A Man to Call My Own

Chapter 59

THERE WAS A SHIP scheduled to depart the very next day. It was recommended that the passengers board the night before, since it would be sailing with the morning tide. Stuart still had business to attend to in Chicago, so he and Kathleen were taking the train back. And as Spencer preferred trains over boats, he and Amanda were going with them. Ella Mae, whohad already elected to stay with Marian, now that the sisters wouldn't be living together anymore, volunteered to accompany Marian on the sea voyage since she would need a chaperone—at least for another day.

Amanda came to say good-bye while Marian was getting her luggage ready to be transported to the ship.

They would all be having dinner together before they went their separate ways. Of course, they would be meeting again in Texas in a few weeks. Still, it was the first time the sisters would be away from each otlier for more than a day.

At first Marian ignored Amanda. She didn't want to talk about their father, as she feared Amanda had come to do. While Marian would just as soon forget that he existed and wanted only to concentrate on her new life and new husband-to-be, Amanda had taken a devastating blow that day. On top of that, Amanda's life wasn't settled. Spencer might think it was to go by what he'd said after Amanda had left Mortimer's house, but Amanda had yet to give that impression.

Amanda hadn't said anything yet. She was merely walking about the room, touching things absently. Marian finally stopped what she was doing and sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"You know I'm getting married tomorrow, or soon thereafter. I'm happy. I love Chad. I suspect I'm going to love being his wife. We managed to find each other despite your efforts to ruin—"

"I'm glad you got that straightened out," Amanda cut in. "I figured you would have told him the truth. I never figured you'd be so stubborn about keeping it to yourself."

Marian just stared at her. "He mentioned something about your being responsible for his persistence earlier today. Is that why?"

"Of course. It wasn't my intention to sabotage your little romance. I was just bored to pieces at the time, waiting for Spencer to show up again. You were supposed to expose the lie immediately, be a little embarrassed over it, get out of your hiding mentality, get married—"

"Wait just a minute," Marian cut in now. "If you're trying to say that it was a convoluted attempt at matchmaking on your part, remember to whom you're talking."

"Don't be silly. You'd already done the matchmaking. You did make love with him, after all. That spoke for itself. I was merely hurrying things along to keep them interesting."

"Because you were bored."

"Yes, and I guess I'm trying to say, well, that I'm sorry it got so messed up instead."

"All right, what do you want, Mandy?"

"Nothing."

"Bull. You don't apologize without a reason. You don't do things just to be nice, either."

"Mari, I know I have a lot of faults. You don't need to point them out. Being away from Father in Texas, you could say I woke up. Without him around approving of every little thing I did, I began to see that some of the things I did were just plain—horrible."

Marian was rendered speechless for a moment, then asked, "What's this really about?"

"Spencer." Amanda sighed. "He's never going to love me the way I'd hoped—the way Chad loves you. I amuse him is all."

"Then you want him to love you?"

"Well, certainly. He's my husband, isn't he?"

"One you didn't want," Marian reminded her.

Amanda waved a hand. "That was merely for effect. I wasn't going to let him know just how much he means to me, when he's been mostly indifferent. I do have some pride, you know."

"You mean he's not letting you wrap him around your little finger?" Marian guessed.

"You don't have to be sarcastic about it. But no, he's not. He could care less about what I want. He doesn't make the least effort to please me."

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Make any effort to please him?"

Amanda snorted. Then she frowned and actually thought about it, finally confessing, "I suppose not. I've been too busy trying to keep him from guessing that I love him."

That sounded too familiar by half. It was exactly what Marian had done—foolishly. "I'm going to give you some sisterly advice, because I just got out of that boat myself. Be honest with him. Tell him. You might just be surprised to find out that maybe he's been doing the same thing ... hiding his real feelings."

Amanda agreed to give it a shot and must have, because she was looking damned pleased with herself at dinner that night. Marian caught up with her as they were leaving the hotel. A coach was already waiting outside for her and Chad, but he stopped to have a few last words with his father, and Spencer was moving to join them.

Pulling her sister aside, Marian whispered, "You told him?"

"Yes."

"And found out he loves you, too?"

"No, he denied it," Amanda said, though she was grinning. "But I know he was lying, so it's okay."

Marian rolled her eyes. "I'll see you when you get home, Mandy."

Amanda chuckled, then said, "Oh, I'd like a wedding portrait, if you don't mind. Something I can throw darts at when I get annoyed with my husband."

Marian was still laughing as she joined Chad in the coach. He asked her why, but all she said was, "I think my sister is developing a sense of real humor."

They did get married the next day at sea, and Marian found out with a good deal of pleasure that that turned out to be the happiest day of her life. Nothing else could come close to the euphoria she'd experienced from the moment she'd said, "I do."

And Chad made sure the day was special in every way. For a cowboy, he was rather romantic. From the flowers he had sneaked aboard and had Ella Mae scatter about the deck during the ceremony, so Marian wouldn't see them until they'd taken their vows. From the candlelight dinner and ignoring when his wineglass rolled off the table before it was filled. From huddling with her in a blanket on deck that night to watch the full moon rising, which he swore he'd ordered just for her.

And for making love to her for most of the day. After they were married that morning, they'd retired immediately to his cabin, which they would be sharing for the rest of the trip. They didn't surface for lunch and were famished by dinner. But they'd both saved up a lot of passion for consummating their marriage. It became a joke during the day that they hadn't got it right yet, so they had to try again— and again. Another memory to savor. At one point she was sure they'd broken the bed.

They were both exhausted by the time they retired for the night. But that didn't stop Chad from pulling her close and when a few good-night kisses got prolonged, finding out they weren't so exhausted after all.

A while later Marian sighed contentedly and cuddled close. "I think we may have finally got it right." She grinned sleepily.

"You sure, darlin'?" he asked as he ran a finger down her arm, which caused a shiver on the back of her neck.

She leaned up in surprise. "You can't have any energy left. You really can't."

He chuckled. "No, I don't. But I'd find some, since I don't think I'll ever get enough of you." He pulled her toward him for a very gentle kiss. "I love you, Mari. I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. When we're old and gray, and our grandchildren are gathered around us—"

"Wait a minute. How many children did we have to produce those grandchildren?"

"Oh, a half dozen or so—or maybe just three sets of twins."

She groaned. "Twins! I hope not."

"I hope so," he countered. "And they'll be raised without favoritism, with all the love and care you're capable of, because that's the way you are. You'd have it no other way."

"Okay, maybe two sets," she conceded with a grin. "And when we're old and gray?"

"You'll have no regrets, darlin'. I promise you that."

She believed him. She never dreamed she could be so happy—with a cowboy, just a cowboy, but her cowboy. At last, a man to call her own.