Shane hadn’t realized Cody was paying attention to anything but the dogs that night. But the kid had heard every word.
Mumbling a quick prayer of thanks, Shane looked over at Lindsey. Her brow had cleared, and her eyes glowed like a clear sky after a thunderstorm. She was smiling, and Shane wanted to go to her, to be comforted and loved as only Lindsey, with her soft heart, could.
But it was his son who ran into her embrace.
“You gotta understand,” Cody mumbled into Lindsey’s shoulder. “My dad is sooo polite. He couldn’t just say no. So he let Mr. Brockman think he’d said yes, and then he left. He’d never make a deal with Mr. Brockman, because Mr. Brockman isn’t like a worm at all. He’s like a slimy, squirmy, nasty, ugly snake!”
Lindsey held the boy close, her laughing eyes fixed on Shane’s. “And what’s your dad like, then?”
“My dad?” Cody bit his lower lip, looking so serious Shane almost smiled. But then he remembered how high the stakes were. Cody had saved his life a minute ago, and he was finishing the job now. “My dad’s not like anything. He is a cowboy, and that means he’s a straight shooter. A man of his word.”
The boy drew two imaginary six-shooters from an imaginary gun belt and mimed a one-sided shoot-out, mouthing a silent bang, bang as he squeezed the imaginary triggers.
Laughing, Lindsey squeezed the boy in an enormous hug.
“You know what?” She released him.
“What?” both Shane and Cody asked in unison.
“I think you’re right.”
Shane felt a new sun rising inside his heart, warming his soul with the healing light of love. From his memories of the dark closet to the gloomy basement, from the hidden corners of his mind to the longings buried in his heart, everything within him felt blessed by the glow of love returned.
Fixing her eyes on Shane’s face, Lindsey drew her own imaginary six-shooter and pantomimed a one-sided battle, aiming each silent shot straight at his heart.
She was joking. He knew that. Her tone, her smile, and the gleam in her eyes all told him this was a lighthearted lark to her, a little tease for Cody.
But each silent shot felt real to him. Her imaginary bullets cut through the hard shell that protected his heart and punctured the soft, gooey center.
Man, if anybody found out how mushy he was inside, he’d never be able to run a ranch. The chickens would dance with glee, and the cattle would laugh their fool heads off. Hell, even Templeton would run roughshod over him if he knew what a softhearted fool Shane had become.
But Lindsey? He could trust her. He was more than willing to hand over his scarred and damaged heart and hope for the best. He knew she wouldn’t use it against him. He only hoped she’d accept it.
Clearing his throat, he did his best to erase the ache those two sweet shots had left in his heart. “I’m not easy to understand, I know. But if you’ll just trust me, I promise I’ll never lie to you, honey.” His voice sounded hoarse, and he cleared his throat again. “I’ll never hurt you either, and I’ll always try to understand how you feel. I know I haven’t always done that.”
“You’ve done your best,” she said.
“Well, my best just got better. You’ve made me see a new side of the world, and you’ve given me a purpose. You could walk away from me, right now, and I could never repay you for that. But I hope you won’t. I hope you’ll hear me out.”
It was time. Everything inside him was screaming at him to do it, do it now.
And so he knelt.
The dirty concrete was littered with the corpses of insects and the leavings of small animals, but he’d kneel in anything for Lindsey. He’d kneel in the thick gumbo mud of a Wyoming spring. He’d roll in the cold, rushing waters of the Yellowstone River. He’d lie himself down in the middle of the prickliest patch of prickly pear cactus that had ever grown in the rocky outback of the Lazy Q and count himself lucky to have the opportunity. He’d kneel for Lindsey. He’d crawl for her. He’d die if he had to.
“Marry me, Lindsey.” He took off his hat and held it on his knee. “I love you over the fences and beyond the horizon. I love you into the sky and under the ground. I love you as much as I love this land we live on, as much as I love this life we lead. Whatever you do, wherever you go, I want to stand beside you and face every trial together.” The rasp had left his voice now, and the ache in his throat was gone. He felt strong and confident. He felt right. “I want to help you make Rescue Ranch a reality, and I want us to do it as husband and wife.”
