Jeremy looked disappointed but kept quiet.
After a full minute of inspecting everyone assembled on the lawn, he finally pointed out Richard, Joel and Dave. “Well, that brother over there is pretty much a given since Sally is leading him over here.”
Tom and Jessica’s girls watched Owen in obvious shock. “You’re amazing,” one of them said.
“No wonder you’re a good deputy. You can probably figure out who’s an outlaw just by looking at them,” the other added.
Owen shrugged. “It’s nothing. Really. I mean, the Larsons all have the same shade of blond hair and cheekbones and chin. It was easy.”
“Not all of us can do that,” Jessica said.
Sally came up to them, holding a one-year-old boy in her arms. “This little man here is Isaac.”
“Same blond hair as the others,” Owen told Jenny. “Notice the same streaks of white blond through the golden layers?”
Jenny inspected the hair and then took in Tom’s hair and Dave’s hair. By golly if her new husband wasn’t right. Even a look at Jeremy showed the same trait. It was uncanny that a man could detect subtle details like that.
Sally turned to the couple next to her. “This is Isaac’s pa, David. And there’s his ma, Mary. They were made for each other.”
Jenny blinked and took a good look at her older sister. Was there a hint of sorrow in Sally’s voice?
Before she could further contemplate what was going on with her sister, Isaac threw his arms around Sally’s neck and kissed her cheek. Sally laughed. “I’m his favorite aunt.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Jenny glanced at Amanda as she and Richard walked up to them.
Sally turned to Amanda. “Well, it’s true. I’m the favorite. Don’t you all agree?” she asked the children.
Jenny’s parents hustled over to them. “Oh good,” her father said. “I finally get to meet my new son-in-law.”
Jenny smiled sympathetically at Owen as he shook her father’s hand. Her poor husband was being surrounded by a group of strangers. He glanced her way, and she gave a slight shrug.
To her surprise, he winked at her. “I think I can handle it. After all, I got Jeremy to help me remember names. You’ll do that for me, right?”
Jeremy nodded. “I will.”
Jenny had to admit that Owen could handle the onslaught of her family with amazing ease. She guessed that was part of what made him a good deputy. He didn’t crack easily under pressure—and he must have felt some kind of pressure. Her family inspected him with open curiosity. She finally decided that being a part of the Larson family was not for the faint of heart.
The church bell rang, announcing that service would soon begin. As the group dissipated to assemble into the building, Owen placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “That wasn’t so painful, was it?”
Startled, she blinked. “Painful?”
“You looked like you were ready to flee,” he said.
“Did I?”
Jeremy leaned forward. “Ma hates large gatherings.”
She blushed and cleared her throat. It was true. Even if it was her family, she preferred there to be less of them bunched around her at the same time.
Owen kissed her cheek.
Her skin tingled with warmth from the simple contact.
“It’s alright. You can lean on me if you get overwhelmed in the future. Now, we better get in there before they start the hymns,” he said.
Once again, he took her hand and her heart gave a tiny flutter. It’d never been this nice with Clyde. “You’re nothing like I thought you’d be.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
She smiled. “It is.” Then she turned her attention to the church.
Chapter Seven
Jenny couldn’t hide her excitement as she took Jeremy to the mercantile. They’d be moving into a house. One that would have a kitchen, a parlor, and a couple of bedrooms. There would also be land for Jeremy to run around on. She couldn’t wait! It would be wonderful to get out of the boarding house. As nice as her landlady was, Jenny longed for a place to call her own. Now she could make breakfast for her husband and son, see her husband off to work, and watch Jeremy run around outside. And Owen agreed that they could get a dog, so Jeremy would finally have the pet he always wanted.
As she walked with Jeremy down the boardwalk, Jeremy said, “I really like Pa. Do you like Pa?”
She smiled. “Yes. I do.” Owen was turning out to be a lot of fun. From his formal letter, she’d never guess he had the kind of personality that naturally drew people to him. Already, her brothers liked him—and they weren’t easy to please.
