Chapter 119. A Pre-Wedding Party and A First Kiss
Jake left the guy time a little early. He had promised to help Bill with final set up for the party tonight. Since neither Nathan nor Julia wanted a bachelor or bachelorette party, Bill had offered to host a pre-wedding party at the cafe instead. Both bride and groom had jumped at the chance to get all of their friends and family together, from in-town and out-of-town, before the wedding, when they could really enjoy their guests. Fiona, Faith, and several others, had offered to help prepare for the party, and Jake had volunteered as well.
So after he had gone home to freshen up and change, Jake went to pick up Fiona. As he walked up the back steps to her apartment, he took a deep breath. Things had been progressing well between them, but this week had been busy and left little time for them to be alone. Somehow, he could relate to Julia's statement last week, about missing someone even when they were close by, and needing that connection.
He knocked lightly on the door and stood waiting. Fiona finally opened and stepped back. She looked stunning in a blue dress with cream accents. "Jacob." She said softly. "Come in." He stepped through, just inside the door.
She looked him over, so handsome in a dark brown suit. It brought out his eyes and coloring. "Hello, Fi." He replied.
Fiona swallowed and told him, with a motion of her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm just finishing Faith's hair. I need about five more minutes."
He looked at her and smiled. "No problem, Fi. I can wait outside."
She got a tiny bit tickled. "No. You can come into the salon." She told him, and motioned for him to follow her. Fiona left him there and returned to Faith's room, and to her hair.
Jake took the opportunity to look around their little salon. It was decorated nicely, feminine but tasteful, and modern. A pretty blue settee, with a raised texture pattern, sat along one wall. A matching chair made an angle with the settee, and a coffee table in dark maple, sat between them. A silver lamp with a beige shade sat on a corner table, with two pictures. Jake walked over and bent to inspect the photographs.
The first was obviously taken at the Founder's Day festival, Jake could discern that much, since he had heard all about it. Captured in the photograph was Julia, Faith, and Fiona, crowded around Nathan sitting in a wheelchair. And just behind them, all wet, was Mike, sticking head and shoulders, out of a dunking booth.
The second photograph was a family photograph- a young Fiona with her older brothers, with her parents on either side. Jake saw the resemblance right away, Fiona looked like her father. And one of her older brothers, the oldest one, Henry.
Jake had straightened and was still holding the frame when Fiona came out. She rattled on. "All done. Faith helped Bill out earlier, and will come later with Ben. So, we can go whenever you're ready." Though as she approached, she realized what he was holding, and stopped just in front of him.
He angled it so she could see, and she came a few inches closer. "You take after your father." He smiled down at her. "I hope you don't mind me saying so."
She smiled too. "Not at all. My father was…a wonderful man, and handsome. So I don't mind a bit."
Jake's brow furrowed. She'd said was, in reference to her father. In fact, it was the second time she had spoken of her father in the past tense. "How long ago did he…?"
"Almost five years." Fiona told him sadly.
Jake told her just above a whisper. "I'm sorry." And she could see he meant it. Her eyes became misty.
She looked down at her hands. "I was there. I mean…I got to be there." She paused, and then expounded. "He got…sick. And the doctors couldn't do much." She looked up at Jake, eyes full of tears now. "I immediately went home from San Francisco. Sat by his bedside...everyday. Until..." And he understood her implication. Fiona grinned sadly at Jake. "Just like you did, with your Mom."
Jake knew the depths of that sadness. Even if he'd been only nine years old, he'd replayed it so many times in his mind. Watching someone sink into the darkness, just out of reach. Half of you praying for the end, so the suffering would be over, while the other half wills, even begs, for the loved one to fight. Jake's eyes were full now, too. "I'm so…sorry." Was all that seemed to fit, so he said it again.
"Thank you, Jake." She almost never called him that. "I'm sorry…for your loss, too." She added. "I've been wanting to tell you that, to say that I was...sorry, since your Aunt told that story at dinner."
Jake took her arm just under the elbow. He just needed to touch her somehow. "Thank you, Fi." He smiled through the hard place. "It means a lot."
