A Haunted Twist of Fate (32 page)

Shay smiled. “There’s one more person to tell.”

Fifty-One

“We have some more news, if you can stand it,” Colt
informed Frank later that day.

“What’s that?”

Colt held Shay’s hand up to show off her diamond. “I
asked Shay to marry me and she said yes. Can you believe that?”

Frank’s face broadened into a grin. “For heaven’s
sakes. Isn’t that something? I’m certainly a lucky man. I gain both a
granddaughter and a grandson. How’d you manage to rope her, Colt?”

Shifting from one foot to the other, and acting as
shy as a schoolboy, Colt said, “I guess it was my natural charm that did it.”

“And your good looks,” Shay added. “Don’t forget
your good looks.”

Frank laughed and then started coughing and couldn’t
stop. Colt poured him a glass of water that he sipped at. Once he’d recovered,
he said, “Am I invited to the wedding?”

Shay and Colt exchanged glances. She could tell they
were thinking the same thing. The wedding needed to be held as soon as possible
if they wanted him to attend, because no one had any idea how long Frank would
live.

She patted his hand. “Of course you’re invited,
Grandpa.”

His eyes enlarged.  She could tell he was touched.

“That’s the first time I’ve been called Grandpa. It
has a nice ring to it.”

“Shay and I hate to run,” Colt said, “but we have a
few more things to do before telling my family about our engagement tonight.”

“Well, well. What do you know?” Frank chuckled. “I
found out before Chet and Hannah. Hannah won’t like that.”

“You can say that again, so don’t blab,” Colt
teased.

Frank nodded at Shay. “You made a good choice in
Colt, honey. There’s no one else I’d rather you hitch your wagon to.”

She smiled, mentally picturing that.

“I’ve known the boy all my life, but it looks like
he’s become a clumsy oaf as he’s aged.” Frank pointed to Colt’s cast. “You’ll
have to take real good care of him, you know.”

“I will. I promise.”

“By the way, did you ever figure out all that ghost
business?”  Frank’s curious gaze latched onto her.

Shay had no intention of exposing the kind of man
his grandfather had been, but Frank deserved to know that his own experiences
in the Buckhorn years ago had been real. “Yes we did. The spirits are at peace
now.  As is the saloon.”

Frank nodded once, and he rested his head against
the pillow with his thin lips curving into a smile.

As Shay and Colt walked to the car holding hands,
the image of Dean Averill attacking Callie flashed through her mind. Flowing
through her veins was the blood of a murderer. It gave her the willies to think
they were related. She prayed Frank would live to see her and Colt married. He
didn’t have an ounce of bad blood in him, and he deserved some joy in the
twilight of his life.

She felt at ease with her decision to keep Dean’s
actions a secret from Frank. There would have been nothing gained by giving him
the hurtful details. She was curious to know if Frank knew of anything in his
grandfather’s past that would have made him terrified of fire. If she’d asked,
she would have had to explain more than she wanted. That was something else
she’d just have to wonder about.

As Shay’s dad had told her mom all those years ago,
sometimes it’s better for the past to remain in the past. What was important
was to live for today.

* * * * *

“Hallelujah! Both my sons are marrying,” Hannah
exclaimed, as she gave Colt and Shay each a big hug. “Do wonders ever cease?”

The six of them sat at a table in the restaurant
with melting ice cream sundaes in front of them. Chet and Dawn both looked
stunned by the news, but Brady got up and gave Shay a congratulatory kiss on
the cheek and whispered in her ear, “I knew it. I can see smitten a mile away.”

“When’s the big day?” Chet asked, spooning hot fudge
and whipped cream into his mouth.

“Two weeks from Saturday,” Colt said, beaming like a
lighthouse beacon. “The day after I get this damned cast off.”

Hannah shot him a look that could have sliced him in
half. Then her gaze shifted to Brady and back to Colt. Shay knew what Hannah
was thinking; that she was pregnant like Dawn.

Colt immediately cleared up any misunderstandings
without embarrassing his future sister-in-law. “We want Frank Averill to attend
the wedding, and there’s no telling how long he has left. It’s going to be a
small affair, just family and a few friends.”

“Oh,” Hannah said, obviously relieved. “Why is it
important for Frank to be there?”

“Do you want to tell them, or do you want me to?”
Colt asked Shay.

“I will.”

He took her hand under the table and held it,
bolstering her for the complicated and emotional story she was about to tell.

Once Shay had finished the account of her complicated
background, Hannah and Dawn had tears in their eyes, Chet was shaking his head,
and Brady’s gaze was wide in surprise.

“Oh, honey,” Hannah said, “I knew you were one of us
the first time Colt introduced you.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “I have
a sixth sense about these things.”

Seeing how Dawn remained quiet and looked left out,
Shay switched the subject back to her. “Have you and Brady set your date yet?”

Dawn brightened. “We were going to tell everyone
tonight. And then Colt called.” She glanced at Brady.

“Go ahead and tell them, baby.” Brady patted her
arm.

“Tell us what?” Chet asked, pushing his empty bowl
back.

“We’re already married.” She held up her hand that
she’d kept hidden under the table all evening. A gold band shone from her left
ring finger. “We went to the courthouse today.” Brady pulled a matching band
out of his pocket and slipped it on his finger.

“Lordy sakes!” Hannah cried.

Colt, who was sitting next to his brother, clapped
him on the back and Chet shook his head again, as if he weren’t surprised by
anything anymore.

“Why’d you go off and elope?” Hannah wanted to know.

“Neither of us cared much about having a big
wedding,” Brady said. “And with Dawn expecting and all, we didn’t want to make
a fuss.”

