Unlawfully Wedded Bride (Love Inspired Historical)

by Noelle Marchand

  “You’re doing a good job with them, Kate.”

  She met his gaze. “You think so?”

  He nodded. “I really do.”

  Kate smiled ruefully then, leaning her head back against the settee, she let out a sigh. “Well, at least that makes one of us.”

  He was quiet for a long moment before he cleared his throat. “Kate, I was trying to tell you something earlier.”

  She opened her eyes and shifted on the settee to face him. “Yes, I remember. You were behaving rather oddly and then you said something needed to be set straight.”

  He met her gaze seriously. “You remember when I spoke to Mr. Potters about the annulment and he said it would either be one or two months or more until the judge was back?”

  Kate nodded and waited for him to continue.

  “Well, this will be the fourth week since the judge left so he could be back at any time.”

  “Oh,” she breathed. “I see.”

  Why did that leave her feeling strangely bereft? After all, she’d only know Nathan for little more than a month. She suddenly realized she would be sorry to see him go. Though she tried to convince herself there was nothing romantic between them, she couldn’t deny the friendship they’d managed to eek out.

  This is silly. I should be overjoyed. This is exactly what I wanted. He’s leaving and that’s the way it should be, she sternly reminded herself.

  “Or,” Nathan continued, “he might not be back for another month or more.”

  Kate’s gaze flew to his. Did he say another month or longer? I barely made it through this one without weakening my resolve.

  His warm brown gaze searched hers. “We’ll just have to wait and see how everything works out.”

  She set her pride aside to smile. “Either way, I’m glad you came. You’ve been a great help to me and my siblings. I wish I could offer to let you stay on as my hired hand once this is over but I doubt I could pay you a fair wage.”

  His gaze seemed to shutter before he glanced away. “No, I couldn’t do that.”

  Uncomfortable with the silence between them, she stood up. “I’d better start supper. I don’t suppose Ellie will be any help.” She paused to turn back to him. “If you aren’t busy, I wouldn’t mind,” she hesitated, “I mean, if you just wanted to…”

  “Help?” he asked, then smiled. “Sure, I’d like to.”

  After supper Kate set the dress she was mending down to glance around the empty room. She frowned, wondering where everyone had gone. She’d sent Ellie outside to help with the chores since the girl couldn’t seem to sit still long enough to complete a stitch, but that had been nearly half an hour ago. She set her sewing basket aside, accidentally sending a spool of thread rolling across the floor. The cat shot from the hallway into the kitchen to chase it.

  “Who let you in here?” Kate asked. As she stepped forward the spool rolled from the cat’s grasp and she quickly covered it with her boot. Scooping up the cat, she set her aside. The cat rushed toward her boot again but Kate managed to pick up the spool before the cat reached it. “You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”

  The cat meowed pitifully.

  “Oh, don’t try that act with me. I know what you’re really like.” She set the spool back in the sewing basket. “I ought to put you outside. I don’t like animals in my kitchen.”

  The kitchen door opened and the cat streaked outside a moment before Nathan stepped inside. “What are you doing?”

  She’d been talking to the cat but she didn’t want to tell him that. She settled back into her chair, then picked up her needle. “I’m just getting a head start on the mending for tomorrow.”

  He straddled the chair next to her. “You should come outside with me,” he said. “Sean and Ellie say they’re just dying to ‘watch the stars,’ whatever that means.”

  Her needle stilled. “It’s something we used to do with Ma and Pa. Every so often after our nightly Bible reading, they would let us stay up really late to watch the stars come out.”

  “Maybe you should continue their traditions,” he advised thoughtfully. “Since the children are already outside, you could start with this one.”

  She glanced down at the mending in her hands and saw it for what it really was. It was busywork to keep her mind off… Her gaze lifted to Nathan’s. She wanted to groan. So what if she was beginning to like him? That didn’t mean she had to pursue those feelings. She’d simply choose not to. There. She wouldn’t like him anymore. She couldn’t trust that feeling anyway. Every time she thought about liking him, she’d just remind herself of the mistake she’d made with Andrew Stolvins and eventually those feelings would dissipate.