She nodded. There was more she wanted to tell him. "I will never regret those days, sitting beside my father." She shared. "I stayed a long time, spent all the time I could beside him. And then, after he passed…I stayed a long time with my family." She looked down at his gentle hand holding her elbow - that connection - it was giving her strength. "My fiancé…" Why was it so hard to get that word out now? "He started making demands." Her eyes met his. "He was back in San Fransisco and I wasn't ready to return there just yet. I just needed some time. But he wasn't….understanding." A single tear fell, not because of her break-up, but because of the memory of those turbulent days following her father's death, when she'd felt so lost. Jake's hand instinctively came up to wipe that tear, ever so tenderly. "That was the end, for me." She finished.
Jake let his thumb rest there on her cheek. His jaw clinched at the thought of anyone making demands, putting pressure on Fiona Miller, or adding to the pain she already felt, at the loss of her father. He gently told her. "I would never make demands."
She nodded slowly, knew that was true. "It wasn't the first time. I just needed to wise up."
Jake took a tiny step closer. "You can't blame yourself, Fi. This guy…he was the one who needed to wise up." He gazed at her. "Those days next to your father were…irreplaceable and precious. I'm glad you didn't let anyone rob you of them." He paused and told her simply. "Family comes first."
Funny, her dad used to say the same thing. She held his gaze and swallowed hard.
Jake added softly. "Sometimes…things have a way of working out for the best."
Fiona couldn't agree more. "I'd lost my father, ended my relationship. And just needed a change of scenery, a fresh start." He saw where this was going.
"So that's why you came to Hope Valley?" He asked her.
She nodded. "I accepted the assignment from the telephone company, and eventually, it brought me here." Fiona gazed at him. "I've never…shared that with anyone, at least not all of it."
Jake held her gaze. "Fi, thank you for trusting me enough."
"Now you know why I was so…reluctant to let you in." Fiona breathed.
Jake smiled lopsided, that one dimple. "Fiona Miller, I would've eventually found a way in."
She recognized his flirtatious smile and tilted her head. "Oh, really?" She teased softly. "You think so?"
His expression changed back to serious, and fast. Jake looked deep into those doe eyes and told her straight. "I wouldn't have given up on you."
Fiona bore her own truth. "And I…I wouldn't have opened my heart to anyone else."
Jake still had his hand on her elbow, and he couldn't resist. After such a confession, and in the midst of such a deep and powerful moment of connection, there was only one thing to do. Jake slowly pulled her into his embrace. He wrapped her in his arms and held her. It was one of those moments when only closeness would do. And when he felt her arms go around his back, and hold on so tight, he closed his eyes and relished the moment.
Fiona snuggled in to Jake's strong chest. She remembered the security she had found there, in his arms, when she'd been in the hole. And now, that security and safety surrounded her again. She laid her cheek against his racing pulse and closed her eyes. She let his scent of sandalwood and leather fill her lungs. And she stayed there as long as he would hold her.
When he finally pulled back just slightly, Jake gazed down at her. "It means a lot, that you would share all this with me." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Fi, anything you want to know about me, I will share. For you, I am an open book."
She nodded and smiled. She had so much she wanted to know. But, they were probably already late for their commitment to help Bill. She hated to bring it up but figured she better. "I will get back to you on that, be sure of it. But, what time is it?"
Jake pulled out his pocket watch, and made a face. "Oops. We're late." Though, he didn't regret it. This had been a fortuitous moment, one that deepened the connection between them, one they both needed.
Fiona gazed up at him and repeated with a smile. "Oops, then." Though she really didn't mean it. She could care less about being late, and was reluctant to leave the shelter of his arms. Here with Jake was exactly where she needed to be, and she wouldn't feel one bit bad about it.
He held her for a moment longer, and gazed down at her. Then he raised his eyebrows and told her, with a low chuckle. "We'd better get going." Fiona finally gave in, nodded in agreement.
Though reluctant, Jake took one step back, took her hand, and led her out the door.
