((Contains material of an adult nature.))

For the men and women of Pax, a wedding was rarely a reason for work to stop. Even today, when three brothers had married their chosen wives, the work still went on. After a good meal spent with each other and the preacher, the group split up, each to return to their own land, their own chores. Eli and Dale rode off toward the east with promises to visit; Brona and Cody settled down to splitting their chores with Mahon and Nemone. Nate and Millie loaded the surrey with Old Man Green and Nate's possessions, and headed off to the mill in the warmth of the spring afternoon.

On their arrival, the old miller had taken charge, shooing Millie into the house to make room in her own bedroom for her husband and his belongings, and taking Nate's arm to enter the mill and begin the process of teaching the younger man just how it all worked. There was still wheat and corn to grind, and time to do it in, and by the time the sun had begun to set, Nate had been given a very thorough lesson or seven in how to be Pax's miller. Soft light spilled from the windows in the house as Millie called to the men to come inside, their supper ready for them on the table when they arrived. How quickly a routine settled in on them, when that morning they had been acquaintances only.

To be fair, Nate didn't have very many possessions to take with him to the mill. A life of drifting hadn't afforded him and his brothers the luxury of owning many possessions, and what they had once owned had been long since lost in the fire that had destroyed the family farm. All he had to his name was his clothing, his weapons, and his horse, and even so, they'd been hard earned. Despite his unfamiliarity with the mill, the house, and the people who lived there, Nate was quick and eager to learn and become part of the little family who lived there. He found himself growing quickly fond of the old man, and his daughter had already won his heart, but then, of the three Mullen boys, Nate was the easy-going one. He had always been eager and easy to please, a little bit shy, but warm and friendly - almost the opposite of his elder brother Eli. Sitting down to dinner with his new wife and her grandfather made him feel like part of a real family again.

And, of course, now he was a member of their family, he was let in on the secret of Old Man Green's first name - Henry, but Harry to those he gave the privilege to. Harry and Millie were as easy-going as Nate, in their way, very eager to make him feel welcome as they dined on pease porridge and ham together. "And if I'm not mistaken, Nate, your wife has been putting together something special for the evening meal," the old man teased the young couple as Millie gathered their plates together, blushing at her grandfather's grin.

Nate didn't seem to mind if it was pease porridge or a feast fit for a king. There had been plenty of nights he and his brothers had gone to bed hungry, and he had learned to be thankful for even the simplest of meals. Nate couldn't help but smile happily as the old man reminded him that Millie was now his wife. He been sneaking glances at her all through supper, knowing what was expected of them when night came, and both excited and terrified of it. "Oh?" he asked, arching a brow as he looked Millie's way.

She glanced between the two men, the elder grinning knowingly, the younger curious, and shrugged defensively. "I like baking," she protested mildly from behind her smile, green eyes sparkling as she held Nate's gaze a little longer than was, perhaps, necessary. It didn't take her long to set the plates in the sink, bending to draw a pie from the oven to set onto the table between them. "Our first strawberries of the year," she told them. "I'll get the cream."

"Oh," Nate repeated, leaning forward to inhale the smell of freshly-baked pie. She'd apparently been busy in the kitchen while he was getting lessons at the mill from her grandfather. "I thought I smelled something baking," he said, chuckling a little. "You're gonna make me fat."

"You deserve to be spoiled a little," she told him affectionately, setting a knife down for the men to cut into the pie as she fetched the cream from the pantry.

Harry chuckled, almost visibly salivating at the prospect of such a treat. "You're a lucky man," he told Nate while Millie was out of earshot. "Usually she trades these pies, she doesn't let me eat them."

Nate looked shocked at that. "Trades them for what?" he asked, turning to watch as Millie stepped briefly away before looking back at her grandfather. He'd have thought she'd have kept at least one to share with him. He hoped she'd traded them for something worthwhile in return. "My Ma used to bake pies. My favorite was apple."

"The first pies of each season, she trades," Old Man Green clarified, with a chuckle for the shock on Nate's face. "She trades them for little things I always forget when we go to market - things women think of. Cloth for shirts and pants, thread, spices, that sort of thing. She gets a good bargain."

"What stories are you filling his head with now, Grandpa?" Millie asked, her own brow raised suspiciously over her smile as she returned to the table, the jug of cream in her hand.

"Well, from now on, we keep one for us and trade the rest," Nate declared with a grin, not just for his own sake but for the old man's, as well. What good was it to make pies if you couldn't enjoy at least one of them' All this was said with Nate's easy-going grin.

