His Holiday Bride

by Jillian Hart

  “Hal’s going to stay with you.” Ford moved out of her field of vision.

  No. She didn’t want him to go. She needed him. She wouldn’t be all right without him. If only she didn’t feel as if she were drowning, she might be able to tell him that. Pain slammed into her like a speeding semi. She heard Ford as if from a far distance. “That’s it, Hal. Keep pressure on both wounds. No, harder. Don’t let up. The county helicopter is minutes away.”

  “I’ll do my best, Sheriff.” Hal Plum eased onto the ground, looking in charge. “Don’t you worry, missy. I was a medic in World War II. I’ve got an eye for these things, and I say you’re gonna be just fine.”

  She still couldn’t breathe right. She rolled her head to the side. She caught the last glimpse of Ford, gun out, racing through the night. What a big man he was, and not just of stature. Someone was with him, and it took her a second to realize he’d brought his brother to help.

  Something nibbled her forehead. She recognized that whiskery velvet muzzle. Aggie lent her support as the helicopter struck ground somewhere close enough and hard enough to rattle the earth. The last thing she heard was Hal saying, “Stay with me, missy,” before everything went black.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Frank had a lot to be thankful for on this Christmas Eve. His son was home safe and sound and currently under Mrs. Gunderson’s watchful care. His daughter had been released from the hospital with enough sass and vinegar that she’d insisted on attending the candlelight service. He’d had a nice chat with Ford earlier in the day, and it looked like a few nice changes would be coming her way.

  He was proud to sit with all three of his daughters, mighty beautiful little girls in his opinion. His precious son Justin and his Rori had come back from Maui glowing with happiness. The rest of the family—his brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews—crowded together on the bench in the next row. Even nephew Pierce was back from a tour in Afghanistan and had brought his lovely wife, Lexie. It was nice to have everyone gathered, a blessing of the best kind.

  As the minister ended the last prayer, Frank added one of his own. Father, thank You for watching over my family. I am truly grateful indeed. He loved nothing more on this earth than his family. There was never a better time to be thankful for his abundant blessings. Not much was missing in his life. Just one thing.

  He did his best to keep from turning around in the pew and searching for Cady. He’d wondered what she was doing for the holiday. If Autumn and Tucker hadn’t needed him he would have taken the time to invite her over for the family festivities. Maybe he could find her after the service and make sure she wouldn’t be alone. Asking her to Christmas dinner might be a fine way to start off things with her.

  The choir began to sing the first strains of “O Holy Night.” This truly was a divine night, the night when Christ was born. He put his arm around Autumn, who was looking a little pale. He shouldn’t have let her come, but he’d always had a hard time saying no to the gal. He was proud of her. Often, the most important achievements in a person’s life were quiet accomplishments of the heart and spirit. He was thankful when the choir silenced and the service came to an end. He’d had about all the emotion a man like him could take.

  “Autumn.” A woman appeared in the aisle. Martha had a knack for parting crowds. “I’m so thankful you are safe and sound. What a scare you gave us all.”

  “I couldn’t let Tucker outdo me.” Autumn managed a breezy answer, but Frank protected her casted arm from the tussle of the folks in the aisle. “The sheriff is the one who deserves the credit. He brought in the rustlers, not me.”

  “To hear tell it, you were the one who did all the shooting.” Martha marveled at the notion. “I think we have ourselves a humble sheriff. I’m going to have a word with him about that. We want the facts straight for the newspaper. Did you hear the other good news?”

  “What might that be?” Carol nosed in. His sister-in-law had abundant curiosity.

  “Little Owen Baker is in the hospital, too. Sierra took him there during the dinner rush.” Martha, glad to be the center of attention, gave a little wave to Sandi Walters as they squeezed through the vestibule. “He had one of his breathing problems at the diner, and Cady Winslow and her good friend from New York were there having supper. Turns out he’s a big fancy cardiologist, and he came over to talk to Sierra. Turns out it might not be his lungs at all. Can you imagine? Just goes to show our Doc Thomas is slipping. He’s getting old.”

