Chapter Three

After spending a night at Susan Dailey's house, it was time for the big dance, which was the true reason they were in Texas, though Cassie had enjoyed the travel and the ability to see a new place. Before they had left the train station in Beckham, Cassie had never been outside of Massachusetts.

Cassie stepped into the church for the dance, her heart pounding. The church was alive with the sounds of laughter and conversations. She felt a tingle of excitement at the prospect of meeting someone special, yet a knot of nervousness tightened in her stomach, as if she were about to face a room of rowdy schoolchildren rather than potential suitors.

Across the room, amidst the jovial chaos of hopeful hearts and eager glances, stood a man whose presence seemed to command the space around him. His eyes scanned the room not with the hunger of a man in desperate search of a partner, but with the quiet confidence of one who knew his worth and was calculating his next move.

He leaned against a wooden pillar, arms folded across his chest, his posture relaxed yet undeniably alert—a rancher surveying his land with an eye for opportunity. Cassie noted the subtle crease in his brow, the way his gaze lingered thoughtfully on the different women before moving on, as if he were envisioning a future and pondering the pieces needed to complete it. And though they were but strangers in a crowded room filled with festive noise, Cassie felt drawn to the man.

Cassie's nerves settled into a simmering curiosity as she moved through the crowd, her gaze inadvertently returning to the man by the pillar. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, the clamorous room seemed to hush around them. Andy's lips curled into a knowing smirk, mirroring the half-smile that tugged at Cassie's mouth. It was a silent exchange, but it spoke volumes—a shared recognition that they were both outsiders observing the dance.

Taking a steadying breath, Cassie navigated closer, her blue eyes locking onto his dark ones with an unspoken challenge. With each step, the hum of fiddles and the rhythm of boots on wood faded into the background.

"I'm Cassandra Brown," she said, voice steady but laced with a playful undertone.

"Miss Brown," Andy replied. "Andrew Forsythe. My friends call me Andy." He paused for a moment as if studying her. "You look positively thrilled to be here."

"Thrilled is...one word for it," Cassie quipped, her lips quirking upward. "I find the concept of dancing in circles only to end up right where you started rather perplexing."

"Agreed," he nodded. "Much like the idea of raising children, don't you think? An endless waltz of noise and mess, and for what?"

"Very true." She chuckled, the sound surprising even herself. "A life of servitude to small tyrants does not appeal to me in the slightest."

"Nor to me," Andy confessed, his smile widening. "I've often thought my ambitions are more suited to cattle than to cradles."

"Fortunate, then, that cows rarely require schooling or diaper changes," Cassie remarked, pleased by his company and the ease of their banter. "I happen to know what's in those diapers, and I have no desire to be around them."

"Very fortunate," Andy agreed, his eyes gleaming with mirth. "I daresay we share an uncommon perspective, Miss Brown."

"Uncommon, yet refreshingly practical, Mr. Forsythe." Cassie's heart fluttered at the thought that perhaps she wasn't alone in her preferences after all. She'd stumbled upon a kindred spirit in the middle of a dance meant to match orphaned women with lonely men. Andy Forsythe wasn't just another rancher looking for a wife to fill his homestead with children. He was like her, content with a life untouched by the pitter-patter of little feet.

"Never thought I'd meet someone who shared my sentiments," Cassie mused, her gaze fixed on Andy's face, searching for any sign of jest. Instead, she found only genuine agreement.

"Neither did I," Andy admitted with a soft chuckle. "Most around these parts see marriage and children as the same—a package deal."

"An expensive package," Cassie added with a wry smile, feeling an unfamiliar sense of camaraderie bloom within her chest. It was a relief, a validation of her own choices. Not everyone longed for the patter of tiny hands and feet—some were content with quieter, simpler dreams.

"True," Andy said, his dark eyes reflecting a depth that beckoned her to look closer. "I suppose it's all moot for me anyway." His voice lowered, a thread of vulnerability woven through his words. "I had the mumps as a child. Doctor said it left me...well, unlikely to father children."

His candidness struck a chord in Cassie, urging her to share her own truth. "I understand more than you might think, Mr. Forsythe. Teaching in Massachusetts...it opened my eyes. I realized motherhood isn't where my heart lies."

"Miss Brown..." Andy's gaze held hers, his expression gentle. "Cassie, that's not something many would admit."

"Nor is your situation," she countered, empathy warming her tone. "Yet here we are, two people who are willing to go against what society considers the norm."

"Seems so." He reached for a glass of punch from a nearby table and offered it to her. As their fingers brushed, a current of unspoken understanding passed between them.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hand trembling slightly as she accepted the drink. The conversation had shifted, no longer just idle chatter but something raw and real. They were peeling back layers, revealing truths that others might shy away from, and it drew them closer in the most unexpected way.

"Thank you," she repeated, not just for the punch, but for the moment—for the connection that neither of them had anticipated, yet both desperately needed.

Cassie's hand was still tingling from the touch of Andy's fingers on hers. She sipped the punch, its sweetness on her tongue mirroring the unexpected joy bubbling in her chest. Her eyes locked with his once more, and she found herself teetering on the edge of a wild idea.

