Free Texas Brides Collection by Darlene Mindrup Page A

today,” Pa said, struggling with each word. “And I owe you.”
    “I didn’t do anything you wouldn’t have done for me.”
    “I know, but you and I haven’t been on the best of terms lately.”
    Chet kneeled on the floor beside him. “Just some misunderstandings, Cap’n. We can put it behind us.”
    “Guess we can.”
    “You’d be proud of Serena. She got one of them,” Chet replied, placing an arm around her waist. “I couldn’t have licked them without her.”
    Pa attempted a smile. “She’s a ranger’s daughter…and I reckon…” His face distorted in pain, and he paused before speaking again. “She’ll make a fine ranger’s wife.”
    Serena gasped as the words graced her ears. “Oh, Pa, do you mean it?”
    “Don’t think I have much choice. You already know how hard this life is; I won’t be disguising it.” He grimaced and sucked in his breath. “Both of you got the best, so I’m giving you my blessing.”
    Chet squeezed her lightly, and she laid her head against him. “Thank you. I’ll love her good and proper.”
    Pa raised a brow. “I know you will ’cause you won’t want to tangle with me.”
    Chet chuckled, sparking a lopsided grin from Pa.
    Pa peered into Serena’s face. “Happy birthday, Little One. Guess you got a little more than what you bargained for.”
    “A husband, a blessing, and a palomino,” Serena said, bending to touch his whiskered cheek. “Best birthday I ever had.”

    The Niall family joined them in the afternoon, with Dugan returning home for an Irish cure to soothe Pa’s pain. By then, the three men were buried, but the tale only needed telling once. None of them felt boastful over the morning’s happenings.
    “I have an announcement to make,” Pa said, long toward evening with the effects of Dugan’s elixir easing the burning in his body. “Chet and Serena are fixin’ to be married.”
    “When?” roared Dugan.
    “I reckon as soon as we can get a preacher here to do the ceremony,” Pa said. He cast an approving glance toward Serena and Chet. “Guess I’ll have me a son and a lieutenant. Seems to me, I’m one lucky man.”
    Later on, after the celebration ceased and Pa slept, Serena and Chet sat on the porch and watched the stars break through a night sky.
    “I need to ask you in a fitting way to marry me,” Chet said, his hand clasped firmly into hers.
    She said nothing—but waited.
    “You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?” he asked with a nervous chuckle.
    “No, I plan to savor every word, so speak nice and slow.” She drew her knees up under her dress and rested her chin on them. She had long anticipated his endearing words and a promise of a life together. Now, at this moment, she wanted it all to last forever.
    He cleared his throat. “Serena…what’s your middle name?”
    She straightened up and gazed into his face, wishing she could see his eyes. “Hope.”
    “Hmm. I like that; it’s right pretty.”
    Another long minute passed as they were serenaded by a family of locusts and purple martins.
    “Serena Hope Talbot, I love you—imagine I have for a long time, just didn’t have sense enough to recognize it. I used to have this peculiar idea of what I needed in a woman.
Strength
, I called it, and I thought it meant physical strength. But I made a terrible mistake, for in many ways you are a stronger person than me. I need you, Serena, for now and always. I know God planned for us to be together as man and wife. So I’m asking if you will marry me—be a Texas Ranger’s wife.”
    She sighed and formed a smile she could not conceal. “I’ve loved you since the first day Pa brought you home and introduced you as a new ranger recruit over two years ago. I knew I wanted to marry you then, and I’ve not changed my mind since. Yes, I’ll marry you and be a ranger’s wife.”
    He pulled her closer and lightly brushed a kiss across her lips. “Our lives won’t be easy. Trouble is always springing up