His heart hammered and his chest felt tight. He could barely breathe. He didn’t know what he would do if he couldn't persuade Missy to come back with him. All the years he tortured himself could not compare to what he was feeling now. Frustrated, he barked at the driver to use the whip.
"If we don't catch up to the other carriage, you're fired. Now move faster." Clarkson ran a shaky hand through his hair. He had to stop her, he just had to. The driver shouted back the other carriage was within their sights. Clarkson stuck his head out the window and shouted. "Great, get around them, cut them off. See to it you slow them down until the driver has to stop."
He coughed and sneezed at the dust lifted by the speed at which they traveled. It filled the air and was sucked into his lungs as he spoke, making his eyes water. He sat back in his seat removed his handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes.
When his carriage pulled up alongside Missy's, Clarkson leaned out of the window, telling Missy to ask the driver to slow down and stop. He had to talk to her. Missy kept her head straight and ignored Clarkson's request.
"If you don't tell your driver to stop, I'll shoot him and then I’ll shoot your horses."
Missy didn't have to tell the driver anything he'd heard what Clarkson had shouted and pulled the carriage to a stop.
Clarkson jumped out of his carriage and climbed into Missy's. She refused to look at him. Undeterred, Clarkson reached for her hand and held it to his chest. She turned her head and faced him. Her stare cut right through him. He sucked in a breath and began to speak.
"Please Missy, you must allow me to explain everything to you. If after I've told you how I feel, you still want to leave me, I won't try to stop you." He cleared his throat and ran his free hand through his hair. His other hand still held Missy's to his chest. He could feel his heart vibrating through her fingers as his chest rose. She hadn't pulled her hand away, which had to be a good sign.
He harrumphed and placed her hands on his cheek, slid it across and kissed her palm. "I'm sorry I didn't say this to you sooner. I guess I was coming from a place of denial. Now I’ve spoken to Cal, I can see it clearly. Now I remember, I've never been in love with Kimberly. It’s you I love, Missy. It's always been you, even when we were children."
Missy’s face softened and she turned her knees and shoulders toward him. Furrowing her brow, she said. "Go on, I'm listening."
"You do know that nothing happened between me and Susan. She confessed to Cal that she drugged me and staged it so we look as if we spent the night together, but I didn't touch her."
"I don't care about any of that now, we can revisit the issue of Susan afterwards. I'm more interested to know what it is you meant when you said it’s always been me since we were children. Continue from there." her eyes seemed to sparkle.
"It was Cal that made me realize. He opened my eyes to the truth. I went back in my mind and saw the kid I used to be. I used to go out of my way to purposely antagonize Kimberly, by pulling her hair and calling her names so that she would hurt me. Because I knew you'd always be there to comfort me, and I liked when you comforted me, bandaged my wound and kissed my forehead. You would always side with me and tell me how mean Kimberly was. And as long as Kimberly continued to hurt me, you would always be around to fix me and make the pain go away with rainbow kisses. I loved you for it. I don't know how or why, but somewhere along the line my feelings got confused and my reasons for allowing Kimberly to continue to torment me blurred. I began to listen to and believe what the adults were saying about me and Kimberly being meant for each other and one day, we'd marry." Her fingers moved gently against his cheek as she caressed his jawline. "I may have forgotten my reasoning for being Kimberly's puppet, but I never forgot the way you made me feel. I love you Missy, please don't go. Stay with me."
The tears swelling in Missy's eyes broke his heart. He made her cry. He did it again trying to force himself on her when she didn't want him. It was time for him to recognize, he'd lost her—accept they weren't children anymore and move on.
Although Missy was the only one who could fix what ailed him, he couldn't ask her to. He had to let her go. Slowly he removed her hand from his face. "I'm sorry. I never should have come after you. But I couldn't let you go without telling you how I feel." He placed her hand in her lap and opened the door to leave.
"Where are you going? Have you any idea how long I've waited to hear you say these words? How can you tell me you love me and mean it and just leave?"
"I thought... I thought you wanted me to go."
She clasped his face in between both hands and stared deep into his eyes. "Why would I. I'm not going anywhere."
"But you’re tearful. I thought I was forcing you to do something you didn't want. You know like before."
"It's not that I didn't want your kisses. You have to realize Kimberly was your betrothed, my best friend as well as my mistress. It wasn't appropriate, but at no time did I feel forced. A little surprised maybe, as it was unexpected, but you didn't force me to do anything I didn't want."
"So can I kiss you now?"
"I insist on it."
Clarkson gathered her into his arms. His lips touched hers, so soft, warm and tender—she melted into his arms as much as he melted into hers, his fingers buried in her hair. This was it. This was what he'd been searching for. He was home. Missy was his home. As long as he had her he had a place to belong.
Although he could feel her struggle, Missy separated from him. Her hand flew to her chest as she tried to regulate her breathing.
"Before we go any further, there’s something I must tell you. You may change your mind about me once you hear it."
"I will never change my mind. Now that I have you, I'm never going to let you go again."
"I wouldn't be so sure. It's about your letters. The ones Kimberly sent while you were imprisoned."
"What about them?"
