Colorado Courtship Page 22

  “Praise the Lord!” Emmett threw up his hands.

  Jed blinked. Something he’d done a lot today.

  “Me and Minnie were hoping and praying this would happen.”

  Shock rippled through Jed. “I don’t understand. The day she came here you warned all of us about wooing her and—” He shrugged.

  “I never meant you. I thought you knew that.”

  Now, how would he know that? He wished he had. Then all this time he could have courted Sunny right and properlike.

  “Surely you know how much you mean to Minnie and me. We think of you as our own son. I’m sorry, Jed. I assumed you knew that warning didn’t include you. Minnie and me hoped when you got to know Sunny you would love her like we do and even marry her.” He stopped and eyed Jed. “You do want to marry her, don’t you?”

  The turbulent emotions stilled and Jed laughed out loud. “I sure do! That is, if you will give me your blessing and your permission to ask her.”

  Emmett stood and the man he respected even more now grabbed his hand in a hard grip and pulled him into a hug. “Welcome to the family, son.”

  Jed had never felt this much happiness before. Not only had he not lost the love and respect of a man he loved and honored, he was about to gain a wife, too.

  * * *

  “Oh, thank you so much! These are wonderful.” Sunny held the woolies chaps Jed had made for her up to her waist. “They’re a perfect fit, too.”

  “Just like us, huh?” He winked and her heart skipped.

  “Yup.” She stretched on her tiptoes and planted a big kiss on Jed’s cheek.

  “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not getting off that easy.”

  He took the chaps from her and tossed them into the back of the sleigh, then pulled her into his arms where she fit right nicely. He kissed her for the longest time. When he ended the kiss he helped her into the sleigh and climbed in next to her. Up the mountain trail they headed.

  “This was a great idea, Jed. I haven’t been on a sleigh ride in years.” Sitting in her uncle’s sleigh with the top down, Sunny looped her arm through Jed’s iron one and snuggled up against him, resting her head on his firm shoulder.

  Bells jingled and tack rattled as Rascal pulled the sled through the snow. Being here with Jed like this felt more right than anything else ever had in her life. And she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

  Jed pulled the horse to a stop at the one place on the ranch that overlooked the small town of Kremmling.

  Under the moonlit sky filled with twinkling stars, Jed pulled the heavy woolen quilt over both their legs and wrapped his arm around her. His solid-as-a-rock forearm muscle rested against the side of her neck. She reached up and intertwined his large hand with hers, then peered up at him.

  He smiled at her. “I love you, Sunny.” His whisper was husky and broken.

  “I love you, too, Jed.”

  His lips touched hers. At first they were cool to the touch, but they warmed quickly. He raised his mouth from hers, but it hovered nearby. “So, you still want to sell me that ranch of yours?” His breath brushed across her lips.

  Sunny’s eyes widened. What? Here they were sharing a romantic moment and he wanted to know if she still wanted to sell him her place?

  But he just quirked a smile at her, and amusement, not greed, danced in his eyes. “I was just thinking that if you do, then we can get married. What do you say?”

  “Wh-what? Are—are you asking me to marry you?”

  “Only if you sell me your ranch first.” He winked.

  “Buddy, consider it sold. It’s yours.” She grabbed him and kissed him hard.

  “So that’s a yes to marrying me?”

  “Yup.” This time he settled his mouth onto hers in what turned out to be the sweetest, most lingering kiss of them all.

  Moments passed and Jed raised his head. Eyes filled with love touched hers, melting her insides with liquid warmth. “You do know that I was teasing you about the ranch, don’t you? I don’t care about the ranch. It’s you alone I care about. You alone I want. And you alone that I love.”

  “I do know that. And I knew you were only teasing. I, too, don’t care about the ranch. Only you and spending the rest of my life with you. That’s the only thing that matters to me. I love you so much, Jed.”

  “I love you more.” He smiled, then crushed her to him even closer in the gentlest of ways. This time neither he nor she initiated the kiss first—their lips met at the same time. Sunny never thought it possible, but even more love flowed through Jed’s kiss, more than she had ever felt before. She willed her lips to do the same, and it must have worked because Jed’s sigh was filled with contentment. Just the way love should be.

  Epilogue

  They had planned on having the wedding at the Flying W Ranch, but Jed thought it only fitting that they have it on the ranch where they would start their lives together as man and wife. Sunny agreed right away and even thought it to be a right fine idea. She and Jed restoring the ranch back to its former glory together only seemed fitting, too.

  Because neither of them wanted to leave her uncle in the lurch during calving season, they decided to delay their wedding until June 15. And boy was she glad they had. No snow. Only green meadows, fully leaved aspen trees, columbines, daisies and other wildflowers covered her ranch. Soon to be her and Jed’s ranch.

  “Oh, precious. You look so beautiful in your mother’s dress.” Aunt Minnie held her arms out and studied her. “That dark purple looks great with your dark brown hair and eyes.” Her eyes misted. “You look just like your ma did the day she married.”

