Chapter 7
“She’s not gonna show up, is she?” Beckett paced the front of the church in his tailored black suit.
“She’ll be here.” Sterling waited by the altar in his Sunday best.
Reverend Livingston, his prayer book in hand, was standing off to the side near his office and talking with his wife, who was holding their infant son. He’d been real kind when they’d stepped into his side office a short while ago and asked if he could perform the ceremony this morning.
The reverend might be as short and slight as an ant hill, but his heart was as big and wide as a mountain. He’d been a godsend to their community, always there for anyone who was in need, especially of being married.
Reverend Livingston had even been willing to travel out to Devil’s Glen to the Nobles’ cabin there to marry Sterling and Violet when they’d finally worked through all of their issues.
Beckett hadn’t been certain that Violet would really stay and go through with the wedding, but thankfully, she hadn’t broken Sterling’s heart again.
Beckett could even admit that Violet had been good for Sterling, that the boss was happier since the two had gotten back together.
The real question was whether Hyacinth would follow through on her decision to get married from two days ago, or whether she’d hightail it out of there at the last minute, the same way Violet had on her first wedding day.
Shoot. Beckett hoped Hyacinth wouldn’t leave him at the altar.
He paused his pacing and stared past the dozen or so pews on either side of the sanctuary toward the entrance of the small building. The door didn’t budge, and from what he could see through the dusty windows that overlooked Main Street, there wasn’t a sign of anyone drawing nigh.
He pulled out his pocket watch, a gift from Sargeant, Pa’s partner. Because naturally, Pa had never given Beckett any gifts, had always been too busy working or carousing to have time for his son.
The fine gold watch read 10:10 a.m. She was ten minutes late, which for Hyacinth meant she was twenty minutes late, since she was always everywhere ten minutes early.
“What did she tell Violet this morning?” Beckett nailed Sterling with the question. “Was she having second thoughts?”
Beckett should’ve gone with his gut yesterday when the snow had started melting.
Something inside had pressured him to ride into town with her for the wedding then.
But he’d been busy with the rest of the ranch hands, moving the beeves out of the ravine and back into a nearby pasture where he and the others could more easily dump the hay they’d carried out to feed the livestock.
“She didn’t say anything,” Sterling groused. “Now stop worrying.”
“That’s real nice coming from the fella who was all fired up before his wedding.”
Sterling shrugged. “Hyacinth is more practical than Violet, and she’ll go through with this.”
“You don’t know that.” Beckett wished he had as much confidence as Sterling, but his heart was fixin’ to beat clear out of his chest with a thudding that had turned louder than a stampeding herd.
Sterling quirked a brow at him.
Beckett’s worry had nothin’ to do with an itching to marry Hyacinth in the traditional sense. Nope. He was only worrying because she was his last option.
“Daylight’s burning, and we’ve gotta make good progress out of the high country today.
” He offered the explanation, hoping it would satisfy Sterling.
Even though many of the high passes would be snow-covered and too slick for travel, especially after the recent snowstorm, they would be able to travel south and cross the Divide using Ute Pass before eventually intersecting the Santa Fe Trail.
He hated to leave Sterling during one of their busiest times of year, when they would start branding the new calves, then continue the difficult search for old grass until the new summer grass was plentiful enough for grazing.
The spring also brought more predators back to the high country, so they also had to be more vigilant in watching the cattle.
“I’m sorry again for leaving you in a bind,” Beckett offered.
Sterling shrugged. “Mr. Berkley has caught on quickly to most work and is proving to be a big help.”
Violet and Hyacinth’s father, once a banker, hadn’t known the front end of a steer from the rear when he’d started at the ranch.
Sterling had been patient and gradually taught Mr. Berkley how to be a cowboy.
Mr. Berkley still had a ways to go, but at least he could be more of a help than a hindrance now.
“Listen.” Sterling spoke gravely with a glance toward the door. “I consider Hyacinth my sister now. So you can make it up to me by taking good care of her.”
“No worries there, boss. I’ll guard her with my life.” They might be entering a marriage of convenience, but he would take his vows seriously and would protect her and keep her.
“I’m not really sure what’s going on between the two of you,” Sterling said quietly. “But it’s easy to see that you care about her.”
