Quinn (37 page)

She laughed, low in her throat, before wrapping her arms around him. “Then we’d better start putting whatever time we have left to good use.” She paused a moment before asking, “Just how much pain are you in at the moment?”

He gave a deep rumble of laughter. “What pain?” He reached for her. “Come here, woman. Let’s get a head start on our future together.”

C
ome on, Cheyenne honey. Time’s a wasting. If we don’t get going, the preacher will be there ahead of us.” Micah leaned on his three-pronged cane and stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring at his watch.

In honor of the occasion, the old man had gone to town and bought himself a new suit and string tie, while insisting that he couldn’t possibly replace his comfortable weathered boots that had seen him through years of ranch chores. Instead, he’d polished them until he could see his face in them.

When Cheyenne started down the stairs toward him, he had to swallow the lump that threatened to choke him.

She’d insisted on keeping things simple. No lacy bridal gown for her. Instead she’d chosen a fluid column of supple bleached cowhide that kissed her slender body and swirled about her ankles. The hem was scalloped and bore intricate Arapaho symbols.

“Is that your mama’s wedding dress?”

Cheyenne nodded. “She once told me she’d made it herself.”

She wore her thick, dark hair long and loose, the way Quinn liked it, pulled to one side with a diamond and pearl clip, leaving it to spill down her breast in a riot of curls. The effect was stunning.

“What do you think?” At the foot of the stairs she paused to twirl. When she turned back, she saw the tears in Micah’s eyes. “That bad, huh?”

“Oh, Cheyenne honey, you’re absolutely perfect.” He caught her hand and led her toward the kitchen table, where a small white box lay. He picked it up and handed it to her. “I didn’t want to give you this in front of everybody. It’s… personal.”

She opened the box to find a sparkly bracelet of woven bands of delicate silver and gold filigree.

“This was my mother’s. It’s the only thing I have of hers, and”—he smiled through his tears—“since you’re the daughter I never had, I’ve been saving it for you.”

“Oh, Micah.” She held out her arm and he fastened it about her wrist.

She turned it this way and that, allowing the delicate bands of precious metal to catch and reflect the light. “I love it. I’ll treasure it always. Thank you.”

He lifted her hand to his lips. “I couldn’t believe it when you said you wanted me to give you away. I figured you’d give that honor to Cole or Big Jim.”

“They’re my new family, Micah. You’re my always family.”

The old man turned away to keep from embarrassing himself. “Come on. Time to get going.”

She followed him outside, to find Wes Mason and the wranglers seated on horseback in a semicircle around the truck. When they spotted her they tipped their wide-brimmed hats and began applauding.

Seated among them was Deke Vance.

She had arranged to meet with him to let him know all that she had learned about the man who had assumed the identity of a dead man named Austin Baylor. After her apology, which Deke had graciously accepted, he’d expressed relief that the truth had finally been uncovered and regret at the price her family had been forced to pay for their trust of a stranger. And then he’d surprised her by saying that he was still in need of a job and, since she would need a few extra hands while she settled into married life, he was more than willing to help out.

She paused to extend her hand. “Thank you again, Deke.”

“No, Cheyenne.” He winked at her. “Thank
you
. I’m just happy to be working here again.”

She looked around at the circle of cowboys. “My thanks to all of you. You don’t know how much it means to know that all of you are willing to spend this special day working while I’m off getting married.”

Wes spoke for all of them. “Chey, you’ve earned a day all to yourself. Don’t you worry about a thing here on the ranch. We’ll take care of it like it’s our own.”

“I know you will. You always have.” As she stepped into the truck she blew them a kiss, before putting the vehicle in gear.

Quinn had suggested that they live at his family ranch only until her own house was restored, after which it would be her decision whether to keep it or sell it. The
fact that it would be her choice was the best gift he could have given her. She would take her time, weighing everything, before making a decision.

As she and Micah drove along the curving gravel driveway, she watched in the rearview mirror as the wranglers headed up into the hills to see to the never-ending ranch chores. Already her house, only partially restored, was rising from the ashes.

Like her life, she thought.

Big Jim climbed to the windswept hillside and paused beside the headstone, as he did nearly every day.

Earlier, Phoebe had filled two tall marble urns on either side of the graves with masses of fragrant white roses and trailing ivy and had tied white satin ribbon to the wooden bench, giving it a festive air.

“It’s a grand day, old girl. Your grandson Quinn is about to take the big step.” Big Jim touched a hand to the smooth marble. “If he’s even half as happy as we were, he’ll be the luckiest man in the world.”

Big Jim watched as Cole and his three sons came strolling up the hill to join him.

When had these three become men? It seemed as though one minute they were those bold, brash little boys following him around like shadows, questioning everything, wanting to know the why and how and where of things. In the blink of an eye they had changed into tall, muscular, take-charge men capable of running this ranch, with all its complexities, with no trouble at all.

Quinn held up the bottle of aged Irish whiskey his grandfather had requested. Josh carried five tumblers. Jake had a box of cigars tucked under his arm.

“Well. Here we are.” Big Jim cleared his throat. “About to celebrate a day I’d always hoped I’d live to see.”

