Her body had been found days later and he had been blamed. He mourned her death and that of the child, but it was simply because he felt he had failed as a husband and provider. He didn’t love her, but he also felt he never had the opportunity to win her over either. His solicitor had been captured in another town with bank notes from his account, which is what had freed him from jail. He had his funds and wife both taken from him. He vowed that he would give his little bride time to get used to being together. He hoped they would suit and she wouldn’t feel the need to stray like Lily had.
“Bearded wonder,” he chuckled. Yes, he liked his sassy, little bride quite well and he would wait for her to come to him when she was ready. Until then, he planned on wooing her unlike with Lily. That arranged marriage had failed miserably. He could only hope and pray that this one would succeed for the both of them.
Early the next morning, John awoke first to find that Riley was still sound asleep. She was endearing to watch, tucking her hand under her cheek on the pillow. He noted that she slept fully dressed and then realized why. She had not brought any items with her from her travels. She only had the items on her and he would remedy that immediately. She needed to have a dress or two available to her.
Stretching, he padded silently into the front room and started the fire in order to make coffee and breakfast. John saw the dirty water still in the pail and shook his head. His bride seemed to be quite frail! She had a hard time with the water pump. Perhaps, she couldn’t remove the bar from the door in order to toss out the water. Shrugging, he did so for her. It would take time for her to adapt to his routine and what he expected from her, just like he would need to learn how to best get along with his new bride.
Seeing the bible on the table, he noticed that she had not yet signed her name. He ran his finger across Lily’s name that had been crossed through. He had been angry that she had left him for another man and regretted scratching her name out. He should have just filled in the date she had died instead. Picking up the quill and tiny inkpot, he clearly wrote next to her name 1841. It was hard to believe she had been gone for four years and that he had been alone for so long. He was looking forward to having someone to speak with again in the evenings or during the winter when travels were bad.
Four long years had not faded how he was treated in town, which was part of the reason he stayed so far away. His bride asked why he hadn’t married someone from town and he hadn’t wanted to answer. Ashamed he was blamed? Guilt that he didn’t take care of his wife well enough that she ran to another man? Embarrassed that he was replaced so easily?
He had given up long ago on happiness or even trying. It had been a desperate attempt to send off for a bride. A last-ditch effort by a man whose soul felt like it was dying from loneliness. He just wanted a chance to be happy like everyone else. Didn’t he deserve it as well or was he beyond redemption? He didn’t feel he was in the wrong by wanting to talk to or love his wife. In fact, he spent many a night reading the bible to find the answers he needed only to be left wanting more of an answer to the questions he had. Why? Why had she forsaken him?
Looking up from the bible, he saw his new bride staring at him from the doorway. “Come,” he said simply and saw the hesitation in her eyes. She looked at him with the same wary eyes Lily had once looked at him with.
“Good morning to you, too,” Riley said carefully, feeling guilty for sleeping in. Obviously, people rose early here and she would be expected to as well. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that he was in the kitchen, looking at the bible and lost in thought. Perhaps he was reading it. That was a plus for him, she thought and realized she hadn’t signed her name yesterday.
Yeah, perhaps not, she thought. He was just wanting to get it corrected immediately. Riley came around the table and took up the quill. Looking down, she saw the fresh ink beside the box where his first wife’s name was. “Lily is a pretty name,” she said simply and began to sign.
“Yes, not a man’s name,” she heard him answer softly and Riley fought the urge to put the quill in his eye. Violence is not the answer, she repeated mentally and signed the bible.
“Yes, it’s not a man’s name but Riley is a name passed down in my family. A strong familial name,” she countered, looking at her signature. Riley Butler, D.A. Whoops! She wasn’t a district attorney here and there was no erasing the ink in the bible now.
“D.A.?” John asked, staring at the flowing script on the page. It was obvious Riley was quite educated. Her handwriting was tremendously better than Lily’s had been. Her signature looked effortless compared to Lily’s. There was no doubt that she had signed it many a time before.
