by Kate Morris
He slides it onto her finger, and it fits but is just slightly loose. Two diamonds on either side flank the center emerald. It’s beautiful but looks like something the Princess of Wales should be wearing, not some post-apocalyptic survivor who cleans horse stalls and digs in gardens.
“I don’t need anything this fancy,” she tells him.
Cory shrugs, “It might be the only fancy thing I’m ever able to give you.”
She scoffs. “You built me a house.”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s not done yet. And it’s certainly not what you’d call fancy.”
“It might as well be a castle, Cory,” she comments. Then Paige remembers something and pulls her Swiss Army knife from the front pocket of her jeans.
“I didn’t see it going this badly,” he jokes as he watches her.
She smiles and slips the blade under the black and brown leather strips around her wrist and slices. “These always bother you. I think it’s finally time for them to go.”
She hands them to Cory, who takes them with great deference and nods. “I’ll never let anything happen to you, Red.”
“I know,” she says with certainty and leans up for another kiss. “Just don’t let anything happen to you.”
“Deal,” he agrees.
Cory takes the leather strings and places them on the thick, wood mantel of the fireplace as if he wants them there for sentimental purpose. Then he pulls that gold bracelet attached to the black cord around his neck off and wraps it around her wrist. It brings tears to her eyes knowing it belonged to Emma and that he still wants her to have it after she’d given it back.
“After Em, this was always meant to be yours,” he says and lifts her wrist where he places a kiss near the bracelet, bringing more tears to her eyes.
“So were you,” she says and touches the side of her face. He turns his head into her hand and kisses her palm.
“Want the rest of the tour?”
She nods and smiles widely. She hasn’t felt this happy for a long time, probably not since she reunited with her brother.
“And Simon’s ok with this? Really?”
He nods over his shoulder as he leads her to the bedrooms and bathroom, “Yep. Got the Professor’s approval before anyone else.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Nah, he loves me. He was just protecting your honor when we got into it. He was right, too. I would have less respect for Simon if he hadn’t done what he did. You’re his sister. I would’ve pounded me to a pulp, too.”
He pauses before opening the last door on the left. When he does, Cory expels a held breath.
“I thought this could be Tessa’s room,” he tells her.
Paige swiftly looks up at him. Then she enters the room that he’s obviously decorated with a little girl in mind.
“If you don’t want to adopt her, I understand,” he says and jams his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
This breaks her heart. “No, I do, Cory. I do want to adopt her. We should do it as soon as possible. I feel terrible that she’s living in town. She’s so precious, and she obviously loves you. We should…”
Her words are cut off as his mouth swoops down over hers in a deep kiss. When he pulls back, Paige smiles and walks around the room looking at everything. There is even a pretty yellow and pink quilt on the bed.
“Evie made that,” he tells her. “And our bed quilt, too. She’s really good at sewing.”
She tries not to let jealousy prick her bubble of happiness. It’s tough to do.
“She wants to talk to you, too,” he says and places his hands back in his pockets again.
This makes her a little anxious. “Me? Why?”
“I talked to her a while back about all this and got her opinion. She’s been waiting for this day. I told her I’d ride over tonight to tell her what your answer was. She said if you said ‘yes’ then she wanted to talk to you. I asked her why and she said it wasn’t for me to know.”
“Oh, sounds…ominous,” she comments, worried the woman will beat the tar out of her for stealing away Cory. She doesn’t seem like that kind of person. She has actually been just the opposite and has even pushed for her to get together with Cory. She’s still nervous about meeting with her.
Cory chuckles and says, “Evie Johnson is the last woman on earth I’d call ominous. You, maybe. Evie? No.”
“Hey,” she scolds gently.
He cups her cheek and kisses her forehead. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you, Red.”
“Not even a little?”
“Well,” he says, leading her from the room. “Maybe I might make you agree with me more.”
Paige groans. “What did I just get myself into?”
“You just agreed to marry the best catch in the county.”
