The Rancher’s True Bride – Extended Epilogue

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Leana was sweeping the floor for what must have been the tenth time that day, but somehow, every time she looked at it, she could see more grit and dirt that seemed to have come out of nowhere. 

“My dear,” Mary interrupted, putting down a fresh loaf of bread on the table. “From what I know of your sister and her husband, I don’t think they’ll be inspecting your floors with such great attention.”

“I know, I know,” Leana replied, laughing at herself. “It’s just that we’ve never had guests come to stay over before, so I want it to be perfect!”

In the year since her marriage to Simeon, Leana had taken well to life on the ranch. There was so much to learn, and she surrendered herself to God’s providence and the unknown each and every day. Now, she was accustomed to getting up before the sun, and had even taken to going on morning rides with Simeon. She had changed much since moving out here… and there would be more change soon to come. 

She pressed a hand to her waist and glanced around the room. The house, too, had seen its fair share of changes. True to his word, Simeon had immediately set to building a new room for the cabin, allowing them to have a decent living space for themselves. Leana would have gladly gone on without the extra room for years, but Simeon had gotten a taste for the finer things during his time in Kansas City. With his new inheritance, he’d decided that the two of them deserved a new house befitting the empire they intended to build. Construction had started on a large ranch house not far from the original cabin, though it would take some time before the building was complete. A few months ago, when Amelia had suggested that she and Nathan come for a visit, Leana had considered telling them to wait until the new house was finished, but she quickly thought better of it. If there was anything she had learned over the past year, it was that life was precious and she had better not waste a second of it. 

Still, that didn’t stop her from wanting to make the best impression possible for Amelia and Nathan. She wanted them to be comfortable, so that they could report back to her parents that all was well and good in Colorado. 

“Oh! I should have replaced the flowers. These are on death’s doorstep,” Leana said in a panic, noticing the slightly drooping wildflowers she’d picked a couple of days earlier. 

Before Mary could tell her not to fuss about it, the sound of horses’ hooves rose from the front drive. Leana caught herself right before rushing out to pick more fresh flowers. Instead, she turned and raced to the front yard, to see her sister and Nathan in a wagon with Simeon at the helm. He had picked them up from the stagecoach office in town. 

Leana waved frantically and Amelia waved back, jumping out of the wagon as soon as it came to a halt near the front door. The sisters crashed together in a tight embrace, making up for the many months since they’d seen each other. Despite Amelia’s initial promise to remain close to home, she and Nathan had traveled often, much to the sorrow of her parents, who missed her sorely. But Amelia had always been one to live on her own terms, and nothing would ever change that. 

“You look every inch the country wife!” Amelia gushed. 

“And you look every inch the… same?” Leana replied with a laugh. Judging by appearances, Amelia could have been their neighbor in her calico dress and bonnet. 

“Well, we thought we’d dress for the occasion… but to be honest, I wear this at home all the time,” Amelia admitted. “It’s very practical for the shop.” 

Leana was still getting used to the idea of her parents owning a mercantile, and from what she understood, Amelia and Nathan were effectively running the shop with their parents, making it a real family business. 

The men began to take the luggage into the house, and the sisters moved to help, but Simeon quickly stopped Leana. “Don’t strain yourself, Leana,” he told her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go sit down and tell Mary to bring out some drinks for our guests?” Amelia guffawed behind Leana. “My sister is a real princess out here on the ranch, isn’t she? And here I thought you were spending your mornings with the chickens, Leana.”

Leana and Simeon both stopped dead in their tracks, as if they’d been caught. Leana reached for the bag her husband had taken from her, hoping that Amelia hadn’t noticed the awkward moment. “Oh, no,” she attemtped to joke, “I’m more of an empress, but one who carries her own bags. It’s all right Simeon, I can help. This is a light one,” she assured Simeon. His eyes didn’t leave hers. “Are you sure?” he asked slowly and carefully. 

Leana stared right back at him, trying to communicate that his peculiar attitude was in fact bringing unwanted attention to her. “I’m fine, Simeon. I promise, I can–” “Oh!” Amelia gasped, interrupting Leana. The truth was clearly dawning on her. “Oh my!” She stared at Leana with an excited cry. 

“Really, it’s nothing,” Leana protested quickly. “Simeon likes me to be careful. He takes good care of me. That’s–”

“You’re pregnant! You’re expecting a baby!” Amelia shouted, dropping the bag she was holding. She rushed forward to hug Leana again. Behind her, Nathan was laughing with glee as he clapped Simeon on the back.

Simeon looked terribly sheepish. Apparently he realized his mistake, but it didn’t matter now. Laughing, Leana gave in to Amelia’s hug, tears springing to her eyes. 

“Yes, but it’s early yet! We’re being cautious and not getting our hopes up too high. There’s plenty that can still go wrong.” She pulled away and fixed Amelia with a stern look. “You are forbidden from telling our parents – at least until I’m showing. Understood? And that goes for you, too, Nathan!”

But Nathan wasn’t listening. He was still shaking Simeon’s hand. “Congratulations! I don’t know how Amelia could tell, but we’re so pleased for you!”

“They couldn’t have made it more obvious!” Amelia protested. “Besides, Mother told me to be on the lookout. She said she could feel something in her bones. It sounded like foolishness to me, but I guess she was right!”

***

The rest of the evening was more celebratory even than Leana had planned. Though she’d planned to tell their guests about the coming child over supper, the good news revealed early had cast a rosy glow on the whole visit. 

Just before supper, Leana and Simeon showed off their ranch proudly, taking the newcomers on a tour around the property. Amelia and Nathan were appropriately impressed by the vistas and the roaming herds. They met the ranch hands, and they even ate supper all together outside the bunkhouse. Afterward, Hiram pulled out his fiddle and serenaded them all, leaving smiles that lasted late into the night.

It was nothing like the life Leana had envisioned for herself as a girl, but she was happier now than she could ever remember being. 

“And to think, all this could have been mine if I’d insisted upon it!” Amelia joked as she and Leana finally wandered back inside the cabin. The men would be talking for hours yet, and the two sisters wanted some time to catch up on their own.

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t, though?” Leana asked, earning a kiss on the cheek from her sister. 

“Very much so. We’ve both found our dreams, and there are plenty more still to come. Maybe Nathan and I will decide we want to settle out here after all,” Amelia said wistfully, her arm interlocked with Leana’s.

Leana’s heart leaped at the thought. The idea that her future child could grow up with family nearby was beyond exciting… but she caught herself before she became too eager. “If here is where God leads you, then we would be the happiest little clan between the mountains,” she said affectionately. “But I have a feeling you and Nathan have a gloriously winding path ahead of you still.” “Oh… I suppose you’re right. Come on, then, tell me – what are you thinking about naming the baby?”

Outside, the men sang loudly into the night, and the stars twinkled down in silent blessings above them all. 

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Grab my new series, "Hearts of the Untamed West", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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