Larkspur Road (35 page)

The moment she reached Becky’s side she felt the first drop of rain.
Just hold off a few more minutes,
Mia thought desperately, biting back a groan. In the crowd now she saw Aunt Winny joining Brittany, Sam, and Alec. They were pressed close among the throng near the podium.

“Good luck, Aunt Mia,” Britt called out.

“Woo-hoo! Go, Bits and Pieces!” Samantha whooped.

Winny smiled up at her.

Aunt Winny? Smiling?
Now, that was something you didn’t see every day.

“May I have your attention, everyone?” Becky spoke into the microphone as another rumble of thunder shook the sky.

“We want to rather quickly thank you all for coming today. I think we’ve had the best turnout ever and I know all the money we’ve raised here, thanks to your generosity, will be of great help to all the women at the Loving Arms shelter. We’d especially like to thank all of our wonderful Lonesome Way businesses that have contributed so generously to this effort—”

“Just announce the total!” a man yelled from the back of the crowd. Someone else hushed him, and Becky continued, speaking even more rapidly. “As you know, the community quilt raffle was won by Benson’s Drugstore….”

Mia didn’t hear the rest. She’d suddenly spotted Travis and Grady at the edge of the crowd and her heart lifted. They must have just arrived and she was touched that they’d come all the way back to town just to watch the closing ceremony.

The sight of Travis made her smile despite the stress of the impending rain. He looked effortlessly sexy in a crisp
black shirt open at the neck, the sleeves rolled up, pressed jeans and boots, his Stetson on his head. He looked all cowboy and all man and her throat went dry just looking at him.

As his gaze zeroed in on her, a grin broke across his face and he tipped back his hat. A rush of warmth and love swept over her.

Faintly she heard Becky tell the crowd that Mia would now reveal the total amount raised today. Stepping quickly to the podium, she noticed Grady waving at her and she waved back before adjusting the microphone.

Then Karla was beside her, her face flushed with excitement as she handed Mia her grandmother’s delicate silver box. It felt warm and familiar in her hands, and as her fingers closed around its corners, she couldn’t help but imagine Gram gazing down at her, proud that her butterfly quilt had been displayed today. Delighted that the good luck wedding quilt was back among the women of her family.

The crowd held its collective breath, waiting for the rain, the thunder, and the total as she lifted the lid of the box.

How much money did we raise?
Hopefully enough to make a difference for all the women and children in need at the shelter.

She reached for the slip of paper nestled inside and felt another drop of rain splash against her cheek.

“The grand total for this year is…” She unfolded the paper with rushing, trembling fingers.

And then stared at what she saw printed there. A bold, black scrawl of words. Not numbers.
Words
.

Will you marry me?

What?
She stared down at the letters, dazed.

“Tell us the total!” someone in the crowd yelled.

Mia glanced down at the paper again, her heart beating so fast she couldn’t think. She could only stare at those words. It couldn’t be…

“I think there’s been a mistake,” she began, trying to keep her tone even.

“There’s no mistake. You read it right.”

Travis’s voice.

But he wasn’t speaking from the front of the crowd. He was right beside her on the platform.

Karla was gone. So was Becky. Travis was here, looking at her with gleaming eyes. A few feet behind him, she spotted a smiling Grady.

“I’m afraid everyone’s going to have to wait another minute for that total, folks,” Travis said into the microphone. “There’s something I need to do first and I want you all to be a part of it. I’m either going to embarrass the hell out of myself right now or I’m going to be the happiest man on earth.”

“What are you
doing
?” The words burst from Mia in a gasp. She felt her face burning red. “Are you crazy?”

“Yep. Crazy in love with you.” The microphone carried his voice throughout the crowd and suddenly laughter and applause broke out. Cheers, too.

“Go for it, bro!” Rafe called.

“It’s about time!” Lissie’s voice rang out happily.

“Hurry up and ask her already,” Aunt Winny warbled through the warm air. “Any minute now we’re all going to be wet as fish in a pond.”

“You heard the lady.” Travis spoke softly. His gaze held hers as he took the slip of paper from her numb fingers and set it inside the silver box, which he rested on the podium. Then he caught her hand, cradling her fingers in his as he drew her over to the center of the platform and the crowd whistled and cheered.

“You really are crazy,” Mia whispered on a breathless laugh. Her throat was tight, and her heart felt ready to burst wide open and spill out all the love she could barely contain.

“How did you…do this?”

“I haven’t done anything yet.” Still holding her hand, he dropped down onto one knee. His eyes never left hers as he pulled a small gold box from his pocket and popped it open.
On a bed of palest cream velvet glistened a brilliant round diamond ring set in platinum.

“Mia Quinn, I left you once and it was the dumbest damned thing I ever did. But I was an idiot kid then, and I’ve learned a lot since that day. I’ve learned that you’re the only woman for me, I’ve learned that you own my heart. And if you say yes now, I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy for the rest of our lives. I love you, Mia.”

His deep voice thickened. “I want to spend every precious moment of our lives together. I want to hold you every night and kiss you good morning every day. I want us to be a family. I want us to raise a family. And I want us to be together forever and ever.”

Mia felt hot tears squeezing from her eyes as he turned her palm up and brushed a gentle kiss against her skin.

