The Brides 0f Purple Heart Ranch Boxset, Bks 1-3

by Shanae Johnson

  Dr. Patel poked his gray head in the door with his fatherly smile. “Good morning, Specialist Ramos. Might I have a private word with the man of the hour?”

  With one final adjustment of Reed’s tie, Xavier headed out the door. Dr. Patel came in, closing the door behind him. He didn’t take a seat but stood smiling proudly at Reed.

  Dr. Patel had made such a positive impact in everyone on the ranch’s lives. He’d worked tirelessly and patiently to ensure the men were healed from the inside out. He’d officiated Dylan’s and Fran’s weddings. And now, he would join Reed and Sarai together in holy matrimony.

  "Is it time?" Reed heard the eagerness in his own voice.

  "Almost," said Dr. Patel. "I just wanted to have a little chat with you."

  Neither Reed’s or Sarai’s parents could make it to the ceremony on such short notice. Neither parents were particularly happy about the quickness of the marriage. Well, his parents weren’t. Sarai had mentioned that she’d emailed her parents but hadn’t heard back yet.

  Reed had proposed just two days ago and it had been a whirlwind of preparations since. He’d hardly seen Sarai during that time as Maggie and Eva had insisted on shopping trips with his bride.

  “You know, for someone who is so … not tech-savvy, I can’t believe your app worked,” said Reed.

  Dr. Patel chuckled. “I had nothing to do with the computer side. Only the science of compatibility. It worked because you and Sarai are two compatible spirits."

  "Yeah.” Reed felt a phantom tingle in his left palm. “We share a lot of the same views. We like a lot of the same things. That will make for lots to talk about in this relationship."

  "No, you misunderstand me,” said Dr. Patel. "I mean in the core of your soul, where your wounds lie.”

  Reed’s brows squished together. That was not what he expected the good doctor, the man about to perform his marriage rites, to say about him and his betrothed. Their wounds matched?

  "You both see yourselves differently than the world sees you. Your perceptions affect your actions. Sarai had a tough time with modeling. There’s a lot of rejection in that industry."

  "I know,” said Reed. “She told me."

  “That’s good.” Dr. Patel pressed his lips together, as though he were trying to hold something inside. It was very unlike the man. He either spoke his mind directly or made his feelings clear as he bore into his patients. “But I’m fairly certain she hasn’t told you everything.”

  Sarai had shared a lot with him. But Reed wasn't fooled enough to think there weren’t some things they both held back. There may have still been secrets between them, but there was a lifetime for them to tell each other everything.

  "I won't break patient-doctor confidentiality," said Dr. Patel. "I'll just tell you to accept yourself. But accept her, too.”

  Reed frowned, certain he was missing something. "I do accept her, just as she is.”

  “Good.” Dr. Patel patted him on the shoulder. “Just be aware that she might not believe you when you tell her that."

  "I think she believes I accept her. She is marrying me, after all.”

  "That's because Sarai is a smart girl," Patel smiled. "Don't let her hide who she truly is from you. And you don't hide either."

  Reed wasn’t one for trying to solve riddles. He liked hard truths and logical facts. His brain couldn’t comprehend when Dr. Patel spoke philosophically.

  This wasn’t a conversation about facts. It was clearly one of those advice talks that a father would give his son before he walked down the aisle. Reed appreciated Dr. Patel for the gesture. But he was ready to get on with the main event.

  "I don't see any faults now,” he said. “But if and when I do, I'll keep my vows and the promises I’m ready to make to her."

  Dr. Patel nodded. “Yes, I believe you will."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Years in modeling made certain that Sarai learned her best angles. She turned to the right and left in the mirror. She turned all the way to the back and looked over her shoulder. The angle didn’t matter. She was a hot mess dressed in white.

  When she’d been dress shopping with Maggie and Eva yesterday, they’d all had a fantastic time. Eva and Maggie were two bundles of joy that chattered and smiled and laughed and made Sarai feel as though she’d fit in for the first time in a long time.

