Abducted at the Altar

by Charlene Sands

  “Shane, please listen.”

  “I think I’m gonna be sorry for it, but go on. Say your piece.”

  “It all has to do with Jeremiah and, well, you see, he’s not my hundred-percent, in the flesh, brother. It’s complicated. We had the same mama but not the same father. Everybody knows Jeremiah’s real daddy went off to fight in the war. He never came back, leaving mama to raise both of us alone.”

  “And then your mama died.”

  “Yes, Mama died,” she said softly, recalling those last few days when her mama had taken real sick, but had put on a brave smile for her. Holding her hand until she drew her last breath, Dorie had promised her mama that she’d take care of Jeremiah. She’d never let her younger brother down. She’d raised him up to be a fine boy. It wasn’t just her promise to her mama, but the promise she’d made to herself that she and Jeremiah would always be close—that they would be family, no matter what. “And I tried real hard with Jeremiah.”

  “I know you did, Dorie. He’s a fine boy.”

  Tears misted in her eyes. She closed them briefly, to wash them away. She didn’t want sympathy from Shane, only understanding. “Thank you. But now you see, I got this letter from the Parkers, claiming to be Jeremiah’s kin. Steven Parker, Jeremiah’s daddy, may have died while in the army, but his parents Helene and Oliver are still alive, living in New York and they want Jeremiah. They want my Jeremiah,” she said quietly, feeling the defeat even as she said the words.

  She’d been brave for most of it, but last night as she’d contemplated their fate Dorie had given way to tears. She’d cried and cried, her heart pouring out once Jeremiah had fallen asleep. Gently, as he slept, she’d touched a hand to his cheek, gazing at him and wondering what life would be like without her brother. “They have money, Shane. Lots of it and they wrote what a wonderful life they could give Jeremiah if only he came to live with them. Jeremiah is their only kin. They’d only just now learned of him, through a Union soldier who claimed he’d known Steven Parker at Fort Ruby.”

  “They didn’t know about Jeremiah for thirteen years?”

  “No. Jeremiah’s daddy had run off when he was young. He’d come to work the mines up by Virginia City, lost a good deal of money investing in one and trying to make it pay out, according to my mama. That was right before they met. Mama always said Jeremiah’s daddy was an adventurer, not a man you could tie down. He hadn’t been close to his folks. Hadn’t cared a lick for their money, either. Mama said she always knew one day he’d take off, and he did. He’d sworn to her he’d come back, but then he took sick. Didn’t even see a day of fighting, Mama said, like he’d wanted. He’d had the fever.”

  “And the Parkers never knew about their grandson, until just now?”

  “That’s right. We just kinda used the name McCabe for all of us, so they had trouble tracking down a Jeremiah Parker. But they found him anyways.”

  “That doesn’t explain why—”

  “I need a husband?”

  Shane nodded and looked directly into her eyes. He had a way of getting at the truth with those piercing green eyes. Dorie drew oxygen deep into her lungs. “Because I lied, Shane. For Jeremiah. I had to. I told them I was married to a wonderful man. I told them we lived on a prosperous ranch and Jeremiah wanted for nothing. I told them Jeremiah was happy as a bumblebee in a nest of honey, Shane. Because I can’t lose Jeremiah. I can’t. I told those lies to make them see that they don’t have to worry about Jeremiah. They don’t. Jeremiah’s just fine with me, Shane. But they’re coming anyhow! They’re coming. They want to see for themselves. And now…and now, if I don’t have all those things, if they find out I lied…”

  “They’ll take Jeremiah.” Shane finished for her. “You’re afraid that if they learn the truth, they’ll take Jeremiah away from you.” He nodded his head, his eyes filled with understanding.

  Dorie let out her breath slowly. “I know they will.” Her insides quaking now, she went on, “We don’t live high, Shane. But we manage all right.”

  Shane scratched his head, seemingly deep in thought. A glimmer of light from the quarter moon cast Shane’s face in shadows. They stood in the backwoods, high in the hills, a slight wind rustling the branches of towering pines. Chilly fall air swept clear through her as she waited for Shane’s response. “It’s a plum crazy idea, Dorie.”

