Read Online His Heartbroken Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 4) by Merry Farmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Merry Farmer
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on into the barren, November fields.
Something was there. She could build something with Mason Montrose. Ten years ago, when they’d first met she had known that if Teddy hadn’t found her first she could have been happy with Mason.
“Would you forgive me for marrying him, Teddy?” she whispered into the cold wind.
Something told her that he would.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Would you forgive me for Hector?”
Again, the feeling that Teddy would forgive her for anything settled over her. But it wasn’t what she wanted to feel. She couldn’t forgive herself, and that was what mattered now.
Her path took her almost all the way to the cluster of houses that Mason had called The Village, but Libby stopped short of going in and investigating the unfinished house that might be hers soon. Cody had a house in The Village—thanks to the misunderstanding when Wendy came to Haskell—and Libby didn’t want to accidentally run into her possible future brother-in-law. So she turned around and headed back to town.
More than an hour after she set out, Libby found herself back on the streets of Haskell. Far more people were out and about now. Businesses had opened, school was in session, and the train had arrived, letting out several passengers who sought rooms at the hotel. Haskell was thriving, growing. Her walk had decided a few things in Libby’s mind, one was that she would grow with it.
The other was that she couldn’t marry Mason. At least not today. She would go to the church to tell him that now was not the time, that they should get to know each other better first. She would remain engaged to him, and maybe sometime in the new year, after she was able to reveal everything, if he still wanted her, then they would marry. The decision was the first thing in weeks that felt solid.
“Oh, Libby. There you are.”
Libby glanced up to find Wendy striding toward her along Prairie Avenue as she approached Josephine’s house. “Good morning, Wendy.”
“Josephine said you’d gone out for a walk. I’ve just delivered your wedding dress.” Wendy smiled. “It will suit you perfectly, if I do say so myself.”
All Libby could manage to say was, “Thank you.” She reached out to squeeze Wendy’s hand when she came near. The urge to share her decision was there, but it wouldn’t be right to tell anyone about it before she had a chance to talk to Mason.
“I think I’ll enjoy having you as a sister-in-law,” Wendy went on, smiling. “Travis thinks the world of you.”
Pink flooded Libby’s cheeks. “That’s kind of him.” What would he think if—
No. She stopped herself. The time for those thoughts and the pity that went with them had passed. She had to think about the future, about making a good life for her children.
“Well, I won’t keep you. You have lots of getting ready to do.” Wendy took a few steps away. She was about to head on when she stopped and turned back. “Oh, by the way, there’s a man in town looking for you.”
All of Libby’s resolve shattered. “What?”
“Apparently he just got off the train. Handsome man,” Wendy added. “Strong shoulders, square jaw, dark eyes.”
Hector.
Libby’s knees went weak. “Thank you,” she muttered, then turned away and all but fled down the road to Josephine’s house.
“There you are,” Josephine called out to her as she stumbled into the house. “We were beginning to wonder if the wind had blown you up into the mountains.”
“Mama, look at my biscuit tower,” Matthew hollered from the kitchen table.
“Eat your food, don’t play with it.” Petey scolded his brother the way Libby had scolded both of them more times than she could count.
Normally, Libby would have gone to the kitchen to see what mischief her boys had gotten up to. She would have laughed with them, complimented their food sculpture, and asked Teddy if he’d gotten into that sort of mischief when he was a boy. But Teddy wasn’t there. Hector was.
Something was there. She could build something with Mason Montrose. Ten years ago, when they’d first met she had known that if Teddy hadn’t found her first she could have been happy with Mason.
“Would you forgive me for marrying him, Teddy?” she whispered into the cold wind.
Something told her that he would.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Would you forgive me for Hector?”
Again, the feeling that Teddy would forgive her for anything settled over her. But it wasn’t what she wanted to feel. She couldn’t forgive herself, and that was what mattered now.
Her path took her almost all the way to the cluster of houses that Mason had called The Village, but Libby stopped short of going in and investigating the unfinished house that might be hers soon. Cody had a house in The Village—thanks to the misunderstanding when Wendy came to Haskell—and Libby didn’t want to accidentally run into her possible future brother-in-law. So she turned around and headed back to town.
More than an hour after she set out, Libby found herself back on the streets of Haskell. Far more people were out and about now. Businesses had opened, school was in session, and the train had arrived, letting out several passengers who sought rooms at the hotel. Haskell was thriving, growing. Her walk had decided a few things in Libby’s mind, one was that she would grow with it.
The other was that she couldn’t marry Mason. At least not today. She would go to the church to tell him that now was not the time, that they should get to know each other better first. She would remain engaged to him, and maybe sometime in the new year, after she was able to reveal everything, if he still wanted her, then they would marry. The decision was the first thing in weeks that felt solid.
“Oh, Libby. There you are.”
Libby glanced up to find Wendy striding toward her along Prairie Avenue as she approached Josephine’s house. “Good morning, Wendy.”
“Josephine said you’d gone out for a walk. I’ve just delivered your wedding dress.” Wendy smiled. “It will suit you perfectly, if I do say so myself.”
All Libby could manage to say was, “Thank you.” She reached out to squeeze Wendy’s hand when she came near. The urge to share her decision was there, but it wouldn’t be right to tell anyone about it before she had a chance to talk to Mason.
“I think I’ll enjoy having you as a sister-in-law,” Wendy went on, smiling. “Travis thinks the world of you.”
Pink flooded Libby’s cheeks. “That’s kind of him.” What would he think if—
No. She stopped herself. The time for those thoughts and the pity that went with them had passed. She had to think about the future, about making a good life for her children.
“Well, I won’t keep you. You have lots of getting ready to do.” Wendy took a few steps away. She was about to head on when she stopped and turned back. “Oh, by the way, there’s a man in town looking for you.”
All of Libby’s resolve shattered. “What?”
“Apparently he just got off the train. Handsome man,” Wendy added. “Strong shoulders, square jaw, dark eyes.”
Hector.
Libby’s knees went weak. “Thank you,” she muttered, then turned away and all but fled down the road to Josephine’s house.
“There you are,” Josephine called out to her as she stumbled into the house. “We were beginning to wonder if the wind had blown you up into the mountains.”
“Mama, look at my biscuit tower,” Matthew hollered from the kitchen table.
“Eat your food, don’t play with it.” Petey scolded his brother the way Libby had scolded both of them more times than she could count.
Normally, Libby would have gone to the kitchen to see what mischief her boys had gotten up to. She would have laughed with them, complimented their food sculpture, and asked Teddy if he’d gotten into that sort of mischief when he was a boy. But Teddy wasn’t there. Hector was.
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