Catherine kept her arms wrapped around Hannah as she gave the porch swing another gentle push. “Your father will be here soon,” she promised.
Though only an hour had passed, it had been an eventful one. When she’d left Austin, Catherine had found Hannah cowering behind the largest live oak, her hands pressed against her eyes as if eyelids were not enough to blot out the sight of the fire. At the sound of Catherine’s voice, she’d lowered her hands and shrieked, “You’re safe!”
Seconds later, she was in Catherine’s arms, sobbing with relief. “I thought you’d burned up with that mean man. I didn’t care if he died, but I was so scared for you.”
“No one died in the cabin.” Since Catherine wasn’t sure whether Enright was still alive, she had phrased her words carefully. “Your father is here. He’s helping the man.”
Hannah simply nodded, not finding anything odd in the fact that her father was attempting to heal the man who had threatened her.
Not wanting Hannah to see the extent of Enright’s injuries, Catherine had left the girl in the woods while she brought the buggy back to her, then skirted the cabin as she headed toward the ranch. She’d gone close enough that Hannah would see that her father was alive and well but not close enough that she could view his patient’s face. The girl was likely to have nightmares as it was. Catherine would not add that sight to them.
They’d both washed their hands and faces, and Catherine had pulled the splinter from her right hand and twisted her hair back into a semblance of a chignon when they’d reached the ranch. She knew she still looked disheveled, but at least both she and Hannah were alive. Now they were sitting on the front porch, waiting for Austin to arrive.
“I was scared, Miss Whitfield,” Hannah said. “He was a mean man.”
“Yes, he was, but you were very brave. You did what I asked you to do, and that was brave.”
Hannah looked up at Catherine, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. “I don’t want you to leave me—not ever. I was so scared when I was in the woods. All I wanted was for you to be with me. Please say you won’t leave me.”
Though there was nothing Catherine wanted more than to tell Hannah her wish might come true, she couldn’t. Not until she and Austin had talked. And then there was the news they’d have to give Seth. As if summoned by her thoughts, Seth rode in on Patches.
The boy dismounted and looped the reins over the porch railing. It was only when he’d climbed the steps and stood in front of the swing that his eyes widened. “You’ve got blood on your dress, Miss Whitfield.”
She looked down. “So I do. It’s not mine, though.” She hadn’t bothered trying to rinse out the stains, because this was one dress she would never wear again. As soon as she returned home, it was destined for the rag bag.
Hannah slid out of Catherine’s embrace and stood next to Seth. “It belonged to a very bad man. He wanted to kill me, but Miss Whitfield wouldn’t let him.”
While Catherine tried not to gasp at the fact that Hannah had recognized Enright’s intent, Seth had less self-control. He let out a short cry, and the blood drained from his face so quickly Catherine feared he might faint. “Was it my pa?” Seth’s voice squeaked as he forced the words out.
Catherine’s heart ached at the realization that this boy equated every cruel man with his father. “No, it wasn’t your father.” Boone Dalton would never again hurt Seth or anyone else.
When Catherine had seen the body and realized what had happened, she had distracted Hannah. That was another sight she hadn’t wanted the girl to witness. Eventually, Hannah would need to know what had happened, but now wasn’t the right time, nor was it the time to tell Seth. That was something she and Austin needed to do together.
“This man was someone Mr. Goddard knew before he moved here.”
“Oh.” Seth’s relief was palpable. He turned to Hannah. “Do you want to play checkers with me?”
To Catherine’s surprise, Hannah agreed and followed Seth into the house. Ah, the resiliency of the young. A traumatic event could be dismissed, if only temporarily, by the prospect of a game. Catherine wasn’t complaining. Not at all. The children’s absence meant she and Austin could have a few minutes alone when he arrived.
She settled back in the swing, watching for the dust that signaled an approaching rider. Soon, she told herself. He’d be here soon. And he was. When she recognized the rider as Austin, Catherine stepped off the porch and walked toward him, her walk turning to a run when he dismounted and opened his arms. Seconds later she was enfolded in his embrace.
