A/N: My hope for you readers is that, as you experience Mitch and Amy's honeymoon in Nashville, you will feel like you've been there with them. Or if you have been there, to be reminded of some of your experiences. And if you haven't been, perhaps it will make you desire to visit, and know that when you do, you'll have a good idea of some sites to include, even though there are many more that had to be skipped. After all, they can only do so much in eight days, and they will need to get back to their life at Whispering Meadows and their little girl! Hope you enjoy Part 2!
Chapter 40: Nashville, Here We Come! Pt 2
WEDNESDAY
Mitch and Amy woke up early the next morning as they had a big day ahead of them. As they started to stir, they discovered that they were both a bit stiff and sore from the roll they'd taken the previous day, causing them to move a little more slowly. Mitch especially felt it, having taken the brunt of their fall. Hopefully, they'd work the soreness out with their planned activities for the day.
They made their way down to an early breakfast in the dining room and found themselves alone, having woken before all the other occupants. When Rich served them, they asked where they might purchase a few snacks. He asked what they had in mind, and they told him they hoped to take some light snacks to munch on rather than buying lunch since they would have a heavier evening meal.
He offered, "No worries. I'd be happy to pack you what you need."
"Oh, you don't need to go to that trouble," Mitch said.
"No really, no trouble at all. I'm happy to do it!" Rich replied graciously.
"Well, thank you so much, Rich. We'd really appreciate that!" Amy answered sweetly.
Dressed casually for the morning's planned activity, they'd also packed a change of clothes since their evening plans would be a little fancier. As they came down the stairs, Rich was waiting to hand them a thermal picnic bag. Mitch kindly accepted and carried it along with their bag to the car and helped Amy in. Then they were off for an approximately thirty-minute drive to Camwood Farm, a horse farm between Franklin and Leiper's Fork, for a tour of the facility and grounds. While on the tour, they were able to get some ideas for the indoor arena Mitch planned to build for Amy, including learning about a special mixture for the arena floor using high quality sand (a geotextile mix) that was treated with a special polymer that resulted in a dustless footing, and it didn't require any watering to deliver a perfect footing for the horses year-round. Learning of this was a side benefit they hadn't expected. It was a beautiful, crisp sunny day, and they even got to relax with one of the horses lying in the grass for a short 'nap' enjoying the sun. A passerby happened to snap a picture of them and offered to text it to them. They found a picnic table on the grounds to enjoy the 'more than snacks' that Rich had prepared for them. He was such a gracious host!
Shortly after they finished and packed up, they traveled on to Leiper's Fork, a quaint little rural village about fifteen minutes down the road and took in the shops there. While sight-seeing, they learned it was Open Mic Night at Fox & Locke,* so they texted to see if they could get on the list. Fox & Locke, formerly Puckett's Grocery, is a historic grocery store. It was a family-owned store that opened in 1947, and in 2002, they began having live music five days a week and developed a long-time reputation, attracting song writers, artists, and tourists from around the world, as a great place to enjoy a night of entertainment and Southern faire comfort food.
Around 4pm, they received a text that they were on the program and were given their timeslot of 7pm. They were excited to have this surprising opportunity. They found a 'family' restroom where they were able to change into their evening attire and freshen up. Arriving a bit early to be seated at their reserved table and eat so they could be ready to sing later, Mitch and Amy feasted on pulled pork BBQ and fried catfish with sides of fried okra and sweet potato fries, and for dessert, maple pecan pie à la mode. They were enjoying the Southern comfort food. Around 6:45, they began to feel a little nervous but were so excited! A couple sitting at the table next to them learned they would be singing and offered to video it for them. They were happy to know they'd be able to share it with the family back home.
At 7pm, Mitch and Amy took the stage with Mitch playing the guitar while they harmonized together on what had become their song, 'Feels Like Home.' There were a couple of times that they got lost in each other's eyes as they sang. They were a hit and were warmly welcomed by the audience who applauded long enough that they knew they'd be able to do the second song they'd chosen, one a little more country – 'It's Your Love.' The crowd loudly applauded them a second time, and in the audience was a blue-grass artist** who was quite impressed with this handsome, young couple. So much so, that he found them afterward and offered for them to attend a recording session with him and his band on Saturday morning if they could fit it into their schedule. Mitch and Amy were very flattered and promised to see if they could make it. They exchanged phone numbers so they could keep in touch.
As they drove back to TDH from Leiper's Fork, Mitch and Amy could hardly believe their fortune in the possibility of attending a recording session. With what they had planned for Saturday, they could work it out to have their morning free, so they texted their confirmation. In discussing their itinerary, the newlyweds decided for Thursday to be a leisurely day. They were feeling the need to have some down-time together to rejuvenate for the rest of their time in Nashville. Amy also had a surprise planned for Mitch for Thursday evening that she could hardly wait to share!
