Rejected Bride Bought Giant Cowboy At Auction—Unaware He Carried The Love She’d Prayed For

Chapter 5

After the service, Thomas Blackwell approached her outside the church, his hat in his hands and his expression earnest. Thomas was the son of Cyrus Blackwell, the wealthiest landowner in the county, and he’d been paying Kora entirely too much attention since her humiliation at the altar.

“Miss Bell, I was wondering if I might have a word.”

She suppressed a sigh. Thomas was a pleasant enough young man, but he had the depth of a rain puddle. Still, courtesy demanded she listen.

“Of course, Mr. Blackwell.”

“I’ve been thinking about what happened at the auction,” he said, his face flushing red. “About you and that… drifter. I know you were upset about Mr. Whitmore, and maybe you weren’t thinking clearly.”

Kora felt her temper rise. “I was thinking quite clearly, thank you.”

“Of course, of course. What I mean is — maybe you were thinking about getting back at folks who were talking. I understand that. But now that you’ve made your point, perhaps it’s time to consider more permanent arrangements.”

“What kind of arrangements?”

Thomas took a deep breath, steeling himself. “The kind where you wouldn’t have to worry about strange men working your property or what people might say about it. Miss Bell, I’d be honored if you’d consider becoming my wife.”

The proposal hung in the air like a stone waiting to fall. Kora looked at Thomas’s earnest face, at the genuine affection in his eyes, and felt nothing but hollow sadness. Here was everything she should want — security, respectability, a future free from worry about money or reputation. A safe choice that would solve all her practical problems.

But when she tried to imagine accepting his offer, all she could think of was the way Boon’s eyes had looked when he’d spoken of his grandmother. The gentle reverence in his hands as he’d healed Timothy Foster. The quiet strength that seemed to radiate from him like heat from a banked fire.

“Thomas,” she said gently, “you’re a good man, and any woman would be fortunate to have your regard. But I can’t marry you.”

His face fell. “Is it because of him? The drifter?”

The question caught her off guard, partly because she wasn’t sure of the answer herself. “It’s because my heart isn’t free to give,” she said finally, the truth of it surprising her even as she spoke.

“Hearts can change,” Thomas said desperately. “If you just give me a chance…”

“Thomas.”

The voice behind them was firm but not unkind. Kora turned to see Boon approaching, his gray eyes fixed on the younger man with something that might have been sympathy.

“The lady’s given you her answer. Seems to me a gentleman would respect that.”

Thomas’s face flushed red, but with anger now rather than embarrassment. “I don’t recall asking your opinion, drifter.”

“No,” Boon agreed calmly. “But you’re making Miss Bell uncomfortable, and that’s something I can’t stand by and watch.”

The two men faced each other in the afternoon sunlight, and Kora could feel the tension crackling between them like lightning before a storm. Thomas was younger and probably stronger. But there was something in Boon’s stillness that suggested he was far more dangerous than his quiet demeanor implied.

“This isn’t over,” Thomas said finally, his voice tight with frustration.

“Yes,” Boon replied quietly. “It is.”

As Thomas stalked away, Kora found herself alone with Boon outside the church where her dreams had been shattered just weeks before. But standing there with him, she didn’t feel broken anymore. She felt like a woman who was finally beginning to understand the difference between settling for safety and reaching for something real.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Boon touched the brim of his hat, but his eyes held hers for a long moment. In their gray depths, she saw her own growing feelings reflected back at her, complicated by a sadness she was only beginning to understand.

“No thanks needed, Miss Bell. A woman should be free to choose her own path.”