From This Day Forward
Tayler lay down beside Patrick and stared into the blue sky. "Pat, are we ready to do this?"
"Go to Africa?" Patrick sat up and took one if her hands in his. "We were born ready. You're not having second thoughts are you?"
Tayler shook her head and saw the worry fade from his grey eyes. "I'm just a little nervous."
Patrick laughed. "If you weren't I'd say you were nuts. Don't worry, I'm not as cool as a cucumber either."
Tayler sighed and snuggled into his embrace. She was glad this wasn't easy on him either. As much as she wanted to go to Africa and work with Dave, leaving her homeland was scary. If she had had to go by herself she didn't think it would happen. But with Patrick at her side she felt she could do anything.
"Tayler, do you love me?"
Tayler pushed away from him and stared. "What? Why would you even ask that? Of course I love you."
Patrick knelt before her and took her hands in his. "Will you marry me?"
Tayler felt the very breath fly out of her chest. It was like someone had sat on her. Marry Patrick? What was he thinking? Marriage meant children and a home. They were about to head off to Africa.
"Tayler, answer me." Patrick rested a hand on her cheek and stroked her with a thumb.
"We're about to go to Africa. When will we have time to get married?"
Patrick grinned and she knew he had something up his sleeve. And she'd bet her whole life savings that the girls at Drovers knew something about it. That would explain why they had been so eager to assure her that she wasn't needed at Drovers that morning.
"Tonight at Drovers," Patrick said. "The girls have everything ready. We just need your answer."
Tayler laughed. "Patrick, you sly, little devil. How can I refuse now?"
"So what is your answer, love of my life?" Patrick stared into her eyes, his grey eyes dark and intense.
Tayler cupped his face and whispered, "Yes."
Patrick whooped and then kissed her hard. Tayler felt the joy bubbling up inside her and she knew that she had found what she had always wanted. Someone to call her very own.
Patrick dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring. A single diamond sat in the gold band. Tayler smiled as he slipped it onto her finger.
"It's beautiful, Pat. I love you." She leaned forward and kissed him. "From this day forward I will be yours. Promise me that you will never leave me."
"I will never leave you. I love you and always will." Patrick kissed her and held her tight. "You're mine, all mine."
Breaking away he ran to the truck and released a red balloon into the air.
"What's that for?" Tayler asked, laughing at his delight.
"That's to let everyone know the wedding is on and they need to start calling the guests."
Tayler gasped. She figured it would just be something small. But since when did the girls ever do anything small? The bigger the better they always said.
"How long have you had this planned?"
Patrick grinned. "Since we decided to go to Africa. Are you upset?"
Tayler thought for a moment. Was she? She felt strangely relieved and yet at the same time apprehensive. She was getting married and she didn't have to do anything? What girl would be mad? After all, her friends knew what she wanted. And if anyone could get what she wanted it was them.
Actually, now that she thought about it, she couldn't wait to see what they had come up with.
"No, I'm not mad. You are the best, Patrick Brewer." Tayler lay back on the blanket and closed her eyes, letting the sun wash over her.
"Yes, I am the best. And you, Tayler Geddes, are the only woman for me. From this day forward you and I will be one."
Tayler smiled. It sounded so good when he said it like that. They would be a family, two people reaching for the same goals, together.
An hour later she climbed out of Patrick's Ute and walked towards the house.
"Let's see, let's see," Stevie crowed from the veranda. "I knew you wouldn't be able to say no."
Tayler grinned and held out her hand. She had planned on hiding it for awhile and teasing her friends, but she couldn't. Bouncing from foot to foot she let the others admire the ring.
"It's gorgeous," Jodi squealed. "Katie, look at Auntie Tayler's pretty diamond."
The little girl babbled something which Tayler took to mean pretty. Moira laid a hand on Tayler's cheek and looked into her eyes.
"You are going to be the happiest woman, Tayler."
"Thanks, Moira." Tayler rubbed her hands together. "So, what have you cooked up for my wedding?"
"Well, we knew you loved sunsets and always wanted to be married at sunset..." Jodi began.
"So we've planned it just that way," Stevie finished.
"What about my dress?" Tayler followed the girls into the house.
"I was going to let you wear the dress I wore in my almost wedding but Ingrid was in Fischer and something caught her eye."
Ingrid walked out of the dining room holding a garment bag in her arms. "I just couldn't resist. It just screamed buy me for Tayler, so I did."
"What's Marcus going to say when he sees the bill?" Jaz asked coming out of the bathroom and leaning over the railing.
Ingrid shrugged. "Come on upstairs. We've set up the master bedroom to get ready."
Grace shifted Channing and grasped Tayler's arm. "Come on. I can't wait to show you our dresses."
Tayler allowed herself to be dragged upstairs and into the big bedroom. The bed had been removed and vanity tables had been spread throughout the room. Seven more dresses hung around the room. Shoes and jewelry were scattered around the room.
"You need a bath," Regan said picking up a strand of Tayler's hair. "Come on, Jaz just finished drawing one."
Giving herself up to their administrations, Tayler found herself immersed in the bathtub, bubbles up to her neck. Rose petals floated in the water and Regan sat at the end scrubbing her feet.
Tayler leaned back and let the tension slide away. The water lapped at her body and she closed her eyes.
"Regan," she murmured. "What are we eating tonight?"
"When we finally talked Stevie out of serving up roast feral pig, Moira and Meg began cooking up a storm." Regan chuckled and rubbed some lotion into Tayler's feet. "I've been in the kitchen and it smells amazing. I have no clue what it all is but I'm sure it will be good."
