Chapter 6: Time Together

Time Together

Angie basked in the glow of the afternoon's events. First the proposal and now she was cradled in Scott's arms being carried back to the house. Her head lying on his shoulder, her dreams it seemed had come true.

Scott walked into the ranch house carrying the petite Angie in his arms. As he was about to enter the living room he heard Angie softly say "Take me to the bedroom. Scott."

Scott turned and went down the hallway to his bedroom; the room that had once been his parents'. Walking over to his bed he laid Angie on the homemade quilt. The hand that had held her legs caressed one of them until it came to her boot. He gently pulled her boots off before removing his and lying down beside Angie on the bed. Their lips met and for the next hour they kissed and caressed.

As the passion grew Angie fingered the buttons of Scott's chambray shirt. The buttons undone, Angie ran her fingers through the hair of Scott's chest, teasing his nipples with her fingernails. She kissed down his neck slowly moving down his chest placing light kisses as she went. Angie inhaled the scent of an honest man, no cologne or aftershave, just the scent of a man as the Gods and Goddesses had made them. She kissed her way to Scott's nipple. She had teased it with her nails, now she placed a kiss on it. She listened to him utter a throaty growl. Taking her tongue, she explored around it making it even more sensitive by blowing gently on it. When she thought he could stand no more she changed from kissing the hardened nipple to biting it, each time a little harder than the previous. Scott reached down and pulled Angie up and kissed her.

His tongue duelling hers, their passion ready to boil over, Angie looked into Scott's eyes and quietly asked, "Make love to me Scott."

They kissed, they held, they made love throughout the afternoon, through the evening and into the night. This was the way it was meant to be; a man, a woman, in love, beginning their lives together. They fell asleep holding each other.

The first rays of a new day filtered through the double French doors. Normally Scott would be up and starting the day but today he was happy right where he was. Laying there with Angie sleeping in his arms, her head resting on his chest, felt right. For the first time in his life it felt right, for the first time he felt love. There was no doubt that Angie was who he was to spend the rest of his life with. He had only one regret, his parents wouldn't be there, wouldn't see him marry the right woman. This time he knew that Angie loved him as much as he loved her.

Angie moved; looking up at Scott she smiled, one of those sleepy confused smiles. Her hair mussed on one side. Scott smiled at his future wife.

"What?" Angie asked in a sleepy voice.

"I love you, that's what." Scott felt the warmth of her smile, a smile that grew the longer he looked at her. "We need to get up. I need go check on a windmill that's been giving me trouble." Angie got up and started for the bathroom, Scott could not believe how beautiful she was. Even more unbelievable was the fact that she loved him as much as he loved her.

"Scott, can you come here?"

Scott came out of his dream and headed for the bathroom, "What do you need honey?" He laughed at himself as he realised what had said.

Angie grinned at Scott, "Do you want to wash my back?"

Scott took her into his arms, "Always and forever." Normally Scott didn't use the propane fired hot water heater but after his first shower with Angie the inconvenience of getting propane delivered seemed too small to worry about. After getting out of the shower Angie asked him if he would mind getting her overnight case. He brought the case in from the other bathroom and left her to get ready. Scott walked to the far corner of the bedroom. Dropping his towel he knelt before the shrine built into the corner and began his morning prayers. "O Gods and Goddesses hear me as I pray." He went into his normal period of meditation then, after he felt at, peace he began to pray, "Thank you Epona, ancient Celtic Goddess of the horse, for bringing Angie into my life. Guide me, help me to be the husband she needs, protect her from harm."

Angie stepped into the bedroom and about to speak when she heard Scott begin his prayers. Quickly stepping back into the bathroom she pulled a silver medallion from her overnight case. She eased across the room, dropped her towel and knelt beside her future mate.

It startled him at first when Angie knelt beside him but what happened next shook him to his core.

Angie took Scott's left hand and placed the chain in it as she held the chain on the other side of the medallion; on the medallion a woman sitting sideways on a horse surrounded by three birds. She looked up into Scott's eyes and asked, "May I pray with you?"

Scott could not believe his eyes, there in their shared grasp the symbol of Epona. Epona his guardian, his protector. A million questions came to mind but not a single word could he utter.

