A Prescription for Love (32 page)

Michael?
Heidi’s eyes grew wide as he ran down the aisle waving frantically.
What’s Michael doing here?
Her heart thumped and unable to help herself she broke into a smile.

He raced up the few steps, wrenched her hands from Clarence’s grasp, and whipped her around to face him. The congregation sat in silence for a moment, then gasps and murmurs rose in the air.

“What are you doing here?” Heidi’s heart beat a rat-a-tat-tat and she tamped down the desire to yank Michael down the steps and race for the door. This sweaty, hair-falling-onto-his forehead, flushed, and panting man never looked so good.

Michael took a deep breath and drew her to him. “You don’t have to marry him, sweetheart.”

She took in a sharp breath. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know about the blackmail attempt.” Michael glared at Clarence, his jaw tightening. “And your little scheme won’t work.”

The mumbling from the congregation grew louder.

“Unhand my bride!” Clarence stepped forward and grabbed Heidi’s hand, attempting to pull her to him. Michael held firm.

“Clarence, let go,” Heidi fumed.

“No. You are my bride. This . . . this shopkeeper, who comes from a family of whores doesn’t deserve you.”

Heidi drew her arm back and slapped Clarence in the face with her bouquet. Rose petals flew in all directions, and Clarence spit greenery from his mouth.

“How dare you?” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “You brought your whore to our wedding.”

The Pastor’s eyebrows shot to his hairline and he swallowed furiously.

“Gloria is not a whore. Not any longer.”

The Pastor groaned.

“She’s
your
whore, and you intended to bring her on our honeymoon!” Heidi’s voice grew louder.

“There won’t be any honeymoon,” Michael announced and tugged Heidi to him. “Not with him, anyway.”

Clarence yanked back. “Yes, there will be.”

“No, there won’t,” Michael retorted, standing nose-to-nose with Clarence.

The Pastor withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead, then cleared his throat. “Perhaps we could all move to my office?”

Everyone ignored him.

Michael cupped Heidi’s face in his hands while Clarence yanked her arm, his hand clamped around her wrist.

“Let go, Clarence!” Heidi snarled, attempting to tug her hand free.

Michael moved to block Clarence. “Honey, your mother showed me the letter. I talked to Uncle Jesse and he doesn’t care. Do you hear me? He doesn’t care.”

Heidi ran her tongue around her dry lips. “He doesn’t care?” she responded with a shaky voice, hope soaring in her heart.

“No.” He pulled her closer, stepping on Clarence’s foot.

Michael dug the heel of his shoe in and twisted. “He said nothing was more important than love.” He caressed her cheek. “And, Heidi Lester, I love you.”

“Oh, Michael.” Her voice caught. “I love you, too.”

The Pastor fidgeted, glancing from side-to-side as if to escape.

Putting all his weight onto Clarence’s foot, Michael glared in his direction. “Let her go. Now.”

Clarence released Heidi’s hand, and Michael scooped her up in his arms and hurried from the altar. When they passed Papa, his jaw practically touching his chin, and Mother, her eyes sparkling with tears, Michael mouthed
thank you.
Heidi tossed her broken bouquet to her mother and slid her arms around Michael’s neck. His mouth covered hers and they continued down the aisle.

Once at the back of the church, Michael dragged his lips from hers and set her on her feet. “Never again in my whole life do I want to repeat the horrors of this morning.”

“Me, neither.” She shuddered.

He kissed her briefly on the forehead. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Michael strode back to where they’d left the wide-eyed Pastor and Clarence in the sanctuary. “Excuse me, sir,” he said to the Pastor. Then he drew his arm back and slammed his fist into Clarence’s face, knocking him backward to land on his rear end. Blood spurted from his nose. “The only reason I’m not beating the hell out of you is because we’re in church.”

He nodded to the Pastor, straightened his jacket, and headed to where Heidi watched him, hugging her middle, laughing.

Mrs. Manfred ran forward, glaring at Michael, and knelt in front of Clarence. He shoved her fluttering hands away.

Tears of happiness spilled from Heidi’s eyes and ran down her heated cheeks.

Mother approached and enveloped her in an embrace. “I’m so happy for you.” She released her, then held her at arm’s length. “You really do have a knight in shining armor.”

Michael joined them and slid his arm around Mother’s shoulders. “Wait until you see the horse this
knight in shining armor
rescued his damsel with.”

