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Somehow, she managed, and by the time Cade reined his horse to a stop in front of Mill Creek's only hotel, her nerves were ready to snap.
Trey and Zane nodded as they rode by and disappeared behind a wagon filled with sacks of grain.
"Are you sure about this?" Cade asked once he'd helped Isabella dismount. "We can ride out right now."
"No," she said sharply. "This is the only way to end this once and for all."
Cade sighed. "Okay." He took her arm and ushered her up the steps. into the hotel. After he'd paid for a room, Isabella went upstairs.
"You know what to do," he said to her when she came back down a few minutes later.
Isabella nodded and smiled, pretending a bravado she didn't feel. She handed him the room key, then turned and marched out of the hotel and along the wooden sidewalk to the sheriff's office.
Cade downed the remaining whiskey in his glass, the fiery liquid burning his throat. He cursed silently. He was a damn fool when it came to Bella. He'd had a plan - stop her marrying Dobson, watch Dobson's finances dry up like a creek bed in mid-summer, and enjoy seeing his destruction. Instead, he'd let Bella talk him into letting her go, all because she'd smiled at him and told him she believed him.
Right now, she was probably telling the sheriff everything, and chances were good the lawman was going to charge into the saloon any minute and arrest Cade for robbery and kidnapping.
He should get out now, ride away and never look back. California, maybe. Or up north. He'd heard there was a silver strike in Nevada. But even as the idea spun around in his mind, he knew he wouldn't leave. It was too late.
He'd come this far. He loved Bella, and if she betrayed him, he might as well spend his life in prison. It wasn't worth much without her anyway.
Throwing a coin on the bar, he got up and went back to the hotel room to wait. The hours dragged until finally, he saw her walking along the sidewalk toward the church at the edge of town. Dobson was with her, his hand wrapped possessively around her arm.
Anger and jealousy twisted Cade's gut. Bile rose in his throat, but he choked it down. Bella was smiling at Dobson, and Cade couldn't help wondering if the smile was real. Had she made a fool of him?
There was nothing he could do but wait and see.
Bella rested her hand on Edward's arm. "I'm so glad you're here, Edward. You must have ridden hard to reach Elm Creek so quickly."
He smiled down at her. "Like the wind, my dear. I'll always ride like the wind to get to you when you need me."
She stopped and turned to face him. "Edward, I …"
"What is it? Did that outlaw hurt you? You haven't told me anything about what happened."
"Later," she said. "I'll explain everything later."
"Then what is it?"
She met his gaze. Swallowing thickly, her voice was little more than a whisper when she managed to speak. "I want to change our plans."
She winced as his grip tightened on her arm for a moment before he released her and stepped back. "What do you mean, change our plans?"
"I want to get married now. Today."
"What? Oh …" She could almost hear the sigh of relief Edward was trying to hide. The thought crossed her mind that if a viper could smile, it would resemble the grin that crept across Edward's face.
"But we have the church reserved … and the preacher …" he protested.
"I don't care." Bella lifted her chin. "If you don't want to marry me—"
"Oh, but I do …" Edward glanced at the small whitewashed building set in a field of grass.
"Are you sure?" she pressed. "You don't seem very anxious."
"Of course I am … it's just …"
"It's today or not at all. I've made up my mind."