“Oh, boy,” she teases and rolls her eyes. “And humble.”
“And sexy,” he adds.
He closes the damper on the fireplace and leads her from the house back out into the cold evening air. She keeps looking down at her hand and the ring there since she didn’t put her gloves back on. They hold hands all the way back to the house, and she hasn’t felt so relaxed in a long, long time. Maybe the salt trader is right. Maybe everything will get better.
The family is over the moon when they announce their engagement before dinner. All except Ari, of course, who glares at her.
“Sorry, kiddo,” Cory explains gently. “Red’s just got a few years on you. You know you’ll always be my girl, though, right?”
She sighs dramatically and pushes her long, brown ponytail back. “Yeah, I guess.”
Then she sends Paige another nasty look and retreats to the other room with her brothers. Sue apologizes, but Paige tells her not to worry about it and follows after Ari.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Yeah, what?” Ari asks impudently.
“Well, Cory wants to get married as soon as possible, in the next week or so, and I don’t have any bridesmaids yet. Would you be interested? Maybe you and Sam?”
“Do I have to wear a dress?” she asks with a wrinkle of her pert nose.
“Not if you don’t want to,” Paige tells her with a smile.
“Yeah, ok. Fine, I’ll do it.”
When she returns to the dining room, Sue hugs and thanks her. She understands perfectly. When she was that age, she had a crush on her father’s security guard and driver. He was in his early thirties, and she thought she’d never find another man to replace him. She can safely say she successfully replaced him with Cory.
He takes her over to Evie’s on horseback, which she protests at first, of course. Once there, they are greeted by the whole Johnson clan, who want to offer their congratulations, as well. Then Evie takes her hand and rushes upstairs with her. They go one more flight up into their attic.
“Cory told me about a month ago that he was going to propose,” Evie tells her with excitement.
“He did?”
“Yes, and I’ve been dying with the anticipation. He was worried you’d say no. Naturally. Of course, he should worry. I mean, he is Cory, after all. Not exactly marriage material. But, oh, Paige, I’m so happy for you two. I just knew it would work out.”
“That makes one of us,” she says, trying not to let her words sting. She doesn’t like it that he still talks to Evie about her or their personal life. She even knew before Paige that she was going to be proposed to.
Evie laughs, hangs her lantern on a nail sticking out of a support beam, and kneels before a cedar chest. “I don’t know if you’d even be interested or not or if you have plans, but I have something for you if you want it.”
She opens the chest and pulls out a cardboard box, lays it on the floor of the attic and removes the lid. Then she pushes aside tissue paper and pulls out a wedding gown.
“It was mine. This is what I wore when I married my husband years ago.”
“Oh,” Paige whispers, knowing Evie’s husband died and that she was very
much in love with him.
“I understand if it’s not your style or if you want to alter it in any way. I just don’t like that it’s sitting up here collecting dust. I don’t have a daughter, so I don’t have anyone to hand it down to.”
“You want me to have your wedding dress?”
“Yes, absolutely,” she says and holds it up in front of her so that Paige can better view it. “It would mean so much to me if you took it. But like I said, don’t feel obligated. I know it isn’t or wasn’t the style before the fall. I was married a long time ago, so the styles changed a few times since.”
“It’s…beautiful,” she comments, regarding the slim-fitting, clean lines and white silk. “I just…I mean, I can’t take your wedding gown, Evie.”
“Oh, no!” she responds. “Well, I don’t blame you if you don’t like it…”
“No, no. That’s not what I mean at all. It’s gorgeous, just what I’d want if I went shopping for a new one if there were still dress shops,” she says with a chuckle, which Evie returns. “I’d just feel weird using your dress.”
“Why? Because Cory and I…well, you know what I mean.”
She swallows hard as her eyes grow large. This is very awkward.
