by Danae Little
“Yes, how many goats do you have? How many workers? How much cheese can you produce on a monthly basis?”
“Wow, those are quite personal questions, Mr....?” Sydney took a step back. She had never been asked so many demanding questions about her cheese making capabilities.
“Personal, my dear, would be asking why you aren’t wearing a wedding ring.” He winked at her. “Dean Hadley.” He held out his hand.
“Sydney Campbell.” She returned his handshake to which he gave an appreciative eyebrow raise.
“I own a chain of grocery stores in Cody. I would love to have some of your fresh goat cheese selling in my stores.”
“Oh,” she said, dawning realization pinking her cheeks. “I understand now.”
Dean smiled and nodded. “Do you have a large enough production to supply me with 1000 ounces a month?”
“I’m hiring some extra help in the next month or so. If you give me time to prepare, I think I can handle that Mr. Hadley.”
“Please, call me, Dean. Now, may I ask a personal question?”
Sydney’s breath caught. He was handsome and seemed genuinely nice, but her heart belonged to Jameson, even if he wasn’t there to claim it.
“Why hasn’t someone grabbed you up yet?”
She lowered her eyes and busied herself by restacking the soaps. “I appreciate the thought, Mr. Had—Dean, but I, my heart belongs to another. It just wouldn’t be fair.”
“You are an open, honest woman. I admire that.” He leaned over and slipped a card on the table. “If you ever give up on him, just let me know. Call me when you have our first order ready. I look forward to doing business with you, Sydney.”
When she met his eyes, he smiled genuinely, winked, and strolled on to the next booth.
Sydney’s heart lurched. She wished Jameson was here with her, because the truth was, she probably would never give up on him. The table gave her the perfect shield while she squatted, trying to look busy while blinking back the tears. She had too much to be grateful for today to spend this time in a pity party.
Closing her eyes, she did her best to focus on all the wonderful things that had happened, but Jameson kept slipping into her thoughts. So strongly, in fact, that she swore she could smell him and feel his presence.
“How long would it have taken before you gave up?” The rich, deep voice sent chills of delight down her spine.
She squeezed her eyes shut even more. It had to be a dream, but the spark that shot through her as he touched her shoulder told her it was real. She took a sharp breath in.
“Jameson.” Whispering his name gave her strength, but she still squeezed her eyes shut.
He squatted next to her, brushed a finger down her temple to her chin. “Open those beautiful eyes, Syd. I’m here.”
She slowly opened her eyes and took in the brilliant green ones staring with adoration down upon her. “You’re okay?” Relief poured through.
“More than okay.” His gaze captured hers.
“You came back.”
“I always keep my promises.” He held a hand out to her and helped her up. “Are you going to answer my question?”
She cocked her head.
“How long before you would have given up on me?” His eyes held seriousness, even though the corner of his mouth quirked in that sideways grin that always touched her.
“Never,” she said simply.
Jameson put a hand on either side of her face and rested his forehead on hers. “I’m very happy to hear that.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and then with one last long look deep into her eyes, he took her lips in his. He kissed her as a man who knew exactly what he wanted, a man who would do whatever was necessary to get it, and a man who knew how to treat a woman.
Sydney’s knees shook with emotion. Her wish had come true, again. Her unexpected cowboy had returned to her, and right here in the middle of Farm Day. He claimed her, and she didn’t mind one bit.
After a moment, a sharp pressure on her chest made her step back. She looked down at the cause. A sheriff’s star shone on Jameson’s beige shirt. She stared at it a moment more, looked up at his green eyes shining with mischievousness, and then back at the star.
Jameson was the new sheriff?
~*~
Jameson saw the confusion and then the dawning on Sydney’s face. He had hoped to surprise her at home where they had privacy, but when he saw her at the booth, his heart raced and palms sweated. He couldn’t wait. He had to see her, and smell her, and hold her in his arms.
