Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,51
“Not have a future? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Oh, now I’m ridiculous? And stupid?” she said as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Becky,” he said as he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard her then pulled her back farther behind the house away from the street. “I don’t need half the town hearing us having an argument.”
“Why not?” she demanded. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
Luke had to fight to stop from rolling his eyes. This was going the wrong way too fast. Was it all the tension she had been feeling over the last few days? Immediately, he knew it would be a mistake to raise that possibility. Instead, he took both of her hands in his and stared into her eyes.
“Becky,” he said when he knew he had her full attention. “Just so you know, the future I was thinking on would be you and me and a dozen kids at either your uncle’s ranch or at a place up near Hanna and Zion in Oregon. Either would be fine with me, just as long as you were there.”
She froze as she stared up at him, “Are you asking me to marry you?”
His gut twisted in a knot, “I hadn’t planned on it right now. Not like this, not here. Maybe after this business with the Feltons is finished. When I can do it up right.”
She grabbed his upper arm with talon-like fingers and pulled him down to her level. He noticed that she chose his right arm and avoided his wounded left. “Lucas Parker, you are not walking away unless I hear the words. Do you understand?” She squeezed tightly to emphasize her point.
“Becky,” he laughed then forced himself to a more somber perspective. “Miss Rebecca Johnson, would you do me the honor of being my wife.”
She let go of his arm and stepped back then smiled slightly, “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. After all. This isn’t exactly the right place. Not very romantic. And your timing. Really, I don’t know what you were thinking?”
He sighed heavily then glanced down and shook his head. This was so Becky. The woman he loved. She would never let him think he was in charge.
“Well, you think on it for a bit. But you got to know, I ain’t letting you marry anyone else.”
“Luke Parker,” she gasped with a mocking tone, “you aren’t in charge of me.”
“Maybe,” he said, “but that don’t stop the way I feel. I am yours and you are mine and deep down you know it. It’s always been meant to be that way.”
She sighed then smiled up at him. “Well, if you insist. I suppose I could agree to be your wife.”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms. There had never been any doubt in his mind. But he also knew that his life would always be like this. Becky making sure he didn’t get too confident, didn’t take things for granted.
Of course, that was all assuming he lived through the next week.
Chapter Twenty
Rebecca put the clean coffee cups back on the station next to the brazier and smiled to herself once again. It had been that way for the last four days. Ever since Luke had asked her to marry her. Her cheeks hurt from smiling too much.
Just imagine. Luke Parker wanted to marry her. A penniless farm girl with no family. Rebecca Parker, she thought. It had such a nice ring to it.
What would they call their first child? she wondered. What were the names of Hanna’s children? They would have to name them differently. No sooner had the thought entered her mind than she felt her cheeks blush. Her, a married woman and all that meant. She worried if she would be enough for him. He was Luke Parker after all. He had seen things, been places.
But deep in her heart, she knew it was right. More right, than any right thing in this world. The man knew her and loved her anyway. He had seen her cry her eyes out when her parents died. Seen her tremble in fear when that tornado tore apart the wagon train. He’d heard her complain about the trail. Then, come to her aid when she asked.
She felt so special. As if she was the luckiest woman alive. Almost as if she didn’t dare deserve such a man.
She turned just in time to see Sarah Felton step in, followed by an unknown cowboy. Rebecca’s heart fell as