Mariette And The Cowboy (Western Night Series 2) by Rosie Harper

teasingly. He’d follow her, rescue her from anywhere – he knew that now. Could never again let her go.
    “I’ll do my best, but maybe I should slow down a little,” she took his hand and laid it on her belly. “I don’t know if it is possible to be a reckless fool and be a good Mother.” Hardy stared at her, astounded by her words. His mouth began to slowly turn into a grin that split his face from ear to ear. “You’re having my baby?”
    “I think so, but I was so worried that you would marry me just because of that – and I didn’t want to make you give up your pride,” she was speaking so rapidly, and Hardy knew that none of that mattered to him anymore. He kissed her deeply, silencing her, holding her close to him, allowing his body and his passion talk for him.
    “I have learnt that pride is rather over-rated. I’d far rather be with the woman I adore, and the baby we are going to bring up to be feisty, and opinionated. A gorgeous girl..”
    “Or boy,” Mariette reminded him. He nodded.
    “Or boy, that will walk his own path in life – no matter what anyone else thinks.”
    “You’re forgetting something I think,” Mariette said with a cheeky grin.
    “I am?”
    “Hmm, think harder. I think there is definitely a little question you may have forgotten to make sure you had the answer to!” Suddenly it dawned on him.
    “Mariette Macardle,” he kissed her lips. “Though you are the most infuriating,” he kissed the tip of her nose, “bloody-minded woman I have ever met,” and a peck on each eye. “I adore you. Will you marry me?” he asked. She simply nodded as he picked her up and carried her out to where everyone was waiting. “She said yes!” They all cheered. Arrandale just looked petrified as he was led off by the Sheriff to await trial.

 
     
    Epilogue
     
    A wrenching cry could be heard throughout the house. “Mariette, where have you put the baby’s rattle?” Hardy yelled up the stairs of their new ranch house.
    “You are less than useless sometimes,” his wife said as she swept into the parlour and presented him with the silver rattle that Carlton Williams simply would not sleep without. Hardy moved to his cradle and began to rock it gently as he shook the rattle. In moments the wailing had stopped and Carlton was staring at the rattle as if mesmerized. A few minute more and he was fast asleep. Hardy brushed his hand gently over the copper curls on his soft head and relaxed at last. He pressed a kiss onto the tiny forehead and then moved to the cradle beside it.
    “You my beautiful one, I will leave you everything because you are an angel,” he whispered to the peaceful sleeping form of his daughter Georgina.
    “That is because she is a Daddy’s girl. She is the very devil for me!” Mariette joked.
    When Mariette had given birth to twins it had been a wonderful surprise. They had been over the moon to have a perfect family right from the start. But, that was before they had known how demanding two infants could be. Nonetheless they were both besotted with their tiny offspring, and doted on their every whim. They reasoned that it was impossible to spoil them while they were so young, would teach them to be courageous and self motivating when they were a little older.
    Mariette had softened since becoming a Mama, but she was still his warrior. The newspaper continued to print stories that exposed corruption and wrong doing. She had convinced the townspeople of the merits of the co-operative, and following their recent experiences everyone had agreed with her. She would always be outspoken, and do thing her own way, and he was proud of her for not bowing down to anyone. In her usual fashion, she had managed to surprise him on their wedding day with a scroll of paper. He had unrolled it cautiously, having no clue what he would find inside. With Mariette you simply never knew what she would do next. He had been over the moon to find it was the deeds to a vast swathe of