Her parents weren’t able to arrive until the night before the wedding. Their train had been delayed, so it was too late for them to have supper with the McKays as planned. Instead Emma fixed them a quick dinner, then retreated to her bedroom to work on the wedding dress Caroline’s mother, Priscilla, had brought with her. Although Caroline hadn’t seen her parents in a month, she almost wished she could slip away, too.
Priscilla’s blond hair glinted in the lamplight as her green eyes watched Caroline in concern. “My poor girl. It’s so unfortunate that you broke your arm. You couldn’t possibly take on the role of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance now.”
Caroline shrugged her left shoulder—the one not attached to the broken arm. “No. I suppose I couldn’t, but I’m getting married. That’s hardly a disappointment.”
A beat of silence filled the parlor. Priscilla bit her lip. Caroline’s father shifted uncomfortably on the settee beside his wife. Matthew, who sat in a chair across from Caroline, narrowed his eyes at his parents. Caroline met her mother’s gaze in defiance. “Well, it might be disappointing to you, but it isn’t to me.”
“I never said it was disappointing,” Priscilla protested. “It’s only that...he’s a rancher!
Matthew straightened in his chair. “What’s wrong with being a rancher?”
“Why, nothing, of course. It’s only that Caroline isn’t like you. She loves music.” Priscilla turned toward her. “Are you really willing to give that up?”
“I wouldn’t be giving it up. The McKays have a piano that I’ve been using. I’m sure David would support me giving lessons on it if that’s what I wished. You should hear him play the guitar. He’s amazing. It’s one of the first things that drew me to him. That and his voice. It’s untrained but beautiful.”
Lawrence rubbed a hand over his chin. “I suppose that’s something.”
“Yes, and Maggie has a sweet alto. I’ve already started voice lessons with her.”
That perked her father’s interest. “Have you?’
“Ida plays the piano. All of his ranch hands play instruments, as well. Living at the ranch, I’m surrounded by music.” As opposed to living at her parents’ home in Austin, where she’d often been surrounded by a silent house.
“Well, Priscilla, that doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?”
“I suppose I do feel a little better about it.”
Her father looked to Matthew. “You approve of this man?”
Matthew looked a bit surprised to have his father seeking his opinion. His shoulder squared. “Yes, I do.”
Lawrence nodded, then gave a resigned sigh. “I just hope he doesn’t have any skeletons in his closet waiting to jump out at us like the last one.”
“Lawrence, what a thing to say.”
“I’m sorry, but the speed of all this is making me jumpy.”
“I’m uneasy about it, too.” Priscilla’s voice shifted to a persuading croon. “Why not wait awhile, Caroline? If only until you’re out of the cast.”
She smiled. “It’s easier this way. I’ll need a lot of help during the next six weeks. Emma’s in the family way, so it wouldn’t be right to burden her with my care. You and Father are busy with your work. There would be no one to look after me.”
“We could hire a nurse,” Priscilla offered.
“Thank you, but I don’t need a nurse. David and his mother will take care of me. Besides, David and I are in agreement. Life’s too short to waste it waiting around simply for the purpose of waiting around.”
Lawrence frowned. “But you have barely known this man a month. We’ve never even met him.”
“You met her last fiancé,” Matthew couldn’t seem to help interjecting. “It didn’t exactly help any.”
Her mother glared. Her father’s voice turned colder. “That man fooled us all.”
“He might not have if you’d been paying closer attention to your daughter.”
The argument escalated from there, but Caroline took it as a cue to step outside for a breath of fresh air and some peace. She was just in time to see David riding up on his horse. She waved at him, then walked out onto the grass to meet him as he dismounted. Mindful of her arm, he met her with a gentle embrace. His voice was both teasing and a little grumpy. “I’ve been away from you for a whole day. It was awful. I hated it. I’m never doing it again.”
She smiled into his shoulder. “I promise you won’t have to after tomorrow.”
