She kept Ruby on the shoulder, I told her she was going to get something to drink.
Walking over to the bar, she asked for a glass of water. She was handed a small glass and took a huge sip only to gasp in horrified shock. The cool, clear liquid burned a path clear down to her stomach making her eyes water. She could feel the fumes from her mouth at the amount of alcohol she’d just swallowed. Instantly, she felt a wave of dizziness hit her.
It was not water, it was straight moonshine. This wasn’t a dance hall, it was a speakeasy. Which meant there was a possibility that the police would be looking into this place. That was what Will had been assigned to earlier in the day, to search for these places. Panicked, she saw Teddy not far away sipping on his own glass. She ran over, feeling her heavy dress swing in response to her movement.
“Teddy, we need to go,” she exclaimed, yanking on his arm. Penny glanced around quickly and shut her eyes as she felt the room spin. Her stomach felt like it was being cleaned by acid and her hands felt wobbly. Her mother had always told her moonshine could make you go blind, and she thought she’d been exaggerating but if it was that potent? Maybe the old wives’ tales were correct because her eyes felt like they were certainly crossing.
“But Ruby just got here, she won’t be ready to leave.”
“I’m ready to leave. She will have to deal with that,” Penny muttered aloud and grabbed a stool to set down. Was it just her or was it extremely hot in here? She felt like she was going to be ill.
“Is everything all right? Did somebody touch you or say something inappropriate?”
“No Teddy, they are serving alcohol. The police are bound to find this place.” Just then she heard it incredibly loud crashing noise and saw out of the corner of her eye that the side door that they had entered in was thrown completely wide open. Several officers filed inside the room with guns drawn, yelling orders . This included her very own handsome sheriff.
Will was incredible to watch in action, he looks almost like in avenging angel. Unfortunately, his eyes met her across the room and she saw the recognition in his face and disapproval in his expression. The lancing pain and nausea in her stomach had nothing to do with the alcohol- it was the betrayal in his face. She saw him lean over to another officer and pointed directly at her.
“Miss, you’ll be having to come with us now,” the officer instructed.
Penny leaned over and promptly threw up on the floor. The officer jumped back from her, tripping over his own feet and landing on the floor. Gasping at the heat in her throat, she breathed in the cool air feeling infinitely better. She could not handle that strong of alcohol, especially considering she’d not touched it in years. Her head still spun and her stomach turned but she thought that the vomiting spell was over. She hated throwing up, it made her cry – and sure enough, fat, hot tears ran down her cheeks.
“Of course,” she whispered miserably. “I am here with two others; can we find my friends?
“Miss, you need to worry about you tonight. You are under arrest.”
Shocked she watched as he pulled out handcuffs and shackled her wrists like a common criminal. She had never dreamt that this evening would be like this but knew this could ever potentially happen once she’d realized where exactly she was. Penny was lined up along the side of the wall, with several others. She did not see Ruby or Teddy at all. Which could have been a good thing or a bad thing, would they have left her here?
“Take all the bottles and boxes, any barrels and loaded up in the wagon for it to be destroyed. Alcohol is against the law people, as well as public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. It will not be tolerated in this city or in any other city,” Will called out firmly with a sharp nod to his team.
He looked invincible. It made her feel such pride in him, and such shame in herself. Why had she even come? She should have gone with her first instinct and simply went home. Having fun wasn’t worth all of this and she knew better. She watched as they begin to pour through different cabinets, crates, and looked under tables and in walls for more bottles of alcohol. The police were relentless and it made her feel so bad that she had given in and ended up in the situation.
“Load them up in the paddy wagon,” Will ordered, avoiding her eyes.
“Will?” He held up a hand and stopped her immediately. His eyes filled with pain and hurt. Penny felt crushed and devastated. Did he think she was here with another man? Didn’t he know that she would never hurt him?
“Load up everybody but this one. I need to speak with this young lady alone, please. I will make sure she heads downtown.”
She watched several people were filed out of the building, all in various disarray. The women had streaks of make-up from where they had been sweating and dancing, their hair was mussed up. The men looked at disheveled, some of their shirts untucked. People were in various stages of undress and it was obvious that a few had been more than dancing, which mortified her beyond belief.
“Why are you here?” He asked her silently once he pulled her away from the others. She could see it in his expression, the worry, fear and concern.
“I thought you were at work, I just saw you there, Penny. Is there someone else?” he gentle voice asked brokenly, and she glanced up into his somber green eyes. Her own eyes teared up as she shook her head negatively.
“There couldn’t ever be, Will. I was there and got off of work early. Ruby invited me to go out dancing, and I simply wanted to have fun. Bonnie was at the house this morning, and I’ve been so concerned with telling you that I needed to get away from it all. Bonnie is gone and beyond help – and I know there’s nothing I can do now. She won’t be back and I am having to deal with the guilt of it, letting my friend down. I knew you’d be out and I miss you terribly when you are gone. So yes, I wanted to have fun,” Penny whispered thickly, mortified that she was having to explain herself and that she was handcuffed in front of the man she loved.
