by Renee Ryan
Refusing to lie, she nodded. “And for other reasons.”
His lips pulled into a lopsided grin. “That’s enough for now.”
She smiled at him in return.
With a careful tug he pulled her into his arms. Eyes full of intent, he lowered his head slowly. Very, very slowly.
He was going to kiss her. Right here. Anyone could walk into the study. But instead of feeling scared or even nervous, Katherine felt…excited.
Sighing, she settled deeper into his embrace and lifted her face to accept his kiss. Their first kiss.
“My sweet, sweet Katherine,” he whispered.
And then he pressed his lips to hers at last. The connection was so soft, so gentle she wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Before she could decide which, he set her away from him.
Spinning in a circle, he stabbed impatient fingers through his hair, then looked back to her. “I have to go.”
“Go?” she asked. “Go where?”
“To make plans for our wedding, of course.”
They laughed in unison, the sound linking them together in their own private world of understanding. Oh, how handsome Trey was when he laughed.
Katherine vowed to give him many reasons throughout the ensuing years to laugh more often.
Trey watched several emotions flit across Katherine’s face. Thankfully, he didn’t see any regret. “I’ll be quick,” he said. “I don’t want to—”
A loud, insistent knocking interrupted the rest of his speech.
“Trey Scott,” bellowed an angry voice from the other side of the door. “Open up. I know you’re in there.”
At the sound of Marc’s voice, a sigh of dismay slipped from Katherine’s lips. “What is he so upset about?”
Trey made a face. “He’s obviously heard the talk.”
“Oh, dear.”
Wanting to protect Katherine from an ugly confrontation, Trey went to the door to head off his friend. But with a hard shove, Marc pushed into the room and grabbed Trey by the lapels.
“Is it true?” He shook Trey hard. “Did you and Katherine do what they—”
“Calm down, Marc.” Trey yanked away from his friend. “You’re out of control.”
“Me? How can you say that after what you’ve done to Katherine!”
Trey shook his head. He should have known it would come to this. “No matter what you think you’ve heard, it’s misinformation.”
Marc looked wildly around the study, his gaze seeking and finding Katherine with phenomenal speed. “Talk is all over town about you two. And it’s ugly. I’m told some of the neighbors are already drawing up a formal complaint against you.”
Katherine lifted her chin, but her eyes were filled with trepidation.
“Leave her alone, Marc.” Trey would not allow his friend to accuse Katherine of something she hadn’t done. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Maybe she didn’t.” Spinning back to glare at Trey, Marc continued, “You, on the other hand, had no right to corner her in the school’s supply closet.”
Trey bristled as renewed guilt knotted around his heart. “I didn’t even kiss her,” he defended.
But he knew he’d wronged her simply by seeking her out when she was alone and unprotected.
“It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do, Trey. You knew her past. You also knew how the town treats her because of it. This time they have real ammunition against her. Charity House will weather the storm. We always do. But you shouldn’t have put Katherine in a position to suffer again.”
Trey froze at the accusation. Marc was right, of course. Although Trey had tried to rectify the situation since that auspicious day at the Charity House School, he’d been more consumed with finding Ike than pushing the matter with Katherine. In truth, Trey hadn’t tried hard enough to set matters right.
“I’ve trusted you like a brother,” Marc said, waving his hand in an angry slash toward Katherine. “And this is what you do with that trust?”
Trey heard the unspoken words as loudly as the ones his friend said aloud. “You got something to say to me, say it plainly.”
“All right. For four years, your quest for vengeance has consumed you. I’ve watched, helplessly, as the soothing of your own misplaced guilt turned you greedy and selfish. It didn’t matter so much before, because you were only hurting yourself, but now you’re hurting Katherine and Molly. You’re going to make it right.”
Trey scowled. Until Marc’s outburst, he’d considered the other man a friend, a brother, the only one who understood his burning need to hunt down Ike Hayes and avenge Laurette’s senseless murder.
Trey inched his gaze across Marc’s features, arranging his own face into a look designed to start a fight. “And you’re going to dole out the consequences if I don’t, is that it?”
Marc nodded. “If it comes to that, yes. But, first, I want the facts so I can prepare for an official attack.” As he glanced to Katherine, his expression softened with genuine concern. “Did Trey force you to do anything against your will?”
She looked at Trey as she answered the question. “No. Of course not.”
Marc’s eyes narrowed. “Did he tell you to say that?”
Friend or not, Trey wasn’t about to let this man question Katherine’s integrity. “You want a fight? You bring it to me. But I’m warning you now. Leave. Her. Alone.”
Marc’s lips formed into a sneer, disfiguring his features into a tangle of raw emotion. “A not-so-friendly threat. Is that it, Trey? Well, here’s one of my own. You better be planning to marry her.”
Trey’s fists rose in response.
Katherine swiftly moved in front of Trey, placed her hands over his and pushed until he lowered them to his sides.
“Marc,” she said, turning to look at him directly. In the process she shifted in front of Trey, as though she were shielding him. “I appreciate your gallant effort on my behalf, but it’s already settled. Trey and I are getting married as soon as he can take care of the details.”
