The wagon bounced and jostled Hope as she held the handle on the side of the seat with her right hand and stared at the gold band on her left hand as the diamonds sparkled in the sun. It wasn't the wedding that she'd dreamed of as a little girl, but it was still nice and it truly, was a beautiful church. She could say it was more than she'd expected when she decided to come out here and marry a total stranger. In fact, Levi, her husband, was more than she'd expected and so very handsome!

"I hope you like the ring." Levi said as he turned to look at her deep violet eyes and smiled when he saw them light up.

"Oh, it's beautiful! And, so much more than I could have hoped for." Hope exclaimed as she held her hand out, moving her finger slightly as she admired the sparkle of the diamonds again.

"It was my grandmother's."

"Oh." Hope said, as some of the sparkle left her eyes.

Levi's brows drew together as he tried to think about why she would be disappointed about the ring being his grandmothers. Surely, she wasn't like Alicia and wouldn't be angry because he hadn't bought a new one for her. Then, it hit him, he turned slightly in his seat to face better. "Hope, it wasn't Alicia's. She never wore it, she didn't even know about it. In fact, I never bought her a wedding ring, at all.

"To be honest with you, I wasn't sure I was going to give it to you but I brought it, just in case. I don't know you, well, other than the few letters we exchanged but I feel like you are an honest person. You didn't have to tell me the reason you decided to come out here, but you did, and I appreciate it."

"I'm honored that you gave it to me and it doesn't matter who wore it before me, because I'm wearing it now." She said, as an impish smile curved her full lips and her eyes sparkled like amethysts. Then, with a serious look on her face, Hope turned to face him. "I'm not a materialistic person, at all. It's just that, I know how you and your first wife didn't get along and I don't want anything that will remind you of her."

"I'm glad to know that. I really think you will be a good influence on Ellie. She's been looking forward to meeting you, you know."

"I'm excited to meet her too. I couldn't bring much with me but I did bring my two favorite books to read to her. Um, what exactly, did you tell her?" Hope had gone from excited to nervous in just a few seconds. "Can you tell me about her?"

Levi sat there for a moment, his body swaying with the motion of the wagon. Occasionally, their shoulders and knees would bump into each other, causing a very becoming but almost constant blush to Hopes cheeks. Levi turned his head to look at her again. "About Ellie," he started, and her heart all but stopped as a sinking feeling began to settle in the pit of her stomach.

"I told her the truth or as much of it as I could. She knows her mother and I didn't get along although, she doesn't know why. I don't think she liked her very much, either. But, I told her that I had to get married again to keep her with me and she promised me that she would be good for you." Even though Hope had not laid eyes on this child, she already loved her. This little girl, who had been through so much in her short life, was promising her father that she would be good for her new mother, so she could stay with him. How lucky Levi and Ellie were to have each other. She, herself, had never known that kind of love from either of her parents.

"Her mother wouldn't have anything to do with her, even as a baby. I had to buy a goat for milk, so I could feed her. Early on, I realized that I was going to be the one raising Ellie. So, she's a little different from most little girls her age." Levi said a little slower. He'd never thought of how Hope would react to seeing his daughter. After all, she looked normal to him, but he saw her every day.

"What do you mean, a little different?"

"Well, she acts like more of a boy than a girl." Levi said, with a sheepish smile.

"That's understandable, after all, you are a man, and you have been her primary care giver." Oh boy, she was going to have her work cut out for her, she thought to herself.

Levi wasn't sure what he'd expected her answer to be, but that wasn't it. "I have a woman to come clean and do laundry once a week, so you won't have to worry about housework. I asked you out here to help with my daughter, not be our maid."

"There's no need for you to spend the extra money. I did most of the cleaning and all of the cooking at my father's house for the last two years. I'm sure it won't be any trouble, at all to do the same things out here."

"No, like I said, I just want you to be a mother to my daughter. Henrietta Winters comes every Thursday, but I would really appreciate it if you would cook dinner. I only know how to cook a few things, but, to be quite honest, we're tired of stews and soups and beans."

