by Tina Leonard
“But what about the school?” Zach asked. “And the other reforms I want to implement?”
“Well,” Pansy said, “I don’t think we want that much reform.”
“But Duke doesn’t do anything,” he said. “At least I want to make some positive change. That’s my platform,” Zach said.
“And change is good,” Helen said, “but we like our sheriff doing nothing. He’s usually doing nothing for us, and that’s better than doing a lot of something we don’t want.”
Zach looked sad. “I really think a school would bring residents—”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Duke said. “We do need a new school. We just don’t need to give up the Tulips Saloon. It’s the heart of the town.”
Pansy and Helen stood straighter, and Duke knew he’d never run short of baked goods on his plate in the future. Liberty handed him his son, whom he gladly cradled in his arms. “I see us growing more organically, from within,” he said. “Starting with my son. There’ll be more, I hope.”
He liked the blush on Liberty’s cheeks. “And it wouldn’t hurt you, Zach, to contribute to the population explosion. Mikey could use playmates. Pepper, I’m not leaving you out, either.”
“I have other things to work on, brother,” Pepper said, and everyone leaned forward.
“Care to share?” Helen said. “We’ve been wondering since you returned to town and have been rather quiet.”
Pepper got her purse. “I was a write-in to the sheriff’s seat. That’s not exactly quiet.”
“But it’s not like you, either. I remember the girl who was madly in love with—”
“No,” Pepper said, breaking into Pansy’s reminiscing. “Everything is in the past that should be.”
“I own some empty land that could be used for a school,” Holt said. “Unless you’re going to be a rancher now, Zach.”
Zach looked at his brother. “I guess I’ll put the school on hold for now. My brother will need help at the Triple F. He can’t run the sheriff’s office, our ranch and be a new father.”
“I thought you said he didn’t do anything,” Helen said lightly, and everyone patted Zach on the back. “Go ahead and surprise us with everything you want to do with your life, Zach. We forgive you for wanting to knock over our saloon.”
“You know, it’s not really a saloon,” Zach said.
Duke said, “You’re digging yourself in deep, brother. You might want to stop right there if you fancy living in this town. Trust me.”
Zach grinned. “All right. It’s a saloon.” Sighing, he began to pack up his things, with a wink to Pansy and Helen. “Come on, Pepper. It looks like our job here is done.”
Duke looked around the room, recognizing those sly looks on everyone’s faces. “Don’t tell me. You sent Pepper and Zach to take over my office so I’d have nothing to focus on except Liberty and my baby.”
“Oh, no,” Helen said, and everyone shook their heads a bit too innocently. “We would never plot against our favorite sheriff.”
He was suspicious, because Zach and Pepper were just a little too happy to be leaving, and he thought he heard Zach tell Pepper, “Talk about a boring job!”
“Yeah, the paint didn’t help as much as I thought it would. It’s still a town office,” Pepper said.
Duke gave his friends a hard look to let them know he wasn’t deaf. “All right. Everyone out of my office. It’s time for me to spend some time with my family. Until the next crisis, that is.”
“Glad you’re back, Sheriff,” Mr. Parsons said. “Does that mean I can have my old cell back? And my dog?”
“Where is Molly-Jimbo?” Duke asked, and Pepper pointed to the pet who’d already made herself at home in the cell again. She slept in a basket lined with a plaid cushion.
Pepper smiled. “She liked it here. I couldn’t bear to tell her to go. So we compromised, and I made her a proper bed.”
“Thanks,” Duke said gruffly, more pleased than he could say. “Now everyone depart. My son’s hungry.”
He waited until everyone filed out before giving Liberty a big kiss on the lips. “Are you sure about this?”
“My house is two blocks over, and I only walk the short end of those streets,” she said. “It’s less than five hundred feet. The baby will enjoy the stroll.”
Duke nodded. “But at night—”
“At night we’ll head home,” Liberty said. “There’s no place I’d rather be than at the Triple F with my sheriff.”
