Chapter 36
36
S he expected to see anger in Gideon’s posture, or protectiveness, or something . But his gaze stayed soft. He kept one hand at the small of her back, and with his other, touched her shoulder, trailing his fingers all the way down her arm until he slipped his hand into hers. His warmth left tingles everywhere it touched, and she had to work hard not to shiver.
“Leah.” His voice was deep, husky. “Don’t you think God can take care of you?”
Between his touch and the intensity of his gaze, she was so mesmerized that it took a moment for his words to register. God?
“Of course.” What else could she say? Was this Gideon talking about God? Nothing made sense, and the pull of his touch was almost overwhelming.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Don’t worry then.”
A door opened behind them, breaking into the spell that ensconced her. As the clerk entered the room, Gideon squeezed her fingers, then released them. He gave her a wink, then turned to nod at the man.
“Morning, Watson.”
They took breakfast at the same little café where they’d eaten dinner the night before. But for some reason, she struggled to carry on a casual conversation. She couldn’t make sense of this new, happier Gideon.
She picked at the eggs on her plate, spearing a few onto her fork. She raised her eyes to sneak a glance at him. He was watching her. When she met his gaze, he didn’t look away, didn’t say anything, but the tips of his mouth quirked upward in a grin. Who was this man?
She scrambled for something to say. Something to break the awkwardness and uncover a hint of the reason for the change in him. “Are you planning to head back up the mountain today?”
His expression turned hard to read. Not the stoic, impassive look he used to wear, but more like he had a secret he wasn’t ready to reveal.
“Maybe. Not sure yet.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer, so she dropped her focus back to the food on her plate. She took a bite of the eggs. They were lukewarm now, not appealing with the knot in her stomach. She tried the fried potatoes. They were probably good, but she really had no appetite. She set her fork on the plate and leaned back in her chair.
Gideon was still watching her. He raised a brow. “You get enough to eat?”
She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. Why was she so nervous? “Yes, thank you.”
He flashed a dimple. “Good. I was hoping you’d like to take a walk.”
Why wasn’t he already in the wagon heading back toward the ranch? He’d been gone for two days. Surely he was worried about Miriam and the animals. For goodness sakes, she was getting worried about Miriam and the animals. Still, she wasn’t about to pass up a chance to spend time with him, as much as she needed to focus on finding a job.
“That would be nice.”
Gideon paid for their meals, helped her with her chair, and then escorted her out the door and onto the dusty street. The breeze played with the tendrils of hair she’d left loose around her face, its freshness releasing some of the tension in her nerves.
“I asked Ol’ Mose to stop in and check on Miriam on his way back through the mountains.” Gideon’s baritone washed through her like a soothing balm.
“Oh, good. I was starting to worry about her being alone for so long. I’m sure she was concerned when you didn’t come home yesterday.”
“Maybe, but my sister’s a tough one. She knows these mountains and how to take care of things.” He paused. “I don’t want her to worry, though.”
They seemed to be walking toward the outskirts of town, and her nervousness slid away as she focused on simply enjoying this time with him. It would likely be her last, but better not to think about that.
He spoke of the supplies he needed to pick up that day, of the wagon wheels he’d left for repair at the smithy, and other bits of small-talk. The buildings had thinned by now, and they came upon a pretty white structure with a meadow stretching behind it.
“What a lovely place. What is it?”
“This is the church. Thought you might like to see it.”
“Really?”
He must have heard the surprise in her tone, for he looked at her with a single raised brow. “You don’t want to see it?”
“No…I mean, yes. I mean…I guess I’m surprised Butte has a church. The town doesn’t even have a doctor, and it’s so…rough here.”
His chuckle was deep. They walked a few more minutes until they entered the church yard.
He stopped and turned to face her. She glanced up under the cover of her lashes, and the look in his eyes took her breath.
“Leah, I was crazy to let you leave. Can you forgive me?”
His face was earnest, waiting for an answer. But what was he asking? “Forgive you?”
His emerald eyes twinkled, and a dimple flashed in his right cheek. “Yes, and marry me?”
Could he really be…? She’d wanted to hope, but hadn’t allowed herself even that pleasure. And now he was really asking…
He stepped forward and reached up to cradle her cheek, his touch warm and inviting.
“I’m sorry, Leah. I’m not very good at this.”
Her chest hammered. Her breath wouldn’t come. “Good at what?”
“At saying what’s in my heart. At telling you how much I love you.”
It was what she’d been hoping for, praying for. Her breath came rushing back in one fell swoop. “Oh, Gideon.”
She took his face in her hands, rose up on tip-toes, and answered his question with her lips.
