The raspy sound of Stubbins’ breathing let Bode know the man was anxious. What a horrible combination—a twitchy gunman and a dark room! At that moment the candle sputtered before the flame went dark.
With an expletive, Rex jumped forward and grabbed hold of Bode’s wrist. While he tried to get his arm into a headlock around the red-haired man’s neck, Bode knew he’d missed. The other wrenched Bode’s arm behind his back and soon the younger man crumpled to his knees with a yelp.
As the faithless partner increased the pressure, time around Bode slowed and a memory flitted into his mind. In the dark night, his mother sat by his bed and smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “Nightmares are scary son, but neither they nor the dark is as great as our god.” In a soothing voice, she’d begun reciting the twenty-third psalm. With his present circumstances, one part of that came back to him. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.
He’d gone his own way in life, tried to be a success as a saloon owner even though he knew his parents would have been disappointed in his choice. Would the Lord listen to his prayer after he’d turned his back on the godly teachings of his father and mother?
“Repeat the verse after me, son. ‘Casting all you care upon him, for he careth for you.’ Never forget that Christ invites you to do that, Bode.” This time his father’s voice echoed in his mind, almost like his father stood bodily in the room urging him to act. Already on his knees, Bode whispered a prayer of repentance—not because of the situation he found himself in. No, he asked forgiveness as he knew he’d been wrong and now wanted a relationship with the god of his parents so Christ could be as real to him as he’d been to his parents and as he was to Violet. Thinking of her at that moment, he asked the Lord to protect her and Barry.
“What are you whispering about down there, Parker? You gone crazy?” The man laughed, the sound overly loud in the silence of the dim bedroom. “One of my partners had to be shot and he went crazy as I held the gun to his head.” Rex’s voice demonstrated how he savored the memory. A smile wreathed his face as he retold of shooting his partner in the head before making the scene appear to be a botched robbery.
Suddenly Bode realized he could make out Rex’s features. The man saw him twist around to face him and pulled back. “Shoot! Dawn’s coming. Stubbins get over here and cover him with that gun. I got to get this done.”
The older man rummaged through a canvas sack while Stubbins set the cold barrel of the revolver against Bode’s temple. On the floor in front of his prisoner, the erstwhile friend set out a pen and ink along with what appeared to be a legal form.
“Now, you are going to sign here for an annulment. Then you will decide to flee the complications that a wife and child threaten to your carefree life. I will deliver the sad news of your defection to the bride as she waits for you in that pitiful church.”
When Bode made no move to pick up the pen, Stubbins shoved his head down so that his nose hit the floor. Blood ran out of it, bringing a curse from the man’s boss as he pulled the form out of the way. “Watch what you’re doing, numbskull! We can’t have his blood on the paper.”
Feeling wetness from both his nose and a bloodied lip pour off his chin, Bode croaked out the question that burned in his mind. “How do you benefit from annulling my marriage?”
Arrogance spiced Rex’s voice and again a smirk twisted his face. “Why, Bode Boy, don’t you remember signing something that let me inherit your part of the business if you were to die unmarried?”
Shrugging, Bode dimly remembered some type of form that Rex had deemed necessary in order to protect The Ferryman. “Seems to me you signed the same thing so that I could inherit if you died.”
“Yep, I sure did. Of course, as I signed it, I knew you weren’t long for this world.” As the man issued a sinister laugh, Stubbins wheezed out an evil chortle.
Rex snapped at the man. “Shut up and keep him covered!” Then he dipped the pen into the ink and held it out to Bode. “It’s a good thing I’m here to witness your signature so you can escape the marriage that lawyer tricked you into entering. I’d hate for you to be trapped before you ride away from Nebraska City.”
Knowing the man didn’t intend for him to ride anywhere, Bode hated for the denial of his marriage to be his last earthly act. Still, if it bought him time, he would go along with the man’s plan. Grabbing the pen, he scrawled his name on the line before throwing the quill across the room.