"Mr. Forsythe," she began, her voice a mix of mischief and boldness, "if neither of us is inclined to raise children, and both of us are seeking companionship..."

Andy's dark eyes sparkled with the same adventurous glint she felt lighting up her own. "Miss Brown, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Cassie set down the glass with a decisive clink. "I am. Perhaps we should consider a partnership of a different sort. Marriage but without a desire for children, to aid your ranch and my dream of dressmaking. What do you say?"

He didn't hesitate, his confident demeanor only amplifying the allure of the impromptu proposal. "I say, let's not waste time. Cassie, will you be my wife?"

Her breath hitched. It was madness, sheer madness, but thrilling too. "Yes, Andy. I will."

"Friends and neighbors!" he called out, causing a lull as curious faces turned toward the pair. "Miss Cassandra Brown has agreed to become my wife!"

For a moment the room was silent, but then a young woman Andy had never met began clapping and was soon joined by the others.

Cassie grinned at her sister of the heart, Deborah and nodded slowly. "That's my sister, Deborah," she whispered to Andy.

"Right now?" someone called out.

"Right now," Andy confirmed, his hand finding Cassie's and squeezing it with unspoken promises of shared tomorrows.

As lanterns cast a golden glow over the dance floor, Cassie twirled in Andy's arms, her laughter mingling with the lively tune of the fiddle. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she caught the rhythm. Andy's eyes were filled with laughter, his confident steps guiding her through the sea of dancers who now viewed them not just as partners for the evening, but partners in life.

"Seems we're quite the spectacle," Andy mused, his voice a low hum above the music.

"Let them look," Cassie replied, her words bold and carefree. "We've nothing to hide."

Their smiles were twin crescents of sheer delight, unspoken understanding knitting them closer with every beat of the drum. The crowd parted for them, giving space to the couple that had so suddenly become one. And in that expanse, they danced as though the world had shrunk to the size of the wooden planks beneath their feet.

Time slipped by, marked only by the changing tempo of the songs. The stars outside began their slow arc, winking at the newly betrothed as if to bless the union that had taken root under their watchful eyes.

"Guess we need to go and find the preacher now," Andy said later, as they paused for a breath, leaning against the punch table.

"Sounds good to me." She looked around. "They said there would be one here so we could marry on the spot."

"Well, I saw Amos Kauffman a bit ago. He's our preacher. We should go and talk to him."

"That sounds like a brilliant plan."

"The fact that you recognize my brilliance makes you so much more in my eyes than you were a moment ago."

"I thought you were already entranced by my charming wit?" she teased.

"Oh, I was," he said with a laugh.

They made their way through the throng of dancers and found Amos Kauffman deep in conversation with Hannah, one of Cassie's sisters who had come to Texas with her. "Can we get married now?" Andy asked Amos.

Amos looked confused for a moment, but then he turned his full attention to Andy and Cassandra. "Of course." There, with people dancing behind them, they went through the ceremony, and Amos pronounced them man and wife.

Andy leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against Cassie's lips. Hannah stepped forward and hugged her sister. "I hope you find all the happiness you deserve," Hannah whispered.

"And you," Cassie said softly. "Are you certain you know what you're doing spending time with a pastor this way?"

Hannah shook her head. "No, I think I may have lost my mind. But he's the one..."

"Ready to step into a new adventure?" Andy's voice cut through the whispered conversation between the sisters.

"Only if you are," Cassie responded, her blue eyes reflecting a mixture of daring and wonder.

"Then it's settled." He offered his arm, and she took it, her grip firm and sure.

"Quite the leap we've taken, Mr. Forsythe," Cassie murmured, allowing herself a small, hopeful smile.

"Leaps are easier when you've got the right person by your side, Mrs. Forsythe." His dark eyes crinkled at the corners with a smile to match hers.

They moved toward the exit, their steps slow and measured, as if they were both aware that each footfall was taking them closer to an unknown destiny. The warm night air greeted them, and they paused at the threshold, looking out into the dark expanse that held their future.

"Never thought I'd find myself here," Cassie confessed, squeezing his arm lightly.

"Life has a funny way of surprising us," Andy replied, gazing down at her with a warmth that made her heart flutter.

"Indeed, it does," she whispered back, leaning into him slightly, feeling the strength of his presence.

With a deep breath, they stepped out into the night together, the door closing behind them with a soft click. The anticipation of what lay ahead hung between them. Cassie felt for the first time that her future was filled with love and promise. It felt good.

Andy drove them to the small home he'd built, and he waited to hear something negative about it. It wasn't the home he'd dreamed of, and he was sure it wasn't the home she'd always wanted, but it was theirs.

He sent her inside while he unhitched the horses.

Cassie wandered into the house and looked around, realizing it was all basically one room, but she didn't mind. There was a kitchen area, a space for sitting, and a bed. What more did she need? Back in Massachusetts, she'd shared the floor with some of the other young women who were too old to take up the precious beds meant for the children.

When Andy joined her, she smiled at him. "It's perfect."

He gaped at her for a moment, but then smiled, enfolding her in his arms. "It's a perfect place to start," he agreed.