After returning to TDH, they put in their order for a late breakfast the next morning, adding a note on it asking for a spa session, and slid it under the door for Rich. Then they showered and took time to give each other foot rubs, hoping to alleviate some of the remaining soreness in their muscles from the day before. With bodies relaxed, but tired, they were feeling totally happy with their day's experiences! It took them no time to fall asleep in the warmth of each other's arms.
THURSDAY
As Mitch awoke Thursday morning, he felt reminiscent of their first morning together as he propped up on one elbow to watch Amy sleep. How blessed he felt to be able to steal such moments just to admire her beauty! Her silky blonde strands graced her pillow as he observed the rhythmic, gentle breathing of her chest rising and falling. He uttered a quick prayer of gratefulness in his mind. How drastically his life had turned in such an unlikely but wonderful way over the last year!
As the sun peeking in the window began to make Amy aware of morning, she began to sense Mitch's gaze and turned to him stretching her arms and said, "Good morning, my handsome man!"
Mitch responded by embracing her in his arms and passionately kissing her, expressing the gratefulness he'd just expressed in his prayer. The passion of his kiss enflamed Amy as well, as she surrendered herself in complete trust to Mitch's lead. They decided 'morning delight' would always be a favorite time for them. They knew once they returned home, those opportunities would not be so easy to manage, so they rejoiced in these times of extravagant love between each other. They held each other close as their euphoria subsided enjoying the satisfaction as long as they could.
They finally broke their embrace to arise and slip into sweats to go down for breakfast. Rich had outdone himself with the delicious breakfast they shared together. They had blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs with bacon, a side of hashbrowns that they shared and fresh fruit to top it all off. The coffee was aromatic and deliciously smooth.
With breakfast completed and tummies full and satisfied, they went for their spa session enjoying full body massages. They decided they liked this couple's massage thing! Upon the conclusion of their session, they opted to top off their massages by throwing on their swimsuits, and their robes to go down in, and spending some time in the jacuzzi. Amy was in a string bikini, something Mitch was glad she assured him would only be worn for him. They found themselves the only ones there, and as they soaked in the soothingly hot, bubbling water of the jacuzzi, they could feel the last traces of soreness melting away. The privacy also afforded them some sweet canoodling time. These would be treasured memories of their special week together.
They rinsed off the chlorine from the jacuzzi in the quick shower area provided nearby and headed back to their room. Feeling totally relaxed, they decided to read for a bit and take a short nap before Lyndy would be getting home from school, planning to facetime with her around that time.
Amy woke first and quietly slipped from the bed to review the surprise plans for the evening. Lisa and Lou had helped her plan it out. Together, they'd chosen the Etch, an award-winning eclectic restaurant for them to dine before Amy would surprise Mitch with tickets for them to attend a Nashville Predators hockey game. She'd remembered Lou telling her how excited Mitch had been about setting up the skating arena for Katie** several years back for her birthday and his love for hockey. So that had prompted her idea for surprising him. The restaurant was close by the Bridgestone Arena where the Predators played. They'd be able to park the car in the underground parking garage below the Walk of Fame Park that lay between the restaurant and the arena, and it would only be a short walk from there. Amy stepped out of the room long enough to call the Etch just to reconfirm the reservation. When she stepped back into the room, Mitch was just beginning to stir. She came over and sat on the bed beside him as he lifted himself up, giving her a soft kiss and hug. He leaned back while twirling strands of her hair around his finger, and said, "So Sweetheart, what did you want to do this evening?"
"Well, I thought we'd call Lyndy, and then, we need to get dressed, and I have a surprise for you."
"You do? What did you have in mind?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Amy said with a big grin on her face. She was so excited as she anticipated seeing Mitch's face when he realized what the main event of the evening would be.
"Hmmm, now you've got my curiosity up."
"Well, you're just going to have to wait a while," Amy replied, and she reached over to run her fingers through his hair pushing the curl out of the way as she kissed him on the forehead. Changing the subject, she said, "So let's call Lyndy."
That put a smile on Mitch's face as he said, "At least let me run a comb through my hair first."
Amy brushed her's, then they Face-timed.
"Hello," said the familiar voice and face on the other end.
"Hi Grandpa! So you've learned to use Face-time, I see!" she teased. "How's everyone doing?"
"Well, hello, Amy! So good to hear from you! We are fine. Everyone is staying busy as usual. How goes it with you?"
"It's been wonderful so far, Grandpa! And please thank everyone there for their help in defraying some of our expenses. That wasn't necessary, but we really appreciate it! Is there a little girl handy for us to speak with?" Amy asked.
"Let me get her for you. She just got in from school." Jack turned and yelled toward the bedrooms, "Lyndy, Face-time for you!"
