The Rancher (20 page)

She wished she had an ounce of
his confidence. The closer to Sunday it drew, the stronger the
sense of foreboding grew. Something was going to stop this wedding.
Laurel just knew it.

"Hold still," Abigail said,
grabbing Laurel's shoulder and turning her the way she needed her
to stand. "I only have a few more stitches and you'll be done."

Laurel stopped fidgeting and
stared out the window. Emmaline and Abigail had shown up right
after breakfast to do the last minute alterations to her dress.
They'd rearranged the school house the day before, removing the
desks and lining the benches up for everyone to sit at since there
wasn’t a church, or a building large enough to hold everyone who
may show up, in Willow Creek. Fall flowers and ribbons decorated
the room and Holden had met the circuit preacher and tucked him
away in the hotel to await the wedding. Everything was in place,
the clock ticking off the minutes and in less than an hour, she'd
be Laurel Avery, wife to Holden and new mother to Alexandra.

She turned her head when she
heard the sound of dragging feet and smiled when Alexandra poked
her head in the door. She was wearing a dress the color of a summer
sky. The pale blue material was trimmed in lace and small delicate
flowers had been woven into her blonde hair which fell in curly
waves down her back. "You look beautiful, Alexandra."

The girl's cheeks turned pink
but she wouldn't meet her gaze. She watched Abigail, looked around
the small room and sighed heavily.

"Is there anything wrong,"
Laurel asked.

Alexandra shrugged one
shoulder.

Abigail stepped around her,
smiling, drawing her attention away from Alexandra. "There. All
done." She beamed up at her, her eyes dancing with mirth. "I don't
think I've ever seen a lovelier bride."

Laurel thanked her and waited
until Abigail had put all her sewing notions away before turning to
face Alexandra. She was still by the door looking at anything but
her. "Could I have a word with Alexandra," Laurel said, never
taking her eyes off the girl. "Alone, please."

Abigail and Emmaline said
nothing. Just grabbed their things and left the room, pulling the
door shut behind them.

"Would you like to sit
down?"

Alexandra sighed again and shook
her head.

Laurel crossed the room and
stooped down to be eye level with her. "What is it?"

It took Alexandra a few moments
but she finally raised her head and met her gaze. Her eyes were
glassy with unshed tears. "I changed my mind," she said. "I don't
want you to marry my pa."

She'd been expecting something,
but this wasn't it. Laurel took a moment to collect her thoughts
before nodding her head. "All right." She tried to smile, failed at
the attempt. "Will you at least tell me why?"

The tears shimmering in
Alexandra's eyes slipped past her lashes and Laurel reached up to
brush them away. The girl sucked in a breath and let it out before
sniffling. "If my pa marries you, he may not love me as much
anymore."

"Oh, Alexandra." Laurel's heart
went out to the girl, despite their rocky relationship. She smiled
and held her arms out, hoping Alexandra would accept her offer. It
took a few moments but she reluctantly accepted and stepped into
Laurel's embrace.

"Your daddy loves you more than
anything in this world," she said. "Even me. Nothing will ever
change that. The love he has for you is different from everyone
else. What we feel for a friend or a parent is different than a
child or a wife or husband. You'll always be first in his heart.
Always."

Alexandra sniffled again and
raised her head. "You're not just saying that?"

Laurel smiled, her own eyes
burning. "No, I'm not just saying that." She pushed Alexandra's
hair across her shoulder. "If you feel this strongly about it
though, maybe you should talk to your pa and tell him. I'm sure
he'll understand."

The look on Alexandra's face
said she'd rather do anything else in the world than say any such
thing to Holden. She sighed, scrubbed a hand across her nose and
met her gaze. "No. He wants you to marry him and I already said it
was okay. He'll not be happy if I tell him I've changed my mind.
Not today." She shook her head. "He was smiling this morning bigger
than I've seen in a while. It wouldn't be fair to make him call off
the wedding."

Laurel's breath whooshed out in
relief. She smiled and stood, stretching out her back when she
straightened. "Everything will work out fine, Alex. Just wait and
see."

Alex's eyes widened as she
looked up at Laurel. "You called me Alex."

"That I did." Laurel smiled down
at her again. "My wedding gift to you. I'll not force anyone to
call you Alexandra if you prefer to be called Alex."

The girl's face lit up. "Does
that mean you're not going to make me wear dresses after you and pa
get married?"

Laurel laughed. "Not on your
life. You'll grow to be a proper young lady if it kills me."

They stood staring at each other
before Laurel smiled. "I do have a favor to ask of you though. And
I'd be honored if you'd accept."

Alex looked up, a curious look
in her eyes. "What kind of favor?"

Laurel smiled and held out one
hand. "Something that will please your pa, I'm sure."

* * * *

They entered the school from the
front. Inside the building, nearly everyone from town waited. There
were faces looking back at Laurel that she'd never seen before and
she knew she was all but glowing when she looked across the room to
where Holden stood. He looked handsome in his black suit jacket.
He'd even had his hair trimmed and much to her shock, he'd shaved.
She wasn't sure the last time she'd seen him clean shaven.

His gaze drank her in before it
shifted to Alex. The girl was beaming at her father, the smile
causing her eyes to sparkle. Alex looked up at Laurel, held out her
hand and said, "Let's go get you married to my pa."

Alexandra walked Laurel down the
make-shift isle to the front of the room, stopping once they
reached Holden and the preacher. She smiled at her father, raised
Laurel's hand before grabbing Holden's and laid their hands palm to
palm. "I give this woman to you to wife."

A light chorus of laughter
filled the small school room. Laurel winked at the girl as she
turned and took a seat with Abigail and Morgan. Turning to face
Holden, the butterflies in her stomach quivered before coming to a
complete stop.