“Temper, temper!” the man chided sarcastically. “Now that you’ve been a good boy, Stubbins will sneak you out before too many people are stirring. Get your shirt on so you’re ready for your trip. Too bad it will end when you fall from your horse and break your neck.”
Tapping Bode on the head, he sneered down into the younger man’s face. “Guess I’m in the market for another partner.”
Walking out of his line of vision, Bode could only guess by the sound of Rex’s footfalls on the stairs as well as the sound of the front door closing that the man had left. Stubbins moved the gun barrel from his temple to his back and growled for him to stand and dress. Throughout the process, Bode kept repeating the twenty-third psalm, as much to calm himself as for comfort.
A closed buggy with a saddled horse tied to its back stood behind the house. Shoving his captive inside, Stubbins moved to untether the buggy horse. In the gray of dawn, Bode barely made out his movements. Still, he could see enough to prepare for what he intended to do.
Coiled to spring, he launched himself onto the other man as he shifted his weight to enter the buggy. Using his height against the shorter Stubbins, he managed in a matter of minutes to overpower him. After that, he gained control of both the gun and the situation while the bloody and cursing henchman sat tied hand and foot against the wheel of the buggy.
Lifting him, Bode tossed the man into the buggy with a satisfied smile at the groan of pain he heard the man utter. “Guess we won’t be riding any farther than the jail today, Stubbins. Let me teach you the twenty-third psalm as we head there.”
Chapter 9
Violet snuggled Baby Barry against her chest and watched dawn’s pink light fill the sky. For the last hour, she’d lain awake. At first, she thought some sound from the baby had caused her to awaken. Yet, his peaceful face proved that not to be the case.
In the quiet of her bedroom, she began to speak with the Lord. As she prayed, an urgency to plead for the safety of her husband filled her. Wondering if she should rush over to the house where he slept, a calm rushed over her. The words from the fifth verse of Proverbs three came to mind and she repeated it aloud. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.”
Even if her husband didn’t trust God, she still could trust him to God. Continuing her prayer she fell back to sleep.
The morning sun woke her. She suddenly came to full consciousness and felt around the bed for the baby, surprised he’d let her sleep that long. Searching the room, she panicked at his absence and rushed to look through the rest of the house.
A soft crooning drew her downstairs. In the kitchen, Edna Andersen sat rocking Barry in the chair she kept near the cookstove. When she felt Violet’s presence, the woman adopted her usual impassive expression and stilled the chair.
“You are kind Miss Andersen. Thank you for taking care of him.” She smiled down at her baby, carefully avoiding eye contact with the prickly woman so as not to embarrass her.
The other lady gave a sort of “harrumph” but otherwise said nothing as she rose to begin measuring out ingredients. As she kneaded the mixture, she finally looked in Violet’s direction. “Wanted you to have one last chance to sleep late. It’s your wedding day after all.”
In that moment, Violet sensed the beginnings of a friendship with the woman. Here would be someone she could visit in future days. Nebraska City would become home with the help of people like Miss Andersen.
With help from one of the other female boarders, Violet managed to iron a light b
lue percale dress. True, she mourned for Aunt Tessie in her heart. However, she refused to wear black to her wedding and dreamed of Bode gazing longingly at her as she walked down the aisle wearing her favorite color, even if the dress’s material might be too thin for a cool autumn day.
Once both she and the landlady were ready, they headed to the church. Yesterday, she’d planned with Bode to meet there, saying it didn’t seem right for him to see her before the church service even if they weren’t going to be married until after it was over. Barry stayed with one of the boarders who said she didn’t “hold with that religion stuff” and would be glad to watch the baby during the wedding.
Since they had arrived early, Violet tried to dismiss her anxiety at Bode’s absence as merely butterflies at the upcoming wedding. When the church began to fill with people, those butterflies became rampaging beasts in her stomach.
As the congregation rose to sing the first hymn, a hand came down hard on her shoulder. Turning, she recognized Bode’s partner. Though he tried to mask his delight, she made out the shine of triumph in his eyes and attempted to twist away from his increasingly painful grip on her shoulder.