Marc stared at her, with a look of disbelief on his face. “Are you telling me the truth, and or are you trying to protect him?”
“Oh, honestly. As if he needs my protection. Maybe this will make my point.” She flashed her ring at him.
Marc looked at her hand, up to Katherine’s face, then back to her hand. “When did all this happen?”
Trey gave his friend the kind of self-righteous sneer that was meant to make him see red. “That’s none of your business. All you need to know is that we’re getting married by the end of the week. You can either congratulate me on my good fortune or move aside.”
A grin slipped onto Marc’s lips. “Well, it’s about time you came to your senses, old man.” He reached out and smacked Trey on the back. “I couldn’t be happier for either of you.”
Trey nodded. “You’re invited to the wedding, of course.”
Looking nearly as happy as he had at the birth of his daughter, Marc’s grin widened. “Oh, I’ll be there. I plan to bring my shotgun, in case you get any ideas about begging off.”
“Won’t happen,” said Trey.
Trey turned to Katherine, stared at her for a long, thoughtful moment. She was so beautiful. So kind.
And soon she would be his wife. His future.
His heart jumped in his chest at the possibility of real freedom. All along he’d told himself his desire to marry Katherine was to protect her from town gossip, and from the legal implications if a complaint was filed against the Charity House School. But he now realized, as he stared into her guileless eyes, there had been more motivating his offer of marriage. A desire for a fresh start, a chance to right a wrong for one woman when he’d failed another so miserably.
It was time to start taking action. And the sooner he married Katherine, the better. “Come to think of it, I should make the arrangements before she changes her mind.”
A promise filled Katherine’s eyes as she repeated his words back to him. “
Won’t happen.”
Thank You, Lord, was his only clear thought after that.
Chapter Seventeen
A week later, Katherine lingered at the back of the church, shifting restlessly. Now that the time had come to pledge her life to Trey’s, nerves threatened to consume her. With her agitation barely under control, she studied the group assembled around her. Marc stood like a sentry by her side. Laney and Molly were poised at the ready in front of her.
A riot of emotion tangled in her chest. Needing an encouraging word from a man who understood the situation better than the rest, she turned to Marc. But at the sight of his concentrated intensity, her heart dropped to her toes and stuck. This man wasn’t going to let her walk out of the church until the nuptials were complete.
His fatherly concern of the past week would have been sweet if his fingerprints weren’t all over the wedding. He’d been involved in every aspect of the planning, rushing decisions as though time was of the essence. Worse, he hadn’t allowed her and Trey any time alone, claiming they might change their minds if they actually talked to one another.
If Katherine didn’t know better, she’d think Marc truly wanted this marriage to happen. And not just for Molly’s sake.
She only wished she understood why.
The moment Mrs. Smythe began playing the music on the out-of-tune organ, Katherine shook away her confusion and inched forward. The pews were full of forty grinning faces. She caught sight of Sheriff Lassiter sitting next to a solemn Shane Bartlett. There was no one else from town.
She didn’t need anyone else.
“Ready?” she whispered to her sister.
Molly lifted the basket in her good hand and gave a quick, solid nod. “Ready.”
Katherine couldn’t help but notice how lovely the little girl looked with her long black hair hanging loose down her back, flowers sprinkled throughout. Thankfully, her eye had healed. The only sign of her fight with Bobby Prescott was the bandage on her right hand.
“You look beautiful, Molly.”
Molly’s answering smile was as radiant as Katherine had ever seen it. “So do you.”
Reveling in her sister’s joy, she squeezed Molly’s shoulder. Angling her head toward the other end of the aisle, she said, “Okay, you can start walking now. Laney will follow behind you, just like we practiced this morning.”
“Let’s go get married.”
Her heart filled with Molly’s contagious enthusiasm, and Katherine nodded. “Let’s.”
Molly started down the aisle, stopped in midstep, then swerved back. Lurching forward, she threw her arms around Katherine’s waist and buried her face in the flowing skirts. “Thank you for marrying Mr. Trey.”
Swiping the back of her wrist across her eyes, Katherine swallowed a shuddering sigh; then she eased Molly’s chin up. She stared into eyes identical to those of the mother they’d shared and lost. A tug on her heart hitched her voice up an octave. “I love you, Molly. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting that letter from the mine’s foreman.”
“Me, too.”
With a two-finger salute exactly like the one Trey always gave them, Molly started back down the aisle. Katherine’s heart clutched in her chest as she watched her little sister tossing rose petals on the church floor. She couldn’t remember ever seeing the little girl as contented as she had been these past few days. Trey’s presence in Molly’s life had turned her into a vivacious, happy child. Nothing like the silent, frightened creature Katherine had rescued from the mining camp.
Through championing the child, Trey Scott had worked a near miracle in Molly’s life. For that alone, Katherine would adore him until the end of her days. She would trust him to care for her as well.
And though the issue of his vow to avenge his wife’s murder wasn’t settled, Katherine had confidence in God’s providence and healing power. When the time came to seek vengeance—if the time came—she prayed God would lead Trey to make the right decision.
