by Jodi Thomas
“No! This is no joke.” Hannah shoved him hard. “There’s a mob outside trying to break in!”
In the three years he’d been here he’d never seen a soul, except for his two hired hands, who rode in from their own places, and sometimes one of their women to help him with the cleaning. He’d given them the weekend off. Perhaps it was a herd of cattle, but not people. People would simply open the door, not break in. Ford hadn’t locked his door since he’d built the house. There was no need. No one had ever dropped by.
“I…”
A rumbling, stampeding sound rattled from the front of the house. The thick walls took the booming blows in steadfast stillness, but the air inside seemed to whirl with a thundering noise.
Hannah jumped from his bed, shoving her hair back and pushing up the sleeves of the nightshirt she wore. “See, I told you we’re being attacked.” Her fists were balled, ready to fight. “Get out of bed!”
Ford jerked on his pants as he hopped from the room. He hurried through the dressing area they shared and into his own bedroom, where she’d slept.
Hannah followed, running like a child at the parade’s tail who wanted to see the front. “What are you going to do?”
Ford didn’t answer as he pulled a pair of rifles and a box of shells from the space above his wardrobe.
“Do you think it’s Indians? Or maybe cattle rustlers?” Hannah began to pace as he loaded the first gun. The clamor outside sounded like fifty children banging on pots all at once. “Are you planning to shoot to kill or just wound them?”
Ford leaned both guns on his bare shoulder and unlocked her bedroom door as he headed to the main room.
“Ford! What are you going to do?” Hannah screamed.
Looking at her for the first time since he’d heard the racket, anger sparked in his eyes. Not at her, or at whoever was making all the uproar outside, but at himself for not thinking of her and how scared she must be. In the morning light, dressed in only his nightshirt, her wild hair alive with movement around her, she’d never looked more beautiful, or more terrified.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, wishing he had time to comfort her. “Don’t worry. I don’t know if I’ll shoot, but I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect my home. No one’s going to hurt you without killing me first. Do you understand, Hannah? I promise.”
She nodded.
He’d meant the words as comfort, but she didn’t look reassured. Fear still danced in her eyes.
Sneeze circled Hannah’s legs, seemingly unaware of all the noise beyond the walls. Hannah picked him up and held him tightly, too frightened to even ask questions now.
“Stand back,” Ford ordered as he crossed to the window.
After one quick glance, he set the guns down and took a step toward her. “Hannah, it’s…”
The door exploded open. Bodies flowed in like a human river. Sneeze jumped from her arms for safety beneath the table. Hannah bolted toward Ford. The room filled with people of all sizes and ages, everyone talking at once.
Ford pulled her under his arm, feeling her tremble.
Carhart’s voice boomed above the rest. “We’ve come to give you a shivaree, Brother Colston! Then we’ll have a wedding feast.”
Everyone seemed to agree. Everyone except the bride and groom. He ran his hand down her back and molded her against him, hoping she’d pull strength from his touch.
Backing toward the bedroom door, Ford leaned close to Hannah’s ear. “It’s all right; these are my neighbors. Go get me a shirt and you the robe. I’ll block the door and make sure you have a moment alone.”
Hannah decided maybe she should think about going back to Fort Worth. At least there the men were only killers. Here they all seemed to be crazy. Three hired killers didn’t look so bad compared to fifty insane neighbors. Men were shouting and women were carrying in food as if they’d just come to a social. Several children were playing chase the cat around the huge table.
When Ford pushed her behind him, Hannah ran for the bedroom. As she pulled on her robe and tied her hair back with a piece of string, she thought of locking both doors and leaving Ford and Sneeze to the mob. But she couldn’t. Sneeze could take care of himself, but she wasn’t sure about Ford. Already his sister was probably yelling for him to cover his nakedness. Gavrila seemed to think the sight of Ford’s bare chest was disgusting, but Hannah didn’t find it so at all. She’d seen very few men without shirts, and none whose muscles looked like they’d been carved out of oak and tanned by the sun.
Crossing to the bedroom where Ford had slept, Hannah fetched his shirt and noticed the bed. With a few quick jerks, she pulled the covers together. It was time to act like they had a real marriage, she thought, for as soon as she stepped through the door she would surely be in public. Hannah straightened her back and checked to see that her robe was tightly closed.
Ford’s gaze was on her from the moment she entered the room. He couldn’t help but smile at the sighs as others watched her move directly toward him. She was lovely, even in the dusty-blue wool robe he’d thought was the ugliest thing he’d ever seen when he’d opened it last Christmas. But on Hannah it looked almost elegant, like a ball gown color that should only be worn in candlelight.
Her attention was on him, as if she saw no one else in the room. She marched straight up to him and held the shirt up. When he turned, she slid the shirt over his shoulders and pulled his collar closed around his neck. As he buttoned the front, she smoothed the material. Then to everyone’s, including Ford’s, surprise, she raised to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
It was a bold act, Ford realized, but the kiss served its purpose. If there had been any doubt that she was a willing bride, everyone in town knew it for certain by this small action.
