“You’re still so young. You deserve to find happiness.” Julia stood and put her arm around Amelia.
“Is it wrong for me to think that way? Is it possible to find the love of your life twice in one lifetime?” Amelia laughed, her hand shifting to the opposite side of the closet. “For that matter, I should toss half of my clothes, as well. They remind me too much of my life with John. If I’m going to make a fresh start, I should start with a fresh wardrobe.”
“That’s the spirit.” Roxanne fished a dress out off the rail. “Stay or throw?”
Amelia smiled. “I wore that the day John took me to Minneapolis to see
Cats
at the theater.” She chuckled. “He hated sitting through all that singing, but he knew how much I loved it.”
Roxanne’s brows rose. “Does it stay or go?”
Amelia sucked in a deep breath and tilted her head sharply. “Go.” She selected several more dresses and passed them to Julia, who set them on a chair outside the closet. Amelia made her way to the back of the closet and stopped, her hand freezing on a white garment bag hidden behind some old coats.
Roxanne reached over her head. “Let me.” She unhooked the hanger from the rail and carried the garment bag out of the closet and laid it on the bed.
Emma followed her, wondering what was in the bag.
“With all my sons married or getting married, it brings back memories of my wedding to their father.” Amelia emerged from the closet carrying a white hatbox slightly yellowed with age.
Julia perched on the edge of the bed beside the garment bag and made room for the hatbox. “How long did you know Tuck’s father before you married?”
Amelia smiled. “Two weeks. He found me the last week of the
Medora Musical
in the Burning Hills Amphitheatre. I was one of the singers in the show. He stayed until all the guests had left and the cast was cleaning the theater afterward.”
“I can’t imagine John Thunder Horse sitting through the entire show.” Roxanne’s lips quirked upward. “I don’t think I ever saw him when he wasn’t riding a horse. He was always all about his horses and the ranch.”
“Not that week. He asked me to marry him at the end of our first week together when I was supposed to head back to Bismarck where I was to start college that fall. I never went back to Bismarck to college. We eloped to Vegas a week later. He bought me this dress for our wedding in a little chapel on the strip.” She unzipped the garment bag.
Inside was a timeless wedding dress made of soft, pearl-white satin. The V-shaped neckline was simple with a few lace and pearl embellishments. The back dropped low in an elegant scooped neckline. Understated and formfitting, the dress was perfect.
Emma’s heart squeezed tight in her chest.
“I love this dress,” Julia sighed. “I so wished it would have fit me when I married Tuck for the second time.”
“I bet you were a beautiful bride.” Roxanne ran her hand over the satin. “It’s a gorgeous dress.”
Amelia smiled at the gown. “I had hoped that one day my daughter would be able to wear my gown for her own wedding.” The older woman chuckled.
“But you had four sons,” Emma added, her own eyes misting. “Speaking as an only child, they were very lucky to have each other.”
“Yes. My boys have had their differences, but for the most part, they would do anything for each other.” Amelia lifted the dress out of the garment bag and held it up to Emma. “You and I are about the same height, and I was once about the same size as you, though you would never guess it now.” She smiled up at Emma, her eyes shimmering with moisture. “I would be honored if you’d wear it for your wedding to Dante.”
Emma held up her hands, horrified that this woman would offer this lovely dress to her when their engagement was fake. “I couldn’t.”
Amelia pulled the dress back. “Of course, you might have something altogether different in mind for your wedding. I’m sorry, I’m just a sentimental old fool.”
Amelia looked anything but old, and Emma couldn’t bear to break her heart. “No, I think the dress is absolutely perfect in every way. It’s just...” What could she say? That she’d lied all along, that she never intended to marry her son? “It’s just that I hadn’t even thought that far ahead.” She gave Dante’s mother a weak smile. “But when I do marry, that dress would be exactly the kind of dress I’d always dreamed of.”
“Try it on,” Julia insisted. “We want to see you in it, don’t we, Roxanne?”
“You bet.” Roxanne sat on the edge of the bed. “Go on. If you’re embarrassed about changing in front of us, you can go into the closet and close the door. It’s big enough for an army to change in.”
