Chapter 1
Nathan & Emily
“How many times have you seen this ‘Sobbin’ Women’” movie now? A few hundred?”
Nathan plopped down on the brown leather sofa next to Emily with a big bowl of popcorn. Emily was already snuggled up in her favorite quilt; tattered and well-loved, made from colorful flour sack scraps by her grandmother during the Great Depression.
“It’s called ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’” she said with a hearty but playful elbow to Nathan’s side as he settled in beside her and pulled some of the quilt over his own lap. “And I’m sure it’s at least a couple thousand at this point.”
He could give her grief all he wanted, but the truth of the matter was that had it not been for her lifelong affection for the film she might never have married this rancher from out in the sticks. Yet here she was. Emily had been struggling through a serious case of “barn heart”, fostered by films like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and weekends pouring through Laura’s adventures in The Little House on the Prairie. When she met Nathan as a city girl freshly relocated to the the ski towns of central Colorado, her "barn heart" became terminal, with no hope for her chronic case than to settle down on a farm of her own. She did not dare hope that such a homestead would also include a handsome young bachelor rancher as part of the package, but she was thankful it had. As the scene unfolded on a sound stage version of 19th-century Oregon she was blissfully in the honeymoon stage of marriage to the cowboy she had hardly dared to dream of and making a home on his family’s 90 acre cattle ranch outside of Red Valley, Colorado.
~~~
Their wedding had been wonderful. Held right on the ranch the first weekend in October. The haying was finished and the cottonwood and aspen that surrounded the property were a blaze of gold. Under a natural arch created by the bows of two large aspen and surrounded by family and friends on white folding chairs, hay bales and old barrels, their pastor pronounced them man and wife.
Afterwards everyone enjoyed a potluck served in a long wall tent upwind from the herd’s pasture. As the flaps of the tent rustled in the fall breeze family and friends made their way down the long row of wedding feast fare provided by the assembled guests. Grass-fed brisket raised right on the ranch was the centerpiece, but there were also myriad salads and jello molds, pies and casseroles and, of course, a homemade wedding cake to enjoy. For those still able to move afterwards there was dancing in the barn on an elevated dance floor brought in just for the occasion.
Emily had to chuckle a little. In bridal magazines barn weddings are always made out to be so rustic-chic, but the practicalities of holding a wedding on an actual working farm were another story entirely. There were no hard wood floors or attractive artisanal light bulbs illuminating the mass of revelers as twilight crept on. Even though the barn was thoroughly cleaned the day before the wedding a dance floor had to be rented so that guests would not be as likely to tread on the leavings of the chickens or worse yet, the desiccated remains of a partially eaten mouse the cat had made a late night snack of.
Emily had to chuckle a little. In bridal magazines barn weddings are always made out to be so rustic-chic, but the practicalities of holding a wedding on an actual working farm were another story entirely. There were no hard wood floors or attractive artisanal light bulbs illuminating the mass of revelers as twilight crept on. Even though the barn was thoroughly cleaned the day before the wedding a dance floor had to be rented so that guests would not be as likely to tread on the leavings of the chickens or worse yet, the desiccated remains of a partially eaten mouse the cat had made a late night snack of.
~~~
Though it had been far more rustic and equally less chic than a magazine spread, it was the wedding of Emily’s dreams. She only wished Nathan’s father, James, had been there to see it. But then, had it not been for that loss, Emily might never have met Nathan, much less become his wife. When James passed away six years ago Nathan inherited the ranch along with his younger brother, Zachary. At the time, Nathan was recently out of college and working as a cubicle jockey for an energy company in Denver. Unhappy as a paper pusher and eager to help out the family, he had moved back to Red Valley to take over the operations of the ranch when his father's condition became terminal. Not long after James' death his mother, Nancy, decided to move closer to her family in Missouri. She said it was because of her own mother’s failing health, but he knew the bigger reason - she was haunted by the memory of his father that lurked like a ghost in each nook and cranny of the ranch where they'd shared their life and raised a family together.
Fortunately, Nate’s father had been a wise businessman and left the ranch with a good cushion of funds to continue through the next couple of years. With the help of hired hands, including a couple swarthy old cowboys who had worked the ranch since Nate could barely ride a horse, they’d made it through the first few years under Nathan’s ownership well.
But then came the "Hard Winter". The winter before last had been especially hard on Red Valley, with a two week cold snap where the daily high temperatures could not even break the freezing mark and then a blizzard the likes of which had not been seen in nearly twenty years. On the ranch they lost fifteen percent of the herd. That hit was hard enough to bear, but then in the early spring, as the hard winter began to thaw, Hank, one of the wizened older ranch hands, took a tumble from his horse while driving the cattle to new pasture. The doctor told him he could stabilize the injury and restore some function but it was time for him to hang up his spurs.
But then came the "Hard Winter". The winter before last had been especially hard on Red Valley, with a two week cold snap where the daily high temperatures could not even break the freezing mark and then a blizzard the likes of which had not been seen in nearly twenty years. On the ranch they lost fifteen percent of the herd. That hit was hard enough to bear, but then in the early spring, as the hard winter began to thaw, Hank, one of the wizened older ranch hands, took a tumble from his horse while driving the cattle to new pasture. The doctor told him he could stabilize the injury and restore some function but it was time for him to hang up his spurs.
