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Sighing, Rowan turned so Nancy could do the myriad of buttons up the back of the dress. “Ted loves me. He didn’t abandon me; I made him go. Sometimes, the decisions we have to make aren’t easy, and the sacrifices we have to make hard, but in the end it’s all worth it.”
Nancy was quiet for a moment, then said, “Do you think he’ll come back for you?”
Rowan closed her eyes and whispered, “I hope so, but now I worry that he’ll be mad at me for not waiting for him like I promised. And for getting married.”
“Oh, please,” Nancy said in a crisp tone. “That is just poppycock. If he’s any kind of brother at all, he’ll be happy that you found someone to love.”
“Or in this case, someones to love,” Rowan said with a grimace. “Gee whiz, is that going to be a fun conversation to have with him.”
Nancy picked up the length of blue satin from the bed and giggled. “Yes, I can imagine it will come as a bit of a shock to him that his sister married two men, but I’m sure he’ll see you together with Edward and Garret and understand. Every brother wants his sister to marry someone who will love, honor and cherish her. Treat her right and provide for her.”
Rowan wasn’t so sure, but she nodded in agreement.
The creak of the door opening had both women turning. At first, Rowan’s mind couldn’t make sense of what she saw as it slammed shut behind a large man in a gray duster. His black hair was disheveled, and a thick layer of whiskers covered his normally smooth shaved face and his skin was a pale, cheesy yellow color. One of his arms was in a sling held close to his chest. The gray of his eyes matched the color of his gun that he raised and pointed in their direction.
“Well, Roger,” he sneered. “So nice to see you again. Scream and I’ll shoot your pretty little friend right in her whore face where she stands.”
9
GARRET
* * *
Dr. Tibbs stood from his seat by the fire with a low grunt, then raised his cut glass tumbler to the chandelier blazing overhead. “On your wedding day, may these rich blessings be your due: a wealth of friendships, old and new, quiet nights and busy days, time for prayer and time for praise, some service rendered, some solace given, and gentle peace with God and Heaven.”
“Hear, hear,” Pastor Milden said as he raised his own glass.
Sipping the amber liquid, Garret relished the burn while it filled his mouth and traveled down his throat. Right then, he needed some liquid courage. Despite his rush to the altar, marriage wasn’t something he took lightly. This was the moment he’d been dreaming about since he first came to his decision, back in the exotic opulence of Lady Uriel’s court—to live the life that he wanted instead of what society deemed appropriate.
Mrs. Tibbs bustled into the room, her cheeks red and flushed as she said, “Edward, Garret, there is someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?” Edward asked as he set his half empty glass of bourbon down on the table nearby.
Before she could answer, a tall bearded young man with close cropped curly blond hair, tanned skin, and a wide nose and mouth moved past her and into the room.
Though he was skinny, and his blond beard hung more than a little scraggly, Garret knew instantly who he was by both his features and his pale, ice blue eyes.
“Where’s my sister?” the stranger demanded. “Which of you bastards has her?”
Dr. Tibbs began to speak, but Edward cut him off. “Are you Ted? Ted Larsen?”
“Yes,” the young man said, “now, where is my sister, you kidnapping lowlifes?”
“We didn’t kidnap your sister,” Garret said, his heart racing as he took in the strong family resemblance between Rowan and Ted. “She’s safe upstairs right now, getting ready for our wedding tonight.”
The young man blanched beneath the layer of dirt covering his face. “Your wedding? What are you talking about? She’s engaged to Daniel.”
“Who is Daniel?” Edward demanded, his voice coming out in a low growl.
“Her fiancé,” Ted snarled back. “The one you and your perverted friend kidnapped her from. I swear, if you harmed her in any way, I’ll kill you myself.”
Dr. Tibbs held his hands up in a soothing gesture, taking a step closer to Ted who was nearly shaking with anger. “Easy there, young man. I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. Neither of these men kidnapped your sister. They saved Rowan’s life.”
Scrubbing a hand over his beard, Ted shook his head. “No, that’s not true. They took her from Daniel.”
“Who the hell is Daniel?” Edward said as Ted started to look a little less sure of himself.
“Her fiancé,” Ted replied. “They got engaged while I was…gone.”
