Chapter Thirty-Five

Class had worn Bethany out. Her brain was tired and her back hurt from being cramped up to that table for hours. She sighed with relief as she pulled into Nicole's driveway and then she frowned. Where was everyone?

Her papaw's truck was the only vehicle in the drive even though it was a little after five and everyone should be home from their work days. She also noticed that Andrew wasn't waiting for her on the porch, which was very odd. Anytime she left and came home he would be waiting for her with that big smile on his handsome face and his brown eyes sparkling with happiness at seeing her again.

She wondered where he was as she fought to push away the disappointment she felt. She got out of the car and started up toward the house, surprised when her papaw stepped out with a broad smile on his wrinkled face.

"What's going on?" Bethany asked suspiciously.

"Your man had some specific instructions for you," Silas replied.

Bethany frowned, "What kind of instructions?"

Silas held up a black dress bag, "You are to clean up, put this on and then I am to take you to a certain destination."

"What destination?" Bethany asked suspiciously.

Silas shook his head, "I gotta keep that part to myself," he replied. Bethany's heart was racing as she wondered what in the world could be going on. She took the dress bag from her papaw and quickly went upstairs to the bathroom. She took a shower, blow dried her long dark hair and then unzipped the bag to find a simple white sundress that would hang to her knees and a pair of strappy sandals inside.

What was going on? She quickly dressed and pulled on the sandals. She left her hair down and put on some light make-up and dangling silver earrings before walking back downstairs.

"You look beautiful," Silas said gruffly as he stood from the couch and then cleared his throat.

"What's going on?" Bethany asked cautiously as her stomach filled with butterflies.

"You'll find out soon enough," he assured her. "Now it's time to go." Bethany's mind was racing as she tried to think of where they could possibly be going. She was following behind her papaw's truck in her car and she realized her papaw was leading her to the park and then her heart began to pound when she realized he was taking her to her special place, the place she had only ever taken one other person to.

Gathered in that spot were Nicole, Cavanaugh, Leslie, Madeline, Ian and Andrew. Andrew was wearing a pair of black trousers and a white button down with black vest. He had his hat clutched in his hands and it looked as if he had polished his boots. He was shifting his weight from side to side and looked more nervous than she had ever seen him look. Bethany also saw another man there... A man she was pretty sure she recognized as a preacher from one of the small Baptist churches in town.

"Papaw, what's going on?" Bethany asked through her open window as her hands shook and Silas walked up to her closed door. Andrew walked toward them, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs.

"I think the boy wants to talk to you," Silas replied.

Andrew opened her door and held out his hand. Bethany realized that his hands were shaking just as badly as her own, "What's going on, Andrew?" she asked as she placed her hand in his.

He cleared his throat and she saw his smile falter, "Take a walk with me?" he asked quietly and Bethany nodded. Andrew helped her from the car and they walked away from everyone and into the woods, following the path they'd walked the day they'd made love out here.

"What's going on, Andrew?" Bethany asked again once they were alone.

Andrew stopped walking and turned to look at her, "You look....." Andrew searched for a word fitting her beauty, 'Breathtaking." he finally stated.

Bethany blushed and looked down at her feet as she slid her hair behind her ear. She'd never been called breathtaking before, "Andrew...." she started.

He held up his hand and then took her hands in his, "I guess it's no secret just how much I love you." he said quickly. "You've changed me and it's a good kind of change. You don't seem to be real bothered by the fact that I can't hold still or that my mind has trouble focusing sometimes. Most people get annoyed by me after a while, but not you. You smile every single time you see me."

"That's because I love you, Andrew," Bethany replied as a tear slipped from her eye.

Andrew nodded, "I know you do and you'll never know how much that means to me. I'll never take that for granted, Bethany. I'll never take you for granted."

"Andrew..." Bethany wondered why he was saying all of this and then it all became clear when he pulled a sparkling ring from his pocket and dropped to his knee on the forest floor.

"I can't give you much, Bethany, I can't even legally be your husband, but I can love you. I can love you for the rest of my life and I promise you right now that you'll never be lonely a single second and you'll always know how beautiful that I think you are as long as I have a single breath left in my body. Now this preacher here is willing to marry us under God and I would be the happiest man on earth if you'd go along with it and say okay. Give me a chance to do something right for once in my life."

Bethany stared down at his nervous face. His dimples were visible as he smiled nervously and his brown eyes were sparkling with a mixture of hope and fear. Bethany was shocked. This man actually wanted to marry her?! It was fast but fast didn't mean wrong. It couldn't. Not when this felt so right.

