***
Stevensville Fairgrounds
Third Saturday of August
It was the most anticipated event of the summer—the grand opening of the Stevensville Summer Fair—and spirits were high as the entire town and surrounding residents gathered at the newly built town hall—a large building with tall ceilings, specifically for special events and gatherings.
Maggie would be looking after the children tonight so Luke and Madelaine could thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Luke waited in the living room, nervous and excited to take his beloved wife out on a romantic evening. As he stood infront of the window, looking at all the beautiful flowers and roses blooming in the gardens surrounding his home, he couldn’t help but smile—romance was not something he and Madelaine lacked in their relationship.
Since their move back to the Peterson ranch several months ago, him and his wife had truly arrived home. Luke finally understood what this place meant to Madelaine. So much so that he had been working on a great surprise for her almost all of last week. He couldn’t wait to show her.
When Madelaine finally stepped into the room, she took his breath away. She wore a beautiful blue satin dress, its bodice covered in tiny satin roses, which created a stunning effect as they tapered off all over the wide skirt. The darker blue enhanced her complexion and her bright green eyes. There were even little blue roses in her fancy hairdo—yet another artful creation by Evelyn, no doubt.
He swallowed hard as she twirled in front of him.
“How did I get so lucky, Mrs. Cross?” he asked with a raspy voice, which elicited a small giggle from her. “I feel blessed every single day, and I thank the Lord every day for bringing you into my life,” he said solemnly. “You truly saved me.”
“You’ve saved me in more ways than one, my dear husband. I praise God in every prayer that He sent you to me,” she replied.
Madelaine looked up at him through thick dark lashes, and Luke had half a mind to throw his wife over his shoulder and carry her straight back to their bedroom, but he was just as excited about his surprise for her.
“I need to show you something!” he exclaimed. He took her by the hand and pulled her with him, through the kitchen, out the back door, and even past the small shed which had belonged to her mother and contained all her gardening tools.
“Close your eyes!” he called out to her.
“What?” she exclaimed, clearly in shock. “I’ll fall if I can’t see where I’m going!” she complained. Luke pulled her around, so she faced the house again.
“I’ll go slowly, I promise,” he said. “Do you trust me?”
Madelaine smiled brightly. “Always. With all my heart,” she said without hesitation.
Luke couldn’t help himself; he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was a quick but passionate kiss, and when he released her lips, Madelaine was out of breath.
“Eyes closed! Don’t open them until I tell you!” he said, and when she did as he said, he pulled her back around and slowly guided her.
“One more step,” he announced. “Are you ready?”
Madelaine seemed impatient. “Yes, of course I’m ready! What is it?”
“Open your eyes!” he said, and when Madelaine looked into the direction he was pointing at, she froze. She gaped with an open mouth
Right there, on a small hill, around the corner from a small set of thick pine trees, stood a little chapel. It looked exactly like a miniature version of the beautiful church in town, but it was small enough that barely ten people would fit inside of it. The spire reached far enough into the evening sky to point at the breathtaking sunset, dousing the landscape in stunning tones of gold, orange, and red.
Madelaine seemed speechless. She stared at the chapel, then back at Luke, and again at the chapel.
“Do you like it?” he asked a little apprehensively.
Madelaine needed several attempts to reply. “I love it!” she croaked eventually. A small giggle escaped her as she lifted her skirt to walk closer.
“Did you build this?” she asked, her voice filled with awe. “For me?”
“Yes. Me, Caleb, and Alvarez did,” Luke said proudly. “And Simon helped, too.”
“Can we go inside?” Madelaine asked. Luke walked ahead to open the door for her.
She stepped inside and promptly began to cry. “This is the most beautiful chapel I have ever seen!”