“You don’t have to feel that way, Paige. I really like you. Cory and I weren’t in love with each other. We were just both really, really sad and lonely. I’d lost my husband. I was all alone. He lost Emma. It was a bad situation, and we just tried to comfort each other. Honestly, I don’t love Cory. Well, that’s not true, either. I do love him, just not like you do. He’s like a really and truly good friend. And I’m glad you make him happy, but I never had with Cory what you do. My love is waiting for me in heaven, and I’ll see him again someday. Cory hasn’t been happy for a long time, Paige. I’m glad it was you that could bring him back.”
She doesn’t know what to say. This woman has never been anything but kind to her, and Paige has always felt a certain amount of jealousy toward her. Guilt hits her like a tidal wave.
“I’m sorry,” Evie continues, misreading Paige’s expression of guilt. “I shouldn’t have even suggested this. That was stupid on my part.”
She begins hastily folding the gown back up, so Paige reaches out and touches her arm.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry, Evie. It’s just…” she stops and emits a soft groan. Explaining everything would be too hard because most of it was a battle she waged internally. “I’d love to wear it. I think it’s a gorgeous gown.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to. I don’t know what I was thinking even suggesting it.”
“No, I’d be honored. As a matter of fact, I’d be honored if you were a bridesmaid, too.”
“Really?” she asks, tears threatening to spill over. “Oh, Paige, that’s so sweet. Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I’m positive. I think this is more generous than I deserve. I’d like you to be there as my witness.”
Evie pulls her sharply against her, and they hug with the wedding dress crushed between them. In this moment, she realizes that this woman will be a lifelong friend. They cry and laugh and hug some more. Then Cory rides her by the Reynolds farm so she can tell her friend Talia. There are more tears. Then they ride home, and Paige turns in for the night. Evie promised to press the gown and bring it over in a few days. She sleeps so well that it’s almost like the end of the world never happened and she is safe and secure and loved, truly loved by someone she can trust with her heart.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Sam
After they finish their clinic day, everyone who is invited to Paige and Cory’s wedding in town gets cleaned up and ready to go. She and her uncle will be going, along with Dave, his family, some of the people in the compound and Henry. It’s an exciting day. Sam is so happy for her friend.
They were going to hold a quaint, small ceremony at the farm, but once word got out, the town decided they wanted to throw a big party and have everyone share and celebrate in their special day. It isn’t often that they actually have anything to feel jubilant about, and Sam suspects they want one, nice day to spend time with friends and loved ones and come together and worship in Cory and Paige’s love for each other. She knows they also want to celebrate the end of the highwaymen and their reign of fear and terror over people.
“Ready to go?” she asks her uncle when she comes down the stairs in their home and small medical clinic. The guards have gone back to the main compound like they do every day after the clinic is closed. They work at the end of the driveway in a shack the men erected that connects to tall fencing they also built. Nobody is allowed in without checking in at the guard shack. The people are used to it and don’t complain. They know it’s for their own safety and the safety of the volunteers at the clinic. Now their little medical clinic in the woods is completely surrounded, guarded, and safe. There are always two guards that stay the night in the house with them, but Sam is hoping at some point they don’t need them.
He spins at the sound of her voice and offers up a helpless grin. “I’m all thumbs.”
“Let me help,” she says and adjusts his tie.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve worn one of these,” he says with a frown. “Feels odd.”
“Hm, well, you want to look dapper,” she says and explains when he cocks his head to the side. “Word is you have a lot of admirers in town.”
He snorts. “Sure. Just what any nice woman would want, a has-been pediatrician living in a donated house that also subs as his practice.”
“Hey, don’t talk trash about my uncle,” she berates and kisses his freshly shaven cheek.
He smiles and cups her face just briefly. “You look like a little angel, as usual, Samantha. Your mom would’ve loved you in this dress. She was always dressing you like a little girl, even when you weren’t anymore.”
She tries not to let his words affect her, but they do. “I know. Pigtails and ankle socks. Ponytails and rompers.”
“It was hard seeing you grow up, her sweet girl. She loved you so much, honey.”
