The Shepherd's Daughter (Dry Bayou Brides Book 1) (10 page)

So far, she’d done everything she’d planned. Woken up before sunrise, ate a quick breakfast with Ma, made sure the ewes were safe for the lambing, and rode out to all four pastures, even though she didn’t have to, to speak with the
caporales
to get the numbers for the upcoming count. She wasn’t in any hurry to finish her work. She had nowhere to be, at least not for another five days.

Rebecca’s welcome party was at the end of the week. By then, she’d have a new dress to wear and would have worked up the nerve to do what needed to be done.

She’d tell Billy she loved him, whether he felt the same or not. He needed to know and she needed to tell him. Because if he went through with his parents’ plan to get engaged to Rebecca, she already had her ticket to San Antonio on top of her bureau. From there, she would buy a train ticket to Boston, where she’d live with Tilly’s Aunt Mildred.

Ray knew she was probably acting the coward by planning to run away. But she wanted to make sure if her heart was completely shattered, she could make a clean break by starting fresh in Boston.

She snorted.

Rebecca had come here to start fresh by marrying Billy and now Ray was moving back east to start fresh
because
Rebecca was marrying Billy. How ironic.

“Hard day, eh?” Her ma came into the kitchen and headed straight for the pot of boiling water on the stove. “Supper will be done soon, why don’t ye go clean up? I don’t want sheep mess at my table.”

Ray peered down at her boots and the hem of her skirt. “Sorry, Ma.”

It took her longer than usual to clean up because every muscle in her body screamed in protest, but once she was seated back at the table, there was a plate piled with meat, potatoes, and crusty bread waiting for her.

Her mom sat down across from her and Ray couldn’t help but notice that the usual third setting was missing. She’d have to ask her mom about that later, when she wasn’t already turned inside out by her broken heart.

“I saw the ticket on yer bureau.” Her ma rarely minced words, so Ray knew this was coming. “Were ye gonna tell me ye were leavin’ or was I to find out the day after when ye didn’t come home from town?” Ray knew she deserved her mother’s disappointment.

“I didn’t tell you because I don’t know if I’ll be usin’ it. It was a plan Tilly and I made. If Billy gets engaged to Rebecca, I’ll leave. Start a new life in Boston. You don’t need me here, not with Cousin Seamus coming in a few weeks. If Billy doesn’t get engaged to Rebecca, I’ll stick around, see if I can’t get him to fall in love with me.” She offered her ma a small smile, one filled with a smidgen of hope. “There’s a chance, you know. Who else besides me really knows
him
? Knows what makes him happy, what makes him tick, what he loves to eat, where he loves to spend time—well, I know just about everythin’ there is to know about Willem Ducharme.”

“Except whether he loves ye,” her ma pointed out, unnecessarily.

Ray sat back and dropped her fork, suddenly not hungry. “Yeah, except that.”

“T
onight’s the night
I’m going to tell her,” Billy declared to no one as he stared at his reflection in the mirror hanging beside the front door of the ranch house.

He was checking his appearance in preparation for the party his parents were throwing to welcome Rebecca to Dry Bayou. He wasn’t a fool, though. He knew their real purpose. He hated the idea of marrying her just to appease his ma and pa, but he also didn’t like the idea of making Rebecca leave, especially since she truly seemed to like their little town.

One day soon, he’d figure out a way to get Rebecca settled in Dry Bayou without having to be married to him. However, he’d worry about that another day, because tonight his focus was on someone else.

Tonight, he’d confess to Ray that he didn’t want to be just her best friend; he wanted to marry her.

He tugged on a wayward strand of brown hair and wondered what she’d say when he told her how he truly felt.

He knew how
he
felt about
her
—it burned through him like a blazing fire—but he had no clue how
she
felt about
him
. Yes, she’d kissed him back that night by the creek, but that was almost a week ago. He hadn’t seen her much since then, and never alone, so he hadn’t had the chance to ask her if she’d been as moved by their kiss as he’d been. Of course, she’d left the creek thinking he’d kissed her because he felt sorry for hurting her. He wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that was. And he probably should’ve told her the truth before she walked away. Just the memory of her soft, sweet-flavored lips was enough to make his blood chug through his veins.

“Yes, tonight is the night I tell her—”

“Tell who, what?” His mother appeared behind him in the mirror and he spun around. He blinked and tried to think of something that wouldn’t ruin his plan. A plan his ma would spoil just to keep Ray from becoming her daughter-in-law.

“Well, I—” he stammered, suddenly at a loss for words.

“No need to tell me anything, son. I think I know.” She giggled—
giggled
—then continued. “Rebecca will be down shortly. Then you two can make the ride into town together.”

Before he could inform his mother that he only volunteered to do that out of obligation to her rather than out of any romantic feelings for Rebecca, she patted him on the shoulder. Told him he looked quite fine in his new suit and tie, then left the room.

Billy groaned. As sure as the sun set in the sky, his ma was conjuring up images of little Rebeccas and Billys scampering through the garden, squealing for their grandma.

