She hadn’t seen Leah this subdued except once—at a funeral. Annie hung her head. Her chance at keeping the ranch and having another adult help rear her children had left before it came.
“Will he come back, Mama?”
She pulled Spencer to her side and squeezed. Would her son bounce back after yet another tragedy? When did the boy’s God-given talent to keep his joy in the midst of trials run dry? She nuzzled her chin into his soft hair and felt him sigh. “I don’t know.”
Celia hadn’t yet said a word since they’d returned to sit in the pew, but evidently she was worried enough to cease drawing in her journal.
“I’m sure this is nothing, but prayer never hurts.” Leah bowed her head.
Colored light, shining through the stained glass window of Christ praying in the garden, flickered behind the pulpit. The clouds racing across the sun made the splotchy light flicker from shadows to bright spots as quickly as Leah’s whispered petitions changed from one request to another.
Minutes ago, Leah had seemed certain the men would settle their differences and return for a wedding. Perhaps she didn’t think so any longer.
Was Bryant’s reluctance God’s way of stopping Annie from making a mistake? She’d prayed God would stop her if things weren’t right, but her heart must have gotten more attached to Jacob than she’d thought, or at least the idea of Jacob, since she didn’t really know him.
Though she wanted to watch for his return—to know immediately what his decision was by the look on his face—she didn’t. The faint ticking of the foyer clock filled the room, and her heartbeat grew louder with each slow-going minute.
Did Bryant truly have that much against her?
She hadn’t faulted him for his signature at the bottom of her tax notice or his refusal to extend her deadline—not much anyway. Yet now, when she’d found a way to comply with the county’s demands, he stood in her way. That felt vindictive.
Annie exhaled hard. She shouldn’t be making judgments.
Well, maybe she would later, but not before she knew the outcome of the men’s conversation.
She lifted her gaze to the Gethsemane glass. All right, not even then. He’s yours to judge. But you’re going to have to help me not think ill of that man if I end up at home alone tonight.
Leah reached over and pried Annie’s fingers off the wooden seat and held on tight.
The screech of the front doors’ hinges broke the silence.
A sudden shiver of hot then cold raced down her arms, and Annie fixed her eyes on the angular drops of blood marring Christ’s forehead. No matter what happened, there were worse things in this world to face. If she could survive the day her husband’s murdered body had been found draped across a horse, she could live through this.
Spencer squirmed in his seat like an anxious puppy. Leah’s hand was clamped so tightly around hers, one might think Leah’s life was hanging in the balance.
Annie couldn’t keep herself from turning around any longer.
Bryant walked up the aisle, a false smile marring his lips.
No Jacob.
“I think everything’s fine. He’s smiling,” Leah said and released Annie’s hand.
Annie’s muscles refused to relax though, and she rubbed her tingling fingers. Why hadn’t Jacob returned?
Bryant’s gaze caught hers, and his half smile twisted into a grimace.
Could he not even stand to be in the same room with her?
“Bryant, dear.” Leah sidled up close to him as he neared the cluster of Gepharts. He slid his hand across Leah’s shoulders and visibly relaxed.
But Annie couldn’t. Not until she knew if she was leaving this church with or without a husband.
“What was wrong?” Leah’s whisper traveled across the sanctuary as if it were a ringing tower bell.
Annie watched every muscle in Bryant’s face.
He rubbed his wife’s shoulder. “Nothing. A misunderstanding.”
“Good, I’m glad.” Leah nestled into his side.
This saint of a woman obviously loved her husband, and here Annie was thinking ill of him. Maybe she’d read too much into his hesitation. Perhaps his rudeness hadn’t been on purpose.
She forced herself to speak. “Where’s Jacob?” The rasp in her voice hurt her throat.
“He forgot something.” Bryant wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Said he wouldn’t be long.”
Celia melted back into her seat, and Spencer hugged Annie’s waist.
Leah threw Annie a dazzling smile. “Since the day Bryant told me Jacob was thinking of marrying someone, I’ve been praying it was you. Isn’t God good?”
