Outlaw's Bride (40 page)

Clint took a step toward her. “Not wrong, Mattie.” His eyes twinkled. “A little misguided, maybe, but not wrong.”

Mattie snorted, then quickly covered her grin. She glanced past Clint. “Where's Andy?”

“I sent him upstairs to get ready for bed.” He paused, melancholy filling his features. “He's pretty upset about Herman. Thinks it was his fault for leaving him to come and get me.”

Mattie took a step toward the stairs. “I need to talk to him.”

Clint caught her arm. “I already did. I told him that sometimes people we care for die, and there's nothing we could've done to save them.”

She recognized his admission that he had finally released his own guilt over Emily's death, and her heart swelled. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned against his chest as he drew her into a warm embrace.

“You should try to get some sleep, too,” Clint said. “You've had a long day.”

Though she'd been exhausted only minutes before, now she was overly conscious of Clint's presence in her house. Nervousness underlined her awareness—she had to tell him of the new life growing within her. What would he say? Would he be angry at her for not telling him before?

Maybe she shouldn't confess, and after they were married for a month or so, she'd spring it on him.

No, that was wrong. Without her promise hanging over her, she had to reveal her secret. The babe she carried was his, also.

“We need—” Mattie began.

“I have—” Clint said at the same time.

They broke off.

“You start—” Clint said.

“Go ahead—” Mattie spoke in unison.

They laughed.

“There's something I have to tell you,” Mattie said quickly, afraid she'd be interrupted again and lose her nerve. Her heart raced in her chest and she couldn't seem to get enough air.

Calm down.

Clint could see Mattie's anxiety in the flutter of her hands, and something caught his eye. Or the lack of something. “Your ring's gone.”

Mattie blinked and looked down at her bare hand. “I gave it back to him.”

“Does that mean …?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “He released me from my promise.”

Elation filled Clint and he grinned. He wrapped his arms around Mattie and twirled her in a circle. Her breasts flattened against his chest, scorching him and reminding him it had been too long since he held her in his arms.

“Please put me down,” Mattie said firmly.

Startled by her tone, he obeyed immediately. “What's wrong?”

“I don't feel well.”

He studied her face closely—her cheeks were too pale. Herman's death and the shock of shooting Layton must be catching up to her. He cursed himself for being so callous. “Do you need to see Dr. Murphy?”

Mattie shook her head, her eyes sparkling. “I know what's wrong with me.” She looked at him squarely. “We're going to have a baby.”

It took a moment for her words to sink into him.

We're going to have a baby.

He realized his mouth was gaping as he struggled for air like a landed fish, and abruptly closed it. A strange combination of happiness and anger roiled through him. “Why didn't you tell me?” he demanded. “You were going to marry Murphy, knowing it was my child?”

Anger quickly sparked her eyes and added color to her pale cheeks. “You'd left, Clint. I didn't think you'd ever come back, and when I learned I was in a family way, I didn't know what to do. Then Kevin asked me to marry him. I told him I couldn't because of the baby, but he said he'd still marry me and would accept the child as his own.” She turned her attention back to Clint. “What was I supposed to do? I was unmarried, and I never expected you to return.”

“But I did. Why didn't you tell me right away?” Clint demanded. Her violet eyes became shadowed and the truth struck Clint. Only one thing would have kept Mattie from telling him. “You made a promise, didn't you?” he asked gently.

Mattie blinked. “Yes. In exchange for his name and protection, I promised not to tell you about your child if you ever came back.”

“And that's the promise he released you from.”

“Yes.”

How could he fault her for having honor? That was one of the qualities that had made him fall in love with her. He gathered her in his arms as if she were made of fragile china. “Sweet, proud, stubborn Mattie. What am I going to do with you?”

“Make me an honest woman,” she teased.

Clint couldn't think of anything he'd rather do. “I think that can be arranged.” He drew back, but kept her within the circle of his arms. Lowering his head, he slanted his lips across hers and Mattie melted against him. She threaded her fingers through his hair and her touch added to the spark being fanned to a bright ember within him.

They drew apart and Mattie said with throaty invitation, “Let's go to bed.”

He squelched a smile and teased, “I
am
kind of tired.”

“You should sleep quite well in your old room,” Mattie retorted without missing a beat.

Clint threw back his head and laughed. “If you think you're getting away from me that easy, think again.” He swept her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

Mattie giggled as Clint carried her upstairs, then set her on her feet gently, but held tightly to her hand. They paused by Andy's open door and found him already asleep.

“With your permission, I'd like to adopt him, Mattie,” Clint said.

Her eyes glistened and her lips quivered with a smile. “I'm sure Andy would be delighted.” She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You're going to make a wonderful father.”

As Clint watched the boy sleep, his heart expanded with something he'd never felt before. It wouldn't be long before he had a wonderful wife and two children—things he'd never even allowed himself to consider for the past year.

Not until he met Mattie St. Clair.

Clint gazed down into her upturned face. Her eyes glittered with love and acceptance. Tenderness surged through him for the beautiful, courageous woman who had saved his life in more ways than one.