“If you want to have fun and let loose- I want you to do it with me. It hurts me to see you do something that could put you in danger. Not all of the raids go this quietly. What if someone had started shooting? That happens a lot more than I ever care to admit,” Will whispered back in tensely, his eyes look tortured.
“I am worried about you, about us. I need to know that you want there to be a future for us more than just hanging out with Bonnie or having fun illegally. I want more than an occasional afternoon together under the trees or a few stolen kisses from you, Penny. I want your heart, your love.”
“Will, I swear I had no idea that this was the speakeasy until just a moment ago when I asked for a glass of water. I promise you. I would never do anything to endanger what we have, and if you will take me dancing? I would love to dance with you. I would love to do everything with you,” she said empathetically, her voice racing with intensity. “Don’t you understand that? Everything I do and everything I think about revolves around you and me. Us. I would never put you in danger, nor would I ever put myself in danger. I truly had no idea.”
“I believe you,” Will admitted softly, his eyes searching her face. She saw that he still hesitated and her heart felt like it was breaking. She knew he had trust issues from something in his past but they’d not discussed it yet. He’d put his faith in her and this had happened.
“But do you trust me?” she whispered painfully. “Love comes with trust and if I’ve lost one then the other is …”
His eyes shot up and met hers. Penny couldn’t continue speaking. Her lips couldn’t form the words. If she’d lost his faith in her, they’d never last and the thought of losing him broke her heart.
“You should already know the answer to that when I gave you my gun. I trust you with my life, my heart and my livelihood,” he admitted softly, cupping her face tenderly.
“And I would never betray any of those,” Penny vowed, determined, staring at him as if she could convey just how serious she was. She loved him and she hoped he could understand just how much she’d grown to care for
him. Will took her elbow and pulled her away from any of the others nearby that were still cleaning out the illegal alcohol stores.
“I want you to marry me,” Will asked suddenly, in a rush of emotion. “I don’t want to wonder where I stand with you or worry if you are out and about. I want to know that I am home with you every night and that I can protect you. The thought of you being my wife and having my name makes me feel like my chest could burst with pride. I love you, Penny and can’t imagine not seeing you every day.”
“I want that too, I would love to marry you and be your wife. I’m just so ashamed of you seeing me like this because of something that I’ve done. This was stupid and childish. I had fun tonight but it was at a steep price, one I don’t want to ever pay. I have more fun with you laying under those pecan trees watching the clouds go by and talking about our future. It’s more satisfying to my heart and soul – and feels like we’re alone in this world under the heavens.”
“You like those pecan trees huh?” He asked absently taking off the handcuffs. She noticed he was trying to keep from smiling. Shouldn’t he be ecstatic because she’d just agreed to marry him?
“Yes, I do. I feel like that’s our little spot of paradise,” she murmured looking up at him curiously. “Thank you for freeing me,” she whispered rubbing her wrist.
“Wait here. I will be driving you home after you come into the station and give a statement.”
“Sir? Is this woman going in the wagon too?
“No, officer, she’s going down to the station with me.”
9
Penny said not a word she got in the car with Will, and they silently downtown. He walked over to his desk, sat her down, and asked her to write out a statement of what happened tonight. He left her alone for a moment, giving her time to look around at the chaos around where she was.
She could see people from everywhere, every walk of life. It was shocking and surprising that he had to sort through all of this when he worked. And somehow he managed to be able to keep a sense of humor underneath that exterior. She understood why now that he could not show how much things bothered him or how much you cared, there were so many different people in the world that would take it vantage of her moment’s weakness.
“Are you finished?” he asked her quietly.
“Yes, I am I think that’s everything.”
“Thank you. I said that you were an informant that wanted to remain anonymous. I wanted to protect you- I needed to,” he admitted, his face flushed at the lie between them. Penny nodded and looked away ashamed. She hated that he had done so and that he felt compelled to in order to protect her. “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be, just want you to be safe and happy with me as my wife.”
“I want that too.”
“Do you trust me?”
“With everything I am,” she breathed. She knew that this sweet man had broken a cardinal rule for her. He’d lied. She was playing along with it by filling out the paperwork, but ultimately she felt guilt that not only had she let him down, she’d brought him down. He was too good for her and she knew it.
Penny watched as he grabbed another chair and swung it around in order to sit down in front of her, as she sat at the desk. Her eyes filled with tears of shame thinking that she’d failed him.
“Will, I will never make you-“ she began and then swallowed hard, unable to say the words. He took her hands in his and shook his head firmly, a single jerk to the side.
