“He loves me, Starburst. See my engagement ring?”
Her horse nickered in response as if to say she already knew.
* * *
KELLIE HAD A hard time keeping her secret from Cody, even though he knew she was engaged for real. On Friday they reached Fort Worth. After getting settled at the RV campground, she told him she had some shopping to do in town and would work out with the horses later in the day.
After several stores she found a lovely oyster-colored two-piece lined wedding suit with long sleeves and pearl buttons. The jacket had lace trim on the collar and around the hem. She wanted to look bridal yet smart and sophisticated for this fabulous man she was marrying. This outfit was for him alone. She bought matching high heels and a beaded clutch bag. A new pair of pearl earrings caught her eye plus new underwear and a nightgown, the kind she’d never worn in her life. All soft lace and tiny straps.
Once she was back in Austin, she’d hunt for a gorgeous wedding dress with her mom. Her parents were thrilled Cy had proposed and were already planning a New Year’s Day wedding with his parents.
Excited out of her mind because she was marrying Cy in the morning, she hurried back to the RV park and exercised both her horses. She told Cody she’d be going into town in the morning, but would be back by noon to prepare the horses for the drive to the arena.
That evening she put her children to bed and she got started working on herself. First to wash her hair, then do her nails and toenails.
Cy would fly into Forth Worth in the morning. Everyone would presume he was out of town on a case. They planned to meet in the lobby of the Fort Worth Police Administration Building on West Belnap at 9:30 a.m. He’d arranged everything and Justice of the Peace Wilford Hayes would marry them.
Trust her fiancé to want their marriage to take place at the police bureau. As for Kellie, she didn’t care where it happened, as long as it did!
At a quarter to nine the next morning of November 7, she left for the police administration building, not wanting to be late. The parking was in a lot adjacent to the building. She drove in and parked her truck. As she walked out and across the street, she received so many wolf whistles and horn honks, it was embarrassing.
“That’s some lucky dude!” a guy called out from his cement truck.
She was almost to the doors of the building when she caught sight of the most handsome man she’d ever seen. He stood in front of the doors holding a small florist box. He was wearing a light gray suit and dazzling white shirt. Cy.
“I’m the lucky dude all right.”
Those piercing dark blue eyes were alive with desire as they swept over her. “Good heavens you’re gorgeous.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her right on the street where everyone could see them. “These are for you. Let me pin them on.”
While she stood there in a daze, he undid the lid and fastened a gardenia corsage on her shoulder. People waited to go in until he’d finished and had opened the door for her. He ushered her inside and kept his arm around her waist all the way to the elevator. “If it was your plan to take my breath, you’ve succeeded.”
“I’m out of breath myself. I didn’t know three weeks without seeing you could be so long. It’s embarrassing how much I love you.”
They got out on the next floor and walked down the hall to Judge Hayes’s office. The secretary smiled and told them to be seated while she let the judge know they had arrived. Cy put the corsage box on the next seat over and clasped her hand in his.
“If you only knew how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.” The throb in his deep voice resonated throughout her trembling body.
“I do know,” she whispered back. Kellie would have said more, but the judge came into the outer office. The older man studied them for a moment.
“I believe I’m about to marry two of our state’s most famous celebrities this morning. Come into my chambers.” In an aside, he asked his secretary to find the other witness and join them. Cy squeezed Kellie’s hand a little harder before walking her into the judge’s office. He put the necessary papers on the desk. Two women came into the room after them and shut the door.
After the judge made the introductions, he asked Kellie and Cy to stand in front of him and join hands. They reached for each other automatically.
“It’s my privilege to marry a fine Texas Ranger and our state’s champion barrel racer. If you’re ready, we’ll begin the ceremony.”
“We’ve been ready for a long time.” Cy spoke boldly.
A smile broke out in the judge’s eyes. “Is that true?” he asked Kellie.
“Yes.”
“I can tell your husband-to-be is impatient.”
“Not as impatient as I am, Your Honor.”
“All right, then. Let’s get to it. Kellie Parrish, do you promise to love him and cherish him and all that other stuff?”
Kellie couldn’t help but laugh. “I do.”
“Cyril Vance, do you promise to love her and cherish her and all that other stuff?”
Cy looked at her. “I do.”
“We both do,” Kellie said emotionally. “Forever.”
The judge nodded. “Forever it is. I now pronounce you man and wife. Have you got a ring?”
Kellie stared at Cy in concern. He pulled the gold band out of his pocket and handed it to her. She pushed it onto the ring finger of his left hand.
“Now you may kiss your bride, but make it a short one.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” her new husband said.
“I get your point. Well, don’t just stand there—and don’t forget you’ve got a rodeo tonight, Mrs. Vance. After the favor I’ve granted this superhero here in cutting this ceremony short, I expect a star performance.”
“I’ll try.”
