He caressed her hair. “You do that.” He gave her a kiss on her brow. “You can draw a little longer then go to sleep. Oh, and Miss Carmichael and I are getting married tomorrow, here. She wants you to stand up with her.”
He could tell by her confusion she had no idea what that meant, so he explained. Once he finished, she beamed. “I don’t think Felicity has ever stood up with anybody.”
“Then you’ll be one up on her.”
Anna beamed brighter.
Vowing to make sure she had the best future he could give her going forward, he stood. “Good night, Anna.”
“Good night, Papa. And thank you for getting me a new mama.”
Emotion clogged his throat. “You’re welcome, honey. Sleep well.”
“You too.”
Chapter Five
Regan awakened the morning of her wedding day to the tangy smell of what she thought was bacon frying. Getting up, she dressed and went to find Spring, but there was nothing cooking in the kitchen and her hostess was nowhere to be seen. Stepping outside where the tantalizing smell seemed stronger, she followed it to the back of the barn where she found Spring tending a huge hog roasting on a spit.
“Morning, Regan.”
“Morning. Nice hog you have there.”
“Slaughtered him after you went to bed last night. Getting him ready for your wedding dinner.”
That left Regan slightly baffled. “I appreciate the gesture but that’s more meat than your brother and niece and I can eat in a month.”
“Then it’s a good thing other folks are coming over to help.”
“What do you mean?”
“I took it upon myself to make this wedding the celebration you deserve. Knowing Colton, he’ll say his vows and two minutes later head to his study to pore over the latest medical journal. That’s his idea of fun.”
“How many people are coming?”
“Not sure but folks around here jump at any chance to get together. Lacy’s heading up the rest of the food.”
“Lacy?”
“Lacy Miller. She’s a little White lady, runs the general store with her husband, Chauncey. She’s rounding up all the women willing to cook on such short notice, and she’s promised a cake.”
Regan was stunned. “Have you talked to your brother about this?”
“Of course not.” She turned the spit so the hog roasted evenly. “He’d never agree, but I wanted you to be able to smile when you looked back on your wedding day. We’ll have a few fiddlers, toss some horseshoes, eat, drink, raise some toasts, and have a good time.”
Regan didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t imagine Dr. Lee’s reaction to his sister turning what had originally been a short quiet parlor ceremony into what sounded like a full-blown hullabaloo. “Be sure to tell him you did this without consulting me.”
“Will do. Now, go open your trunks and find a gown to get married in that will send Colleen Enright screaming to the Klondike.”
That made Regan smile. She’d been missing her sister, Portia, so much, but now it appeared as if she might have gained an additional one. “Spring?”
She looked up from her basting. “Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Smiling, she tossed back a wink. “You’re welcome.”
Colt needed to conduct house calls before the wedding so after getting dressed, he paused for a moment in front of his wardrobe mirror. In his denims, boots, and black flannel shirt, he resembled a rancher rather than a physician, but he didn’t mind. The back East members of his profession could keep their fancy suits, vests, and pocket watches. He hadn’t studied from dawn to dusk and swept floors at the local hospital to pay for his classes just to appear prosperous. All he wanted in life was to help people heal. That he hadn’t been able to save his mother from her cancer or Adele from the complications of childbirth continued to haunt him, but he remained dedicated to his calling and proud to have attended Howard Medical School.