“Again, silence! Or I will find you in contempt!” the judge bit out again angrily and Eli knew in his heart that she was being entrapped by the cold and calculating bounty hunter.
Elias jumped to his feet at the back of the room to protest, yet Holladay reached up and yanked him back down onto the bench by the waistband of his pants. Her hand then came to rest on his leg, stopping him from moving as he stared at her profile. Holladay’s eyes were locked on the judge and she would not move an inch. Her hand burned possessively on his thigh.
“Sir, my solution is a simple one and twofold. I would like to repay the stolen funds by Miss Jessup to the parties involved. She’s done wrong and regrets it. I believe that she should be forced to make restitution over time by making sure those that feel compelled to follow the same path have a place to go, someone to reach out to. She should teach the error of her ways and lead by example, becoming a redeemed woman that has had a second chance due to your kind tolerances.” This drew several gasps from all in the room, including from Elias. The man was a cold-blooded bounty hunter. Could he have a soft spot for Emily?
“And who is to enforce this?”
“I will, sir,” Cade volunteered. “I think most of you will agree that if she was kept under thumb by a strong man who could watch her…”
“Kept under thumb?” Emily surged to her feet. Cade put her bodily back in the chair. “You’ll be quiet and remain seated until I’ve finished.”
That was it! He truly hated the arrogant Cade Singleton! Elias leapt over the bench in one smooth movement, causing quite a commotion. He would do anything to protect Holladay or his sister, and neither one of them would be bullied by that arrogant bounty hunter!
Holladay was behind him in the bench where he’d left her to make it to the front so he could rescue Emily. He heard her quickly moving forward to catch up to him, her cursing burning in his ears. He wasn’t sure what he would do once he reached Emily, nor how they’d get out of there alive. But dammit, no one was going to bully her or anyone he cared for!
“No! No guns, please! Elias, sit down and shut up.” Emily’s stricken expression froze him in his tracks. His sister was being held in place by Cade’s hands that rested on her shoulders.
“See?” Cade’s voice started again, staring at Elias harshly. It was as if he were directing the words to him, for him. “I believe that there is a want to do what is right in her. I believe she is redeemable. I think that if she is kept under thumb, mine that is… that she could be an asset to society. I am proposing that not only do I pay her fines until she can reimburse me, I am also suggesting that I will marry her and make sure that she follows the path of the law.”
“What?” Emily gasped. There was a round of applause from several of the men of the jury.
“I will marry her and hope I can keep her out of trouble,” Cade promised firmly, looking down at Emily’s face. The two of them looked incredibly intimate and the look from the bounty hunter made Elias see red. That man had made advances on her and he certainly knew it!
Elias would beat the lawman to a pulp for putting his hands on Emily. He started forward again and pushed people out of the way in an effort to get to where his sister sat.
“No! No!” Emily yelled, getting to her feet. She looked completely outraged at the intrusion, pulling her own gun on her brother. All he’d ever done growing up was take care of her and protect her, and now this? She would shoot him for wanting to make sure that she was treated right? Elias didn’t move as his sister’s hand trembled, holding the one-shot derringer that he’d bought her for protection. Her brown eyes were full of unshed tears as she looked at him, and his own eyes widened as he realized that she wanted to marry the bounty hunter.
“Elias, you will be silent. Please,” Emily quickly admonished, her hand trembling. Cade slowly put his palm over the gun and aimed it down towards the floor, whispering something to her.
“You are right, but I won’t let him take my chances away either,” Emily announced loudly. Elias stared incredulously at the two of them. The judge behind her said not a word, watching the entire scene play out carefully. She then relinquished the gun to Cade as he smiled approvingly at her.
“I can be really irritating,” he told her, smoothing Emily’s hair lovingly and cupping her face. Emily’s eyes closed happily at the touch. Elias was certain that he’d probably had the same expression on his face when he’d touched Holladay. Dumbfounded at the tenderness between the two of them, he watched as the bounty hunter kissed her on the forehead and held her tenderly.
