by Maddy Barone
Eagle looked like he would crack teeth if he didn’t stop clenching them. Victoria gave her brother another bland smile. She turned her attention back to Marty. “When do you think it will be finished?”
She didn’t think Marty could be any more handsome than he was right then. “That depends on you, Miss Wolfe.”
He was doing that purring thing again with his voice, and Victoria had a stray thought. Would he have that same rasp in his voice when he talked to her in bed? She had to swallow to find her voice. “Oh?”
His smile said he knew how he was affecting her. “Say the word and I’ll send a message home to tell Eddie that it has to be done now. We can honeymoon here in Omaha for a few weeks until it’s done, and then we’ll go home where I’ll carry you over the threshold and—”
The captain of the city guard rushed into the dining room, coat unbuttoned and blond hair standing straight up. He stopped in the dining room doorway and cast a quick glance at them sitting around the table. “Rye,” he said curtly. “I need a minute. Right now.”
The smile left the mayor’s face. “My office.”
Captain Erickson disappeared.
The mayor stood up. “Please excuse me for a few minutes.”
There was silence for a long moment after the mayor left. Mrs. McGrath cleared her throat.
“I hope you have room for dessert,” she said brightly. “We have brownies and vanilla ice cream.” She nodded at her Anna. “Anna, Nick, bring it in.”
Victoria exchanged a glance with Marty. Maybe the mayor was called away from supper all the time, but Mrs. McGrath seemed a little too cheery, as if she were trying to hide worry.
“Brownies,” Quill said happily. “I love chocolate.”
The scent of warm chocolate entered the dining room before Nicholas and Anna. It was a mouth-watering scent almost delicious enough to distract Victoria. Anna was going to be a beauty one day, and she had more social graces than Victoria ever would have. Even with her gawky arms and legs she managed to serve everyone gracefully.
“Very nicely done,” Mrs. McGrath told her daughter.
The girl’s round cheeks glowed with a pleased blush.
Renee surveyed her plate of brownie topped with a perfect sphere of vanilla ice cream before taking a bite of brownie. “Heavenly,” she announced. “A perfect blend of chocolate and vanilla.”
Anna’s blush grew brighter. Her mother gave her a fond smile. “Anna made the brownies.”
Renee looked surprised. “They are very, very good.”
Mayor McGrath came back in, followed by Captain Erickson. Both of their faces were grave. The mayor stopped beside his wife at the foot of the table and looked at each one of them.
“This is unexpected,” he said. “President Todd is sixty miles from Omaha, and he brought his army with him.”
Mrs. McGrath grabbed his hand. Her beautiful face remained calm, but her knuckles shone white. The mayor glanced down at this wife, but didn’t speak. Victoria noticed that Marty stiffened beside her.
“How long until they get here?” he asked calmly.
The mayor lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe two hours to get to the river. They might camp on the other side of the river tonight or they might push through.”
“What does he want?” Hawk glanced quickly at his mate, trouble in his eyes.
Now the other shoulder rose in a shrug and the mayor shook his head. “I don’t know. We were supposed to have until the end of the month to get an answer to him about whether or not we would accept his alliance.” He snapped an order at Erickson. “Cable the train. I want it here right now.”
Erickson slipped out.
Quill looked grim. “How likely is it that this is a peaceful visit?”
“He brought his army with him. Between two and three thousand men. That doesn’t strike me as particularly peaceable.” McGrath looked down at his wife again, and then over at Hawk. “I want my wife and daughter safe. Will you take them back to Kearney with you?”
No,” said Mrs. McGrath instantly. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Cayla,” the mayor began.
“No,” she said again, more forcefully. “I know you want me safe, Rye, but not all the women of Omaha have a way to leave. I will not run away and desert them.”
Worry twisted the mayor’s face as he looked at his wife. And after a long moment of silence he nodded and turned his attention back to Hawk. “My guess is Todd will do one of two things. He’ll attack tonight, hoping to take us by surprise, or he will wait until morning and try to bargain with us.”