Millie laughed as she sat down, waiting for her grandfather to finish passing out slices of the pie. "Are you complaining again?" she asked the old man. He grinned at her around a mouthful of pastry, pouring cream over the contents of his bowl. She rolled her eyes, looking to Nate. "If I didn't trade my pies, he'd be in nothing but his scanties, and he knows it."

"Reckon that'd be a problem come winter," Nate replied with a grin. He wasn't stupid enough to think everything would come easy, but so far, he seemed to be fitting into the little family at the mill very well and both Millie and her grandfather had done everything they could to make him feel welcome. And why shouldn't they' They needed an extra pair of hands to help with the milling, and Nate provided those hands. But perhaps even more importantly, he provided companionship, protection, and with time, love and children. Nate waited until the old man was done with the cream before pouring some over his own slice, forcing himself not to gulp it down too greedily.

But if all they had needed was an extra pair of hands, surely they would have found someone by now. Old Man Green was too fond of his granddaughter not to have allowed her to leap when the moment presented itself, and he was glad for the company of a young man who would love Millie for her own sake, and not simply for the land wealth she represented. As for Millie ....no one could compare to Nate, even after so short an acquaintance. She watched him as he ate, feeling her cheeks flush as her mind wandered to the privacy of the night that was fast approaching them. Hiding her blush as best she could, she ate daintily, glad that the men in her life seemed happy tonight.

"I'll be walking without help come winter, just you wait," Harry insisted with a nod. "You won't have to help me around so much now the warmer weather gives me a chance to get out and strengthen up again."

"We'll have you walking by winter," Nate promised. "But I can handle the mill now, and I have an idea to make things easier," he said, reminding them both of his idea to construct something that would feed grain to the stones without having to do it by hand. It would take some time, but he thought it would be well worth the effort.

"Mm ..." The old man swallowed his mouthful, nodding as his eyes lit up with interest. "Millie was saying something about that last night. Something that would regulate the flow of wheat or corn without needing someone to hold the bag, yes?"

Millie's soft heart couldn't stand seeing him so upset. She eased closer to him, touching her forehead to his. "One mistake doesn't make you a bad man," she told him softly. "And it doesn't change my heart or my mind. You're not a violent man, you're not a cruel man. You're my man now, and I'm not going to send you away from me, not unless you want to go. Nate, if I had any doubts, I wouldn't have married you. I'm your wife, and that's more than a piece of paper or a spoken promise. You and me, looking forward together, always. What happened before doesn't matter."

Nate sniffled back his tears, the first time he'd cried in front of anyone in a long time. "I promise I'll do everything I can to make you happy, Millie. That's all I want. Just to make you happy," he told her, as he touched his forehead to hers. He felt a huge weight lifted from his chest at his confession. No one else might need to know, but he owed it to Millie and her grandfather to know the truth. That kind of kindness deserved honesty.

"I'll put my earplugs in tonight, then," Old Man Green muttered loudly from not so far away.

Millie's cheeks lit up in a bright blush as she giggled softly, ignoring her grandfather as much as she could to lean close and gently kiss her husband's lips. "We'll be happy," she promised him. "Together."

Nate made no comment regarding the earplugs though he did smile at the old man's remark, before returning Millie's kiss. He touched her cheek with rough but gentle fingers, relieved she hadn't judged him and didn't hate him. What was past was past, it seemed, and together they'd build their own future.

She smiled, nuzzling close for a long moment before she drew back. "Now ....we need to secure the house, and tidy up before bed," she told him matter-of-factly, the issue of his past mistakes dealt with and finished in her mind. "You mind closing the shutters while I sort out the kitchen?"

"I can do that," he replied, with a nod of his head as he brushed whatever remained of the tears from his face. He felt little shame in it, having bared his soul to those who had become his kin. "Thank you," he told them both, meaning it with all his heart.

"You're family now, Nate, our family," Harry told him, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder firmly. "No more regrets about what?s been and gone. We'll look after you, the way you'll look after us."

Millie nodded in agreement, brushing a kiss to Nate's cheek. "No more tears, sweetheart," she whispered to him affectionately.

He nodded his head again, smiling this time, reassured by the two people who had unexpectedly welcomed him into their hearts and their home. It seemed Brona had known what she was doing when she'd brought him to the mill to meet Millie. "I'll get the shutters. Anything else you need me to do?" he asked, unafraid to earn his keep.

