That was fine with him. In fact, for the first time in the last hour, his spirit soared with hope. Maybe they’d make this a real marriage tonight. Then there would be no question of an annulment come morning.
Moving around her, Rol locked the bedroom door. She swallowed audibly at the lock’s click. She might be nervous, but he radiated confidence.
Taking her arm, he led her to the bed and sat with her on the crazy quilt. It was one his mother had made him two years before. In fact, it had been the last gift she gave him before influenza took her life the next winter.
He watched Delia run her hand over a velvet patch in the quilt. Then she looked up at him, her blue eyes darkened with sorrow.
“I shouldn’t be in here with you. Most folks would say it’s not right.”
Lifting her hand, he kissed it softly. “What could be more right than a husband and wife being together?”
She scowled. “You told me we’d get an annulment. I don’t think of you as my husband.”
“Start thinking that way, then. I need you, and Eenie sure as fire needs you bad.” His low words came out as a growl to his own ears. Gentling his tone, he worked to summon the charm needed to persuade her. “And I think you need us. I saw your face as you said what you wanted in a husband. I’m willing to work hard day and night to be the type of man you want.”
She pulled on the hand he held, scooting a few inches away from him. “Don’t charm me with sweet talk when you know this can’t happen. What if I’m left alone with a baby someday because you decide marrying me was a mistake.”
Stunned, he said nothing. Her chin gave a sharp nod of satisfaction. Evidently, she took his silence as confirmation that he might one day leave her. “I knew it. You only want me to care for your daughter and to sleep with you. Marriage to you would be like my mother’s slavery.”
Her voice had risen on those words. He shushed her as much to calm her down as to quiet her.
“Hush, darling. Let’s not wake Eenie.” Reaching across the small space between them, he wrapped an arm around her stiff shoulders.
“I’d never want you to think I view you as a slave.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “I don’t see you as anything but a lady and the woman that God has gifted to me.” Mentally, he added, “And one I don’t deserve.”
Then he sighed deeply. “Pastor’s words about God joining and no man putting asunder what he joined really struck me. Marriage is not something to treat casually.”
Amazingly, her resistance melted a bit at his words. Some of the stiffness left her shoulders. “What about the states where our marriage isn’t valid?”
He didn’t try to charm her as he answered honestly. “I don’t think people will question us.” At her doubtful expression, he moved his hand from her shoulders to rub her back. He smiled with secret satisfaction when she allowed the touch, melting further against him.
“There must be a lot of white blood in your family tree. You pass easily as a white woman.”
Eyes closed to enjoy his massage, she mumbled, “More white than black. Mama said most people think of a body as colored if there’s even a drop of slave blood in them.”
That brought her eyes open, reminding her that she objected to the marriage. Rol was sorry he’d brought it up. Nonetheless, the issue needed to be talked out.
“We’ll deal with it when the time comes, if it does. And we’d deal with it together. I won’t take off on you.”
To reinforce his commitment, he leaned his face close to hers. The kiss started out like the one he’d given her to seal their marriage vows. Feeling her surrender, he deepened it. He’d told the truth earlier when admitting the depth of his admiration. She’d set a fire burning in his blood. It roared into a blaze now.
Leaning her back onto the bed, brown eyes looked down into soft blue pools. He read hope and fear intermingled there. Accepting the hope as her agreement, he kissed her again. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Tomorrow would bring problems of its own. For that night, he would forget warrants and rustlers, prejudice and doubts.
Entwined under the crazy quilt, Delia Perkins truly became his second chance.
“Where’d you move them to?”
Jubal Yarborough moved his jaw carefully as he spoke. The ragged cut healed slowly over the last week. Any movement of his mouth hurt, even smoking the cigar he held. It all reminded him of how badly he wanted to hurt Delia Perkins.
Yancy pulled out a sheet of paper, laying it on the poker table in the back room of the saloon. The owner kept it there in case patrons wanted a private game.
