THE CAVERN OF DEEP HARMONY

PART SIXTY-NINE:

Mike stood, one foot on the low hearth, hands resting on the mantel, staring down at the fire. Closing his eyes, he let himself enjoy the scent of wood smoke, the crackle and pop of heating sap, the warmth of the flames on the front of his body. Behind him, the room was filled with voices, laughing convivial voices, sharing the joy of the evening's event. New Year's Eve. Not

just a wedding, but New Year's Eve. He smiled slightly wryly to himself. Endings. Both of them,
endings. For him anyway.

Marshall and Eden were planning on going back to Pittsburgh soon. Just as well. Some friendships were a bit wearing on the heart. The last two months, though, were a time he knew he'd never forget. Especially that day on Simpson's Ridge when he and Eden had been tracking Marshall hour after hour. It was exhausting, both emotionally and physically, that day, but she had been right there beside him the whole way. Letting go of her was not easy. The wedding had helped, actually. Witnessing what passed between Marshall and Eden as they made their vows...how could any man even think of interfering with that? Even continuing to think about Eden as he had been doing would be nothing less than obscene after that.

"You've been an EMT here a long time?"

A soft voice came from just to his left and he opened his eyes, turning his head. "Oh, hello, Maria. I didn't realize you were there." Taking his hands off the mantel, he faced her. "Yes,

yes, I have," he replied. "Ever since I came back home after the army."

"You were born here, then?"

He nodded, making an effort to center his attention on the nurse. "Lived here all my life. Well, except for that stint in the military. I love it here." He smiled at her. "You haven't been here all that long, have you?"

"Only since August. It's very different from where I was before."

"Where would that be?"

"Philadelphia. Big city hospital. Very busy. Very hectic. Very crowded. It's why I came here. I wanted to try something else, something smaller, more personal."

"And is it?"

"Smaller?"

"More personal?"

"Somewhat."

"Only somewhat?"

"It seems to be taking me a while to fit in, to get to know people." She gave a small laugh. "Not too many Greeks here in the forest."

"I heard you speaking Greek with Marshall that day in the hospital."

"Ah, you remember that?"

"Not too much Greek spoken in forest hospitals," he grinned. "I found it...memorable."

"He was a very special patient." She looked across the room to where he was standing beside Eden, talking with Ryan and Connie. "A very special man."

"He is, indeed," Mike nodded.

"I was honored he asked me to come today," she added. "And it's nice to get out on New Year's Eve, too."

Mike looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time. Thick, shining black hair waved down to the top of her shoulders, framing an oval face with, he realized with a bit of a start, absolutely enormous brown eyes under finely winged brows. The firelight reflected in them, amber dancing in the brown so darkly brown it was almost black. She said something but he

was studying the amber lights so intently he didn't catch her words.

"I'm sorry...?"

"I was just saying that it was good to be out of my apartment tonight. New Year's Eve and all."

"You live in town?"

"About three blocks from the hospital, yes. I generally walk to work, which is why my car wasn't at the hospital and Dr. Hersholtz kindly offered to drive me to the inn."  She gazed around the room. "I've never been here before. It's really lovely, especially all decorated like it is tonight."

"Harold and Martha are wonderful folks," Mike smiled. "Their son Ryan's always been my best friend. I've spent probably more time in this house than in my own home over the years."

"You live near-by?"

"Got a log cabin I built just down the road. It's on the land where my parents' house used to be."

"Used to be?"

"Yeah. Burned down in the early 90's. Not a trace of it left any more."

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "It had to be hard to lose that."

He shrugged just a bit. "Nice, though, to still be able to live on the land. Good hunting and fishing, too." He cocked an eyebrow. "You ever been fishing?"

She laughed again. "I'm afraid not. I did have an aquarium in my bedroom for a while. Does that count?"

"Would you like to give it a try? Come spring, you think you might like to try your hand at it?"

As she looked up at the face of the tall man with the silvering hair and light blue eyes, she thought just maybe she might. She smiled, full, well-shaped lips parting to reveal white teeth.

"I wouldn't know what to do, I'm afraid."

"I know what to do," he said softly.

Luke came up to Marshall, tugging lightly at the hem of his jacket to let him know he was there. "Your eyes were working tonight, Marshy. I saw them."

"Working? What do you mean, Luke?"

"They made tears. They were working."

Marshall smiled. "They did, didn't they?

"They were happy tears? Like on Christmas Day?"

"Very happy, Luke. I'm as happy today as I've ever been in my life."

"Did I do ok, Marshy? I was worried I wasn't a good best man."

