His arms tightened even more. “We can buy a home for our family,” he said, stressing the “we.”
“And we’ll raise the best horses in the area while we raise a family. But we’ll have to talk about it all later. We’ve got a lot to do before the wedding tomorrow.”
She pulled back and stared up into his face. “Tomorrow?”
“Why not?” he said. “Glinda marries her cowboy, isn’t that the way the story ends?”
She just laughed. “I love you so much,” she said.
“Can you forgive me for not telling you about Lissa?” Jed asked. “It wasn’t you I didn’t trust It was me. I didn’t trust myself to not love you if I let you close.”
“Sweet Jed,” Karin said softly. “It’s okay.” She reached up to press her lips to his.
It was the kiss of a lifetime, and the promise of even more to come. Her heart was ready to burst, she was so happy, yet as his mouth took hers and his arms held her safe and close, she knew that this was only the beginning of happiness, only the lower reaches of the ecstasy that their life would be together.
She held him close and let his lips sing of his love to her soul. His hands promised protection and safety and the joy of being one. His arms vowed to hold her forever close and each day would be more wonderful than the one before.
When they finally broke apart for air, she heard the sound of applause from the people walking around Emerald City. She lay in his arms, not embarrassed at all and too happy to move. A sudden thought made her pull away and frown at him.
“What about Lissa?” she asked. “I thought she came here because she had a question for Glinda, but she’s never asked me one.”
“I didn’t have to,” Lissa said.
Karin looked around Jed, and there was his daughter skipping over. Her face was wreathed in smiles. Karin didn’t have to wonder how she felt about all this. The girl climbed into the thronelike chair Karin had been seated in for the photographs.
“I wanted to ask Glinda how to make our house a home again, because it wasn’t the same after Mommy died,” Lissa told Karin, and grinned at them both. “But I don’t need to ask that anymore.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” Jed agreed. Karin had turned to face Lissa, but he’d kept both his arms around her. He brushed the side of her neck with his lips. “I think we’ve got all we need for a home again.”
“But I’ve got another question for Karin.” She looked Karin in the eye. “After you and Daddy get married, can I have a cat of my own?”
Karin broke free of Jed’s arms to hug Lissa, her soon-to-be daughter. “You betcha,” she said. “Our horse farm will be the perfect place for all sorts of pets.”
“Oh, thanks so much, Karin.” Lissa hugged her tight, then bounced away as if she had too much energy to stay still. “Just wait until I tell Ginger that I’m going to get a mom, and a baby brother or sister, and a cat and a horse farm. This is too cool.”
She ran to the edge of the platform and skipped down the stairs as Karin and Jed watched. Then Karin turned to smile at Jed.
“I think I’d better get back to posing for pictures,” she said.
“I was the last one in line. You’re through for now.”
“Am I?” She slid back into his arms. “Want Glinda to tell you how to get home then?”
He just held her closer, planting his lips on her hair. “She doesn’t need to. Wherever you are is home for me. Now and for always.”
Epilogue
“The baby’s not due for another two weeks,” Karin cried.
“Guess it’s as impatient as its mama,” Jed said. “Just hang on. We’re almost to the hospital.”
Another contraction came, hard and long. For a moment, Karin thought the wail in the air was from her, but then she realized Toto had turned on the police car’s siren. Probably just as well. There was no doubt the baby was coming fast. The pain passed and Karin opened her eyes. Dorothy, so beautiful in her winterwhite wedding dress, was looking worried.
“I am so sorry, Dorothy,” she told her friend. “I told you not to have me be your matron of honor. But Penny or Heather could have stepped in. You shouldn’t be postponing your wedding for this.”
“Are you kidding?” Dorothy said. “We wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for you.”
“Besides, it’s not like we aren’t getting married,” Toto said. “We’re just changing the location a little.”
“This is crazy,” Karin said, then gripped Jed’s hand as another contraction gripped her.
“Breathe,” Jed said softly as he held her. “Remember to breathe.”
She nodded and concentrated on that until the spasm passed. She was trembling slightly, a reaction to the pain and also a sudden return of her old worries. But then Jed was there, brushing the hair back from her face, one hand holding hers tightly as if he knew her fears. Just the way he was always there for her when she was tired or worried over a patient.
She smiled at him and the fears vanished. “This kid’s sure in a hurry,” she said.
“Maybe he’s anxious to go square dancing,” Dorothy suggested.
They all started to laugh, but the laugh turned into a contraction and Karin bore down again just as Toto pulled into the emergency-room driveway. In a moment, hands were helping her out of the car and onto a gurney. People were rushing around her, the pain was coming and going, and for a moment she was lost.
Then Jed was at her side, holding her hand as though he’d never let her go and letting his eyes tell her everything was going to be all right. They were swept away into a delivery room. She couldn’t keep track of the contractions or the timing or who was there and who wasn’t. All she knew was that Jed never left her side, and gave her the strength and courage to push that one last time and a squawling filled the air.
“It’s a boy,” Jed cried. “We have a little boy.” His voice broke with the love and happiness that filled it as he placed their son in her arms. She just looked at the baby and then at Jed and knew she was the luckiest woman on earth. Jed brushed her lips with his, but it was the look in his eyes that told her how much he loved her, loved them both.
Then Lissa was there to see her new brother and Karin’s mother wanted to hold her grandson, and her world of love just seemed to grow and multiply. After a short time for Karin and the baby to get cleaned up and checked over, Penny and Brad were there oohing and aahing over the baby, maybe with a special tenderness since Penny was going to have their child in the summer. Heather and Alex were all smiles too; their baby was due a month before Penny’s. Dorothy announced that Karin’s baby would boss all of the others around, just as Karin had bossed them around, and Toto looked at Dorothy with such love and delight that Karin wondered if they, too, were starting a family.
“What’s his name?” Lissa asked.
Karin turned back and took Jed’s hand. “We want to name him Henry after Jed’s grandfather.”
“Hank,” Marge said. “That’s so nice. It’s a good cowboy name.”
In the middle of the laughter, there was a knock at the door and Elmer Brinkley stuck his head in. “Is this the place?”
“At last,” Karin cried. “Come on in, Judge Brinkley. Don’t you have a wedding to perform?”
“I’ve got the flowers,” Lissa said, handing Dorothy her bouquet.
“I’ve got the rings,” Jed said, patting his pocket.
The judge came in, followed by about a dozen more guests. Friends, relatives. The room was packed, but Karin couldn’t have been more pleased. She held little Hank close, and kept Jed’s hand still in hers.
“So if the bride and groom are ready,” Elmer was saying, waving Dorothy and Toto over next to the bed. “Let’s get you near your matron of honor and your best man. There you go.” He paused, then began. “Dearly beloved...”
Karin sighed softly and thought how right that was. She looked around the room, her gaze gliding lovingly over her friends, her family, her newborn son, and stopping at Jed.
How lucky they all were. They all were beloved.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6042-9
PREGNANT & PRACTICALLY MARRIED
Copyright © 1999 by EAN Associates
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Pregnant & Practically Married (The Bridal Circle #3) Page 21