She was pulled from her thoughts when Nathan’s rich low voice reached her ear and skittered down her backbone. “I do like you better than Delilah.”
She turned to face him. “You could have told me you were there.”
“Well, I didn’t know it was you at first.”
She narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to challenge him. “Didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t,” he said with what sounded like a smile. “Besides, I’m glad I overheard you. How else would I know I was being shared?”
“Maybe I should let her have you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be had.”
“Good. Maybe she doesn’t want you.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he stepped so close she had to look up to meet his gaze. “Maybe she does and she won’t admit it.”
She scowled. “Maybe she doesn’t and freely admits it.”
His gaze trailed over her features in such a searching way she wanted to turn her face away. She didn’t. She had nothing to hide, nothing at all.
“It could be,” he said and she felt his warm fingers on her waist just inches above where her own were perched on her hips. “Or it could be she’s too afraid to look past her pretty little nose to see what’s right in front of her.”
“What is in front of her?” she asked slowly.
“She has to find out for herself.”
“How?” The question was out before she could stop it. “How does she find out?”
He reached down, cradled her cheek. His thumb brushed lightly across her cheekbone. He lowered his head to say lowly, “I reckon that would be up to her.”
Kate searched his dark brown gaze. It seemed to hint at feelings mysterious to her yet amazingly familiar. A strange ache filled her heart, moving throughout her chest. Something inside her begged for the freedom to dare to throw caution to the wind and…do what? Trust that she was right this time? That Nathan was someone she could or perhaps even should love?
The thought startled her so much that she caught her breath. “I think I should go inside.”
He gave a slow nod then released her just as slowly. She didn’t move. She just watched him for a moment intrigued by the emotions that played across his features in the nearly nonexistent light. Finally, she took a step backward then turned to walk into the house.
Once inside, she closed the door behind her, leaned against it and closed her eyes. Was she right this time? Was God leading her down this path? More importantly, could she trust Him enough to believe it would end well?
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t think I can, Lord. I’m sorry.”
She pushed away from the door then locked it behind her before carefully making her way back to bed.
Nathan watched her until she closed the door to the house. He stepped into the saddle and immediately pulled his Stetson over his eyes as though he needed to block out the moonlight. With a soft nudge to Delilah’s sides, he set off at a moderate pace to allow her muscles to warm up. Once they moved past the field, he let her run like she begged to. He needed the speed, too—needed to feel like he could outrun his problems and his doubts. If only it was that easy.
They raced across the open meadow before turning toward the woods. He reined her in as they entered the forest then allowed her to pick her way through the trees. When he could no longer bear the load on his shoulders, he dismounted and led the horse to ease her heaving sides. Eventually he released the reins and continued walking forward allowing Delilah to follow if she wished. He stopped to stare up at the sky as the stars did what little they could to fight the darkness.
He was in love with Kate. The knowledge came with enough power to pull the wind from his body, leaving him to take in a sharp breath.
He’d done his best to keep this from happening but it had been a lost cause from the start. He was in love with his wife, God help him, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He might as well stop trying. Nathan stilled. Stop trying.
None of this made sense. He’d been so sure God had given him this dream. He’d been equally sure God was taking it away. What if He wasn’t?
Nathan had given up at the first sign of trouble. Yet it did not matter how many times he tried to do as Kate had asked and walk away, circumstances outside of his control always brought him back. It couldn’t all be a coincidence. Perhaps God still had a plan in all of this. Perhaps this had been His plan all along.
“God, I don’t want to do anything outside Your will so if I try, please warn me.” He swallowed. “If, however, You have me here for a reason beyond what I have allowed myself to imagine…if You have me here for Kate and her family, then I’d like to follow You in that.”
He shook his head then smiled wryly. “Since her father is no longer here, I guess what I’m really asking is for permission to court your daughter, Kate, my almost-wife.”
He waited in the stillness of the morning just before dawn as the rest of nature seemed to hold its breath in wait of answer. He heard no audible voice, not even a small internal one. All he felt was a sudden and acute blossoming of hope in his chest.
Hope. It was something he’d been missing of late but it settled within his chest with nearly tangible warmth. It called him to believe and even to love. He put his hand over his chest then pulled in a long breath.
It wouldn’t be easy, he realized. Achieving a dream never was. He knew, because he’d tried before and failed. But this time things were different. This time hoping was worth the risk of disappointment and refusing to hope was not an option. He gave a short nod of appreciation toward the Heavens. “Thank You.”
Kate took in a shallow breath since it was all that the formfitting bodice allowed. “It’s a beautiful dress, Ms. Lettie, but are you sure it isn’t too small?”
The bride eyed her laughingly. “No, Kate. It looks perfect. You look perfect. Stop worrying!”
Kate shook her head incredulously. “I hardly think this is worrying.”
“Then what do you call it?”
“Fretting.”
Ms. Lettie laughed.
“Oh, that’s fine.” Kate lifted her chin playfully. “Laugh at my expense. I don’t mind. Just make sure some one is behind me should I faint dead away.”