He had strode over towards the booth just in time to hear the end of her conversation with the sharply dressed businessman. His fists clenched against his sides and his heart felt like it would rip from his chest. The moment Syd had told the man that her heart belonged to another, a soothing balm eased his hands and his heart. A warming began then, filling his entire body until he felt on fire—on fire for Sydney Campbell.
With her back in his arms, he felt as if he could take on the world, and he intended to keep it that way. He saw the moment of panic in her eyes as she looked back at the star.
“A compromise?” He touched the star, flipping it up towards him. It felt odd wearing his badge for all to see. “It’s only interim, until the next election.”
“You gave up the FBI?” She took a step back and blinked rapidly.
He hoped the tears she fought back were happy ones.
“Yes, many of my memories may have returned, but I am different now. I no longer desire that high adrenaline, danger-filled career. I liked the idea of this interim position as a transition.”
“What do you want then?” she asked, and he noticed she held her breath.
“A simple, small-town life, with a beautiful, strong woman to walk it with.”
“Aww,” a crowd whispered and then clapped their hands.
Sydney stepped back, stumbling into Jameson’s arms. He pulled her tight into him, his mind reeling. Why hadn’t he noticed the crowd gathering? Sydney turned her eyes towards him. That’s why. When she looked at him, nothing else in the world mattered.
“Uh, Miss Sydney?” A lanky, but promising looking kid, took a step towards them and cleared his throat. “Would you like me to take over your booth so that you and Sheriff Walsh can catch up without the town watching?”
“You are such a gift, Jay.” Sydney squeezed the kid’s hand, and then took Jameson’s and led him out into the parking lot to the sounds of cheers.
“Guess I have to get used to this small-town living.” Jameson chuckled.
“Walsh, huh?” She knocked into him playfully.
“I have so much to share with you, Syd. I have wonderful parents, and a brother and sister, and an energetic nephew. I spent summers on my Uncle’s farm, like you did.”
“No wife, I’m guessing?” she teased.
“No wife, no girlfriend. I guess I was difficult to impress, or so I’m told.” He shrugged. According to his fellow agents, he was all work and no play. They had tired of his lack of interest in the dates they tried to set him up with and stopped even asking. “I just hadn’t met the right woman yet.”
Sydney laughed, pure joy bubbling forth. He loved her laugh. It sent his heart in rapid fire, and he wanted to bottle it up to keep it with him always.
It had taken too long to get back to her. The debriefing took ten times as long because of his amnesia. Though many of his memories had returned, he still couldn’t remember the months leading up to waking up on the side of the road. It frustrated his superiors, but they still had O’Neal.
Graham was dismayed to receive his letter of resignation, but he nodded his understanding. A good woman can change you, he had said. Jameson knew it would take more than just a two-week notice. When dealing with national security, there was a lot more paperwork and interviews.
The process only confirmed that he had made the right choice. He wanted a simpler life, one filled with physical work, no stress about losing his life or that of others, or having to take
them. He wanted to be surrounded by the woman he loved...and maybe even a little one or two. He smiled with the thought of little Sydneys running around—little girls in dirty dresses riding their ponies bareback.
“What’s that look all about?” Sydney asked as they reached her truck.
“Just imagining a future...” he trailed off, lost in his imaginations again.
“A future?”
He blinked, settling his focus on her eyes. “A future with you, starting with that dinner I promised.”
~Epilogue~
The chill of the morning burned off as the sun shone down on the ranch, her ranch. Sydney breathed in the fresh scent of newly green grass and wild flowers. Of course the goats and horses added their own essence to the mix, but it brought her comfort.
She strolled along her property behind her house where they had planted a lawn nestled within her garden area. The view of the mountains shooting up in the distance was unhindered here, and beautiful. Their snow-capped peaks gleamed in the sun.
Jameson had also set up a fire pit area here. Her hand touched the sanded wood of the bench he had made for her. It leaned far back so they could stargaze to their hearts’ content. A wash of warmth flooded her with the memory of being held in his arms, watching the shooting stars with the fire crackling near their feet.
