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Joy was still stunned, but finally threw her arms around his neck, pressing a quick kiss on his lips.
“I guess we are getting married in two weeks.” She felt her cheeks warm, when he lifted her chin and almost brushed her lips with his, while making a remark she didn’t see coming.
“Perhaps we can come up here for our honeymoon.” He looked deep into her eyes, causing her to tremble a little.
“I don’t think the owner would agree to this,” she stammered, trying to avoid eye contact, but he held her captured.
“What if the owner is me?” he whispered, still as close as before.
“You want to buy this place?”
He grinned. “I actually did. Even before we came here. I’ve always loved Crow Creek Falls, and when I heard part of the land and the cabin were available for sale, I didn’t even hesitate.”
Joy looked around the room. “I mean, it is cozy,” she said hesitantly. “Perhaps some time in the future we can renovate it and turn it more into a home than a cabin.”
He nodded and finally gave her another kiss that caused her pulls to trip. Knowing that nothing could destroy their love now, she gently kissed him back before snuggling herself into his arms.
It was pitch-black outside, yet the rain kept coming down. Joy stood in front of the window again, worry was settling on her face. They wouldn’t be able to return to Elkhorn that night, which meant they had to stay in the cabin with no chaperone around. It made her uneasy and nervous.
Joy watched Charles as he stepped outside on the front porch so she could change into one of the nightgowns. She quickly did so and then jumped into the bed, adding as many blankets and pillows to it as they had.
When Charles came back inside, he grinned when he saw her covered from head to toes. He stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Will it be all right if we share the bed? It is not small, and if we put the extra blankets and pillows between us, we wouldn’t be close. I promise to stay on my side.” He watched her intently, her cheeks glowing dark red, but she nodded.
Charles stood again and added more wood to the fire before blowing out the candles and lanterns.
Only the flames in the fireplace brought light now, and he got ready for bed before lying down himself. Joy was facing the wall, her eyes closed.
He understood her bashfulness and made sure he gave her enough room to not feel even more uncomfortable.
Joy was certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep, yet the excitement of the day had tired her enough that she didn’t even remember when unconsciousness embraced her.
Charles was startled awake, when the woman next to him shot up into a sitting position. Joy was gasping for air, she held on to her throat as if trying to push someone’s hands out of the way.
He realized quickly that Joy was caught up in a half-sleep and nightmare, thinking she was being choked again. He spoke to her soothingly and finally reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms. At first, she fought him, but after another gasp for air, opened her eyes.
Charles caressed her face, his voice was still soft and calming. Joy broke out in tears, and he held her close until the tears stopped, and her breathing had returned to normal. It was then that she seemed to notice he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and she was leaning against his bare and very manly chest.
“Why are you not wearing a shirt?”
“I never do at night. I kept my pants on, though,” he remarked dryly, watching her face turn into a burning inferno. “Would you like to fall back asleep in my arms?”
She looked at him as if he had just made the most inappropriate suggestion ever. “I doubt that’s a good idea.”
Charles saw her nervousness, but he knew it wasn’t just being so close to him. She was terrified to go back to sleep.
“I tell you what. I put my shirt back on and wrap you in as many blankets as possible.”
“I ...I don’t know,” she stammered, still unsure.
He gently lifted her chin so she had to look at him. “I want to make you feel safe. I can see in your eyes that you are scared to go back to sleep and have another nightmare.”
She finally agreed and Charles jumped out of the bed, put his shirt back on and then wrapped her so tight into several blankets that she started giggling. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and she lowered her eyes.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Joy nodded. “Yes, thank you. I only giggled because I thought this must be how it feels for people who are tied up during an arrest.”
He grinned, pulled her tight into his arms and against his chest, and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. A few minutes later, he heard her even breathing and drifted off to sleep himself.
Joy woke up early. Charles still had her wrapped up in his arms and she slowly and carefully removed herself, unwound herself from the blankets and climbed off the bed.
It was cold in the cabin, so she started a fire in the stove and then added water to the coffeepot so she could brew some more tea.
As she was waiting for the water to boil, she stepped in front of the windows and watched the sunrise. The rain had finally stopped, and the grass was glistening with wetness.
The two horses stood below the trees, daydreaming, and Joy suddenly smiled. It was so peaceful.
As she took in the beautiful nature outside, she nearly jumped out of her skin when two muscular arms came around her. She had not heard him get up and nearly had a heart attack.