“Women have gotten by without breathing for centuries.”
“That doesn’t encourage me.”
Ms. Lettie smiled mischievously as she handed Kate a bouquet. “Then be encouraged that if I even see you so much as sway I will alert Nathan in plenty of time for him to catch you in his arms.”
Kate lifted her gaze from the flowers suspiciously. “How convenient.”
Ms. Lettie’s picked up her own bouquet of flowers, then glanced at Kate with dancing brown eyes. “Yes, it seems we’ve stumbled upon the reason women have gone without breathing for centuries.”
Kate laughed as they moved to wait outside the double doors of the small chapel’s inner sanctuary. She could hear the piano warming up as she took her place in front of Ms. Lettie. She glanced down at the bouquet in her hand as she tried to concentrate on pulling in short, frequent breaths and willing away the light-headedness she felt.
Suddenly she was aware of being watched. She looked up to see pews full of people all staring at her expectantly. Quickly turning her grimace into a smile she hoped would take the focus from her burning cheeks, she took her first step down the aisle. The second was easier than the first. By the third she managed to look at something besides the plank floor. On the fourth her gaze lingered on Doc who looked very distinguished. The fifth step she looked behind him to Nathan.
She lost count. Her breath caught in her throat but didn’t go very far into her lungs for lack of space. She managed to avoid his gaze as she continued down the aisle. Once she reached the spot where she’d been told to stand, she turned toward the entrance to watch Ms. Lettie walk down the aisle.
A moment later the couple held hands before the preacher and everyone waited while the two exchanged vows. D
oc’s voice sounded strong and clear and she found herself wondering what it must be like to have the man you loved pledging those words to you. She found herself watching Nathan as he pulled out the rings.
Their eyes met and he gave her a grin. Kate was suddenly reminded that Nathan had taken these very same vows toward her with every intention of keeping them. Of course he hadn’t known her then—except for what the letters had told him—and certainly hadn’t loved her. No. The words couldn’t have been spoken with the same tenderness that Doc said them.
Kate pulled her attention back to the woman who spoke softly but firmly. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Then by the power vested in me through God and this church, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The preacher nodded. “You may kiss your bride.”
Nathan watched Kate as she laughed at something Ms. Lettie said, then forced himself to stop staring at the woman.
Hearing Doc’s voice speak his vows had reminded him of when he’d said his own. He’d had no idea what he was getting into with that proxy wedding. If he had known, would he have gone through with it? He gave a short nod. Without a doubt.
Even if he never changed Kate’s mind, at least he’d met her, Sean, Ellie and Lawson. At least he’d been able to help them. At least being a part of their family for a short time had inspired him to reach out to his own. But he wanted more. He wanted so much more.
He turned to search for the children. He’d only gone a step toward the door of the chapel when a man paused in front of him to buckle his shoe. Stopping short, Nathan glanced down. The man was wearing cowboy boots. His gut clenched in wary surprise as the man straightened. Hate-filled eyes met his and instead of saying “excuse me” the man muttered one word, “Graveyard.”
Nathan gave a nod and kept moving in his original direction but he couldn’t help glancing back to make sure what he’d just seen was real. Yes, the man was still there and he was also looking back, but not at Nathan. The man had his eye so locked on Kate that he nearly ran into the person in front of him. In a move similar to what had just happened, the man muttered something then moved around the person.
Nathan detoured to exit out the back of the church. When he stepped outside he found the man waiting for him.
“Good to see you again, Jeremiah.” Nathan extended his hand in a gesture of hopeful reconciliation. The man eyed his extended hand with something so akin to contempt that it made Nathan’s skin crawl. Even so, he managed to retain a polite air. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it? How have you been?”
“This isn’t a social call, Rutledge,” the man warned tersely. Nathan was saddened at the change in his friend. A man who had once lived with enthusiasm, ever ready for a joke, now stared back with cold blue eyes.
“Well, then,” Nathan drawled. “What brings you to this part of Texas?”
“I want justice for what you did to my brother.” Jeremiah stepped closer. “You and I both know what happened in that barn and I don’t care what any two-bit jury has to say about it.”
Nathan gave a weary sigh. So much for his hopes that the passage of time would help Jeremiah see things more clearly. “Jeremiah, why do you still believe I’m guilty after the jury found me innocent?”
“You’ll always be guilty in my book. I can’t get back my brother but I aim to take back the money you stole from us.”
“I can’t give you what I don’t have.”
“You’re lying,” Fulton growled. “You think you have a great setup here, don’t you? The people in this town don’t even know who you are. Does your wife know you’re living a lie?”
Nathan felt the blood drain from his face. “My wife?”
He smiled coldly. “Yes, I know all about her. The record of your marriage is what finally helped me track you down.”
Anger rose in Nathan’s gut causing him to step forward and grip the man’s collar. “You listen to me and you listen good. If I even see you so much as look in her direction, I’ll bring the law down on you quicker than you can blink.”