“See here, boss. I laid out the area on the map. Even put in the line shack we’re staying at.” He grinned proudly at his artwork.
When Jubal only snorted dismissively, Yancy rushed to finish explaining the map. “We’ve got them here,” pointing at a X marked near the cabin.
“We’re planning to change the brands next week, come a cloudy day that won’t show the smoke. Figured this canyon worked best for that, and it’s near the shack.”
Rather than speak, Jubal nodded his chin briefly and rolled up the paper. Then he ran a finger over his stitches. “I have a score to settle before we move out those cattle. How’s the pass looking?”
“Been mild. Good thing, though, is the boys found a new pass lower down. It’s already open. Soon as we rebrand, we can get rid of ‘em and rake in the money.”
“The money’s all good and well, but Miss Snotty Perkins is one slut who’s gonna pay before I leave here.”
Privately, Yancy thought the trouble was that the teacher wasn’t a slut. If she had been, the boss wouldn’t look so awful. A feeling of dread raced through him as he considered Yarborough’s words. Almost like a foreboding that the boss’s vengeance would ruin everything for them.
“Might be you should forget the woman. Especially now that she’s married.”
A skeletal hand reached out to grip Yancy’s own beefy shoulder. It squeezed, hard. “What you talkin’ ‘bout?”
Yancy resisted the urge to move away from the boss or toss off his hand. He knew he could beat the boss in a fight. His brains, however, were no match for Yarborough’s. The man had made them good money in the past and would again, as long as Yancy played along.
“That Anderson man who trains horses. He up and married the teacher two days ago.” Yancy snickered. “Real sudden, too, since they were caught together in her room, or so I hear.”
“That frigid woman wouldn’t let any man romance her. Not if she turned me down.” Then Jubal’s frown turned into a sly smile.
“Could be this is the best revenge I’ll get.”
Yancy gave him a confused look. Jubal shook his head. “Never you mind. When the time’s right, you’ll know what I mean.”
Shrugging, Yancy pointed to the poker chips on the table. “How ‘bout a game?” He pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket.
Jubal grunted. “Think I’m stupid enough to play with your marked cards.” He moved to the door and called to one of the girls working the tables in the saloon’s main room.
“Bring us a fresh deck and two beers, Fancy.” At her nod, he returned to the table and settled into a chair.
Yancy watched him, thinking that the tall, gaunt man looked like a vulture as he hunkered over the table, anticipating the game. With the boss in this mood, maybe poker hadn’t been such a good idea. The man was likely to take it out of Yancy’s hide if he lost. Even worse, he was likely to do anything tonight to win.
Yep, Jubal Yarborough was one rough son of a gun who didn’t like to lose.
Keeping that in mind, Yancy easily lied to the man. “Without the money from our hidden beeves, I don’t have much to bet tonight. Only about ten dollars.” He didn’t plan to tell him about the other thirty dollars tucked into the toe of this boot.
Yarborough glared at him. “Why’d you suggest it then? Did you think we’d play for nickels?”
The underling
kept his tongue under control. He’d seen the damage Yarborough could do by backhanding a man with that huge ring he wore on his bony finger.
“Trying to help out is all. Seein’ as you were kind of on edge.”
His words had Yarborough raising one eyebrow as he fisted his hands. “I’m not edgy, idiot. Just hankering to get even with that snooty teacher.”
Yancy wasn’t sure he agreed. The barmaid entered, setting down the beers. She handed him the deck of cards. Immediately, he started playing solitaire.
Grumbling at him, the boss rose to leave. Relief filled Yancy at seeing the man head out the door.
He would not want to be in the schoolteacher’s shoes. Not for anything.
Chapter 7
She woke with the immediate knowledge of where she was and what she’d done. Fear had her sitting straight up in the bed. What if he’d played her for a fool?
A hand reached up to draw her back down. A gentle kiss on her temple followed by a crooned, “You’re okay, sweetheart,” did little to soothe her. Was she alright?
