“I remember exactly what I thought.” He paused long enough that she had to meet his look. “My cup runneth over.”
Their faces were close, and she was momentarily lost in his cobalt gaze. She’d never noticed how the irises radiated from the center like the ripples of deep pools.
His arm went around her back as he pulled her closer still. The stubble of his chin brushed her cheek before his mouth closed over hers.
This wasn’t her first kiss, but the first one she wanted. The taste cinnamon from the pie they’d just eaten lingered on his lips, mesmerizing her as she anchored her arms around his waist. He was different from other men. The smell of leather and the woods hung on his clothing, exciting her. Everything about him excited her. She didn’t even realize that he’d pulled her away from the rocks until he broke the kiss.
His eyes deepened as his gaze stroked her features. “Ramee.” His voice croaked. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I think I love you.”
She swallowed, holding his compelling stare. “I think I love you too,” she whispered.
He kissed her again, a probing kiss that robbed her of all good sense. Then he set her back down on the boulder and held her hands, kissing the palms, bringing her last nerve to attention. He leaned in until their foreheads touched. “I want to marry you more than anything, but I don’t have the right to ask you without telling you…everything.”
Emotion gripped her throat, making speech impossible, and she knew he struggled to put his thoughts into words. She had things she had to tell him, too. Things that might change his feelings for her.
“I’m not good enough for you, Ramee. I used to run with the Renfro gang, but that’s well behind me, I promise you that.”
He drew in a deep breath and pulled back. Without his warmth, a cold gust of wind hit her. He dropped his hands on his knees. “All our sins are forgiven, but some demand recompense.”
What did he speak of? Jesus paid it all for sins. No recompense required.
“I went up to Deadwood and worked in the mines and went into partnership with two other men. There wasn’t much of anything left in the mines, but there was a lot of stealing going on. They started stealing the nuggets—not much—but I noticed. I held my peace, since I knew how to steal from them. When I went in to file a claim on the mine, I put it in my name alone. They were ignorant men, couldn’t even read. Didn’t even know what I’d done, and it didn’t matter, because the vein soon petered out.
“I left for the logging camps and had worked for about a year when I got word a big mining company wanted to buy the mine. They were willing to pay a sizeable amount. I sold it. That’s what helped me pay for the ranch.”
He looked off to some distant place. “But truth is, I only deserved one third of the profits from the sale. When that fellow shot at me on our way here, I immediately thought one of my former partners had found out about the sale. I don’t think that any more, but the truth remains that I owe them their share.”
The moments crawled by as Ramee tried to digest all he’d said. Here she’d thought his morose was caused by his cousin’s trouble, which she was sure it was partly, but he was also worried about losing his ranch—or maybe losing her.
He didn’t realize it, but he’d just removed the last shred of doubt she had that he’d changed from an outlaw to a God-fearing man.
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.
This ranch was Josh’s treasure. He loved it and had every right to. It was beautiful. But he was willing to risk it in order to make things right with those he’d wronged. He wouldn’t do that unless he was truly born again. A new creature.
If there was some way she could reassure him. She reached out, putting her hand over his. “Your sense of right and wrong is sharper than it once was, as it should be. If you’re worried that I’d value your money more than your character, you may be assured, your character means more to me.”
The lines around his eyes relaxed. “I suppose that’s what I wanted to know. Just wanted you to understand I won’t be able to afford those rich fabrics for you to make your new designs.”
“Have no worry over about that. If my designs impress the dressmakers, they’ll be willing to provide the fabric…and if not… it can wait until we can afford it.”
“The reason I spent all that time going over the books was to see the best way to go. It looks like I’ll have to sell off all the stock and start over, or mortgage the whole place.”
“Why don’t we mortgage the stock and pay it off as we sell the stock?”
His laughter scared the sparrow pecking crumbs at their feet. “That might work for a while.” His eyes narrowed. “We? Does that mean you’ll marry me, Ramee?”