  She shivered both from the cold and the reservation she heard in Shane’s voice. “It’s the only one I got, Shane. The way I see it, if the Parkers aren’t convinced Jeremiah’s living well, they’ll take him from me faster than a jackrabbit stealing in a carrot patch. I don’t have the means to fight them.” And it would kill her to lose Jeremiah. She loved him dearly. Even when her mama was alive, Dorie had always taken it upon herself to look after her brother. Now, all they had was each other. Jeremiah didn’t want to live with strangers, kin or not. He was content living in Silver Hills on their homestead.

  Dorie bolstered her courage, despite her quivering lips. “W-Will you help me?”

  Shane pursed his lips. She knew it was a lot to ask of him. She’d nearly ruined his life today, and now she pleaded with him to help her. She couldn’t blame him if he refused, but prayed that he’d agree.

  He lowered his head, stared at the ground for a long time, taking deep pulls of air. She saw his mouth twist, knew he was about to decline. Then he looked up at her, and darned if she couldn’t prevent the moisture beginning to well up in her eyes. His gaze softened. “Everybody in Silver Hills knows we’re not married, Dorie.”

  A bit encouraged now, since he hadn’t responded with a flat-out no, Dorie explained, “That’s why we’re supposed to meet them on the fifteenth of the month in Virginia City.”

  Shane rubbed his nose and let out a quiet laugh. “Dorie, you do amaze me.”

  “We’ve got two weeks to get ready.”

  Fear entered Shane’s green eyes as they grew wide with question. Dorie didn’t think anything would scare Shane, not even coming up against Tobias Barkley.

  “‘Ready’?”

  “Well, sure. We have to get to know each other better. Otherwise, we won’t convince the Parkers we’re well suited. We can’t afford for them to have suspicions.”

  “Whoa!” Shane put up both hands. “Slow down. I haven’t agreed to any of this yet. I’ve got a ranch to run, Dorie. I don’t have time to…to…uh—”

  “Spend time with me?”

  Shane had been willing to spend his entire life with Marilee Barkley. She had all the attributes of a refined woman. She was petite and pretty, even if she was a mite stuffy. And she sure did know her manners. Dorie supposed Marilee would make a fine wife for some man, just not Shane.

  Sudden panic seized her as a thought rushed into her mind. Did Shane think her a lost cause in the “woman” category? Did he think her “unfit” as a wife, even a pretend one? Dorie never had much use for womanly things like dressing up or fixing her hair just so. She’d never had cause before. But now her future and Jeremiah’s depended on it.

  “Am I that bad, Shane?” She’d never been one to hold back. If something needed asking, she went ahead and asked. She held her breath, waiting on his answer.

  Shane closed his eyes and let out a nearly silent oath. “No, Dorie. You’re just you. And you’re a fine girl and all.”

  “You know what a man likes in a woman. You know how he expects her to behave. You courted Marilee for a time. You could teach me things, Shane. I know you could. And as I recall, you said your own mama was as refined a lady as they come. She taught you manners. If ever you take a wife, Shane… I mean, for real, you’d expect her to act a certain way, wouldn’t you?”

  Shane cleared his throat. Suddenly, his mouth had gone bone dry. Visions of Dorie on that bed just minutes ago played havoc in his head. Damn. A man couldn’t forget someone like Dorie, and knowing how her body felt next to his, how her delicate mouth had tasted, was all he could ever “expect” in a wife. But he couldn’t say that to Dorie. She wanted his help.
She wanted to get close enough so that they would appear married in the real sense. Lord above, it was a tall order. “I suppose.”

  “That’s all I’m asking, Shane. To get to know what you like.” Dorie’s voice softened on her plea. “There’s no one else I can trust.”

  Dorie drew in her lip and tried darn hard to conceal her tears. Shane had to commend her for that. She wasn’t trying to win him over by crying. She’d been brave so far in a situation that was out of her control and he admired her for that. Even though she’d stolen him away from his own wedding.

  There was no doubt the girl was desperate. Shane would rather face a thunderstorm in the name of Tobias Barkley than spend a good deal of time with Dorie.

  That was what he was afraid of mostly.

