Taking out the knife I’d brought, I smiled. “Shall we add our names?”
She quickly wiped a tear away and nodded.
I carved the heart first. Looking at her, I said, “What should we say?”
“Let’s keep it traditional. Ladd plus Viv, and maybe on our wedding day, we can carve the date under our names.”
I winked. “I love that idea.” I got to work on our addition to what my mother called the love tree.
Ladd + Viv
Folding up the knife, I pushed it into my pocket, then took a few steps back. “There’s no backing out now, our love is carved into the love tree. It’s final.”
“Love tree?” she asked.
I chuckled. “That’s what my mother calls it.”
Lacing her gloved fingers with mine, Vivianne rested her head on my shoulder as we both looked at the tree.
“What a beautiful way to start our lives here on the ranch.”
“I agree,” I replied, trying to stem the tears that were burning the back of my eyes. Not tears of sadness, but tears of utter happiness.
Vivianne
Six Months Later – River Falls Ranch
Ladd pulled off the road and parked. We exchanged a look and smiled. “Ready?”
I nodded. “I’m so ready!”
“Wait there.”
He jumped out of the ranch truck and jogged around to my side to help me out. We walked to the head of the trail, and I shielded my eyes as I looked up. Everything was so green, and a light wind blew, making it sound as if nature was playing us our very own song.
We’d been back to this spot numerous times, but today was different. Today we were finishing our carving so that it would be there when we got married tomorrow.
Ladd took my hand in his, and we made our way up. The walk was a lot easier without snow, and we were up at the top within a couple of minutes.
Once there, I drew in a sharp breath. A blanket was laid out with a picnic basket. Turning to Ladd, I asked, “What’s this?”
“I asked Lily to help me out with a surprise picnic lunch.”
Lily and I had become the best of friends, and we talked nearly every day. When I had asked Mollie if she couldbe my maid of honor, she had said yes, but then ended up being unable to attend the wedding. So I had asked Lily after making sure Mollie was okay with it. Of course she had been, since she wasn’t able to attend the wedding. My other two roommates I hadn’t been close enough with to ask, but they had been invited to the wedding, but both had declined since they were heading back home. Lily had been over the moon when I asked her. She knew I had asked Mollie first and there had been no hard feelings at all. Ladd and I decided to have only one attendant each at our wedding. He’d made his brothers draw straws. David had pulled the longest straw, so he was Ladd’s best man.
“That was so sweet of her to do that,” I said as I drew closer. She’d put out a few pillows as well, and there were rose petals sprinkled all over the blanket and around it. “It smells so good! The foodandthe roses.”
Ladd chuckled. “Before we get to lunch, we have something to do.” He took out his knife and started carving our wedding date.
June 6, 1992
Once Ladd finished, we sat on the blanket and he got busy taking out the food. Lily had packed small finger sandwiches, fruit, a bottle of wine, and my favorite dessert, carrot cake.
“I feel a bit guilty sitting up here eating a picnic lunch when there’s so much to do,” I said several minutes later, enjoying my second little sandwich.
Ladd winked. “You told me everything was all ready to go.”
“It is…”
