by Sable Hunter
“Bud? How are you?”
Nathan started to speak, then couldn’t.
“Nathan? What’s wrong?”
“I need…” He thought about going home to Tebow, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave Romy. “I need to talk to you.”
“All right. Shoot.”
“It’s Romy…she’s sick.”
“Sick? What kind of sick?”
“Serious.” Nathan’s voice cracked with emotion. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you love her?”
“More than life.”
“I’m familiar with that feeling and I’ll tell you what to do.”
Nathan bowed his head with his phone to his ear. “I’m listening.”
“Live everyday like it’s the only one you’ll ever have. Don’t take a moment for granted. Give thanks for every morning you wake up with her in your arms and go to bed every night with a prayer on your lips that you’ll have another day with her – and another and another.”
“How do you do it, Aron?”
Aron let out a soft laugh. “How could I not? I can’t live without her, so I live with her. Whatever valley she walks through, I’ll be at her side. Whatever mountain she has to climb, I’ll have her hand in mine to help her along the way.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t understand your pain before.”
“You couldn’t. No one could unless they’re going through it themselves. But you know what?”
“What?”
“You don’t have to go through this alone. You have a family who loves you.”
“I know I do.”
“Are you at the Connelly’s?”
“Yes. I’m not leaving her.”
“Of course not.”
“And I’ve got to get back to her soon she needs me.”
“You do that, bud.”
Thanks for talking to me, Aron.”
“Anytime, bud. Anytime.”
Nathan hung up the phone and took Buck’s reins in hand. His place was with the woman he loved. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.
Clare stared at the contents of the closet in her old room. With limited space in the cabin, she’d kept some clothing in storage here. Selecting a few garments, she laid them on the bed. She could buy whatever else she needed along the way.
“Going somewhere?”
Hearing Nathan’s voice so unexpectedly caused her to grab her chest. “Are you trying to make my heart stop?”
“No, but I didn’t, did I? You’re stronger than you think.”
Clare turned her back on him. “I was strong enough to say goodbye to you once. Why are you making me do it again?”
“Goodbye? Who said anything about goodbye?” He took the ring box from his pocket and went to one knee.
Dumbstruck, Clare just stared at him.
Nathan gave her a big smile. “Why do you look so surprised? You must know I was planning on proposing. I’m sure the rose petals were a dead giveaway.”
Clare put her hands behind her back to keep from reaching for him. “Things are very different now.”
“Maybe.” Nathan looked into her beautiful amethyst eyes. “I love you more today than I did yesterday. Is that what you mean?”
“No.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “You can’t do this. I don’t want to tie you down for whatever…”
“Love, the ties that bind our souls together are unbreakable. Hasn’t our life so far proved that to you?”
“I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“Romy, you are my life. Leaving you at any point, losing you at any stage would hurt. I don’t care if we’re ninety years old, I’ll never be ready to let you go.” He held up the open ring box to show her the glittering diamond. “Diamonds are forever and so is my love. One day spent with you is worth more to me than a lifetime with anyone else. Please don’t push me away. Make me the happiest man in the world. Say you’ll be my wife.”
Clare didn’t know what to say. His heartfelt words felt like an infusion of hope in her veins. “We can’t. We don’t know what the future holds.”
“No one does.” He held out his hand for hers. “Come on, Romy. Take a chance. Let’s take a gamble on life. Together.”
Wanting him more than her next breath, Clare gave him her hand. “Yes, please, yes.” When he slipped the ring on her finger, she threw her arms around his neck. “My hesitation was never about me not loving you, Nathan. I love you more than anything. What I feared more than death was putting you in a position where you lived in constant dread of losing me. There’s nothing in the world I want more than a life with you.”
“God, I love you. Never doubt it.” He kissed her over and over. “My place is with you and your place is with me. Forever.”
…A few hours later, Nathan eased from the bed. He kissed his beloved on her cheek, taking care not to wake her up. Grabbing his jeans and a shirt, he pulled them on. If Storm and Mad were still up, he needed to talk to them.
Taking one last look at his sleeping beauty, Nathan smiled when the diamond on her finger glimmered in the moonlight. He wanted to just lay there and watch her breathe, willing her heart to keep beating – but he had things to do. Nathan planned on doing everything in his power to keep Romy alive and make her healthy.
Leaving the bedroom, he made his way downstairs. In the quiet of the evening, he could hear their voices. With a tap on the door, he announced himself. “Gotta minute?”
Mad waved him in. “Oh, hell yea. Come sit down.”
“We can’t sleep anyway,” Storm confided as he reached into an ice bucket to grab a cold beer. “Catch.”
Nathan grabbed the can in midair. “How’s the fire?”
“Waning.” Storm rose to look out the window toward the mountain. “I don’t even see any glowing embers from here. Cabin’s gone though. Completely.”
“We’ll rebuild,” Nathan stated. “Romy needs her cabin.”
“I take it you’re staying,” Storm said as he turned to face Nathan.
“No, I think I’ll be going home to Tebow.”
Mad glared at Nathan. “What the hell?”
“When I do, I’ll be taking Romy with me. She’s agreed to marry me.”
