Loving Willow

Crazy Men

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." Applause filled the congregation as Trent wrapped his hands around Willow's  neck and gently tilted her head to meet him.

Minutes later found the happy young couple in the yard surrounded by foods provided by the ladies of the town.

A few of the town drunks assembled as the band. They were mostly sober at this point, it being a Sunday and all. Little boys and girls skipped about. They weren't so enthralled with the wedding as they were with the wedding cake. The wedding cake was a masterpiece created with love by Lily, Lacey, and River. The three ladies worked hard on the beautiful cake. For days they had baked cakes trying to find the perfect recipe. Lacey frosted everything in sight as she practiced her dainty roses and lace styles decorating skills. It was a truly beautiful cake that put all others to shame, in part because it was beautiful and in part because it was created with loving hands and hearts.

The afternoon proved to be truly wonderful and Trent and Willow waved happily to the well-wishers as they left for their honey moon. They didn't intent to be gone long, in fact they hadn't intended in going anywhere. Zane and Micah insisted that they needed a few day to become 'acquainted' with out interruption and Rhett whole heartedly agreed. And so, Willow and her new husband set off for a few days alone in a big city. 

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Willow smiled as she wrapped her arm around her husbands. They had a delightful time in the city although, Willow was grateful to be going home. The city life and noise was fine for a couple of days but it was comforting to return to a quiet town that had loving family members waiting for you. Willow sighed in contentment and Trent smiled down at her. "Are you excited to be going home?"

"Yes. I was just thinking of home, and it makes me wonder where we will have our home."

"I was talking to your father and mine about that before we left."

"And?" Willow prompted when he paused.

"And our folks offered to throw us a house raising."

"A house raising? Don't they usually do that for barns?" Willow asked.

"Well, yes. But the way we figure it, it'll kinda be a party. You women can prepare lunch and dinner. We men will work on it all day, with so many working we should finish up pretty quick and then we could have ourselves an evening dance. What do you think, Willa? Can we have a house raising?"

Willow smiled and kissed Trent's cheek. "I think it's a wonderful idea. It'll draw the town together  for the day. In fact," Willow mused, "I just bet the ladies wouldn't be opposed to having a little quilting bee  in between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner."

"Then it's settled." Trent said squeezing his wife closer to him in a one armed hug. "I'll put out the invites first thing tomorrow."

Trent pulled the wagon in front of  his parents house. He jumped down and went around to assist Willow. "Hope you don't mind that I accepted my folks offer to let us stay here the night. They figured it would help our finances a bit if we didn't have to rent a hotel room."

"I don't mind. " Willow assured him as she slipped her hand in his calloused work-roughened palm. "Would one more night have really made that much of a difference? I mean we stayed in that fancy city hotel for nearly four days."

"Ah, Willa. I was hoping you wouldn't ask about that." Trent mumbled.

"Why not? Trent, where did our honeymoon money come from." 

"Come on," Trent tugged gently on her arm to hurry her steps. "It might rain tonight."

"There isn't a cloud in the sky." Willow stopped where she stood and tugged on his arm until he turned to face her. "Trent."

"I won it, okay? Come on now, we better get inside before it snows. It's getting cold."

"Trent, it is July. It isn't going to snow and what do you mean you won it?" Willow gasped suddenly as an idea occurred to her. "You don't mean to say that you won it in a card game? Trent, did you gamble for our honeymoon?"

"Not really." Trent mumbled wishing that she would just drop the subject.

"Then what really?"

"Look, Willa, you know I don't like taking hand outs. It bugs me, a man needs to provide for his own."

"An admirable notion. What happened, Trent?"

"I work a decent job, you know, but I'm not rich. My saved money was for important things like wood for our cabin and blankets for our bed. When the men in our family kept rousing me about a city honeymoon I kept avoiding the subject until I just couldn't take it any longer. I told them our finances only allowed for important things like food and cloths. At least for a few years."

"What happened?" Willow asked as she rubbed her hand up and down his arm gently. His pride was feeling a bit wounded, she could tell.

"They left me alone for nearly the whole day and then, the night before our wedding they approach me with a collection they'd taken from all the folks in our families. They wanted us to have our honeymoon. I turned it down of course. Willa," Trent turned and clasped her face tilting it upwards to meet his. "I didn't want to start our marriage out like that, by borrowing money. I can take care of you. It may not be in a way fit for a queen but I do love you and-"

Willow pressed her lips to his in a soft reassuring kiss. "I know you love me." She whispered against his lips. "And I know that you can provide just fine for your family. You are a good and honorable man, Trent."

"You may not think that after you hear the rest of the story." Trent mumbled. 

"Of course I will." Willow kissed him again. "Now tell me the rest, I'm very curious now."

Trent sighed. "Well, I kept refusing the money and they kept offering it and it might've went on like that all night if your papa hadn't had a brilliant suggestion."

"Papa? What did he suggest?"

"Poker."

"What? Papa doesn't play poker!" 

"He did on Saturday night."

"Oh, Trent! Tell me quickly what happened, I'm fairly oozing with curosity!"

Trent couldn't help but smile at his sweet Willa. "He suggested we play poker and everybody agreed. What I didn't realize was that they fixed the game."

"What?"

"They fixed the game so that nearly a half hour later I held all of the money that they had tried to give me earlier. They told me that by doing it this way I could say I won it."

Willow smiled, and then giggled as the whole situation struck her as funny. "Oh Trent!" she gasped. "All the men in our family are crazy!"

"I know. " Trent agreed. Then, sweeping his wife up into his arms he moved toward his folks front porch. "Now come inside with me, wife. I'm hungry."