  On the drive into town, they’d regaled Sarai with their own shotgun marches down the aisle. Though each of their weddings was quickies, their marriages were both solid as rocks. And the two women were the happiest people Sarai had ever met. She wanted some of that, and it was possible with her and Reed.

  The women had filled in more details about the ranch and the men, particularly Reed, over lunch. Maggie, the aspiring veterinarian, had had a turkey burger, while Eva, the college student, had had pasta. Sarai had picked at a salad, moving the leaves around her plate as she listened to stories of Reed and his antics with the other soldiers.

  All too soon the women had gotten down to business. They pulled up at a wedding dress shop and the torture began.

  Sarai hadn’t looked directly in the mirror as she’d tried on the proffered dresses. She did not trust the store’s glass after her encounter last week. So, she had decided to rely on the other women and their judgment.

  Big mistake.

  When Maggie and Eva’s eyes had lit up at their first sight of the third dress, Sarai thought maybe she had a winner. Looking at herself in the mirror now, she saw nothing but disaster.

  The dressed was ruche city. Ruching on the bodice, ruching over the hips, ruching on the backside.

  Every model knew that the art of ruching fabric was designed to hide the body’s flaws. The gathering of the cloth was designed to flatter a less-than-flat tummy. It was laid out to loosen the roll of love handles. It was blocked out to bury a big backside. Each of Sarai’s flaws was hidden behind the carefully crafted textile and everyone would see.

  "You look so gorgeous."

  Sarai turned as Maggie came into the room. How had she taken Maggie’s kind and complimentary words for the truth? Sarai knew girls complimented each other but didn't really mean it. That behavior was rampant in the modeling industry. Girls would smile in each other’s faces and, a second later, go behind the other’s back to get a skinny leg up.

  “She does, doesn't she?" Eva came up behind Sarai, placing her hand on Sarai’s back. "I would kill for your hips. You look like Marilyn Monroe."

  Maggie nodded in agreement. Both women gazed with wide eyes and wide grins at Sarai’s form in the reflection. The forced smile on Sarai’s lips was so brittle she was certain it would crack at any minute.

  Marilyn Monroe had been a size sixteen in her life; size twelve by today’s standards. That was not a compliment in high fashion where size six was considered plus size. Sarai hadn’t let herself go that far—yet.

  She was still clinging to a size eight. The wedding dress was a size nine. She hadn’t looked when she’d tried it on. But she’d caught a glimpse of the tag today.

  “Oh, sweetie, are you crying?” Maggie pulled a few tissues from her purse.

  Before her new friend could wipe away Sarai’s tears, Sarai grabbed the tissues from the other woman’s hands. No way was she letting anyone near her carefully made-up face. Her dress might be a disaster, but her contouring was on point.

  Sarai had khol’d her eyes and accented the sharp tips with a dusting of gold glitter. Her blush also had hints of gold glitter. The effect brought out the red of her Middle Eastern skin tone. She might be ashamed of her weight, but not her heritage. Not even on a ranch filled with US Army vets.

  She’d expected a bit of animosity, but there hadn’t been even a hint of it. Each man had welcomed her with a smile, a hug, or a peck on the cheek. The peck had come from Xavier Ramos, the soldier Reed had told her to watch out for. But the caution had been given with a quirk of the lip and a roll of the eyes, not a frowning glare.

  Everyone on this ranch cared deeply for one
another. Reed had told her stories about each person on the ranch in their chats. But seeing it in real life, seeing the support and the friendship and the care, it made Sarai ache at an emptiness somewhere other than her belly.

  Maybe Maggie and Eva truly believed this crimply, concealing dress was pretty? Maybe their smiles were genuine? Misguided though they might be, Sarai didn’t believe their compliments. Even though she wished they were true. The woman they spoke about and praised and said was beautiful, Sarai simply didn’t see that woman reflected back in the mirror.

  “Oh, Miss Sarai, you look like a real live princess." Rosalee’s eyes were big and bright as she stared at Sarai’s form. Eva’s little sister was coming in the door, so she couldn’t see Sarai’s reflection in the mirror. What Rosalee saw was Sarai in the flesh.