“Why would he attack and risk casualties to his own army if he can have the alliance he wants?” Stone tapped his fingers on the table, frowning in thought. “Maybe he brought his army to intimidate you into agreeing to the alliance.”
Hawk stood up. “And he’s coming now, while all the representatives of all of cities and settlements in the region are here in Omaha. If he takes all the leaders hostage, he won’t have to attack the cities to control them.”
Dean Erikson came back in and nodded grimly at Hawk. “That’s my take. We should notify the representatives immediately. They may want to evacuate back to their homes.” He looked at the mayor. “Cable sent. I assume you want the train here to take the representatives home?”
McGrath jerked his chin in acknowledgement. “Or at least out of Omaha.”
Rock had an eager look on his face. “We should stay. If there’s going to be a fight, you can use us.”
Eagle and Colby nodded vehemently. “If Omaha is conquered, it’s only a matter of time before Todd heads up our way,” Eagle pointed out. “Better to stop him here.”
“Yeah,” Colby agreed.
“I could use your help.” The mayor looked tempted, but shook his head. “No, you should be sure Miss Victoria and Mrs. Renee get home safely. I wouldn’t trust their safety to Todd. I’ve heard stories of what he does with women.”
Colby whispered, “Georgina.”
Eagle looked torn, glancing between Victoria and Renee. “Hawk can escort them home.”
Hawk shook his head and gave his mate a tender, regretful glance. “I am older and more experienced. I should stay. Quill, you will see to our women.”
“Rye Thomas saved my mate once. I will stand here with him. Stone?”
Stone shook his head. “We all stay or we all go.”
“But Renee and Victoria must go home,” Hawk decreed. “We don’t want them on the train alone.”
“Sand, you could take them,” Quill suggested.
The mayor raised hand. “Time is short, gentlemen.”
Marty’s chair squeaked as he stood up. “I will take the ladies back to Kearney.”
Eagle’s thick eyebrows dove down over his nose. “You’re not kin.”
“Not yet.” Marty flashed a confident smile around the table before turning to Mayor McGrath. “Marry me to Victoria. If I’m her husband, I can be her escort. And escort Mrs. Renee, as her new kinsman.”
Victoria’s heart leapt in her chest. It was a sign of just how much Eagle wanted to stay for the possible fight that he didn’t protest immediately. He glanced at Hawk with his lips pressed tightly together. Hawk stared back for a look minute before looking toward the mayor.
“Do the ceremony quick,” Hawk said. Victoria’s heart leaped into her throat and began to dance there. She strictly forced her face to remain neutral.
McGrath looked at Marty. “Will you take charge of my daughter?”
Marty glanced at the girl, her round cheeks now pale. “I will see that she is safe.”
Rye McGrath pointed to his daughter. “Anna, get my book.”
Chapter Eight
“This is not how I imagined my wedding,” Victoria mused, watching Anna dash back into the dining room with the book her father had requested.
Marty squeezed her hand. “Do you want to wait?”
“Hell, no.”
Her soon to be husband flashed her a devastating smile.
“Good, because I don’t want to wait either.”
Eagle had a pained expression on his face. “How am I going to explain this to dad?”
“You won’t have to,” Victoria assured him. “I will explain.”
“We will explain,” Marty amended.
The mayor interrupted. “Let’s get started. Cayla and Anna, beside me. Bride and groom in front of me. Everyone else, behind the bride and groom.”
They all scrambled to take their places, pushing chairs close to the table to make more room. Victoria resisted the urge to pinch herself. Her uncles and cousins were being oddly complaisant. She wasn’t dreaming, was she? Captain Erickson stayed by the door with an impassive face that probably hid impatience. No, this wasn’t a dream. She was full of joy, but the mayor and the captain were grim. The threat to Omaha was real. Maybe she shouldn’t be so happy when Nebraska was under such a threat.
Marty squeezed her hand. “Look happy,” he whispered. “It’s our wedding day.”