“What changed your mind?”
Liberty looked at him. “I ran out of your life, I plan on walking back into it knowing exactly who I am and that I will make you happy all your life.”
Duke grabbed Liberty, pulling her to him. “My whole life is changing today,” he said. “My townspeople, now you. I’m going to get quite the big head.”
“You already had that,” Liberty said, kissing Duke as they held their baby between them, “but I’ve got plenty of pins to pop you if it gets too big.”
Duke looked down at her, loving her mischievous smile. “So will you marry me this time, Liberty Wentworth?”
“If you’ll marry me, Duke Forrester.” She smiled, her heart full for the first time in her life.
“And we have our own little ringbearer,” Duke said, looking down at his son.
“Well, maybe he can be the pillow,” Liberty said with a laugh. “Duke, he’s going to be small for a long time.”
“No,” Duke said. “I can already tell he’s got his mother’s big heart.” He gave Liberty the kiss he’d been waiting for more than a year to give her. “Surprise me and don’t wear white. Hot mamas don’t wear white.” He didn’t want to remember the first wedding, at least not the way he did. The future was his focus.
“Don’t be scared, Duke. I’m not going anywhere this time.” Liberty closed the office door and locked it, then put Mikey into his soft bassinet. “Let me show you how I intend to stay.”
Duke grinned. Being married was going to be just his cup of tea.
Epilogue
Pink was the color Liberty settled on for her final wedding gown, this one so elegant and dream-come-true that two people had already asked her to duplicate the dress for their weddings. Liberty looked at Duke, so handsome and tall in his charcoal western wedding attire that her breath caught.
The ecstasy she’d always wanted to experience completely filled her heart.
Helen was her matron of honor, and Pansy and Pepper bridesmaids. Duke had insisted on a big wedding because, he said, he wanted everyone on the planet to know he’d finally caught her. Valentine, Hawk and Jellyfish from Union Junction brought out a stunning cake with lovely pink tulips cascading on the top.
“And people said I didn’t like change,” Duke said, coming to give her a romantic kiss. “Seems like I’ve changed more than anybody in this town.”
“I think the town changed as much as you did,” Liberty said. “Anyway, you’re still the most wonderful man I know.”
“Liberty, if you keep talking like that, you’re going to find yourself good and romanced,” Duke said.
“I’d like that,” she said. “I always dreamed of a day just like this one, Duke.”
They held each other’s hands for a long moment. “So, you’re staying?” Duke said softly, his lips curved just a little into a smile.
“You couldn’t run me off,” she said, kissing those smiling lips. “I love you, Duke Forrester. You’ve always been the only man I could ever love, and being in love with you is…it’s magic.”
A baby wail drifted over to them, followed by lots of “Oohhss,” meaning little Mikey was being spoiled rotten, so Liberty grabbed Duke’s face, pulling him to her for a kiss that promised him everything he’d been denied before.
He grinned. “Now that’s the way a wife should kiss her man.”
Liberty smiled. “I was hoping you’d think that.”
He nodded. “I’m very thankful and impressed,” he said teasingly. “I can’t wait to see
how well you cook and clean, too.”
“Duke!”
He laughed. “It’s great to be the black sheep of the town.”
“I have to know something,” she said.
“That doesn’t really surprise me,” he said, his eyes twinkling as much as the beautiful diamond ring he’d given her yesterday. The diamonds surrounded by rubies reminded him of Tulips—a notion which Liberty loved.
“Helen and Pansy never gave you any kind of…recipe, did they?” she asked, looking up into his eyes.
Duke swept her up in his arms to walk toward their home together. “Recipe?” he said. “Like a recipe for winning your stubborn woman?”
She laughed and cradled her head against his chest. “Sounds like a recipe for winning your stubborn sheriff.”
“So they got us both.” He laughed. “Good for us.”
Liberty smiled. It was better than good.
It was heaven.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5863-5
MY BABY, MY BRIDE
Copyright © 2006 by Tina Leonard.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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