  Sunny’s eyes turned moist, too. She wished her ma was here to see her get married. But she wasn’t. With a quick swipe to her eyes, she pressed her shoulders back, determined to not feel sorry for herself and to instead focus on the other people she cherished in her life that were here with her on this special occasion.

  “We’d better get going. Jed’s waiting for you.”

  The short ride to the small lake on her ranch lasted forever. When the green water reservoir came into view Sunny’s focus went to all the people seated on the tree-stump seats that had been set out in rows, and she was surprised at how many people there were and how far some of them had come.

  Even Jed’s family had shown up for the wedding. Tears had filled Jed’s eyes when his pa had told him how proud he was of him. Her own eyes had filled with tears, too.

  Thinking of Jed... Her attention shifted to her husband-to-be, standing next to Reverend Yohansen, who had made the trip here just for this special day.

  “You ready, Sunshine?” Uncle Emmett met her and her aunt at the buggy. First he helped Aunt Minnie down and kissed her cheek before she scurried off to join the others. Then he helped Sunny down. In place of her pa, the man who looked so much like him would walk her down the aisle.

  “I’m so happy for you, Sunshine,” Uncle Emmett said as he led her toward the wedding area. “You’re getting one fine upstanding man, and he’s getting one fine outstanding gal. I have no doubt your marriage will be as wonderful as your parents’ was and as your aunt’s and mine is.”

  “I have no doubt neither that we’ll be equally as happy. I’ve had very good role models. Thank you for that.” She smiled, then turned her attention onto Jed standing at the end of the aisle.

  Their eyes locked and held as she walked toward him. She was grateful for the sagebrush-cleared path; otherwise, with her not watching where she was going, the hem of her dress would have probably snagged on the bush and sent her flying.

  When they finally reached Jed, Uncle Emmett handed her off.

  Jed leaned over and his breath brushed against her ear, sending chills racing up and down her spine when he whispered, “You look beautiful, Sunshine.”

  “Even without my cowboy hat and boots?” she whispered back and winked.

  “Yup.”

  They laughed.

  He looped her arm through his.

  They faced
the pastor and spoke their vows to love, cherish and honor one another all the days of their lives. When Jed sealed it with a kiss, she knew it was also with a promise of many more to come. Despite all the obstacles set in their paths, somehow she had finally become the rancher’s sweetheart.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of A Royal Marriage by Rachelle McCalla!

  Dear Reader,

  This story is dear to my heart because I could relate to Sunny, only I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone else, only to myself. Having rodeoed as a teenager, I loved horses and of course cowboys. When my cowboy husband decided to go into cattle ranching, I readily agreed. However, I didn’t know then that I’d be working on the ranch, too. But I did it to please my husband and to help him out. After years of watching the other women who were born and raised on a ranch do a fabulous job at every phase of ranching—unlike myself—I felt completely inept and frustrated, so I eventually quit. It was the best thing I’d ever done because after that I discovered who I was, what I wanted to do and most importantly that God didn’t create all of us to be ranch hands. We all have our individual jobs to do. Mine just happens to be writing, and I love it. So thank you, Dear Readers, for being a part of that love and for reading my stories.

  God bless you and yours,

  Debra Ullrick

  Questions for Discussion

  Having been made fun of most of her life due to her petite stature and love of ranching, Sunny felt the need to prove herself to those around her. Why do you think some people feel the need to do that?

  Jedidiah had always felt like the outcast in his family, and in a way he was. His mother doted on his siblings and all but ignored him. How would you feel if this happened to you?

  Jed strove to earn his father’s approval, but office work wasn’t for him, so he chose to follow his heart instead, even at the risk of never gaining that approval he craved. Was there ever a time that you followed your heart even against the wishes of your parents or someone else?

  When Sunny finally gained the men’s respect and approval, she thought she’d be elated but wasn’t. Name a situation in your life when you thought that once you achieved a certain something that everything would change. Did it? If not, why?

  In the past certain jobs were deemed unacceptable for women. Knowing that, how do you think you would have fared living back then? And what do you think you would be doing?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.

  You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

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  Chapter One

  Castlehead, Lydia, A.D. 801

  “A ship approaches, Your Majesty. Her sail is spread with the Carolingian cross.” Renwick, chief messenger among the Lydian guard, bowed low before the king.

  “Charlemagne.” His Royal Highness, King John of Lydia, lowered the sword with which he’d been sparring with his younger brother, Prince Luke. Why would the Holy Roman Emperor send a ship to Lydia unannounced? Charlemagne’s realm had expanded vastly under his leadership, but John had assumed the renowned ruler would have no interest in the tiny kingdom of Lydia. Was he wrong?

  King John turned to face the messenger. “She approaches directly?”

  “Making for the wharf at high speed, sire,” Renwick panted as though he, too, had run to reach the king quickly.

  “Then we shall make haste, as well.” Sheathing his sword, John headed for the courtyard gate, the fastest route to the Mediterranean shore.

  “To the lookout tower, Your Majesty?” Renwick appeared confused by the king’s choice of direction.

  “No, Renwick.” John led the way. “To the wharf.”

