The Most Unsuitable Wife

by Caroline Clemmons

  "But people figured that out long ago. Surely he knew that," Pearl reasoned.

  "No, and you couldn't tell him neither. He was fair crazy worryin' about it."

  Burris limped over to the cell bars. "That's when he beat up that there girl at Roxie's place. Threatened to kill her and Roxie if she told who did it."

  Pearl's gaze locked with Drake's. So, Quin was the one who beat Belle.

  Burris put out a grimey hand to Pearl. "It was him paid us to keep folks riled about your granny throwin' you away to the hogs and all."

  Pearl shrank within herself. Her worst fears had come true. She looked at Drake. His disgust with her would end their chance at happiness. Who could want a woman whose own granny threw her away?

  Outrage suffused his face, his gray eyes blazed in fury.

  "Her granny did what?”

  Willard hesitated, but gave in. "You know. When Pearl was born without her momma being married, her granny tried to kill her so no one would know there was a baby. Threw her in the hog pen. Big hog like to have et her, but Sheriff Cummins come along and saved her."

  Pearl's world crashed around her. She saw the contempt in Drake's eyes, saw the anger coursing through him. He would hate her now as much as the people she'd left behind. Her life here ended with Willard's and Burris' arrest. She should have known there were no second chances for the likes of her.

  Burris nodded his agreement with his brother. "That's why she's named Fannie Pearl. Cause the hog bit her on the fanny and then Sheriff's wife was named Pearl. Our momma said it was like castin' pearls before swine in the Bible. She said sometimes people don't recognize their treasures."

  The statement did little to salve her wounds. She turned and slipped from the office. Sarah called after her but she ran on. She wasn't aware of Zed following her to the buggy, but he was there helping her when she climbed in. With a snap of the reins she headed for the ranch as fast as the horses could travel.

  Back in the jail, Drake lunged at the cell door once more. "You mean you spread filth like that for money? How could you hurt someone good like Pearl?"

  "You don't know how mean Quin is.” Willard had backed into the far corner of his cell. "If'n we didn't do what he said, he would a killed us long 'fore now. Or hurt us so bad we wished we was dead."

  Burris' head bobbled like a chicken. "Sometimes he likes to hurt things—and people. He's crazy, but real smart. And he can track and hunt better 'n any injun."

  "Is he the one who used an arrow to set our barn on fire?” Storm asked.

  "I reckon it were him. Him and Jug was always up to something. Burris and me didn't know what all they did.” Willard sat on his bunk. "We didn't want to."

  "Damn you two, I could kill you with my bare hands," Drake railed at the culprits. "You put Pearl through years of pain, caused her untold sorrow, and all for nothing but a few coins."

  "We was just tryin' to help her this time,” Burris whined.

  Drake felt a sturdy hand on his shoulder. "Steady, son. You'd best go after Pearl."

  Drake whirled and scanned the room. "Where is she?"

  Grandpa nodded toward the door. "She ran out a while back when those boys were talking. Zed went with her."

  Drake rushed for the door. "See Sarah and Storm home, will you?" he called to the three remaining guards.

  His family poured out of the sheriff's office behind him, but he hurried on. He let Midnight have his head and they raced toward the ranch.

  All this time she had harbored the pain of her granny's misdeed. No wonder Sarah had nothing good to say about the woman in whose home she had lived all her life. No wonder Storm called her a mean old lady. Who would try to kill her own grandchild? He didn't call that mean—she’d been evil.

  Memories of his own grandmother and the pampering she showered on him and Lex made a sharp contrast to what Pearl must have endured. Yet she nursed the woman, took care of her all those years.

  Dear Lord, what kind of woman had he married?

  No other human would show such compassion, such care, to nurture the very person who had tried to kill her, who daily found fault with all she did. How difficult life must have been for Pearl. Yet with all that pain in her life she found a way to rescue Storm and Sarah and provide a good home for them.

  She even rescued strangers like Belle. And here in town, she provided Rhoda with a job and dignity, a way to provide for her children and mother.