The preacher was a burly man
with a shock of white hair and a full beard streaked with red. The
end of his bulbous nose was red and his voice, deep and booming,
filled the room as he said, "We are gathered here today...

Laurel couldn't take her eyes
off Holden. He still held her hand, his handsome face the only
thing she saw, and her heart pounded so hard in her chest she
wondered if everyone gathered could hear it.

She'd slept little the night
before, the sense of impending doom following her through the night
and Alexandra showing up and confessing she didn't want the
marriage to take place caused the feelings to grow. The preacher
asked if anyone had just cause for them not to be lawfully joined,
to speak now or forever hold their peace, and a hush rushed over
the waiting crowd.

Holden smiled at her, his hand
tightening in hers and Laurel didn't take a breath until the
preacher started talking again. Holden said, "I do," at the
appropriate time and as Laurel was asked, she inhaled a breath to
ensure her voice didn't squeak. When she said, "I do," in return,
the front door slammed open, hitting the wall and causing several
shrieks of fright.

Ethan stood framed in the
sunlight, the sneer on his face condescending. "I object," he said,
catching her gaze. "This wedding is a farce."

Laurel felt dizzy and if the
room hadn't been filled with people, she was sure to have fainted.
She gaped at Ethan a full minute before raged filled her.

Holden's hand tightened in hers,
his voice a harsh whisper when he said, "Can I kill him?"

It took her longer than it
should have to answer. "N-n-no. I've already watched you run into a
burning building. I know my heart couldn't take seeing you
hang."

Ethan, proud of himself, if the
smile on his face was any indication, waited by the door, looking
smug and satisfied. He tilted his head to one side, the sneer
growing. "I do believe your father would object to this wedding as
well."

Laurel turned to face Ethan,
felt the gaze of almost everyone in the room and she wasn't sure
what was more embarrassing. Having her wedding interrupted or the
scene that caused it. "My father's not here," she said. "Besides,
I'm a grown woman. I don't need his permission."

Movement behind Ethan's back
caused Laurel to still, a shadowy form filling the doorway. A man
stepped into the room, his cane hitting the wooden floor in crisp,
hard taps. Her eyes widened. "Father?"

Her father looked none too
pleased, the scowl on his face showing his displeasure. Laurel felt
her eyes burn with tears. She knew that impending doom she'd felt
for days wasn't just a case of nerves now. She should have left
town the minute Ethan showed up, running and not stopping until she
was clean across the ocean.

She blew out a breath, cast a
sad glance to Alexandra and turned to face Holden. "I'm sorry,
Holden."

"For what?" he asked.

"My father always gets his way.
He'll never allow this."

A muscle ticked in Holden's jaw,
his eyes narrowing. "Do you want to marry me?" The question was
asked in a soft whisper.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Then you will." He let go of
her hand and started for the door, a few gasps filling the silence.
Morgan and Colt stepped out into the isle, following Holden, and
Laurel thought for sure her weak knees would give out.

Holden spoke with her father,
throwing a scornful look at Ethan and when all five men left the
school, Laurel let go of the breath she'd been holding.

Abigail took her by one elbow,
ushered her to the bench she'd vacated and told her to sit.

"The whole day is ruined,"
Laurel said. "I should have left when I had a chance."

"You don't mean that." Abigail
squatted down in front of her. "Everything will be fine. You'll
see."

Laurel wasn't so sure about
that. She'd been truthful when she said her father always got his
way. Walter Montgomery was a man used to having everything he
wanted and if he wanted her to marry Ethan, she'd marry him.
Assuming they caught her first. It's why she'd ran in the first
place.

Murmurs and soft whispers filled
the room and long minutes of waiting caused those butterflies
Laurel had finally gotten rid of to return. She chewed her bottom
lip, stared at the flowers in her hand, the petals wilting along
with her spirits and half an hour later, a hushed silence filled
the air. Laurel turned her head to the door, saw Holden walk back
in, her father at his side, and rose to her feet.

Her father smiled when he
stepped in front of her, reaching out to take her hand. "This the
man you want?" he asked, his voice gruff.

Laurel blinked and nodded her
head. "Yes, sir."

He nodded his head once and
turned to look at Holden. "Well, get on with it then. I'm not
getting any younger."

Walter Montgomery shouldered his
way onto a bench on the front row, sat ram-rod straight and placed
both hands on the top of his cane. The look in his eye was
challenging and Laurel wasn't sure why he'd changed his mind, nor
did she care.

They took their places in front
of the preacher again and Laurel glanced back at the door. All
three of Holden's brothers stood framed in sunlight, their arms
crossed over their chest. She wasn't sure where Ethan had gone but
one thing was for sure. He wasn't getting back in that
schoolhouse.

"What happened?" she
whispered.

Holden grinned at her. "Your
father is a business man. I presented him with an offer he couldn’t
refuse. Apparently the government is in need of good, sturdy horses
and your father has agreed to help me negotiate a contract. This
marriage is going to make us all quite wealthy and a man like your
father isn't a fool."

The preacher started the
ceremony again. Laurel barely heard a word he said but managed to
say her vows without losing her breath. When the preacher asked for
the ring, her hand shook as she held it out, her gaze riveted to
the gold band Holden placed on her finger. Her pulse leaped as the
light caught the small jewels inlaid with the gold. Small diamonds
and ruby's winked in the sunlight coming from the window.

When the preacher presented them
as man and wife, the noise inside that small building nearly lifted
the rafters. Laurel laughed, waited for a kiss from her husband,
and wasn't sure she could have been any happier.

Epilogue

One Year Later

Holden signed for the transfer,
tipped his hat at the men waiting and waved them off as they
started herding the horses toward the main road. He turned back
toward the house, nearly running to reach the porch and took the
steps two at a time.