  “And you and I aren’t?” he teased gently as they squeezed through the vestibule. He would remember to add little Owen to his prayer list tonight. He also hoped he was hiding his reaction to the other bit of news. Cady had a friend? Martha had said “he.” A man had come to stay with Cady for the holiday?

  Five kinds of disappointment battered him. Of course, a classy lady like her would be spoken for. No wonder she had always been reserved around him. She had an involvement. Those flowers she’d sent, well, he’d been the one to misinterpret the message. He had no one to blame but himself for the defeat sinking him.

  “In fact, there he is.” Martha charged ahead, waving to get a tall, dark-haired man’s attention, but the bustle of folks spread out in the parking lot was noisy, and the man must not have noticed her. He was conversing pretty intently with Cady.

  All Frank could see was the woman, happier than he’d ever noticed before. She was, as always, prettier than a picture wrapped up in a tailored wool coat with her full brown hair done in some fancy do. Radiant and amazing. Too bad she was out of his reach.

  “Autumn!” Two girls ran up chattering and squealing the way females tend to do. He glanced over long enough to recognize Merritt and Caroline hugging his daughter. His gaze boomeranged back to Cady Winslow. Too bad his wishes did, too.

  “Aunt Cady!” A little girl around ten or so bounded up, all sweetness and curls, and clung to Cady’s hand.

  Aunt Cady. The light went on. Disappointment slid away, leaving one giant hope. These folks were her family, he realized. Now that he could make himself look at the other guy, it was plain to see the man was somewhere in his mid-thirties or so. Far too young to be an adversary for her hand.

  Family. How about that? He found himself grinning wide. Looked like he was still in the running for Cady’s heart. As for his plans to invite her to the family celebration, there was always next year.

  “Are you all right, Dad?” Autumn asked, the note of concern unmistakable.

  “I’m fine. Just tired.” That was the truth. Between worrying over his kids and his cattle lately, he was tuckered out. “It’s been a whirlwind.”

  “I can’t argue with that. On the upside, I think things will be a lot quieter from here on out.”

  They navigated the icy spots on the sidewalk together and crossed the street. Cheyenne and Addison trailed a few paces behind. Rori and Justin followed. They were Dad’s ride back to the house. She could not wait to get home. Christmas was her favorite time of year. Tonight they would warm eggnog and sing a few rounds of Christmas carols at the piano before calling it a night.

  “You girls drive safe.” Dad opened the truck’s back door and helped her hop onto the seat. She was moving easier these days. The bullet wounds to her upper arm and to her lower chest were on the mend. Soon she would be back to her usual self, riding Aggie, caring for the cows and training her horses. For now she was content to relax in the leather seat, wave goodbye to her dad and let Cheyenne take the wheel.

  “Now it’s feeling like Christmas,” Addy said after they were on the road awhile. “I spent all morning decorating the tree—”

  “While I was out taking over Autumn’s chores,” Cheyenne pointed out.

  “And then Mrs. Gunderson and I made Christmas cookies.” Addy beamed. “I haven’t done anything like that since Aunt Opal left us for Arizona. I had so much fun, and Mrs. Gunderson really knows how to bake. She showed me all these hints. That’s something a mom would do.”

  “It sounds nice,” Ch
eyenne agreed. “Mrs. Gunderson fusses over us. I like that.”

  “I do, too. She’s a keeper.” Autumn had been on the receiving end of their new housekeeper’s fussing. Homemade chicken soup, lots of her favorite food and little pampering touches she hadn’t had in her life in a long while. “She is very motherly. It’s nice.”

  They fell silent at the pain they shared at having lost their mom long ago. Their aunt Opal had tried to fill the void for them, but only a mother really could. Not that a twenty-nine-year-old woman actually needed a mom, but the thought of one was incredibly nice. After all, she had caught the respectful longing in her father’s eyes as he watched Cady Winslow in the after church crowd.

  Lord, I hope my dad and Cady find true love. She sent the prayer heavenward and not because she wanted a mom. Her dad needed someone great to come into his life. He didn’t deserve to spend the rest of his time alone.

