Rocky Mountain Hitched: Contemporary Western Romance (To Love Again Book 6) (4 page)

“Are you saying I just agreed to marry a horse?” She laughed loudly.

“A stud,” he said, closing the distance between them.

“The finest stud in the land.” She looped her hands behind his neck and pulled him down to kiss him. “I’m marrying the finest stud in the land.”

Heart full, he scooped her up and spun her around. “Yippee!”

CHAPTER FOUR

Placing a basket of rolls on the table, Isabel slid into her chair beside Tray.

Susan touched her shoulder lightly as she brushed past with a large bowl of dumplings. “How’s the leg today? You don’t seem to be favoring it as much.”

“Better, thanks. Still swollen but I can put most of my weight on it.”

“Ready to go riding again?” Michael winked across the table to her. “Best to get right back on that horse.”

Tray stifled a laugh and Isabel’s cheeks grew warm. Michael’s eyes narrowed. Susan jabbed her husband in the ribs before turning her attention to the kids.

“We’ll go riding again after lunch,” Isabel said. “I’ll probably just ride with Tray.”

Betty set a large pot on a maple butcher block cutting board and lowered herself into her spot at the head of the table. “Michael’s right. You need to get back on the horse.” She ladled stew into bowls and passed them down the table. “Thank you, God, let’s eat,” she said, giving the children permission to start. “Dig in before it gets cold. Susan, pass those dumplings around.”

Dipping her spoon into the stew, Isabel let the family chatter wash over her. Her gaze wandered around the group - at Betty, Jesse and Anne, Susan and Michael, the collection of rowdy, miniature people jostling for more dumplings - and her stomach fluttered. This would be her family now. She stifled a grin, amazed at how things could change so much in so short a time. Under the table, Tray squeezed her thigh lightly. She winked at him and he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Betty cried, dropping her spoon on the table. “Trahern Frances Taylor, you already proposed to the girl.”

“Trahern?” Isabel asked, swiveling to meet Tray’s eyes.

He shrugged. “It’s Welsh.”

“No diversions. No, no,” said Michael, clearing his throat. “Is this true, Tray? Did you propose?”

Betty half rose in her seat and cuffed Tray on the ear. “You told me not ten minutes ago you were going to propose in the coulee.”

He fended her off, laughing. “I told you what you wanted to hear, Mother.”

“You lied to me,” she huffed.

“I stretched the truth. But yes, now that the secret is out … we’re engaged.”

Susan and Ann rose and made their way around the table to hug Isabel. The kids jumped in circles around their uncle. Michael and Jesse each reached across to shake their brother’s hand. Lunch all but forgotten, Betty tapped a fork against her glass to get everyone’s attention.

“Kids, sit down and finish your lunch. Everyone else, too, sit.” She waited while they all returned to their chairs before she raised her glass. “A toast,” she said, “to Tray and Isabel. Isabel, we all welcome you to the family. Although we’ve only known you a day, you’ve already found a place in our hearts, just as you’ve found a place in Tray’s. Welcome.”

“Welcome.” Water glasses and chipped coffee mugs clinked together around the table.

Isabel dabbed at her eyes, not trusting herself to speak. “Thank you all,” she said, smiling through her tears. Tray squeezed her hand.

“Tray,” continued Jesse, raising both his voice and his glass over the din, “I thought the day would never come so it’s fitting I went to church this morning. ‘Cause otherwise I wouldn’t believe this kind of miracle.”

Laughter rippled through them and Isabel took a deep breath, savoring the break in tension.

“Where’s the ring?” asked Lizzie. “Isn’t there supposed to be a ring?”

Tray’s eyes widened and Isabel winked at him. “Not always Lizzie,” she explained. “For right now, we just made a promise to each other.”

“But I want to see the ring.” Lizzie bounced on her toes. “Mommy, I want to see Auntie Isabel’s ring.”

Ann motioned Lizzie to the other side of the table. Michael piped up. “There is a ring though, right Tray?”

Isabel heard Tray’s chair scrape against the floor and turned to find him lowering himself to his knee yet again. “Thank you, yes, there is.”

“There’s a ring?” She shifted in her chair to face him straight on, feeling like a bug on a pin. She could never have imagined an engagement like this. “So your whole plan was to catch me completely off guard - both here and in the barn?”

“You proposed in the barn?” Ann’s mouth dropped open.

“It’s not important where he proposed,” Betty said. “Shush now.”

Tray reached into his shirt pocket and presented a small red velvet box. She shivered as he held it toward her and slowly opened it. The exquisite square cut emerald, surrounded by diamonds, was perched in a white gold setting. Her breath caught in her throat. She dabbed at her eyes again.

“I was so excited earlier that I forgot the ring.” He grinned widely at her. “Will you - in front of my family and God and the stew and all the dumplings… ” She laughed. “Will you Isabel consent, again, to marry me?”

She nodded, swiped at the tears threatening to run down her cheeks and held out her hand. He slid the ring on her finger. “It fits perfectly,” she said.

“It’s a perfect fit, and so are we.” He rose slightly to hug her and the room fell away as she snuggled into his embrace.

Jesse cleared his throat. “Congratulations guys and, by the way, there’s pie.”

Echoes of congratulations rang out and Susan rose to help Betty with the pie and coffee.

Isabel’s chest heaved slightly and she reached for Tray’s hand. “How did you know I love emeralds?”

“I have my ways,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Do you like it?”

She stretched her arm out, admiring the light bouncing off the gems. “I love it.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Ann, appearing at her side. “Very elegant, Tray.” She nodded her approval to her brother-in-law and touched Isabel’s shoulder. “I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

“Me, too,” Isabel said. “Thanks for making me feel so welcome.”

“It’s not everyday Tray falls … I hope you know how special he is.” Her forehead creased.