  Before she had the chance to try, Nathan stood and tucked his chair back into place. He held out his hand, then with a gentle smile of entreaty, he asked, “Are you coming?”

  “I’m coming.” But she certainly wasn’t going to take his hand. She stepped outside and immediately spotted the children sitting along the pasture fence. She ducked beneath the top railing of the fence while stepping over the bottom. Sean smiled at her from his perch on the fence as she went to stand between him and Ellie.

  She turned her back to the fence and was trying to figure out how to hoist herself up without landing in a heap on the ground when Nathan appeared in front of her. He caught her waist then set her carefully onto the fence.

  “Thank you,” she said as he claimed a spot on the other side of Ellie.

  “We’re watching for the first star,” Ellie said.

  Sean nodded. “Nathan said the person who spots the first star gets to make a wish.”

  “I spotted the moon but that doesn’t count.” Lawson pointed to the right spot.

  “I see it,” she said after following his gaze to where the half moon hung in the slightly clouded sky.

  Several minutes later Ellie was sitting safely between Sean and Lawson. Kate had Sean on one side and on the other, entirely too close, sat Nathan. For safety sake, he’d said. Trying to ignore the man beside her without making it painfully obvious, Kate focused on her siblings’ conversation.

  She felt a presence behind her. Before she could react, Delilah’s muzzle appeared over her shoulder. She gasped. The muzzle disappeared then pushed her forward. She would have fallen off the fence if Nathan hadn’t caught her. She gasped then turned to stare at Delilah. The horse nudged Nathan’s shoulder, only much more gently. Kate narrowed her eyes. “Do you think she did that on purpose?”

  Nathan guided the horse’s muzzle away from his shoulder then rubbed her nose. “No. I trained her better than that. She was just looking for attention. I’m sorry. Sometimes she doesn’t know her own strength.”

  She wasn’t convinced. “I don’t think she likes me. She sneezed into my hand the first time I tried to pet her.”

  Nathan quirked an amused grin. “Maybe she’s allergic to you.”

  “She seems fine now.”

  “I’ll put her in her stall before she sneezes again.” He jumped down from the fence and led Delilah away. When he returned he asked, “When did you say the combine and threshing machine would be coming through?”

  “The day after tomorrow,” she said then glanced around Sean to Lawson. “Did you hear that, Lawson? You won’t have to work in the fields after that.”

  “I liked working in the fields.”

  Ellie leaned forward. “Don’t you want to go to school, Lawson?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve never had much use for it.”

  Ellie grinned. “Me, neither.”

  Once the sky was filled with stars the excitement was gone and the children jumped down from the fence. Sean and Ellie wanted to show Lawson how to catch fireflies in the fields. Kate glanced at the fields that were just beginning to sparkle. “Stay close enough that you’ll hear when I call you in.”

  They waved in acknowledgment then scampered off. Silence hovered in their wake. Nathan moved his arm from behind her to brace himself more fully. His hand landed close t
o hers on the rough wooden fence. She bit her lip. Glancing upward, she stared at the millions of stars twinkling in a dark sky. It looked so immense it was almost frightening.

  “It’s amazing, isn’t it,” Nathan asked upon observing the same view.

  “Yes,” she agreed, as she glanced out at the fields. The fireflies danced across the fields in what appeared to be a reflection of the sky on a still lake. She pulled in a deep relaxing breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d allowed herself to appreciate the beauty of the land she was working so hard to save.

  Nathan’s deep voice should have jarred her out of her calm reverie, but its warm tones just enhanced the spell. “It’s enough to make you feel weak and powerful at the same time.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” she breathed, then her entire being stilled when she suddenly wondered if he was still talking about the stars. His words perfectly described the feelings she’d been trying so hard to ignore.

