Mark

Two days later, Rhona entered the print shop out of breath. “I’m sorry I’m late this morning. My sisters made me change clothes, twice, after the breakfast service. It seemed silly to wear my best dress under my printing apron all day, but nothing less would do for them.” She walked to the front of the store, and Mark followed behind. “You forgot to turn the sign to open.” Rhona reached out to do it, but Mark’s hand encased hers and turned her to him.

“Rhona, you’re absolutely beautiful.” He raised his hand to the tiny ringlets framing her face, feeling their soft bounce as he pinched them between his fingers, his knuckles grazing her cheek. She took a quick breath, and he added, “I’m the luckiest man in Colorado. Thank you for agreeing to marry me.” He kissed her wrist again. He was looking forward to doing that for the rest of their lives. He handed her a folded paper. “Could you check this over for me?” He could barely contain his excitement.

He loved the glimmer in her eyes. “Another secret message?”

Mark nodded to the side and guided her to the counter, giving her a pencil.

“I’ll have you know that I saved the last message.” She began reading the page, circling the misspelled words. After the second word, she looked up at him. Tears began to gather in her eyes, but he could tell by her broad smile that they were the kind that told of good things. He wanted to take her in his arms.

“I can’t look at you again, or I won’t be able to finish this.”

Mark shoved his hands into his pockets. “I agree. If you look at me like that again, I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

With a giggle, she went back to her task. At the end, she read it aloud, and Mark whispered along with her, “Will you marry me today?”

“Yes,” Rhona said as she launched herself into his arms. Her lips pressed against his, and he held her tightly against himself. She fit him perfectly. He knew he’d never get used to the idea that this beautiful woman had chose him.

“Let’s get going. I don’t want to waste a moment.” She grabbed her coat and buttoned it up on the way to the back door.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Mark extended his arm to her. “I have a carriage waiting out front.”

Otto had sent over his best carriage, a shiny black Hansom Cab. When Archie died, Otto had reclaimed the conveyance since Archie hadn’t finished paying for it yet. Mark felt as if he was assisting royalty into the seat.

“Does my family know?” Rhona asked.

“Yes. Your sisters made all the arrangements.”

“That explains their insistence on my wearing this dress.” The driver didn’t take the turn off to Pastor Theodore’s. “We’re not getting married in the church?”

“No.” He knew he had a huge smile on his face, but he couldn’t make it go away. This was the very best surprise he could imagine.

“I’m so curious. My sisters were out very late last night—probably arranging this.” Rhona waited patiently beside him, but Mark didn’t give away any of the details. He wanted to keep the secret a little longer if he could.

As they approached the end of Main Street, Mark could tell when Rhona noticed her friends and family lining the walk that lead up to the doors of the Tivoli Ballroom. The huge domed roof of the building glowed white in the sunlight as they parked on the road.

Mark didn’t budge until Edwin reached the cab carrying a wad of fluffy lace.

“I’ll leave you here, my love,” Mark said.

Edwin stood in the open door. “I’ll give you away, if this is what you want.”

“It is. My heart is sure.”

With that, Mark kissed Rhona’s cheek and walked inside the ballroom, taking all their friends with him.

The cavernous room inside the Tivoli was dimly lit by numerous lanterns along the circular wall. Suddenly, the gas chandelier in the center of the dome glowed to life, illuminating the garden mural that decorated the ceiling and several panels between the lanterns.

Guests filed into the rows of seats. Mark walked alone to the far end of the Tivoli near the bandstand and stopped next to Reverend Theodore. Just like him, Rhona’s sisters and all their friends waited for the bride to arrive.

Mark noticed the man he’d pulled from the road walking up the aisle and tipped his head toward him. Instead of sitting down, the man approached.

“I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I would’ve died in the street like a dog. For a long time, I’ve felt less than a man.” He wrung his hat in his hands. “My life was of little worth to me. I guess almost losing it made me think differently.”

Mark offered his hand and shook the man’s. “I’m glad I was there.”

The man smiled broadly. “You’re getting yourself one fine bride. She took care of me. We aren’t family, and she didn’t know me, but she cared for me with gentle kindness. I might be the happiest person in this room for the two of you.” The door behind the man opened, and light flooded the far end of the ballroom. He turned around and hurried to a seat as Edwin appeared in the doorway.

Rhona was at his side, walking slowly with him. Mark watched her approach—the light behind her made a heavenly glow circle around them until the door closed. Then he could see the smile on her face.

He caught his breath and tried to force back the tears overwhelming his heart. But his best effort wasn’t enough, and he had to cough to keep from crying at the sight of her. He truly was a blessed man to have her in his life.

