Page 54 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

Marjory smiled. “Is that so?” She took his arms and kissed his cheek. Together they ambled slowly back to the cabin.

Meredith gave the horses a good rub down and fed them extra oats before she headed to the big house to make lunch. With a sandwich and ice tea, she sat outside on the back deck and stared at the garden, wondering what Jace would say to her. A knot of apprehension sat in the center of her gut, making her food unappetizing. Willow and one of her mindless conversations would be the perfect distraction, but Willow had gone into town and Meredith had nothing but her thoughts. She hated not knowing what he might be upset about. Was it getting Pops on a horse? If it had been such a bad idea, why had Marjory gone along with it? That would be her argument.

Leaving most of her sandwich on the plate, she watered the garden, taking pride in the little seedlings popping through the ground and finding a sense of success with her hard work. Meredith wanted to stomp her foot. Yeah, Jace could be mad at her, but Pops and Marjory had been all for the ride, and his father had never stopped smiling. So there! That was what she would hold on to, and if he was angry, like she thought he was, he could just go pound sand or something. When she turned tocutoff the water, Jace was standing there. She hadn’t heard him come up.

With his hand on the water spigot, he asked, “You done?” The question seemed loaded, about more than watering the garden.

She nodded, the hose going slack in her hand. She let go as he reeled it in and moved to the deck to sit at the table. She would not try to anticipate him. She’d done that with her father and hated it about herself.

When he finished with the hose, he faced her, one hand on his hip. “About my dad.”

“He looked happy, didn’t he?” To hide her nervousness, she peeled the crust from her sandwich.

Jace sucked in a breath, as if pulling back the words he was going to say with an inhalation, and nodded. “He did look real happy, but it’s not your place—”

“Oh, Meredith,” Marjory called as she stepped out from inside the house. “I’ve been looking for you. Pops is out like a light, exhausted.”

Meredith cut her eyes to Jace and saw the thin press of his lips.

“But he’s over the moon with happiness. What you did for him today, getting him on that horse, it was good for him. Good for his soul.” Marjory crossed the deck. She pulled Meredith from the chair, the sandwich falling on the plate, and wrapped Meredith in a tight hug. “I cannot thank you enough. I knew he’d been wanting to do it, just didn’t know how, and your solution was so simple. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of it. Thank you, child. Thank you.”

Meredith hugged her back, not looking at Jace.

“I’m glad Pops was happy, Ma, but it was real dangerous of him to get up there. We might not want to do that again.”

With surprising force, Marjory pushed her away and spun toher son. “You listen here, Jace Shepard. If your father wants to do it tomorrow, he’ll do it again tomorrow. Soon, he won’t be able to move, and that will destroy him, so you give him what he wants. You understand me?”

Jace ducked his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

She stepped up to him and put her hand on his arms. “I know you’re worried. I am, too. But we have to let him live his life as scared as we may be. You understand, son?”

Jace nodded and stood like a petulant child as his mother hugged him. “I’m going to struggle with things that could put him danger,” he said.

“Taking a shower puts him in danger, but your father has been very good at knowing his limits.”

Meredith averted her eyes, feeling very much like a voyeur. The air was thick with emotion, so she decided to take her plate and cup inside. Unfortunately, they followed her.

“Your wife really fits in here, Jace.” Marjory said from behind her.

Meredith smiled. It was a high compliment indeed.

“Why do you sound so surprised, Ma?“ Jace asked.

Meredith had heard the wonder in Marjory's statement as well but had decided to let it go. She wished Jace would have too.

“I'll admit I was surprised and well...suspicious when Meredith showed up,” Marjory said, coming alongside Meredith as they walked to the kitchen. “You have to admit the timing was perfect considering what Pop's had said to you, Jace.”

Meredith put her dishes in the sink and began to wash them, her back to Jace and Marjory.

An excruciating moment of silence passed.

Jace sighed heavily. “Ah, well...”

Meredith longed for more dishes to wash as she finished hers. She did not want to lie to his mother, a woman who had become her friend.

“But,” Marjory boomed. “You two are so well suited it doesn't matter to me how Meredith came to be here. You both are good complements to each other, and having you here, Meredith”––Marjory came to stand next to her––“is a blessing to this family. A true blessing. I am so proud you're a Shepard.”

Marjory flung an arm around Meredith's shoulder and tugged her close. “You're an easy person to love,” she whispered in Meredith's ear.

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