Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
L isa had a difficult time not protesting the marriage when the judge asked if anyone had a good reason why Corrine should not marry Forrest. She knew why Corrine needed to get married. She knew how much the Paxtons needed the money Forrest would bring them. But it was hard to stand near the couple and act as if she was fine with Corrine being forced to live the rest of her life with someone as judgmental and unrelenting as the preacher. What if he found out the truth about Corrine’s situation? How would it affect poor Corrine and her family? If Lisa’s own parents were in a hurry to get rid of her to save the family name, how would a fire-and-brimstone preacher react?
Lisa couldn’t bring herself to watch as the couple exchanged vows. Her gaze wandered from the judge to the others who had come to witness the wedding. Corrine and the preacher had chosen a pretty location, especially on a nice, sunny day like this one where there was just a hint of a breeze coming in from the Pacific Ocean. The ocean wasn’t too far from them, either.
She took a good moment to look at the water. She had never seen it on a clear day. Up to now, she’d only gotten to see it when clouds were spread across the sky like a thick wool blanket. Today, however, there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The water was blue today, and it sparkled back at her. Up to now, the ocean had depressed her. Today, it had the opposite effect.
“I pronounce you husband and wife,” the judge said. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Lisa’s attention returned to the couple, and she watched the preacher give Corrine a quick kiss.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Ryder,” the judge told the crowd.
Lisa was surprised to see how many people hurried over to congratulate the couple, as if this was some joyous event. She resisted the urge to shake her head.
“It’s official,” Ashley whispered in her ear. “We’ll never get rid of him now.”
“At least we don’t have to live with him,” she replied, glad that someone saw things from her perspective. The others seemed to think Forrest was this wonderful person, but they hadn’t been forced to do something against their will because of him. How could they understand how unrelenting he was?
Ashley slipped his arm around her elbow and led her away from the group. “I think it’ll be fine if we find a seat at one of the picnic tables. There are so many people around the Paxtons that they won’t notice if we’re not right there with them.”
“The people in this town really do like him, don’t they?” Lisa commented as she glanced over at the people who were vying to talk to the preacher.
Ashley found a spot at the edge of one of the picnic tables. “Do you mind sitting next to someone? I’d like to sit at the end.”
“I’ll sit next to someone.” She lifted the edge of her skirt so she could sit on the bench.
“I’m going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?”
“I wouldn’t mind some punch.” Myrtle had mentioned that one of the ladies in town made the best punch she’d ever had, and Lisa was curious to know whether or not she’d think the same.
Ashley gave her a pat on the shoulder then went to the table where a couple of women were watching the food so birds, squirrels, and other critters couldn’t get into it. All things considered, it had been a lovely wedding. It wouldn’t have been anything as fancy as what she would have had in Vermont, but it wasn’t as dismal as the one she and Ashley had been made to endure.
Lisa’s attention returned to the ocean. The waves came crashing up against the beach. Up the side of the hill where she and Ashley lived, she knew there were rocks jutting up from a cliff, but she couldn’t see the cliff from there.
Ashley returned with two cups of punch and handed one to her.
“Thank you,” she said as she took it.
He settled beside her. “I notice you’re looking at the ocean.”
She gave a nod then sipped the punch. As Myrtle had promised, it was good.
“It’s different when you look at it from here.” Her gaze went to him, and he continued, “When you’re not looking down at it from the cliff, you get a better appreciation of how far out it goes.” He gestured to the horizon. “On a day like this, you might even entertain thoughts of swimming out there.”
“That would be silly, wouldn’t it? Isn’t the water too cold for a swim?”
He shrugged but grinned. “That depends on how much cold you can tolerate.”
She drank more punch. “You didn’t swim out there, did you?”
“I might have gone out there a dozen times.”
“In water that cold?”
He nodded.
She set down her cup and studied him to see whether or not he was joking. Though he made the ridiculous claim in a sincere voice, that mischievous grin was still there. “You went out there for a swim on a day like this when we both know the water isn’t warm, and you did this a dozen times?”
