Heartland Wedding (20 page)

The truth had been right in front of her and she’d ignored it.

A knock sounded on her door an instant before Mrs. Jennings pushed into Rebecca’s room. “You have a visitor.”

Her heart dipped in her chest and she smiled.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry, dear.” Mrs. Jennings gave her an apologetic smile. “It’s only your brother.”

Rebecca sighed in disappointment. “I’ll be right down.”

Taking the steps slowly, she wondered when Pete would come for her.

What would she do if he didn’t come?

No. She couldn’t think like that. He would come. In his own time and in his own way.

Resolve firmly back in place, she joined Edward in the front parlor.

He stood with his back to her, looking rumpled and dusty, but physically strong. He was nearly healed from his battle with the Tully brothers.

Thank You, Lord.

“Edward? You wanted to see me?”

His shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t turn around.

“What’s happened?” Fear made her voice shrill. “Is it Pete? Has he been hurt?”

“He’s fine.”

She blew out a sigh of relief just as Edward turned to face her. An odd expression filled his eyes.

“What is it?” she asked. “I can tell
something’s
wrong.”

He trooped over to the fireplace with big, clunky steps, leaned his forearm against the mantel, then dug his toe at a crack in the hearth.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “I’ve just been wondering. Was it a mistake to send for you? Should I have left you in Norway?”

What a ridiculous question. Surely he knew her answer. “Of course it wasn’t a mistake. I love living in High Plains.” This was her home, perhaps more than Norway had ever been.

“What about all the trouble you’ve had in the past month? Don’t you have any regrets?”

Regrets? Over what? She’d experienced difficulties, yes. But she’d gained so much more. She’d made friends. Good friends. And she’d become Pete’s wife. Despite the current rift between them, Rebecca was glad she’d married him. Perhaps she’d allowed her fear to rule her heart these past two days, but she was through with all that. She was going to be strong now, bold.

To fortify her resolve, she called upon her favorite verse
from the Book of Joshua, the one she’d recited throughout her travels to America, the same one she’d called upon when she’d finally decided to marry Pete.
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid.

“No, Edward. I have no regrets.”

His gaze filled with disbelief. “Your husband has left you here for two full days.”

“Pete will come for me.” She had no doubt her husband wanted her with him. And she wanted to be with him. Pete might not have pretty words in him, but he was a good man. A noble man. He was also kind and faithful and…
glory,
she really was in love with her husband.

Edward’s shoulders slumped. “Maybe he will come for you. But is that enough? What about Matilda and Abigail Johnson? They’ve treated you terribly from the start.”

Rebecca braced for the rage that always came at the mention of the Johnson women. But this time, when the terrible emotion came, the feeling didn’t overwhelm her. Her anger was slowly dissipating.

Rebecca knew it would take time for her to forgive the two fully, but she believed she would.

With the Lord’s help.

“Oh, Edward,” she said. “Not everyone has to like me.”

“Why are you so good?” he asked, his palm extending to touch her cheek.

She laughed. “I’m not good, just realistic.”

“No, you’re good. What else explains why you don’t hold a grudge against Matilda Johnson and her nasty daughter?”

“You want to know the truth?”

He dropped his hand and nodded.

“For weeks I’ve struggled with crippling anger toward those two.”

“Understandable.”

“Perhaps. But if I allow my anger to turn to hatred or, worse, bitterness, then I’m the one who loses. I won’t give either woman that kind of power over me. Besides, if the Lord can forgive
me,
I need to learn to forgive Matilda and Abigail.”

Edward didn’t look convinced by her argument. “But if it wasn’t for their mean-spirited gossip, you wouldn’t have been forced to marry Pete.”

With that one simple statement, all the pieces of the past weeks fell into place for Rebecca. “Who’s to say marrying Pete wasn’t God’s will for my life?”

And who was
she
to question God’s methods for bringing about His will?

“God’s will?” Edward spat the words. “What sort of God allows His child to be forced into an unhappy marriage?”

“My marriage isn’t unhappy.” Not completely. And hopefully not for much longer.

“Then why are you living here again?” Shoving away from her, Edward paced around the tiny room. “And why haven’t I seen you smile since your wedding day?”

Two very good questions, the last easier to answer than the first. “I haven’t smiled because I’ve been putting my own selfish concerns and needs ahead of my husband’s. Pete’s wife died a little over a year ago. It was wrong of me to expect him to get over his loss in such a short time.”