By the time the clock ticked 6:15, Faith was pacing. She was wearing the floor thin in her salon, waiting for Ben. Chalk it up to nerves - she was nervous to see him again after all these weeks, and after the correspondence of their letters. The letters that they'd been writing to each other since he'd left Hope Valley.
Faith had never experienced that before, growing fonder through words written on a page. With Carson it had been the complete opposite. As soon as he was gone, her affections had started to wane. Out of sight, out of mind. And his letters had always been so medical, his words so sterile. Devoid of feeling and sentiment, so that over time, she had forgotten all the feelings he had once evoked in her. Even speaking to him on the phone had become routine and mundane. So that end the end, their calls had felt like nothing more than an exchange of information, almost a chore.
But it was not that way with Ben. Each time a letter arrived, she was impatient to open it. She watched the minutes tick off the clock until she could steal away and read his words. And oh, his words - they jumped off the page at her. He knew just how to share things, deep things, in a way that made her want to do the same. And he could convey ordinary things with such feeling and ardor.
Every time a letter came, she was eager to return it, would sit down that very night and pour deep things onto the page. She told Ben things that had taken her months, even years to tell Carson. She found it so easy to open up that way. Therapeutic even. She had been trained to push her feelings down, to compartmentalism them, so she could get the job done - in the hospital or the infirmary, because lives depended it. But somehow, writing came natural. Pouring out the experiences of her life, important things, and her feelings, was easy with pen and paper. And it was easy with Ben. So much more natural and than she'd imagined.
So she and Ben had grown close through their letters, so much so, that it was almost strange to see him in the flesh. She wasn't sure how to act. There was so much emotion there already, feelings that had grown through those letters. And those feelings were no longer indicative of the amount of time they had actually spent in each other's presence. Perhaps that part just needed to catch up.
Nineteen days. That's how long it had been since they'd seen each other. But in that time there had been eight letters. Eight. Each one bringing them closer than the one before. And then there was that one very special letter - the one when he'd divulged that he was moving, and officially asked to court her. And that letter had been terribly romantic.
So now, here she was, pacing in her living room. Waiting for this man that she knew quite well, but had spent very little time with.
When the knock finally sounded, she took a deep breath and moved towards the door. Faith opened slowly, to find Ben standing there, looking just as nervous, and holding a bouquet of flowers. "Hello again, Faith."
He extended the flowers to her. She took them and brought her eyes back up to meet his. "Hello, Ben." Faith stepped to the side. "Would you like to come in, while I put these in water?"
He came through the door and stood awkwardly while she went to the kitchen and put the flowers in a vase. She came back and set them right in the middle of the coffee table, in her salon.
"Thank you, Ben. They are just lovely." The bouquet contained Forget-me-nots. He had remembered. In one of her letters, she had mentioned that she liked Forget-me-nots and Peonies.
"I couldn't find Peonies this time of year." He explained.
"You remembered." She said light-heartedly.
Ben looked all too serious. "Of course, I remembered." He said softly.
Faith swallowed hard. Then, he added. "I must've read your letters a hundred times."
Her mouth fell slightly open. A hundred times? Faith closed her mouth and swallowed again. Though, hadn't she done the same? Read through each of his letters several times? She smiled shy. "A hundred times?"
He glanced at the flowers and then back at her. "Okay, maybe not a hundred." He told her honestly. "But I know them backwards and forwards."
Faith didn't know what to say. It was one of the sweetest things she had ever heard. "I only read through yours three or four times."
"Only?" He smiled and revealed those perfectly white teeth.
Faith giggled low. "Only." That was good enough for him.
He stepped forward and came closer. Ben looked into those bright blue eyes. "I hope it's not too forward of me to say so, even if we are courting. But I want it to be clear between us." He paused. "I want to know…more about you, Faith Carter. Whether in person, or by the written word." He went one more. "So yes, I read and re-read your letters."
Faith looked into those light browns and melted. She'd never met a man who spoke so clearly and openly about what he wanted. She knew exactly where she stood with Ben Davis, and it was terribly endearing…and empowering. She didn't need to wonder or guess where she stood or how he felt. She had spent so much of her time and energy doing that in previous relationships. And sometimes it was just…exhausting. And quite frankly, took the steam out of the romance.