  Did he share those feelings? Did she want him to? No, she reminded herself. Because he wasn’t staying—and she didn’t want him to…did she?

  “I guess I should call the children.” She carefully lowered herself from the fence. Then she walked away from him and the question she was too afraid to answer.

  As Nathan and Lawson returned to the cabin, Lawson spoke up. “You know, even if your pa doesn’t accept you back, at least you’ve got a sister who loves you.”

  Nathan didn’t point out that his sister seemed to have some doubts about him, too. He hoped she followed his advice and wrote to the sheriff in Noches. If not, he doubted if he would ever have a chance to reconnect with his family. Lawson seemed to follow his line of thought, for he continued, “Even if you don’t hear from them again, at least you, Kate, Ellie and Sean are all a family.”

  Nathan sent him a skeptical look. “If you consider me part of their family then you’re family, too.”

  Lawson shook his head. “No, I’m not much like family to anyone.”

  “I disagree.”

  “Listen, I may be saying this all wrong but it all comes down to dreams.”

  “Dreams?” Nathan asked in low disbelief.

  Lawson nodded. “Haven’t you had dreams, Nathan? Things you hope for and keep close to you? Things you don’t want to let go of?”

  Nathan agreed slowly. “I’ve had a few of those.”

  Lawson took in a deep breath as he looked up at the stars. “Well, I’ve always wanted a ma and pa. Real ones.”

  Nathan silently waited for him to continue.

  Lawson glanced at Nathan and the desperation he tried so often to hide would not be denied. “Nathan, I’m fourteen years old. I’ve never had a family. Not one that loved me enough to stick around. Being here, for the first time, I know what I missed out on and it makes the ache that much worse. Sometimes I just wish I was someone else. Someone good people might want to choose.”

  Nathan leaned toward him, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Lawson, you are chosen. Not just by Kate, Sean, Ellie and me but by God. Do you understand?”

  Lawson shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  “He loves you. He never wants to be separated from you. He gave up everything He knew and came to this earth so that he could have a relationship with you.” Nathan allowed those words to sink in for a moment before continuing, “If you accept that, you become His son and can trust that He wants the best for you. If that’s a ma and pa then that’s what He’ll give you. If that’s living with me then that’s where you’ll stay.”

  “You mean that?” Lawson asked quietly. “You’d let me go with you even if you have to leave?”

  Nathan smiled, amusement lighting his eyes. “I reckon.”

  Lawson quirked a smile and gave him a short nod. “Thanks, Nathan.”

  He sat up. “Now wait just a minute. What happened to wanting a real ma and pa?”

  “Nothing. It’s just good to have a backup plan even if it is pretty shoddy.”

  “Shoddy, huh?”

  Lawson grinned.

  “I’ll try not to be offended,” Nathan said.

  There was silence for a long moment, then Lawson asked, “Want to know what I think you should do about Kate?”

  “Not particularly.”

  Lawson shrugged. “All I’m saying is it doesn’t hurt to remind a girl she’s pretty.”

  Nathan stared at him skeptically. “How would you know?”

  “I have my ways.”

  Nathan snorted.

  “I’m also saying it doesn’t hurt to remind a girl you know she thinks you aren’t too bad looking, either.”

  Nathan’s opened his mouth to speak then closed it. He considered the idea for a moment then said, “Lawson, do me a favor. Stop thinking whatever you’re thinking and go to bed.”

  Lawson smiled. “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Eleven

  A rough knock on the door prompted Kate to step away from the table where Nathan and Lawson sat eating lunch. Nathan moved to stand. She shook her head. “I’d better get it.”

  Today was the day the harvesters were coming. That meant it could only be one person at the door. She smoothed her stark white apron as she walked out of the kitchen, then paused in front of the door. Ready for the confrontation, she opened the door. Andrew Stolvins had wandered away from the door to stare at the field. She leaned into the door frame and placed one hand on her hip as he turned to frown at her.

