and can do nothing but shake her head and stutter out a curious,"P-pardon me? Are you addressing me Sir?"

"Why yes, yes I am, I was just wondering how on earth a beauty such as yourself would find her way into such an 'establishment' as this" the inflection in his voice making it sound as though the store wasn't worthy of anyone's business. "Surely you would have better places to be, I assume you would enjoy a trip to the theater and an evening with me instead?"

"I beg your pardon I most certainly would not go anywhere with you I already have a beau and even if I didn't I find your manner discourteous and presumptuous, furthermore how dare you insinuate this business is of low standard I'll have you know Sir that Harmon and Son furniture have clients as far away as Lima and even Toledo".

At the sound of her raised voice Chris excuses himself to the older couple, and rushes over and takes her hand protectively asking if she is all right, "Yes I'm fine I was just telling Mr?"

"Stevenson, James Stevenson, from Cleveland, my family has just moved here, my father is the new manager at Norman's Mill," the way he speaks and the tone of his voice seem to infer how much better than everyone else he is and people should treat him with accolades and bow to his every request.

''Yes, well I was just telling Mr Stevenson here, that the furniture that you and your father design and make is of the finest quality."

"Well thank you for the recommendation", Chris says with a smile directed at Becca "I was just dealing with Mr and Mrs Stevenson Snr and they obviously think our product is of high quality because they have ordered quite a few pieces." As Chris finishes speaking he wraps his arm around Becca's waist and pulls her into his side a bit closer, letting the other man know that Becca was spoken for by placing a small chaste kiss on her cheek and sending a smug look in the others direction when Becca returns the hug and looks up at him with a love filled look, not realizing the look on the other man's face, which Chris notices as one of interest, unsolicited but interest all the same.

"If it is company you are seeking for an outing, maybe you should speak with Mr Norman and ask permission to call upon his daughter Margie, who I am certain would welcome your attentions and enjoy an evening out, Good day to you Mr Stevenson". During the exchange Becca is looking at Chris with a perplexed look on her face as if to ask him what is going on, instead of a verbal answer Chris just gives her one of his charming dimple producing side smiles and steers her away with a firm hand placed protectively on the small of her back towards his office at the back of the store.

Once they are in his private office Chris wraps his arms around Becca's tiny waist and presses his lips against hers, his tongue asking for entrance and having it granted immediately after a few heated kisses that nearly go too far Chris pulls his lips away and asks in a concerned soft tone "Did he upset you? Are you alright my love? Once Becca could suck enough air into her lungs and finds her voice she answers with a soft whisper that she is alright and thanks him again with a deep kiss, her big brown eyes full of love and pride and the knowledge that he would always protect her from the unsavory attentions of smarmy characters such as Mr Stevenson.

Luckily Becca has been able to avoid anymore unwanted attention from the new Mill mangers son. The word around town was that he had taken up with Margie Norman and she had agreed to an engagement with him, Becca thought to herself that they were a perfect match, neither seemed to be overly affectionate in public but that was not her concern at least now she would hopefully leave Chris alone. All her free time has been divided between spending as much time with her beloved Chris and helping the town committee that is putting together supplies and medical items to be sent out to the brave men that had joined the first company of soldiers from the Cincinnati area to fight for the Union in the war against slavery in the south.

Becca was extremely frightened and fearful when Chris spoke of his intention to join up and help the war effort, she told him in tears that she understood his wanting to help but was going to be so worried about him the whole time. In a choked voice and with tears welling in his cinnamon depths and overflowing onto his cheeks.

"I know my darling but I feel it is the right thing to do, and after all I wish for nothing more than a safe and free world for you and our children to grow up in one day when all of this is over. I would ask your Father for your hand in marriage tomorrow, if I was sure I would come home but the times being as unstable as they are I would not want to hold you to a commitment if the worst happened to me, you have to be strong and do the best you can without me, but I promise with all my heart that I will do my very best to come home to you". They just held each other as tight as possible, tears mingling together as they kissed and tried to melt into each other hoping with everything they had the other could feel the depth of their love and their tether cementing their hearts together for evermore.

AN: I don't about you but I really felt like weeping and I wrote it.