Think fast! “Daughters of…” Riley hesitated, not able to think of an acronym quickly enough. “the American Revolution,” she said with a tentative smile. When where they even founded? she thought wildly, grasping at straws.
“I simply forgot to put the R on there.” Grabbing the quill yet again, she wrote a capital R. “Daughters of the American Revolution. Familial name, remember?”
“Yes, but I have never heard of the Daughters of the American Revolution,” John said, looking confused. “But Riley and Butler are both good strong names. They would be good names for our children, should they be male,” he said easily.
“Or female,” she quipped, only to have him answer with a grunt. Sexist a bit much? Riley was quickly learning that the single grunt possibly could mean a “yes” response and she would let this drop, for now. Hopefully the Daughters of the American Revolution mistake would never come up again. That was a huge mistake on her part she realized now. The D.A.R. started who knew when and certainly was not by her! Last thing she wanted to do was to change history or screw it up for the future Riley who hasn’t had the accident yet!
Riley watched as he put the bible away on a stand in the corner of the room. He grabbed two cups off the table. She realized that she hadn’t put the dishes up and quickly gathered them, placing them on the shelf above the pump. Watching as he poured two cups of coffee, she sighed thinking of her Starbucks Caramel Macchiato with extra whip. New things, change of pace, girlie, she thought. At least there is coffee here and now! It could be worse!
As he took his seat across from her, she sat down as well. Smiling, she took a sip of her coffee. “Thank you,” she said absently and took another sip when the telltale grunt reached her ears. After a few moments of silence, she looked up to see John watching her peculiarly. “What?”
“Food?” he said simply and it dawned on Riley that this backwater man expected her to wait on him. Don’t blow your only source of shelter yet, Riley. Just feed the man and let it go this time around, she thought to herself. Smiling sweetly, she nodded. “Of course, my mistake.”
She heard the grunt as she scooted back the bench, standing up. “Anything in particular that you like for breakfast?” Please be something easy to fix! She released a sigh of relief when he shrugged in acquiescence.
Perfect! No preference? No bitc-buttoning! She thought quickly, catching herself mid-curse. This was harder than she thought! Riley never realized what a potty mouth she had before ending up here. She expected Eve to chime in a comment or two at the realization. Instead, she thanked her lucky stars that didn’t happen.
Riley decided to prepare a simple plate of things that she liked to snack on, things that she could find easily within reach. Which was absolutely nothing! No fridge, no pantry! Hesitating and feeling like a fool, she turned and looked at him confused. “I hate to ask, but where do you keep the pantry?” At his blank stare, she hesitated. “The larder? The storehouse? You know, the foodstuffs to prepare?” she finally finished, feeling exasperated.
“The shelf,” she heard him say and could have sworn that infernal beard jiggled. Was he laughing at her? He had pretty eyes, but that darned beard was atrocious. She wondered if it hid a weak chin or malformed lip? Maybe it was a blessing to have him look shaggy.
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “Dumb i
t down for me, good buddy? Where do you keep your food?”
Riley watched that infernal eyebrow creep up to his hairline above his right eye. “Never mind. I will figure it out myself,” she said, storming out of the main room to the front door. “There has to be a cellar around this stuff hole of a house!” she yelled over her shoulder. Riley stopped dead in her tracks just outside the door simply to keep from running smack into the sheriff’s gloating grin.
“What?” she barked at him as he stood in her way, pointing over her shoulder. Riley turned to see her new husband leaning against the door frame - with a smile plastered all over his face. She could see teeth under the beard that resembled a dead animal on his face!
“What are you smiling about?” she asked sourly.
“You never said cellar,” John said simply.
“Seriously? I didn’t say the word cellar so you let me…” Riley stopped mid-sentence to see his smile widen even more. “This is deliberate, isn’t it? You are trying to get my goat?”
“You possess a goat? Where? I thought you had nothing with you?”
“I don’t.”