Just then a hymnal came down hard on the man’s wrist. “Sir, remove yourself from our pew.” Miss Andersen spit as she fired the command at the irate man.
If her attack hadn’t already been enough to halt the service, the man’s shouted curse brought silence to the room. The last notes of the pump organ died away as Reverend Brown bounded down from the platform. Two burly elders met him at the pew near the back, ready to manhandle the intruder out if he’d come to cause trouble rather than to join their worship.
Rex Kearney backed out of the pew but otherwise stood his ground and held up his hands to demonstrate his peaceful intent. “I’ve brought news for Miss Barrigar and couldn’t get here before your service.” His voice foreshadowed the soberness of what he had come to tell her. “I’m afraid that her groom has fled.”
Miss Andersen snorted and brandished the hymnal in the man’s direction. He put up a hand protectively and waited for a reaction from Violet.
Denying his statement with the shake of her head, Violet refused to believe the man. The night before Bode had kissed her with what felt like sincere affection. He’d declared he knew she was meant to be his wife. She instinctively recognized Rex’s words as a lie. How to prove it and where was Bode?
Looking desperately at Reverend Brown, Violet held out her hands beseechingly. “He’s done something. Bode would be here otherwise.”
Rex shook a paper in her direction. “You think so? Take a look at this. He signed it in front of me before he rode out of town. Said he was desperate to get away from you and that brat you insisted on saddling him with.
Edna Andersen grabbed the paper out of Rex’s hand. Reading it, she narrowed her eyes in his direction. Arms akimbo, the woman’s glare shot daggers in his direction. “Might be you got Mr. Parker to sign this, but I’d sure like to know why blood is smeared down the side of the paper.”
At that moment the door crashed open and Sheriff Reynolds strode in, followed by Bode. Having heard the last of Edna’s words, he addressed her comment. “I’ll tell you how the blood got there. Seems Mr. Kearney made a dawn visit to Mr. Parker’s home and forced him to sign a document.”
As if a choirmaster led them, the congregation gasped at the same moment. Then mutters filled the church as Reynolds handcuffed the red-haired man and pulled him out of the church. The preacher held up his hands and the noise abruptly stopped. “Seems to me, folks, that we’ve seen a mighty deliverance happen today. I want to hear you sing the first verse of Amazing Grace.”
The congregation stood and, acapella, joyfully sang the song. At the words “once was lost but now am found” Bode squeezed his wife’s hand. She looked up to see tears trace their way down his bloodied and dirtied cheeks.
“I thought only brides cried on their wedding day,” she joked.
He sniffed but otherwise ignored the salty liquid. “I’ve been saved today in more ways than one. We’re going into this marriage equally yoked.”
This brought a squeal of delight from her that again stopped the service. Uncomfortable at first with the silence, Bode made his way forward. Facing the people who would become his church family, he began to tell the story of straying from his parents’ teachings. When he shared about his commitment to Christ earlier that morning, shouts of hallelujah filled the building.
Reverend Brown smiled broadly. “Well, folks. Seems to me we’d better skip over the service since that boy just preached a mighty sermon and get these two joined before anything else can happen.”
At the cheer from his congregation, the preacher called Violet forward. The man spoke briefly about marriage as a reflection of Christ’s love for the church. After that, he led the battered groom and the smiling bride through their vows. When he finished, the people watching held their breath in anticipation of his last statement. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride…before the roof falls in or another calamity occurs.”
Amid the rumble of laughter from the men and wistful sighs by the women, Bode lowered his head and stared into his wife’s warm brown eyes. Tenderly palming her cheeks, he lowered his mouth to hers. Her husband seemed to pour all his hope for their future into the kiss she knew she’d never forget.
“Ahem!” The preacher cleared his throat. “You have a whole roomful of people waiting to congratulate you and to welcome you into the body of Christ as well.”