“I do believe you’ve got him hog-tied, and that’s a real feat. According to his captain, who happens to be a good friend of mine, no female has been able to succeed until now. But I can see why she’s brought you to your knees, Ranger Vance. If I were forty years younger, you’d have some tough competition. Now, get out of here and live a happy life!”
“Thank you, Judge,” she said to him as Cy rushed her into the other room. No bride had ever had such a unique wedding ceremony.
Before she could take a breath, he drew her into his arms and gave her a kiss to die for. “Let’s get back to your trailer. I’ll drive. If an officer pulls us over, I’ll flash my star.”
This was a side of Cy she hadn’t seen before. He was like a different person. Funny, playful. Life with him was going to be filled with surprises. She almost had to run to keep up with him. They flew down the hall. He didn’t want to wait for the elevator. Instead he opted for the stairwell. Before she knew it, they were outside and headed across the street to the parking lot.
“The truck’s down there on the right.”
“I know where it is. I watched you drive in and park.”
That was her Texas Ranger. Always ten steps ahead of everyone else, and he was her husband!
“The keys.”
She rummaged in her beaded bag and handed them to him. After he helped her into the passenger side, he ran a hand over her thigh and leg before shutting the door. His touch, so unexpected and convulsive, had set her on fire.
On their way out he paid the fee and they took off for the RV park with her directing him. “How soon do we need to leave for the arena?”
She checked her watch. “An hour.”
“No matter how high I go over the speed limit, that won’t leave us time for a wedding night until after your win tonight.”
What?
He shot her a glance. “You couldn’t be as disappointed as I am, but I need a whole night to make love to my wife for the first time. Since I’m counting on you clocking the lowest time in
your event, I’m going to have to be patient a little longer. While you get ready, I’ll hitch the trailer to the truck and do any odd jobs you need doing.”
Kellie loved him so terribly, her heart hurt.
Cy spoke the truth. Their wedding night wouldn’t be perfect if she couldn’t hold him all night long. But they’d wanted to be married today. Even though a price had to be paid, nothing in life had made her this happy.
When they drove up to her trailer, Cody was outside it checking one of the tires. When he turned and saw the two of them in their wedding finery, a huge smile broke out on his face.
“Well, what do you know? You got hitched and beat me and my fiancée to the punch.” He walked over to give her a hug and shake Cy’s hand.
Cy wrapped his arm around Kellie. “We didn’t want to wait any longer. Would you mind taking a couple of pictures of us with my cell phone? We need to record this day for posterity. One day we hope to have children who will deserve to see the way their gorgeous mother looked the day we got married.”
“And their father,” she added with tears in her eyes. They hadn’t talked about children. There were still so many things they didn’t know about each other. Every revelation made her love him more.
He fixed the phone so all Cody had to do was keep pressing the button.
Trust Cody, who behaved like a photographer at a photo shoot. He had them pose this way and that, and of course lined up a few shots of them kissing.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s what we want,” Cody teased them until she was red in the face.
“No one knows we got married except you, Cody,” she informed him. “Where’s Jenny?”
“Out shopping. I’ll pick her up on the way to the arena.”
“You can tell her, of course. Cy and I will be having a big church wedding after Finals. This wedding was just for us.”
“You two have been through hell. I’m happy for you.” He handed Cy the phone. “I’m just going to put a little more air in this tire.”
Cy reached for her hand and they walked to her trailer. “It’s the painted blue key,” she said as he looked at the key chain. He unlocked the door and they went inside. For a few minutes the world was shut out.
She heard the sigh that came out of him. He turned to her and removed the gardenias from her jacket. “I wouldn’t want to smash these.” He put them on a chair, then took off his suit jacket and tie. “How long will it take you to change into your riding clothes?” He’d started undoing the top buttons of his shirt.
“Five minutes.”
“Do it now while I hitch up the trailer. That will give us ten minutes to say hello to each other as man and wife before we have to get out of here.”
The romantic side to Cy sent ripples of delight through her nervous system. He was excitingly methodical. As soon as he left the trailer, she rushed to change clothes. Tonight she’d wear a new Western shirt with fringe and a new pair of jeans. She had to remember to remove the pearls and put in her gold cowboy-boot earrings.
Once she’d hung up her wedding suit and put on her Western outfit, she pulled on her cowboy boots. Then she put on her cowboy hat so she wouldn’t forget it.
“Leave the hat off for a few minutes.”
Her heart leaped when she realized Cy had already come back inside.
The burning in his eyes made her legs tremble. “Come here to me, darling. I need to hold you for a few minutes so I can believe that you’re really mine.”
Like being underwater, she moved slowly toward him and slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. He lowered his head to kiss her mouth, and the world stood still. She couldn’t get close enough. No kiss was long enough. They’d gone beyond words to a place where hearts and desires had taken over.
It seemed as if they’d barely had a moment together when she heard a rap on the trailer door. “Sorry to bother you, Kellie. I’m heading over to the arena. See you soon.”
