As he walked, he squared his shoulders. He had given his word to Callum. No matter his doubts, he would not break his promise. Heidi needed him, and he would be there for her.
Turner strode toward him from another row of shanties. As he neared, he lifted a hand. "Morning. Are you ready?"
Two Stones nodded as they fell into step together. "I am."
Neither of them spoke again until they reached Heidi's door. He paused to knock. Would he ever reach a friendship with this woman where he could be himself and simply walk in?
A longing slipped in his chest as he waited for Heidi to open the door. Hewanteda friendship between them, like what he'd had with her father. Or maybe more like what was between himand Jericho Coulter. Both as equals, knowing each other well and accepting all parts.
As the door opened and Heidi stood in the frame, any thought of Jericho pushed to the back of his mind. How could he have ever compared her to that overgrown bear of a man?
He'd rarely been drawn to white women, probably because most of the ones he'd met were loud and coarse, working in saloons and saying whatever necessary to lure the men into handing over their gold.
He preferred a quiet woman, and he usually found them only among his own people.The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,the Bible called it. A woman didn't even need to possess much beauty if her manner was kind and her spirit joyful.
Heidi Morgan had far more outer beauty than most. She was quiet too. But not, he believed, in a peaceful, contented way. It felt like more like intentionally holding back, afraid to be who God made her to be.
He offered a smile. Or what he hoped she would see as a smile. Many years had passed since he last tried to win over a female. "Are you ready?"
She nodded, any hint of joy leaching out of her expression, leaving her features pinched. Shadows under her eyes showed she hadn't slept well. Which weighed heavier on her—grief for her father's passing or being forced to marry him?
That thought would do him no favors, so he pushed it aside and followed Heidi into the shack to see what he should carry.
"We'll come back here to load the horses after...?" She didn't seem to want to speak the name of the ceremony.
His middle clenched tighter as he nodded. "After we are married, I will bring the horses here to load our supplies." He wouldn't allow their union to grow into a silent mountain between them. He would pledge himself to her before God.Whether she wanted him or not, he would do everything he could to gain her friendship.
They walked with Turner past the edge of town and stopped at a grassy area. The mountains in the distance rose up to the clouds, easing his spirit even as he filled his chest with a strengthening breath.
He glanced at Heidi to see if the view did the same for her. She was paler than usual, her eyes downcast and her posture rigid. Though she held her chin high in a show of courage, her fingers twisted the fabric of her dress.
When she saw him watching her, her features smoothed into a stoic mask. He could do nothing to ease her worries other than offering an encouraging smile as they faced Turner.
The preacher cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"
Two Stones nodded, and Heidi must have too, for Turner opened his Bible and began reading the marriage liturgy in a steady voice that carried in the still morning air. Two Stones had heard this service twice before, and the meaning of the words swelled through him.
When it came time to exchange vows, Heidi's voice barely rose above a whisper. But she spoke the words clearly. "I, Heidi Morgan, take thee, Two Stones, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live."
To love and to cherish. Was she still completely set against those? If that was what she wanted, he wouldn't press her for anything at all.
But when he repeated the vows in turn, he spoke them as a silent prayer to the Father.Show me how to love and cherish this woman in a way that makes her feel safe and treasured. Without going back on our agreement.
When Turner grinned and said, "It's customary for the bride and groom to kiss now," Two Stones wanted to glare at him.
The memory of that at the end of the other ceremonies slipped in, though. He couldn't shame Heidi by refusing, yet by the wariness in her gaze, he feared she’d bolt faster than a frightened fox.
He took one of Heidi's hands instead and lifted it to press a kiss to the backs of her fingers. It seemed the only way to keep his distance and still honor her.
The relief easing her face showed he'd chosen right, and the corners of her mouth even curved in the slightest of smiles.
Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he'd imagined. The two of them might be walking into an unknown future, but if they worked at it together, they could make a good life.
He would do all in his power to make sure she never regretted choosing him.
CHAPTER 5
Finally. They'd put Virginia City behind them.