“Are you two finished with this display?” the judge bit out harshly, interrupting the moment.
“Yes, your honor.”
“Good. I accept your suggestions, Singleton. Now come here the both of you. Singleton, you owe the courts one hundred and three dollars, due immediately. See the clerk on the way out before you go. Young lady? I expect to never, ever see you again. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Singleton? Do you take this woman to wife?”
“Yes.”
“Emily Jessup, do you agree to love, honor and obey your husband in everything?”
“Obey is such a strong word,” Emily countered and then quickly agreed as Judge Ryan’s face grew mottled in anger.
“Singleton, you’ll have your hands full. Are you sure about this? I don’t want to see her again or I may hold you in contempt of the courts as well.”
“Yes, sir, I am positive,” Cade said firmly with a wide smile as he stared down at Emily.
“Does anyone have anything to say?” the judge intoned, his hand positioned on the gavel just as he prepared to slam it down on the table loudly.
“Emily shouldn’t have to marry this man,” Elias yelled angrily from where he sat.
“Holladay? Is that man that keeps interrupting your bounty that you brought in?” the judge roared, getting to his feet. He pointed at her with the handle of the gavel. The coldness in the man’s gaze showed that he didn’t like Holladay in the slightest and disapproved of her job role.
“Yes, sir.”
“Shut him up and I will deal with him next!” The gavel slammed down repeatedly with quite a bit of enthusiasm. “Singleton, Jessup? I now pronounce you man and wife. This is highly irregular, but I believe he’ll keep you in line. If not, then you won’t be bothering society ever again if you come in front of my courtroom. Are we clear?”
“Perfectly,” they both chimed in unison.
“Kiss your bride and have a seat. Holladay? Get his loudmouth up here. Now, young lady!”
Elias felt Holladay’s hand on his back as he walked towards the front of the room. His heart thumped in his chest, but it was with anger for his sister’s quick wedding and in fear of his own neck being stretched. He glanced over his shoulder at the back of the room and saw that Cade Singleton had sat down at the very back. Cade nodded at him and Elias knew that if he was going to hang, the man was leaving immediately with Emily. Perhaps he did have a redeeming quality or two. He returned the nod appreciatively and turned back to where the judge was glaring at his Ellie.
“Holladay, you haven’t been able to keep control of your prisoner this entire time. Elias Jessup you are loud, outspoken and, quite frankly, obnoxious!” Judge Ryan began but was interrupted.
“Your honor?” Cade announced loudly. She heard the scraping sound of the bench as he leapt to his feet at the back of the room, surprising most of the people in the courtroom.
“What Singleton? You’ve had your say. If you’ve got second thoughts now, that is between you and your wife.”
“Your honor, I wanted to mention and remind you that it was you who presided over my own court case when I was brought in. You had given me a second chance and made me the man I am today by pairing me with Lucas McNeely. He was the bounty hunter that brought me in and taught me everything I know. May I suggest doing the same and pairing me with Elias Jessup?”
Elias stared at t
he man, shocked at the offer. He’d been arrested? That was generous of Cade to offer to teach him, but he knew, deep in his heart, that the two of them would end up butting heads and fighting, thus creating havoc for Emily.
“Sit down, Singleton. You’ll have enough on your hands with her,” the judge said pointing at Emily. “While I do remember and, yes, I agree that pairing up someone with a bounty hunter could be a good idea, it has to be the right person with the right lawkeeper. You aren’t it, right now.”
The judge moved his attention to Elias. “Elias Jessup, you are being brought forth for theft in corroboration with your sister and the accusation of murder. Is this correct?”
“Yes, sir, but the man had it coming to him.” Elias’ hardened face stared boldly at the judge, a silent challenge. Ellen watched his jaw tick, a sign of his anger at the situation. Stubborn mule-headed man was going to get himself hung! she thought churlishly, trying to ignore the sudden despair that clenched at her.
