Page 45 of River Legacy (Powder River #5)

“P eople around the Powder River basin are calling it the wedding of the century,” Bailey told her father when she stopped by and found him behind his desk doing ranch business.

“Half of them bet it won’t happen. The other half are convinced even if it does, it won’t last. Holden McKenna and Charlotte Stafford are both too passionate and have spent too many years fighting each other. ”

“What do you think?” Holden smiled at his daughter as he pushed away his work and motioned her into his office.

“I think no one is about to miss the wedding,” she said as she took a chair. “You do realize that there isn’t enough room at the church.”

He nodded. “I suggested the fairgrounds.”

Bailey laughed. It was so good to see her happy. “I guess you heard we eloped.”

“I’m not surprised.” He didn’t tell he was disappointed.

He would have thrown her a big wedding if she’d wanted it.

He would have at least liked to have seen her get married.

“Marriage looks good on you.” Did she actually blush, his daughter, a woman of the world?

He chuckled. “I suggested we elope, but Lottie wouldn’t hear of it.

She thinks we owe the community a grand wedding after everything we’ve put them through. ”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” his daughter agreed and looked away. He was sure she didn’t feel that she owed the community anything. She’d lost faith in anyone watching out for her after being attacked by a local rancher all those years ago. He couldn’t blame her.

“How are book sales?” he asked.

She laughed and met his gaze. “Presales so far are surprisingly good—and not just here. I guess everyone has secrets so can relate to a community like this one. The book comes out just before the wedding.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it. I just want you to know that I’m so proud of you. What are you working on now?”

Bailey seemed surprised that he knew she was already working on another book. “Promise not to laugh? It’s a romance novel.”

He did laugh, but not for the reason she might think. “It’s about you and the sheriff.”

She shrugged. “I have to admit, he might have been my inspiration.”

“I can’t wait to read it.”

“I should get going,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’m sure you’re busy with the wedding just days away.”

“I’m glad you came by.” She had no idea how happy her visit made him. They’d been estranged for years. He loved having his daughter back in his life, he thought as he got to his feet.

Bailey smiled. “Actually, my love story isn’t the only one that inspired me to write this next book.

” She met his gaze. “You’ve always loved her, and even when she didn’t want to, she’s always loved you.

Yours is a great story of two people who have finally found their way back together. It’s epic.”

He had to laugh. “It’s been a lot of things, but epic ?” He walked her out to her rig and gave her a hug. “What would you like for a wedding present?”

“I have everything I need, Dad. Just be happy.” She hugged him back and left.

He watched her go, thinking how much he liked the sound of her calling him Dad again. Was it possible his marriage to Lottie would heal not just all the old wounds between the families, but the damage the two of them had done to their children?

O akley had to pee again. She hadn’t had that much tea to drink at her mother’s small engagement party.

She’d barely made it home. As she sat down on the toilet, she noticed that her breasts seemed bigger and they kind of ached.

Her eyes widened. Could she have been right?

She’d been so sure that she’d felt it, and it really might be true.

She was pregnant? She had been so afraid that she was just imagining it.

She’d been disappointed too many times, not to mention the miscarriages.

She finished in the bathroom, but her mind was racing.

She needed to find out if it was true, didn’t she?

Hadn’t she waited long enough? With a start, she remembered that extra pregnancy test she’d hidden in the back of the cabinet.

She’d hidden it because it was a constant reminder of her failures.

She should have thrown it away, but that would have made her feel as if she’d given up all hope.

Locking the door in case Pickett came back too soon, she pulled out the test. Her hands were trembling, making her angry at herself.

She’d been trying so hard not to get her hopes up, and here she was now afraid.

She shouldn’t have already peed. But to her relief, she had no problem getting the stick wet.

Now all she had to do was wait. She timed it on her phone and paced her new bathroom, thinking how much she loved the house Pickett had built her with all the extra bedrooms for the children they would have.

“You’re going to jinx it,” she’d cried when he’d showed her the design.

“We will fill those bedrooms, I promise.” He’d kissed her then, and she forgot about it—until now.

The timer on her phone dinged, making her jump. She wished Tilly was here to look. Her hand shaking even worse, she finally got up the courage to look. Tears were already filling her eyes before she saw the results. She had to blink them away and do a double take. She was pregnant!

Her heart pounded, yet she warned herself of what had happened the two other times. She wouldn’t tell Pickett. She’d call the doctor and make an appointment. She wouldn’t tell anyone until she was sure this one would take.

But she was pregnant . In the mirror, she saw the wide grin on her face. This one was going to take, she thought, and hugged her flat belly.

T he sun rose over the mountains on the day of the wedding as if anxious to get the show on the road. Holden had been awake for hours. He felt as if he had to pinch himself. Was this really happening?

