Mountain Man's Bride

by Lauren Wood

  “You should know that I wouldn’t do that to her or anyone else if I got someone pregnant. You have known me for a long time and know that I am not this way. Why are you acting like I am?”

  Charlie just shook his head and looked down at his boots. I knew he was mad at me, but it was time to get over this that was between us. We were friends, best friends and soon we were going to be more than that. Soon we were going to really be family and for that I was ecstatic.

  “I just want to make sure that you don’t do anything stupid. I am never going to be okay with the fact that you two were together, but if you do right by her, I think that we can move on from here. We have a business to run and I have a feeling that you are going to need to up your cash flow. From what I hear, babies are expensive and my sister really likes to spend money.”

  “I will do right by her. I love your sister Charlie and I am going to ask her to marry me. I was going to before you told me, but now I know it is the right thing to do.”

  Charlie wasn’t too thrilled with the idea, but I am sure that he realized that it was worse than to not marry her.

  “You don’t have my blessing, but I won’t stand in your way. I hope that you aren’t just saying that, because she will always be my sister first.”

  “I wouldn’t understand it if you didn’t let me know where I stood.”

  “As long as this is what happens, we can work on being friends again. I know that I don’t want this to end our friendship. We have known each other a long time, but this is my sister. My only sister and you will have to treat her right. She will always be the side that I will take if it comes to that.”

  Charlie was just being honest and I wouldn’t have felt right if he had said anything else. I knew exactly what it was that he was saying and I did appreciate him coming out with it. I knew where I stood and that was good enough for me.

  “I am not going to hurt Sherry. She is a special girl.”

  “Well you will need to change your ways at the club. I won’t be there to see something and not tell on you. You are going to have to wise up all the way around.”

  I was getting perturbed that he was going on about it, but again, it was impossible not to see where he was coming from. I had a bit of a reputation. One that I had earned many times over, but it didn’t mean that it made it any easier to deal with when I was talking to Charlie, not when it came to his little sister. I was going to be walking a fine line for a long time, but I knew that there was no one else that I wanted. I had waited this long for Sherry, not even knowing that I was waiting and I certainly wasn’t going to mess anything up now. What would be the use?

  “I get it Charlie and I understand. Now are we going to do something or did you drag me out here to make me freeze?”

  “I brought you out here because I didn’t know how you would react. Sherry didn’t want me to tell you, but I had to know what your reaction was going to be.”

  I knew that it had been a test. It had felt like a test.

  “I am not going anywhere Charlie. I am here to stay.”

  After a minute of digestion, he finally nodded his head up and down slowly and clapped me on the back. It was hard, but it was also done out of good will. “Well then Rex. I guess all there is left to say is welcome to the family.”

  Chapter 34

  Sherry

  “Something is different about you Sherry. What is going on with you? It seems like every time I see you, it has been months in between. You have this look to you now. Explain yourself.”

  I laughed and the nosiness of my mother. I really don’t think she could help it and in one way, I was glad that someone noticed the differences. I felt like I had been forever changed and it just seemed right that it would have been changed on the outside as well.

  “Nothing much. I have been working a lot and am just tired.”

  “You look like you are sick. Are you not feeling good? I swear the city is where everyone is overworked and sickly. What would possess someone to want that as a life choice, I will never understand.”

  Well, she wasn’t being subtle.

  “The city is exciting. I have just been off a little bit lately. I am sure it is all the changes and excitement. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

  “You are feeling off, huh?”

  She checked my temperature with her hand as if it was the thermometer herself and she would be instantly able to see if I was too hot or not. I didn’t know what to say to her about all of it. All I knew was that if I didn’t say something soon, she was going to guess right.

  Rosalyn looked at me and narrowed her eyes, finally coming back with a smile that made me nervous.

  “It is because of that boy you said was coming, Dennis, right?”

  “Me and Dennis broke up mom, so I don’t think it has anything to do with him.”

  “Well you never know. Sometimes life has a way of making us miss the one that we are supposed to be with.”

  “Trust me, I don’t miss Dennis. He was ice, don’t get me wrong, but he wasn’t what I was really looking for.”

  Mom gave me this look that I couldn’t hold for long. “Well then who is it that you are looking for? Are you looking for the perfect man child? I promise you he doesn’t exist.”

  “No, not perfect, just perfect for me.”

  She sighed and I could tell that she wanted me settled and ready to give her grandchildren. It was almost impossible to keep it from her because I knew that she was going to be ecstatic. I also knew that the first thing after I told her that she was going to ask me was who the father was. It would literally be the next thig out of her mouth.

  “So, have you found this perfect for you man yet?”

  I had and I was bursting to tell her, but it wasn’t all what it appeared. I was stuck in a sore position and I didn’t know what to do about it. Charlie still wasn’t even really talking to me because he had found out about it. It was still too fresh and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do about it all. I felt like a crap and I knew it was because I didn’t have an easy answer for any of it. I wanted to tell the world, but I was still afraid of what was going to happen when I did. Charlie had made it clear that the last thing that he wanted was for us to end.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? Well that is a step up isn’t it? Does that mean that you are dating finally?”