“All I asked was if what I said was accurate.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, you shot him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Was this before or after Holladay arrested you?”
“She didn’t exactly arrest me, sir,” he challenged with a wry smile cracking his face at the play on words. He’d found her and lied to get her to travel with him. Several men in the jury began to cackle and make lewd comments. Elias felt his temper growing and refused to look at Ellie’s proud face.
“Oh? This is rich! Ellen Jean Holladay, you never arrested the man, yet you brought him before the courts today? Do you mind telling me why not?”
“He came willingly.”
“That wasn’t what I asked you.”
“No, sir. I didn’t arrest him.”
“And why not?”
“Because I was helping him find his kidnapped sister – or at least that is what he told me,” Holladay bit out angrily, starring daggers at Elias.
“And you believed him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You fell for a pretty face with a pretty lie. Shameful Holladay, completely shameful! Perhaps, Singleton has the right idea pairing up people’s strong suits with their weaknesses. You are sharp with a gun and noble as the day is long, yet this man snuck one over on you. Keep that up and it will lead to your downfall.”
The judge turned and stared hard at Elias.
“Elias Jessup isn’t that what you and your sister did? You fooled people into a false sense of security and then took advantage of it? Am I correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you think, perhaps, you might have learned somewhere along the way that it’s wrong and brings you nothing but trouble?” Elias’s dark head nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement. “I want to hear the words, young man,” the judge said hotly. “Nodding or gestures don’t get you where you want to be. Words and actions, sir. That is what I expect from one like you. Holladay, you are unmarried, aren’t you?”
“That has nothing –”
“Don’t interrupt me young lady! Answer the darn question!”
“Yes, sir, I am unmarried.”
“You are now also under arrest for failing to do your job,” the judge snarled at Holladay. Hatred brimmed from his eyes. Why on earth did the man dislike her so much? Elias felt himself reach out to steady her. Maybe if she was his anchor, he could be hers. He prayed that was the case as she did not struggle or fight against him resting his hand on her lower back.
“WHAT?” she barked out unceremoniously. “How am I under arrest?”
“You failed to apprehend a criminal and, in fact, you aided him in gaining access to the courtroom. This put my life in danger and possibly others. He is accused of murder and yet here he stands, smiling like a loon and armed to boot!” Elias was impressed. The judge was quick on his feet. Sure enough, his pistol hung from his hip.
“Sir, I brought him to you to collect the bounty.”
“You, young lady, need to keep your mouth shut and listen to me very carefully. I believe in redemption and consequences. I think, perhaps, that you need a lesson taught to you, Holladay, so you don’t end up dead in the streets next time a handsome young man fools you. It was against my good graces that I made you a bounty hunter, but Singleton spoke up for you then, too. I’m starting to question his judgement at this point,” he said with a tight, false smile that didn’t meet his eyes as he looked directly over their shoulders to the back of the courtroom where Cade and Emily sat.
“And you, Elias Jessup. You charged into a situation and moved into action when your sister was endangered. Don’t look so surprised, young man! I know all about what happened when you shot that man. Singleton told me the entire story when he was pleading for your sister’s hand in marriage. You should thank him because I am going to grant you a chance at leniency as well.”
“Ellen Jean Holladay, I am giving you an option. You can be held in contempt with your badge stripped from you or you can marry this man and teach him what you know.”
“Marry him?” she screeched, aghast. Her face was pale with shock as she stared at him. Her blue eyes looked horrified. He was a bit insulted by the lack of enthusiasm she showed at the idea of becoming his wife. He thought there was a bond growing between them, but perhaps not.
“Good choice,” the judge bit off quickly, slamming down his gavel. “Jessup? Are you willing to marry Ellen Holladay?”
“Yes, sir!” he answered with a grin that made the other woman stomp angrily. He was already falling for the woman. Maybe, over time, she would come to care for him. If this was his wife, he’d never have to leave her behind even if they ended up travelling the world.