“Well, hallelujah!” Storm came over to slap Nathan on the back. “That’s great news! If anyone can give Clare the will to live, it’s you.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you two about.” He took a seat on the couch near to Mad. “I need to know everything the tests show and what the final words were from all doctors involved. Right now, she doesn’t want to talk about it or think about it. But I intend to make sure she does whatever it takes to get well. To get a transplant. Some of the best doctors in the world are in Houston and that’s just a skip and a hop from Kerrville.”
“All right. We’ll call all parties involved. Leave no stone unturned,” Mad drained his shot glass of Scotch. “Anything for our baby sister.”
“I still think what’s best for our sister is you,” Storm told Nathan.
“Well, she’s got me. Hook, line, and sinker.” He stood and replaced the can of cold beer in the cooler. “I don’t think I need that now. I want to keep a clear head. First thing in the morning, I’ll go replace her meds. They were in her suitcase and burned up in the fire.”
“Yea, we’d already talked about that.” Mad went to stand by the chair where his brother was seated. “If you can’t get away for some reason, one of us will be glad to go.”
“Great.” Nathan pointed to the window. “I’m going to take a quick walk and get some fresh air, then head on up to Romy.”
“All right.” Storm stood to walk him out. “We’ve known for a long time how she felt about you. I can’t say I fully understand how you two connected, but I’m just grateful you did.”
“Yea, me too.” Nathan took his leave, heading out into the cold Colorado night. He didn’t intend to stay long, he just wanted to feel the earth beneath his feet. He knew he needed to be grounded, to stay cal
m in the face of uncertainty. He couldn’t be controlled by the chaos of fear, Nathan intended to keep his eye on the vision of a future that included Romy. To achieve this state, he was going to need all the help he could get.
As if in answer to his prayer, car lights appeared as they came up the drive to the ranch.
Nathan wondered if it could be something to do with the fire. Moving closer to the approaching vehicle, he saw it was a rental car. Something told him he knew the occupants of this vehicle. By the time the doors were opened, he was in a full run to greet the driver. “Aron! You came!”
“Of course we came.” He hugged Nathan tight.
“We?”
“Yea, we.” Libby’s voice came from the other side of the car.
“Oh, God, Libby.” Nathan went to hug her too. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Where else would we be? If you need us, we’re here.” She kissed Nathan’s cheek. “And before you ask, I’m feeling fine. My treatment has been approved and it’s just a matter of time before we can put this all behind us.” She kissed Nathan’s cheek. “Now, enough about me. Let’s talk about that girl of yours.”
“First, let’s get in the house.” Aron rubbed his hands together. “I don’t want my girl to get cold.”
“Sure, come on.” He led them to the porch. “Mad and Storm were up a few minutes ago.”
“We still are!” Storm spoke from the open front door. “Get in this house, Aron. Libby, it’s good to see you.”
Nathan was so glad to see his family. They’d taken him by surprise. Although, like Libby said, he shouldn’t be surprised. The McCoy clan stuck together.
After Storm and Mad made their visitors welcome, they retired for the evening. “Make yourself at home. Ms. Robbins is readying your room as we speak.” Looking to Nathan, Storm pointed to the ceiling. “We’ll check on Clare.”
“All right. Thanks. She should still be sleeping, she was exhausted.”
Storm nodded, then headed up alongside his brother.
Once they were alone, Aron folded his hands on the table. “All right, tell us about your girl.”
“Fiancée,” Nathan corrected. “My Romy.”
“Oh, wonderful! Congratulations.” Libby clapped her hands together.
“Thanks.” He glanced at Aron. “If you disapprove, I’d rather not hear it.”
“No. You won’t hear any disapproval from me.” He put an arm around his wife’s shoulder. “I completely understand the need to spend every moment possible with the one you love.”
“That’s right.” She kissed Aron’s cheek. “And you don’t have to have an illness to feel that way. Life is fragile. We have to cherish every moment.”
Nathan let out a breath, then smiled. “That’s why I want to get married soon.”
“Like how soon?” Libby asked.
“As soon as possible. Tomorrow if she’ll go along with it.”
“Wow. Okay.” Aron rubbed his palms on his jeans. “I guess we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“He needs to talk to Romy first,” Libby said. “But when you do set a date, we’re ready to help.”
“That’s right,” Aron added. “Your cousin Ryder and her husbands have put their jet at our disposal, and we’ll keep that plane in the air as long as it takes to fly the entire McCoy clan to Colorado.”
“Do you have any idea where you might want the ceremony to be held?” Libby asked.
“I guess it depends on the weather,” Nathan spoke slowly, an idea formulating in his brain.
Libby waved her hand around to indicate the Connelly house. “This place is gorgeous. I bet there’s a room big enough to hold whatever kind of ceremony you want to have.”
Nathan nodded, feeling more optimistic by the minute. “Let me talk to Romy and I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
Chapter 19
“Get married now?” Clare stared at Nathan in surprise.
“Tomorrow, the next day. Soon.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess a long engagement probably wouldn’t be the best idea for us.”
Nathan gave her a warning look. “No negative talk. We’re getting married as soon as possible because I can’t wait one minute longer than necessary to be your husband. So, tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Will your family come?”
