by Caroline Lee
That caused him to chuckle again, and it started a conversation about his Easter and birthday traditions. She was surprised how much she enjoyed hearing him speak about his childhood and the people he’d grown up with.
At a break in their conversation, she took a deep breath. “Will you tell me more about your family?”
He’d been holding his fork, and when she asked that, he laid it down precisely beside his plate. He stared at it, then reached out and adjusted its position until it was perfectly parallel to the knife. She watched the long column of his throat as he swallowed, then swallowed again.
“My parents are Wilfred and Susan. They're still very much in love, which is something I have always admired. Dad seems to be able to understand her, even though she’s been nonverbal for almost a year.”
“You said some of your siblings are married. Did they find love like that?”
His response was immediate. “Yes. I have a twin brother, Cooper. We're not at all alike; he’s this gregarious and fun-loving construction worker. He's actually on a long-term job in Riston right now. Last summer, he married Jackie, whose daughter Kalli Jo was one at the time. She sure has been a refreshing addition to the family.”
When he smiled down at his plate, Katie could tell he was telling the truth. He loved his niece, that much was obvious.
“Marybeth is your sister?”
This time, he lifted his smile to her face. “She's younger than us, but she got married first. Two Christmases ago, she was going through a rough patch and got stranded on top of a mountain at River’s End Ranch with this grumpy recluse. Turns out, they were each what the other one needed, and now they're really happy to be running the kennels at the ranch.”
“Oh!” Katie sat up straight. “I know who you're talking about! This is the guy who won the Iditarod, didn't he? He lost his leg, and now he raises husky pups, right? That's your sister?”
Kenneth’s brows dipped in curiosity. “Yeah. Mack and Marybeth Holmes. How do you know them?”
Katie bounced a little in her seat, and her grin grew. “My oldest brother, Andrew, was the chief engineer at River’s End Ranch for like twenty years or something. He only recently quit there to go to work at my family’s hotel.”
“Not the Quinn Hotel and Spa?”
“Yes! Are you staying there?”
“Not only that”—his grin grew—“but yesterday I had a nice talk with a guy named Andrew in an engineer uniform. He gave me some good suggestions for things to do in town.”
Katie burst into laughter. “That was him alright! He's engaged to the assistant general manager there, and the GM is our uncle. But Andrew used to keep us all entertained with stories from River’s End Ranch, and I remembered the one about your sister, because who doesn't love puppies?”
Smiling, he shook his head. “What are the odds? When I chose you, I didn't realize our families were so connected.”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess they kind of are, aren't they? Your cousins are the ones that run River’s End Ranch, now?”
He nodded. “And the four of us grew up going there every summer. It sure was a fun place to be, and I think cousin Wade and the rest of them have done a really good job of turning it into an even more fun vacation spot.”
The four of us…? Oh yeah. “And how about Tripp? You mentioned him. Is he married?”
Abruptly, Kenneth's gaze shuttered, and he dropped his eyes to his empty plate once more. When he reached for the fork and straightened it minutely, Katie thought he might not realize what he was doing.
“Tripp…” Kenneth took a deep breath. “Tripp was the youngest, and he was always different. He didn't like rules or order. He and my parents were always butting heads over dumb stuff.”
With a sinking feeling, Katie suspected she knew where the story was going. “You're talking about him in the past tense.”
Without looking up, and while still straightening the fork, Kenneth nodded. “He left town for good a few years ago. None of us—not even Mom—have heard from him.” He shrugged, then picked the fork up off the table. “We don't even know if he's alive.” The fork began to waver as he bounced it between his fingers in agitation.
“Does that make you angry?” she asked quietly.
“It makes me…” The tines of the fork were making small, haphazard circles, so different from the precision of moments before. “It makes me guilty, mostly. I... I shouldn't have pushed him. I was the oldest, and I liked to take care of them, but I should have seen…” With a sudden snarl, Kenneth tossed the fork to the plate. “I was his brother! I should’ve stood beside him—should have supported him, no matter how different his goals were from mine—instead of our parents!”
His eyes turned to her once more, and the pain in them made her breath catch. Before she knew what she was doing, she’d reached across the table and taken his hand. His pulse beat wildly under her fingertips, and she knew.
“I'll do it,” she whispered, before she had the chance to talk herself out of it.
She watched as he took a breath, steadying himself. Watched the cool composure slip over his expression once more. Watched him turn into the measured and ordered man he showed the universe.
And didn't change her mind. This was Kenneth Weston, both sides of him.
His chin rose. “Do what?”
She met his eyes, swallowed, and committed herself.
“I'll do it,” she said in a stronger voice. “I'll marry you.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Sitting alone in his car in front of his parents’ house, dressed in one of his nicest suits, Kenneth found himself tapping nervously on the steering wheel. His siblings and their spouses were already inside, along with the pastor, and Kenneth was just waiting on Katie.
This was it. She'd agreed to his terms. She agreed to become his wife. What if she changed her mind? What if she decided a hundred thousand dollars wasn't enough? What if—
Stop.
Taking a deep breath through his nose, he held it to the count of five, then exhaled. Calm. In control.
