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  Crystal had been fascinated by Boyd's pretty little Japanese wife when she first arrived. Hiroko's gentle, delicate ways, her hesitant speech, her enormous politeness and her cautious English drew Crystal like a magnet. But Olivia wouldn't let Crystal speak to her, and even her father had thought it best that she stay away from them. Some things were better left alone, and these days the Websters were among them.

  What are you doing, standing there, staring at your sister? Olivia noticed Crystal watching them, and suddenly remembered that she was there. I told you half an hour ago to go help Grandma in the kitchen.

  Without a word, Crystal left the room, soundlessly on bare feet, as Becky chattered on nervously about the wedding. And when she got to the kitchen, there were already three women there, having come to help from neighboring farms and ranches. Becky's wedding was going to be the event of the year, and the first of the summer. Friends and neighbors would be coming from miles around. There were two hundred guests expected, as the women worked furiously to put the last touches on the enormous lunch they would serve after the service.

  Where've you been, girl? Her grandmother snapped at her, and pointed rapidly at a huge ham. They slaughtered their own pigs and cured their own. Everything they would be serving was homemade and homegrown, even the wine her father would be pouring.

  Crystal got to work without saying a word, and within moments she felt a sharp slap on her bottom. Nice dress, Sis. Dad get it for you in San Francisco? Inevitably, it was Jared, leering down at her from his enormous height. At sixteen, he was always anxious to tease and to torture. He was wearing new slacks that were already a little too short, and a white shirt his grandmother had pressed and starched until it could have stood on its own. But his feet were still bare, he was carrying his shoes, and his new jacket and tie were cast lazily over his shoulder. He had fought like cats and dogs with Becky for years, but in the past year Crystal had become the object of his attentions. He helped himself to a slice of the succulent ham as Crystal swiped at his fingers.

  I'll cut them off if you don't watch it. She waved the knife at him, more than a little teasing. He irked her constantly. He loved to tease and to play and to annoy her. More than once he had pressed her until she took a swing at him, which he always deflected easily, and then boxed her less than gently on her ear for trying. Get away from me ' go bother someone else, Jar. More often than not she called him Jarhead. Why aren't you helping too?

  I've got better things to do. I have to help Dad set out the wine.

  Yeah ' I'll bet ' She growled at him, she'd seen him get drunk with his friends, but she would have died before squealing to their father. Even when they were at odds, there was still an unspoken bond between them. Make sure you leave some for the guests.

  Make sure you remember to wear shoes.' He slapped her bottom again and she dropped the knife and grabbed at his arm, but too late, as he sped down the hall toward his own bedroom, whistling. He stopped outside Becky's door for an instant, and poked his head in, as she stood in her brassiere and underpants, adjusting her garter belt, just as the door flew open. Hi, kid ' Wow! He gave a long wolf whistle and Becky let out a hideous scream.

  Get him out of here! She threw her hairbrush at him, but he slammed the door shut before it hit him. They were familiar sounds in the comfortable old ranch house, and no one in the kitchen paid much attention as Tad Wyatt came in, already dressed in his dark blue suit for the wedding. He had an air of solidity and warmth and quiet distinction about him. His family had had money once, lots of it, but they had lost most of it years before, even before the Depression. They had had to sell off thousands of acres, and he had turned the ranch around and made it successful again, by the sweat of his brow, and with Olivia beside him. But he had seen a little bit of the world before he married her. He talked to Crystal about it sometimes when they went on long walks, or sat in driving rains, or waited for a cow to give birth in the winter. He shared things with her that had been long buried and were almost forgotten. There's a big world out there, little girl ' with a lot of beautiful places in it ' not many better than this ' but they're worth seeing nonetheless' . He told her about places like New Orleans and New York, and even England. And whenever Olivia heard him she scolded him for filling Crystal's head with nonsense. Olivia herself had never been farther than the Southwest, and even that seemed foreign to her. And her two oldest children shared her view of the world. The valley was enough, and all the people in it. Only Crystal dreamed of something more, and wondered if she would ever see it. She loved the valley too, but there was room in her heart for more than that. Like her father she loved the valley with a passion and yet she loved to dream of faraway places.