  Because spending time with young Dorie would leave him wanting. He wouldn’t give in to temptation. He knew that. Dorie wasn’t more than a child—at least he tried to think of her that way. He had a good ten years on her, he reminded himself again. Yet, he’d felt as though he had to protect her. He felt as though he had to help her. And it finally dawned on him why. He’d pushed the images out of his head for so long, but now that he had time to think, really contemplate why he looked after Dorie after her mama died, the reason became very clear.

  In a certain way Dorie reminded him of his younger sister, Lora. She’d had an innocent wildness about her, too. Some had called her spirited, but Shane just remembered her as a sweet child with big trusting eyes. She’d always looked up to Shane, always expected him to be there when she needed him. And he had, for the most part. He’d loved his younger sister dearly. But she’d wandered off one day when Shane was chopping wood on their homestead. He’d been twelve then and Lora just five. Two days later, they’d found her limp body, washed up on the riverbank. She’d always loved the water and Shane had promised to teach her how to swim one day. And although his folks shouldered the entire blame for the drowning, Shane had always felt guilty. He’d always felt that he hadn’t protected Lora enough, hadn’t taken proper care with her.

  “Shane?” Dorie’s soft voice broke into his thoughts.

  He glanced down at her. She shivered in the darkness, the night wind kicking up mightily. He had an urge to wrap his arms around her to keep her warm. That was only one of the many urges he’d had tonight in regard to Dorie, but as he came to his decision, he also made himself a promise to keep his hands off. “Okay, Dorie. I’ll help you.”

  Dorie shrieked, a joyous sound that echoed in the night. “You will? Oh, Shane, thank you. Thank you.” She lifted up and brushed a soft kiss to his lips, making his mind spin in ten different directions, while his body spun in only one. He knew the girl was innocent to her tempting ways. She didn’t know how she affected him and he was going to keep it that way. He wouldn’t compromise her by giving in to his urges. She deserved better than that. And he couldn’t forget that if Barkley did find his daughter, Shane would be honor-bound to marry her. He’d made Marilee a promise of marriage and he wouldn’t go back on his word.

  Shane resigned himself to spending the next two weeks helping Dorie with her charade. Then, no matter the outcome, he’d have to concentrate on getting his own life back in order.

  If that were possible.

  He took Dorie’s hand and tugged her along. “Come on. Let’s get you back inside before you catch cold.”

  She clung to him, her soft body pressed against his and her voice suddenly quiet and breathy. “Sure, Shane. That’s a fine idea.”

  Lord save him from a willing woman. Shane gritted his teeth as they approached the door to the shanty and thanked heaven above that Jeremiah slept inside.

  And that the sun would be rising in less than an hour.

  “C’mon, Jeremiah. Climb up on Lightning. We’ve got lots to do today.” Dorie grasped her brother’s hand and helped him mount the mare behind her. The mid-morning sun beat down warm enough to take the chill out of the air. Dorie gloried in the weather, absorbing the heat, having been chilled down to the bone last night. It was cooler up here in the woods, she realized, yet this morning the pleasing scent of fresh pine layered the air. Even so, Dorie was glad to leave Cave Rock Mine and the shanty behind.

  “I’m not the only one who has a bit of learning to do,” she said.

  “Aw, what do I have to learn?” her brother asked. Dorie could only imagine the sour face Jeremiah put on from behind her back.

  “Well, manners for one. We both need lessons in that.”

  “You mean, like not to thump our friends on the head and drag them off.”

  “Jeremiah!”

  “Well, that old mean Mr. Barkley didn’t like what you done. And I don’t suppose Miss Marilee was too happy about it, neither. The whole town knows you stole Shane away from his own wedding.”

  Dorie sighed deeply. Her brother had good sense, but Dorie found that, at times, when survival was at stake, one had to take more drastic measures. Good sense didn’t always get you what you needed. “If Shane would have married Marilee, we’d both be in a pickle right now. Besides, Shane doesn’t love her.”

  “And he don’t love you, either.”

  Dorie closed her eyes briefly, hating the sting of those truthful words. She knew Shane looked upon her as a child. He didn’t have warm feelings for her. But last night in the shanty, when they’d lain close to each other, Dorie got a sense of what loving and being loved by Shane would be like. He’d kissed her gently, then more boldly, until every bone in her body nearly melted. He’d touched her in places no man ever had and she hadn’t stopped him, either. She’d never felt such compelling sensations, such all-fire need deep down in her belly. “Heavens, I know Shane doesn’t love me. But he is doing us a big favor.”

