Texas Loving (The Cowboys) Read online

  Before he had time to decide what he was going to do about it, he was swamped by pride in what she’d accomplished. She’d won a very difficult race against a jockey who had done everything he could to stop her. He was sure others had also tried to keep her from winning. She hadn’t hesitated to fight back when the jockey employed unfair tactics. She’d admitted to punching the jockey in the nose, told the judge why, and said she was sorry she’d only bloodied his nose.

  Eden fixed her gaze on Edward. “I guess I do have a guardian angel. Without her, I would never have gone to England.”

  That did it. Any thought of criticizing her left his mind. He could only see she loved him so much she was willing to take the risk to make sure he won the race that would give him a chance at a new life. At the moment, he didn’t care that what she’d done was foolish to the point of insanity. All that mattered was she’d done it for him. After a lifetime of being expected to sacrifice himself for others, here was one person who had been willing to sacrifice for him. How could he not marry her after that? could he not marry her after that?

  Edward closed the space between him and Eden. “I’ve been insufficiently grateful to my guardian angel. I’ve been so focused on what I lost, I didn’t appreciate what I’ve been given in exchange.”

  Chet walked over, whispered in Edward’s ear. “If you’re going to ask her to marry you, you oughta wait until we get back to the hotel. After what she’s done, people might think you’re not sane enough to be trusted with a lot of money.”

  Edward tried to smother his laughter but gave up and let it roll from him in a long cascade. Jake and Isabelle looked confused, but Eden immediately broke into a smile.

  “I don’t know what Chet said to you, but don’t listen. He used to be much wilder than I ever was.”

  Chet was honest enough to blush.

  Edward smiled down at Eden, took her hands in his. “I wish you hadn’t taken such a dangerous risk, but I’m enormously proud of you. You’ve got courage and intelligence and you don’t hesitate to use either of them. You stand behind what you believe even if no one agrees with you, and you don’t flinch at facing unpleasant truths. The only misstep you’ve taken was to fall in love with me.” He tightened his hold on her hands. “I’m not going to be a gentleman and step back until you regain your senses. I’m going to take advantage of your momentary lapse in judgment and ask if you could possibly want to marry me.”

  Luke turned to Chet. “That sounds like something you’d say.”

  Isabelle pinched him. “It sounds like something only a man who’s smart enough to make my daughter fall in love with him would think to say.”

  Eden’s smile was so big it threatened to march right off her face. “Of course I’ll marry you. Why else would I risk my neck riding against a bunch of men who should be ashamed to call themselves Texans?”

  Edward felt as if his life was being directed by an unseen hand. From the moment he’d almost run into Eden in the upstairs hall in London, nothing in his life had gone as he had expected. He’d been disgraced and disinherited, abandoned, confused and challenged. Yet everything had led directly to this moment, the moment that promised more happiness than he’d ever thought possible.

  Isabelle glared at her daughter. “That’s not a very gracious acceptance.”

  Edward didn’t take his eyes off Eden. “It sounded wonderful to me.”

  Jake stepped forward to shake Edward’s hand. “She’s a lot like her mother. Hasn’t given me a moment’s peace in twenty-one years, but I wouldn’t trade a single minute.”

  Edward returned Jake’s firm handshake. “I expect I’ll feel the same in twenty-one years.” the same in twenty-one years.”

  Chet shook his head. “If you survive that long.”

  Isabelle wiped a tear from her cheek and gave Edward a hug. “Welcome to the family. I’ve been waiting for this moment much too long. But now that it has come, you’ll have to wait a while longer. It’s going to be a big wedding.”

  Eden had wanted to have the wedding on the site of Edward’s new ranch, but so many people wanted to come, it proved impractical. They ended up arranging to be married on the plaza in front of the Alamo. With the immediate family numbering more than sixty, the guests filled nearly every hotel room in San Antonio. The ceremony would be performed on the steps of the Alamo. A party the likes of which San Antonio had never seen would follow.

