Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage AgreementCowgirl for KeepsThe Lawman's RedemptionCaptive on the High Seas

by Renee Ryan

  Time seemed to shift, transporting Jonathon back to his childhood, to the boy who’d shivered and quaked in back alleys, who’d witnessed his mother’s fall into despair, then illness, then ultimately death.

  Anger and hurt, regret and desperation, so many ugly emotions warred within him. For a dangerous moment, those memories paralyzed him.

  “Jonathon.” He felt more than heard Fanny’s voice, but he couldn’t respond. His gaze was riveted on Judge Greene.

  The man shot a benevolent smile over the crowd. “It is my honor to announce to everyone present that…” he paused for dramatic effect “…Jonathon Hawkins is my—”

  “No!” Fanny rushed in front of the judge, her swift, unexpected move rendering him momentarily speechless. “Judge Greene is only offering up a joke no one will find funny. Carry on with your conversations.”

  She glanced briefly at Jonathon. A tactical error.

  With the swift, deadly movements of a jungle cat, Greene regained the room’s attention.

  “I wish to announce that Jonathon Hawkins is my son.”

  A blast of murmurs and gasps followed the statement, then came a highly palpable lurch of silence.

  “I only recently discovered my connection to this successful man, whose rags-to-riches story I greatly admire. His mother, I’m afraid, kept his existence from me a secret.”

  And so began a bevy of lies as the esteemed judge wove his fictional tale of the past.

  This was Jonathon’s legacy, he realized, as his father blatantly revised history. Lies, half truths, rationalizations when they suited the moment. Jonathon himself had used similar methods in the past, at first to survive, then in a desperate attempt to run from his past, to separate himself from this man.

  He’d come full circle. There was no more escaping the truth. He was this despicable man’s son down to the bone.

  Perhaps it was for the best that everyone knew.

  But what of Fanny? How would this affect her? Icy numbness crept into Jonathon’s veins. He could still protect her from suffering the repercussions of the judge’s announcement.

  He pulled her close, spoke words in her ear no one else could hear. “You may break our engagement, if you wish. I will not hold it against you.”

  “I will not abandon you,” she said in a low, ferocious tone. “As you have stood by me, so I shall stand by you.”

  Her conviction was a golden, glimmering keepsake. “Fanny—”

  “Jonathon. My loyalty is nothing if not total.”

  Greene smiled over at him. “I am unspeakably proud to publicly ally myself with this man, my son.”

  The easy charm was to be expected, of course. Joshua Greene was a natural politician. He knew how to impress an audience.

  However, he’d misread the room.

  The horrified silence coming from the wide-eyed guests wasn’t directed at Jonathon, but at Greene.

  Fanny tightened her grip on Jonathon’s hand.

  He glanced down at her, an apology on his tongue, but she wasn’t looking at him. She was glaring at his father.

  Before Jonathon knew what she was about, she suddenly yanked her hand free and marched over to Judge Greene.

  “Quiet,” she snapped, fists jammed on her hips.

  Greene blinked in mute astonishment.

  “Judge Greene is shamelessly retelling the past. Do not be fooled. He has known about Jonathon since the day he was born.”

  Laney confirmed this to be true, as did Marc.

  The expected outrage on Jonathon’s behalf erupted like a spark to dynamite.

  Greene attempted to explain himself, using phrases such as youthful indiscretion and deep regret and mistakes that can still be corrected. Once again, he miscalculated his audience.

  The more he tried to rationalize away his behavior, the angrier the crowd grew. Jonathon half expected pitchforks and torches to materialize inside clenched fists.

  Mrs. Singletary ended the spectacle by stepping firmly into the fray. “Enough.”

  In her no-nonsense tone, she asked the judge to leave her home at once.

  Smart enough to recognize the need for retreat, he did as she requested. Before exiting the room, however, he stopped beside Fanny. “I find your interference in this matter most distressing.”

  She gave him her sweetest smile. “I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to hear that.”

  Greene left in a huff.