"You were a great best man, Luke. I couldn't have been more pleased."  He squatted in front

of the little boy, holding his arms out. Luke hugged Marshall's neck. "Thank you for thinking

I was special enough," he whispered.

"Oh, Luke," Marshall said fondly, "you are more special than you have any idea."

"Like you," Luke pronounced gravely.

"Like him," Eden confirmed.

Maria had gone into the kitchen to offer Martha her help in serving the hors d'oeuvres. As Connie was also there, Ryan walked up to where Mike still stood near the fireplace, running his thumb pad absently around the rim of a glass of beer. "You doing ok?" Ryan asked, briefly gripping Mike's arm.

"Fine," Mike nodded, draining the last of the beer. "Just fine."

Ryan studied him. "You mean it?"

"Yeah," Mike affirmed. "Bit surprised about that myself."

"The nurse have anything to do with that?"

"Maria?"

"Yep."

"I'm going to teach her how to fish this spring."

"That so?"

Mike grinned. "Give a nurse a fish and you've fed her for one meal. Teach a nurse to fish and you've fed her for a lifetime."

"You thinking about feeding this one?"

"Too early to tell. But...."  He shrugged.

"But is good," Ryan chuckled.

Maria came back into the parlor with a tray of salmon creamed cheese stuffed into tiny tomatoes. Mike was standing right where she'd left him so she headed toward him and held

out the tray. "These look interesting," she said.

Mike popped one into his mouth. "Martha makes interesting combinations."

"Interesting combinations can be good things," Ryan smiled, looking from Mike to Maria. "Hello. I'm Ryan. Welcome to the inn."

She inclined her head slightly and returned his smile. "It's good to be here. My first time."

"And not your last, I hope."

Her eyes flickered very briefly to Mike then back to Ryan. "Are you home for long?"

"Just for the holidays, I'm afraid, then it's back to the salt mines in Cleveland."

"He's helping a friend set up a travel agency," Mike explained. "What are you planning for after that?" Mike continued.

Ryan's eyes were following Connie as she brought her mother a fresh drink. "Remains to be seen, Mike. But I'm thinking."

"Time to cut the cake!" Martha announced. She and Joan had gotten the cake into the dining room where it sat, centered grandly on the lace tablecloth.

Marshall and Eden were directed to the best place for them to stand and Eden described the cake to him. "Guess I can't really gaze at the cake, eh?" he remarked.

"Not unless you want Joan to smack your hands," Eden laughed.

"Is the maple leaf standing up or lying down?" he asked.

"Kind of propped up at an angle. It's made from really stiff icing and is almost like a big cookie. I wish I had the actual one pressed. I'd frame it and hang it on the wall. Just had no idea at the time, you know. It was simply a leaf."

He slid his palm around her waist. "Life is like that. Most times we don't know the significance of things that cart wheel across our sidewalks. Only later. Only then do we understand how in their simplicity they've changed everything."

"I'm so glad," she whispered, leaning into him. "I'm so glad I found you."

"I'm glad you found me, too," he smiled. Then he felt Martha pressing the handle of a cake cutter into his right hand. Eden quickly lay her hand atop his. "We'll have to do this together," he said very low.

She guided his hand toward the cake, pressing down when it was in the right place to cut. After they'd made the initial cut, Joan took over and finished the slice, putting it on a white china plate and handing it to Eden. Eden broke off a small piece, leading his fingers to it. "Don't let

me poke it in your eye," he chuckled.

She picked up her own little piece. "I'm right here," she said, guiding him just enough, then waiting quietly. His face went all intent as he concentrated on doing this right.  He found her cheek with the tip of his little finger then moved his hand slightly left. Her mouth was open and he got the small bite quite neatly inside.

"Perfect," she affirmed, her mouth still full. "Your turn."  She actually bumped his lip a little, getting icing on it. He smiled and started to lick it but she said, "No, let me," and stood on tiptoe to kiss it off.

"Much better," he agreed. Everyone was very quiet, watching, and it was easy for him to feel like he and she were the only ones in the room. His hand moved higher up her back and he kissed her again, a real kiss, not just an icing removal sort. "My wife," he whispered.

A cell phone rang. Hersholtz uttered a quiet "Damn!" and reached into his pocket. He went out into the front entryway a moment then returned hurriedly. "Sorry," he said, "but I've got to go back to the hospital. One of my patients is arresting."  He looked at Maria. "I'm afraid if you want a ride, you'll have to come with me now."

"Certainly," she replied. "Let me get my coat."

"I could drive her home," Mike offered. "If you'd like to stay, that is."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. That way you can have a bit more New Year's Eve."

