CHAPTER 11
BACK LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS FROM HER cruise, Dovie worked endlessly in the church kitchen, helping the women’s group with Caroline and Grady’s wedding. She had artfully arranged hors d’oeuvres on silver platters and set them on the counter to be picked up.
Actually Dovie was grateful to be in here, away from the reception, although it was considered the least enviable of the jobs the women’s group performed for weddings and other social events. At least while she was here, she needn’t fear seeing Frank dance with Tammy Lee or flirt with any other women.
She hadn’t seen him since her return, but then, it was still early. She steeled herself for their next confrontation, dreading it already.
Humming softly to herself, Edwina Moorhouse entered the kitchen. “Pastor McMillen is looking for you.”
“Me?” Dovie couldn’t imagine what he wanted.
“He asked me to send you to his office.”
“Really?” Dovie washed her hands and reached for a towel. “Did he happen to mention what this was about?”
“Not a word,” the older woman said.
But Dovie noticed that Edwina’s eyes were twinkling. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Wade and the Moorhouse sisters had something up their sleeves.
Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, Dovie left the kitchen. Pastor McMillen’s office was just down the hallway and around the corner. His door was closed and she tapped on it politely.
“Come in,” he called.
Dovie opened the door, and the first person she saw was Frank Hennessey, rising to his feet from a chair opposite Wade’s desk. The sheriff also stood when she entered the room, his eyes focused intently on her. Dovie’s pulse accelerated to an alarming rate, and she was grateful when Wade motioned for her to take a seat.
“Hello, Dovie,” Frank said.
“Frank.” She nodded once, but avoided looking in his direction. He sat down when she did.
“Actually I need to get back to the wedding,” Wade announced. “My purpose here is to bring the two of you together to talk this out.” With that, he left the room.
Dovie was too shocked to speak.
“I asked Wade to bring you here,” Frank explained.
“Why?”
“Well, because I didn’t think you’d come if I asked.”
“I mean, why did you want to talk to me? As far as I can see, everything’s already been said. You’re dating other women now.”
“One date, Dovie, and that was a disaster.” He got to his feet and walked across the room to stare out the window. “There’s only one woman I love and that’s you.”
“That’s all well and good, but it hasn’t gotten us very far to this point, has it?”
“No,” he agreed with a certain reluctance.
Dovie’s mind whirled. She couldn’t imagine that Wade McMillen, a man of God, would condone Frank and her resuming their previous relationship, especially considering its physical aspects.
“You talked to Wade about us?” she asked.
“Actually he came to me.”
“Wade?” Dovie had never heard of such a thing.
“I’ve been feeling pretty down lately,” Frank admitted. “I assumed that once you saw me with Tammy Lee, you’d realize how much you missed me and want me back.”
Dovie’s mouth thinned with irritation.
“I don’t think any idea of mine has backfired worse. I accept the blame for that—it was a sign of how desperate I was without you.”
It didn’t hurt Dovie’s feelings any to learn he’d had a miserable time with Tammy Lee.
“Then you left on the cruise and…and I worried the entire time that you’d meet someone else.” He hesitated, then asked, “Did you…meet someone?”
“Yes, a retired judge. He lives in Toronto.”
“Oh.” Frank turned to face her, eyes narrowed. “Will you be seeing him again?”
“I…I…”
“Don’t answer that,” Frank said, holding up his hand. “It’s none of my business. Like I started to say, while you were away, I was pretty miserable. But then, nothing’s been right since we split. Wade and I had a long talk, and I told him about you and me.”
Dovie could feel the color fill her face even before she asked the question. “You didn’t mention anything about…spending the night at my house, did you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Frank, how could you?” She covered her face with both hands.
“He isn’t going to judge us, Dovie,” Frank hastened to assure her. “It’s not his job. He told me that himself.”
It was one thing for Frank to refuse to marry her, but to embarrass her in front of the pastor was something else entirely.
“I explained to Wade why I’ve had such a struggle with this marriage idea.”
She hoped he’d done a better job of it with Wade than he had with her. As far as she was concerned, telling her he wasn’t “the marrying kind” was a mighty poor excuse!
“I’ve lived alone all these years, and a man grows accustomed to having things his own way—to certain freedoms.” He paused and his eyes pleaded with hers for understanding. “These freedoms I’m talking about don’t have anything to do with other women, either.”
“We’ve been through all this before,” Dovie said, tired of the same old argument. She didn’t want to hear his excuses again, especially when she could practically recite them herself.
“I couldn’t find any solution to it, either,” Frank said, his voice gaining speed and volume. “But, Dovie, don’t you see, that’s been the whole problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wade said we’d overlooked the obvious solution, and by God, he’s right. We can get married and I can still have my freedom.”
“How?” she asked incredulously.
Frank’s smile lit up his entire face. “It’s so obvious I can’t believe we didn’t see it earlier. I’ll keep my house and you keep yours. Some nights I’ll spend with you—and if you want, you can sleep over at my house, too.”
