Andy climbed down from the front seat of the buggy—he’d proudly driven his parents to the church for the wedding of Kevin Murphy and Ellen Willoughby, owner of the town bakery.
Clint leaned close to her. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Mattie grinned impishly. “Besides, this is the best time the baby could come. Kevin’s right here.”
Clint chuckled, his warm breath caressing her cheek. “You’re impossible.”
She tickled his ribs playfully. “You weren’t complaining earlier.”
His warm laughter spilled across her and when his arm settled around her shoulders, she leaned into his solid body. He wrapped his other arm around his adopted son, who shook his head at both of them. Mattie couldn’t help but smile at his amused tolerance.
Mattie’s eyes filled with tears. She cried at the drop of hat nowadays—it was even worse than it had been early in her pregnancy. Clint didn’t seem to mind. He’d usually gather her in his arms, saying her crying gave him an excuse to hold her.
Mattie had to admit that her tears were usually forgotten with his “holding.”
“Afternoon,” Walt Atwater called out.
Mattie motioned for the retired lawman to join them.
“We’ll go save a pew for all of us,” Amelia said.
Mattie nodded and watched her and Orville enter the church. After some gentle prodding from Mattie, Amelia had finally told her husband about her past. Orville hadn’t been angry; in fact, he’d known about it all along. It had never mattered to him.
Mattie shook her head. Amelia and Orville were an odd couple, but the love between them was never in doubt.
“How’s my favorite girl?” Walt asked, giving Mattie a careful hug.
“Bigger than a house and still growing,” Mattie replied with a wry smile.
Clint grinned. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s never looked more beautiful.”
“I always told my Sarah the same thing, but she didn’t believe me, either.” Walt took a deep breath and a shadow of sadness touched his eyes. “I hope she’s still waiting for me.”
Mattie clasped Walt’s arm and squeezed it. “I’m sure she is.”
Andy drew away from them. “Is it okay if I sit with Buck and Josh?”
“As long as you behave yourselves,” Clint said.
“Geez, Clint, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“That’s right, you’re not. It’s Buck and Josh I’m worried about. You know how they can be.”
“I’ll make sure they don’t get into any trouble.”
Clint smiled and patted his shoulder. “Go on, then.”
“Ain’t those two older than Andy?” Walt asked after the boy ran off to join his friends.
“By less than a year.” Clint grinned crookedly. “But I’ve already caught Buck kissing Gertie Swanson behind the general store.”
“That boy’s gonna be a handful.” Walt winked. “With the ladies.”
Mattie laughed. “The same could be said about two handsome gentlemen I happen to know.” She lifted her arms, waiting for Clint and Walt to offer theirs.
Clint and Walt grinned at each other and obliged. With Mattie between the two men, they strolled to the church. Once inside, Walt slipped into the pew beside Orville Johnson.
“We could still go back home,” Clint whispered in her ear.
She shook her head and gazed into his eyes, nearly losing herself in the love in their green depths.
“I promised my husband a waltz after the wedding.” She smiled. “And Mattie Beaudry always keeps her promises.”
Other AVON ROMANCES
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HIS FORBIDDEN TOUCH by Linda O’Brien
IMPROPER ADVANCES by Margaret Evans Porter
MASTER OF DESIRE by Kinley MacGregor
NIGHT OF FIRE by Barbara Samuel
A WANTED WOMAN by Rebecca Wade
THE WICKED ONE by Danelle Harmon
HIS FORBIDDEN KISS by Margaret Moore
THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER by Debra Mullins
And Don’t Miss These
ROMANTIC TREASURES
from Avon Books
MARRYING WALKER MCKAY by Lori Copeland
NEVER MARRY A COWBOY by Lorraine Heath
THE PRICE OF PASSION by Susan Sizemore
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Avon Books paperback printing: February 2001
Copyright © 2001 by Maureen Webster
ISBN: 9780380815661
EPub Edition © MARCH 2012 ISBN 9780062202048
Avon Trademark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. and in Other Countries, Marca Registrada, Hecho en U.S.A.
HarperCollins® is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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