Della: Bride of Texas (American Mail-Order Bride 28) (16 page)

Hank and Della both looked at each other through watery eyes. He sat in silence, and Della didn’t know if he was filled with anger or sorrow, but it was all her fault, regardless. She stood up and slowly pushed her chair back from the table. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to see me anymore. I’m going back to Savannah, where I can’t do anymore damage.”

Della turned and walked toward the door, where the sheriff was waiting. With a mountain of pain building inside, she found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other and walk away from the man she loved. All this time, she’d been so wrapped up in what had been done to her, and how her plans had been ruined. She’d never once considered her selfishness could devastate another human being.

“You did hurt me,” Hank’s voice boomed from the corner of the room. Della stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him as the room fell silent. “But you also gave me a gift I’ve never had before—truly feeling loved for the first time in my life. I can’t blame you or anyone else for thinking ill of me when I do things that put me in that light. Look where I’m standing, Della. Maybe I just didn’t want to believe in myself, so I kept teasing you and gave everyone cause for concern.” Hank walked slowly toward Della. All eyes were on the two of them, but Della felt as if the world had just fallen away and she and Hank were alone. “Yesterday I went to fetch you to marry me at our favorite place. I bought you this ring and intended on putting it on your finger and making you my wife before another second passed us by. If you get on that train, you’ll ruin both our lives, Della, and that would do more damage than everything we’ve both been through, combined.”

Della stood there, unaware that a crowd had gathered around to watch their exchange. Her head tilted to one side as she watched Hank lower himself to the ground on bended knee. “Hank…” she said, wondering if she should stop him before it was too late.”

“Marry me, Della,” Hank said. “Let me spend the rest of my life proving to you that you’re all that matters to me.”

Della knelt down in front of Hank and wrapped herself in his arms, her head resting against his chest where she could hear his heart beating.
This
was home. It wasn’t a town or a state or a community. It was Hank. “Yes,” she cried. “But only if you let me spend the rest of my life proving the same to you.”

A loud cheer went up from the crowd as Hank stood and scooped Della up in his arms, carrying her through the saloon doors where the sheriff stood grinning. “Sheriff…” Hank said, passing his friend on the way out, “If you’ll excuse us, we have some plans to make!”

Della leaned her head on Hank’s chest, laughed and whispered in his ear, “For once, I don’t have a plan.”

Epilogue

The invitations were very specific: Attire was comfortable. Gifts were to be donated to charity. And time was just before the sun set in the west. Della and Hank didn’t want their wedding to be a showcase of his exorbitant wealth. Instead, it was a testament to the things that mattered most to them—friendships and community.

When guests arrived at the Double H ranch, they were greeted with special transportation—a hayride—down to where the wedding would take place at Della and Hank’s private pond. Kids in attendance were squealing with glee, and the adults appreciated the addition of hors d'oeuvres and music along the way.

Those invited to the wedding expected nothing less from the couple, where elegance was met with appreciation for the heart of the event—relationships and bonds, not material items or money.

Hank’s staff had decorated the pond beautifully—highlighting the natural beauty of the surroundings with little elements that emphasized a union of souls. Chairs were set up along the aisle, which was a beaten path leading down to the water. A natural stone platform served as the spot where the vows would take place and a Weeping Willow tree draped its graceful branches above the stone, providing a soft, flowing canopy. Mason jars, lit with candles inside, were attached to the limbs and also were used to light the way along the path among the vines and rocks. It was the fairytale setting that Hank had envisioned, come to life.

Pastor Littlejohn stood in front of the small, but intimate crowd, with a big smile on his face—obvious joy that another member of his congregation had found joy and love that resulted in an engagement, and now, marriage. He looked out over the guests and those he’d had a hand in marrying and saw Millie saving a seat for Sheriff Lockhart, Hannah seated next to her husband, Samuel, and Annabelle now pregnant with child from her marriage to Lee.

Hank walked up beside the Pastor and stood on the rock formation, unable to hide his happiness. Since the event wasn’t formal, he had chosen a vested suit with shite shirt and Bolo string tie with silver tips that Floyd had given him long ago. The clasp for the tie was a small, gold and silver horseshoe with a single gold star in the center. His vest was dark gray as was his Stetson and trousers and the Western-style jacket was white.

The crowd tittered with excitement as they waited for Della.

She stood in the back, her arm latched onto Sheriff Lockhart, who was going to walk Della down the aisle. It was the sheriff who restored peace between the two, ultimately opening her eyes to her own misdeeds so she could see the truth of just how much Hank loved her. She trusted the sheriff as a friend to both her and Hank.

The violinists began playing a beautiful rendition of the Wedding March as Della and the sheriff began their stroll down the aisle toward Hank. Della’s beauty was breathtaking. Not wanting a heavy and burdensome wedding dress for their simple venue, Della had chosen a white dress of silk, with repeated white embroidery around the bottom. The design was faint, but the gemstones within the embroidery sparkled in the setting sun as she made her way down the aisle. The scoop neck of the dress was also embroidered with stones and the same design was repeated in the pointed waist and tip of the sleeves. Rather than the usual wedding veil, her hair was loosely pulled behind her neck and wisps escaped to delicately frame her face. Flowers were carefully arranged within the golden locks with white ribbons peppered with the same glimmering stones that adorned her dress. She looked like an angel and there were delighted
oohs
and
ahhs
from the guests as she focused her eyes on Hank’s and seemed to float toward him.

As she approached Hank, she could see peace in the reflection of his eyes—a feeling of contentment and awe of what they were about to experience.

The sheriff kissed her cheek when they arrived and had a seat as Hank took Della’s hands in his. “Are you sure you’re ready to take a chance on me?” he whispered before Pastor Littlejohn began.

The sparkle in her eyes matched the whimsical grin on Della’s face. “Hasn’t that
always
been the plan?”

              …The End…

Author’s Note

I hope you’ve enjoyed story 28 in the American Mail-Order Brides Series. I hope you’ll leave a review and let me know your thoughts!

If you enjoyed reading this book, there are 49 more in the series! Find out about the rest of the American Mail-Order Brides here: 
http://www.newwesternromance.com

This story also ties into the Wanted: Wives in the West series. You can find the others here:

Short Story #1:
Hannah Saves Samuel

Short Story #2:
The Mail Order Midwife’s Secret

Book #3: Leaving Savannah: The Rebellious Mail Order Debutant – Coming Soon!

You’ll learn all about how Pastor Littlejohn became a matchmaker and read more about the rich history of Fort Worth, Texas as Hannah, Millie and Annabelle settle in as mail order brides before welcoming their dear friend, Della.

I want to thank Kirsten Osbourne for letting me incorporate her matchmaker, Elizabeth Miller from the
Brides of Beckham
series into my story. I highly recommend you check it out and enjoy the fantastic talent of this USA Today bestselling author!

Please join me on my Facebook Fan Page here:
https://www.facebook.com/trinityfordauthor
and visit
http://trinityford.com
to see what I’m working on and to sign up for my street team.

xox

Trinity