Country Brides

  Perhaps it was her imagination or an optical illusion—in fact, Rorie was sure of it. But she could have sworn the elegant woman in the photograph smiled.

  COUNTRY BRIDE

  One

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  A burst of organ music crescendoed through the largest church in Nightingale, Oregon, as a murmur of shared happiness rose from the congregation.

  Standing at the altar, Clay Franklin claimed his right to kiss Rorie Campbell Franklin, his bride.

  Kate Logan did her best to look delighted for her friends, even though she felt as if a giant fist had been slammed into her stomach. Tears gathered in her eyes and she lowered her gaze, unable to watch as the man she’d loved for most of her life wrapped his arm around his new bride’s waist.

  Clay should be marrying me, Kate cried silently. I should be the one he’s looking at so tenderly. Me! During the past few weeks, Kate had repeatedly reassured herself that she’d done the right thing in stepping aside to bring Clay and Rorie together. But that fact didn’t lessen her pain now. Kate loved Clay, and that wasn’t going to change. He was her best friend and confidant, her compass, her North Star. And now Clay was married to another woman—someone he loved far more than he could ever care for Kate.

  A clean white handkerchief was thrust into her hand by Luke Rivers, her father’s foreman. Kate knew he’d been waiting for this moment, convinced she’d dissolve into a puddle of tears.

  She declined the use of his handkerchief by gently shaking her head.

  “I’m here,” he whispered in her ear.

  “So is half of Nightingale,” she returned wryly. Luke seemed determined to rescue her from this pain—as if that was possible. All she wanted was to survive this day with her dignity intact, and his open sympathy threatened the composure she’d painfully mustered.

  “You’re doing fine.”

  “Luke,” she muttered, “stop making a fuss over me. Please.” She’d managed to get through the ceremony without breaking down. The last thing she needed now was to have Luke calling attention to her.

  It was ironic that Kate had been the one responsible for bringing Clay and Rorie together. She should be feeling noble and jubilant and honorable. But the only emotion she felt was a deep, abiding sense of loss.

  Rorie and Clay walked down the center aisle, and from somewhere deep inside her, Kate found the strength to raise her head and smile blindly in their direction. Luke’s hands gripped her shoulders as though to lend her strength. His concern should have been a comfort, but it wasn’t.

  “I’ll walk you to the reception hall,” Luke said, slipping his arm through hers.

  “I’m perfectly capable of making it there on my own,” she snapped, not wanting his pity. She would’ve argued more, but since they were sitting near the front of the church, they were among the first to be ushered out. Holding her head high, Kate walked past her friends and neighbors, doing her best to appear cheerful and serene.

  At least she looked her best; Kate had made certain of that. She’d curled her thick blond hair until it lightly brushed her shoulders. The style emphasized her blue eyes and sculpted cheekbones. She’d shopped long and hard for the perfect dress and had found one that enhanced her slender waist and outlined her trim figure. The minute she’d tried on the soft blue silk and viewed herself in the mirror, Kate had known this was the dress. Although the lines were simple, the look was both classic and sophisticated, a look she’d never bothered to cultivate before. Too often in the past, she’d been mistaken for a teenager, mostly, she supposed, because she dressed the part. But she was a woman now and she had the broken heart to prove it.

  Kate paused in the church vestibule, waiting for her father. Devin was sitting with Dorothea Murphy, his widow friend. Her father’s interest in the older woman was something of a mystery to Kate. Tall and plump and outspoken, she was completely unlike Kate’s late mother, who’d been delicate and reserved. Kate sometimes wondered what it was about Dorothea that attracted her father. They’d been seeing a lot of each other in recent weeks, but the possibility of their contemplating marriage filled Kate with a sudden, overwhelming sense of alarm. Kate pushed the thought from her mind. Losing Clay was all she could deal with right now.

  “Are you all right, Princess?” Devin asked when he joined her.

