The Bounty Hunter's Bride (23 page)

She marched up to the barn. When he didn’t move, she planted her shoes across from his muddy boots. “I need to get by.”

“No, you don’t.” He lifted the bucket from her hand, set it inside the door and snuffed out the lamp, plunging them into darkness. Beau touched her jaw. “I love you, Dani. Marry me.”

He’d said he loved her, but he reeked of mud, maybe death. He’d left his duster in the barn, but she could still smell the rot. She jerked away. Before she let down her guard, she needed answers. “Did you find Clay?”

“He found me.”

“What happened?”

“It’s a long story. Right now, only one thing matters. I’m back. I spoke with Josh. He’s willing to marry us.”

The girls would be safe.

He’d said that he loved her.

Two stars glimmered in Dani’s mind, shedding divine light but not enough to show her the way. Had Beau really changed? Had he made peace with God and himself? She smelled the mud and wondered. “I have to know what happened.”

With a crescent moon shedding the dimmest light, he told her about the canyon, the flood and the misfire. Her blood chilled with the knowledge that he’d almost died, then warmed with gratitude for God’s mercy. The Lord had been with Beau in Sparrow Canyon. Judging by his eyes, he knew it. Two more stars pierced the dark around Dani’s heart, but she worried when his lips thinned to a line.

“I won’t lie to you,” he said. “I’d be glad to see Johnson hang. He spared my life, but I don’t know why. I still hate him, Dani. I always will.”

She wanted Beau’s whole heart, not most of it. What would he do if he caught wind of Johnson in a month or a year? Could she trust him to stay? Promises could be broken as easily as they were made. She watched as he reached into his pocket, then opened his palm to reveal the bullet Clay had left for him. He closed his fingers again, hauled back and threw it as hard as he could into the night.

“That takes care of Clay,” he said. “Now for us.”

He reached into his pocket a second time. When he opened his fingers, she saw a silver ring with a blue stone. It made a perfect circle. Endless. Complete. She imagined him taking her work-roughened hand, seeing the calluses and the broken nails, the imperfections that came with being human. That’s when she knew she’d say yes to Beau in spite of her fear that he’d go after Clay Johnson. She wasn’t a perfect woman. She made mistakes every day. Beau would make them, too. Big or small. It didn’t matter. Love, as complete as the circle, covered their failings.

He clasped her fingers. “I love you, Dani. No matter what happens, I’ll never leave again.”

Her heart pounded. “I love you, too.”

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will.”

He slid the ring into place. Expecting a kiss, she tilted her face to his. Beau answered with a lazy smile. “I want a son. A boy with your blue eyes.”

Dani’s heart hummed. “I want that, too.”

“And another girl.” He grinned.

She grinned back.

He kissed her then, a tender brush that made her see stars. A thousand of them—each as bright as the sun—burned away the rest of the darkness, leaving her warm in Beau’s embrace. Tomorrow, she decided, would be the happiest day of her life.

B
eau walked Dani to the house, kissed her again, then headed alone to the creek. He washed off every speck of mud from the canyon, put on clean clothes, shaved, then sat on a rock. He’d promised to do business with the Almighty and that time had come. With his head bowed, he confessed his arrogance, praised God for his mercy, then looked up and counted the stars. With each one, he thanked the Lord for a different blessing until he reached the one gift he couldn’t understand.

Why had Clay spared his life?

Beau had no desire to go after the man, but neither did he have as much peace as he wanted. He’d hated Clay for five years. It would take more than five days to break the habit. Tonight, when he’d touched the bullet, the hate had burned as bright as ever. Even now, with Dani’s kiss fresh on his lips, he could feel the old resentment.

A month ago, he’d have raised his fist at the heavens. Tonight he bowed his head. “I want peace, Lord. What do I have to do?”

Beau knew the answer in his gut. He had to forgive Clay Johnson.

“Not in a million years,” he said out loud.

The silent nudge to his heart turned into pain, but he could only groan. The Lord was asking too much. Beau wouldn’t go after Clay, but neither could he forgive the man for what he’d done. Beau knew he had a problem. His hate for Clay had the potential to stand between himself and Dani. It also made it hard for Beau to see past the stars to the God who’d made them. “I can’t forgive him,” he said out loud. “If You want me to forgive that scum, I need help.”

Irked, Beau gathered his dirty clothes, the bar of soap and his shaving kit. He’d cleaned up as best as he could, but he still felt the grit of his trip. He’d said no when Dani asked him into the kitchen for supper, but he couldn’t deny his need for sleep. Exhausted in every way, he headed back to the barn where he slept until the sun spilled through the window. As if he’d never left the farm, he awoke the next morning and milked the cows. It felt good to do chores and even better to walk into the kitchen where he saw Dani at the stove.

She smiled shyly.

Beau wanted to kiss her but didn’t. They couldn’t honor the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding, but he wanted everything else to be perfect. Nothing else mattered, least of all his turmoil concerning Clay Johnson.