Papa smiled brightly after winking at Heidi, then shook Michael’s hand. “Young man, I’m assuming someone will explain everything to me one day. But since my wife and daughter are smiling for the first time in weeks, I’m mighty glad to see you.”

Turning back to Heidi, he drew her into his arms and kissed her cheek. “My dear, I can see you’re finally happy.” He placed Heidi’s hand in Michael’s, and murmured, “Welcome to the family, son.”

Papa rose on tiptoe and addressed the guests leaving the church. “Everyone, please join us as planned. The wedding breakfast has become an engagement party for my beautiful daughter and Michael Henderson, a pharmacist from the fine town of Guthrie.”

Heidi and Michael climbed into the back of Papa’s buggy and waved at the crowd, who continued to mumble to each other and shake their heads at the turn of events.

Michael pointed. “Look.” Heidi sighted Gloria leaving the church on the arm of a tall, gray-haired man, who had been seated two pews behind her. The handsome man leaned in to hear what she said and threw back his head in laughter. Together, they strolled in a different direction from the hotel where the wedding breakfast awaited the guests.

“Gloria will always land on her feet,” Michael said.

He returned his attention to Heidi and cupped her face in his hands. His gaze softened as he stared into her eyes. “Since you father has announced an engagement party, we should make it official. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.” She threw her arms around his neck, then leaned back. “Thank you.”

Michael grinned. “For what?”

“For being my knight in shining armor.”

“Always.” He bent his head and took possession of her mouth, leaving no doubt to whom she belonged.

Her heart beating rapidly, she licked her lips. “Um, one thing.”

“What, sweetheart? Whatever the problem is, we can work it out.” He smiled, his eyes warm with love.

“I hope you planned on having children.”

He grinned. “Of course. One day I want a little girl who looks exactly you.”

She blew out a breath of air. “Good. How about seven and a half months from now?”

Michael’s eyes grew wide, then his face broke into a grin. “Yes!”

For more of the Henderson family,

follow Tori’s story in

A Run For Love

Feisty school teacher Tori Henderson values her independence and has no use for a husband. When she finds herself the legal guardian of her two nieces, two nephews, and facing eviction from her Kansas home, she enters the 1889 Oklahoma land run and confronts a new set of challenges. The biggest obstacle being her new neighbor, cocky lawyer Jesse Cochran, the son of a whore--a man determined to put his past behind him and start a new life and family of his own.

Despite the undeniable attraction between them, Tori is determined to keep him at arm’s length, but a family emergency brings them together and they declare a truce. Can Jesse win Tori’s heart after a series of unplanned events, or will tragedy tear them apart forever?

Follow Elle’s story in

A Wife by Christmas

In 1906 Guthrie, Oklahoma, History teacher, Ellie Henderson, has been a thorn in High School Principal Max Colbert’s side ever since he took over three months ago. When she’s not flying by his office, late for her class, with books and papers jumbled in her arms, she’s attending Suffragettes meetings against his orders.

Because of her family connections, he can’t fire her, but he can certainly find someone to marry her, and keep her busy in the kitchen. And far away from his school. Max soon finds that what seemed like a good idea can turn into disaster when Miss Ellie Henderson is involved. The woman is a master at getting into trouble.

With the Christmas season in full swing, he has many opportunities to introduce her to prospective husbands. However, the uncomfortable feeling is growing that no one is worthy of the minx…

Also by CALLIE HUTTON:

An Angel in the Mail

An Angel in the Mail, set in 1861, unites newly penniless society belle Angel Hardwick and widower Nathan Hale, father of five, who is desperate for a wife to straighten his life out. Nate’s looking for someone who loves children and can easily take over the cooking, cleaning and laundry. Instead, he is getting Angel, whose culinary knowledge consists of weekly meetings with Cook to decide the family’s menu.

Angel is a strong-minded young woman, resigned to her fate, and determined to make the best of her situation. But will her new husband allow for mistakes? Or will he send her packing when she burns meals and misplaces his children?

Nate just wants a peaceful, well run household, without the distraction of an attractive wife. However, his beautiful wife with a very distractible body is not giving him peace. Somebody lied, because despite what he was told by the Bride Agency, this beauty knows nothing about running a home, but she sure sets him on fire at night.

Nate and Angel have to come to a working arrangement, overcoming problems between them. But will they be able to find a happily ever after with someone desperately working behind the scenes to destroy their relationship?

Available from Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing

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