  One thing Sarai knew; kids didn't lie. They could be brutally honest little beasts, as she discovered in grade school. Sure, they could fib. But not when it came to compliments. Sarcasm was a learned skill that took years to master.

  "When I get married," Rosalee continued, “I want to look just like you."

  Sarai turned away from the mirror so that she met the little girl’s gaze. Rosalee’s brown eyes were open so wide with wonder that Sarai saw a reflection there. What Sarai saw reflected in the depths of Rosalee’s eyes was someone she didn't recognize. The woman dressed in white was indeed beautiful. So much so that it took Sarai’s breath away.

  "It's time," said Maggie.

  Rosalee turned toward the door and the vision was gone. The little girl pulled open the door, and Sarai was blinded by a bright light.

  It was sunlight. That light encouraged her to leave her old life behind. It beckoned her on to a new life.

  Sarai stepped out into the light. When she did, a sea of faces greeted her. Each of them was smiling. There wasn’t a single sneer or smirk or pinched brow. Each face gazed at her in appreciation, in awe, in admiration.

  Reed stood at the end of the walkway. He looked like something out of a catalog in his dark suit. When he found her gaze, he clearly mouthed the words, you're beautiful.

  Nothing made sense to Sarai any longer. And that was fine. The sun on her face warmed her. The breeze in the air cooled her skin. The steps she took were in the right direction.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Reed almost didn’t recognize the woman that walked toward him. That must be a product of getting to know someone’s personality first, seeing the beauty of who they are on the inside and coming to care for and respect that aspect of a person before they have a chance to present themselves physically.

  He had already believed Sarai Austin to be a beautiful person. Her intelligence knocked him off his feet. Her wit took his breath away. Her sense of humor made the butterflies rise from his gut to his chest.

  Even before he’d seen her, he’d known she was a beauty. Walking toward him, dressed all in white, with the sun shining down on her, she was positively breathtaking.

  His legs buckled, and he reached out for something to hold onto. Luckily, Sean stood beside him and had his back. He caught Reed by the shoulders and gave each of his biceps a steadying squeeze until Reed could stand on his own two feet again.

  It was just in time because Sarai, his bride, his wife to be, had arrived.

  She reached out to him. Without thinking, Reed offered her his left arm as she came to stand on the left side of him. Sarai wrapped her fingers around his prosthetic forearm. Reed could have sworn he felt the heat of her fingertips on the flesh that was no longer there.

  She smiled up at him. There was a look there, something he’d seen before in her eyes. Underneath the heavy kohl of her lids was a hint of doubt mixed with a tinge of fear. He’d seen it the first time they’d engaged the video chat feature.

  Sarai was nervous. He’d rushed her back then to turn on the camera. Was he rushing her again?

  Reed leaned down and whispered in Sarai’s ear, “Are you sure?”

  He felt the intake of her breath at the side of his cheek. Had he called it correctly? Was she regretting the speed at which things were moving between them?

  And then she sighed. It was the little exhale of breath that he knew so well from their audio-only chats. The sound that told him that she was not resigning. She wasn’t one to give up easily. She was about to move in for the kill, and Reed couldn’t wait to hear her rebuttal.

  When he pulled away, she was smiling at him. The doubts and fear were gone. Trust and hope sparkled in her gaze. It was all the answer he needed.

  He turned them both to face Dr. Patel in his role as pastor. The man eyed the couple with that small smile that said he knew more than he let on. Pastor Patel began the ceremony, and before Reed knew it he was reciting his vows.

  Reed turned back to Sarai and repeated the words that Patel had prepared for each of them. With such a quick wedding, neither had a chance to write their own vows. But with both Reed and Sarai having a history with the man officiating their union, they trusted Patel to choose vows that suited them both.

  “Sarai, I will love you no matter what. I will always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving. I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace. I pledge my love, devotion, faith, and honor as I join my life to yours. I take you to be my partner for life, promising above all else to live in truth with you and to communicate fully and fearlessly.”

