Free Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath Page B

before him, and he saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes. He smiled as though he was a besotted fool who thought himself the luckiest man on earth. Her eyes warmed with gratitude, and all the doubts plaguing him melted away.
    â€œWho gives this woman to this man?” the reverend asked.
    â€œI do,” David said.
    With a fluid movement, Kit took Ashton from her brother and nestled her against his side. He lowered his head and whispered, “Speak the vows as though you mean them.”
    Ashton watched her future husband straighten and wanted to take him away to a corner and explain why David had chosen him. She wanted to tell him what her journal revealed of her feelings for this man standing beside her now on the verge of making false vows to grant her one solitary day of happiness.
    She adored him. It was as simple and as complex as that. From the moment she had first heard tales of the Englishman David had met on his journey abroad, she had been fascinated with him. Then she had methim at her brother’s party, listened as he spoke with a deep voice accentuated with grandeur, and watched his every courtly gesture, mesmerized. She had desperately wanted to dance with him, but the subject of Clarisse had come up during the conversation at dinner. After that, Kit had been interested only in her brother’s expensive wine, not in his companions.
    Ah, yes, she would speak the vows as though she meant them, because she did. She prayed that her heart would not shatter when he repeated vows that were of little consequence to him or his heart.
    Kit’s gaze did not stray from hers as the minister spoke on the merits of love and the responsibilities of marriage. She had yearned to hear words such as these directed her way, surrounding her and the man who would make a life with her. She had not expected the words to echo within the church, a hollow sound that reverberated within her empty heart.
    She and Kit had no life except for this one evening. They would have no children, no home, and no shared dreams to whisper about during the night as they held each other within their arms. She stood before the altar experiencing the wedding of a child, not that of a woman.
    The minister turned to Kit and bade him to repeat his vows. Until this moment, Ashton did not realize that she dreaded the vows that would bind them through sickness until death . Words she loathed would weave their way into her special evening, tainting it beyond measure. Why had she not thought to ask that their vows be changed?
    As though sensing her doubts, understanding hermisgivings, Kit took her hand, brought it to his lips, and pressed his lips to her fingers, the warmth of his mouth seeping through her gloves.
    â€œRepeat after me,” the minister began.
    Yet before the minister uttered another word, Kit spoke his vow in a voice that rang strong, clear, and true. “I, Christian Montgomery, take thee, my dearest Ashton Robertson, to love, honor, and cherish as my beloved wife.”
    Everyone seemed to fade away except this man who stood beside her, giving her in ways she’d never imagined an evening she would never forget. Gladness filled her heart and joy swirled within her as she tightened her fingers around his, her gratitude immeasurable. He had mentioned no illness, allowed no reference to the inevitability of death. Only the inevitability of life.
    Ashton recited the vow that was now etched on her heart. “I, Ashton Robertson, take thee, my dearest Christian Montgomery, to love, honor, and cherish as my beloved husband.”
    As though he’d never been interrupted, the minister announced, “Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. You may kiss the bride.”
    Holding her breath, Ashton waited as Kit slowly lifted her veil. Like an intimate caress, his gaze moved over her face as though he wanted to etch this moment into his memory as much as she did. He cradled her face between his large, strong hands,