At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(80)

He looked down into her beautiful face. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Do tell,” she said, laughing.

“I prefer to show you,” he said. “Every day of our lives. I want to make you my wife. I want to be your husband.” He loved the sound of that. “I can’t wait to marry you and raise our children here.” He glanced around the room. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. My father did know me. This place... It’s exactly what I would have chosen. We can have an amazing life here. You can still track down bad guys. You can do whatever you want. Just be my wife and share your life with me and our children. Let’s not wait. Let’s get married on Christmas Day.”

ALEXIS LOOKED OVER at him to see if he was serious. “A Christmas wedding? You do realize that Christmas is coming up really fast?”

“Tell me what your fantasy wedding is like,” he said later in bed. He’d leaned on his side to give her his undivided attention. “I’m thinking it would be here, downstairs. We have plenty of room. Can you see it?”

Alexis had to think for a moment. Had she ever let herself even fantasize about it? Slowly, she did begin to see it. She smiled and, closing her eyes, told him what she saw.

Culhane laughed as he kissed her, forcing her eyes open again. “Leave it to me.”

That sounded a bit frightening, but she kissed him back and said, “I could help.”

“No, I have it. Trust me.” He grinned at her.

“All right. I’ll call my mother. I’m sure she’ll be excited to go with me to find a wedding dress.”

“Just give me a list of who you’d like to invite,” he said, sounding excited.

“HE’S PLANNING THE WEDDING?” her mother said when they met at the bridal shop. “I thought he never planned anything ahead of the next few minutes.”

Alexis laughed. “He didn’t. Doesn’t. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Her mother looked skeptical. “Maybe I’ll offer my help.”

“I’m sure he could probably use it.” But the next day, after they’d found what had been the perfect wedding dress at the first shop they tried, her mother called to say that Culhane apparently had everything under control.

“You’ll have to stay at your parents’ house the night before the wedding,” Culhane had informed her.

“You have to be kidding,” she’d said.

“Not for that reason.” He’d laughed. “You can’t see the venue until that morning when we get married. I want to surprise you.”

Her mother had raised a brow when she told her.

“No matter what, I’m going to love it,” Alexis assured her.

Nothing was going to spoil their wedding day.



CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE


ALEXIS SAW THE expression on Culhane’s face and knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the kitchen. He was on the phone. At first she’d thought it was Jana, but when he said, “It’s fine. Thanks for letting me know,” and disconnected, she knew it was much worse news than Jana.

She waited, wondering what could have upset him. Something about the wedding? When he said nothing, she broke the tense silence. “You don’t have to worry. If we don’t get married Christmas Day—”

“We’re getting married Christmas Day,” he said, putting on a quick smile that just as quickly disappeared. “That was Al.” He took a breath and let it out before he spoke again. “Cline disappeared from the hospital.”

She’d actually forgotten about Cline, once she’d heard that he was alive and doing better in the hospital. He’d awakened in the trees, walked to a neighboring house and got them to call an ambulance since Furu hadn’t. She’d just been relieved that she hadn’t killed him. After that, she’d forgotten all about it. Moving, getting settled here on the ranch, preparing for Christmas, thinking about their wedding... She swallowed, feeling guilty since she was the one who’d put Deputy Cline in the hospital.

As if reading her mind, Culhane said “Do not feel guilty about hitting him with that rock. He kidnapped you.”

“I know. Where do they think he went?”

“That’s just it,” Culhane said. “Al’s worried. Cline has some neurological problems, and as wrong as it is, he might blame you.”

She felt her eyes widen. “You think he’d come out here? Threaten me?”

“I didn’t want to tell you, but just in case... Not that I intend to let him near you.”

She nodded. “The law’s looking for him, right? They’ll probably pick him up before we have to worry about it.”

“I hope so.” He turned to her, taking her shoulders in his hands and looking into her eyes. “I don’t want anything to get in the way of our wedding. Nothing is going to keep me from marrying you Christmas Day. Certainly not Terry Cline.”

CULHANE HAD LEARNED that bad news usually came in threes. After Al’s call, he’d figured Jana was next. So he hadn’t been surprised to get her call. The past was determined to drag them back—even at Christmas. He’d heard that she had been released on bail, so it had only been a matter of time before she’d be calling.

“Jana,” he said and braced himself, expecting she was going to hit him up for money. He hadn’t decided what to say. It wasn’t like he didn’t have it. But he also knew that no matter how much he gave her, she’d be back for more again and again. He figured if he said no, she would threaten to sue him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be dragged through that, either.