Chapter Nineteen

"Those people should be here soon with the chairs and tables," Jackson said after everyone had eaten breakfast.

It had been Wyatt's first time eating chocolate and Francine hadn't been able to keep from smiling when his eyes had rolled back in his head and then he had gone on and on about how good it was. She was sure her mothers head would explode with pride.

"I still don't understand why you're having this here when you could go to a restaurant and have them cook and clean for you," Francine said to her mom.

Gretchen just waved her off, "And miss out on Wyatt carrying on about how good my food is?" she asked. Wyatt grinned.

"Apparently Wyatt's been dead a while and forgot what real food is if he thinks the junk you cook is good," A man said as he walked in. The man was about five feet ten inches tall. He had flaming red hair, blue eyes and dark freckles covering his full cheeks and big nose. When he smiled, his teeth reminded Wyatt of a beaver.

"That's the love of my life you are insulting, Chase!" Jackson said with mock anger as he stood up from his chair, "I'll have you know that at the end of a long hard day the only thing better than Gretchen's cooking is a root canal."

Francine and Chase both laughed while Gretchen swatted her husband with a damp dishtowel, "Get to town and get the stuff I needed before I decide to make this our last anniversary."

"Promises. Promises." Jackson mused and then before Gretchen could say anything else he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.

Wyatt put his arm around Francine's shoulders and she leaned into him.

"What the hell makes you think you can touch my woman?" Chase demanded from beside them.

Wyatt turned slowly and Francine saw the angry set to his jaw and knew that he was about to kill her stupid younger cousin, "Wyatt, this is Chase, my cousin. Chase this is Wyatt, my boyfriend, and the man who will kick your ass if you're mean to me."

"You'll kick my ass, huh?" Chase asked with a lopsided grin.

Wyatt nodded as he looked down at the shorter, but stout man, "If she tells me to."

Chase laughed, "I see you've got this one wrapped around your finger," he said as he tweaked Francine on the nose.

Francine jerked away with a smile and stuck her tongue out, "You're still so immature. I haven't got anybody wrapped around my finger."

"Yes you do." Wyatt replied as his arm tightened around her.

Francine blushed at the teasing look on Chase's face but before he could say anything Jackson walked over, "Come on men, you can help me brave the world for Wal-mart and Food World so we can get this woman all she needs for cooking."

Francine threw Wyatt a panicked look and he smiled and put his mouth to her ear, "I'll be fine," he promised.

"You boys have fun," Gretchen said as the men walked toward the kitchen door. "Don't pick up any hot prostitutes. The ugly ones are fine but don't bring no pretty ones back here."

Wyatt scratched at his hair, "I thought that was illegal." Francine laughed as she started filling the sink with water.

"Only if you get caught." Chase said with a wink.

Francine watched poor Wyatt walk out of the house. She just hoped he got through the shopping trip without her family embarrassing him too badly. After all Wyatt was still pretty new to life in the twenty-first century.

***

"So, Wyatt, Francine don't have any brothers to test whether or not you deserve her so that falls on my shoulders," Chase said once the men were loaded into Jackson's SUV and headed for town. Wyatt sat in the middle row of seats while Chase and Jackson rode up front.

"Okay," Wyatt said as he adjusted the seat belt strap across his chest. He was obviously bigger than whoever this had been designed for and it cut across his chest and irritated the hell out of him.

"She's a good girl," Chase noted, sounding quite comfortable in this protective position.

Wyatt nodded, "She's one hell of a woman," he agreed.

Chase nodded and looked over his shoulder at Wyatt, "What do you do for a living?"

Wyatt had to think quick to come up with an answer that wouldn't be a complete lie, "Nothing at the moment. I've actually only been living in Kentucky for about two weeks. I grew up in Kansas and worked on some ranches out there. I'm hoping to find something like that to do again."

"There's plenty of horse ranches around Lexington, I'm sure that won't be a problem." Jackson assured him as he turned off the gravel road and onto the two lane blacktop.