  “It is nice,” Cheyenne was saying. “I got a whiff of those homemade rolls she baked for our dinner tomorrow, and I—uh-oh. Lights. Something’s wrong up ahead.”

  “I hope no one is hurt?” Addy worried.

  Those weren’t just any lights, but red and blue strobes. There was only one lawman on this side of the county.

  She wasn’t aware of the truck slowing to a stop or of unbuckling her seatbelt or hopping into the snow. She didn’t feel the icy air against her face. Her pulse thudded in her ears as she followed the shine of the headlights. The sheriff’s Jeep was angled across the road. A tall, broad-shouldered man’s form merged with the shadows, and he wasn’t alone.

  “Having trouble, Sheriff?” she called out above the clomp of a few dozen hooves on pavement.

  “These cows wouldn’t happen to be yours, would they?” Ford Sherman strode into the beam of headlights, a great, towering, impressive man of honor and might.

  “No, sir.” She met him in the fall of light and strained to glance at the cow’s flanks. “That’s the Parnells’ brand.”

  “I saw the family in church tonight. Figure they’ll be coming along shortly.” He gestured to the small bag of treats he’d spread out on the shoulder of the road. “I guess I should have got a bigger bag. They’re almost gone.”

  “And I don’t have any cookies with me.” She shoved her good hand into her pocket, shivering. In the quiet moments at the hospital and in the more relaxed ones at home she’d had a lot of time to think about what she wanted to say to him. So why weren’t the words coming?

  Because she was scared again. Scared he wouldn’t want her, he wouldn’t forgive her, that she’d missed her chance. When she rehearsed what to say, she’d been confident instead of unsure, steady instead of trembling. The words hadn’t tied up on her tongue the way they did now.

  “It’s good to see you out of the hospital.” He looked distant. Not as cold as when he’d turned his back to her on the street, but just as remote. “You probably don’t remember what happened after you took that second bullet.”

  “I remember you.” Striding in like her own personal hero. Standing tall and mighty, a stalwart man to the core. The biggest, greatest man she knew. Feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge fluttered to life within her. Sweet feelings, tender feelings threatened to tear down her defenses for good. “You saved the day. You saved me. The doctors told me I would have bled out if no one had helped me.”

  “It was all Hal’s doing. He’s the hero.”

  “Not to me.” Humble. Why hadn’t she seen that about him along with all his other awesome qualities? She was seeing them now. Gravity didn’t seem to have a good hold on her as she leaned against the Jeep’s fender closer to the man she respected. “What are you doing out here, cowboy?”

  “It’s a twofold trip.” He leaned against the rig next to her. “I came to bring your dad a check. He and I have been in negotiations for Lightning. As of today he’s mine.”

  “Dad sold Lightning? He didn’t tell me that.”

  “I asked him not to. You had enough on your mind just recovering.” His voice dipped low, layered with hidden emotions. “You gave me a good scare. The last thing a man wants to see is the woman he loves hurt bad. It gave me some much needed perspective.”

  “Perspective?” It was too late. Devastation crashed through her. Every unspoken hope she had dashed to the ground. He was going to reject her. Losing him once hadn’t been bad enough. He had to make it good and final. Make it clear he no longer wanted her. She straightened her spine and gathered her dignity.

  “I saw the woman I loved being carried off in the sheriff’s chopper, and I didn’t know how bad you were hurt. But a hit in the rib cage is never good.” He crossed his arms over his chest like a barrier.

  “It was a few broken ribs.”

  “It was worse than that. I can’t tell you the torture I went through having to stay behind. I had to deal with the rustlers and wake the mayor for the cell keys and all the while I didn’t know how you were. I’ll never forget sitting in the waiting room with your dad later that night and praying for good news.”

  “It turned out all right. Or, it will as soon as I heal.” She tilted her head, cuter than any one woman had the right to be. Fragile wisps escaped her braids, framing her silken cheeks. So very vulnerable. “You still care about me?”

