by Anna Schmidt
“Touch me, Nick,” she whispered, needing more than ever the feel of his hands on her bare skin, claiming her. He eased her dress down to reveal her bare shoulders and expose her camisole. She knew he could see everything in the light of the fire, and his expression left no doubt of how he desired her. She kissed his throat, then his chin, savoring the scratch of his whiskers against her cheek, the play of rough on soft.
And then he was kissing her bare shoulder, easing the strap of her camisole off, exposing the tops of her breasts, moving lower, and kissing her there. Her nipples hardened and pressed against the soft fabric of her undergarment—again, rough on soft. She knew all she had to do was offer the slightest resistance and he would agree it was too much. But the truth was, she had never in her life wanted anything more, never wanted any man in this way, never even thought of being with a man this way. Not until now.
Not until Nick.
But it was Nick who pulled away. He sat up from where he had gently laid her back on the floor, his bare back glistening with sweat in the glow of the fire. He released a long breath.
“Grace, I have to go away for a while on ranch business. It might be a month or more. But when I return—”
A chill ran through her whole body. Suddenly, she found herself thinking of Lily’s so-called husband. She sat up and pulled her clothing closed. She wanted to ask him why now and why he hadn’t mentioned at least the possibility he might be called away. Surely he had known. Doubt replaced passion, and she had serious misgivings about telling him she planned to stay on in Juniper. “When do you go?” She forced herself to speak calmly.
“End of the week.” He twisted around so that he was looking at her. “But, Grace, when I return—”
She shook off the questions and protests. “Tell me where you’re going and why.”
“California. Mr. Lombard thinks he can get a better price for his beef there, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s looking into new markets. The other boys will think I’ve gone to work on my land. I’ll be back in plenty of time for calving and branding season.”
“I see.” It was a lie. She didn’t understand any of this.
He took hold of her hand. “I love you, Grace. I honestly think I fell in love with you on that train ride. I know for sure I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about you or coming around to the hotel to check up on you. I know I’ve spoken often about having all these plans for my life, but then I met you and… All I want is for us to marry and raise a family and spend the rest of our lives together.” He hesitated, searching her face for answers she didn’t have. “And I’m not forgetting that you have responsibilities to your family or that your job at the hotel is important. Just tell me you feel as I do, Grace, and together, we can find a way to have everything we both want.”
His expression was so earnest, his need for her to believe in him—in them—there in every line. She framed his cheeks with her hands.
“Oh, Nick, do you have to ask? My feelings are written on my face, in every kiss we ever shared. Yes, I love you, and yes, together, we can make it all work out.” She practically threw herself into his arms, the movement so sudden and unexpected that it caught him off balance and ended with the two of them lying on the blanket, laughing with the joy that comes with youth and the belief that dreams could come true.
But then the laughter died. He turned on his side, settling his weight on his elbow as he stroked her hair away from her face. “So lovely,” he murmured as their lips met, their mouths opened, and their tongues waltzed to the music of the crackling fire. He had taught her well, for she knew exactly what made him gather her closer and deepen the kiss. He lowered his mouth to her breast, suckling her until the fabric of her camisole was soaked before moving on to kiss her throat, the lobe of her ear.
He moved over her, and the bulge of his undeniable desire pressed against her. She cast aside her doubts. “Love me,” she whispered, her lips against his ear.
Bracing himself above her on his forearms, he studied her face. “Marry me,” he countered.
“Yes. By the time you return, I’ll have only weeks left on my contract and then—”
“Marry me before I go, Grace. You’re not a woman a man just takes, and I won’t be the one who does. We can be married before I leave. There’s a judge I know over in Santa Fe.”
“But—”
He lay down and pulled her to his side, laying out the plan. “Friday. We’ll leave right after you finish work for the day. We’ll be married and back before anyone knows.”
“It’s two hours to Santa Fe and another two back,” she argued. “Add in time for even a simple ceremony, and it would be impossible for me to be back before curfew.”
“We’ll stay overnight. Emma and Lily will cover for you. They’ve had to before.” He tweaked her nose, reminding her of the night they had gotten so wrapped up in each other that the church bell had tolled quarter of an hour past curfew before they realized she was late. “Don’t you want to marry me, Grace?”
It was the first sign of uncertainty he’d shown. She stroked his hair. “I have a contract, Nick.”
“Answer the real question, Grace.”
“Yes, I want to marry you more than I have ever wanted anything in my life.”
“But?”
She blushed with the intimacy of the question she was about to raise. “But what if we marry and then we…consummate that union, and while you are gone, it becomes obvious that I…”
His grin was infuriating. “Grace, there are ways. I mean, we can, as you say, consummate the union without—”
She slapped his chest. “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Nick Hopkins.”
He held her close. “Shhh,” he whispered. “We can have it all, Grace. Just say yes and trust me.”
