Page 91 of The Rancher's Wedding

The door opened before she could even finish her sentence and Jacob pulled the envelope out of her hands.

He was careful opening the seal, trying to avoid tearing the paper as he broke the wax seal. When he pulled it out, it was two pages, which Jacob began to skim.

“Come on,” Michael said. “Read it aloud. We want to hear it, too.”

Jacob cleared his throat. “‘Dearest Jacob, I have received your letter from Mr. Williams. I must say, it took me by surprise. For starters, I was under the impression that he would be bringing my darling Estelle back home with him. Imagine my disappointment when he only handed me a letter!’”

Jacob’s face dropped as he read that, but he kept going.

“‘I read the letter you wrote, then immediately read it again, for I couldn’t believe what it had said. I thought it must be some kind of poor attempt at humor, but Mr. Williams insisted that it was not. He said you were genuine.

“‘I still find it difficult to believe him. If this is some kind of cruel joke, I must demand you never send me another letter, for my heart cannot take such wanton manipulation. So I will answer you genuinely, and assume you wrote with the most honest of intentions and not to hurt me.

“‘The answer to whether or not I will marry you is…’”

Jacob quickly moved to the second sheet of paper, read it, and then looked up at Michael and Estelle.

“‘...yes,’” he said.

His smile spread across his face and Michael thought he might need to grab his brother to keep him from falling if he fainted. Jacob managed to stay on his two feet.

“Is that it?” Estelle asked.

“Just let him have his moment,” Michael said.

Jacob held the letters close to his heart, embracing them as he would Megan if she was here with them. Then he looked back down at the letter and continued.

“‘I am packing my bags and arranging my travels to Grafton Town. I promise to arrive as soon as I can, though it may take several weeks to get my affairs in order. After all, I won’t just be visiting: I’ll be staying.

“‘The good news is that by the time you receive this letter, I should already be on my way to you. I hope you’re ready for me.’”

“She’s on her way,” Estelle said. “How wonderful!”

Jacob cleared his throat and read the end of the letter. “‘Lots of love, Megan Richardson, the future Mrs. Jacob Holden.”

Estelle looked at Michael. “Remember me telling you to dream bigger?” she asked.

He nodded. “I see what you mean,” he said. “You were absolutely right.”

Epilogue

Six months later

The sun rose on another day, sending a beam of light to the ceiling of Estelle’s room. She laid in bed for a moment, appreciating the warmth of her blanket as the world outside was edging closer and closer to winter. Months ago, she asked her husband if it would ever stop feeling like a dream. He said it wouldn’t and, at least so far, he was right. Sleep seemed like such a waste of time when there was so much to be awake for.

Since she had married Michael, every day was special, but they all seemed to be over so quickly. Before she knew it, they had passed their six-month anniversary and she had a feeling that the next six months would also go by in an instant. And yet so much had been stuffed into that time.

Megan had arrived and married Jacob and the two of them became accustomed to helping on the farm. They’d spend the days working and the evenings sitting around a fire, telling stories of the past and looking forward to the future.

Estelle rose out of bed, which was starting to become difficult for her. She put her hands on her stomach and, though she couldn’t feel any kicks yet, she knew it was just a matter of time. Boy or girl, she couldn’t wait to meet the newest member of their happy family.

She opened the drapes to her window and saw that the ground was covered in a light layer of snow: the first of the year. She shivered and put on a coat, then spent another minute or so taking in all the beauty of the ranch. It was the same place she’d lived for more than half the year and, yet, with the snowfall, it had been transformed into a completely new place, barely recognizable to her.

And she loved it.

Estelle opened the door to her room and the smells of the kitchen filled her head, bringing her an instant supply of happiness. With her pregnancy, Megan had taken over much of the kitchen work and, though Estelle had improved her cooking in the time since she’d arrived in Utah, she had to confess that Megan was much better at it.

Estelle walked down the stairs and, upon seeing Megan at the stove, said, “Good morning.”

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