The corners of her lips tilted upward. “I thought you might fight me on that part of it. I don’t have to work if you don’t want me to.”
“There’d be an uproar in town if the womenfolk thought I tried to keep you from making their gowns.” He grinned. “I guess since the woman from Proverbs could take care of her family and still buy and sell land, my Laney can sew to help build our herd.”
“We’ll work together,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder. Suddenly she jumped up and reached out for him. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“You, sir, have to ask my pa for my hand in marriage.”
Luke stood and grinned. “Are you sure you want me to?”
Laney laughed. “It’s a risk. He might say no just to get under my skin. Then where would we be?”
“Maybe I’d better not ask, then.”
“Come on. And maybe while you’re at it, you can let him know he’s welcome in our home.”
Luke pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her. He pressed his forehead against hers. “You’ve changed,” he said softly.
She nodded. “God changed me, Luke. I’m not sure how it happened, really. But all the fighting and anger, it’s just not there anymore.”
“So I don’t guess I have to worry about you flattening me once a day, then?”
She sent him a cheeky grin. “I’m not making any promises. A girl can only change so fast.”
“What about the dress? I kind of like it. Think you might wear it again, even without Miss Hastings around to insist on proper attire?”
“I’ll wear a dress to church on Sundays.”
“Then I’ll look forward to every Sunday for the rest of my life.”
“And of course I’ll keep a skirt handy to pull over my britches when I go to town.”
“Of course, we wouldn’t want the town dowagers to talk.”
Laney smiled and squeezed his hand. “Oh Luke. I’m so happy it’s all finally working out. Let’s go tell Pa and Jane.”
Luke pulled her back toward him. Laney caught her breath at the love shining from his eyes. Laney’s mind filled with the memory of their first kiss. She smiled.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Just that I’m glad I kissed you last fall, or we might never have decided to get married.”
“You kissed me? I kissed you after the harvest dance and then asked you to marry me.”
Laney regarded him through narrowed eyes. “Luke St. John, you know good and well that if I hadn’t kissed you, you never would have gotten up the gumption to admit you love me in the first place. And that was two weeks before any ol’ dance!”
His lips twitched, and Laney felt the heat rush to her cheeks. “Oh, you’re teasing. Will I ever learn not to get so riled at you?”
“We have a lifetime for you to figure it out.” He pulled her close.
Laney smiled as his mouth closed over hers in a kiss very much like the one that had started it all.
Epilogue
Ma! Look at the wildflowers I picked for Grandpa’s grave.”
Laney pulled up the last of the weeds from Pa’s gravesite and sat back on her heels. “They’re lovely, Jenny.”
She swiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and smiled at her firstborn child. The four-year-old couldn’t remember her grandfather, but her curiosity over the source of her given name of Jenkins had forged a bond between the absent grandpa and herself. She loved to hear the stories of her first year of life, when he was her favorite person on earth. Laney smiled to herself as the memories came rushing back.
It hadn’t taken long after the wedding for Pa to soften and give his life to Christ. To everyone’s surprise, God had given Pa three extra years before He took him home. Pa had learned to read but never read anything but the Word of God. In those years, God truly proved that love could change the hardest of hearts and humble the proudest of men. Pa had doted on his granddaughter and spent every waking hour trying to make her smile—which wasn’t a difficult task, considering the baby had lit up like a prairie fire every time he was near.
Laney had grown to love her pa dearly and in the end had shed many tears of grief. Jane’s presence helped ease the hurt, and the girl had quickly found a cherished place in the bosom of Luke and Laney’s family, as well as the St. Johns’ large extended family.
The Double L ranch thrived under Luke and Laney’s management. No one could say Luke hadn’t proven himself every bit the rancher his pa was.
Laney felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her from her musings. She glanced up and smiled at her husband as he stooped beside her. “You feeling all right?”
“Wonderful.”
“Think it might be today?”
She rubbed her bulging tummy and grinned. “This one’s in no hurry, is he?”
“Stubborn like his ma,” Luke replied and planted a kiss on her nose.
They anxiously awaited the birth of their third child. So far they had two redheaded girls; and though Luke adored his princesses, including Jane, he longed for a couple of princes to join the kingdom and even things out a bit. Laney would just be glad to fit into a pair of britches again. With each pregnancy, she had to put them away and don dresses for the last six months. She glanced at her pudgy fingers. She might have to wait a bit longer this time before she could wear them again. She grinned. At least she had a figure now.
“Time to go in and start supper.” She reached for Luke. “Help your wife get off the ground.”
He hopped effortlessly to his feet and swept her into his arms. “My pleasure,” he murmured against her neck.
A gentle breeze blew across the prairie, carrying the fresh scents of spring. The new grass bowed in reverence, and Laney marveled as she glanced out across the land. “Oh Luke, just look at what God has blessed us with.” The pastures teemed with cattle, from last year’s stock to the newborn calves. As far as she could see, the land belonged to them.
“God sure knew that His plans for us were right. Thank God I didn’t run off to Oregon.”
“No regrets?”
“Not even one, honey. Everything I ever dreamed of is right here in Harper—a beautiful family and prosperous land.” He captured her lips for a quick kiss, then he smiled, the expression of love in his eyes taking Laney’s breath away. “I wouldn’t trade any of this for anything in the world.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. How good God was to plant their dreams inside of them and then to make them come true.
About the Author
Tracey V. Bateman is a past president of the American Christian Fiction Writers and has more than 30 stories in print. She believes all things are possible and encourages everyone to dream big. Tracey lives with her husband and four children in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks.
Brides of Kansas Page 49
