by Tina Leonard
Suzy gasped. “We’re not inviting the whole town!”
“I don’t know,” Priscilla said. “A lot of people are anxious to do something for Josiah.”
She was in a dilemma. Only she knew the truth about the elder Mr. Morgan—his health was seriously failing. This wedding could be one way to bring him home, to be around his family while he still had some time.
“Did Dane actually invite him to the wedding?” Priscilla asked.
“I don’t know,” Suzy said. “I don’t think so, because he didn’t mention it.”
“Well, his friends in Union Junction certainly seem to think he’s coming back.”
Suzy straightened. “That’s why he wasn’t surprised about the wedding. Someone had already called him.”
Priscilla nodded. “I would believe that. The Union Junction grapevine runs at the speed of light. And apparently reaches all the way to France.”
Cricket smiled. “What are you going to do about all the want-to-be-guests?”
“We’re getting married in three nights, on Saturday,” Suzy said. “We don’t really know who Josiah’s friends are, and we don’t want to accidentally leave anyone out. Besides, we think it’s best handled as a private matter, since it’s a short-term agreement we’re undertaking.”
Cricket shook her head. “As a deacon, I have to warn against underestimating the seriousness of marital vows. They can be potentially binding, since that’s the intent.”
Priscilla’s cell phone rang. Answering it, she listened intently, then said, “That would be lovely. I’ll mention it to Dane and Suzy, but we certainly appreciate the help.” She hung up and looked at Suzy. “Your wedding’s been hijacked by your father-in-law-to-be.”
Suzy just stared at her, suspecting the worst.
“Josiah has already put the word out that there’s a huge wedding at the Morgan ranch on Saturday night. There’ll be enough barbecue and wedding cake for everyone who wants to attend. So say the ladies at the courthouse. Oh, and by the way, it’s supposed to be Josiah’s wedding present to you and Dane, but Celie was bursting to tell me. I wasn’t supposed to ruin the surprise, but, being your friend, figured I’d better.” Priscilla smiled at her. “Good thing they didn’t call Cricket, who might have felt honored to keep a secret.”
“Oh, no,” Suzy murmured. “This is not good.”
“And you said you trusted Josiah,” Cricket said with a laugh. “Better pick another Morgan to trust.”
“I guess I’ll go tell Dane,” Suzy said. “Maybe he’ll decide to back out.” She couldn’t help thinking of her ex, who couldn’t handle marriage and responsibility. Dane was a man made of stronger stuff, wasn’t he?
Of course, he’d once told her his fondest wish was to open a parasailing business in Mexico. Shivering in the January chill, she walked to the barn. She waited until Dane glanced up and saw her before approaching him. He turned off the saw and pushed his goggles up.
“Hey. I’ve just about got all the wood cut,” he said proudly.
“It looks great. The girls will love having their own big-girls table.”
He nodded. “Just right for little hands and legs.”
“Your father has planned a surprise wedding for us,” Suzy blurted. “The whole town is invited to the ranch to have barbecue and wedding cake.”
Dane looked at her, his mouth quirking into a wry smile. “I should be mad.”
“Yes. We both should.”
“He’s an interfering old donkey.”
She nodded. “He does seem anxious to do things his way.”
Dane laid the saw down. “Does that mean Pop’s coming home for the wedding?”
“I don’t know. It would be nice if he could.”
He wiped off his hands on a bandana. “I apologize for my father. He’s always done things his way.”
“I think he’s trying to do something special for us,” Suzy said, but Dane shook his head.
“Actually, he’s stepped over the line. I can call him back—”
Suzy sighed. “It wouldn’t do any good. If we told him we didn’t want a big wedding, people’s feelings would be hurt. Everybody in Union Junction loves your father and is looking forward to a big party.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Well, we have your father who cares too much, and mine who cares not at all,” Suzy said, trying to sound bright yet not feeling that way. “It balances out.”
Dane watched her silently.
She took a deep breath. “About adopting my girls,” she said, “thank you for offering. I don’t know what made you do that.”