He cupped her face in his palms, his thumbs gently brushing her cheeks. “I promise to love you every day for the rest of my life. And for eternity.”

Tears filled Mattie's eyes, but her smile nearly tore his breath away. “And I promise to love you forever, Clint Beaudry.” Her grin turned saucy. “Starting right now.”

M
attie couldn't help but laugh at Amelia's mirrored look of discomfort as they were both assisted down from their buggies by their respective husbands. Although it was highly improper for two women in such advanced stages of pregnancy to be seen in public, Mattie and Amelia had conspired to attend the wedding. Mattie wasn't about to miss seeing Kevin marry a woman who truly loved him. He deserved to find the same happiness that Mattie had found with Clint.

Mattie glanced at her husband, then at Orville Johnson. In spite of their differences, the two men had become friends, too. Life had changed dramatically for Mattie when she'd become Sheriff Clint Beaudry's wife. And it was all for the better.

Andy climbed down from the front seat of the buggy—he'd proudly driven his parents to the church for the wedding of Kevin Murphy and Ellen Willoughby, owner of the town bakery.

Clint leaned close to her. “How're you doing?”

“I'm fine.” Mattie grinned impishly. “Besides, this is the best time the baby could come. Kevin's right here.”

Clint chuckled, his warm breath caressing her cheek. “You're impossible.”

She tickled his ribs playfully. “You weren't complaining earlier.”

His warm laughter spilled across her and when his arm settled around her shoulders, she leaned into his solid body. He wrapped his other arm around his adopted son, who shook his head at both of them. Mattie couldn't help but smile at his amused tolerance.

Mattie's eyes filled with tears. She cried at the drop of hat nowadays—it was even worse than it had been early in her pregnancy. Clint didn't seem to mind. He'd usually gather her in his arms, saying her crying gave him an excuse to hold her.

Mattie had to admit that her tears were usually forgotten with his “holding.”

“Afternoon,” Walt Atwater called out.

Mattie motioned for the retired lawman to join them.

“We'll go save a pew for all of us,” Amelia said.

Mattie nodded and watched her and Orville enter the church. After some gentle prodding from Mattie, Amelia had finally told her husband about her past. Orville hadn't been angry; in fact, he'd known about it all along. It had never mattered to him.

Mattie shook her head. Amelia and Orville were an odd couple, but the love between them was never in doubt.

“How's my favorite girl?” Walt asked, giving Mattie a careful hug.

“Bigger than a house and still growing,” Mattie replied with a wry smile.

Clint grinned. “Don't let her fool you. She's never looked more beautiful.”

“I always told my Sarah the same thing, but she didn't believe me, either.” Walt took a deep breath and a shadow of sadness touched his eyes. “I hope she's still waiting for me.”

Mattie clasped Walt's arm and squeezed it. “I'm sure she is.”

Andy drew away from them. “Is it okay if I sit with Buck and Josh?”

“As long as you behave yourselves,” Clint said.

“Geez, Clint, I'm not a kid anymore.”

“That's right, you're not. It's Buck and Josh I'm worried about. You know how they can be.”

“I'll make sure they don't get into any trouble.”

Clint smiled and patted his shoulder. “Go on, then.”

“Ain't those two older than Andy?” Walt asked after the boy ran off to join his friends.

“By less than a year.” Clint grinned crookedly. “But I've already caught Buck kissing Gertie Swanson behind the general store.”

“That boy's gonna be a handful.” Walt winked. “With the ladies.”

Mattie laughed. “The same could be said about two handsome gentlemen I happen to know.” She lifted her arms, waiting for Clint and Walt to offer theirs.

Clint and Walt grinned at each other and obliged. With Mattie between the two men, they strolled to the church. Once inside, Walt slipped into the pew beside Orville Johnson.

“We could still go back home,” Clint whispered in her ear.

She shook her head and gazed into his eyes, nearly losing herself in the love in their green depths.

“I promised my husband a waltz after the wedding.” She smiled. “And Mattie Beaudry always keeps her promises.”

A B
ELATED
B
RIDE
by Karen Hawkins
H
IS
F
ORBIDDEN
T
OUCH
by Linda O'Brien
I
MPROPER
A
DVANCES
by Margaret Evans Porter
M
ASTER OF
D
ESIRE
by Kinley MacGregor
N
IGHT OF
F
IRE
by Barbara Samuel
A W
ANTED
W
OMAN
by Rebecca Wade
T
HE
W
ICKED
O
NE
by Danelle Harmon

H
IS
F
ORBIDDEN
K
ISS
by Margaret Moore
T
HE
L
AWMAN'S
S
URRENDER
by Debra Mullins

And Don't Miss These
ROMANTIC TREASURES
from Avon Books

M
ARRYING
W
ALKER
M
C
K
AY
by Lori Copeland
N
EVER
M
ARRY A
C
OWBOY
by Lorraine Heath
T
HE
P
RICE OF
P
ASSION
by Susan Sizemore