by Lilah Rivers
She hoped that she was reading too much into it, but Annie had always had a good sense for what someone was thinking. She was fairly discerning.
“Well, I’m glad that you have good friends and a solid plan for the future. Thank you for being willing to tell me about it,” she said.
He shrugged, as though feeling shy and less threatened by her.
“What about you?” he asked, lightening up enough that Annie didn’t feel so rejected by him.
“Me? Well, like any woman, I plan to run a nice, tidy home. I plan to be a good wife and mother, to watch my children, and raise them in the knowledge of the Lord,” she said, rushing over the word wife so he didn’t think she was too overeager with him.
“Those are good goals to have,” Jethro said.
“Yes, well, I love children, so I think that will always be my priority if the Lord blesses me with them,” she said.
“And your friends?” he asked.
“Do you know Rachel Frampton?” she asked.
“Of course. Being the son of the Reverend means knowing just about everyone,” he said with a laugh.
“I suppose that’s right. Well, she’s my closest friend. But since it’s not the biggest town around, you can imagine that most of us young women spend time together,” Annie said.
“Of course,” he replied.
With that, they settled back into an uncomfortable quiet, and Annie looked at their parents again, standing there and smiling at one another as if in agreement about the future of their children.
She knew what was coming before the four of them walked over.
“May I?” the Reverend asked her father.
“Of course,” her father replied, consenting to him.
“Very well. Jethro, Miss Blake, we would like to discuss something with you,” Reverend Mills began.
Annie glanced at Jethro and saw his face darken. She had managed to get a little bit of talking out of him, but it hadn’t been much. And although he was a likable enough man, she could already see that he still had no interest in her and would happily reject her if given the chance.
“I am sure that you both know why we have asked you to spend some time getting to know one another,” the Reverend continued, looking at his son with as calming an effect as he could muster.
But Jethro shifted under his gaze, and Annie tried to remain silent about her own sadness, being so unwanted as she was.
“We have discussed the fact that you both are at an age for marrying, and we have arranged that the two of you will marry one another. In the coming months,” he finally announced.
Annie stared at her hands, unable to look up at her mother and father, and certainly unable to look at Jethro. She wished that everyone had thought about this further and had asked the two of them what they wanted—if this was something that either of them could readily abide.
“Have either of you anything to say?” Reverend Mills asked, his voice hopeful that his son would speak a nice word.
Instead, Jethro Mills, her future husband, stood up and walked away from them, leaving his mother and father frustrated, her own parents bewildered, and Annie entirely rejected.
Reverend Mills gave an angry huff.
“Sorry about my son. He is a good man, and he will come around. I think he was hoping for a bit longer to find a wife on his own, but he will see the wisdom in this soon enough,” the Reverend said.
“Oh, of course, of course,” Annie’s father said, as though trying to cover his own worried tone.
Finally, Annie looked up at her mother with a pleading gaze. What she saw in return held an apology, but an agreed-upon determination. She supported this.
“Miss Blake, we look forward to having you join our family as our son’s wife. We know that the two of you are going to make a wonderful match, one that glorifies the Lord,” Reverend Mills said.
Mrs. Mills took Annie in a bewildered hug that left Annie wishing she could run away, that she could go anywhere else other than having to stay put right there. The hug was one of kinship and affection, something that Annie could not accept from the mother of a man who disliked her so much.
“The coming months, you said?” Annie asked, her voice flat.
“Yes, just within the next two months. I have had a look at my calendar and believe we have space within that time. There is no reason to put it off,” he said.
Annie read between his words. Of course he did not want to put it off. He didn’t want to give Annie time to back out and reject Jethro.
Everyone was always assuming that she was going to back out of a marriage, even if they knew nothing about the circumstances surrounding her decision to end the engagement with Bartholomew. It was unfair. She shouldn’t have to be judged based on that decision when she knew well that it was the right thing to do.
“Annie, dear, anything you would like to say to the Reverend?” her father asked, urging her.
In Annie’s timid demeanor, she held back. Speaking to Reverend Mills was enough of a challenge. But in her frustration, she found the energy to speak anyway.
