Vivid (51 page)

The dogs and Hector had backed the
severely crippled and bloodied Cole to the banks of the fast-flowing river and
were so intent upon tormenting him, they were now lunging and baring their
teeth at anyone who came near.

Nate set the girls on the ground and he
and the men took off at a run.

They were too late.

"By the time we got down there,"
Nate later explained, "Hector and the dogs had driven him right over the
bank and into the water."

Those who had not been there, including
Abigail and Francesca, shook their heads sadly.

Nate continued, "Even if Cole knew
how to swim he couldn't, because the muscles in his legs had been torn.
Maddie's dogs are hunting dogs and they crippled him just as if he were a
buck."

Vivid had checked on Maddie on the way
home from the meadow and found her less feverish. While Nate penned and fed the
dogs, Vivid evaluated and repacked the wound. The Quilt Ladies were sitting
with Maddie for the night.

"How'd you know where to find us,
Nate?"

"Hector. Damned bird was playing
'Duck!' when we gathered everybody for the search this morning. It must have
been after he led you and the dogs. You said he disappeared for a while?"

Vivid nodded.

"Well, evidently he came to find me.
Had us all ducking and crouching, but he kept hitting me and only me square in
the back. Had my horse so spooked it was trying to duck with me on its
back."

"So you followed him just as I
did?"

"It was either that or grab him and
stuff him into Aunt Gail' s stewing pot. I thought the bird had gone insane.''

Everyone laughed.

The discussion turned serious once more as
they spent a few moments hashing over the tragic events. Nate was going to have
his barrister try to find Cole's solicitors so they could be informed of Cole's
death and the girls' whereabouts. Nate's barrister also said that he saw no
reason why both girls couldn't become Graysons.

A few days later, Evan Cole's body washed
ashore, about three miles downstream from where the animals forced him in.

T
hey were finally able to hold the wedding on Thanksgiving Day. In
spite of the two inches of snowfall the night before, most of the Grove showed
at the church to witness the ceremony. Because there'd been so much tragedy,
folks were pleased to have something to celebrate. Eli and Adam stood up with
Nate. Magic and Satin, dressed as beautifully as princesses from one of Nate's
stories, stood up with the emerald-gowned Vivid, as did Maddie with the help of
a cane.

Vivid looked over at her mother talking to
Miss Edna and Adam Crowley's daughter, Jewel, as everyone enjoyed the reception
sponsored by the church. In another week or so, her parents would be heading
off to Boston to see her sister, Alicea. They'd stayed East longer than planned
and so decided to remain on this side of the Rockies until the spring, rather
than risk a harrowing train ride home through the snow-filled mountain passes
of Colorado and Nevada. They'd spend the winter with Alicea and on the way home
to California in the spring, they pledged to include another short visit to the
Grove. Near her mother stood her father, talking with a group of men that
included Adam Crowley and two of his sons. Vivid was already missing them both.

Vivid set aside her melancholy for the
pleasure of watching Nate. He looked so incredibly handsome in his dark vested
suit and snow-white shirt. During the ceremony, when he gazed down into her
eyes and pledged to love her until the last of his days, her love had known no
bounds. In turn she pledged her love to him for all eternity. The resulting
kiss had been one she'd been wanting to share for a long time—their first
kiss as husband and wife—and it was even more wonderful than she'd
dreamed.

Nate looked up from across the room and
caught her eye. He excused himself from his cousin and a few friends, while she
did the same with the Quilt Ladies.

Amid the crush, Nate leaned down to
whisper in her ear, "I'd like to take you out of here."

She smiled up at him. "Well, we don't
need Mama Duenna's permission anymore, so lead the way, my husband."

They departed the gathering under a hail
of good wishes, congratulations, and applause.

When they got home, Nate led her to his
big attic room and scooped her up to carry her across the threshold. He kissed
her soundly, then set her gently on her feet.

"Will you tell me a bedtime
story?" she asked.

Nate didn't answer at first, preferring to
kiss her instead. When he finally released her it took her a moment to open her
eyes, but she heard him whisper, “Have you been a good girl?"

Vivid answered with a provocative, "I
can be..."

Nate felt his manhood come to life and
harden. "Will you be this shameless when I'm sixty?"

She gave him a slow sultry smile and
whispered, "Only when you make me."

Nate couldn't think of a better way to
spend the next thirty years. "Take off that dress."

And when she did, he carried her over to
his big bed and told her stories until dawn.

It snowed another four inches that night,
and in the morning, Vivid had her first experience with snowshoes. She had
quite a bit of trouble moving smoothly in the oversized contraptions, and as a
result kept coming to an abrupt halt with one shoe atop the other and falling
on her face. Magic and Satin were laughing so hard, Vivid thought the children
would harm themselves. Nate, on the other hand, tried to be a bit more tactful
and not laugh out loud, but as Vivid quickly toppled over once again, he
surrendered and laughed until he cried.

That night, despite the coldness of the
weather, Vivid stood outside and gazed up at the sky. The night was so clear,
the stars stood out like diamonds on velvet. Who would have thought a skinny
little Trabrasera from San Francisco would end up here, surrounded by new
friends and new family? So much had happened since she first stepped off the
train in Niles and met a man named Nate Grayson. She found it hard to believe
it had been only six months ago. The peace of this place had seeped into her
bones so deeply, it seemed as if she'd been sheltered in this community for
years.

She heard the door open and turned to see
Nate step out. He came to stand behind her and kiss her on the cheek.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Counting my blessings."

"Do you have many?"

Vivid turned and looked up into his eyes
and said lovingly, "More than there are stars in the sky."

"I love you, too," he told her.

She replied, "Well, if you really
love me, you'll go inside and tell Mama she won't be naming the baby. I know
she'll want to."

Nate went stock-still. "What
baby?"

"Our baby." Then she added,
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You're going to be a papa."

"You forgot?"

She smiled. "No, I'm teasing. I
wanted to tell you when we were alone."

"Does anyone else know?"

“No, just you. And if my calculations are
correct, the baby is a result of all that berry picking we didn't do. She'll
probably be born telling stories," Vivid added with a laugh. That night's
story had been and still remained very memorable.

Later, as they lay in bed after a slow
sweet bout of lovemaking, Nate asked, "What do you want to name our
son?"

Vivid turned to peer into his face and
said, "Daughter, Nate, daughter."

He chuckled. "Aunt Gail is the first
and last female Grayson in four or five generations, so if you want to believe
you're going to have a girl, go right ahead. How does Joseph Absalom
sound?"

Vivid went very still. She thought the
name was a beautiful tribute. "You're a very special man, Nathaniel
Grayson."

"A very special man who fathers
boys," he said kissing her. "Boys."

In May of 1877, Viveca Lancaster Grayson
gave birth to five-pound Jacob Eli Grayson, and four-pound Joseph Absalom
Grayson. Both parents were ecstatic with the double blessing.

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