  “I wish everyone would stop worrying about me. I’m fine.” It wasn’t the truth, but Kate was well aware that she had to put on a breezy, unconcerned front. At least for the next few hours.

  Her father patted her hand. “I know how hard this is for you. Do you want to go to the reception or would you prefer to head home?” His eyes were warm and sympathetic, and Kate felt a rush of love for him. A part of her longed to slip away unnoticed, but she couldn’t and she knew it.

  “Kate’s already agreed to accompany me,” Luke inserted, daring her to contradict him.

  Indignation rose inside her. Instead of helping, Luke was making everything worse. The pain of watching Clay pledge his life to another woman was difficult enough, without Luke’s unsought demands.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Devin Logan said, clearly relieved. He smiled as he slipped his arm around Dorothea’s waist. “Mrs. Murphy invited me to sit with her and, frankly, I was looking forward to doing that.” He released Kate’s hand, kissed her on the cheek, then strolled nonchalantly away.

  “Shall we?” Grinning, Luke reached for Kate’s limp hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. As if they’d been a couple for years, he casually led her out of the church.

  The early evening air was crisp and clear. Autumn had crested on an October tide of bronze and gold leaves, huge pumpkins and early twilights. Normally, this time of year invigorated Kate. If she hadn’t been fortifying herself against Clay’s wedding, she could have appreciated the season more.

  The walk across the parking lot to the reception hall was a short one. Kate didn’t say another word to Luke, mentally preparing herself for the coming encounter with Clay and his bride. With each step her heart grew heavier. Rorie had asked her to be a bridesmaid, and although Kate was honored by the request, she’d declined. Rorie understood and hadn’t pressured her. Despite the fact that they both loved the same man, Rorie and Kate had become close. Their friendship made everything more difficult for Kate, yet somehow easier, too.

  By the time they arrived at the old brick building, Kate’s pulse was so loud it echoed like a drum in her ear. Just outside the double doors leading into the hall, she stopped abruptly.

  “I can’t go in there,” she told Luke. Panic had worked its way into her voice, which was low and trembling. “I can’t face them and pretend…I just can’t do it.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  “How could you possibly know what I can and can’t do?” she demanded, wanting to bury her face in her hands and weep. These past few hours had taken their toll and she couldn’t keep up the charade much longer. Luke gazed down on her and for the briefest of moments his eyes registered sympathy and regret.

  “You can go in there and you will,” he repeated.

  Kate saw determination in his serious dark eyes and swallowed an angry retort, knowing he was right.

  At six feet, Luke towered over her, and the hard set of his mouth did more than hint at determination and a will of iron. “If you don’t attend the reception, everyone in Nightingale will talk. Is that what you want?”

  “Yes,” she cried, then lowered her head, battling down wave after wave of depression and self-pity. “No,” she said reluctantly, loath to agree with him.

  “I’m here for you, Kate. Lean on me for once in your life, and let me help you through the next few hours.”

  “I’m doing fine. I—”

  He wouldn’t allow her to finish. “Quit fighting me. I’m your friend, remember?”

  His words, hushed and tender, brought a burning to her eyes. Her fingers tightened around his arm and she nodded, calling upon a reserve of strength she didn’t kn
ow she possessed. “Just don’t be so bossy with me. Please. I can bear almost anything but that.” She’d made it through the wedding ceremony on her own. Now she needed someone at her side to help her appear strong and steady, in control of her emotions, when she felt as though the entire universe was pitching and heaving.

  “Anything you say, Princess.”

  Although she’d objected earlier, she felt comforted by his strong arm against her. She heard his voice, as if from a distance, too preoccupied with her own pain to respond to his concern. But his presence restored her determination to acquit herself well during the long evening ahead.

  “Only Daddy calls me Princess,” she said distractedly.

  “You mind?”

  “I don’t know…I suppose it’s all right.”

  “Good.” His fingers intertwined with hers as he guided her into the brightly decorated reception hall.