But with Ben, it was clear. And somehow, that made it...comfortable...even if it was intense at the same time. Faith tried to swallow, but it just wouldn't go down. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, too, Ben."
He smiled those white teeth again, and finally exhaled. "I want to know anything…and everything…you are willing to share with me."
Faith nodded slowly.
He thought perhaps that was enough raw honesty for her, for the moment. So Ben's expression changed, became lighter. He turned his body slightly and offered her his elbow. "Shall we?"
She hooked her hand over the crook of his arm, and he placed his hand securely on top. Then Ben led her down the stairs and to the cafe.
By the time Nathan and Julia walked into the party, everyone had already arrived. Bill had actually suggested that they come a little late, since they were the guests of honor. And, as hard as it had been for Nathan to imagine arriving late anywhere, he had reluctantly agreed. Julia had told him, with that cute giggle of hers, that this one time it was okay to be late. And, he had obliged her. In fact, he found it hard to do anything but oblige her these days. The feelings were now so intense, and the passion so right-there-under-the-surface, that he was like putty when it came to her. She must have felt it too, because she had become even softer when it came to him. There was an extra measure of sweetness between them as they waited for the day that they would become husband and wife. The day that the formality would finally catch up to their feelings.
When they walked into the party, she stayed right on his arm, and held on tight. They circulated the room and greeted all of their many guests.
Then between them, they decided, over the course of the evening, to try and sit a while at each table in the room. That would give them the opportunity to spend time with each guest, whether local or out-of-town.
First, they sat with the Brookfield crew - Chuck and Grace, and Gabe and Lillian. Chuck and Grace were now planning their own wedding. And judging by the expression on Gabe's face, whenever he looked at Lillian, which he did quite often, they might not be far behind. Lillian shared with Nathan and Julia that two new children would arrive at the orphanage the following week - a brother and sister. Julia glanced back at Allie, sitting with the other Brookfield children, just behind them. She seemed happy to introduce her Brookfield friends to Angela, Cooper, and Robert.
Next, they sat a while with Faith and Ben, Jake and Fiona, and Penny. There they talked mostly about the honeymoon, though only because asked. Julia watched Nathan as he talked about all the plans he had for them - horseback riding, hiking, he even mentioned fishing. And he'd reserved three nights at a nice hotel, accessible only by horseback. Nathan finally realized Julia was watching him, and he smiled crooked.
"What is it?" He whispered to the side, so only she could hear.
Julia just smiled at him and whispered back. "I just…love all your plans. I can't wait to escape with you."
Nathan's eyes got even bluer as he gazed at her. "Mrs. Grant, you'd better be ready. On Sunday morning, I'm going to whisk you away."
She smiled into those blue eyes. "I will be more than ready, Mr. Grant."
Jake brought them back to the present. "It sounds like it will be a wonderful trip. And so many nice things to do on the ranch."
Fiona piped in. "It's too bad you couldn't go east. I bet Peggy's Cove would be really nice this time of year."
Jake locked eyes with Fiona, and held her gaze. "It would be very nice. Though the best time of year, in my opinion, is the spring."
Fiona nodded slowly, and brought her gaze back to Julia and Nathan. "Maybe in the spring or summer, you could take a trip there."
Nathan smiled at Julia. It was already part of the plan.
Suddenly, Bill stood up at the front, and spoke a general welcome. Then he invited everyone to the buffet line. He looked around the room, spotted Nathan and Julia, and asked them to go through first.
Nathan took Julia's hand and led her over the buffet tables, which were overflowing with delicious-looking fare. Various finger foods, delicacies, even Nathan and Julia's favorite foods were on the buffet, though in smaller portions. Even fried chicken. Julia glanced happily at Nathan as she took a piece. And she put one on his plate, too, which earned a little chuckle out of him.
"Taking care of me already?" Nathan teased, as he added to his plate.
Julia just smiled up at him. "Yep. And I always will."
He chuckled low again. "Lucky me. And well, if it lands me a piece of fried chicken, that's a bonus."