“Will you marry me, Mia? Will you be my wife, for now, for always?”

The words were said aloud for everyone to hear, but the love and hope in Travis’s steady gaze were meant only for her.

“Yes.” Mia watched the grin spread across his face even as she began to smile. She held her breath as he slid that gorgeous ring on her finger and stood.

Happiness mingled with shock as she stared at the brilliantly shining diamond, then at the tall man who tugged her close against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she whispered, caressing his jaw, smoothing her hands through his hair as he lowered his head and kissed her long and deep. There was tenderness in the kiss, but also wanting.

A flash-fire heat rippled between them, quickening her blood as his mouth took all he wanted from hers.

The crowd erupted into cheers and then the rain fell. Lightning slashed across the Crazies, people yelped, a woman shrieked as rain pelted down like stones, but still Travis kissed her, and still everyone stood their ground, clapping.

Finally Travis plopped his Stetson onto Mia’s head as the rain tumbled harder and a soaked Grady scampered toward them. Laughing, they knelt to include him in a hug, and then Rafe yelled, “Okay, everyone, we’ll save the rest for the wedding. Run for the hills!”

Laughing, soaked, and thoroughly satisfied, the crowd scattered and everyone raced toward their trucks and cars.

“The grand total!” Becky Hall pushed forward to scream into the microphone. “Two thousand and four hundred—” The rest was drowned out by a long crack of thunder.

Mia found herself bundled into Travis’s Explorer, with Grady perched in the backseat.

“Samson’s going to be my dog now, too, isn’t he?” the boy asked her, leaning forward.

She met Travis’s grin with a smile and then turned to press a quick kiss to the boy’s cheek. “You bet he is. We all belong to each other now,” she told him. “And we always will.”

The wedding took place in August at Sage Ranch. Nearly a quarter of the town attended, and the day was sunny, without a single cloud drifting in the blue Montana sky.

A huge luncheon buffet was served outdoors. Platters of prime rib, lemon chicken, roasted asparagus, Parmesan potato wedges, and sweet corn and peppers were arranged upon long tables bedecked with lacy white cloths. There were five kinds of pie served for dessert, along with an assortment of cupcakes and cookies and an elaborate three-tiered wedding cake baked by Sophie with chocolate ganache and buttercream frosting.

Travis was dazzled when he saw Mia in a simple gown of palest ivory silk, her shiny blond hair flowing loose and sexy, exactly the way he liked it. She carried a bouquet of peach and white roses and Sophie, Lissie, Samantha, and Brittany were all bridesmaids in flutter-sleeve gowns of delicate peach silk. Aunt Winny, in blue taffeta and fuschia-colored nail polish, gave the bride away.

There was champagne and wine, beer and whiskey. Rafe handed out cigars. Grady made a speech. So did Jake, Travis’s younger brother, the rodeo champion who was the only one of the Tanner boys who’d never been married, and who proclaimed himself immune to love.

“You’re next,” Rafe had told Jake after the ceremony. “Mark my words.”

“Your number’s coming up,” Travis had warned him.

“Not in the cards for me,” Jake had retorted cheerfully. “Never met any woman who’d make me want to give up all the other ladies I haven’t even met yet.”

“You’ll fall, little brother,” Travis assured him. “And when you do, it’s gonna be hard. You’ll never see it coming.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Jake had laughed before sauntering over to his little niece, Molly, pretty in a raspberry lace dress, and swinging her up into his arms.

While people chatted and danced on the patio, accompanied by a local country band that covered everyone from Garth to Reba, Travis tugged Mia up the steps and down the hall into his old bedroom. He closed the door, leaning his back against it.

Dusk blue eyes gleamed at her.

“What are you up to? This is our wedding. We can’t—”

“Sure we can. Five minutes alone, then we’ll go back down. I need to tell you how beautiful you are. How happy I am today.”

She nestled in close, pressed against him, lifting her mouth to his kiss. “I’m happy, too. So happy.”

It was a long kiss, even deeper than the one that had sealed their marriage vows. Joy shimmered in the air between them.

“You know, I’ve already got that good luck wedding quilt at the cabin, folded right across the foot of our bed,” Travis told her when they came up for air. “Not taking any chances.”

“Smart man.” Mia laughed as he pulled her toward his old double bed and sat down, yanking her onto his lap. “I’m
thrilled to have it back. But…” Her amber eyes were soft on his as she stroked his jaw with the tips of her fingers, as his arms encircled her tightly and happiness soared in her heart.

So much happiness filled her that she thought she might burst.

“But what?” He nibbled at her throat. Hot shivers raced through her.

“But I don’t believe in the good luck wedding quilt.”

That got his attention. He looked into her eyes. “No?”

“I believe in
us
. You, me. Grady. And however many other little members of
us
come our way.”

His slow grin made her heart turn over. “Expect lots of us. Think you can handle that?”

Mia was lost in his eyes, in the love she saw there. She forgot about the guests downstairs, the cake, the gifts and champagne. She saw only Travis, and the years of love and laughter awaiting them. Together.

Her voice came out in a whisper choked with happiness.

“I think I can hardly wait.”

L
ONESOME
W
AY
, M
ONTANA