That wasn’t a choice she wanted him to make. Not for her. It wasn’t that she felt she wasn’t worth it.
It was more she didn’t want him to walk away from it all and lose everything that was rightfully his.
Possibly he would resent her eventually. Plus, he was good at what he did. He needed to be what he was. And Michelle would see that it would happen.
Nell’s hand tightened on the paper flour sack she held to her chest. Anger had started to burn more hotly in her chest, but her rational mind was still in control.
She made a decision and marched toward the steps. The crowd stood back for her.
Moving past Ryder, she didn’t look at him, but strode to the stairs, completely in control of herself. Although she had no idea what she planned to do. But she wanted to finally be heard.
When she was beside Roxie, she held her hand out for the microphone.
There was hurt, confusion, regret, in Roxie’s eyes. She handed the instrument over without saying anything.
Nell climbed the stairs and turned to face the crowd.
A sea of faces stared back at her. Some eyes held surprise – maybe at the flour sack. Some held suspicion or anger. A few held pity. She didn’t want any of it.
“I’m not on the program,” she said into the mic.
A few titters ran through the crowd.
“Take that away from her,” Michelle said in a loud, cultured voice, as she looked at Roxie.
Roxie shook her head. “I don’t know how she ended up like that, but she deserves a few minutes.”
“I’ll do it myself, then.” She rushed toward the stage.
“That’s fine. You can let her up.” Nell was actually surprised at how gracious she sounded, considering the anger in her chest. “I wanted everyone to see my dress anyway.”
The crowd murmured.
“Yeah. Maybe you all know Remington and Elaine from a ways west of here.” She didn’t wait to see if anyone would acknowledge the acquaintance. “Elaine and I went shopping. She bought me the dress.”
Michelle had stopped on the middle of the stairs.
Nell stared at her. “And the gloves, scarf and mask.” She looked out over the crowd, then her eyes rested on Ryder. She knew they softened. “But not the shoes. Ryder gave those to me.”
Someone stirred at the edge of the crowd. A man. He jogged across the ballroom, stopping at Ryder’s side, but looking at Nell with the microphone.
“Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m Brad and I made the shoes.” He turned to Ryder. “Those are the shoes? That’s the girl you gave them to back in March?”
Nell didn’t give Ryder a chance to answer. “No. He gave them to me. I’m the one.” She tilted her head. “That was my dress, my scarf, my shoes. Everything she’s wearing is mine. I just wanted everyone to know.”
It didn’t change anything, and pointing out Michelle didn’t even really make her feel any better. She didn’t want to embarrass Ryder or make him look bad because he’d chosen a thief.
But Michelle would recover. Nell didn’t know much about New Yorkers, maybe they admired thieves.
“You’re lying,” Michelle said, forcefully and regally. “What I’m wearing might be yours, but you allowed me to borrow it.”
Nell lifted a brow at Michelle. It was hard to look haughty while wearing a flour sack, but she gave it her best shot. “Sure looks like I am, doesn’t it?” She deliberately looked down at the flimsy paper that covered her torso, just in case there was anyone in the crowd who was a little slow on the uptake and had missed the fact that she was clutching a flour sack to herself or the tell-tale signs of white flour that were powdered over her skin. Hardly what she would have picked up to wear if she were “allowing” someone to wear her dress.
There was nothing else she wanted to say. Nothing else she could say. Well, maybe one thing.
Her eyes found Ryder’s. “I just want you to know, that I don’t care about the inheritance, the money, the business, or any of it. Not any farther than knowing that’s who you are and what you do. If it were all to disappear tomorrow, it wouldn’t matter to me, because that’s not what I love about you.”
Oh boy, she’d said the “L” word.
Oh, well. In for a penny, in for the whole she-bang.
“I love you.” Her voice sounded breathy coming out of the speakers, and her stomach felt like all the winds of January were whipping around in it. “I wish you the very best.”
She glanced around the platform, to see if there was a backdoor or something where she could, if not slip away quietly, at least leave without having everyone staring at her.
Ryder stepped to the platform, ignoring the frantic whispering of Michelle and the tug on his arm from the man who had made his shoes.
“You love me?” he asked in a voice that was soft and almost threatening.
Maybe she shouldn’t have admitted to a man who was about to become engaged to another woman that she loved him.
“I wouldn’t be standing up here in a flour sack if I didn’t.”
He put a hand on the platform and jumped up.
Her heart jumped with him. She reminded herself to keep a good hold on the flour sack.
“I wanted to say it first. I wanted to show you by choosing you.”
“That one didn’t quite work out.”
“I think there are a lot of things that aren’t going to quite work out.” He touched her cheek. “I don’t want Michelle. I thought it was you.”
All the tightness in her chest eased when he said that.
“That’s what I assumed.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t believe me. I was down there trying to figure out how to tell you. Otherwise I’d have been up here a lot sooner and I’d have been the first to tell you that I love you. More than the business. More than the money. More than any inheritance. More than anything.”
Ryder took her hand. “I’ve just lost everything, because I’m not going to marry Michelle. Will you still have me?”
“What if I say no?”
“I’m not going to marry Michelle. Not for anything. Not when I’m in love with you.”
