“All of my things are here,” Tilly said.
“It won’t take long to pull them together. Besides, I think we need the time to catch up after what you’ve done.” Jamie turned away, and Tilly snapped her mouth shut. She was getting what she wanted, and if it meant she had to spend one evening and one morning listening to her brother rant about her foolish choices, then so be it.
Grudgingly, she stood and began to follow him. He paused next to Mr. Hannan and leaned closed to his ear. “You don’t show tomorrow, I’ll have an army of men searching for you.”
To his credit, Mr. Hannan didn’t back down. Instead he held Jamie’s gaze and said, “Of course I’ll be there. I’m a man of my word.”
Thank you, Tilly mouthed at him as she passed. He deserved so much more than her gratitude, but it was all she could give.
He nodded and gave her a tight smile. This wasn’t what he wanted. She knew that, and yet she’d taken actions that had pushed him into it.
She had come here hoping for love and a grand adventure. Now, she’d simply have to be happy with becoming Mrs. Hannan.
THIS WAS NOT THE WEDDINGshe’d dreamed of.
But it was a wedding nonetheless, and at least the minister and his wife seemed happy for them. Tilly looked to Mrs. Canton for reassurance as she waited for the ceremony to start. The woman gave her a motherly smile that made Tilly wish desperately for her own mother.
Among the many things she simply hadn’t thought of was getting married without either of her parents or her sisterpresent. It hurt, not having them there, but perhaps it was for the best. After all, she still couldn’t figure out if anyone believed this to be a happy occasion.
She tried to make the best of it. The little church was decorated simply with pine boughs and red ribbons for the Christmas season. She was wearing her favorite Sunday dress, which she’d had to steam the wrinkles from after its journey stuffed into her carpetbag. Reverend and Mrs. Canton were two of the kindest people Tilly had ever met. Jamie wasn’t scowling at her for the first time since she’d arrived in town. His wife, Edie, had expressed her reservations but had pulled Tilly close for a hug before she’d met Mr. Hannan at the altar.
And of course, there was Mr. Hannan. Or Liam, rather. He’d stiffly asked her to call him that when he arrived at the church a few minutes earlier. He looked so handsome that it nearly took her breath away. He’d combed back his hair and wore the finest suit Tilly had seen on any man since she had arrived here. When he took her hands, she thought she might faint from the strong and reassuring way he held them.
She caught her breath and looked up at him. He was watching her with those dark blue eyes. She wished she could read his thoughts. Was he at least a little happy with the thought of marrying her?
Don’t raise your expectations, she chided herself as the minister began the ceremony. If she got her hopes up too high, she was almost certain to be disappointed.
But Liam smiled at her then, and it was impossible to ignore the hope that flitted through her.
They said their vows, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, Reverend Canton pronounced them man and wife.
Liam leaned forward, and Tilly realized she’d forgotten all about what normally happened at the end of a marriage ceremony.
The kiss.
Her stomach flipped and her heart tried to run out of her chest. What was she supposed to do? The only kiss she’d ever had was from Freddy Nelson when she was sixteen. And that was something awkward and messy that she’d rather forget.
Before she could decide what to do, Liam had pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes closed as he gently laid a hand on her arm. All her nerves dissipated, and for a moment, it was just the two of them. His hand tightened around her arm, and without realizing what she was doing, Tilly steadied herself with a hand against his chest. A strangled sort of noise, low and urgent, sounded from his throat, and Liam pulled away quickly.
Taken by surprise, Tilly’s eyes flew open, and she found him staring down at her as if he’d never seen her before. She gave him a weak smile as Reverend Canton took a step forward to congratulate them. Liam dropped his hand from Tilly’s arm to shake the minister’s hand.
Tilly immediately found herself enveloped in a hug from Mrs. Canton and then from Edie.
“We’ll have you both over for supper on Friday, all right?” Edie said.
Tilly nodded, grateful for the invitation. Edie, she’d quickly discovered, had a way of making anyone feel welcome and wanted.
“You can come to us at any time,” Jamie said as he wrapped his arms around her. “Remember that.” He backed away and cast a distrustful look toward Liam.
“I’ll be just fine,” she said. “He’s a good man.” There was no way her brother would have allowed this marriage to proceed otherwise.
Jamie finally nodded. “He is,” he said grudgingly. “For the most part. Keep him away from Denver.”
Tilly raised her eyebrows as Liam reached for her hand. That was something she supposed she’d need to ask her new husband about.
Husband. The word echoed happily through her mind as Liam’s hand curled around hers. There was no better feeling in the world, and she smiled up at him. But he was looking ahead as he led the way toward the door.
Outside, tiny flakes of snow drifted from the few clouds overhead. It was a perfectly beautiful day, and Tilly thought she could almost feel the joy of the upcoming holiday in the air.