“She seems happy,” Rebecca’s voice made him turn.

She was dressed in a pink dress with cream trim along the hem, her hair twisted up into a becoming knot on the top of her head. She was lovely and the smile she gave him told him that she thought the same of him.

“You look handsome,” she said, not a touch of flirtation in her tone. Rebecca may have come to Dry Bayou to marry him, but since he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to marry a stranger, she’d been very good about remaining friendly without putting any added pressure on him. He appreciated that she’d given him space, especially over the last few days. All he could think about was being with the woman who wasn’t supposed to marry him.

He smiled. “Thank you. You look lovely. Are you ready?” He offered his arm to escort her to the waiting surrey.

*

“I think I’m
gonna be sick,” Ray mumbled as she watched Tilly through the reflection, pulling and tugging on her frizzy, malicious hair. “There’s no air in here and I know there’s no miracle you can work on my hair that’ll make it behave tonight.”

Tilly smacked Ray on the shoulder, then pulled the hair pin from between her teeth where she’d put it to keep from losing it again. “You’re just nervous. I already told you that you put that corset on too tight. Leave a little room to breathe.”

“If I can’t breathe, I can’t get up enough strength to run like a chicken when the time comes to tell Billy I love him.”

Tilly tsked. “If you can’t breathe you can’t dance with him, either. And your hair will look lovely…once I get enough pins into it—there! Get up. Look at it now.”

With a little help, Ray stood and moved to stand in front of the dressing mirror in the corner of Tilly’s room. Ray swallowed through the thickness in her throat and braved a peek. She gasped.

“I know. You look amazing, Ray!” Tilly gushed and clapped her hands.

Ray could only stare.

For tonight, Tilly decided that Ray should wear an emerald green dress that brought out the red of her hair and the brown in her eyes. To enhance the look of a sophisticated lady, Tilly had “borrowed” a few of her sister’s cosmetics and applied a dusting a powder over Ray’s forehead, freckled cheeks, and pinched her cheeks to bring a little color in.

Tilly had, indeed, performed a miracle. Ray’s hair was artfully piled atop her head and pinned into place. The best part of the look was that her friend had taken some deep green lace she’d made and looped it through and around the pins, making the it look like Ray wore some kind of fairy crown.

“Oh, Tilly, I-I don’t know what to say,” Ray said in hushed tones.

“Say thank you.” Her friend smiled.

Ray tore her gaze away from her reflection and turned to her dear companion. “Thank you, Tilly.”

Tilly laughed. “You’ve always been beautiful, Ray. You just didn’t let anyone see it. Especially Billy.”

At the sound of his name, Ray’s gaze returned to her reflection. “Do you think he’ll like it? Do you think he’ll choose me over Rebecca?”

Oh, she hoped so, with everything inside her. Otherwise, she’d be on the morning stagecoach to San Antonio with her shattered heart in her hands. Her hope for a happy future crushed beneath Billy’s heel.

“If he doesn’t pick you, then he never deserved you.” Tilly’s tone told Ray that she was almost as anxious about the outcome of the evening as Ray was.

With one last twirl in the mirror, Ray and Tilly made their way out of the Mosier home and toward the town gardens behind the hotel.

Ray’s heart pounded so hard she wondered how Tilly didn’t hear it. Once they arrived at the gardens, Ray felt the same nervous sickness roil in her belly. She forced herself to breathe evenly, slowly, calmly.

I can do this. I can do this—

Movement at the corner of her eye made her turn her head. There, escorting a gorgeously dressed Rebecca, was the man she’d come here tonight to win.

She swallowed down the fear-laced bile rising into her mouth and pulled back her shoulders.

I can do this. I can do this.

She began chanting the words like a pagan spell, willing her feet to move toward Billy and tell him.

As if feeling her presence, he turned and gazed at her.

I can’t do this. I can’t do this…

Ray watched him as he said something to Rebecca, let go of her arm, and turned to walk toward Ray. He didn’t look left or right, didn’t greet any of the party guests as he passed them, didn’t even stop to admire the decorations his ma had paid for. He just stared at her and kept coming, like a man on a mission.

Mission for what?
What if he’s gonna tell me he’s chosen to marry Rebecca? What if he doesn’t give me a chance?

She continued to watch his approach and, as he got closer, she saw the look of purpose and determination on his handsome face; his beautiful blue eyes twinkling with an emotion Ray was loathe to name.

It was the unmistakable look of a man…in love.

He loves Rebecca.

The courage she’d been gathering all night abandoned her and she tried to find somewhere to hide.

R
ay only made
it a few steps into the ballroom before a strong, familiar hand gripped her arm and spun her around.

Breathless, she faced Billy…the man she really wanted to run to.

“Ray, where you going? Why did you run off like that?” Though Ray was having issues drawing in enough breath to remain conscious, Billy hadn’t even broken a sweat. His clothes were still in order, not a hair out of place—he looked
well
put together.