  “I told you, I wouldn’t go off with those Parkers, anyhows. You didn’t have to do what you did.”

  “I had to, Jeremiah,” Dorie said firmly. She’d done her level best to explain to Jeremiah about his kin. The boy just didn’t understand what money and power could attain. She had little hope of persuading the Parkers without Shane’s help. She didn’t have much in the way of possessions. But she and Jeremiah had a decent life on the homestead. Dorie made sure her brother had clothes on his back, food on the table and the schooling he needed. What she gave to Jeremiah came straight from the heart.

  Besides, no judge or court in the land would grant her custody of her brother, once they found out the real way Dorie earned her living. The Parkers certainly couldn’t find out. But she’d done what she’d had to do. Selling eggs and butter, taking in laundry from the neighbors, didn’t earn her nearly enough to see them through the winters. And if Dorie’s secret talent was to be frowned upon by the townsfolk, then so be it. No one else had come to lend a hand.

  No one except Shane, that is.

  “Shane’s gonna help us out, Jeremiah. You should be grateful for that.”

  “I am. But now I got to pretend you’re married to him. And that we all live together on his big ranch. Shane’s ranch ain’t all that big and he’s probably got less money than we do.”

  “Never mind that,” Dorie said. She didn’t know how much money Shane had, not that it mattered. She wasn’t going to touch a penny of his cash. Dorie had money of her own. She’d saved up some. She’d been hoping to buy a buckboard wagon with her earnings, but this was far more important.

  Keeping Jeremiah was all that mattered.

  “And you just mind your words and think before you speak when we meet up with the Parkers. I don’t like lying either, but it has to be done.”

  Jeremiah was honest to a fault. Dorie had raised him up that way. She’d never liked liars and had taught Jeremiah to always tell the truth. Now, she was asking him to go against her teachings, to pretend to a life that was entirely, one hundred percent, untrue. She worried more about Jeremiah’s part in this than anything else. “You’ve got to promise me, Jeremiah.”

  She heard him grumbling from behind. “Well?”

  “I promise, Dorie.
But I sure don’t like it.”

  He didn’t have to like it, but he did have to go along with her plan. They’d only have to keep up the pretense for a day or two at the most while in Virginia City. Then the Parkers would be on their way, to finish up business they had in the West. “Fine then. So long as I’ve got your promise.”

  An hour later, Dorie reached her homestead. Home had never appeared better to her. Although the small house was in desperate need of repair, she’d done her best to make it comfortable, and it was after all…home.

  “You see to Lightning, Jeremiah. Comb her down real good. I’ll fix us something to eat in a while.”

  Dorie dismounted her horse and dashed inside the house to her bedroom, her mama’s words echoing in her mind. It had been years since Dorie had thought on it, but now the vision of her mama reading by lantern light into the night forged an image in her head.

  “You must always remain a lady, Isadora, in your heart and in your mind.”

  They’d been poor. They’d struggled, yet Dorie had always remembered her mother holding her head high. She’d been a lady, perhaps not one finely dressed with jeweled ornaments, but her mother had always kept her dignity. After losing two husbands, the fathers of her children, Rebecca McCabe Parker hadn’t the time or energy to follow through with Dorie. She’d been too busy on the homestead to teach her firstborn all the proper ways of a woman. But there was a book. Dorie had recalled seeing it often, in her mother’s hands, on the table by her bed, and then later—after her mother had died— Dorie remembered tucking it away underneath her mother’s clothes in the chest that stood at the end of the bed.

  Dorie quickly opened the knotty pine box, rifling through shawls, worn-out petticoats and a few other garments. “There you are,” she said quietly, as she came up with the book she’d been searching for. She ran a hand over it, removing bits of dust and debris. “The Lady’s Guide to Perfect Gentility, by Emily Thornwell,” she recited.

  Gently, with nimble fingers, Dorie opened it. The pages were worn, slightly discolored, but the book was undamaged in any other way. She read through the table of contents and smiled, gratified by the subjects it contained. This was exactly what she needed. She hugged the book to her chest, her hopes climbing. She would read through the book and follow the teachings to the letter.