Stolen Away (Hearts of Montana)

by Jennie Marts

  Cherry laughed. “So, basically we’re just drinking orange juice in a fancy-pants glass.”

  “Basically, yes.” Charlie laughed along with her friend.

  “I guess you need to make mine virgin, too,” Emma said quietly.

  Her friends’ eyes widened, then they all broke into excited laughter as Emma nodded and confirmed that she was pregnant as well.

  “Oh my lands,” Cherry said in her typical down-home slang. “I’ll bet Cash is just beside himself with all these blessings. He’s got to be happier than a pig in a fresh puddle of mud.”

  “He is,” Emma answered with a laugh.

  She’d been a little nervous to tell him at first. They’d talked about having kids before.

  One night he’d asked her if she and Leroy had ever tried, and she’d tearfully told him that she’d been pregnant once and had miscarried. She never knew for sure if the miscarriage had been due to Leroy’s treatment of her or not, but she was careful not to ever get pregnant again, sadly resigning herself to the fact that she would never have children.

  How she was pregnant now was a miracle, and when she told Cash about it, he was over the moon excited. And if she’d felt that he’d treated her with care and devotion before, he now handled her as if she were a fragile teacup.

  “He’s being very careful with me, not letting me lift anything heavy or even do the dishes at night,” Emma told them. “I told him I’m not infirm, but he insists I sit down all the time and let him take care of me.”

  Charlie covered her heart with her hands. “That’s so sweet. You’ve brought out this whole different side to Cash that I’ve never seen. He’s always come across as this tough-as-nails cowboy. But he’s so tender with you. And he’s always been sweet and gentle with Sophie.”

  “He’s great with her,” Emma agreed. “He told me that he’s always wanted kids, but figured he’d never get the chance to have them. And getting to be Sophie’s godfather had been enough for him.”

  “Ahh. I love that guy,” Sophie said. “He’s gonna be a great dad.”

  Emma believed that he would be too. Believed it with all of her heart.

  “Well, hell,” Charlie said. “Zack and I better get with it if we want all of our kids growing up together like the guys did.”

  Sophie’s eyes widened, and a big smile broke across her face. “Yes. We’re going to have a baby. I’ve always wanted a little brother or sister.”

  Charlie grinned and passed her a glass of orange juice in a fancy flute. “You might not say that when you have to change poopy diapers and the baby throws up on you.”

  “Ha. I’m tougher than that,” Sophie declared. “I’m a born and raised Montana stock farm-girl. You think a little vomit and poop scare me? No way.”

  Leave it to the teenager to take a new sibling in stride, even welcome the change. She was such a sweet girl and had completely accepted Emma into the family, always greeting her with a warm hug. She hung out often at the cabin, playing with Percy and bringing Emma new recipes or nail polish to try.

  Between Charlie, Sophie, and Cherry, she felt like she’d been given three sisters. And Taylor and Zack acted as protective of her as two older brothers would.

  They’d even welcomed her dad into their fold, often inviting him over for Sunday dinner and including him in the Friday night pizza parties.

  “Enough talk of diapers,” Cherry declared. “We’ve got a bride to get ready. Charlie, you start on her hair. Sophie, you’ve got her nails, and I’m in charge of makeup. Somebody pass me that eyeshadow.”

  Three hours later, Emma smoothed the petals of the wildflowers in her small bouquet as she stood in the courthouse outside the doors of the justice of the peace.

  “You ready?” her dad asked.

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

  She was more than ready. She’d been waiting for this moment her whole life.

  Her dad looked at her, tears welling in his eyes. “You know I don’t say it often enough, but I’m real proud of you, honey.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” He didn’t say it often, but the love and pride shining in his eyes proved his sincerity.

  “I mean it. You’ve really turned your life around the past several months. It’s like you’re finally turning into the woman you were always meant to be. You’ve got a job you enjoy, and you’re going to school, and you’ve found you a good fella in Cash. I feel like you’re finally in a healthy relationship, and I’m just real happy for you.”

  “Are you crying?”

  “No, that’s just my allergies acting up.”

  They’d been keeping the pregnancy mostly to themselves, but Cash had told his mom the night before, and she’d been waiting for the right time to tell her dad. This seemed as good a time as any.

  “I don’t want to make your ‘allergies’ any worse, but since we’re getting all mushy anyway, I might as well tell you another big change that’s about to happen in my life. You’re going to be a grandpa.”

  His eyes widened, and he let out a whoop, then leaned down to crush her against him in a giant bear hug. “That’s great news, Em.” He squeezed her tighter.

  She hugged him back, not even caring that he was smashing her bouquet between them. She’d had so few times that she got to share good news with him, especially concerning her life. “That’s why we moved the wedding up. The baby’s not due until next fall, but we figured there was no reason to wait.”

  “No, you’ve waited long enough to start living your life. I’m just awful happy for you.” He let her go and dug in his pocket for a handkerchief. Shaking it out, he wiped his eyes and blew his nose. “Now you’ve really got my allergies acting up.”

  The door cracked open, and Charlie poked her head out. “You ready?”

