Eddie’s Prize

by Maddy Barone

  Lisa took her husband’s arm, aware of the men in front of them and in back. The den was in sight, so if she wanted to talk to him, she had to do it now. She leaned close as if to absorb his heat. The position put her close enough to be able to speak quietly into his ear.

  “Eddie, I love you,” she began. “You know I wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt you, right?”

  He raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Yes, I know you wouldn’t intentionally do anything to hurt me. Why?” Suspicion shaded his tone.

  “Well, I heard you and your mom talking,” she confessed.

  He stiffened and directed his gaze straight ahead. She waited for him to say something, but he stayed quiet.

  “Eddie? I don’t care what your secret is. I love you.”

  His shoulders relaxed the slightest bit. “I’m glad. I love you too.”

  Lisa waited, hoping he would volunteer more information. He didn’t. “It sounded like it was something genetic. I think I should know if it will affect our children.”

  His shoulders snapped back with even more rigidity than before. “I’m not discussing it.”

  “Why? Because your mom told you to keep secrets from me?”

  “Keep your voice down,” Eddie said evenly.

  Lisa stared at the clear cut lines of his profile, at the golden hair spilling from his blue stocking cap. He never looked more like a distant, painted angel. She lowered her voice obediently. “Is it something I can help you with? Maybe the doctor can—”

  She could hear his teeth grinding. “No. Drop the subject.”

  “No,” she said firmly. “You told your mom you wanted to tell me, and I think I have the right to know. I’m your wife.”

  “Leave it,” he ordered, walking faster. “I can’t risk telling you. It’s too dangerous for everybody.”

  “Eddie,” she began.

  “No!” He stopped so suddenly she skidded on the icy road. He caught her by the shoulders to keep her upright and gave her a little shake. “No, Lisa. Drop it. This conversation is over.”

  Tears burned at the backs of her eyes. Lisa forced them back with a ragged breath. “You don’t trust me.”

  With a set face, he let her go and walked ahead. Lisa followed, balancing herself carefully on the ice. A slip would send her crashing to the ground, and she was afraid the impact would shatter her like a fragile porcelain figurine.

  Eddie dismissed his friends with curt words when they reached the den. The chain link fence around the den was shiny with newness. There were more guards prowling around on the inside and outside than Lisa remembered seeing before. She counted eight guards, three in their human form and five in wolf form. One of the guards raised a friendly hand to her. She had gotten to know Snake when he lived at the Plane Women’s House. Beside her, Eddie made a soft yowling sound deep in his throat like an unhappy cat. Lisa was too angry to care. She returned Snake’s wave with a smile and walked confidently through the gate he held open for her.

  When she entered the den, with Eddie stalking behind her, Carla leaped up from where she’d been sitting beside the fire with Taye sitting on the floor beside her chair. He rose to his feet with almost the same grace Eddie had.

  “Lisa!” Carla pounced on her and gave her a hug. “How are you?”

  If they’d been alone, Lisa would have told her. But the rec room was filled with half the Pack lounging around on the floor, watching them with bright, inquisitive eyes. The elderly lady everyone called The Grandmother was by the window with Rose, the teenaged plane crash survivor, winding yarn into balls.

  “I’m good,” she said with heroic restraint. “How are you? I heard about the attack a few weeks ago.”

  A shadow passed over her friend’s hazel eyes. “We’re as well as can be expected. It’s going to take a while to get over it.” She turned gratefully to Taye when he wrapped a comforting arm around her waist and buried her face in his shoulder for a moment. Taye’s big brown hand was gentle when he smoothed her hair back, but his eyes were cool when he looked at Eddie.

  “Madison,” he said curtly. But he warmed when he looked at Lisa. “Mrs. Madison, you must be cold after your walk. Come sit by the fire. Jelly, bring some cider for the Madisons.”

  Jelly had grown at least two inches since the last time Lisa had been to the den. His lanky, broad-shouldered frame had quite a bit of filling out to do, but he was going to be a very attractive man. He handed cups around. Lisa took hers and followed Carla back to the fireplace, taking the chair next to Carla’s. Taye sat cross-legged beside his wife’s chair and leaned his head on her knee.