Molly skipped the last five steps, then vaulted into Trey’s arms. Trey spun her around, kissed her on top of the head, then set her down next to him. He whispered something in the little girl’s ear that had her giggling, then scooted her to his right.
As Katherine watched the two interact, the sincerity of their affection for one another spoke louder than any declaration. Trey had taken on the role of father. And it suited him.
Laney always said that God was a God of new beginnings and second chances. Well, Trey was Katherine’s second chance, and she was his.
For a moment, just one, everything seemed to slow down and stop. Even her breathing. She loved Trey, really, truly loved him. It was that simple. And that complicated.
Laney cleared her throat, bringing Katherine’s attention to the back of the church once more. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Katherine glanced over her friend’s shoulder, her gaze uniting with Trey’s. His eyes were filled with promises, and an eternal vow. If she’d had any doubts before, they disappeared under his silent appeal.
There were no guarantees, but with God’s help, Trey would heal in time, just as Katherine had. For now, Katherine would take what happiness she could while she had him with her. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Laney tilted her head to the side and regarded her with a searching look.
“Truly,” Katherine said.
Laney nodded, relief flickering along the edges of her eyes. “Then I wish you the same happiness I have with Marc.”
She winked at her husband, then began her stroll toward the front of the church.
Watching Laney’s willowy descent down the aisle, Katherine suddenly remembered what her mother used to say when times were rough. “Where there is life, my dear, there is still hope.”
Yes. While Trey was alive, Katherine would concentrate on each day as it came. She would no longer chose loneliness simply because she was afraid of being left alone. She would become the sort of wife a man like Trey would hate to leave, one to whom he couldn’t wait to return time and time again.
A still, small voice whispered through her mind. My power is made perfect in your weakness.
Resolved, she lifted her foot to begin the march into her future, but Marc held her back. “You’re sure this is what you want to do?”
Katherine winced. “What is it with you and Laney? A person would think you weren’t sure of the wisdom of this marriage.”
“A person would be right.”
She opened her mouth to argue, to remind him of his heavy-handed machinations in the planning of every detail, but didn’t know where to begin.
Surveying his concerned expression, she lifted her eyebrows. When he merely returned her look with a questioning glare of his own, she sighed in frustration. “Marc, I can tell by your expression, you have more to say to me. Just say it and let’s be done.”
He shifted his gaze to the other end of the church, then back to her. “Katherine, I know I’ve pushed you this week, but I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want to do.”
“This? From you? The man who brought his shotgun to my wedding?”
He slid her a sheepish grin. “It was a jest.”
“Ha-ha.”
Glancing to the heavens, he shook his head. “Marriage is permanent.”
“So is raising a sister.”
Failure flashed in his gaze before it turned hard and unwavering. “All the more reason to make sure. Your past makes no difference to Laney and me. Never has. You and Molly will always have a home at Charity House. No censure, no condemnation. Nothing would have to change.”
“That’s sweet, but—”
“Say the word and we walk out of this church. Charity House will face whatever scandal comes from this together, as a family.”
“Oh, Marc—”
“I mean it.”
“I know you do, and that’s what makes it all the more special. But I want to marry Trey.”
He gave her a sad smile. “You don’t h
ave to pretend with me. I know how you really feel about him.”
“You do?”
Could Marc see how much she loved his brother-in-law? Did he pity her because he knew Trey would never love her the way he’d always loved Laurette?
The concerned parent slid into place as Marc gestured toward the opposite end of the church. “I know you’re afraid of him.”
A strange disappointment etched across her soul. Apparently, Marc didn’t understand as much as she’d hoped he would. “I admit there was a time that was true, but not anymore. I trust him completely.” She smiled, then decided to tell Marc the rest. “I love him.”
“Oh, Katherine.”
“Yes.” She sighed. “Oh, Katherine.”
“He…I don’t want to build any false hope for you, not now, not ever. Although I don’t doubt he’ll try, Trey may not make you a good husband.”
“I know that.”
“I’m confident he won’t hurt you physically, but he’s stuck in his anger and drive for vengeance.”
“I know that, too. But with help from our heavenly Father, I believe Trey will find peace and forgiveness one day.”
“If that never happens—” Marc rested his hand on her shoulder “—would you still be willing to go through with this?”
“Yes.”
Squeezing her hand gently, he studied her face for what felt like an eternity. “You really do love him, then.”
She patted his sleeve, and he dropped his hand to his side. “I know what you’re trying to say, Marc. You don’t want me to foolishly build a hope for something that may never occur.”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I love Trey. He’s my brother, and he needs you, Katherine. He might never be able to tell you that, but he does. That doesn’t mean he’ll make you happy. He isn’t an easy man.”
“You forget, I’ve seen him at his worst.” And his best. The sudden thought washed through her, cleansing her fears, solidifying her resolve. “Let’s stop this disturbing talk, shall we? I want to get married.”
Marc nodded, but the concern only increased in his eyes. “All right then, if that’s what you really want.”
