The Fire Within

Chapter 13

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Ezekiel asks Grace quietly after she and Zachariah made their announcement.

“Ezekiel,” she says pulling her cousin into her embrace, “he loves me. He makes me happy and he wants to take care of me. He knows about my past and yet he still wants me.”

“Grace, don’t you understand that what happened to you is not your fault and any man worth anything would be able to forget about what that pig of a man did to you?”

She smiles again, “I know that, but Ezekiel, he is the first man that I have ever fallen in love with. I’ve never met any man that made me feel like he makes me feel.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Ezekiel smiles. “So what now?”

“I try to follow my commanding officer’s orders and stay safe. I stay here and heal with Mary and Helen. And when I’m healed enough, Helen and I are joining the nursing unit.”

Ezekiel shakes his head, “You just can’t stay out of it, can you?”

She smiles and leads the way back into the dining room where the rest of their friends and family sit waiting.

“So,” Mary says when Grace and Ezekiel come back, “when is the wedding?”

Zachariah looks to Grace and smiles, “I didn’t tell her this, but I was hoping as soon as possible, like tomorrow.”

“What? Why?” Grace asks looking shocked.

“I’m still a colonel and this is still a war, Grace. If something were to happen to me, I want to make sure that you are taken care of.”

Grace immediately starts to tear, “I don’t want…”

“Grace, I want to make sure you have what you need. If we aren’t married, you have no claim to my house or anything else that belongs to me. I want it all to be yours too. Please, we could go to the preacher and marry tonight. Ezekiel and I have to leave out tomorrow morning.”

Grace looks from Zachariah to Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s like her big brother and other than Mary, the only real family that she has around her.

Ezekiel smiles. He knows that Zachariah is right; it was part of the reason that he and Mary got married so quickly. Besides, when you’ve met your soul mate, there’s no reason to not to begin the rest of your life as soon as possible.

“But, I don’t have a dress or anything special to wear.”

“Actually,” Mary interjects, “Helen went into town today while you were out on your date. We found this.” Mary gestures toward Helen who is now standing and holding a beautiful baby blue and white dress.

“It should fit you perfectly,” Helen tells her.

Grace looks completely overwhelmed. She looks to Ezekiel again and he smiles and nods, giving his blessing. Grace smiles a little, “I guess the only other thing to ask is if Ezekiel would give me away?”

Ezekiel is the one that now looks surprised. He stands and walks toward her. He pulls her into his embrace and kisses the top of her head, “It would be an honor.”

“Ida, could you go into town and talk to the preacher?” Zachariah asks.

Ida nods and smiles. She leaves the house immediately for town.

“We should get you ready,” Mary says.

When they are alone in Grace’s room, she turns to Mary and Helen and asks, “How did you two know he was going to propose and ask me to marry him before they leave?”