  How's my girl? Tad Wyatt wandered in and looked proudly down on his youngest daughter. Even there, in the kitchen filled with women, in her old blue gingham dress, the sight of Crystal tugged at his heart and her beauty took his breath away, and it was impossible for him to conceal it. He was only grateful that this wasn't her wedding day. He knew he couldn't have stood it. And he wouldn't have let her marry a man like Tom Parker. But for Becky, he was all right. Becky didn't have dreams ' there were no stars in the secret skies of her heart ' she had no secret visions. She wanted a husband and kids and a cottage on the ranch, and an ordinary man like Tom, with no ambition and few dreams, and that was what she was getting.

  Hi, Dad. Crystal looked straight into his eyes with a gentle smile, and without words, the love that they shared spoke volumes.

  Did Mama make you a pretty dress for today? He had wanted her to, he always wanted her to. He smiled, remembering the stockings he had given Crystal to wear to the wedding, even if Olivia did think him foolish.

  Crystal nodded, as he watched her. It was pretty enough. But not like anything you'd see in the movies. It was just a dress. A nice, white dress. The nylon stockings were going to be the best part of her outfit, invisible and sheer and exciting. But Tad knew she could have worn anything, and she would have been lovely.

  Where's your mama? He looked around the kitchen and saw only his mother-in-law and three of his wife's friends, and Crystal.

  Helping Becky dress.

  Already? She'll be wilted before we ever get to the church. They exchanged a smile, the day was already getting warm, and the kitchen seemed to be steaming. Where's Jared? I've been looking for him for an hour. But he looked good-natured as he said it, he wasn't easily ruffled. He had been patient with all of them ever since they were children.

  He said he was going to help you with the wine. Crystal smiled as their eyes met again, and she offered him a slice of the ham she had only moments before begrudged her brother.

  Help me drink it more like. They both laughed and he walked down the hall to Jared's bedroom. Jared's passion was cars and not ranches and his father knew it, the only one who truly loved the ranch, who understood it, who loved the land as he did, was Crystal. He walked past the bedroom where Becky was dressing with her mother's help, and knocked on his son's door. Come and help me move the tables, Son. There's still work to do outside. They had set long tables with white linen cloths, left over from his own mother's wedding half a century before. The guests would eat shaded by the enormous trees that surrounded the ranch house.

  Tad Wyatt poked his head into Jared's room and found him lying on the bed, looking at a magazine full of pictures of women. Can I interrupt you long enough to give me a hand, Son? Jared jumped to his feet with a nervous grin, his tie askew, and his hair slicked back with a tonic he had bought in Napa.

  Sure, Dad. Sorry.

  Tad was careful not to rumple the boy's carefully styled hair, and put a powerful arm around his shoulders. It seemed odd to him that one of them was getting married so soon. In his mind, they were still babies ' he could remember Jared learning to walk ' and chasing chickens ' and falling off the tractor when he was four ' teaching him to drive when he was seven ' hunting with him when he was hardly taller than the rifle ' and Becky barely older than that, and now sh
e was getting married.