“He’s going to take me fishing. Are we going to live by a lake?”
“That’s what the sheriff said.” She didn’t know who was more excited about fishing: Owen or Jeremy.
“We’re a real family now, aren’t we?”
She stopped and looked at him. He’d always wanted a father, one who was there for him. “Yes. We are.”
“Am I going to have brothers and sisters?”
She didn’t know why the question should make her blush, but it did. “No, honey.”
“Why not?”
There was no way she could tell her son about Owen’s problem, so she opted for a little white lie. “Well, it’s not meant to be.”
“Oh. I will pray for one.”
“Uh...” She didn’t know what to say to that. The boy could pray all he wanted, but there were some things that just weren’t going to happen. Finally, she settled for shrugging her shoulders. “Alright.” Let the boy pray. He’d figure it out when he was an adult and still the only child.
They turned their attention back to the boardwalk and stopped in front of the mercantile in time for Clyde to approach them. She instinctively placed her hands on her son’s shoulders.
Clyde smiled at Jeremy. “Hi there, Jeremy. Do you remember me?”
Jeremy looked hesitant.
“What are you doing, Clyde?” she demanded, her hands tightening on her son’s shoulders.
“Ow,” Jeremy said.
She relaxed her fingers. “Sorry, honey.”
Clyde handed Jeremy a coin. “Why don’t you go in there and buy a piece of candy. I want to talk to your ma.”
She bit back a protest. He had no right giving her child anything, but she knew that if Jeremy didn’t go into the store, then Clyde would talk to her with him right there. And she had no intention of getting him involved in this mess if she could avoid it.
Once Jeremy ran into the store, Clyde frowned at her.
She braced herself. Here it came.
“I see you got married,” he sourly stated.
“Really? I don’t recall you being there when it happened.”
He grunted. “Hmm... Funny. I should be amused. Who knew you had a sense of humor.”
“Why can’t you just scurry on out of here like you did when you found out I was expecting Jeremy?”
“Oh, honey. I’m not going anywhere. I meant what I told our boy in there.” He nodded in Jeremy’s direction. “That fancy new husband of yours may be married to you, but he’s not Jeremy’s father.”
“He is according to the law. I’ve got full rights to my son. You won’t be taking him away from me.”
“He’s got my blood in him, and there’s no court of law that’s going to change that. I will be a part of his life, whether you’re married or not.”
“No!” Her heart beat accelerated. “You need to get out of here.”
“I will not.”
He didn’t even look like he cared that he was upsetting her, and that only served to upset her all the more. He enjoyed this. She just knew he did! “Why are you doing this to me?”
“I’m not doing anything to you. You may be married to that deputy, but Jeremy will always be my boy.”
She glared at him. She couldn’t believe this was the same man who, just five years ago, had been sweet and kind. And sh
e had been such a fool to not listen to her parents. They had warned her to wait until she was married, but she thought she knew better and just look at where that got her! She glanced at Jeremy who paid for the piece of candy and plopped it into his mouth. Her son was the only good thing that came out of her time with Clyde. Her son. Jeremy was hers. Not Clyde’s. A man who ran off to avoid taking responsibility for his actions was not a father, and no “he has my blood” argument would change that.
Her gaze met Clyde’s in a challenge. “You’ll have to get through my husband. You’ve heard of his reputation, I’m sure. He’s Irving Spencer and he’s known for performing great feats on the job. Why, it wasn’t too long ago that he single-handedly caught six bank robbers in one fell swoop, and three of them were seven feet tall.”
Clyde threw back his head and laughed. “I’ve seen your husband, and he’s pathetic. I’m at least six inches taller than him.”
“Yes, but you’re not seven feet tall, which means you’re easy bait.”
He rolled his eyes.
