Her Small-Town Cowboy (22 page)

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to the First Annual Gallimore Riding School Show. The kids have worked real hard on their skills, from barn work to tacking up to actually riding. They’ve done a great job, and I think we should give them a big round of applause.”

They all obliged, and not only did it please the kids immensely, it gave him a chance to get his bearings. Strolling out to the center, he called out, “Riders, mount up!”

A buzz of anticipation went through the crowd, echoed by the first six kids waiting in the “riders only” section of the stands Drew had built for the occasion. Erin helped each one mount, sending them off with an encouraging smile and a pat on the shoulder. Dressed in her favorite cowgirl outfit, Abby hung on the far rail, braids bobbing as she cheered her friends through the simple patterns they’d been learning for the past month.

In all honesty, Mike was a little stunned at how well everything went. No one fell off or went the wrong way, although that probably had as much to do with the steady, reliable ponies than any particular riding skill. But in the end, when all the kids gathered in the middle of the paddock to take their bows, he had to admit that their first show was a remarkable success.

When Abby came over to stand beside him, he swept her into his arms with a grin. “Well, Abs, what did you think of your very first horse show?”

“It was awesome, Daddy,” she replied in her usual bubbly way. Then her enthusiasm dimmed a bit, and she said, “I just wish Lily could’ve been here. It’s not the same without her.”

Yeah,
he thought as he hugged her.
I know what you mean.

* * *

Now that Grandpa was home from the hospital, he seemed to be perking up a little more every day. He grumbled about his physical therapy, scolded his private-duty nurse for harassing him and protested being brought all his meals in bed.

In short, he was getting back to his old self, and Lily was delighted to see it. His eyesight wasn’t quite back to normal yet, so she was sitting in a chair by his bed, patiently reading an in-depth article on the current state of affairs in the whiplashing stock market. She didn’t understand a word of it, but he followed along well enough, brightening at the good news and glowering at the bad.

The best part of it for her was that he was still here for her to read to. That, and it kept her from wallowing too much in the aftermath of her disastrous decision to lie about who she was to the one person on earth she should have been honest with.

And now it was too late.

Despite her repeated attempts to reach him, Mike had refused to take her calls or make any of his own. That pretty much said it all, she acknowledged with a sigh.

“What is it, Lily?” Grandpa asked, his brow furrowing with concern. “I’m sorry—I didn’t think when I asked you to read the paper with me. Is all this dry business news too boring for you?”

“Of course not. Now, where was I?”

Reaching out a shaky hand, he pushed the paper down so she had to look at him. “Your horse trainer still hasn’t called?”

“No.” Her chin began trembling, and she got hold of herself before continuing. “I don’t think he can forgive me for what I did.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Why?”

In answer, he nodded at something behind her. When she turned, she saw Mike framed in the open doorway, a solemn look on his face. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Your grandmother said I should come right up.”

“That must have given Mrs. Fredericks apoplexy,” Grandpa commented with a lopsided grin. “She runs this house with an iron fist. No need to be shy, young man. Come on in.”

Edging into the room, Mike asked, “How are you feeling, sir?”

“Better, with my favorite girl here spoiling me. I apologize for taking her away from you so suddenly. I understand you were in the middle of a very serious discussion.”

“Well, I—” Mike flashed her a panicked look, as if to ask what she wanted him to say.

“He knows what happened,” she explained as calmly as she could. “I told him everything. Including how much I regret keeping something so important from you.”

“If you two don’t mind, I’m starting to feel drowsy. I think I’ll take a little nap.”

Lily knew perfectly well the crafty old fox wasn’t the least bit tired, but was subtly nudging her out of his room so she could talk to the man who’d driven fifty miles in the middle of a busy week to tell her something. After kissing her grandfather on the forehead, she led Mike down the hall to an empty guest room where they could have some privacy.

She closed the door behind them and stood facing it for a moment, uncertain if she should dread the impending conversation or welcome it. While she tried to pick through her conflicting emotions, Erin’s voice echoed in her memory.

Mike’s never chased after anyone before. He must think you’re something special.

