Read Online His Heartbroken Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 4) by Merry Farmer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Merry Farmer
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Everything was about to come crashing down around her.
She rushed up to Muriel’s bedroom and shut the door behind her. She pressed her back to the door, panting. The wedding dress Wendy had made hung off of Muriel’s wardrobe door. It was a modest, dove gray with lace trim. It should have been scarlet. That’s what she deserved. The one man who knew that better than anyone else had just arrived in town, no doubt to make her life a living hell all over again.
Chapter Five
Mason paced the front of Haskell’s church, rubbing the back of his neck and mulling over the conversation he’d had with Libby in the street. He didn’t have to be a college-educated man to understand that there was more going on than Libby was telling him. He respected her right to stay silent and deal with whatever was bothering her on her own, but he sure did wish she’d tell him.
He laughed at himself and shook his head.
“What’s all that about?” Travis asked from his seat in the first pew. Travis was there to serve as his best man, but at the moment, he was more useful as a brother.
“Just laughing at myself is all,” he replied.
Travis crossed his arms. “Care to share the joke?”
Mason stopped pacing. “In my entire life, when have you ever known me to spot a problem and get up out of my chair to do something about it?”
Travis shrugged. “You’re more of the kind to wait and watch and see if it resolves itself on its own. That or figuring out exactly who’s best to solve a problem and getting them involved.”
“Exactly.” Mason spread his arms to underscore the point. “So how come I’ve got this itching to do something about a problem I see right now?”
Travis glanced over his shoulder to the back of the church—where Libby’s family, Wendy, and Cody chattered in puzzled whispers—as if the problem was there, then twisted back to face Mason with a brotherly grin. “You’re growing up, I guess.” He chuckled.
Mason would have laughed with him if he didn’t continue to feel the need to pounce on or punch someone. He slipped onto the pew beside Travis and whispered, “I ran into Libby this morning. I think she’s having second thoughts.”
“Oh?” Travis arched a brow. The two brothers watched Rev. Pickering as he crossed the front of the church, making final preparations for the ceremony. “Seems to be a problem we Montrose men have.”
Mason hummed in thought. “She wanted to give me a chance to back out, said she would understand if I thought I couldn’t live with her ghosts.”
“Ghosts?” Travis’s expression lightened. “What, is she haunted or something?”
Mason elbowed him hard. “Teddy,” he said. “She had to mean Teddy. I told her that I would always honor and respect Teddy’s memory. I would understand if she never loved me like she loved him, even though I—” He snapped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw.
“Even though you love her,” Travis finished with a knowing grin. He elbowed Mason, though not as hard as Mason had him. “She’ll show up.”
Mason lowered his voice even further. “You sure about that?”
Travis grunted. “I may not know much, but one thing Wendy has taught me so far in our marriage is that a woman’s heart is a beautiful and tender thing. It can be easily broken, but it also heals quickly if the woman in question knows securely that she is loved.” He nodded. “Make sure you let Libby know that you love her—and by the way, woman can tell that sort of thing whether you come right out with it or not—and she’ll open her heart to you in a hurry.”
“I don’t know.” Mason rubbed his jaw. “I still think there’s something deeply important going on that she hasn’t told me about.”
“Then ask her.”
“I did. I don’t think I got the full answer.”
“Then ask again.”
“I will. If she shows up.” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, sinking to sit splayed on the pew. “I can’t explain it,”
She rushed up to Muriel’s bedroom and shut the door behind her. She pressed her back to the door, panting. The wedding dress Wendy had made hung off of Muriel’s wardrobe door. It was a modest, dove gray with lace trim. It should have been scarlet. That’s what she deserved. The one man who knew that better than anyone else had just arrived in town, no doubt to make her life a living hell all over again.
Chapter Five
Mason paced the front of Haskell’s church, rubbing the back of his neck and mulling over the conversation he’d had with Libby in the street. He didn’t have to be a college-educated man to understand that there was more going on than Libby was telling him. He respected her right to stay silent and deal with whatever was bothering her on her own, but he sure did wish she’d tell him.
He laughed at himself and shook his head.
“What’s all that about?” Travis asked from his seat in the first pew. Travis was there to serve as his best man, but at the moment, he was more useful as a brother.
“Just laughing at myself is all,” he replied.
Travis crossed his arms. “Care to share the joke?”
Mason stopped pacing. “In my entire life, when have you ever known me to spot a problem and get up out of my chair to do something about it?”
Travis shrugged. “You’re more of the kind to wait and watch and see if it resolves itself on its own. That or figuring out exactly who’s best to solve a problem and getting them involved.”
“Exactly.” Mason spread his arms to underscore the point. “So how come I’ve got this itching to do something about a problem I see right now?”
Travis glanced over his shoulder to the back of the church—where Libby’s family, Wendy, and Cody chattered in puzzled whispers—as if the problem was there, then twisted back to face Mason with a brotherly grin. “You’re growing up, I guess.” He chuckled.
Mason would have laughed with him if he didn’t continue to feel the need to pounce on or punch someone. He slipped onto the pew beside Travis and whispered, “I ran into Libby this morning. I think she’s having second thoughts.”
“Oh?” Travis arched a brow. The two brothers watched Rev. Pickering as he crossed the front of the church, making final preparations for the ceremony. “Seems to be a problem we Montrose men have.”
Mason hummed in thought. “She wanted to give me a chance to back out, said she would understand if I thought I couldn’t live with her ghosts.”
“Ghosts?” Travis’s expression lightened. “What, is she haunted or something?”
Mason elbowed him hard. “Teddy,” he said. “She had to mean Teddy. I told her that I would always honor and respect Teddy’s memory. I would understand if she never loved me like she loved him, even though I—” He snapped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw.
“Even though you love her,” Travis finished with a knowing grin. He elbowed Mason, though not as hard as Mason had him. “She’ll show up.”
Mason lowered his voice even further. “You sure about that?”
Travis grunted. “I may not know much, but one thing Wendy has taught me so far in our marriage is that a woman’s heart is a beautiful and tender thing. It can be easily broken, but it also heals quickly if the woman in question knows securely that she is loved.” He nodded. “Make sure you let Libby know that you love her—and by the way, woman can tell that sort of thing whether you come right out with it or not—and she’ll open her heart to you in a hurry.”
“I don’t know.” Mason rubbed his jaw. “I still think there’s something deeply important going on that she hasn’t told me about.”
“Then ask her.”
“I did. I don’t think I got the full answer.”
“Then ask again.”
“I will. If she shows up.” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, sinking to sit splayed on the pew. “I can’t explain it,”
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