Sweet Wedding Read online

  At sunset, Clay set out toward the cabins. He didn’t go to his own cabin just yet. Instead, he walked further down to the end of the ranch where Ace had given him a patch of the land. When Clay had started working at the Johann Ranch he’d bunked with Ace, who had spent hours talking about his dreams of owning a ranch of his own one day. He’d started saving money but when Mr. Johann had wanted to sell his ranch, Ace hadn’t had enough to buy it. He’d had his sights set on Annabelle by then, too, and nothing had seemed like it would work out for him. In the end, an act of loyalty and a generous owner had helped Ace find a new path in life. Ace knew what it was like to start from less than zero and he had wanted to give his good friend Clay a head start.

  If Clay could get a leg up, Ace had told him, it would make it easier. Clay would still have to work hard and he was more than willing to do that to create a future for himself. When he looked at Annabelle and Ace together he knew that the reward would be worth the hard work and time he would put in.

  Clay had already started building his own home. He’d erected the wooden poles that created the skeleton of the home and he had plotted out pens for cattle that he planned on buying bit by bit as he carried on. It wasn’t much now but it was something he could build on. Clay wanted a family—a wife and children and a home that he could offer them.

  This was the way he was going to get it.

  Clay walked into the structure he’d set up and turned around, looking at the poles. The summer rains were over now and there would be a few weeks before snow started to fall. He would have to use the dry time to finish as much of the house as he could and get a roof over the place if he wanted to carry on working through the winter months at all. Without a roof, the snow would stop him from working inside the home until spring came.

  The house was coming along, and he was happy with his progress. And if he could find someone to share the place with, he would be fulfilled.

  Bethany—Beth, she’d said—came to mind and he thought about her dark hair, her green eyes. Her lips had been perfect. What a gift it would be to kiss lips like that.

  He hadn’t seen a ring on her finger. She wasn’t married yet. The beautiful woman in that house did not belong to a man and that made Clay hopeful that maybe he could have a chance with her. He imagined what it would be like when his home was finished and he had a woman like Bethany by his side to share his life with. The fantasy felt so real for a moment that he knew it was what he wanted.

  Now, all he had to do was finish the house, get to know her better, and hope that she would find a reason to stay in Carson Valley, or at least come back to it after her visit in Montgomery.

  He still had a bit of time, though, that much he was certain of. She wasn’t ready to travel just yet. Tomorrow he would ride into town and check on the coach repairs, see what was happening there.

  Finally, the sun had dropped below the horizon and it was too dark to see. Clay made his way back to the cabin in the dark. He knew the ranch well enough to navigate it with his eyes closed. He might be just a ranch hand but this was his whole world, his life, his home. And he was happy with what he had and happy with where he was headed.

  Four

  Bethany

  With enough bed rest and time to recover Bethany could get out of bed more and more each day, until she was strong enough to walk around and spend time with Annabelle, helping her with chores here and there.

  Clay had come to check on her every day, just as he’d promised. He seemed as relieved as she was that she was healing.

  There was something about Clay that made Bethany’s heart flutter. It wasn’t just that he was caring. He was rugged and manly but at the same time he was gentle. In addition to their talks when Clay came to see her at the end of his working day, Bethany had spent some meals with the ranch hands when they came to the house. She had started to get to know the men and she was starting to feel like she was part of the family.

  Which wasn’t something she should have been feeling. Bethany had somewhere that she needed to be. As much as she would have liked to, she couldn’t call the Johann Ranch home.

  Bethany’s body felt better and better but as the days passed her heart felt heavier. Keeping secrets wasn’t something she liked to do. As a child, her parents had always taught her that honesty was the way to go. Keeping secrets, being dishonest, had never been okay. Now that her parents had passed, their words about honesty clung to Bethany and she felt guilty about what she was doing.

  She hadn’t told anyone why she was going to Montgomery. What was worse, she couldn’t tell anyone that maybe she didn’t want to go anymore.

  “How are you feeling?” Annabelle asked when she came into the kitchen one morning, five days after she’d arrived.

  “I think I’m healed,” Bethany said. “I’d like to go into town to see Doc, to be sure.”

  Annabelle nodded. “It’s a good idea to get out of the house a little, and seeing Doc would give you peace of mind.”

  She gave Bethany a bowl of eggs to scramble while they talked. Bethany gladly took it. “I’m sure Clay will be happy to know that you’re well again, too,” Annabelle continued.

  Bethany nodded and smiled.

  “Clay is a kind man,” Annabelle said.

  Bethany nodded. “He is.”

  Annabelle glanced sideways at her. “He’s a good man with a good reputation around town. And he’s single.”

  Bethany blushed. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean...” She couldn’t finish her sentence and the more she tried to act natural the more she blushed.

  Annabelle laughed. “When I arrived here I felt the same about Ace. Sometimes, these men just grow on us. But I must admit, I’m glad you’re here.”

  “You are?” Bethany asked.

  Annabelle nodded. “Of course. I live on a ranch, surrounded by men. I have Ace but the nine ranch hands are all like a part of the family. I’m outnumbered ten to one. It’s nice to have another woman around for a change. It gets lonely.”

