The Shepherd's Voice (18 page)

There were seven people present in the Ransom Methodist Episcopal Church that morning: the minister and his wife, the bride and groom, and three others—Jane Sebastian, Brodie Lachlan, and Nora Wickham. Akira probably could have asked half the town to be her guests; she hadn’t. Gabe was fairly certain it was for his sake. After all, whom did he have to invite? His father and stepmother?

“Dearly beloved,” Simon began, “we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is
an honorable estate, instituted of God, and signifying unto us the mystical union which exists between Christ and His Church …”

She’d left her hair down. It fell over her shoulders and down her back in thick red waves. Gabe had wondered what it would look like, freed from those braids she always wore, but he hadn’t expected it to be so beautiful, so inviting. He was tempted to reach out and touch it, see if it felt as soft as it looked.

“I require and charge you both, as you stand in the presence of God, before whom the secrets of all hearts are disclosed, that, having duly considered the holy covenant you are about to make, you do now declare before this company, your pledge of faith, each to the other …”

God
,
don’t let me bring any heartache upon her. She’s pure and innocent. The very things I’m not. I’m beginning to understand how You’ve cloaked me in Your righteousness
,
and I’m thankful for it. But I also know the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. I don’t want Akira to pay for my mistakes.

“Gabriel Talmadge, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, so long as you both shall live?”

Akira lifted her eyes, looking at him as if uncertain what his answer would be.

“I will,” he said.

“Akira Macauley, will you have this man …?”

He wished things were different. He wished he’d come to her without all the complications of his past. He wished he weren’t the son of Hudson Talmadge, that he’d been raised in a home with a father and mother who loved each other. He wished he could have seen what a good marriage was like. He wished he’d been able to
court her properly, to maybe make her want and respect him as a man, to love him as more than a fellow believer in Christ.

“I will,” she answered, a soft quaver in her voice.

Simon looked over Akira’s shoulder. “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Gabe didn’t need to see the scowl upon Brodie’s face to know it was there. He could hear it in the Scotsman’s voice as he answered with obvious reluctance, “On behalf of her mother, I do.”

“Repeat after me,” the reverend continued. “I, Gabriel, take thee, Akira, to be my wedded wife …”

He listened carefully to the words, and when he repeated them, he looked directly into Akira’s eyes, wanting her to understand that he meant his pledge. He would be with her from this day forward, for better or for worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. He would cherish her until death parted them one from another. This marriage may not have come about under the best of circumstances, but he swore to himself he wouldn’t make her regret this day. Not if it was in his power to prevent it.

When it was her turn to say the same vows, he felt something stir in his heart. Perhaps it was only hope. Or perhaps it was something much, much more.

How was it possible, Akira wondered, for a person to feel both overwhelming joy and overwhelming sorrow at the precise same moment? Possible or not, that was how it was for her. She loved Gabe and wanted to be his wife, and that brought her joy. Her sorrow came because he didn’t feel the same thing for her.

She thought of the two witnesses standing behind them. In their own ways, they represented Akira’s contradictory emotions. Jane was probably smiling while tears streamed down her cheeks.

She believed the couple would be blessed with happiness. Brodie, on the other hand, had left no doubt about his displeasure or his concerns for Akira’s future. He’d come down from the sheep camp under protest, telling her countless times in the past two days that she was making a grave mistake.

The feel of the ring sliding onto her finger drew her attention back to the ceremony.

“For as much as Gabriel and Akira have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have pledged their faith each to the other, and have declared the same by joining hands and by giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God hath joined together, let no one put asunder. Amen.”

“Amen,” Akira whispered, closing her eyes lest tears escape.

“Let us pray. O eternal God, creator and preserver of all, giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life. Send Thy blessing upon this man and this woman, whom we bless in Thy name, that they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to Thy laws.”

It was useless to fight the tears. They came anyway, slipping from beneath her eyelids as she listened to the prayer.

“Look graciously upon them, that they may love, honor, and cherish each other, and so live together in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be a haven of blessing and a place of peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Akira heard Gabe say, “Amen.” Then his left arm slipped around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his side. She opened her eyes and
looked up at him. He offered a tender smile, one that made her heart miss a beat.

