Dude Ranch Bride

by Madeline Baker

  “Easy, girl,” he chided softly, but she wasn’t listening. She was covering his face and neck with kisses.

  He didn’t realize the elevator had come to a stop or that the doors had opened until he heard a round of applause and catcalls. Peering over Cindy’s shoulder, he saw a half dozen people standing in front of the elevator.

  Taking Cindy by the hand, he made a slight bow, then they stepped out of the car and hurried through the lobby.

  Ethan was laughing out loud by the time they reached the truck. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her again. “You did say yes, right?”

  “Stop laughing!”

  “Come on, you have to admit that was pretty funny.”

  “Not!”

  “It will be. In twenty years, you’ll be telling our twelve kids all about it.”

  That did make her laugh.

  “Come on,” he said, “let’s go look for a ring.”

  Cindy could barely contain her excitement as they entered a jewelry store and sat down at a counter. A moment later, a clerk approached them.

  “May I help you?” he asked.

  “We’d like to see some engagement and wedding rings,” Ethan said.

  The clerk beamed at them. “Very good, sir. Are you interested in gold, white gold or platinum?”

  Ethan looked at Cindy, one brow raised.

  “I like white gold. What do you like?”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  Unlocking the glass case, the clerk pulled out a velvet-covered tray that held an assortment of diamond rings.

  Ethan shook his head. “Not those.”

  Cindy tugged on his hand. “Ethan, those are fine.”

  “Not for you.” He pointed to another section. “We’d like to see those.”

  “Are you sure, sir?”

  A muscle twitched in Ethan’s jaw. “I’m sure.”

  “Oh, Ethan,” she breathed. “They’re beautiful, but they must cost a fortune.”

  “It’ll be a good investment,” he said. “After all, you’ll be wearing them for the rest of your life. Which ones do you like?”

  She looked them over carefully, but there was no need. She’d known the set she wanted as soon as the man pulled the tray out of the case. The engagement ring had a diamond in the center that was large without being ostentatious and there were three smaller diamonds on each side. “This one.”

  “Excellent choice,” the clerk said. “Would you like to try them on?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said, and held out her hand.

  The clerk slipped the rings on her finger and pronounced them a perfect fit. The diamonds winked under the lights.

  The clerk looked at Ethan. “Will you be taking them with you?”

  Ethan nodded. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out a credit card and handed it to the clerk.

  “May I?” the clerk said, and removed the rings from her finger. Putting the tray back in the case, he locked it up and put the key in his pocket. “I’ll just be a few minutes,” he said, and disappeared into the back of the store.

  Ethan looked at Cindy. “Don’t worry,” he said. “My credit’s good.”

  “But it’s so much money. Are you sure. . .?”

  He covered her mouth with his fingertips. “I don’t want to hear any more about it. I wouldn’t buy them if I couldn’t afford it.” Of course, it meant that he’d have to put off buying that piece of land he’d been saving up for.

  “All right.”

  The clerk returned ten minutes later. He handed Ethan his credit card and a small sack bearing the name of the store. “Thank you, Mr. Stormwalker,” he said. “Please come back if you need anything else.”

  The clerk’s voice was edged with a note of respect that had been missing before, Ethan noted, and figured it was because his credit card had been accepted.

  With a nod, Ethan stood up. He offered Cindy his hand and they left the store.

  “I’d better get you back to the hospital,” he said, “before your brother calls the cops.”

  She nodded. “I guess so.” She slid her arm through his and they walked back to the truck.

  The ball was over, she thought. It was time to get back to work.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The family was getting ready to go out to lunch when Cindy returned to her father’s room.

  “You’re just in time,” her mother said. She kissed Jordan on the cheek. “You get some rest now. We’ll be back soon.” Smiling, she linked her arm with Cindy’s and they left the room, with Joe and his brood following behind. “Where would you like to go for lunch?”

  “I don’t care,” Cindy replied, “as long as Ethan’s welcome to come with us.”

  “Mother, I don’t think—”

  “Joe, I know what you think.” Claire stopped and turned to face her son. “And I think you’d better get used to the idea of having Ethan around.”

  Joe stared at his mother and then at Cindy. “You aren’t . . . don’t tell me. . .” He raked a hand through his hair. “You’re not going to marry that guy?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I am.”

  “Dad will never. . .” Joe shook his head. “It’s your funeral. Sorry, Mother,” he said. “Poor choice of words, all things considered. If no one has any objections, the kids want to go to the Burger Barn for lunch.”

  “Fine with me,” Cindy said. She smiled as they rounded the corner and she saw Ethan.

  He saw her at the same time. He smiled, and then frowned when he saw Joe and his family trailing in her wake.

  “Hi,” she said. “We’re going out to lunch.”

  He looked at her, one brow raised. “We?”

  “All of us,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on.”

  Ethan looked at Cindy’s mother, awaiting her approval.

  “All of us,” Claire said. “That means you, too.”

  “It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Cindy asked.

  They were sitting in the gazebo with their arms wrapped around each other. Her mother and the rest of the family had gone to bed a couple of hours ago, but Cindy was too keyed up to go to bed. She didn’t want to waste time sleeping, not when she could be with Ethan.