“Thank you, Reverend Mills. Thank you for believing me to be worthy of your son, even if he disagrees,” she said.
Her father looked struck with alarm at her harsh, bold words, but the Reverend simply looked ashamed. He glanced off to Jethro, who was standing barely within sight of them, and Annie looked at him and then to her mother and father.
“May we go home now?” she asked.
Her father cleared his throat.
“Yes, we should be getting back. I think your mother and I need to have a word with you,” he said, a scolding in his tone.
“I am the one who needs to have a word,” Reverend Mills said, referring to his own son and confessing to Annie’s father that it was not Annie who had been rude.
In all, the day had fallen apart as quickly as it had been rushed together. Annie was trapped in an engagement all over again, this time with someone who openly detested her.
But she figured that she would push through anyway. After all, what more could she do?
Chapter 4
After the scolding from his father for his rude behavior, Jethro tried to sit and focus on Annie’s positive qualities. He prayed that the Lord would open his heart, even if it were sharply closed against her.
Annie Blake was beautiful, but that wasn’t anything new to Jethro. He had known of her from a distance for years, both growing up in the same small town. She had always been beautiful.
But being pretty was not a reason to marry a woman. There was nothing else that made him want to spend his life with her, especially when her character was so suspect.
Jethro went out for a ride in the hills with his Bible, hoping for some time away, some time to rest in God’s Word and find a bit of hope.
As he read and prayed, there was a small peace that settled in his chest, but it was not an answer. There was still nothing that told him how he could get out of this horrible union that he was being forced into.
After a little while, he rode back towards the town and went to see Timothy again.
“Wait, you mean they went so far as to arrange a marriage for the two of you? It’s not just a little request for both of you to spend time together, but an actual arrangement? Formally?” Timothy asked.
“Yes. Formally. We are betrothed. There is no getting out of it,” Jethro said. Then, with a scoff, he added, “Then again, she is pretty good at getting out of arrangements, isn’t she?”
Timothy shook his head, clearly horrified that Jethro should be stuck with someone who might humiliate him the way that she had humiliated Bartholomew.
“I am so sorry,” Timothy said
“I just keep thinking about Bartholomew Jones. He suffered so much. Already engaged to her, and then she abandoned him right before they were meant to be getting married. It must have been humiliating and painful. I can’t let myself think positively about her. What if I start to like her?” Jethro asked.
“You mean, what if you fall in love with her, and she does the same thing to you? I don’t blame you for wanting to stay safe and reject those feelings. It’s not right that your mother and father chose her of all the women in town. You deserve someone that you don’t have to be afraid of,” Timothy said.
“That’s what I think, but then I feel selfish,” Jethro said.
“It’s not selfish to want to love someone for who they are, and it’s not selfish to want someone to respect you enough not to leave you right before you are supposed to commit your life to them,” Timothy reasoned.
He was right, and Jethro knew it. Still, he was ashamed of how he had responded and wondered if he had hurt Annie’s feelings, the same way that he was worried she would hurt him.
“I just can’t imagine going through that. Liking her and then being rejected so publicly. It would hurt my heart and my pride. It’s much easier to find a way to get out of this before it’s public. Otherwise, I have actually to go through with it, and what if she decides to reject me after we are already married?” he asked.
“She can’t do that. Once you are married, it’s done. You two will be together forever, even if you never do end up liking her,” Timothy said, painting an even worse picture for Jethro.
“I had such a perfect image for my future. I knew exactly what I wanted and the sort of wife who was going to be by my side, you know? I couldn’t wait for the day that the Lord brought me the woman that I was supposed to be with. I just never imagined that he would arrange it like this,” Jethro said.
“What did you picture instead?” Timothy asked.
“I pictured a woman who had never been engaged before, first of all. Someone who had never been in love and wanted to marry me and me only. I pictured someone who cared enough about me to give me her heart and to promise that she would take care of mine,” Jethro said.
“You never know, she might still be able to do that,” Timothy said.
“Maybe, but I don’t want to wait around and find out if she doesn’t,” Jethro said.
“Don’t worry so much about it. God knows exactly what is going to happen, and he knows what you need to be happy and successful in life and as a reverend. He knows the sort of woman that you need to be with,” Timothy added.
