Wars at Home

John's POV Chapters 21-23

A/N: This is not a new part to the story. It takes a look at John's mind during those few chapters. It begins with Thomas and Marianne's wedding reception, just before Kat and John start to look at each other romantically again. Nothing earth shatteringly new to add to the story, but there's some cute/funny moments that you don't get with Kat's perspective.

"When do you intend to ask her?" I frowned, knowing that my sudden and intense dislike for the boy before me was almost entirely irrational.

It wasn't really fair to call him a boy either. Mark McKinney was twenty-one and basically independent. The only reason he wasn't living on his own was because he'd returned from the war a few months ago. He hadn't been eager to go, but rose to the task when he got the draft notice. Apparently, he'd taken the responsibility quite seriously, earning himself a silver star for gallantry and taking a bullet in the leg in the process.

"I hoped to ask her this afternoon," he said. "I don't want to upstage her cousin, but... well, it being a wedding and all, I felt it was appropriate."

It was easy to see that he was nervous. Who wouldn't be in his position? But Mark looked me in the eye and was assertive without being demanding.

"I know she's still young..." He hesitated briefly before continuing with his speech. "So I'll understand if you'd prefer she wait a bit. But I do hope you'll grant your blessing now. I believe I'm able to support her the way she deserves and I'd like to start building a life for us. I'm working for my father now, but I'll be taking over the business when he retires."

I watched him for a moment longer before I looked at Emily, laughing and spinning around the dance floor with Matthew. It was hard not to see her as that little girl with bouncing golden pig tails, running through the house.

Where had that little girl gone? When had she become the beautiful young woman I saw now? She looked so much like Jenny, the resemblance never ceased to amaze me. She was almost an exact replica looks-wise. She shared her expressions and mannerisms, and her laugh. Even that quirky little grin she sometimes wore when she was holding back a laugh, reminded me of her mother. It made me ache for Jenny sometimes.

Logically, I knew I had no reason to despise Mark. Actually, he was probably one of the best possible men for my daughter to marry. He was on the quiet side, but amiable enough. He was kind and respectful and decent. He was on his way to being financially secure and had a definite plan on how to support himself and a family. He had worked for me during a few summers as a kid, so I knew he had a strong work ethic and didn't mind getting his hands dirty. If I hadn't known he had fortitude before, I would have been aware of that fact by the way he spoke to me now. And anyone dealing with my daughter would need a backbone of steel. She was, after all, Jenny's daughter too.

He was also mature - much more so than I'd been at his age. He knew what he wanted and was prepared to work for it, but he was also willing to accept the possibility that it might not happen as soon as he'd like. Which was fairly admirable considering the fact that Emily was over eighteen, so they really didn't have to wait if they didn't want to.

And they'd been courting, so Emily obviously liked him.

No, it wasn't logical at all, but I still detested this man for stealing my baby girl away.

But I suppose it was going to happen eventually anyway. Emily was far too beautiful to hope that no other man would ever notice her. To my intense irritation, men had been noticing her for a while. That had been the reason I'd dismissed a few of the more salacious ones from the ranch over the past couple of years.

Emily could certainly do worse than Mark.... and I suppose she did seem fond of him. And at almost twenty, the idea of her marrying shouldn't be such a shock. Especially considering the fact that we were currently at Thomas' wedding reception.