Alex laughed. “That’s what I love about you, Ruth—your sense of humor even when things look black as night. That’s how I know you’re a survivor.”
She looked up at him with those moss-green eyes. “You love me?”
“Like crazy. Like crazy, but also very logically and sensibly.” He reached up and stroked the side of her cheek. “Marry me, Ruth, but for real. I can manage my business from anywhere—I can travel from Kansas City while you work for Mrs. Norton, if that’s still your dream. I just want to be with you.”
“I’m not going to Kansas City,” Ruth replied. “I don’t even know what I was thinking. Why would I give up these wonderful people and this amazing place? This is my home. I don’t ever want to leave.”
He nodded. “Do you think there’s room in your home for one more?”
She bent over and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure there is.”
He cupped her cheek with his hand and tilted her face to meet his, giving her the sweetest, gentlest kiss she could ever have imagined, but a kiss that promised so much more in days to come.
Epilogue
“That was extremely satisfactory,” Mr. Brody said, leading the way into the hotel. Nearly everyone had gone over to the Shawnee County courthouse that afternoon, leaving just a few waitresses behind in case their guests needed anything. Ruth had all the support she could have imagined for her confrontation with Laird Runyon in front of the judge, and he’d received the proper sentence for his crime. “Even more satisfactory that you have both won your lawsuits with a minimum of hassle, and you can now face your futures together without anything holding you back.”
Ruth reached over and tucked her hand into Alex’s. He was walking much more confidently than he had just a week prior—he’d been exercising daily to regain his strength so he could walk down the aisle. “What do you think about that, Mr. Barker? Shall we face our futures together?”
He grinned as he tugged her closer to him. “Futures? What sort of futures?”
“Oh, ones where we get married and you buy me a little house with a garden and lots of room in the kitchen so I can bake delicious pies for you.”
“I like the sound of that.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “And when do you think these futures should start?”
“As soon as humanly possible. I would have married you weeks ago, but you said you wanted to be walking first.”
“What’s this?” He looked at her with surprise. “Are you saying I’m the reason why we aren’t married this very minute?”
“Yes. I blame you entirely.”
“Well, I will not be to blame for waiting any longer. Come on, Miss Barnes.” He turned her toward the door of the hotel. “We’re going to the parsonage right now and arranging this wedding.”
She laughed. “Right now?”
“Right now. I’ve waited my entire life to find someone as amazing and incredible as you are, and I don’t want to miss out on a single minute of the rest of forever.”
“I’ll ask Tom to bring the buggy back around,” Mr. Brody said. “No sense in pushing yourself farther than you already have today, Alex.”
“That’s a good idea. I keep forgetting how far I still have to go.”
Alex and Ruth went out to the front porch to wait for the buggy, and Ruth stepped into Alex’s arms. “I didn’t want to see him again,” she said, resting her cheek on Alex’s chest. “I didn’t want to look at his smug face, but I’m glad I did. I’m glad I told my story.”
She felt Alex kiss her hair. “I’m so proud of you,” he said. “I wish you hadn’t gone through that experience, but the way you were able to share what happened . . .”
She leaned back and looked into Alex’s eyes, a little surprised to see tears there. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said with a soft smile. “I’m just . . . so proud.”
“You already said that,” she teased.
“It’s still true.” He stroked the side of her face. “I can’t help but think about the other young women you might have saved today. Because you put a stop to him, he can’t move on to someone else. The bravery you showed, the strength . . .”
“It was because of you,” she told him. “I kept thinking about what you said—how it was my choice who I spent time with, how it wasn’t my duty or my obligation to make him happy. Once that sank in, that’s when I became brave.”
“No, my love,” he said, pulling her close again. “You were always brave. I might have reminded you of it, but that’s who you are.”
The buggy came around the corner of the building and stood out front, ready to carry them to find the pastor. Alex took Ruth’s hand and smiled down at her. “Let’s go schedule our wedding,” he said, and she willingly followed him down the sidewalk and toward her new life.
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About Amelia C. Adams
Amelia traces her family tree right back to the settlement of the Old West—her great-great-grandmother even drove a wagon to her new home. Amelia is a wife, a mother, and a novelist. She spends her days dreaming up stories and her nights writing them down. Her biggest hero is her husband, and you might just see bits and pieces of him as you read her novels. She loves all things historical and enjoys learning about days gone by, but she's glad she was born in modern times because the Internet is awesome, and she's glad she doesn't have to wash her clothes by hand in a galvanized tub. She’s an eater of tacos, a taker of naps, and a dreamer of dreams.
You can reach Amelia at ameliaadamsauthor@gmail.com.
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The Kansas Crossroads Series:
A New Beginning (free!)
A Free Heart
The Dark and the Dawn
A Clean Slate
A Clear Hope
The Whisper of Morning
A Careless Wind
A Narrow Road
The Bitter and the Sweet
The Calm of Night
A Begrudging Bride
A Broken Wing (A Kansas Crossroads novella)
A Twisted Fate
An Unspoken Dream
A Joyful Noise
The Echo of Music (A Kansas Crossroads novella)
The Risk and the Reward (A Kansas Crossroads novella)
A Passing Glance
A Christmas Promise
The Nurses of New York series:
Sea of Strangers (free!)
Cause of Conflict
Touch of Tenderness
Heart of Hearts
Test of Time
The American Mail-Order Brides series:
Hope: Bride of New Jersey
Tabitha: Bride of Missouri
The Hearts of Nashville series:
Whiskey and Women
Records and Rebels
Sidearms and Songbirds
As part of the Brides of Beckham series by Kirsten Osbourne:
Mail Order Molly
Accidental Agent
Rugged Rockclimber
Welcome Wagon
Santa’s Shopkeeper
Delivering Destiny
Lucky Lifeguard
Poinsettia Promises
Christmas Catch-Up III
Candy Crush
Paislee’s Path
Pet Peeves
Karaoke Kisses
Christmas Catch-Up VIII
As part of the Quinn Valley Ranch series:
Scented Sensibility
Addie’s Adventurer
As part of the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series:
Meredith’s Mistake
&nb
sp; As part of the Magnolias and Moonshine series:
Sweet Georgia Peach
As part of the Burnt River series:
Ashley’s Hope
Phoebe’s Fate
As part of the Rocky Mountain Romances series:
Utah Sunrise
As part of the Mail Order Mounties series:
Bride for Joel
Bride for Jonathan
Bride for Samuel
Bride for Calvin
Bride for Peter
Bride for Michael
Bride for Richard
As part of the Seven Sons series:
Daniel
Frank
As part of the Seven Sisters series:
Jessica
Rebekah
Candice
As part of the Cowboys and Angels series:
Bribing the Blacksmith
Tea for Two
Loving the Landlord
Defying the Darkness
Rhyme or Reason
Making a Memory
As part of the Main Street Merchants series:
And Something Blue
For Love or Money
Five Golden Rings
Just Desserts
In the Stars
Sugar and Spice
As part of the Brody Hotel series:
Generations
Heartstrings
Connections
Revelations
As part of the Pinkerton Matchmaker series:
An Agent for Lucy
An Agent for Anna
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