Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(76)

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Ellie, don’t stare,” Nick said. “Just smile at Noah. He’s waiting for you. He looks like he’s been waiting forever.”

“Well, he hasn’t,” she whispered through gathering tears.

The flowers and candles in the church had been a big surprise for Ellie, but the number of people at the wedding, and at Jack’s afterward, had surprised Noah, as well. It felt as if half the town was there and, unlike typical weddings, there were people Noah and Ellie had never met before. These people brought gifts and potluck dishes, and they offered congratulations and partied as if they’d known Ellie and Noah forever. The happy couple hadn’t expected the large number of guests, nor the many, many wedding gifts. What Noah realized was that he might not be everyone’s pastor—they had individual preferences of faith and denomination—but they were everyone’s neighbors. That realization brought a satisfaction that was indescribable.

The bar was decorated with colorful streamers, flowers from the church, napkins embossed with Ellie’s and Noah’s names and the date. The centerpiece of the event was Preacher’s cake—a two-tiered white masterpiece that he beamed over. “I’m going to start doing more of this,” he said proudly. “I think I have a knack.”

It was only a casual gathering with covered dishes and well wishes, but Preacher had rigged up his speakers from his house stereo and there was some dancing, even though there was hardly room to move. There was no garter to throw and Ellie wouldn’t part with her bouquet but no one seemed to mind.

Typical of Virgin River parties, people began to leave early. Those who had a drive ahead were the first to depart, followed by the farmers, ranchers and vintners, who didn’t get days off. Sean Riordan left early, taking his family back to Eureka. Noah smiled to see his friend George bow over Maureen Riordan’s hand as he said goodbye, brushing his lips against it like a courtier. Nick and Jo took Ellie’s kids home to bed, but a hard-core group remained at the bar—the diehards who were willing to endure a lack of sleep for a good party. As the evening grew late, the men were found on the porch with brandy and cigars, Jack’s space heaters lit to warm them against the chill November night. The women sat by the fire indoors and laughed together. And, finally, around eleven, everyone wended their way home.

And at three in the morning in the little apartment above the Fitches’ garage—tonight, the honeymoon suite—no sleep had taken place at all. Noah rolled onto his back and groaned, “Oh my God, I love you!”

“You’re a maniac,” Ellie said. “I’ve never met a man who liked sex so much.”

Noah laughed. “That’s nice, Ellie. I’ll take comfort in that.”

“Really,” she insisted. “Have you finally had enough?”

“For now,” he said. His eyes were closed, but there was a smile on his lips.

She rolled over on her belly, propped up on an elbow and looked into his beautiful eyes. “So, is married sex better than sneaky sex?”

He ran his fingers through the hair at her temples. “Yeah. For me, it is.” Then he pulled her head down and kissed her deeply, his heart completely hers. He couldn’t remember ever being more content.

“It is for me, too,” she whispered. “Can we sleep now?”

He pulled her against him, her head resting on his arm, and holding her tight they drifted off to sleep. But not for long. Ellie was up, showered and pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt first thing in the morning. The smell of fresh coffee filled the small room and she jostled Noah awake. “Come on, don’t be a bum—I promised the kids we’d start poking around the new house as soon as everyone woke up.”

He rolled over with a loud moan and put the back of his hand over his eyes. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked.

“I’m so excited.” She laughed. “That house has been ours for a whole week and we haven’t had time to do anything to it yet! You said we’d get down there right away, as soon as we got married.”

He moaned again and rolled over. “My right away and your right away are at least a couple of hours apart…Aren’t you in the afterglow from a wedding night of magnificence?”

She giggled. “Not anymore. Come on, Noah. Don’t be lazy.”

“Lazy, she says,” he muttered, dragging himself out of bed. “There should be a warning attached to marrying an energetic younger woman…”

They went downstairs to Jo and Nick’s kitchen; the kids were just rising, so they were talked into more coffee and breakfast. By the time everyone was moving at a normal pace, Ellie was jittery with anticipation. She loaded a few things in the back of Noah’s truck—broom, mop, rags, detergent, scrub brushes, trash bags. Jo promised she and Nick would follow behind with the kids. So, on their first official day of married life, Ellie and Noah took off down the road to their new old house.

Ellie and Noah could hear the sound of heavy equipment well before they could see it, but neither said a word because they couldn’t imagine that it would have anything to do with them. The next thing they noticed was that the road to their house was difficult to navigate because it was lined with parked cars and trucks.

“What in the world…?” Ellie said. Noah edged his old truck closer, and the moment they broke through the trees they were both momentarily stunned. Their property was a beehive of activity. Someone was driving a large farm-size mower around the property. There were men on ladders propped up against the house; more men pounded hammers on the roof, and at ground level people were raking up the cuttings, hauling trash, scraping off old paint, replacing boards and sanding porch rails.