by Lily Reynard
“I reckon so,” Walt replied with a thoughtful frown. “I mean, even assuming that they boarded a train as soon as they received that telegram, they won’t turn up here until Friday, when the next train arrives.”
“Unless they decide to take the stagecoach from Salt Lake City,” Larkin reminded him.
“You think they’re going to be in that much of a hurry?” Walt asked.
Larkin shrugged.
Now that he thought about it, it was unlikely that a bunch of Easterners would want to brave the dangers and rigors of the unpaved roads and dangerous mountain passes between Salt Lake City and Twin Forks when waiting just a few more days would mean a safer and more comfortable journey by train.
“As soon as we finish chores, I’m going to ride into town and talk to Reverend K,” he volunteered. “And I’ll see if I can rustle up a wedding dress for her.”
Walt's sandy brows shot up. “I hadn’t even thought about a wedding dress. Glad you remembered.” He paused, studying Larkin. His thoughtful expression returned. “I’m really happy that you’re on board with my plan, especially since just a couple of days ago, you were declaring that you’d never get married.”
“That’s only because I thought I’d become just like my Da—a bad husband and a bad person. But Sarah—well, she inspires me to be the best man I can possibly be. That’s why I want her wedding—our wedding—to be something special.”
Walt nodded. Then he blinked, as if he’d just remembered something, and pushed back his chair. As he rose, he said, “Hold on, I’ll be right back.”
Larkin waited, drinking his coffee, as Walt hurried out of the kitchen and disappeared into their former bedroom.
When he emerged, he was carrying the small leather bag that held their collection of gold nuggets.
He handed it to Larkin. “While you’re shopping for a wedding dress, do you think you could buy some wedding rings and maybe a little gift for Sarah?”
“Sure thing.” Larkin weighed the bag in his hand. He’d have to be discreet, but he thought he could manage it. “If I happen to run into Sheriff Plummer, should I tell him about who Burgess really is?”
Walt shook his head vigorously. “Nope. We can tell everyone the truth after Sarah is officially hitched and I can protect her as Mrs. Walter Edwards.”
“Mrs. Walter Edwards, huh? Not Mrs. Larkin Williams?” Larkin asked, pretending to scowl. “I was thinking that we could do what the Brody twins did and toss a coin to see which of us gets to stand up in front of Reverend K.”
A flash of panic crossed Walt’s face. Larkin fought to keep himself from laughing out loud as he watched Walt struggle with his conflicting desires to be Sarah’s official bridegroom but also make Larkin feel like an equal member of their three-part marriage.
After he'd let Walt squirm for a minute or two, Larkin added, “But upon consideration, I’ll let you be the one who has to get all slicked up for the wedding.”
Larkin didn’t miss the other man’s relief.
“You’re going to have to get all slicked up, too, if you’re going to stand up as my best man,” Walt pointed out.
“And all that’s assuming that our girl says ‘yes’ when we propose to her.”
“I hope she will,” Larkin said, with all his heart.
* * *
When Sarah finally awoke, the bed was empty and the sun was high enough in the sky that she immediately knew that she’d overslept.
She had already been tired and wrung out with fear and guilt yesterday. Then, Walt and Larkin had offered her unexpected forgiveness—and a painful but unexpectedly arousing catharsis—followed by enthusiastic pleasuring. She had eventually fallen asleep in their arms, feeling at peace for the first time since her arrival in Twin Forks.
She threw back the coverlet and sat up. A lingering tenderness on her bottom summoned a rush of vivid memories, and her cheeks heated.
When I ran away from home, I never thought that I would be this fortunate.
That thought was immediately followed with, Why didn’t they wake me?
Acutely aware that the chickens needed to be fed and their eggs gathered, not to mention milking Rosa and cooking an overdue breakfast, she hurried to get dressed and put up her hair.
Downstairs, the house was empty and silent but filled with the scent of coffee.
She spotted the pot warming on the stove and smiled at the sight of freshly chopped wood piled in the crate next to the stove. One of her men had thoughtfully lit the stove as well, and it stood ready for her to begin cooking the day’s meals. Then she hurried through the kitchen and out the back door to begin her chores.
Walt entered the house an hour later, just as Sarah was pulling a batch of biscuits out of the oven.
“Morning, Sarah. You sleep okay?”
Heat rose in her face as she straightened up to face him. He was smiling at her, and he looked as happy as she felt. “Never better. And you?”
“Never better,” he echoed.
“Breakfast is almost ready,” she said, indicating the set table. “I’m sorry that it’s so late today.”
Walt shook his head. “Lark and I figured we’d worn you out but good.” He winked at her, and her already warm cheeks grew hotter.