“I wouldn’t normally take that as a compliment, but it sounds like you’re trying to give me one.”
“I am.” She nodded. “I didn’t know what to say to you about adopting the girls—you really touched me. And I still don’t know if that would be the best decision for us, honestly.” She looked into his eyes, hoping he would understand. “But it’s the nicest thing anyone has ever tried to do for my girls since your father’s gift of a college education. Only this is even more special, to me.”
He nodded. “The offer’s there. It’s not going anywhere.”
Suzy felt tears jump into her eyes. “Thank you.”
He opened his hands as if to say “no problem.”
“I think,” Suzy said, willing her throat to relax from the emotions sweeping her, “I think we go along with your father’s wedding plans without complaint. Try to enjoy the celebration.”
“Just fall in with the old man? He may never stop running things.”
“It’s only a wedding,” Suzy said quietly, “it’s not the marriage he’s interfering with.”
“True.” Dane nodded. “Guess we’ll just roll with it, then.”
Relieved, Suzy said, “I’ll see you later.”
Nodding, he replaced his goggles and went back to sawing wood. Suzy watched him for another moment, wondering if Dane knew how much his father loved him—and if Dane would care.
DANE’S CONSCIENCE BUGGED HIM. It had been pestering him for a while. He thought he understood his father. He fully comprehended why Pop was so anxious about Suzy. The woman had a vulnerable side she tried to mask but couldn’t completely conceal—it made a man want to protect her. He doubted she’d appreciate the sentiment. Having made up her mind that she was a single mother and going to be a darn good one, Suzy wanted no pity or favors from anyone.
Her strength made him admire her. Her vulnerability made him want to take care of her and the girls. Her sadness over her parents’ and boyfriend’s desertion of her when she needed them most broke his heart.
Dane showered and then got in his truck to drive to Fort Wylie. There was a time in every man’s life when he had to look to the past. His father was well-renowned as a stubborn man—though he seemed to be rectifying his reputation—and some of that stubbornness surely had etched itself into Dane. Despite the suddenly elaborate wedding plans, the wonderful cakes, the loads of food, Dane didn’t feel that the wedding was really official.
It came down to one simple thing: He had not yet asked Suzy’s father for her hand in marriage. And because he was a stubborn man, Dane had begun to realize that he had to have this one thing done his way. He was a conservative, traditional man by nature. It didn’t sit right with him that he hadn’t paid the respect to Suzy’s father that the occasion deserved.
If the man booted him off his porch, it would be Mr. Winterstone’s right, but at least he’d know that he’d honored the special moment a father only knew once in his life.
If it were him—and Sandra and Nicole were his daughters—he’d want some young pup to have the fortitude to show respect to him and the occasion, no matter what the circumstances were.
Dane intended to do that. After all, he was the son of a hardheaded man—and Suzy should probably know what she was getting herself into now while she still had time to back out.
He finally arrived at the Winterstones’ mansion. A wrought-iron gate
across the driveway kept unwanted guests away. He wasn’t certain whether or not he would be welcomed, so he buzzed the intercom and waited.
“Yes?” a voice inquired through the intercom.
“I’m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Winterstone,” Dane said.
“Dr. Winterstone,” the voice corrected.
“I beg your pardon. Dr. Winterstone,” Dane said. “My name is Dane Morgan. I’m here on behalf of Suzy Winterstone.”
“I will ask Dr. and Mrs. Winterstone if they are receiving,” the voice said.
“You do that,” Dane muttered to himself, enjoying the chilly air circulating inside the truck. He was sweating, he realized—actually perspiring, with a case of nerves only a real bridegroom might suffer. He hadn’t anticipated the size of the mansion, the heavy, protective fence, the cold-voiced housekeeper—no wonder Suzy got tense just thinking about her parents. He almost felt as if he were visiting a castle, a knight riding in to get his head lopped off by an easily irked ruler.
A vision of palm trees waving in Mexico jumped into his head. Dane gripped white-knuckled fingers around the steering wheel, telling himself he wasn’t bolting. If these people didn’t want to meet their prospective son-in-law, then it sure wasn’t anything that would keep him up at night.
