Chapter 21

Mia

Mia cried all the way to Ella and Colton's house. She had hoped that Caleb would ask her to stay, but he didn't. He just stood there, watching as she left. Images of the children passed through her mind as the horses plodded through the melting snow. She hated having to leave them, but they weren't her children… not really… although she would love it if they were. Tears rolled down her cheeks as images of them playing in their room ran through her mind… images of them laughing at breakfast, the closest they had ever come to being a family… images of Shane yelling at her, then coming to love her… images of Hailey calling her Ma.

Then, she remembered Caleb's broad, bare, muscular chest the first morning after she came to live with them… the curve of his mouth when he was amused… the sound of his laughter… Caleb greeting his parishioners happily and then preaching from the pulpit. She committed it all to memory, for she knew she would never come to love anyone else the way she loved them.

A few minutes later, she pulled down the long driveway leading to Ella and Colton's farmhouse. As she pulled to a stop, Colton stepped out on to the porch, smiling. "Over again so soon?" he asked as he dried his hands on a dish towel. "Come on in! Ella will be delighted." But when he saw her tear-stained face, his smile faded. "What's wrong?"

Mia squared her shoulders as she quickly swiped her hand across her cheeks. "Will you be so kind as to take me to Laramie? I intend to catch the train, and I need to get there early before it departs. I don't want to be caught there overnight."

Colton's eyebrows pulled together in concern, and then nodded. "Come on in and say goodbye to Ella while I get ready."

She nodded. Then, she wrapped the reins around the bar of the buckboard and stood. Colton offered her his hand to help her down, when a rumble of horses' hooves pounding along the drive filled the air. Mia thought she was dreaming when she saw that it was Caleb, riding up on his white stallion.

He pulled to a stop in front of her as the horse snorted loudly, pawing at the ground. Caleb jumped off and hurried over to her. "Mia, don't go."

Colton suppressed a smile. "I'll be right over here… if you need me," he said in a low voice as he walked casually onto the porch.

Caleb never took his eyes from Mia. "Mia, I've been a fool. Please, don't go."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head. "Caleb, I can't keep going on this way… the way we have. I can't be just a caregiver for the children and a maid."

Caleb nodded. "And I don't want you to." He reached out for her and helped her down from the buckboard. "Mia, I've been such a fool. I love you and I want you to be my wife… my real wife. I'll move the children into the spare room this afternoon."

Mia's eyebrows pulled together in concern. "But what about… Jessica?" She hated herself for asking, but she had to know. She meant what she said. She couldn't go back to the way that it was… the way it had been between them.

He took her hands into his own. "Yes, I love her, and I always will."

Mia's face fell as her heart shattered into a million pieces at his feet. She knew that he would never get over the death of his first wife.

"But I love you, too."

Mia's eyes snapped up.

Caleb let out a deep breath. "I said goodbye to her. Yes, I will always love her, but I love you, too. Wasn't it you that said that you can love more than one person?"

She nodded.

"Mia, when you ran into the burning barn last night and didn't come out…."

Colton gasped from the porch.

"I thought that I'd lost you… forever." Caleb bit his lower lip as he looked away and then back into her eyes. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you like that. Please, I beg you…." Caleb got down on one knee as he held her hand. "Please, be my wife… my real wife this time. I promise to put no other woman before you, and to love you for all the days of my life."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as a smile spread across her face. "Yes. A thousand times, yes. And I promise to honor, cherish, and love you… for as long as we both shall live."

Colton chuckled. "You may now kiss the bride."

Caleb laughed as Mia blushed. Then, Caleb's lips descended upon hers, overwhelming her with love. Passion filled them both as she wrapped her arms around his muscular back. When he pulled back, his eyes never left hers as he spoke to Colton. "Colton, I'll be over to speak with you later. Sorry to disturb you."

Colton raised his hands in surrender. "Hey! I saw nothing."

Mia chuckled. "Caleb, when I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of my knight in shining armor riding up on his white stallion to rescue me. I never thought he would already be my husband."

Caleb shook his head. "No, I haven't been… until now. But I promise to honor and cherish you for as long as we both shall live," he said, repeating their wedding vows, just as she had. "And I promise to honor my vow to you as your husband, and to give you my whole heart… from this day on… forever."

Although they were already married, she felt that now they were truly married as he helped her into the buckboard and tied his white stallion to the back. A moment later, they headed toward their new life… together.