Marrying Kate by Kimberly Rae Jordan

always up this early?" Jared asked as he sat down across from her.
    Kate jerked her head around. "I didn’t hear you come downstairs."
    "Sorry about that. It was my job to learn to move silently. Old habits are hard to break." Jared took the mug of coffee out of her hands and took a sip before handing it back to her. "You certainly make exceptional coffee."
    "At least I can do one thing right. Coffee is a necessity for me. I’ll get you a cup." Kate moved to stand but Jared stopped her.
    "Don’t get up. I can get it for myself." He stood and went to the counter where the coffee pot sat. He filled a mug for himself then brought the pot over to refill Kate’s.
    "Thanks." She took a small sip before setting the mug down on the table.
    "You didn’t answer my question." Jared pointed out as he sat back down. "Are you always up this early?"
    "Usually. I like to watch the sunrise and it’s a bit of quiet before the day gets underway. I try and have my devotions too. I used to have them at night but now...." A light flush of pink spread across her cheeks.
    As Jared sat across from her he wondered how he could ever have missed the beauty in her. Her skin, though pale, was smooth and soft to his touch. He liked it when she blushed and her cheeks took on a rosy hue. He would have liked to make her blush more often but decided that for now, less was better. After a night of sleeping, wisps of her braid had come loose and gently framed her face. Even in sweats she looked very feminine and dainty.
    "So I’m interrupting your devotions," Jared stated. "I’ll leave you alone then."
    He started to stand but Kate’s soft voice stopped him. "Would you like to have devotions...together?"
     

Chapter Five
     
    Jared’s response to Kate’s question helped set a pattern for the next week. They both rose early and went to the kitchen for their coffee and devotions together. It was a time of growing and learning, not just about God and the Bible but also about each other.
    As Kate stood watching Jared jog down the driveway one morning for his daily run she couldn’t help thinking that it was worth it to take risks sometimes. So far she’d taken three big risks and each of them had paid off. Unfortunately, she wasn’t brave enough to take the biggest risk of all. Telling Jared that she loved him. That one risked the most and Kate wasn’t sure she’d survive if it didn’t pay off like the other ones had. No, for now, her love would stay a secret and someday, hopefully, the time would be right, the risk not so great.
    Kate knew she was crazy , but at times she figured that if she didn’t tell Jared she loved him and he didn’t tell her he didn’t love her, she could always imagine that he did. She knew it was a bit convoluted and pathetic, but a hopeful heart would grasp at the most outrageous reasoning.
    Once Jared was out of sight, Kate turned away from the window and went back to the kitchen to start breakfast. The kids would be up in a bit demanding food.
    She’d gotten a bit better at breakfast. Her pancakes were edible, especially covered in syrup, and she rarely burned bacon any more. She was still working on the scrambled and fried eggs though. For now she cooked them only when no one else was around to witness her failure.
    The dew sparkled on the leaves outside the kitchen window. Kate leaned forward to look out at the yard. She should be able to plant her seedlings soon. The risk of frost had past and flowers were starting to pop up. Jen had obviously planted tulips in the fall for already they had begun to sprout and blooms were just around the corner.
    Kate thought about spring as she prepared breakfast. Things coming to life. Some after being dormant for the winter. Others newly planted from seed. She could see both kinds in her life. Her dream of being a wife and mother had been long buried, only now coming to life again. Her relationship with Jared was definitely newly planted and just starting to grow. She hoped