An Unexpected Annulment (The Colorado Brides Series Book 3) (14 page)

Annie looked adorable in a pretty pink dress with white ribbons in her hair. The blonde tresses had been curled, hanging in shiny ringlets on either side of her face. The boys wore pressed trousers with matching sack coats and neckties. Their hair had been combed away from their faces. The violinist began to play the Wedding March, and everyone turned to look at me, as I made my way down the aisle. Nathan and Samuel had stood up for Matthias, as they were his groomsmen. It was heartening to be surrounded by family and friends, even in a place so far from home.

This is home now, Louisa.

Yes, it is.

My sisters beamed with happiness.  Their support since my arrival had been unyielding, and I could never repay them for all the things they had done for me. I gazed upon Matthias, seeing a man who had been a stranger to me only a few weeks ago. The first time I had met him he’d looked like something the cat had spat up, bloodshot eyes and rumpled clothing. He had made great strides to improve himself. I had doubted that I could ever attach myself to such a man, but, as I met his eyes, I knew then that we were entirely suited for one another.

“Pa’s really gonna marry her,” said a child loudly. I turned to see Hugh, who grinned mischievously. I placed a finger over my mouth to indicate silence. “Sorry, Ms. Louisa. You sure do look pretty.”

“Thank you, Hugh. You’re quite handsome yourself.”

Several people chuckled, and someone said, “Children say the darndest things.”

“They sure do.”

When I had reached Matthias, who stood with me before the preacher, he winked. “I have to agree with my son.”

“Oh, stop it.” My heart skipped a beat.

“It’s not too late. You can still change your mind,” he whispered.

“I’ve given this a lot of thought.”

“And?”

“I’m just crazy enough to do it.”

“I can see that.”

Pastor Bailey cleared his throat. “It looks like I’m presiding over another Hoffman wedding.” Several people chuckled in response.

He began to speak, directing us in our vows, while I stared at my husband-to-be, finding him darkly handsome, yet still far too mysterious. There were so many things I had to learn about him that only time would reveal, but I was ready. A new chapter in my life was about to begin.

After we had exchanged the rings, which were simple gold bands, we were greeted with cheers, the children beaming. The reception was joyous, with plenty of cider and ice tea. A marvelous lemon cake topped with whipped cream stood in the center of a table, a towering confection decorated with edible flowers. It was devoured shortly, the boys returning for seconds.

Annie hugged me. “Can I call you Ma now?”

“Yes, honey.”

“Will you and Pa be gone long on your honeymoon?”

“Only a couple of days.” I had knelt to speak to her. “We’ll be back by the end of the week.”

“I’m gonna miss you.”

“You’ll be with your Aunt Hannah and Uncle Nathan. You’ll be plenty busy helping them with the cows and chickens.”

“Who’s gonna take care of our chickens while we’re gone?”

“They’ll be fine. Jerry will stop by and give them feed.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you a very important question.”

“What’s that?”

“I want a dog.”

“You do?”

“And a cat, just like at your sister’s house.”

“My goodness. What if they don’t get along?”

“They will. If you get a baby kitten, they’ll grow up to be best friends.”

“I see.” Someone’s hand was on my back. I glanced over my shoulder seeing Matt. “It looks like we’re going to have a few pets soon.”

“Is that so?”

“Annie wants a dog and a cat.” I stood, smoothing out my skirt.

“I’ll ask around town about puppies when we get back,” said Matthias.

“You will?” Her eyes lit up excitedly. “I hope so! I can’t wait to have a little puppy. Will he sleep with me?”

“I’m sure he will, honey.”

My husband drew near, whispering in my ear, “You should say your goodbyes. We’re headin’ out soon.”

“All right.” I glanced at Annie. “Give me a hug. We’re leaving in a bit.”

“I wish you didn't have to go.”

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

We said our goodbyes, moving around the room and thanking everyone for sharing in our happy day. We had been given several presents, which would be opened later. Hannah and Nathan were taking the kids for the time being, giving Matt and I some much-needed privacy. He had a cabin in the foothills, and it would be quite a drive to reach it by nightfall.