The couple walked by a line of people who slapped him on the back or hugged them both. Most said a blessing over them. As the couple reached the end of the line of people, they found themselves outside and in front of a table filled with food.
Hot dishes and sandwiches as well as cookies and cakes. Violet made sure to try a little bit of everything. These people had provided their best to make the day memorable as well as to welcome Bode and her into their congregation.
One more surprise awaited them before they left the church. Mrs. Brown walked up and handed Violet an iron skillet. Miss Andersen stood behind the woman with a blue enamel coffee pot in one hand and a brown package tied with twine in the other. “This is a pounding, Mrs. Parker. We ladies intend to see to it that you can cook meals right away in your new house.” After the preacher’s wife made her announcement, one woman after another stepped forward to introduce herself and present a pound of something to Violet. By the time she met the last lady, she’d received bacon, coffee, flour, sugar, salt, and other staples that would help her set up her kitchen cupboards.
Yes, Nebraska City quickly had become home.
The Ferryman stayed closed that night. Rex was in jail so he couldn’t open it. While Bode was unsure what might happen in the future, he had no wish to continue to own a tavern. He didn’t believe that a man could be condemned just by taking a drink, yet he didn’t feel led to continue running such a business on his own. He’d seen too many men waste away their lives drunk.
That night he put aside worries about the future. Instead, he held Violet’s hand as he stood over Barry’s crib. The peaceful child didn’t seem alarmed at the new house he’d gone to sleep in that night. Maybe the little guy had experienced so many changes in his life during the last week that just having Violet with him was reassurance enough. Regardless of the reasons, the baby went to sleep easily that night and seemed content.
Kissing his wife’s cheek, Bode breathed in the smell of roses that he had quickly come to associate with her. “And now, my dear, it’s our turn to go to bed.”
She turned to him and blushed in the soft light that glowed from the oil lamp. From her shy look, he expected her to say something or at least give him an excuse for staying up later. Instead, she led him by the hand out of the room and into their bedroom. There she turned and kissed his lips.
Bode woke to a situation that was very different from the night before. Last night he’d forced himself to keep from worrying about his p
artnership and focus on enjoying his wedding day and his wife. That morning, Reynolds caught up with the Parker family at the Table Creek Café with news about Rex.
During the night, Simmons had attacked the deputy and then forced his way into the cells at the back of the jailhouse to free Stubbins and Rex. Sheriff Reynolds had expected a man like Rex Kearney to have a backup plan. Sitting in front of the cells, he’d waited for what he called “the shenanigans” to start. And Rex’s man hadn’t disappointed him.
When Simmons broke through the door, the sheriff pointed a rifle at the man’s chest and ordered him to drop the gun. Rather than lowering his revolver, the henchman had flipped it through the bars to Kearney. As that man prepared to aim it at the sheriff, Reynolds pivoted and killed him. At least that was the story the man stuck to, refusing to give any credence to Simmons’ tale that Reynolds had smiled and coldly murdered Kearney as Rex leaned over to pick up the gun that he’d missed catching.
Chapter 10
The bar area had been large enough to separate it into two rooms—one for the hotel foyer and the other for a restaurant. Since The Ferryman already had a kitchen the change to hotel and restaurant happened quickly. The rooms above stairs where Bode, Rex, and the saloon girls had lived became bedrooms for guests. Within a week, the newly christened Nebraska House Hotel and Restaurant had opened to brisk business.
Bode stayed away from home until late many nights, getting the business established. Violet often pushed Barry’s carriage to Main Street and visited with him during the day. More than once she remembered the oddly intimidating Rex Kearney staring at her from the stairs that first day that she’d met him. The man had truly been evil.
Even though her husband remained busy, their marriage brought both of them happiness. He continued to attend Sunday morning and evening church services with her. As soon as he had the new manager, Cecil Godwin, trained, she knew Bode planned to be able to attend Wednesday prayer meeting as well.
A Bride For Bode (The Proxy Brides Book 21) Page 7