"Bring some wood in for the morning fire," Harry suggested, letting Millie rise and go back to her own chores. "And I'll get myself settled in to read before I sleep. It's an early night for us tonight, I think."

"Do you need help?" he asked, wondering if the old man needed help getting to his room or getting ready for bed. It would take a while before they got into a routine, but he didn't want to disrupt what they were used to - only lend his help where he could.

Reluctant though he was to admit it, Harry nodded. "Just to the door," he told Nate. "Everything in there is set up so I can settle myself, but getting there can be a trial. Feels wrong to lean on a girl, somehow."

"I don't mind," Nate replied, just a little ashamed of his emotional outburst, but neither of them seemed to have held it against him. He got up from his chair, leaving Millie to clean up the kitchen while he got "Harry" to his room, gathered wood for the morning, and closed up the shutters and locked the doors.

As far as his new grandfather was concerned, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Honesty was important, especially in a new marriage, and Harry appreciated that Nate had chosen to include him in that little confession, however little it mattered in the grand scheme of things.

As far as Millie was concerned, there was no shame in what had been done, and it had no bearing on her choice to become Nate's wife. Admittedly, she did linger on her chores a while longer than she would usually have done, but then, she'd never had a husband before. She'd never even shared her bed before, and now ....Her cheeks flushed as she considered what was to come, unlacing her boots to leave them in the main room.

Nate knew what was expected of him, but he'd never been married before. He'd never even had a girl of his own before. Oh, he was no virgin, to be sure, but he had never been with anyone he had any feelings for before. He was as nervous as she was, as he went about closing up the house, maybe even more considering the fact that it was supposed to be up to him to lead the way, assuming it was her first time. He'd been drunk both times before - thanks to Eli - and hardly remembered the incidents, but maybe they could lead each other and learn by experience.

Of course, Millie knew the basic theory - what went where, etc - but there was quite a leap between giggly secondhand stories and experiencing it for herself. And she knew she wanted to experience it with Nate, which somehow made that fluttering feeling in her stomach even worse. Setting her boots aside, she knew she couldn't hold it off any longer, lowering the lamps until the only bright light in the house emanated from the open door of her - their - bedroom. Hopefully, Nate would know to look for her there, already twisting to undo the buttons at her back as she avoided meeting her own gaze in the mirror.

Nate wasn't procrastinating exactly, but he felt as nervous as a schoolboy at his first social. He could only delay the inevitable so long though, and as soon as the house was locked up and secured for the night, he found his way up the stairs to her room - the only one with a light still on - and knocked politely on the door before proceeding inside.

She turned away from the mirror with some relief, her fingers still working on the buttons at her back, to smile shyly as her husband knocked on the door. "Come in, Nate," she called to him softly. "I-it's your room as well, now."

He ducked his head as he entered the room, a little stunned to find her unbuttoning herself, though it was to be expected. He wondered if she was as nervous as he was or if she even wanted to share a bed with him. It sort of went without saying that a husband and wife did that, but now that the moment had arrived, he was feeling a little bit shy. He had already taken off his boots and his coat, clad in trousers, shirt, and socks, his hair a little awry from the wind. "I, uh ....I didn't want to intrude."

She shook her head, her unbound hair falling about her face and shoulders as she did so. "You-you're not intruding," she promised him softly. "This is your home now. And ....and I'm your wife." She was surprised by how breathless she sounded, uncertain if that was because of her own nerves, or because of the oddly exposed sensation as the last of her buttons came loose. She was hardly naked - a corset, camisole, and bloomers were under the dress - but this was the most undressed she'd been with anyone since she was eight years old. "I-I didn't know if you'd want to ....undo me, so I ....I started myself."

Eager to remove that last layer of clothing now that he had her permission, his hands smoothed up against her sides to discard her chemise, his gaze moving over the wonder of her body now that it had been revealed to him. And what a wonder she was. If he had wanted her before, he only wanted her more now, his body feverish with needful desire. He wanted to touch her and taste her and claim for his own, but first he just wanted to take her all in and memorize her.

Bare to his eyes, her hands fell slowly back down, hesitating with the urge to cover herself only to be forced to her sides by her own willpower. She would never progress beyond this moment if she tried to hide from him now, she was sure of it, biting her lip in the silence as she trembled under the heat of her husband's gaze. Fidgeting, she glanced down at herself, almost relieved by the way her hair fell forward to conceal a little of herself. "I-I know I'm not ....not like other girls," she offered, apologizing for herself without realizing it. "But I will do my best, Nate. I promise."

