“How dare you get married and not send me an invitation?” She turned to Eddy. “Hello. I’m Sable Fontaine LeVeq. This is my husband Raimond. Are you sure you want to marry him?”
Eddy chuckled. Sable took a moment to give the stunned Rhine a strong hug and gave Drew one, too.
Raimond said, “I see your bride’s a woman of color, SergeantClark. Hope this means you’re back on the right side of the road.”
Rhine dropped his head and chuckled.
Sable elbowed her husband. “Hush.”
Sergeant Clark? Eddy was confused.
Sable said to her, “Pay him no mind, honey. I’ll explain later. Now that I’ve made my entrance, carry on, Sheriff.”
And so he did.
Later during the reception, they learned that Rhine’s newspaper ads had finally paid off. One of Raimond’s brothers saw one in a Boston newspaper on a trip there a few weeks ago and wired Sable about the find. After making arrangements to leave their four children with Raimond’s mother, they’d purchased train tickets in their home town of New Orleans and arrived in Virginia City just as the wedding was beginning. Eddy was pleased that Rhine and his sister were finally reunited, and she couldn’t wait to spend more time with Sable and Raimond—after her wedding night.
And what a wedding night it was. They drove from Sylvia’s to the Union and he carried her up the stairs to his room. As they crossed the threshold, all Eddy could think about was it being the place where her adventure with him began.
But she didn’t get to think much longer because he treated her to a night of lovemaking filled with enough sensuous memories to last a lifetime. He made love to her in her gown and then without it. They made love in the blue armchair, and when he laid her nude body on the table and boldly spread her legs, she was treated to the most carnal feasting of all. “Much better than wedding cake,” he whispered with a grin as she rode out her orgasm.
Later, a thoroughly sated Eddy looked over at her sleeping husband and acknowledged her blessings. Her diner was almost ready to open, her nieces would have a chance at a fresh new life with her and Rhine, and his worries had been eased about his sister’s whereabouts. She had a new house awaiting her and a community and friends she adored. She snuggled down next to her now snoring husband. She looked forward to a future of good food, good girls, and lots of good black powder explosions. Smiling at that, she joined her husband in sleep.