Mary took her father’s offered arm and stepped to the doorway of the Journey’s End dining room. Everyone assembled there turned and looked at her.
“She looks like a princess!”
Katy’s voice, filled with awe, floated to her. Her eyes teared up.
“Uh-uh, she looks like a flower.”
That was Ben. Her lips twitched in memory.
“No, she looks like a bride.”
And that was Callie. Sensible, wonderful Callie.
Mary swept her gaze to the children grouped together with Miss Withers, Ivy and Edda on the left at the front of the room and smiled. Eighteen children beamed back at her. She glanced to the right, and there was Mrs. Lucas standing beside James and Rebecca—his bride of two days. And her sister Sarah holding her new baby boy, while Sarah’s husband, Clayton, held their little girl, Nora. And her aunt Laina and uncle Thad, and her cousins William and Emma and Anne. And her mother—
“Ready, Mary?”
And Pastor Thornton. And Sam, who stood waiting for her with that soft look of love in his eyes that was for her alone. She swallowed back a rush of tears and nodded. “Yes, Father, I am ready.”
She smiled and walked toward her love.
Sam stood in the doorway of the main salon of the Right Choice and looked down at his bride. His heart thudded. Every time he saw Mary his love grew stronger. And to see her holding her baby nephew did queer things to his stomach. Mary looked up and their gazes met, held.
“All right, you two, stop looking like James and Rebecca!” Sarah laughed and reached for her new son. “Go kiss your husband, Mary, before he bursts or something.”
“An excellent idea.” Mary laughed and ran to him. He gave her a kiss with a promise attached, which she returned with an equal amount of fervor.
“Did I hear our names mentioned? Move over. Make way for my bride.” James laughed, nudged Sam and Mary aside and started into the room with Rebecca beside him.
Mary nudged James right back. “You and Rebecca have been married a whole two days longer than we have. I am the bride here.”
“Are not.”
“Am, too.”
“Children!” Elizabeth Randolph laughed and looked at her husband, Justin. “I despair of our children ever stopping their competitions!”
Justin laughed and lifted little Nora into his arms. “Pray God, you may be right, Elizabeth. Life would be dull without them. Though I do not know where their competitive spirits come from.”
“Well, certainly not from me, dearheart!” Laina crinkled her nose at her brother, then smiled at her husband. “Tell them I am very mild of manner, Thad.”
Thad grinned and dropped a kiss on the top her head. “And have the good Lord strike me dead?”
All the Randolphs hooted—Laina among them.
The whistle sounded. The paddle wheels churned up water as the Right Choice—the new luxury liner of the M and M steamer line—started downriver. Mary and Sam stood alone on the deck and waved to the children and her family on the shore. Their farewell was returned with enthusiasm.
The boat steamed around the bend on the way to St. Louis to pick up passengers for its maiden trip to New Orleans, and the children, running along the riverbank shouting and waving, were lost to sight.
A whole month alone together before they returned. Mary sighed with contentment, leaned back against Sam’s broad chest and placed her hands over his hard-callused ones that joined the protective circle of his arms around her.
He bent down and placed his mouth by her ear. “Happy, Mrs. Benton?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. “Very happy.” Her smile widened into a cheeky grin. “Mother and Sarah both think you are devastatingly handsome!”
He raised his knee and knocked the back of hers. It buckled, and she pressed more closely against him. His arms tightened. She smiled up at him. “And Father thinks you are very intelligent and...um...intuitive about finances.”
He gave her a mock scowl. “You should have told me your father was the owner of the M and M line.”
She laughed, twisted around inside the circle of his arms, slid hers up around his neck and gave him a saucy look. “And have you marry me for my money?”
He grinned, that slow, breath-stealing grin that made her heart do all the foolish things a sensible heart would never do, and lowered his lips to hover over hers. “There would be no danger of that, Mrs. Benton. Not once I saw your beautiful, honey-flecked brown eyes.”
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