I can do this.
When he recognized her car pulling behind him, he was out the door in a flash. He hurried to her driver’s side and opened the door for her.
When she stepped out, he caught his breath.
It was springtime, the time of new birth. There were still patches of snow in the shade, but it was impossible not to feel just a little bit hopeful at this time of year. And Katie...Katie seemed to embody it all. She wore a simple white short-sleeved dress, which just brushed her knees. He knew she’d probably chosen it because it was white and this was her wedding day, but all he could think about was how perfect she looked. Beautiful and pristine, with her hair curling down around her shoulders like that. She looked like the embodiment of spring, and he was utterly, hopelessly enthralled.
“Is everything all right?”
Kenneth shook himself out of his daze. “What? Oh, yeah! It's just…”
“Just what?” she prompted, her cheeks beginning to turn pink.
“It's just... You look lovely.” Without having to think about it, he reached out and snagged her hand in his, twining their fingers together. “Really lovely.”
She blushed harder and glanced down at herself. “I wasn't sure. I mean, you're a famous wedding gown designer, and here we are, getting married. I knew nothing I owned would come close to what you could design, so I guess I didn't even bother trying too hard.”
Touched she'd even considered it, Kenneth lifted her fingers to his lips and brushed a small kiss across the back of them. “You look amazing. None of my gowns would come even close to the way you look right now.”
The way you look on our wedding day.
She stared wide-eyed at him, her lips an adorable little “oh” of surprise. He found himself looking forward to kissing those lips.
Soon.
He cleared his throat. “I just want to say thank you, Katie. What you're doing for me, it means a lot to me.
I know you're doing it for the money, and that's perfectly fine, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciated it too.”
She ducked her head, then peeked up at him from under her lashes. “I'm not doing it just for the money,” she whispered.
And that admission made him smile.
There were some things they had to take care of before the ceremony. He led her to his car, where he pulled out the legal paperwork. There, by the curb in front of his childhood home, on the trunk of his car, he and Katie McIver signed their prenuptial agreement and marriage contract.
After, he put the documents safely in his car, and pulled out a single peach rose.
Suddenly, he was a little flustered. This woman was about to become his wife, even if only for a short amount of time. She deserved more than one rose.
“I’m—I’m sorry. I wanted to get you something to hold, but maybe I should have gotten a whole bouquet. I didn't even— I'm sorry I didn't think of it.”
Her fingers twined through his again, and she smiled softly. “It's beautiful, Kenneth. Thank you for thinking of it.”
And when she took the rose from him, he felt...proud. Sure he’d done the right thing.
At the front door, he turned to her. “Ready?” he whispered.
He watched her take a deep breath, then nod, her hand gripping his and a serene expression on her face.
Kenneth opened his mouth to remind her she needed to pretend to be devoted to him, but when she turned a slight smile his way, the words stuck in his throat. She looked a little nervous, sure, but that was to be expected from any bride on her wedding day. In all other respects, she seemed the very image of a woman who was in love.
The realization made his heart swell.
She was definitely the best choice.
When they entered the living room, everyone was already gathered. His brother and sister made a big deal over meeting Katie, but they weren't the ones Kenneth wanted to impress. He smiled tightly at them, then led Katie to his parents.
Dad was dressed in his best—and only—suit, the one he'd worn to both Cooper and Marybeth's weddings. He was sitting in a dining room chair which had been pulled up next to Mom's hospital bed. The hospice workers were mercifully absent, and Pastor Kevin stood on Mom's other side. Dad was looking suspicious, and Kenneth felt his throat go dry.
But like an answered prayer, Katie knew exactly what to do.
“Mr. Weston!” She moved around Kenneth towards the older man, her hand held out and a smile on her face. “Kenneth has told me so much about you!”
Dad stood up to take her hand, but his frown didn't ease. “That's more than we can say about you,” he grumbled under his breath.
Either Katie didn't hear him, or she didn't care. Because next she turned to Susan Weston.
Someone, probably Marybeth, had done their best to make Mom look normal. But the cosmetics only seemed to highlight her sallow skin and shrunken stature. Her hair had fallen out during the first radiation for the stomach cancer, before it had spread, and what hair had grown back was thin and pale.
Mom's eyes were open, which meant the pain hadn't gotten bad enough for the morphine yet today. Kenneth sent a silent little prayer of thanks that he'd guessed correctly when he planned the ceremony so early in the morning. She seemed as alert as she ever was these days, which was to say, not entirely. But there was a slight smile on her lips, and he really thought her eyes had lit up a little when she'd seen him.
“Mrs. Weston,” Katie said quietly, reverently, as she moved to the woman's bedside. “I'm so happy to be able to meet you.”
Kenneth wondered if everyone else could hear the little catch in her voice, and he realized there were tears pricking at the back of his eyes. He blinked them away and watched her hold out her hand.
Miracle of miracles, Mom lifted one shaking, frail hand towards Katie. Katie grasped it in both of hers, pressing Mom's palm between both of her own and lifting it to her face. She brushed Mom's fingers across her cheek and smiled.