She stood there stunned, blinking as if he’d thumped her over the head. Did she realize he’d just proposed marriage? All she had to do was say yes, but dang it, she was thinking about it. And if she thought about it, he was sure she’d say no. She’d remember what a dope he’d been and tell him off.
Instead, she asked him a question.
“What if I go back to Charleston?”
He felt himself blanch, but he’d meant what he’d said. “Whatever you do, wherever you go,” he repeated. “We’ll build Rescue Ranch in North Carolina, then.”
“South Carolina,” she said.
“We’ll do it in Florida, for all I care. I don’t have to be a cowboy anymore. I have a mission.” He was still kneeling, and his knee was starting to hurt. Something was jabbing into it, hard. Probably a dead beetle or something.
But he didn’t get up. He wouldn’t get up. Not until he had the answer he wanted.
“We could go anywhere,” she said. “Anywhere in the world, and that mission would be right there, waiting. It happens everywhere.”
He nodded.
“But I want to stay here.” She smiled and shook her hair back, looking up at the cobweb-draped rafters that supported Ed’s house as if they were the clearest blue sky she’d ever seen. Her eyes shone with happiness, love, and purpose, and it seemed like a miracle he’d had any part in making her feel that way. “I want to stay at the Lazy Q, with you.” Her voice dropped, and she looked at him through sleepy, sexy eyes. “I want to marry you, Shane Lockhart.”
He was about to toss his hat and whoop his heart out, but she touched his arm.
“There’s just one thing. I can’t help wondering…”
Oh, no. This would be it. The knife. He should have known.
“If you and I run Rescue Ranch together, when will you have time to take care of the cattle?”
“The cattle?”
She smiled, a gentle, teasing smile. “Yeah, the cattle. You know, those big animals with horns. The ones that say moo?”
He couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. “You want to rescue cattle too? That’s a big job, Lindsey. I know it’s a shame they end up, you know, like they do, but—”
“No, silly.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Our cattle. The herd. The one my granddaddy built.”
It took him a moment to respond—just long enough for the truth to dawn on Lindsey.
“Oh, shoot,” she said. “You thought I was selling the herd.”
“You said it would be called Rescue Ranch. I figured it wouldn’t be the Lazy Q anymore, so yeah, I thought you were selling the herd.”
“And still you were willing to stay.”
He took her hand. “I was.”
The smile faded. “Well, what if I told you I still expect the cattle operation to pay most of the bills, like it always has?”
He’d thought his happiness was perfect before, something pure and complete that couldn’t possibly be improved on. But knowing he’d be able to contribute with his own knowledge and skill, doing the work he did best, added a whole new layer of joy.
“I’d say good for you,” he said. “And better for me. I do believe I can keep on being a cowboy.” He grinned. “For your sake, of course.”
Lindsey grinned back. “Good, because I really like the hat. And the boots.” She turned, holding out a hand to Cody. “I want to be part of your family, Cody. Is that okay? Can I be your mom?”
Cody didn’t say a word. Ig
noring her outreached hand, he threw his arms around her waist and rested his cheek against her. The smile on his face was so radiant, Shane knew that if he never did another thing for his son, he’d found a way to make the boy feel safe, the way every child should. Safe and happy and loved, for the rest of his life.
Maybe his own happiness had been a little longer in coming. Maybe it was a little worn around the edges, and a little torn on one side, but it was real, and it was complete. And whatever happened in his world, he’d always have Lindsey.
She was the biggest thing that had ever happened to him, just like Grace had said.
And somehow, despite a million little missteps and a billion bigger blunders, he’d managed not to screw it up.
Epilogue
“Let’s get a move on.” Grace peered down the aisle at the crowded pews, where Wynott’s finest and fairest were seated in neat rows, shuffling their feet and clearing their throats. “I haven’t got all day.”
