by Diana Palmer
Dylan had planned his strategy well. After bombarding her with visitors bearing messages, he’d left her alone for a couple of days. Just long enough for her to realize what life would be like without him, to start missing him. Last night she hadn’t been able to sleep because her body had ached with longing. She’d come to the conclusion that she could lose herself in the fear and never experience real love, or she could take another chance. What other choice did she have? In the past ten years she’d never been able to love anyone as much as she’d loved him. It was unlikely she ever would. So why not risk complete, perfect happiness? They both deserved it.
She walked to the corral, half expecting to be ambushed. But there was only silence. Had he changed his mind or given up? Had she waited too long? She wished he would find her and ask her to marry him again so this time she could say yes.
A noise caught her attention. Her heart thundered in her chest, but it was only Rory leading his horse out of the stable.
“Hi, Sierra,” he called when he saw her and grinned. “I’ve got your saddle on. Doesn’t it look great?”
“Totally cool,” she said.
The boy’s grin got bigger. “I think you’d be a great mom,” he told her.
She froze in her tracks. “What did you say?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Dad said it’s gotta be your last objection.” He fumbled over the unfamiliar word. “About being my mom. I told him I thought you’d be great, so he said I should explain it to you.”
He moved closer until he was standing directly in front of her. “Dad says he wants to marry you and make you part of the family. I’d like that. I’d like you to live here always.” Earnest blue eyes widened slightly. “We love you, Sierra.”
A lump filled her throat. She dropped to her knees and pulled Rory close. He wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug. She felt as if she’d finally come home. “I love you, too,” she whispered. “Both of you.”
“So you gonna marry us?”
“If your father asks me again I will.”
“Sierra?”
She heard Dylan’s voice. Slowly she rose to her feet and turned to face him. He stood just outside the barn, a tall, handsome man in jeans and long-sleeve shirt. His hair needed cutting and there were shadows under his eyes, but he’d never looked more wonderful.
“Do you mean it?” he asked. “You’ll marry me?”
“Yes,” she said and flung herself at him. He hauled her hard against him and kissed her. “Yes,” she repeated, between kisses. “Always yes.”
He moved his mouth over hers in a bone-melting caress and she felt her knees go weak. He’d always had that effect on her.
“I’m glad you came to your senses,” he said at last. “I was running out of messengers.”
“I can’t risk losing you again,” she said. “I was afraid of being hurt, but I’m more afraid of being without you. I love you, Dylan. I never stopped loving you.”
“I’d like to get married soon.”
She laughed. “That’s fine with me.”
He brushed his mouth against her cheek. “What’s so funny.”
“I was remembering how annoyed I was when I caught the bouquet at my brother’s wedding. I didn’t realize it was a sign that everything in my life was about to turn out exactly right.”
Epilogue
A warm hand settled possessively against the small of her back. Sierra smiled without turning around. She didn’t have to look to know the man standing so close behind her was her husband of less than two hours. Every part of her recognized Dylan; he was, and always had been, her destiny.
“You’re a beautiful bride,” the minister’s wife said. “And the ranch is so lovely.”
“Everything did come out perfectly, didn’t it?” Sierra glanced around at the large tent Chayce had erected on the front lawn. Debate had raged for days about where to hold the wedding, because Dylan’s house was in the middle of renovations and neither he nor Sierra had wanted to put off their wedding much longer. It was already fall and they had lots of time to make up for.
As the Derringer ranch had already been the site of two weddings, Chayce and Abby had offered it as the perfect solution.
When Dylan tugged on her hand, Sierra excused herself from the other woman and turned to her husband. As always, Dylan’s handsome face took her breath away. Or maybe it wasn’t his appearance at all, but the love she saw shining in his eyes. Love that had lasted through time and heartache for both of them.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Yes. Perfectly. I never thought it would be like this.” She leaned close and kissed him.
“I see they’re still at it,” a familiar voice grumbled.
Sierra looked up and saw her brother standing next to them, his arm around his wife. Felicity nudged him playfully. “You’re hardly in a position to judge anyone. You’re certainly always ready to kiss me.”
“That’s different. Sierra’s my baby sister.”
“Not anymore,” Chayce said, coming up to join the group. His wife, Abby, was with him and as they paused by the newlyweds, he slipped his arm around her. “Now Sierra is Dylan’s wife.”
A ripple of pleasure started at Sierra’s toes and worked its way up. “I like the sound of that,” she said.
Dylan squeezed her close. “Me, too.”
In the background the small musical combo finished one song, then started another. Abby cocked her head. “It’s time, Sierra.” She pointed to the lovely bouquet of white roses. “Are you ready to throw your flowers?”
Sierra nodded. “I still remember how shocked I was when I caught them at Felicity’s wedding. I was pretty annoyed by the whole tradition, but now…” She grinned.
“So they’re lucky flowers,” said Dylan.
“I guess so.”
“I can’t wait to see who catches them this time.”
She thought about how far she had come in such a short period of time. Of the woman she’d been when she’d caught the bouquet and the woman she was now. “I can’t wait to see, either,” she told her husband, and walked to the front of the tent.
All the single women attending the reception gathered around her. Sierra turned her back, sent up a quick prayer that whoever caught her bouquet would be as blessed with happiness as she and Dylan had been, then she raised her arm and let the flowers sail through the air.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to
Diana Palmer and Susan Mallery
for their contribution to the Montana Mavericks series.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1292-3
MONTANA MAVERICKS WEDDINGS
Copyright © 1998 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
THE BRIDE WHO WAS STOLEN IN THE NIGHT
Copyright © 1998 Harlequin Books S.A.
COWGIRL BRIDE
Copyright © 1998 Harlequin Books S.A.
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Diana Palmer, Montana Mavericks Weddings