"So whatcha been doing? Shacking up with Francine and living off her money?" Chase demanded and this earned him a sharp look from Jackson.

"My little sister raised you better than that, boy." he scolded.

"That's okay sir. I.... I'm sure if I had sisters or cousins I'd be the same way." Wyatt replied. He had nearly told him that he had four little sister which would have technically been a lie since any sisters he might have had were long dead. "I've actually been staying in the apartment next to Franny's. I have some money leftover from selling some belongings and I've been living off of that until I can find a job."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Wyatt. You're a grown man and my Francine is a grown woman who supports herself just fine. As long as you make her happy that's all I care about and it seems like you do that very well. Francine has always had bad taste in men but it seems like she might have turned that around with you."

"Thank you, sir," Wyatt replied.

"Hear that Chase? He calls me sir. That's respect," Jackson stated pointedly as he poked Chase in the arm with his elbow.

"That's called kissing your ass," Chase countered and Jackson laughed.

***

Wyatt, Jackson and Chase chose to split up at Wal-mart to save time. Wyatt stayed with Jackson and Chase went off on his own. Wyatt reached in his pocket and ran his fingers over the ring that he had hidden inside. He had bought the diamond yesterday at the pawn shop. It was a large circle cut diamond in a thick steel setting. He knew that gold was the norm for engagement and wedding rings but he had seen this ring and thought of Francine. It was old and it looked like something from a witches jewelry box, aged and almost creepy. Still it had a beauty to it that he knew Francine would love. His Franny wanted a wedding in a haunted house and she was going to get a ring that matched.

"Mr. Ryan, I would like to ask you something," Wyatt said as he followed the man through the aisles of the crowded store. More than once Wyatt bumped into things as he forgot he couldn't just pass through them but luckily Jackson was too focused on the list in his hand to notice.

"Call me Jackson," he replied as he grabbed a box of paper plates and tossed them in the cart, "These damn things get more expensive every time I'm here. What were you wanting to ask?"

"I uh.. I know this isn't the place to do this but....."

"Wal-mart is where all the important things happen," Jackson cut in with a wink. "Now what's on your mind?"

"I know that you don't know me yet and I know that Franny and I haven't been together very long but, sir, I'm in love with your daughter. I feel like I have known her my whole life and in many lives before....."

"Are you asking me if you can marry Francine?" Jackson asked as he looked away from his list and his eyes locked with Wyatt's.

Wyatt shifted his feet nervously but nodded, "Yes, sir."

Jackson smiled happily, "She's twenty-five years old, you don't have to ask my permission."

"Where I'm from, sir, we always ask permission."

Jackson nodded, "Permission granted. I'm not the one marrying you so I don't need to know everything about you and if Francine loves you enough to say yes then that's all that matters. Hell I only knew Gretchen three days before we got married in Vegas. Now look at us."

Wyatt just nodded as he felt relief take the tension from his shoulders, "Thank you, sir," he said as he ran a hand through his thick hair.

Janice had told him that nowadays men didn't wear Stetson hats everywhere they went so in an attempt to fit in he'd left it behind. He saw a woman with a baby in her cart and two more children attached to each leg staring at him. Her eyes were scanning him up and down and her mouth was hanging open. Wyatt quickly looked away from her and tried to ignore her the best he could.

"Seems you've got a fan," Jackson said with a chuckle. Wyatt just shrugged as he felt a blush working its way up his neck, "Here why don't you grab us a couple boxes of that water." Jackson said, pointing to the ones he wanted.

Wyatt nodded, happy to have something to do and the woman finally walked off as her baby started screaming in the cart.

It took the men nearly two hours to finish all of the shopping and once they were on their way home, Wyatt sat silently in the backseat trying to think of what he should say when he proposed to Francine. He knew he might be moving fast but he also knew he was living on borrowed time and he needed to make the most out of every second that he had.

