by Linda Bridey
Hope surged within Seth but he was still hesitant. “Are you absolutely sure? I mean it, Maddie; I can’t go through that again, so make sure that you are positive about this.”
“I promise and I keep my promises, just like you do. Will you marry me?” she asked.
His love for Maddie overflowed his heart and he couldn’t hold back any more. She’d convinced him and elation swept through him. “Yes, Maddie, I’ll marry you.”
Tears of joy gathered in her eyes. She took the ring he’d given her from her reticule and held it out to him. “Then do what you said you’d do with this.”
Seth took the ring and then her left hand and slowly slipped the ring on her third finger. Maddie was astonished that it fit perfectly and wondered how he’d known her ring size. The sunlight caught the diamond and made it shine. Then Maddie reached up and took his face in her hands and brought him down so she could kiss him.
With a growl, Seth took her in his arms and lifted her right off the ground as she kissed him with abandon. She never protested against having her feet dangling above the ground. Seth had her and she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Neither of them realized that they’d drawn an audience until they heard clapping.
Seth and Maddie broke apart and looked at the porch where Tessa, Dean, Marcus, and the children stood. Beth still hadn’t left and she applauded from up on the driver’s seat of the carriage. They smiled at the group and then went back to kissing, not caring if everyone saw.
Dean and Tessa made the kids go inside despite their protests. Marcus decided that work was over for the day and went to get his horse so he could go home. Beth turned the carriage around, grinning ear to ear as the happy couple continued their embrace.
Eventually Maddie and Seth came up for air.
Maddie said, “I don’t want to wait long to get married, do you?”
“No way. I’d do it tomorrow if we could,” Seth said.
She laughed. “Well, I think we’re going to need a little more time than that. Mama and Papa would be furious if they missed another one of their daughters’ weddings. Besides, I don’t even have a dress.”
“I don’t care what you wear,” Seth said.
“Well, I do,” Maddie retorted.
Seth took her hand and led her to his bunkhouse as they continued to bicker about the wedding.
Epilogue
Maddie and Seth’s wedding was very different from Tessa and Dean’s. The new church in Dawson County was much larger than the one Tessa and Dean had been married in and the decorations much more ornate. Maureen had led the charge on that score and Maddie had been happy to let her to because her mother had excellent taste.
Seth was a mess as he waited at the altar for Maddie to walk down it but he tried to appear calm. He rocked back and forth on his heels and couldn’t stand still. Dean got a kick out of watching him. He leaned over and said. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine, Seth. There’s nothin’ to it.”
Seth looked at him. “I remember how nervous you were at both of your weddings, so don’t tell me that there’s nothing to it.”
Dean’s brows drew down. “Don’t get testy. That’s exactly what I’m saying. I was all wound up and I didn’t need to be. You don’t, either. You and Maddie belong together so it will be easy. You’ll see.”
Marcus looked around Dean and said, “Yeah. Just don’t mess up your vows and all will be well.”
“You’re not helping, little brother,” Seth informed him.
Marcus grinned and then went back to looking at the other people in the church. Maureen caught his eye and smiled at him. She’d taken a shine to him it seemed. He made her laugh and teased her about running away with him. It bothered Geoff but he tried not to show it. He couldn’t completely hide it, however, and so Marcus did it all the more.
He returned Maureen’s and gave her a flirtatious wink. Dean saw and gave him a swift jab with his elbow. Marcus almost shoved Dean but Seth’s large hand clamped down on his arm and he gave both of them hard stares. “The dog behaves better than you two,” he said and looked down at Trouble who sat quietly at Seth’s feet. Seth had figured that the dog that had sort of started all of this should be present at the nuptials.
Maureen watched and had a hard time keeping her laughter silent. Lydia sat beside her and leaned towards her. “It’s always that way with them and a wedding is no different. Marcus is an instigator and loves starting trouble and then sitting back to watch the show, so to speak.”
Maureen looked at the other woman. “Yes, I can see that. I’m sure their parents had their hands full with them.”
“Oh, they did. They kept Ralph and Catherine stepping. They’re rowdy sometimes, but harmless,” she said.
