Billion Dollar Cowboy (26 page)

Colton lost his nerve. Money couldn’t buy love and it couldn’t buy courage, either.

He’d planned the afternoon for three days and had covered every possible angle, but when it came time to put the surprise into action, he couldn’t do it. Not because he didn’t want to, because his heart almost stopped when he thought of life without Laura. But suddenly he was tongue-tied when he thought about telling her that he was in love with her and that she owned his heart.

He was downright miserable sitting there in the rocking chair. From the smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes, she was expecting something and he had nothing.

“Snow cone?” he asked hoarsely.

“I’d rather spend the afternoon in the pool.”

Cynthia had ruined the surprise with her worries. Now she’d never know what Colton had planned for that afternoon, but she knew it involved more than a snow cone.

“How about a drive over to Bells to get a snow cone? Afterwards, if you want, we can go swimming.”

“Okay,” she said slowly.

***

The snow cone did taste good. She was disappointed when he did not drive up into the school yard but kept driving on south through town. Maybe it was because the temperature gauge at the bank said it was 105 degrees and he was afraid they could slurp up the snow cones before they melted. If that was the real reason, then they wouldn’t get to go to the school yard for more than a month because August was even hotter than July and lots of times September didn’t always bring relief.

The sign said Savoy was the next place they’d reach if they kept driving, which they did.

They passed a burger joint on the right that wasn’t as big as a good-sized storage shed, a snow cone stand on the left that was painted turquoise with hot pink trim, and farther down the highway the school was on the right. She expected him to pull into the school parking lot but he kept driving.

“I really don’t want to go to a singing,” she said.

“Me either. Besides, the church where it’s going on is behind us. If you turn down that gravel road,” he nodded off to the right, “you’d run right into Lucas Allen’s ranch. His granddad started with a few acres and built on it as he could. Then his dad did the same thing. When his mom died a few years ago, his dad handed over the reins to him and built a little two-bedroom house at the far edge of the ranch, not far from his grandpa’s place.”

“Lucas is the one who is in Kuwait right now?”

Colton nodded.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Just a little bit farther.”

“Why?”

Colton smiled but it was a tight grin and that scared her.

He turned right down a gravel road that looked the same as the one he’d pointed out, passed a section line road, and then turned right again into a road that had grass growing up in the middle.

“Please don’t throw me out and expect me to walk home.” She laughed nervously.

“Lost, are you?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m not sure I could even follow the sun and find my way out of here. Do people actually live in this place?”

“It’s ranchin’ country and some of the farms cover thousands of acres so it looks more remote than it really is.” He made a hard left and parked the car in front of a tiny white building with a steeple on the top and a cross on the door.

“Is that a church?”

***

The snow cones were gone and he still hadn’t regained his courage. He knew exactly what he wanted to say but one word could change his whole world. And fear that she wouldn’t say yes terrified him. He didn’t like the picture of life looming out ahead of him without Laura.

“Remember when we were talking about Lucas at the Angus party?”

“The friend who is still in Kuwait?”

Colton nodded. He could talk to her about anything but what was really on his mind. “He owns this ranch. His grandpa and grandma bought it years ago and this little church was already here. He preached in it for a long time. It’s a nice ride while we had snow cones.”

“It’s quaint and I’ve loved it but I miss going to the school yard to eat our snow cones,” she said.

Leave it to Laura to be honest. Well, if she wanted a school yard then she’d get a school yard. He put the truck in reverse and backed out of the church yard and drove straight to the school yard in Bells.

He’d thought that surely if he was sitting in front of a church, God would zap him with all the nerve in the world, but it hadn’t happened. Strangely enough, when he turned off the engine in the school yard his bravery returned in full force.

He reached across the seat and put the keys in her hand.

“What’s this all about?”

“This truck is yours. I’m giving it to you and releasing you from staying a whole month right now. You can go wherever you want.”

She threw the keys with enough force that they bounced off the window and landed in the backseat. “I don’t want your truck. And I’ve got almost another week so I’m not going anywhere. I’m not ready to leave Roxie and Aunt Maudie or the ranch.”

