by Natalie Dean
“Well, everything seems to be in order,” the bank manager finally said as he sat down Matt’s application. Bernadette turned back to face him, her left hand stopping in mid-twist on the gold wedding ring that was now on her right hand. “To tell the truth, we’ve been looking for a buyer for that property for months. It seems there aren’t many Easterners willing to settle here and the ones who are here already have land of their own.”
Her heart leaped in her chest and a large smile formed on her face. Glancing to Pastor Rhodes, she could see this smile mirrored on his face as well. That was when she knew it had been a good idea to bring a friend along. If it were proper for her to reach over and kiss this portly bank manager on either cheek, she would have.
“Oh, thank you, sir,” she said. “Mr. Jacobs will be delighted to hear that.”
“I’m sure he will,” the manager said giving her a small, polite smile in return. “If you can, simply have Mr. Jacobs come to the bank…oh, say…tomorrow afternoon around two o’clock,” he said checking the small calendar on his wooden desk. “He can sign the deed then. And, of course, he will need to tell us what he intends to put down as collateral.”
Though the word was said absently, almost off hand, it caused Bernadette’s heart to drop immediately.
“Collateral?” Bernadette asked. The bank manager looked up at her evenly.
“Of course,” he said. “It is standard practice. Though Mr. Jacobs is a good candidate for the property, we cannot take the word of a first-time farmer. Even if he has done ranching work before. We need to make sure we have some return on our investment should things not work out.”
“I did not know that would be necessary with a co-signer,” Mr. Rhodes said, apparently just as surprised as Bernadette.
“That is the case when the co-signer can provide collateral,” the bank manager said. “However, as you are a pastor, we could not in good conscience ask that of you. So, the obligation falls to Mr. Jacobs.”
Bernadette found herself biting down hard on her lip and glancing about the bare room as though something there might help her. She caught Pastor Rhodes eyes, but his smile had faded, and he looked as though he was as much at a loss as she was.
The wheels in her mind began to turn as she anxiously took to turning the wedding ring on her finger.
Then she stopped.
The fingers of her left hand rested, once again on the gold band on her right. For the first time since Frank’s death, she truly thought of that wedding band and what else it might mean for her.
“And what would you accept as collateral?” Bernadette asked evenly.
“Gold, silver, family heirlooms,” he said. “Anything that has some kind of monetary value.”
Bernadette nodded before looking down at her right hand. She stared at the band a long while, as though bidding it goodbye. Finally, she twisted the band for the last time, removed it from her finger and placed it on the desk.
“Would this do?” she asked.
The business manager’s eyes widened as he looked from Bernadette to the ring on the table.
“Bernadette,” the pastor said in surprise. “Are you certain…?”
“I am,” Bernadette said turning to him firmly before looking back at the bank manager and sliding her ring towards him on the desk.
“Ma’am,” he said. “Are you certain this is what Mr. Jacobs intends to put up as collateral on the farm?”
“Yes,” Bernadette said with only a hint of hesitation. “Is it enough?”
The manager looked down at the small ring and back up to her. Bernadette’s heart hammered in her chest as they stared one another down. Finally, the bank manager rested his hand over the ring and slid it over to his side of the desk.
“It is unusual,” he said. “But, yes, that should be enough to cover the loan. As I said, just have your fiancé come in tomorrow to sign the deed.”
Perhaps more eagerly than was proper, she thanked the bank manager and rushed out of the building and back to the wagon, the pastor following in her wake.
“Thank you so much Pastor,” she said turning to him before making her way back onto the wagon.
“It is no trouble at all,” Pastor Rhodes said helping her up to the driver’s seat.
“I know that you are the answer to Matt’s prayers in more ways than one.”
Bernadette smiled, and her heart performed another flip at the thought of her groom.
“And he is the answer to mine,” she said gently.
With another word of farewell to the pastor, Bernadette threw the horse’s reigns and made her way back to the ranch.
The ride back to the ranch seemed to fly by much more quickly than the trip into town. Perhaps that was because when Bernadette drove to town, she had been weighed down with a million worries and concerns. Now, with the bank’s acceptance of her ring, with the promise of the deed, all those fears seemed to have been washed away.
When she arrived at the ranch, Matt met her out by the gate and opened it for her. Even as he escorted the wagon back towards the barn in silence, an expression of half hope and half worry lined his face. He did not ask how things had gone. Not yet.
And, though Bernadette felt a desperate need to call out the news to him, she knew why he was keeping silent. Mr. Miles was still on the property. And, there was a good deal more that he could do to them besides revealing Bernadette’s secret. It was best to keep their news silent until the deed was signed.
It wasn’t until they arrived at the barn that Bernadette spoke as he began to unhitch the horses from the wagon.
“I believe I have good news for you.”
Matt turned to her. His smile had faded somewhat, he now looked anxious and only half hopeful.
“Did the bank accept my application?”
“More than that,” Bernadette said. “They want you to come into town and sign the deed tomorrow.”