He must have noticed her reaction because when she looked into his eyes, he grinned. “Have you ever gone fly-fishing before?” he asked casually and when Joy’s expression changed to confusion, gave her a sheepish grin.
“Is that why you bought this cabin up here, for fishing?”
“It is one of many reasons, yes.” He watched her amused, her cheeks had a pink touch now.
“I’ve never fished in my life. We lived in Sacramento most of my life, and we didn’t really have the opportunity there, not to mention it wouldn’t have been ladylike. After moving to Auburn, I just felt weird doing that as an adult.”
“It is never too late to learn how to fish and fly-fishing is not as boring,” he remarked and looked deep into her eyes.
“I think we need to return to Elkhorn. Everyone will be worried about us and might even think we—”
He covered her mouth with his fingers to stop her from talking. The gentle touch set her skin on fire.
“We did nothing wrong. My family knows I followed you, and I am sure it didn’t take much for them to figure out why we didn’t return last night. It would have been foolish to ride back in the rainstorm.”
She nodded, still feeling a little uncomfortable. Charles pulled her against his chest.
“It is very early in the morning. We have time to do some fly-fishing before anyone would question our whereabouts.” She looked up and he winked at her. “I’ll go outside to get changed, and you can change in here.”
He walked over to the closet and pulled out another set of pants and a new shirt. The previous owner had left all that was there behind, and he was determined to add his own wardrobe and other items to the closet and cabin for when they found themselves in a similar situation.
He took the clothes, grabbed the blanket Joy had given him the day before, and left the building.
Joy wondered why he had taken the blanket and stepped back to the window, watching him walk over to the lake. He pulled off his shirt, which caused Joy to blush, and jumped into the cold water. Her heart stopped just by imagining how freezing it had to be. Charles was back on the surface a moment later, climbed out and pulled the blanket off the fence, wrapping himself in it.
Joy hurried over to the stove as the water was boiling now, set the coffeepot on a plate on the table and added the tea leaves before quickly changing into her own clothes.
When Charles returned to the cabin, Joy was in the middle of pouring tea into two cups and handed him one. He was grateful as he was shivering from the early morning bath, but warmed up quickly after standing in front of the stove for a while.
“Are you ready?” He asked and she nodded. He reached on top of the closet and pulled down a fishing rod and a few items they would need before grabbing the empty bucket. Joy followed him outside.
“I think you’ll like this.”
A content smile settled on her face suddenly and she nodded. Charles showed her what she had to do with the fishing rod and fly reel and watched her try it a few times before stepping behind her.
Charles’s arms came around her again, and he held the fishing rod with her, doing the movements with her.
Joy felt once again the heat to creep up in her cheeks, the butterflies in her stomach began to multiply. She was certain he did this deliberately just to mess with her, but didn’t say anything about it. After practicing it a few times, she managed to do it on her own, giving Charles a proud smile.
She caught several large trout’s and watched Charles as he leaned against the fence post of the enclosure where the horses were. He pulled his cowboy hat deep into his face. Joy shook her head. There was no way she would allow him to take a nap, while she was doing all the work.
She turned direction and sent her fishing line and hook flying. It took her a few tries, but suddenly the hook attached itself to the tree branch above Charles and she pulled it hard before letting go, causing it to rain all over the young man. Joy burst into laughter when he jumped to his feet, letting out a shocked gasp.
His stunned face quickly turned into confidence when he saw Joy dropping the fishing rod and sprinting toward the cabin. She reached it before him and was about to close the door to lock him out, but he was faster, took her hand and pulled her out of the building before throwing her over his shoulder and rushing back to the lake.
Joy immediately began hitting and kicking him, begging him to let her go, but he kept going until he reached the shore of the lake. He pulled her off his shoulder and into his arms and threw her into the air before catching her again.
The shock took Joy’s breath away, but she was grateful he had only pretended to throw her into the freezing water.
He pulled her tight against his chest, never taking his eyes off her face. Joy felt the sparks sizzling even before his lips pressed against hers, taking away her ability to think.
His kiss was demanding at first, raw and almost forceful, but deepened and slowed, making it hard for the young woman to not melt into his arms. She quickly pushed him back.
“No, Charles, no. You are playing with the fire. We need to get back to town,” she burst out, removed his arms from around her, and ran back to the cabin to get her saddle. It had scared her how much the physical attraction kept growing and how much she just wanted to give in.