Yeah, it would. For Suzy’s sake, he wanted harmony between him and her folks. He knew too well what a heavy load hard feelings could be—and the fact was, if her parents were holding her hostage with their disapproval of her having children out of wedlock, then they were only hurting themselves. Sandra and Nicole were awesome kids, destined to be ladies in Suzy’s mold.
The gate slowly slid back. Dane blinked in disbelief. Here we go. Taking a deep breath, he drove up the circular driveway, stopping in front of marble steps.
A uniformed man appeared at his open window. “Good evening, sir.”
Dane nodded. “Good evening.”
“I’ll park your car for you, sir.”
“I’m parked. It’s good here.” Dane turned off the truck, got out and patted the man on the back. “No need to stand on ceremony for me. No one can drive this truck but me. She’s got two hundred thousand miles on her and has a lot of quirks.”
“Yes, sir.” The man pointed to the steps. “The housekeeper will take you to the Winterstones.”
“Good man, good man.” Dane jogged up the steps to the double front door. “Howdy,” he said to the housekeeper. “You must have been the sexy voice on the intercom.”
The elderly woman looked at him haughtily, her gaze taking in his flannel shirt, jeans, boots and well-worn hat. “Your name, sir?”
“Dane Morgan.”
“This way, please.”
He followed her, struck by how giant, how imposing this house was. And he’d thought Pop’s ranch was overwhelming! The home where Suzy had grown up was palatial, aristocratic.
Suddenly he realized why Suzy wasn’t just jumping for joy to marry him and had never cared about the money. She’d always had money. She could have continued living this lifestyle had she not fallen in love with the wrong man. No wonder she was willing to marry Dane without love. She’d already had wealth and it had turned on her. She liked her independence. Suzy could count on herself and that was all she planned to rely on.
The only reason she’d agreed to marry him was because he’d offered her his last name for her girls.
It was the only thing he had to give her.
He was ushered into a formal sitting area with a fireplace and pristine white sofas. Two small, middle-aged people stood as he entered the room. Behind him, the housekeeper closed the door.
“Hello, Dr. Winterstone and Mrs. Winterstone,” he said. “My name is Dane Morgan.” They didn’t draw near him so he knew they had no intention of shaking his hand.
“We know your name,” Dr. Winterstone said. “You apparently have come on an errand from Suzy.”
“Not an errand,” Dane said, deciding he had nothing to lose at this point by being a bit frosty himself. He was trying to throw these people a lifeline, if they would only realize it. He thought about Sandra and Nicole and their chance to know their grandparents, and told himself to play nice. He was doing this just as much for the girls as for Suzy—he didn’t want to fail them. Surely somewhere in these stiff people resided hearts that beat warm blood. “I’ve come to ask you for Suzy’s hand in marriage.”
“Well,” Mrs. Winterstone said, “if that’s all you came for, you needn’t have bothered. Suzy has been on her own for some time. I’m sure she’s capable of accepting you herself without our guidance, of which she thinks very little, we can assure you.”
There was a lot of hurt and anger in Mrs. Winterstone’s voice. Dane shifted, since he hadn’t been invited to take a seat, deciding that he and his future in-laws would never be close so he might as well press forward with the greater goal in mind. “Your daughter doesn’t know I’m here. I came out of respect to you, because no matter the circumstances of the past between you and Suzy, it’s important to me to look to the future.”
“All right, Mr. Morgan,” Dr. Winterstone said. “Since you claim to be trying to observe traditional niceties, tell me what you do for a living and how you propose to care for Suzy and her child.”
“Children,” Dane said. “Sandra and Nicole.” He noticed a flicker of surprise in Mrs. Winterstone’s gaze as she glanced at her husband. “She had twins. They’re adorable, I must say. Busy as beavers, and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.”
“You were telling us what you do for a living, Mr. Morgan,” Suzy’s father said.
“I’m retired from the Texas Rangers.”
