“Kate, look at me.”
She shook her head. “Just go. Leave me alone.”
This time he grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look at me,” he said, louder this time, his voice full of entreaty. “That man does exist, and you’re looking at him,” he said, his earnest eyes seeking hers.
She tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold and his voice grew husky.
“It took me a while to figure out what you meant to me. At first, all I wanted was to right the wrong I’d done. I honestly thought you loved Frank, and all I wanted was for you to be happy. When I finally realized my true feelings for you, I didn’t know what to do. Kate, I love you. I love you more than I thought it possible to love anyone. Maybe that scared me, I don’t know. All I know is that you mean everything to me, and I hope you feel the same about me.”
* * *
For a moment, it seemed as if the earth had stopped turning and the world stood still. All Kate could do was stare at him.
Finally, she found her voice. “You…you love me?” she stammered.
His eyes answered her first, with a light burning so brightly that it took her breath away.
“Every word I told Frank to say came from the heart. My heart. They were things I wanted to say to you, but I didn’t think I had the right. When I read your note and heard you’d named a candy after me, I had to come back and find out for sure what it meant. Yes, I love you, Kate Denver. I think I loved you from the first moment I set eyes on you. If that’s not what you want to hear, then say so. I’ll leave and never come back.”
Her breath caught in her lungs. Try as she might to resist the appeal in his eyes, it was no use. She felt the shield around her heart fall away, revealing not the grief and sadness she’d walled inside but something far more fluid and beautiful, something that seemed so right.
It was as if a bright light had suddenly illuminated the darkest corners of her mind, making everything crystal clear. She now knew that the reason she hadn’t admitted her true feelings for Brett had been fear.
Fear that he would strip away her defenses. Fear that such a thing would open her up to future losses, future hurts, future heartache.
That had never been a worry with Frank. Maybe it was because he held part of himself back too. Hiding behind a protective shield was the lingering curse of childhood grief, of loving and losing at a young age. She’d accused Frank of not trusting her, but the truth was that, in turn, she hadn’t trusted him enough to give him her whole heart.
Somehow, she’d known—sensed—that holding back would not be possible with this man. Once she admitted her true feelings, Brett would demand everything she had to give.
And more.
“I…I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
“You can start by saying you forgive me for trying to marry you off to someone else. For taking so long to know my own mind. For leaving without telling you how I felt. For—”
“Taking so long to read my love note to you?” she asked.
He gave her a sheepish smile. “Yeah, that too.”
Just then, Aunt Letty crashed through the double doors, brandishing her shotgun. “Oh, no, you don’t, Kate Denver. Don’t you go believing a word this man has to say!”
“Aunt Letty!” Kate gasped. “Put that gun down!”
“I most certainly will not. I mean it! Had it not been for this man, you and Frank would have been married by now.”
“Auntie, please. Put the gun down before someone gets hurt.”
“Not till he leaves.” Glaring at Brett, she waved the shotgun back and forth for emphasis. “So what’s it gonna be, cowboy?”
Releasing Kate’s arm, Brett held up his hands, palms out. “Mrs. Denver, I wish I could apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused, but the truth is, I believe that marrying Foster would be the worst mistake your niece could make.”
“I don’t recall asking your opinion, Mr. Tucker!”
Kate stepped toward her aunt, hand extended. “It’s true, Aunt Letty. Marrying Frank would have been a terrible mistake. I know that now.”
Aunt Letty lowered her shotgun with narrowed eyes. “Does…does this mean there’s not going to be a wedding? Ever?”
“Oh, there’s going to be a wedding, Mrs. Denver,” Brett said, locking Kate in his gaze. “Just as soon as your niece here agrees to marry me.”
Kate’s heart pounded. “Is…is that a proposal?”
“No, but this is.” He dropped to one knee and took her hand in his. He gazed deep into her eyes, the tenderness in their depths stealing away her breath.
“Katherine Anne Denver, I never thought I could love a woman the way I love you.” His voice thick with emotion, he continued. “I want you in my life now and forevermore. I want our children to have red hair and freckles, same as you. I want to look at them and see your blue eyes and big, bright smile. I want your face to be the last thing I see at night, the first thing I see in the morning. Marry me, and you’ll make me the happiest man alive.”
Kate let out her breath. Oh, please don’t let this be a dream. “What…what about your job? You said you could never settle down. You said—”
“I know what I said, and none of it turned out to be true. Without you, nothing else matters.”
“Oh, Brett,” she whispered, the last of her reservations falling away. She pressed her free hand against his cheek, tears welling in her eyes. Something broke loose inside, and all the feelings she’d tried to deny rushed through her. “I love you too. I didn’t want to…I honestly didn’t want to, but there was no helping myself.”
His face lit up with a joy that matched her own. “Oh God, Kate! You don’t know how much I wanted to hear you say those words aloud. I guess we were both fighting a losing battle. I know I was.” He beseeched her. “Does that mean you forgive me for trying to marry you off to someone else?”
Her mouth curved in a smile. “I forgive you,” she said.
“What about the rest?”
“The rest?”
“I asked you to marry me.”