“You just said-”
Riley’s shriek cut John off mid-sentence as she stomped back indoors, ducking under his arm. As she came toe to toe with him, she angrily lashed out. “You need to shave that stuff off your face,” she whispered hotly. “You look awful in a beard,” she bit out under her breath, carelessly. “And you can just toss me out if you don’t like it!”
“Grab your bonnet,” he said in a deadpan voice.
“You are seriously tossing me out?”
“I never said that. You said that.”
“Can you just answer me?”
“No.”
“No, you aren’t tossing me out or no, you can’t answer a question?” she responded, frustrated. Why could he not just give a straight answer? Grunt once for yes, two for no? Had her nasty temper finally resulted in her being abandoned by the bearded wonder and Eve? The last time she had a close call, Eve popped in and got upset. This time, there was silence. A scary, terrifying silence.
“No to both,” he responded and she could have sworn that nasty beard of his twitched.
“Oh,” she said, settling down. “You sure?”
“I am positive.”
“Thank you,” she said letting out her breath. She hadn’t realized she had been holding it until he smoothed her ruffled feathers. This was not her ideal situation, but it was her future. Her only option at this time, it seemed.
“You are welcome, Wife. Now get your bonnet,” he ordered quietly.
“I don’t have one,” she admitted, looking away. “I only have what you see,” she whispered, embarrassed. Her closet back home had been filled with sleek suits, long dress gowns for events and shoes galore. The spoiled little rich girl was having her humility handed to her on a chipped plate. She had the single dress that was on her and her shoes.
“Precisely.”
“What does that mean?” she asked, glancing back over at him. Was he smiling under all that stuff on his face? His warm eyes were crinkling at the corners, indicating that was the case.
“We are headed into town to get you a few items,” he responded simply.
“Shopping? We are going shopping?” she squealed excitedly. “Seriously? That’s a thing here? You don’t mind?”
John was surprised at how easy it was to rile up his bride - and how simple it seemed to be to pacify her. Her smile as she looked at him was brilliant and it amused him to see her excited about running into town for a few necessities. A few trinkets here and there, a pretty bonnet? She would be simple to win over in an argument. Or into his bed.
Riley practically jumped for joy! She wanted to see what a store in this time looked like. And more than that, she wanted to know what it offered because she didn’t know what had been invented yet and what had not. She had so many things that she wanted, simple things she had taken for granted.
Toilet paper, a toothbrush, a comb! What she wouldn’t give for a rubber band right now! Problem was, she had no access to Google or a history book. She had no idea what existed and what didn’t. Was there even a Sears yet? That was the oldest store she could think of and she might be living pre-Sears! Scary thought!
She didn’t want to battle wits with her husband. It was infuriating. He found a way to get under her skin like no other and she had to be able to live with him. She wanted to be let loose in a store, peruse a catalog and talk to the clerk to see what he offered. She wanted to do all of this away from anyone that might be remotely judgmental, like her new husband. Everything he said, she thought the opposite. It should be annoying, irritating, downright bug the snot out of her… but, instead, she found herself drawn. The bearded wonder was not who she would pick if there was a lineup of hotties waiting for her to choose. She could just imagine herself as the Bachelorette and a smorgasbord of sleek, classy men awaiting her… and him. Riley refused to admit that she would be tempted to pick the oddball because he made her curious. It was simply a shame that he was a raggedy-looking troll with that long hair and beard.
“Lead the way,” she said eagerly, trying to get her mind off of analyzing his looks.
Riley was so relieved she would not be traveling on horse this time. Instead, she took her seat in a small wagon as John hitched the horse up. She wasn’t sure if he was planning on filling the wagon with goods or if he was simply being nice to her. She had been extremely ungraceful on the horse yesterday and maybe he had taken pity on her. Doubt it, she thought wryly.
The ride in was a long one of almost dead silence. The sheriff’s horse walked alongside the wagon. He would occasionally comment here and there, trying to draw someone into a conversation. But her husband sat silent. John didn’t speak with her or the sheriff, just stared ahead with a hard look. He looked like he was almost seething at the blathering that the sheriff did and this surprised her. She assumed that they got along, but perhaps not.