“Good. Sounds like we have a new bounty hunter in town. Jessup, if I hear of you acting up and you visit my courtroom again, I will hang you from the nearest tree in record time. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Holladay, next time, you arrest the man. Don’t make goo-goo eyes at him. You can’t be married twice, and I won’t give you a second chance for failing to do a job you swore to uphold. Are we clear?”
“Yes,” she bit out.
“You are quite welcome, young lady!” Judge Ryan snapped sarcastically at her curt tone. “I think you are arrogant and a show off. Perhaps it will do you some good to be brought to heel by a husband. Jessup, do you take this woman to wife?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Holladay, do you take this man for husband? To love, honor and obey him?” the judge said bluntly, stressing the word obey.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Yes you do! Smith, get the rope!” the judge roared, getting to his feet. There was quite a bit of commotion as several people got to their feet to defend the bounty hunter. Holladay stood there, her hands were clenching and unclenching mulishly in anger, but it was her voice that immediately brought them all to silence.
“Yes, sir, I will marry him,” she said flatly.
“Good. Smart woman. Jessup, Holladay, I pronounce you man and wife. Jessup, kiss your bride and come forward to be sworn in.”
This was the moment Elias had been waiting for, a chance to kiss his Ellie. He just wished it was under different circumstances. When he pulled her into his arms, she struggled desperately to free herself. There was no tenderness, no wanton urge. It was perfunctory no matter how hard he tried. The more he tried to kiss her, the more she flailed about wildly. After a moment, he released her. He vowed that he’d try again. And the next time, she’d want him to never stop.
After the laughter from the men in the courtroom and Holladay’s sputtering stopped, Elias was asked to raise his right hand and place his left on the bible. He felt like he’d been dropped into another world at what was going on around him. One moment he swore he was going to hang and the next he was married to a beautiful woman and now a bounty hunter. He glanced over his shoulder at his sister’s proud face. Smiling, he heard the judge call for attention. Turning back, he
saw Cade lead his sister out of the door. She had her new husband to deal with and he prayed she was as content as he felt right now. He paid attention as he and his new wife were given a duty assignment together.
“Jessups? I want you to find this man and bring him in. You might listen to your wife. She’s smart except when it comes to you,” the judge announced, again causing laughter in the courtroom. “Now, when you bring in Jedidiah Mahoney, arrest the man this time, Jessup. He’s dangerous and won’t treat you as nicely as this young man probably will. Now, get out of here and I expect to see you soon with Mahoney in tow. He was last seen headed towards the new frontier post they are building southeast of town.”
“Yes, sir,” Elias said carefully, as not to anger the temperamental judge. He was lucky to not be hanged today. He would not press his luck. “Come, Wife, let’s go.” Holladay glared at him and opened her mouth to argue. Eli quickly put his arm on her elbow and pulled her out of the courtroom, hearing the laughter behind them. Once they got outside, she jerked her arm away from him angrily.
“I can’t believe this!”
“I can’t either,” he admitted. “But I am glad of it.”
“I’m not,” she breathed, her chest heaving angrily, and her cheeks flushed. “You kissed me and it was awful.”
“I plan on doing it again, too.”
“No, you won’t!”
“Someday, I sure will! I can promise you that,” he pledged with a faint smile. “Until then, let’s go before the judge changes his mind.”
“I wish he would, then we wouldn’t be married.”
“Ellie, stop it.”
“Quit calling me that!”
“Fine, Mrs. Jessup,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her angry face.
“My name isn’t Ellen Jessup, it’s –”
“Yes, ma’am, it is,” he quickly interrupted with conviction. Then he softened his voice as her eyes widened in shock. “It’s Ellen Holladay Jessup. Now, if you are through with your tantrum and done being angry over having been given a second chance, I still have those kolaches and I bet my bride would like one,” he taunted with a knowing smile.
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