Before she could protest, Amelia laid the dress across her arms and turned her toward the closet door. “Do you need help getting into it?”
“No, I can manage.” Emma needed help getting out of the big fat lie she’d told. With the three women waiting in the bedroom for her to come out in the wedding dress, Emma had no choice. She stripped out of her jeans and the sweater she’d put on that morning, unhooked her bra and stepped into the gown.
The satin slipped across her skin, light and smooth, gliding over her hips so easily it felt like air. She reached behind her and zipped the back, a little apprehensive about how low the neckline dipped down her back, almost to her waist.
The dress could have been tailored for her; it fit perfectly, hugging her hips and breasts like a second skin. The skirt fell in an A-line, pooling at her feet, the train stretching out three feet behind her. A full-length mirror hung on the back of the door. When Emma looked up and caught a glimpse of her reflection, she gasped and froze, tears welling in her eyes.
It was absolutely exquisite.
“Come out, we want to see!” Julia called.
Hating herself for the lie she was perpetuating, Emma opened the door and stepped out of the closet.
The women had been talking, but when they spotted her standing there, the room grew so silent Emma could hear the crackle of the fire in the fireplace.
Amelia covered her mouth with her hands and tears slipped down her cheeks. “Emma,” she said, her voice cracking.
“You’re beautiful,” Julia said, her voice barely a whisper.
“Wait.” Amelia opened the hatbox and pulled out a bridal veil, unfolding the lengths of lace-trimmed tulle. She pressed the comb into Emma’s hair and turned her toward a full-length mirror.
The woman staring back at her was a stranger. Dressed as a bride, her hair around her shoulders, the veil framing her pale face, she wanted to cry.
“I’m no expert, but I think you found your dress,” Roxanne announced, clapping her hands together. “It couldn’t be more perfect if you’d had it designed for you.”
Amelia reached for Emma and hugged her. “Dante is a very lucky man to have found you.”
What could Emma say to that? Nothing. He hadn’t actually found her. She’d found him dragging himself out of his burning aircraft.
“Do you like it?” Amelia held her at arm’s length, her gaze searching Emma’s face. “You can tell me if you don’t. I won’t be offended.”
Emma glanced down at the satin dress and nodded. “I love it.” Feeling more of a heel by the minute, Emma backed out of Amelia’s arms. “I’m sorry. But I think the fall yesterday took its toll on me. If you don’t mind, I need to go lie down.”
Amelia’s eyes widened. “Of course, dear. How inconsiderate of me. I should have known better than to keep you rummaging through my closets. Here, let me unzip you.” She helped unzip the dress and Emma ran for the closet where she removed the veil, stripped out of the beautiful dress and put her own clothes back on.
When she was finished, she emerged from the closet. The women were busy folding the clothes that would go to charity. Emma laid the veil and dress on the bed, her fingers skimming across the smooth satin fabric, regret tugging at her.
“Please excuse me,” she said and hurried from the room.
She ran for the bedroom she and Dante had slept in the night before and crawled up in the bed, pulling the blanket around her. It still smelled of Dante. As she lay there, she thought of Dante helping her out of the collapsing trailer first, when it meant he might not make it out at all. She thought of how he’d helped an injured horse out of the canyon in the frigid cold, of how he’d risked his life rather than leave her in the canyon any longer than he had to.
She still tingled all over when she thought of the way it felt when Dante wrapped her in his arms, and how gentle he’d been when they’d made love for her first time, and then again in her apartment. She remembered their first kiss and the way it felt to lie in bed beside him.
Then she thought of how beautiful she felt in his mother’s wedding dress and of the lies she’d told these good people. Of how they’d hate her when they learned the truth.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she realized what had happened in the short amount of time she’d been with Dante. No matter how much she’d told herself not to get involved, she’d done it. She’d fallen head over heels in love with the big Lakota man.
And no matter how much she might love him, Dante was in love with a dead woman and had told her up front he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He wasn’t ready.
Her chest hollow, Emma curled into a ball, buried her face in the pillow and cried.