"You can even have two if you'd like." She teased. But then, Julia realized something, remembered something. A memory came to her, and she caught his gaze. "My love, did you ever come to a definite decision? Did you ever figure out what is your favorite food?"
He smiled at her, struck that she still wanted to know. That was so long ago, but she hadn't forgotten. Back then, she had been perplexed that he didn't know what his favorite food was. And she'd understood it was simply because he had always thought of others first, and himself last. But, she'd waited patiently all this time for him to make his decision. For him to finally speak up and say what dish was HIS favorite.
"Yes. I've made my decision." He told her. She looked very happy about that. Nathan looked down the line of food, scanning. He spotted it, picked up a small crock, and put it on her plate. He smiled sideways at her. "Irish stew. Dad's recipe."
"Archie made Irish stew?" Julia asked, pointing at what he had just put on her plate. "In miniature size?"
"Yep. He helped Bill out." He told her nonchalantly, as he put one on his plate, too.
Julia took a good whiff of it, and pointed again. "I'm going to learn this recipe. I hope you know."
Nathan leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered just next to her ear. "I was hoping you might say that."
That kiss, and his proximity made her heart race, so she stayed close and told him. "I just hope I can do it justice."
Nathan had a smile in his eyes. "I'm sure you will do just fine."
When they moved on down the line, Julia saw trout cakes, so she served Nathan one of those. Something he would definitely like. He just smiled, liking her attention. She took a baked apple, and he did, too. And they realized sadly, that they had arrived at the end of the line.
Nathan led them over to sit with Rebecca and Charlie, who were in line to fill their plates. While they were gone, Julia went to get drinks - two glasses of lemonade. When Rebecca and Charlie came back, the foursome shared a nice time together, over dinner. Charlie was gentle and kind, and it was obvious why he'd meshed so well with Nathan. They were a lot alike. Julia could imagine an insecure, timid Nathan spending a lot of time with Charlie, and becoming all the better for it. Charlie was a confident, secure man who spoke from his heart. And he was obviously loyal and principled. From what Nathan had previously shared, Charlie had stuck by Rebecca when she'd been at her lowest. And he'd never wavered, but been a true friend, even at the cost of never sharing his true feelings.
Charlie Walker was most definitely in love with Rebecca Grant and probably had been for years. It was written all over his face when he looked at her. And though he was a tough cowboy, there was a softness about Charlie, when he was with Rebecca. He was tender when he looked at her, spoke to her, or did anything within six feet of her. That realization made Julia extremely cognizant of something, given the similarities between her Nathan and Charlie Walker. Julia glanced ever so intently at Nathan to see if it could be so. Was that how Nathan was…with her? Julia asked herself the question. Was confident, strong Nathan Grant soft like that, when it came to her?
One stolen look to the side, at her Nathan, and she knew it was true. He had always been tender and sensitive with her. Even when he'd been upset up at the cabin, after the storm. When she'd run to him, and insisted he have his serge to keep warm, he'd softened.
Nathan leaned over close and asked her. "Well, what do you think?"
Julia was confused. "Hmmm?" Was he referring to his mother and this man who was so obviously in love with her?
"Of the Irish stew?" He clarified.
"Oh." Whew. Good think she hadn't answered right away. "It was delicious, of course." She told him with a chuckle under her breath.
"Well, what did you think I meant?" Nathan asked her, curious now.
Julia looked back and forth between Rebecca and Charlie, who were deep in discussion, between themselves, about what they were eating. "Oh, nothing." She said with a tiny smile.
Rebecca glanced at them, asked a question about one of the dishes, and soon, they were all four back in conversation. Nathan and Charlie went through the buffet line a second time, and then the conversation continued. Julia asked a million questions about the ranch, obviously excited about the time they would spend there.
When everyone started to mingle again, Nathan and Julia moved around the room. They sat a while with the Coulter's, the Yost's, and Elle, who all shared a table.
Then they moved over to Joseph and Minnie's table, which they shared with Archie. They were discussing Jimmy when Nathan and Julia arrived.
