"Look, what do you say we have a picnic in the country, and talk about this? The street is no place to talk about it."
"Sure, sounds wonderful," She said latching on to his arm and smiling at him.
"Great, let's get some grub over at the café and take it with us." He suggested.
She nodded with enthusiasm.
And hour later they had a fried chicken dinner sprawled out on a big blanket under a big oak tree.
There was no one about for miles and the meal was exceptional.
However, the conversation had lulled now that they were alone again.
She put away the food and Jesse pulled her back to the blanket, taking her hand in his.
"You are right. I wasn't in love with you when they forced this on us. I hadn't even thought of having a wife or settling down. Funny, sometimes a man gets so busy with his work; he forgets he could have other things too. Things that he never imagined. Like a wife, kids, and a home. But, you see, I never had much of that to begin with. My father died early on, and I lived with a stepmother that didn't really like me. So, women were something I figured I could live without."
"Was she cruel to you?"
"In a way. Mentally cruel was more like it. She never hit me, she wasn't a violent woman, but she did hate. She hated my real mother, whom I never knew, never saw. And she took it out on me, in a verbal sort of way."
"I'm very sorry, Jesse. I didn't know. I guess that's why you thought you'd never be in a situation like this, but…one thing does surprise me…why did you volunteer?" Shannon looked at him.
He smiled a little and reached for her hand. "Because despite all my bachelor ways, and thinking, the minute I saw you, I was attracted. Naturally, I fought that attraction because…I'd made up my mind early on I didn't need a woman. However, when I looked around that campsite that day, and saw what kind of men you might have married, I couldn't let that happen. I had planned on taking all of them back to hang. That would've made you an instant widow. And for once, I thought about someone other than myself. I didn't want that to happen to you. You didn't deserve that. So I volunteered."
"I couldn't imagine why you'd done it. I guess in some ways we were very alike. I mean, I'd made up my mind to focus on my career as a doctor, and that marriage was for other women. When it happened I thought Ma was insane. I mean I had traveled to the mining camps many times not worrying a bit about how proper it was. I never gave it a thought. I never thought others would either. Afterwards, I thought about what Ma said. That people would hold it against me, and I could understand why. Still, a shotgun wedding isn't the kind of thing anyone wants to be a party to. We were forced into this…"
Jesse nodded. "We were, that's true. Now we've gotten to know each other a little better. Things change, sometimes. People grow with those changes. I know I have. I want different things now. But what about you?"
Shannon leaned on one hand, staring at Jesse who looked completely relaxed now. She hadn't seen him like this.
"Before I met you, I was so ashamed of my scars, I thought no man would dare look at me…but you did. You saw them, and they didn't seem to make the slightest difference to you. I had to re-evaluate my thinking. I realized I was using the scars as a reason not to love anyone. I was afraid they wouldn't love me back…"
"I know that…and you are right, they don't make the slightest difference. You are a smart and very appealing woman. The scars merely add a sense of character to you. They've made you stronger in some respects, and weaker in others. You've become important to me Shannon and now I have to know something. And I have to know it now…"
"What?" she gasped, his admission warmed her, and made her somehow stronger.
"I want to know if you have fallen in love…the way I have with you…or if you still want this annulment. No matter your answer, if you still want to be free, then I will set you free…but I have to know."
"You're in love with me?" She whispered in a low gasp.
"Have been since you told me you were going with me, from Oregon. I've watched you heal, endure, and get along with people that others couldn't begin to understand. I've seen you help turn a young outlaw, into a young man. I've watched you long for a baby, just like the one we had to give up. I saw your humiliation when the Indian ripped your clothes. I saw your pride. And I fell in love with that woman. I fell in love with you…."
"Scars and all?" She questioned.
"Scars and all," He smiled. "But I have to hear from your lips, do you want the annulment or not?"
Shannon stared at Jesse and tears came to her eyes, and her head began to shake slowly, as a smile broke from her lips. "No…"
Jesse rose up, tipped her chin, and kissed her so tenderly she thought she might die from the ecstasy it created.
"That's all I wanted to know…" he whispered as he cradled her head and laid her down on the blanket, kissing her with such tender abandon.
They stayed there a long time, kissing, loving on each other, happy in their new confessions.
When they finally went back to town, he took her to the nicest café, treated her to everything her heart desired and then they went up to their room and consummated the marriage as Jesse swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed.
Through the night they talked, and made love and confessed all their hopes and dreams for the future.
"Have you decided if you are going to stay with the rangers?" She asked when it was nearly dawn.
"I've decided not to stay. I've got something to live for now. A future, with you and the children we will have. No, I'm not going to be a ranger any longer. If it's all right with you, we'll buy some land up near Phillip and Margaret, get some cattle, and raise ourselves a family. You can practice medicine and I will ranch. And maybe I'll live to be a ripe old age with many grandchildren on my knee."
"Oh Jesse, are you sure?" Shannon asked breathlessly.
"You didn't want me to stay, did you?" He asked perplexed.
"No…I didn't. But, I didn't want you to give up your dreams because of me either."
He smiled and pulled her close, "You are my dreams, Shannon. You're what I've been wanting all my life and never thought I'd have. I love you so…and I was so afraid many times, I'd lose you on the journey here. Especially when those Indians got a hold of you. I had to act like some unemotional strong man, when inside my guts were eating me up with worry."
"I never realized. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." She whispered.
"I didn't want to give that baby up. But no matter what, I wasn't going to lose you."