Joy had almost reached the door, when he was next to her again. He turned her around, lifting her chin and pressed another heated kiss to her lips, but this time she shoved him right away.
“Stop! What are you doing? Why do you keep pushing this?” Her expression was fierce, her hands keeping him away from her. Anyone could see that she was now full-blown panicking.
Charles, grabbed her arms, and called for her to look at him. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to get carried away. You are right, I was playing with the fire. These feelings are powerful, so thank you for staying in control.”
“It isn’t easy for me either. Your kisses make me weak in the knees and I want to kiss you back so bad, but it could lead to something we would regret. We need to wait until we are married.”
They packed up right away, after making sure the fire in the stove was out. Charles grabbed the bucket with trout and not long after, they were on their way home.
Both Charles and Joy were astonished when they came out of the barn, after unsaddling their horses and they were not only greeted by his grandparents and father, but by his mother and sisters as well.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“The girls and I were in town when the telegram for Julia arrived. Since Julia currently has several patients she has to look after, she couldn’t leave but sent a telegram to the hospital in Helena. The telegram had me so worried about Joy and you, that we took the stagecoach and came straight here.”
Joy felt guilty. “I am so sorry I just took off. I was just so scared that the Norton’s would target you next, and I didn’t want that to happen.”
“Oh, we know, sweet girl.” Darlene pulled the young woman lovingly into her arms, before Joy turned to face Brigham and Charles’s grandparents.
“So, everyone is now caught? What happens to them?”
“Yes, everyone is arrested or dead. The doctor from Helena said that Vernon and his wife will survive. Once they are well enough to be transferred, they will be sent to Helena to be put in prison. Most of the marshals have already left with Nigel and Thatcher.”
“But can we trust the sheriff there? The sheriff’s deputy let them out, after all, maybe the sheriff was in it as well.” Joy looked from Brigham to Charles.
“They can be trusted,” Charles said right away. “The sheriff’s deputy played a part and pretended to help them. They were freed deliberately to finish this.”
“Is that why there were so many marshals here?”
Charles nodded.
“Why don’t we have some lunch,” his grandmother suggested now and as they were about to turn around to go back inside the house, Charles held them back and cleared his throat.
“Before we all split up, there is something I’d like to tell you. I asked Joy to marry me and she agreed. We are engaged.”
At first, his mother and sisters appeared shocked, but when Grace pulled the young woman fiercely into her arms and congratulated her, they all started cheering, before the hugging started. Charles grinned happily when his father patted him on the shoulder.
Joy was truly touched and grateful that the Harrison’s would now and forevermore be her family.
Cathleen and Olivia bombarded Joy with questions when they had returned to the house. They had assumed her to be in love with Graham, and so naturally they wanted to know what had happened. Grace pulled her grandson aside.
“See, I told you it would all go well. How long did it take before Joy was willing to listen to you?”
“The fact that I came after her and had noticed how upset she was, did the trick. It showed her that I cared about her.”
The older woman gave him a beaming smile before turning her attention to the kitchen.
Charles made his way over to where his sisters and Joy were sitting when his mother let out a disgusted scowl.
“What on earth happened to your clothes, Charles? Did the horse throw you in a mud puddle?” She lifted his shirt and everyone stopped talking at once.
Charles must have noticed that Joy was about to say something and was close to bursting out laughing, so he reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms, looking deep into her eyes, an eyebrow raised. It didn’t stop her.
She briefly explained what had happened, all while laughing and as soon as she was done, the rest of the family was laughing as well.
“I warned you,” Charles growled, lifted her and threw her over his shoulder.
“No, no, please, don’t do anything to me,” she whined at once, knowing quite well that his family would come to her rescue. And sure enough, his mother and grandmother began to scold him. Joy had a hard time not starting laughing again, when he pulled her off his shoulder.
“I apologize for laughing at you, but it was so funny,” she giggled, and now his lips twitched as well.
Before Joy knew what was happening, he took her head into both of his hands and pressed a firm kiss on her lips. Joy stopped giggling at once, while feeling the familiar burning inferno erupt on her face. When he let go of her, she buried her hot face in his shirt. His arms wrapped around her, and he held her close.
“So,” his father said suddenly and looked at his son. “Have you thought about when you want to get married?”
The young man nodded. “In two weeks.”