“It was my idea, Miss Hannah,” Dawn offered, looking
like a frightened rabbit. It was evident she worried about what Brady’s mom
thought of her, the pregnancy, and even the kind of home she came from. “I
don’t want the family to be ashamed or humiliated. And I didn’t want to be
walking down the aisle looking like I had a beach ball stuffed in my dress.”

Shay’s heart went out to her. Dawn had a right to a
wedding the same as any other woman, pregnant or not, rich or poor. But it
seemed she was starting to grow up, since she was taking responsibility for her
choices. Brady too.

 “The important thing is we love each other and we
did the right thing,” Brady said. “We’re married and we’re happy. And we’re
going to have a baby.”

“Hear, hear,” Colt said, raising his glass of water.
All of them did the same and then clinked their glasses together in a toast.

“To love and marriage,” Shay said.

“And to grandbabies,” Hannah added, with a wink and
a grin. She rose from her chair and gave Brady and Dawn each a warm hug. “Congratulations,
son. Welcome to the family, Dawn.”

“Thank you, Miss Hannah.” Dawn looked like she might
burst out bawling.

Hannah must have noticed, because she gave her an
extra hug. “You can call me Mama, if you’d like.”

Relief and gratitude flooded Dawn’s face.

“Colt,” Brady said, as they all exited the
restaurant a short time later, “do you think you can find Dawn and me a little
house in town? I’ve got money saved, enough for a down payment. I was going to
buy a new truck with it, but we need our own place. Not too big, but room enough
for the baby. A backyard would be nice, too, so the boy and I can play catch
and toss a football.”

“How do you know he’s a boy?” Dawn asked, elbowing
him in the ribs.

“Okay, okay. Even if he turns out to be a girl, we’ll
still need a yard to play in. Girls like to toss balls, too.”

“You’re going to be such a good daddy,” Dawn said,
leaning her head on his shoulder.

Colt shook his hand. “I have a couple of places that
would work. Call me tomorrow and we’ll set up some times to go look at them.”

Shay felt exhausted. Everyone said goodbye outside,
and she tossed Colt the keys to her car. “Cast or no cast, you can drive. I’m
beat.”

He caught the keys. “So am I. I can’t wait to crawl
into bed.”

“Which one? Yours or mine?”

“Ours,” he said.

Once they got back to Colt’s place, they stripped
and got into bed. Shay snuggled next to him. She trailed her finger down his
chest to his belly button and further. “You know, I think I’ve gotten my second
wind,” she whispered.

He pulled her on top of him with his right hand so
she was straddling his legs. She bent and pressed her mouth to his.

“Are you up for a ride?” he asked.

Shay arched her eyebrow and flashed him a wicked
smile. “Yeah, cowboy. And you won’t even have to feed or brush me when it’s
over.”

Fifty-Two

The wedding was being held outdoors in the backyard
of their home. With blue skies and sunshine to spare, the day could not have
been more perfect. An intimate group of family and friends were gathered to
witness their marriage, and were seated in chairs on both sides of the aisle in
the grass.

As the Double M Cowboy Band played the romantic
George Strait hit, ‘Cross My Heart,’ with Brady singing the lyrics, Shay kept
her eye trained on her man as she strolled down the white aisle runner that was
strewn with pink rose petals. Colt stood under an arch that was wrapped in
white organza and topped with an arrangement of more pink roses.

Her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of him,
so handsome in a suit and tie, and polished black boots. His wide grin and
loving gaze were sure signs that he was a man in love.

She felt so beautiful in her wedding gown, a simple
but elegant ivory dress with a V-shaped neckline that Colt had helped choose. When
she reached the arch and the song ended, she smiled at Dawn, her matron of
honor. Brady stepped to Colt’s side to take his place as best man. When Colt
took Shay’s hand and the minister began the ceremony, she felt contented and
fulfilled.

“Who gives this woman to be joined with this man?”
the minister asked.

“I do.” Frank answered, in a strong voice, from his
wheelchair in the front row.

Shay blew him a kiss.

After exchanging vows and promising to love and
cherish each other, the minister pronounced them husband and wife and told Colt
he could kiss his bride. The kiss was long and enthusiastic, with Colt’s arms
wound tightly around her. When they parted, everyone laughed as Colt dove in
for a second smooch.

“It’s my pleasure,” the minister announced, “to
present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Colton Morgan.”

The guests clapped as Shay gave her new in-laws a
hug. Likewise, Colt kissed his mom and shook his dad’s hand, and then Shay bent
and hugged Frank. The band started up and their guests tossed handfuls of
flower petals at them as the two of them strode, arms linked, down the aisle.

The band entertained the crowd during the laid-back
reception held under a canopy. At the end of the evening, Shay and Colt
received final congratulations and thanked all their friends and family for
sharing the day with them.

After waving goodbye to Chet and Hannah, the last to
leave, Colt put his arm around Shay. They sauntered into the house and locked
the door behind them. Gifts were stacked on the dining room table to be opened
tomorrow.

“You’re the most gorgeous bride I’ve ever laid eyes
on,” he said, pushing a strand of hair back from Shay’s face. “You’ve made me
the luckiest and happiest man on earth.”

Her heart couldn’t be any fuller. “Fate brought us
together. Love will keep us together.”

He smiled and pulled her close. As his body pressed
against her, she could feel he was ready to enjoy a night of lovemaking as
husband and wife.

“Let’s get out of these clothes,” he said, running
his hand under her hair and down her body.

“I’ll join in you one minute. I need a drink of
water. My throat is parched.” She stepped into the kitchen and filled a cup
with tap water and drank it down. A noise from outside captured her attention. It
sounded like a bird chirping.

When she peeked out the window above the sink, a
bluebird sat perched on the clothesline in the yard. It stared straight at her
and continued singing its friendly tune.