by Mary Burton
“You’ve done more good than you realize.”
Nick nodded. “Good to know.”
“Well, let me get some breakfast so we can get this marriage ceremony going.” The old man walked inside the house.
Nick stayed with the horses. He unsaddled the pastor’s horse and took the blanket off his own. Like it or not, he’d be here for a few more hours.
He heard the women greet the minister. Ellie’s voice mingled with Annie’s. It bothered him that the last time he’d seen Ellie, she’d had red-rimmed eyes. Her pale face would haunt him for years to come.
Nick sighed. There was no changing the truth. He loved Ellie.
ELLIE WAS SURPRISED when Nick didn’t leave, and secretly glad. However she kept her emotions in check. The reverend had said Nick had agreed to wait so that they could travel together. Ellie did her best not to read any more emotion into Nick’s action.
Reverend Johnson’s easy manner and kindness helped ease her frayed nerves. She liked the old man. He possessed a youthful spirit.
As the minister ate, the sun broke through the lingering clouds. By the time he’d finished his coffee, the sky was clear, as though it had never rained. Annie and Mike could be married outside after all, just as they’d hoped.
The minister and Mike left the cabin so that Ellie could help Annie dress in a lovely yellow calico that set off her blond hair and blue eyes just right. She fixed Annie’s hair in a neat chignon that accentuated her high cheekbones.
Annie sat fidgeting with the trim on her cuff as Ellie fed and changed Rose. By the time she was done, there was barely time to brush her own hair and dust the flour from the skirts of the store-bought blue calico. She’d loved to have taken more time with her appearance, especially since Nick was staying for the ceremony. But the time simply wasn’t there.
As she headed toward the door with Rose, she took one last glance at the wedding cake, which sat in the middle of the table. The two-tiered cake was adorned with fresh white and blue flowers. Around it, newly scrubbed plates, dishes and spoons waited for the guests. Fresh coffee simmered on the stove.
Everything was perfect.
Almost.
“Ladies,” the minister called. “We’re ready for you.”
Annie stood at the threshold of the front door, her eyes wide. “This is it.”
Ellie, with the baby on her shoulder, smiled. “You look lovely.”
Annie smoothed her hands over her dress. “Do you think so? I feel kinda foolish dressed like this. I’m used to my buskins and chaps. Mike picked the dress out for me while we were in town.”
She’d never seen her friend so nervous. “It looks lovely. You look lovely.”
“I never thought that I would be so agitated when we got married. I mean, we made our pledge in front of my father’s people and, well, we’ve shared blankets. It’s not like there are any surprises left.”
Ellie envied her friend. She was marrying the man she loved. “I think every time we pledge our love, we open ourselves up. A marriage ceremony, no matter how many times it’s done, is much the same.”
She swallowed. “I’ve never been good about speaking my emotions.”
Ellie look Annie’s hand in hers. Despite the warm day, her fingers were as cold as ice. “It’s okay.”
Annie lifted her shoulders. “I think the menfolk are getting impatient.”
“Then let’s not keep them waiting.”
The women moved outside to the front porch.
Annie’s gaze went directly to Mike. Ellie’s gaze went to Nick, who stood by the corral.
His eyes were partially shadowed by the brim of his hat, but she could see that he was staring at her. His gaze traveled over her like a caress. Every muscle in her body quivered. She wanted nothing more than to reach out to him. Sadly, there was no going back.
Her throat felt raw as she faced Annie and Mike.
The minister held a large book. Its black leather was well worn, the spine cracked in two places. The book flopped opened directly to the marriage ceremony.
He peered over his glasses at Mike and Annie. “Ready?”
Mike squeezed Annie’s hand. “We are.”
In the background, majestic mountains touched a crystal-blue sky. A gentle breeze brushed the tall grass. It was a perfect day.
Annie smiled up at Mike. “Yes, we are.”
Ellie patted Rose on the back. They couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful day to marry, she thought.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and woman.” The minister’s deep voice floated over Ellie’s head. There’d been a few fleeting moments when she’d pictured herself standing in front of a minister with Nick at her side. The fact that she never would broke her heart.
Rose started to fuss and she shifted the baby to her other shoulder. She’d love to slip away from this ceremony and have a good cry.
“I do,” Mike said.
His clear, strong voice brought Ellie back to the moment. She blinked away tears and watched as Annie recited her vows.
Suddenly she was aware that Nick was standing directly behind her. She sniffed, praying she’d not blubber like a fool and make a spectacle of herself. He placed his hands on her shoulders. Her muscles tensed. Then the warmth of his fingers seeped into her, dashing away all the fear and the tension.
He pressed his lips close to her ear. “Marry me.”
She didn’t dare look at him. But her body was very aware of him. His touch. His scent. The rise and fall of his chest.
The minister completed the ceremony and pronounced Annie and Mike husband and wife. Only when the newlyweds kissed did Ellie turn around and look up into Nick’s eyes.
“You said you never wanted to see me again,” she said.
He sighed. “I was angry. And I also said hurtful things. I am sorry.”
“We both made mistakes.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “Marry me,” he said again. “Let us build a life together.”
She stared, shocked by his proposal. “What about Frank and the gold?”
