The next few weeks were a blur of activity for Candy and Jeremy. Between planning the wedding and the house, they hardly had a spare minute and saw very little of each other alone. While Candy was sewing her wedding dress along with new quilts and curtains and such for their new home with the other Brides, Jeremy was building their cabin with his brothers and a few men from the camp. They'd left Corky in charge of the logging operation and devoted all of their time to the building of their brothers new home.
      It was the last day of April. The Bolt brothers took a break and surveyed their work. Jeremy and Candy's new home was coming along nicely, but not quite as quickly as they had hoped. Spring rains had caused quite a few delays. The wedding was only a week away.
      It was a pretty, two-story log cabin, nestled among ten acres of pine, fir and oak trees, located just outside of town, with a large barn set off to the left. It was a bit larger than one would expect for a newlywed couple, but they had wanted to do the job right from the beginning, rather than having to add on later. Jeremy intended this home to be their last, and had tried to plan for the future. There were four good sized bedrooms on the second floor. The way Jeremy saw things, Molly and Christopher each needed their own room and the two extra rooms, well, they were for, well... the future.
      There was another bedroom on the first floor for him and Candy. The parlor contained a beautiful huge stone fireplace, made from stones that Molly and Christopher had collected. Jeremy was quite proud of that fireplace. He knew that the children had picked each stone with extra care because it was for their new home. Molly and Christopher had been so happy when Jeremy and Candy told them of their marriage plans. When they talked of building a home for all four of them, the children had volunteered to collect the stones for the fireplace.
      There was also a huge dining room and a large kitchen. Candy had been very adamant about a large dining room. The way she figured it, Sunday supper was going to be a family affair, and their immediate family would number six right from the start, and she knew they'd be inviting Clancey, Lottie and Biddie almost every Sunday, too! And when (if?) Jason and Joshua got married, well, who knew how many they'd wind up feeding in that room! Candy sincerely hoped that they would marry eventually...it would be nice to have another woman who understood the Bolt stubbornness!
      And Jeremy had a surprise for Candy. Biddie and Lottie had helped him choose a stained-glass window that would be placed at the top of the front door. It was a bit of an extravagance, but Jeremy just knew that Candy would love it. It was due in on Clancey's ship on Wednesday.
      Candy, of course, was anxious to start decorating and bringing in the furniture, most of which had come from her home in New Bedford after her mother's death. She was getting nervous that the house wouldn't be ready in time for the wedding and Jeremy knew how much it meant to her to start their new life in their own home.
      "Josh, do you think we'll be able to finish in time?" Jeremy asked his older brother. Joshua had been the one to take Jeremy and Candy's dreams for their new home and draw all the plans. If anyone knew how much more needed to be done, it was Joshua.
      "Well, Jeremy, there's a good chance of that if the weather holds. I know, Candy is anxious to get started with the decorating, right?"
      "Yes, she is. She really wanted it to be done in time for the wedding."
      "Well, Jeremy, we'll do our best." Joshua said with determination in his voice.

      Back at the dormitory, Candy was fretting again. "Biddie, they're never going to finish in time. I just know it." The girls were sewing the lace onto Candy's wedding dress.
       "Candy, will you try to calm down, please? They'll get it done. And even if they don't finish in time for the wedding, Jason said it would only be a week or so more." Biddie was Candy's best friend, but sometimes she just didn't understand things.
       "I know, Biddie. But once Jeremy and I are married, I'd like to live in our own home."
       "Well, it's not like you'll have nowhere to go, Candy. You can always stay in your room here or in their cabin." Candy rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.
      "Biddie! I'd like to be ALONE with Jeremy on our wedding night."
      "Well, whatever difference... oh, I see. Why you naughty girl!" Candy's worries were forgotten as they both collapsed in giggles.