The Cowboy’s Mistake

by Jackson, Mary Sue

  She put her hands on her belly and felt her girls kicking. Not everything…but many things. And tomorrow their new life was going to begin.

  Twenty-Seven

  The weather was perfect for her wedding day.

  Charity woke up early and looked out over Trey’s farm, the brand-new sunlight streaming down over all the buildings and rolling fields. This was a sight she’d miss in the city. But, she reminded herself, the move wasn’t permanent. Only her marriage would be. Soon enough, they’d be back here with the horses and his work…along with their two girls.

  She sat up and stretched, and a moment later there was a knock at her bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she called softly.

  The door opened and Layla came in, looking sleep-rumpled. She crawled into the bed next to Charity. “Happy wedding day.”

  “Thanks, friend.” Charity leaned her head against Layla’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “You know, you keep saying that like I had any plans to be elsewhere. You asked me to be your maid of honor.”

  “You never know.””

  Layla let out a sigh. “We’ve been best friends since the dawn of time. It’s beyond me why you wouldn’t just assume I’d show up for your wedding.” She sniffed. “I am a little offended that you didn’t send me a personalized bridal party invite. The text message was a little…”

  Charity laughed out loud. “I’ll get it next time.”

  “Ha.”

  They were quiet together for a minute in the early morning silence of the house.

  “Are you happy, Charity? I know this isn’t how you thought your life would turn out, necessarily.”

  Charity didn’t even have to think about it. “I’ve never been happier.”

  “Even with everything that’s going on?”

  “You mean moving?”

  “Yeah. And…things with the babies. That seems like it could be really stressful.”

  “It is, sometimes,” Charity admitted. “But since we got back from the city, I haven’t had much time to fret about it. Making your own wedding dress and planning two separate moves will do that for you.”

  “I heard you didn’t do much moving yourself.”

  “I couldn’t,” Charity said. “Much to my chagrin.”

  “Oh, I can’t imagine what a nightmare you’ve been over the past couple of weeks.” Layla shook her head.

  “I haven’t been a nightmare,” Charity insisted. “I’ve been very pleasant. Almost all the time.”

  “Either way,” Layla said magnanimously, “I’m sure everyone will miss you when you head to the city. It’s coming up fast.”

  “Basically, as soon as we’re married. Which is today. By Wednesday we’ll be gone.” She felt another twist at her heart. “Did my mom tell you about their plans to rent a place there, too, for the last trimester?”

  “Both your parents, living in the city?” Layla sounded stunned. “I can’t imagine the Millers leaving the farm behind.”

  Charity laughed. “It’s not for very long. Longer than they’ve been away before, but…”

  “Should I rent a place, too? Are there any other townhouses open on the row?”

  “You are too sweet,” Charity told her best friend. “Even though I know you’re kidding.”

  Layla made a face. “I couldn’t get that much time off of work. Not months, anyway. But you’re kidding if you think I’m not going to visit those precious babies of yours the very moment you give birth to them.”

  “You might want to wait a bit longer than a moment. It could be…pretty gross.” Charity didn’t want to think about the messiness of childbirth. Not today.

  “Speaking of waiting,” Layla said, sitting up. “We don’t have time to waste. We need to commence Operation Wedding Day right now.”

  “How do we commence that?”

  “First things first, you need to shower. Be sure to wear a shower cap. The hairstylist will be here in ninety minutes. And then things are off to the races. Not a moment to lose!” She clapped her hands, and that was how Charity’s wedding day started.

  * * *

  They’d played a game of musical houses the night before, with Trey and Austin staying at the Millers with Charity’s father and Layla and Charity with Twila at Trey’s house. It was the perfect arrangement to keep up with tradition of not letting the bride and groom see each other before the wedding. And it turned out the women needed the extra space. Almost as soon as Charity stepped out of the shower, there were people filling the house. The florist came with extra blooms and bouquets for her and Layla, along with a corsage for Twila. The hairstylist came, along with one assistant and a makeup artist. And all of Twila’s friends from town poured in, one after the other, to fuss over Charity’s dress.

  That was a creation that deserved a celebration of its own.

  Twila had been right. The combination of suede and leather was uniquely Charity, and it spoke to all the aspects of her life, from her time on the circuit to her relationship with Trey.

  The morning passed in a whirlwind of hairspray and chatter and photos. Charity had never been photographed so much in her life, but as the hairstylist finished her work and the makeup artist put on her final touches, she felt more and more like the gorgeous bride she was. She’d done it. They’d done it. They’d made it to this day, despite all the bumps in the road. She smiled wide in all the pictures. So many pictures, and Charity knew she’d treasure them all. She was absolutely surrounded by love, and she knew it would show.

  Then it was time to put her dress on. Twila and Layla surrounded her, along with Missy and Jean from the circuit and Elodie and Carrie from school, tugging at her slip to make sure everything would fall correctly, and lifted her own creation over her head.

  Nobody was surprised when it fit like a dream.