“Some of them are already here and the rest are on standby.”
“Oh, my,” Clare’s head was full of possibilities. “We’ll have to call a florist, a caterer, and a preacher.”
Nathan held up his hands. “All taken care of. Avery owns a flower shop, she’s promised to bring us as many bouquets as we need. Joseph, Jacob, and Cady will throw us a Texas BBQ fit for a king and Aron will perform the ceremony – if all of that is okay with you, of course.”
“Oh, it all sounds wonderful. I just hate to put them all to so much trouble.”
“Are you kidding? They’d be offended if we asked someone else. They’re used to throwing shindigs for the family. We even have a pavilion built expressly for such a purpose.”
Clare pinched herself.
“Hey, what did you do that for?” Nathan made a grab for her hand. “You’ll bruise yourself.”
“I just wanted to make sure I’m awake and alive. I’m so happy, I couldn’t stand it if this wasn’t real.”
Nathan took her in his arms. “This is no dream. We’re not just characters in a fictional romance story. This is real. This is me and you starting our life together. A long and happy life.”
“I love how that sounds, Nathan.” She held him close with all her might. “I guess all I need now is a wedding dress.”
“I bet Libby would love to help you find one.”
Two days later…
“I’m glad the sun is shining. If it wasn’t this place would be rip-roaring cold.”
“It’s going to be great.” Joseph walked up the steps with four chairs under each arm. “Where do you need these?”
“We’re short on the groom’s side. How many more do we have to set up?”
“A few dozen. I don’t think we lack much being through.”
“Hey, sugar. Can you help me with these flowers?” Skye called from the side of the platform.
“Sure thing.” Noah waved down Isaac who’d just finished plugging in the microphones. “Hey, can you help Joseph with these chairs? I’m on florist duty.”
“Yep, I’ll do the manly work. You can go make a bouquet, Mr. Pansy.”
Noah said nothing, just gave his brother a middle-finger salute.
“How much time do we have left?” Jacob asked as he climbed up the steps with the lectern.
“Not long. I see a dozen cars or more coming down the road,” Jessie announced with an excited squeal. “This is going to be so great.”
Jacob shaded his eyes and looked in the distance. “I see a caravan full of Highland McCoys and Wilders arriving. Has anybody seen Aron and Nathan?”
“They just pulled up,” Avery said as she placed the last basket of flowers in their proper place. “Along with a whole bunch of people I don’t know.”
“Locals and friends of the Connellys,” Libby said as she led the children to the area where they’d be ready to join the wedding party. “I want a lot of people here. Nathan and Clare need to know they’ve got plenty of support.”
“Our little brother knows he can count on us for anything,” Isaac said. “If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have put us in charge of his wedding present to Clare.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to get started.” Jessie came to Jacob and cuddled up to his chest. “We’re going to have so much fun getting everything set up for them.”
“You bet we are.” Jacob kissed his wife on the top of the head. “I just love a celebration, don’t you?”
“I do, but not as much as you, you old softie.” She looked to where Nathan stood with Aron. “Look at him. He’s watching the road like a kid watches for Santa Claus.”
�
��He’s waiting on his bride. He loves her so much, Jess. I wish I could protect them. I wish I could prevent anything bad from ever happening to our family.”
“But you can’t, Jacob. All we can do is enjoy each day as it comes and pray there are many more.”
…A few miles away, Clare rode in the back of a black limousine with her brothers. “Where are we going? Isn’t the church in the opposite direction?”
“Oh, we aren’t going to the church. I told Nathan this was a crazy idea.”
Storm shushed his brother. “Will you hush, num-nuts? The wedding venue is supposed to be a surprise.”
“Oh, she’ll be surprised all right. I just hope she’s not disappointed.”
Clare looked out at the passing scenery, realizing where they were. “Oh, my stars!” She laughed at her own choice of words. “We’re going to the UFO Watchtower. How romantic!”
“All right.” Mad held up his hands in surrender. “I admit, McCoy knows her better than I do.”
“That’s how it should be,” Storm said. “I can’t wait until you meet Ms. Right.” He grinned at his sister. “Can you imagine the woman who tames the irrepressible Mad Connelly?”
“Me? Tamed?” Mad barked a scoff. “Not likely. I intend on staying footloose and fancy free.”
“Don’t say that.” Clare gave each of her brothers a kiss on the cheek. “I want you both to be as happy as I am right now.” She stared at the symbol of love on her finger. “Today, Nathan and I begin our life together. I don’t know how much time I’ll have with him – but I’m going to cherish every moment.”
“I am so honored to be standing before you today at the UFO Watchtower as we join this man and this beautiful woman in holy matrimony. No one present can deny how right this feels. The joy and adoration I see in this young couple’s eyes is a wonderful thing.” Aron cleared his throat and looked at the beaming pair before him. “Are you two ready?”
“Way past,” Nathan said, giving his bride a tender smile.
“I’m ready too.” Clare leaned over to whisper to Aron. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“All right. Here we go.” He opened the Bible and placed his hand in the center of a page. “Nathan, do you take this woman, Clare Connelly, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”