She rested her cheek against his bare chest, her mind racing as she tried to consider every possible thing that might go wrong. What if someone saw them in Santa Fe? What if the judge refused to marry them? What if she got caught sneaking back to her room? What if, in spite of his assurances, she ended up pregnant? “I don’t understand the rush,” she said. “I mean, if the point is to be legally wed before we…you know…then why not marry once you return?”
“Because the truth is, I’m not sure I can wait that long to make you mine. The way I see things, this time tomorrow night, we could be husband and wife in every way.”
“Are you planning to add hours to the day? By the time we go, find the judge, marry, and return—”
He kissed her into silence. “Just say yes, Grace,” he said. “Say yes, and I promise you the wedding you deserve—the life you deserve.”
“You’re a madman, Nick Hopkins.”
He grinned. “Ah, but you can’t resist me any more than I can you, so let’s make this happen.”
He was right, of course. She felt the thrill of the adventure that was what life with Nick promised to be. “Yes. Yes!”
He let out a whoop of delight and rained kisses over her face, continuing to explode with yells of joy between each kiss.
Laughing, she pressed her fingers to his mouth. “I have to go,” she said, standing as she did up the buttons on her dress and then twisted her hair into a loose knot.
He stayed where he was, watching her. “Friday,” he said, standing to hold her coat for her and then sealing their plan with a kiss. He would stay behind and make sure the fire was out while she ran the short distance from the cabin to the hotel’s kitchen entrance and up the back stairs just in time to bid good night to Miss Kaufmann and try to figure out what on earth she was going to tell Emma and Lily.
Mrs. Nicholas Hopkins. Grace Hopkins.
It was all happening so very fast, and yet having come to the decision to stay in Juniper, marrying Nick was just one more piece of the puzzle of the life she’d always dreamed of falling into place.
* * *
Nick was nervous. Friday had to have been the longest day he’d ever drawn breath, and now as he waited for Grace, he mentally went over every detail of the plan. He’d sent a wire to Judge Elton Brill, a man only a year or two older than Nick, who was married to a friend from Nick’s childhood. Brill’s reply had arrived just that morning. It contained the address in Santa Fe where the judge would meet Nick and Grace at the appointed time. A horse and buggy were ready to go. No one would think twice about seeing the couple off for a drive in the country.
The only problem was that Grace was late.
Nick paced outside the hotel, willing the kitchen door to open and her to come running out, full of breathless apologies. But what if she had changed her mind? What if she didn’t come? What if—
Suddenly, he heard the familiar creak of the door, heard her telling someone she’d see them later, and then there she was. She was wearing the dress she’d worn on the train—her best dress, she’d told him. And that ridiculous little hat that made him smile. He hoped she never got rid of that hat.
He watched her for a moment as she stood there, pulling on her gloves and then looking around, not seeing him at first, and then when she did, smiling and giving him a little wave. They met in the middle of the yard, and it took everything in him not to wrap her in his embrace right then and there.
“Ready?” he asked, and when she nodded, he offered her his arm and walked sedately with her over to the livery. He helped her up onto the seat before climbing in next to her, took the reins and snapped them.
“We’re off,” she said as if she could not quite believe it.
He took hold of her hand. “No regrets?”
“No. I did some figuring last night. Assuming we can keep our marriage secret long enough for me to complete my contract, I’ll still be able to keep my promise to send all fifty dollars. We’ll make this work, Nick.”
“That’s my girl,” he said and grinned at her. If they’d been away from people shopping and going about their business, he would have put his arm around her and kissed her.
* * *
Once they were out of town, she rested her head on his shoulder and watched the sun set behind the mountains in the distance. It would be dark by the time they reached Santa Fe, and shortly after that, they would be married. She sucked in a breath as if she were about to plunge into deep water and realized it was an apt analogy.
“You cold?” Nick asked, tucking the edge of the lap robe tighter around her legs.
“No. Just excited.”
“And a little scared?”
It was one of the things she realized she loved about this man. He seemed so in tune with her thoughts, and he cared what she might be thinking. “Are you?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. It’s a big step.”
Maybe he was the one having regrets. “Nick? If you don’t… I mean, we can turn back. If you—”
To her surprise, he pulled the buggy to a stop, turned to face her, and cleared his throat. This was it then. He had changed his mind and been too much of a gentleman to say so, but now that she had given him permission to…
“Are you listening to me, Grace?”
She’d been lost in her thoughts, aware of the murmur of his words but not really hearing what she feared he might be saying.
“I love you. I want to be with you. Not just for a night on the floor of an abandoned cabin but forever. I want to wake up to your face and go to sleep to the feel of your breath on my bare skin. I want to sit across from you at meals and watch as you tell our children stories at bedtime. Darn it, woman, I even look forward to arguing with you, mostly because I figure making up will be worth the trouble.”
“Still, there is so much we don’t know,” she cautioned, afraid to take him at his word.
“Grace, I’m of age, and so are you. My guess is that for some time now, you’ve had the notion in mind to find a man to spend your life with. I know the thought’s been there for me. Finding a woman, that is. I’ve looked at this thing from every side, and what I know for sure is that I’d be a fool to walk away from a chance to be with you. Our timing might not be perfect, but then timing rarely is. This is our moment, and I’m asking you to be real sure you want to grab on to it.”