It couldn’t get more romantic, especially since this spot gave him the perfect setting to propose.
Sydney had teased him, that he had built that spot for just the purpose of his grand proposal. It worked though. Her thumb caressed the simple engagement ring that he had given her. The diamond was set back into the ring so it wouldn’t catch on anything while she worked. His thoughtfulness touched her almost as much as the words he had said.
“I would wake up without my memory a thousand more times if I needed to, for it’s what brought me to you, the love of my life, my home, and my future.” His words had ingrained themselves into her soul.
For a man of few words, Jameson knew how to use the ones he spoke effectively.
She scanned the lush area again, grateful for Jameson’s idea to create such a reprieve. Her eyes landed on the archway, and her heart raced. Today, under that canopy of jasmine, she would promise her life to Jameson’s, and he would promises his to her, and he always kept his promises. She didn’t have any fear or misgivings about the day, only excitement and yearning to build a future with the man who held her heart.
Jameson had already expressed his desire to have children. The thought caused heat to fill Sydney’s cheeks. Having a couple little ones running around the ranch did sound like it completed their perfect picture. It would have made Aunt Mag and Uncle Joe happy. She could almost feel them smiling down at her from heaven.
Sydney walked through the garden, touching the buds forming on the flowers that would soon turn into tomatoes and squash, and so much more. A sweet smell called to her and she meandered her way over to the small flower garden Jameson planted for her on her birthday just a month ago.
She didn’t have to blow candles out on her own that night, and she made sure to be very careful about her wish.
The peace of the moment steadied her heart, and she closed her eyes to memorize it. In only a matter of moments, her quiet life would be descended upon by family and friends. Her parents had actually made their way out for the wedding, and Jameson put them up in a hotel twenty minutes down the road.
“The house will be ours tonight. We have no need to share it.” His wink made Sydney blush, and she had playfully pushed past him to finish her chores.
Gravel popping on the road, and Guardian’s deep woof, alerted her to her peaceful moment’s end. A couple doors slammed, but she didn’t want to move.
“Sydney!” Jameson’s mom called out. “Where is my favorite soon-to-be daughter-in-law?”
Sydney felt the smile tug on her lips. She had fallen in love with Jameson’s family the moment she met them, and it seemed that they returned that love. His mom, a strong, assertive woman, doted on her and instantly took her under her wing. His laid-back dad always had a funny joke and jolly laugh to share. His sister treated her as the sister she always wished she had, and his brother teased her just like she thought a brother would. And that nephew of his, well, she could just gobble that sweet boy up.
With one last deep breath of her garden and the peace it lent her, she strolled around her house. Jameson’s sister saw her first and immediately clasped arms with her.
“We brought the perfect accessories to go with your dress.”
“And Jameson insisted that he pick the wildflowers for your bouquet.” His mom held up a beautiful and brilliant bouquet of Indian paint brush, lupine, and other native flowers. “Let’s put them in some water so they stay fresh for the ceremony.”
“This is so exciting! I can’t believe Jameson is finally getting married!” His sister pulled her into the house. “We only have two hours until the guests begin to arrive, so we better get started!”
By the time the guests began to amble in, Sydney stood in her simple, tulle, white dress. She touched the skirt, trying to remember the last time she wore one. It felt odd, yet at the same time reminded her of how feminine she could feel, if she wanted.
Jameson’s sister practically hopped around in excitement, and though his mom remained stoic, thrill lit her eyes. Sydney had watched the guests arrive, and even got a glimpse of her handsome groom, before his sister pulled her, insisting she not create bad luck.
Sydney excused herself to the bathroom. Her heart fluttered and her hands shook. Looking at her reflection, she barely recognized herself. She touched the silky curls that had been put in her hair. She blinked her makeup-darkened eyes, smacked her lipsticked mouth, and fingered the fancy necklace her soon-to-be mother-in-law had brought her. Would Jameson like what he saw? Would he recognize her? Would he expect her to dress like this more often? She laughed. No, he knew her, and he loved her for the hard-working, jean-wearing, no-makeup girl that she was.