“If anyone knows, dear, it’d be you.” Bryant patted her arm, though his gaze seemed unfocused.
Lord, help me to give over my fears. Let me have Leah’s faith that you won’t hand me a snake when I request a fish. Let me—
The groan of the foyer door halted both her prayer and the beating of her heart. She pulled in a deep breath to restart her pulse and turned.
Jacob walked in, shut the door, and hung his hat on the hall tree—all without taking his eyes off her.
“Come on, you two.” Leah beckoned to the children. “Let’s get Pastor Lawrence.” She pulled Bryant toward the front as if she’d been looking forward to this wedding for ages, and Spencer and Celia dutifully fell in line.
Strolling through the foyer doorway leading into the sanctuary, Jacob gave her a lazy smile that made her insides soften into slow-dripping molasses. His eyes drilled into hers, as he walked toward her, palms open in front of him. “You still willing to be my wife?”
The corners of her eyes grew moist, and the breath she’d been holding escaped. She rose unsteadily. “I think so, if you think so.”
He chucked her chin. “I think so.” He pulled her arm through the crook of his and led her to the front where the pastor now flipped through pages, his spectacles balanced on the end of his nose.
The Whitsetts and the children gathered around them and Pastor Lawrence looked up from his book. “Shall we begin?”
Annie nodded. Though the pastor started reciting the familiar ceremonial passages, all she saw was the pastor’s bald spot as he read from the Bible in his hands.
And all she felt was the warmth of Jacob—close beside her, fingers betwixt hers.
Not so long ago, Gregory had stood at her side before a similar pulpit, his tenor voice spitting out the repeated phrases as if the faster he spoke them, the sooner they could kiss. His bold gaze had made her thankful to be wearing her grandmother’s veil.
Her breathing sped up. It was too soon to be in front of an altar again. The room seemed to close in, as if she were a chicken cornered by a fox in the coop.
She placed her clammy hand against her temple.
Jacob started rubbing the back of her other hand, the rhythmic motions sending a fresh calm sweeping through her.
“Do you have rings?”
Annie glanced down at her left hand. The wedding band she’d worn for the last sixteen years was still there, pitted and dull. The ring never came off without a liberal application of olive oil soap and lots of twisting. How had she forgotten?
Jacob grabbed her hand and quickly covered the plain gold band with his large thumb. He shook his head slightly. “Just one for Annie.”
“Very well, repeat after me.”
The pastor’s words faded as she stared at Jacob’s thumb. Would he pretend the ring on her finger was from him?
“With this ring, I thee wed.” A bright multi-colored stone on a silver band appeared. Jacob slid it on top of her wedding band, the jewelry piece so large it covered the smaller ring with room to spare.
“My grandmother’s,” he whispered.
She stared at the large square stone offset by four tiny bluish ones. She’d never seen anything so exquisite.
The pastor cleared his throat. “Since you don’t have a ring, Annie, simply hold Jacob’s hand and repeat after me.”
She clen
ched her fingers so Jacob’s ring wouldn’t slide off and reached for his hand.
“I thee wed,” the pastor said.
She took a steadying breath and looked up at Jacob. “I thee—” His fetching brown eyes grew softer at her words. “—wed.”
“You may kiss the bride.”
Her breathing escalated and heat warmed her cheeks. While she’d waited for Jacob and Bryant to return, she should’ve told the pastor to adjust the ceremony’s end—but then, she’d been certain there wasn’t going to be one.
Jacob’s hands traveled up the length of her arms and took hold of her shoulders. Her hands traveled up his in a similar fashion, and she held on as if dangling from a precipice.
She braced herself for a quick, cold press of the lips, but his warm, soft ones met hers. And stayed. A sweet soft pressure. She peeked through her eyelashes at him, but his eyes were closed. Then his image blurred, and nothing but the light weight of his kiss existed.
She’d never kissed anyone but Gregory. How would he feel if he could see the race of heat rushing from her lips and into her cheeks right now?
