Page 45 of Colorado Bride

“Let me tell you a little story.I pursued Maggie from the very first.She corresponded with me to find me a bride.Then we wrote letters back and forth that had nothing to do with her search.I didn’t know it then but I fell in love with Maggie through our letters before I’d ever set eyes on her.She’d been married before to a man much older than she.Maggie was in a loveless marriage.The man kept mistresses and only wanted Maggie for appearances.”

“But—”

“Let me finish.She escorted a girl who was supposed to be my bride.The girl fell in love with someone on the train and left Maggie high and dry.I was thrilled.Maggie was not.She was determined not to love me and I was determined not to love her, but I had to have her.Long story short, Maggie left and went back to New York.She discovered on the journey that she was pregnant, something that wasn’t supposed to be possible, but she didn’t tell me.And I was too stubborn to go after her, determined that I didn’t love her.She was ready to raise our child alone rather than be in another loveless marriage.It was almost too late when I got to New York to convince her I’d been a fool.Don’t you be a fool, too.”

“I’m not being a fool.I really don’t believe I’ll love Emily.I like her a lot and love some things about her, but that’s not the same thing.”

Caleb folded his arms over the top rail of the stall with the new colt in it.

“You’re right it’s not.And I’m not saying that youwillfall in love with her.All I’m saying is you should be open to the possibility.Every woman is not like Melissa.If you ask me, you dodged the bullet with that one.”

Ben put his foot on the lowest rung of the stall gate and leaned his crossed arms over the top rail.

“Why does everyone say that?Am I the only one that didn’t see Melissa for what she was?”

“Yup.Pretty much.”

“Why didn’t someone tell me?”

“Maggie was told by Jane she tried to tell you about Melissa and so did Curt.If you think back you’ll remember what you told them.”

He straightened.“Yeah, I remember.I told them to mind their own business and keep their noses out of mine.”

“Yup and they were family, the only ones who could rightly say something to you.”He shrugged.“The rest of us knew, because we saw Melissa when she wasn’t with you.”

Ben turned around and leaned back against the gate.

“I’ve been the recipient of pitying looks, I know that.I don’t want to be again.”

Caleb stood perpendicular to the gate with his bent elbow resting on the top rung of the gate.

“You can’t be, with Emily.She appears to be a sweet little thing.The total opposite of Melissa in every way, shape, and form.And you’re already married to her, she can’t jilt you.Look, all I’m saying is to keep your eyes open, keep your options open, and don’t shoot down your chance at true happiness.”

“I’ll try.Thanks for the talk.Let’s go see the girls.”

“I should probably tell you about the colt.His name is Champion.His father is my big black, Agamemnon and his mother is Maggie’s mare, Cleopatra.”

“You have strange names for your horses, just as I do some of mine.”

“Katy gets to name the horses.She was reading a lot of history of Greece, Rome and Egypt.”

“Jane was doing the same thing when she named some of our horses.”

“Now when we get in and Emily asks you about the horse you can answer her.”

“You do think of everything.”

“I’ve been married twice.I learn something new with Maggie every day and I love her more than ever.”

“I just don’t see that for me.”

Caleb clapped Ben on the back.

“Wait and see what happens.”

Ben patted his full belly.

“Maggie that was a wonderful meal.”