Edward stopped. “What if he never gets over her?”

“Then I live with that, and love him, anyway.”

“I won’t condemn you to such a fate.” Returning to her side, he stared intently at her. “Let’s leave High Plains. Tonight.”

She reared back. “What?”

His hands fisted at his sides. “Let’s move back East somewhere. Maybe Boston. Or New York.”

“But High Plains is my home. It’s
your
home, too. You love working with the horses at the livery.”

He lifted a shoulder. “So I’ll find a job as a farrier somewhere else. My training is complete. And you can work in a restaurant, or a boardinghouse like this one.” He swept his arm in a wide arc. “We’ll start over. In a place where people won’t judge you for something you
didn’t
do.”

Rebecca considered his suggestion for less than a second. “Oh, Edward, you’re sweet to offer, but I can’t run away simply because a few people in this town treat me poorly.”

“It could be different in a big city. Better.”

No, not better. It would be worse, because she wouldn’t have Pete by her side.

She knew what she had to do.

“I’m sorry, Edward.” She squared her shoulders. “I won’t leave my husband. I said vows before God and several witnesses. It’s time I lived up to those promises.”
For better or worse.

She headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To find my husband.”

This time Pete would not walk away from her. And she wouldn’t walk away from him. Never again.

R
ebecca burst out the door of the boardinghouse so quickly the handle whipped from her grip. The door bounced off the wall and then swung straight for her. She moved out of the way just in time, cringing at the sound of the door banging shut behind her.

Poised on the top step, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. A gentle breeze tickled her face, lifting her hair off her shoulders. She could not find pleasure in the moment.

Her emotions came too fast, one on top of another. Norwegian words fumbled over English ones in her mind. Yet every thought pinpointed to one goal—find her husband and make matters right between them.

She had no plan, just hope. And a lot of determination.

Lord, go before me. Smooth my path.

Tapping into every last scrap of courage she had, she hurried down the boardinghouse steps. She shoved at her hair, remembering another time she’d taken this same route—more than a month ago, when the tornado had blown through town.

On that fateful day, a similar sense of urgency had flowed through her.

Hurrying down Main Street, she cast a quick glance to her left. The town hall was taking shape, as were several other homes and businesses. The rebuilding of High Plains was more reality than talk now.

The town would survive the destruction left by the storm.

But would her marriage?

Yes.
She would not allow any other ending to what had started out as a way to silence gossip.

Blinking past the bright afternoon sun, she realized she was not alone on the street. Navigating the labyrinth of activity, Rebecca rounded the corner of the mercantile with her gaze firmly planted at her feet.

Oh, Lord, please,
she prayed,
give me the words to convince Pete our marriage can be real. Help him believe that I can make him a good and honorable wife for the rest of our lives.

She broke into a run as soon as her feet hit the expanse of dirt and pebbles between the mercantile and Pete’s domain.

One, two, three. She counted each step. Ten more and she was outside the smithy.

“Pete,” she called into the gloomy building.

No answer.

She rushed to the livery.
“Pete.”
Her rising anxiety made her Norwegian accent heavier than usual. “Are you in there?”

Still no answer.

There was one final place to check.

She turned toward the house, but only covered a few yards when the object of her quest came circling around the back of the livery.

His steps were hurried, clipped. And his face was set in
a determined scowl. She’d only seen that raw emotion in him once before. When he’d set out to save her life.

Her heart skidded to a stop, lifted and then stuck in her throat.

“Pete.” She gave him a shaky smile when he stopped a few feet away from her. “I, I wanted to say…” Her voice didn’t sound right. Why couldn’t she make her voice sound right? “I…hello.”

“Hello, Rebecca.” His eyes were unreadable, even as he circled his arms around her waist. He didn’t pull her close, rather he searched her face, then lowered his gaze and frowned. “You’re breathing hard. Are you hurt?”

“No, no. I was just rushing a bit to get here.” Her worry was finally receding, and now she felt a little foolish at her earlier surge of emotion.

He pulled her a step closer, his intense eyes never leaving her face. “Why were you rushing to get here?”

His voice was smooth, deep. Hypnotic.

Her breathing tripped in her lungs.

“To get to you.”

“I see.” The genuine pleasure in his voice sounded so natural, so easy. Unfortunately, his arms remained loose around her.

That
would not do.

She pressed her palms against his chest and lifted onto her toes.