“I’ll have to deal with both. We’ll have no peace until that problem is resolved. But after I am done with him, it’ll be just you, me and Rose.” He cupped the child’s small head in his large hand. “I’ll be a good father to her.”
Tears did stream down her face at that. “Nick, are you really sure about this? I lived at the Silver Slipper all my life. People don’t think the best of me for it.”
“We’re making a fresh start here. The past doesn’t matter.”
She hugged him close. “I will make you a good wife, I swear.”
He kissed her on the lips. He tasted so good.
Nick pulled away from Ellie with some effort. “Reverend Johnson.”
The old man, who’d been talking to Annie and Mike, looked at him with expectant eyes. “Yes?”
“We got one more ceremony for you to perform.”
The minister grinned. He reached into his breast pocket and retrieved his book.
Annie and Mike looked shocked.
“Are you sure about this, Ellie?” Annie asked, going to her.
Ellie glanced up at Nick. Her heart swelled with love. “Never more sure of anything in my life.”
Annie shook her head as she met Nick’s gaze. “Oh, this mothering business is more upsetting than I thought. Take good care of my girls, Mr. Baron, or my Arapaho brothers and I will hunt you down.”
Nick nodded, his eyes full of respect.
Ellie felt mortified. And loved and cherished by Annie. No one had cared about her like this before.
The minister turned back the pages of his book. “Well, let’s get started.”
Nick took Rose from Ellie and laid the child on his shoulder. The baby cooed and sucked her fist. He patted her on the back. Ellie knew then that she’d never love another man like she loved Nick Baron.
“Dearly beloved, again,” the minister said, smiling. “We are gathered here on this glorious
day to join Nick and Ellie in holy matrimony.”
Nick wrapped his hand around Ellie’s. Warmth and a sense of security radiated through her body. She’d never seen a man more handsome.
It didn’t matter that her dress wasn’t fine or that he wore mud-splattered chaps. She didn’t need special lace or a white dress. Nick was all she wanted.
“Do you, Nick, take Ellie to be your wife?” the minister asked.
“I do,” he said in a confident voice.
Ellie’s heart swelled. Annie sniffed back a tear as Mike wrapped his arm around his new wife.
“Ellie, do you take Nick as your husband?”
“I do.” Lord, but her heart felt as if it would burst. Ellie would be a good wife to Nick. She swore it to herself and before God.
There were no rings to be exchanged. The minister declared them husband and wife.
Nick didn’t hesitate. He faced Ellie and leaned forward. Gently he kissed her on the lips. “We will make a fine team, you and I. It will be good between us.”
“I know.”
They all retired to the house. Ellie laid a sleeping Rose in her cradle. Nervous excitement bubbled inside her as she moved into the kitchen to eat the luncheon she’d prepared. She had outdone herself with the offering for her friend’s wedding. She’d put so much love and care into its making, never realizing that the cake would also celebrate her own marriage.
“The cake is so lovely,” Annie said. “You’ve a gift with food, Ellie.”
“You make cooking sound special. It’s not.”
Annie shook her head, her eyes quite serious. “You nurture the soul. Your cooking brings happiness and life to an otherwise sad and lonely house.”
Nick wrapped his arm around her. “My wife doesn’t know her value.”
Ellie felt herself blushing. She wondered how she’d ever get through the meal. Her stomach was full of butterflies and her body sang with a restless energy.
The five sat down to the table filled with breads, jams, roasted chicken and cured ham. The group savored the meal, a rare treat by Montana standards. The reverend talked of his travels and some of the weddings he had performed. Mike offered up stories of his own. He had traveled the state from tip to tip and had met countless people.
Nick, however, was quiet. He would often take Ellie’s hand in his or smile down at her. But he seemed to have no desire to join the conversation.
Ellie’s mind moved to what would happen when they were alone this evening. She had grown up around women who traded their bodies for money. She certainly understood what happened in the bedroom, yet she was painfully aware now of her limited experience. It was one thing to hear about something and quite another to do it.
The group lingered around the table until well past the noon hour. It was the minister who finally rose.
He patted his full belly. “If I don’t get on the trail now, I won’t make it to my next stop before dark. I regret that I have lost my traveling companion, but I can think of no better reason.”
Nick stood. “If you wait a day, I will ride with you to Butte. I still have unfinished business there.”
Ellie glanced up at Nick. She’d forgotten all about Frank and the gold. Nick had not.
“I’d promised an old friend I’d be there by Saturday.”
“He can surely wait an extra day,” Annie said. “Stay and enjoy this lovely day.”
“You tempt me, ma’am, but I must be on my way. My friend is a worrier by nature and I fear he will send the sheriff out looking for me if I do not head out.”
“But it is only a day,” Annie said.
He took Annie’s hand in his. “I have traveled this state since you were a babe. This journey will be simple, like the thousand before it. Besides, two young couples should enjoy their privacy. The world offers precious little of it.”
Nick frowned. “I promised to travel with you.”
“Sir, you will not join me now. Enjoy your new wife.”
“I will catch up to you on the trail,” Nick said.
Ellie held her breath. She didn’t want Nick to leave her ever. Let Frank have his gold.