  The next half hour was a blur. Drawing upon Luke’s silent strength, Kate managed to make it through the reception line without a problem. Still, her knees felt shaky by the time she reached Clay, who kissed her cheek and thanked her for being so wonderful. Kate certainly didn’t feel wonderful—even particularly admirable—but she smiled. And she was sincere when she offered Clay and Rorie her very best wishes.

  Somehow Luke must have known how frail she felt because he took her hand and led her to one of the round lace-covered tables. His fingers were cool and callused, while Kate’s were damp with her stubborn resolve to hide her pain.

  Wordlessly, she sat beside Luke until the cake had been cut and the first piece ceremonially fed to the bride and groom. The scene before her flickered like an old silent movie. Kate held herself still, trying not to feel anything, but not succeeding.

  “Would you like me to get you something to eat?” Luke asked, when a line formed to gather refreshments.

  She stared at him, hardly able to comprehend his words. Then she blinked and her eyes traveled across the hall to the three-tiered heart-shaped wedding cake. “No,” she said automatically.

  “When was the last time you ate?”

  Kate didn’t remember. She shrugged. “Breakfast, I guess.” As she spoke she realized that wasn’t true. Dinner the night before was the last time she’d eaten. No wonder she felt so shaky and light-headed.

  “I’m getting you some wedding cake,” Luke announced grimly.

  “Don’t. I’m—I’m not hungry.”

  He was doing it again! Taking over, making decisions on her behalf because he felt sorry for her. She would have argued with him, but he was already walking away, blithely unaware of her frustration.

  Kate watched him, suddenly seeing him with fresh eyes. Luke Rivers had lived and worked on the Circle L for a decade, but Kate knew next to nothing about his past. His official title was foreman, but he was much more than that. He’d initiated several successful cattle-breeding programs and been involved in a profit-sharing venture with her father almost from the first. Devin had often remarked that Luke was certainly capable of maintaining his own spread. But year after year, he stayed on at the Circle L. This realization—that she knew so little of his past and even less about his thoughts and plans—shocked Kate. He’d always been just plain Luke. And he’d always been around—or so it seemed.

  She had to admit that Luke puzzled her. He was handsome enough, but he rarely dated any woman for long, although plenty of Nightingale’s finest had made their interest obvious. He was a “catch” who refused to play ball. He could be as tough as leather and mean as a saddle sore when the mood struck him, but it seldom did. Tall, lean and rugged adequately described him on the surface. It was what lay below that piqued her interest now.

  Kate’s musings about Luke were interrupted by the man himself as he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. He pushed a delicate china plate filled with cheese and mixed nuts in her direction.

  “I thought you were bringing me cake.” His own plate was loaded with a huge piece, in addition to a few nuts and pastel mints.

  “I brought you some protein instead. Sugar’s not a good idea on an empty stomach.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she muttered, her sarcasm fuelled by his arrogance. “First you insist on bringing me cake, and then just when I’m looking forward to it, you decide I shouldn’t be eating sweets.”

  Luke ignored her, slicing into his cake. “Just a minute ago, you said it would be a waste of time for me to bring you anything. Fact is, you downright refused to eat.”

  “That…was before.”

  He smiled, and that knowing cocky smile of his infuriated her.

  “You’ll feel sick if you eat sugar,” he announced in an authoritative voice.

  So much for helping her through the evening! All he seemed to want to do was quarrel. “Apparently you know how my stomach’s going to react to various food groups. You amaze me, Luke Rivers. I had no idea you knew so much about my body’s metabolism.”

  “You’d be shocked if I told you all the things I know about you and your body, Princess.”

  Kate stood abruptly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to call me that. I’m not your ‘Princess.’ I’m a woman, not a little girl.”

  “Honey, you don’t need to tell me that. I already know. Now sit down.” His tone was brusque, and his smile humorless.

  “I’ll stand if I choose.”

