Chapter Eleven
T hey left the cabin the next day. Val hoped she didn’t throw up before they reached the ranch. Or worse, when she and Liam were telling her parents that they were married. But it was nerves, not pregnancy that was doing a number on her stomach. Whatever they told them, Jasper and Lorraine would not understand the rush. Or why they didn’t tell them or ask them to attend the wedding. The excuse she and Liam had decided on was pretty weak, but it was the best one they had to offer. The truth was totally out of the question. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be married to Liam.
“Hey.” Liam reached over and patted her hand. “It’s going to be all right.”
She gave him a weak smile. “I hope so.”
Liam parked in front and they went in through the back door, which opened into the kitchen. The Fletchers’ housekeeper, Mercy, stood at the stove stirring something. She turned and looked at them when they walked in. “Wondered when you’d be back,” she said to Val. Then she caught sight of Liam and her eyes lit up. Liam was one of her favorites, so that didn’t surprise Val.
“Get over here and give me a hug,” she said to Liam. “Where have you been hiding?” Without waiting for an answer she added, “Riley’s at the barn.”
Liam went over and pulled her into a hug, laughing when she said, “I never remember how tall you are.”
“Haven’t changed in a number of years now.” They both laughed.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Val asked.
“Your mama’s in the sewing room and your daddy is—” She broke off and grabbed Val’s left hand. “What’s this?” She gazed at the rings, then lifted her eyes to take in Liam and Val.
“Exactly what it looks like. Which is why I need to talk to Mom and Dad.”
“You…you and Liam …”
“Yes. We’ll talk about it later. Right now we’re going to see Mom. I assume Dad is with the horses?”
Mercy simply nodded. Apparently they’d robbed her of speech, which took some doing.
“This is better,” Val said to Liam as they went to the sewing room. “I’d rather tell Mom first, anyway.”
Liam was holding her hand. Had been holding it since they walked in. She hoped her palms weren’t as sweaty as she thought they were. She stopped at the doorway. Her mother was at her sewing machine, working with a piece of fabric. Pins were in her mouth and patterns and fabric were everywhere. It was a familiar scene. Her mom loved to sew and always had a project going. Lately she’d been making baby clothes for her friends’ grandchildren. Before long she’d have a grandchild of her own to sew for.
“Mom?”
Lorraine looked up and started to say something, but she had to remove the pins from her mouth first. “Val! How was your trip?” Glancing down at their linked hands she said, “Liam?”
“Mom, I—We have something to tell you.”
Her mother put down her sewing. “What is it?”
“I didn’t go out of town. Well, I did but not to Wyoming.” Her mother simply looked at her. “Liam and I got married.”
Her mother stared at them. “You…”
“I’m married. Yes. Is Dad in the barn?” Lorraine nodded, still not having said anything. “He should probably be here before we talk any more.” Val picked up the phone and called the barn.
“Yeah?” Riley answered.
“It’s me, Val. Is Dad there?”
“Yes. I take it you’re back.”
“We are. Can you ask Dad to come up here?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll bring him up there myself.”
“You don’t need to come.”
“Oh, honey, I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” he said, sounding amused.
Annoyed but not surprised, she hung up. “They’ll be up here in a minute.”
“I didn’t even know you two were dating,” Lorraine said. She looked totally bewildered.
Val looked at Liam, begging him silently to help. “We haven’t been for long,” Liam said. “But when you’ve known each other as long as we have, we didn’t feel like we needed to.”
“Uh-huh.”
She didn’t sound convinced. Riley and her dad came in.
“What’s this about?” Jasper said. “Val, why couldn’t you come to the barn?” He glanced at Liam and said, “Hello there, Liam. Do you have something to do with this?”
*
Great. Now both the Fletchers were staring at him as if he were a different species. Riley was trying—not very successfully—not to laugh.
“What’s going on, Lorraine?”
Before Val or Liam could speak her mother did. “They’re married, Jasper.”
“Who’s married?”
“Liam and I are married, Dad.”
“What?” He didn’t quite roar the question.
“Val and I got married. Friday,” Liam added. Jasper had turned alarmingly red. Knowing his health wasn’t great, Liam worried he might have a heart attack. Except, thank God, his heart wasn’t the problem. Val’s hand was squeezing his so hard she was damn near cutting off the circulation.
Lorraine and Jasper looked at Riley. “Did you know about this?” Jasper asked.
“Uh, yes. I was there.”
“And you didn’t tell us?”
“It wasn’t my place to tell.”
“That’s a mighty poor excuse. I’ll talk to you later, Riley,” Jasper said. Then he turned to Liam and Val.
“Why the hell did you two run off and get married like that? You had to know we wouldn’t object to you, Liam. And Val’s a grown woman.” Jasper rarely cussed so coming from him the question had even more impact.
“That wasn’t it, Dad. We finally admitted our feelings to each other at Logan’s wedding. We just wanted to be married. We didn’t want a big wedding that would take weeks or months to plan. Plus, Mom, you know you’d have invited everyone in the family, and I didn’t want to deal with them. I’ve never been to anything with the whole Rosterman clan invited where someone didn’t start a big fight.”
Lorraine pursed her lips but didn’t argue. From what Liam had heard all his life from Riley, Lorraine’s family were famous for their fights.
“I suppose you’ll be moving in at the McFarland ranch.”
“Well, of course she will, Jasper.”
“How many of our horses are you planning to take?”
“Just Starlight.”
“And who’s going to pick up your slack here?”
“I have someone in mind,” Riley said. “Until then I can take care of most of it.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Lorraine said.
“You could say congratulations,” Val said.
“I don’t understand it but…welcome to the family, Liam.” Jasper put out his hand.
“Thank you, Mr. Fletcher.” Liam shook hands.
“Might as well call us Jasper and Lorraine.”
“We need to tell Liam’s mother. But I’ll come back tomorrow to pick up Starlight and take care of things here. And Riley knows he can call me if he needs me.”
Lorraine stood and hugged both Val and Liam. Val hugged her father. Jasper shook hands with Liam. Riley followed them out.
“You realize I’m up shit creek, right?”
“I owe you one,” Liam said.
“No, you don’t. But Val sure as hell does.”
Val hugged her brother. “Thank you, Riley. I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I love you too.”
“So what did you think?” Liam asked Val on the way to his ranch.
“It was better than I expected. But it’s not over. My parents aren’t stupid.”
“Meaning they suspect you’re pregnant.”
“Yes. Although they’ll think you’re the father.”
He reached over to hold her hand. “I will be, Val. We’re married. That makes me the father.”