He supposed that sometimes when a man gets to know a woman, he might have an idea that she would make a good lover or a good wife. Mark was sure Rhona would be both of those. But as he’d watched her show concern for the ill man, he had seen the benevolence in her heart and the ease in which she had become a Good Samaritan. She would bring the same sweet love and compassion into his home, and he knew she would make a fine mother as well.

Every step Rhona took brought her closer to their future together. When Edwin stopped just two steps away, Mark was reminded of what he had been missing all his life. He’d never had a family. That’s where she had learned to be kind, generous, and thoughtful, and to serve others. She’d been nurtured by her family to be the woman she was today.

His nerves balled in his chest. What if he couldn’t be the man she deserved? He knew he was marrying far above himself, but for the first time, he considered that Rhona was marrying beneath what she deserved. He didn’t know how to be a husband . . . or a father. He’d really never experienced either of those. Was it enough for him to want her in his life?

At that moment, he wanted more for her. He wanted every happiness that life could give her, and he found himself unfit to the task. Tears escaped the corners of his eyes.

Edwin raised the veil on Rhona’s face. Just then, Mama M popped in right beside Mark. Already nervous about the wedding, it jolted him to his boots, and he stilled himself.

She leaned to talk into his ear. “Mark, you’re a fine man. You are good and kind and forgiving. You went out of your way to help that man, and he lives today because of you. You were a Samaritan too. You’ll make a fine father and an excellent husband. The joy that you and Rhona have together will fill your life with satisfaction that you’ve never known before. Rhona is your gift from God, and you are hers. He knows each of you, and He has made you for each other. God will be your Father—look to Him for the example of how to be a husband and father.”

Mark swallowed back a lump in his throat. Mama M’s words sank deeply into his heart and burned with truth, making him strong to the task. “Thank you,” he whispered. He could feel Mama’s hand on his back, giving his shoulders a little squeeze.

“Mark, I’m proud to have you for my son. I’d be proud if you considered me to be your mother.”

Rhona looked at Mark with a little confusion and said, “You’re welcome. And thank you for being here, too.”

As witnessed by Reverend Theodore and their guests, Mark took her by the hand as she made the last step toward him and stood by his side as a companion and a partner in life. Together they forged their lives in a sure bond with two simple words.

“I do.”

They kissed, then faced their friends as Reverend Theodore introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Mark Carroll.

People rushed forward to kiss their cheeks and wish them long lives filled with joy. Others pushed the chairs against the wall. Some pickers and fiddlers took to the bandstand, and they had a celebration, a grand affair, the likes of which Creede had never before seen.

After some dancing and cake, Mark guided Rhona out of the ballroom. “Let’s go home, my love.”

“Let’s go home, my husband.”

Mark’s house was only a couple of blocks away, and the ride was short. Once inside, he roused the fire. He’d hired Willie Meeks to deliver a dinner Millie had packed and build a fire to warm the house. Eileen and Isla had arranged for Willie to deliver a trunk of Rhona’s clothes.

“I believe you’ve thought of everything,” Rhona said.

“Actually, I was thinking about marrying you quite a lot.”

“I’ve thought of this night, too.” Rhona walked with Mark to their bedroom.

“I have something I’m making for you. Sit here.” Mark left her on the edge of the bed and retrieved a cloth covered box from a drawer, placing it on her lap. “It isn’t finished, but it will be in time.”

His anticipation grew as her hand pulled back the cloth to reveal a leather cover. “It’s your book. Or it will be soon.”

She removed it from the box and flipped it over. The hand tooled lettering said, The Cowboy in Silver City. Her hand moved across the letters and decorations adorning the edges and corners. He’d felt the tooled leather a hundred times as he’d worked on it, but as he watched her hand take in the sunken or raised curves of the design, he felt pride at creating something that was uniquely for her.

“You did this for me?” she said, looking up at him. “It’s amazing.”

“When I finish printing the chapters, I’ll sew them inside.”

“Thank you.” She reached her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Her soft lips coaxed him into a happy delirium of holding her and feeling her. She pulled the pins from her hair, and he felt it fall against his hands at her back. Her passion stirred him as she returned his love kiss for kiss and touch for touch. Theirs would be a happy marriage.

Mark trailed kisses up her neck. He caught her ear in his lips then whispered, “I love you, Rhona.”

“I love you, Mark.” Her words were breathy and low. Her chest rose and fell with effort as he reclaimed her lips.

Rhona had changed his life and his future. She had changed his heart.