Jackson and Chase got into a loud argument up front about something called Nascar and the drivers Kyle Busch and Dale Jr. Wyatt didn't have a clue what they were talking about. He looked out the windshield and was once again going over what he would say when suddenly they rounded a curve and a large eighteen wheeled truck was coming around at the same time and in their lane.

Jackson let out a curse as he drove the SUV down into the ditch. Brakes slammed, tires squealed and Wyatt prayed like hell that Madam Zinga wasn't cashing in that deal already.

***

Francine grunted and sweated as she tried to set up the tables the way her flake of a mother wanted them. Every time they got them set up just right, Gretchen would change her mind and they'd all have to be moved around. Francine was about two seconds away from telling her mother to shove the tables up her rear when she felt two strong arms snake around her waist from behind and two firm lips pressed against her ear.

"You look tired. Would you like me to take over?"

Francine smiled and leaned into Wyatt's embrace, "I missed you." she whispered.

Wyatt's lips curved into a smile against her ear, "I missed you too."

"We're back, my love. we almost died but we are back." Jackson announced as he walked into the side yard.

Gretchen's eyes widened, "What do you mean you almost died?"

"A coal truck ran us off the road and just about ran us over. But as you can see we're fine," Jackson bowed and winked at his wife.

"My pants need to be changed but other than that I'm alright," Chase agreed as he too walked around the house.

"Are you okay?" Francine asked Wyatt quietly so only he could hear. Wyatt nodded, "Yep. I still think that horses were better for getting from place to place than automobiles but I gotta get with the times I guess." He had been sure that he was going to die today but Jackson had just chuckled as he drove the SUV back out of the ditch and the coal truck had driven away.

"Well, now that you big strong men are here, Francine and I will get busy with the cooking while you set up the yard. Just do the tables however you think is best but make sure you keep some distance between them and the dance floor."

Francine glared at her mother. Hours of moving around tables and not being able to please her and she tells the men to put them however they thought was best????

"She drove you nuts the whole time we were gone didn't she?" Chase asked with a chuckle as he walked over to Francine and Wyatt.

Francine let out a tired sigh and nodded. Chase tweaked her nose, "Now you get to go cook with her all afternoon. Good luck, Fran."

"Come on, Francine! We have a lot to do," Gretchen called as she walked in the house.

Wyatt kissed Francine's cheek and she followed after her mother, "Well come on, cowboy," Chase said as he looked at all the tables and chairs, "Let's see just how hard you can work."

Wyatt raised his brow and then rolled up his sleeves.

***

"Maybe I liked it better when nobody other than me could see you," Francine muttered as she sat snuggled in Wyatt's arms on the back porch that evening.

They were sitting on the porch steps and she had her back pressed against his chest as he held her tight. Her family and her parent's friends mingled and talked and listened to the music coming from Gretchen's large stereo system.

"Why is that?" Wyatt asked, holding her a little tighter.

Francine looked around at the many women who kept either staring holes in her man or sparing shy glances in his direction, "Because it seems you're too much fun to look at."

"Not nearly as much fun as you," Wyatt countered as he looked over her shoulder and let his eyes trail over her denim clad legs. He ran his finger across her bare shoulder and down her arm.

She trembled and swatted his hand away, "I'm serious, Wyatt! I'm about to go in the house and get drool buckets for a few of them."

Wyatt laughed loudly, "Let them look, Franny. There ain't nobody else in this whole world that I'm interested in other than you."

He pulled away from her and stood up. Francine watched him walk down the steps and she couldn't help but stare at his long, lean legs and firm backside as he kept his back to her and looked at the empty dance floor.

"Let's go dance," he said as he turned to face her, "I want to hold you close and let everybody watch and be jealous."

Francine snorted, "Jealous that they're not dancing with you?"

Wyatt shook his head and held his hand out, "Jealous that they're not the one dancing with you."

Francine smiled and took his hand. He led her out to the dance floor just as the music changed and Tracy Byrd began singing 'Keeper of the Stars'. Wyatt held her close and circled slowly. Francine laid her head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. She heard the guests murmuring and then she smiled when she saw her parents join them on the dance floor.