  “Fine then. Look like a fool, if that’s what you want.”

  No sooner had the words left his lips than she lowered herself back into the chair. The fight had gone out of her as quickly as it had come. Absently she scooped up a handful of nuts and chewed them vigorously, taking her frustration out on them.

  Luke pushed his plate aside and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m your friend. I’ve always been your friend and I’ll continue to be your friend as long as I live. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  Kate’s eyes filled and her throat tightened painfully. “I know. It’s just that this is so much more…exhausting than I thought it would be.”

  Voices drew Kate’s eyes to the front of the room, where Clay and Rorie were toasting each other with glasses of sparkling champagne. Soon flutes were being delivered around the room. Kate took one, holding the stem with both hands as if the champagne would lend her strength.

  When the newlyweds were toasted, she took a sip. It bubbled and fizzed inside her mouth, then slid easily down her throat.

  The soft strains of a violin drifted around the hall, and, mesmerized, Kate watched as Clay claimed his bride and led her onto the dance floor. Just watching the couple, so much in love, with eyes only for each other, heaped an extra burden of pain on Kate’s shoulders. She looked away and, when she did, her gaze met Luke’s. She tried to smile, to convince him she wasn’t feeling a thing, but her effort failed dismally. Ready tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and she bent her head, not wanting anyone to notice them, least of all Luke. He’d been wonderful; he’d been terrible. Kate couldn’t decide which.

  Soon others joined Clay and Rorie. First the matron of honor and then the bridesmaids and groomsmen, each couple swirling around the polished floor with practiced ease.

  Luke got to his feet, walked to Kate’s side and offered her his hand. His eyes held hers, silently demanding that she dance with him. Kate longed to tell him no, but she didn’t have the energy to argue. It was simpler to give in than try to explain why she couldn’t.

  Together they approached the outskirts of the dance floor and Luke skillfully turned her into his arms.

  “Everything’s going to be all right,” he whispered as his hand slid around her waist.

  Kate managed a nod, grateful for his concern. She needed Luke this evening more than she’d realized. One thing was clear; she’d never make it through the remainder of the night without him.

  During the past few years, Luke had danced with Kate any number of times. She’d never given it a second thought. Now they danced to one song and then another, but when she slipped into his emb
race a third time, and his fingers spread across the small of her back, a shiver of unexpected awareness skidded up her spine. Kate paused, confused. Her steps faltered and in what seemed like an attemt to help her, Luke pulled her closer. Soon their bodies were so close together Kate could hear the steady beat of Luke’s heart against her own. The quickening rate of his pulse told her he was experiencing the same rush of excitement she was.

  Kate felt so light-headed she was almost giddy. Luke’s arms were warm and secure, a solid foundation to hold on to when her world had been abruptly kicked off its axis. It might have been selfish, but Kate needed that warmth, that security. Smiling up at him, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the warm sensations carried on the soft, lilting music.

  “Kate, there’s something I need to tell you about the Circle L—”

  She pressed her fingers against his lips, afraid that words would ruin this feeling. Arms twined around his neck, she grazed his jaw with the side of her face, reveling in the feel of him. Male and strong. Lean and hard.

  “All right,” he whispered, “we’ll talk about it later.”

  They continued dancing and Luke rubbed his face against her hair, mussing it slightly, but Kate didn’t mind.

  Like a contented cat, she purred softly, the low sound coming from deep in her throat. The music ended all too quickly and with heavy reluctance, she dropped her arms and backed up one small step. Silently they stood an inch or so apart until the music resumed, when they reached for each other once again.

  But this time Kate decided to figure out what was happening between them. Knowing how much she loved Clay, Luke was trying to help her through the evening. Yes, that was it. And doing a fine job, too. She felt…marvelous. It didn’t make sense to her that she should experience this strong, unexpectedly sensual attraction to Luke, but at the moment she didn’t care. He was concerned and gentle and she needed him.