“And me?”

Laura stomped her foot so hard that a puff of dust floated all the way to his knees.

“Especially you. Why are you trying to run me off anyway? Did an old flame appear on your doorstep? She did, didn’t she?”

Colton stammered and finally spit out, “No!”

“Then why are you trying to run me off?”

Colton unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the truck.

It was plain to Laura that he was going to start walking. He could call Andy and he’d drop everything to come get him. Well, she sure wasn’t driving that blasted truck a single mile. If he could walk, she could too.

She bailed out of the truck and met him at the back tailgate. “I told you I don’t want this truck and I’m not leaving. You can stay here and fight with me or go home and puff up like a bullfrog but I’m not leaving the ranch.”

“Ever?”

She stopped in her tracks.

“That depends, but I’m sure staying until next Sunday.”

“Depends on what?” Colton pushed.

“Whether you fight with me or not. I don’t like cowboys who pout.”

He laid a hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his green eyes. They slowly slid shut as his lips came closer and closer. She snapped her blue eyes shut a split second before the kiss landed. Passion, peace, and love all mixed together into a roller coaster of emotions in his heart and soul.

He hugged her tightly to his chest. “Laura, I love you. I didn’t intend to fall in love with you, but I have. Not only do I love you, I’m hopelessly in love with you. That’s a double whammy. I couldn’t bear to live through another week knowing every day that you were leaving at the end of it. So I’m setting you free to go or to stay. It’s up to you.”

She leaned back and stared right into his eyes again. “I love you, Colton. It scares me but I do. You are a good man and you deserve a woman who’s confident in her role as a wife and a mother. I’m not but I’ll do my best.”

He dropped down on one knee in front of her and held out a velvet box. “Laura Baker, will you marry me?”

The ring inside wasn’t nearly as big as the fake diamond on her finger but she loved it… almost as much as she loved the cowboy on one knee in front of her.

“The sapphire reminded me of your eyes and there’s fifty small diamonds surrounding it, one for each year until our golden anniversary. I chose gold because the band is gold and when you take off the engagement ring to play in the dirt, you can still wear your wedding band. Please say something, Laura. Please say yes.”

***

“Who picked that out?” she asked.

“I went to the jewelry store last week. I promise that Andy didn’t. I’m asking again. Laura, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will.” She removed the fake ring from her finger and handed it to him. “As long as we always, always live in a real world from now on, I will marry you. I’m tired of living in a make-believe world.”

He stood up and drew her close to his chest.

“You got it, darlin’. When?” he asked.

“Next Sunday, but don’t tell anyone. I do not want a paparazzi wedding. I want a real one and I don’t want to wait for it. Make arrangements with Roger to take care of it right after church and then we’ll go home like always.”

“Are you afraid of a long engagement? Are you afraid I’ll change my mind? I won’t, Laura. It took me a long time to get up the courage to tell you how much I love you. I will never, ever change my mind.”

“No, I just want to be married. And tell Andy to draw up a prenup. Without it, I won’t ever marry you. It has to be simple. If I ever leave you, then all I take with me is my personal possessions.”

Colton frowned. “I trust you, Laura.”

“Like I said before, I’m not interested in your money. I want your heart and I want to give you mine. Neither have a price tag on them.”

***

By the end of the week, Laura wished she’d insisted on a courthouse wedding on Monday morning. She couldn’t imagine a six-month engagement when one week made her as nervous as Donald in duck season. What if Colton changed his mind? What if in six months she wished she had waited? No wonder women got crazy during engagements and lost their minds planning a wedding. All she had to do was pick out a dress, go to church, listen to the sermon, and then get married.

No flowers, no ribbons, no pew bows, not even a cake to worry about. Colton assured her that he’d talked privately to Roger, who would be ready to marry them right after Ina Dean delivered the benediction.

She snuggled up against Colton’s back and wrapped her arms around his body. Tomorrow she would wake up in the master suite in the big ranch house.

Colton turned over and hugged her close to his chest. “Good morning, Miss Baker. I can’t believe that tomorrow morning when we wake up I get to say ‘good morning, Mrs. Nelson.’ Are you sure, absolutely sure, that you don’t mind sharing the house with the family? We can build another house or we can build one for Granny and Roxie.”

