Page 47 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

“How can you be so sure?” Had she said that out loud? Maybe it had been a whisper. Maybe he hadn’t heard.

“Because God will help me. I’m under no illusions, Stephanie. I know marriage is hard. It’s hard for people who’ve known each other all their lives, and it will be hard for us who will have known each other only a couple of months. There’s one key, I think.”

“And that is?”

“Choosing every single day to put God first. Then you. Then Jamie and any other children we might have. Do you want babies, honey?”

His eyes were so intent on her. He meant every word he’d said. “I do, Tate. I want your babies.”

“We can get started on that in just a few weeks.” Something glimmered in his eyes then a smile twitched at his lips.

That was the last thing she saw for a good long time as she lost herself in the melding of their kiss.

* * *

Pastor Marshall Smith studied Tate for a long time before turning his gaze to Stephanie.

Tate dared breathe, but that was premature.

“Stephanie, I’ve known you your entire life.”

She nodded, biting her lip.

“This kind of impulsive behavior isn’t characteristic of you. I feel compelled to ask if you’ve been promiscuous. If you’re expecting.”

Her gaze flew to meet her pastor’s. “No!”

“Then why the haste?” Marshall’s gaze flicked to Tate but then refocused on Stephanie.

Tate tightened his grip on Stephanie’s fingers, but he couldn’t be sure if it was for her sake or for his own. Maybe to display a unified front.

“Most couples have known each other for several years and then are engaged for six to twelve months, or even longer. More time allows you to get to know each other better and be more prepared for the challenges of marriage.”

Hadn’t Stephanie said this man was her father’s best friend? But she’d rejected the idea of the youth pastor performing the ceremony on the grounds that she’d dated him in the past. Tate could see why she wouldn’t want to discuss some of the topics on the print-out with her ex, but was her father’s best friend an improvement?

Tate shifted in his seat. “Sir, with all due respect, Stephanie and I are both committed believers who’ve been praying about our relationship since the day we met. We’d like to marry quickly because I’m my young nephew’s guardian. He’s bonded to Stephanie — his nanny — and we’d like to simplify his life. But that decision wasn’t made without acknowledging our love for each other as well as for Jamie. We’re committed to growing our relationship over the decades to come. So, can we please dispense with discussions regarding the timeline and proceed with the counseling part of this meeting?”

The pastor stared at Tate.

Tate stared back, aware of Stephanie’s hand squeezing his as tightly as he was squeezing hers.

“Very well. If your minds are made up.”

“They are, Pastor Marshall.” Stephanie offered the man a tentative smile. “Tate is the one I’ve been waiting for my entire life.”

The portly pastor’s eyebrows bobbed as he blinked. He opened his mouth then closed it again while he looked down at the papers on his desk. He aligned them carefully before looking between the two of them again.

“We’ll be discussing several aspects of your relationship today. Normally I would take several sessions to cover this material and give you time to work through your conclusions separately, but in light of the condensed timeframe—” he sighed heavily “—we need to cover a lot of ground today.”

Tate angled his head in acknowledgment.

“So, tell me how you relate to each other’s families.” He speared Tate with a look. “Have you even met Stephanie’s parents?”

“I have.” Tate kept his voice steady. “We had dinner with them last Sunday and will again after we’re finished here.”

“And…?”

“And I’m committed to winning them over. Arlys is already quite fond of Jamie, so that’s a good start.” In fact, Stephanie’s mom had insisted Jamie have his after-church nap at their house today while Tate and Stephanie were in counseling. Although, so far, this counseling seemed mostly like barely veiled attempts to make them rethink their commitment.

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