The minister laughed. “Mr. Baron, do not be in such a rush to catch up to an old man when you have such a lovely wife.”
As the minister walked away, Nick turned to Mike. “I don’t want to leave at all. But Frank must be drawn out. And the best way to do that is to get the gold.”
Mike stood. “Nick, if you don’t mind, I’ll ride with you tomorrow. Annie has told me about your trip and it seems to me an extra hand and gun could be helpful.”
Nick hesitated. Ellie sensed that he’d always worked alone and that accepting help from anyone was a challenge for him. He nodded. “Appreciate it.”
Within a half hour the minister sat astride his horse. Tied to his saddle was a sack of leftover food from the meal. Ellie had seen to it that he would eat well for days.
They all bid the old man goodbye. The couples remained on the front porch watching until the preacher was nearly out of sight. Ellie was glad for the quiet moment. She was in no rush to let go of her new husband.
When they could delay no more, each turned to the chores that needed doing even on a wedding day. Horses demanded feeding, vegetables had to be picked and wagon wheels were in need of repair.
Ellie didn’t see much of Nick for the rest of the day. Though the chores kept her hands busy, her mind returned over and over again to the night. After tonight, she and Nick would be bonded forever.
As the sun started to dip, Ellie finished washing the dinner plates. Nick and Mike had gone to the barn to bed the animals down for the night. She nursed Rose and changed her diaper. Annie dried the last of the dishes.
“I’m going to visit the necessary,” Annie said.
Ellie nodded. “Take a lantern.”
Alone in the cabin, Ellie felt the weight of the coming night on her shoulders. She glanced toward her room. Through the half-open door, she could see the bed.
Ellie glanced up, shocked to see Nick standing on the threshold. Again he’d sneaked up on her without her hearing. “I swear I am going to tie a bell around your neck.”
Even, white teeth flashed. “I will try to move more loudly from now on.” He opened his arms to her and she went to them without hesitation. Wrapped in his embrace, she felt safe.
Her heart tripped. “Annie said the baby could stay upstairs with her tonight.”
“For this night only. After this, she stays with us. She is our girl.”
Tears filled her eyes. “There are things I should tell you about myself, Nick,” she said.
“They don’t matter, Ellie. What matters is this day forward.”
Talking to him about something as intimate as her virginity overwhelmed her with embarrassment. “I don’t want to disappoint you tonight.”
“You won’t.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “I will make you happy, Nick.”
He took her hand in his. “You already do.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ELLIE FOLLOWED NICK to her room. Her window was open and a warm breeze blew through it. Outside, a thousand stars twinkled in the sky. She paused by the window. “Have you ever made a wish on a star?”
He glanced up at the sky. A faint smile touched his lips. “No.”
She tucked a curl behind her ear. “I’ve done it a million times. Every clear night I could get away from the Silver Slipper, I’d sneak outside. I’d get as far away from the music and laughter as I could. And then I’d look up into the sky and wish.”
“What did you wish for?”
She hesitated. She’d never spoken of her starlight wishes to anyone. “There were times I wished my ma was alive. There were other times when I wished I could go to school with the other children. But mostly I wished that I’d have someone to love me.”
He pulled her into an embrace. He hugged her tight and in that moment all the lonely nights she’d ever spent vanished.
; “We are lucky to have found each other, Ellie.” His voice was tight with emotion. “It will be good between us.”
No words of love. But for Ellie, it was enough for now.
He kissed her tenderly, then led her to the bed. Moonlight steamed in through the open window and shone onto her bed. The blankets had been folded down. Beside the bed sat Nick’s saddlebag. His book rested on the bedside table. Already, he’d made the space his own. He’d only been in her life a very short time, and he’d already made a mark on her forever.
Ellie’s stomach twisted as she stared at the bed. Nick laid his hands on her shoulders. She nearly jumped out of her skin. He chuckled. “You’re nervous.”
“Yes.” She looked up at him.
Gently he fingered her collarbone with his thumb. Desire burned in his eyes. He reached for the top button of her bodice and unfastened the first three. He kissed the soft skin at the base of her throat. She hissed in a breath. Bolts of desire shot through her. She threaded her fingers through his hair and lifted his face. She kissed him on the lips, savoring his taste.
Nick smiled. “We’ll not rush this moment. I want to savor every inch of you.”
The heat inside of her nearly exploded. Her body throbbed for him.
He smiled as if he read the lust in her eyes. With painstaking slowness, he unfastened three more buttons. The curve of her breasts swelled over the top of her chemise. He kissed each mound and nibbled gently at the tender skin.
Ellie reached for the remaining buttons of her bodice and unfastened them to her waist. Nick pushed her bodice off her shoulders and past her hips. The dress dropped to the floor. The cool evening air brushed her warm skin.
He stared down at her breasts as they rose and fell. Her nipples puckered and strained against the thin fabric of her chemise. Her breath grew shallow.
She reached between her breasts for the faded pink ribbon tied into a neat bow. She tugged it free. Her chemise slipped off her shoulder. Nick kissed that bare shoulder as he cupped a taut breast in his hand.
“You taste sweet and salty at the same time.”