  As vows went, these ones were spot on. With each word that left his lips, Reed felt the truth in them. Their relationship had begun with communication, honest discussions free of any physical distractions. It would continue that way as they set out as partners who lived fully and fearlessly.

  “On this day,” Reed continued to parrot the pastor with words that were spoken straight from his heart, “I give you my heart, my promise, that I will walk with you, hand in hand, wherever our journey leads us, living, learning, loving, together, forever. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.”

  A tear ran down Sarai’s cheek. Reed lifted his right hand to brush the tear away. When he did, it left a smudge at her cheek rendering her makeup job imperfect. It didn’t matter an iota to him. She still looked perfect.

  “Reed,” Sarai began her recitation of vows as prepared by her former psychologist. “I will pay attention to your physical and emotional needs. I will grow with you, not apart from you. I will take care of my health so that I can be here with you as long as possible.”

  She stumbled over those last words. Her head dipped slightly. But only for a second. She inhaled and let out that sigh he knew so well.

  “I will always show you with my words and my actions that I am yours alone forever. I take you to be my partner for life. I promise above all else to live in truth with you and to communicate fully and fearlessly. You are my true counterpart. I will love you, hold you and honor you. I will respect you, encourage you and cherish you in health and sickness, through sorrow and success, for all the days of my life. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.”

  Listening to the woman he would spend the rest of his life with making these solemn promises to him, Reed came to a realization he never thought his logical mind would deduce. It was entirely logical that a person you knew for a short time could become your entire world. Sarai was that for him now; his entire world. He would spend the rest of his days holding up to those promises he’d just made.

  “You may now kiss the bride.”

  Reed's hands itched to take hold of her. He reached both out. Only to pull back his prosthetic.

  Sarai wrapped her fingers around those fake digits. She stepped into him, lifting his left hand and placing her cheek in the palm of his fake hand.

  Reed swore he felt the softness of her cheek in his phantom palm. He couldn’t wait any longer. Some part of their duties as husband and wife would hold. But not this part. Not this taste of her. Not this moment where he would claim her as his own.

  He pulled her to him, fitting her lush curves against his ha
rd chest. It was just a press of the lips. A chaste kiss by any standards. But Sarai’s lips were a starburst of joy. Her sweetness overwhelmed him, and he decided he would not ever let go.

  At some point, their lips broke apart, but he did not relinquish his hold on her. At some point, they were announced as a new union, but he felt like they’d never been apart. At some point, they were pulled apart for congratulatory hugs, but she still felt connected to him.

  Sarai was a part of him legally and spiritually. But she felt a part of him physically. Like his phantom limb brought back to life.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sarai held tight to Reed’s prosthetic hand. Her grip was so absolute that she was glad his fingers weren’t flesh and bone, otherwise, she was sure she’d break them.

  That kiss had nearly done her in. She’d been kissed before. Some of Europe’s most practiced playboys had sought her out thirty pounds ago. They all paled in comparison to the heat of Reed’s lips against hers. The warm, spicy gust of his breath as it brushed her cheek. The flutter of his lashes against her forehead. She was left lightheaded and dizzy in the face of a kiss that could run on daytime Disney.

  She didn’t let go of him when they paraded down from the gazebo to greet his friends as husband and wife. She held tight to him as he led her to the makeshift dance floor outside the barn. She kept her fingers laced around his forearm when they sat to eat, and he heaped food onto her plate.

  The sight of the fried chicken and the smell of the barbecue sauce made her stomach churn and grumble at the same time. She was able to ignore those diverging feelings. But her heart fell into her gut when Reed held up his fork to her with a choice bit of meat.

  “I couldn’t eat a thing,” she protested.

  Reed lowered the fork with a frown. “I thought you loved chicken.”

  “I do. I’m just all nerves right now.” Sarai took a deep breath. She let out a slow sigh as she prepared a better excuse for her unsatisfied appetite.