  Twila’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of Charity in her dress, the camera flashing to capture the moment. “You look stunning, honey.”

  “It’s all thanks to you.” She kissed her mother on the cheek, and then the women in the house descended on her to make final adjustments. Charity allowed herself to be posed in front of a window, natural light pouring in, and then on the front porch with her bouquet. There was another round of photos with Twila, with Layla, with both of them, and then with all the women from town who had come to support her.

  And then, somehow, it was time for the wedding.

  Charity’s father came to drive her over to the Millers property, and his eyes shone as he looked at her across the cab of the truck. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” she said. She felt it, too. She felt more beautiful than she ever had in her life.

  She also felt…a little nervous.

  She could see from their hidden spot at the back of the yard that the white chairs were filling up. A line of women came from Trey’s property through the fence in brightly colored dresses, all of them smiling, and it was a wonderful sight. Charity’s mother was one of them. She found her standing with her father.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “More than ready,” Charity said.

  Then Layla came back to their little gathering. “Everyone is seated,” she said. “Trey’s about to—” She turned to look over her shoulder. “There he is.”

  Up front, Trey and Austin took their places at the pergola. Both of them wore suits. Trey had never looked more handsome to Charity than at this moment.

  Twila had friends who played in a string quartet, and they were perched at the back of the gathering. At some signal Charity didn’t see, the music changed. Layla leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispered good luck, and headed down the aisle, her head held high.

  Then it was Charity’s turn.

  With her mother on one side and her father on the other, Charity stepped out of the shade and into the sunlight shining on the aisle, her gaze on Trey’s face.

  She saw the moment that he saw her. The way his face lit up, the way his eyes
went wide and then shining, took her breath away. She’d never forget this moment for as long as she lived. Everything fell away—the music, the crowd standing for her—and it was like she and Trey were the only people in the world.

  She reached the front of the aisle and hugged her parents tightly. It was thanks to them that all of this was happening in the first place, and Charity got a little choked up about it. They had taken Trey in when he was searching for a place to belong as a young man. They’d encouraged him and Charity, even when the most unexpected thing in the world happened. And they’d made this wedding a reality. She couldn’t have done it without them.

  “Thank you,” she said into her mother’s ear. “Thank you so much.”

  “It was nothing,” said Twila, and Charity knew she meant it.

  Cord took Charity’s hand in his and they stepped forward to Trey. The two men shook hands, but then Charity’s father kissed her knuckles and let her step forward on her own. He had only accompanied her to this point. He wasn’t going to give her away. Charity’s heart swelled at the gesture.

  She took Trey’s hand.

  And then the minister was talking about the joys of marriage and love, but Charity barely heard a word of it. She was too busy looking into Trey’s eyes. In a flash, she saw the future laid out before them. No matter what happened, no matter how quickly the years went by, those eyes would be there for her. She knew it in her soul.

  The minister’s voice broke into her thoughts. “—after me. I, Charity, take you, Trey—”

  She repeated her vows in a voice that hardly seemed like her own. How could she be so firmly in her body, yet feel so connected to Trey on a soul-deep level? She felt lost in his eyes. Lost in their love. It was a bit much, actually, but she needed it.

  “I do,” she said, at the prompting of the minister.

  It was Trey’s turn to repeat the vows and his voice washed over her, as calming and as intoxicating as it had ever been. The time slipped by, one moment after another, and then—

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

  Trey took her in his arms and kissed her. It was a kiss that was far too hot and deep for public display, yet even as Charity realized that, a cheer went up from the crowd. They kept cheering as Charity blushed, pulling away from Trey while holding tightly to his hand. Layla stepped forward and handed her her gorgeous bouquet, and then they went down the aisle together.

  Married.

  Husband and wife.

  She could not stop smiling.

  They reached the grove of trees at the back of the yard and took a moment, holding tightly to each other. Charity felt like she’d just run a race.

  “That was incredible,” she breathed into Trey’s shirt. “We’re married!”

  “You’re my wife,” he said, and he kissed her again. They only had a few moments before the photographer would catch up for them for a post-wedding photo session, and Charity couldn’t wait for her to get there. But she also wanted this moment with Trey.

  “You’re my family,” she said, and the words held so much meaning for her it brought tears to her eyes.

  “Oh, don’t cry,” said Trey.

  “They’re happy tears,” she said, but blinked them back.

  Laura, the photographer, came jogging up a moment later. “Let’s get some photos before the reception! Charity, I know you shouldn’t be on your feet much longer, so let’s make the most of the time we have, shall we?”

  “Yes,” she agreed, turning toward the camera. “Let’s make the most of it.”

  How could she do anything else? She was in love with Trey. He was in love with her. And they were married. They had overcome every obstacle to be together, here on the happiest day of her life. And soon their family would be complete.

  Although, maybe one day there would be room for more…

  No, Charity thought. That was crazy. To look ahead that far would be to tempt fate. And she had tempted fate enough.