“That is why I thoroughly approve of the shortness of this engagement.” His lips pressed a glancing kiss against the curve of her neck.
Her breath caught in her throat. She pressed a hand against his chest. “My parents are here.”
“They made it?” He glanced at the house behind them. “I’m glad. I know you wanted them here.”
She sighed. “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”
“Why?”
She traced the edges of his concerned frown. “They’re questioning my every decision. It’s only making me surer of my choices. Not less.”
He relaxed at that. “Good.”
“How is Maggie’s ankle?”
“The swelling has gone down. I thought the sprain would slow her up some, but somehow she’s even faster on those tiny crutches of hers.”
Caroline laughed. “We’ll be a sight in the morning. The flower girl on crutches and the bride with a broken arm. How are the triplets?”
“They’re as giggly as ever. Annie worked out well as a temporary helper today.”
She bit her lip at the word temporary. “David, I don’t think I’m going to be much good for the triplets for a while yet. Y’all were struggling with it before I came. I don’t know how we’ll manage it now.”
He sighed. “We may not need to manage it at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“The sheriff came by today. He thinks he may have a lead on some relatives of the triplets.”
She gasped. “Really?”
“Nothing has been confirmed yet. He just wanted to let me know so that we wouldn’t get attached.”
“Oh, it’s too late for that.”
“I know.” He shook his head. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been secretly hoping to adopt them, but a relative would trump my claim a thousand times over.”
She squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry, David.”
“So am I. We’ll have to see how this all plays out.”
“Speaking of playing.” She tapped the guitar strap slanted across his chest. “The natives are restless and could use some subduing. Come meet my parents.”
David laughed as he followed her inside. Within minutes of meeting her parents, he’d charmed them both. His guitar playing even coaxed Emma from the bedroom, where she’d been hiding out by working on Caroline’s wedding gown. With the family in a far more peaceful mood, he persuaded Caroline to sing a duet with him. Normally she hated singing in front of her parents, but she forgot all about them as her voice blended with his and she looked into his eyes.
Love stared back at her. She knew it was love even though he’d yet to say those three precious words. Why was he withholding them from her? Did he even realize he was doing so? Sure, she appreciated how he showed his love through his care and concern for her, but she wanted to hear it at least once before she walked down the aisle toward him. Her wish wasn’t granted for he said goodbye to her in front of the others with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek and a promise that he was looking forward to tomorrow.
There was little time to wallow in disappointment for Emma insisted that Caroline try on the wedding dress one last time to make sure the sleeves had turned out all right. Since the fashionable puff sleeves narrowed at the forearm, it would have been impossible for Caroline to wear it with a cast on one arm. Emma had cut off the narrow part and refashioned the puff to make it appear as though the sleeves had always been short.
Caroline turned this way and that in the mirror to admire the dress. “I think it looks perfect. Thank you, Emma.”
“You’re welcome.” Emma leaned her hip on the dresser as she surveyed her work. “I’m so glad it worked out.”
“Do you think it’s odd for me to wear the same dress I wore at the other wedding?”
Emma sent her a disbelieving look. “You had four days to come up with something to wear.”
“So...no?”
“No, I don’t think it’s odd, since you already had a perfectly good wedding dress hanging in your closet. The dress is perfect and isn’t to blame for the problems at your last wedding.”
She grinned. “That was a case of having the right dress and the wrong man.”
“Exactly. Now you have the right dress and the right man.” Emma hugged her. “It’s so nice to see you so happy.”
“It’s nice to be this happy.” It was also a little scary, she admitted to herself as Emma helped her into a nightgown. Caroline almost felt as though she was waiting for something to go wrong. It was like singing an aria with one troublesome note. She couldn’t help anticipating it.
If only David had said the words. It would have given her something to hold on to, something to battle the nervousness fluttering through her stomach. But he hadn’t. That along with the pain in her arm and the discomfort of the cast kept her awake long into the night.
* * *
Caroline awakened with a start when her mother knocked on the door. “Good morning, bride.”