When she laid stiffly beside Rol, he wrapped his arms around her. “It will be a good thing, our marriage. I’ve surprised myself at how much I want to be married to you. I never expected to marry again.”
Turning to look at him, Delia let her eyes rest on his face, measuring his sincerity. Contentment marked his face.
“Why?” The one word gave him an opening to reassure her.
“Yesterday, I watched you and kept telling myself I would never marry again. Just the fact that I had to tell myself that showed how much I’d thought about marrying you.”
He touched his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “You draw me like no one else. Eenie and I need you if we’re ever going to really be a family. I saw that clearly last night.” He softly chuckled. “That made it easy to give in to my desire for you.”
All the fight left her. The fear lingered as she imagined what might try to drive them apart in the future. Still, he was a lawman and clever. He’d asked her to let him handle any future problems.
Relaxing against him, she surrendered to his caresses. Each was focused on the other so that they didn’t hear the knocking. Eenie called loudly from outside the door, “Pa, are you gonna get up? I’m hungry, and I can’t find my new ma.”
The sad note in her words had Delia calling back to her. “Sweet girl, I’m right here. Let me dress. Then we’ll make breakfast together.”
A peal of delight sounded from the other side of the door. Footsteps retreated, making Delia wonder if Eenie didn’t rush to get dressed also. She’d always called the girl Enid, preferring not to use nicknames in the classroom. That didn’t seem right here in their home, though.
Once they’d made and enjoyed their breakfast of pancakes and bacon, Eenie helped Delia wash the dishes. Rol left quickly, needing to tend his horses. Now that she realized the horses had been a cover for his real purpose in Belle, Delia wondered what would happen to them once Jubal and his gang were rounded up and jailed.
“Has your father always had horses?” The words slipped out as she handed a wet coffee cup to the girl.
Eenie folded a flour sack towel around the cup. As she wiped the dish, the girl shook her head. “I don’t think so. My grandpa did. I lived with him while Pa ran around.”
“He ran around?” The phrased seemed odd, coming from the little girl.
Standing on a chair, Eenie placed the cup in the cupboard before answering. “Grandpa said Pa ran around. I don’t know what he was doing.” Her face scrunched as she tried to remember. “There weren’t any horses, I think, cuz Pa took me with him when he got the horses.”
Wanting to erase the years of neglect by her father, Delia smiled and put a wet hand under the girl’s chin, raising her face so their gazes met. “I’m glad he did so we can be a family.”
Eenie’s arms tackled her mother’s legs and squeezed. “Don’t leave me. Not ever, Ma.”
The name warmed Delia. However, the girl’s easy acceptance still stunned her. At the girl’s intense emotion, a thought came to Delia.
“Why were you so bad in school? Did you want me to expel you so you could be here with your father all day?”
If possible, the girl buried her face more deeply into Delia’s skirts. Yet, Delia felt the nod. The sound of muffled sobs tore at her heart.
Pulling the girl slightly away from her, Delia squatted to be on the same level as Eenie. She put a tender hand on each of the girl’s shoulders. “Your father very much wants a family for you. He’s going to find a way to support us without being gone every day. And I will be here each morning when you wake up.”
“And each night at bedtime?” Hope sounded sweetly in Eenie’s words. The little girl was so different from the hellion in her schoolroom. Amazing to think that this precious child had been hidden in Eenie all this time.
“Yes, and to put you to bed.” She touched a playful finger to the girl’s nose as she said those words. “Let’s finish up so you can show me the horses.”
Though Delia regretted missing church, settling into her new home and learning about her family filled that Sunday completely. It was an intimate and satisfying day, hidden away from the rest of the world as they were on the ranch. She’d briefly met Mrs. Lucas, the foreman’s wife, but spent almost the entire day alone with her new family.