Dovie’s head came up.
“I won’t feel the walls closing in on me, but at the same time you’d have what you want. You’d be my wife, Dovie.”
If she was tongue-tied earlier, it didn’t compare to what she was now.
Frank’s eyes were bright with hope as he reached for her hands. “Dovie Boyd, would you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”
She blinked back tears and smiled so hard it hurt. “Oh, Frank, I love you so much. Yes, I’ll marry you.” It was all she’d ever wanted. It didn’t matter what other people thought or said. This was a plan that worked for them.
She didn’t know who moved first, but they were in each other’s arms and kissing.
God bless Wade McMillen, Dovie mused as Frank’s lips found hers.
* * *
IF CAL PATTERSON made her cry now, with half the town looking on, Jane swore she’d never forgive him.
He held her gaze, his feelings for her glowing in his eyes. “I’m asking you to be my wife.”
She brought her hand to her forehead. “I heard you the first time.” Which, she had to admit in retrospect, wasn’t a very gracious thing to say.
“Do you want me to get down on one knee in front of all these people, Jane?” he asked. Cal was standing now, too.
“No.” She shook her head and retreated a step.
“I’ve got an engagement ring. It’s a good one, big diamond and only slightly used, but I’m afraid the damn thing’s cursed. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to buy you a new one. I’m hoping Harley will take the other as a trade-in.”
“You’d sell your share of the ranch?” she asked, afraid she’d been hearing things.
“If I had to.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because I love you.”
Damn, he’d done it to her. Jane could feel the tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.
“After what Wade said earlier, I’ve given up demanding guarantees. Like the preacher said, love just doesn’t come with one. I don’t know what the future holds for either of us. All I know about my future is that I want you in it.”
Jane pressed her index fingers under her eyes in a desperate effort to keep the tears at bay. “You make me weep in public, Cal Patterson, and I swear you’ll live to regret it.”
“You’d cry for me?”
“Yes, you fool!”
His lazy grin spread from ear to ear. “That’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Oh, puh-leeze!” She whirled around while she could still see straight and stormed across the room. She wasn’t surprised to find that Cal had followed her.
The music started, and after Caroline and Grady had danced the first number, other couples stepped onto the floor.
“I’m not light on my feet, but I’d be willing to give it a try, if you are,” Cal said, offering her his hand.
Jane didn’t think she could refuse him anything at that moment. She placed her hand in his and nearly sighed aloud when he touched her. The sense of rightness she felt in his arms was…miraculous. Incredible. And so exciting.
Cal’s chin rubbed the side of her face. “You love me, don’t you?” he whispered.
“You know I do.”
“I love you, too, Dr. Texas.”
“You’re serious about moving to California?”
“If that’s what it takes to be close to you.”
It astonished her that he’d agree to leave Promise. It shocked her, moved her deeply, inspired her. “As it happens, I love living here,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of his arms around her.
“You’d be willing to live here?” he asked.
“Promise needs a doctor, doesn’t it? Everyone here feels like family. I enjoy the challenge of my job. It didn’t take me long to realize that joining Uncle Ken wasn’t really what I wanted.” She shook her head. “Before I came to Promise, I just didn’t have enough experience to know that.”
“What about your uncle?”
“He’ll be disappointed, but he’ll get over it.”
“Your parents?”
“Give them time and they’ll learn to love Willie Nelson as much as they do the Beach Boys.”
“And me?”
“That may take some doing,” she teased. “However, if you promise to make them grandparents…”
His arms tightened about her waist. “I’m feeling this very strong urge to kiss you, and either I embarrass us both right here and now or we sneak outside.”
Jane smiled softly, so much in love that the emotion burned inside her. “I don’t know about you, but I could do with a bit of fresh air.”
In the middle of the song Cal stopped dancing, clasped her hand and led her off the dance floor.
Ellie Patterson lifted her head from Glen’s shoulder, looking worried. Jane smiled broadly and gave her a thumbs-up. Ellie signaled back with a wink and laid her head back on her husband’s shoulder again.
Once they were outside in the shadows of the church, Cal pulled Jane into his arms. She went there without resistance. His mouth found hers and his tongue licked the edges of her lips. With a small sigh of welcome, she opened her heart and her life to him. They kissed with a need that was so deep she forgot to breathe.
“You’ll marry me?” he asked, his voice a whisper.
“Yes.” The decision had already been made for her the instant he asked. She’d known then that this was what she wanted, that Promise was where she belonged. This was her home now, with Cal.
“When?”
“You in a hurry?” she asked, grinning delightedly. She couldn’t see any reason to wait, either, not when they both knew what they wanted. Even waiting another minute seemed too long.
“You’re damn straight I’m in a hurry,” Cal said. “Let’s talk to Wade right now.”
Jane laughed and hugged him close. “Just remember, the future has no guarantees, Rebel.”
“Well, it does come with at least one,” he said, lifting her several inches off the ground. “My love for you.”
“And mine for you,” she whispered before her lips met his.
* * * * *