Kayla & the Rancher, Paige Tyler [story read aloud TXT] 📗

and Kayla didn’t think she’d ever seen him look more handsome. In his hand, he held a bouquet of freshly picked daisies.

Looking at his bride, however, Cord forgot all about the flowers in his hand, and simply stared at her. She was so lovely that it took his breath away, and it was several moments before he could speak.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said softly.

She smiled, blushing at the compliment. “I’m glad you think so.”

Suddenly remembering the flowers in his hand, he held them out for her.

“These are for you,” he said simply.

“They’re lovely,” she said, reaching out to take them. “Thank you.”

Embarrassed to realize that her hands were trembling, Kayla looked away,

only to feel Cord’s fingers beneath her chin. She lifted her head to find him regarding her intently.

“When I put in an order for a mail-order bride, I didn’t expect to fall in love, Abigail,” he said softly. “But then you stepped off that stagecoach, and I fell head over heels for you from the first moment I saw you.”

Kayla caught her breath, unable to believe what she had just heard.

“You...you love me?” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

His mouth quirked. “Are you really that surprised, sweetheart?” he asked.

She flushed, Rachel’s words of advice to tell Cord the truth suddenly coming back to her. “I...there’s something I have to tell you...” she began, but her voice trailed off.

“You don’t have to say it; I understand,” he said when she didn’t finish. “I wasn’t expecting you to feel the same way. In time, perhaps, but for now, it’s enough that you’ve agreed to marry me.”

She blinked. “But...that’s just it,” she said quickly, going up on tiptoe to kiss him on the mouth. “I do love you, Cord. I love you so much. It’s just that...”

His brow furrowed. “What is it, Abigail?”

She couldn’t tell him, she realized. She simply couldn’t do it. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them back. “I...it’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just so happy, that’s all.”

Cord looked like he wanted to prompt her further, but after a moment, he

smiled. “Then we’d better get going, before we’re late.”

So, wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and

something blue, and using the name, Abigail Murray, Kayla Mathison married Cord Holderness that afternoon. Most of the town had come out to witness

the ceremony, as well as to congratulate her and Cord at the reception held outside in the churchyard afterward. Kayla had been half-afraid that Dalton Jeffries would come to the wedding, and she was relieved when she didn’t

see him among the guests.

Several of the townsfolk had brought musical instruments with them, and so after the meal, which was a simple menu of roasted chicken, potatoes and

vegetables, Cord took Kayla’s hand and led her onto the makeshift dance

floor. Their guests eagerly joined in, though Kayla barely took notice of the other dancers around them, so captivated was she by her husband.

In fact, she was so caught up in dancing with Cord that she didn’t notice

Dalton Jeffries standing beside them until he had placed a hand on her

husband’s shoulder.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Kayla blinked, not sure if she were more startled by the man’s question, or his presence at her and Cord’s wedding. She looked at her husband nervously.

Cord’s jaw was clenched, his face an unreadable mask.

Holding onto her hand, Cord protectively pulled her close. “You’re not

welcome here, Jeffries,” he said curtly. “I’ll tell you this only one time; get the hell out of here.”

In the tense silence that followed, Kayla gripped her husband’s hand tighter.

She realized then that not only had the music stopped, but that every one of the guests was staring at them, and she prayed that Dalton Jeffries would

simply do as Cord had asked and leave.

But Dalton made no move to leave. Instead, he gave Cord a sardonic smirk.

“Come on, Holderness; why not share some of your good fortune with the rest of us?”

Dalton Jeffries words were casual enough, but as he spoke, he lazily looked Kayla up and down, leaving no room for doubt as to what he was referring to, and Cord snapped.

With a sound deep in his throat, Cord lunged for Dalton. Crying out in dismay, Kayla desperately gripped her husband’s arm as she tried to hold him back.

“Cord, don’t...” she begged.

Intent on making Dalton pay for his snide comment, Cord ignored her, going for the other man anyway, and Kayla was grateful when Lucas, who had been

nearby, stepped in to restrain his boss with a hand on Cord’s shoulder. Cord tried to shake him off, which was when another one of the hands took his

other shoulder.

“He’s not worth it, Cord,” Lucas advised, trying to maintain his grip on Cord’s shoulder.

Dalton, for his part, seemed to find the whole thing amusing, and only

encouraged Cord to take a punch at him until Rachel stepped between her

brother and Cord.

“Dalton, stop it,” she yelled, forcing herself to be heard over his shouted taunts. “Can’t you see that you’re making a fool of yourself?”

Dalton Jeffries didn’t seem to care, however. He took a step forward and

would have pushed his sister out of the way had Rachel’s husband, Matthew, and another man that Kayla didn’t recognize not grabbed hold of him from

behind.

Terrified that the men holding Cord and Dalton wouldn’t be able to keep the two men from going at each other for much longer, Kayla hurriedly stepped in front of her husband.

“Cord, please,” she pleaded, lifting her hand to rest it against his cheek, hoping that he would look at her. “This is our wedding day. Please don’t let him spoil it for us. Please.”

Her softly spoken words must have gotten through to him because she felt

him relax against the men holding him back, saw his gaze shift from Dalton Jeffries to her. She smiled up