Clutching her Bible, Sophie led Nathan and Honora out of the house and up the street. Honora's heart was still pounding faster than normal. They reached the main street and stepped up onto the boardwalk.
"You okay, Honora?" Sophie asked.
"Sure," Honora replied hesitantly. She saw Sophie give Nathan a look. The sheriff nodded and walked on a few paces ahead, leaving Honora and Sophie walking arm in arm.
"What was all that about?" Sophie asked.
Honora squinted at Sophie. "What do you mean?"
Sophie smiled gently. " I saw how you reacted to what Nathan said about Reese. You looked terrified."
"I was just surprised," Honora explained.
Sophie lifted a skeptical brow. "You looked more than surprised. Just why did you come into town so early, this morning?"
"I told you. I wanted to speak to the pastor before church," Honora said.
"It wouldn't have been related to what we were talking about over at the restaurant yesterday, would it?" Sophie asked.
"You mean Reese?"
"Who else would I be talking about?" Sophie asked.
Honora sighed, admitting defeat. "I wanted to ask the pastor for some advice. He was real kind and talked to me about forgiveness."
"Forgiveness?" Sophie exclaimed.
"I've been doing a whole lot of thinking these past few days." She glanced at Sophie and saw how earnestly the other woman was listening to her. "And I've come to realize I haven't exactly been fair to Reese." She sighed. "He's been so kind to me. And so amazingly patient."
"Is that all?" Sophie asked with a mischievous look on her face.
Honora felt her face warm suddenly. Sophie smiled, obviously having noticed the change in Honora's complexion.
Sophie nodded slowly. "Now I understand what's been going on between you two."
Honora squinted at Sophie. "What do you mean?"
"Can't you see? You both want each other, but neither of you is willing to put the past behind you. That's why there has been this barrier between you. The pastor is right. Maybe you both need to forgive one another and seize what's in front of you."
"And what is that?" Honora asked.
"The second chance you've been given," Sophie declared softly. "You might never get another one."
That last part made worry twist a hard knot in Honora's middle. She let out a long breath and felt suddenly light-headed. Sophie leaned closer and tugged on Honora's arm. "Are you feeling okay?"
Honora lifted a hand to her forehead. "I'm fine."
"Do you want to sit down?" Sophie asked looking around for a bench.
Honora shook her head. "No. I'd like to get to the church as quickly as we can," she stated. She drew in a deep breath and raised her shoulders, standing tall and straight. She looked up ahead and saw that Nathan had halted and was looking at her with obvious concern on his features. Honora saw Sophie shake her head in Nathan's direction. He turned and continued on his way.
They came to the street which led to the church. Her carriage was just one of many which was parked near the church. Already people were congregating at the foot of the steps which led up to the open front doors. Honora looked at the crowd of people and saw Reese immediately. He was standing with Rufus and Mabel. Nearby stood the entire Buchanan family.
As she neared the crowd, Reese looked up and saw Honora coming toward him. His eyes widened and he said something to Mabel and Rufus. They both turned and saw Honora. Mabel called out Honora's name and came quickly toward her, followed by Rufus and Reese.
"Honora!" Mabel exclaimed as she hugged Honora. "What possessed you to go running off on your own." Mabel glanced down at Honora's arm. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"
Honora smiled. "I didn't, aunt," she reassured Mabel. "Everything is fine."
As Honora said those words she looked straight at Reese. Everything was fine, now that Reese was here by her side, she told herself. She had so much she wanted to say to him, and she couldn't wait to get him on his own.
Honora looked at Rufus and saw the bright smile on his face. She hadn't seen her uncle looking like that for a very long time. She wondered what had caused the change. "It's good to see you, Honora," Rufus said and hugged her. That certainly took her by surprise. It wasn't often that Rufus indulged in such open displays of joy.
Honora went to Reese. "Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" she asked.
"The service will be starting soon," he replied. "Can't it wait?"
Honora shook her head and gazed at him intently. "No. It can't," she said firmly. She saw his eyes widen slightly, as if he'd noticed the urgency in her tone of voice.
"I need to talk with Reese, aunt," Honora explained to her wide-eyed and very curious relative. "We won't be long."
Honora saw Mabel exchange an excited look with Rufus. Unlike previous times when they did that, Rufus looked genuinely pleased. Honora and Reese walked slowly away from the gathered crowd. They headed back toward the main street at a leisurely pace. Reese had his hands clasped behind his back, and Honora clutched her small bag. They didn't say anything to each other for the first few moments. The truth was, Honora was still trying to figure out where she could start. There was so much she wanted to tell him.