  It's a fine day for your sister's wedding. He looked up at the sky, and smiled at his son, as he directed Jared and three of the ranch hands where to put the tables. It was another hour before everything was set to his liking, and when he went back to the kitchen for a cool drink with Jared, Crystal was gone, and there was no sign of any of the women. All of them were in Becky and Crystal's room now, exclaiming over the dress, and sighing and dabbing at their eyes as they saw Becky finally in her lace and gauzy splendor. She was a beautiful bride, as most girls are, and all of them were pressed around her, offering her their good wishes, and making veiled comments about her wedding night, until she blushed hotly and turned to see Crystal quietly slipping into her own simple dress in the corner. The dress offered no excitement at all and yet in its stark simplicity, it only seemed to set off her beauty more. The treasured nylons were carefully in place, and the flat white pumps didn't add to her considerable height. And as she stood quietly in the corner, and they turned to look at her, with her sheaf of pale gold hair, and a little halo of baby's breath and white roses, she looked almost like an angel. By comparison, Becky seemed overdressed, overdone, and far less striking. Crystal seemed to be frozen in place in a rare moment between childhood and womanhood, there was no artifice to her, nothing raw, nothing sharp, only the subtle smoothness of her startling beauty.

  Well ' Crystal looks very nice, one of the women said, as though by ordinary words one could make her less dazzling, but it couldn't be done, Crystal was who she was, and nothing could diminish that, not even the plain white dress that she wore. As one looked at her, all was forgotten except the graceful way she moved and her incredible face beneath the halo of innocent white flowers. Becky was carrying white roses, too, and the women in the room had to force themselves to turn around and exclaim over her again. But there was no denying it. It was Crystal who was the beauty.

  We'd better be going, Olivia said finally, and led the women outside to where her husband and Jared were already waiting. They were using separate cars to get to the church. The wedding itself was going to be small, their friends were invited to the lunch afterward, but very few had been invited to the church service.

  Tad watched the women as they came down the porch steps, talking and laughing and giggling like young girls. It brought 4iis own wedding day to mind. Olivia had looked lovely in her mother's wedding gown, but it seemed so long ago now. She looked so tired and so worn and so different now. Life hadn't been easy for them, the Depression had been particularly rough, but that was all over now. The ranch was doing well, their children were almost grown, they were safe and happy in their comfortable little world in their remote little valley. And then suddenly he caught his breath, as Becky stood on the porch, looking shy and proud, the veil clouding her face, her bouquet of roses held in her trembling hands. She looked lovely, and he felt tears sting his eyes as he saw her.

  Isn't she a picture, Tad? Olivia whispered proudly, pleased at the effect their oldest daughter had visibly had on him. For years she had tried to push Becky deeper into his affections, but it was always Crystal who warmed his heart ' Crystal ' with her wild ways and unfettered grace as she ran at his heels. But now Becky had finally done it.

  You look lovely, sweetheart. He gently kissed his daughter, feeling the veil touch his lips with her cheek, and he pressed her hand as they both fought back tears, and then the moment was gone and they were all hurrying to the cars to get her to the church where she would become Mrs. Thomas Parker. It was a big day for all of them, and especially for Becky, and as he hurried around the car to slide behind the wheel, he suddenly stopped and felt the same pangs that had torn at his heart since the first time he saw her. Standing shyly like a doe in the plain white dress, hesitant, shy, the sun glinting on her hair, her eyes the same color as the sky, Crystal stood and watched him. There was no fighting what he felt for her, what she was to him, and always had been. She stopped for a moment, too, and they both smiled. She felt strong and alive and loved whenever she was near him. He smiled at his youngest child, as she slipped into the car Jared was driving their grandmother in, and with a wild gesture she tossed one of her white roses at him, and with a gurgle of laughter, he caught it. It was Becky's day, he didn't need Olivia to remind him of that, Crystal was who she was. And she meant everything to him. She was the rarest of the rare. She was simply ' Crystal.

  The service was simple and sweet as the bride and groom exchanged their vows in the little white church in Jim Town. Becky looked pretty and proud in the gown her mother had made, and Tom looked nervous and very young in a new blue suit he had bought for the wedding. Boyd Webster was the best man, with his coppery hair and a face full of freckles. And as Tad watched them from the front pew, he thought of how young they all were, scarcely more than children.