This was where she wanted to be—close to the man she loved. Like hers, his clothing was bloodstained. Like hers, his face was lined with fatigue from the day’s ordeal. Like hers, his heart beat faster now that they were together, and that was how it should be.
“Oh, my love,” Austin murmured against her hair, “I was so afraid I’d lost you.”
Catherine tipped her head back so she could smile up at him. It was the first time he’d called her his love, and oh, how wonderful the words sounded.
“I’m safe and so is Hannah. She and Seth are playing checkers, if you can believe it.” The words were prosaic, but Catherine heard the tremor in her voice as she looked at the man she loved so dearly, the man Sherman Enright had planned to take from her. Austin wasn’t the only one who had feared the loss of his love.
His eyes were solemn as he looked at her. “I never thought I’d be grateful for a checkers game, but I am. I wanted to talk to you before I saw Hannah and Seth. There are some things we need to discuss.” Though Austin’s words sounded ominous, the corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile of reassurance.
Slowly, he lowered his arms, as if he were reluctant to release her, but then he reached for her hand. “Will you come with me where we can have a little privacy?” he asked, gesturing toward the shade of an oak tree.
Catherine nodded. Didn’t he realize she’d go anywhere with him?
When they stood beneath the canopy of the oak’s branches, once again Austin’s expression turned somber. “I know I promised to wait until your mourning was complete, but what happened today changed everything. It reminded me that life can end without warning. Catherine, my love, I don’t want to wait any longer.”
He’d said it again. It hadn’t been a slip of the tongue or an aberration. The day they’d walked by the creek Austin had told her he loved her, but calling her his love was different. It felt more intimate. “My love” was the kind of endearment a husband would use with his wife. If she was right—and how Catherine hoped she was—Austin was about to ask the question that could have only one answer. As her heart began to pound, she realized he wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to wait.
“I love you, Catherine. I love you more than I knew it was possible to love a woman.” His eyes gleamed with love and tenderness, the expression so sweet Catherine’s breath caught in wonder. Her prayers were being answered; her dreams were coming true.
Austin tightened his grip on her hand as he spoke. “Will you make me the happiest man on Earth? Will you marry me and be a mother to Hannah and any children God gives us?”
A bird chirped as it landed on a branch above her; a rabbit scurried through the grass; Dusty neighed at the horse still hitched to the buggy. They were ordinary sounds, proof that there was a world beyond Catherine and Austin, but for the moment all that mattered was being here with him.
“Yes, Austin, yes.” Her heart overflowing with happiness, Catherine smiled at the man who’d offered her the future she’d dreamt of, a life of love and laughter, a life where family and faith combined to bring true happiness.
His smile matched hers, and then he found a better use for his lips, touching them to hers in a kiss that sent tingles down her spine. When at length he ended the kiss, the smile that curved Austin’s lips was mischievous.
“Hannah will be almost as happy as I am. She keeps telling me she wants you to be her mother.”
Catherine snuggled closer to Austin, resting her head on his chest for a moment before she looked up at him again. This might not be the time for her next question, but Catherine had to ask it. As Austin had said, today had changed everything. “Being your wife and Hannah’s mother will be wonderful, but I can’t help worrying about Seth. I saw Boone’s body. I don’t know what happened, but I know he was dead.”
Austin nodded. “That’s the next thing I wanted to discuss. You’re right. Boone is dead. Tucker shot him. While I don’t condone murder, Boone’s death makes one thing easier. If you agree, I’d like us to adopt Seth. I know it’s asking a lot of you to take on two children as well as a husband, but Seth deserves a better life than he had with Boone.”
And she and Austin could give him that. Though she hadn’t thought her happiness could increase, it did. “I think it’s the perfect solution. I’ve done what I could for Seth, but you’ve done more. You’ve been a better father to him than Boone ever was.”