“Wow,” Cathleen remarked dryly. “Talk about a short courtship and engagement. I am guessing you two are really burning for one another, huh?”
Charles grinned, but Joy wanted to faint. Darlene, however, gave her daughter a reproachful glance.
“That was not appropriate, young lady,” she scolded and shook her head. Charles came to his sister’s rescue.
“She isn’t wrong, Mom.”
Joy looked as if she wanted to hide in a hole. This family clearly enjoyed making her blush. Grace pulled the young woman into her arms.
“That is enough. Can’t you see how uncomfortable you make this girl? We can get everything ready in two weeks, right, Darlene?”
“Of course we can, Ma. I’ll be staying here and help make plans, so it is perfect for Joy and Charles.”
“Where will you live?” Brigham asked now and stepped closer to his son.
“I would like to buy this cabin for us, as well as more of the land around here. If you are okay with it, Dad, I’d like to start my own ranch.”
His father nodded with a smile. “Of course I am okay with it and I will help you in any way I can. Graham wants to keep working with me and will take over our ranch when the time has come.”
“What made you want to live here?” Darlene asked now and looked from her son to Joy.
“We both love it here. Joy is happy to be near Nana and Grandpa, since none of their children and grandchildren are here, and she felt home in this cabin right away.”
“It’s not that big, though,” his grandfather remarked now. “Once you start a family, you’ll need a bigger place.”
“Actually, it’s perfect for us. We have two bedrooms to start with, and it won’t take much to add rooms or even build several rooms underneath the roof.” Charles smiled at Joy and she embraced him.
The next two weeks went by quickly. Charles sent out telegrams about the upcoming wedding the following day, making sure everyone related to them would be able to come. Joy was over the moon when she heard that both her sister and her family and aunt and uncle would come to the wedding. Her uncle also promised Joy that he would walk her down the aisle.
Charles, his father and many of the men from town were busy building a guesthouse behind the church, but the young man was also very secretive and Joy hardly saw him. She kept asking him about it and what he was up to, but he always just smiled, pressed a kiss on her lips and told her it was a surprise.
Elkhorn had a seamstress, and she made Joy a beautiful wedding dress.
The young bride was getting more and more nervous as the big day came closer, but her future mother-in-law and Nana helped her each time.
“You look beautiful, Joy,” her uncle said as he offered her his arm to walk her down the aisle. He lifted the veil and pressed a kiss on her head.
“Thank you, Uncle Gerald.” Her eyes were wet and she was trembling a little. He quickly gave her a fatherly hug, and then they walked toward the front of the church, where a dashing Charles was waiting. Graham was Charles’s best man, Julia, Alice, Olivia and Cathleen bridesmaids.
The ceremony was done beautifully. It was even more special because Charles’s grandfather married them.
The church was full of relatives, friends and townsfolk. A loud aww erupted when Charles leaned down to his wife and kissed her with tenderness. Everyone celebrated the newlyweds once the ceremony was over.
Not long after, Charles and Joy said goodbye to everyone. Charles had talked Joy into going to Crow Creek Falls for a week to have some newlywed privacy.
Joy and Alice hugged for quite some time. Her sister was moving to Sacramento to be close to Dylan’s family. She kissed her nieces and teared up, so Charles took her hand and led her to her horse before lifting her in the saddle.
Joy remained quiet on the ride up the mountain. Her heart was full despite the trials she and her sister had faced that year. She still missed her parents terribly and would miss her sister and nieces, but she was grateful that Alice had a good husband now and that she would be near Dylan’s family.
She was also thankful that she still had her aunt and uncle in her life, and more than ever before. They had decided to live in Helena from now on, since most of their children lived there. Joy, smiled when she thought about Cathleen and Matt Haven. It had been no secret that they were very fond of each other, and Joy was certain they would start courting soon.
Dave and her sister’s former mother-in-law had also formed a bond and were talking about getting married. They wanted to move to Elkhorn, where Dave would become the first sheriff and Maureen would open a café.
Joy looked over to her husband and her heart beat faster. He was so incredibly handsome and always made her heart flutter.
It was strange because just weeks before she only had eyes for Graham, thinking herself in love. She hadn’t known what true love was until things changed with Charles. Her heart felt it was bursting into flames, whenever he pulled her into his arms or kissed her passionately.
She felt so blessed in every way. The danger was over and despite the different attacks, her sister and she had survived and had been given a new life with people who quickly became their new family. She had never expected to be permanently attached to the Harrison’s, but she didn’t want it any other way.