It was meant to be sweet. Caroline knew that, but Priscilla had said that exact same thing a month ago. It only drove home the point that she’d done this before. It had ended in disaster then. What if it happened again? Caroline pushed aside that thought along with the mess her hair had become and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Emma is cooking breakfast. I thought I’d help you with your hair and your dress...” Her mother chatted on as the smell of breakfast drifted in through the open door. It only made Caroline’s stomach roil.
“I couldn’t eat a thing,” Caroline said when her mother took a breath. “I’d rather start getting ready. Why don’t you eat while I take care of my morning ablutions?”
“All right, dear, if you insist, but you really should try to eat something before the ceremony. I can’t believe it’s only two hours from now. That’s hardly enough time. But then, I suppose country folks do start their day unforgivably early.”
Caroline had a precious few minutes alone to steady her nerves before Priscilla and Emma bustled in to help her get ready. Before she knew it, she was standing on the church steps wondering how on earth she’d been coaxed into getting married only a month after the disaster of her previous wedding. And she was in the same dress. It shouldn’t have mattered, but suddenly it did. Emma had assured her the dress was fine. The doubts besieging her were her parents’ concerns, not hers.
She glanced at her father, who waited beside her. His tension was almost palpable. Lawrence caught her watching. “If this man hurts you, so help me. So help him.”
She appreciated the fierce protectiveness of his statement, but it was hardly encouraging. Her heart began pounding in her chest. Was David this nervous?
“Miss Caroline!”
She turned on the steps to find Maggie hurrying toward her on crutches with Ida and Edmund McKay not far behind. Caroline accepted the girl’s hug and everything within her calmed down as a rush of love flowed through her. Tears gathered in her eyes, though she did her best to blink them away. She caught the girl’s chin in her hand and tilted her face upward. Before Caroline could say anything, Maggie’s eyes widened. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. So do you.” The girl wore a fancy blue dress that brought out that same color in her eyes.
“Daddy says you’re going to become my mommy today.”
Caroline laughed. “He’s right. I am. I can’t wait.”
Maggie grinned in relief. “Me neither. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed. I might have doubted a little bit, but deep down I knew God would give me what I asked for.”
Oh, for faith such as that. Caroline wished she had that same measure of trust that this would all work out for her. Before she could find a response, Ida finished introducing herself and Edmund to Lawrence, then gave Caroline a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “You are beautiful, my dear. I just brought Maggie by because she insisted she’d die if she didn’t see you.”
“I’m glad you did.” Caroline turned her smile to Edmund as he gave her a quick hug. David hadn’t wanted to pick between his brothers, so he hadn’t chosen a best man. Instead he’d asked them both to serve as groomsmen. “Hello, Edmund. How’s David doing? Is he nervous?”
“He seems pretty calm to me.”
“That’s good.” Wasn’t it? Probably. Still, part of her had hoped he was suffering as much as she was. After all, getting married only four days after the engagement had been his idea, not hers.
Maggie tapped Caroline’s leg to get her attention. “Uncle Edmund is going to carry me down the aisle so that I can throw the flowers.”
“What a smart idea.”
“Maggie, Edmund, you’d better take your places. Caroline and Lawrence, someone will knock on the door from the inside to let you know when to enter.” Ida gestured to two other children who’d appeared seemingly out of nowhere at the bottom of the stairs. One boy and a girl slightly older than him smiled shyly at her. Ida introduced them as Gil and Jo Satler. They were the orphans whom David hoped to help with the creation of the children’s home. “They generously offered to hold the doors open during the ceremony. Now, I’d better take my seat. They’ll be starting as soon as I do.”
Finding herself alone with her father and the Satler siblings, Caroline chose to engage the children in conversation. Gil seemed the only one willing to talk. However, she hardly knew what she was saying. All she could focus on was the church door. Finally, the knock came. The Satlers opened the doors. Caroline stepped inside the church on her father’s arm. The guests all oohed and aahed at the sight of her. She did her best to smile at them through the veil.