“That’s why I came, Josh, if you still want me when I tell you about my…things in my past. Did it ever occur to you that shooter might have been after me?”
His brow crinkled with concern. “You? Why would anyone be shooting at you?”
“Jackson, the man I left at the altar, is rich and powerful. He could’ve contacted someone out here to hunt me down just for spite.”
Josh shook his head. “I doubt he’d go to the trouble of hiring someone to kill you, but if anyone comes around, threatening you, I’ll take care of him.” He wrapped his arms around her as if to protect her. “Glad you told me, though, so I’ll be on the look-out. If I brought away anything good about my life as an outlaw, it’s being able to spot and take care of scoundrels.”
She had complete confidence Josh could take care of her, but if he knew everything, would he still want her? Closing her eyes, she swallowed. She would tell him before the ceremony, but she couldn’t spoil this moment.
His hand pressed around the back of her head as he pulled her forward. Her lashes flew up and she stared into his eyes, so full of tenderness, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “I want you to be my wife and soon. I love you, Ramee. I didn’t know how lonely I was until you came. That house back there is just an empty shell without you in it.”
She grabbed his free hand. “I want to be your wife and the sooner the better.”
He tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. “I love everything about you. I love all the talent you have packed under your sunny hair.” He kissed her head. “I love your shining eyes.” He kissed her eyelids. “I love how you grab everything by the tail and turn it around.”
His gaze turned serious. “Will you marry me Saturday so we can move in here the same day?”
He meant the day after tomorrow. She’d always envisioned her wedding to be a big, long planned for event. She wouldn’t have time to make a wedding dress, invite her friends. “Yes, Saturday’s fine. I’d marry you right now if you could conjure up a preacher.”
As he bent to kiss her fingers, she watched the way the sun played over his blond hair—something she’d savor every day of her life until the gold turned to silver. “I do want to be married in the church. It’s important to me.”
He raised his head. “To me too. I haven’t been to the church in Serenity yet, but Rafe and Lil know the preacher. They’ll make the arrangements and stand up with us.”
Taking her face in his hands, he stared into her eyes as if trying to reassure himself she was real. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, you know that? I want to keep kissing you, but we’d better get back to the house before Mrs. Hollingsworth comes looking for you.”
She knew what he meant. “Lets. She’ll be glad she can soon return home.”
Chapter 20
As Josh had expected, all he had to do was ask Rafe and Lil, and they set about making arrangements for the wedding ceremony. He could wait until dinner to give Ramee the details, but he wanted to see her before then. Every minute away from her seemed like an eternity.
He took the stairs of the boardinghouse two at a time and rapped his knuckles on her door. It was immediately opened by Mrs. Hollingsworth. Over her shoulder, he saw Ramee holding up a dress.
&nb
sp; Mrs. Hollingsworth shut the door a bit, closing his view. “Mr. Volker, you can’t see Miss Abbott’s wedding dress. It isn’t allowed.”
Ramee laughed. “I’m not wearing it. Let him in.”
Mrs. Hollingsworth scowled. “Indeed not. A lady doesn’t invite a gentleman into her bedroom, even if she is marrying him the next day.”
“It’s all right,” Josh said. “I’ll be waiting in the lobby, Ramee,” he added, as Mrs. Hollingsworth closed the door.
The lobby had no chairs, but Josh went to the window as far away from the counter as possible, although the clerk wasn’t about. He shoved his hands into his pockets and fixed his gaze on the staircase.
He heard a door open and close from the top and Ramee appeared. She flew down the stairs in a flurry of pink and plum. At the landing, she stopped, gathering her dignity as she glided the rest of the way to him. A worry line creased her brow.
“What’s wrong?”
She laid her long, slender fingers on his forearm. “Nothing’s wrong, but with all the excitement yesterday, it occurred to me that I haven’t told you everything about me.”
He pulled her into his embrace. “I know everything about you that’s important.”