Finally feeling as if she’d just won the upper hand, she casually shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what you think. Sheriff Meyer said he’s the best, and you know that Meyer isn’t one to lie. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things I need to buy.” She pushed past him and entered the store. It wasn’t until she noticed that he hadn’t followed her in that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
***
“Get ‘em, boy!” Sheriff Meyer called out.
Sweat ran down Owen’s forehead as he pursued the man who was hightailing it down the street with the bag of cash. Blood pumped through his body with an overwhelming surge of panic. He never should have bragged about catching bank robbers to Jeremy because now God saw it fit to show him exactly what dealing with a robber was like—and Owen decided that he didn’t like it. Nope. He didn’t like it one single bit.
The man was fast on his feet, which was surprising when one considered that he was only 5’4”. The man was short, but boy, he sure could run. The man glanced over his shoulder and scowled at Owen. Alright. So the man was also a mean looking fellow.
And as much as Owen hated to admit it, this particular robber intimidated him. But Owen knew he couldn’t give into his fears. He was supposed to be the mighty and brave Irving Spencer who was nothing short of legendary in this town. So he had to act like he was Irving. And that was proving to be no small feat!
Owen rounded the corner after the legendary bandit as they passed multiple shops along the boardwalk. Along the way, he caught sight of a fishing pole. Inspired, he dug into his pocket, pulled out a coin and flipped it in the store owner’s direction as he snatched the pole from the doorway. He might not be able to run the man down, but he could fish him out of the crowd. He threw back the rod and released the hook.
As he hoped, the hook lodged itself right into the back of the man’s shirt and Owen pulled back on it. The man grunted and fell to the ground. Owen then proceeded to reel the robber until he was at Owen’s feet.
“Wow!” a twelve-year-old boy said as he approached Owen. “That was amazing!”
Out of breath, but grateful the desperate trick had worked, Owen grinned at the boy. “Thanks.”
“How did you flip that rod back like that?”
“It’s nothing. I just use my wrist like this.” He demonstrated by showing the boy how he angled his wrist. “Then I snap it forward in a quick motion.”
“Just wait until I show that to Cal! Next time we go fishing, we’re bound to get the hook out far. Why, that man was a good distance from you. I don’t know if you would have caught him any other way.”
Sadly, the boy spoke the truth, so Owen didn’t deny it. He glanced at his gun in the holster. Maybe instead of the Colt .45, he needed to lug a fishing rod around.
“So you’re the new deputy? Irving Spencer?”
“That’s what the sheriff calls me.” There. That wasn’t a direct lie. “What’s your name?”
“Amos.”
“I’ll tell you what, Amos. I already have a couple of fishing rods at home. Would you mind taking this one off my hands?”
“Honest to goodness?”
“Yep.”
“Sure, Mister!”
Owen quickly released the hook from the man’s shirt and cuffed him before he could get away. Straightening up, he handed the boy the fishing rod. “Remember, if you see any bandits running through town, you can be my assistant and catch them for me. But practice on getting those fish first.”
The boy’s face glowed. “I sure will. You can count on me.”
Owen chuckled. “Good.”
The sheriff caught up to them and slapped Owen on the back. “Well, I’ll be. You got ‘em.”
“He was amazing!” the boy exclaimed. “I better get to Ma before she starts hollerin’ for me.”
As the boy ran off, the sheriff shook his head. “I finally got to see Irving in action, and what a sight that was. Did you know I’ve been trying to get old Joe McGuffy for over two years now? I didn’t think that was ever going to happen, but thanks to you, it did.”
“Really?” Owen asked, suddenly feeling better about resorting to using a fishing pole.
“That Joe there is the fastest runner around. I’ve never been able to catch him.” The sheriff leaned down and pulled Joe to his feet. “Justice will finally be served, and all thanks to my new deputy.”
Owen’s smile widened. Maybe he wasn’t so bad at this job after all.
***
News of Owen’s deed spread fast and within two hours, Jenny heard it from Mrs. Wilson who paid her for the two dresses she made for the woman.
“He caught ‘fast as a bullet Joe’?” Jenny asked.