  The night before the wedding, tables had been set up in the center of the square and the entire Maxwell family, including the six infants in arms, gathered for dinner. Colorful lanterns hung from tree limbs, perched on tall poles, and sat on tables laden with platters, bowls, and pans of food that filled the cooling evening air with a medley of mouthwatering aromas. A mariachi band provided a background of lively music while dozens of young people ran, skipped, and paraded from table to table, catching up with cousins they hadn’t seen in at least twenty-four hours. Their parents, relieved for the moment from worries that they’d fall from a rocky cliff they’d been told not to climb, injure themselves with a gun they’d been forbidden to touch, or end up on the wrong side of a longhorn’s temper, stretched Eden’s goodwill to the limits by regaling Edward with embellished recollections of every piece of mischief his bride-to-be had committed in her twenty-one years.

  After one particularly embarrassing story, she took Edward by the arm and led him away. “One more story like that,” she told her grinning brother Will, “and the one person in all of San Antonio missing from the wedding will be the groom.”

  Edward grinned broadly, pulled Eden close to give her a kiss on her forehead. “I wouldn’t miss the wedding for the world, but I’m not sure it’s safe for us to have children.”

  “You could always go back to Daphne. I’m sure hers would be extremely well behaved.”

  Rather than explain that cryptic remark to several interested persons, Edward insisted his future bride begin introducing him to her numerous nieces and nephews. “If you can get them to remain still long enough.” He had managed to master the names of her siblings and their wives and husbands because there were only twenty-two of them. Half an hour later he gave up, saying, “We’ll probably have a couple of our own before I manage to learn all their names.”

  Eden surveyed her family with pride and a degree of wonder. Isabelle frequently said she was awed every time she thought of the changes that had taken place in the Maxwell clan. Eden hadn’t understood what her mother meant until now. Eden had been born into a large family, took it for granted, took the lives they led, the dangers they had faced, as a normal part of the fabric of her life. Maybe it had been going to England that had brought home to her how unusual her life had been, how fortunate she was to be surrounded by so many extraordinary people.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Eden jumped, startled to hear her father’s voice behind her. “How lucky I am to have such a family.”

  Jake surveyed his family. “It’s right scary when you think of it.” He shook his head, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “If I’d had any idea this would be the result of your mother showing up on my ranch with her eight orphans from hell, I would have run all the way to New Mexico without my cows.”

  Eden slipped her arm around her father’s waist and pulled him close. She felt incredibly blessed to have her two favorite men on either side of her. “I don’t think I’ll ever be this happy again.”

  “Of course you will, dozens of times.”

  Her mother had come to join them, to link arms with her husband and bask in the glow of love and happiness that filled the plaza. It was so obvious that people passing paused to look, to marvel, and most often walk away smiling. Eden could think of only one thing that would make the celebration better. And then, almost as if by magic, it happened.

  Edward was certain he was dreaming. He could think of no other reason why he should see the earl and Patrick walking across the plaza toward him. It was an implausible collision of two wor
lds, the one that had bred him and the one that had adopted him.

  Isabelle moved past her husband to give Edward a kiss on the cheek. “Eden thought you’d like to have some of your family stand up with you. It’s not right for you to be surrounded entirely by Maxwells.”

  Edward was stunned to realize he wasn’t imagining anything. They really were here. “But how did they know?”

  “We sent them a transatlantic cable.” Jake chuckled at Edward’s look of amazement. “You do know what that is, don’t you? It’s like a telegraph that works under water.”

  “Dad!” Eden elbowed her father. “He’s not stupid.”

  Edward shook his head to dislodge the sense of unreality that filled him. When he left England, he’d told himself that life was over, that he had to put all thoughts of seeing his family again out of his head. He’d struggled at first, but concentrating on the race and falling in love with Eden had given him new goals and renewed purpose, which eased the loss of his family. He had missed the earl. The old man was a relic of an earlier time, but he was a decent sort who’d tried to understand Edward. It was Patrick, the only one in his family who truly loved him, that he’d missed most. Though the viscount had tried to keep them apart as much as possible, each had been an important part of the other’s childhood—Patrick idolizing the older brother who could do no wrong in his eyes, and Edward feeling free to love Patrick because his brother demanded nothing in return. “I feel stupid, like my brain isn’t working. It seems so unreal.”