Lyndy came running and said, "For me? Is it Mama and Daddy?" she added excitedly! Amy and Mitch heard her question and smiled at each other. Jack nodded and handed her the phone.
"Hi Mama, hi, Daddy! I'm so glad you called! I've missed you…but I'm doing ok," she hastened to add. "I got to have a playdate with Rebecca. Lisa took me to Fairfield to play with her. We had a really good time, and we baked cookies with Lisa. We made snickerdoodles. Daddy, I saved some for you. Lisa helped me freeze them so you can have them you get home. How many days is it before I see you?" Lyndy rattled off, again non-stop.
Mitch answered, "Six more days, Sweetheart. We're halfway there. We are looking forward to seeing you!"
Amy added, "Glad to hear you got to spend time with Rebecca. I'm sure you are taking care of Harley while we are gone, and I know you are being a great helper to Auntie Lou and Lisa! We'll see you in less than a week, sweet girl! We love you!"
"Love you, too! Have fun and hurry home! Bye, Bye!" Lyndy said.
"Bye, Honey!" both Amy and Mitch responded together and blew her kisses which she returned.
As they got off, they both were a little teary-eyed realizing how much they missed her even though they were most grateful for this time alone. It was a paradox parents felt, yet one they felt so blessed to have.
Mitch got playful at this point, trying to redirect their thoughts, and he grabbed Amy and gently 'tossed' her on the bed following close behind as he began to shower her with kisses and tickled her. She squealed and, in between fits of her wonderful laughter, managed to get out, "Uncle, uncle!"
"Not until you tell me your surprise."
"No way, Mister, you're just going to have to wait," and Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply as he responded in kind. When they broke away from each other breathless, Amy said, "You don't have to dress up; just dress nicely…no tie," and she winked at him. He was glad to hear that, at least.
They got dressed, though it took them longer than normal as Mitch kept delightedly distracting her. As she buttoned up her top, he kept unbuttoning it to just lower than she would normally wear it and showered her neck with kisses sending chills down her spine. She finally said, "Mitch, if you don't quit, we are going to be late!"
"Late to what?" he sheepishly grinned.
"I'm not telling you! It's a surprise!"
"Oh, ok…I give up."
They finally got out the door and into the car. Amy made Mitch let her put the address into the GPS on her phone and instructed Mitch to just follow the "nice GPS lady's directions." That brought a laugh from Mitch.
The drive was only about ten minutes away, and they pulled into the Etch. Mitch thought, 'This can't really be the surprise, can it?' just as Amy said, "This is only where we are having a nice dinner. There's more to come later."
Now she really had his curiosity up!
For dinner, they split a wonderful venison dish with smoked potato purée, cabernet blackberry reduction, roasted winter squash, pistachio dukkah, juniper beet sauce, parsley, arugula, and pea shoots. And for dessert, they had the choice of house made sorbet. The meal had been a veritable immersion of new sensory experiences for their palates…very different than anything they'd experienced back home.
Fully satisfied, they paid their bill, and Mitch helped Amy on with her light jacket. As they moved out into the evening air, Amy said, "Now we need to go and park about a block away in the underground parking garage that is under the Walk of Fame."
Mitch looked at her, still a little puzzled, but played along and drove them into the garage finding a parking spot close to the exit. They got out and went above to enjoy walking through the Walk of Fame Park, enjoying reading the different famous names they saw, somewhat similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Mitch still was not convinced this was the surprise, and as they came out on the northwest side of the park, his eyes grew big, and it finally dawned on him what Amy had in store as he saw the Bridgestone Arena and "Predators" in big letters on the marquee. The delight on his face shone in full array in his beautiful smile as he turned to Amy, dropping her hand, encircling her in his arms, and lifting her off the ground as he swung her around in pure joy!
"My angel, you know me so well! What a perfect surprise! Thank you so much!" Mitch exclaimed.
Amy was overjoyed with how pleased Mitch was! They quickly moved inside and found their seats, and Amy got as much delight out of watching Mitch enjoy the game as she did in watching the game itself. She loved it when his 'little boy' side was on display, and watching hockey definitely brought it out. This was another wonderful highlight to add to the many delights of their week together, one more that she cherished in her heart!
They got back to TDH at a pretty reasonable hour, put in their order for an early breakfast, and got to bed right away as they had an exciting morning planned the next day.
FRIDAY
Amy awoke the next morning to the sound of Mitch whistling in the bathroom. That brought a smile to her face. He'd obviously enjoyed her surprise for him. She rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom as well where she found Mitch still shirtless. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his back. He was finishing shaving, and quickly wiped the shaving cream from his face to turn in the circle of her arms and greet her with a passionate morning kiss. Amy swooned knowing she'd never tire of the way he could take her breath away. As their lips broke apart, Mitch looked down at her with adoration in his eyes and said, "Did I thank you for the wonderful evening you gave me?'