“You love them very much,” Maureen stated. “I can see that.”
Lydia nodded. “They’re like the little brothers I never had. They’re family.”
Just then the music started and the congregation rose and turned to watch the procession. Sadie and Mikey came down the aisle. Sadie, dressed in a pretty frock, spread pink and white rose petals and guided their ring bearer Mikey down the aisle. He wanted to stop and chat with the people along the way and everyone laughed when he loudly announced, “Pa, here rings for Unc Shush!” before he gave his father the rings.
Seth had laughed along with them. Claire came down the aisle next. Maddie had chosen gowns of pale lavender for her maid of honor and bridesmaid and the color suited Claire well. She looked up and beamed at Seth. He smiled back at her and winked. Marcus watched them with amusement as he remembered how Claire had run at Seth and jumped into his arms.
Seth had swung her around and planted a huge kiss on her cheek much the way he did with Sadie. Then Claire had started talking a blue streak and Marcus was amazed at how rapidly the girl could talk and how patiently Seth listened to her. Her reaction to Dean was very positive and Dean was also indulgent with her. As far as she and Marcus went, it hadn’t taken long until he and Claire were at odds over all kinds of political and scientific subjects and it seemed as if they were not going to get along.
Claire took her place at the altar and Seth looked back up the aisle and was instantly mesmerized by the sight of Maddie in her sparkling white wedding dress. The dress molded perfectly to her body and yet was demure. The veil was fairly sheer and their eyes met.
Geoff not only walked Maddie, but Tessa as well. He’d asked for Seth and Maddie’s permission to do so since he hadn’t gotten to do it for Tessa’s wedding. They’d both happily agreed. Maureen dabbed at her eyes as she watched her girls walk down the aisle with their father. She could see the tears in her husband’s eyes as he looked at first one and then the other.
When they stopped in front of the altar he kissed Tessa and let her go stand by Claire. Then he turned with Maddie to Seth and Seth stared at his beautiful bride.
Pastor John said, “Who gives this woman to be married?”
Geoffrey’s voice was a little thick as he said, “Her mother and I do.”
“Give her hand to Seth, please.”
Geoff held onto Maddie’s hand for a moment and looked Seth in the eye. A silent understanding passed between them and Seth gave Geoff a curt nod. He thought back to Pittsburgh and Geoff’s warning to him in their carriage. Geoff nodded back and smiled. He gave Maddie a kiss on the cheek and then placed her hand in Seth’s. He sat by Maureen who took his hand and squeezed. They exchanged happy smiles.
Despite Marcus’ teasing about messing up the vows, Seth made no mistakes. Dean had been right. Once they had started and he looked into Maddie’s eyes, everything fell into place. Maddie said her vows with reverence and joy as a tear or two escaped her eyes. She was marrying the man of her dreams and she intended to make sure he never doubted her love for him or that she would follow him anywhere.
The ring exchange was performed and Pastor John smiled as he pronounced them man and wife thinking it was a highly unusual family dynamic. That Dean’s brother had wed Tessa’s sister was
not something that happened often, but it was obvious that the couple were very much in love. He had no idea that a few strings had been pulled behind the scenes.
As Maddie kissed her new husband, she tried to be mindful of the fact that her family was there so they didn’t get carried away, but it was difficult and Seth didn’t seem to have any such worries. She pinched his side a little and he started laughing. Cheering met them as they turned and faced the congregation.
They were swept up in a tide of well-wishers and taken to the community hall that had been built the year before. Dawson County was starting to grow and as it did, new establishments popped up. The reception was raucous and touching. The dinner was delicious, but Maddie was too excited to eat much. Seth noticed and was concerned until she reassured him that all was well.
When dinner had been cleared away, the music began. The first dance was for the bride and groom and Seth relished the thought of dancing with his wife and showing off his moves. Maddie went willingly to the dance floor with Seth. He bowed to her and she curtsied to him.
Seth smiled at her and said, “Here goes nothin’.”
“Hush, dear husband, and dance with me,” Maddie said.