  Crystal was her sister's only attendant, she stood to one side, looking shyly up at Boyd, and trying not to look with curious fascination at his wife in the back row. Hiroko had worn a simple green silk dress, and a string of pearls, and black patent leather shoes. She was anxious to look as Western as she could, although Boyd had wanted her to wear a kimono. She had worn a ceremonial kimono at their own wedding in Japan, and she had looked like a doll with the traditional Kanzashi in her hair, and the gold dagger and tiny brocade purse filled with coins tucked into her gold obi. But all of that was forgotten now, as Becky's close family and friends watched her become Tom's wife. He kissed the bride, as Jared cheered, and Olivia dabbed at her eyes with the lace handkerchief she had carried at her own wedding. Everything had gone off perfectly, and they stood outside for a time, chatting with family and friends and admiring Becky. The best man slapped Tom on the back as he beamed, and everyone shook hands and kissed and enjoyed the simple celebration. Jared threw a handful of rice at them as they got back into their cars, and drove in convoy back to the Wyatt Ranch for the carefully prepared luncheon that Olivia, Minerva, and their neighbors had been working on for days before the wedding.

  As soon as they got home, Olivia flew around the kitchen instructing ranch hands to carry trays and platters to the waiting tables outside. Their wives had been hired on to help serve and clean up afterward, and the tables laden with food seemed to stretch on forever, turkeys and capons, roast beef and ribs and hams, black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes, vegetables and salads, aspics and deviled eggs, and cookies and sweets and fruit pies and a huge white wedding cake set up on its own table. It looked like enough food for an army, as Tad helped the men to open the wine, and Tom stood grinning at his bride, with Boyd smiling shyly beside them. Boyd was a good-looking boy with an open heart and kind eyes, and he had always been fond of the Wyatts. His sister, Ginny, had gone to school with Becky, and he remembered Jared and Crystal when they were babies, although he was scarcely older than they were. But at twenty-two, with four years of war under his belt, he felt a lifetime older.

  Well, Tom, you did it. How does it feel to be a married man? Boyd Webster grinned broadly at his friend, as Tom looked around him with unconcealled pleasure. Marrying into the Wyatt family had been a step up in the world for Tom Parker. He was looking forward to living on the ranch and sharing in its comfortable profits, if not directly, at least in life-style. Tad had been grooming him for months, explaining to him about the corn and the cattle and the vineyards. The walnuts were the least profitable venture on the ranch, but even that was no small operation. And in walnut season, everyone on the ranch lent a hand, until their fingers were stained from picking and shelling the walnuts. For the first few months, though, Tom was going to be helping his father-in-law with the vineyards.

  Yeah, I'll bet you will, one of Tom's friends teased him over plates heaped with ham and turkey, wine-tasting, isn't that what they call it, Tom? The groom laughed happily, his eyes a little too bright, as Becky giggled in the center of a group of the girls she had grown up with. Most of them were married now too. With the war finally over, and the boys coming home just as the girls finished high sc
hool, there had been dozens of weddings in the valley in the past year, and some of them had already had babies. And they were already teasing Becky now about getting pregnant. It won't be long, Becky Wyatt ' just you wait ' another month or two, and you'll be expecting! The girls giggled as cars and pickup trucks continued to drive up, and their neighbors arrived, dressed in their Sunday best, reprimanding their children, admonishing them to behave, and not tear their clothes running wild with their friends around the tables. Within an hour, there were two hundred well-wishers crowded along the long tables of food, and half as many children, small ones standing close to their mothers' legs, afraid to stray too far, babes in arms, a few little boys carried about on their fathers' shoulders, and a slight distance away from the carefully laid tables, a huge crowd of children running and playing tag, with their parents' words of caution instantly forgotten. The boys were chasing each other around the trees, as several of the more adventurous ones climbed them, and the girls stood in large groups giggling and talking and laughing, some of them taking turns on the swings Tad had built years before for his own children. They joined their elders briefly from time to time, but on the whole each group was content to ignore the other, the parents assumed that the children were safe nearby, and the children were content that their parents were having too much fun to concern themselves about what their offspring were up to.