Peaches in Winter Page 11

  “Well,” said Betty. “I want to marry you because I love you, too. But you’ll need to meet my parents first, and probably I shouldn’t be here alone with you until after we’re married, and—”

  Jake kissed her again, shutting off the flow of words. After a moment, she melted against him and seemed to forget exactly what she’d been meaning to say.

  ~*~

  They had more to talk about, and Jake was certainly distracted by her, but Betty managed to tell him what she thought they ought to do, and he reluctantly agreed. She couldn’t work for him; it would be too much of a temptation. She’d love to be married in her hometown. Until then, she would stay at her boarding house and contact her family to let them know.

  “Do you think we’re moving too fast?” she asked him, her brow wrinkled with concern. “I mean, we’ve only known each other a few months…”

  “I think we’re not moving fast enough,” said Jake.

  Betty blushed.

  But, he reminded himself sternly, he would respect her choices. Even if he didn’t get a word written until after they’d returned from their honeymoon, he’d respect her choices.

  ~*~

  Beneath them, the train wheels clacked and clattered at a steady pace. Betty looked out the window, watching the countryside pass them by. It felt so exciting being on the train. It always felt like something important was happening, like you were going on a great adventure or a journey that held great meaning.

  She turned to look at Jake and smiled. He looked so nice in a suit. He looked even nicer wearing his new smile that never seemed to leave. Betty was so proud to be taking him home to meet her parents and siblings. She hoped they’d like him. She certainly did.

  Betty drew swirls in the mist on the window. Her diamond engagement ring winked on her finger, beautiful, an unexpected weight.

  “They’re probably going to want us to wait. After all, we haven’t had much of an engagement, and we’ve only known each other a few months.” She glanced at him.

  Jake’s mouth tilted up at the edges. He shrugged. “Perhaps that would be the smart thing to do. But they can’t blame me for wanting to marry the most wonderful girl I’ve ever met before she changes her mind, can they?” He gave her a wink.

  He looked so handsome when he winked. She found herself blushing. She couldn’t think of what to say, which was unusual for her; she usually ran on and on. “I’m not going to change my mind,” she finally settled on.

  “Good. Hey. I have a surprise for you at the next stop.” He waggled his eyebrows and grinned at her.

  “Really? What is it?” She sat up straighter, leaning forward and smiling.

  “I’m not going to tell you, but you’ll like it.”

  She already liked the engagement ring he’d bought her. She remembered grinning so hard her mouth hurt, and twisting the ring around on her finger, and looking up to say, “You shouldn’t have spent so much!” and “I love it!”

  Jake was such a dream come true. No. Better than that. Better than she could’ve dreamed. How could she ever deserve him? A girl from a peach farm, marrying the most wonderful man in the world…

  They talked, and she stared out the windows daydreaming, and sometimes they kissed. When they reached the next stop, Jake rose with a secret, mysterious smile only for her and led the way from the train.

  Betty tried to guess the secret, eventually guessing silly things like “an elephant!” just to try to make him laugh. Sometimes it worked, sometimes he held his face almost impassive, but he never gave in and told her what it was.

  “I think you’ll like it,” was all he said in reply and gave her hand a squeeze.

  “I know I will,” she admitted. “But you’re fun to tease.”

  His eyebrows rose, and he gave her such a look, but they didn’t have time to kiss right then. Jake hailed a cab, and before she knew it, they had arrived at a big, glass building full of plants.

  “Oh!” said Betty. “A-a what-do-you-call it? Greenhouse?”

  “Arboretum,” said Jake, smiling. “It’s like a greenhouse, but it’s larger. And I want to show you something inside.”

  He led the way into the cool, green, wet building that smelled of spring and summer and growing things. Betty found herself breathing deeply, smiling a huge smile she couldn’t have wiped off her face even if she’d wanted to. Which she didn’t. She held tight to Jake’s hand, so she wouldn’t lose him as she kept turning to look at the different plants.

  “Oh!” she said at the sight of a set of huge, pink orchids. “They’re the prettiest plants I’ve ever seen!”

  They stopped to look at them, and Jake gazed up just as happily as Betty. She glanced at him, and felt secretly glad all over again at how happy he looked these days. She could’ve hugged herself. She could’ve hugged him.

  “Thank you, Jake. This is the most wonderful present—”

  “Oh, this isn’t the present. Come on. I’ll show you.”

  And he led the way, almost running. Betty picked up her skirts and ran with him, glancing over to smile at him. Something about this moment felt perfect. Jake beside her, so happy and alive. The smell in the air, somehow heartbreakingly familiar and comforting all at once.

  “There!” He sounded immensely satisfied when he stopped, and crossed his arms proudly, and smiled toward the center of the room.

  Betty looked…

  A large tree with green leaves and pink blossoms stood in the center of the room.

  “A peach tree!” She gasped in delight. “It’s-it’s in bloom!” The pink blossoms made her think of home and family…and Jake, so familiar and new and dear, family now as well. Such an amazing man, to think of this, to realize how much it would mean to her to see a peach tree in bloom, even in the winter.

  Betty’s eyes filled with tears.

  He looked at her in alarm. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like it?” He took her arms and drew her nearer.

  She shook her head ‘no’ and then ‘yes.’ “Nothing’s the matter. Yes, I love it. Hic.” She swallowed, trying to keep back the undignified hiccups that sometimes came with her tears. “It’s— Oh, Jake, it’s so lovely!” She flung her arms around his neck and held onto him. His arms moved warm and sturdy around her, holding her so safe and comfortable. Like they belonged together.

  “Betty.” He drew back and kissed her, something special shining in his eyes. Love, she realized. It was pure love, sweeter than even the scent of new peach blossoms.

  “Betty, you’ve…you’ve brought so much life into my heart. You brought me alive again. Even though I’m a writer, I’m not always good with words when I-I have to say them aloud to someone’s face. But what I…what I’m trying…what I want to tell you is you’re like that peach tree to me. An impossible thing, amazing and precious and rare; a peach tree blooming in winter, that somehow, amazingly, appeared at my home and brought me back to life.”

  “Oh Jake—” Her eyes filled with tears again. “You did for me, too!” She gripped his arms and smiled tearfully up at her wonderful, wonderful Jake. He’d taught her to trust again, somehow overcome her fear of being rejected and the hurt and pain of the two men in her past who had wounded her heart. He’d helped her believe in herself, believe she did have worth. And most of all, he loved her…

  They said these stumbling words to each other, clear in their hearts; awkward tongues struggling to fit meaning in the heart to meaning that could be heard. And yet she understood him, and she could see in his eyes he understood her, as well.

  They turned to look at the tree again, inhaled the freshness of its blooms, the promise of things to come. Then beneath the tree, they shared the perfect kiss. It tasted of spring, the thawing of both their hearts, and the promise of so many things, so many perfect days to spend together.

  The end

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  "Excuse me if I don't bow, but I think it would do well to get your brother indoors, Miss Wilkenson."

  "Oh! Indeed!"

  Her brown hair, not in the best of array, tumbled down to her shoulders and beyond. While the curls would've been the envy of some women, had they been arranged, these appeared to have a mind of their own. They had either resisted arrangement or been given up altogether.

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