Epilogue
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Cole turned and kissed Mel with a gentleness that made her heart ache. “I love you, Mrs. Boden. Thank you for the honor of marrying me.” Cole rested his hand on her cheek. “You’re especially beautiful today—even for a woman who’s beautiful every day of her life.”
Mel looked down at her golden-brown dress. Ma had wanted a new dress for her in this color to match her hair and eyes and skin. It was the dress more than anything that had held up their wedding for the last two weeks. The fabric was found in Skull Gulch, but it needed to be sewn up, and Ma wanted to add special embroidery and lace.
“I love you, too. You’ve made me the happiest woman on earth.” She thought Cole’s dark suit and shining white shirt, necktie, and new black Stetson—which he’d set aside for the ceremony—was a perfect match for her dress. Of course, he dressed like this most days, while she’d really fancied herself up.
They shared a smile before turning to face their family and friends.
Ma was crying, as was Ronnie. There might be a tear in Pa’s eye, too. Uncle Walt winked at her.
The tears were pure sentiment, since she and Cole lived close enough to everyone, never to be missed for very long. In fact, Mel planned to be home working with Pa when Cole was working at the mine. With help from the Blake Ranch hands, they’d managed to build a small cabin already with plans to add on later. But they’d needed to get roofs over everybody’s heads before they did more to their place.
Ma and Pa had built a more reasonably sized home. Justin and Angie lived on the ranch with them, and so far Sadie and Heath showed no sign of moving out of the ramrod’s cabin. With Justin and Heath around, and John Hightree healing fast, they probably didn’t need a ramrod anyway.
Cole and Mel linked arms. Sitting at the piano, Sister Margaret played “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” as the couple strode proudly down the center aisle. As they passed the front pew in the tiny church sanctuary, Mel heard Ronnie whisper to Chance, “Can you believe it? We got to witness one of our children getting married.”
“Yep,” Chance responded. “A mighty fine day.”
Mel had Sadie and Angie stand up with her during the ceremony. Justin and Heath had stood as attendants for Cole, though heaven knew the whole town of Skull Gulch was here witnessing it.
Mel smiled at John Hightree, still moving slow but alive and healing. He sat beside Rosita, and there seemed to be something between them since John’s brush with death and Rosita’s tender care of him.
As they swept down the aisle, Mel saw Ramone in one of the pews, well-dressed and looking happy. He’d been tracked down and told he’d inherited a healthy sum of money from his father. Once he was sure Señora de Val was locked up, he’d traveled to Mexico City to claim his inheritance. He’d grown a tidy beard and wore an eye patch. Though he’d always have that brutal scar, he seemed content now, no longer bothered by all that’d happened.
There was an inheritance for his late sister Maria, too. Ramone had given it in full to Sister Margaret, for the orphanage had provided a good home to Maria while she lived and worked there. Ramone had come back with the information that all the talk of revolution was part of Lauressa’s scheme to throw suspicion onto others.
Mel, on the strong arm of her husband, emerged into the March sunlight and the warmth of early spring that always blessed New Mexico Territory.
A whole beef was roasting out at the Blake Ranch. There’d been little reason to invite the guests to the Bodens’, what with the main house a heap of ashes. And their new cabins were still raw and lacking in most everything a good-sized party needed. Buckboards and carriages and saddled horses lined the board-walks of Skull Gulch.
The prisoners had been sent to Santa Fe, and with their confederates either dead or locked up, it didn’t look like these folks had any influential friends who’d find a way to set them free.
Hattie June had gone into a fit when they’d tried to put her in front of a judge. Now the judge had claw marks on his face, the lawyer had teeth marks on his jaw, and Hattie had the rest of her life to spend in prison, with half the folks near the courtroom that day having lost their hearing from all her screaming. The judge had been heard to say on several occasions that life in prison wasn’t harsh enough for her, and he probably owed the other prisoners an apology.
Cole helped Mel up onto the seat of his fine carriage. “Aren’t you glad now you didn’t wear trousers to your wedding?” he asked as he swung up beside her.
She smiled as she put a hand on his chest. She loved the feel of his beating heart under her hand. He’d come very close to death too many times. “I am indeed,” she replied.
“Are you going to stop busting broncs once there’s a baby on the way?”
Mel blushed. “Such talk. Hush now.”
Sadie had told her their news, and Mel overheard Ronnie and Rosita whispering something about Angie. It seemed as if the next generation was well on their way.
Cole leaned close to his bride. Before he settled his lips on hers, he whispered, “We’ll have our own children to add to the Cimarron Legacy just as soon as we can.”
“We will. And we’ll teach our children to love the land and remember all that it cost, and to remember that faith is the most important thing in the world.”
“And that love is the true legacy of any happy family.” Cole kissed her again, then slapped the reins on the horse’s back.
They were headed to a reception now that would last out the day, but then would come their time to celebrate marriage privately—to begin their own Cimarron Legacy.
About the Author
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies about cowboys. She’s the author of THE KINCAID BRIDES, TROUBLE IN TEXAS, and WILD AT HEART series, as well as several other acclaimed series. Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. They have four grown daughters—Joslyn, married to Matt; Wendy; Shelly, married to Aaron; and Katy, married to Max—and four precious grandchildren. Learn more about Mary and her books at:
maryconnealy.com
facebook.com/maryconnealy
seekerville.blogspot.com
petticoatsandpistols.com
Books by Mary Connealy
From Bethany House Publishers
THE KINCAID BRIDES
Out of Control
In Too Deep
Over the Edge
TROUBLE IN TEXAS
Swept Away
Fired Up
Stuck Together
WILD AT HEART
Tried and True
Now and Forever
Fire and Ice
THE CIMARRON LEGACY
No Way Up
Long Time Gone
Too Far Down
HIGH SIERRA SWEETHEARTS
The Accidental Guardian
The Boden Birthright: A CIMARRON LEGACY Novella
Meeting Her Match: A MATCH MADE IN TEXAS Novella 4
Runaway Bride: A KINCAID BRIDES and TROUBLE IN TEXAS Novella (With This Ring? Collection)
The Tangled Ties That Bind: A KINCAID BRIDES Novella (Hearts Entwined Collection)
Resources: bethanyhouse.com/AnOpenBook
Website: www.bethanyhouse.com
Facebook: Bethany House
Twitter: @Bethany House
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