  Lisa rubbed a hand over her breastbone to sooth the pain in her heart. Taye and Carla looked relaxed and happy, so different from her and Eddie. Eddie stood behind Lisa’s chair scowling and silent, while Lisa did her best to join in the chatter. She thought she was doing pretty well, but every now and then she saw The Grandmother give her a discerning look. The old lady probably wasn’t easily fooled. Lisa sighed. Maybe she wasn’t hiding her misery very well after all.

  The door of the den slammed open. She jerked her head around to see Jumping Stag, one of Taye’s cousins who lived at the Plane Women’s House, stamp into the rec room. She knew Stag from the visits she’d made to the Plane Women’s House. He was desperately in love with Sherry, another survivor of the plane crash, who refused to have anything to do with him. Lisa had always felt sorry for him. He stopped in front of Taye and shoved a paperback book into his face.

  “He strips her naked and ties her to the bed?” Stag roared. “I’m not stripping Sherry and tying her to the bed!”

  Lisa fumbled her empty cup, gaping at Stag. Jelly neatly caught it and handed it back to her.

  “Taye!” Carla jumped up, dumping her husband’s head off her knee. “Did you give him one of your romance novels to use as a template to seduce Sherry?”

  Taye’s smile was a strange mix of sheepishness and heat. “It worked for me.”

  When his wife folded her arms, Taye shrugged. “What advice do you have for Stag, sweetheart?”

  Carla exchanged an exasperated glance with Lisa. “Let Sherry set the pace. Let her be in control. That way she won’t be afraid.”

  Words came out of Lisa so fast she couldn’t stop them. “Trust her. Trust is the most important thing in a marriage.”

  As soon as the words were out, Lisa inwardly cringed. She could almost feel Eddie frosting over behind her. She tried to tell Eddie with her eyes she was sorry, but his eyes were cold and hard when he stepped deliberately away. Lisa tried to hide how much that hurt her. She might not have been successful. Carla was glaring at Eddie. Taye noticed his wife’s displeasure and added his glare. It was ridiculous the anger of a werewolf could make her feel better, but it did. Taye and the other men here were clearly on her side.

  “So,” said Taye, turning to Stag after a long furious silence. “You want us to run patrols for you?”

  Lisa didn’t try to follow the rest of the conversation. She had been looking forward to seeing her friend, but now the visit couldn’t end soon enough. A churning mix of regret and resentment burned in her throat. She and Eddie had to talk, but not here.

  When they finally were able to leave, Carla gave her a fierce hug good-bye. “You need to come again when we can have a little time alone,” she whispered.

  “I’d like that. Maybe after the mayor’s Gala?”

  Taye must have perfect hearing. He ignored Eddie’s sullen growl to lay a hand on Lisa’s shoulder. “You’re always welcome, Mrs. Madison.”

  Stag and two others of Taye’s Pack walked them home, so Lisa didn’t get a chance to apologize and talk to Eddie. But from his stiff posture, Lisa guessed he wouldn’t have listened anyway. He curtly thanked their escort when they got to the mayor’s compound. Lisa didn’t dare smile at them as they moved off toward the Plane Women’s House. Eddie was pissed off enough as it was.

  Eddie marched Lisa to the edge of Ray and Darlene’s yard before saying in the same curt tone, �
�I have to leave you here. There are animals for me to check on. I won’t be back until late, so eat supper without me.”

  “Eddie,” Lisa began.

  But he turned and walked away. A torrent of angry words crowded Lisa’s throat, but she’d spoken without thinking once already today, so she forced them back, walked to her house, went into the cold kitchen, and built up the fire. The warmth of the flames might not melt the ice Eddie’s attitude had wrapped around her heart, but the fire would warm her nose and toes. If he wanted to avoid her, fine. She would be patient. She wouldn’t nag him. She would apologize, and eventually he would realize he could trust her with his secrets. This marriage was too precious to wreck, and she was willing to work to make it successful.