  And you. Don't forget she saved you from yourself.

  All the things he ever said to her came hurtling back at him. All the things he left unsaid gouged at him. What must she think of him? He had been so careless with her, left her alone while he went off on his fool trail drive. He remembered his anger at her restaurant, how he told her he wished it would burn to the ground. Shame mingled with his fury and he drove Midnight on.

  He saw Miguel unhitching the horses from the buggy, saw him lead them away as Midnight raced into the barn. He tossed the reins to Javier and dashed for the house.

  Maria opened the door for him, concern etched on her face. "Señora Pearl is very upset.”

  "Where is she?"

  She pointed toward the bedroom. "Pobrecita, my poor one is crying."

  "Pearl? Pearl?” He rushed down the hall to the bedroom.

  "Go... a... way!" she sobbed.

  He pushed against the door but it refused to yield. "Open the door."

  "No."

  "Pearl, open the damn door now.” When he received no response, he lunged with his shoulder against the wood. The thud of his body mingled with the crack of the door frame. Once more and the wooden framework split from the wall and the door tumbled inward with a crash.

  Pearl screamed and jumped from the bed where, from the looks of the wrinkled coverlet, she had been lying.

  "Get out. Go away.” She pulled her carpetbag from the wardrobe and threw clothes into it.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “What does it matter? I’ll be out of your life and you won’t have to see me ever again.”

  He took the valise from her and set it on the floor. She moved as if to pick it up but he grasped her hands in his.

  “Pearl, why did you run away from town? I know I was coming down hard on those two, but they wouldn’t talk fast enough.”

  She turned away. “But when they talked, they told too much. You know everything now. I know the sight of me disgusts you.”

  “Honey, honey, what are you saying? Why would anything about you disgust me?”

  She gazed into his eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “How could it not? It was bad enough when you just knew my parents weren’t married and how the people of Piper’s Hollow shunned me. Now you know my own grandmother tried to kill me, threw me into the hog pen like a piece of garbage. If Evan hadn’t come along and heard my cries, I would have died. Granny hated me so much she wouldn’t have cared.”

  Seeing her so sad, to know how much she’d suffered in life about killed him. “How can you not know me well enough to see I was disgusted with your granny, not you? How can you think what she did has any reflection on you? You were a newborn infant. The actions of a mean old woman disgraced her, not you.” He tried to pull her to him but she turned away again.

  “I come from bad stock, have bad blood in my veins. That’s not the kind of woman you need for a wife, not the kind you wanted. How can you even stand to be in the same room with me now?”

  He led her to the rocking chair and guided her to sit down. Kneeling in front of her, he took both her hands again. “Pearl, I admire you more than any woman I’ve ever known, and that includes my grandmother.”

  She stopped sobbing long enough to raise her head. “You... you do?”

  “You’ve taken care of others all your life, including the woman who tried to kill you. Do you have any idea how rare and special a person you are?”

  She pulled her hand from his and brushed at her tears. “Oh, Drake, I’m so embarrassed. The sheriff and his deput
y, Grandpa, the guards, they all heard the Ainsworths telling about me. Someone will talk and everyone in town will know. What will they think?”

  “Same as I do, you’re a wonderful woman.” As he handed her his handkerchief, the realization hit him for the first time how much she cared what other people thought of her.

  She’d kept those feelings hidden because the painful criticism hurt her through the years. She’d probably grown up pretending to the world that taunts and condemnation mattered not a whit. All the time she longed for praise and acceptance.

  She dabbed at her eyes then gripped his arm. “D-Don’t think poorly of my mother. Mama didn’t know what Granny had done until Evan came into the house with me in his arms. At least Mama wanted me and let me know she loved me.”

  “Why would your granny think she could get rid of you and not be found out?”

  “She always pretended Mama wasn’t expecting. Mama stayed at home the last four months before I was born so no one except those who came to the house saw her. Granny told everyone Mama had been sick with pneumonia and the medicine she took made her swell.”

  Drake shook his head. “Surely no one believed her.”