  She looked up through the trees to see her wedding party, Layla and Austin, coming toward them for more photos. Layla elbowed Austin and rolled her eyes, and he leaned in close as if to tell her a joke. Was something happening between them? There was…quite the energy there, honestly. Her spitfire best friend and her old-fashioned brother would make a very interesting pair.

  But no. It couldn’t be, right?

  “Trey, look at Charity. Charity, you look at me. Gorgeous. Ready?” said the photographer. “One, two, three.”

  Epilogue

  “We’re going to miss you all so much,” Penny said.

  Penny was one of the nurses that had cared for the twins while they were in the NICU, and Charity would miss her as much as she’d missed Layla when they first went off to college. Penny had become like their family. She leaned forward and gave the nurse a tight hug. “What will we ever do without you?”

  “I think you’ll have lots of help.” Penny motioned over Charity’s shoulder to the glassed-in front wall of the NICU. Outside, Charity’s parents waited to drive them all home.

  Home.

  They were going home.

  Trey came into the NICU, where Charity waited with Penny and the girls. They had loaded each tiny baby into her car seat, but Trey still didn’t look as if he fully trusted them. With a grim look on his face, he said “I double and triple checked the bases, and then I had the car seat specialist come to look.”

  “They’re all buckled in, snug as a bug,” said Penny. “Nothing to worry about here.”

  Trey bent down to the car seats and checked the straps anyway. He’d been studying up since they found out the girls were well enough to be released. Charity had found him awake late last night, looking at videos on his phone.

  “Are you sure we got seats that are good enough?” he’d asked when she came up and put her hands on his shoulders.

  “You chose the best-rated seats money can buy,” she reminded him. “The seats will be fine. The girls will be fine. We’ll all be fine, because we have you.” She’d kissed his cheek. “Now come to bed.”

  Honestly, she’d had a hard time sleeping, too. It was a different ballgame bringing the twins home. They wouldn’t be alone, not exactly—her parents were right down the street. But Charity’s heart still beat hard in her chest.

  This was it. The day they finally became their own unit, outside of the NICU.

  The twins had been born at thirty-three weeks. Charity was glad they’d moved to the city, because they’d been able to track their progress through weekly check-ins with Tex. The rest of the pregnancy had gone off without a hitch, aside from the early delivery, which Tex assured them was common with twins.

  And they had been so perfect, if a little small.

  Isabella and Leonora were her little darlings, and Charity had spent most of the time since they were born moving between their little Isolettes in the NICU. She’d stare at one daughter, in complete awe of her perfection, and then turn around and do it all over again.

  Life with twins was bound to be a trip.

  “All right,” said Trey. “Let’s do this.” He took both car seats in his hands.

  “I can get one of the girls,” she said.

  “It’s all right. I can handle it. You…”

  “I’ve been resting for four weeks since their delivery, husband mine,” said Charity with a laugh.

  “Let your dad carry one. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed. Charity had learned that Trey’s will to protect her was stronger than most things on the planet. She’d learned to pick her battles when it came to demanding independence. Besides, she’d have plenty of chances to carry the car seat herself. Her parents were moving back home after a month, and Charity, Trey, and the girls would follow in three months when their lease was up.

  Cord was only too happy to take one of the car seats as they came out of the NICU. All of them paused to turn and wave to Penny, who stood in the open doorway. “Stay in touch!” she called as they went down the hallway. “Don’t
be strangers!”

  “We won’t,” promised Charity.

  And then it was time to walk out of the hospital.

  Cord’s new SUV—big enough for all of them and the car seats—waited out front. They’d purchased a matching vehicle for themselves, but it waited at the townhouse. Trey and Cord loaded the girls into the back. Leonora fussed a little, but quieted at the touch of Charity’s hand. Isabella stayed fast asleep.

  Charity couldn’t take her eyes off of the girls as her father navigated through the city streets. Suddenly they were there, pulling into the driveway.

  Stepping over the threshold was…different. There were two more people with them now, and Charity almost didn’t know what to do with herself.

  The girls decided that.

  One after the other, they started to fuss, and Twila and Cord stepped back and let the new parents take them out of their seats.

  “It’s time for them to eat,” Trey said with authority. “That’s what the schedule says.”

  “Let’s do it.” They had bottles waiting in the fridge, and Trey heated them up with Isabella in his arms. Then they all went into the nursery, Cord and Twila staying back in the living room.

  The nursery was done up in the clouds theme Charity had liked so much at the baby store. It was perfect. The bright blue and white was a happy color that fit the girls perfectly.

  And now they were here, as a family. This was family life.

  Trey and Charity each settled into one of the rocking chairs that waited for them, and he handed her one of the bottles. She put the bottle to Leonora’s lips and watched her latch on, guzzling the milk gratefully.

  “Aren’t they something?” Trey said softly.

  “Incredible.” Charity leaned her head forward and took a big breath of Leonora’s soft hair. She wanted to impress all of this upon her memory, and never forget a single day. But that wasn’t how life worked, was it? She would forget some things. There was so much to do with twins and so few hours in the day.