Jacob’s mouth left hers, and a tear slid from her right eye.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix.” The pastor’s words echoed in the nearly empty sanctuary. Jacob’s thumb smudged the wetness from her cheek, and she opened her eyes.
Jacob smiled, Bryant groaned, and Spencer gave a celebratory yip.
Annie loosened her hold on Jacob’s shoulders, leaving his suit fabric mangled from her tight grip, and took a step back.
The pastor gestured to the best man. “Let’s sign the license.”
Bryant gave a start and pulled a folded paper out from under his suit coat. Striding quickly across the room, he nearly tripped on his way to the communion table.
They all followed, but with how Bryant hunched over the paper like a coyote guarding his lifeless prey, did he intend to keep them from signing it?
Leah stepped beside him with a hand to his back. “Dearest,” Leah whispered. “Careful. Don’t tear the paper.”
Jacob moved to Bryant’s other side, his mouth scrunched, gaze guarded.
Bryant had said they’d only had a misunderstanding, but Jacob’s every visible muscle was taut as he watched his best friend seemingly hesitate to sign his name.
Once Bryant handed the pen to Leah, Annie moved to the drafty window.
The long-lasting blizzard snow that had swirled around her dead husband’s body still dotted the shadowy places against the foundation of Jacob’s house across the yard. Yet here she stood, married to another.
Leah came over to clasp Annie’s arm. “Please have lunch with us. I would’ve whipped up something fancier if I’d known what a special day this was. Regardless, there’s enough for everyone.”
Annie looked to Jacob, who nodded.
Just because Bryant didn’t seem to think today was something to celebrate, that didn’t mean she needed to act likewise. “That sounds wonderful. I hadn’t thought of food.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Leah pulled on her arm, and Annie followed her through the sanctuary and outside to where her children had disappeared.
Celia sat on the church railing near Spencer, who was balancing atop it as if standing on a tightrope.
Annie tugged on his pant leg. Hopefully the pastor hadn’t followed them out to see her son’s misuse of church property. “Come down. The Whitsetts are going to feed us lunch.”
“Woohoo!” Spencer jumped from the rail with a thud.
Bryant stepped off the porch, squinting against the sun. “I can’t stay to eat. I’ve got work to do.”
Leah’s eyebrows descended. “Since when do you work on Sundays?”
“If I’m able to write up a marriage license on Sunday, I can surely record it the same day. Plus there are other things I have to attend to.” Bryant turned to Annie and gave her an awkward bow. “I’m sorry I can’t stay.” He shuffled off without a glance at Jacob.
Leah clamped her hands onto her hips. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that man.” She cast Annie a sympathetic expression. “He’s been out of sorts lately. Please don’t think it’s just you.”
Jacob’s hand slid to the middle of Annie’s back. “Don’t let him trouble you.”
Oh, but he did. She spun the rings on her finger and looked back at the church. “Celia, go with Spencer to the Whitsetts’, would you? I’ll be along in a moment.”
Leah gave her a worried glance before following after the children, and Jacob looked toward the church doors.
His lips skewed to the side. “If you’re planning to go back in there and ask for an annulment, you’d discuss it with me first, yes?”
Annie couldn’t help but melt a little at his unease, even if he was just marrying her for the land. “I promise I’ll return with this ring still on my hand.” She wriggled her fingers, the sunlight catching the stone.
“Good.” He grabbed her hand, brought the ring to his lips, and kissed it. “Hurry back, Mrs. Hendrix.” He gave her a dimpled grin and then strode off to catch up with the children.
The warmth on her hand from his kiss matched the warmth he’d left on her lips earlier. This man was going to do right by her.
So she had to do right by him.
She climbed the stairs and quietly entered the church. Stopping next to the first pew, she pulled off her giant ring, holding it up to the light. Her mother would be impressed. She put it in her pocket and walked to the lamp in the corner. After disassembling it, she dipped her finger into the oil and twisted Gregory’s ring off.