  “I wouldn’t say dating, but I have seen one guy more than a few times and I am starting to think that I have fallen for him. He is great, nice to me and everything that I imagined.”

  “But?”

  “Well I don’t know if it is really meant to be. I mean, how do you know? I don’t want to fall in love and then get my heart broken. I have seen too many women go through it and I don’t want to be like that. I want to be able to travel and only come home when I have to. This is what I think about anyways.”

  “Being with someone isn’t going to take that away, as long as you pick the right man. I wish that you would find happiness. You and your brother seem to run away from it. I am never going to get grandchildren this way.”

  I was trying hard not to let it out, but it wasn’t the first time I had heard of her woes about grandchildren. She was convinced that it was never going to happen and I wanted to desperately tell her that she had one on the way.

  “It may not be such a long wait mom. You never know. I have a feeling that it is going to turn around. I have faith that it will.”

  She eyed me. “What are you saying? Have you found a man to marry and share your life with?”

  We weren’t from kids to marriage and the latter I knew nothing about. I hadn’t even told Rex of my predicament and I wasn’t ready to, not yet. I didn’t want mom thinking along those lines because she may very well be disappointed.

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but having grandchildren doesn’t always include that.”

  Rosalyn turned and looked at me with those big eyes of hers. “So tell me Sherry, is this how this is supposed
to be? Do you have something to tell me…”

  She had this look in her eyes of suspicion and I knew that she had put it together. About time because this ring around the rosy was tiresome at best.

  “You are pregnant?!”

  About that time the men walked in from outside, my dad included and suddenly I was horrified. This is not how I wanted it all to go. I couldn’t even meet Rex’s eyes, even though I could feel them on me.

  Chapter 35

  Rex

  I stopped at the door when I heard the news that was being spoken about in the house. It was the same subject that Charlie and I had just had outside. Did Rose know that it was my child that we were discussing?

  It didn’t seem to be the case when she got this horrified look on her face. It occurred to me then that she wasn’t ready to tell people or me that she was pregnant. She had told her brother from what sounded like out of need and now she was telling her mom. Rose wasn’t going to let it go that long without a man named and it seemed like I was there at the right time. This was my baby and I wanted to be in it’ life, as well as the mother. I loved Sherry and something that I thought may be done between us, I now realized that it was going to be okay to do it here. With her father and her mother present, no pressure.

  “What news is this?”

  “Rex, I just heard the best news that I have heard in a long time. It seems as though I won’t have to wait on you boys to bring me grandchildren any longer.”

  I looked to Charlie and he tried to look shocked. I think he was, but only because Rose knew now as well.

  “What? Sherry is pregnant?”

  He looked to his sister, a question of why she said anything in his eyes that he couldn’t erase. “Well that is good news.”

  “It is son, isn’t it?! I didn’t know why you wanted to come home and have everyone here Sherry, but it was a good idea. Now I am starting to see why and I am glad you called.”

  She looked down and her face turned red. I don’t think she wanted me or Charlie to know that we were here because of her. I could see that Charlie was piecing it all together and he looked nervous. He didn’t want Rosalyn to know that I was going to be the father, but it was something that was going to come out anyways. It was all about to come out and I took a deep breath, readying myself for it.

  “It wasn’t for this mother. I thought that it would be nice to have dinner. I didn’t want it to come out like this.” Sherry was looking at her father who was rather surprised about the whole thing. I didn’t blame him. I was still shocked and this was my second time hearing it.

  “So who is the lucky man? When are we going to meet him?”

  Sherry looked to me with a question in her eyes and it was then that she realized she hadn’t told me. I could see it in her expression and she looked down like she wasn’t sure what to say. I could have stood there and let her figure it out, but I figured it was best to start with the truth. It was always the right way to go.

  “I am the father. We were going to say something later, together, but you know how Sherry likes to let the cat out of the bag early.”

  Her smile was worth the looks I was getting from everyone in the kitchen. This was truly going to be a night to remember, yet it is so different then how I saw it all happening. I had really thought that it would be best to put it out there. Now I wasn’t so sure.

  “You, Rex?”

  It was Rosalyn that spoke up first and I could tell that she was very surprised that I was the one. None of them knew of our relationship and I could see that everyone there was trying to process it. Sherry was the only one that really looked at me then and I could tell that I had put her in an even stranger position. Charlie was practically shaking with fury next to me. I told him that I was going to do right by her and it started right now, right here in front of all of her family.

  “Yes Sherry and I have been seeing each other since she got back. I don’t know what happened, but we fell in love and as they say it, the rest is history.”

  There wasn’t a sound made in the house. I could hear only the slow tick of the timer on the oven. I looked to what was making the noise and I saw that there was only another minute left before the buzzer went off. It felt like that was how much time I had get it all out in the open and come here to do what I had decided I was going to do before I heard about this news.