“Baseball player?” her father asked, his bushy white eyebrows rising on his broad forehead.
“Law enforcement,” Dane clarified.
“I see. You’ve retired young on a public servant’s salary,” the doctor said. “Did you save enough money to take care of a family of four? Make wise investments, perhaps? Have a plan for the future?”
“Well,” Dane said with a grin, “I’d have to say no, no and no.”
“So then we might assume that you’re marrying Suzy because of her family connections and our wealth,” Dr. Winterstone said. Mrs. Winterstone sank into a white sofa, staring up at Dane with some horror.
“Wealth?” Dane repeated. “She actually never mentioned anything about money.”
“You don’t expect us to believe that,” Dr. Winterstone scoffed.
“With God as my witness, I had no idea. To be honest, it’s a bit conspicuous, don’t you think?” Dane asked conversationally. “How does someone make this much money?”
“It’s inherited wealth, something of which you would have no knowledge,” Dr. Winterstone said. “We keep our wealth by not making rash decisions.”
“Oh, I’d disagree with that,” Dane said. “You’ve got two darling granddaughters that are worth more than every marble bust in this room.”
“Having never had two dimes to rub together,” Dr. Winterstone said, “perhaps you are not in a position to judge what is valuable in life, although I do appreciate the sentiment about Suzy’s children.”
He and Dane stared at each other.
“Just as a final curiosity,” the gentleman said, “can I ask you where you’re from?”
“The Morgan ranch,” Dane said proudly, for the first time in his life.
“Ah, farmers,” Dr. Winterstone mused. “Is that your plan now? To try your hand at the boom and bust of Mother Nature and the commodity cycle?”
“Actually, I’d planned to move to Mexico and open a parasailing business,” Dane said cheerfully, “but that was until I met your daughter. Now I’m thinking I may sell some pecans, raise some horses…I haven’t really figured it all out. Yet.” He grinned at Suzy’s parents. “But you can be sure I will.”
“Thank you for the promise of that,” Doctor Winterstone said. “But I’m certain you’ll understand that, if you were asking me for my daughter’s hand and this wasn’t
a rhetorical exercise, I’d have to tell you you’d need to return when you’d figured out a little bit more about the basics of life, such as food and shelter.”
“It’s a shame,” Dane said, “you’re going to miss out on a real wingding of a wedding. We’re having barbecue and all the cake you can eat, made by Suzy’s friends.”
Mrs. Winterstone fanned herself with a Town and Country magazine. “Barbecue,” she said faintly.
“Sure. It’s a wedding gift from my dad.” Dane couldn’t help chuckling. “I won’t keep you two any longer. We’re getting married this weekend, so if you feel like taking a drive into the far country, you’ll find us exchanging rings at the Morgan ranch outside of Union Junction proper. Ask anybody and they can tell you how to get there. Be sure you ask early because everybody in town is invited, so the town will probably close up early.”
“Why would the whole town want to come to your wedding?” Mrs. Winterstone asked. “It hardly sounds like the social event of the season.”
“Well, people like Suzy, for one thing,” Dane said. “And my pop is known around town as a real—” he started to say jackass and then realized the man he was standing across from made Pop look like an angel “—a real generous man,” he finished, telling the truth and proud of it. “You’d probably like him, Dr. Winterstone. Think you two would have a lot in common. I’m not sure he’s going to be there,” Dane said, “but he happens to think your daughter and granddaughters hung the moon.” He turned to walk himself to the door.
“Where is your father, may I ask, if not in his own home?” Dr. Winterstone asked. “I presume the Morgan ranch is his, and you’re living with your father?”
“Pop lives in France,” Dane said simply. “He likes the peace and quiet.” He put his hat back on and walked himself to the door, not waiting for the housekeeper to open it for him. “Thanks,” he said, “but where I’m from, we know how to do things for ourselves.”
Once outside, he saw the uniformed attendant hurrying to open his truck door. Dane walked across the circle driveway. “Don’t bother,” he said. “I can take it from here.”