“Speaking of Larkin…” Sarah peered past him, and through the open back door. “Could you let him know that breakfast is nearly ready?”
“Oh, he’s not here. He fixed himself a bite to eat before he left.”
“Oh.” Sarah stared at Walt in dismay. Larkin had run away after the last time they’d been intimate. Had he experienced a change of heart since last night?
“Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon,” Walt assured her, apparently reading her expression. “He just had to go to town for a few things.”
Did he change his mind about wanting to protect me? What if he’s gone to fetch the sheriff?
Sarah told herself that she needed to have faith in Larkin. Last night, he had said that he believed her.
“Hey, don’t look so worried,” Walt said.
He took her in his arms, and she leaned into the comforting strength of his embrace. She felt his cheek rest on the top of her head. “We’ve got something in the works…a surprise for you. Lark should be back soon, so if you could fix him a plate and keep it warm, he’d be much obliged.”
They sat down together to eat breakfast a short while later. Sarah sat gingerly, her bottom still sore from Walt's spanking.
Walt shoveled in the food with his usual appetite. Then, when his plate was clean, he excused himself for a moment while she was serving up seconds.
When he returned, he held a book bound in tan leather.
“I wanted you to have this,” he said, and offered it to her.
Intrigued, Sarah took it and opened it. Inside, she found pages of handwritten recipes inscribed in a variety of handwriting.
“This belonged to my mother,” Walt explained. “It was a wedding gift from my grandmother and great-aunts. Each of them wrote out two or three of their favorite recipes as a way to start Mom off in her married life.”
Sarah looked up from the book. Tears stung her eyes. “I’m honored that you’re entrusting this to me.”
“I know you’ll do these recipes justice, Sarah. You’re a rattling-good cook.”
He bent to kiss her, a sweet, gentle kiss. She returned it, winding her arms around his neck, and the kiss quickly heated.
Then the back door opened. Startled, they sprang apart.
To her relief, it was Larkin who entered, carrying a stack of small boxes.
“Morning, Sarah,” he mumbled.
Without pausing, he headed straight into the downstairs bedroom.
Her curiosity was immediately whetted, especially when Walt suddenly began to fidget. What on earth did he buy in town?
Larkin quickly emerged from the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.
He re-entered the kitchen and headed for the sink in the laundry room. Sarah couldn’t
help noticing that the pockets of his jeans now bulged with the outline of two tiny boxes.
She rose and went to the stove.
“I saved you some breakfast,” she told him as he lathered his hands with the bar of lye soap.
“Thank you. I’m starving,” he told her. Then he winked at her. “It’s been a busy morning.”
“So Walt told me,” she replied, as she uncovered his plate and carried it over to the table, shielding her hands from the heat with a pair of thick quilted potholders. “Would you like coffee or milk with your meal?”
“Coffee,” he told her. “Thank you.”
She returned to the stove as Larkin seated himself at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him reach into his pocket and hand Walt something.
Both men looked oddly apprehensive…nervous, even, as she returned to the table, coffee pot in hand.
“Is everything all right, Larkin?” she asked as she filled his cup.
“Everything’s fine as your cream gravy, Sarah,” he assured her.
“So, you didn’t have any trouble in town?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Why would I?”
“I was just worried about Mr. Burgess.”
“And we told you that we’d protect you, didn’t we?” Walt reminded her. “Speaking of which…” He cast a look at Lark. “You want to go first?”
Larkin shook his head again. “Nope. I think you should go first.”
“Are you sure?” Walt asked. “I don’t mind if you ask her.”
“Ask me what?” Sarah asked, not certain whether to be amused or worried.
“Walt,” Larkin said, sounding frustrated. “Stop being so beef-headed. Ask her!”
Holding one hand behind his back, Walt rose from his seat and came to stand next to her chair.
Then, to her shock, he sank to one knee. “I’m thoroughly in love with you, Sarah Franklin. I want to protect you and spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
As she stared at him, speechless with disbelief, he showed her what he’d been hiding behind his back. It was a small jeweler's box. He opened it and showed her the contents.
Nestled in the box’s wine-colored velvet lining sat a lovely pearl ring set with a pair of small diamonds.
“I—” she began, her throat tight with emotion. “You don’t have to do this, if it’s out of misplaced chivalry or some sense of duty.”
“It’s not,” he assured her in a firm tone. He gazed up at her, his blue eyes serious. “I want to fall asleep with you every night and share breakfast with you every morning for the rest of our lives.”
“Oh,” she said faintly.
She still couldn’t bring herself to believe it. After all that had happened, and after being unmasked as an imposter, he still wanted to wed her?
Larkin jumped up from his chair, then dropped to one knee next to Walt.
