Mercedes' Mountain

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I awakened early the next morning, but instead of immediately getting up, I stayed in bed for a while, letting the memories of the day and night before warm my body against the morning chill. I don't think I could have dreamed, or even imagined a more perfect day. Of course, in the romance department, my mind had never been that vivid anyway. Not enough experience, I guess.

Ethan brought me home just after dark. We sipped hot chocolate by the fireplace and talked until late. I turned my life inside out for him, leaving no area untouched, and he did the same for me. We told each other everything we could possibly think to tell.

Spilling every detail of my life was also something new for me. He told me it was for him as well. That knowledge warmed me. We talked of our hopes, our fears, our faults, our strengths, and our weaknesses, the last of which now included a weakness for each other.

I smiled and sighed softly as I thought of the way it felt being in his arms as he kissed me again and again before saying goodnight. He'd told me frequently that he loved me, and I said it back just as much. It was still hard for me to believe his feelings for me were so deep. I guess he sensed as much, and that's most likely why he kept telling me. And oh, how I loved hearing him say those words! Claiming the affection of this beautiful and amazing man was . . . Well, in a word, it was amazing.

When he finally left, it took me a couple of hours to wind down enough to go to bed, then another to fall asleep. I thought I would wake up tired, but I now felt more refreshed than having awakened after a full eight hours. I guess love affects you that way. And I finally knew that feeling. After so long, I finally understood one of the powerful forces that moved this world. And oh, what a power it was!

After another ten minutes or so of musing and dreaming, I forced myself out of bed. Yawning softly, I lifted my arms over my head and stretched my limbs, an ever present smile covering my face. I had never smiled so much. Of course, I'd never had a reason to before now.

With thoughts of the man I loved continually filling my mind, I was suddenly filled with an emotional surge that instantly pulled me to the bedroom window to gaze up at the mountain where our love unknowingly began.

I pressed my finger lightly against the glass, tracing the outline of the mountain, my thoughts suddenly taking me in a million different directions. I felt an immense sense of gladness that I had taken the walk up there when I did that day. If I hadn't, I might not have met Ethan. Part of me wanted to believe that God would have led me to him another way. But I am still glad it happened when it did.

My thoughts quickly shifted to my family. What would they think of this? Mama and Daddy wanted me to find a nice black man. Would they understand that skin color didn't matter to me, that I didn't consider that the least bit important in a relationship? Would they be able to accept my love for Ethan, and his love for me?

So many questions. I decided it was too early to think about it. They didn't need to know just yet, anyway. It had been easy enough to answer no when Mama called earlier the week before and asked if I had met anyone special, because I hadn't. But what would I say now? I shook my head, placing that answer on the back burner for the time being.

~~~~~~~~

That afternoon I stood in front of the living room window, anticipating Ethan's arrival. It wasn't long before I heard the crunching of gravel as he drove his Ford truck up the driveway. Just the sight of him behind the wheel wearing that gray hat caused my heart to beat faster. I moved to the door as he got out and walked up the steps and thought to myself, I'd never seen a man look so good in a pair of Levi's and boots. He took off his hat and smiled at me through the screen door, and my legs turned to noodle all over again. I opened the door and let him in.

"I missed you," he said, taking me in his arms and nuzzling his face in my hair. Oh, I loved it when he did that! I loved it when he touched me in any way.

"I missed you, too," I said back, pressing my face to his shoulder and drinking in his presence. Just being with him this way made up for all the years of loneliness. In his arms, those times became non-existent.

He asked me if I was ready. I said yes and grabbed a light jacket from the closet. Then he took my hand in his and we left. Our destination? Our mountain.

~~~~~~~~

Ethan and I lay on our backs on a blanket, surrounded by wildflowers and stared up at the clouds. With the peaceful sounds of the land filling our ears, there was no need for conversation, so we just silently enjoyed one of life's simple pleasures.

As a flock of geese flew overhead, I couldn't help marveling at the decadence of being here with him again, only we weren't strangers this time, but two people in love. My life was changed now. His love had changed everything. And the peacefulness I felt the first time I came up this mountain was now magnified by his presence.

Ethan reached for my hand. I turned my head to the side and met his steady gaze, noticing the look of contemplation creasing his brow. I lifted my other hand to his face, marveling in this new pleasure of touching him. He smiled and asked, "Do you miss New York?"

I shook my head adamantly. "No," I answered.

He continued to look at me intently. If it had been anyone else, it would have unnerved me, but not Ethan. I loved the way he studied my face. After another moment, he asked, "You think you'll ever want to move back?"

The way unexpected emotion began to churn inside me at the thought of ever being away from him made it easy to say, "I'll probably visit my family once in a while, but I will never move away from here." I let my thumb caress his lips and added, "This is my home now. You are here, and I want nothing more than to be where you are."

He smiled then. He raised up on one elbow and pulled me closer. Looking down at me, he said, "And I always want you with me."

I pressed my hand softly to his face then buried my fingers in his hair as he lowered his head and kissed me. Oh, how easy it was to become lost in his kisses! They were so utterly tantalizing and so thorough, they completely filled me. When he pulled back slightly and lightly rummaged his lips over mine, then moved them slowly over my face, I began to feel a sensation of floating. It was almost as if we were in another world, another time, another place.

He finally pulled back and looked into my eyes. His eyes had almost become hypnotic to me, and I knew it would always be that way when he looked at me. He brushed the hair back from my face and said, "I love you so much, Mercedes. And I need you more than I've ever needed anything in my life. Everything inside me aches for you." He twirled a small lock of my hair around his finger. "The moment I looked up and saw you gazing over the stream at this field, I knew you were meant to be my woman. And that's what I want more than anything, for us to belong to each other." He paused, searching my face. "I know this is moving fast, but I also know what we have between us is real. I hope you feel that too."

"I do," I said, returning his steady gaze.

He closed his eyes then leaned down and pressed his forehead to mine. After a moment he raised up. "I want you to be my wife, agigau." Seeing the question in my eyes, he smiled and said, "Agigau means beloved in Cherokee."

I stared up at him and blinked to clear my vision, sending warm tears rolling back into my hair. There was no way I could describe what I was feeling at that moment. I don't think there are any words that would do the moment justice. For every part of me suddenly ached to be a part of him. I loved him. I wanted him. And I needed him. From that moment, nothing else mattered.

I threaded my fingers through his soft hair and gently pulled his head down. "I want to be your woman," I whispered against his lips. "I want to be your wife. I want to belong to you, to be your beloved."

I saw his eyes fill with tears before his moist mouth claimed mine again. And there in his embrace, warmed by his love, the world fell away.