The one thing of value he'd kept from his childhood, carried with him for years without really knowing why. It fit Kelly's finger as if it had been made for her. "Do you, Bo Callahan, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" "I do," Bo said firmly, his eyes never leaving Kelly's face.
"And do you, Kelly May Bishop, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" "I do," Kelly whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Then, by the power vested in me by the Territory of Wyoming and Almighty God, I pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Callahan, you may kiss your bride."
Bo cupped Kelly's face in his hands and kissed her gently, reverently, sealing the promise they'd made. Behind them, the children cheered, and even crusty Jack Devereux looked suspiciously misty-eyed. They signed the marriage certificate with the required witnesses, Jack and Martha Henderson. And just like that, it was done.
Kelly May Bishop became Kelly May Callahan, and five children gained a father, and Bo gained the family he thought he'd never have. But as they emerged from the church, the hostile crowd was still there, and Bo knew the hard part was just beginning. Marriage certificate or not, people would talk. They'd question the speed of the courtship, speculate about Kelly's motives, treat Bo like a fool who'd been taken in by a scheming widow.
Let them, Bo thought fiercely. Let them talk until their tongues fell out. He knew the truth, and so did Kelly, and that was all that mattered. He was helping Kelly into the wagon when a rock flew out of the crowd, striking the wagon bed with a sharp crack.
The children screamed, and Kelly instinctively covered baby James with her body. Bo spun around, fury blazing in his eyes. "Who threw that?" No one answered, but he could see faces in the crowd, some smirking, others looking away in shame.
Bo climbed onto the wagon seat and stood so everyone could see him. "Listen to me, all of you. I'm going to say this once, and I'm going to say it clearly. Kelly Callahan, my wife, is the finest woman I've ever known."
"She's worked harder, sacrificed more, and shown more courage than most of you will manage in your entire lives. She agreed to marry me not because she needed my money, but because I needed her strength. I needed her goodness. I needed to learn how to be human again after I'd spent years turning myself into something cold and hard."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably, but Bo wasn't finished. "Some of you are judging her because you think she moved too fast after Samuel's death. Let me ask you something. How long is a woman supposed to mourn a man who drank away her security and left her to raise five children alone?"
"How long is she supposed to suffer before she's allowed to find happiness? You tell me, because I'd like to know what the rule is." Silence. No one met his eyes.
"That's what I thought. You don't have an answer because there is no answer. There's just gossip and judgment, and people who feel better about their own mediocre lives by tearing down someone who's doing better than they are." Bo's voice was hard as iron. "Well, here's what's going to happen."
"Kelly and I are married, legally and properly. We're going to raise these children together. We're going to build a life together, and anyone who has a problem with that can come talk to me directly." Bo scanned the crowd.