  “Kate, what happened to the field?” Andrew pulled his hat from his head to uncover his dark blond hair.

  “I harvested part of it myself.”

  He looked mad enough to spit. “Why’d you go and do a fool thing like that? I told you we could negotiate some sort of payment.”

  She gave a dry laugh. “I don’t even want to know what sort of payment you would have expected.”

  His innocent expression almost looked genuine. “I was trying to help you just like I did after your parents died. I was here for you then, wasn’t I?”

  “Sure you were. Unfortunately it was the kind of help that pushes someone down when they’re already falling.” She lifted her chin as she gained control of her emotions. “We’ve gone over this before, Andrew. I don’t want your help. I don’t want to negotiate. I want you to treat me like you would any other farmer.”

  “Fine.” He shifted in his fancy boots, then continued in a businesslike tone. “I insist you pay me the rate for the whole field since that was our agreement.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Our agreement was that I would pay you eighteen percent of the wheat you harvest.”

  He smiled smugly. “No, it was eighteen percent of your total harvest. That includes what you’ve already done.”

  Kate gritted her teeth in frustration. It was his word against hers in their verbal agreement. He stepped closer. “I set up payment plans with a few farmers. If you’d like to do that, I’m sure we could come to some agreement.”

  Kate stepped aside as he tried to place a hand over on the door frame above her head. She watched him with suspicion. “What sort of payment plan?”

  “That all depends on you. You could work three nights a week for a month and we could call it even or—”

  “Is that the deal you set up with the other farmers?”

  He looked her over appraisingly. “The other farmers weren’t pretty enough to be a saloon girl.”

  Her fist clenched at her side.

  He took note of her fist then raised an imperious brow. “I’d pay you eight dollars a week and you’d earn commission off the drinks you sold. Take the offer. It isn’t as though your reputation could get much worse now anyway.”

  Kate froze. “My reputation? What are you talking about?”

  “Half the county is talking about how you have that man living here.”

  “Nathan? He doesn’t live here. He works here. He lives in the cabin about half a mile away.”

  “It makes no difference. I still can’t take the chance. The only jo
b I have to offer you is the one at the saloon.” He lowered his head to stare at her. “There your reputation certainly wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I’ve heard enough.”

  Paying no heed to her objections, he continued. “In fact, it might even prove profitable.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Get off my land.”

  He ducked his head, finally realizing he’d gone too far. “Kate, won’t you listen to me for a minute? The truth is—”

  “You heard the lady.” Nathan’s voice cut him off. Relief filled Kate as he stepped from the house to stand beside her.

  Andrew stared at Nathan for a moment then sent him a mocking smile. “Ah, this must be the man all of Texas envies.”

  Nathan’s jaw clenched with anger. “Leave now.”

  Andrew laughed. “I don’t take orders from no-account drifters like you. You have a lot of gall standing there like you aren’t after the same—”

  Kate gasped as suddenly Andrew flew through the air and landed on his backside in the dirt.

  “Lord,” Nathan muttered as he rubbed his aching fist and watched the man struggling to sit up. “I believe you’d agree there is such a thing as righteous anger.”

  He heard a laugh escape from Kate’s direction but he didn’t look her way. He was too busy trying to see if the man was going to throw a punch of his own. That was the only trouble with defending a woman’s honor. In doing so you might find yourself in an all-out brawl. Not that the pain wasn’t worth it, of course. He waited while the man regained his equilibrium and tried to get to his feet.

  “I’m sorry I had to do that, Stolvins,” Nathan said. “You see, my pa didn’t raise me to sit back and do nothing while a lady’s honor was being wrongfully challenged. I think we both know you deserved it.”

  The man eyed Nathan as he stood to his feet. He drew his arm back as though ready to throw his own punch but then his hand relaxed and covered his stomach. “You sucker punched me.”

  “I did. Now, I’d appreciate it if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from the lady’s presence. For your own good, you understand? I’d surely hate to have to do that again.”