“Oh!” Kate clutched her hand to her chest, and happiness unlike any she’d ever known bubbled up inside. “Oh, Brett. Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you!”
Jumping to his feet, Brett took her in his arms and brushed his lips against her forehead. “Oh God, Kate!”
Behind him, Aunt Letty lowered her weapon. “There it is,” she said. “There it is.”
Surprised that she had forgotten her aunt’s presence, Kate pulled out of Brett’s arms. “There what is?”
“The look that every bride should have on her face. The look of a woman in love.” Aunt Letty turned her gaze to Brett. “The look of a man in love.”
Kate wasn’t sure she’d heard right. “You mean…you’re not mad that I ruined the wedding?”
Aunt Letty lifted her shoulders. “Who said anything about a ruined wedding?” She gave her shotgun an emphatic shake. “Get a move on. Both of you. We can’t keep the minister waiting any longer.”
Brett exchanged a glance with Kate. “You want us to get married now? But I don’t have a ring.”
Aunt Letty’s gaze traveled back and forth between the two of them. “Do you swear you’ll love my niece to the end of your born days, no matter what?”
“Yes,” Brett said, looking deep into Kate’s eyes. “And if it’s possible to love beyond the grave, I swear I’ll do that too.”
“In that case, you can borrow my ring until you have time to purchase another.” To Kate, she added, “It’s the one your uncle gave me on our wedding day.”
Her aunt’s offer only added to Kate’s joy. “Oh, Auntie, thank you.”
Juggling the shotgun in her arms, Aunt Letty pulled off her wedding ring and handed it to Brett.
He studied the simple gold band before slipping it into his vest pocket. “I’ve
already picked out a ring for you,” he said quietly to Kate. “It has stones that match the color of your eyes, and as soon as I have the chance, I will order it.”
Still unable to believe the amazing turn of events, Kate gazed up at him. “You already picked out a ring. But how did you know?”
He laughed at her expression. “A man can dream, can’t he?”
Kate felt her heart swell. “Oh, Brett. I just hope I can make you as happy as you make me.”
Brett started to say something, but Aunt Letty stopped him with a poke of her shotgun.
“You two will have time for all that jibber-jabber later. Right now, we have a wedding to attend to.” She scanned Brett up and down from the top of his Stetson to the toes of his dusty boots. “As for the groom…I guess you’ll have to do.” She indicated the church steps with a toss of her head and pointed her shotgun at them. “Now git in that church, both of you. Your guests are waiting. And this time, I aim to see that nothing stops this wedding.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Giddup!”
Pressing his heels against his horse’s ribs, Brett urged his steed to go faster. Each thunderous pound of his horse’s hooves rumbled through him; each moment of delay felt like a nail to his heart. Oh God! What if I’m too late? What if something went wrong and I’m not there to save her?
At long last, he spotted the horse and buggy on the road ahead. Waving his hat like a madman, he yelled, “Stop!”
The vehicle pulled to the side of the road. The derby-hatted driver leaned over the side of his wagon. “Confound it, Tucker. The way you were carrying on, I thought you were a highwayman.”
“Sorry, Doctor. Your wife told me you were on your way to check on Old Man Fletcher.” Brett’s horse did a fancy dance beneath him. “It’s Kate!”
The doctor gave a solemn nod. “Well, what are we waiting for?” With a shake of his reins, he pulled his buggy forward and made a wide circle in the middle of the road.
After waiting for the doctor to turn, Brett led the way, his heart in his throat. Hold on, Kate. Hold on.
Some twenty minutes later, he raced past the sign reading KATE’S ANIMAL INFIRMARY and reached the house ahead of the doctor amid a chorus of barks, bleats, and neighs. Quickly tethering his horse, he raced up the porch. Ringo greeted him as he burst through the door. “Down, boy!”
Racing through the parlor, he came to a sliding halt at the bedroom threshold, the strong smell of vinegar watering his eyes.
Kate was sitting up in bed. He’d left her writhing in pain and swearing like a sailor, and here she was upon his return, with a sweet smile on her face. What the…?
And then he saw the bundle cradled in her arms, and he practically fell to his knees in relief.
Connie was the first to speak. “Congratulations. It’s a boy.”
Aunt Letty ran an arm over her damp forehead. “A big, beautiful boy,” she added with a wide grin. “And he’s gonna drive the girls wild. I can tell. He’s got the look.”
“The look, eh?” Brett said and laughed. Pulling off his hat, he walked to the bed, his eyes misty. “Well, what do you know?” Awed and humbled by the sight in front of him, he felt more than anything grateful. The baby hadn’t been due for another two weeks. When the first pains came, he’d been so afraid for Kate, so afraid for their baby. Afraid of losing them. Losing the two people who meant more to him than anything in the world.
Kate moved the blanket away from the baby’s downy head. “Isn’t he the sweetest thing you ever did see?”
He peered at his son’s tiny red face and thought his heart would burst with joy. Paternal love bubbled up inside him like hot lava. How was it possible for something so small to command so much love?
“What did I ever do to deserve such a precious child? Such an amazing wife?”
“And an outlaw dog,” Kate added. “Don’t forget that.”
