She put her arms around him. Her fingertips were a balm on his hot skin. "It's all right," she said.
And it was. So long as she was near, everything was all right. Reece wanted her like this in his arms every day.
He lifted his head and looked up into her bright eyes. Her lips parted on a gasp as she regarded him. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her hair was like spun silk. He could spend his days touching it, resting his nose in it, running his fingers through it.
His gaze traveled back to her lips. He willed a memory to come to him of kissing her. But his mind was dark now that he was turned from the light. Only she filled his gaze.
Had they kissed before? His brain hurt from the effort to wrangle free a specific memory of the feel of his lips against hers, the taste of her tongue, or the heat of her breath.
It was no matter. He could make new memories. Starting now.
Standing, Reece snaked his hand around the nape of Beth’s neck. The corners of her eyes widened, like a bird spreading its wings and preparing for its first flight. There was no resistance as he tugged her to him. She was a willing traveler on this journey.
Before he could touch her lips, the cow mooed. And then he heard a crash. The milk he'd gathered spilled over and onto the floor.
"I'm sorry," Beth said. As she’d stepped closer to him, her foot had caught on the pail. “I’ve made a mess of things.”
Her hands went to her cheeks. Reece took a hard look at her then. He noticed the puffiness of her eyes. "Have you been crying?"
She shut her eyes. But that did nothing to hide the evidence. In fact, it only accentuated it.
"What's wrong? Tell me. I can't stand to see you upset."
Beth took a deep breath. When her gaze found him again, her smile wasn’t bright. But there was a light coming from within. A light Reece wanted to bathe in for the rest of his days.
“I’m happy, Reece. I promise you. I’m just overwhelmed. I never thought I'd see this day."
“Because I went missing?”
She tugged her lower lip into her mouth. Her head tilted a little to the left, like a newborn bird considering the distance from its nest up high and the unknown world down below. Finally, she gave Reece a curt nod.
Reece brought her into his arms. He towered over her. If she rested her head against him, it would fit right over his heart.
“I made my way back to you,” he said. “Now we can pick up where we left off."
She rested her head against his chest, nodding vigorously. “We’re going to make new memories.”
“Not just new memories.” Reece tilted up her face, so that he could see her eyes, but also so that he might take his first taste of her lips. “I also want to remember everything about you.”
He bent to kiss her again, but she turned away. Twisting out of his hold and heading for the doorway where the sun was high in the sky.
“Have you had lunch?” she asked. “We should go and join everyone. We have a lot of planning to do for the wedding.”
“All right.” Reece winced at the light, but he didn’t hesitate to join her. This woman was his past as well as his future. With her hand in his, he was certain he could face the glare of each new day.
Chapter Ten
Rain poured down in buckets outside. Not the pitter patter of an April shower. Literal buckets as if the downpour were coming out of a fireman’s hose turned on full blast. The deluge had been going on for the last three days, not letting up for a split second. And now it was Beth's wedding day.
That was supposed to be a sign of good luck, right? Rain on the day of the wedding? Beth doubted it. She was sure someone made up the old wives’ tale to make the bride feel better about the one thing out of her control on her big day; the weather.
Every bride who'd gotten married on the Purple Heart Ranch so far had done the ceremony outside. Beth would be the first forced into the barn. And that was after all of her guests would get drenched running from the muddy parking lot and into the damp, hay-strewn barn.
It wasn't just the weather that wasn't cooperating. Nothing else was going right. She'd stepped into her mother's vintage wedding dress, the dress she’d dreamed of wearing since she was a girl and her mother had shown her the beaded gown in the back of her closet. It was finally Beth’s day to unzip the garment from its protective bag.
Even after twenty-five years of being in the back of a closet, the dress hadn’t lost its luster. It was as pearly, pure white as the day her mother had said I do. The fit was perfect on Beth’s figure. Unfortunately, when she tugged at the zipper on the side of the dress, the metal clasp broke.
"Don't worry," said Sarai Cannon. "I can fix this."
Beth didn't doubt that the former model could work her magic on the dress. What she couldn't help wonder about was what the next catastrophe would be?
Would the food get ruined? Would the sound system short circuit? Would Pastor Patel change his mind and not marry them?
Beth had always dreamed of being married by her father. However, the two hadn't talked since Beth had walked out of the church after announcing that her engagement to Walter was off.
She hadn't called her father either. She was far too frightened of his rejection than anything else. She knew that Pastor Patel, one of her father’s oldest friends, had spoken to him. Pastor Patel had looked glum when he’d returned from that visit. Her father hadn’t extended his blessing on the union, but neither had he barred his friend from performing the rights.
Beth had hesitated when she’d received the news. Her father was not a stubborn man. He always gave an ear to reason. Except when it came to his girls; and that included Reegan.
Pastor Barrett hadn’t approved of Reegan’s hasty marriage either. But eventually, he’d come around. That eventuality had happened on Reegan’s wedding day when the man who had been a second father her whole life had shown up and walked Reegan down the aisle.
It wasn’t too late. Her father might still arrive to perform that honor. There was a rustle outside the door. Beth held her breath as she waited for the person on the other side to present himself.