  In the silence that followed his father’s departure, Jonathon ran a hand across his brow, left it there for several seconds. Saying nothing, Fanny simply touched his arm. Her silent show of support was exactly what he needed.

  He momentarily closed his hand over hers. “Thank you.”

  To his surprise, the party guests made the pilgrimage to where they stood. One by one, they expressed their support and their hope that his marriage to Fanny would erase the pain of his past. Even the Ferguson sisters had kind words for him.

  Jonathon did not doubt their sincerity or that of the others. Yet his father’s words continued echoing in his mind. Jonathon Hawkins is my son.

  No matter how much he tried to distance himself from the man, one truth remained. Jonathon would be forever connected to Joshua Greene by blood.

  Depressing thought.

  The room eventually emptied out, leaving only Fanny’s parents and the Duprees.

  “It’s going to be all right, Johnny.” Laney made the promise in much the same voice she’d used when he was a boy. “In time, everyone will know the truth. They will have every reason to side with you.”

  There was no way of knowing how the rest of Denver would take Greene’s announcement. Unlike the people here tonight, mostly family and friends, many in town would believe the judge’s version. His word against mine.

  “Jonathon.” Mrs. Mitchell gripped his forearm.

  Fearing how the drama of the evening might have affected her, he swiveled his gaze to hers. Her brow was creased in concern, but her breathing appeared normal.

  “Take heart,” she said. “You are not alone in this.”

  “That’s right, my boy.” Cyrus Mitchell clapped him on the back. “By marrying Fanny, you inherit the entire brood. That’s a total of nine Mitchells, their assorted spouses and various herds of children, all for the price of one slip of a girl.”

  He winked at his daughter.

  The comment had the intended effect. Jonathon laughed.

  He appreciated knowing that these good, solid people considered him part of their family. But right now all he wanted was to be alone with Fanny.

  He endured another ten minutes, then made his and Fanny’s excuses.

  “We have an early morning” was all he said. It was enough. Not a single argument prevented their departure. Minutes later, and with great relief, he climbed inside the hired coach with Fanny and closed the door behind them.

  He made an attempt to sit across from her.

  She shook her head. “Oh, no, you don’t.”

  With great deliberation, she settled on the seat beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder. In the calm following the dramatic events of the evening, he liked having her close. He braided their fingers together and breathed in the scent of her. They sat that way for nearly twenty minutes.

  Only when the carriage pulled to a stop outside the hotel did she smile up at him with a mischievous light in her eyes. “Well, I’d say tonight went quite well. Wouldn’t you agree, Jonathon?”

  Like an echo from the past, his responding bark of laughter was equal parts pain and tempered hope. “I adore you.”

  *

  Still smiling up at Jonathon, Fanny let his beautiful words settle over her. He’d been quiet during the carriage ride back to the hotel. She’d honored as long as humanly possible his wish to remain silent.

  Now, with their gazes locked and their fingers entwined, she felt his sorrow as though it were her own.

  He reached for the door handle. She stopped him with a tug on their joined hands.
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  “Before we head inside, I want to say—”

  She broke off, suddenly at a loss for words. What could she say that would make his pain disappear?

  Her heart broke for this wonderful, giving man. Tonight had been difficult for him. Joshua Greene had claimed Jonathon as his son and in the process killed whatever chance there’d been for reconciliation.

  Any hope his father would prove himself an honorable man was dead. Now, Jonathon clearly grieved. Fanny saw the sense of loss in his eyes.

  “You can’t pretend you’re not hurting over what happened tonight, and I can’t pretend not to hurt for you.”

  The smile he gave her was full of sadness, the depth of which she’d never seen in him before. “Fanny, you realize tonight was merely a trial run for the days ahead.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “The truth is out, if somewhat skewed. By tomorrow morning everyone will know I am Joshua Greene’s son and that my mother never told him about me.”

  “That’s a lie. Not everyone will accept his word as truth.” But she knew that wasn’t entirely possible. Though she’d like to think the whole of Denver would believe Jonathon’s version over his father’s lies, Fanny wasn’t that naive.

