Finally a Bride. Renee Ryan

tracked his progress through the room. The hint of a swagger clung to him as naturally as the year-round snow on the mountain peaks. Garrett’s cowboy upbringing was written all over him, as natural as the innate integrity and strong sense of family all the Mitchell brood possessed.

      “I don’t know what’s gotten into my sister,” Callie whispered to Molly in a low tone, her gaze tracking her brother’s movements. “She’s acting irrational. And I...that is, I...”

      Letting her words trail off, she pressed her lips tightly together, sighed unhappily.

      Garrett’s feet ground to a halt. “What have you done, Callie?”

      She took a shuddering breath. “It’s not what I did. It’s what I said.”

      Molly touched the other woman’s arm. “I’m sure it wasn’t anything too terrible.”

      “Oh, it was bad all right. I really upset her. But I don’t regret a thing I said, not one thing.” Callie lifted her chin in an unexpected show of rebellion. “Someone needed to talk some sense into that stubborn girl. Why not me?”

      “What did you say to her, Callie?” Garrett’s voice held remarkable patience, even though his eyes grew dark with banked emotion.

      “I said—”

      “She told me I’d made a grave mistake.” The reply came from the open doorway where Fanny stood glaring at her sister. Eyes red-rimmed and puffy, she wrapped her arms around her waist in a defensive gesture. “She warned that if I didn’t ask for his forgiveness, I would lose Reese forever.”

      That didn’t sound too terrible, Molly decided, especially since it was partly true, assuming Fanny still loved Reese.

      “She also called me...” Blinking rapidly, Fanny’s bottom lip trembled. “Stupid.”

      Oh, dear.

      “I didn’t call you stupid.” Callie snorted in disgust. “I said you were stupid to let Reese go.”

      At this, Fanny’s eyes glazed over, giving her a lost, dejected look. Tears wiggled to the edges of her thick lashes but she bravely held them in check.

      “Reese is a good man.” Callie jammed her hands on her hips, her earnest tone emphasizing her words. “He’s decent and loyal. You won’t find another like him.”

      “If he’s so wonderful, you marry him.”

      “He wants you, Fanny. It’s you he’s in love with.” Callie took a step closer. “Can’t you see the blessing in that?”

      “Can’t you stay out of it?”

      The two squared off, nose to nose. Standing there, staring at one another with an identical turbulent expression in their eyes, the similarities between the sisters were impossible to miss. They were of a comparable height, equal build, and tilted their heads at a common angle. Although Fanny was considered the great beauty of the family, Callie had her own appeal, less pronounced perhaps, but there all the same.

      Before Molly could intervene, Garrett moved between his sisters.

      A head taller than both, he placed a hand on each of their arms. “Is there something you aren’t saying?” He addressed Fanny directly. “Something less than honorable we should know about Reese?”

      “What?” Both women gasped simultaneously and ripped free of his hold.

      Unmoved by their shocked response, Garrett persisted. “Has Reese done something to make you question his character, Fanny? Has he hurt you in any way?”

      “Hurt me? No, Garrett. No. How could you ask such an awful thing?”

      “How could you even suspect something so vile?” Callie’s outrage matched her sister’s. “You won’t find a better man than Reese Bennett, Jr.”

      Despite being outnumbered, Garrett showed no remorse over his line of questioning. If anything, he seemed to grow fiercer, looking very much like a protective older brother. “If Reese has hurt you, Fanny, and you’re protecting him for some reason, you need to tell me. If he—”

      “Don’t you dare utter another word.”

      Ignoring the warning, Garrett opened his mouth. Fanny cut him off again. “Reese has always behaved above reproach. He’s the best man I know. He’s absolutely—” a sob slipped out of her “—perfect.”

      She made the word sound ugly, which only managed to rile her sister all the more. “If Reese is so wonderful,” Callie challenged, “then why break off your engagement with him?”

      Fanny lowered her head. “I have my reasons.”

      “Which are?”

      “None of your business.”

      The two went toe-to-toe again.

      “Callie, step back.” Sighing, Garrett gently edged her aside then focused solely on Fanny.

      Speaking slowly, calmly, as he would to a spooked horse, he whispered words of encouragement, all the while pressing for details. But no matter what he said, or how he said it, she refused to respond.

      His voice dropped another octave. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”

      She promptly burst into tears.

      Wincing, he glanced at Molly. A mix of resignation and uneasiness flickered in his eyes, a look that read utter masculine helplessness. Garrett had never been good with female tears, especially when the crying woman was someone he loved. It was another trait he shared with his brothers.

      “Fanny, please. Don’t cry.” He pulled her into his arms, patted her back awkwardly. “Everything’s going to work out.”

      She muttered something incomprehensible into his shoulder.

      He closed his eyes a moment. “No, you’re not alone in this. You have your family, your friends and, of course, the Lord. You can lean on us.”

      “It’s not that simple.”

      “It can be, with a little trust on your part.” He set her away from him, but kept his hands on her shoulders. “Help me to understand what’s made you change your mind about Reese.”

      “I already did. He’s—” she released a choking sob “—perfect.”

      Garrett chuckled mildly. “We live in a fallen world. No man is perfect.”

      “Reese is,” Fanny whispered glumly. “Even worse, he thinks I’m equally perfect.”

      There was that word again, spoken in that same dismal tone. So telling, so illuminating.

      Garrett captured Molly’s gaze over Fanny’s head. At his arched eyebrow she arched one of her own. Didn’t he understand what his sister was saying?

      Molly certainly did. She understood what it meant to fall short of others’ expectations. And now, she knew what she had to do.

      “I want to speak privately with Fanny,” she said, looking pointedly at Garrett then widening the arc of her gaze to include Callie.

      Callie immediately started to protest, but Molly cut her off with a firm shake of her head. She expected Garrett to balk, as well. He simply stared at her in measured silence.

      Memories settled over her, her mind returning to a time when he trusted her without reservation. What would it be like to have him rely on her again, if only a little?

      “Perhaps that’s not a bad idea,” he acknowledged, setting Fanny away from him, “but only if that’s what you want.”

      Fanny nodded. “Yes, I want to speak to Molly. Alone.”

      Despite being dismissed, he was calm, stoic, full of uncompromising integrity and strength. “If you continue down this path—” he took his sister’s