Randall Pride (17 page)

“You don’t think he’s too young? He’s your age, you know.” Elizabeth liked Toby being older than her. As if it mattered, she reminded herself with a sob.

“Elizabeth, don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work out. I can’t imagine Toby making love to you and then walking away. That’s not how he would operate.”

“He might if I told him to get lost,” Elizabeth said with a sniff. “Besides, it’s so awkward with no one knowing, like we’re sneaking around or doing something to be ashamed of. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able—I mean, people will talk.”

“Does it matter?”

“Not to me, not if I can have a life with Toby, but I don’t want him to be ashamed of me.”

Abby gave her a gentle smile, then looked at her watch. “I think it’s time to go.”

Elizabeth frowned. “Do you have a schedule? I don’t think the men will even be in yet.”

“Russ is. Remember, he called me?”

“Oh, yeah. I wonder why he’s in early.” Elizabeth stood and headed for the door. Would Toby already be in, too? If she went to the arena to get her coat from last night, would he be there working Buster?

Did she have enough courage to face him?

Abby chattered all the way to the ranch. When Elizabeth said something about the road being unusually crowded, Abby claimed it was probably a sale they hadn’t read about. Maybe one of the nearby ranchers was selling off his herd.

“We would’ve heard about that,” Elizabeth said, frowning. She grew even more intense when they reached the dirt road to the ranch house and discovered all those unexpected cars were turning there, too. “What’s going on?”

“I guess we’ll find out when we get there.” Abby’s lack of concern puzzled Elizabeth almost as much as the cars. Why would she sound that way unless she knew what was going on?

“What did Russ tell you?” she suddenly asked, catching Abby off guard.

Abby almost jumped in the car seat, and her cheeks heated up. “What? I—I told you. He wanted me to ride with you so he wouldn’t have to go back into town to pick me up before we went to dinner.”

She’d topped the little hill that looked down on the house, and it had the appearance of a big-city parking lot. There were as many cars there as people in Rawhide. Something strange was going on. “What else?” she demanded of her friend.

“Um, that’s about it.”

“Abby, you’d tell me if—if someone died, wouldn’t you?” Elizabeth suddenly asked, her voice trembling.

“Of course I would. It’s not that, Elizabeth, I promise. Everyone is fine.”

“Then why is half the state of Wyoming in my backyard?”

T
OBY STOOD
on the dance floor their cowboys had constructed that afternoon in the indoor arena. He couldn’t believe they’d finished it in time. The tables set up near the stalls were covered with dishes of food. Red and Mildred, with some of the mothers helping, had cooked all day. Then the neighbors, all invited by phone this morning, had brought their own contributions.

They were giving Elizabeth a surprise engagement party.

It had been his mother’s idea. B.J. had said he should make sure Elizabeth knew he wasn’t ashamed of what they were doing. It had never occurred to him that Elizabeth would even think such a thing, but the phone calls this morning got kind of complicated, explaining things. So he was glad that was out of the way.

He was glad Russ had come up with a way for Abby to accompany Elizabeth. That way he could be sure she’d get there—and not run away at the last minute.

Casey, having been sent outside to be the lookout, dashed into the barn. “She’s coming!” he shouted at the top of his voice.

Toby cleared his throat, ready to do his part. Ready,
willing and eager to do what he should’ve done before.

With Abby at her back, pushing her, Elizabeth stumbled into the barn amid a roar of applause and shouting. She came to an abrupt halt, just inside the door and stared in shock.

Toby walked over and took her hand. Then he turned and led her toward the center of the arena, on the stage that would serve as a dance floor tonight.

As soon as they were in the center, he held up his free hand to the crowd. They fell silent as he turned to face Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth, almost all our friends and neighbors, and most of our family, came here to be witnesses to what I’m about to say. I didn’t want anyone to doubt my sincerity or my enthusiasm.”

Her eyes were as wide as could be, their beautiful blue standing out from her fair skin. Had he overdone it? But he wanted a good story for his children, hell, his grandchildren, too.

He dropped to one knee, keeping her hand in his. “Elizabeth Randall, will you marry me, and be my wife for the rest of our natural days?”

She smiled, and he waited for her agreement. Instead, however, she asked a question. “Why?”

Damn, he’d forgotten something after all. “Because I love you with all my heart and soul.”

Tears glistened in her eyes as the crowd stopped breathing to hear her answer.

“Yes, Toby, I’ll marry you,” she said clearly.
Then she collapsed into his arms and he swung her around in a circle, giving thanks that he’d been patient and waited for the love of his life.

He set her down again and kissed her, a long, deep kiss that held all those promises he’d willingly make. The crowd of well-wishers screamed and cheered, but he ignored them as he made sure Elizabeth had no doubts about how he felt about her.

Then he whispered in her ear. “I don’t want to jump the gun again, but could you manage to be ready for the wedding next Saturday? The parents assured me it could be done.”

With all the noise, he wasn’t sure he could’ve heard her answer anyway, so it was a good thing she nodded. He held up his hand and the crowd quieted again.

“I hope you good folks can stand another party real soon, because you’re all invited to the wedding…next Saturday at high noon, right here.”

The cheering began again. But added to it was the sound of a couple of fiddles and a saxophone. Toby pulled Elizabeth into his arms, tucking her up against him, and began a slow waltz around the floor, suddenly questioning the wisdom of so many witnesses. There was no way he and Elizabeth would get any time alone tonight.