A wagon waited, filled with the provisions we would need over the coming days, including a shotgun. I was handed up into the conveyance, while people cheered, tossing rice our way. The bouquet of wildflowers in my hands was thrown into the air, and several unmarried ladies scrambled to catch it. I waved to my sisters, as they stood with their husbands, grinning happily, while my children, Hugh, Oscar, and Annie, waved. I would only be gone a short while, but it was time needed to get to know Matt. Our courtship had been far too short. We had done everything backwards, and it was important to slow it all down and begin again.

Matthias held the reins; a wide-brimmed hat was on his head, shading his features. I wore a straw bonnet with a green ribbon to match the dress. The wagon ambled out of town, while miners shouted well wishes, waving. Everyone in Denver City seemed to be in a celebratory mood. We would follow a mining trail towards the foothills, which wound around the prairie, crossing a river. The blueness of the sky spanned out before us, meeting the horizon with a bank of swiftly moving clouds, as the breeze had picked up.

“You never said anything about a cabin.”

He glanced at me. “It’s not very big. I built it last year. You probably won’t like it.”

“Why?”

“It’s got one room and a rough kitchen.”

“We brought food. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Is there a bed?”

He grinned broadly. “Now you’re talkin!”

“Oh, you! That’s not what I meant.”

“I see your line of thinkin’. I approve, I really do.”

“That’s not my line of thinking, sir. I only want to know if we’re sleeping on the ground.”

“Who says anything about sleeping?”

It was an effort not to grin. “I’m going to ignore that.”

“We’re married now. We can do any cotton pickin’ thing we want.”

“That is nice, isn’t it?”

“Sure is.”

Chapter Thirteen

We arrived after sunset.  The cabin stood against a backdrop of trees, with an enormous mountain jutting up thousands of feet. The vista was breathtaking, as there was an unimpeded view of Denver City, although it was so far away the buildings were nearly hidden. There was smoke in the distance, and I worried about a forest fire, but Matthias said they were miners, camping for the night.

The cabin was rustic, with wooden walls and several small windows, which closed at night with shutters on the outside. I was astounded to find a good-sized bed, which had been covered in a pretty quilt. Someone had been here recently, as the floors were clean and the table had been set.

“Who did this?” I left my bag on a chair.

“Samuel came up yesterday.”

“So he knew where you were taking me?”

He placed a lamp on the table. “Yeah, they all know. It’s best to tell people where you are.”

“Will we be attacked by Indians?”

“No.”

“Bears?”

“Just keep the lids on things. If they smell it, they might try to get in.”

“Are you serious, Matt?”

“Don’t look so worried.” He grinned. “We’re fine. Don’t take your boots off yet. I should show you where the privy is, and we gotta get some water.”

“Fine.”

He grasped a bucket from beside the stove, holding the lamp with the other hand. “You gotta get the door, darlin’.”

I held it open. “How far is the privy?”

“Not far.”

“I don’t think I want to come out here at night.”

“I’ll escort you, if it makes you feel better.”

“It does.”

It was strange beginning my married life talking about outhouses and bears, but what had I expected? When I had married Henry, we had danced into the night at our reception in the ballroom of a grand hotel. He had been the life of the party, regaling everyone with amusing stories, while gazing attentively at me. It had all been an act.

We wandered around the cabin, finding a small creek. “Oh, this is pretty.”

“It runs for quite a bit that way. There’s a spot for swimming down yonder. A small pond.”

“It’s probably freezing.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He pointed to a small structure that was crudely built. “You know what this is?”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“I know, but…it serves its purpose.”

We took turns going inside. There was a large hook for the lantern and a bucket of corncobs in a corner. When I emerged, we strolled by the creek, although it was now fully dark.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“A little.”

“There’s some jerky and preserves. I’m goin’ fishing tomorrow.”

“Maria packed biscuits.”

“There’s some wine. It was a present from Nathan and Hannah.”

“Will you be able to drink it?”

“I’ll be fine.”