  Chapter 21

  A week later Bree bounced into Lisa’s kitchen as Lisa finished getting the last few things together to take to the mayor’s New Year Gala. “Are you ready to go?” she asked excitedly. “Where’s Eddie?”

  Lisa forced her face into a bright smile. “He had to go out to check on some horses.” Eddie had barely been home this week. “He said to go on without him. He’ll meet us there when he’s done.”

  Bree’s eyes saw far too much. Lisa struggled to keep her smile. “Oh,” Bree said after a long pause. “Do you have everything ready?”

  “Yes.” Lisa indicated the four cardboard boxes on the kitchen table. “Those are the pies I baked. I have plates, tableware, and glasses in the basket, along with my comb and other toiletries. And here’s my dress.”

  “Ooh, can I see?”

  Lisa opened the muslin hanging bag to reveal the pale blue dress. Her sister-in-law looked at it for a minute. “It’s pretty. Not too fancy.”

  Lisa carefully closed the bag. “I didn’t want anything too gaudy. Eddie wouldn’t like that. This style relies on the cut to make it elegant.”

  “It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see it on you.”

  After the messy work of cleaning up the meal was finished, all the women in town would change from their work clothes to their party clothes. Lisa was looking forward to it. This would be the first time since the plane crash she would put on her makeup and do her hair. When Eddie saw her in her new dress, he would forget about being angry with her. Wouldn’t he?

  Ray had had a pair of wagons hitched to carry all of them and their supplies to the place where the Gala would be held. Lisa handed her boxes of goodies up to one of Steve Herrick’s men and settled in the back of the first wagon between Bree and Darlene. She watched the frosty scenery as they rolled northwest to a part of town she hadn’t seen before. Fifty years ago this must have been a college, and the building they stopped at looked like it had been an indoor athletic venue. Yes, there were some letters fixed to the building that said SPORTS CENTER.

  Inside it was icy cold. The faint scent of roasting meat hung in the air, but Lisa didn’t know where it was coming from. Just inside the doors was a tiled open area with floor to ceiling windows that let in glorious sunlight. Lisa followed Bree through heavy doors to a huge gymnasium. Its wood floor no longer held a glossy polish, but remnants of colored stripes marked what had been a basketball court. Actually, several basketball courts could fit in this space. Long narrow windows bordered the tops of the walls. Those windows didn’t let in as much sunlight as the outer area did, but it was enough for Lisa to see Steve and a half dozen other men carrying what looked like woks the size of kiddy pools.

  “The braziers,” explained Bree. “It’ll take a while to warm this place up. Come on, let’s put our stuff away.”

  Still carrying her cardboard boxes full of pies, Lisa followed Bree across the floor to a narrow corridor, up a short flight of cement steps, to a wide aisle outside the arena. Lisa recognized it would have been the concessions area. She swallowed when she saw a faded diet soft drink advertisement, struck by a craving so strong she could almost feel the bubbles fizzing down her throat.

  “Isn’t that heavenly?” said Bree, clutching her boxes to her chest with a happy smile.

  “What?”

  Bree inhaled deeply. “The meat. I love the smell of meat cooking. The ovens have been going since last night. Follow me.”

  The concessions area ran the length of this outer corridor. A little further on, metal cylinders on feet lined the wall. There were about a dozen of them, each large enough to hold a whole cow or pig, and they were completely closed to hold in the heat of their fires.

  “I love coming back here,” Bree confided. “It’s warm from the ovens, and it smells so good.”

  It was warm and it did smell good. The ovens were being watched over by a couple of boys in their late teens. They nudged each other and smiled shyly at Bree. The mayor’s daughter ignored them and led Lisa away from the ovens into a large room.

  “You can put your food over here. Everyone will drop their potluck things off here.”

  Lisa didn’t know sports arenas had professional kitchens. This one did. She set her boxes down on a stainless steel counter and followed Bree again, this time to a lower level that held locker rooms.

  “We can put our dresses here, and after supper we’ll come back here to change.”

  “It’s really cold down here.” Lisa’s fingers stung when she opened a locker to stow her dress in it.