“You’re selling yourself short, Catherine. You’re the one who saw Seth’s talent and encouraged it.”
Catherine closed her eyes, remembering the consequences of her decisions. “I shouldn’t have done that. Look at all the pain that caused. It’s because of my encouragement that Seth was so badly beaten and that Sherman Enright found you.”
When she saw the confusion on Austin’s face, she realized he didn’t know. “Tucker saw Seth’s drawing in the magazine. That’s how he knew you lived here.”
Austin raised his hand and cupped Catherine’s chin, tipping it so she was looking at him. “Don’t blame yourself for any of this. It wasn’t your fault. Boone was always looking for an excuse to vent his anger. If it hadn’t been the drawing, it would have been something else.”
Though Catherine did not feel exonerated, she knew there was some truth to Austin’s words. Boone Dalton had been an angry, cruel man, but Tucker’s bullet ensured that he would never again hurt his son. Catherine nodded at Austin, accepting what he had said.
“It seems I was deluding myself when I thought Enright would abandon his search for me and seek out another physician. He isn’t used to anyone refusing him and had no intention of letting me be the first. One way or another, he would have found me. What angers me is that he hurt you.” Austin touched her neck. Though the pain had subsided, there were still tender spots where Enright’s fingers had dug into it.
“It will heal. It already feels better,” Catherine told him. “At least now you don’t have to worry about Enright any longer. You don’t have to hide the fact that you’re a doctor. You could even return to Philadelphia.” And though she knew she would miss her family and friends in Cimarron Creek, Catherine would go with him. Her future was with Austin, wherever he chose to live.
He shook his head. “I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I realized I don’t want to go back East. It’s true that I miss my patients, but we both know Cimarron Creek could use a new doctor. What do you think about being a doctor’s wife?”
Catherine pretended to consider the question. “It might be all right, if . . .” She paused, hoping he knew she was teasing.
“If what?” he asked.
“If you’re the doctor. It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re a rancher or a doctor. You’re the man I love, no matter how you earn a living.”
She lifted her hand and traced the outline of his lips with her index finger. “I love you, Austin Goddard. I always will.” And then she placed her lips on his, returning the kiss he’d given her.
“I like the way you show your love,” he said when they broke apart, both a little breathless, “but it makes waiting difficult. Do you still want a September wedding?”
Catherine shook her head. As Austin had said, what had happened today changed many things, including her perspective. “Not anymore. I think we should marry as soon as possible.” It would take a few days to arrange the ceremony, but if Austin agreed—and she was certain he would—they could be married within the week.
“Mama would have been the first to tell me not to waste a day. She always wanted me to find a love like she and my father shared, and now that I have, she wouldn’t have wanted us to wait.”
His eyes filled with happiness, Austin stroked Catherine’s cheek as he said, “All that leaves to settle is our wedding trip. We’ve talked about my accompanying you and Grace to Paris, and I still like that idea. Although . . .” His lips curved into a grin. “Grace would actually be accompanying us. The problem is, I don’t feel comfortable leaving Hannah and Seth behind for as long as it will take to go to Europe. It won’t be conventional, but what do you think about taking them with us?”
“Oh, my love,” Catherine said, repeating his endearment, “who cares about being conventional? That sounds like the trip of a lifetime. We can show Hannah the city where she was born, and think of all the sketches Seth will be able to make. Even better, we can help Grace find her daughter.”
“And she can watch over the children when we want to be alone.” The way Austin was staring at her lips told Catherine he was looking forward to their time alone as much as she was.
“It will be perfect.” Catherine smiled again. “Thank you, Austin. You’re making all my dreams come true.”
As Austin lowered his head for another kiss, a familiar voice called out from the porch. “Papa, are you kissing Miss Whitfield? Does this mean she’s going to be my mama?”
His eyes reflected his amusement as Austin turned Catherine so they both faced Hannah and Seth. “Come over here, Hannah. You too, Seth. Catherine and I have something we want to tell you.”