It was hard to ignore how I had first met him. I’ll never forget how he looked with bleary eyes, messy hair, and a face-full of unkempt beard. “I just don’t want to throw temptation your way, if it’s something that might get out of control.”

“I understand your concerns. I’ll have to prove to you that I ain’t a drunk. I’m not proud of how I was, but sometimes people go through tough times and they use whatever they can find to feel better. Whiskey was always available.”

We bent to wash our hands and faces in the water. “Did you hear that?”

He glanced at me. “What?”

“I thought I heard something. Maybe we should get back to the cabin.”

His hand held mine. “Good idea.”

“Are you sure there aren’t any Indians?”

“Well, they’ve been run off, Louisa. The Ute have been pushed further into the mountains. I reckon the Arapahoe and the Cheyenne won’t be around no more either pretty soon. The more miners and homesteaders that come out, the further these people gotta go to get away from us.”

“They’re being forced out.”

“Yeah, that too.” He looked grim.

“Did you ever see any Indians?”

“Lots of times.”

“And they didn’t hurt you?”

He sighed. “They just want to be left alone. Their way of life is threatened, and they have fought back. They’ve attacked too, but so have we.”

“But you weren’t attacked?”

“No.”

“It’s a sad state of affairs.”

“It is. We have better things to do tonight than worry over problems we have no control of.”

“That’s true.”

Once we reached the cabin, Matt brought in wood, starting a fire in a sturdy-looking stone enclosure. I sat with my legs tucked under a blanket watching him. He still wore the shirt and trousers from earlier today, and I had on the green dress. Wine was poured into matching tin cups. This was a far cry from the opulence of my first wedding, but it struck me as genuine, honest, and, when he turned to look at me, my belly erupted in tingles.

“You sure are pretty.”

“Thank you.”

He sat next to me, crossing his feet before him, being entirely at ease. “You’re not nervous, are you?”

“Why would I be nervous?” His grin was disarming. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you are now.”

“Would you like more wine?”

“I’m fine.” I gazed at the fire, while smaller branches snapped and popped. It created a cozy atmosphere, as light flickered against the walls. “It’s strange being so quiet.”

“The house is always noisy.”

“Too many kids.”

“Do you think it’s too many?”

“Not really.”

“We’re gonna add to the number soon, won’t we?”

That thought brought heat to my cheeks. “I suppose.”

“You want to, don’t you?”

“We probably should’ve discussed this earlier.”

“Didn’t have time. Was in a rush gettin’ ready for the wedding.”

“You looked handsome today.”

“Only today?” His smile was teasing.

“I like you better shaved like this.”

He touched his cheek. “What’s wrong with my mountain man look?”

“It’s scary.”

“It’s like the first time you saw me?”

“I suppose.”

“I’m sorry I made such a bad first impression. I had no idea my future wife would be at the door to save me.”

“I didn’t know I’d do that either.”

He touched my face. “You saved us all, Louisa.”

“Well, maybe you saved me too. I was prepared to be an old spinster. I had firmly resolved never to marry again.”

“You’re far too pretty to go to waste like that.”

I giggled, finding that amusing. He’d pulled out one of my hairpins, releasing a long curl. “What are you doing?”

“This looks uncomfortable.” Another pin came loose and then another.

“Sir,” I objected. “Someone spent a great deal of time arranging that.”

“Send me the bill.”

His breath held hints of wine; the aroma was intimately intoxicating. My fingers strayed to his necktie. “What about this?”

“You can loosen it, if you want.”

I pulled out the strip of linen that had been tied in a bow. “You should wear these more often.”

“That’s hardly practical on a farm.”

“Maybe for church.”

“I don’t go to church.”

“Will you now?” I wondered what his answer would be, because this was an important issue. I fully intended to take the children to church every Sunday.

“I’m about to bed my wife, and you want to talk religion?”

“Briefly.”

“We probably should’a talked about this earlier.”

“One of many things.”

He scratched his head, his expression pinched. “I’m not all that fond of Bible mills.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“Is this gonna be a sticky point?”

“What?”

“Are you gonna make me go?”

“I can’t make anyone do anything, but I do plan on taking your children. It would be nice if you joined us.”