The door to the house opened. Instead of the familiar broad shoulders of her father, she saw the smaller frame of her best friend. Reegan ushered herself inside, tossing an umbrella back out the door. A gush of rain came in after her. Beth looked at her friend, expectantly. Reegan caught her glance and shook her head.
Beth's head dipped. Her heart sank. Her father wasn't in attendance. He wasn't coming. Not even to walk her down the aisle.
Outside, the rain beat a vicious pattern. It showed no signs of letting up. Beth straightened her shoulders. She was still going through with her wedding.
The one thing she knew for sure was that she loved Reece Cartwright. She always had, and she always would. Nothing would change that.
Especially now that she knew Reece wanted her too. He'd almost kissed her. She'd wanted that kiss more than she wanted this marriage. She'd turned away from him at the last second because there was one thing she wanted more than the marriage and the kiss. Beth wanted everything to be real with Reece.
So long as he had amnesia, they were living in a fantasy world and not reality. He didn’t remember her, not really. He only had snippets of the whole. Tiny shards in a broken mirror. Beth wasn’t sure if it was an adequate reflection of who she truly was, of who they truly were to each other.
At the same time, when she’d looked in his eyes these last few days, she’d seen something she’d only dreamed. Reece had always cared for her, of that she had no doubt. When he looked at her now, that affectionate glance held a spark of heat in its depths.
Reece Cartwright wanted her.
Beth knew that look well because she wanted him too. She knew that no one else would ever love him the way she did. She knew that no one else would care for him the way she could. That’s why she would walk to him down that aisle. Come what may, memories or not, her feeli
ngs about him would not change.
This was the right thing. She didn't doubt that. She just wanted Reece, the old Reece, to know it for certain too.
"You're ready to go," said Sarai. The words were mumbled as she had a needle between her lips. Her fingers tugged up the zipper to the dress, closing Beth in and sealing her fate.
Beth looked at herself in the mirror. She took her own breath away. The beading of the dress sparkled back at her. The boning in the corset did wonders to her figure. She didn’t look like herself. She looked like the woman she’d always dreamed of being on this day.
There was just one more piece to complete the look. The shoes. Beth stepped into her heels … and the right stem broke.
Gasps rang up through the room. No sooner than the breath left every woman, did they each charge into action. They were all military wives, after all.
Maggie went looking for more shoes, only to discover that they were all too small or too large for Beth’s feet. Sarai took the heel and attempted to glue the stem back on. Reegan pulled out the tennis shoes Beth often wore when she came to sit beside her friend in the garden, which turned out to be the winning solution. The dress was long enough to cover them.
Luckily, the laces didn’t snap, and she didn’t poke her toe out of the fabric. But Beth was done with holding her breath. She was done with the preparations. She just wanted to get to Reece before the next catastrophe befell her.
And so with her reconstructed zipper, and her flat, rubber shoes, she made her way over to the door. She turned the knob, girding herself for the downpour. The first thing that greeted her was sunshine.
The clouds were rapidly clearing in the sky. The sun’s rays were stretching through the white wisps, as though waking from a leisurely afternoon catnap. But nothing compared to the bright bit of splendor that was the man walking toward her.
Reece was dressed in his Army uniform. His hair combed back, his chin clean-shaven. Despite the nightmares of the day, it was another of Beth’s dreams come true.
This was exactly how she’d pictured it all these years. Reece would walk toward her, a slight smile on his face. Then he’d take her in, and he’d stop, just as he was doing right now. His gaze would sweep over her, and his blue eyes would light with fire, like the inner flame of a stovetop burner. That was happening too.
The only thing that was out of place in this real life fantasy was the umbrella in his hand. In her dreams, he always had a colorful bouquet of flowers. And sometimes there was ice cream in the other hand.
He held the umbrella up lamely as he spoke. “I know you don't like to get dirty. But it looks like we won’t need this any longer.” He tossed the device to the side. “Are you ready?”
He held out his arm. Beth came down the stairs and took the proffered limb. The sun broke through the clouds now, shining down on them. Looking up, the saw the colorful strands of a rainbow in the sky.
“It’s beautiful,” Beth said.
“It’s fitting,” said Reece. “The only way that rainbow could shine is after such a violent storm.”
Chapter Eleven
Her skin hadn't come into direct contact with his, but Reece felt a cool heat where Beth rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. They'd shared a few light touches over the past couple of days that led up to their wedding day. But they hadn’t been alone again. They were always surrounded by others. And in the few, brief moments when they were alone, Beth demurred.
He might not remember much, but he was starting to doubt they’d ever kissed. He now believed their courtship had been entirely through letters. He hadn’t asked Beth for confirmation. It didn’t matter because he knew she wanted him.
He knew that each glance she slid his way was full of longing. He saw her breath catch each time his skin faintly brushed hers. She would always linger a few more moments when it was time for them to part and go their separate ways. However, if he leaned in, if he gazed too long, she became flustered. So, he’d kept a respectable distance.