When she could cry no more, she promised herself to leave at the first opportunity. She couldn’t stay there, in love with Dante and his family, when it would all end. The sooner she severed the ties, the sooner she could start getting over him.
Chapter Fourteen
Dante, Pierce, Tuck and Sean fed the horses and worked with Sweet Jessie’s sore foot. The swelling was down and the horse was impatient to be outside. They all agreed it would be better to keep her in the warm, dry barn until the wound had scabbed over a bit.
Dante gave the horse sweet feed and water and ran a currycomb over her fuzzy coat.
When he and his brothers stepped out of the barn, they noticed a vehicle pulling up in front of the house. After all that had happened, Dante wasn’t comfortable with anyone driving up to the ranch house that didn’t have an appointment or who hadn’t called first. He hurried to the house, bursting through the kitchen door.
Following the voices, he found his mother, Roxanne and Julia in the front foyer, talking to a young man with jet-black hair and dark skin, about Dante’s own age.
Julia turned to Dante. “You remember Ryan Yost, don’t you?”
Dante nodded. “We spoke yesterday.”
Ryan shifted the box he carried from one hand to the other and held out his hand. “Dante.”
Dante shook his hand. “Ryan.”
The other man held up a box. “Those cameras came in like I thought they would.”
Amelia waved him inside. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I think I have all that I need, except a ladder.”
“I’ll get it,” Sean offered and headed for the back door. Moments later, he came in dusting snow off his jacket and carrying a ladder.
Dante watched as Ryan set the ladder up in the living room, attach a camera to the wires in the corner and screw the mount into the wall.
Tuck joined Dante at the edge of the room. “I think Sean and Pierce can handle things here. Why don’t you and I go to Medora and question the oil speculators?”
Dante nodded. “Let me check in on Emma.”
His mother stopped him in the hallway. “Don’t forget tonight is the kickoff of the Cowboy Christmas events in Medora. It’s a tradition for the family to attend. I’d like to take Emma, as well.”
“She’d like that.” Dante smiled. “Tuck and I can meet you in town so you don’t have to wait on us.”
His mother nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
Dante stepped into the room where Emma lay sleeping, the blankets pulled up around her. He tiptoed to the bed and stared down at her face. Her dark hair splayed across the white pillowcase and her cheeks appeared to be streaked with tears.
Why would she be crying? Were her injuries more than she was letting on? Did she miss her home in Grand Forks?
His chest tightened. He found himself wanting to take away her pain. Dante brushed the hair from her face and bent to kiss her cheek.
Emma turned her face at the last minute and their lips brushed together. Her arm slid up around his neck, dragging him closer.
“I’m heading to town to question the speculators. Will you meet me at the diner later when the family comes to town for the festival?”
“Mmm.”
He kissed her again, this time, deepening the kiss, his tongue sliding between her teeth to caress hers.
She returned the pressure, her response stronger this time.
When he reluctantly broke away, she looked up at him with dark brown eyes, the shadows beneath them making her appear sad. “Be careful,” she said.
“You, too.” He brushed his knuckles against the softness of her face. “I’ll see you later.”
“Goodbye,” she whispered.
Dante left the room, feeling as though he should stay and spend the afternoon holding Emma. He hadn’t thought much about Sam since Emma had come into his life. Even the guilt he’d experienced at first was fading. He finally realized Sam would have wanted him to get on with his life.
With Emma he could see a future.
His mother followed him to the front door where he dressed for the outdoors and waited for his brother to appear.
“You know she’s special, don’t you?” his mother said as she held his coat for him while he slipped his arms into the sleeves.
“Who, Emma?” He chuckled. “Yeah. I know.”
“Then don’t let her get away.”
He paused and stared down at his mother. “Why would I?”
She snorted softly, holding on to his gloves. “How many times have you successfully lied to me, Dante Thunder Horse?” she demanded.
He thought back over the years and his lips twisted. “Never.”
“That’s right.” She handed the gloves over. “I knew when you made the announcement at the hospital that you were lying.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t have. But I didn’t want to worry you more with Pierce lying in ICU.”
“Actually, I’m glad you did. It gave
you
time to get to know her better and to see how much you really care about her.”