“I might’ve had a little bit of a hankering for her.” Why bother denying Sterling when they both knew it was true?
“Little?” Sterling’s brow rose again. “You mean a whole lot of a hankering.”
“Maybe.” Beckett had always thought Hyacinth was stunning. He still did. But he’d never seriously considered that anything could develop between them because of how much she made a point of detesting him.
Every once in a while, he caught glimpses of her when she didn’t seem to hate him quite so much—the rare occasions when she interacted with him without being spitting mad. But those times were few and far between. Probably when he wasn’t provoking her.
“Give it some time,” Sterling said more gently. “I bet when you guys get back here this summer, you’ll be loving each other just as much as me and Violet do.”
Beckett guffawed. “Don’t think anyone can keep up with you two.”
Sterling grinned, happiness filling his eyes.
Beckett wasn’t holding out hope for that kind of happiness for himself.
He’d just be relieved if he and Hyacinth got along and didn’t fight all the time.
Regardless, he was going back to Texas with a wife by his side.
He’d be able to save the Double T from being destroyed by Richard Turner.
He’d make sure it was being managed properly by his half brother Rodrigo.
He’d even make his pa turn in his grave by helping as many people as he could that Pa had hurt over the years.
Before he could find the words to say anything else, the church door swung open, spilling morning sunshine into the sanctuary.
He halted abruptly. Was she finally coming?
Violet stepped through, wearing her Sunday best with her hair fashionably coiled.
Violet wasn’t so keen on Hyacinth marrying him. For good reason, since he hadn’t exactly been sweet and kind to Hyacinth the way Sterling was to her.
Beckett still hadn’t figured out why he had such a hard time relating to Hyacinth normally. Was he trying to get a reaction out of her so that she’d notice him, pay attention to him, see him—really see him?
Maybe. If so, it had worked. She had reacted, just not in a positive way.
Even if they were still mostly at odds, they were getting married.
He sucked in a breath and braced his shoulders.
Violet moved aside and looked back at the door with a tender smile on her lips. A moment later, Hyacinth appeared in the doorway.
She was attired in his favorite gown—a red one that turned her into a ravishing beauty.
Maybe it was the color contrasting with her dark hair and tanned skin.
Maybe it was the layers of smooth silk and lace that accentuated her figure.
Or maybe it was the richness of the material that made her look as regal as royalty.
She wore her hair halfway up, some curls on top showing beneath a small decorative hat with matching red ribbons and the rest swirling over her shoulders. Her shawl was lacy, more for show than for warmth, which was very impractical and not like Hyacinth.
Had she wanted to look her best for him?
She was scanning the interior of the church, and as her gaze caught on him, her eyes held hesitancy.
He didn’t want to think about the possibility that Hyacinth might run away today and end up like her sister. He had to make sure she stayed. He had to reassure her that he would do his best to make her happy and content.
Without giving himself a chance to second-guess what he was doing, he started down the aisle toward her.
Her eyes rounded as he drew nearer, but she didn’t back up or turn away.
His pulse tapped out a rhythm as fast as a wild mustang racing across the barren prairie. When he stopped in front of her, he held her gaze. “You look mighty beautiful.”
She hesitated.
Didn’t she believe him? “I mean it.”
“I don’t like compliments—”
“Just for today, let me acknowledge that you are incredible, stunning.”
She didn’t immediately respond.
He took her silence to mean that she was allowing the praise. He held out his elbow, hoping she would take it instead of lifting her chin and walking down the aisle without him.
She waited only a heartbeat before slipping her hand into the crook of his arm.
He situated her hand securely. “Ready?”
“Not really.” She started walking with him.
“I promise it’ll be real easy.”
“Promise no kiss at the end?” She slid him a glance.
The other day she’d said she never wanted to kiss him again. Like the fool that he was, he’d agreed to her plan.
Their no-kissing agreement would have to change at some point in their marriage. He wasn’t planning to be celibate like Giles Gray. And he was pretty certain that she’d tested the kiss on him the other day because she’d been deciding if she wanted to be celibate with Giles.
Maybe she would’ve tested a kiss on any old fella, and he’d just been handy and nearby. She’d probably reckoned she had nothin’ to lose by kissing him—that it was safe, that he wouldn’t refuse her.