She could see the small row of buildings in the distance. What town was this? She knew the year and the state. But for the life of her, she could not identify what city. Leaning towards him, she expected him to answer with a sharp, smart retort. Or better yet, the single infamous grunt.
“What city is this? Don’t say a word or look at me weird!” she said quickly at his sharp glance. “I know that is stupid but I really don’t know,” she whispered, embarrassed and looking away. There was nothing to indicate where she was at and she didn’t recognize a thing.
“Dallas.”
Floored, Riley was certain that the blood was running from her head straight to her feet. Dallas was a massive city and it started like this? A few wooden buildings, a few cross streets? One brick building out of the small lot? There weren’t even streets yet! It was mind-boggling the changes that time brought on! She had only flown into DFW airport a few times. But each time, it surprised her that the area was such a sprawling metropolitan city. “So, you live in Dallas then? I know it’s a far ride for us to get here,” she asked, simply trying to get her bearings.
“No,” he replied and Riley gave a large sigh of exasperation. So, it surprised her when he leaned in towards her this time. “No, I don’t live in Dallas. Nearby. I’ve driven farther,” he muttered and then continued on, looking forward, away from her. “Make your own decisions about me,” he told her quietly, not meeting her eyes. John stared ahead as if he were dreading going into town. Didn’t he want to go? That was certainly a cryptic statement from him! She liked being in the city and would miss the busy city life.
Apparently, he had a past and she was about to hear about it. Oh goody! Now that she was married to him, she would be finding out all the juicy details that she could have used before now, she thought sarcastically. Keep an open mind about him? He has been irritating yet… halfway decent towards her so far.
“Of course,” she replied simply. It wasn’t like her to make rash judgements. She argued the cases and did her research before making
a decision.
Pulling in front of the mercantile, John set the brake on the wagon. She watched as he hopped down, remembering the muscles she had seen across his back as he lay on the blanket last night. Riley could see them flexing and swallowed hard. She must be hard up to be thinking she was anywhere remotely interested in him. He grunted for goodness’ sake! Watching him come around the wagon, he politely held out his hand for her. Appreciating the help, Riley placed her hand in his as ladylike as possible and moved to step down out of the wagon.
“Get gloves, too,” he said bluntly. Riley snatched her hand from his quickly.
Rash judgements? He was rude. Simple! That much didn’t take research! Get gloves? She didn’t think her hands were that bad, not compared to his rough ones!
“Sorry my hands bothered you,” she said abruptly. She had been insulted by the simple order he barked out towards her. Maybe he just shouldn’t touch her at all! Suits me fine! she thought.
“They don’t bother me, but you might need them around the house.”
“You could have said that,” she retorted hotly, avoiding his outstretched hand in an exaggerated movement. She awkwardly tried to smooth her skirt and the curls that had escaped from her loose bun. It was hard to make a bun without any combs or clips.
“You could have not thought the worst,” he stated simply, looking away.
Touché, she thought.
“I will leave you to your ‘shopping’,” he said, testing the unfamiliar word out. “Get what supplies you need and take your time. I will be back shortly.”
She watched him turn around and walk off down the street. “Bye!” she called out sarcastically behind him as he moved smoothly across the roadway. Shrugging, she stepped inside the dimly lit storefront. Inside was a wall full of tins and a line of glass cases. This was not quite what she was expecting but it was fascinating to say the least! Bags were stacked like a game of Jenga blocks in the center of the store, forming different columns. Bolts of material were on shelves, a few premade items hung on hooks. She saw rows of tin cans that reminded her of the grocery aisle back home, but they were missing the bright labels. Instead, markings registered the contents. Tea, powder, polish, oils to name a few. Nothing exciting there, she thought as she began to peruse the rough aisles.
A Lifetime with You: Timeswept Soulmates Page 5