Quinn filled the tumblers and passed them around.

Big Jim had to swallow back the lump that lodged in his throat. “Every man dreams of seeing his children grow and prosper, and to see his children’s children. There was a time when I thought I’d been cursed.” He clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “But Cole here defied the odds and lived to adulthood. With every year that passed I grew more proud and hopeful. And now, the first of my grandsons is about to add to the Conway history.”

He touched his glass to Quinn’s. “It’s about time we welcomed a female into our family. You chose well. Your bride is not only beautiful; she’s smart, and tough, and as brave as they come. So here’s to you and your bride-to-be. May you live and prosper and be blessed with all good things.”

“Hear! Hear!” The others touched their glasses and drank.

Jake passed around the box of cigars and Cole held a lighter to the tip of each one.

As rich clouds of smoke dissipated into the air they turned at the sound of a truck’s engine and watched as Reverend Cornell started toward them, followed by Phoebe and Ela, who had been working all morning in the kitchen. Throughout the house the rich aroma of slow-cooked roast beef filled the air. It, along with garden vegetables and mashed potatoes, promised a wedding supper fit for a king. Ela’s chocolate layer cake, with a filling of sweet cherries and frosted in mounds of soft, gooey whipped cream, was topped by a bride and groom holding wolf pups. It was, Phoebe had told the old woman, absolutely inspired.

Several bottles of champagne were on ice, in anticipation of the wedding supper.

Cheyenne’s truck came to a halt beside the minister’s, and she stepped down before hurrying around to loop her arm through Micah’s.

“Wow.” Josh gave a whistle. “Forget smart, tough, and brave. That is one gorgeous woman, Bro.”

Quinn looked as though he’d just had a glimpse of heaven.

As Cheyenne and Micah approached, the others gathered around, giving her no chance to speak to Quinn.

“Oh, just look at you.” Phoebe, caught up in the moment, gathered Cheyenne into her arms and hugged her.

When the two women stepped apart, Ela touched a hand to Cheyenne’s gown. “This was your mother’s.”

“Yes.”

“I helped her make it. She wore it with pride when she married her rancher. And now, it suits you as it suited her.”

“Thank you.” As Phoebe and Ela started to step aside Cheyenne stopped them. “I brought you each something.”

They looked startled.

Cheyenne handed each of them a single white rose. “These are from my mother’s rosebush. They were her favorites.”

Phoebe dipped her face into the fragrant flower to hide her tears while Ela regarded Cheyenne with a piercing look.

“What’s wrong?” Cheyenne asked the old woman.

“I gave your mother just such a flower when she married her rancher. I told her to plant it in her garden. If it grew, it would bring her many blessings.”

Now it was Cheyenne’s turn to hold back her tears.

The minister cleared his throat. “Would you folks like to begin the ceremony?”

As Quinn stepped up beside the minister, his brothers formed a line beside him.

Micah offered his arm and Cheyenne kissed his cheek before placing her hand on his arm. Together the two walked closer until Quinn stepped forward to claim his bride.

With the breeze tossing their hair and the perfume of roses all around them, the two spoke their vows before the minister and their family.

When they were finished, old Ela stepped forward. “This is the blessing of our people.”

She placed a gnarled hand on each of their heads and said in a strong voice, “Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life. May your days be good and long upon the earth. May you remember always what brought you together.” She touched their faces and smiled. “Go now to your dwelling place, and enter into the days of your togetherness.”

Except for the whisper of the breeze in the trees, there was silence as her words washed over all of them.

Quinn gathered Cheyenne into his arms and kissed her, and the two remained locked in an embrace, the world around them forgotten for the moment.

Finally, Big Jim cleared the lump from his throat and broke the silence.

“I know that Phoebe and Ela have been working their magic in the kitchen all day. Let’s head on back to the house and enjoy that wedding supper.”

As their little group headed down the hill Quinn suddenly caught Cheyenne’s hand and started sprinting toward his truck.

“Where are you going?” Cole shouted.

“Sorry, Pa. I have something important to take care of. We’ll be back in time for that supper.”

“What is this about?” Cheyenne was more than a little surprised by how quickly Quinn had hustled her into his truck. “I thought I’d lend a hand to Phoebe and Ela—”

“They have everything under control. There’s something I want you to see.” Quinn drove as fast as he could until he suddenly veered off the highway and headed along the familiar trail into the woods.

As they came to a halt he hurried around to open her door and take her hand.

“Oh, Quinn.” Cheyenne stepped out of the truck and stared around in surprise.

The shell of a new cabin now stood in the spot in the woods where his old cabin had burned to the ground. All trace of the fire was gone. Even the charred ground was now beginning to be covered with fresh new life. Tiny evergreen seedlings had sprung up among the tangled growth of vines and wildflowers.

“So this is where you’ve been working every day when you leave my place.”

He nodded. “I wanted to get it framed in before I showed you.” He led her around the outer perimeter of the building. “I thought I’d add a big wooden deck back here, so we can leave our ranch chores behind and sit outside on a summer evening to watch the wildlife.”

“It’s the perfect spot for it.”

“There’s something else.”