Home on the Ranch: Wyoming Sheriff Page 17

  In Jessica’s heart, she knew what his answer meant to Holden. It was an answer to her prayers, too. When he glanced at her, his eyes shone like molten silver.

  Chapter 13

  Two weeks after the wedding invitations had gone out, Holden phoned Jessica from his office. “I just got a call from Porter that the guys are throwing me a bachelor party tonight at Angelino’s. I may be late getting to your house.”

  “Hmm. I wonder what that’s going to be like.”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  “If you dare.”

  He grinned and left headquarters to meet with them.

  Holden couldn’t help but be touched by the outpouring of best wishes and congratulations from his friends after he arrived. So many guys dropped in throughout the evening from both the fire and police departments. They included Chief Wayland, Chief Powell and Norm Selkirk, head of Sublette County Law Enforcement who’d been the person who’d suggested Holden should run for sheriff.

  To his surprise even Commissioner Rich, the head of the Arson Task Force, and Arnie Blunt from the Wyoming State Fire Services Department showed up. They’d all worked together on other cases, one in particular when an arsonist lighting ranches on fire was finally caught by Cole, who’d figured out what was going on.

  Wyatt led them in a toast after they’d enjoyed an Italian dinner. “I guess I don’t have to tell everyone that the eligible females of Sublette County are going to go into mourning when they hear the sheriff is no longer available. I’m only thankful that my wife—before she became my wife—got stuck in a snowstorm on the mountain with me and the sheep before she met him.”

  “You’re full of it,” Holden called out as the guys hooted and hollered.

  Cole got to his feet. “You’ve been the topic of conversation with my wife and sister-in-law on more than one occasion since you moved to Whitebark, Holden. They know you and I are friends and they’ve wanted to hear all the gossip they could about you. Frankly, I’m glad you’re marrying Jessica so they’ll stop pestering me for information.”

  The room roared with laughter.

  When Cole sat down, Porter got up. “I guess I’m the only one here who’s sorry to see you bite the dust. You were my last buddy to hang out with who didn’t have to go home to anyone.”

  Holden chuckled. “We’ll still hang out, Porter. We all will.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.” Porter lifted his glass. “Here’s to you and Jessica and her cute little guy, Chase.”

  After more toasts from the group, the evening came to an end. The close camaraderie between them made it an unforgettable night. When he left the party, Holden had to go to the office and leave a final list of instructions for Walt. He would be acting as undersheriff in Holden’s absence because tomorrow Holden was getting married and would be taking five whole days off.

  * * *

  The smell of gardenias filled the lovely church in Whitebark. Jessica, wearing a white lace gown and matching veil, stood in the foyer holding a sheaf of gardenias and white roses in her left arm.

  She could hear the organ music. The 11:00 a.m. ceremony was about to start. Chase smiled up at her with a sweet expression that lit his face and eyes. He looked so adorable in his tux, her heart melted. Since her father couldn’t do the honors, she wanted her son at her side. He was also going to be the ring bearer and had put the rings in his jacket pocket.

  “Are you ready, honey?”

  “Yup.”

  She grasped his hand in hers and they began the walk down the aisle past a full congregation of friends and family. Donna and Lily sat with Wilma and Joey. Their children waved to Chase. He waved back. It was so cute. Millie and her husband sat behind them.

  When they neared the front, they passed Jessica’s mother who sat with Ray and her church friends on one side of the aisle.

  Holden’s family sat on the other side, Rob and Chrissy with their parents. Chrissy sat closest to the aisle. She let her arm dangle over the pew and waved it slowly back and forth, like she was teasing a kitty.

  The action was so funny, Jessica struggled not to laugh out loud. She thought Chase might laugh, too, but he managed to hold on to his dignity.

  Holden, who stood next to his father, had been watching her out of those silvery eyes from his stance near the pastor. She could hardly breathe when their gazes collided. As her mother had said earlier, Holden looked so splendid in his tux, no one would notice anyone else.

  She was right. Jessica was so in love with her handsome hero, she’d been functioning in a daze. When she reached him, Chase handed her bouquet to Jessica’s mother, then he walked around to stand on Holden’s other side while his father sat down.

  The pastor smiled at the three of them.

  “Isn’t this a blessed sight? Today is truly a glorious day the Lord hath made. Today both of you are blessed with God’s greatest of all gifts—the gift of abiding love. All those present here wish both of you all the joy, happiness and success the world has to offer.

  “As you travel through life together, I caution you to remember that the true measure of joy and peace is to be found within the love you hold in your hearts. Hold that key to your hearts very tightly.

  “Now if you will please face each other and repeat after me.”

  Finally, they were saying the vows that she had been imagining for so long.

  “Since Holden and Jessica have pledged to love each other forever, I now pronounce them man and wife. Holden? Do you have a ring for your bride?”

  “I do.” He turned to Chase, who put it in his hand. The two smiled at each other before he faced Jessica and slid it home.

  “Jessica? Do you have a ring for your husband?”

  “Yes.”