  Bethany could imagine how hard that could get.

  “Well, as long as I can be here, you’ll have a friend in me,” she said.

  Annabelle smiled. “Likewise.”

  The men trickled in for breakfast and as the table filled, the laughter and chatter filled the kitchen. Bethany sat in her seat and watched breakfast unfold and she couldn’t shake the sense of belonging. And yet, with the feeling came the horrible dread that she had to leave, that she had somewhere else to be. And worst of all, that she wasn’t as excited about going to Montgomery as she should have been.

  After breakfast, Clay hung back. She watched him walk to her and she couldn’t help but smile. He clutched his hat in his hands.

  “Would you like a tour of the ranch?” he asked. “Now that you’re all better, I’d love to take you out.”

  Bethany glanced at Annabelle, who smiled and nodded.

  “Go, Beth, it’s fine. I can do what needs to be done here. I’ve had my tour of the ranch, too.”

  Bethany looked back at Clay and nodded, smiling. He smiled back at her. His green eyes were bright.

  “Come along,” he said. “I’ll get a horse ready for you.”

  She followed him to the stable. She had been outside on the porch a few times since she’d arrived but stepping out into the sun was wondrous. It was warm on her skin and the smell of fall was in the air.

  The stable was large, with stalls for several horses. Two of them had been brought in from the pasture and Clay saddled a gray horse for Bethany before he saddled a chestnut for himself.

  “The ranch is beautiful right now,” Clay said. He helped Bethany onto her horse and they rode out into the sunlight.

  The ranch was truly stunning—wide pastures and rolling fields. The grass was starting to color from green to wheat and trees surrounding the property were tall and majestic.

  “I can see why you take so much pride in your work,” Bethany said to Clay. “This place really is beautiful.”

  “I’ve lov
ed working here since day one,” Clay said. “Life out here is so fulfilling. I’ve worked on ranches my whole life but there’s something about Ace and Annabelle that just makes it feel like home.”

  Bethany nodded. It was exactly what she’d been feeling.

  “What about you? Where did you grow up?” Clay asked.

  “I grew up in Baltimore. I lived with my brother since my parents passed away but that hasn’t gone as well as I would have hoped.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Clay said.

  Bethany nodded. It had been hard to lose her parents. At least they had left enough money for them to survive but her brother, William, being the first born and male, had received all the money and wouldn’t give Bethany any of it. It was why she had decided to leave Baltimore.

  Her stomach tightened when she thought about her journey here and her destination.

  “Carson Valley is beautiful,” Bethany said. “I haven’t seen much of the town, of course, but there’s something about this place that’s wild and raw and…” She sighed.

  “I know what you mean. You’re not the first person to feel that way. I’m a local—Carson Valley has always been my home—but many of the people who are just passing through end up staying. The town has its own charm and folk just end up staying forever.”

  Bethany nodded. She could understand that. The town had a certain appeal but it wasn’t just the town that drew Bethany. From the start, it had been about Clay. He was her hero and he’d spent so much time making sure she was all right. He was a gentleman, kind and caring. He deserved to know what was really going on.

  She just didn’t know how to tell him. She didn’t want to change his perception of her.

  The tour of the ranch came to an end and Clay escorted her back to the ranch house. Bethany was exhausted. She thought she’d recovered but the trip had taken more out of her than she had expected and she desperately wanted to lie down.

  “You look a little pale. Go and get some rest, honey,” Annabelle said to her when she walked into the house.

  Bethany nodded and turned to Clay.

  “Thank you for a wonderful tour,” she said. Clay reached out and touched her elbow, smiling.

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  He turned around and walked away. The touch had been so light but it left Bethany feeling flushed. She turned and walked to her room, feeling lightheaded both from the exertion and the butterflies in her stomach.

  She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. She had had a wonderful time with Clay. But she hadn’t been able to tell him the truth.

  Her stomach turned.

  Five

  Clay

  The next day Clay had the day off. Ace readied the cart to take Bethany to Doc’s. Clay decided to tag along. He wasn’t a man who liked sitting around with nothing to do, and every minute with Bethany—whether they were alone or not—was a gift.

  He watched her as they drove into town, her eyes flitting over the countryside with longing that he’d seen before. It was the kind of look that preceded a choice to stay in Carson Valley for good. It was good news. If Bethany decided to stay, Clay would be the happiest man alive.

  Of course, that wasn’t a given, yet. She mentioned her trip to Montgomery every now and then. She had someone to visit and Clay understood it.

  But she would pass through Carson Valley on her way back and maybe she could stop there again for a few days.

  When Ace and Bethany pulled up at Doc’s and went in together, Clay hopped off the cart and made his way to the hotel across the way. Shamus was in his usual spot, his skin pale as ever, contrasting with the shock of red Irish hair. He smiled when he saw Clay.

  “Is Stanley in?” Clay asked.

  Shamus shook his head. “He’s over at the livery with old Tom.”