Buoyed by that thought, Lily sent up a quick prayer for patience and turned to face him. The uncertainty shadowing his eyes mirrored her own emotions, and she dredged up a wan smile. “You look the way I feel.”

“Back atcha.” He didn’t sound angry anymore, but the defeated tone in his voice was something new. Folding his arms in that stern posture she’d learned to be cautious of, he went on. “How’s your grandfather really doing?”

“He seems all right mentally, but other than that, I’m not sure yet. This whole thing is like a nightmare.”

“I can imagine.”

Sympathy shone in his eyes, and a tiny spark of hope flared in Lily’s heart. “How was the show?”

“Kids did great, and we got a bunch of new students for the fall. Only one thing went wrong.”

That didn’t jibe with what he’d said just before that, so she was confused. “What was that?”

“You weren’t there.”

When he opened his arms for her, she gladly went into them. Cuddled against his chest, wrapped in the warmth of this strong, capable man, she felt as if the knots she’d created for herself just might have a chance at untangling themselves.

Leaning back, she looked up at him somberly. “Mike, I’m so sorry for keeping the truth from you. You have to believe I didn’t mean to lie that way.”

“Yeah, it took me a while but eventually I figured that out.” Giving her the crooked grin she’d come to treasure, he asked, “So why’d you do it?”

“In the past, I had so many people jump to conclusions about me when they found out who my family was. When I went to college, I finally got a fresh start away from Louisville, and it was wonderful to be judged for what I was doing, rather than who my family is. No one expected me to be anything in particular or pretended to like me just so I’d put in a good word for them with my father. It was such a refreshing change.”

“Is that why you took a job in a postage-stamp place like Oaks Crossing?”

“Mostly I needed the experience,” she replied honestly. “Grandpa gave me a generous check for graduation, so even though I wasn’t rich, I had enough for a while. It gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to do while I hunted for a permanent job.”

“Like work at our riding school for peanuts.”

“I didn’t mind that, since I had a blast working with you and the kids. Besides, it was my idea to take less money to pay for my lessons, remember?”

“Which you’ve had three of, ’cause we’ve been so busy with the kids.” He grinned down at her with mischief dancing in his eyes. “I’m thinkin’ we should do something about that.”

“Really?” she replied in mock surprise. “Like what?”

With no warning, he leaned in to kiss her. Angling a playful look up at him, she asked, “Does this mean you forgive me?”

“Yeah. Seeing as I’m pretty much lost without you these days, I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

For all his strength, this was a man with a tender streak that wrapped around the people he cared about in a protective shield Lily had admired from the day he showed up for show-and-tell. Sliding her arms around his waist, she gazed up at him with a reassuring smile. “Now that I’m settled in Oaks Crossing, we should be able to make that work.”

“What if you hadn’t gotten the kindergarten gig?”

“There are other jobs besides teaching. Assuming you wanted me to be there, I would have figured out a way to stay in town.”

“Even before this? I mean, you could go anywhere,” he pointed out in a practical tone. “What was keeping you there?”

There were so many ways to answer that question, she realized. But in the end, she let her heart speak for itself. “You and Abby. I can’t imagine being anywhere other than where you two are.”

Emotions flooded his eyes, and he met her confession with a long, promising kiss. Pulling back just a bit, he rested his forehead on hers with a sigh. “I love you, Lily. I tried not to, but I can’t help it.”

Offered up in his customarily direct way, the confession made her laugh. “You tried not to?”

“Yeah. It didn’t work.”

“You don’t have to sound so disappointed about it.” Framing his face in her hands, she gave him her biggest, best smile. “Seeing as I love you, too.”

“You do?” When she nodded, he gave her a sheepish grin. “Well, that’s kinda cool.”

For all his swagger, there was still a wounded young man inside Mike. Far from discouraging, it only made him more appealing to her. Lily hoped she’d get the chance to bring him out of his shell and watch him enjoy all the things he’d been missing.

“So,” he went on in a pensive tone very unlike him, “on the drive here I had a lotta time to think.”

That sounded intriguing. “About what?”