They were standing on the threshold of the barn doors. Once they crossed inside, they'd begin their wedding ceremony. He didn't feel a moment's hesitation about that. He knew in his soul that this was the thing he was meant to do, to be Beth's husband. To stand beside her and protect her for the rest of their days. He may have never kissed this woman, he may have never embraced her the way a man takes the woman whose heart he's been entrusted with, but he was certain he'd spend his life doing just that.
Looking down at Beth, he saw the brightness of love in her eyes. She looked at him with trust and adoration. He might not be certain of much in this unfamiliar life, but of that, he was sure.
Neither of their steps faltered as they approached the barn doors. Inside the large room, Reece saw a sea of unfamiliar faces. They all turned to look at the bride and groom. That’s when Reece did stop, pulling Beth up short beside him.
"Where's your father?" He knew the groom wasn’t meant to walk the bride down the aisle. That honor was reserved for the father of the bride.
Beth’s fingers trembled in the crook of Reece’s arm. The sun shone down on her, but a cloud passed over her beautiful features.
"He's not coming." Her voice was small, her gaze downcast.
Her father wasn’t coming? That didn't sound right. Reece knew that Beth's father doted on her. This, her wedding day, was not an occasion the man would miss.
"Is he ill? Should we postpone?"
Come to think of it, Reece realized he hadn't seen Pastor Barrett at all the last few days. He couldn't bring the man's face into view, but he knew he'd know him the moment he saw him.
Beth sniffed. Tears pooled at the corner of her right eye as she stared down at her hands. "He doesn't think we should get married."
Again, that didn't feel right to Reece. He couldn't pull up any specific memories, but he knew that Pastor Barrett loved him. Like a son.
With supreme gentleness, Reece put his forefinger under his bride’s chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. Their voices were hushed as they stood just outside the barn doors. Even more people had turned in their seats to stare. Reece ignored them all.
"Did I do something wrong?" Reece asked. "Is he angry with me?"
The clouds fled from Beth's features to be replaced with care and compassion. "Oh, no. Not at all. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then, why?”
She took a deep breath. Then seemed to have trouble swallowing. “My father wanted me to marry someone else."
The thought of Beth and someone else lit a fire in Reece. The flame wasn't warm. It burned.
“The problem is that,” she continued, “I’ve only ever loved you."
And just like that, the flame was extinguished with her words. Reece looked down at her, this woman who was pledging herself to him. Her lips were there for the taking. She wasn’t demurring now. Her gaze slid to his lips in turn. She did not pull away. She did not turn away. Before he could take what she was offering, Reece had to make something clear.
"This might not sound genuine," he said, "because I don't remember everything about us. But I feel certain of this. I feel certain of us."
“Oh, Reece …”
The tears that had gathered at the mention of her father’s absence collected more moisture. In another second, they poured down like the rains from earlier. Reece caught each and every one of them.
Beth's lower lip trembled as she looked up at him. He tilted her chin up. Her lips parted on a shaky exhale. The taste of her warm breath filled Reece with a mighty hunger.
He dipped his head for his first taste of this woman when a throat cleared in the distance. There was also a chorus of feminine sighs. An ensemble of masculine chuckles. And a few gleefully delivered ewwws by giggling adolescents.
The throat clearing is what both Reece and Beth heeded. Breaking apart, the two turned to face Dr. Patel, who was waiting for them at the end of the aisle. The man’s lips were pursed, but there was an amused smile in the pinched expr
ession.
"Sorry," Reece called to Dr. Patel.
"You're doing just fine on your own," he called from his place at the makeshift altar. "I couldn't do it better myself. But since my words will make it official, why don't you two come down here, and we’ll get started.”
Reece escorted Beth down the aisle. He looked to the right and left at the people gazing back at him. Everyone was smiling in approval at the two of them. A few handkerchiefs were pressed to eyes. Many hands were on hearts. A few of the soldiers held thumbs and fists up in the air.
In the features of every other face, Reece caught snatches of familiarity. The prickles of light began to overwhelm him. He turned away from the townsfolk and focused his gaze on Beth.
“I bless this union,” Dr. Patel began, “because I know each of your hearts. Doubts will come into the light. Remember who you are and how you feel about each other when the light of truth gets too harsh."
The pastor tore his gaze from the couple and looked over their heads to address those gathered.
"God brought Reece back to us. Beth was the guiding light that brought him home. Their love was born in friendship, blossomed with time and maturity. This community has watched these two grow, and we will continue to nurture them and invest in their progress."
A chorus of amens rang through the barn rafters; the promises of a tight-knit community that Reece felt a connection to, even though he couldn’t discern the individual threads.
"And now for the vows.” Dr. Patel turned to Beth. “Repeat after me."
"In the presence of these, our family and friends, I, Elsbeth Elaine Barrett, do take you, Reece Joseph Cartwright, to be my husband, my partner, and friend. To join my life with yours, to share with you all that is to be, to laugh with you in joy, to comfort you in sorrow, to grow with you in love. I will honor you, I will be faithful to you, all the days of my life. This is my sacred vow."
Reece's fingers tightened around Beth's as she gave him her vow. When he was instructed, he slid the ring on her finger. She gasped at the perfect blue stone surrounded by a tiny sapphire, emerald, and ruby. When she looked up at him, her eyes shone with more tears.
Always On His Mind Page 5