Joseph had once mentioned to Nathan that he had someone in mind to apprentice under him and Archie, at their new woodworking business. But it became obvious as the conversation continued, that Joseph had been referring to Jimmy McIntosh. Joseph explained that Jimmy longed to learn a decent trade, and that taking him on as apprentice would give him the opportunity to do just that. It would also give Joseph and Archie the opportunity to watch over Jimmy, and keep him on the straight and narrow. Archie and Joseph asked both Nathan and Julia for discretion, since Jimmy had no idea any of this was being considered. Of course, everything hinged on the decisions that would soon be made by Commander Collins and the NWMP's prosecuting attorneys, related to Jimmy's charges and punishment for his crimes.
Archie and Joseph were both hoping for plea deals, and then, of course, Jimmy's agreement to testify in court against the higher criminals. Both of those were vital in order for Jimmy to stay in Hope Valley. And then there was the matter of getting Jimmy to accept the apprenticeship. Julia thought it highly likely that he would, since it was a win-win either way. Jimmy would get to work with two amazing wood-workers and learn a trade, and Joseph and Archie could use the help. Their business had started to take off already, and they needed the extra hands. Now though, they all needed to pray for favor with the courts, so that Jimmy could stay.
After spending some time with the Canfields and Archie, Nathan and Julia both stood. Though, before they left, Julia bent down and whispered something in Archie's ear. He looked up at her and smiled. Then he nodded, with a wink. She clasped her hands together happily, and kissed him on the cheek. Then, finally, she rejoined Nathan, ready to greet their next guests.
Next they sat with Clara and Jesse, who shared a table with Bill. Nathan and Julia spent a long time catching up with them. Over the course of the conversation, Jesse just happened to mention that Clara had been tired lately, and feeling a little ill from time to time, in the mornings. Julia sent a suspicious glance over to Nathan, and then encouraged Clara to go see Faith in the infirmary. Then Julia looked at Bill, who nodded as if to say, he understood and would take care of it. As the conversation moved on to a new topic, though, Julia couldn't help but smile to herself. She was pretty sure it wasn't any life-threatening sickness plaguing Clara, but only a sort of life-changing one.
At the last table, Nathan and Julia sat a while with Henry, Mike, and Alex. They chatted about the oil business and the hotel-restaurant business. Surprisingly, many of the employees of one frequented the other, so they could talk about those folks they knew in common. There were several troublemakers that were universally known, though they were mostly harmless, just more so lazy. It was interesting to be privy to this type of conversation and hear how each of these three friends handled certain situations, from a business perspective. It was so different from what Julia and Nathan did on a daily basis, as public servants. And, the stories were telling of the personalities of each of the three - Henry gave everyone second and even third or fourth chances. Mike was wishy-washy, had a hard time putting his foot down with his employees, and all the while spoke from his heart. And Alex was no nonsense and shot straight, though clearly because of her protective nature. She didn't make time for fluff, though George had once mentioned that most of her employees appreciated that about her, they knew just where they stood with her at all times.
Bill stood at the front again, and invited everyone to pass by the dessert table. He called Julia and Nathan to go first again, so they did. Then they returned to the Brookfield crew's table for dessert, since most of the others present would be in Hope Valley when they came home from honeymoon. The three couples chatted a long time, over dessert.
Nathan and Julia stayed late, and made their way around the room again. And most of the core group stayed late, to help clean up. And well, Julia and Nathan pitched right in. It was fun to put on an apron, roll up their sleeves, and work along side their friends.
When all the cleaning was done, and it was quite late, Nathan and Julia thanked Bill profusely for such an excellent evening. It had been more than expected, but exactly what they wanted - an intimate evening spent among friends.
Julia raised up on tip toes and kissed Bill on the cheek. "Thank you for being such a good friend to us, Bill." She told him softly. "You mean a lot…to both of us." Nathan nodded his agreement.
Bill smiled lopsided and replied. "I had a lot of help." He looked at Nathan. "But, you two mean a lot to me, too."
Bill extended his hand to Nathan, who just shook his head no. Then Nathan embraced Bill, like a son would a father. He tapped him a few strong times on the back, and then pulled back. "Yea. I love you too, Bill." He said lightly, in that typical tone Nathan often used when he spoke to Bill.
