The Rancher’s Second Chance Bride

by Maya Stirling

  Reese drew in a sharp breath. For a few moments he was lost for words. Rufus peered at Reese. "I've no doubts about how you two feel for each other. It's as plain as day." Rufus shrugged. "Mabel doesn't stop telling me. And, she's getting impatient."

  Reese frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Mabel figures you're going to lose Honora a second time if you don't ask her to be your wife." Rufus squinted. "How many chances do you need. Reese?"

  Reese leaned against the corral rails, needing a moment to deal with the truth that Rufus had just hurled in his face. "Has Mabel said any of this to Honora?" Reese asked.

  "Sure," Rufus declared. "But, you know Honora. She has a mind all her own."

  "She sure does." He couldn't resist the impulse to smile at that thought. Rufus and Mabel were right. Was he going to squander this chance to win Honora's hand? Just thinking about doing such a thing triggered a surge of defiance in him. Of course, he wasn't going to throw away this blessed gift with which he'd been graced. But, first there was a serious situation to resolve.

  "About that problem you have, Rufus," Reese said. "Leave it to me."

  Rufus's eyes widened. "I don't want you getting involved Reese."

  Reese shook his head firmly. "You ain't going to persuade me otherwise, Rufus. So, don't even try. I know how to deal with men who like to corrupt." He quirked a brow. "Besides. You're forgetting. I'm a temporary deputy. I have the ear of the town sheriff."

  Rufus stared at Reese for a long moment. "Okay. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to say no to a helping hand." Rufus scoffed. "Any pride I had was driven out of me a long time ago."

  "Humility is a useful replacement," Reese said, squeezing Rufus's arm gently.

  "I'll tell that to the pastor tomorrow," Rufus said. "The three of us are going to church. You want to come along?"

  Reese thought about that. What would Honora think about him accompanying her to the church? Maybe she'd be delighted, he told himself. Or perhaps not. He wasn't sure. Even though she'd been friendly to him on the way back from the ranch, he was still trying to figure out what would be the wisest thing for him to do.

  "I'll think about it and let you know tomorrow," Reese replied.

  Rufus turned and started toward the house. He paused and looked at Reese. "Thanks," Rufus said, sounding like he meant it.

  "You're welcome, Rufus," Reese said.

  As he watched Rufus heading back to the house, Reese sighed, feeling the tension ease out of his body. Rufus had revealed a whole lot and most of it explained what had been going on at the ranch. Reese was convinced that Calhoun wanted this ranch so he could stake a claim on the adjoining Buchanan land at some time in the future. And he'd used evil means to put pressure on Rufus, a good man at heart, who had strayed from the righteous path. By opening himself up to Reese and accepting help, Rufus had already taken the first step to amending his ways. And that was good, as far as Reese was concerned.

  But, it was what all this meant for Reese and Honora that worried Reese the most. Because, if the ranch fell into Calhoun's hands, then what would happen to Honora, as well as Mabel and Rufus? Honora would probably have to leave Inspiration, along with her aunt and uncle. History would repeat itself in the harshest way. Reese stood to lose Honora all over again. And, of course, that would mean that at least one Buchanan would have failed to find himself a wife.

  There was no other woman for Reese. Honora was the only woman he would ever consider marrying.

  Reese wrapped his fingers around one of the corral railings, squeezing tight until his hand hurt. He gritted his teeth and sighed heavily. He and Honora had been through too much to let this break them apart.

  Reese knew what he had to do. And he wasn't going to wait until tomorrow.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It wasn't going to be easy, Honora told herself as she crept downstairs early on the Sunday morning. But, if she was going to get an answer to the question which had kept her awake most of the night, she had no choice but to leave early. She glanced into the kitchen and was pleased that there was no sign of Aunt Mabel or anyone else.

  She thought about what she'd just done. Going anywhere near Reese's room had been risky, but she'd had to do it. Leaving him the note had been part of her plan. Standing outside the door to his room, she had bent down and carefully slid the paper beneath the door. At least he would know what she wanted him to do, she told herself.

  She looked at the tall clock propped against the wall at the foot of the stairs. Seven. Maybe they were all having a slightly longer time in bed, she told herself as she carefully opened the front door. Honora stepped gingerly out onto the porch and drew in a deep breath of the cool, morning air. She had to be quick, because if they found out what she was planning, they might try and stop her. And she wasn't going to allow that to happen.

  Honora made her way across to the barn. Two carriages sat alongside the outside wall. She went to the stable and guided one of the horses out until it was positioned in front of the smaller of the two carriages. For the next few minutes, using her one free hand, she managed to connect the horse up to the carriage. It was hard, but she was determined. Twice she almost caught her gown on the harnessing. But, eventually the horse was hitched to the carriage.