Sam nods because that’s all she’s capable of without crying. Sometimes she still misses her mother so desperately.
Thankfully, someone outside beeps a horn. They leave, lock the clinic behind them, and are greeted by Henry, who is to be their chauffeur for the evening.
“You look great,” he praises and even holds out a hand so that she can twirl.
“Thanks,” she says, glad for a reason to get cleaned up. Although most of the time Sam would rather be on a horse or doing art, it is nice to get dolled up once in a while. She’s wearing a soft pink bridesmaid dress, care of a trip Cory took with John and Sue to find dresses for the girls. The sleeves are long, although sheer and don’t actually provide that much warmth. At least it’s not sleeveless or strapless. The satin bodice is fitted in a corset style, and the dress comes just to the tops of her knees. She wishes it wasn’t revealing so much cleavage, but she’s stuck with it. She’s pretty sure this dress is not meant to be worn as a bridesmaid’s dress, but it’s the best they could come up with on short notice without making the dresses themselves. Paige hadn’t wanted anyone to go to the trouble, according to Sue, who’d delivered the dress to her. Sam has paired the dress with black opaque tights for warmth since it’s December and to cover her legs because it feels too short to be modest. She also wears low black heels. She pulls her black wool coat tighter.
Inside the mini-van, Dave’s wife greets them. She’s wearing a green silk jumpsuit that makes her seem even taller and leaner. Her blonde hair is pulled back into an elegant French twist. Sam hadn’t gotten that far. Her hair had been in a bun all day at the clinic, so not having enough time to let it air dry, she’d skipped washing it in the shower. Now it just lays in unkempt waves down her back. She should’ve pulled it up.
“Monkey suits,” Dave complains. “We look like sissies.”
“You look hot,” Sam praises him with a giggle.
“Yeah,
and if you quit complaining, you might get lucky tonight, monkey suit man,” his wife jokes, getting a laugh from Dave.
“Hm, this shit might be worth it, after all.”
“Hey, watch your language,” she says since their children are also crammed into the crowded van.
The snow falls the whole way to town, making travel difficult because road crews no longer lay down salt because there are no road crews anymore or plow trucks. They park near the town hall where the ceremony and reception are to take place. She immediately leaves the group she’s with and heads out to find Paige. After some searching and asking, she finds Reagan, who shows her the way. They have the girls comfortably ensconced in a small room where they can get ready. Ari is in the corner arguing with her mother about not wanting to wear the ‘stupid pink dress.’ Hers is longer than Sam’s and a slightly darker pink. She isn’t exactly a dress-wearing kind of girl. She’s always run with the boys, climbed in haystacks, and chased them through the barns coming in for the night dirtier than they were and with bruises and skinned knees. Sue has a task ahead of her.
Evie Johnson rushes over and hugs her, which she affectionately returns. She is wearing a mauve shade of pink dress that is tea-length and flared. Then Sam finds Paige in front of a full-length mirror someone must’ve brought in for them.
“Oh, Paige,” she exclaims.
“What? Does I look terrible?”
Hannah laughs, “Not a chance.”
Reagan teases her sister, “Hannie, you can’t tell what she looks like.”
“Oh, yes, I can. She’s beautiful,” Hannah remarks and runs a hand down Paige’s arm and clasps her hand in hers.
“She’s right,” Sam says and hugs her friend. “It’s…you’re…breathtaking, Paige.”
Paige’s borrowed gown is perfect for her. It skims over her slim hips, hugging her curves and is simple in design and elegant. It is almost off the shoulder style but somehow still manages to stay up on the crests of her shoulders. The back of the gown is also simple and dips low, exposing most of her back until it meets with tiny satin-covered buttons that trail downward. The sleeves are long and have just a touch of lace at the cuffs that come to a point on the back of her hand. She’s wearing a short veil, which Sam knows is also borrowed from Evie. She looks tall and regal, just as she should.