  “I reckon not, but Granny thought they did. Or maybe she thought if there was no baby they would come to believe it. When she took me to the hog pen, she told Mama I’d died.”

  “Sounds like your mother had a hard life too.”

  “Oh, she did. Granny never let her forget her one mistake. Mama never did get over it. She loved my father, you see. Having him live so near with another woman was awful hard on her.”

  “And did he love the woman he married?”

  “I don’t know, maybe he came to. He had told his parents he wanted to marry Mama, but they wouldn’t hear of it. They had a wealthy woman picked out, the daughter of friends. I think he and his wife were happy, though, until she went crazy.”

  Drake remembered the sorrow in Quinton Walker’s voice when he spoke of his wife dying. If he didn’t love her when they married, he must have grown to love her later.

  Pearl’s eyes widened. “Oh, Drake. I just realized the Ainsworths said our father recognized us in his will. Maybe he didn’t hate us too much.”

  “Did he ever come to see you or your mother?”

  “No. He never even spoke to me, except one time. I was out playing by the road when he came by alone on one of his fine horses. He tipped his hat and said, ‘Hello, my beautiful little girl.’ I was five, but I remember it clearly.”

  From the front of the house, Drake heard a commotion. The aroma of pot roast drifted through the halls and reminded him Maria would soon have their supper ready.

  “Sarah and Storm must have come home.” Rising, he tugged on Pearl’s hands, then pulled her into his embrace. After a long kiss, he brushed his fingers across her cheek. “No more tears, huh? Let’s go have our dinner, my beautiful wife. Later, we’ll continue this discussion and I’ll show you just how beautiful you are.”

  They stepped on the fallen door and into the hall.

  Though the air was thick with tension over the aborted abduction and the threat of Quin’s presence, the meal took on a festive mood.

  Drake figured the need for constant vigilance drew to an end. “With the Ainsworth’s arrest, it’s only a matter of time before Ben captures Quin and we can all relax.”

  “When this is all over,” Jeff said, “I intend to take me a little vacation and go up to Denver and look around.”

  “You been on vacation ever since you took that shot in the lungs six months ago. When you gonna to to work?” Abe asked.

  “Me, I’m off to places and parts unknown.” Beau’s faraway expression emphasized his statement. “Been feeling restless lately. Got me a stack of wanted posters, and I aim to head West. Maybe go up to Oregon.”

  Storm laughed. “The Ainsworths should have kidnapped you. That’s where they wanted to go.”

  Drake addressed Abe, “What about you, Abe? What are your plans when all this is over?”

  “I believe I’ll try my hand at finding a job in town.”

  Pearl smiled. “That decision wouldn’t have anything to do with staying near the restaurant, would it?”

  Abe blushed red as a beet. Even Drake hadn’t missed the way Abe hung around Rhoda, or the way his eyes followed her when they were in the same room. Good natured jeers were exchanged between Abe and the other guards until Zed spoke up, nodding from Drake to Pearl.

  “If it’s all right with you folks, I’ll stay on here and help Miguel with the garden.”

  Drake nodded. “Miguel’s told me many times you’re especially gifted with plants. Did a fine job on the fountain.”

  “There’s more I could do. Believe I could build you a hothouse over in the far corner of the garden. You could have early vegetables if I started them in the winter. Might could even grow things for others.”

  Pearl put her fork down and stared at Zed. “Could you grow my herbs in a hothouse?”

  “Yes. ma’am.” He paused to consider before he added, “Not all of them. Some don’t take to cultivation. Most I could grow. Have to experiment some.”

  Drake peered from his wife to Zed. Talk about herbs and Pearl was all ears. “Zed, I believe you have yourself a permanent job as gardener.”

  ***

  Pearl smoothed the bed pillows and lowered the bedside lamp. Nervous as she had been on her wedding night, she still couldn’t believe Drake knew her terrible secret yet wanted to be with her. All her life she’d been shunned and criticized for the sins of her grandmother and mother.