She drew back and turned to stare out the window. “What have I told you?”
He didn’t have to remember. Everything she’d said was imprinted in his mind. “You moved in with your grandmother in a poor tenement in Philadelphia when you were thirteen. There you met a young lady who befriended you.”
“Carianne.”
“That’s right, and Carianne changed your way of thinking, introduced you to God. When Carianne came into money, you became her companion, then you and she, and some other women enrolled at Harvard in an experiment to tell if they’d allow women to attend with the men. You met a man—a real polecat and stupid—who promised to help you sell your dress designs. Instead he stole them and threatened to ruin you if you didn’t marry him. You answered my ad for a mail-order bride.”
She glanced back over her shoulder. “You have a good memory. But I didn’t tell you about me before I moved in with my grandmother.”
He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. “Does it matter? Nothing you say will change my love for you.”
When she angled her head, he saw tears filling her eyes. “It matters to me that you know.” She drew in a breath that lifted her shoulders. “I was born in a brothel in New York City. My mother was…she worked there. My father was one of her customers, a rich and famous man she wouldn’t name. But it doesn’t matter, because I don’t carry his name. Abbott is my grandparents’ name.”
He wanted to draw her closer, but they were in a public place, so he took her other hand and laid them both on his chest. “Ramee, I don’t care who your earthly father was. Or who your mother was. I want to marry you and give you my name.”
She peered at him as if she couldn’t believe him. “It truly doesn’t bother you?”
“Not in the least.” He glanced around to make sure no one was in sight before dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Now that that’s taken care of, let me tell you what I came to see you about.”
Her lips spread into the beautiful smile that always melted his heart. “Tell me.”
“The circuit preacher will perform the ceremony in the morning at Serenity Community Church at eleven o’clock. Everyone’s invited.”
“Everyone? We don’t know everyone. I hardly know anyone.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s a small town. They’ll all come.” He stole a kiss, this time from her mouth. “I’d better go. I’ve got to stop by the bank, then take care of some of Rafe’s chores while he’s out with the posse. I’ll have to get Lil to press my suit too.”
He turned to go, but she held on to his arm. “Have they heard anything about…Tom?”
“No. I went back out to Granny’s to tell her about what happened. I tried to get her to come back to town. Thought she’d at least come for the wedding, but she don’t want to leave her animals.” Granny was a stubborn old codger. “I’m going to take her and her animals out to the ranch to stay with us until Renfro and Tom are caught. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
“No, of course not.” She squeezed his arm. “But do be careful.”
It felt kind of good having someone care whether you came back. “Recon I’ll see you in the morning.” He backed out of her embrace, and walked backwards to the door, not wanting to lose sight of her until the last moment.
Chapter 21
Ramee drew in a breath as Mrs. Hollingsworth’s hands fumbled with the back buttons of the creation she’d chosen to be her wedding dress. She’d made it for Carianne’s debutant ball, but a better wedding gown couldn’t have been made. The richly embroidered ivory bodice flowed into a solid panel in front, while an overskirt of purest white gossamer silk draped into shimmering folds at the sides and gathered in back to fall into a train.
They’d turned the pastor’s study into a dressing room, and she heard voices through the door. Everyone was gathering in the pews, waiting for her. Her hands gripped the edges of the cold wooden desk. The small clock sitting on the desk showed five minutes till eleven. It was taking Mrs. Hollingsworth quite a while to button the forty-eight pearl buttons that ran down the back, and Ramee glanced to her side, catching sight of her reflection in the window panes.
She’d known Josh Volker only twelve days. Was she doing the right thing? She pondered that question for about ten seconds before dismissing it.
“Are you quite certain you want to go through with this, Miss Abbott?” Mrs. Hollingsworth had finished, and now she held the short cape which completed Ramee’s ensemble. She didn’t have a veil, but Lil had dressed her hair in ringlets woven with strands of imitation pearls. She looked as much like a bride as any woman ever had.
