Finally A Bride

by Renee Ryan

  His well-sculpted lips curved. “Ah.”

  “Speaking of private moments…” She moved around him, gazed up into his eyes. “Notice how we’re completely, absolutely alone?”

  “I noticed.” He pulled off his gloves, then went to work on hers, starting with her right hand first.

  “Did you also notice how my father is guarding the door for us?”

  “I most certainly did. Remind me to thank him later.” He tossed the glove over his shoulder, smiled tenderly down at her.

  She offered her other hand. “Word around town is that my father is very good at his job.”

  “I’d heard that rumor.” Focusing diligently on his task, Garrett freed one gloved finger at a time, slowly, deliberately.

  “No one’s getting past him,” Molly added.

  “No one.” He tossed her other glove over his shoulder and took her left hand in his. “Molly, my love, I’ve given you a lot of words in the past three days.”

  “They’ve been really great words.”

  He stared deeply into her eyes. “Each one came straight from my heart.”

  Her own heart dipped to her toes. “I’ll remember them always. To the end of my days.”

  Nestling her hand in his, he inhaled slowly. “I want to give you a token of my love, a reminder of my commitment to you always.”

  She sighed at that, a big, shuddering pull of air. Garrett Mitchell was some man when he set his mind on a task.

  “Molly Taylor Scott.” He let go of her hand and reached into his jacket. “Will you accept this ring as a promise and reminder of my love?”

  With a flick, he opened the lid.

  “Oh. Oh, Garrett. It’s…” She gawked at the perfectly oval, exquisitely beautiful, blue, blue sapphire winking up at her. “It’s breathtaking.”

  “The color reminded me of your eyes.”

  With trembling fingers, she reached out to touch the stone then whipped her hand back as if it might bite her.

  “Allow me.” He plucked the ring from its nest, and then slid it on her finger. His eyes never left her face.

  “It’s a perfect fit,” she whispered.

  He tugged her against him and kissed her tenderly. “You’re mine, Molly. Now and forever.”

  Two words echoed in her head. At last.

  At last.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next two weeks flew by in a whirlwind of activity. Garrett spent most of his days with Mrs. Singletary, securing the details of her business venture with Jonathon Hawkins first, then helping her set up a benevolent fund for the hospital. In between the two, he presented several more business ventures for her consideration.

  His evenings were spent wooing Molly. He was falling in love with her more and more every day, discovering facets to her personality he’d never known before. She shared her hopes and dreams with him, while he confided his.

  He hadn’t been surprised when she’d confessed that she wanted to own a millinery shop. In turn, he’d told her about the law firm he’d hoped to start one day, business acquisitions his specialty.

  With each revelation came more intimacy between them. What had once been childhood infatuation was becoming mature love.

  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

  Garrett couldn’t imagine his life without Molly in it. The more time he spent in her company, the more he wanted to be with her. If that made him a sap, then, yeah, he was a sap.

  He took Molly out to dinner most nights, attended the theater with her when a play caught her interest. He even suffered through two evenings at the opera with his future bride and her employer.

  “Must be love,” he muttered.

  Chuckling at himself, he retrieved his mail from his clerk’s desk before retiring to his own office. Garrett relished the fact that he was getting to know Molly on a more intimate, personal level. He believed she was beginning to trust him, to open her heart to him.

  She still held a portion of herself back, but not nearly as much as she once had. Each day she let down a little more of her guard. He had no doubt, in time, she would give herself to him fully.

  One concern still plagued him, though. He never had her to himself.

  At first, he understood the interruptions, accepted them with quiet resolve. But he and Molly had been engaged for three weeks now and the intrusions weren’t stopping.

  When would their well-meaning family and friends leave them alone? Surely, once they were married, everyone would step back. Except, Garrett feared that might never happen.

  Was he being selfish, possessive even?

  Brooding over this problematic matter, he absently sorted through his correspondence. A letter with a St. Louis postmark caught his eye and his hand froze.

  For only a moment.

  He tore open the seal and read the words quickly, not stopping—or thinking—until he reached the end of the page. He set the paper on his desk and leaned back in his chair. Was this a solution?

  Or an escape?

  What if it was both?

  He picked up the letter and read the words again. And again. And one more time for good measure.

  Instead of reaching clarity, he came away more confused than ever.

  Setting the letter back on his desk, he looked up to heaven. “Lord, is this from You? Or am I searching for a sign that fits my needs and alleviates my reservations?”

  He thought of Molly, and the promises he’d made her over the past few weeks, one in particular. Whatever comes our way, we’ll see it through together.

  He couldn’t keep this from her, couldn’t pretend he didn’t want what was offered in a few paragraphs of ink on parchment.

  This could change his life.

  It had the potential to destroy his life, as well.

  He closed his eyes and prayed for guidance. Lord, grant me the wisdom to know what to do.

  * * *

  “Miss Scott, you have a visitor.”

  Surprised, Molly looked up from the bonnet she’d been working on. “I do?”

  Winston gave a short bow of his head. “It’s Mr. Mitchell.”