"She only sent the first few. I wrote all the others." She looked so pretty with her rosy cheeks. He found her blushes so heartwarming he toyed for second as to whether he should tell her. He’d guessed as much. Deciding to come clean, he said, "I knew as much after I read Kimberly's goodbye letter. It was the same cold feeling-less words as her previous correspondence to me. I had intended to discuss it with you and declare my love, but then you said you were leaving, and it didn't seem to matter anymore."
"So you don't hate me for deceiving you?"
"I could never hate you, and I could never hate anyone who could write so beautifully. Your words saved me in ways you will never know. I read them over, often." Clarkson laughed. "Even though we were miles apart, you still continued to fix me."
He gathered her to him and gave himself over to every feeling he had held back over the past few days and possibly the years too. Curse the universe for the time they’d wasted. When they both came up for air, Clarkson smiled. "Do I need to ask you to marry me, or can I assume it's an inevitable possibility. If so, it's only polite we go back and tell the others before we head home."
"Yes, let's go back."
Chapter 25
Rilla allow them to, use her amazing garden for the wedding ceremony and the grand hall inside the mansion for their reception. Clarkson looked so handsome in his smart tailored suit, standing alongside Cassidy, the eldest of the Dalton boys. He and his son, Junior, had moved to the Ponderosa almost a month ago, so he could teach Clarkson how to run and manage the ranch.
Missy, for one, was glad he turned up when he did, it kept everything respectable. Cassidy's presence seemed to have a sobering effect on all the Dalton boys. They all looked up to him and gave him the same mind as they would their father.
Missy clutched her bouquet tightly between her clammy palms. She was finally going to be married to the love of her life, dressed in the most beautiful Spanish embroidered wedding gown, a present from Kimberly and her prince husband. Kimberly was her bridesmaid, walking behind Missy and her father Mr Montgomery, who had offered to give Missy away.
A
s she walked down the aisle, Missy was overcome with a deep feelings of belonging. Soon she was going to have the family she craved. And what a family, all the Dalton brothers where there. Cole and Colt and their wives. Cal and Rilla, each holding one of the twins.
Rilla had given birth to a boy and a girl. Harriet and Henry. Mr and Mrs Dalton and Uncle Marcellus, along with other members of the Daltons she'd never seen before. She didn't care that she didn't know their names, there were too many of them for her to remember—she loved them too, each and every one of them.
Missy had gone from being an orphan, alone in the world, to joining something quite spectacular, she knew in her heart she would never know loneliness again. Her jaws ached from smiling so much. She’d never been this happy before. The short journey to reach Clarkson seemed too long, as Missy went over in her mind everything which had happened in her life to bring her to this moment.
When Kimberly arrived to help Missy get ready for her wedding. She told Missy she’d known about the photograph of Clarkson under her pillow and even if Missy hadn't offered to write to Clarkson on her behalf she would have found a way to make it happen.
Kimberly told Missy she had known all along how Clarkson and Missy felt about each other. They all did. The only two who couldn’t see it had been them.
"I'd started to get worried, thinking if you two didn’t come to your senses I might have to end up marrying Clarkson then where would we be." Kimberly had said then laughed.
It all felt as though it had happened long ago instead of only a few hours. Missy lifted her eyes to stare into Clarkson’s as she felt the warmth spread through her. Mr. Montgomery placed her hand in her groom’s.
Tears filled her eyes, and Clarkson gave her hand a knowing squeeze. The rest was a wonderful blur.
"It’s amazing to have so many of your family members here at the wedding. It reminds me of Cassidy's wedding all those years ago. We were so young then." Missy said, then laughed.
Clarkson spun his new bride around the dance floor. "It's just timing, I guess most of the family were already on their way here for the birth of the twins and their christening. We kind of caught onto the coat tails of that. I'm glad we did though. You look so happy to see everyone."
"I am, I finally have a family. A real one." Missy stopped dancing. "And it seems that new family want your attention."
Clarkson looked around him. All his brothers were there to collect him. As was their tradition, they would all go off together to a secluded corner of the room and huddle for a few minutes. There, they would roast, tease and give the groom advice about his wedding night.
After a while Cassidy pulled Clarkson to the side. "My biggest advice for you little brother is to grab your bride and sneak off now. Save yourself the embarrassing jeers. It may affect your performance. Take it from one who knows. I was your age when I married Nuttah and I wish someone had given me the advice I've just given you." He looked over Clarkson’s shoulder. Who’s the woman talking to Junior?"
Clarkson followed his gaze. "Oh that's Kamari, she one of the teachers here. Why?"
"Oh, nothing. I've seen her here before. She was at Calvin’s wedding too. I never got round to being introduced to her."
"Seems you’re about to get that chance. Junior is bringing her over."
"This is my pa, Miss Kamari. Pa, Miss Kamari teaches at the school here. She says while we’re living with Uncle Clarkson, I can come to school here."
"Is that a fact?"
"Hello, Mr. Dalton,"
"Call me Cass. Mr. Dalton is my father."
"Well Cass, I didn't actually say Junior could school here. I said we could ask Rilla if he could. He’s old enough. He should be in school."