“Of course I’m certain. I love him with my whole heart.”
“It’s just that Mr. Volker is such a handsome young man and rather brooding. For some reason young ladies love brooding men. Perhaps it’s just my fancy, but he reminds me of Rochester in that book you lent me.”
Ramee laughed. “He’s nothing like Rochester, and the circumstances are entirely different. If Josh has been in a melancholy frame of mind, it’s because he’s concerned about his cousin, who’s being hunted for murder and will likely hang. And Josh worries the outlaws will take refuge at his grandmother’s house and bring her harm.” He had other worries about his finances, but that would remain private.
Lil poked her head in the door. “They’re ready. Oh, my dear, how beautiful. There’s a cowboy out there who’s going to be the envy of every bachelor in town.” She thrust a bouquet of lilies of the valley toward Ramee. “These came out of my garden.”
Ramee took the flowers with a shaking hand. She hugged Lil. “Thank you…and thank you, Mrs. Hollingsworth. Are all brides this nervous?”
Lil chuckled. “I expect so, but all of us survive.”
With Lil ahead of her and Mrs. Hollingsworth following, Ramee entered the church. There was no wedding march. No music. She went straight to where Josh stood in front of a silver haired gentleman Ramee assumed must be the circuit preacher. The little church didn’t have a pastor.
She sent one sweeping glance around the room and found the pews filled with strangers. No, she was the stranger, as was Josh, but she resolved to become friends with them all in the days and years to come. A man, dressed all in black, stood at the back as if guarding the place. He had no need to stand. There was plenty of sitting room left. Maybe he worked for Rafe, who towered at front with slicked back hair and dressed in his Sunday best.
When Ramee’s eyes fell on her groom, she forgot all others.
How handsome he was in a black suit and string tie. His smile warmed her as he took her hand, squeezing it. The depth of love in his deep blue eyes chased all doubts from her.
The preacher’s “ah hum” made them both look straight ahead. The man held a Bible in his hand, thou
gh he didn’t open it as he recited from various scripture. Then he addressed the congregation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we come together to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If there be any present who knows of a reason why they should not be so joined, I charge you to speak now or forever hold your peace.”
“I have a reason.”
Everyone, including Ramee and Josh turned their heads. The man in black raised a rifle in one hand and held a paper in the other as he came down the aisle.
A gasp went up, and Ramee felt Josh tighten his hold.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Rafe stepped in front of Josh and Ramee.
The man leveled a hateful gaze at Ramee. “Young lady, you’re about to marry a wanted man.” He thrust out the flyer to Rafe. “He’s a fugitive from justice, wanted for murder.”
A woman screamed. Ramee put a fist to her mouth, realizing it came from her. She caught a glimpse of the wanted poster. Wanted Dead or Alive. Below was a perfect likeness of her Josh.
Men gathered around, pulling him from her. She clawed at them as the women surrounded her. She heard Josh calling her name as if from afar. Her legs buckled, then darkness swallowed her.
Chapter 22
Josh paced like a caged animal. Three steps left, three steps right was all the eight-by-eight cell allowed. The outside door opened and Rafe returned. Josh grabbed the bars. “How is Ramee?” He’d seen her faint in the church, but couldn’t break loose from the men holding him.
“Ramee’s doing fine. Better than you, I recon. The women are taking care of her, but what are we doing to do about you?” Rafe held the wanted poster in one hand.
“You know I didn’t kill anyone, Rafe. That’s not my picture, it’s Tom. He must have given them my name when they arrested him.”
Rafe slapped the poster on the corner of his desk and pulled off his hat. “It’s my fault.” He scratched his head. “When I got word about the Wells Fargo holdup, it just mentioned the last name. When I read Volker, I assumed it was Tom.”
The Annex Mail-Order Brides: Preque (Intrigue Under Western Skies Book 0) Page 20