  As if reading her mind, Jonathon voiced her concerns aloud. “Some will believe his tale, Fanny. They may even think I conspired with my mother for years and am now extorting Greene with this information for my own purposes.”

  “That’s absurd.”

  “The gossip will turn toward you. Your reputation will suffer yet another blow. I can’t let that happen.”

  Something in the way he spoke, with such resolve and a complete lack of emotion, terrified her. “What…what are you saying?”

  “You don’t have to go through with our wedding. I’d understand if you are having second thoughts.”

  “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “Yes, I am,” he admitted. “I won’t marry you if a connection to me further jeopardizes your reputation. That would defeat the entire purpose.”

  Fanny thought she’d been afraid before. But now, at the determination she heard in Jonathon’s words, she grew terrified he would break off their engagement.

  She could not lose him, not like this.

  Words tumbled quickly out of her mouth. “Judge Greene might be arrogant enough to think people will believe he is without fault. But he shamelessly committed adultery. That point cannot be denied. The people in this city will not be as forgiving as he claims.”

  For a long, tense moment Jonathon stared at her. Then finally, thankfully, his mouth lifted in a smile. “Is that your way of saying I’m stuck with you?”

  Relief made her shoulders slump forward. “That’s absolutely what I’m saying. In one week from today, in front of a hundred witnesses and God Himself, I will proudly become your wife.”

  Jonathon’s eyebrows lifted. “Proudly?”

  She leaned toward him. “You caught that part, did you?”

  “You’re the finest woman I know, Fanny Mitchell.” He cupped her face in his hand.

  “We’ll get through this, Jonathon.” She placed a kiss on his palm. “With all the practice we’ve had lately, we’re masters at facing down gossip. We could teach classes on the subject.”

  He angled his head, searched her face as if looking for a hint of remorse or doubt. He would find none.

  Being the good man that he was, he gave her one last chance to change her mind. “You can still back out.”

  “Yes, yes, so you’ve said. Can we be through with the discussion now?”

  He moved his head close to hers, paused when their faces were inches from touching. A shift on either of their parts and their mouths would unite. “I’ll take the full blame, Fanny. Your reputation won’t have to suffer, and would perhaps be enhanced if you—”

  “Are you going to continue blathering, or kiss me?”

  One corner of his mouth lifted and a very masculine light shone in his eyes. “You want me to kiss you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He seemed to need no more encouragement, and pressed his lips to hers. Silent promises were made by each of them, promises Fanny prayed they both would keep.

  Far too soon, he set her away from him.

  This time when he reached for the door handle she didn’t stop him. As he escorted her to her room, they spoke about nothing of substance, a nice change from all the emotion of the evening.

  At her door, he paused. “Good night, Fanny.”

  “Good night, Jonathon.”

  He lightly kissed her forehead, her temple and then her nose. There was such tenderness in each brush of his lips. Her eyes filled with tears.

  One last touch of his lips to hers and he stepped back. “I pray you have sweet dreams.”

  “I know I will.” With the memory of his kisses warming every corner of her heart, how could she not?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fanny woke the morning of her wedding to the pleasant sound of birdsong outside her window. She stretched beneath the warm, downy comforter and looked around the luxurious room Jonathon had insisted she move into three days ago.

  Snuggling deeper under the covers, she let out a jaw-cracking yawn, the result of too little sleep. Callie had spent the night with her, claiming it was one of her duties as the matron of honor. They’d stayed up late, giggling and sharing secrets as they’d so often done as young girls on the ranch.

  Fanny hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her sister. Ever since Callie had married Reese, Fanny had intentionally avoided spending too much time with her. The newlyweds deserved a chance to build their relationship without any distractions. An ex-fiancée—who also happened to be the bride’s younger sister—definitely qualified as a distraction.

  When Callie had announced she was going to have a baby, Fanny had created even more distance, this time for selfish reasons. She’d been fearful that her jealousy and yearning for her own child would put a permanent wedge between her and Callie.