Her heart slammed against the back of her throat. Her stomach hugged her backbone, and she couldn’t pull her eyes away from his, hot and dark.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
“What did she say?” someone in the crowd shout-whispered.
“Shh,” someone else hissed.
“I said I love him,” Nell shouted.
Ryder laughed. He stepped forward but stopped short of taking her in his arms. “Are you sure? I truly just lost everything I ever thought I’d own.” He touched her face. “And I’m gaining someone who’s worth so much more.” He stepped even closer, sliding his arms around her back. “I love you, Nell.”
“I love you, too. And I’m sure.”
The pastor, dressed in a long robe strode out onto the stage. “I believe that was my cue?” he asked.
Ryder’s eyes got big. “Um...” He looked from the priest to Nell and back again. “We don’t actually have to get married immediately.”
Confusion swirled in Nell’s brain. “Was this one of the stipulations?”
Ryder nodded. “The woman I chose was not allowed to know that she would be required to marry me tonight. But since the inheritance is no longer a factor, a marriage this evening is no longer a requirement.” His eyes dropped to her lips and his hand clasped hers. “Although I don’t mind.”
“I don’t either,” she found herself saying on a breathy whisper.
“Maybe we can find a more suitable dress for you.”
She could hardly believe how things had turned. She’d accepted the fact that she’d lost Ryder, hadn’t even had time to grieve and process the pain, and now, not only were they back together, but about to get married.
And she was still wearing the flour sack.
But it wasn’t hard to think about what she really wanted.
“I don’
t care about the dress. Or the shoes. Or anything else. If you don’t mind the flour sack, I actually think it might be appropriate.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t care about the flour sack, but all that’s holding it up is your hand, and I’ve got a ring I want to put on that finger.”
“Then I’ll change.” But she was strangely reluctant to wear the dress Michelle had taken from her and now wore.
As though Roxie could read her mind, she spoke for the first time. “I have a dress. Give us a few minutes.” She put a hand on her hip, giving Michelle an arrogant, no-nonsense look. “I want the shoes. Now.”
Roxie wasn’t known as a push over, but Michelle was used to being in charge too. Nell wasn’t sure who would win.
There wasn’t a contest. Michelle stooped and pulled off the shoes without comment, handing them over.
The little man who had scurried across the floor earlier and claimed to have made the shoes, hurried forward and reached out. “I want to see them.”
He grabbed them from Michelle. “Amazing,” he muttered, turning the shoes over and over in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and spoke to Ryder. “And you say that you gave these to that girl first?” He nodded at Nell.
“That’s what I said, Brad.” Ryder’s voice sounded impatient, but he didn’t try to hurry Brad as he continued to mumble and look at the shoes.
“But that woman was wearing them tonight. And you chose her?”
“I didn’t want her.”
“But you felt compelled to choose her?”
“No. Actually,” Ryder scrunched his face up. “Actually, I had to force myself to move forward even though I thought she was Nell.”
“I see.” Brad nodded thoughtfully. Finally he shook his head and handed the shoes to Nell. “It was a bust,” he muttered to himself. “But maybe the fruit powder will work on the apple.” Nell couldn’t hear any more of his mumblings as he moved away.
“Nell?” Roxie said her name in a soft, almost hesitant voice, which Nell didn’t even recognize right away.
Roxie’s eyes held a question. Nell nodded. “I’m coming.”
“You really can change your mind. This doesn’t have to be a shotgun wedding that is rushed. You don’t have to be rushed.”
Nell looked around at all the decorations, the sparkle and glitter, the crowd of people. As she was thinking there was nothing rushed about the preparations, nor about her mindset, which had been set to marry Ryder anyway, the clock struck midnight.
It seemed to press on her that there was no better time than the present. She didn’t know what the future held or what it would look like for her and Ryder, but she wasn’t going to hesitate stepping forward. Especially since she knew that there was no one for her but Ryder. Why not tonight?
“I’ll be right back.” She reached up and kissed his cheek before stepping away and walking beside Roxie out of the ballroom and up the stairs to don a dress, a real dress, to be married in.
Epilogue
Nell looked up as the ranch door opened. Her husband of two weeks walked in, pulling his hat off and hanging it by the door.
She set the container of lettuce she’d been washing aside and hurried to him. It had only been fourteen days, but she knew she wasn’t going to get tired of seeing him walk in the door any time soon.
“Hey, Beautiful. I was thinking this evening as I was feeding...If I bring an empty feed bag in, would you wear it around the house some?”
She laughed as she stepped into his arms. “I only do things like that in front of crowds of people.”
“Roxie and Spencer just pulled in. Does that count?” He bent down, kissing her.
It was a while before she answered. “Is that where Vinton is?”
“Yeah. He’s probably going to drag Spencer, and maybe Roxie as well, to the barn to see the new calves.” His hand threaded up through her hair. “I have time to kiss you a few more times.”
“I’m okay with that.” She pressed closer. “Is Roxie here for something or just visiting?”
“I don’t know. Figured we could find out together.”
“Tom called while you were out. He said your lawyer went over all the paperwork with him, and he’s fine with everything.”
