Chapter Thirty

        Penny stared at herself in the mirror and did not recognize the woman standing before her. Gone were so many insecurities she had once held on to so tightly. Looking back at her in that mirror was a beautiful, confident, strong woman with glittering beads in her hair, all wrapped in antique lace.

        She wasn't too skinny, too ugly, too freckle-covered, too flat-chested, too small-hipped... she wasn't too anything. She was just right and completely in love and ready to take this step with Ace Anderson.

        Carol had been surprised when Penny had insisted the wedding still needed to take place. Penny, on the other hand, had known it needed to. Were the events of yesterday still playing in her mind and causing her to look over her shoulder? Yes, they were. However, putting her life on hold and dwelling on the events hadn't seemed wise.

        She was going to marry Ace and they were going to truly begin their lives together. Ace, who wasn't at all the man her first impression had led her to believe. Ace, who had ridden alone into a gang of murdering rustlers to save her life. Ace, who had done whatever necessary to see to her safety.

        Penny knew there wasn't a man alive any better for her than the one waiting in the gardens right now.

        Penny knew the crowd outside was larger than Carol had intended. Many people, having heard about the events of the day before, had come out simply to be nosy and have a look at the people involved. Penny didn't care. Let them stare and ogle and whisper behind backs. She was officially becoming a member of this family and becoming Penny Anderson—nothing else mattered.

        "Penny, you look beautiful," Patricia said, stepping into the ranch bedroom.

        Penny turned, unable to wipe the smile from her face. "Is Ace nervous?"

        "As a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It's funny really. No one that has ever known Ace has ever seen him nervous a day in his life. But he's sweat bullets and mumbling up a storm out there today."

        Penny laughed. Foolish man. He didn't have a thing in the world to be nervous about.

"A knock on the door drew Penny's attention. "Can I come in a minute?"

        "Yeah, Gregory, come in."

        Gregory entered the room, pulling his hat off as he did so. "You look real pretty there, Penny."

        "I keep hearing that," Penny teased. "There must be some truth to it."

        "I'll leave you two alone," Patricia said, reading Gregory's desire for privacy.

        "What's on your mind, Gregory? Are you regretting letting me get away?"

        "You weren't mine the minute Ace laid his eyes on you," Gregory assured her. "I actually was gonna ask if you'd like me walk you down the aisle to Ace. I knew you were gonna walk alone and well, I just know that most women have somebody...."

        Penny smiled. Gregory truly was a good man. If she was right about her suspicions regarding her brother in law, he was going to make some man very happy one day.

        "I would like that very much," she replied, wondering how her life had changed so thoroughly from what it had been just a few short months ago. Today was her wedding day and, while she wouldn't have her own mother and father here to see her become Penny Anderson, she had her new family—her true family.

        "Well, we should head downstairs because it's about that time," Gregory urged.

        Penny swallowed hard and nodded, adjusting the lace tiers of her dress. "You look absolutely beautiful, Penny. Ace is a lucky man."

        Penny could see the sincerity in Gregory's eyes. "He really is, isn't he?"

        Laughter filled the air as Penny took Gregory's arm and was led from the room. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach as she headed toward her future. Toward Ace. Toward her forever.
*A/N: I plan on coming back to this story eventually! I ended it weird and want to continue it and possibly do an entire series with the Anderson family!