now.”
Clara looked down at her hands clasped around the book. She picked it up and held it to her chest as she turned to Hank.
“I’m sure. I came for a new, happy life and I mean to have one.”
Hank’s blue eyes twinkled as he leaned forward, then caught himself, sitting upright again as he cleared his throat. He pulled his hat down further on his forehead and flicked the reins.
“Thank you, Clara. I’m mighty grateful, and Pa will be, too.”
Clara’s heart slowed to normal after it had taken off like the horses when Hank had leaned in toward her. Had she wanted him to kiss her? The foolishness of that thought struck her like lightning. This was a marriage in name only, and she’d best keep all other thoughts out of her head.
Chapter 15
E verything had moved so quickly , Clara wasn’t sure which way was up. She couldn’t forget sensing Beau’s relief as she and Hank told him of their decision. They did both chuckle when, after he’d regained his composure, he’d asked, “How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Clara had said, her body stiffening for a moment before she relaxed into the decision again, knowing she was doing the right thing.
Hank’s anxious frown smoothed away as she said, “Tomorrow would be fine if we can get a license and pastor in time. I don’t know how long it takes—”
Beau held up his index finger as he turned and reached into a roll-top desk and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Hank.
“You went ahead and applied for a marriage license for us?”
Beau put his thumbs in the sides of his black, satin vest as his chest puffed out. He rocked forward and backward on his leather boots. “I did. Thought it would save time when you two did decide, and the courthouse said all you need to do is sign it and add the date. And Pastor Grayson’s been on alert, too.”
Clara let out a breath as she took a peek at the marriage license with her name on it, and she struggled to take a breath back in as it all suddenly became very real.
Her eyes met Hank’s, and he folded the paper and handed it back to Beau. “You okay with tomorrow, Clara?”
Her hands went to her earrings—the pears from her mother—and she stood tall, saying, “Yes. Yes, I’m sure, and tomorrow is fine.”
Her own personal butterflies that resided in her stomach—as she now thought of them—took flight as Hank smiled at her, his laugh lines etched in his tanned, handsome face. He took her hand, his eyes twinkling as he kissed the back of it and quietly said, “Thank you.”
“Oh, yes, thank you,” Beau said, almost as an afterthought as he replaced the marriage license back in the desk and rolled the top shut.
“I presume that James and Suzanne can bring you tomorrow. We’ll have the wedding here, and maybe lunch at the Occidental if I can arrange it. Noon would be fine..” Beau’s voice trailed off as he headed into the kitchen—to make the arrangements for her wedding, she presumed.
As soon as he was out of earshot, they both laughed, Clara putting her hand over her mouth so as not to be overheard.
“Well, looks like this is it,” Hank said, pacing the floor in long strides, his hands behind him.
She reached out and stopped him, looking up at him as he turned to her. “Don’t worry, Hank. It’ll be fine. I never thought much about what kind of wedding I’d have, only the kind of marriage it would be.”
“Oh,” he said, his hands clasped behind him. “I do promise to keep you safe, and try my darndest to make you happy, Clara. That, I can promise.”
Her heart pinched at the sincerity in his voice, and once again, she’d felt she was making the right decision. As she’d glanced around her future home with new eyes, she hoped this wouldn’t be the first time her instincts failed her.
Now, after another night of tossing and turning in her bed, she was less certain. She had hung up all of her dresses when she’d arrived, but they were all too wrinkled—and too
Clara looked down at her hands clasped around the book. She picked it up and held it to her chest as she turned to Hank.
“I’m sure. I came for a new, happy life and I mean to have one.”
Hank’s blue eyes twinkled as he leaned forward, then caught himself, sitting upright again as he cleared his throat. He pulled his hat down further on his forehead and flicked the reins.
“Thank you, Clara. I’m mighty grateful, and Pa will be, too.”
Clara’s heart slowed to normal after it had taken off like the horses when Hank had leaned in toward her. Had she wanted him to kiss her? The foolishness of that thought struck her like lightning. This was a marriage in name only, and she’d best keep all other thoughts out of her head.
Chapter 15
E verything had moved so quickly , Clara wasn’t sure which way was up. She couldn’t forget sensing Beau’s relief as she and Hank told him of their decision. They did both chuckle when, after he’d regained his composure, he’d asked, “How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Clara had said, her body stiffening for a moment before she relaxed into the decision again, knowing she was doing the right thing.
Hank’s anxious frown smoothed away as she said, “Tomorrow would be fine if we can get a license and pastor in time. I don’t know how long it takes—”
Beau held up his index finger as he turned and reached into a roll-top desk and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Hank.
“You went ahead and applied for a marriage license for us?”
Beau put his thumbs in the sides of his black, satin vest as his chest puffed out. He rocked forward and backward on his leather boots. “I did. Thought it would save time when you two did decide, and the courthouse said all you need to do is sign it and add the date. And Pastor Grayson’s been on alert, too.”
Clara let out a breath as she took a peek at the marriage license with her name on it, and she struggled to take a breath back in as it all suddenly became very real.
Her eyes met Hank’s, and he folded the paper and handed it back to Beau. “You okay with tomorrow, Clara?”
Her hands went to her earrings—the pears from her mother—and she stood tall, saying, “Yes. Yes, I’m sure, and tomorrow is fine.”
Her own personal butterflies that resided in her stomach—as she now thought of them—took flight as Hank smiled at her, his laugh lines etched in his tanned, handsome face. He took her hand, his eyes twinkling as he kissed the back of it and quietly said, “Thank you.”
“Oh, yes, thank you,” Beau said, almost as an afterthought as he replaced the marriage license back in the desk and rolled the top shut.
“I presume that James and Suzanne can bring you tomorrow. We’ll have the wedding here, and maybe lunch at the Occidental if I can arrange it. Noon would be fine..” Beau’s voice trailed off as he headed into the kitchen—to make the arrangements for her wedding, she presumed.
As soon as he was out of earshot, they both laughed, Clara putting her hand over her mouth so as not to be overheard.
“Well, looks like this is it,” Hank said, pacing the floor in long strides, his hands behind him.
She reached out and stopped him, looking up at him as he turned to her. “Don’t worry, Hank. It’ll be fine. I never thought much about what kind of wedding I’d have, only the kind of marriage it would be.”
“Oh,” he said, his hands clasped behind him. “I do promise to keep you safe, and try my darndest to make you happy, Clara. That, I can promise.”
Her heart pinched at the sincerity in his voice, and once again, she’d felt she was making the right decision. As she’d glanced around her future home with new eyes, she hoped this wouldn’t be the first time her instincts failed her.
Now, after another night of tossing and turning in her bed, she was less certain. She had hung up all of her dresses when she’d arrived, but they were all too wrinkled—and too
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