Page 78 of Wagon Train Promises
She stopped. “I don’t know what else there is to say, but go ahead.”
Edging around so he faced her, he began. “Louise, I don’t love Hazel. We’re good friends. Almost like brother and sister.”
“That’s not very kind to her.”
“She feels the same.”
“How do you know that?”
“Well…” Good question. “We often talk about her brother Carson. She says she can’t wait until we reach the fort and she can see him again. He and I are good friends. She says in the meantime, she’ll accept me as a substitute brother.” There, did that convince her? It should. But he had one other argument that would.
“Are you sure you aren’t misunderstanding what she means?”
“Louise, if you look at things with an open mind, you might notice that she has eyes for someone else.”
That set her back. She blinked. Opened her mouth. Blinked again. “Walt’s married. That leaves— Really? You’re sure?”
“I promised I wouldn’t say anything, so don’t let her know you know. It’s one of the reasons I held her as she cried.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Good. Then listen. Louise, you and I can marry and be Dobie’s parents.” He waited, unable to breathe until she gave her answer.
“But—” She looked at the flowers at her feet. “A marriage of convenience? I suppose that could work.”
“No. Wait. That’s not what I mean at all.” When had he gotten so clumsy with his words? “I don’t want a marriage of convenience. I want one built on love.” He held his breath, waiting for her to acknowledge his confession.
“Are you?—?”
“I’m trying to tell you that I love you. I want to marry you out of love. Is there any chance you could grow to love me?”
Laughter rang out. When she could speak, she said, “If you knew how long I’ve been trying to deny my love for you… thinking you belonged to Hazel. Yes, Cecil Miller, I love you.”
That was all he needed to hear, and he swung her off her feet. “Louise Archibald, I love you like crazy.”
He set her on the ground and kissed her. This time, there was no holding back. Their lips became one even as their hearts did.
EPILOGUE
The last few days had been a happy blur for Louise. Cecil loved her, and she was free to love him.
They spent every possible hour together sorting out the details of their future.
“I still want to nurse,” she said.
“As you should. Dobie and I will manage on our own if you need to be away. I’d like to set up a blacksmith shop wherever we are. Eventually, maybe we’ll get a farm.”
Louise had to be certain Cecil understood her commitment to nursing. “What will we do when babies come?”
“If the good Lord shall so bless us, we’ll work out something that satisfies us both. I will never ask you to stop being a nurse. It would be like asking you to stop being yourself.” They’d kissed at that point.
They told Dobie their plans.
“Mama said God would give me a new mama and papa.” He’d perched in Louise’s lap, and Cecil had wrapped his arms around them both. “I’m glad it’s you.”
Louise had never done more than glance at the little journal Dobie’s mother left, but one evening, she and Cecil opened it.
The woman penned a few shaky words to her son, telling of her love for him. And his father’s love. His birth date was given. As he’d said, he’d soon be six. There was a list of now-deceased relatives. The boy’s family came from England. With no living relatives?—