“With the price we’re giving for the ranch?”
“Yes. That, and he just wants to be able to visit Vinton. He explained to me that the woman he’s moved in with doesn’t want a young child underfoot. I really do think he loves Vinton in his own way.”
“His way isn’t my way.” She felt bad for Tom. He had loved her mother. She wasn’t sure he’d ever really be happy again. Surely the way to happiness wasn’t giving up his son to be with a woman who didn’t want his kid hanging around. The idea was inconceivable to Nell.
“Mine either.”
“What about Beth and Brit? Have they settled in down in Oklahoma?”
Nell fiddled with the button at the top of his shirt. “Beth flew out to New York City. I guess Michelle promised her money and contacts if she got the dress for her.” Beth was another one that Nell felt bad for. Nell truly believed that people reaped what they sowed. Beth might prosper for a season, but if she continued to use people like she’d used Nell, she’d reap a crop of rottenness and shame.
“That makes sense,” Ryder said. “Am I allowed to still be angry when I think about that?” From the flash in his eyes, Nell was sure he wasn’t joking about the idea of Beth taking her dress making him angry.
“No. Everything worked out. In a few years we’ll laugh about it.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “Really? Do you really think you’ll laugh about that?”
“Yes. I do. I almost can now. I would never want to be Beth and have to live with what I’d done. And if she doesn’t feel badly for it, then she’s even worse off than we could even know.”
Ryder looked at her and shook his head, wonder on his face. “You are truly amazing.” He ran a hand along the edge of her jaw and she shivered. They smiled lovers’ smiles at each other, full of the secrets of long nights and tangled sheets. “Maybe there’s some truth in what you say. I would never have been able to prove to you that you meant more than my fortune and my business if Michelle and Beth hadn’t done what they did. That was lacking in my marriage before. I think it might have been fitting that I made that choice now. Publicly. There can be no doubt.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe you’ll resent the loss of the business eventually? Maybe you’ll never laugh about that.”
“I told you I didn’t care about it, and I meant it.” His lips turned up. “After working with Preacher, I was kind of excited to have the opportunity to try ranching out on my own spread. I just didn’t realize it would be here, on the ranch your ancestors had owned.” He smiled into her eyes. “It didn’t take me any longer to fall head over heels in love with North Dakota, than it took me to fall in love with you.”
Her heart eased, knowing that he loved it here. “Did Brad ever tell you anything more about the shoes?” Brad had seemed to think there was supposed to be something special about them. And there was, really. Since they fit her, but were too big for her sisters.
“Just in passing he’d said he thought he found an ancient spell. He works with prototypes and is always trying new products.”
Nell nodded. Ryder had told her as much, before.
“The spell was supposed to make the person who wore the shoes irresistible to me. It was like a love potion in shoes, I guess.” Ryder chuckled. “Honestly, I felt repelled from Michelle at the ball, so obviously, his theory didn’t work.”
Nell didn’t say anything. There was something different about the shoes that were now back in their box and sitting in her closet. Still, she didn’t need the shoes to know that she loved her husband and that he loved her.
Ryder kissed her forehead, resuming their earlier conversation. “Actually, it was probably a very good thing that I don’t have to deal with the business anymore.”
“Really? How so?” She�
��d never thought of it quite like that.
“Because I would feel like I had to keep on doing what I was doing, rather than moving here to stay. I’d feel duty-bound to keep the business going. Now, I’m free to put down roots here, with no ties pulling me away from what, and who, I love.”
“I’m glad you had money of your own put back.”
“It was enough.”
“With some to spare,” she said. “You sure you don’t miss it?” Her fingers left his button and ran along his jaw, feeling the prickly stubble.
“I feel lighter. Happier.” He grunted a laugh. “Maybe that’s because of you. Whatever. I was ready to give it up. I just didn’t realize it.” He lowered his head. “I’d rather come home to you.”
There was a short rap on the door before Roxie opened it and blew in. Alone. “Hey. How are the newlyweds?”
Ryder put his arm around Nell and they turned toward her. “We’re just great. The boys go to the barn?”
“Yes.” She waved a white envelope in her hand. “This came in the mail today. It looked important and Spencer wanted to visit with Vinton anyway, so...” she shrugged.
Nell thought maybe she was going a little stir-crazy on the ranch with nothing to do or plan.
“Come on in,” Nell said. “I’ll get you some tea.”
Ryder took the letter. “Peregrine Law Offices.” His brows furrowed. “I think that’s the law office in Fargo that handles Uncle Andrew’s estate.”
“Maybe this is the official letter telling you that you’re disinherited.” Roxie pulled a glass out of the cupboard while Nell opened the fridge and got the sweet tea out.
Ryder opened the letter and read silently.
Nell glanced at his face, then lowered the tea to the table. His lips quivered, then curved up. His eyes crinkled as he looked up.
“What?” she asked, her stomach hopping in response to his expression. Good news, she was sure. “You get the business anyway?”
“No. It doesn’t mention the business at all. But it says we get one billion dollars because I married a North Dakota girl and settled in North Dakota.”
Cowboys Don't Believe in Fairy Tales Page 18