Bethany nodded and smiled even as tears ran down her cheeks. Andrew slipped the ring on her finger, nearly dropping it as his sweaty hands shook. He got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace so tight it stole her breath.

"I love you so much!" he exclaimed as he spun her around and around. "You are what my mama always wanted me to find. What she always told me I needed."

Bethany tried hard to stop the flow of tears from her eyes and Andrew felt them soaking into his shirt. He pulled away and frowned at her, "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm happy," she replied with a smile.

Andrew shook his head, "Women are confusing." he said as he laid his forehead against hers.

"Where did you get the ring?" she asked and he smiled as he looked down at the simple golden band and sparkling diamond.

"Your papaw said it was your great grandma's ring," he replied.

"Well did she say yes or am I missing my evening nap for nothing?!" Ian's voice exclaimed, carrying through the air to their hiding place.

"She said yes!" Andrew hollered back.

"What?" Ian again.

"I said yes!" Bethany exclaimed. Cheers filled the air and Andrew took Bethany by the hand and quickly started back toward their family and friends, moving so fast that Bethany was running to keep up.

"Well let's get on with it then, it don't stay light as long as it used to," Silas warned.

Bethany and Andrew stood hand in hand beside the preacher. The sunset light was glittering off the clear water of the pond and a light breeze was blowing through the long grasses, whipping them around their legs.

The preacher began the very informal ceremony and Ian put Madeline on his hip as he kept his eyes focused on Leslie and tried to figure out what this yearning in his heart was. He wanted to hold her tight. She looked so lonely standing there with her hands folded at her waist. He turned his attention back to the happy couple who were currently staring into each others eyes and seemed to have forgotten that there were any other people around.

Cavanaugh stood next to Nicole and as the preacher asked Andrew and Bethany to repeat their vows, he reached out and took Nicole's hand. He wasn't sure why he chose that moment to do so, perhaps he was hoping she would understand without words what he was feeling inside for her. He still couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud, but his heart was hers and when he felt her give his hand a gentle squeeze, he hoped that meant she understood.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride." the preacher stated and Andrew quickly pulled Bethany to him before dipping her backward and covering her lips with his own.

"That's the way you do it, little brother!" Ian hollered before letting out a loud whistle. "That's how the McEllis boys get it done!"

"Well it's time for us to be off and leave the newlyweds alone to spend some time together," Silas stated.

Bethany pulled away from Andrew quickly and ran to her papaw as he walked away toward his truck, "Papaw, can we talk for a minute?" she asked as she reached out and touched his arm.

"Of course, but you don't want to keep your husband waiting long. That man really loves you."

Bethany looked back at Andrew, surrounded by his brothers and their women and she couldn't believe everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. She was a married woman. Maybe not legally but in her heart she was Mrs. Andrew McEllis. She loved him more than she had ever thought she would be in love with anyone and, shockingly enough, he loved her too! He loved her so much and she knew he did.

"I really love him too, papaw."

"I know you do. Now I gave him permission for you all to go back to my house. I'm gonna be staying somewhere else tonight to give you privacy," Silas leaned forward and kissed her brow. "It's hard for this old man to realize you're all grown up."

"I love you, papaw."

Silas grunted and Bethany saw the tears in his old eyes. He turned then and quickly got in his truck and drove away. Bethany watched him leave and was then overcome by a swarm of bodies, hugging and congratulating her.

The rush of people were soon gone and Bethany found herself once again alone with Andrew in their secret place. Suddenly she felt awkward as she pushed her hair behind her ear and looked up at him.

"I love you, Bethany," he whispered as he caressed her face with his fingertips. "I'd do anything for you."

"I love you too, Andrew."

"The room at your papaws was his idea..." he assured her.

"We've been sharing a room at Nicole's, Andrew." Bethany reminded him.

He nodded, "Yeah but I didn't want you to think that I was trying to push you to do anything."

"We're married," she replied.

Andrew nodded again and brushed his lips across her brow, "Yes we are."

"It gives you certain rights." Bethany found that she wasn't nervous at all about the thought of giving herself to Andrew once again. As a matter of fact, her body was already warming and heating up just at the thought. She might not remember details of the last time they'd been together but she remembered the overall experience and she wanted to feel it all again, this time without the whiskey.