The stars were above them and the moonlight was shining down and Francine let herself get lost in Wyatt's arms. Then the world around them seemed to disappear when Wyatt began singing the words quietly in her ear. She couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. When the song ended and Francine finally forced herself to pull away from Wyatt enough to look up at him, she realized the dance floor was now full of people.

She looked up at his green eyes and saw that he looked a little nervous and then he looked over and shared a glance with her father. Her dad nodded and then cleared his throat, "Pardon me everyone but this cowboy here has something he wants to say," Jackson smiled warmly at Francine, "You're up." he said to Wyatt.

Francine had never liked being the center of attention and just now everyone was looking at them. She gave a nervous laugh as she looked around, "What's going on?"

Wyatt wasn't really sure how this was done in this day and time but he'd watched a little bit of television with Janice over the week and a half he'd stayed with her during the day and he had seen men getting on their knees. So he pulled out her ring and dropped to his knee. Francine's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Franny, since I first laid eyes on you, you have been on my mind every moment of every day. You are the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about at night. You are my soul mate. You are the one person in this world that was made for me and I was made to be with you. I have loved you in this lifetime and in a thousand lives before. Marry me, Franny?"

Francine couldn't seem to speak so she nodded as she let out a happy laugh. He slipped the beautiful, antique ring onto her finger and then jumped to his feet and pulled her into his arms. He spun her around and around as the crowd clapped.

"Would you share him for just a night before the wedding?" one of her older female cousins asked and Francine shook her head as she looked deep into Wyatt's eyes.

"This man and I have overcome some pretty damn big obstacles to get to this point. I think I'm going to be greedy and keep him all to myself." Jackson walked over to them and patted Francine on the back, "Congratulations, Fran. Your mom and I knew you'd get it right eventually."

"Francine! Where did you meet him anyway?" another female cousin hollered.

Francine smiled and gave a small shrug, "He followed me home." Wyatt covered her lips with his own and kissed her tenderly. He pulled away slowly and led her off to the side and away from everyone.

Francine smiled happily as she looked down at the beautiful ring now shining on her finger, "By the way, where did you learn that song?" she asked.

Wyatt grinned. He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips gently against her knuckles, "There were two guides at the park that courted for a while. They would sneak down to the river and play that song almost every night while they danced. I always liked it.... The song that is."

Francine let out an amused snort, "You were a peeping tom?"

"A what?"

"A spy."

"I was bored," he replied with a shrug. "Did I do a good job with your ring?"

"Being bored is no excuse for being a voyeur," she scolded. "And yes you did wonderful. This is a beautiful ring but....." she frowned and bit her lip.

"What?" Wyatt asked as he sat down on the grass and leaned against the oak tree. He grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto his lap.

"This wasn't one of those things that you stole was it?"

Wyatt chuckled, "No. I bought it when I sold my things," he assured her. "It reminded me of you."

"You surprised me tonight, I wasn't expecting that," she whispered. The cool breeze washed over them and Francine felt light enough that without his arms around her she was sure she would float away on it and off into the night.

"You're going to have everything you want, Franny."

"I have all I want," she replied as she laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and entwined his fingers with hers, holding both their hands in the air so the lantern light from the party would glint off her diamond.

"I'm gonna make everything on that list come true... Or die trying," he replied. He knew she wouldn't understand just how true those words were.

"That stupid list that caused you to leave me in the first place?" Francine demanded with disbelief. "I wrote that thing when I was fifteen years old!"

"And now I'm going to make it come true."

Francine shook her head. She could argue with him that he made no sense and that what she wanted had changed but she knew that wouldn't do any good. Wyatt had his mind set and she was realizing that he was extremely stubborn once he made up his mind.

"I have one more question," she said as she relaxed against him.

"What's that?"

"What in the world was all that talk this morning about hormones, hippies, free love and rodeo hormones?"

Wyatt laughed.