Page 12 of May I Kiss the Bride

REY STOOD IN LINE AT the bakery. Not because he was monitoring the crowds again—those had dwindled by half—but because he was purchasing a pie. Elsie’s birthday was tomorrow, and he told Barb he’d provide the dessert. Not that Barb would expect him to bake a cake or anything.

Besides, Rey hoped to chat a moment or two with Beth Cannon. Find out how Miss Delany was doing back in San Francisco. Find out if she’d enrolled in nursing school. Find out what her parents had said.

It wasn’t that he was expecting a letter—although he’d hoped she might write to him. Yet she didn’t owe him any sort of chronicling of her life.

Rey moved up another few steps in line.

He missed seeing Viola at the pie counter. He missed the half smile on her face when their eyes connected. He missed her directness. He missed the gray of her eyes and contrast of her dark eyebrows to her golden hair.

And, of course, he’d had to field questions about Viola from his daughter. All these reminders of the woman were making her impossible to put out of his mind.

“Hello, Sheriff,” Phil said.

“Hey there.”

They shuffled forward another two steps.

The conversations around him were general “how-are-you’s” and “sure-hot-today.” It was August now, the hottest part of the year, and Viola Delany had been gone for longer than she’d been in Wyoming. Yet Rey remembered everything about her as if he’d seen her an hour ago.

“Next, please,” Sidney said, manning the register today.

Rey glanced around for Beth but didn’t see her.

“I’ll have a peach pie,” Rey said. “How are you doing, Sidney?”

“Fine as always.” She cast a smile to Phil, who stood behind Rey, waiting his turn.

“And Miss Cannon? Is she up and about today?”

“Oh, she’s next door at the mercantile picking up a few things.” Sidney boxed up the pie and handed it over.

He paid, then tipped his hat. “Have a nice day.” He’d turned to leave when Sidney’s voice stopped him.

“Did you hear the latest about Viola?”

Rey froze, then slowly turned, calming his jumping pulse to say in a steady tone, “I did not. What’s the latest?”

“She’s going to school in Cheyenne. Wants to be a nurse, I guess.” Sidney shrugged like she hadn’t just turned Rey’s world upside down. “Should be arriving any day now. Miss Cannon is hoping she’ll stay here and commute, but there’s boarding there too, so we don’t know what she’ll decide.”

Rey swallowed once. Then twice. “Is that so? Well, good for her. She’ll be a fine nurse.”

Sidney flashed a smile, then turned her full attention on Phil. “What can I get you, Phil?”

Rey didn’t hear one word between Phil and Sidney after that. He was trying to do the impossible. Walk while carrying a pie as his mind caught up to all that Sidney had packed into a few short sentences. He’d accepted the fact that Viola was in San Francisco. What had changed her mind?

Curiosity burned through him, and without even considering what he was doing, he headed to the mercantile.

With a little luck, Beth Cannon would still be there and he could ask her himself.

Maybe Sidney had some of her facts wrong?

Rey’s heart thumped a couple of extra beats.

He hoped she didn’t. He hoped to high heaven that Viola Delany was indeed returning to Wyoming.

That would be one step closer to … to what?

Seeing her? Courting her? A lump pressed against his throat as his heart tried to escape his chest. Viola was coming back.

Maybe not to Mayfair, but Cheyenne was thirty minutes by horse.

And he couldn’t wait to see her again. Because Rey was done kidding himself.

He was halfway in love with the woman, if not all the way.

It was something he had to admit to himself. These past few weeks without her had made his life feel like the Sahara Desert—empty, vast, and uncomfortable.

His boots barely touched the ground as he strode into the mercantile. He never thought he’d feel this way about a woman again. Sure, he assumed he’d remarry someday … in the distant future … but to have all his thoughts and energy and desires once again center on a woman … This was unexpected.

The moment he spotted Beth Cannon examining ready-made aprons, Rey’s steps faltered.

Was he putting too much hope in the reasons for Viola’s return?

It might just be coincidence on her part—or a rift with her parents, and Rey didn’t want that for her.

Or it might be driven by the relationship between niece and aunt.

All of this had nothing to do with him .

He had to put himself firmly into place and not let his imagination get away with him.

“Hello, Miss Cannon.” Rey approached the woman.