Probably not for the next week, he reminded himself. But after that, he’d have her to himself for the rest of his life.

“My thoughts exactly,” Elizabeth whispered in his ear, then added a kiss.

He was in real trouble if she could read his mind. But he’d manage, he decided. Yes indeed, because he thought he was beginning to read hers, too.

T
HE NEXT
S
ATURDAY
dawned bright and golden, a perfect fall day in Wyoming. Toby had been warned at breakfast, minus Elizabeth, to stay out of the house until time for the wedding. He wasn’t allowed to see the bride until he met her at the temporary altar in the arena barn.

Since he’d had a few minutes alone with Elizabeth last night, enough to cuddle her and add a few steamy kisses, he figured he could make it that long. But after the wedding, they had a car picking them up and driving them to Casper, where they’d take a short flight to Denver. Their ultimate destination was Hawaii. But their wedding night would be in Denver.

They’d stay in Hawaii for two weeks. That should be long enough to adjust to being married. They might even get a tan—if they made it out of the bedroom every once in a while. He wasn’t promising anything.

The entire family was here, the five cousins in from college. In spite of only having a week, the parents had been right. They’d had enough time to make a wedding to remember.

“Hey, cuz, you haven’t given me the ring yet,” Russ reminded him.

“No, I haven’t. And you won’t get it until we’re at the altar, and you can’t pretend to lose it.”

“Aw, Toby, it was just going to be a little joke,” Russ protested. “We have to do something to you for your wedding day.”

“Yeah,” Rich added. “You wouldn’t let us have a bachelor party.” He rubbed his hands together with relish. “We had great plans.”

“Yeah, I figured. But you’d better be glad I was on to you. Now, when it’s your turn,” he particularly looked at Russ, “I won’t be trying to pay any old debts.”

Rich didn’t look too concerned, but Russ frowned and looked away. Toby figured he’d be married within six months. If he could wait that long. Toby was just glad his waiting was over.

He dressed in his tux, as did his cousins, and they all walked to the arena.

“Have you seen her dress?” he asked them. He’d been worried that she wouldn’t be able to find what she wanted, but she’d assured him she had.

They all shook their heads. The barn was already filling up with their friends and neighbors. On a table in the back was a huge mound of presents. Toby was grateful because he wanted Elizabeth to experience everything, but he didn’t care about gifts. He was getting Elizabeth.

When the music finally began, he drew a deep breath and waited for his bride to enter.

Elizabeth stood outside the door to the barn, her hand tucked into her father’s arm.

“You okay, little girl?” Chad asked gruffly.

She suspected he was fighting back tears.

“I’m okay, Daddy,” she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

“I’d ask you if you wanted to change your mind, but I don’t think that’s a possibility. I see the same look in Toby’s eyes as I had in mine. I wouldn’t give you to anyone who didn’t look at you that way.”

“I hope my marriage is as good as yours, Dad.”

“Me, too,” he agreed, looking into the barn, trying to catch a glimpse of Megan. “Me, too.”

Abby and her cousins had all gone into the barn, their dresses varying shades of blue, each progressively darker until Abby’s dress, which was a royal blue.

Then the wedding march began, and Elizabeth and her father stepped forward. Her gaze was fixed on the tall, handsome man in a tux, standing before the altar at the end of the dance floor, so everyone could see.

Her childhood dream that had grown and strengthened through the years was finally coming true. She and Toby would share their love and be together for the rest of their lives.

Toby’s eyes glowed as she came closer, and he eagerly stepped forward to take her hand from Chad. Her nerves disappeared. She was in Toby’s hands now. There was no other place for her, for the rest of her life.

T
HE PARTY
was almost over. The bride and groom were off on their honeymoon. Only a few diehards
were still dancing, a few hearty eaters still picking at the tables of food, or nibbling on their pieces of wedding cake.

Jake sat in a folding chair, looking at everything. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

B.J., her head on his shoulder, understood at once what he meant. “Yes, it is.”

“You mean our kids getting married?” Chad asked. He and Megan, Anna and Brett and Pete and Janie were all there, too.

“I guess,” Jake agreed. “Just that we’ve managed so well. When I first hired Megan and those two other women, I had a vague hope that things would work out, but we’ve been incredibly lucky.”

“Yeah,” Pete agreed with a lazy grin. “No one’s laughing at you now, Jake.”

“Nope, they’re not. And there’s only one thing that could top off my happiness.”

Everyone sat up and stared at him.

“You’re not happy?” B.J. demanded.

“Sure, I’m happy. But we need babies. We need to secure the next generation.”

Megan immediately protested. “I think Toby and Elizabeth need some time to themselves, Jake. I don’t want any pressure put on them to have children at once.”

“No pressure,” Jake assured her. “It’s just a thought. Besides, it doesn’t have to be them. We have lots of kids around here. And pairing them up should be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.”

“Jake Randall, behave yourself,” B.J. ordered. “There’s no need to matchmake for this generation. They’ll manage just fine.”

“Of course not,” Janie agreed. “After all, they don’t have the famous Chloe fear of matrimony to overcome.”

“Right,” Anna agreed softly.

“We’ll see,” Jake said, exchanging looks with his three brothers. “We’ll see.”