She reveled in the feel of his arms around her, holding her close as they waltzed around the room. When she’d first read his first letter, she’d never dreamed that she would end up married to Seth. It was remarkable that one letter could have so much power. Seth was so many things to her; savior, friend, lover, and now husband.
As they circled the room, she pictured their children and smiled. She hoped that they had at least one son who was just like Seth. Maddie knew from watching Seth with Dean and Tessa’s children that Seth was going to make a wonderful father.
Seth could think of nothing except the woman in his arms. With her help, he’d faced the unknown and made it through and he knew that even if his leg hadn’t healed so well, he could have dealt with it as long as he had her by his side. Before her, he’d not given serious thought to having a wife and children and now it was all he could think about. It was a good thing they’d already begun building another house on another part of the property because he planned to fill it with kids.
He joked with Dean that he had to catch up to him in that department. They made fun of Marcus and told him that he wasn’t even in the running. He’d just grinned at them and then said that of course they should have the kids first since they were so old.
As the dance finished, Maddie began inviting the others on the floor and was then swept up again by Seth as the band began playing the next song. She loved dancing with him and looked forward to dancing through life with him.
As Tessa and Dean danced she looked up at Dean and said, “Two down and two to go,” and then motioned with her chin at Marcus and Claire. Instead of dancing they sat at a table where they were facing off in a fierce debate about something. It had been like that from their first meeting. They were both very opinionated about a lot of things and seemed to constantly argue about everything.
Dean frowned a little. “I think that one’s going to be a little harder, Tessa.”
Marcus apparently had had enough and got up and left the table. Not one to surrender, Claire went right after him.
“Perhaps, but I think we’re up to the challenge,” Tessa answered and then turned her attention back to the happy couple. “I think we have a pretty good average.”
Maddie and Seth slipped away a while later. They were staying at the Dawson Hotel and although they’d had a magical evening, they were ready for some alone time. As they walked down the street, Seth put an arm around Maddie and pulled her close.
“You know, when all of you got the idea to teach me to dance I thought you were crazy,” he said to Maddie. “But I think my leg wouldn’t have healed up as good if you hadn’t. It’s funny. I had to go east to get better so I could come back west.”
Maddie leaned into him and said, “It was Papa’s idea, so you have him to thank for that. It seems to me like we both had to do that and we had to do it together. Well, most of it. I still regret that I didn’t accept your proposal.”
“It all worked out, just like the dancing. I make a move, then you do and then sometimes you move together. That’s what it was like with us,” he said with a reassuring squeeze of her arm.
“You know, most types of dances have names so I think ours should, too,” Maddie said.
“Our dance?”
Maddie nodded. “Yes. That’s how I think of our courtship; a dance.”
Seth liked the idea. “It wasn’t the usual kind of courtship, but I’m not complaining any. So what would you call it?”
Maddie thought about how she’d gone back and forth from east to west, west to east, and back to the west for good. “I think it should be called the Westward Dance.”
“I like it. The Westward Dance it is, then,” Seth said.
Maddie noticed that his steps were becoming faster and he was trying to get her to speed up, too. “Seth, what are you doing?”
“Darlin’, I’ll never forget our wedding day and heaven knows I loved dancin’ with you like that, but right now, there’s a different kind of dancing I’m interested in,” he replied as they neared the hotel.
Maddie gasped as his meaning sunk in. “Seth!”She pulled back on his hand and he stopped.
“What? It ain’t like you weren’t thinking the same thing,” he said.
Looking at Seth’s fine physique and handsome face, Maddie couldn’t deny it. She said, “I’ll race you!” and took off at a run. Seth stood there a moment smiling as he let her get a head start and then ran after her.
The End
Thank you for reading and supporting my book and I hope you enjoyed it.
Please will you do me a favor and review “Westward Dance” so I’ll know whether you liked it or not.
Other Books By Linda Bridey
Westward winds (Montana Mail Order brides Book 1)
Westward Bound (Montana Mail Order brides Book 3)
Westward Destiny (Montana Mail Order brides Book 4)
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