"He's home schooled."
"But, Pa, I wanna come here and be schooled with the ladies. It’s lonely at Uncle Clarkson’s."
"I don't have time to bring you every morning and collect you."
"I live in between the two properties. If it would make things easier, Junior could come to me. I could bring him in and then he could be collected from my house at the end of the day. It’s just a suggestion."
"Speaking of suggestions, I'm about to take yours. If you would excuse me I need to get my bride."
Clarkson found Missy talking with his parents, taking her hand he excused them and walked her out through the French windows into the garden. It was a full moon tonight. Missy never looked more beautiful to him. He leaned in and kissed her.
When he finally let her go he held her hand and continued to walk.
"Where are we going?" Missy asked.
"Funny I was going to ask the same question. Your old room or mine?"
"Does it matter?" she asked, her cheeks darkened.
"Why, Missy Dalton, I'm shocked."
She giggled. He swept her into his arms and carried her through the service entrance and up to his old room.
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KEEP READING FOR AN EXCERPT FROM THE NEXT BOOK IN THE UNBRIDLED SERIES…
Preview Book 4 - Chapter 1
What had she done? Kamari paced the expanse of her little house wringing her hands, stopping at intervals to check outside the window. Oh how she wished she’d never interfered or offered up her services as caregiver to the young Dalton. She'd been caught up in the moment of the infectious joy that one experiences at a wedding reception. It was the only possible explanation.
Today was to be the first day for Cassidy Dalton to drop off his son Junior for her to take him with her to the school where she worked, the Staab’s School for Girls, owned by Mr. Dalton’s sister-in-law. However, this morning it was her turn to collect the school supplies from the depot in town, as well as deliver her mother's wares to the store, and replenish grocery supplies to leave in a secluded place for her mother to retrieve.
Kamari had no idea how she would keep her mother’s secret and not have to explain why she was leaving groceries in the woods to an inquisitive nine year old boy. When she'd offered her services, she hadn't thought it through, as Cassius Cassidy Dalton would be in her charge for most of the day and a few hours during the evening.
Although she would enjoy his company, she was now putting her mother, a wanted fugitive, at risk of capture. It wasn't fair that her mother was in hiding, isolated in the mountains north of Clarkson's ranch. This had been the reason why she kept to herself and maintained a low profile, yet somehow she had allowed the knee-high, gold haired, gray eyed charmer to penetrate her armor and hoodwink her into something she never should have gotten involved in—like offering to be his transport to and from school.
Kamari wondered if her decision had been made in an attempt to get to know the boy’s father. She’d noticed him at the wedding three years ago when Rilla had married Calvin Dalton, a Pinkerton man and someone she'd be working up the courage to speak to in respect to clearing her mother's name.
Somehow in the three and a half years she'd worked for the Staab’s School for Girls, she hadn't found the courage to approach either Rilla or Calvin about her mother's situation, afraid in some way a direct approach to her employer or her employer's husband was inappropriate.
Nevertheless, she was getting desperate.
Her mother had been showing signs that the isolation could be affecting her mental state. Kamari felt desperate and alone. She believed, somewhere deep down, she might be using her att
achment to the young boy to elicit the aid of his father to save her mother.
The thought didn't bode well with her that she was capable of using a child for her own ends, but she finally had to admit, she couldn't do what she was trying to do on her own.
Still she couldn't shake the gnawing guilt eating away at her. If she didn't think her change of heart would disappoint the boy, she'd put an end to the arrangement. But the young Cassius had looked so pleased he'd be going to school, albeit a school for young ladies in which he'd be the only boy.
She liked Junior, however, she had to acknowledge her offering to care for him could prove risky for the both of them. Kamari also had to remind herself why she lived in the middle of nowhere and away from prying eyes.
It was so her mother had a safe place to deliver her wares and Kamari to leave supplies, an exchange, unseen. It had worked for them over the years because she'd kept herself to herself. Having Cassius there made things dangerous, especially if he mentioned anything he might see to the wrong person, placing all their lives in jeopardy.
The sound of the carriage approaching the only entrance to her property not fenced off caught her attention. She grabbed a shawl and ran out to greet her little charge. Then they could set off into town on her buggy so she could complete errands.
When Kamari got to the carriage and opened the door for Junior to get out, she was surprised to see his father hadn't accompanied him. Strange, as he'd seemed so protective of the boy.
"Howdy Miss Kamari," said Junior as he jumped out of the carriage and landed at her feet.
"Mr. Dalton, says to tell you, make sure and take care of his boy ma'am," the driver said, tipping his hat. "See that you both have a nice day now. I'll be along for the boy this evening."
"Thank you and assure Mr. Dalton, Junior is safe with me."
"Will do. Bye now." The driver gave them a wave as he set off.
"Well, young man, it's just you and me now," she said with a smile as the boy slipped his hand in hers. They walked over to her little buggy she had prepared earlier so it’d be waiting for them. She helped Junior in and walked around her horse, stroked its neck, and got in. She clicked her tongue and snapped the rein. The horse made a sound of protest but moved off.
Love Letters (Unbridled Book 3) Page 12