"I take it you heard about last night," Reese said breaking the silence.
Honora frowned. "I sure did," she said sharply. "What were you thinking of?" she demanded.
His brows lifted and he halted, facing her. "What did Nathan tell you?"
"Everything," she snapped. She glanced back toward the crowd and was pleased to see that no-one was watching them. She leaned closer to Reese. "You do realize you could have gotten yourself hurt. Or even worse," she said.
He grinned. "Are you saying you're worried about me?"
Honora pouted at him. "No. I'm mad at you," she ejaculated breathlessly.
"Mad?"
"What gave you that idea in the first place? I mean, you're just a deputy."
"Was a deputy," he replied evenly. Honora squinted at him. "I officially resigned this morning. My job at the ranch is done."
Honora felt a sinking feeling in her middle. "You're moving out?"
Reese nodded. "I'll be collecting my things when we get back after church."
Honora let out an even breath. "Are you sure there isn't going to be any more trouble at the ranch?"
"I'm pretty sure the person behind that has had a change of heart," he announced.
"Calhoun?" Honora suggested.
"Let's just say when we closed down the illegal gambling that was going on at his saloon, we sent Mr Calhoun a pretty clear message," Reese said brightly. He looked proud of the work he'd done, she told herself. "He won't be paying any visits to the ranch any time soon."
Honora felt as if there was something Reese wasn't telling her. She wasn't getting the whole story. He looked tight-lipped for the moment. Maybe she'd get more out of him later.
"Let's walk on a bit further," Reese murmured.
They were halfway down the street, and well out of hearing distance, when she realized she couldn't contain herself any longer. "Reese, I have to say something to you," she blurted out.
He halted and faced her again. "And I've got something I need to get off my chest."
She moved closer, sensing the power of him, as he gazed down into her eyes, feeling nervous about what she was going to say. He looked so fine in his tight-fitting dark jacket and dark pants. Her heart was thumping fast and her throat was inexplicably and annoyingly tight. Was this what it felt like to ask for someone's forgiveness?
Then he surprised her. He reached down, lifted her hand and clasped it gently in his fingers. She felt tingles of delight rush up her arm and spread throughout her entire being. The skin of his fingers had the roughness of the rancher and the long years of outdoor work. She drew in a sharp breath and gazed into his eyes. Reese smiled down at her and tilted his head. "You wanted to tell me something?" he asked and quirked a brow.
"Ask you,"
she declared softly. She gazed into his eyes and summoned up her courage. "Can you ever forgive me, Reese?" she asked softly.
His brows rose instantly and she felt his fingers tighten. Maybe that was the last thing he'd expected her to say, she told herself. "Forgive you?" Reese said sounding almost incredulous. "What for?"
Honora lowered her head a moment and then gazed up at him through her lashes. "For holding you away from me for so long," she said.
His mouth opened and he peered into her eyes. "You want me to forgive you for that?" he asked abruptly. Now it was his turn to lower his head. Unease flickered into life inside her and she wondered what he was going to say next. Then he did something which shocked her. He laughed quietly and then looked at her. "Have you been reading my mind?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Honora replied.
He smiled. The kind of warm smile she remembered from a long time ago. He leaned closer. "That's exactly what I was going to ask you," he murmured. His eyes were dark with serious purpose. "Only difference is, I was going to ask if you could ever forgive me for the way I treated you when you left Inspiration with your parents."
She gasped. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly serious. I've been doing plenty of thinking, and I can see where I went wrong. I should never have let you go. And the way I did it was plain wrong. I didn't even come to say goodbye, because I thought I was too big and too mighty to do that." He sighed. "I know now that I was foolish. That I treated you badly. All I can do is ask you to forgive me for that, Honora." His gaze became intense. "I will never do that again. I swear."
Honora felt unsteady on her feet. She could see that Reese was waiting for her to say something. When she did speak, she made sure her voice was filled with sincerity. "I forgive you, Reese," she said softly.
His features broke out into a broad grin. "You do?" he gasped.
"It just took me a while to see that I had to do that," she said. "I needed someone to explain it to me," she added.
"You saying you came here for that?" Reese asked. "Not just to attend church?"