“This isn’t purely about protecting you, Sarah,” he said. “I never thought I’d ever find someone like you. I love you and I need you. I don’t want to live the rest of my days without you and Walt. I want us to be a family.”
He reached into his other pocket, which still bulged, and drew out another small jeweler’s box. Inside were three golden wedding rings. “Marry me…marry us, Sarah.”
Her shock dissolved in a flood of hot, joyful tears. They loved her and wanted her for their wife, even after finding out that she’d lied to them about her very identity?
“Yes,” she sobbed. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I’ll do my best to be a good wife to you both.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The next day
“Sarah, have I laced you too tightly?” asked Emma.
In the tall mirror that stood against the wall of Emma’s bedroom, Sarah saw her friend peering over her shoulder, a concerned look on her face.
“I can still breathe,” Sarah assured her. She was feeling a bit giddy, but it wasn’t because of her corset, though the strings had been pulled tighter than usual. “And we need to get these wedding gown buttons closed, or it’ll cause an even bigger scandal than my purple hair did!”
Emma laughed and resumed lacing her up.
In less than an hour, Sarah would be a married woman.
This morning, both men had visited one of Twin Forks’ attorneys-at-law and altered their wills to provide for her and any children she might have with them, in case the worst should ever happen.
She still couldn’t believe it. After the disaster and despair of Friday evening, this sudden change in her fortunes still seemed too good to be true.
Upon arriving at the Kottinger's house, she had told Beth, Abby, and Emma the truth about her identity and her reasons for switching places with Liza Hunter.
Emma had listened to Sarah's story with a grave expression, then nodded slowly. "If Walt and Larkin have forgiven you for your actions, then there's nothing left to say." She hugged Sarah, hard. "I know what's it's like to be forced to leave home without friends or resources."
Abby and Beth had nodded their understanding as well.
"I'm glad you came clean with Walt," Abby had said. "And that it all turned out all right."
"Will you write Miss Hunter's family and let them know of her passing?" Beth had asked gravely.
"Yes, of course," Sarah had said, glad that Beth had reminded her. "I'll do it tomorrow."
“I’ve finished sewing the veil, whenever you’re ready,” Abby Brody now called from the parlor of the small parsonage. “And Dr. Addison brought a garland of apple blossoms.”
“Please, call me Beth!” the doctor reminded them. “I wore a garland like that for my own wedding,” she added as she peeked into the bedroom. “Sarah, you look beautiful!”
Before Sarah could reply, Beth turned and said over her shoulder, “Abby, the dress fits perfectly!”
“Oh, good!” Abby’s voice came floating down the hall from the parlor. “I was hoping it would, since Sarah and I are about the same height.”
“I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate all of this,” Sarah said with heartfelt gratitude. “Especially on such short notice.”
“Nonsense,” Beth said briskly, her dark eyes twinkling. “Every woman deserves to have a special wedding day.”
The doctor looked lovely in the same stylish blue traveling dress that she had been wearing on the train when Sarah first met her.
This morning, she, Walt, and Larkin had encountered Beth on the drive into town. The doctor had been returning from an early morning call to one of the miner’s cabins. She had confirmed Sarah’s account of the events on the train and the circumstances of Liza Hunter’s unexpected death.
On impulse, Sarah had asked if Dr. Addison would be interested in serving as one of her witnesses at the wedding ceremony.
The doctor, though clearly surprised, had immediately accepted.
Sarah wondered how the other woman had found her first two weeks in Twin Forks. Had she been lonely? Had the male miners been treating her with the respect due a doctor and a lady?
Now, Sarah blushed at Beth’s reminder of a special wedding day.
Last night, Larkin and Walt had insisted on sleeping in their old bedroom. She had invited them up to share the attic bed last night, but they had demurred, insisting that they wanted their wedding night to be special. Based on everything that had happened between them so far, she had no doubts that it would indeed be something special.
Alone in the big bed, Sarah had knitted far into the night, hoping to complete the baby blanket for Emmaline.
The three of them had driven into town right after chores and breakfast. Walt and Larkin delivered her to the Kottinger house, located next to the church, so that Emma, Abby, and Dr. Addison could help Sarah prepare for the wedding, which was scheduled for noon.
Meanwhile, Walt and Larkin were working alongside Reverend Kottinger to decorate the church with ribbons and fresh flowers.
Yesterday, after dinner, Walt and Larkin had revealed the oth
er items that Larkin had acquired during his quick trip into town.
To Sarah’s astonishment, the men presented her with a beautiful engraved gold locket that opened to reveal photos of both Walt and Larkin, and golden pendant earrings wrought in the same vine pattern as the engraving on the locket.
And they had promised that a wedding dress and shoes would be waiting for her at Emmaline Kottinger's house the following morning.