  Emma grinned. She couldn’t help it—couldn’t keep the smile off her face if she tried. She looped her arm through her dad’s and nodded. “Yes, I’m so ready.”

  The sound of the wedding march filled the air, and prickles of excitement tingled down her spine. She was getting ready to marry Cash, and she couldn’t wait.

  Her friend opened the door, and Emma gasped.

  They’d decided on a small wedding, with just their family and a couple of friends, but the little courtroom was full of people. It appeared half the town of Broken Falls had shown up, and they all stood as she and her dad stepped into the room and began to walk down the aisle.

  Customers from the diner smiled and waved. Buckshot stood on the groom’s side. The other receptionist from the vet clinic sat on hers. The three self-professed matrons of the town, Etta James, and twin sisters Millie and Willie May, were smooshed into one row, and Stan stood on the aisle, wearing his best tie-dye T-shirt and a broad grin on his face.

  Sophie and Cherry’s son, Sam, were in the front row, and Emma wouldn’t have been surprised to see that Sophie snuck the kitten into the courtroom.

  She thought her heart was full with the love and support she felt from the town, then her eyes lit on the dark-haired cowboy standing at the end of the aisle, and her heart overflowed with love.

  Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, standing tall and heartbreakingly handsome with a grin meant just for her. Keeping her steps measured, it took all of her willpower not to drop the flowers and sprint down the aisle and into his arms.

  After what felt like forever, they finally reached him, and her dad passed her off, putting her hand into Cash’s outstretched one.

  Her father held both of their hands in his for a moment. It felt like he was giving them his silent blessing through the firm pressure he used to squeeze their hands. He looked over at Cash. “Take care of my girl.”

  “I will, sir.” Cash nodded at Clyde then smiled down at Emma as her father sat down in the first row. “Hey, darlin’. You look beautiful,” he said, love shining in his eyes.

  “So do you,” she whispered and let out a small giggle. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I guess I’ve just never been this excited
for anything in my life.”

  He intertwined her fingers in his and squeezed her hand. Leaning down, he nuzzled her neck, his breath warm on her skin, as he whispered in her ear. “I’m a little nervous, too.”

  Chuckling at the way she drew back a little bit, he pulled her tighter against his side. “I’m not nervous about marrying you, that part’s easy. I’ve never been more certain of anything than I am about my decision to make you my wife. I’m just a little nervous that I’m not going to measure up to the ideal husband in your eyes.”

  “You’ve already exceeded every measurement.”

  A large grin cracked across his face, and he got a wicked gleam in his eye.

  She nudged him in the ribs as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “I do love you.”

  “I love you too, darlin’. You stole my heart clean away the moment I saw you drive up to the farm with that silly goat sitting in the car next to you, and now that heart belongs to you.”

  “It’s safe with me.” She blinked back the tears that threatened her eyes. “You stole my heart away, too. And I can’t wait to be your wife and begin our life together.”

  “Then let’s get started.” He turned to the justice of the peace and nodded.

  She squeezed his hand and breathed in the excitement of the moment. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she thought it might burst with happiness.

  She thought about how much her life had changed in the past several months. She’d walked away from Leroy with nothing but a few boxes and the tattered remains of her pride. She’d been prepared to have nothing, but now she had everything.

  She had a home and a man who loved her. Who had shown her that she was strong and resilient. She’d seen herself as a timid mouse who was afraid of her own shadow, but she’d grown so much.

  With the help of her friends and the tall cowboy who now stood beside her holding her hand, she’d blossomed from that timid mouse into a strong, independent woman.

  The mouse part was still there, would always be there, but now she drew strength from that piece of her life, believing in herself and taking pride in what she had overcome, what she had survived.

  It took all of the pieces—the fear, the courage, the nervousness, the determination—all of it swirled and spun inside her, combining to fuel the woman she was now. A woman about to embark on a new journey, a new life. A life filled with family and friends, and a man who loved her and respected her and made her feel safe.

  That shy part of her would always be there, but now she had a brave part of her, too. A part that stood up for herself, believed in herself, believed that she was worthy and strong and that she really could accomplish whatever she set her mind to.

  The justice of the peace began the vows, stating her name and asking her if she took this man, Cash Walker, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, until death do they part.

  Pushing back her shoulders, she stood tall and looked into the crystal blue eyes of the man she loved, the man who had made all her dreams come true.

  “I do,” she answered, her voice strong and true.

  A thousand times I do.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  It was Christmas Eve, and they were all gathered around the tree in the living room of Tucked Away. The whole big bunch of them, their friends, and the people they called family.

  Cash looked around the room and marveled at how his life had changed in the past year. How all of their lives had changed.

  Cherry and Taylor were sitting on one sofa, their son, Sam, on Taylor’s lap, and their baby girl curled in his arms. Swirls of thick strawberry blond hair covered the baby’s head, and her frilly Christmas dress matched the pink and white peppermint-striped sweater that Cherry wore.

  Their dog, Rex, lay at their feet, intently watching the frosted sugar cookie that Sam was waving around as he told his parents a story.