Mrs. Wilson smiled as she held the clothes in her arms. “He sure did. That new husband of yours is a real catch, if I ever did hear of one. You did good on this one.”
Jenny grinned. It was nice to have the respect of being married to a good man. “I didn’t realize how good I was going to have it when Sheriff Meyer suggested the arranged marriage to me. But it really has worked out.”
“I’m glad. It’s about time you got a good one after that Clyde ran off.”
“Yes, well, I should have said no.”
“And what can you do about the past? Nothing. Which is why there’s no sense in dwelling on it.”
Jenny sighed. She feared that she didn’t deserve Irving. When she thought it was just going to be a convenient arrangement, it was easier to accept. But Irving was turning out to be a friend too, and there was that part of her that was attracted to him. He wasn’t drop dead gorgeous. He was good looking, but he was more adorable than anything else. Still, he did have a smile that made her heart skip a beat.
Mrs. Wilson giggled and patted her arm. “Enjoy the honeymoon. It’s the best time in a woman’s life.”
Jenny blushed and said good-bye before she went to Sally’s house to get Jeremy. She pulled the shawl around her shoulders, realizing that soon she’d be wearing a coat, and knocked on her sister’s front door.
Sally answered it and waved her in. “Did you hear about Irving catching that robber?”
“I did.” News had reached Sally too? She wondered who didn’t know.
“He’s earning his reputation. Will you stay for a cup of coffee before you head back home?”
Remembering that she wanted to talk to Sally, she nodded. “Are the boys out back?”
“Yes. Jeremy wanted to play with the dog.”
“Well, we’ll get one as soon as we move into the little house the sheriff is selling us. Then your poor dog can get a break.”
As they entered the kitchen, Jenny took off her shawl while Sally grabbed two cups from a shelf. “Oh please. Jeremy is doing Clifford a favor. Greg would rather read.”
Jenny glanced out the window where the two boys were rolling around in the grass with the dog. “Doesn’t Greg ever play with him?”
“Once in awhile. But he finds Clifford more
interesting when Jeremy’s interested in him. You know how it works. Things are more entertaining when someone else takes note of them.”
“True.” She sat down as Sally poured coffee into the cups. Once Sally handed her the cup and sat across from her, Jenny said, “I noticed you seemed unusually sad on Sunday when you said Dave and Mary were meant for each other.”
Sally groaned. “You know me too well.”
“That’s because I’m your sister and I love you.”
“I know.”
“So, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing. And that’s the problem.”
Jenny frowned. How could nothing be a problem?
Sally took a sip of coffee, put the cup on the table and sighed. “Rick and I... Well... We’re not as close as we once were.”
“Are you having marital problems?”
“No. Not really. I mean, we don’t argue. It’s just that we have a routine, and that routine doesn’t allow for much time to be together. You know what I mean?”
“The romance is gone from your marriage?”
“Yes. It’s like we just got too comfortable with each other, and when I talk to him about it, he says that it means we’ve been married for nine years and that’s normal. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we were intimate. I think it’s been five months.”
“Really?” Jenny didn’t hide her shock.
“Rick spends a lot of time studying the law books, and when he gets to bed, he’s tired. At least, that’s what he says.”
She reached out and touched her sister’s arm. “You think it’s another reason?”
She shrugged. “I wonder if he still likes what he sees when he looks at me. I’m not the young girl he married.”
“You’re still attractive.”
“I don’t feel attractive. Do you know that I got my hair done and even bought a new dress, but he didn’t even notice it? He just came home, gave me the obligatory kiss, and went to read the paper. The paper is more interesting than I am!”
Jenny grinned. “Since when do men notice things like how our hair looks or what we’re wearing?”
“It’s not just that. We’ve been unable to have a conversation that doesn’t revolve around Greg. If it weren’t for our son, I don’t know what we’d talk about. We’re turning into an old, boring married couple, and I don’t want that. I miss how things were when we were first married. Everything was fun and exciting.”
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