The man tried to pull away. “I’m not afraid of the law.”
“Then you’d better fear me on this one thing, Fulton.” Nathan released him with a jerk. “I’ll say it only once more. I don’t have the money you’re looking for. I never did. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can get on with your life. I have nothing more to say to you.” As he walked away, Nathan hoped that would be the last of it. Jeremiah was angry, but surely no amount of anger could turn his one-time friend into a violent man. Yet he couldn’t shake the creeping sense of dread that told him his troubles were just beginning.
In seconds flat, Nathan pulled, cocked and shot the gun at one of the metal cans nailed loosely to the corral fence. Metal punctured metal with a satisfying bang. He was slow on the draw, slower than he’d been for a while. He couldn’t allow himself to be lazy anymore. He hadn’t seen nor heard from Jeremiah Fulton since the wedding nearly a week ago and he hoped more than anything that the man had moved on for good. But if Nathan was going to try to stay and become a permanent part of this family, he had to be sure he could protect it.
He frowned as he slipped the gun back into his holster, then tried again. The shot came off much quicker that time. Better, he acknowledged to himself, then continued shooting at the cans one after the other in a familiar rhythm until he ran out of bullets. He lowered the gun.
They’d finished with the harvest yesterday. Today he’d taken the children to school early to talk to the teacher about Lawson. As far as he could tell, the boy was seriously behind on his schooling. The teacher had promised to do his best to help him catch up. Once Nathan had returned to the farm, he’d decided to carve out a few minutes of target practice.
“Very impressive,” Kate’s voice lilted.
“Thanks.” He turned to offer her a distracted grin as he reloaded the gun.
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“I picked it up here and there,” he said, slipping his Colt in the holster and walking toward her. Adjusting his Stetson, he propped his leg on the fence between them. He figured this was just as good at time as any to continue the courting he’d begun over the last few days. “How about I give you a shooting lesson?”
“I don’t need a shooting lesson.”
“You’ve already learned?”
“No,” she said slowly.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of this little thing.” Nathan pulled the gun from its holster and watched her blue eyes drift over it.
She lifted her chin. “I’m not.”
“Prove it.”
She bit her lip then met his challenging gaze with one of her own. “Fine. I will.”
He waited while she slipped through the fence. Then reaching up, she knocked the Stetson from his head only to catch it and place it on her own. She paused to tug the gun from his hand and moved to where he’d been standing earlier.
She glanced over her shoulder impatiently. “Are you going to tell me how to do this or what?”
“No need to get testy.” He took the gun from her and dropped it in his holster. “We’re going through it without the gun. First, you have to find your stance.” She was soon standing in the correct position. “Now, keep your wrist strong so the barrel stays level.”
“What barrel?”
“Not the one that points at my feet. Focus up.” He stepped in front of her, guiding her chin upward. Suddenly her liquid blue eyes focused on him and he knew he’d made a mistake. She stilled. His gaze trailed down to her lips.
“Pow.” Kate jerked as if she’d shot something and Nathan realized that something was him.
He stared at her. “Of all the nerve—”
Kate’s blue eyes filled with the laughter she barely kept from showing on her lips.
He chuckled then pushed her arms to the side and away from his chest. He kept a hand on her arm then slipped behind her. She froze. “What are you doing?”
&n
bsp; “I’m teaching you to shoot,” he said as he pulled the gun from his holster. He cocked the gun then showed her how to hold it. “Remember to keep your arms taut but not perfectly straight. Your wrists need to stay strong. Keep that right foot slightly back.”
“Nathan, I can’t remember all of this.”
“Sure you can. Keep your finger off the trigger but go ahead and aim.” He watched her adjust the gun while she gazed intently at the can. “You want the piece on the end to line up with your target. I’m going to stay where I am and all I want you to do is pull the trigger.”
A bang followed as she fired. Unfortunately, a second tinnier sound did not. She stumbled back. He was there to steady her. She glanced up from under his Stetson and he smiled. “That was good. Try it a few more times.”
Each time he had to remind her less about her form and keeping the target in her sights. “Try it by yourself. Mind the kickback.”
Nathan crossed his arms as she shuffled back into place, aimed and fired. Nothing happened. He paused then said, “You didn’t cock it.”
A click announced the cock. Another bang sounded and the kickback caused them both to fall backward, which unfortunately for Nathan meant being sandwiched between the dusty corral and Kate. Somehow he managed to rise up on his elbows then brace himself with his hands. He took in a Kate-scented breath which surprisingly was like a mixture of cinnamon and gunpowder. “Kate, are you all right?”
She turned her face to the side giving him a very close-up look at her profile. “Yes. Are you?”
“Yes, I suppose that means we should get up.”
“Right.” She quickly leveraged herself to sit beside him, then scrambled to her feet. He slowly followed suit. Kate’s pretty mouth grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
Unlawfully Wedded Bride (Love Inspired Historical) Page 13