I do. Oh yes, I do. The words rang so loud in her brain that she was sure she had spoken them aloud. Tears of pure joy rolled down her cheeks.
“Grace? Are you crying? Oh, honey, I never meant—”
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “Don’t try and back out now, Nick Hopkins. A promise is a promise, and you promised me a proper wedding. Now let’s get going before the judge decides you’ve changed your mind.”
He kissed her, and in that kiss was all that would remain unspoken between them. They would marry tonight and face together whatever tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come might bring.
By the time they reached Santa Fe, the shops had closed for the day. The building that held the judge’s chambers looked deserted except for a single light in a window on the first floor near the entrance. Nick helped Grace down from the buggy, and they walked together to the rough-hewn double doors that marked the entrance to the building. Nick raised a knocker and let it fall twice. Voices and footsteps echoed from inside, and then the double doors swung back.
Judge Elton Brill greeted them with, “You’re late, Hopkins.”
A woman hurried past him, kissed Nick’s cheek, and grasped Grace’s hands. “I’m Clarissa,” she said. “Pay my husband no mind. He seems convinced that his title gives him special dispensation when it comes to rudeness. Come with me, Grace. I expect you’d like to freshen up a bit before we begin.”
“Clarissa,” her husband protested.
“Elton, this is a wedding, not a sentencing. Show some patience and common kindness. Don’t you have papers that Nick should sign?” She actually shooed him away before leading Grace through a narrow doorway and into a small room lit by kerosene wall sconces. In the center of the room was a table, and on that was a hand mirror, a hair brush, combs, and ribbons for arranging hair. “Sit,” Clarissa instructed. “Let me do something special with that beautiful hair.”
“How do you know Nick?” Grace allowed herself to relax as Clarissa brushed out her hair and then expertly braided and arranged it, talking around a row of hairpins she held between her lips.
“Nick and I grew up together. His pa and mine owned small ranches next to each other. We were back and forth between each other’s houses all the time. And then when I married Elton, he and Nick got on like a house afire. Pay no attention to my husband’s gruffness. He’s just worried that maybe the two of you are rushing things a bit.”
“We love each other and—”
“—don’t want to give into the temptation of putting the cart before the horse?”
Grace was glad of the shadows in the room and hoped they hid her embarrassment.
“I had to remind Elton that we had done exactly the same thing—run off in the middle of the night to be married, that is—and we were a lot younger and stupider than you and Nick are. I expect the two of you have thought this through.”
Grace wasn’t sure that was a question, so she didn’t supply an answer. “It’s kind of you and the judge to do this for us,” she said.
“Are you kidding? I was thrilled. Not every day I get to put on a wedding. Elton and I have got all boys—not a daughter in sight—so I’m doomed to play the mother-in-law role. But when I heard about you and Nick…” She took a step back and admired her handiwork before passing Grace the mirror. “I figured a veil was out of the question, you in street clothes and all, but the ribbons make a nice substitute, don’t you think?”
They did indeed. Grace stared at her reflection. Clarissa had woven the white satin ribbons in with her hair, wrapping the resulting braids around to form a sort of crown. “It’s so pretty,” she exclaimed.
“Thank you. I look—”
“Like a bride, so let’s not lose the moment.” She handed Grace a small nosegay of flowers and then opened the door to the hallway. “Ready?”
Grace wasn’t so sure, but apparently, Clarissa didn’t notice.
“Wait here until you hear the music, then walk straight down the hall. The door to Elton’s chambers will be open. No chance of taking a wrong turn.” She kissed Grace’s cheek and hurried away so she could be waiting with her husband—and Nick.
Seconds later, Grace heard the strum of a guitar, and she followed the sound. At the door to the judge’s chambers, she hesitated, taking it all in. The judge stood in front of his desk, wearing the formal robes of his office. Clarissa stood to one side of him with Nick at the other. The room was lit by about a dozen candles. Furniture had been pushed aside to form a short aisle from the door to the desk, and Grace followed it. She was aware of passing a youth who provided the music and two women who might be the boy’s sister and mother. They smiled shyly at her and then slipped from the room, closing the door behind them.
She locked her gaze on Nick and somehow moved forward. He stared at her in some kind of disbelief, as if seeing her for the very first time. When she reached him, he took her hands in his and whispered, “You are so beautiful.”
The judge cleared his throat, and they turned to face him. He opened a small book covered in black cowhide and lifted away a red satin ribbon that marked the page before he began to read the words.
“Dearly beloved…”
In spite of her determination to savor every second of her wedding, Grace barely heard a word the judge said. She spoke the vows as instructed, answered the query “Do you take…” and heard Nick do the same. When the judge called for the ring, Grace almost turned to him to explain that there had been no time, but then Nick reached inside his vest and produced a thin silver band. He had truly thought of everything.
Her heart swelled with emotion as he slid the band onto her finger and repeated the words Elton prompted. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