  Clay thanked the man and walked to the livery. Old Tom had been dealing with the animals since Clay could remember. The man was old enough to be anyone’s grandfather; his hair was white as snow and like silk. He wore brown pants with suspenders and a cotton shirt that barely closed in front, making him look like he’d just gotten out of bed.

  Stanley looked much more put together than when Clay had helped him out of the ditch.

  “Ah, the hero approaches,” Stanley said.

  Clay chuckled. “It’s good to see you’re up and about,” he said.

  Stanley nodded. “I’ll be on my way soon. Coach is fixed. Old Tom here did a bang-up job.”

  Clay nodded. Old Tom looked pleased with himself. Clay couldn’t share the sentiment. With the coach repaired and the horses ready to go, it would only be a matter of time before Bethany left.

  “When are you looking to go?” Clay asked.

  Stanley shrugged. “No later than next week. Miss King is already quite late due to the accident.”

  Clay nodded. He tried not to let the disappointment show on his face.

  He returned to the cart and waited for Ace and Bethany to finish. When they emerged, Ace looked satisfied and Bethany was smiling.

  “Good news, I take?” Clay asked.

  Bethany nodded. “Doc is happy, so I am, too.”

  Clay smiled. Wearing a bonnet and a bright dress, Bethany looked beautiful as ever. A pang shot through his heart when he considered that he would have to see her go.

  “Let’s get back to the ranch,” Ace said.

  They got onto the cart and Ace turned them around, clicking his tongue and pointing the horses home.

  When Clay returned he walked to the home he was building. He would spend the rest of the afternoon working hard on the house. It was still hard work—as was everything else he did when he was on duty—but if he had something to show for all the hard work, he was a happy man.

  With the structure in place, Clay was ready to put up the logs, creating the walls of his home. As soon as the walls were in place, he could deal with the roof.

  Clay’s mind was full of Bethany. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, about the fact that she was leaving. He wanted her to stay. But of course, on her way back to Baltimore she would pass through Carson Valley again—it was the easiest route—and there was no reason she couldn’t stop and visit again for a while.

  He would ask her if she could do that. He wanted to see her again. Heck, he wanted her to never leave. When she came back, he wanted to ask her if she would stay with him in Carson Valley.

  By supper time, Clay studied his handiwork and he was more than satisfied with what he had achieved. At this rate, he would make it before winter.

  He made his way to the house for supper with the rest of the ranch hands.

  When he neared the house, he heard crying from around the back. It sounded like a woman. Clay frowned and when around the house to investigate.

  He found Bethany, sitting on an upturned bucket on the back porch, crying.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you in pain?”

  He kneeled in front of her. When she lifted her head and looked at him, her eyes were large and shimmering with tears. She shook her head.

  “No, I’m quite well.”

  More tears ran down her face and her bottom lip trembled.

  “What’s wrong, then?” Clay asked again, kneeling in front of her. “What’s upset you so much?”

  Clay hated seeing a woman cry. He never quiet knew what to do—women were fragile things, so much harder to put back together when they fell apart.

  Bethany took a deep breath and let it out with a shudder.

  “I haven’t been honest with you,” she said.

  “With me?” Clay asked. “What do you mean?”

  Bethany swallowed hard, like she was trying to swallow back her tears, and nodded. She looked at her hands when she spoke.

  “My parents passed a while ago and left all the money to my brother, William. I guess they thought he would take care of me, but he didn’t. He kept all the money to himself and I had to scrape by.”

  Clay nodded, feeling a spark of hatred for her brother w
hom he’d never met. He kept silent. Maybe she would ask him for help. He would do anything for her.

  Bethany swallowed again. “I decided Baltimore wasn’t the place for me anymore. So I signed up with a mail order bride agency.”

  Clay’s blood ran cold. He was starting to see where this was going.

  “I was on my way to Montgomery to meet my future husband when the accident happened.”

  She finally looked up at Clay, her eyes large and full of remorse.

  “I wanted to tell you earlier, but I just couldn’t bear to. I didn’t know how to do it.”

  Clay could hear his blood rush in his ears. Bethany was promised to another man. The woman he’d wanted to ask to be his wasn’t available to ask at all. And he had fallen for her.

  He was such an idiot.

  “Clay?” Bethany asked.

  He didn’t know what to say to her. How did he respond to someone who had just shattered his dreams?

  So, he didn’t say anything at all. He turned around and walked away.

  Six

  Bethany

  “Oh, Annabelle. If I only knew how to explain what was happening,” Bethany said, her head in her hands after supper. The ranch hands had already left. Clay hadn’t joined them tonight, and Bethany didn’t blame him. After he’d stormed off, she had waited for him. She’d hoped he would come back, if only so that she could apologize for her shortcomings; for her cowardliness in not telling him the truth before.

  Tonight, she’d learned from Ace that the coach would leave next week and everything had become so clear—the fantasy she was living had come to an end.

  “Why don’t you just start from the beginning?” Annabelle asked when Bethany’s answer was so cryptic. She’d asked what was wrong and Bethany just couldn’t stomach being a disappointment for a second time that night.

  She took a deep breath and shook her head.

  Annabelle sat next to her and took her hand.