Lindsey knew her grandmother didn’t realize how loudly she’d spoken, but surely she noticed that all the guests turned around in their pews, craning their necks to see to the back of the little church. There, Lindsey waited, nervously biting her lip, for the music that would signal the start of the longest walk she’d ever taken—one that would lead her to a new life.
“Shane Lockhart might be one good-lookin’ sumnabitch, but if he doesn’t turn up soon, you’ll have to marry Ozzie.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd, from the front row, where foreman-in-training Ozzie Wells and the rest of the Lazy Q cowhands sat, to the back, where the older residents of the former Springtime Acres were seated.
The trailer park, now dubbed Lazy Q Village, had sold to a mystery buyer for next to nothing, barely paying the bills accrued by Ed Brockman as he succumbed to the indignity of a jail sentence and record-breaking animal cruelty fines.
The trailer park became Grace’s new hobby, since Lindsey had taken over the care of the rescued horses. Grace made sure every resident of the park had a job, either working for the ranch or helping out at the park itself. The lock picker acted as manager, Ida Murphy collected rents, and several other men had been hired as handymen and landscapers. What had once been an eyesore was now a tidy neighborhood, where newly painted trailers sat on lots decorated with xeriscape plants and native grasses.
“Maybe his tux doesn’t fit.” Lindsey spoke in a low whisper, hoping her grandmother would take the hint and keep her voice down.
“What?” Grace cocked her head as if she couldn’t hear and spoke loudly as ever. “The tux? I’m sure it fits fine. And, anyway, that man would look hot in a paper bag. He’s probably having second thoughts about being my grandson-in-law, that’s all.” She harrumphed. “I don’t see why. I’ll be a delightful grandma-in-law. He’s a lucky man to have me.”
Lindsey couldn’t help laughing along with the crowd, but when the guests’ polite tittering surged into a roar, it was her turn to crane her neck to see what the fuss was about.
A blur of black and brown swept across the front of the church, dashing past Shane’s brothers, who were waiting patiently on one side to perform their duties as groomsmen, and diving behind the altar.
Cody, who looked remarkably grown-up in a small but perfectly fitted tux, left his place and dashed after whatever was hiding behind the altar, much to the amusement of his Aunt Sierra and Aunt Suze, who were acting as Lindsey’s attendants along with her friend Ashley. The women were clad in dresses of their own choosing. Sierra, lovely in a yellow sheath dress, was a delicate contrast to Suze, who’d chosen a jewellike blue to match her eyes. Ashley had chosen blush pink, which matched her face every time she caught sight of her date, Vic, who’d agreed to temporarily close their practice to attend this Wyoming wedding.
Together, the three women reminded Lindsey of the things she loved best about Wyoming—the sun on the prairie, the first flush of dawn, and the blue, blue sky of perfect summer afternoons.
Of course, there was one other thing she loved about Wyoming, and he hadn’t shown up yet.
She couldn’t imagine what was keeping Shane. Surely he didn’t have cold feet. He’d wanted to marry her with a flattering sort of desperation, and the planning of the wedding had been remarkably conflict-free, mostly because he let his future wife do whatever she wanted.
She hoped that attitude would carry over into their life together. That attitude, and the hot sex. Life was just about perfect, and she aimed to keep it that way.
Cody let out a shout, the furry blur raced out from behind the altar, and there stood Stormy at the front of the church, shaking something he held in his jaws as only a terrier can shake, while the wedding guests cheered him on.
Brady was having a great deal of trouble smothering a grin, and Ridge wasn’t doing much better. There was definitely some sort of prank going on.
Stormy really knew how to work a crowd. With great care, he stood up on his hind legs, just like Cody had taught him, and displayed his prize to everyone.
“Is that…”
Grace still wasn’t whispering, and Lindsey hastily interrupted her. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
Grace’s jaw dropped.
“Shane’s underwear!” Her voice carried throughout the tiny church as she leaned on her cane and squinted. “I can’t make it out, honey. Is that boxers or briefs?”