“Shhh.” She laid a finger over his lips. “I love the family and the house is plenty big enough for all of us. Besides, I love all of them. I love having meals with them and we have our privacy when we want it. And,” she grinned, “we can always sneak out here if we want.”

“It’s hard not to kiss you this morning,” he moaned.

“I know, but it’s our wedding day. I want the first kiss today to be the one when I’m your wife. I can’t believe I’m getting married in the hottest month of the whole year. I’m sure glad I don’t have to worry with a big white dress. I’d faint dead away in that hot satin,” she said.

He picked up her hand and kissed each finger. “I love you, Laura.”

“I love you too.” She bailed out of bed but it didn’t cool her hand or her desire to want an early morning bout of sex that got hotter and more passionate every time she and Colton fell into bed.

He found his shirt on the floor next to the door and his jeans at the foot of the bed. When he was dressed, he hugged her close and said, “I’ll get dressed for church and meet you at breakfast?”

“I’ll be there.”

“I’m terrified that you will change your mind. Promise me you’ll marry me?” He held both her hands and looked deep into her eyes.

She didn’t blink. “I’ll be the one sitting beside you during church. If you still want to marry me when the service is over, then squeeze my hand three times. I’m afraid you’ll disappear while Ina Dean is thanking God for everything from tomatoes to Jesus.”

“I’m not going anywhere, darlin’.” He dropped her hands and was gone before she could answer.

The sun hung above the treetops, promising another hot August day as she crossed the yard from the carriage house to the main ranch house. A sudden burst of indecision hit. Should she go back and change into something fancier? The blue sundress and her best cowboy boots didn’t look much like a wedding dress. Lord, she’d be glad when it was over!

She could hear Roxie and Maudie talking about school shopping when she slipped into the office.

Colton stood up. He wore creased jeans stacked up right above his boots and a pale blue shirt. “You are stunning. Please say you’ve changed your mind and we aren’t doing this.”

She shook her head.

“Well?” Andy asked.

“I’m not saying a single vow until I sign that prenup.”

Andy produced another sheaf of papers. “This is the prenup our group of lawyers has drawn up saying that in the event of a divorce you will leave the ranch with only your personal belongings.” He held a pen out to her.

She took it without a minute’s hesitation and scrawled her name on the line with a red check beside it. “Colton Nelson, I never plan to divorce you or leave the ranch. If you leave me, all the money in the world wouldn’t fix my broken heart. However, if you ever cheat on me, rest assured I will make sure that the buzzards and coyotes do not even know where to hunt for your body. So are you ready for this?”

“That will not happen,” Colton told her.

“Okay, kids, let’s go to breakfast and then to church,” Andy said.

***

They were lined up on the pew like always. Andy at the far end, Rusty beside him, then Maudie, Roxie, Colton, and Laura. The number for the first hymn was given out when Janet slipped down the aisle and tapped Laura on the shoulder. Everyone on the pew shifted to allow her to sit beside Laura.

“Happy wedding day,” she whispered.

“How…”

“Andy can’t keep a secret and he was in on the prenup. Good for you!”

It seemed like Roger preached forever, but when he asked Ina Dean to deliver the benediction, Laura looked at her watch and he’d cut his sermon short by fifteen minutes.

Ina Dean finally, after what seemed like an eternity of giving thanks, said, “Amen.”

Roger quickly picked up the microphone and said, “If everyone will please remain seated, I have a couple of things to share with you. First, as you all know I’ve been offered the job of preaching over in Bokchito, Oklahoma. I have prayed and prayed about it and have decided that God isn’t finished with the work he wants me to do right here in Ambrose. Second, last night I asked Cynthia to marry me and she said yes. There will be a wedding sometime over the Christmas holiday right here in our church. And Laura has talked to me and joined the church. And, I do love that word and because it means there is more to come, I saved the best until last. Laura and Colton are going to get married right here today. So if you two will come forward, we’ll get this ceremony under way.”