The sun had risen high in the sky before Margaret was done with her bath, her crutches still leaned against the wall beside the open door. On the other side of the sheet that had been pinned up, Clara was alternating between fretting about something cooking for that afternoon’s feast and fussing with the hem of Margaret’s new dress, the one she would wear into town when she met Declan at the church to be married.
“Are you almost done, dear? I need to check the length on this and take the pins out!” Clara said through clenched teeth, her mouth still full of pins.
“Aye! I’m just checking for spies before I stand up out of the water!” Margaret said with a laugh.
“Can you manage it without me? Are your crutches close enough to reach?”
“I’ve got it, thank you. I’ll be out in a moment, just let me dry and slip this on.” She emerged with a bright smile lighting up her face, hobbling over to the table where her wedding dress lay draped across a chair. On the sideboard, several cakes were cooling, ready to be frosted in layers for the afternoon’s feast.
Together they finished getting ready, but all the while Margaret’s thoughts kept being pulled back to the past two weeks. Declan had been a saint, coming over each morning after his own chores were done and stopping in to see her on his way to the sawmill. He’d ask after her ankle and her shoulder, then carry her out to the porch for some sunshine while they ate their breakfast. He’d carry her back inside and place her gently in the rocking chair Ned had finished, then he’d head into town to see to his work. He’d stop back at the Jacksons’ house after he’d finished working for the day, just to visit with Margaret again and ask about how she was getting on.
When she’d gotten well enough, he would lift her into the wagon and take her for rides to the creek or into town to see the new wares in the general store. He’d come to take her to church each Sunday that she’d been there, introducing her to all of the members of the small but devoted congregation.
And now the day had come, the day she’d been looking forward to when she first got on the train to Montana. Her wedding day was here, against all odds and all adversity, and she was determined that it be one of the best days of her life.
The ceremony was simple but heartfelt. Ned and Clara served as their official witnesses, but all of Declan’s friends from the sawmill had come out to wish them well. Clara had outdone herself with the food, and the ladies of the church had also taken the opportunity to show out a bit with items from their own kitchens. All told, it made for a fine event, and the merriment lasted until well past supper time.
One by one, their guests had to return to their own farms and see to their evening chores. Declan was no different, as there was no such thing as a holiday for a farmer and a homesteader. He and Margaret thanked Ned and Clara over and over, then finally bade them goodnight as they set out for home.
Along the way, Declan stopped the wagon, pausing in the middle of the path and letting the moonlight glow around them.
“Declan? Whatever’s the matter?” Margaret asked, putting a hand on his arm.
“’Twas right here in this spot… this is where you went missing from the road,” he answered quietly, seeing the land in a new light. “This is where I almost lost you for good because I was a pig-headed imbecile who did naw see that he’d hurt you.”
“Oh, my husband, do naw think on it. ‘Tis in the past, and I’m here now. And I will naw be leaving you, not now and not ever.” She smiled reassuringly, then slid closer on the wagon seat to rest her head on his shoulder. He instinctively put an arm around her waist and held her tight as he told the horses to move on.
They rode the rest of the way in near silence, each lost in their own happiness. When they reached the ridge overlooking Declan’s land, Margaret was struck all over again by its moonlit beauty, remembering the day not so long ago that she’d first laid eyes on her new home, on this vast expanse of open land in the territory. It had been a long journey from Ireland to Montana, but an even longer journey from loneliness to never-ending joy.
“Welcome home, my wife,” Declan said as he looked out over his hard-won property. He leaned down and kissed Margaret’s lips, reveling in the feeling of having her beside him.
“’Tis the most wonderful thing you’ve said to me. I will never tire of those words,” she promised, smiling up at him. “Now let’s go home.
THE END
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Other Books by Amelia Rose
Mail Order Bride Kathleen (Montana Destiny Brides: Book 2)
Bargain For A Bride (Montana Passion Brides: Book 1)
Stranded, Stalked and Finally Sated (License to Love: Book 1)
Silver River Romeo (Rancher Romance: Book 1)
Silver Heart (Longren Family: Book 1)
Learning to Love (Carson Hill Ranch: Book 1)
Mending Fences (Texas Heat: Book 1)
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About Amelia Rose
Amelia is a shameless romance addict with no intentions of ever kicking the habit. Growing up she dreamed of entertaining people and taking them on fantastical journeys with her acting abilities, until she came to the realization as a college sophomore that she had none to speak of. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream: writing stories of love and passion for addicts just like herself. Amelia has always loved romance stories and she tries to tie all the elements she likes about them into her writing.
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