Shannon sighed with happiness, as he touched her. "No man ever kissed me the way you do…," she admitted.
"I wanted to do a lot more than kiss you. But…I didn't want to scare you off. I wanted you to come to me, willingly, and with your love."
"I'm not sure when I fell in love with you. I just know that it happened, and I knew I could never go back to the way I was. When you said you'd speak up for Darrel, I loved you. When you kissed me, I loved you, and when you kissed my scars, I knew there would never be another man in my life."
"I told you I'd like to kiss every one of them, and I'm going to. Each one, is a Medal of Honor and courage that makes you, you." He rolled her over and kissed every mark on her back. With love and affection.
The next day he went to see the Captain.
"I'm quitting the Ranger business," he told him.
"Quitting? Tell me it isn't so?" The Captain wailed.
"I want to live to be a ripe old age. I want to raise some cattle, and have a life of my own. This business is for young sharpshooters, not men with a purpose in life." Jesse smiled.
"You got a point there, son. Well, I'll miss you, and if you ever change your mind, you've got a job here." The Captain assured him.
"Thanks."
"Much happiness to you and your wife."
Jesse nodded, shook his hand and left with a big smile on his face. He knew he was doing the right thing.
They moved up to th
e panhandle and bought some land. Just as promised, Phillip helped him get started in the cattle business. Margaret had nearly all her friends going to Shannon for their personal cares.
Some time later, Jesse went to Doan's again and bought that rocking chair for Shannon.
"You shouldn't have done that." She beamed.
"I had to, so you can rock our babies in it." He smiled mischievously.
About a year after they moved on the ranch, Jesse got a letter from Darrel. Darrel had addressed it to the Ranger headquarters.
"What does it say?" Shannon asked anxious to hear from them.
"Says they are doing fine, got a farm over in east Texas. They are growing watermelons as big as Texas itself. Susan and he married. They think she's going to have a baby. Jimmy John works for Darrel now and is happy. They wanted to thank us for that chance."
"Oh Jesse…I'm so happy for them…" Shannon cried.
"Me too. It's good to know that we did the right thing about them. Is there an address, I'd like to keep in touch with them." Shannon asked, excited about the news.
"Sure honey."
Before he went back to work, he kissed her on the cheek and she turned so that the kiss would last for a long while. When she pulled away from him, she smiled and put his arms around her belly. "I've got some news for you too."
"What is it, honey, I've got to get back to work, we're branding today." Jesse seemed impatient.
"Nothing really…except we're going to have a baby!"
"A baby! You aren't kidding me, are you?"
"I'd never joke about such a thing."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
She made a face at him. "I am a doctor. I think I should know if I’m pregnant."
A smile spread over his face and he picked her up in his arms and whirled her around the cabin for several minutes until she giggled.
"I guess this means you are happy about it?" She laughed.
"Happy? I'm crazy proud!" He burst out.
"I love you, you silly man." She smiled warmly at him, as he sat her down easy like in the chair.
He made a funny face. "I've got work to do. I've got to build a new room, and make a crib…." His list went on and on, and she giggled, then pulled him to her once more and kissed him until he no longer wanted to go back to work.
"You've made me the happiest man in the world." Jesse smiled at her when he came up for air.
"I love you endlessly, Jess Cutler." She smiled.
"You just take it easy, you hear me? No more heavy lifting for you. Just holler if you need me, for anything." He beamed.
She looked seriously at him now, her smiled fading as she pulled him to her once more. "I need you for the rest of my life."
The Cutlers lived a long and happy life, with four kids of their own, a sizable ranch, and Shannon continued to be a doctor for the rest of her life.
And they lived happily ever after, even with a few Indian raids, a couple of outlaws trying to steal from them, bad weather, sickness, and life going on every day the bond they shared lasted their entire lifetime.
The End
About the Author
Rita Hestand resides in a central Texas small town, where she's surrounded by her children and grandchildren. She spends her time with her family.
Born In Corpus Christi, Texas, Rita moved about the country as a child of a pipeliner and hair dresser. She went to school in many places, including Canada. This rich source of background fed her imagination. Although she loves Arizona and Oregon, Texas is home to Rita and always will be.
She has many books to her credit and hopes you'll explore them as they are as diversified as her bringing up was. She enjoys the variety of genres she writes in.
When asked "How do you know if you are a writer?" Rita will be the first to tell you that. "If you are a writer, you will have to write, whether you publish or not. You can choose to be a writer, but it doesn't automatically make you one. Writing is like a being a painter, an actor, or a singer, it's an inborn talent that never leaves you alone. If you are a writer, you'll have to write, no matter what anyone else says. It doesn't matter if you are the best, or the worst, if you can't put the pen down and leave it alone, if you write for money or not, it has to come out of you. Because that was what you were born to do. That's how you truly know you are a writer. Never let anyone discourage you. Never give up!"
Rita's Other Books
Series
The Travers Brothers (now in box sets too)
The Amory's (also in box sets)
The McKay's (in box sets as well)
Coming soon
The Armstrong's
The Connor's
Brides of the West
Red River Valley Brides Series
Western Serial Killer Series
The Dream Catcher Series
Some of her single titles are: In contemporary
Nick's Baby, Pretend Mom, Runaway Bride, Strictly Business, Suspicions of the Heart, Wandering Heart,
Some singles in historical:
Always Remember
Jodi's Journey
Thanks for reading this novel, hope you enjoyed it.
God Bless
Shotgun Bride (Book Six of the Brides of the West) Page 20