Beth looked up. She carried a basket that contained spice bottles. “Well, hello there, Sheriff. Nice day.”

“If you like the heat of a thousand suns, it’s a nice day.”

Beth chuckled and folded the apron, setting it back on the shelf.

“How’s your health?” Rey continued, apparently bent on making small talk before asking any of his dire questions.

“Today’s a good day,” Beth said. “I promised Viola that even on good days, I’d let one of the shopgirls run the register. We’re still getting brisk business, even with Viola gone.”

Rey nodded at this. “Your bakery has delicious food, so the good business is what you deserve.”

“Why, thank you.” She eyed the box in his hands. “I see you bought something?”

“A pie for Elsie,” he explained. “Her birthday is tomorrow.”

“Oh, what a sweet girl,” Beth said. “Turning nine?”

“That’s right.” He cleared his throat. “Sidney mentioned something about your niece attending school in Cheyenne?”

Beth’s eyes sparked, and her smile widened. “Sure is. Just received the letter today.”

“Oh?”

Beth was grinning now. “I guess there’s an opening.

” She lowered her voice as townspeople milled about the store.

“She’s been working in the nursing office at a school in San Francisco since there aren’t openings.

The school in Cheyenne is run by the sister of the director, and because Viola’s parents are still against her decision, she decided there’s no reason to stay in San Francisco for the time being.

I know her parents will come around eventually, when they see how serious and dedicated she is.

In fact, her mother paid her a visit the other day.

Offered her money, which Viola refused.”

“I’m sorry to hear about her parents’ disapproval.” And he was sorry. But he was also elated at the thought of seeing Viola once again …

Beth pursed her lips. “I’m not surprised, and that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.” She glanced down the aisle, then focused once again on Rey. “She asked about you.”

Rey leaned against the nearby shelf, if only to have a bit of support. He mustered up a nonchalance that he didn’t feel. “Oh?”

“I mean, not directly, but she asked me to catch her up on all the town’s happenings.”

Rey felt deflated. That was a far cry from mentioning him .

Beth gave him a wink. “Don’t worry, Sheriff Rey. You’ll have your Viola back soon.” With that, she headed to the register, basket of spices in hand.

Beth Cannon was sure assuming a lot—on his part. Had he made his feelings obvious? Weren’t his questions perfectly polite and conversational? As he headed out of the mercantile without buying a thing, he wondered, what had given him away? And did the rest of the town suspect the same thing?

“Papa,” a young girl yelled from across the street.

Rey came to a stop. Oh no. Now Elsie would see what he’d bought. He’d wanted it to be a surprise.

She left Barb’s side and ran across the street.

“You shouldn’t run across the street,” Rey said, wishing he could hide the pie box behind his back. It would be quite obvious though.

“There weren’t any wagons or fast horses.” Elsie’s eyes zeroed in on the box. “You bought a cake?”

“A pie,” he said. “I mean … it’s a surprise.”

“For my birthday?” Elsie practically squealed. She clapped her hands together.

“Sorry, Sheriff,” Barb said, finally catching up to them after crossing the street much more slowly.

Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun beneath her straw hat, but perspiration gleamed on her face and neck despite the hat’s shade.

“I didn’t expect to run into you so early in the afternoon.

I thought we’d be safe doing a few errands now. ”

“It’s all right.” Rey tugged on his daughter’s braid. “You’ll find out soon enough, might as well be a day early.”

Elsie jumped up and down a couple of times. “Can we have it tonight—like a birthday eve treat?”

It didn’t take Rey long to decide. Peach pie on the day it was made was certainly better than the day after. “If it’s all right with Barb.”

Barb chuckled. “Oh, Sheriff, it’s all right with me.” She pulled out a fan from her shoulder bag and waved it vigorously in front of her face. “Now, who wants a cold lemonade from the mercantile before we head home?”

Elsie’s hand shot straight up. “I do!”

“I’ll have to meet you at home,” Rey said. “I need to check in with Thatcher first.”

As he strode to the sheriff’s office, he decided that it was indeed a nice day—the nicest of days.

He was very much looking forward to the peach pie tonight, as well as whenever Viola Delany swept back into town.

He had no idea what he might say to her, or what the future might bring between them, but for now, he was enjoying the humming of his heart.