Milk Money (22 page)

When Frank had been helping Emily milk cows for a couple of months, he finally felt it was time to ask her to marry him. On the day he purchased the ring from the jeweler, he called his mother. “Hello, Franklin.” His mother was one of the few relatives who still called him by his full name.

He hesitated. “Mom, hi.”

“You’ve got a worried tone in your voice, son.”

“How are you?”

His mother spoke for five minutes about her health and how her regular visits with Trish and her grandchildren were going. Frank blurted his news before he lost his courage. “I’m going to ask Emily to marry me.”

“Emily? That farmer you told me about when you came home?”

“Yes, Mom. You can’t treat her the way you treated Julie. I don’t like that kind of behavior.” He failed to mention that his parents’ actions had intensified his grief after Julie’s violent death. “I love her too much to hurt her like that. She’s a strong, proud woman, and she’s running that farm by herself right now.” When she remained silent, he mentally said a quick prayer before he reminded her how he’d met Emily through his job and how they’d grown closer in recent months. “If she says yes, then she’ll be a part of the family.”

“This is so sudden,” she began.

Frank still wondered what was going through his mother’s brain. “It’s not so sudden. I just explained how long I’ve known her. I love her, Mom, and it’ll hurt me if you reject her for superficial reasons.” When his mother remained silent, he finally ended the call. Once he’d hung up the phone, he fell to his knees. “Lord, please, if this is your will and Emily says yes, please make everything work out with my mom. Amen.”

When Emily arrived at Frank’s apartment for their Saturday night dinner date, the sight of the lit tapered candles on the table made her stop and stare. “Why are we eating by candlelight?” She had been a bit suspicious when he’d called earlier, saying he would not be by that evening to help her with the milking.

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her nose. “I just wanted to share a romantic dinner with you. What’s wrong with that?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“I think you sometimes forget how much I enjoy your company.” He led her to the table. “Let’s eat.”

When he placed the shrimp cocktail on the table, she looked at him. “Shrimp cocktail?”

He took her hand, asking the Lord to bless their food. Once they said their amens, he commented, “I made crab cakes and rice pilaf for dinner.”

“All my favorites.” When he continued to hold her hand, she wondered when they were going to dig into their meal. He kissed her fingers, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips against her skin.

“I have a question for you.” His voice was low and husky, and his dark eyes shone in the candlelight.

He released her hand and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket. He presented it to her. When she popped the box open, the diamond solitaire ring glittered. “Frank!”

“Will you marry me, Emily? You know how much I love you.”

“Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Frank!”

He pulled her into his arms, and they shared a blissful kiss.

Frank stood at the altar of Monkton Christian Church, his smile so wide he thought his face would split apart. Christine, Kelly, Trish, and Emily’s sister, Sarah, served in the wedding as bridesmaids. Their canary yellow dresses looked becoming as the bright sunlight streamed through the church’s stained glass windows. Mark, decked out in his tuxedo, was a junior groomsman, and Regina served as a junior bridesmaid.

His mother sat in the front of the church, looking uncomfortable as she scanned the crowd. Both he and Trish were trying to convince their mother that her strict way of judging others was wrong, and so far she’d been cordial to Emily, not shunning her the way she’d shunned Julie.

Laura Cooper sat in the front row, crying openly. Since Frank was going to live with Emily on her dairy farm, Laura had confided to him that she felt better about her decision to leave and move in with her daughter.

Frank’s heart palpitated when Emily walked down the aisle. Her white silky dress complemented her smooth brown skin. As Devon Crandall and his other friends from church served as ushers, Frank and Emily vowed to love each other forever.

A note from the Author:

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CECELIA DOWDY
is a world traveler who has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. When she first read Christian fiction, she felt called to write for the genre. She loves to read, write, and bake desserts in her spare time. She also loves spending time with her husband and her toddler son. She resides with her family in Maryland. You can visit Cecelia on her Web sites:
www.ceceliadowdy.com
and
www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
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