The red velvet offering bag lay limp on the front row, the collected money most likely in a deacon’s possession for depositing in the bank tomorrow. She dropped the tarnished gold band inside and messed with the fabric folds so no one would notice anything had been left in the pouch. It’d probably be smarter to wait until next week, but she’d married Jacob today. For him, she needed to put Gregory behind her.
However, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the plush bag. How could she throw such a big part of her life away in seconds? Forget a man in a matter of months?
She fished the ring back out and looked out the side window where she could see her family about to cross the street in front of Jacob’s house. He laughed at something Celia said and ruffled Spencer’s hair. The scowl on Celia’s face indicated she hadn’t said anything she thought was funny.
Jacob hadn’t asked her to give up this ring. One of the children might want it, dull as it was.
With a quick inhale, she dropped it into her skirt pocket.
She slipped the wide silver ring Jacob had given her back on and held it in place with her thumb. The stone caught the light and added minuscule rainbows to the stained glass highlights splashed across the walls.
Dear Lord, help me find peace amid the war raging within me. I can’t be faithful to two men, and yet I feel as if I’ve just betrayed both.
Chapter Ten
Bryant’s heart beat so fast and his breaths came so shallow, it was as if he’d run the entire way to City Hall. With shaky hands, he managed to unlock his office door on the second try. After crossing the dim room, he reached for the curtains, but stopped. He couldn’t chance anyone alerting McGill that he was rummaging around, at least not until he was done saving Jacob’s land.
At the front counter, Bryant fumbled around the shelves for the barely used lamp.
“Please let there be oil in it.” He swished the base, and liquid sloshed. He patted around for the box of matches. Once his vision adjusted, the sunlight creeping in around the curtains was adequate for walking around, but finding the correct paper in McGill’s office would require more light since he’d not risk pulling up the shades.
The hinges on his boss’s door groaned. Bryant clicked the door shut and set the lantern down. Then he cranked the wick high.
Flickering shadows filled the room.
Scurrying behind his boss’s desk, Bryant jimmied the lock
in the top drawer. Thankfully McGill had never taken the time to fix the cockeyed compartment.
His boss had intended to evict the Gepharts two days ago, which would’ve kept Jacob from marrying Annie, and Bryant from adding to his pile of sins. But McGill had been called out of town last Wednesday, delaying his plans.
How had he been so wrapped up in his own problems he’d not bothered to ask Jacob anything more about the woman he intended to marry? Of course Jacob would fall for the most desperate of women.
After the ceremony, he’d nearly spilled his whole list of crimes right then and there to keep from filling in the license and sealing Jacob’s fate, but then he’d remembered McGill driving off with Gwen after church—which meant he’d not be in the office.
Please Lord, I know I don’t deserve any kindness from you, but Jake does. I don’t know if I’ll escape with my life if I succeed, but at least if McGill murders me, Leah won’t find out why since he won’t incriminate himself. Anything you could do for me to keep her from knowing, anything…
If he could just destroy the loan document he’d forged, redo all the doctored entries, and whatever else he could think of to ruin his boss’s ability to steal Annie’s land, Jacob could own that ranch and not be stuck with a destitute wife.
Bryant licked his fingers and whipped through another stack of pages.
The pendulum clock ticked relentlessly behind him as he thumbed through useless information and old bills.
Thump.
A door slam.
Bryant froze.
Light spilled in through the edges of the closed office door.
Bryant lowered his handful of papers back into the drawer and slid it shut as noiselessly as possible.
How likely was it that McGill wouldn’t visit his office?
The doorknob turned.
Not likely at all.
Bryant turned down the lamp wick, though the effort was futile.
The office plunged into darkness for a second before the outer light spilled in.
Bryant pushed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets and groaned.
“What are you doing in my office, Whitsett?” McGill’s low grumble made Bryant shiver. The mayor’s footsteps thumped toward the window, and he pulled open the curtains. “And why are you in the dark? I doubt you have a good explanation for this.”
Romancing the Bride Page 8