  She tucked her small bag behind the seat and hoisted herself up. Positioning herself carefully, she managed to hold the reins, mainly in her good hand. With the other, even though it was still wrapped in a loose sling, she positioned the reins near her midriff. That way she was confident she'd be able to control the carriage. All she had to do was make sure she didn't ride too fast.

  She moved the horse on and held her nerve as the carriage made its way across the yard. To her surprise, there was still no-one to be seen. She lifted her heart and prayed that she would make it away from the ranch house without being seen. The rolling of the wheels sounded unnaturally noisy to Honora. But, eventually, she was far enough away from the house that she was sure the sound wouldn't attract attention.

  Honora followed the trail toward Inspiration. Moving slowly, she maneuvered the carriage carefully over ridges and around bends in the trail. Once or twice she had to stop when the discomfort in her arm became too much to ignore. She knew she was probably using muscles she hadn't used in a long time. The sun was bright and, even though the air was cool, the sweat on Honora's face needed regular attention.

  Finally, the trail broke out across a flatland which needed less effort on Honora's part. As she rode across the plain, she thought about how impossible it had been to get to sleep last night. Memories of the day she'd enjoyed up at the Buchanans just would not budge from her mind. And the voices of her three friends at the hotel restaurant had rung in her ear all night. Two thoughts had occupied her as she'd tossed and turned, trying to find sleep.

  Family and marriage.

  She realized that, yesterday, she had been given a glimpse of a future. And that future was intimately tied up with Reese Buchanan. Whether she liked it or not, that was the truth. When she'd arrived back at the ranch barely a week ago, she'd assumed she would resume her life, but without the complicating factor of the presence of Reese in her life. How wrong she had been. She had told herself that she could leave her past with Reese well and truly behind. And that there was no need for forgiveness. For either of them.

  It was true that they'd each done things to each other that required forgiveness. Reese hadn't behaved honorably to her when she'd left with her parents. And she suspected he knew that. Since their confrontation with the renegades, he'd been much more humble. And every gesture he'd made since then had suggested he was asking for her to forgive his past transgressions toward her.

  As for her, she felt she had judged him. And, as her faith told her most emphatically, that wasn't for her to do. But, more than that, she realized she had failed to practice a most important virtue. Humility. She'd tried to prove to him that she was completely capable of moving on without him. She'd allowed pride to overtake her.
Every display of her independence had been driven by a pride which she knew was wrong. Hadn't his teasing nickname been a hint that he wasn't going to take that seriously. Miss Rancher, he'd called her. As if he knew that wasn't who she really was, no matter what she believed.

  Everything Honora had done had only succeeded in bringing Reese closer to her. Every effort she had made to keep him at arms length had only drawn her nearer to him.

  Reese had changed. The question was, had she? And, in the middle of the night, she had prayed for guidance. During her meditation, she had opened up her heart to Him, seeking the path she should take. And, during the silence of the night, as she'd listened, the answer had come to her.

  Honora rode the carriage into a town that hadn't yet woken up. It was still before eight. There were a few folks making their way up the boardwalk. She saw a couple of people exiting the hotel. To her surprise, the saloon, normally open every day and night, was closed. The doors were shuttered and the windows boarded up. That was unusual, but she didn't have time to think about what could be the reason for its closure.

  Honora made her way to a quieter part of town. Drawing along a wide avenue, she saw her destination up ahead. The church doors were closed, but that didn't matter so much. The person she had to see would be in the little house right next door to the church. Honora drew the carriage to a halt alongside the picket fence inside which was a well-tended and modest garden. She took a moment to recover her strength. It had been a hard ride from the ranch. She felt a great deal had been taken out of her. But, she had arrived.

  She stepped down from the carriage, secured it and made her way to the front door of the two-level house. The pastor's home. After she knocked on the door, it was opened. Pastor Joseph was a tall man in his middle thirties. He was already dressed in his plain dark suit and black shoes. He gazed at her with kindly eyes. "Honora?" he said.

  "Pastor Joseph," she replied. "I hope you don't mind my paying a visit this early in the morning."

  The pastor smiled. "On a Sunday, it is never too early for a visit, Honora." He glanced at her arm and then toward the carriage. "Did you come here on your own. Like that?" he asked gesturing to her arm.

  Honora looked at him steadily. "I have to talk with you, Pastor Joseph," she said slightly breathlessly. She realized that the journey into town had probably taken more out of her than she had realized.

  The pastor pulled the door wide and invited her into the house. He led her to the parlor. She sat down on a low, beige-colored sofa. "May I offer you some water," he said. "You look as if you've been riding for quite a while."

  "Thank you. That would be welcome."