  “Oh?” Garrett was hours too early for their evening at the opera. A wave of foreboding washed through her. Why was he here? Why now?

  Her hand went reflexively to smooth her hair, which was undressed and hanging loose down her back.

  “I…” She was being silly. Garrett wouldn’t care that her hair was a mess. “Please, send him in.”

  She quickly rose to her feet.

  He entered mere seconds later and, of course, his gaze went immediately to her hair.

  “Garrett, I wasn’t expecting you.” She resisted the urge to run her fingers over the disheveled waves. “I would have taken more care with my appearance had I known you were coming.”

  “You’re lovely just the way you are.” Two long strides brought him to her side, whereby he cupped her face in his hands. “I’m reminded of the wild, impetuous girl I used to know, the one who was willing to take on any adventure for the sheer fun of it.”

  “Oh, she’s still inside here.” She tapped her heart, smiling at the love she saw in his eyes.

  “Good to know.” He laughed, the sound coming out a little forced. “I wouldn’t want you changing for me.”

  “Not even a little?”

  “Not even a little,” he confirmed.

  She relaxed. Then felt her spine stiffen when he didn’t do the same.

  “Garrett?” Her legs suddenly felt like jelly. “What’s wrong? Has something happened I should know?”

  He turned away from her, took a step toward the door, then swung back around. His expression was guarded now and her stomach rolled inside itself.

  “I have something to tell you,” he said.

  He looked so serious. He sounded so serious. A fresh spurt of panic tickled in her throat. “I’m listening.”

  He strode back to her, r
eached out, stopped from touching her, then stepped back again.

  “What’s wrong?” She’d never seen him so agitated.

  “It’s nothing bad.” He laid a hand on her arm in a show of quiet comfort. “At least not if you look at it from a certain perspective.”

  For an instant, fear paralyzed her. And then she knew—she knew—whatever he said next, her life would be changed forever.

  “What is it, Garrett? What’s happened?”

  He struggled to pull in a tight breath. “I thought this would be easier.”

  Dread burned a trail down her throat.

  Holding her gaze, he dug a letter out of his coat pocket. “This will explain everything.”

  Molly stiffened her spine, slowed her breathing, then took the letter between her thumb and forefinger. She held it away from her, eyes locked with his.

  “Go on, read it.”

  She lowered her gaze and read the letterhead aloud. “‘Mead, Tyler and Hoyt.’” Confused, she lifted her gaze to Garrett’s. “Should I know them?”

  “Mead, Tyler and Hoyt are the senior partners of a law firm in St. Louis. They specialize in tax law and business acquisitions.”

  No. No. She could hear nothing but the drumming of her heart. She looked back at the letter and began to read.

  The tears came on the heels of the first paragraph. She held them tightly in check through the second. And the third. But when she came to the end, her control snapped and the tears fell unrestrained down her cheeks.

  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.

  The law firm of Mead, Tyler and Hoyt wanted Garrett to work for them. With them. They wanted him so badly they’d offered him an unprecedented partnership.

  How could he consider taking the job?

  How could she ask him not to? By all accounts, the position was tailor-made for his particular skills.

  A sob crawled up her throat, begging for release. She quickly swallowed it down.

  The despair remained. This was their past all over again.

  Her knees buckled.

  Garrett was by her side in a flash, cradling her in his arms, holding her tightly against him. “Say something.” He breathed the request in her hair, his voice desperate.

  “It’s a wonderful opportunity for you,” she said, keeping her head lowered, her voice even, her heart cold.

  “For us, Molly. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us. Every decision I make from here on out affects you, too. Tell me what you think.”

  Her head snapped up. “You want my advice?”

  “We’re getting married. Your opinion matters.”

  He’d come to her with the letter, was willing to discuss it as a couple. For a long moment, she looked into his eyes, saw the truth staring back at her. The horrible, awful truth. He wanted to take the job, but he would sacrifice the opportunity if she asked it of him.

  She choked back another sob.

  How could she ask him to turn down the job?

  How could he ask her to leave everything she knew?

  A terrible quandary lay before them. Lord, why are You testing us like this?

  “You already have a job here in Denver,” she whispered.

  “Yes, Molly.” He guided her to a chair, waited for her to sit. “I have a job here in Denver. But a better one awaits me in St. Louis.”

  He was handsome, even now, in this dreadful, agonizing moment. Lean, muscular, a strong slash of cheekbones, the boy she’d always adored inside the man she would always love. “Denver is our home,” she said simply.

  With careful, deliberate movements, he pulled out a chair and sat beside her. “Yes, this is our home. Where I’m just another Mitchell boy and, you—”

  He broke off, looked away, but not before she saw his pained expression.

  “Go on, Garrett. Say it.”

  He swallowed. “Denver is where you’re the girl who loves to be engaged nearly as much as she loves the Lord.”

  She drew back as though he’d slapped her, but she couldn’t deny his words. She knew what people whispered about her, knew they thought she was frivolous and self-centered, incapable of keeping her promises. “We’re both more than what others say about us.”

