The Cowboy's Package Love with Faith (COMPLETED)

Chapter 36

Jedediah feels frozen. He isn't sure if his blood is boiling or running cold. A thousand thoughts are running through his mind and everything else is forgotten. How dare someone take all but four years to decide they want something? Who has the cold heart to ruin a beautiful moment like that? Does Cole know who that was? Nobody is taking my family. Aubrey's small soft hand on his arm makes him turn to her. She has tears streaming down her face as it there are water hoses behind her eyes. He doesn't know what to say right now or really how he is feeling other than rage and hate neither of which are good. "I know, I'm sorry sweetheart."

"He- he can't do anything to him," she stutters, her voice barely a whisper. The emotions and the shock have made their mark on her speech, but in this moment she doesn't care about that.

Jedediah sits down and pulls her into his lap being careful not to get anything on her dress as she is still in the beautiful white wedding dress. Her words strike confusion in his mind as he can't quite figure out what she means. She is right nothing is going to happen to Cole but he gets the feeling she means more than the fact that there are many people that would protect him. After kissing her cheek he gently wipes the water works from her cheek. "What do you mean?"

She lays her head on her shoulder and takes a deep breath. This isn't the time she wanted to talk to him about all of this, some of it again, but as the saying goes 'no time like the present'. After saying a prayer for strength and whispering her favorite verse, Matthew 21:16 where it says 'out of the mouth or babes you will hear perfect praise', she begins to speak, "Did I ever tell you how when I told him I was pregnant with Cole he told me he didn't want anything to do with him?"

This time Jedediah knows his blood is boiling with anger. There is no doubt about it and although that isn't exactly the best thing to be feeling he reminds himself not to sin in his anger. "Yes."

She nods and her hand finds its way to his hair and begins to play with it. "He didn't just tell me he didn't want Cole," she pauses trying to prepare herself to say the next words without breaking down in a mess of emotions. "I don't think I ever told you what else he said. H- he told me as soon as the baby was born he was going to sign his rights as a parent to me."

Jedediah feels like he is no support at all as he stares blankly at her. How could someone not only not what their child, but just sign it away as if it is a truck? On the other hand it made him relax a little. If he knew the smidgen about law he thought he knew, that means he can't come back and demand to share custody of Cole. "Sweetheart?"

Lifting her head she looks into his eyes the tears in her own slowly receding. Is this a good thing or a not so good thing that he is about to say? She wonders even though she knows he would never purposely say or do anything that would hurt her. "Yes?"

"I think it's time we talk to our son about something."

At first confusion is clearing written on her face. Then the tears come back, but this time happy ones. Not trusting her voice to speak the words she so badly wants to tell him she just stares at him. Is this super handsome, amazingly sweet and overly caring man in front of her for real? If this is a dream don't ever wake me up, she thinks to herself.

He nods a smile on his face. "I don't want to change just one name. I want to change both of y'alls name to mine."

The light that graces her face is brighter than it has been in at least a couple of hours. "Really?"

He kisses her lips softly. "Yes of course. I've wanted to for a long time, but now I know it can't wait."

Just then the door to the little room they have been talking in opens and in flies a very confused little boy. "Momma! Daddy!" He yells his face spreading into a smile.

They both smile and Jedediah sweeps him up in his lap. "What's up big boy?"

Cole looks from Aubrey to Jedediah and back again. His voice holding all seriousness as he says, "Are y'all married?"

Jedediah wants to answer immediately so Aubrey doesn't have to, but he isn't sure the answer. Legally yes they are, but in reality they weren't. Anger starts to creep in at that thought, but a soft rub on his hand from Aubrey's gets his attention and he mentally prays a quick prayer for patience and kindness to replace his anger.

Just as he is about to speak there is a knock at the door and it is opened slightly. Pastor Clay pokes his head in. "Y'all ready to try this again?"

Aubrey's heart rate picks up as she sees the pastor's head poke in. She already knows what he is saying so it is not a problem when her ears seem to block out everything. There is nothing she wants more than to marry Jedediah so what's the big deal? Then it hits her, the enemy is using her fear of messing something up against her. She takes a deep breath and begins to recite to herself the words of Habakkuk 3:19 "The sovereign Lord is my strength and he makes my feet like that of deer."

Jedediah looks at Aubrey and can't help but smile as he watches her face go from panic to her taking a deep breath and then to a smile forming on her soft pink lips. Their eye connect for a moment and it is like a silent conversation telling one another that what happened didn't change how they feel. With a nod from each the bride and groom they stand and clasp hands. If they can make it through this together and come out stronger as a family they can conquer anything.