  She’d been wrong to worry. Last night, she’d felt only happiness for her sister.

  Fanny attributed her change in perspective to her growing relationship with Jonathon. She’d never felt more treasured, more special, than when she was in his company. Not because of the few stolen kisses they’d shared under the stars, but because of Jonathon’s tenderness toward her, his attentiveness and—all right, yes—his kisses.

  More importantly, they’d faced down, as a couple, the gossip over his connection to Judge Greene, and had grown closer for the experience.

  Society hadn’t sided with Greene, or even Jonathon, but with the judge’s poor, deceived wife. Fanny hadn’t foreseen that particular result, but lauded the gossips for rallying around Mrs. Greene. Fanny almost felt sorry for Jonathon’s father. Almost, but not quite, especially since he was still arrogantly sticking to his version of the story, as if he was the injured party.

  Fanny banished all unpleasant thoughts from her mind. Today was a day for joy.

  She stretched her arms overhead, and once again hooked her gaze on the ceiling. For this one moment, when Callie was off who-knew-where, and Fanny was completely alone, with no one watching her, no one asking her questions about the future, she let herself…dream.

  In a matter of hours, she would become Mrs. Jonathon Hawkins. Anticipation hummed in her veins. They would have a good marriage, a happy, long—

  Her door swung open with a bang.

  Callie rushed into the room, jumped on the bed, then proceeded to bounce up and down on her knees. “You’re getting married in a few hours.”

  “Oh.” Fanny pretended to yawn. “Is that today?”

  “You know it is.” Still bouncing, eyes lit with a teasing light, Callie pointed a finger at her. “No begging off this time.”

  “Ha-ha, very funny.”

  Fanny scooted to her right, as much to avoid getting mauled by her sister’s enthusiasm as to make room for Callie on the bed.


  Still laughing at her own joke, Callie collapsed backward, wiggled around a bit, then set her head on the pillow and studied the ceiling with narrowed eyes. “Will you look at that? Even the plaster is beautiful in this hotel.”

  Fanny eyed the swirling rosettes set inside a four-by-four square pattern. “When it comes to his hotels, Jonathon is a stickler for detail.”

  “So I gathered.” Her gaze running from the center of the ceiling to the crown molding, Callie laughed again. Then stopped abruptly and swiveled her head on the pillow. “Are you happy, Fanny? Truly?”

  “Oh, Cal, yes, yes, I am.” Fanny smiled over at her. “I am so very, very happy.”

  “I knew you would end up with Mr. Hawkins.” Her sister’s voice held a decidedly smug note. “In fact, I have known for some time now, almost a full year.”

  Fanny very much doubted that. “You can’t possibly have known for that long. Besides, I was in Chicago a year ago.”

  “I stand by my assessment.” Callie held her stare without flinching. “I am very wise about these sorts of things.”

  “Are you?” Fanny rolled her eyes. “Might I remind you, oh wise one, how for weeks after I broke my engagement with Reese you pushed me to change my mind? And when I left town, you all but threatened to bodily drag me back to Denver so I could make amends?”

  Callie opened her mouth, closed it, sighed heavily. “I find in cases such as these that a dreadful memory is most helpful, as is a swift change in subject.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Back to what I was saying.” She lifted up on one elbow. “I’ve known Mr. Hawkins has had feelings for you ever since I worked as Mrs. Singletary’s companion.”

  How could Callie possibly have known such a thing? Fanny and Jonathon had been veritable strangers at the time Callie had lived under Mrs. Singletary’s roof.

  “I detect your doubt, but remember, Mr. Hawkins was a frequent guest at the widow’s house,” Callie told her. “Whenever your name came up, he sang your praises.”

  Something warm and wonderful spread through Fanny. “Truly?”

  “Oh, yes. He made a point of telling me that you were thriving in Chicago. At the time, I was very upset with him, so the news didn’t sit well.” Callie sank back onto the pillow. “I blamed him for helping you leave town.”