Page 70 of The Rancher's Wedding

“Of course. You have a lovely day, ma’am.”

“You as well, sir.”

He put the necklace inside his jacket pocket as he walked out the door. Remembering he was in the city now, he looked carefully both ways to see if anyone was watching him before making his way over to Buttercup. Thieves tended to target men and women walking out of jewelers.

He began his long ride home.

***

Once the sun set and it got too dark to continue, Michael set up camp in the middle of the desert, putting together a small fire for warmth and safety. Then, he lay down facing the sky, using a rock as his pillow, and allowed his mind to wander.

As usual, it turned toward Estelle. Her face had burned itself into his mind so that he saw her every time he closed her eyes. But every time he truly saw her, in person, he realized how poorly he remembered what she looked like. He had her features down, the hazel eyes and every single freckle on her nose, but they never fully came together to recreate the magic of seeing her in person.

It was just like he remembered how it felt to kiss her, but still wanted to do it again and again. It was strange how vivid memory could be and, at the same time, so inadequate.

As he’d gotten to know her, though, he’d fallen in love with more than just how she looked. He loved the way she never gave up and how she refused to settle for “good enough” with anything. When she first arrived, she had been a terrible cook. Michael would have been happy if she merely practiced enough to put together a satisfactory meal. But, no, that wasn’t her way. She’d quickly moved to meals that required her cooking multiple elements at the same time. And he loved her for it.

He thought about the other day, when Estelle had come to him because she had something urgent to tell him. Michael felt his stomach drop when he realized he’d left in the morning without giving her a chance to tell him what it was. The day before, he had dismissed it because it didn’t matter. She had already revealed that she wasn’t an orphan, what more could there be? How many different ways could he convince her that these things about her past didn’t matter? Or, to put it another way, they did matter, but wouldn’t change the fact that he cared about her.

He had taken her to see the old ranch because he wanted her to know about his past. At least, that was part of it. The other part was because he wanted to go back. A part of him knew he had to face the most horrible evening of his life if he was going to ever get past it. By taking Estelle with him, he allowed her to be the support he needed to face that nightmare.

As he thought about the way she made him feel that day, like he was supported, he felt guilty for shutting her down the night before, even if it was with the best of intentions.

When he returned to the ranch, he promised himself, he’d ask her about what she wanted to talk about. Perhaps the moment had passed for her, but he at least wanted to give her the opportunity to talk to him without interrupting her.

He pulled the necklace out of his jacket pocket and looked at it as it reflected the light from the fire. Estelle hadn’t even received it yet and already it reminded him of her.

At the store, it called to him as soon as the woman told him its history. Perhaps that’s what made the connection in his head.

Before this necklace, Michael hadn’t considered that jewelry could have a story. It was the same as Estelle. To him, she came into existence the moment he first saw her. Even the letters didn’t seem to make her real. It was actually meeting her in person that did it.

And she was beautiful.

But as he got to know her, he learned that there was more to her than just her beauty. And her history, whatever it might be, would make her even more beautiful to him.

He knew it.

Michael returned the necklace to its box and rewrapped it in the paper for Estelle before placing it back in his jacket. He rolled over and looked at Buttercup, reins tied to a stake in the ground.

“Goodnight, Buttercup,” he said.

But she was already asleep. It had been a very long day for her.

And for him, too, he realized as soon as he shut his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The day had passed slowly for Estelle, who remained by Jacob’s side for most of it, working on the farm and going through the usual motions, though all of it was done knowing that, at any minute, Ethan could come down the trail to the house and take her away forever. It made the work more exhausting than usual and, by noon, all she wanted to do was lie down and rest.

Jacob motivated her to continue, however, in a light, gentle way, and, just as she usually did with Michael, they finished right around sunset. Estelle took the opportunity to look at the sun falling below the horizon and appreciate that Michael was probably looking at it right then, too.

Come home soon, Michael, she thought.Please.

Jacob did sleep in the house with her, but it didn’t help much. She still spent the evening tossing and turning. The few moments when she fell asleep, half-remembered nightmares woke her up, leaving her shaking and scared.

As a result, Estelle didn’t get much rest that night and got out of bed at dawn, thinking about the same thing that had been occupying her mind for what must have been weeks by now.

I have to tell Michael, she thought.I need to get it out of my mind. I need him back here so I can tell him.

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