“No, don’t say it and don’t think it. I did it for us and I will spend many a night praying for forgiveness but I cannot let the woman I love sit in jail, not even for a night. I know im not perfect, but I need us on the same team. I would do anything for you and I need to know you feel the same. The last woman I thought I loved years ago broke my heart when she was with another man. I found them together and that was the first thing that went through my mind when you were at the speakeasy. I thought I’d caught you with someone else,” he muttered, staring at her hands in his.
“No, I would never-“ she breathed and was surprised when he interrupted.
“I know, somehow I know this. There is a strength in you, a righteousness that is entrenched so firmly in you that you could never break my trust. I know that now. I believe you. You are too truthful and honest to try to hide something between us, which is why I know trusting you and loving you is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I see my future when I look at you – and it makes me so proud to have you by my side.”
There was no hiding the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she saw the honestly and truth in his words. His own eyes were glassy with unspoken emotion as he held her hands in his. She loved him more than she could ever admit. As she opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, he smiled tenderly at her – the love shining in his eyes, humbling.
“Penny, I bought our spot- that property with the pecan trees? I bought it for us. I want you and I to have a home there. I know I’m rushing things, but I don’t have the money for large ceremony since I bought our land, our paradise. We’ve so many memories started there and I want our love to grow there like our trees. Will you marry me in front of a judge?”
“Yes,” she breathed softly as he kissed her hand.
“Will you do it now? Or am I pushing too hard? I just want you in my arms and to know that you’re my wife.”
“I would marry you anytime.”
He got to his feet and took her by the hand. Will led her out of the Police Department, into a small room down the hallway that held the desk. It looks like a very formal office. Inside was an older man in a suit.
“It’s about time you arrived. I didn’t think you two were coming after all. Is this your lovely bride?” he asked. Penny glanced up at will curiously and saw the gentle smile on his face. Had he planned this already?
“Yes sir, thank you so much for staying and doing this for me.”
“You’ve always had my back, it’s the least I could do to see you happy.”
“I appreciate that sir, but now that will be somebody else’s responsibility,” he said, gently looking down at Penny. She loved the way he looked at her and was touched and a little bit overwhelmed by everything going on. The last thing she expected tonight was to be married to the love of her life. He took her hands and hands, and they said their vows to each other privately there in his office.
Epilogue
August 1936
Penny was absolutely miserable. It was the hottest year ever on record and temperatures were reach 119 degrees in some places. The last several years being married to Will had been challenging but somehow they’d made it through. They’d struggled just like everyone else. They’d bought their land but building a home on their property had been incredibly rough.
Due to the banks and taxes, construction was at an all-time low. She and Will had lived in the house she rented for some time and spent all of their free time together clearing their land or working on framing the house themselves.
Her mantra had become ‘learn something new every day’ – simply because she was doing just that. She’d learned how to frame a window, saw a plank of wood on top of other home duties. Penny was learning to cook and be a wife as well but in the back of her mind, she always reminded herself that Will was also learning to be her husband.
When they lost their tempers at their struggles, both financially and mentally – they reached out to each other and spent their evenings talking or in prayer together. He was hers and she was his. Will had held her as she cried desperately as word reached her that Bonnie had died. She mourned the once beautiful person she’d known as well as thanked God for guiding her to Will. She kept those thoughts with her as she struggled to get comfortable.
Penny was due to deliver any day now and the heat was unbearable. Her back ached, her legs cramped from sweating so much and no matter how she lay down on their bed, her body hurt. She looked like she’d swallowed a giant tortoise and told Will as much one night.
�
�I think you look more and more beautiful every day,” he admitted, only making her cry from the sweetness and sheer exhaustion she felt. The doctor claimed that the baby should have arrived last week and kept prompting her to ‘fight the good fight’ – it took everything in her not to assault the man. Will must have seen it in her face, because he removed her from the office almost immediately.
She enjoyed the car rides so much now due to the heat and thankfully they were blessed to own a vehicle. In the evenings when the sun went down, they would drive around simply to feel the hot breeze in their faces.
“Can we go out tonight,” she pleaded, feeling desperate for some relief. They’d opened the windows of their tiny house in order to let in a breeze and had a fan blowing to circulate the stagnant air.
“I thought maybe instead of driving around that perhaps we’d wade in the creek for a bit. The water isn’t too deep but it’s enough to help you cool down. The only reason I didn’t suggest it was because I’ve been afraid you’d fall and there have been so many drownings as of late. People are trying to cool off and…Penny, I’d simply die if anything happened to you,” he said thickly. “If you swear to me to be careful and not fall- and we’ll go.”
Penny didn’t have the heart to tell him she’d already been swimming several times over on her own because she couldn’t stand being in her own skin any longer. The man worried about everything and anything when it came to her nowadays. What would he be like as a father?
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