“Congratulations,” Simon said as he took Gabe’s right hand and shook it. Then he looked at Akira. “Every happiness, Mrs. Talmadge.”

Mrs. Talmadge.
Akira almost glanced behind her in search of Pauline, then realized he meant her.

Violet Neville stepped to her husband’s side. “God bless you both.”

“Thank you.”

Gabe’s arm tightened as he gently turned her around. She found both witnesses looking exactly as she’d imagined them, Jane crying and smiling, Brodie frowning.

“Ye make the lass happy,” the Scotsman said in a gruff voice.

“You have my word on it, Lachlan.”

Brodie grunted, a clear sign he didn’t believe Gabe.

“Oh, stop it,” Jane all but sputtered as she elbowed Brodie in the ribs. “Can’t you be glad for them, you old goat? Two young people with so much love to give each other. Mark my words. God will see them through whatever lies ahead.”

Akira had to smile. The look of surprise on Brodie’s face was too priceless for words.

“There.” Jane leaned forward and kissed Akira’s cheek. “That’s better. You keep on smilin. You hear me? Don’t you care one bit what anybody else thinks or says. You just care about yourself and Gabe here. You make sure to think of each other first.”

Gabe spoke before Akira could. “We will.”

“Love the Lord God above everything,” Jane continued. “As you draw closer to Him, it’ll bring you closer to each other, like the two sides of a triangle comin’ together at the top.” She kissed Gabe’s cheek. “Go on with you. Spend the day together. You’re man and wife now. I’ll see that Mrs. Wickham gets home all right.”

Man and wife.

Those words repeated in Gabe’s mind throughout their return to Dundreggan.

You’re man and wife now.

He glanced to his right. Akira was staring into the distance, lost in her own thoughts. Gabe took advantage of her daydreaming to study her. He’d always thought her pretty, but never had he seen her looking lovelier than she did today. Her red hair blazed in the sunlight, wisps dancing around her face, ruffled by the warm afternoon breeze. She wore a simple cotton dress, the floral print the same color as her eyes.

She turned her head, caught him watching her, smiled almost shyly.

“I didn’t tell you how nice you look,” he said.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Sorry. I meant to.”

She blushed and dropped her gaze away.

“I like your hair down.”

Her blush intensified. “I thought you might.” She pushed it back with one hand. “But it’s a bother. It gets so tangled this way.”

The team’s pace quickened as they turned off the road and followed the drive to the ranch house.

“I don’t guess there was ever a prettier bride.”

“Oh, Gabe.”

She laughed, and for the first time that day, he thought she looked genuinely happy and relaxed.

He grinned too. “Did I say something I shouldn’t?”

“No, though I’d say you were stretching the truth some.”

“A man’s supposed to think his bride’s pretty.”

Her smile faded slowly.

He wanted to kiss her. He should have kissed her back at the church. He should have kissed her in front of everybody. Why hadn’t he?

She looked away. “I cleared space for your things in the bureau and wardrobe. You might as well take care of that while I fix us a bite to eat.”

“Are you sure that’s what —?”

“Yes,” she interrupted. “I’m sure.” She met his gaze, looking almost angry with him. “I wouldn’t’ve married you if I wasn’t sure. I’m your wife. A man and his wife are supposed to live together.”

He’d been fooling himself, he realized. He’d wanted to believe he asked her to marry him in order to protect her from gossip and evil men like those two he’d overheard in the bar. He’d pretended he was being altruistic. But the truth was, he’d done it for himself, for selfish reasons. He’d wanted to stay on Dundreggan Ranch. He’d wanted to stay with Akira. He hadn’t been able to bear the idea of ever leaving, of not seeing her smile or hearing her laughter.

Moreover, he’d wanted the right to hold her and kiss her and know her as only a husband could.

He let the horses have their heads, knowing they would take the wagon straight to the barn without any help from him. Then he placed his palm on the side of her face. “You never do anything halfway, do you, Akira Macauley?”

“Talmadge,” she said, her eyes swimming with tears but her voice filled with determination and pride. “My name is Akira Talmadge.”

He didn’t try to resist this time. He simply kissed her.