  Eden thought Edward’s reaction to the appearance of his family was going to cause her stalwart father to tear up. It was a close call, but he managed to remain dry-eyed. Isabelle made up for it. Her eyes swelled with tears that rolled down her cheeks in gleaming rivulets.

  Edward hugged Isabelle, but his gaze was focused on Patrick. With halting steps he made his way forward. When Patrick offered his hand, Edward used it to pull him into a fierce embrace.

  Patrick hesitated only a moment before throwing his arms around his brother. For Edward it was like a baptism, a rebirth. The presence of the earl and Patrick had given him back his family, and in a sense his name as well. He no longer felt like an outcast. Now he could go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, without feeling that he’d run away.

  “I would prefer that you not hug me—I doubt my old bones could survive the welcome you’ve given Patrick—but surely your brother doesn’t hold all your affection. I hope there’s at least a little left for me.”

  The earl’s slightly amused voice recalled Edward to his obligation to his great-uncle. “Sorry, sir. I was so overcome by seeing you both here in Texas, I forgot myself.”

  The earl extended his hand, which Edward clasped in both of his. “I think you did just fine. It does my heart good to see that you continue to hold your brother in deep affection.”

  “As I do him.” Patrick’s gaze settled on his brother. “I never thought to see you again. You can’t imagine my joy when I read Eden’s cable saying you were in Texas and inviting us to the wedding. I gave such a shout, my father feared I’d taken leave of my senses.”

  Mention of the viscount put a considerable dent in Edward’s euphoria. “How is my fa . . . H ow is the viscount?”

  “He’s not happy at the moment,” the earl said. “When I realized you’d gone, I thought you’d left to avoid marrying Daphne. When Patrick told me the real reason, I nearly disinherited my nephew. Then I realized it was as much my fault as his.”

  “No, sir, you never—”

  He put up his hand to stop Edward’s protest.

  “I should have stopped him from treating you badly. I was as guilty as anyone of the foolish habit of spending money I didn’t have on things I seldom cared about. I didn’t realize the cost of what I was doing until you left. Patrick and I had a long talk. The upshot was that we sold the London house to settle most of our debts. Peter Melsome has put us on a strict budget until the remainder have been discharged.”

  Edward was sure he couldn’t have heard correctly. He looked from the earl to Patrick.

  His brother chuckled with pleasure. “Don’t I always take your advice? Peter has been given management of the estate. He’s taken to the job with enthusiasm.”

  Edward could feel the laugh coming. He followed it as it traveled from his belly to his throat into his mouth and out in a great burst. “If you’ve let Peter put his ideas about economy into practice, I’m surprised the viscount hasn’t tried to kill him.”

  The earl’s amusement nearly matched Edward’s. “Cyril’s been so unhappy, he has gone to stay with friends. I doubt I’ll have the feeding or housing of him for months.” He was suddenly serious. “What he did, what I allowed him to do, nearly cost us you, Edward. The London house, spending restrictions, what are they compared to the loss of a man I’ve always held in deep affection and great esteem? You are as much my great-nephew as Patrick—Cyril’s sister is your mother. Your illegitimate birth doesn’t change that. In any case, I expect to see you in England at least once every two years. I’ll come to Texas on the off years. I intend to see what you’ll do with this ranch you’ve bought. I also want to know your sons and daughters. I missed seeing my own child grow up,” the earl said, glancing at Isabelle. “I don’t want to miss yours.”

  Edward was so moved, he was unable to speak. Reaching out, he held tightly to his great-uncle’s and brother’s hands.

  “I’ve learned Englishmen aren’t very good at expressing themselves when it comes to their feelings,” Eden said, speaking softly into the emotion-laden moment. “I think Edward would like to say your presence, your acceptance and love, mean more to him than either he or I can put into words. He would tell you he’s not worth it, but I think he’s the best of the Davenports.”