She blew out a deep breath. Today she was getting married.
In a matter of minutes now she would be Mrs. Jameson Walsh. The name had a ring to it, she nodded, like it was meant to be. She sent a silent thank you to her Aunt Mag and Uncle Joe. As much as she wished they could be with her right now, she knew they watched from heaven with smiles.
A soft knock stirred Sydney from her thoughts.
She opened the door to see her mother. It was the first time she had seen her in over two years. She hadn’t changed much, maybe a few more strands of gray in her long, dark hair, a few more lines around her eyes and mouth, but otherwise no difference...except when her hazel eyes met Sydney’s, they brimmed with tears.
“Look at you!” her mother exclaimed. “You are radiant!”
“Thanks, mom,” Sydney said, feeling almost shy. Her mother had never been one for open compliments. “I’m glad you and dad could make it.”
“How could we miss our only child’s wedding?”
For a split second Sydney wanted to combat with, how could you miss your only child’s birthday two years in a row? But the tears welling in her mother’s eyes stopped the words in her mouth. No need to go into that today. She was getting married. Although she hadn’t thought about how magical a wedding should be since she was a very young girl, she found she wished it could be so today. She wished for one day, she could feel like that princess she never would be.
Her dad walked down the hall towards them. She could hear his heavy, lazy steps. “Where’s my little girl?”
Sydney felt her own eyes well then. He hadn’t called her his little girl for a very long time.
“She’s no longer a girl, Stan, just look at her.” Her mother dabbed at her eyes.
“Well, look at this. My little girl has blossomed into a fairy-tale princess.” He took Sydney into a hug, and she let him, soaking in the feeling she had wished for so long.
There is just something about daddies and their little girls. She always sought his appr
oval and today she felt like she had it.
“You have done a nice job of fixing this place up, Syd.” He nodded. “Joe would be mighty proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad. I hope so.”
“It’s time!” Jameson’s mom called from the living room.
“I guess it’s time,” Sydney repeated, pulling on her dress and doing her best to keep her heart from racing right out of her.
“You’ll let me give you away?” her dad asked, the slightest quiver in his voice. “I know I haven’t been perfect, but I always did my best,” he leaned in and whispered.
“I know, Dad,” Sydney said, blinking rapidly and laying a hand on his arm.
“This is so beautiful,” her mom sing-songed. “Oh, I better get in my place.” She patted Sydney’s arm and then half-ran out of the house.
“Us too,” Jameson’s mom smiled at her. “You look amazing, Syd. We are so lucky to be welcoming you into our family today.” She kissed Sydney on the cheek and then strode out the door shouting for other participants to get into place even before the screen slammed shut.
His sister said, “I’m walking right in front of you two. Jameson’s handsome FBI friend is walking me.” Jenny hardly kept in the squeal.
“Rick is a nice guy, Jenny,” Sydney said, smiling to herself. She had gotten to know Rick and a few other of Jameson’s friends over the last year.
“Meow,” Mr. Paws spoke up and rubbed under her dress.
Sydney bent down to give him a few pets. Then she stood, took a deep breath, slipped her hand in her dad’s offered arm, and walked into her new life.
Guardian walked with her down the aisle. She could hear a few chuckles and comments about her sidekick, but she loved that he stood by her. When Jameson met her gaze, his eyes went wide in appreciation. Once their eyes locked, everything else faded into a muted background. She hardly even heard the vows and promises they made to each other. She knew them by heart though, and their meanings would always exist inside of her.
~*~
An angel. He was marrying an angel. That was the only thought going through Jameson’s head ever since he saw Syd walking towards him in that flowing white dress. A beautiful, multi-colored eyed, hard-working, strong angel. The woman who saved him in too many ways to count.