Emma and Annie waited at the front in mismatched dresses with bouquets of flowers that had sprung up after the rain had cleared out. On the other side of Pastor Brandon, Edmund and Josiah stood beside the man waiting for her at the altar. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of her groom. He was devastatingly handsome in his formal suit.
And he was all hers. Only hers. A smile blossomed on her lips, and she couldn’t have stopped it if she’d tried. Their eyes locked. The intensity of his gaze spoke of so many things. Promise, certainty, joy and love. Love. Oh, why hadn’t he said the word?
He would be required to before the ceremony was over. Of course, he didn’t have to mean it or necessarily feel it. People got married every day for many reasons—not all of them were love. But why else would David marry her?
Maggie poked her head into the aisle. Caroline couldn’t look away from the pure rapture on her soon-to-be daughter’s face. What had Maggie said earlier? Daddy says you’re going to become my mommy today. But that was a plain fact. It didn’t mean that was why David wanted to marry her. It didn’t mean he had ulterior motives.
Her father removed her veil and kissed her cheek before placing her left hand in David’s. His hands were warm. His hold secure. She lifted her gaze to meet his and found herself drowning in his eyes. Oh, what did it matter if he said the words or if he meant them?
She loved him. She wanted him. Nothing else was important. Still, that niggling sensation in her gut told her that wasn’t true. She tried to ignore it, but a new refrain marched through her mind. Something isn’t right. Something isn’t right. Over and over. It drowned out the preacher’s words, yet it seemed to amplify everything else. The pounding of her own heart. The sound of Lula May’s fan stirring on the second row. A whisper from someone near the middle of the church. The soft clunk of the door opening and closing to admit a latecomer.
David squeezed her hand. She met his gaze again, unsure when hers had drifted away. She forced herself to focus on what Pastor Brandon was saying. Something about the sanctity of marriage. Then it was time for the vows. “David McKay—”
A little gasp sounded from the back of the church.
Pastor Brandon continued as though he hadn’t heard it. Caroline might have as well, if her eyes weren’t already focused on the lone woman standing at the back of the church. A shaft of sunlight illuminated the woman’s shifting expression. Confusion. Hurt. Disappointment.
Their eyes met. The woman’s widened with something akin to panic. Dread filled Caroline’s empty stomach. Something isn’t right.
* * *
Caroline was nervous. It was impossible not to notice that. She shook like a leaf. He wished she’d look at him. Instead, other than that first transcendent smile she’d bestowed on him, she’d focused on anything and everything but him and their marriage vows. This was not a good start. With everyone watching, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
He’d tried squeezing her hand. That had only helped for a moment. David glanced at Brandon. The preacher was watching Caroline, too, and looking slightly worried, though his voice remained as confident as ever. “David McKay, do you take this woman to—”
“Who are you?” Caroline demanded.
She was peering through narrowed eyes at the back of the church. A woman stood there. While everyone else twisted around to see whom Caroline was addressing, David looked back at Caroline. Her mouth was drawn into a line. Her body was as tense as a too-tight guitar string. He didn’t know whether to be exasperated, confused or concerned. What did it matter who the stranger was? They were in the middle of their wedding ceremony. He was about to speak his vows.
Before he could say any or all of that, the woman in question spoke. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Lawrence stood. “Answer the question.”
David barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He understood why the Murrays would be jumpy after what had happened with Nico. But he wasn’t like Nico. He certainly didn’t have a wife just waiting to...
Oh.
Oh, no.
David turned to survey the woman. How had Elizabeth Dumont described herself? Auburn hair. Brown eyes. This woman had both. Still, it couldn’t be. He’d sent her a telegram breaking off their engagement. Yet it was her. She said as much with her next breath.
He closed his eyes as Caroline asked a question that might as well have been his death knell. “How do you know David?”
“I’m engaged to him.”