He blinked at her for a moment as though not daring to believe what he’d heard. Then, with a loud, joyful laugh, he rushed towards Bernadette and picked her up in his arms. The world began to tilt as he spun her twice around.
It was the most emotion she had ever seen from Matt. And it was so infectious that she could not help but laugh with him.
Finally, they stopped spinning, but he continued to hold her close for several seconds. Bernadette could feel his strong arms moving across her waist once more, and the shiver down her spine returned.
He pulled away just slightly and looked into her eyes.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “This never would have happened without you.”
She began to say that it was nothing or give him a word of thanks in return. But, when she looked at his blue eyes staring straight into hers, the words disappeared in her throat.
Suddenly her eyes darted down towards his lips and, once more she had the urge to kiss him.
Then, forgetting all the etiquette her mother had taught her, forgetting that a well-bred lady never takes the lead in these sorts of situations, she moved forward and pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was slow, soft, and gentle. Exactly as she had imagined it would be.
Just as the kiss deepened, just as Matt began to wrap his arms around her, a sharp, cold laugh sounded from behind her, causing her to jump.
“I assume congratulations are in order.”
The couple turned to see Mr. Miles, a humorless smile on his face, leaning against the barn door behind which they had hidden.
“I take it you were able to get the rings forged in town?”
“Yes, I was,” Bernadette said. She tried to make her voice as strong as possible though, once more, she wasn’t sure that she’d exactly managed it.
“And, judging by the…welcome you were given…” he sneered at the two as though their simple kiss had been much more lecherous than it was. “You were able to get something else done in town as well.”
Bernadette straightened her shoulders and, for the first time since they’d met felt st
ronger than Mr. Miles gave her credit for.
“Now that you ask,” she said evenly. “Yes, I was able to get a great deal done in town. I even made a stop at the bank to inquire about the loan you were helping Matt get for that small farm. As it turns out, they’re ready for him to sign the deed. They asked if he could come by tomorrow to go over it.”
“So, I’ll need some time off if you can spare me,” Matt put in. His face was still slightly flushed with embarrassment when looking at his boss. But, Bernadette noticed that Matt’s blue eyes did not dart to the ground as they usually did when he was faced with Mr. Miles.
Mr. Miles’ eyes hardened, and his smile turned into a sneer for half a moment. The moment passed however, and his smile brightened again as though he’d just remembered one more ace he had up his sleeve.
“I might be able to accommodate that Matt,” he said. “But, before I agree, I’d like to talk to you alone for one moment. If you’ll step into my office.”
“Is that necessary, Mr. Miles?” he asked. “I do have a lot of work to do.”
“It can wait,” Mr. Miles said with more than a hint of impatience. “I need to speak to you about something rather…sensitive.”
“And you don’t feel as though you can tell me in front of my fiancé?” Matt asked. Bernadette felt a small thrill rush through her when Matt put his arm around her shoulders pulling her slightly to him.
“I would rather not,” Mr. Miles said. “As I told you, it is rather sensitive.”
“Would it, by any chance, have to do with the child Bernadette is carrying?”
Matt asked the question casually, as though it was of no real importance. But, the expression on Mr. Miles’ face made it look as though he had fallen head first into a dung heap. His jaw went slack, and his face turned much paler than she had ever seen it.
Quickly he coughed and turned his head away as though to hide his distress. When he looked back up at them, his face was still slightly pale, but his usual smirk was returned to its place. Almost as though it had been painted on.
“So, your bride finally explained the full extent of her condition to you,” he said.
“Of course,” Matt answered. “Bernadette told me last night. She had every intention of revealing her condition before the wedding. She was only waiting for the right moment to tell me.”
Mr. Miles’ smile faltered once more, and this time, he did not force it back on. The effect made him look much less appealing than normal. His dark eyes glared at both of them.
“And I take it that you are satisfied with these circumstances, Matt?” Mr. Miles asked. Though he addressed the question to her fiancé, his eyes were fixed on Bernadette. For a moment, he looked truly dangerous. Bernadette felt another shiver run through her.
It abated when Matt pulled her closer to him and stepped forward, essentially blocking her body with his.
“Yes,” Matt answered. “You could say that I’m very satisfied with the circumstances.”
Miles pursed his lips together and nodded tersely.
“Well then, my congratulations,” he said.
“Thank you,” Matt answered. “And I also wanted to thank you for the loan you helped us secure. I’m sure your influence with the bank was a great help.”
Mr. Miles blinked twice as though confused. He looked from Matt to Bernadette before placing the false, slimy smile back on his face.
“Always glad to be of service,” he said finally. And, with a slight nod to them, he retreated to the house without so much as a backward glance.
“You could have been much harsher with him, you know?” Bernadette said once the ranch owner had retreated towards the horizon.
“I know,” Matt answered. “But, in this place, it doesn’t do to burn your bridges. There are so few people that it's best to be on good terms with as many as you can.”
“I suppose I can understand that,” Bernadette said turning back to her fiancé. Matt placed his arms around her waist and looked down at her, his eyes sparkling with a joy she so rarely saw from him.