“You have raised an amazing son, Mrs. Weston. I am so blessed to know him, and I’m looking forward to our future together.”
It was a lie. Or possibly not quite a lie, but she was definitely bending the truth. Their future together was only going to last a matter of weeks, possibly months. Of course, maybe she was talking about the money? Was that what she was looking forward to?
Still, looking around at his gathered family, Kenneth knew it had been the right thing to say. Cooper, who was holding little Kalli Jo, was beaming down at his wife. Marybeth clung to her husband's arm, and while Mack rarely showed emotion, Kenneth swore he saw a little bit of grudging admiration in the man's expression.
And Dad...
When Katie straightened away from Mom's bedside, Dad cleared his throat. He reached over and took Mom’s hand, which Katie had just gently placed back on the bed. He exchanged a look with Mom, slowly smiled, then turned back to Katie, who now stood beside Kenneth.
“Young lady, on behalf of Kenneth's mother and I, I'd like to welcome you to the Weston family.”
The wedding took place right there beside Mom’s hospital bed. Kenneth's heart beat wildly as they repeated their vows in front of Pastor Kevin, but he forced a calm and collected outward appearance. He didn't want anyone to realize how incredibly nervous the entire thing made him. Behind him, he swore he heard someone sniffling, but couldn't seem to look away from Katie's face to find out who it might be.
Standing there, surrounded by his family and none of hers, she looked so calm. Her pale green eyes stared up at him, and he latched onto the serenity they offered, even as he slipped the wedding band on her finger. In that moment of panic, she was the lifeline he needed. This was his idea, his plan. But she was the one who made it possible.
If everything went as he planned, this is what Mom needed to find peace. This would allow her to let go.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”
All of that calmness and serenity fled in the face of the pastor’s command. Kenneth felt the panic clawing its way up his throat. But then Katie's fingers tightened in his, and she smiled shyly.
She was his wife now. And he needed Mom to believe he loved her. And a man who loved his wife wouldn't balk at kissing her, would he?
So, their fingers still entwined, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
Just a simple brush, a touch of their skin. But it wasn't enough. Before he'd even completely pulled away, he knew it would never be enough.
His lips crushed down on hers again, and he felt her hands grasp his lapel. Dimly, he wondered what had happened to the rose, then decided he didn't care. This was his wedding day, this was his wedding kiss, this was his wife.
Behind him, someone—probably Mack—cleared his throat, and Dad began laughing. The great booming guffaws were what finally dragged Kenneth's attention away from the woman in his arms. When he pulled back, Katie was flushed and disheveled, and looking absolutely kissed.
And that, more than anything, sent a spark of pride through Kenneth. Pride in a job well done.
The teasing lasted all through the signing of the marriage certificate and Pastor Kevin taking his leave. Marybeth went into the kitchen and came back with a cake she’d baked.
“What's a wedding without some cake!” she said with a happy smile as she set it on Mom's bedside table and began cutting. She distributed the pieces, but as she brought Kenneth’s over, she leaned in close to whisper in his ear.
“I saw you out by your car with Katie signing whatever it was you were signing.” She pulled back just slightly, the ice-blue eyes all Westons shared staring frankly into his. “I hope you know what you're doing,” she whispered urgently.
Taking the cake from her hand, Kenneth tried for a confident smile. “Don't I always?” he asked in a low voice.
But his little sister didn't look convinced as she crossed to her husband. The looks she kept sending his way told Kenneth as much.
&
nbsp; The mini reception lasted about an hour, until Mom began making noises and shifting uncomfortably. Dad jumped to her side, preparing the pain medication, and Marybeth hurried to help. Cooper slapped Kenneth on the back.
“Why don't you get out of here? A newly married couple like you should be on their way to their honeymoon, huh?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Honestly, Kenneth had expected his twin to see right through the ruse. And maybe he did. Cooper, though affable, often knew more than people guessed. But he also wouldn't judge, and was usually happy to let Kenneth take the lead.
So when his twin brother pulled him in for a hug, Kenneth went gladly, pleased to have the support of his family.
He clapped his brother on the back as well. “Thank you, Coop,” he said, his voice a little choked up. “I owe you, man.”
“Nah, you don't,” Cooper said with a smile. “It's obvious to see that, whoever this girl is, you really do care for her. So go on and have the honeymoon you deserve,” he urged with a wink.
Honeymoon? Kenneth swallowed, suddenly nervous. But then he felt Katie's fingers in his and turned to find her smiling up at him.
“Come on husband.” She nudged him with her hip. “Why don't you take me out to lunch someplace?”
And suddenly, Kenneth knew: At this time, at this place, there was nothing in the entire world he would rather do than take his new wife out to lunch.
Well, nothing except possibly kissing her again.
CHAPTER SIX
She'd done it!
Standing outside the Weston house, Katie was almost overwhelmed with giddiness. She held her new husband's hand and bounced lightly in her boots on their way to the cars.
“Well? What are you in the mood for lunch-wise?”
She smiled brightly at Kenneth. “Have you had tacos from Ciran’s taco truck?”
When Kenneth frowned just slightly, she couldn't help remembering the feel of those lips on hers.