He eyed the bacon. “Smells good.”

She blushed.

Before he could tease her, Emma walked into the room. She saw Beau and gasped. Ellie came up behind her, shrieked and ran to hug him. Esther charged at his knees. Beau looked at Dani and grinned.

She nodded, a silent signal to tell the girls their news. Just like Josh and Adie, he and his wife-to-be could trade thoughts without a word.

Beau sat down, putting him level with girls. “Dani and I have something to tell you.”

All three straightened. Emma looked wary. Children who’d lost a parent learned to be cautious. Beau intended to erase that fear. “We’re getting married today.”

The younger girls squealed, but Emma stayed serious. “Are you staying for good?”

“I am.”

She turned to Dani. “Is it true?”

“It better be.” She smiled at him. “I stayed up half the night pressing my dress.”

“Can I see it?” Ellie asked.

“Sure,” Dani answered. “After breakfast.”

As if this were an ordinary day, they sat at the table and ate. While the females chattered, Beau took in the blush of Dani’s cheeks, the awe in Emma’s eyes and the sight of Ellie and Esther eating oatmeal as if it tasted like ice cream. As a man who’d once lost everything, he knew the value of a single moment. He and Dani would remember this day forever. Every minute counted; every gesture meant more because of the vows they’d take. Nothing would spoil this day. Beau wouldn’t allow it.

When they finished eating, the girls cleared the table. He went to his room where he shaved a second time, put on a suit and fancy tie, then hitched up the surrey and pulled it into the yard. Ellie, dressed for church with a red ribbon in her hair, waved to him. Emma and Esther came out the door, followed by Dani who had a satchel in hand. She’d done up her hair with white ribbons but hadn’t put on her wedding dress. She had it in the bag and would change at the parsonage. He met her on the steps, took the satchel and stowed it in the back of the surrey.

The girls climbed in on their own, but Dani waited for him. When he offered his hand, she took it and squeezed. “This is the best day of my life.”

“Mine, too.”

He helped her onto the seat, then took the reins. As they pulled out of the yard, Beau felt a mix of joy and tension. Five years had passed since he’d been inside a church. The last time had been in Denver and he’d walked out in the middle of a hymn. He wanted to erase that memory, so he winked at Dani and started to hum.

She heard the first notes of “Camp Town Races” and laughed.

The girls laughed, too.

That’s how they arrived at the parsonage, a family sharing a moment they’d never forget. Beau halted the surrey at the foot of the steps. As his nieces climbed down, he took Dani’s hand. A man didn’t kiss his bride before the wedding, but his wife-to-be had a look that made him think about it. Feeling mischievous, he leaned a bit closer. Her eyes gleamed with a dare. Beau moved another inch. So did she.

Their lips were inches apart when Adie opened the parsonage door. “Beau Morgan! Don’t you
dare
kiss the bride. At least not yet!”

Laughing, Dani drew back and hopped down from the seat. After fetching the satchel, she ran up the steps, stopped at the open door and blew him a kiss.

Adie hugged Dani, then approached Beau. “I’m glad to see her happy.”

“Me, too.”

“What about you, Beau?” she asked. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.”

“Just good?”

He grinned. “More than good. I’m a happy man, Adie.”

“Josh told me about Clay. It’s a strange story.”

Beau wished she hadn’t mentioned it. Just hearing Clay’s name stirred up old feelings. He had to put them aside, especially today. When Dani came down the aisle, she’d see love in his eyes. Nothing else.

He forced his jaw to unclench. “That story will have to wait.”

“Of course.” Adie stepped back. “Go find Josh. He wants a word before the ceremony.”

Beau nodded, but he had no intention of speaking with his friend. If Josh mentioned Clay, Beau would be hard-pressed to keep his composure.

He clicked to the horses, then steered to the field where farmers would leave their rigs. He’d brought Dani early so she could dress, but he had a need of his own. It had been a long time since he’d been in God’s house, and he wanted a moment alone. He tied the horse, then ambled to the front of the church where he saw the brass knobs shining in the sun.

A sudden dread turned Beau’s feet to sand. He’d made his peace with God last night, but he had the terrible feeling his anger was about to erupt again. A month ago, Beau could have left in a snit. Today he
had
to go inside. He’d promised Dani a perfect day and he intended to give it to her. With his hat in hand, he walked into the church.

The building matched the one he’d known in Denver. Seven windows, the width of a man’s shoulders and as tall, lined the two longest walls. Sunshine poured in through the glass, casting beams that met on the floor and made a row of diamonds. Two sets of pews waited to be filled and Josh’s podium, the same one he’d used in Denver, displayed an elaborate etching of an eagle.

Peace settled around Beau like the blanket Dani had spread for their first picnic. It opened, fluttered down and landed in a perfect square. Beau blinked and tasted apples. He felt God’s mercy in the cool air. Divine love abounded in the light. Beau had come home.

Thank you, Lord.