God had strengthened her many times, especially since the murder of her parents. He had helped her stay strong and fight against the evil that tried to destroy her family. He had given her determination and fierceness to look after her sister and nieces, and protect them at all times.
Joy looked up into the clouds above her, saying a silent prayer of thanks. The wind around her felt a little warmer than it did before, yet the clouds were building up and the smell of snow was in the air. A snowstorm was coming, and she was looking forward to it.
Once again, her eyes were on Charles and her heart skipped a beat.
He had captured her heart quickly, and with sizzling sparks. He hadn’t used her like his brother, but somehow had managed to make her fall in love with him, and would be forever the person who made her heart beat faster.
The love she had for him, wasn’t just physical, but he had snuck into her soul, and she was determined to never let him go again.
It was starting to get dark when they finally reached the cabin. Joy looked around, stunned, when she realized things had changed up there. The enclosure had a barn, so the horses had real protection during the night and were warm and dry.
A large shed was next to the cabin, filled with firewood, and on the front porch were two rocking chairs.
Charles lifted her off her horse, an amused smile on his lips. Her reaction proved to him that she was pleased. He took the horses into the enclosure and barn, gave the animals straw, hay and water before locking everything up to keep them safe from wild animals.
Joy was still in awe, so the young man allowed her a few more minutes to herself before he walked over to her. His heart beat faster, and he couldn’t stop looking at her. She was his wife now, which meant he could kiss her without holding back.
Joy nearly jumped out of her skin, when Charles appeared out of nowhere and lifted her off her feet. She turned her head, and he gazed into her eyes, before giving her a fierce kiss. Joy returned the kiss right away, which caused him to stumble since he hadn’t stopped walking. When he almost slipped, a delightful laughter escaped her throat. He gave her a stern glance, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, while putting her head against his shoulder.
Charles carried her inside and carefully put her on the floor. Joy’s eyes lit up. It was becoming difficult to see since the cabin was so dark, but she noticed right away that Charles had made changes to the inside as well.
He quickly crossed the room and started a fire in the fireplace. Lanterns and candles were placed in different spots of the cabin, and he lit them too.
It was a beautiful room. The furniture had received new paint, the bed had a new mattress and when she opened the cupboard found it well stocked with different foods and ingredients. The closet had several of their clothing items inside, and next to the closet was now a chest of drawers with more blankets.
Joy turned to face him with a beaming smile. He came closer. “When did you do all this?”
“I had help from Dad and Grandpa. This is my surprise for you. I wanted to make sure that having our honeymoon here, wouldn’t be something you regretted.”
“This is wonderful. Thank you,” she said, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
“Hold that kiss,” he remarked in haste and left the cabin again. Joy watched as he closed the new shutters, but was back a moment later. He picked up his wife and kissed her with passion and longing while walking over to the bed and lowering her on it. His kiss became more and more heated, but he noticed that Joy was holding back again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently and out of breath, and saw worry in her eyes.
“I am scared,” she admitted in a whisper. “What if I disappoint you? What if you regret marrying me?”
His expression softened, and he took her head into both of his hands. “You will never disappoint me. And I won’t regret marrying you. We will learn together to be husband and wife in every sense.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I love you.”
The thankful smile that appeared on her face, caused him to pull her closer again, showering her face with kisses before his lips were back on hers. His feverish kiss deepened and slowed, and Joy threw her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with desire and longing.
When Joy opened her eyes, the cabin was still dark. Charles held her in his arms, she was pressed against his bare chest. Her heart beat faster, just by looking at him.
He was still deep asleep, so she leaned over him and kissed his lips, before rolling to the other side of the bed. The wind outside was howling, so she opened the window and pushed open the shutters. It was snowing.
She watched for a moment, when suddenly she was pulled back and pressed into the pillow behind her. Charles reached over her and closed the shutters and window.
“Are you insane,” he growled playfully, his head nearly inches apart from hers. “It is freezing outside.”
“But it’s snowing, and it’s not my fault that you sleep without a shirt,” she shot back and tried to get out of his reach, but he pinned her down a moment later, his eyes sparkling with a burning desire.
His lips were back on hers, and he ended the exchange with another kiss that set her skin on fire. It didn’t take long before she melted into his arms, her heart so full of love, she was certain it would spill over. It was a love that could start a fire, and it had.
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The End