  While he was gone fetching her the drink, she ran over in her mind just what it was she intended saying to the pastor. He came back into the room and handed her the glass. She drank the cool water, feeling instantly refreshed.

  "How are you bearing up?" he asked. His gaze softened. "I heard the news. The loss of your parents is a hard trial to endure."

  "It has been. But, I've taken great solace from my faith. And my aunt and uncle have been helpful. They gave me a chance to come back."

  He nodded approvingly. "That is good to know. The tribulations of our lives are His way of cleansing us. Of drawing us nearer to Him. We need the support of the others He places in our life."

  Honora placed the glass down on the table next to the sofa. "Everyone has been supportive," she admitted.

  Pastor Joseph looked at her warmly. "You're strong, Honora. And He has graced you with a robust faith. That will see you through. All that is for you to do is to conform yourself to His will. Seek to do what he wants."

  Honora paused, realizing that the pastor had almost taken the words out of her mouth.

  "So, how may I be of assistance?" he asked.

  "I need your advice," she stated. "It's about a personal matter. One that you might already be familiar with."

  "How so?"

  "You recall how myself and Reese Buchanan used to be great friends?"

  "I do remember you both attending services with your own families," the pastor said gently. "Although I do recall that I would see his brother Gideon far more regularly than Reese. And weren't you both more than just good friends?"

  Honora smiled, knowing that the pastor's memory was entirely correct. The fact that they'd stepped out together hadn't gone unnoticed. And, Reese's lukewarm faith had been nothing compared to Gideon's unshakeable confidence in God. "This is a delicate matter," she started to say.

  "Does it concern marriage?" the pastor asked interrupting her courteously.

  Honora felt her mouth open. She stared at the pastor. How had he known? Or was it just that he had a deep understanding of human nature? Either way, Honora could hardly disguise her shock. "How did you know?"

  The pastor smiled patiently at Honora. "This is a small town, Honora. There isn't much that happens without folks knowing," he said. He lifted his brows. "Of course, that doesn't mean that gossip can't be harmful. It certainly can be. But, the mere fact of your return to Inspiration has set some tongues wagging."

  Honora thought for a few moments before responding. Was it really marriage she'd come to talk about? Riding here this morning, she'd believed she had to talk with the pastor about whether or not she should marry. But, now that she was here, the crucial thing to talk about was what God wanted her to do. And how she had resisted His will. How she was still resisting it. Her heart sank a little with that realization.

  "I thought I came here to ask your advice about marrying Reese," she said. "But now, I'm not so sure." She peered at the pastor. "Why is forgiveness so hard, pastor?" she asked.

  Pastor Joseph thought a moment. "I suppose it is because, in order to forgive, we need to humble ourselves. We have to accept that we cannot indulge ourselves in the sin of pride. And that to do so creates a terrible barrier between ourselves and those we love."

  Honora listened attentively to every one of the pastor's words. Each of them hit her with the force of truth. Had she indulged in prideful deeds? Thinking about how she had acted toward Reese, she concluded she probably had. And, in doing so, had she been the one to keep the barrier in place between herself and Reese? Again, she saw with absolute clarity that she had done just that. Her pride had been born of her disappointment with Reese. And she had been unwilling to truly forgive. That had led to her pride and had made it impossible for her to be humble. Was it time for her to let go of the past?

  Honora felt emotion sweep through her. She felt keenly the pain she must have caused others. Her aunt worried about her all the time. She'd seen the concern her uncle had expressed for her these past few days. And Reese must be wondering what he had to do to win her back into his life.

  "Pastor, I have been guilty of terrible pride," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I have made life hard for the people who love me. What can I do to act with humility toward them?"

  The pastor nodded slowly and smiled at Honora. "Humility isn't something you do, Honora. It is a gift of God. One that develops over time. The fact that you have been called to this understanding is enough for you to make a start." The pastor reached across and patted her on the arm. "There is always hope for a new beginning, Honora. That is what God gives us every day we wake up."

  Honora felt as if a weight had been lifted from her heart. She smiled at the pastor. "I think the new beginning started the day I arrived in Inspiration," she told the pastor.

  He smiled. "I think you may be right. After all, someone was already waiting for you here."

  "He was." She frowned. "It seems I've been doing all I can to resist God's call."

  Pastor Joseph's eyes shone kindly as he shook his head. "God's will cannot be resisted by the faithful. It may take time, but eventually we hear and understand."

  "And what about Reese?" Honora asked.

  The pastor squinted. "What about him?"

  "How can I explain all this to him? What must he be thinking of me? I've done all I could to keep
him at arms length. I've made things very difficult for him. I've been so ungrateful. When all along, he was here, all this time, waiting for me." She gasped as a thought seized her. "And forgiveness?"