Once his eyes had devoured the view, it was time to let his hands have a turn, but before he could lift one finger to touch her, she was confusing him further with an apology he did not understand. "Not like other girls?" he echoed, clearly confused. "What makes you think I want you to be?"

"I'm too tall and my legs are too long, and I'm not ..." She blushed darker, glad he couldn't see her that clearly as she gestured to herself. "Well, I'm not big, not like some girls." Not that she was small either, but then, they had spent the day in the company of a tiny woman who was rather well-endowed for her size.

Nate pressed a finger to her lips to silence her, a soft smile on his face in the moonlight. "You ain't too tall. You're perfect," he assured her gently. He didn't bother to go into his own list of self-doubts; he had shared most of them with her already anyway and knew she'd only disagree with him. "Maybe we ain't perfect, but we're perfect for each other," he told her, taking her by the hand and pulling her toward the bed.

Tender and shy, but easily reassured by his smile and his gentle words, she followed him without question, moving silently to the bed in his wake. Her own smile flickered onto her face as she dared yet again to push against her own timidity, pressing to his bare back as her arms encircled his waist. Her fingers drummed against his stomach as she whispered into his ear. "I think it's your turn to show me how beautiful you are."

He frowned, not because her arms were around him, but because he was sure he wasn't half as manly as other men, though he had just claimed they were perfect for one another. "I don't wanna disappoint you," he told her, unsure just what she was expecting when his own clothing came off.

Her lips brushed his shoulder as she embraced him. "We're perfect for each other," she murmured against his skin, echoing his words of only a few moments before. "You couldn't disappoint me if you tried."

He was pretty sure he could, though he hoped he didn't. Taking a deep breath, he unhooked her arms from around his waist and put a few feet between them before finishing what she'd started by undoing his belt and his pants. His silhouette in the moonlight was tall, like her, with a slim build made up mostly of muscle, not bulky, but solid.

Just as he had done with her, Millie found her gaze traveling over every inch of him, her breath catching in her throat. How could he ever think he could disappoint her" He wanted her - that much was quite clear, even in the dim light. She stepped close to him, her fingertips skimming over his sides as her lips gently touched his. "Beautiful," she promised him in a tender whisper.

"You are beautiful, Millie," he replied quietly, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her and her acceptance of him. Was this what it felt like to fall in love" He drew her close, kissing her tenderly before easing her back onto the bed. He wondered if he should ask permission to touch her or if he should just do what his instincts told him. They were married now, after all, and they belonged to each other.

Emboldened by his sincere compliment, Millie gathered him into her arms as she lay back on the bed at his bidding. The time for words had passed; indeed, they were past the point of no return by now, too engaged in one another to even consider not fulfilling the promises their bodies were sharing as they traded kisses back and forth. For someone who was so shy in daylight, she had found her courage in Nate's arms, and it was Nate who reaped the benefits of that courage in the passage of her hands and lips as she shifted restlessly beneath him.

For all his nervousness, he grew bolder with her, as the two of them explored the other and discovered the magic of the love that had been kindled between them. He took his time with her, gentle when gentleness was warranted, a warm and tender and caring lover, even if he was a bit awkward and inexperienced. All that would come in time. For now, the joy was in discovering and exploring and learning each other and opening their hearts to the prospect of love.

She didn't notice his nerves or and awkwardness in him, awakened to what it truly felt like to be wanted and cared for in the way he touched her, the way he kissed her, the way she felt herself responding to the purpose in him. There was so much to learn, so much to explore, that they could not encompass it all in a single night. They had a lifetime to spend in those lessons with one another. As she arched beneath him, crying out in startled delight despite the sharp pain that marked her as indelibly his for eternity, she held on tightly, determined in that moment never to let go.

His cries echoed hers, though there was no pain for him, only delight. He tried to be as gentle as he could, though he knew there would be some pain for her. He smothered her with kisses and caresses, hoping to at least distract her from that pain, but once they were joined, there was no going back. Nate had known anything so beautiful before, and he wondered briefly if he'd died and gone to heaven in her arms.

If this was heaven, then he was an angel. Better, he was her angel; their promises exchanged before witnesses and before God, and confirmed now in the sacrosanct privacy of their marital bed. It may well have been a hasty marriage, and they would have their share of bumps in the road as time went on, but from this moment, all their moments would be shared as they walked together into the future.

((Aren't they sweet?))