She was happy. Just the warmth of Marty’s hand around hers made her happiness grow. “I love you,” she murmured quietly.
Not quietly enough. Eagle groaned. She ignored him.
The mayor opened his book and ran his finger down the page to find his place. He looked up from his book to give them an encouraging smile. “This is the short ceremony. Ready?”
Marty pulled her hand through the crook of his arm and nodded.
“Alrighty, then.” The mayor cleared his voice and his tone became formal. “We are gathered together here today to witness this man and this woman join their lives as one in the bonds of marriage. Um, I guess we’ll skip that next part.” He paused, running his finger little further down the page in his book. “Okay, here we go. Do you, Martin Madison, take this woman to be your wife? Will you love her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Do you promise to be true to her, loving only her as long as she lives?”
Marty’s voice was strong. “I do.”
“Do you, Victoria Wolfe, take this man to be your husband? Will you love him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Do you promise to be true to him, loving only him as long as he lives?”
“I do.” Her voice cracked so she cleared her throat and spoke more loudly. “I do!”
The mayor snapped his book closed. “I pronounce you man and wife.” He jabbed a finger at the small rectangle of paper on the table. “All we need to do is sign our names, and it’s legal.”
The marriage certificate had no fancy borders or pretty illustrations, but it had a place for their names and the date, and it said that they were married. That was all Victoria cared about. She signed her name and waited as Marty bent to sign his.
Rock grinned. “That was the quickest marriage ceremony I ever heard,” he said approvingly.
Anna looked a little disappointed. “Dad, you didn’t tell him to kiss the bride.”
Victoria had noticed that too. The mayor signed his name at the bottom of the certificate with a flourish. “No time for that now,” he said. “We—”
He broke off at the sound of running feet in the hallway outside. Captain Erickson put a hand inside his jacket and pulled out a revolver. Marty hastily stepped in front of her. She was tall enough to see that the person who burst into the dining room was a man in his late teens. He clutched a white envelope in his hand. He passed it over to Captain Erickson before bending over with his hands on his knees, trying to suck in air.
“A letter from President Todd,” he panted.
Rye McGrath stuck out a long arm and snatched the envelope. “Is he here already?” he demanded.
“No, sir. This came from a messenger riding a motorized bicycle. The president and his people are still more than an hour away.”
McGrath tore it open and read. Everyone in the room watched him with varying degrees of anxiety. After what seemed like a long time, the mayor looked around.
“President Todd would like to meet with me and members of the city council tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.” His mouth curled in a mirthless smile. “He apologizes for the short notice. He meant to send a letter before he left Kansas City, but he forgot.”
Another man in the uniform of the City Guard entered the dining room. It’s getting crowded in here, Victoria thought, moving a little closer to Marty to make room for the mayor to step past her.
“Lieutenant,” he said shortly. “Report.”
The lieutenant saluted smartly. “We cabled the train as you requested. It will arrive a little past five tomorrow morning. Dennis Black, the engineer, wants to know if he can continue on his eastern route.”
A small smile, which looked genuinely pleased, quirked McGrath’s lips. “No. Once it’s here, have the train get itself turned around and ready to head back west. I want it ready to leave Omaha by seven tomorrow morning.”
He turned to the man who had brought Todd’s message. “Don’t talk about this to anyone.”
“No, sir,” the young man said with another salute.
“Dismissed.” The mayor leaned toward the captain of the Omaha City Guard. “Dean, arrange for the representatives and their parties to be notified quietly about the situation and inform them that the train will be leaving Omaha for the west promptly at seven tomorrow morning. If they wish to be on it, they’d better get to the station on time. It won’t wait for them.”
Tears shimmered in Anna’s brown eyes. She blinked rapidly, but when her father turned to her they fell, rolling in fat drops down her cheeks. McGrath’s face softened slightly and his voice went gentle.
“Anna, you need to get packed. The train will probably be very full, so only take what you need. I’m sure the Wolfes will provide you with anything you can’t bring with you.”