Hope sat there for a minute, letting everything Levi had said to her sink in. All he wanted her to do was cook dinner and take care of Ellie? "I will be more than happy to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner, not only for you but for your hands, as well."

Levi looked at her with a smile. "How about just breakfast and dinner? Are you sure you won't mind cooking for the hands?"

"Well, how many are there?" Hope asked, hesitantly. She couldn't imagine there would be that many. After all, he didn't have a big ranch; he'd said it was one of the smaller ones in the state.

"I've got seven hands, so far." Levi stopped when he saw Hope's eyes widen. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you said you had a small ranch."

"I do, compared to some of the bigger ones in the area. Most of them have twenty to thirty hands and thousands of acres. I only have about six hundred acres."

Whatever she'd been about to say died on her tongue as Levi pulled to a stop in front of a gateway with a sign hanging from the arch, connecting the two sides of the gate. The name on the sign said 'Triple L Ranch.'

"Uh Hope, I – I want to apologize for kissing you in the church. I should have kissed you on your cheek. It won't happen again."

She sat there for a minute, then nodded, ignoring the sting of his words. She had to remember she was here for Ellie and only Ellie, well, and to get away from Philip and her father. "It's quite, alright Levi; it was our wedding and I'm glad my husband gave me my first kiss. She could feel a blush creeping up her face at the thought of that kiss, her very first.

She'd been shocked when his lips touched hers. It looked like he was headed for her cheek and at the last minute changed direction to meet her own mouth. His lips were warm and soft but firm, if that's possible. The moment his lips touched hers, Hope felt a jolt of something all the way down to her toes, causing them to curl in her boots. It was a good thing they'd said their vows before the kiss, otherwise, she'd never have been able to repeat them.

The wagon lurched forward, almost causing her to topple over the seat, into the bed behind her. Only Levi's quick reflexes saved her. "Are you alright?" He asked, a little gruffer than he meant to.

"Yes, I'm fine." Hope said with a chuckle, not hearing the change in his voice. When he moved his hand, she realized where he'd grabbed her. When she'd almost fallen, his arm shot out and wrapped around her back. In doing so he'd inadvertently, grabbed a handful of her right breast. Her face flamed and she could feel the tops of her ears burning. With her head down, she cut her eyes over to Levi; his face was as red as hers. "Um, thank you for catching me."

"Just be more careful." He said curtly, without looking at her. Snapping the reins, the horses began to move forward again. This time with less of a lurch and Hope held on to her seat for dear life.

They came around a bend, in the drive, and Hope's new home came into full view. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth opened, but no sound escaped. She barely even noticed the wooden bridge they were crossing. She expected a small log cabin but that's not what she saw before her. At the end of the circular drive sat one of the most beautiful homes she'd ever seen.

Levi looked over at Hope, anxious to see her reaction to his newly completed home. He tried to see it from her eyes. The house was an eastern style; not at all a typical western log home. It was a two story house with white lap siding, black shutters and a red front door. The porch wrapped around all four sides with swings in each of the two front corners. Directly above the front door on the second story, was a balcony with a white railing around it.

Although, the front entrance was a single door, it was surrounded by leaded glass panels on both sides and across the top, giving it a grand appearance. The house itself was on a small rise allowing the occupants to enjoy the surrounding views, as well as catch the cool breeze rolling off the distant hills.

The pride Levi felt in his home was beginning to falter, as his new bride continued to sit in silence and stare. It was impossible to guess what she was thinking. After another moment of silence, Levi began to fidget and started to wonder if Hope thought his home was lacking, like Alicia had. The house hadn't been finished until after her death so the vile woman never even slept in it, thank goodness. But, that didn't stop her from complaining about every decision he made on the details and finishes. He, finally got her to understand that he wasn't building the house for her; he was building it for Ellie and himself.

"Look, I know it's nothing like what you probably grew up in..." He started but then stopped when he turned to look at her and saw the tears she was struggling to hold back.

Without thinking, Hope grabbed his forearm, feeling the firm muscles flex beneath her bare fingers. "Oh, no! Oh, Levi," she said with a huge smile and happiness in her violet eyes. "It's the most beautiful house! It's just not what I expected. I just assumed you would have a typical log home."