"Only three or four times already," Amy smiled up in reply.
"Well, I thank you again, my love, for your thoughtfulness, your planning, and I congratulate you on pulling off a surprise! I love you, my wife…my angel!" And Mitch kissed her once again.
"You are so very welcome, my handsome husband! But we'd better get around and get on our way," she said as she turned to get busy getting ready.
They dressed in comfortable, casual clothes for the day and headed down to eat. Rich gave them a warm greeting as he served their hearty breakfast. They'd decided the night before to order a substantial meal to prepare them for the morning's activity, which it did.
It was about a forty-minute drive to Adventureworks Zipline in Kingston Springs, their destination. They enjoyed some beautiful scenery along the way. They were scheduled to catch the first zip tour starting at 10am. They were excited and looking forward to the nine ziplines expecting them to take about ninety minutes in all. Some were up to 700 feet long and 85 feet high.
When they arrived, they discovered the lines were nestled in a mature forest of old-growth trees. It was a most beautiful area! They connected with their guide and got into their harnesses and helmets. Though they were totally all-in for the experience, they were grateful to learn that they'd be starting with the easier zips first and working their way up to the longer, higher ones. That first step into nothingness was a bit scary, but so exhilarating! It made them feel more excited for the next one each time. The experience of plummeting off the platform and soaring above the tops of the trees from ridge to ridge left them with the feeling of flying, and though the scenery went by quickly, it was gorgeous! They found themselves not wanting the intoxication of the adrenaline rush to end as they began the last zip. They were so glad this had been one of the activities they'd chosen to include. It was definitely an experience they'd never forget!
As they reached the end of their last zipline and made it to the ground, they shed their gear and started to ease back into their 'land legs.' When they got their bearings, they realized their tummies were telling them it was time for lunch. The guide had given them directions to the concession area where they could get deli sandwiches. A fellow zip-liner snapped a photo of them while they waited for their food. It was a lovely area to share their meal together.
They finished up and then got back on the road to their next destination, which was the historic Belle Meade Mansion and Winery, about a thirty-minute drive back toward Nashville. While there, they took the forty-five-minute tour of the mansion, learning about Belle Meade's place in Tennessee history and the Harding and Jackson families who lived there. During the tour, they learned that Belle Meade means 'beautiful meadow' and that the grounds increased from a cabin on 250 acres in 1807 to the current Greek Revival mansion with the property now encompassing over 5400 acres. And of special interest to Mitch and Amy was learning that a stallion named Bonnie Scotland was the greatest sire to ever stand at Belle Meade, and his descendants represent more than two-thirds of all the Kentucky Derby winners which included three Triple Crown winners to date. The family also had a dairy business that was second only to their thoroughbred business in the generation of revenue. The mansion was closed in 1906.
They also took the hour-long Journey to Jubilee Tour that covered the history of the enslaved African Americans during their time at Belle Meade both before and after Emancipation. The tour ended with a complimentary wine-tasting. During the afternoon there, they'd covered a century of a portion of Tennessee history and been immersed in Southern hospitality. They also found some nice gifts to take home to the family in the wonderful gift shops, enjoyed some ice cream, and purchased home-made fudge to take back to TDH with them to enjoy later. It had been a full afternoon, though they had chosen not to take two additionally available tours, the Southern Food Traditions Tour and the Guided Outbuildings Tour.
Before heading back for the evening, they decided to eat at Cilantro Mexican Grill where Amy ordered Street Tacos and Mitch ordered Baja Fish Tacos, and they shared their entrées with Piña Coladas to drink. And for dessert, they had sopapillas with honey.
Upon getting back to TDH, it was still early and slightly warm out, so they slipped into their swimsuits and spent some time in the pool, then relaxed in the jacuzzi a few minutes before heading in. As Amy was showering, Mitch slipped their early breakfast request under the door, shed his suit, and entered the bathroom asking with anticipation, "Would you like some company?" and Amy reached her hand out inviting him in. The warm, soothing water flowing over their skin magnified a most cherished time of expressing their love for the newlywed couple. Afterward, helping each other to dry off, they wrapped themselves in their soft, luxurious robes and snuggled up together in bed to read for a while from John before falling into a most satisfying sleep in each other's arms.
A/N: *Again, there are times that I took writer's liberty in some of the details. For example, Open Mic Night at Fox & Locke is actually on Thursday nights, so I changed it to fit Mitch and Amy's schedule.
**Katie's birthday on Heartland is Season 14, Episode 9.
Links to the sites/places included in this chapter and photos will be posted on the following three Facebook groups: Kevin McGarry Fan Page Home of #McGarries and SuspendersUnbuttoned Podcast; Nathan Grant Fanfiction! Home of Sunday Night Serge; and The Heartie Analyzers: All things Kevin McGarry, KEVLA and WCTH.