He chuckled and tenderly cupped his son’s head. “He has your red hair,” he said, his voice choked.
“It looks kind of blondish to me.” She smiled up at him. “And he definitely has your eyes.”
The doctor rushed into the room, black bag in hand, and skidded to a stop at the foot of the bed. “Good God, Letty. You’ve been at the vinegar again, haven’t you?”
Aunt Letty crossed her arms and raked him over with a disapproving look. “Somebody’s got to practice medicine around here! Since you’re never around when we need you.”
“Sorry. Got here soon as I could.” He set his bag on a chair. “Well? Are you gonna introduce me to my new little patient?”
Brett proudly gathered his son in his arms and held him so the doctor could see. “Dr. Avery, meet our son, Joseph.” With a loving glance at his wife, he added, “We named him after Kate’s uncle.”
“For now, we’re calling him Joey,” Kate said.
Upon hearing the news, Aunt Letty clasped her hands to her chest and promptly got all teary-eyed. “Oh my! Your uncle would have been so proud.”
“That’s a mighty fine name,” the doctor said with a hearty nod of approval. “Let’s have a look.” As he moved toward the bed, he got his foot tangled in a bunch of cords. “Oh no, don’t tell me,” he said, untangling himself.
“Harvey’s baby sling,” Aunt Letty said, rolling her eyes to the contraption on the ceiling holding the thing up.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Letty,” Brett said. “Long as Kate has me, she won’t be needing any baby sling.” He laid his son at the foot of the bed with a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Kate asked.
“I was just thinking of the candy I plan on making in his honor. What should we call it? Joey Chews? Joey Pops? Joey—” He tilted his head. “You laugh?”
“I can’t help it,” she said. Though her face still looked strained with exertion, her eyes shone with an inner glow. “My husband, the candy maker.”
He couldn’t blame her for laughing. In one short year, he had gone from Texas Ranger to confectioner and had loved every minute of it. While Kate was in confinement and with Aunt Letty having retired, it had been up to him to run the shop with only the one employee. If his idea for expansion worked as he’d hoped, he would soon have to hire more.
“What about Joey Almond Bits?” he asked.
Kate’s smile filled her whole face. “I like it.”
While the doctor examined little Joey, Connie walked to Kate’s side and patted her on the shoulder. “Since you’re now in good hands, do you mind if I leave? I believe I have a date with a pickle.”
“No, you go ahead,” Kate said, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And, Connie, thank you.”
“A pickle?” Brett asked after Connie had left the room.
Lowering her voice, Kate explained. “She thinks Frank is about to propose marriage.”
Brett frowned. “You mean after all my tutoring, Foster’s still…”
“Being Frank, and that’s just how she likes it,” Kate said and laughed. “Frank and Connie. Who would have thought such a thing possible?”
“Who indeed?” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Brett tilted her chin upward and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
With a happy sigh, she clung to him. “Oh, Brett,” she whispered. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever, ever stop.”
Laughter rumbled in the back of his throat. “I have a feeling that my stopping days are over,” he said. And with that, he kissed her again.
Read on for a sneak peek at the next book in the charming Haywire Brides series
Chapter 1
Haywire, Texas
1886
The moment Emily Rose stepped off the train, she knew she’d made a terrible mistake. It wasn’t just the heat pressing down on her like a thick, wet blanket. Nor the dust that clogged her throat and stung her eyes. It wasn’t even the relentless flies.
Rather, it was the feeling of dread that settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach. One look at the sorrowful excuse for a town and the trouble she’d left back in Boston seemed like a tea party in comparison.
The driver set to work tossing her baggage into the rear of the hotel omnibus with reckless abandon.
“Oh, do be careful with that,” she cried, grabbing her bandbox out of his hand.
Shooting her an exasperated look, the driver reached for her carpetbag and hurled it into the compartment with the rest of her baggage. Since her belongings commanded all available space, the other passengers were forced to carry their travel gear on board.
One matronly woman glared at Emily, the nostrils of her beaklike nose flaring. “Some people have no consideration for others,” she grumbled, her voice loud enough to gain the attention of those still standing in line.
Emily apologized and offered to help the passenger with her valise, but the woman would have none of it. Instead, she made quite a show of lugging her single satchel up the steps of the omnibus, grunting and groaning and complaining like an old crow.
Emily disregarded the woman’s theatrics, but it was harder to ignore the curious stares directed at her stylish blue traveling suit. She had been so anxious to make her escape, she’d not thought about clothes. The last thing she needed was to call attention to herself. Had she been thinking straight, she would have purchased something more sedate. Perhaps a simple gingham or calico dress, though she doubted such a thing could have been found in all of Boston.
The same was true of the plain cloth bonnets locals seemed to favor. Her own felt hat, stylishly trimmed with feathers, now seemed hopelessly out of place.
Sidestepping a pile of horse manure, Emily boarded the omnibus, her bandbox in hand. She pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and wiped off the dusty leather seat before adjusting her bustle and sitting.
The driver took his seat and waited until the last of his passengers had boarded before shaking the reins and clicking his tongue. As if to protest the heavy load, the two roans snorted as they plodded forward, scattering more dust with their heavy hooves.
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