  “Sherry, you didn’t say anything!? What a bit of news we are getting today. I am speechless! I really and truly don’t know what to say right now.”

  “Me either mother. This was not supposed to go down like this.”

  “I have more to say Sherry and I would like to share this moment with the rest of your family.”

  “Share what?”

  “The moment that I ask you to marry me.”

  Her face was the perfect sight of innocence and confusion. She had not seen that coming, of that I was clear, but it was perfect to see her in such a way. She smiled at me and it was then that I remembered the lump in my jacket pocket that was a constant reminder of what I had planned to do tonight.

  I took it out and opened up the box, hearing a gasp from Rosalyn’s direction. Kneeling on the kitchen floor, I asked her again. This time I did it the right way and stared up into her beautiful face. I needed the answer that was at her lips and I kneeled there, waiting to hear the words that I ached to hear.

  She was like her mother, not able to come up with much to say and I don’t know why it looked so good on her. She as blushing and like me a moment ago, all eyes was now on her, waiting to see what her answer would be. I know what I wanted it to be.

  “Are you serious Rex? I mean, we haven’t really talked about any of this before. Are you sure you are ready for this?”

  Rosalyn shook her head. “Child, what are you doing? Answer this man.”

  She looked at Rosalyn and she was even more spooked than before. “I will. I am. I just. I didn’t see this coming is all. We haven’t talked about this before and it is coming as quite a shock right now at the moment.”

  “So what do you say Sherry? Are you going to give me an answer and make me the happiest man on Earth?”

  “Yes Rex. I will marry you.”

  I stood up and embraced her. It had been literally weeks and weeks since I had been able to do it and she felt so right in my arms. It was the feeling that I had missed so completely before, but now she was mine and I was never going to let her go.

  There were congratulations all around and I looked at Charlie once I was done hugging Sherry to me. I waited for him to say anything, I knew what he was thinking, but he just kind of grinned and patted me on the back.

  “Welcome to the family Rex, though you have been a part of our family for a long time now.”

  “Yes you have Rex. I can’t believe this news! My daughter is getting married and she is going to have a baby! I couldn’t be happier, really.”

  The two women embraced and her father slapped me on the back as well. I could tell that he was feeling more like his son than his wife, still not sure. I had always looked up to him, he was a good man and maybe the announcement wouldn’t have been so unwelcomed if it hadn’t been following an announcement of the fact that I had knocked her up as well.

  “You better take care of her Rex. She will always be my little girl.”

  “Of course, Sir. I will spend my life making her happy.”

  “Good, you are a good man and she couldn’t have picked better. I just wish that there was a slower engagement in our future. The women are going to froth this up in now time. How quickly are you two going to get married?”

  We hadn’t talked about it, at all. I hadn’t spoken to his daughter in several weeks, but I knew what my answer to that question was.

  “I am going to marry her as soon as she will let me. Tomorrow if possible.”

  The older man grinned and told me that it was a good answer. Sherry overheard the conversation and smiled at me. It was the kind that stuck me in the heart and promised to never let go.
>
  “Tomorrow sounds really good.”

  BUZZ

  Chapter 36

  Sherry

  9 months later…

  “Are you sure that this is what you want to do with your day off? We could be at home getting dirty right now.”

  “It is what I want to do, though I wouldn’t say no to some naughty dirt either. I wanted you to see all of what has changed. I know that you are going to be surprised.”

  “I still don’t know what made all of this change. Why do you want to put it all in the past now? I mean, I am glad, don’t get me wrong, but the club brought in a good amount of profit. It was what we were going to live on.”

  He pulled me to him and told me that I didn’t have anything to worry about. “I have plenty of money put aside for a rainy day Sherry. This is going to work. Charlie and I know this market and it is better than what we have been doing. After Layla was born, I couldn’t work there anymore. I kept thinking, what if this was my daughter. It ruined the business and Charlie wanted out anyways. He was sick of hiding and so am I. Now we can be proud of what we do.”

  “But advertising? I don’t know. It just sounds really risky.”

  “It is, but we built that club up in less than a couple of years. It is our greatest accomplishment and even though it was not the best place, it was noted how well it started to do. It was all because of advertising and we have already took on several clients that seen what we did with the club first hand and want similar results.”

  I made a face and got out of the car. I knew that Rex was doing something with the club, but I had no idea that he was going to get rid of it altogether and make another company. I hadn’t seen that part coming and now that I was here, I still had mixed emotions about being here. “Well mom is going to watch her for a little while, so let’s see what you have done with the place.”

  The smile was magnanimous and it made me return it in kind. I could tell that he was excited to show me and I was excited to see something different. I hadn’t complained about his work, but I didn’t like it and I would be the first to admit quietly that this is what I wanted. I didn’t want my husband surrounded by so many beautiful women. I was still jealous, even when I tried hard not to be. I just couldn’t help it and he was just so handsome that I found it hard to focus sometimes.