  “I know we are.” He dragged a hand through his hair, his emotions carefully contained. “Molly, my love, don’t you see? This is our chance to make a fresh start. We can begin our lives together with a clean slate, in a city where no one knows us.”

  “But, Garrett, that’s just it. We’ll be in a city where no one knows us. There will be no family, no friends, not even the passing acquaintances we’ve made over a lifetime.”

  “We’ll have each other.”

  He wanted the job.

  “You’ll have your work,” she said. “What will I have?” Nothing. Nothing but endless hours of waiting for him to return home to her every night. That was no way to live.

  He glanced at the table, picked up one of the unfinished bonnets. “This. You can have this.”

  “You want me to make bonnets all day long?”

  “No. Yes. I mean, what about your dream, Molly? The one you told me about the other night? You could start your own millinery shop in St. Louis.”

  A spark ignited deep within her, one she didn’t dare fan into a flame because she was afraid. Deathly afraid. She knew what it meant to be left alone all day, knew the fear of not knowing if he would come home at night. “What do I know about starting a business?”

  “I’ll help you.” He rose, pulled her to her feet. “You’re talented, Molly. Gifted, creative. I don’t know much about women’s hats, but I see how you take ordinary bonnets and turn them into pieces of art. A shop run by you would be a smashing success.”

  She loved him for his confidence in her. But she was still afraid, and didn’t have the courage to tell him why. She’d never told anyone why she feared leaving Denver. “Garrett, this is a big decision for us both.”

  “Molly, think of what we can accomplish. Together. The possibilities are endless, the potential triumphs immeasurable.”

  Hand shaking, she picked up the letter from the St. Louis law firm and tried to read the words again. They blurred in front of her eyes. One big, black smudge over white.

  The paper slipped from her fingers.

  “I love you, Molly.”

  “Oh, Garrett.” She practically leaped into his arms. “I love you, too.”

  They held one another tightly, as if if they dared to let go the other person would vanish right before their eyes. She’d only ever felt so desperate, so afraid one other time in her life. They’d been here before, at this same impasse where one of them would win, and one of them would lose.

  The stakes were higher now. The potential for pain unparalleled.

  Why, Lord? Why put us in this position again?

  She clung to Garrett. Instead of feeling comfort in his arms, she felt nothing but sorrow, bone-deep sorrow. Because this moment felt like goodbye.

  She wanted him so much, wanted to be his wife, the mother of his children. But she didn’t want to leave Denver, didn’t want to leave family. His or hers.

  “I want our children to know their grandparents.” She spoke into his shoulder. “I want them to know their aunts and uncles, their cousins.”

  He buried his face in her hair. “St. Louis is only a train ride away.”

  “It won’t be the same.”

  “That’s not to mean it can’t be a good life for us.” He stroked her hair. A gesture so sweet, so gentle, so full of love her heart broke a little more.

  And then the trembling began. Bone-rattling, teeth-chattering shakes.

  Garrett’s arms tightened around her, keeping her from falling. This was getting them nowhere.

  As she’d done so many times before, she locked her fear deep inside her and stepped back from him.

  His eyes searched her face. “Tell me what you want.”

  Afraid to respond, afraid to beg him for something that could potentially destroy his love f
or her, she broke eye contact.

  “Look at me, Molly.” When she merely shook her head, he took her chin in his hand and gently urged her to do as he requested. “Ask me to stay.”

  She couldn’t. “I can’t ask you that.” She jerked her chin free. “I won’t.”

  The frustration on his face morphed into hurt, such hurt her own face burned. “Why not?” he demanded.

  “I can’t ask you to sacrifice your future for me.”

  “So we’re back to that. You play the martyr. I play the man unwilling to compromise.” He gripped her shoulders, his hands so gentle she thought she might weep. “Molly, my love, ask me to stay.”

  “You’ll only come to resent me if I do.”

  “Ask me to stay.”

  “No.” She stepped back and his hands fell away. “Ask me to come with you.”

  “I can’t.”

  Now she demanded an answer. “Why not?”

  “For the same reason you won’t ask me to stay. I couldn’t bear waking up one day and confronting nothing but resentment in your eyes, resentment toward me because I took you away from home.”

  Tears threatened again. She let them come, let them spill down her cheeks in a river of sorrow. “What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” He reached for her, his hand shaking ever so slightly, and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

  “I guess we haven’t settled our differences after all,” she choked out.

  He cupped her cheek. “We’re good together, Molly.”

  She closed her fingers around his wrist. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Eyes a pale amber-gold, he dropped his hand. “You’re giving up on us.”

  No. No. She shook her vehemently. “No.”

  “All right, then, consider this. A very wise woman once gave my sister judicious advice when she was confused about her engagement. She gave her a four-step formula to help her decide what to do.”

  She gave him a shaky smile. “You think I’m wise.”

  He nodded. “You told Fanny to start with prayer, spend time in the Bible, trust the Lord’s guidance. And, finally, most importantly, follow your heart.”

  Follow your heart.

  Did she have the courage? Did she trust Garrett enough to leave everything she knew behind and rely solely on him?