  Chase walked around and handed it to her. She gave him a kiss, then turned to Holden. He put out his left hand and she slid the gold band that she’d bought in Cody on his finger.

  “You may now kiss your bride.”

  “Jessica,” Holden whispered before kissing her such a long time it brought heat to her face. The organist started to play the wedding march. After Holden remembered where they were, he put his arm around her waist and they walked down the aisle past their beaming parents.

  Chase followed them outside where they were besieged by everyone wanting to congratulate them. Before long, they were driven in Holden’s father’s car to the Whitebark Hotel for the reception. Holden kissed her all the way there.

  A huge party, as Chase called it, awaited them in the main ballroom. Though Jessica loved it, she kept thinking about the time when they were going to be alone. They’d been apart too long and she was eager to have Holden all to herself.

  They’d planned to spend their wedding night at the hotel, then go back to her house. Jessica knew this would be hard on Chase whose Nana would be taking care of him overnight. Holden promised to take her on a honeymoon in a few months.

  Before they left for their room, Jessica took Chase upstairs. “Do you know how proud I am of you? Everyone tells me I have the most wonderful son in the whole world. But guess what? I’ve already known that from the day you were born.”

  He was trying to be brave. “How long are you going to be gone?”

  “We’ll be back tomorrow and Nana will bring you to the house.”

  Chase blinked. “I thought you’d be gone longer.”

  “No.”

  The relief on his face spoke volumes. She and Holden had talked it over. This was a new situation for Chase to adjust to. He needed time. “I love you, honey.” She hugged and kissed him.

  Just then Holden walked in on them. He looked so amazing in his tux, it took her breath away.

  “Everyone says I’m the luckiest man in the world to be married to your mom and have a boy like you to love. You mean the world to me, Chase.”

  “I love you, too.”
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  “Come here and give me a hug. We’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “That’s what mom says.”

  “Yup. And when you get to the house, we’ll go to a movie and then the Spaghetti Factory.”

  “When will Nana bring me?”

  Holden flashed her a help message. Jessica had to think fast. “We should be home by two o’clock.” She could read Holden’s mind. They had sixteen hours from now until then.

  “Yay!” He ran into Holden’s arms.

  Jessica’s mother walked in the hotel bedroom. Jessica hugged her mom. “Thank you for everything.”

  “I believe this is the happiest day of my life. To see you and Chase this happy means everything.”

  “I want you to be happy, too, Mom. We’re going to talk about you and Ray before long. It’s time you started thinking about your own future.”

  She blushed. “One wedding at a time.”

  “You know what I mean. You’ve had full responsibility of me for the past two years. It’s time you did all the things you’ve wanted to do with Ray. I’m aware of all the sacrifices you’ve made for me. You’ve always been so busy helping me, he can hardly get time in with you. We’re going to fix that!” She gave her a kiss.

  “See you tomorrow, honey.”

  * * *

  Holden opened the door to their hotel room and carried Jessica across the threshold. Shoving it closed with his foot, he carried her through the foyer to the bed and followed her down with his body.

  “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long, I’ve come close to losing my mind. These weeks of waiting have been pure torture. When you came down the aisle in your wedding dress, I felt like I’d been struck by a bolt of lightning. This gorgeous, fabulous woman was actually going to marry me. Jessica—make love to me, darling?”

  “You never have to ask me that. I’ve been yours from the beginning and you know it. I need you so badly, I can’t think straight anymore.”

  Her mouth clung to his, exulting in the passion he aroused in her. Being loved by him was ecstasy beyond comprehension. Nothing else registered but the joy of showing him what he meant to her. Throughout the rest of the day and night, she sought only to bring him pleasure.

  Jessica was thankful she’d been born a woman. His touch sent her into rapture and made her feel immortal. Holden was such a beautiful man. She adored him and couldn’t stop telling him how much she loved him.

  In the middle of the night he rolled her over on top of him. She found she was as insatiable as her husband. Jessica not only had a husband, she had the most wonderful lover on earth. Every time he touched her she experienced indescribable delight and never wanted it to end.

  At one point they both fell asleep. When she opened her eyes later, loving it that their legs were entwined, she couldn’t bear it that he wasn’t awake. His left arm lay across her hip.

  She carefully lifted his hand where the doctor had splinted his baby finger. To think a bullet had grazed it enough to cause a fracture made her realize more than ever how precious his life was to her. He’d fought for her and had slain a dragon.

  Jessica pressed her lips to the back of his hand, loving him so deeply it actually caused a pain in her heart. How, out of all the women he’d ever known, had she been lucky enough to win his love? He was a unique man with a mixture of abilities and talents.

  Any woman lucky enough to be his wife needed to be understanding of him. She was married to a sheriff. Every day that he left for work, he put his life on the line. Every night that she expected him to come back to her, he might be late or might not come home at all. That was the risk she’d chosen to take marrying him because life with him was worth everything, no matter how long or short that time would be.