“Believe me, I do,” she said, winking at him. “I really do.”

CHAPTER FIVE

The intercom cracked and Heidi’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Dr. Chapel? Jenny is here to see you.”

“Show her in, Heidi.” Barely able to contain herself, Isabel reached the door just as Heidi threw it open. She flung her arms around Jenny and pulled her into the office. “You want coffee?” Turning to Heidi, she said, “Please grab us some cappuccinos from downstairs. One for yourself, too.” Heidi nodded and shut the door behind her.

“Ohmigawd Isabel, what? You’ve had me in suspense for the last two hours. Why couldn’t you just tell me on the phone?” Jenny shook the dampness from the light snowfall out of her hair, streaked with a fluorescent orange.

Isabel flipped her friend’s hair. “You colored your hair again?” As usual, Jenny could pull almost anything off. What might look like a hair disaster on someone else, looked fun and flirty on Jenny.

She shrugged. “Sunday was boring. No skiing, no …. Wait a minute,” she said, wagging her finger, “this isn’t about my hair. Tell me why you summoned me at the crack of dawn and then made me wait two hours.”

“I had clients,” Isabel said, settling into one of the love seats. “This was my first opening.”

“Great, you’re so busy now you have to schedule your best friend.” Jenny threw her purse and coat in a heap on a chair and sat down across from her. She tweaked her hand in a “come here” motion. “Give. What’s the news?”

Biting her lip to control the smile threatening to consume her face, she held her left hand out to Jenny. Her friend looked up at her wide-eyed.

“You said yes!”

“What?” She pulled her hand back as if she’d been burned.

“I mean… you’re engaged?”

“You can’t fool me, Jenny. You knew about this?”

Her friend shifted and lowered her eyes. “I helped Tray pick out the ring.”

Isabel’s mouth dropped open. “You knew about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I gave you two really big hints on Saturday morning. Remember?”

She thought back to their phone conversation. “Oh, yeah, but it seemed so ludicrous, I thought you were just joking.”

“Because that was the only way I could tell you. I just wanted to plant a seed so you wouldn’t tell Tray it was ludicrous. I had this image of him on one knee and you running for the hills with your hair on fire.”

“Still, you could have warned me …”

“Issy, I did warn you. You wouldn’t want me to give away the whole surprise, would you?”

She shook her head and laughed softly. “No need, his family did a good job of that. Pretty much from the minute I walked in the door.”

“Details. I want to know exactly what happened. All weekend. How did the sleigh ride go?”

“You knew about that, too?”

“Tray wanted a little advice and I proved a good sounding board is all. He didn’t want to risk you saying no. Although,” she paused and looked straight at Isabel, “I thought you would say no.”

“That’s the funny thing because I thought I would, too. But in the moment, I was completely swept up.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I’m really excited.”

Heidi knocked lightly and stepped inside with the coffees. She placed the tray on the table. “Anything else, Dr. Chapel? I picked up some muffins, too.”

“Thanks Heidi, we’re good for now.” Her assistant made her way back to the outer office, pulling the door closed behind her.

“Now.” Jenny leaned forward to pick up one of the coffees, “Spill. Details.”

Isabel laughed. She had forty-five minutes until her next appointment. She settled in and brought Jenny up to speed. When she was done, she set her empty cup on the table and leaned back.

“I’m so proud of you, Issy,” Jenny said. “And thrilled for you both. When can we start planning the wedding?”

“We haven’t set a date, but we’re thinking of having an engagement party in Banff over Easter weekend.”

Jenny clapped her hands. “Perfect. We’ll plan it together. Just let me know what you need.” She tilted her head, lips pursed. “I am going to be your maid of honor, right?”

“As if there could be anyone else. Of course, I’d be honored if you would be my maid of honor. No one else would ever do.” She winked. “Let me flesh the brunch idea out a little more with Tray, then we’ll start planning.”

“How is this going to fit in with all your appearances for the book?”

She shrugged. “It’s pretty intense for the next few weeks - in fact I have a TV interview coming up - after that it will be more manageable. I think I can squeeze getting married into my schedule.”

Glancing at her watch, Jenny rose. “You have more clients in a few minutes, right?”

“Soon. Before you go I want to hear what happened with Kip this weekend.” She reached over to touch her forearm. “You talked to him, right?”

Her face brightened. “He misses me.”

“Of course he does. Did you ask him about talking more often?”

“I didn’t have to. He brought it up first.” She beamed. “He said it’s even worse when he can’t talk to me, so we’re back to calling and texting when we want. He hinted he might come over in the next couple of months - maybe a conference or training event.”

Isabel gave her friend a quick hug. “Great. Maybe he can be here for Easter.”

“Maybe.” Jenny threw her coat over her arm and grabbed her purse from the chair. “Let’s talk more soon. What about next weekend?”

“I have to check with my editor. She said they might be moving up some of the book events.”

“Let me know then,” Jenny said, leaning in to air kiss her cheek. “Congrats, Issy. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Behind her the intercom crackled on the desk. She needed to have someone look at it, it sounded like it had a short. “Dr. Chapel…” came Heidi’s disembodied voice. Isabel pulled the door open to find her clients pacing the floor. “I’ll be right with you,” she said. She reached again for Jenny’s arm and they shared a big smile before she showed the Steiners into her office.

CHAPTER SIX

“Nancy, I’m not sure I’m ready.” Her hair felt like a helmet. The makeup person had sprayed her for almost five minutes. She’d probably never get a brush through it ever again.

“You look great, come on.” Nancy pulled her along the hallway, keeping pace with the production assistant with the clipboard leading the way.

“We’re walking, we’re walking …” Isabel could hear the PA say into her mouth piece, before she glanced over her shoulder to catch her eye. “You’re on in sixty seconds, Dr. Chapel.”