“I want to come home, Pete,” she whispered, right before she placed her lips against his.

At last, his embrace tightened.

After a wonderful, blissful moment, he stepped away and blinked at her. “Do you mean for good?”

“Yes.”

A softness filled his gaze, making him look more relaxed and approachable than she’d ever seen him. In fact, he looked somewhat smug.

“Come with me,” he said. “I have something to show you.”

He led her across the short distance to their home. “You might not believe me when I say this, but I was just at the boardinghouse looking for you.”

She hadn’t expected that. But she should have, especially when she realized he was just as out of breath as she was. “You…you were?”

“Your brother sent me back here.”

“He…he did?”

“He did.” He gave her a very masculine wink. “But I don’t want to talk about Edward, I have a surprise waiting for you in our home.”

“You…you do?”

She was starting to sound like an idiot. For once, she couldn’t blame her lack of witty responses on any language barrier. Her husband was confusing her, and filling her with joy at the same time. She rather liked the heady feeling.

“I’ve been working on this for two solid days,” he said. “I wanted to finish before I came to fetch you.”

“You were really coming for me.” She could hear the surprise and wonder in her voice.

Drawing to a stop, he rocked back on his heels.

She didn’t like his sudden silence. “Pete?”

“Was I wrong not to come for you sooner?” He skimmed his gaze over her face.

She knew that look in his eyes, had seen it in her own mirror just this morning. Her big, strong blacksmith husband was feeling vulnerable. “I think we both needed the break.”

“It’s our last one,” he said firmly. “You belong with me.”

“I know.” She placed her hand on his arm. “And I promise, I won’t leave you ever again.”

He heaved a relieved sigh. “And I’ll try not to give you a reason to go. Now, come. It’s time you saw what I’ve been up to in your absence.”

With a lopsided grin, he directed her up the front steps and then stopped again on the edge of the threshold. He stared at the door for a long moment. Clearly, he was contemplating how best to present his “surprise” to her.

She decided to help him out. “Should I close my eyes?”

“That would be nice.”

“Consider it done.” She slapped a hand over her eyes. “But you’ll have to guide me.”

“My pleasure.” He took her hand and tugged her forward.

His warm grip was a solid reminder of his steady, constant presence. Rebecca would never be alone again.

“Keep walking,” he said. “No, not that way, a little to your left. That’s it. Watch your step.”

She placed a tentative toe in the direction he indicated. “This way?”

“Precisely.”

She smiled, feeling surprisingly light-headed as his grip moved past her wrist to rest on her elbow.

“Follow my voice,” he urged.

Taking short, shuffling steps, she continued forward.

“Turn to your right.”

She did as he suggested.

“Okay. Stop.” His hands closed over her shoulders, his touch both firm and tender.

“Now, shift a little more to your right,” he said.

“Can I open my eyes yet?”

“No.”

She waited a heartbeat. “Now?”

“No. I’m going to let go of you. But whatever you do, don’t move until I tell you. And
don’t
open your eyes.”

She nodded.

He released her. Without his support, she swayed a little, but caught herself with a jerk. Now that her eyes were shut, her other senses took over. She could hear Pete shuffling around the room. The sound of a match striking was followed by the unmistakable odor of candle wax. He was lighting candles? How…sweet.

There was another scent in the room, not unpleasant but strong. She wrinkled her nose. Glue, perhaps?

Hmm.

Fighting back her impatience, she drew in a breath. “Can I open my eyes yet?”

He chuckled low in his throat. “Have a little patience, my love.”

His love? Did he just call her his love? Surely, she’d heard him wrong.

Disoriented, she flayed her arms out, trying to grasp for a piece of furniture or some other solid object. “What room are we in?”

“The one with the fireplace.”

What could he possibly have for her here?

“All right.” He moved behind her and whispered in her ear. “Open your eyes.”

Feeling suddenly anxious, she blinked, gradually focusing on her surroundings. For a moment, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Same fireplace, same mantel. And then she looked at one of the windows and gasped.

Curtains. Pete had put curtains over all the windows in
the room. Not blankets nailed over the casings, but
real
curtains. And they were made out of the same material she’d ordered from Mr. Johnson.

Pete had done this for her?

Her eyes stung with an onslaught of grateful tears.

Blinking furiously, she held on to her emotions, barely, and turned in a full circle.

Not only had Pete mounted curtains, he’d hung wallpaper on all four walls. The wallpaper
she’d
ordered last week.