"It's really important to me that you know I don't care what happened in the past," Honora said. "All I care about is what I ought to do. Here and now. And that was clear to me this morning," she added. "Now, it's even clearer. I mean what I say, Reese."
He looked relieved. "That's a whole load off my mind," he said. "Here I was thinking I'd lost you forever."
Honora leaned closer. "You never lost me, Reese," she whispered. His eyes widened and, for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. But he didn't, and that disappointed her plenty. "You still haven't answered me," she murmured.
Reese moved even closer. If he'd wanted to he could have wrapped her in his arms. He was that close. She felt his presence and savored the sense of him being so close. "I don't need to forgive you for holding me at arms length, Honora. I know it's been hard for you since you came home. But, I never held a grudge against you for that. I just had do what was right. And that meant waiting. Waiting for you to come around to seeing that we belong together."
Her heart leaped when he uttered those words. "You mean that, Reese?"
Reese nodded firmly. "I love you Honora MacLeish.
Her heart leaped as she listened to his low voice uttering those sweet words.
Reese smiled. "You know it's true. I felt it the moment you came back. And I've seen it in your eyes." He released her hands and placed one of his hands on her upper arm. She felt a rush of sensation race up her back. Breath eased out of her.
Honora knew he'd spoken the truth. He'd been incredibly patient with her. More than that, really. Any other man might have walked away, but Reese hadn't done that. He'd stayed by her side, even finding a way to protect her by becoming a temporary deputy. His devotion to her had been real and true. Her heart swelled with joy as she looked into his eyes. She knew what she wanted to say to him.
"I love you, Reese Buchanan," she whispered.
His eyes lit up and he gasped. He grinned and shook his head, almost as if he couldn't believe what she'd just said to him.
"I tell you what I can't forgive you for doing," he said and grinned.
She lifted a brow, suddenly concerned. "What's that?"
He leaned his face closer. His gaze was intense and made her feel more alive than she'd ever felt before. "Making me wait so long to ask you to marry me," he whispered.
Joy leaped into her heart and her breath eased out of her. She gazed into his eyes. He wasn't playing games with her. He meant what he'd just said. "You want me to marry you?" she gasped.
Reese nodded. She could see doubt in his eyes, as if he was wondering if she was about to refuse him. But, of course, she wasn't going to do that, she told herself. That last thing she was going to do was turn down the chance to become Reese Buchanan's wife.
"Will you?" he said softly. He sank down on one knee and gazed up at her. She lifted a hand to her mouth and held back the urge to cry out. "Honora MacLeish. Will you do me the great honor of agreeing to become my wife?" His voice quivered with emotion. Gazing up at her with hope in his eyes, he held his hand over his heart. "If you do, I promise I will make you the happiest woman in Montana."
She swallowed back her emotion as she gazed down at him. Glancing back in the direction of the church, she could see that everyone was watching. They could tell what was going on. Maybe there had been rumors. All eyes were on this proposal. And everyone was waiting for her answer.
Honora gazed down at Reese. The man who had waited a long time for her. The man she was meant to marry.
"I'll marry you, Reese Buchanan," she declared, gasping as she spoke. He cried out his delight and rose to his feet. He swept one arm around her. Holding her close, he kissed her. From the distance, Honora heard the cries of delight ringing out as the crowd realized what had happened. She leaned against him, savoring the kiss she wanted to last forever.
When, finally he leaned his head away from her, she looked over toward the church. Hats had been thrown into the air and were tumbling back into outstretched hands. Everyone was smiling. She saw Mabel and Sophie congratulating one another. Reese's brothers were hollering at the top of their voices. Eugenie and Caleb were hugging each other.
Then Reese did something that rocked her back on her heels. He lifted his head and called out to the crowd in a loud, clear voice. "She said yes!" They all responded with even louder cheers.
He looked at her. "You just made me the happiest man in the whole wide world."
She smiled at him. "I did notice," she said.
And then from the direction of the church she heard the bells starting to ring out. "I think it's time we made our way into church," she said to Reese.
He moved to her right side and hooked his arm out. She slid her arm into his and then they started to make their way toward their bright, renewed future.
THE END
Coming soon
The Rancher's Bride Surprise
Micah Buchanan's story.
THANK YOU
Thank you for reading The Rancher's Second Chance Bride. I hope you enjoyed the novel.
The Rancher’s Second Chance Bride Page 20