  Patrick gripped his brother’s hand harder. “I’ve been telling everybody that for years.”

  Edward had never thought it could happen, but a little more and he’d embarrass himself by crying. He’d be an embarrassment to every cowboy in Texas. It was already bad enough that he talked funny and used a peculiar saddle. He was thankful when Isabelle stepped forward to fill the awkward silence.

  “I want to introduce Patrick and Alastair to the family. My grandchildren will ask dozens of silly questions about being an earl, but they don’t mean any harm. You’re to ignore the rude questions my children will ask. They haven’t stopped teasing me about being an earl’s daughter.”

  “Thank you,” Edward said, turning to Eden. “Inviting my family was the best wedding present you could have given me.” The words fell short of what Edward wanted to say, but talking more wouldn’t help her see the joy her thoughtfulness had given him. Nothing could make him as happy as sharing the rest of his life with her, but restoring his family to him had healed a wound that was deeper than even he had suspected. It wasn’t simply that she’d done it. It was that she loved him deeply enough to sense the need. She must have known he would never put it into words. Now he didn’t have to.

  Eden pulled him down to give him a lingering kiss. “Seeing your face when you spotted the earl and Patrick was the best present I could have. Now I can marry a whole man, not one with a chunk of him missing.”

  He wished the viscount could be here right now, could see that this girl from Texas, a girl whose mother was born on the wrong side of the blanket, was more of an aristocrat than the viscount would ever be. She understood that it wasn’t money. It wasn’t title, prestige, or social standing that mattered. It was the heart. And when you were loved Texas style, you were loved with the whole heart.

  “I love you, Eden Maxwell.” He kissed her on her cheek, her nose, her lips. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, but there’s nothing on earth that could change the way I feel about you right now.”

  Eden’s grin was pure devilry. “Hold that thought. You’ll probably need it before we get back from the honeymoon.”

  Davenport Family Genealogy

  Maxwell Family Genealogy
/>   Jake Maxwell m. Isabelle Davenport 1866

  Eden b. 1868

  Ward Dillon m. Marina Scott 1861

  Tanner b. 1862 (married Elise, two daughters)

  Mason b. 1869

  Lee b. 1872

  Conway b. 1874

  Webb b. 1875

  Buck Maxwell (Hobson) m. Hannah Grossek 1872

  Wesley b. 1874

  Elsa b. 1877

  Drew Townsend m. Cole Benton 1874

  Celeste b. 1879

  Christine b. 1881

  Clair b. 1884

  Sean O’Ryan m. Pearl Belladonna (Agnes Satterwaite) 1876

  Elise b. 1866 (Pearl’s daughter by a previous marriage)

  Kevin b. 1877

  Flint b. 1878

  Jason b. 1880

  Chet Maxwell (Attmore) m. Melody Jordan 1880

  Jake Maxwell II (Max) b. 1882

  Nick b. 1884

  Bret Nolan m. Emily Abercrombie 1881

  Sam b. 1882

  Joseph b. 1884

  Elizabeth b. 1885

  Matt Haskins m. Ellen Donovan 1883

  Toby b. 1868 (adopted)

  Hank b. 1870 (adopted)

  Orin b. 1872 (adopted)

  Noah b. 1878 (adopted)

  Tess b. 1881 (adopted)

  Matthew b. 1885

  Brodie b. 1886

  Pete Jernigan m. Anne Thompson 1886

  Mary Anne b. 1888

  Kane b. 1889

  Kent b. 1889

  Will Haskins m. Idalou Ellsworth 1886

  Riley b. 1887

  Isabelle b. 1889

  Luke Attmore m. Valeria Badenburg 1887

  Lucas b. 1888

  Valentine b. 1889

  Hawk Maxwell m. Suzette Chatingy 1888

  Zoe b. 1889

  Zeke Maxwell m. Josie Morgan 1888

  Jessie b. 1889

  Eden Maxwell m. Edward Davenport 1889

  Junie Mae

  Scott b. 1886

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