“Mom, I’ve only known her a few days. That’s not enough to base a lifetime of marriage on.”
His mother shook her head. “That’s all it took for me and your father. We knew within the first hour of talking. He proposed after a week and we were married for thirty years before he passed.”
“I didn’t think I could love again.”
“Sam was a different chapter in your life. Emma is a fresh beginning.”
“I’ll always love Sam.”
“Son, that’s the beauty of the human heart. You don’t have to stop loving Sam, just like I’ll never stop loving your father. But there is someone else out there you could love, as well. And I’m hoping that there might be someone out there for me. I’m not too old to want someone else in my life. I have you boys, but you have your own families.”
He squeezed her hand gently. “And you deserve to love again.”
“As do you.”
Dante pulled his mother into his arms and hugged her. “Please tell me you’re not considering Sheriff Yost.”
She laughed. “I had, but I’m not so sure anymore. I think I’ll keep my options open.”
Sean appeared from the direction of the kitchen. “I put a pot of coffee on, care to join me?”
Amelia smiled up at Dante. “I do have options, you know.”
Dante grinned as his mother left him to join Sean for that cup of coffee in the kitchen.
“Ready?” Tuck asked as he pushed past him to exit out the front door. “We’re going in my truck. And we’d better hurry if we want to talk to the oil speculators before the town gets crowded for the Cowboy Christmas kickoff.”
Dante almost told Tuck he’d question the men tomorrow. He wanted to go back into the room with Emma, pull her into his arms and tell her...
Tell her what?
That he could be well on his way to falling in love with her and would she give him a chance to find out?
With the idea too new to him, he decided he’d be better off waiting until later that night to hold her in his arms and make it right.
* * *
E
MMA
MUST
HAVE
fallen back asleep after Dante left. She didn’t wake until Amelia poked her head in the doorway a couple of hours later.
“Emma, it’s time to get ready. We’re all heading into Medora for the kickoff of the annual Cowboy Christmas festivities. We leave in thirty minutes.”
“I’m awake,” she assured the woman. She sat up, feeling every bruise and bump and stiff muscle in her body, along with the deep sadness of knowing she’d be leaving. On the nightstand beside a glass of water, lay the keys to the SUV Dante had rented in Grand Forks.
If she really was leaving, now would be the best time to do it. With Dante in town, the rest of the members of his household leaving for Medora, she could sneak away. She slipped into her snow gear and pulled on her boots.
Stuffing her toothbrush, hairbrush and a change of clothes in her purse, she left the rest of the contents of her bag in the bedroom and stepped out in the hallway.
“Look at you, all ready to go,” Julia said, hurrying to one of the bedrooms. “We’ll be a few more minutes. We had to wait for Ryan to leave before we could begin getting ready.”
“He was here?”
“While you were asleep. Got half of the cameras wired. He’s supposed to be back tomorrow to finish the job.”
“I didn’t even hear him working,” Emma said.
“We had him work on the installation of the cameras at the other end of the house so that he wouldn’t disturb you and Lily while you both napped.” A tiny cry came from down the hallway. “That’s my cue. All I have to do is get Lily dressed and I’ll be ready.”
Amelia emerged from her bedroom, wearing a bright red Christmas sweater. “I had a call from Maddox while you were sleeping. He and Katya flew into Bismarck over an hour ago. They’re on their way and should be to Medora in time for the festivities. Isn’t that wonderful?” The older woman beamed. “All my children home for Christmas.” She wrapped her arms around Emma and hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you’re here with us.”
Guilt tugged at Emma as she returned the hug. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me,” she said, fighting back tears. “I’m supposed to meet Dante at the diner. Do you mind if I leave a little early? I have a few things I want to pick up at the store before it closes.”
Amelia’s brows furrowed. “Is that a good idea to go off on your own with all that’s happened?”
Emma forced a smile to her stiff lips. “I’ll be fine. If I have any trouble on the road, all of you will be behind me shortly. I’ll just wait until you come along.”
“I could be ready to go in five minutes,” Amelia assured her. “Just let me touch up my makeup and grab my purse.”