A sound of protest broke from Cy before he put her away from him. But he had to hold on to her so she wouldn’t fall. “I shouldn’t have started kissing you, Mrs. Vance.”
“I’d have died if you hadn’t, Mr. Vance.”
December 1
“I’VE BEEN NAUSEATED for the last couple of days, Dr. Shay. I’m supposed to leave for the Finals championship in Las Vegas tomorrow, but I need something to help me get over this flu fast.”
“You don’t have the flu, Mrs. Vance. You’re pregnant.”
Kellie came close to fainting. “Are you positive?”
“Your blood test didn’t lie.”
“But I’ve been on birth control pills for over a year to regularize my periods.”
“Even so, there are reasons why you weren’t protected. Women who become pregnant while taking an oral contraceptive either miss one or more doses, or you take a dose at a different time from the normal interval. If you took one in the evening instead of the morning, that can throw things off.”
She tried to think back. Had she done either of the things he’d just mentioned? Wait—the day of their marriage she might have taken the pill that night instead of that morning because she was so excited about meeting Cy. Maybe she did miss a dose or two. She simply couldn’t remember.
But one thing was certain. Her obstetrician couldn’t be wrong. She was going to have Cy’s baby. The news filled her with a joy beyond comprehension. But her nausea was so severe, she couldn’t possibly compete.
“I’ll give you some sample packets of nausea pills. You can take something before bed and see how it affects you. For some women it works after a few days. With others, you just have to wait until the nausea passes with time.”
“Thank you.”
When she got into her car, she had to sit there for a few minutes before she felt she could drive home to the condo. Once she got there, she lay down on the couch and phoned Cy. She had to leave a message on his voice mail.
“Darling? Please call me ASAP. It’s an emergency.”
Half an hour later he came bounding through the back door of the kitchen. “Kellie?”
“I’m here on the couch.”
He hurried into the living and knelt down by her. “You’re pale. What’s wrong?”
“I went to the doctor this afternoon. I thought I had the flu. Cy? We’re going to have a baby. It had to have happened on our wedding night.”
His eyes flared with a light she’d never seen before. “You’re pregnant?”
“I know it doesn’t seem possible, but the blood test didn’t lie. Even though I’m so nauseated I want to die, I’m so happy to be carrying your baby, you just can’t imagine.”
He looked anxious and vulnerable. She’d never seen him like this before. “I’m so sorry you’re feeling ill. What can I get you?”
“Some ice chips? I’ve taken one of the pills he gave me.”
“Anything.”
He was gone in a flash and brought some ice back in a cup. She put several chips on her tongue. “Will you phone the parents? We may need to postpone the wedding. Thank heaven the invitations haven’t gone out yet.”
Cy kissed her lips. “We’ll send wedding announcements instead and wait until you’re over your morning sickness before we have a reception.”
“Will you call Olivia in Colorado Springs tonight? Tell her I have to withdraw from Finals because we’re expecting. She’ll take care of everything.”
“Oh, Kellie—” He made a tortured sound in his throat. “To think my marrying you has caused you to miss the thing you’ve wanted most in life.”
She shook her head. “You’re wrong, my love. The first time we bumped into each other in Bandera, I knew I wanted you more than anything else in life. I’ve won lots of events over the years and have had my thrills. But knowing I’m going to have your baby is a gift beyond price.�
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“Darling!” Cy put his arms around her.
“I hope our parents will forgive us for getting married without telling them—” she spoke into his hair “—but to be honest, I feel so sick right now, I can’t think about that.”
“I’ll take care of everything. You just lie here. Do you need a blanket?”
“No. The thought of heat makes me sicker. Oh—” she moaned. “You need to call Cody. Tell him he’ll get his share of the money even though I didn’t compete. I’ll send him a check in a few days. They’re getting married soon and will need it.”
“I’ll do it. What else?”
“Call TJ and ask him if he can spare you for twenty-four hours. I need you with me.”
She could see his throat working. “As if I’d be anywhere else.”
“Those psycho twins you took down changed the very structure of our lives. There should have been a happier, safer way to have met. But I wouldn’t trade that week we spent together playing man and wife for anything on earth.”
He smoothed the hair off her damp forehead. “I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
“What a story we have to tell our baby one day.” She closed her eyes, starting to feel sleepy. “I was the undercover bride of a Texas Ranger. Promise me something?”
“Anything, darling.”
“If it’s a girl, we’re not naming her Sylvia.”
While joyous laughter poured out of her husband, she reached for some more ice chips.
Men had it so easy. It wasn’t fair. But she wouldn’t have it any other way, and she wouldn’t have any other man.
* * * * *
Watch for the next story in Rebecca Winters’s
LONE STAR LAWMEN miniseries,
coming January 2016,
only from Harlequin American Romance!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE CONVENIENT COWBOY by Heidi Hormel.
http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience
The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen Book 1) Page 17