  “Yeah, and pretty dark too. But we’ll bring lanterns with us when we come to change. Ready? Let’s go back upstairs and stand by one of the braziers to warm up.”

  While she and Bree had been wandering around, a small army of men had been busy setting up rows of tables and chairs, and the portable fire pits were lit and placed in rows at each long wall. Darlene was sitting at one of the tables, looking weary and a little angry. Bree went to her.

  “Mom, are you okay?”

  “Where were you, young lady?” Lisa jumped at the acid note in Darlene’s voice. “Where is your escort?”

  “Um.” Bree ducked her head. “I didn’t think we needed an escort to go put our things away.”

  “You know better, Brianna Dorothy Madison.” Darlene’s anger put a little color in her cheeks. “When you’re outside the house, you must have an escort.”

  “But, Mom, it’s the Gala.”

  “Precisely. There will be hundreds of men here, many of them not even from Kearney, and you would be a tempting target for a bride stealer. Bad enough you risked yourself, but did you think of Lisa?”

  Bree’s curly head drooped. “No,” she whispered. “But we’re safe here. We didn‘t even see anyone else.”

  “Bree, you’re not thinking. You didn’t see any of the men your father trusts. So if a stranger snatched you, who would have been there to stop them?”

  A shudder worked its way down Lisa’s back. Eddie’s cold silence and long absences of the past week made her wonder how Eddie would feel if someone stole her. He wouldn’t be relieved. No, of course he wouldn’t. This was just another of their spats. It would blow over.

  Darlene’s tone gentled, showing weariness. “The vice mayor from Omaha is here. If he got you or Lisa, what would your father have to give to get you back?”

  Bree’s head came up, eyes full of distaste. “Mr. Vann is here?”

  “He arrived last night, with his usual forty man escort. And a woman. They’re staying in Faron Paulson’s house.”

  Darlene echoed her daughter’s distaste, but Lisa wasn’t sure if it was the man who caused it or the woman.

  Bree’s pale blue eyes rounded. “Mr. Vann got married?”

  Her mother shrugged. “They’re from Omaha. I doubt they’re married.”

  Lisa looked from one Madison woman to the other. “People don’t get married in Omaha?”

  “Some do.” Darlene sniffed. “But there are several hundred women there, and the government fines them if they marry. The majority of women in Omaha are businesswomen.”

  There was a place in this patriarchal world where women were allowed to stay single and have jobs? Lisa wanted to cheer. Her mother-in-law’s sour expression kept h
er quiet. “What sorts of businesses do they have?”

  “The oldest profession, I believe it’s called”

  The urge to cheer died. “Prostitutes. Do they have to be prostitutes?”

  “No, but if they aren’t, they have to pay fines.”

  Lisa took a step back. “What?”

  Darlene nodded grimly. “Starting at age eighteen, any woman who isn’t in business pays an annual fine. When she marries, she pays a fine. It’s a large one, but it is paid only once.”

  Lisa sat down. “That’s horrible.”

  “Since not everyone can afford to pay the fines, most women go into business. I’ve heard they get to keep half of their earnings, and it’s a generous sum, so after a few years they can afford to marry if they choose.”

  Lisa shook her head. She remembered being horrified and furious at being made a prize for a bride fight. “I guess I am luckier than I thought.”

  Darlene reached and patted her hand. “Yes.”

  “But why is this man here?” Lisa asked. “It’s winter, and Omaha is a long way from here.”

  “He’s here to remind us to pay our taxes.” Bree sounded like she wanted to spit. “We pay every year so Omaha won’t attack us.”

  “It’s a high price,” Darlene said tiredly. “But worth it to keep our freedom.”

  Bree frowned. “Mom, you need to lie down for a little while. Should I ask someone to set up your cot?”

  Darlene was about six months along in her pregnancy, but she looked like she could give birth anytime. In addition to her rounded belly, her ankles were hugely swollen, and her eyes showed exhaustion. She nodded. “That’s a good idea. You and Lisa will have to take charge of the potluck.”

  Bree bent to give her a careful hug. “Mom, I’m sorry about not using an escort. It won’t happen again.”