Marissa pulled back a smile breaking across her face. “Food would be nice,” she admitted. “I just had a row with my sister, and it has put me in a bad mood.”
Trace reached down taking Marissa’s hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do and together they headed across the dusty yard to the house and the promise of breakfast.
“What were you two fighting about?” Trace asked as they made their way to the back porch where breakfast was being served to the crew.
“You,” Marissa admitted. “I told her, half-joking, that I was going to marry you. She thinks I’m taking advantage of you to make myself feel better.”
“Are you?” Trace asked making her look up in shock.
“You offered,” she said her voice breathy with doubt.
“Then how can you be taking advantage of me. I don’t have some white knight complex,” he added. “I just wanted to make life easier on you. I can’t turn my back on a situation like this,” he paused stopping before making the last turn past the old sod shack. “Besides, I kind of like you.”
Marissa looked into the clear blue eyes of the handsome cowboy before her and felt a smile tug at her lips. “Really?”
“Yep. It’s been nice getting to know you a little more. Just because you might have had one error in judgment doesn’t make you a bad person Marissa. We’ve all sinned and fallen short, but there is love and forgiveness if we admit it.”
“I don’t see it that way,” Marissa admitted. “I know where you’re coming from though, and I don’t think you’re judging me. Still, it’s nice that you care enough to say it.”
Trace dropped a kiss to Marissa’s dark hair, surprised at how much he liked this woman. “I’ll be here if you need me,” he said. “Just remember that.”
Marissa smiled her eyes still studying his face. “That’s why I agreed to this. I know I made this mistake and have to live with it now, but knowing there is someone I can turn to if I need to has helped take away some of the fear.”
Trace wrapped an arm around her shoulders and together they walked to the back stairs slipping onto a bench seat at the long table as others smiled a greeting.
“Now, how about that mountain of pancakes,” Trace teased, delighted at the reward of Marissa’s sweet laugh.
Chapter 15
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Trace asked as they walked toward the courthouse in Tipton. “You don’t want Michelle with you?”
“No, I want it to just be the two of us,” Marissa said wrapping her fingers in the cowboy’s warm hand. “Are you sure you want to go through with it?”
“I’ve never had one doubt,” Trace said with a grin. “It’s the right thing to do, and you’ll know I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
Marissa nodded walking into the courthouse and heading for the waiting area. In a short time, she would legally be Mrs. Trace Sparak. “I’m pretty sure we’re both crazy,” Marissa finally spoke as they took up their paperwork and found a bench to wait on.
“Nothing wrong with being crazy for a good cause,” Trace teased trying to lift some of the tension. His smile was kind and full of affection and for a moment Marissa wished it was for her alone.
In the past month and a half, she had developed a strong respect for the soft-hearted cowboy. He was passionate about his beliefs and was willing to put himself on the line for his beliefs.
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this,” Marissa said. “I’m no one to you.”
“You’re far more than no one,” Trace said. “Almost from the beginning, I could see where your heart was, but that your head was telling you that you couldn’t do this. Being on your own and being responsible for another life can be scary. Now you don’t have to be afraid because I’ll be here if you need me.”
Marissa shook her head. “I’m sorry I’m such a coward.”
Trace squeezed her hand. “You’re not a coward,” he said softly. “You’re doing whatever it takes to look out for yourself and the baby. I think that is brave.”
Over the past month, Marissa had gotten to know Trace better, and once again, she wished she’d met him before this whole mess. How was it that she hadn’t realized that she had simply clung to her old relationship from familiarity? What was wrong with her that she always seemed to be trying to fill the hole in her heart? She was now hanging her hopes on the new life that was growing within her. Surely once the baby was born, she would feel complete.
“Brighton and Sparak,” a clerk called from an open door and Marissa shivered with the reality of her choices.
“You ready?” Trace said pulling her to her feet, his strong fingers clinging to hers.
Marissa nodded, not willing to trust her voice with any words as she walked through the door to stand before the justice of the peace.
***
“I hope you don’t mind but I need to stop by and check in on Daisy,” Trace said less than half an hour later. “It won’t take long,”
“That’s fine,” Marissa said, her mind still reeling from the brief ceremony.
Turning to look out the window, she watched the landscape whizzing by. Pushing the button on the door, she ran the window down and breathed in the smell of summer-dry grass, and mature sagebrush.
Wyoming was beautiful and she could understand why Michelle was so happy here. Not only was her sister a graphic designer, but she was also a huge shutterbug, and Wyoming was very photographic.
Soon they were turning into the familiar drive of the Pregnancy Center and Trace was hurrying