“Besides,” he said. “After the wedding, we’ll never have to set foot on this ranch again. We’ll have our own farm. Our own life.”
A thrill rushed through her at that thought. Her own life. Even the child inside her seemed to leap with joy.
Finding no words to answer him, she simply reached up and pulled Matt towards her pressing her lips against his once more.
As she did, the sense of calm came over her again. The same emotion she had felt in her room in Pennsylvania when she had prayed for the first time.
She knew now just how true those words she had spoken to Pastor Rhodes really were.
Matt Jacobs was the answer to her prayers. In more ways than one.
Chapter 10
“Oh, that bonnet suits you beautifully,” Mrs. Matthews said hurriedly as Bernadette examined herself in the full mirror. Her dark blond hair fell in ringlets around her ears beneath a sky-blue bonnet that matched the color of her dress.
She smiled as her stomach lurched and she realized that she could not be sure whether that was the child or pre-wedding nerves.
“I do hope the bump is not too noticeable,” she said smoothing the skirt down over her stomach which now seemed to be growing each day.
“I would not concern myself too much with that,” Mrs. Matthews said. “Everyone in town knows you came by your condition honorably. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Bernadette tried to smile but, it was hampered by a nervous flutter in her chest. Even though, as Mrs. Matthews claimed, the child in her stomach was legitimate, she couldn’t help but feel a bit strange walking down the aisle in such a manner.
Mrs. Matthews seemed to recognize the bride’s distress and gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Besides,” Mrs. Matthews said. “It is not the opinion of the town that should matter. Your young man is the only one you should be thinking about today. And I know Mr. Jacobs is beyond excited to begin a family with you.”
To Bernadette’s surprise, this did put her at ease. It also caused her smile to widen even more than it already was.
It took less than five minutes more for Bernadette to finish dressing. Before she knew it, she was standing at the end of the little town chapel walking down the aisle towards Matt.
He was dressed in his best Sunday clothes which were, by all accounts, very simple. Still, the smile he wore, the one that caused his blue eyes to sparkle made him seem more finely dressed than any of the wealthy suitors she had ever known.
The ceremony passed in a haze. So much so that, later, Bernadette would hardly remember repeating the vows that Pastor Rhodes had said before her.
Before long, the Pastor’s gentle, tenor voice had reached the end of the service.
“You may now kiss the Bride,” he said.
Turning to Matt who gave her a truly elated smile, the two of them shared a gentle kiss at the altar.
When she pulled away, his face brightened, and that adorable pink tinge came into his cheeks when the minister pronounced them husband and wife.
As soon as that was done, he grabbed Bernadette’s hand and pulled her down the aisle at such a quick pace that she could not help but laugh.
There a small wagon with one horse, the only one they would take to their little farm, was waiting for them. As quickly as he could, he helped her up into the wagon and, with barely a wave of acknowledgment to the small crowd gathered to see them off, they started down the rocky road towards their newly purchased farm.
“That was quite a quick exit, Mr. Jacobs,” she observed.
“Mrs. Matthews told me that it would be a good few hours before the reception would be ready,” he told her in explanation. “And, I did not want to spend that time making small talk with half the town.”
“How did you wish to spend that time?” Bernadette asked cheekily even as her cheeks burned in anticipation of the answer.
He smiled down at her.
“I think y
ou know, Mrs. Jacobs.”
She let out a giggle as they pulled up to the small farmhouse that was now wholly and entirely theirs.
Matt pulled the horse to a stop and jumped down from the wagon. He moved to Bernadette’s side and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her down as well.
He looked at her for only a moment before moving his blue eyes down to her stomach. Slowly, he lifted his and placed it on her growing abdomen.
“Just think,” he said. “Only a few months more and we will be a true family.”
Another shiver of pleasure rushed through her as Matt leaned forward and placed his lips gently on hers. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the child leap in her stomach.
She said another silent prayer. This one of thanks.
At last, she was right where she belonged.
THE END
The Big Beautiful Bride Heads West
Book Description
THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BRIDE HEADS WEST
Brides of Laramie Book 2
A Western Romance Short Story
Lizzie is excited to meet her groom-to-be until she finds out he is how old?!
Lizzie is no stranger to hardships in life. She has suffered through the miscarriage of her baby, the loss of her beloved husband and brother-in-law to the Civil War, and her treasured sister-in-law leaving her to travel out West. Now, with the bank taking her boarding house business and nowhere to go, she is wondering why God has forsaken her. But when her sister-in-law out West writes a letter suggesting that she may have found a suitable husband for Lizzie, she begins to think that just maybe...there's a better life waiting for her.
Little does Lizzie know that Billy Peters, her soon to be husband, is not the businessman Bernadette made him out to be. Aside from being much less realistic than the tough, no-nonsense Lizzie, he's also several years younger. Lizzie is convinced that she could never saddle a young, vibrant man like Billy with an old barren widow like herself.
Can Billy and sweet horse with a desolate future change her mind? Will the curse finally be broken or will Lizzie's own stubborn resolve not to be a burden be her ultimate undoing?