Bill pursed his lips. "So, I'll see you both tomorrow? Over there next to the church?"
Nathan nodded. "Don't be late, ole' man."
And Bill chuckled. "Oh, I won't." And they slowly turned and headed for the door.
Though once they were in the street, Nathan asked Julia to take a walk with him. She, of course, accepted.
When Ben and Faith walked out of the party, he didn't extend his arm as he'd done before. Instead, he reached down and took Faith's hand.
She smiled at him, and he looked suddenly nervous. He glanced at their fingers intertwined. "Is it okay?"
Faith replied. "It's very fine." And they walked through town toward her apartment. Though once they got to her turn off, Ben hesitated. He just wasn't ready to say good night yet.
"Faith, would you take a walk with me, down to the pond?" Ben asked with a shy smile.
She wasn't ready to let go either. "I would like that."
Ben led them on down through town, towards the church. In the moonlight, the water glistened as they walked along the edge of the pond, all the way around. The arbor for Nathan and Julia's wedding was set up and came into view. It looked beautiful, even in the twilight.
The benches were lined up neat and Ben led her past them, through the arbor, and onto the little dock. They stood side by side and looked out over the water. The stars danced their reflection. Ben kept ahold of Faith's hand though, and placed his other hand on the railing, careful not to dislodge any of the flowers so delicately attached there.
"It's a beautiful evening." Faith spoke out softly. The weather was just perfect, still warm enough to avoid a jacket, but cool enough to be refreshing. She loved evenings like this.
Ben looked over at her. "Yes it is. And you…" He swallowed. "...look amazing in the moonlight." Her golden hair shimmered and her eyes seemed to sparkle. He turned towards her.
"Thank you." Faith scoffed, shy, and turned towards him, too.
Ben's eyes looked so dark and handsome in the low light. He asked, "Do you come here often?"
Faith glanced around and wished she did. "Not very." She had been here once with Carson, but that was a very long time ago, and during the day. The only other time had been with Ben, when they'd taken a walk. "Mainly with you." She told him.
He looked around. "It's a nice place. I see why Nathan and Julia want to get married here."
Faith replied. "It holds a special significance for them…several, I believe."
Ben wondered. "Oh, really?"
"Yes. It's where they shared their first kiss. That I know for sure." Faith told him. As she did, she hadn't meant for it to happen, but her eyes made their way down to his lips. He opened his mouth ever so slightly and her heart quickened.
"Really?" He teased. She saw where her eyes had gone, and his couldn't help but go to her lips, now too. They were perfect and rosy in the moonlight. He involuntarily took one step closer.
She nodded softly, and came a measure closer, from her side.
"Well I guess, then, they beat me to it." Ben told her.
The faintest smile. "What do you mean?"
Ben confessed. "It was my plan, bringing you here."
Her eyes were fixed now. And the words that came out of her mouth were barely audible, a faint whisper floating on the wind. "To kiss me?"
Ben placed a hand ever so gently on her cheek, and nodded a tiny little nod. He moved closer, and bent down. He tipped her face up just slightly and brought his lips close to hers. So very close. And he lingered there a few short seconds, a hair's breadth between them, as the anticipation rose.
And then…he kissed her. The kiss was so soft and timid, tender and searching. But their emotions were strong, and so, as Ben's lips moved over her's, there was a connection. A connection that begged to go deeper. So, they let it - and when the kiss deepened, they both relished the connection with the other.
Ben finally pulled back just a little, stayed close, and gazed at her. He drawled slow. "This is a good place…for a first kiss, Blue Eyes."
Faith smiled at his endearment. Somehow, it fit, and she…liked it. "I'm inclined to agree."
Ben added a small but tender kiss on the cheek, which made it impossible to catch her breath. "This way, we won't forget."
"I don't think I could forget." She breathed.
"Me, either, Blue Eyes." Though, he realized something that he hadn't taken into account. "At least you know what I'll be thinking about, all through that ceremony tomorrow."
Faith chuckled low. She would certainly be thinking about that kiss, too. There was absolutely no doubt about it.