Nate was sure he would lose the ranch without some help, but he could not afford to pay for a new hired hand after the losses from the hard winter. He had tried to encourage his brother Zachary to move back and help run the business, especially since Zach was a mathematically minded accountant who could handle the books and free Nathan up to spend more time on the practicalities of running the ranch. Zach, however, was committed to living a high flying life on the front range, working as an accountant for one of the professional sports teams that call Denver home, spending his weekends hanging out with professional athletes and attractive women. As the younger brother, Zach had never felt the obligation to continue in the family business as Nathan had. He contributed financially to the running of the ranch, as a co-owner he considered it an investment, but that was all he cared to do.
Working on the ranch was such a full-time job that Nathan rarely had time to come over the pass to town and go to a movie, socialize or even go to church. After the hard winter and recent loss of Hank's skill and experience though, he made it a point to be at Easter services that year. If the ranch was going to be saved it was in God’s hands. Easter was in early April that year and there was still snow on the ground as he made his way over the pass to town.
Red Valley was a town of around 8,000 permanent residents, but during ski season tourists and seasonal employees brought that to a booming 12,000 on any given day. The valley was home to two world renowned ski resorts and was even home to a fair number of winter Olympians. Coming over the pass and into town was like entering a different world. One moment you are in the old west; apart from the iPhone streaming music through the cab of his pickup, the ranch felt like some place out of the 19th century. On the other side of the pass you could have been in an alpine ski village. European-style hotels and chalets dotted the valley floor below the north facing ski slopes. High-end boutiques featuring Chanel, Gucci and Hermes, catered to the wealthy clientele with their winter vacation homes and luxury SUVs. Microbreweries, spas, art galleries and bike shops catered to local ski bums and jetsetters alike. Nevertheless, services at Red Valley Baptist Church retained a certain small town charm despite the surroundings, and he liked that.
Nathan had been going to Red Valley Baptist since he was a kid, it’s the church he was baptized in and took his first communion - which consisted of an oyster cracker and a plastic shot glass of grape juice. For as long as he could remember Easter services always meant one thing - potluck. After the second service the men of the church would transform the fellowship hall from rows of chairs to rows of tables and the ladies of the church would fill the buffet line with all their best homemade food and fixins. It was there at Red Valley Baptist, feeling at the end of his rope with the ranch, but surrounded by a family of fellow believers and fabulous food, that he first met Emily.
Despite the chill in the air and snow in the forecast for coming week, Emily wore a teal sundress with a white cardigan and a string of pearls she’d received from her mother. Nathan could not keep his eyes off of her as she busied herself setting the potluck table. She effortlessly dodged toddlers at her feet and teenage boys trying to sneak a bite before the blessing. Her brown hair was curled and fell halfway down her back, but it was her easy laugh that stole the show. When she laughed she laughed with her whole self, even her eyes seemed to glitter and giggle.
After the pastor said the blessing he made it a point to get in line behind her so that he could get a chair at her table. Emily stood a few people ahead of him in line holding a baby boy so his mother could fill their plates and chatting with some other women who looked about her age. To his chagrin the same small herd of women followed each other to sit together at the same table. Trying to meet a new girl was hard enough without her four friends as a vanguard between them. He steeled his resolve, filled his own plate and found a spot at the same table near the edge of the group.
“Hi there! Nathan, right?”
He looked up and saw a face he vaguely recognized but could not place. Seeing his confusion, she continued, “I’m Lauren. We used to be in youth group together here. I actually dated your brother, Zach, for about a week in high school before I ‘kissed dating good-bye’”.
“Good to see you! Have you moved back to the valley?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Hi, I’m Rachel” said another of the ladies, eager to meet this rare young man who had strayed into their midst.
“I’m sorry, how rude of me. Rachel, this is Nathan, we grew up together in this church, he was like my big brother in youth group. And Nathan this is Rachel,” indicating the vivacious brunette, “this is Jessica,” a blonde, “Sarah” a bespectacled girl with auburn hair, “and Emily. These are my Bible study girls!”
He smiled and gave a courteous nod of his head to all the ladies in turn. Emily. He thought to himself. I need to get to know this Emily.
Though spring made things busier on the ranch he made it a point to get to town for church a couple times a month. He observed Emily with her Bible study girls, helping out moms with their little ones, worshiping in the congregation and sometimes even singing with the praise team. He learned that she recently moved to the valley from Ft. Collins and taught second grade at Red Valley Elementary. He learned that she dreamed of being a homesteader. Most of all he learned that she had a servant’s heart. This woman had the type of character he’d always prayed for in a wife. Could the Lord be leading Him to marry in the midst of everything happening at the ranch?
Finally, one Sunday in June he got up the courage to ask her out for coffee, the next week it was dinner and a movie. Near the end of the summer they became exclusive and Emily would spend her free days before the school year started out at the ranch tending the garden, helping with the chickens and learning to ride a horse and shoot a gun. That fall Emily met his mother at Thanksgiving dinner and Nathan met her family in Denver at Christmas.
A year after they met Nathan took Emily to see the final regular season home game of her favorite hockey team and proposed on the jumbotron during the second intermission. Sometimes it pays to have a brother who is an accountant for the team. Fall was Emily’s favorite season and she’d always dreamed of having a fall barn wedding, so they set the date for October. Now, in the post-holiday lull of late December, they were still fully enjoying the honeymoon phase of married life, a bowl of popcorn and Emily’s favorite musical as the snow began to fall outside.
