Happy Is The Bride (15 page)

Rachel stomped over to her son. "Sit down and
shut your mouth, young man."

But the damage was done. Beth saw the hurt and
anger flash in Mason's eyes.

"You asked me to marry you so you could win a
quilt?"

Beth knew he'd never listen. Not now. "It wasn't
like that. Honest, Mason. Rachel and I did make a bet,
but who else would I want to marry? You're the one I
always turned to, the one who understood me all
these years."

Beth stepped toward him, her hand still on his arm.
"Mason, you have to understand. I didn't know how much I loved you before. I was so tired of everyone
making a joke about me. I thought if we married, the
talk would die down."

"As if that's any better? You proposed just so the
gossip would die down? What a fool you played me
for." He removed her hand from his arm and stepped
back.

Mason shook his head again. "No, that's it. I
thought that after all these years you'd finally decided to make your own choices instead of letting your par
ents decide everything for you. Now your cousin is
making decisions for you. The gossips in town make
decisions for you. What next? No more, Beth. I won't
play second fiddle any longer. This wedding is off."
He turned and walked toward the back of the church.

Mr. Pendleton rose. "Now see here. You can't leave my girl like this."

Mason called over his shoulder. “Just watch me. A
marriage can't stand on a foundation of bets and
lies—or with a woman who doesn't know what she
wants."

Beth picked up her skirts and ran down the aisle.

Her mother called, "Bethany, what are you doing?
You cannot chase after that man. I forbid it."

She ignored her mother and reached Mason as he
put a hand on the knob. She threw herself to knock
his hand from the door and bar him from opening it.
"Mason, I love you, and I know exactly what I want.
I didn't know how much until after I'd proposed, but I've loved you all these years and want to spend the
rest of my life with you."

"Of all the nerve." Mrs. Pendleton stood. "Bethany
Pendleton, do not debase yourself begging that man
to marry you. Get right back here with your father
and me."

"Mother, stay out of this. This is between me and
the man I love."

Mason watched Beth with his jaw set. Anger and
pain showed in his eyes.

Beth never even glanced at her mother, but kept
her gaze on Mason. "I never meant you to know about
the bet. I should have told you. I started to a dozen
times, but I was ashamed."

She put her hands on his arms. "Each of those other
times, I felt like a woman in jail about to be hanged. I
was relieved when the other engagements were cancelled. But, Mason, after you agreed to marry me, I
was so happy. Happier than I've ever been in my life."

She looked around Mason at those gathered in the
sanctuary. "And all of you who gossiped about me be
hind my back"—she looked directly at Mrs. Weldon
and Mrs. Humphreys—"do you think I didn't know or
that it didn't hurt my feelings? Well, I knew, and it hurt a lot. When I tried to hide the pain, you added
the label of Ice Queen. How can you people sleep at
night knowing the harm you've caused me and oth
ers?

He removed her hands and crossed his arms, but at
least he was listening.

"You know how I always came to you when I was
upset or happy? Why do you think that was?"

"You said I was your best friend, like a brother."
He spat the words like a curse.

"But now I realize it's because I've loved you all this
time. Not like a brother, but like a woman loves the
only man for her—the other half of her soul." She
wiped at the tears streaming down her face, and goo
smeared her gloves. She hoped she had the right
words to convince him. Nothing had ever been so im
portant in her life.

"Mason, you said I could count on you. Please
mean it. You've always been honest with me, a solid
rock I can depend on."

She saw the emotions warring in him and pressed her case. She stepped toward him and put her hands
on his. "Please, Mason, you're too fine to pretend you
don't love me. I love you as much. We belong to
gether. Please marry me."

He exhaled. "I'd planned to ask you when the
house was finished and furnished inside. Why else do
you think I built it and painted it your favorite color?
So, reckon I'll do the asking now. Beth, will you marry
me?"

Tears streamed down her face, but now they were
tears of joy. "Oh, Mason, I would be honored to marry you."

He pulled her into his arms. She'd never been so
happy or so relieved.

The guests cheered.

From the front of the chapel, Reverend Moseley
called. "Do you, Bethany Louise Pendleton, take this
man to be your lawfully wedded husband? "

Mason looked into her eyes. "You bet she does."

The minister snapped his book closed. "I now pro
nounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And Mason did, a long, sweet kiss that curled her
toes.

Those attending sent up another round of cheers
accompanied by whistles and applause.

Mason and Beth rushed out the door. The rain had
stopped, but the churchyard was a sea of mud and
puddles.

Mason stopped her on the porch. "Grandpa's buggy is
right over there. Wait here while I fetch it."

Beth shook her head and hiked up her train and
skirts. "Oh, no, you're not leaving me, Mason Whit
taker, not ever."

He took her arm. "Then hold on to my arm. The
steps are slippery."

Beth tumbled after him and landed in his lap. Her
crown of orange blossoms skewed like a crooked halo,
and the pristine tulle floated with stems of straw on
the murky water puddle. Mud splatters covered them
both. They looked at each other and burst out laugh
ing.

Mason kissed her gently. "Reckon this is the end of the jinx?"

The clouds parted, and rays from the setting sun
spotlighted them.

She smiled at her husband. "Certainly. Remember?
Happy is the bride the sun shines on."

Epilogue

June, 1890

Beth wakened to sunshine pouring in the window.
Oh, no, she'd overslept again. This pregnancy drained her energy more than the others had, and
she needed extra sleep. Thankfully, once her term
ended the other babies had popped out as if she was
created for childbearing.

Beside her, Mason pressed his lips to her shoulder
as he splayed his fingers against her rounded stom
ach. The babe inside her kicked.

"Baby's running races this fine Saturday morning."

"I hope this one's a girl so Millie won't be the only
one." Beth's husband didn't seem to mind that she had
overslept. She turned to face him. "You're dressed.
What time is it?"

"After seven. The right time, Beth." He stood and unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. His
denim pants and his drawers followed, and he slid be
tween the sheets beside her.

She looked at the door. "Urn, the door. Where ar
e—"

"I locked the door." He feathered kisses across her
face and nipped at her lips. "Rowdy's gone to town for
supplies and to spend part of his paycheck. Probably
come back broke, drunk, and satisfied. Wish he'd find
a good woman and stay home like his boss."

The only thing better than going to sleep with
Mason beside her was waking with him. “The children
need their breakfast—"

"Beulah's fed them and said she'd look after them
for an hour or two before she starts baking."

Beth smiled and arched a brow. "An hour or two?
My, my, am I married to Samson?" They'd made such
sweet love last night. No wonder she'd slept late this
morning.

"May take longer." He grinned. "If I have to suffer, I'm willing."

He pushed her nightgown up until he worked it
over her head and tossed it aside. "Mmm, I love your
body. Never tire of looking at you." Leaning on his elbow, he trailed his finger between her swollen breasts and
down to circle her bulging belly button.

She met his gaze. "Mason, I'm over six months
pregnant. I know I'm fat and ugly."

"Uh-uh. You're beautiful. Always have been, but
you get this extra glow when you're expecting a

babe."

She gave thanks every day for this man. "What I get
is fat and sluggish. You only think I'm beautiful, dear,
because you love me."

"I do love you, and that's a fact known far and
wide." He rained kisses across her shoulders, down
her breasts, and across her stomach. "Let me show
you how much."

He laved her nipple with his tongue while he
moved his fingers to tease her other breast.

She pressed him to her. "I love when you do that."