Lindsey couldn’t answer. Along with the rest of the crowd, she’d dissolved into laughter—the helpless kind that made tears flow down her cheeks. She had no doubt she was making a mess of her carefully applied bridal makeup, but she didn’t care—because this was what life at the Lazy Q was all about—family and friends, humor and adventure, plenty of love and lots and lots of laughter.
“See?” Cody set his fists on his hips as he addressed Suze, who’d been in charge of training and handling the animals for the ceremony. “I told you he’d be mad if we made Templeton the ring bearer!”
Ridge and Brady rushed into the minister’s office, Brady scooping up Stormy on the way. It took less than five minutes for the brothers to return with a red-faced Shane and an even more shamefaced Brady. Judging from their rumpled clothing and the way Brady held his clasped hands in a strategic location, an exchange had been made, and the brother responsible for the prank had become its victim.
The music began, and Templeton, whose fawn-colored coat gleamed with good health, led the procession. Lindsey and her grandmother were right behind him, Lindsey blushing, her grandmother beaming.
Patting Lindsey’s hand, Grace whispered, “This is what I always wanted.”
“For me to get married here? Me too.”
“For you to get married to Shane,” Grace hissed.
Lindsey slid her eyes sideways, wondering how long Grace’s plan had been in place and whether Bud had a part in it as well.
Had he always meant for his granddaughter to marry his right-hand man? Had he hoped for her return, knowing that she’d one day help his foreman discover the depths of his generous heart?
As she approached the altar, she caught sight of her groom and wondered when her life had become a fairy tale. Those dark eyes that had once seemed so disapproving now watched her approach with love that bordered on reverence, and she felt like a princess as his gaze shifted from her face to her breasts, swathed in the elegant lace of Grace’s wedding dress, and down to her waist, which was nipped by a sash bearing a white fabric rose.
As she took his hand and stepped before the minister, the sun came out from behind a cloud and streamed a single beam of light through a high window, making their joined hands and bowed heads glow with a heavenly light.
* * *
Shane gazed into the eyes of the woman who was about to become his wife and wondered if he’d made a mistake.
Not in marrying Lindsey, of course. That was the best decision he’d ever made, and he’d never been so sure of his heart’s desire. The time and the place were perfect too, and now that the underwear bandit had been subdued, everythin
g was perfect.
No, he was having some doubts about the vows he’d written. He knew Lindsey had a sense of humor. That was one of the things he loved most about her—the way she’d poke fun at his seriousness and force him to lighten up with her little jokes and gentle teasing.
But maybe humor didn’t have a place at a wedding. Maybe she’d expect something more romantic than what he’d prepared.
Still, it was too late to change now.
He cleared his throat. The minister was spouting off about love and holy matrimony, and was almost to the point where the two of them were to say their vows. The minister paused, and Shane drew in a breath to speak. It was now or never.
Apparently, it was never, because the minister was off again, on one of his long-winded sermons. Love and marriage were second only to death in his list of favorite subjects, and he’d bounced from one piece of scripture to another, lecturing Shane and Lindsey on every aspect of their union the Bible had a thing to say about.
Finally, he stopped for good, turning toward Shane with a slight nod.
Shane cleared his throat.
“Lindsey Ward, this old cow horse of uncertain parentage is asking for the love of your Thoroughbred heart, today and forever forward. I promise you that not even the Godolphin Arabian could love you with the drop-dead devotion that I promise to give you from this day forward. I will carry you over every river and smooth every rutted road, jump every fence and fight every enemy, if you’ll honor me with your trust. Will you take this clueless old cowboy to be the burr under your saddle, the hitch in your giddyup, and the love of your life?”
He braced himself. Surely she’d think he was taking this too lightly. But she smiled a smile that expressed such complete love that it lifted his heart on a warm, racing current, and he wondered if she knew that she was the one who smoothed the road and forded the river.
“I do,” she said, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
How to Wrangle a Cowboy Page 37