It was the sweetest kiss Leah had ever imagined. A breathtaking exchange of the promise of love. Gideon pulled her to his chest and nuzzled her ear. She soaked in his nearness, his breath on her skin, his love.
“So does that mean you’ll marry me?” His voice was husky.
“Yes.” She could barely think to string words together.
He leaned back to look her in the eyes, and she drank in the sight of him. She ran her hand over his smooth jaw, caressing the strong angles.
“You belong in a mansion somewhere back east.”
Her gaze shot to his. What? No. She wanted to be with him .
“That’s what you deserve, Leah. So much more than that.” His arms tightened around her waist. “But do you think you can see yourself on a ranch in the Rockies?”
She released her breath and snuggled into his chest. “I couldn’t stand to be anywhere else.” She felt his breath exhale, and his heartbeat grew strong under her ear.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She could spend the rest of her life listening to his deep voice.
He held her close for a few minutes, then spoke again. “So, since we’re here at the church, shall we go see the preacher now?”
It took a moment for the words to register, then she sprang back. “Get married now?”
He raised a brow, a devilish grin on his face. “Only if you want to.”
“But what about Miriam?”
He lifted a shoulder. “She’ll be happy.”
“She’ll never forgive you. Nor me. She might even skin you alive.”
Both brows rose now.
She brought a hand to her hip. Apparently she would have to shake some sense into him. “Gideon Bryant, if you think your sister would ever forgive you for getting married without her there—without her even knowing you were engaged—you must not have met her yet.”
He sent her a rakish grin as he gathered Leah back into his arms. “I don’t think she’d mind so much. As long as I let her say ‘I told you so.’”
Leah stood with Miriam outside of the little white church. They were to wait for the cue from the harmonica before entering for the ceremony. A smile pushed through her nerves. Who would have thought Ol’ Mose knew how to play the Wedding March on his harmonica? He was certainly a man of many talents.
“You don’t have to be nervous.”
She glanced at Miriam, whose smile could barely fit on her cute little face.
“I’m not nervous.”
One of the girl’s brown eyebrows rose. “If you smooth your dress one more time, you’re going to wear the shine off.”
She looked down at her dark green gown. It was one of the few she hadn’t altered to make more practical. And it was her favorite. She rubbed a hand to smooth the fabric.
Miriam chuckled. “See?”
Miriam’s giddiness was infectious, but Leah tried to keep her own giggle inside. This was her wedding day , she wasn’t a school girl anymore.
“Really, Leah. I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride.”
Leah raised her eyes to take in Miriam’s face, now as serious as her words. She was such a dear friend. God had blessed her, indeed.
She wrapped Miri in a quick hug. Anything more might bring on tears, and that was not to be allowed right before her wedding. “I’m so glad I have you here,” she whispered. The tears threatened harder, so she stepped back and dabbed her eyes.
Miriam sniffed, her own eyes glistening. “I didn’t mean to make you cry on your wedding day. You’re gonna have your work cut out for you with that brother of mine.” Her face broke into a wobbly smile. “But if anyone can handle him, it’s you.”
The clear note of a harmonica drifted through the church door, saving Leah from another teary hug. She inhaled a deep breath and then released it, ran a hand down her dress, and moved through the doorway behind Miriam.
Miriam strolled down the aisle in front of Leah, blocking Gideon from her view at first. Leah released another breath, trying to force down the butterflies flitting about in her stomach.
And then she saw him.
Gideon stood between the preacher and Ol’ Mose, wearing a long-sleeve green shirt that matched the emerald in his eyes. His hair was trimmed short, his clean-shaven face accentuating every wonderful feature.
She couldn’t take her eyes from him. Didn’t want to. Was she really about to marry this man? Her dreams finally coming true? Moisture threatened her eyes again. But when Gideon took her hands, everything faded away but him.
The pastor addressed them, but Leah couldn’t pull her focus to his words. And then Gideon began to speak in his rich baritone.
“I, Gideon Jacob Bryant, take thee, Leah Marie Townsend, to be my lawful wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I plight thee my troth.”
His eyes held hers as he spoke, and the love there took her breath away.
As she made it through her part of the vows, a sense of peace and rightness overwhelmed her. Each promise to love, cherish, and obey this man settled deeper in her spirit, giving her strength.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. Gideon, you can kiss her now.”
Heat flooded Leah’s face before she found the nerve to meet her new husband’s grin. He brought his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, but the promise of passion was there. A hoot from Ol’ Mose ended the moment too soon.
Gideon slipped a hand around her waist and turned to their little party. “What say we celebrate? Lunch at Aunt Pearl’s for us all?”
Ol’ Mose only chuckled and slapped him on the back.