“No hurry. I really can manage this on my own.” Emma hugged Amelia one more time. “Goodbye.” Before Amelia could come up with another argument to keep her there or go with her, Emma hurried out the door to the SUV and climbed in.
The vehicle started right up, of course. It couldn’t be cranky and die to keep her from making her break from the Thunder Horses. Deep down, she wanted to stay and become a part of this family. But she couldn’t make Dante love her and she wouldn’t stay knowing he didn’t and never would.
The stolen kisses and making love had only been a passing fancy to him. His heart would always belong to Sam.
Shifting into Reverse, she backed up, turned and drove down the long driveway toward the highway. She took one last glance in her rearview mirror before the ranch house blended into the snow and all she could see was the thin wisp of smoke from the fireplace.
She turned onto the highway headed toward Medora and the interstate highway that would take her back east. She could stop in Bismarck and stay the night or push through and arrive in Grand Forks around midnight.
Snow fell in big, fluffy flakes, thickening the farther she drove from the Thunder Horse Ranch, making it difficult to see the road in front of her. As she came to a crossroad with a stop sign, she pressed her foot to the brake.
The tires skidded and she started sliding toward the ditch.
Heart pumping, she turned into the skid and righted the vehicle, just in time to see the form of a man walking alongside the road ahead, headed toward her.
As her lights caught him in their beams, he lifted his head and waved her down.
Carefully applying her breaks, she slowed and rolled down the passenger window.
“Thank goodness you stopped.” Ryan Yost poked his head through the window. “I thought I’d have to walk all the way back to the ranch house.”
“What happened to your truck?” Emma asked.
“It slid into the ditch about half a mile ahead. The roads are pretty tricky.”
“Are you headed back to the ranch or to town?”
“To Medora, if you don’t mind.”
She popped the locks on the SUV and the man climbed into the passenger seat.
“Where is the rest of the Thunder Horse clan?”
“They should be right behind me.”
“In that case, turn here,” Ryan said.
“What?” Emma glanced at the dirt track leading off the road. “Why?”
“Because I said so.” Ryan grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it to the right.
Emma held on as the SUV bumped off the road onto the narrow strip of dirt lightly covered in snow. Pulse pounding, she fought to right the vehicle. When she had the SUV under control, she braked to a stop and shot an angry glance at Ryan. “What the hell are you doing?”
That’s when she saw the dark, hard form of the gun in his hand pointed at her head, and a rush of icy-cold dread washed over her.
“I’m taking what should have been mine.”
Knowing she could be a victim or she could try to escape, Emma chose to try rather than go along with whatever Ryan had in mind. “Why do you say that? What should have been yours? Surely not me.” She spoke calmly while her left hand inched toward the door handle.
Ryan laughed. “It’s not you, but I’ve learned that to get to them, you have to go through the ones they love.”
“Are you talking about the Thunder Horses?” she asked.
“Of course I’m talking about the Thunder Horses. Keep driving,” he commanded. “Far enough off the road they won’t see you when they drive by.”
Emma eased her foot off the brake but didn’t apply her foot to the accelerator. The vehicle inched forward along the bumpy road.
“Faster!” Ryan yelled and leaned across to slam his own foot down on hers. The vehicle leaped forward.
At that moment, Emma flung the door open, elbowed the man in the face and threw herself out of the vehicle. She hit the rocky ground hard and rolled out of the way of the tires.
Pain shot through the arm she’d landed on, but she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could in the snow and her clunky boots.
A car door slammed and gravel crunched behind her.
By the time she reached the paved road, her lungs burned from breathing the frigid air and her muscles were screaming, but she pushed forward. Her foot hit the icy surface and she skidded and slammed onto the pavement flat on her back, the wind knocked out of her lungs.
Lights blinked far down the road toward the ranch house. If only she could get up and keep running. They’d find her.
Emma sucked in a breath, rolled over onto her hands and knees and tried to get up.
Ryan hit her like a linebacker, plowing into her and knocking her into the ditch on the other side of the road. He landed on top of her and covered her with his body, pressing her face into the snow and ice.