  “Maybe a bit.” He closed the distance between them by catching her hand. There was nothing like the sense of rightness he felt as her fingers twined between his. “To be completely honest, maybe I care more than a bit.”

  “I had a perspective change, too.” Hard to believe she was opening up to him, but her hand tightened within his, clinging hard enough to make hope beat in his chest.

  “What kind of perspective change would that be?” He felt as if he couldn’t breathe waiting for her answer.

  “That maybe you’re not so bad for a city boy.”

  “Glad you think so.” He leaned in a little closer. She might think her affections were sealed up tight, but he could see them. The starlight dusted her with gentle platinum light, exposing the wish on her face. A wish that matched his own. He took a steadying breath because taking the next step wasn’t easy even for a man like him. “I wanted to see you tonight.”

  “You did?”

  She really had no idea how deep his affections for her went. Deeper than the infinite black sky. Brighter than all the stars in God’s amazing heavens. She was his greatest prayer answered. A rare love for all time. He turned toward her. The munching cows, the fact that her sisters were watching from the truck and the worry that her father would be driving up any instant faded away. Nothing mattered but this perfect moment. The one that might change his life forever.

  “I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black jeweler’s box. “My dad proposed to my mom on Christmas Eve, so I thought I would keep up the tradition.”

  “You’re proposing?”

  “Sure.” He removed the ring from its nest. An impressive oval diamond glittered in the starlight. “I want you to know that I never gave up. My love for you has never wavered. It has done nothing but strengthen every time I look at you. Every time you look at this ring I want you to know beyond all doubt I will always love you.”

  “You seem awfully sure that I will say yes.” The panic returned in little frightening flutters.

  “When I asked your father’s permission to marry you, he seemed to think you would accept.” He knelt before her, her left hand cradled in his.

  She gazed at the man kneeling honestly at her feet, blessed by stardust, his entire soul laid bare. She’d kept waiting for him to disappoint her and he’d never done it. He’d never let her down. He was the man who never would. Even when she’d pushed him away and made it clear he had no hope he’d still been there for her, dependable and true.

  Just let the fear go, she told herself. Believe.

  “Autumn, I already love you more than I thought it was possible to love.” Never had a man been more sincere as he pressed a kiss to her hand. �
�I can’t wait to see how much more I will come to love you as the years go by. Will you be my wife so we can find that out together?”

  His proposal touched the fragments and cracks of her heart and made it whole again. She felt Heaven’s reassurance whispering in the breeze as absolute joy chased away every ribbon of fear. “Ford Sherman, I would love to be your wife.”

  “Love?” He questioned that word as cool gold slid onto her finger. He rose to tower over her, blocking out the night sky, filling her entire vision. “How long have you loved me?”

  “Maybe from the first moment I spotted you.” She laid her hand on his chest, full of ardent devotion. Beneath her palm she felt the reliable beat of his pulse, and a rope lassoed her heart, binding it to his. She knew that as strong as she was, he was stronger. He could be the man she turned to, the man she could depend on, the man who loved her for who she was. She laid down her last defense. “Maybe I loved you before we met. I feel as if I’ve loved you always.”

  “Always. I like the sound of that.” His smile became a kiss. The gentlest brush of his lips to hers, and her soul responded. Storybook endings could happen to a girl like her. In the sweetness of his kiss, she saw their future. A small-town wedding. Walking down the aisle on her dad’s arm. A happy marriage and children to come. Horse rides and cattle drives and family Christmases with the entire Granger clan.

  A cow mooed, and she realized they had a problem. Amused, she laid her hand on Ford’s shoulder. “Turn around,” she urged, doing her best not to laugh.

  The cows had eaten all their treats and had turned to gnawing on his four-wheel-drive. One cow tried to pry the leather off the steering wheel. Several were licking the side door hard enough to remove paint. One heifer proudly held up the duct tape she had peeled off the side view mirror.

  Their laughter mingled in the night. Star shine made everything flawless and new, a perfect world of possibilities as Ford laid his arm around her shoulder. Justin’s truck pulled up with Dad in it and the Parnells right behind them.