Preacher's Daughter - Flora Ferrari Page 0,45
know as well as I do that we don’t live in the middle ages anymore, but I love Faith and I want her to be my wife. I need your blessing before I even ask her,” I tell him.
“You just announced you wanted a preacher to marry you both,” he scoffs, sounding wounded. “Like a Father, not a preacher.”
“And I do, Father,” I tell him. “I want you to be that Preacher, so whenever I call you Father, it also means Dad…”
We stare at each other for a long time, both our eyes getting misty with emotion and both for very different reasons.
“You swear to look out for her, always?” he asks, sounding more like a Dad by the second.
I don’t need to be coached in how strongly I feel for her though.
“I love Faith, more than anything. And the only thing I want is for her to keep being as happy as she’s been the past few days, so I can know she’s my wife. Forever,” I tell him.
Hearing someone coming up behind us, we both turn around.
“Is that a proposal, Noah?” Faith asks, her eyes turning to her Dad after she’s cocked her brow at mine.
“Oh, please say yes, Daddy. Noah’s the only man for me and I know you’ll get used to us being one and the same, eventually,” she adds.
“You’re right, Faith. I do need to get used to all this!” her Dad exclaims, turning on his heel.
But before he goes he shoots me a wary glance as he twists his mouth into a puckered shape that’s trying not to smile while being angry at the same time.
“Well?” he asks me gruffly before turning away. “Better go ahead and ask her properly, I guess. Nothing I can do about it. Just make sure you love her and protect her as much as I’ve tried to the past twenty-two years, that’s all I can ask,” he says finally, walking away from us as I take both Faith’s hands in mine.
“It’s Richard, by the way,” I tell her. “Richard Noah Templeton, but call me Noah. And I’d be honored Faith if you’d say yes to being my-”
Her lips are so hard on mine, I almost stumble back as she leaps up into my arms.
“…Wife,” I murmur, feeling her lips bunched up against mine as she squeals with delight.
“I knew it!” she cries out. “I knew it was Richard… Or maybe something else, but Richard was way up there, and yes! The answer will always be yes!”
“I love you, Faith,” I tell her, gripping her hard and holding onto her like I’ll never let go because I never will.
“And I love you, Richard, Noah Templeton. Now and forever.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Faith
“It’s just air sickness,” I groan, handing back the paper sack Noah just offered me after filling it.
“I’ll have a word with the pilot, maybe see if we can’t land somewhere sooner, get you to a hospital,” he says gravely. His jaw set hard and worry in his smoldering eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” I try to laugh, but another wave of nausea grips me hard.
Noah holds my hair back as I lurch forward again.
What the heck is wrong with me? I ate what Noah ate, I haven’t been this sick, ever.
Noah buzzes for the stewardess.
Some honeymoon.
We’ve waited all this time, finally just tying the knot after Dad insisted we stay with him until he got used to the idea.
He’s hardly ever home during the day and it turned out to be the only way he’d agree to marry us.
“If you can last six months under my roof with the man, you can last the rest of your lives,” My Dad had preached to us, bringing it up every time he got on our nerves or when we got on his, even though we had a total run of the upper floor of the old house.
I grip Noah’s hand. “I’ll be fine honey. There’s no need to make a fuss. Commercial airlines don’t just make emergency stops for-”
But it’s too late. I can’t finish what I have to say, filling another paper sack.
The stewardess agrees that Noah, a pilot himself should talk to the plane’s pilot. She sits with me while he does so and in a few minutes, he re-appears, looking a little happier.
“We’re diverting to another airport, near a hospital. There’ll be an ambulance waiting, Faith. Just hang on,” he says, his voice quaking with emotion.
I should be mad, but a part of me knows something isn’t right.
I’ve never felt