"I would never try to pressure or force you, Bethany. I screwed up last time and I never...." Bethany cut him off by throwing her arms around his neck and covering his lips with her own.

Andrew let out a surprised gasp and then she felt him smile against her mouth before his arms tightened possessively around her and pulled her body against him. The kiss deepened as he nipped at her lip and demanded deeper access to her mouth. Their tongues warred for dominance as Bethany felt a passionate side she hadn't known she possessed roar to life.

Andrew pulled away from her, gasping for breath as he looked deep in her eyes, "I don't know if I can wait till we get all the way back to the house." he admitted and Bethany smiled. She pulled away from him and ran to the car. She popped the trunk and pulled out a blanket and then threw him a wink as she ran past him toward the water.

Andrew laughed and chased after her. He caught her with one arm around the waist and she let out a happy squeal as he lifted her in the air. Darkness was settling around them but neither of them cared. Andrew spread out the blanket and Bethany was suddenly unsure of what to do.

Andrew walked to her and when his lips found hers again, they were gentle and coaxing. Bethany kissed him back and then she moaned as his lips moved away from her lips and traveled across her jaw and then to her neck. Her fingers grasped at his back as he moved his mouth lower, brushing his lips across her collarbones and then used his tongue to trace the neckline of her dress.

"Andrew..." she moaned as she pushed herself against him.

He shook his head, "I'm taking my time this time, Bethany. This time I'm going to make it count. No rushing."

"Last time was rushing?" she asked wide eyed. As she recalled they had kept at it until nearly dawn last time.

Andrew nodded, "This time I want to learn what every inch of you tastes like."

Bethany felt herself tremble and knew it had nothing to do with the early October air, "Can I learn what you taste like?" she asked shyly.

Andrew nodded as he laid her down gently, "You are my wife now which means you have certain rights to my body," he teased.

Bethany found some of her tension melting away as she laughed. His fingers were dancing across her stomach, skimming lightly over her breasts and drawing gasps from her parted lips, "Is that right?" she managed to whisper as his lips began to tease her heated breasts through the thin fabric of her dress.

"That's right," he replied, his voice gruff.

Bethany whined a little when he quit kissing her body and she opened her eyes to find him staring down at her face intently. There was a seriousness in his eyes and in the set of his jaw that she had never seen there before. He looked very grown up as he gazed at her.

"What is it?" she asked, wondering if maybe she'd done something wrong.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Bethany," he admitted. "A whole lot. I've been with women I didn't care about, I've got debts I never bothered to pay back, hell I left my mama's house and never looked back and had no idea the woman was even sick until it was almost too late. I didn't finish school, I've never held a real job, I don't know a trade. I'm about as worthless as they come....."

"Andrew..." Bethany was about to argue but his fingers pressed against her lips and she fell silent. His brown eyes were soft and full of love as they looked down into hers from his position above her.

"But being your husband, being your man, that's something I'm gonna get right. I love you more than anything else in this world. More than the liquor, the poker, the saloons, the cheap women, the thrills of what I thought life was. None of those things were really living. This is living. Holding you in my arms and knowing you're all mine.... That's my life now."

Andrew knew he was talking too much. It was a bad habit of his, he knew, but there were so many things swirling around in his brain that he wanted to say to her and they just had to come out. He opened his mouth to speak again and this time it was Bethany's fingers covering his lips.

He looked down at her questioningly and her tear filled brown eyes glittered with amusement as she looked up at him, "Andrew, just shut up and kiss me again."

Andrew grinned against her hand and nodded, "Yes'm."

They made love long and slow and Bethany found herself falling even more in love with him as he took the time to tenderly touch, kiss and explore every inch of her. She did the same for him in turn and he had barely held onto his control, gripping handfuls of grass in his hands as she'd teased him.

They slipped their clothes back on once they were finally sated and Andrew lit a lantern that he'd brought with him. He wrapped Bethany up in the blanket and led her over to the picnic table where he had food waiting in a basket.

"I meant to feed you right after the ceremony but...." he winked at her and she blushed. Andrew had taken the time to feed her bite after bite of fresh fruits and cheese.

"We should probably get back to your papaws. It's getting chilly out here and I don't want you to get sick," Andrew stated once she was full. Bethany whimpered and snuggled closer to him, "I never want to leave our paradise," she whined.

Andrew held her close and kissed her dark hair, smiling as he pulled a blade of grass from the waves, "Anytime we're together it's paradise, Bethany. That means we never have to leave."