Glory.

“How did you know?” she whispered.

Without waiting for his answer, she rushed to the closest wall and traced the familiar flowered pattern with a shaking fingertip.

“Do you like the changes?”

“They’re…Oh, Pete, they’re wonderful.”

She heard him blow out a relieved breath. “The same day as your picnic, Mr. Johnson delivered the items you’d ordered. I hired Mrs. Morrow and her daughter to make the curtains. After a little convincing, they graciously agreed to make the project their first priority.”

Oh, Pete, you marvelous, glorious man.

“And the wallpaper?”

“Zeb helped me hang it last night. We finished right before sunup this morning.”

He’d worked all night hanging wallpaper? Her head swam with the realization that he’d done this for her. For her!

She pressed her palm against the wall to steady herself. A tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. And another. “I…I don’t know what to say. I—” She swallowed, her hand still flat against the wall. “Thank you so much.”

He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, then pulled her back against his solid chest.

I’m home,
she thought,
not just in this house, but with this man.

As though sensing the direction of her thoughts, Pete said, “You deserve to live in a home, Rebecca. A real one.” His voice was whisper soft against her ear. “I’m honored to be the one to give it to you.”

Placing her hands over his, she continued staring at the wall, suddenly afraid to turn around and see what was in his eyes. “I was thinking the same of you.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I’ve been making plans, you know.”

“I suspected as much when Mr. Johnson delivered your items. I took it upon myself to order several pieces of furniture, and a new set of bed linens. They’ll arrive in a few weeks.”

She relaxed her head against his shoulder, but then her mind latched onto something he’d said and she straightened. “You only ordered one set of bed linens?”

Sucking in a deep pull of air, he turned her slowly around to face him. “I was hoping we’ll only need one.”

She saw the love in his eyes. The hope. The promise.

Pete was finally asking her to be his wife, in the only way he knew how. Not in words, but in a bold gesture.

It was no wonder she loved the man. He was trying so hard.

But, in this, they had to speak plainly. “Are you asking me to share your bed?”

“Yes.” The intensity in his gaze took her breath away. “But I want to share more than just a bed with you. I want to share your life. I want a real marriage with you, and all that that implies. I should have told you this before now. I’m sorry.”

She’d never heard that many words from him. It must have cost him a great deal to speak his feelings that plainly. She owed him equal candor. “You don’t have to be sorry, Pete. I’m the one who should apologize. I never let you tell me how you felt, not that morning at breakfast or out in the grove after the picnic.”

“Sounds like we’ve both made our share of mistakes.”

She nodded. “I suppose we have. It’s all behind us now.”

“It is. But, Rebecca, I have to warn you.” His lips pressed into a sorrowful line. “I’m not good at making women happy. You’ll have to guide me. I don’t want to hurt you ever again.”

The pain and vulnerability in his gaze was real. She lifted her hand to cup his cheek. “It goes both ways. I don’t want to hurt you, either. So we’ll just have to figure out life and marriage together, with the Lord’s help every step of the way.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but she stopped his words with a finger to his lips. He’d taken almost all of the steps so far.

This one was hers.

She lifted on his toes and pressed her lips to his. He stood rigid, his mouth hard and unmoving.

And then, his arms were around her and he was kissing her back. With enthusiasm.

She relaxed into him, sighing contentedly. They had finally destroyed that invisible line standing between them.

Only…

Pete pulled away from her again. His eyes weren’t regretful like the last time they’d kissed. But they were haunted. And filled with unspeakable pain.

“Pete?”

“We can’t go forward until we talk about the past.” He stepped back and raked his fingers through his hair. “I have to tell you about Sarah.”

Dread filled her. “Do you still love her? Is that what you have to tell me?”

“Sarah was my first love. There will always be a special place in my heart for her.”

Rebecca fought back a sick feeling at his words. Of course he would hold Sarah in his heart. It was the kind of man he was, and one of the reasons why she loved him so much. “I think I understand.”

“I’m glad. But, Rebecca, I’m afraid it’s more complicated than whether or not I loved Sarah, or even if I still love her. There’s room in my heart for you both. I know you know that. However…” He turned away, but not before she saw his grief.

She held her breath for the rest.

“There are things about Sarah and our marriage that I never wanted to tell you. But if we’re going to be happy I have to share the whole story, for your sake. And maybe even for my own.”