He laughed. “Alright, it wasn’t a dozen times. I did it four times.”
“I can understand you going out there once. You can’t tell the water is cold just by looking at it. But why did you go out there three more times?”
His laughter died down, and his gaze went to the water. She sensed he was struggling to continue with his upbeat tone even though something was bothering him. Before she could make too much of it, his attention went back to her.
He took her hand in his. “Sometimes the best way to remember you can still feel is by shocking the body. Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. After a while, when you’re alone, you go numb. There’s no need for cold water when you have a connection with another person.”
She blinked, as if seeing him for the first time. It was such a strange sensation. She’d known him all of this time, of course, but this was different.
“It’s nice to see you two getting along so well,” came the preacher’s voice from behind them.
Lisa and Ashley jerked then turned around to see the preacher. He was with Corrine.
The preacher gestured for Corrine to sit next to Lisa then added, “See what happens when you do the right thing?”
Ashley bristled.
“Ashley and Lisa were the ones who gave us all the wood that’s in the shed,” Corrine told the preacher.
Lisa noted a flicker of guilt cross the preacher’s face before he cleared his throat. “I didn’t intend to belittle you two just now. I saw all of the wood you gave the Paxtons on my way here. That was a generous thing you did. Thank you.”
Ashley relaxed but still remained quiet.
Lisa decided to direct her words to Corrine. “We were happy to help.”
Corrine smiled at her. “And we appreciate it. If you need anything, we’ll be happy to return the favor.” She glanced at the preacher.
“Yes, we would be more than happy to do so,” the preacher agreed. “This is a small community, and communities work best when they come together to help.” He paused for a moment then added, “I have to report back to the bishop about making this place my permanent home. Unfortunately, I won’t return for a couple of months. But once I do return, I won’t be leaving again. I am going to be working at the mercantile. I also plan to continue with Sunday sermons. You’re always invited to attend church.” When neither Ashley nor Lisa responded, he told Corrine, “I’ll get you something to eat and drink.”
As he left, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad he would be sitting on Corrine’s other side. She didn’t know if she had it in her to listen to him through the entire luncheon. She and Ashley had been having a pleasant moment before he snuck that comment in about them ‘doing the right thing’. Now her enthusiasm for the day had been diminished.
“My family and I don’t think you two were doing anything wrong before you married,” Corrine assured them in a soft voice.
Henry and Myrtle sat across from Lisa and Ashley, and since they had a plate full of food, Ashley offered to get some food and bring it back for them, to which Lisa thanked him.
“What a beautiful day it is for a wedding,” Myrtle said, a wide smile on her face.
Lisa studied the woman. Was she pretending that her daughter wasn’t going to have a difficult path ahead of her, or was she one of those people who were blissfully unaware of trouble when it was coming someone’s way?
“It is a beautiful day, Ma,” Corrine responded.
After a moment, Lisa said, “Yes, it is, and this will be a beautiful place to raise a child.” She motioned to the ocean.
Corrine smiled in return. “There’s nothing this lovely in Iowa.”
Lisa nodded. “Someone once told me there’s nothing like the Pacific Ocean, and she was right.”
“Coming here was just the thing we needed,” Henry told Myrtle and Corrine. “This is a new start. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Another optimist in the family. Lisa sure wished she’d been surrounded by these people in Vermont. How things would have been different if she had. She would be holding her daughter right now instead of wondering what her daughter was doing right now.
“You’ll have to take your child out there to the beach,” Lisa told Corrine.
“That’s a good idea,” Myrtle agreed. “It’s a shame it’s too cold to swim in that water, but it’ll still be a nice place to watch a child play.”
Lisa swallowed back her tears. She had to remind herself that while she couldn’t get her daughter back, she had the opportunity to have more children, and all of them could see this ocean with her. Her emotions settled. Someday would come, and she was looking forward to it.