  “Bad’s a relative term, I guess,” he replied.

  “And my relatives are bad—is that what you’re saying?”

  He grinned at her. “Your mother’s all right, but that brother of yours. . .” Ethan shook his head. “The word anal comes to mind.”

  “He’s not so bad, just a little snooty.”

  “Uh-huh. At least Lance likes me.”

  Cindy smiled. When it came to Ethan, Lance had a severe case of hero worship. “Maybe we could invite him to the ranch next summer,” she suggested. “I know he’d love it.”

  “Sure.”

  She snuggled closer, overcome by a sense of utter peace and happiness. They sat there for a time, content to be quietly close.

  “Ethan?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Would you dance for me?”

  “Here? Now?”

  “Here. Now. Just for me.” Sensing he was about to refuse, she said, “Please?”

  “I think you should dance for me.”

  She felt herself blush, as she always did, whenever he suggested such a thing. She wanted to dance for him, had thought of it often, but she could never quite summon the nerve. “I will,” she said. “Someday I will.”

  With a shake of his head, he stood and stripped off his shirt and T-shirt. He stood there a moment, and then he began to dance.

  She leaned forward, her gaze never leaving him as he danced for her under the light of the moon. There were no words, no music, yet she knew he was telling her how much he loved her, that he was offering her his whole heart and soul, promising her that he would love her and cherish her not only for this life but into the eternities beyond.

  There were tears in her eyes when he finished. He stood there a moment, his dark eyes intent upon her face, and then, kneeling in front of her, he took her
hand in his.

  “I love you, Cindy. Will you be my wife?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small velvet box and opened it, then slipped the engagement ring on her finger. “I’ll try to make you happy so long as I live,” he said fervently. “From this day on, I will live and die just for you.”

  She didn’t know what to say, wasn’t sure if, at that moment, she was capable of coherent speech. Tears filled her eyes, overflowing from the depths of a heart filled with love.

  Gazing into her eyes, he drew her down into his lap and sealed his words upon her soul with a kiss.

  They announced their engagement during breakfast the following morning. Cindy’s mother accepted the news of their engagement with a smile and a tear. “I think I always knew you would end up together,” she said, hugging first Cindy and then Ethan. “There was always a special glow in her eyes when she looked at you, a warmth in her voice when she spoke your name. I hope you’ll be very happy together.”

  Cindy kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mom.”

  “I’ll do my best to make your daughter happy,” Ethan said.

  “I think you’re doing that already,” Claire said. “Just promise you’ll come to visit us often.”

  “We will,” Cindy said.

  “Where do you plan to live?” Joe asked.

  “Wherever Ethan wants to,” Cindy said.

  Her brother shook his head in disgust and left the room.

  “I’m sorry,” Kim said. “He can be a real pain in the. . .” She glanced at her kids, who were sitting on the floor playing Monopoly. “In the fanny.” She hugged Cindy. “I hope you’ll be happy, both of you.”

  “So.” Claire resumed her seat. “Have you set the date?”

  Cindy looked at Ethan. “No.”

  “It’s up to you.” He grinned at her. “The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Me, too,” Cindy agreed. “How about next week?”

  “Next week!” Claire exclaimed. “We can’t plan a wedding in a week. And what about your father? He might not be well enough to—” She broke off, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m sorry, it’s up to you, of course. Whatever you decide will be fine with us.”

  Cindy bit down on her lower lip, then looked at her mother. “Do you think Dad will walk me down the aisle?”

  “I don’t know, honey. But I’m sure Lance will if your father won’t.”

  Cindy looked at Ethan. “Maybe we should just elope.”

  “Whatever you want, darlin’.”

  “Well, I really would like a small church wedding. Just you and me and our families.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Ethan said.

  “Mom, will you talk to Dad?”

  Claire gave her hand a squeeze. “Honey, I think that’s something you’ll have to do yourself.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Ethan said.

  “You don’t expect me to face him alone, do you?”

  Ethan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I think it’ll be better for his health if you go in alone. You know how he feels about me.”

  “All right,” Cindy said. “Give me a kiss for luck.”

  “You’ll need it.” He kissed her soundly, turned her around to face the door and gave her a pat on her shapely behind. “Go get ‘em, darlin’.”

  Taking a deep breath, Cindy opened the door to her father’s room and stepped inside.

  He was sitting up in bed, looking much better than he had in days. His color was good, some of the tubes and wires were gone, and he looked more like himself.

  “Hi, Dad.” She moved to stand beside the bed, her hands worrying the straps of her handbag. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” He glanced at the door. “Where’s your mother?”

  “She’ll be here in a little while. I wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes.”

  “Oh. About what? She’s not sick, is she? All this worrying over me can’t be doing her blood pressure any good.”

  “She’s fine, Dad.”

  He grunted softly. “Have you heard from Paul?”

  Cindy took a deep breath and let it out in a long slow sigh. “No.” There was only one way to say it, and she said it in a rush. “I’m getting married, Dad, to Ethan Stormwalker, and I’d very much like for you to walk me down the aisle.”