“Families. Abby and I have been doing okay on our own, but there’s been something missing all this time.” Pausing, he dropped a kiss on her lips before adding, “It’s you.”

Lily’s heart bounced up into her throat, and she stared up at him in complete disbelief. “Are you proposing to me?”

“Yeah, I am. Whattya say?”

She didn’t even have to think about it. Everything they’d gone through had led them to this point, and while she knew they’d face many more challenges up ahead, she didn’t even consider shying away from them.

“I say yes.”

Epilogue

“S
till hate weddings?” Drew asked while he and Mike struggled with the dress ties they hardly ever wore.

Recognizing that his best man was tossing his own complaint back at him, Mike grinned. “This one’s not so bad, I guess.”

“You found a woman who loves you and your little girl. You know you’re blessed, right?”

Their eyes met in the mirror, and he nodded. “I know.”

“Good.”

Chuckling, Mike stepped back and brushed some of Charlie’s fur off the leg of his trousers. “You sounded like Dad just now.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Drew replied without a hint of the sarcasm that normally ran beneath their conversations. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. But don’t think I’m gonna be all gooey once I’m married to Lily,” he warned with a mock glare. “I’ll be leaving that cuddly nonsense up to her and Abby.”

Drew laughed, clearly no more worried about that than anything else in his carefree life. “Got it. You ready?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You mean, with fifty people waiting out in the garden, you’re not even a little bit nervous?”

“Nope. That’s how I know it’s right, little brother.”

“Meant to be, huh?” Drew asked thoughtfully.

“Something like that. Lily’s the one for me, and I’m just glad she feels the same way.”

“You make it sound simple.”

“It is, when you find the right person. Then you have to work up the guts to take that leap of faith with her.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Drew commented before shaking off his serious expression with a grin. “Let’s go get you two hitched before Lily changes her mind.”

“Thanks a lot,” Mike grumbled, shoving him out the door and into the hallway. “Josh didn’t have any trouble with the carriage, did he?”

“Nah.” Before Mike could ask about the ring, Drew pulled it from his pocket and showed it to him. “We’ve got it all covered. Just enjoy your wedding. Knowing Lily, it’s gonna be your last one.”

“Works for me.”

Mom had spent every spare moment since their engagement in her garden, pruning and planting so it would look perfect for today. And while Mike wasn’t an expert on flowers, in his opinion this patch of the farm rivaled any of the local estates that hosted weddings for the rich and famous.

Pastor Wheaton stood in front of several rows of chairs, at the head of a wide aisle paved with a white runner. Mike and Drew joined him there, and the preacher gave Mike a smiling nod of encouragement. His wife sat at a portable keyboard, as perky as she was in front of the church organ every Sunday. When she started playing an upbeat tune, everyone looked toward the end of the runner.

Abby appeared there, wearing a fluffy pink dress that made her look like one of the sugarplum fairies from her favorite ballet.
His little tomboy,
Mike thought with a muted grin. Someday, he’d be walking her down an aisle somewhere, to become someone’s wife. He could only pray she’d find a man who made her as happy as she deserved to be.

Dropping pink rose petals, she smiled at everyone in sight as she all but skipped toward the front. Maid of honor Erin followed behind her, corralling the bouncing flower girl with an arm around her shoulders. Then the wedding march started, and everyone stood expectantly.

There, at the end of that aisle, was the answer to dreams Mike had never dared share with anyone. With her hand tucked beneath her father’s arm, Lily moved through the crowd with the dignified grace he’d come to associate with the sweet, headstrong teacher who had dropped into his life and begun mending his battered heart with a smile.

Those poetic words faded away as she joined him, leaving a feeling of gratitude behind. Shaking her father’s hand, Mike took Lily’s and they faced the pastor the way they’d be doing things for the rest of their lives.

Together.

They traded a long, loving look, and he felt the last bit of his heart fall at Lily’s feet. She was marrying him, this woman who’d saved him from himself and shown him what kind of joy he could have if only he opened himself up to it. Nothing said in the short, solemn ceremony came even close to expressing what he was feeling right now, but someday he’d figure out a way to tell her what she meant to him.