In town, Charlotte saw the sun rise from the hotel room.

Her heart lifted at the thought of being Mrs. Holden McKenna before the day was out.

She’d waited years for this and could hardly believe that it was finally happening.

No matter what happened today, nothing was going to spoil this, she told herself.

She was finally marrying the man she had loved since she was a girl.

Holden sat behind his desk as the sun rose, studying the plans for the cabin he was having built beside the creek where he and Lottie used to meet.

Some of his best memories were of those sun-filled days lying naked in the tall grass at the water’s edge.

It would be their getaway, only accessible by horse or foot.

With a smile, he rose as Elaine called that breakfast was being served.

It would just be the two of them like it had been for a long time now.

His children were grown and on their own.

Even Holly Jo had gone to sleep over last night, but promised she’d be at the wedding.

She was coming with her friend Gus, a nice boy from school.

He couldn’t believe how quickly she was growing up and thought of that girl he’d gone to get after her mother had died. He’d had no idea what he was getting into, but he’d promised her mother if anything happened, he would take care of the girl.

Elaine was all smiles as he joined her at the huge dining room table. “I’ve dreamed of this day,” she said, sounding close to tears.

“You and me both.” He looked around at the empty chairs. Soon they would all be filled with family meals, he told himself. Sunday dinner would become an event. “We need to get a high chair,” he said as they sat down.

“It will be a while before your granddaughter needs a high chair, but I’ll put it on the list. That won’t be all you’ll need when you and Lottie babysit her.”

He smiled at the thought and felt himself get emotional.

Elaine rose to put an arm around his shoulders. “I’m so happy for you.”

Long before the sun rose, Tilly Stafford McKenna finished feeding her baby daughter and put her down again to sleep. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to bed herself, not with the wedding today. She and Oakley were the attendants. She told herself that this was really happening.

So why was she worried? Because she’d grown up worrying about what her mother might do. True, Charlotte seemed to have changed. She was a grandmother now, and she was getting married to the man she had always loved. So what was the problem?

Tilly shook her head. If CJ and Treyton were alive, there would be reason for concern.

It would have been just like her brother to try to ruin the wedding.

Maybe there wasn’t anything to worry about, she thought as she climbed in beside Cooper just for a few minutes, she promised herself.

He took her in his arms. His body was so warm with sleep and felt so good.

She wouldn’t fall back to sleep. She just needed this because it was the one place she felt everything would be all right.

Ryder lay studying the woman in the bed next to him and smiling. He told himself he had no reason to be this happy. The ranch was gone, he didn’t know what he was going to do tomorrow, and all he knew was ranching.

But he was in love, so nothing seemed to matter except Vicky.

She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, so damned sexy lying there. He realized with a start that he trusted this woman not just with his heart, but his life and future. She opened her eyes as if feeling his gaze on her, smiled and closed them again.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Dreaming about you,” she said.

“That’s good. The wedding is today.”

Her eyes opened. “I know. I’m excited,” she said, no longer looking sleepy. “I finally get to meet your whole family.” He groaned at the thought. “What?” she said, eyes widening. “You don’t want me to meet them?”

“It’s not that. It’s my family.” He leaned over to kiss her. “They’re going to love you. But you might regret getting involved with me.”

“Never,” she said, closing her eyes as she reached for him. “Come back to bed.”

Ryder hadn’t asked Vicky how her meeting with her father had gone at his hotel. She’d been quiet ever since. He wondered if she could truly be happy living on a ranch in Montana with him. He was sure her father wondered the same thing.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked finally. “I never asked how things went with your father.”

She blinked and sat up. “My father thinks he can change. He seems determined to do so. He says he’s going to make amends for the things he’s done.

I think the plane blowing up and him finding out the bomb was meant for him has really shaken him.

He did say he canceled the methane drilling on the ranch.

He was surprised we were staying here on the McKenna Ranch since he has yet to take over yours. ”

Ryder couldn’t help being skeptical. Once the shock of the jet blowing up passed, he figured Wendell Forester would go back to what he seemed to enjoy most: making money. But he held his tongue. “That’s good. So it went okay.”

She nodded. “It just felt sad. He looked so awful. This really did take a toll on him. I’m sure he’ll snap back fast enough and probably change his mind about a lot of things... You’re sure it’s okay for you to bring me to the wedding as your date?”

“There is no way they would have let me come without you,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her. Their relationship had happened so quickly that neither of them had really defined it, he realized. “Tomorrow, after this wedding is over, let’s go for a horseback ride. Would you like that?”

“I would love that,” she said, smiling, eyes bright. “Now, come back to bed.”