With the prayer on his lips, he raised his eyes to the front wall of the church. In Denver, he’d have seen a wooden cross. What he saw now turned the picnic blanket into a bloody pink dress. Stones of pink rhyolite, the finest he’d ever seen, formed a cross in the center of a gray wall. Someone had polished the rocks to a shine, bringing out veins of red and black.

Bitterness gripped him from the inside and squeezed. He didn’t want these feelings. Not now. Not with Dani about to become his wife. He wanted to be rid of them forever, but he couldn’t control his reaction. Hate lived in his blood. It pumped from the very core of his being. A horse couldn’t change its color. Neither could Beau stop the hatred burning in his gut.

He wanted to walk out of the church and never come back.

He wanted to see Clay Johnson die.

He wanted God to end the pain. A stifled groan tore at Beau’s throat. He wanted to fight. He wanted to weep. More than anything, he wanted to be free from his own stupid thoughts. “Help me,” he whispered.

The stones stayed silent. Beau spun on his heel and walked out the door. He’d marry Dani in spite of the shiny pink cross, but his heart had gone dark. Struggling to stay calm, he paced to the far end of the porch, as far as he could get from the people arriving for the service. In spite of Beau’s scowl, men called out to him and women smiled.

Trevor Scott walked the length of the porch to offer congratulations. Beau shook his hand but said nothing.

Sheriff Dawes said hello.

John Baylor tipped his hat. “Thanks, Morgan.”

Harriet Lange saw him and offered a gracious dip of her chin, a sign of surrender. After today, the girls would never have to worry about stupid teacups.

Beau was close to breathing normally when Josh came out of the church. “There you are.”

Beau grunted.

Josh’s smile died. “Are you as nervous as you look?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I just need a minute.”

Josh lowered his voice. “Memories?”

Beau shook his head.

“Second thoughts?”

“Not a one.” His voice rasped. “It’s Johnson. He’s got me by the throat.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Josh’s expression turned as hard as flint.

“You’re the one who won’t let go.”

Beau scowled. “I don’t need a lecture.”

“I don’t want to give one,” Josh said. “Considering what Johnson did to you, I don’t have that right. But there’s someone who does.”

“For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten son…Forgive your enemies as I have forgiven you.”

Beau’s jaw tensed. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“You think forgiving Johnson’s impossible, don’t you?”

“It is.”

“Not for God.” Josh stepped closer. “Are you willing, Beau? That’s all that counts. The Lord does the rest.”

Before Beau could tell Josh to drop dead, Adie opened the parsonage door and waved.

“That’s our signal,” the minister said. “Your bride’s waiting.”

Nothing would stop Beau from making this day perfect for Dani. Not Clay Johnson and not a pink cross. He pushed by Josh. “Let’s go.”

With the minister in his wake, Beau walked down the aisle to the front row where he sat alone. The pianist struck the chords to a lively hymn. When the music ended, Josh stepped to the podium.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have a surprise. Most of you have met Daniela Baxter. I’m pleased to announce that she and Beau Morgan are getting married this morning.”

Applause broke out.

Josh signaled to him. “Come up here.”

Beau stood and turned to the congregation. Josh signaled to the pianist, who played “Blessed Assurance,” Dani’s favorite hymn. Someone closed the door. Any minute it would open again and the wedding would begin. Dani would enter in a cloud of white. Thoughts of her calmed Beau’s nerves. When the knob turned, his heart soared. Someone cracked open the door, but just a foot. Instead of Dani, he saw a man. And not just any man…Clay Johnson had come to church.

Expecting Dani, the congregation turned to look. No one paid attention as Clay slipped into the back pew. Dawes had never seen him. Wallace didn’t attend church. John Baylor had seen three men in masks. He didn’t know Clay Johnson from Adam, but Beau did. So did Josh. The minister gripped Beau’s shoulder but didn’t speak. The decision to confront Johnson now or stay silent belonged to Beau alone.

Instinctively, he sized up the situation. If Clay had something ugly in mind, the people in the pews were lambs waiting for slaughter. Beau had a two-shot pistol in his boot, but he hadn’t worn his gun belt. Dawes carried a revolver, but the man had no instincts.

With Beau watching, Clay squeezed between a matron with a feathered hat and the blacksmith, a man twice his size. He had on a worn shirt and trousers. No hat to hide his face. No coat to hide weapons. When the matron smiled, Clay smiled back as though he meant it. Beau didn’t know why the outlaw had come to church, but he felt certain it wasn’t for the wrong reasons. As long as he stayed in the pew, Beau could endure the confusion pulsing through him. This was Dani’s day. Nothing else mattered.

Unaware of the drama, Adie opened the door wide. The pianist pounded the keys with a new vigor. Esther, holding a bouquet of roses, walked down the aisle with surprising dignity. Ellie followed and Emma came next. The three of them lined up opposite Beau. He didn’t know where to look—at Clay or the door where Dani would appear.