  Cash couldn’t help but smile as Cherry let out a hearty laugh. Being a wife and a mom suited her, and he’d never seen her, or Taylor, so happy.

  Zack and Charlie sat on the loveseat across from them, his hand resting casually on Charlie’s swollen belly—their own baby due in the spring. Leave it to a veterinarian to plan his wife’s due date around calving season. Although, knowing Charlie, he might not have had that much say in the timing.

  Charlie, Emma, and Cherry had become the closest of friends, and they were determined for their firstborn kids to grow up together like he, Zack, and Taylor had.

  Zack had insisted on giving Charlie the big church wedding, and they’d gotten married at the end of the past summer and had invited the majority of the small town of Broken Falls. They’d filled the new barn with music, food, friends, and laughter, and their reception had lasted far into the night. It had been the social event of the summer.

  Charlie had settled in to country life and declared she was never leaving Montana. He could almost feel her grandma Gigi smiling down at her from heaven as she watched her only granddaughter laughing with her new husband.

  Happy was the emotion of the night. Everyone laughed as Sophie carried in a tray of steaming mugs of hot cocoa to pass around. Snow swirled outside the windows, but the atmosphere inside was warm and cozy.

  He looked down at Emma, holding their own child, a beautiful baby boy with dark blue eyes and a mass of jet black hair. A child who had already taken over their lives—with diapers, and two a.m. feedings, and toys scattered all over the house—and more love than he’d thought he possibly had to give.

  Sometimes he walked into the room and saw Emma sitting in a chair, holding their baby, and it literally took his breath away. For so long, he’d thought this was a life that could never be his. Now he couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without them.

  He passed Emma a small box, the bright red bow almost bigger than the present itself.

  Her eyes shone with excitement. “What’s this? I thought we weren’t doing presents until tomorrow.”

  An excited grin stole over his face as he watched her turn the small box over in her hand. He’d been working on this surprise for months and couldn’t wait to see her face.

  “It’s not just for you. It’s for us,” he said. “Open the box.”

  She lifted the lid, and a gasp escaped her lips. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked up at him, as if afraid to believe in the contents of the box. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “It is.” He took the box from her, reached into the layers of cotton, and pulled out the contents. He held up the silver key then set it gently into her outstretched hand. “It’s the key to our new house.”

  The room had gone quiet as the others watched Emma’s reaction. They’d all been in on the surprise and had been working on making it happen for months.

  “Our new house?” Emma asked, her voice soft and full of disbelief.

  The Tucked Away farm had been in the Tucker family for generations, so Sophie and Zack had moved into the farmhouse with Charlie after they got married. They’d spent the last several months in negotiations and secretly working out a plan for Cash and Emma to buy Zack’s farm.

  “I wanted to surprise you.” He gestured around the room. “We wanted to surprise you. After Zack and Sophie moved in here, we started talking about how he’d be taking over this farm and needing to sell his. We hatched a plan for us to buy it.”

  She looked around the room at their friends. “You all knew about this?”

  They nodded and laughed, and Emma looked back at Cash. “So, is it ours? Really?”

  He chuckled. “Not quite. We close on the first of the month. I couldn’t buy it without you. I had to let you in on the secret before I asked for your signature.”

  “My signature? On what?”

  He gave her a surprised look. “On the deed to the property. I’m not buying the farm. We’re buying the farm. Your name will be on the deed same as mine, and you’ll own the property with me. I wouldn’t do this without you. I plan
to build our life here and raise our son, and all of his brothers and sisters there. But it’s your decision, too.”

  He picked up her hand and looked into her beautiful eyes. Letting everyone else in the room fade away, he focused only on her. “You have to want this, too, or we’ll forget the whole thing. So, what do you say, Em? Do you want to buy a farm with me?”

  “More than anything.” A tear slipped from her eye and slid down her cheek as she nodded, and a joy-filled smile burst across her face. “I just can’t believe it. I’m so happy right now, I can’t speak.”

  The baby in her arms took that moment to gurgle and babble out a bubbly coo.

  Cash chuckled. “I guess you don’t have to. It sounds like he approves.”

  Emma cuddled the baby to her chest. “I think he just asked for his first pony.”

  “I can handle that.” He felt like he could handle just about anything that life threw at him right now. As long as he had this woman and his child by his side, he could do anything, face any trial, overcome any obstacle.

  He looked around the room again, his heart full with the blessings in his life. The joy in this room overflowed, as the people he called family and friends began to speak and laugh and congratulate them on their new home.

  Home. Family. Love.

  Things he feared he would never have, and now they filled this Montana cowboy’s heart.

  The End…

  And just the beginning…

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  Acknowledgments

  My thanks always goes first to my husband, Todd, the one who supports me and believes in me. I love and adore you. Thanks for taking this and all journeys with me.

  Thanks to my sons, Tyler and Nick, for your love and support. You guys make it all worth it.

  A special thank you goes out to my dad, Bill Bryant, for your technical support in farming, ranching, and all things veterinarian and animal related. I love having your contributions to the story.