Page 79 of The Rancher's Wedding

“But I asked you not to. You aren’t to blame. This is my problem to solve.”

“Maybe,” Jacob said, “but now he’s mad at the both of us. He’s my brother. I should have told him.”

“Jacob, please. Michael will forgive you. I forgive you. Be kind to him for me.”

Jacob nodded.

“We’re going to miss you,” he said.

“Please don’t,” Estelle said. “Be happy knowing that you gave me the best two months of my life. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.”

She wasn’t fully sure she even believed what she was saying. Of course, it was the best two months of her life, but sometimes things could be too good if you had to give them up.

When she left Jacob’s cabin, there wasn’t much else for her to do, so she grabbed her suitcase. It felt so heavy when she’d first arrived. She couldn’t even lift it. Now, the combination of it being not nearly as full and the work she’d gotten used to on the ranch had given her enough strength to carry it. She was confident she’d be able to make it to Grafton Town circle where she could find Ethan and return to Philadelphia.

She left the house and saw a stagecoach coming down the path to the house. She thought it must be Ethan, coming to take her away before she could even say goodbye to Michael, but then the stagecoach stopped and a man got out. It wasn’t Ethan at all.

It was her father.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Michael arrived back at the ranch and saw both Estelle and Jacob laughing along with a third party, whom he didn’t recognize.

Laughter?Michael thought.What did I miss?

As he rode Orion closer, the three noted him and Estelle ran over to him.

“Michael,” she said, “come over here and meet my father.”

Her father?

He dismounted Orion and tied him to a post, then extended his hand to the older gentleman guest: Estelle’s father.

“Richard Williams,” her father said, meeting Michael’s hand and shaking it.

“Michael Holden,” Michael said, tentatively. The day had been a series of ups and downs and it wasn’t clear where he stood with this man. Michael remained polite, but slightly withdrawn, unclear if this laughter was genuine or some kind of an act. When he’d left, the ranch had been nothing but high drama, full of secrets and lies, and a man who was making serious threats. Michael had already come to terms with having to make sacrifices for the woman he loved, but the jovial nature of everyone took him by surprise.

Could it be possible that this was all some kind of misunderstanding?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Holden,” Richard said. “Or should I call you son?”

“You should call you whichever you prefer,” Michael said.

“Michael,” Estelle said, “it’s all right. Father has arrived with some wonderful news. Go put Orion away and I’ll make some lemonade for us all. We have much to discuss.”

Michael was confused and cautious, but he took his wife at her word, walking Orion back to his stable and providing him with some hay and a gentle pat on the nose as he returned to the house.

***

“It takes a big man to admit when he was wrong,” Richard said, “and I was wrong. I realized that shortly after Estelle left, but I couldn’t admit it out loud or in writing because I signed an agreement and I’m a man of my word. If I could do it over again, I wouldn’t have made the deal for a number of reasons, the most important being I care about my daughter’s happiness.”

He gestured toward Estelle and smiled at her.

“It is good seeing you again, Estelle, you’ve been greatly missed back at home,” Richard said.

Estelle smiled back and blushed. “I’ve missed you as well,” she said.

“Everything seems to be okay,” Michael said, “but I don’t understand. Are you saying that Estelle is not arranged to marry Ethan?”

---