  Prince Luke ran beside him. “Why would Charlemagne visit Lydia? We are not his vassals.”

  “I doubt it is Charlemagne himself,” King John acknowledged. “The emperor regularly sends emissaries throughout his empire to report back to him.” He prayed that was true this time, irregular though it might seem.

  “But Lydia is not part of his empire.” Luke chafed visibly at the idea.

  “We are part of Christendom. As such, we ought to ally ourselves closely with the Holy Roman Empire. Such a position could prove to be advantageous.” John reached the end of the wharf and shielded his eyes from the sun, examining the quickly approaching vessel, her sails emblazoned with the distinctive Carolingian cross, four triquetras joined at the center to form the distinctive symbol of Emperor Charlemagne’s reign.

  “Three masts!” The sight filled John with awe. Lydia had no ship to match it. And yet, “She looks to be wounded.”

  “Aye, brother.” Luke clapped one hand on John’s shoulder and pointed with the other. “Her foresail has been rent and hastily mended. Do you think she has weathered a storm?”

  “Or an attack.” John met his brother’s eyes.

  “Saracens?” Prince Luke spoke the word softly, as though saying it aloud might draw the vicious pirates closer.

  “They raid the Mediterranean waters regularly.”

  “Never so close to Lydia.”

  “We don’t know how far this ship has come,” King John acknowledged. “Or whether the Saracens may have taken her.”

  “Taken her?” Fear sparked in his brother’s blue eyes as he looked out to the ship and back at the ramparts of their castle. If the pirates had taken the ship, they could approach under Charlemagne’s cross and dock before the Lydians realized trouble had reached their shores. The castle’s defenses might be breached before they could even prepare for battle. “Why would Saracens approach so boldly?”

  “For no good reason.” John shook his head. He didn’t want to believe that Saracen pirates had taken the emperor’s ship, but given her condition, it was a distinct possibility. “Let us pray for Lydia’s safety.”

  While the brothers murmured hasty yet heartfelt prayers, King John heard the rumble of boot steps on the wharf. He turned to find Eliab and Urias, two courtiers who’d been his father’s close advisors, panting as they trotted down the wharf.

  “Your Majesty,” Urias called out. “You should not be out here!”

  “This does not look good.” Eliab gestured to the ship as he bent to catch his breath.

  “His Majesty should hide until we’ve determined the motives of the approaching vessel.”

  John dismissed their concerns. The pair often treated him as though he was still a child, though he’d weathered twenty-eight winters and had ruled Lydia capably since his father’s death four years before. “I may determine their motives much faster if I stay here.”

  “They’ve put down a boat!” Renwick had hardly taken his eyes from the ship.

  “They’re worthy seamen, then.” John approved of the ship’s rapid loss of speed. They’d obviously put down an anchor. It was wise. He’d never docked such a large vessel alongside the wharf, and though he couldn’t be sure the depth of the ship’s rudder, he doubted they’d have made it to the dock without scraping against the submerged rocks that hid not so far below the water at low tide.

  “What are they loading?” Luke studied the men as they carried a large fabric-draped bundle onto the boat. From the care they took in handling it, the cargo must have been delicate. The dark green cloth glistened in the sunlight like silk. Whatever was wrapped inside must be quite valuable.

  A plump, wimpled figure was loaded next, with no shortage of howling admonitions. Then six burly men boarded and took to the oars with vigor, slicing throu
gh the water as though Charlemagne himself was watching.

  “I believe that bundle is a person.” John observed the way they’d propped the bundle in the stern with the wimpled woman fussing over it. “A slender figure, perhaps a youth or a child.”

  “Or a woman,” Prince Luke offered.

  “On a ship?” Urias scoffed.

  “It is possible,” Luke pointed out as the boat drew nearer and its contents easier to see. “The cut of the silk clothing is certainly suggestive of a female. And it would explain the lady in waiting.”

  “Bah. A nurse to the child,” Urias insisted.

  “Whatever it is, I hardly think myself to be in immediate danger from it.” John felt glad that he hadn’t run and hidden as his father’s advisors had suggested. Granted, he had an obligation to protect the throne. Urias and Eliab were understandably skittish about the issue of safety, having been with his father, King Theodoric, when he’d died defending one of Lydia’s villages on the Illyrian border.

  But King John had two younger brothers and a much younger sister, as well. Prince Luke was a worthy leader, and Prince Mark would be, too, if he ever returned from his long journey by sea. God would provide a leader for Lydia. When his wife had died in childbirth three years before, John had resolved that his line would end with his death. He would not ask another woman to risk her life trying to bear an heir for him.

  “You don’t suppose it’s a ruse?” Eliab watched the fast-approaching boat with skepticism. “To lull us into thinking we’ve nothing to fear and take us while our guard is down.”

  “Eliab, you are far too suspicious,” John chided him. As the boat moved closer, the shrieks and groans of the white-faced woman in the wimple grew louder. If she was part of a ruse, she was overplaying her role. Rather than pay the woman much heed, John examined the faces of the other men in the boat. To his relief, none of them had the stature or features of Charlemagne.