Deborah Camp (45 page)

“Good evening, Ned and Irene,” Theo intoned. “Y’all out for a stroll?”

“We’re meeting the rest of the family at the Crescent Hotel dining room for supper,” Ned Cooper said, eyeing them curiously. “Has the lady injured herself and must be carried?”

“No, no,” Theo said, chuckling. “I
want
to carry her. It’s my way of letting the whole damn town know that she’s mine and we’re going to be married.”

Irene gasped and her face paled under her carefully applied cosmetics. “I’m appalled!” she said as Theo strode past her.

“And I’m betrothed! Bet you’d love to trade places,” Regina rejoined, looking over Theo’s shoulder at Irene’s menacing glare. “Better find another washerwoman, dearie!”

Theo laughed lustily. “Wicked woman,” he scolded. “Haven’t you ever heard of a gracious winner?”

“Not where Irene Cooper’s concerned.” Regina tightened her arms around his neck.

“When we get to my place we have wedding plans to start on … and love to make,” he whispered close to her ear. “I’m going to love you into tomorrow and every day after that.”

“Theodore, you take my breath away,” she admitted, gazing longingly into his sparkling blue eyes. “I can hardly believe this is happening.” She kissed him, then nipped his lower lip. “You rascal, staging that mock arrest! Or was that Lu Beck’s concoction? I swear, you two are dangerous when you put your heads together.”

“Mock arrest? Darlin’, make no mistake, Boyd Stewart would have thrown me in jail if I hadn’t done the right thing by you, and half this
town—or more—would have cheered him on. Don’t you know that you’ve endeared yourself to these people? They’ve seen your courage and your conviction. They’ve noticed your good work for this town and its people, Regina. They no longer think you’re a wild-eyed, pursed-lipped finger-wagger. They’ve seen the heart of you and have come to respect you.”

“You think so, Theo? You really think so?”

“I know it. I didn’t recruit those bystanders. They heard about my ‘arrest’ and how I planned to redeem myself, and they came to lend their support. We’ll have to invite them to the wedding or they’ll get their feelings hurt.”

“We’ll invite the whole town to our wedding,” she declared. “We’ll get married at Basin Park, out in the sunshine, out in front of God and everybody!”

“That sounds like a good plan to me, honeybee.”

The evening light deepened as Theo leisurely walked the final two blocks to his house. Regina serenaded him with a love song, her voice full of confidence and enchantment.

“I’ve always hoped you’d sing a love song for me,” he confessed.

“I love to sing for you, Theodore.”

Theo let her slip from his arms only when they’d reached his house. Once inside, he embraced her and kissed her, to their equal satisfaction. When they finally parted, he lit a lamp, then dropped to one knee before her. Taking her hands in his, he looked up into her face with unconcealed devotion.

Regina choked back tears of joy. “Oh, Theodore. I never … no, that’s not true. I
have
dreamed of this moment, but I never actually believed it would happen.”

“Believe,” he whispered to her. “Believe in me as I believe in you. Regina Augusta Rose?”

“Yes?” she answered, feeling happy and foolish and blissfully in love.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Just like that? No argument?”

She shook her head. “None. But, Theodore—”

“Uh-oh. I knew this was coming.”

Regina took his face between her hands. “Are you sure? I can’t give up my work, you know.”

“But you told Irene to find another washerwoman!”

She wrinkled her nose, laughing. “Not that work! My important work at the boardinghouse. My commitment to helping drunkards’ families is as strong as ever.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to give up your work, Regina.” He gained his feet again. “I might not agree with Mrs. Nation’s tactics, but you’ve opened my eyes to the injustices women must deal with, day in and day out, and I can better understand Mrs. Nation’s crusade. Men should be held accountable to their families.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. Theodore, please kiss me before I faint from wanting.”

He obliged, his lips taking hers gently at first, then with a mastery she’d come to expect from him. His mouth trailed from hers to the curve of her neck. His fingers sought the pins in her hair and sent them pinging to the hardwood floor.

“I love you, Regina. Tell me that you love me.”

“I do,” she whispered, her passion overtaking her like a flash fire. “I do love you. I have ever since the first time I saw you, I think. Something happened inside of me. I can’t explain it, but it was as if I’d come face-to-face with my destiny.”

“I made you shake,” he said, chuckling, his breath tickling her ear.

“Yes, that’s right. You make me shake. Just like I’m shaking now.”

“I’ll be a good husband, I promise.” His hands moved down her back to cup her hips.

“And I’ll be a good wife.”

“I know you will.” He kissed her smiling lips. “And we’ll be good, loving parents to all our children.”

She drew back a little to look at him. “All our children?” she repeated. “How many is that?”

He rubbed noses with her. “All our hearts can hold, love. All our hearts can hold.”

“Oh, Theodore,” she said, sighing his name. “I do adore you.”