  Her father stared at her, blinked and stared again. “You want my blessing to marry that Indian dancer?”

  “Yes. I love you, Daddy. I want you to be there.”

  He cleared his throat, reached for a glass and took a drink of water. “I don’t like it. I don’t like any of it. He’s not good enough for you. What has he got? Nothing.”

  “I love him.”

  He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed, and then he sighed. “You’re my only daughter. Of course I’ll be there. And if you need anything . . . money, anything . . . just—”

  She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Dad!” She kissed him again. “I’ve got to go tell Ethan, and I’ve a million things to do. I’ll see you later. Bye, Daddy, I love you!”

  Ethan didn’t have to be a mind-reader to know what Cindy’s old man had said. Her eyes were sparkling, her face glowing with happiness, when she left his room.

  Caught up in her happiness, Ethan lifted her off the ground and swung her around, pleased that her father thought more of his daughter’s happiness than carrying a grudge.

  They set the date for the wedding that night, called to reserve the church the next morning, and then, to Cindy’s dismay, Ethan told her he had to get back to the ranch.

  “Will I see you again before the wedding?” she asked.

  “Not unless you come to the ranch,” he said. “We’re booked solid the next couple of weeks.” He brushed a kiss across the tip of her nose. “I’m sorry, darlin’.”

  She sighed heavily.

  “You’re sure about this, Cindy? Sure you want to marry me?”

  “Of course I am! Why?”

  “I guess I just can’t believe you’re willing to leave all this.”

  “It’s just things, you know. Things aren’t important. But you are.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, a kiss meant to last until he saw her again.

  Hand in hand, they walked to his truck.

  “I’ll see you at the church if not before,” she said. “Don’t be late.”

  One more lingering kiss, and he was gone.

  The next two weeks passed quickly. Her mother had returned her old trousseau to the stores, and Cindy went out and bought a new one. Instead of cocktail dresses, she bought Western shirts and skirts and jeans. Instead of a fur coat, she bought a sheepskin jacket. Instead of high-heeled shoes, she bought sneakers and boots. And for her wedding night, she bought a gossamer white nightgown.

  They ordered flowers. She bought a ring for Ethan. Cindy asked Kim to be her maid of honor. There wouldn’t be any bridesmaids this time. Ethan called and asked Lance to be his best man. Her brother was thrilled and strutted around the house as though he had just won the lottery. In the midst of all these preparations, her father came home, looking almost as robust as he had before he got sick.

  Ethan called her every night and they spent hours on the phone, daydreaming about their future, making plans for their honeymoon in Hawaii.

  And suddenly it was the day of the wedding.

  Cindy woke to the ringing of the phone beside her bed. “Hello,” she said, yawning.

  “What are you doing in bed? It’s your wedding day.”

  “Ethan.” She melted inside at the sound of his voice.

  “Still love me?”

  “More than ever.” She rolled over on her stomach and looked at the clock on the bedside table. “Just think, in eight hours and fifteen minutes, I’ll be Mrs. Ethan Stormwalker.”

  He chuckled softly. “I’m counting the hours, too, darlin’, belie
ve me.”

  “Are you?”

  “I love you, darlin’,” he said, his voice husky. “See you soon. I’ll be the nervous one in the rented tux.”

  Eight hours later, Cindy stood beside her father, her hand resting lightly on his arm. They had picked a rustic church set amid towering pines. Both of their families were there, along with a few close friends. Sally Whitefeather beamed at Cindy from a pew near the front.

  Cindy smoothed a hand down the front of her gown. Her father had declared it a foolish extravagance to buy a new wedding dress when she had one that was still practically new, but Cindy and her mother had been so appalled at the notion of Cindy wearing the same gown that he hadn’t said another word about it, or even asked what this one cost.

  There were no second thoughts as her father walked her down the aisle. Cindy smiled happily at her mother and her brothers, and then fixed her gaze on Ethan. Other than the night they had gone dancing at the lodge, she had never seen him in anything but jeans and T-shirts or his dance costume. Now, seeing him in a tuxedo, with his long black hair swept away from his face, he was easily the sexiest, handsomest man she had ever seen, and she determined there and then that she would never let him out of her sight.

  Ethan watched his bride walk down the aisle, her face radiant. She was a vision in a gown of white satin, an angel in the guise of a woman. Love swelled in his heart and he thanked all the gods, red and white, for giving him one more chance to find happiness with the only woman he had ever loved.

  And then she was there, beside him. He gazed deep into her eyes. There were no doubts there, only love that would last a lifetime.

  “Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”

  Jordan Wagner cleared his throat. “Her mother and I do.” He gave Cindy’s hand a squeeze and placed it in Ethan’s.

  “I love you.” She mouthed the words as Ethan’s fingers closed around hers.

  “I love you.”

  Lost in the love she saw in Ethan’s eyes, she found it took all the concentration she could muster to listen to the solemn words that made her Ethan Stormwalker’s wife. Beautiful words that bound her to the man of her dreams. Tears welled in her eyes as he repeated the vows that made him her husband, and then he was lifting her veil, taking her in his arms. He gazed down at her, his dark eyes filled with love and the promise of forever.