Then, he let her go and moved to grasp the heavy basket. Mary felt as if the warm glow of a lamp had been extinguished.
Laughing, he put both hands on the handle of the basket and quipped, “Great Caesar’s ghost, this is heavy. We might just have enough left over to feed everyone at supper tonight,” he declared as he looked toward her and wiggled his eyebrows, making her giggle.
He handed her two thick blankets and they walked together to the side wall of the huge boulder. Dwight tilted his head to look up at the top. “Hmm, I don’t know about this, it’s taller than I first thought. How in the world would we get up there?” he hesitated; a tad flummoxed.
Mary spied two boulders to the side, dwarfed by their larger counterpart. They lay one on top of the other in a staggered figuration.
“You think others might have climbed it, and put these here, like steps?”
Dwight agreed and quickly stepped up on the smaller rocks, hefted the basket up onto the top, and climbed up the rest of the way. Turning, he knelt down and reached his hands forward. “Toss me the blankets.”
She did, but then fear immediately colored her enjoyment of the outing as she realized how tall the top actually was.
But Dwight grinned at her reassuringly. “I won’t let you or the baby get hurt, Mary. Trust me.”
Staring up at him, she looked into his warm eyes that radiated confidence and an assurance that reached out to her and wrapped around her heart. She believed him.
Reaching down to grasp the edge of her skirts in one hand, she placed her other hand in his and carefully climbed the step-like rocks. When she reached the top one, she saw the footholds Dwight had used. He stood and tugged her up the last few feet and straight into his embrace.
“There, see? Safe and sound,” he murmured against her hair, cradling her against his chest.
After a moment, he loosened his arms and backed up a step, she thought perhaps a bit reluctantly. It was then that she saw the boulder’s hidden surprise and she couldn’t help a gasp of wonder.
Dwight turned to see what had caught her attention and he also uttered a sound of amazement. Unconsciously seeking and clasping one another’s hands, they wandered over to the edge and stood looking down at the most incredible panorama either had ever seen.
“Oh my,” Mary breathed in awe of the remarkable expanse of the valley between the rolling hills; the calm river in the center, flowing smoothly and seemingly without a ripple. They could see for miles. And, they were so high up that the large steamboats moored at the Brownville wharf looked like toys. “I had no idea this was here,” she whispered.
“Me either. It’s extraordinary,” Dwight quietly agreed.
For several minutes, they both just stood together enjoying the vista, although at some point they closed the gap between them and Dwight’s arms found their way around her, holding her securely to his side. Mary closed her eyes and just breathed in the tranquility of the location. It was so quiet and peaceful up there on the rock. No river sounds made their way up to their position.
Unexpectedly, Dwight’s stomach growled, causing them both to chuckle. It effectively broke the otherworldly feeling that was surrounding them and so they set about spreading out the blankets and opening their treasure basket.
“Oh, my stars, look!” Mary exclaimed. “Sandwiches, fried chicken, a jug of cold tea…a whole apple pie! Deviled eggs. Fresh bread, butter, marmalade…even a jar of pickles! This is a feast!” Inside the basket, they also found utensils, napkins, and cups to drink from.
“Good old Wanda Mae. Looks like she put in everything but the kitchen sink,” Dwight laughed.
Perched on her knees, Mary fussed over laying out the meal, suddenly wanting every detail to be just right. Somehow, this occasion, this time alone with just the two of them, had become very important. Suddenly, she felt very wifely, and it didn’t escape her notice that Dwight seemed not to be able to remove his gaze from her. Lying on his side, his head propped on one palm, he watched every move she made. Odd though, how his scrutiny—instead of making her nervous—was making her feel pretty and, well…wanted.
Finally finished, she looked up and met Dwight’s warm eyes as she handed him a folded napkin.
“There we are. Hungry?”
“Ravenous,” came his instant reply, but the look in his eyes and the way his fingers brushed hers as he accepted the napkin made her think the word meant more than one thing. That knowledge caused a delicious tingle to shimmer down her body.
As he sat up, she managed to drag her attention back to the task at hand and picked up his plate to begin to dish out portions of everything for him—except the pickles, which he politely refused.
She teasingly turned up her nose at him. “You don’t like pickles? I love them…especially now.” At the knowing grin he flashed at her, she felt her cheeks flush.
Once she filled her plate and sat back to settle her skirts modestly around her legs, she realized that Dwight had been patiently waiting. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled.
“I think this calls for a blessing…don’t you?”
A man who believed in God and wasn’t afraid to let