  But maybe that was going to change. Chase had said he was willing to move to Cody, but it was still a big decision for Holden. She’d have to wait and see.

  “Darling?”

  At the sound of his deep voice, she lifted her head.

  “Why the tears?” He was alarmed. “Why are you crying?”

  Jessica kissed him for a long time, not allowing him to talk.

  “Don’t mind me. I’m so terribly in love with you that I can’t believe I’m your wife. You’re this amazing man who has committed your life to serve other people, yet you’re in constant danger. Do you have any idea how much I admire you? I guess if I’ve been crying it’s because I’ve been counting my blessings.”

  “I’ve been doing that since the day I met you. I just keep wondering how I can be deserving of your love.”

  “Holden, stop talking about being deserving.”

  “You’re right. We just have to accept the fact that we’re the luckiest married couple in the world with the sweetest boy alive. He won over everyone’s hearts at the church. That’s because you’re an exceptional mother and it shows. Chrissy is already nuts about him and that isn’t easy to accomplish.”

  “You couldn’t see her from where you were standing.” Jessica told him about the way she dangled her arm before waving at Chase.

  That deep, rich laughter she loved broke out of him. “I loved our wedding, but I didn’t eat enough food because I was too excited to get you alone. I’ll call for room service, then I need to make love to you all over again until we have to leave for the ranch. Don’t move.”

  She lay still while he ordered their breakfast. While they waited for it to arrive, she traced the outline of his features with her finger. Soon there was a knock on the door.

  He kissed her lips and grabbed a towel to hitch around his hips. “Be right back.”

  She sat up in the bed. “Please hurry. I can’t live without you.”

  “Mrs. Granger? This is just the beginning.”

  Epilogue

  By New Year’s, their new five-bedroom ranch house had been built in Cody. The moving van came from Whitebark. Little by little, with the Grangers’ help, they started to make it into their home.

  Chase was ecstatic with his new bedroom upstairs that had a window seat so he could look out over a white landscape and the Absaroka Mountains. He and Chrissy ran up and down the stairs all day long having the time of their lives.

  Chase’s nana had come to help. Jessica was thankful to be with her mom. Since Christmas, Jessica hadn’t felt well and didn’t know why. At first she’d attributed her fatigue to the move. But when she started to have periods of nausea, it worried her.

  Her mother thought she must have the flu and insisted she see a doctor. Jessica didn’t want to tell Holden until she knew what was wrong. After telling him she and her mom were going into town to look for some new lamps, they left Chase with him and drove to an Instacare.

  There was quite a lineup and she had to wait for her turn. Once she was shown into the doctor’s office, she explained her symptoms.

  The doctor checked her vital signs and temperature. “You seem to be in excellent health, Mrs. Granger. Perhaps you’re coming down with the flu, but you’re not running a fever. Have you considered that you might be pregnant?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t be. I was diagnosed with early menopause years ago.”

  He cocked his head. “That condition isn’t always permanent.”

  “That’s what my specialist told me, but he said it would be a miracle if I conceived again.”

  He smiled. “Do you believe in miracles?”

  “Yes. When my husband proposed to me, that was a miracle.”

  “Let’s do a urine test, just to rule it out.”

  “I’m afraid it will be a waste of time.”

  “Humor me.”

  “All right.”

  “The restroom is through there. You’ll find a cup. Set it on the shelf when you’re through. Then come back in here.”

  “All right.” She knew the drill and had been through it many times while being m
arried to Trent.

  In a few minutes, she’d returned to his office and waited. Ten more minutes went by before he came in and shut the door behind him. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I just got your results. You’re pregnant, Mrs. Granger.”

  Jessica almost fainted. “Are you positive?”

  “Yes. I could do more tests, but I suggest you call your OB.”

  “I—I don’t have one here,” she stammered. “We just moved from Whitebark.”

  “Well, you need to get one right away. If you never expected to get pregnant, then you don’t know how long you’ve been pregnant. You need prenatal care.”

  She got to her feet. “I can’t believe this has happened.”

  “Is it good or bad news for you?”

  Jessica took a deep breath. “It’s the most wonderful news you could possibly imagine. Thank you, Doctor.”

  She flew out of the room and down the hall to the reception room. “Mom? We’ve got to get back to the ranch immediately.”

  They hurried out to the car. Her mom got behind the wheel. “What’s wrong, honey?”

  “You’re going to be a grandmother again, but I have no idea when.”

  “Jessica!”

  “He wanted to do a simple test. I told him it was pointless, but he insisted.”

  “Hooray for a thorough doctor.”

  “Hooray for miracles, Mom.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as they drove through the snow to her new ranch house. She got out of the car and ran in the house.

  “Holden?” she cried.

  “I’m in the den setting up the computer.”

  She flew through the living room and down the hall. He met her in the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

  “Are you ready for the most amazing, wonderful news of your life?”

  Jessica could hear his mind working. “There’s only one piece of news that would qualify on that level.”

  She nodded. “That’s it.”

  “We’re pregnant.”

  “Yes! I just came from the doctor.”