“So you think I should just marry her? I thought you said I should try and break it off?” Jethro said.
Timothy shrugged.
“I have no idea what you should do. All I know is that you deserve to be happy and unafraid. That doesn’t mean that Annie can’t be the right woman for you, maybe she is just as scared as you are,” Timothy said.
Jethro nodded, although he was still feeling rather sad about everything. It still didn’t feel right; it didn’t seem like things were coming together at all how they should have been.
“I’ll wait and see what the Lord has in store, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m uneasy,” he said.
“I know. I would be too. But, if things do go well with her, I know that she’s a friend of Rachel Frampton,” Timothy said.
“Yes? What about her?” Jethro asked.
It took only one quick look at Timothy to know exactly what he meant, and it made Jethro laugh.
“Well, all right then. If things work out for me and Annie, I will make sure to put in a good word for you with Rachel,” Jethro teased him.
“Wonderful,” Timothy said. “Now, I need to head into town for some feed. Want to join me?”
“Sure,” Jethro said.
They hopped into Timothy’s cart and made their way to town, where Timothy immediately headed to the feed store. When he found what he wanted, Jethro helped him haul a few bags out and load them up into the cart.
“Well, now I’m hungry,” Timothy complained.
“Me too. Want to head over to Danny’s Holster?” Timothy offered, mentioning their favorite place in town to get a bite.
“Now, that’s a wonderful idea,” Jethro said, already making his way.
Just as they crossed the street, they were confronted by two young women coming around the corner.
It was Annie Blake and Rachel Frampton.
“Oh …” Annie said, looking down in disappointment.
Jethro was immediately uncomfortable. He had been so rude to Annie the day before, but he still couldn’t believe that he was going to have to marry her. It was such a ridiculous arrangement that his mother and father had gotten involved in. All he wanted was to tell her that it didn’t have to happen so that Annie could be out of his life.
“H-hi Miss Blake. And Miss Frampton,” Jethro greeted.
“Hi, Mr. Mills,” Rachel greeted him, the attitude on her face telling exactly what she thought of him. She had always been the more outgoing one of the two, Jethro had noticed.
“Hello,” Timothy said, interjecting himself, more to Rachel than to Annie.
Jethro saw a look pass between them, wherein Rachel knew exactly what Timothy must think of her, and she had no intention of catering to him.
“Well, what are you ladies up to this fine afternoon?” Timothy asked, striking up a conversation.
“Annie needed some sewing supplies. She is an excellent seamstress. Her father has a few buttons needing mending. I, on the other hand, wanted her help adding some ribbon to a dress,” Rachel explained, clearly using it as an opportunity to compliment her friend.
“Well, that’s good,” Jethro said, trying to look at Annie, but realizing that she had no intention of making eye contact with him.
“Well, we came to get some feed for the animals at my ranch, but then we realized we also wanted some feed for ourselves,” Timothy joked, laughing at his own humor.
No one else joined him, and the air remained tense.
“What do you think, Miss Frampton? Should our two friends have a chance to speak out here with friends? In the wide-open? No pressure from their mother and father to say what they believe must be said?” Timothy asked.
Rachel shrugged. “I suppose so. That is, so long as no one goes out of their way to be rude,” she said.
“Yeah … sorry about the other day,” Jethro said.
“No need to apologize,” she replied.
And then it was quiet all over again until Timothy gave Jethro a side-eye to tell him to say something more.
“Yes, I really should. I guess I didn’t expect them to have made that decision so quickly. And on our behalf,” he said.
“I can’t say that I’m surprised. My mother and father are always looking for opportunities to find me a husband, and you just happened to be the next available,” she said, the remark somewhat cutting into Jethro.
It made him angry that, here, when he was trying to apologize, she would go out of her way to make him feel unimportant like he was just a man in line to try and marry her. He didn’t even want to be her husband, so why would she act like he did? Annie was being foolish.
“I may have been the next available, but I won’t be the last. If it’s so hard for you to accept me, why don’t you ask them to find you someone else?” Jethro asked, anger fueling an uncharacteristic immaturity.