  Taunts about the hog pen prevented her attending school as a child. Later, the same taunts eliminated all chance for a normal life. Once again she thanked God for Evan Cummins and his wife. She turned as Drake came through the door he and Zed had repaired earlier.

  Her husband strode across the room and swept her into his arms. Twirling as if she were no heavier than a child, he said, “My beautiful wife, let me show you how much I love you.” He lowered her gently onto their bed.

  She sat up. “You... you what?” Could her ears have deceived her? Did she really hear the words she had longed for all these months? Yes, all her life she had waited for this moment.

  “I said, let me show you how much I love you.” He lay down and pulled her into his arms. “Do you think you can ever come to love me back?”

  “Oh, Drake.” she nestled into him and slid her arms around his waist. “I love you so much. I have almost since we met.”

  “Then why did you try to run away from me?”

  “I was afraid you’d be disgusted with me since you knew my secret, afraid you’d send me away. I couldn’t bear if that happened, so I thought I’d leave before you asked me to.”

  “Aw, honey. I’ll never let you go. Wherever you went, I’d have found you and brought you back. This is where you belong, this is your home.”

  His arms caressed her. She pulled his shirt from his pants and slipped her hands against his skin. He pulled her nightdress over her head and tossed it aside.

  “Let me look at you. I’ll never tire of seeing you like this.” His lips trailed across her skin, then his lips followed the same path.

  At her breasts, he traced circles with his tongue before he found a nipple with his mouth and suckled her. When she thought she would die from the pleasure, he moved down along her ribs and to her waist. Tugging her over, he kissed the scar on her hip before he let her roll back to receive his mouth on her abdomen.

  As he ran his tongue along her navel, the babe inside her quickened.

  Eyes wide with surprise, he asked, “What... what was that? What just happened?”

  She touched his cheek, her other hand seeking her rounding stomach. “Our baby just kicked.”

  Thank you God, he looks happy. He looked happy enough to burst. And proud.

  “Yesterday was the first time I felt him move. You are pleased aren’t you? You look pleased.”

  “Proud as a coat with new bu
ttons.” His hands ceased movement. “Honey, is this, um, can we still, um...”

  “Oh, yes. Let me show you how.” She pulled him to her and her hand moved down the front of his pants and followed the length of his erection.

  He raised and sat up on the bed to shuck off his boots, pants, and drawers before he rejoined her. “Now, where were we?”

  She cradled his manhood in her hand. “Right about here.”

  “Ahhh, I remember now.” He slid his finger inside her folds and laved her breast with his tongue.

  She lost all rational thought. From outside herself, she heard herself urging him, “Now, please now. Come inside me.”

  He entered her and she wrapped her legs around him. As one they moved in timeless rhythm. Higher and higher they soared into the night. Showers of stars burst around them and they sank slowly to earth on a cloud of bliss. They lay nestled together.

  Drake said, “Honey, I’m worried about you working so hard.” He rested his hand on her belly. “Won’t getting so tired hurt you and the baby?”

  “It was supposed to be a surprise for you, but the Ainsworths spoiled it. Rhoda is going to run the restaurant now and she’s hired a woman to help her.”

  He leaned over her and planted a loud kiss on her lips. “That’s great. I mean, I know you love the place, but you’ve looked so tired and you’ve lost weight.”

  “She and Dick will be fine without Sarah and me. I suspect Abe will want to help her when this whole mess is over. They’re sweet on each other, you know?”

  “I didn’t notice how much until supper. When’s your last day?”

  “Today. Rhoda will have Oleta Mae Witt helping her, and Oleta Mae’s daughter Evie can come in if she’s needed. I’ll still do my healing. Seems like it takes more and more time.”

  “Yes, but it’s your gift and I know it’s important. You help a lot of people.” After a pause, he asked, “Honey, if the baby’s moving now, you must have known for some time you were expecting. Why didn’t you tell me about the baby before now?”

  “I wasn’t sure how you felt about me. Drake, I couldn’t bear to think you’d stay with me because of the baby and not because you wanted me.”