He nodded his head and Angie began to pray. "Gods and Goddesses hear my prayers." She began to cry. As the first tear drop hit the floor in front of her she spoke. "Forgive me Epona, for doubting you, for being ashamed to wear your symbol. Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for Scott, watch over him and protect him. Help me to be the wife I need to be." With that said she turned to Scott put her arms around him and held him as though her life depended on it. Angie felt a tear hit her forehead; she looked to the tears on the face of her love, her mate, her all. Slowly one by one she kissed them away. When she finished she looked at Scott and said, "I didn't know, I was afraid you wouldn't understand."

Scott silenced her confession with a kiss, when their lips parted she started to continue. He slowly shook his head and said softly, "It doesn't matter, it really doesn't matter, it's alright. No, actually it's better than alright. This was meant to be. I love you Angie."

Angie couldn't believe what had happened since Friday, her Dad would have been very happy.

Scott stood and offered his hand to Angie, "If you'll start breakfast I'll go feed so that by the time we've finished eating and cleaned everything up they'll be through as well."

Scott went out the door headed for the barn, whistling some unknown song, happier than he'd ever been. He fed the horses and mules then put the tools and parts he might need for the windmill in the wagon they would be taking. Then he headed back to the summer kitchen to see if Angie had breakfast ready. As Scott approached the summer kitchen he could hear Angie singing. It took him back in time, his mother use to sing while she prepared their meals. To Scott it felt as though he had known and loved Angie all his life. She made him feel whole, she made him feel alive. He stood there listening as she sang, his mind going over the feelings of the past week.

He was still standing there when Angie came out looking for him. Angie saw him standing there lost in thought. "Scott breakfast is ready." He walked the last few feet to the summer kitchen. "What were you doing out there?" Angie asked Scott as he washed his hands.

"I was listening to you sing. It reminded me of my mother."

They ate their breakfast then cleaned up the kitchen. It would be an all day trip to the windmill and back so Scott and Angie packed a lunch, a few drinks, and some snacks. When they got everything packed Angie asked, "Do you want me to put this in the truck?"

"We're not going in the truck. Just leave it sitting here while we go up to the barn to get our ride." Scott and Angie walked up to the barn. Scott caught Pete and started putting his harness on him. After finishing with Pete, Scott caught Repete and put his harness on. When both of them were rigged up Scott hitched them to the 1905 John Deere farm wagon.

Angie couldn't believe the condition of the old wagon. "Where did you find this?"

"My Great Granddad bought it new, it's been rebuilt a couple of times. Go back there and look under that tarp."

Angie walked to the very back of the adobe barn where she lifted the corner of a dust covered tarp, "Oh Scott! It's beautiful. How old is it?"

"It was made in 1885 in England and came first by sea to Galveston and then by rail to here."

"Are these the only horse drawn vehicles you have?"

"No, there's a buckboard and another work wagon over in the hay barn."

With the mules hitched Scott lifted the petite Angie up on the wagon seat. Climbing up beside her he took up the reins, giving them a flick, "gid up boys." Scott and Angie sat side by side as they drove back up the house. When they got there Scott hopped down off the seat and went to get the food and drinks they had packed. Spring in west Texas can leave you sunburnt or frostbit with equal ease. It was looking like it would be a sunny March day. When Scott looked up at Angie sitting on the wagon seat with her seed cap and t shirt, he decided she needed a little more protection. Running into his bedroom he grabbed one of his chambray shirts. Going into the closet in his old bedroom he pulled down a hat box from the top shelf. Inside the box was a brand new palm leaf cowboy hat. Scott had bought it for his mother for her birthday, but she had died before he could give it to her. He had put it in the closet and hadn't thought about it till he looked up at Angie on the wagon's seat. In a way the hat felt like the first step taken in healing the wounds left by his parent's death. He looked at the shirt in his hand that would swallow the diminutive Angie. Reaching to the back of the closet where the blouses, dresses and clothes that had once belonged to his parents still hung, he grabbed one of his mothers long sleeve blouses, dropped the first shirt he'd picked up off, and headed to the wagon.