"Feral pig? Where in the world did you find pigs?" Tayler cracked her eye and reached for the glass of wine someone had so thoughtfully left for her.
"Skinny Jim's." Regan began buffing Tayler's nails. "Jodi, Stevie and I each shot one."
"You shot a pig? I'm impressed." Tayler sipped at the wine and opened both her eyes. "Regan, will you be my maid of honour?"
Regan smiled. "I would be delighted."
When Regan had decided that Tayler was clean, Tayler climbed out of the bath and wrapped herself in the soft robe hanging on the bag of the door. She walked out of the bathroom and into the master bedroom. Jodi was waiting for her at a table filled with cosmetics.
"Sometimes learning how to apply makeup and what works best on different types of skin comes in handy, even if you live out on a cattle station." Jodi smiled and rested her hands on Tayler's shoulders. "You are going to look beautiful when I am finished with you."
Tayler picked up a bottle of moisturizer and turned it over in her hands. "As long as I still look like myself."
"Don't worry. You will. Patrick will love it. Relax, Tayler," Jodi said softly. "Marriage is nothing to be scared of."
Tayler nodded. "I'm just scared that we are rushing things."
Jodi squeezed some cream onto her hand and began rubbing it into Tayler's arms. "Let me tell you something. When you know it is the right one, there is no such thing as rushing it. Patrick loves you. You love him, right?"
Tayler nodded.
"And you never want to be apart from him?"
Tayler nodded again.
"Then there is nothing to be scared of." Jodi reached onto the table and grabbed another bottle. "Matt and I had to wait for a long time before we could be together. At least it seemed like a long time. When we finally got married it was like everything finally made sense. Our lives were just that much better because we were together, side by side, sharing each other's dreams."
"Thanks, Jodi."
Tayler let the silence settle as Jodi continued rubbing creams into her arms and face. Jodi began humming a song and Tayler closed her eyes, allowing the tune to wash over her. She wasn't scared anymore. She wanted to be with Patrick and they always would be now.
"What colour are the dresses?" Tayler looked curiously at the seven garment bags hanging around the room. Her wedding dress hung by the mirror and she stared at the bag, trying to figure out what it looked like.
"Well, since the whole theme of the wedding is sunset, each dress is a colour of the sky at that time. Regan's got a red one, Stevie's wearing gold, Moira's in pink, Ingrid is wearing purple, I have a blue one, Grace is wearing an orangey pink one and Jaz's is yellow. And we got the most beautiful roses. They are yellow with orange edges."
Tayler smiled. It was just as she imagined. "Where is everyone else?"
"Downstairs helping the boys set up."
"The boys are here?" Tayler straightened and looked out the window, but she couldn't see anything."
"Yes, but not Patrick. His special surprise guest is supposed to be keeping him busy." Jodi bustled to the window and leaned out. "Hey, Ben, is you know who keeping Patrick busy?"
Someone shouted something from the yard.
"That's not good," Jodi replied pulling away from the window with a frown. "What?" She stuck her head back out the window and came back in smiling. "Will you be alright for a moment? I have a message to deliver."
Tayler nodded. Jodi left the room and Tayler heard her running down the stairs. Tayler went to the window and looked out. Ben was standing under the tree where he had built the tree house for Xander. He leaned against the trunk, waiting. A smile brightened his face as Jaz came running into view. She launched herself into his arms and Tayler stepped back from the window, unwilling to intrude on them any longer.
Jodi came back in followed by Stevie and Rose.
"Rose, what are you doing here?" Tayler hurried to her friend and hugged her. "Don't tell me you're another bridesmaid? I have enough of those."
Rose laughed. "No, I'm the official photographer. Patrick deemed my skills good enough. So, let's get started. Where are the rest of the girls?"
Tayler sat down in a chair and sighed. "I don't know. This is too much. I can't believe you are all doing this for me."
Stevie crouched in front of her. "Tayler, you and Patrick deserve this. You've both worked so hard to get Wilgul running, helping out on Drovers and Killarney. We loved the idea since Pat first brought it up. The two of you are going to be missed around."
"Yeah, who am I going to have late night girl talks with?" Rose said frowning.
Tayler shrugged. "I guess you'll have to find a new friend. Maybe whoever I'm being replaced with."
Stevie laughed. "Fat chance of that. I don't think you will be replaced."
"Why not?" Tayler looked at Stevie. What could she be thinking? There was so much that had to be done day by day. How could they not replace her?
"When you are finished in Africa you'll need a job. Yours will be waiting for you."
"Stevie, I'm going to be gone for years." Tayler pushed herself up and went to the window. "You're going to need someone."
Stevie shrugged. "We'll manage. Rose is going to stay around for a year and earn some money. By then we'll have something figured out."
Tayler smiled. It was just like Stevie to not want to replace her. She only wished they had told her before. Then maybe she would have eased off a bit so they could get used to her being gone. Though with Regan here they would probably have enough people to keep Drovers going.
"Come on, Tayler, I'm not finished with you. And I have to do everyone else's make up. Stevie, get the rest of the girls in here so we can get our hair going." Jodi hustled Tayler back into the chair by the vanity table.
Tayler grinned and clapped hands. "I'm really getting married."
Jodi nodded and brushed eye shadow on.
Tayler straightened and smiled at her reflection. "Today I become Mrs. Patrick Brewer. Tayler Brewer."