"Yes, I'd like that. Thank you, Mike."

Ryan tried not to grin but was not fully successful in the effort.

"And you haven't gotten a piece of cake yet," Mike added, finding he really did want her to stay.

"No, I haven't, have I."

Joan had been cutting slices, much larger ones than were usually served at receptions, and he picked up one of the plates, handing it to her. "Can't go to a wedding and not have cake."

"I suppose you can't," she smiled.

"Too bad there's not room to dance," Ryan spoke up.

"What about the porch?" Connie suggested. "Would that work?"

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Great! Most of the porch furniture is stored away for the winter so that's

the biggest open space we've got around here. Get your coat! I'll put batteries in the CD player and we've got us a ballroom. Come on, Mike. You and Maria come on out with us."

"Would...would you like to?" he asked.

She nodded, intrigued by the concept of a New Year's Eve dance on a frosty porch.

"Do you want to go, too?" Eden whispered to Marshall.

He shook his head no. The porch was still a space too small for him, especially with other couples that he would bump into. And he was feeling a little tired. It had been a long day and

he still wasn't back up to his normal energy after the pneumonia. He had plans, too, for when the party was over and he and Eden could be alone. He wanted to save his strength for that. "Could we just sit by the fire for a while?"

"Sounds good to me, darling."  She'd been aware for a little while that he was flagging a bit.

He held his mouth differently when his energy level was down. "I'll take some hot tea with us.

I think I'm ready for a cup."

When both of them were snuggled closely together on the couch,  Wadsworth lying almost across their feet, and the two couples were getting the porch set up for the music, the rest of those present in the inn all set about putting away leftovers and cleaning up. They were going to spend the night at Stuart and Joan's so that the bride and groom could have the inn to themselves. Elizabeth and Dale had already taken Luke over there. Marshall rested the side of his head against Eden's, listening to the happy chatter from the kitchen, the clink of dishes, the shutting of cabinets. From the porch came the sound of Ryan's laugh as he struggled to sort out the CDs with frozen fingers. "Gloves," he groaned. "Someone get me gloves!"  A log crumbled into embers. "This is so good," Marshall murmured, utterly at peace.

"Why don't you rest just a minute?" Eden suggested.

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked drowsily.

"I need you rested. How else will you ravish me tonight?"

"You want to be ravished?"

"Mmm hmm. Most definitely."

"I'd better rest, then," he half chuckled, half sighed. "Just for a moment, though."

In less than a minute his head grew heavy and sagged against hers. His left hand was in her lap and she smiled contentedly down at it, at the way his wedding band looked. He was her husband now. Her husband. She squeezed her eyes tight. Please protect him. Oh, God, please, please keep him safe.

Maria had on a deep blue coat with a light blue cashmere scarf tucked about her neck. Still she shivered slightly as they waited for Ryan to get the CD player going.  Mike, beside her, felt the shiver and turned, lifting her scarf up more, settling it higher so it covered part of her ears. "That's better," he pronounced softly, his hand brushing her cheek as he moved it away. She was standing directly under the porch light and it cast long shadows of her lashes over her cheekbones. Why had he never noticed how lovely she was? "Play something slow, Ryan," he said, not taking his eyes off her.

"Well, all I've got here are Mom's CDs so I don't think there's any Crowded House."

Ryan put in a CD then laughed as Red Sails in the Sunset began to play. "That'll do," Mike said, taking a step closer to Maria, holding out a hand for her to take. Her fingers were soft, small in his, vaguely electric. He wasn't sure, not yet, if she'd be stiff against him in the newness of their acquaintance, but she, too, took a step forward and as his other hand slid around her back, he was suddenly completely aware of her yielded suppleness against him, a willingness to let him guide her into the music. The awareness shot through his entire nervous system, a mingling of surprise and delight.

Ryan just let the whole CD play, one old love song after another drifting through the crisp night air. With each one, Mike held Maria a little closer than he had with the song before. Harold poked his head out the door. "Count down to midnight's on now."

Mike paused, looking down at Maria's uptipped face. "Happy New Year," she whispered and his hands moved as though by their own volition, framing her face. He kissed her, just lightly,

his lips warming atop hers, feelings stirring deep in his gut.

"Happy New Year, Maria," he said, lifting his lips enough to speak, then kissing her again with growing firmness.

Marshall had awakened moments before, just sitting still, listening to When I Grow Too Old Too Dream. His hand had sought, had found, Eden's and when the final whoop of the count down came from the kitchen, he pulled her to him, his mouth gentle yet eager on hers. A new year was
beginning and it was his wedding night.

ON TO PART 70

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