She and Rol had the night to themselves. Eenie easily fell asleep, exhausted from her full day of showing Delia everything on the ranch. Wrapping her in his arms, Rol asked about her childhood. In return, she learned about his. It was a start for them.
Monday came all too quickly. Delia finished buttoning her boots and put the button hook back on the top shelf of the armoire. Closing its doors, she thought about the tall boy dresser in her room behind the school.
Would the school board mind her moving it temporarily to this house? She could see a place for it on the wall, beside the door. She’d have to ask Rol if she should ask about moving it.
This Monday, as she readied for the trip into Belle and a new school day, she couldn’t help marveling at the feelings. Merely thinking about him sent a thrill of joy through her. Somehow, he’d gotten past her wall of reserve, convincing her he truly meant what he said.
Nevertheless, odd comments he occasionally made had her wondering about his first wife. When she asked how the woman died, he changed the subject. Once, as they lay entwined in the bed, he’d vowed, “I want to be a better husband for you than I’ve done in the past. I promise to find a way for us to be together.”
Had his job as a marshal been a problem for his first marriage? Somehow, she guessed that was true. She also had a feeling that his job connected in some way with his wife’s passing. But how?
The night before, she’d left a pan of oatmeal slowly cooking on the low heat at the back of the cookstove. Filled with raisins and spice like her mother always made it, the hot cereal and toasted bread provided a quick and satisfying breakfast for them.
Grabbing up her lunch and reticule, she stopped suddenly. She heard dread in her voice as she asked, “Am I going to have to ride that horse into town?”
He laughed at her obvious horror. Then he reassured her. “No, sweetheart. You were a good sort to ride it out here, but there’s a sleigh on the ranch. Lucas gave us permission to use it.”
She went out the door. Delight and relief filled her when she saw the horse and sleigh waiting for her outside. Turning to her husband who followed close behind her, she reached up and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you so much!”
In a husky voice that resembled a growl, he said, “If you want to thank me, do it right.” His lips settled over hers as he showed her what he thought a thank you kiss should be.
A giggle behind them had them flying apart. “That’s silly, Pa. Stop pestering Ma. We gotta get to school.”
Rol swooped his daughter up and placed a smacking kiss on her cheek. “Maybe I like to be silly with my girls.”
When he set her dow
n again, Eenie ran for the sleigh as if she wanted to escape her father. Her giggle told Delia it was all a game. Since she never had a father, the interaction between these two fascinated her.
As he helped her into the sleigh, Delia told him, “Don’t look for us much before five. I’ll need to prepare lessons after school, and I have a meeting with a parent.” Then a thought came to her. “Oh, and I have to explain to the Pettigrew sisters that Eenie is no longer boarding with them.”
Yesterday, they’d decided that she would try traveling to the school and back each day. It would take about forty-five minutes each way, less if she rode the horse. Yet, for this first week she’d try it, and definitely not by horseback. That was, as long as the weather held.
He nodded. “Eenie can go to the livery and watch the horses while you work.”
At her skeptical look, he hurried to reassure her. “Really, Paps Johnson doesn’t mind, and she’s done it before.”
She nodded, still doubtful. “Well, it’s a plan then.”
Everyday life had started for their family.
Chapter 8
“How come the teacher and you got the same last name now?”
School was done for the day, and Ben and Annie walked with Eenie as she headed for the livery. Her mother had reminded her to wait until Paps Johnson gave her permission to enter the business. She already knew that but didn’t want to make her mother angry, so she promised her she would.
Now, Annie asked the question about names. Before Eenie could answer, Annie’s brother spoke up.
“Don’t you know anything? It means Eenie’s pa married the teacher.” Ben’s tone let his sister know he didn’t think she was very smart.
Annie stuck out her tongue. “I am so smart. You stop being mean.”
Eenie watched them and promised silently that she’d be nice to her little brother or sister when she got one. Now that she had a mother, maybe she’d get a little sister to play with. She liked babies.
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