Renee gave the girl a bracing smile. “We will. Have you ever thought of becoming a pastry chef?”
Anna’s face contorted with tears even though she obviously tried to control herself. “Daddy,” she began.
Her mother put an arm around her. “You’re not leaving this second. Let’s go upstairs and start packing.”
The room seemed slightly less congested after they left. The mayor watched his wife and daughter leave with a strained look on his face. The expression vanished immediately as he faced Marty.
“She’ll be at the train station well before seven. I’m putting her in your hands for the journey.”
“I promise to take good care of her. She will be delivered safely to the Plane Women’s House. You have my word of honor.”
The mayor nodded. “Okay, then. Will you notify the representatives at the Limit? Keep it quiet. I don’t want a panic in Omaha.”
“I will,” Marty said.
Hawk gave him a curled lip, not quite amused, not quite grumpy. “I will do that. You might have other plans for the evening.”
Marty looked down at her, eyes intense. “Oh, yes,” he purred. “I have plans.”
Marty held his new bride’s hand and didn’t plan to let go of her until they were finally behind closed doors. Thing is, that might be a little while. Of course, the rapid, low-voiced discussion McGrath was holding with Hawk and Quill was important, but Marty knew his responsibilities for tomorrow: to be at the train station with his wife and aunt-in-law before seven in the morning, and take charge of Miss Anna there. But that was still eleven hours away, and he had things to do in the next eleven hours. Glorious things. He drew a breath, leaned a shoulder against the dining room wall, and dug for patience. Victoria’s thumb, gliding over the back of his hand, didn’t help him maintain his patience, but he gave her a slow smile, silently urging her to continue.
It was a huge relief when a knock on the door cut the conversation off. The voices of John Case and Charles Beauregard were heard in the foyer. They were here for the meeting to discuss the delegates’ questions.
Those questions, Marty said to himself, are pointless now. I think it will be a different topic under discussion tonight.
McGrath lifted his head, obvi
ously having heard Beauregard and Case heading back to his office. “I’m sorry, gentlemen, my time is up.”
Hawk nodded and stuck out his hand for the mayor to shake. “We’ll talk to the delegates at the Limit about Todd, and the train. If you want us with you tomorrow when you meet Todd, send word. We’ll be at the Limit.”
McGrath shook Hawk’s hand and then reached out to Marty. “My daughter will be at the station tomorrow morning.”
With great reluctance, Marty let go of Victoria’s hand so he could shake with the mayor. “I’ll see to it that she gets safely to Kearney.”
It was a relief to get outside. The sun was down and the air had a definite chill. He wanted to be sure his wife was warm. Victoria’s soft cheeks were pink. Was she cold? The wind had a sharp edge. Well, he would see to it that she was warm once they got back to the Limit. Warmer than warm, he amended. He would see to it that she was hot.
Colby stopped them at the bottom of the walk. “I’ve got to find Georgina,” he said in a hard, intense voice. “I want her on that train tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Ray.
Rock nodded. “Me, too.”
Eagle shifted his weight. “Me —”
“No!”
Hawk, Quill, and Sand all said the word at the same time.
“No,” said Hawk again. “Rock, go ahead with Colby. I have no authority over Ray, so he can go or not as he pleases, but Eagle needs to stay with us.”
Eagle pinned Marty with a glare. “Are you going to stay in the upstairs room Vic is in?” his new brother-in-law demanded.
“Yeah.” Marty nodded. “Can’t take her to the room I’m in now, not with Ray and a couple of other men there.” He lifted a brow at Victoria. “Your room okay?”
Her smile was dreamy. “Yeah. It’s more private up there.”
“Ugh!” Eagle’s expression was morose. “I’m not sleeping in that room upstairs across the hall from the lovebirds tonight.” He shot a peeved glance between Marty and Victoria and Stone. “You’re on your own tonight, Stone. It’s bad enough hearing all that ruckus from mom and dad. I don’t want to hear it from my sister, too.”