Ford could guess what the talk had been on the long predawn ride from town. The men who’d seen the wedding would relate the story to their wives, and they’d spread the word. By dawn, the consensus was probably that they’d save the poor girl from Ford’s clutches. After all, if no woman in the territory would be seen with him, it was not fair to make some stranger marry him just because she’d been fool enough to kiss the man.
He could just imagine how all the good wives got together and decided they had to go out and see for themselves. They probably thought the poor schoolteacher would be half-mad by now, after spending the night out on the wild canyon ridge with Sanford Colston, a man whose own father never allowed him under the same roof with his wife and daughter. It was their Christian duty to save the dear child.
But Hannah didn’t look like she needed saving. She circled her arm around the back of his waist and held her head high as she took her first look at their visitors. “You didn’t tell me you’d invited guests for breakfast, Ford.”
Everyone laughed, shattering the tension in the room. Fears for Hannah and invisible crusade banners were tucked away as they crowded around to be introduced to the lovely creature Sanford Colston had somehow captured.
As always, most folks said as little as possible to Ford. But he didn’t mind. The words of his stepmother, which had colored the community’s feelings toward him, seemed finally buried as he stood close to Hannah. He straightened with pride. In a month, when she left, everyone would remember what a fine husband he’d been. He’d even visit her grave every Sunday, and most folks heading home from church would see him there. They’d think he was mourning, but he’d be kneeling beside the marker and wishing her good luck, wherever she was. He owed her a great debt for what she was doing this morning.
“Ford!” Someone slapped him on the back, pulling him from his planning. “I have to say I’m surprised. Now I know why you’ve been taking off for Dallas so often. You’ve known this lady a long time, haven’t you?”
Hannah and Ford exchanged looks, but neither spoke. He didn’t want to start a circle of lies that he’d have to keep track of for the rest of his life.
“Stop being nosy, Dave Rickles. The man has a right to privacy in his lif
e,” shouted an older woman, who stood six feet tall without her boots, as she pushed her way in front of Hannah.
“My name’s Jinx Malone.” She pumped Hannah’s arm with vigor. “I can drive a full team better than most men and run the mail office in Lewis’s place. I’ve been a friend of your man’s since he was jackrabbit size and drivin’ bones down to Wichita.”
The huge woman took a breath and pulled on the wide belt holding up her slacks. “I buried four husbands and am looking for the fifth. Marriage is a fine fever for anyone to catch.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Malone.” Hannah smiled for the first time since the company arrived. The gray-haired woman before her was wrinkled by years but full of life.
“Since I’m your husband’s friend,” she added, as if she didn’t give friendship lightly, “I guess that makes me yours also, so call me Jinx. I’ve had so many missus handles, I forget which one to answer to. My last husband said if he didn’t outlive me to start calling myself Jinx, in order to warn number five. So Jinx it is.”
“Thank you.” Hannah accepted her gift of friendship.
Jinx leaned closer. “He’s a good man, that husband of yours, but not too bright.” Before Ford or Hannah could argue, Jinx pulled a box from behind her. “’Cause if he had a lick of sense, he’d have stopped by Lewis’s store and picked up these things before he left town last night. Smith told me what happened to your luggage. It ain’t right, a new bride not having anything to wear.”
Hannah looked puzzled as she opened the box. Inside were two dresses, both finer than anything she’d ever had. One blue with a soft white lace collar, the other a dark gray with wine cuffs. She also found undergarments and bath soap and combs and a brush.
“Thank you.” She fought down tears as she looked up at Jinx.
“Don’t thank me.” The large woman laughed. “I charged them to your husband, so he’s the one to thank.”
Hannah glanced at Ford.
He nodded slowly. “You’d best try them on, darlin’. I’ll try to talk these good people into going back home.”
“Going home, nothing, big brother,” Gavrila shouted so that everyone could hear. “We’ve come out to celebrate your wedding. I’ve arranged everything.”
Ford stared at his sister, hoping she’d at least look at him while she made plans to ruin his day, but as usual Gavrila paid him no mind and went about her plans.
“If the women will help me, we’ll have a wedding breakfast on the table by the time my brother gets shaved and tries to make himself look presentable. Then we’ll bring the ragbags in and start piecing a quilt. Since they didn’t have rings, we might not want to do the double wedding ring pattern. I’ve decided on the lone star instead.”
Ford slipped his hand around Hannah’s and moved toward the bedroom door. “We’ll join you in a little while,” he said to no one. They were both running by the time they reached the safety of the bedroom.
Glancing back, Ford saw men moving furniture at Gavrila’s command, and several women had disappeared into the kitchen. The quiet of Ford’s home was vanishing like a paper castle in the rain.
He closed the door to the bedroom and leaned against it, thankful to be alone. No matter what the occasion, Gavrila always had to be the center of attention. In the past three years, she’d shown no interest in coming out to his canyon house, but now she was acting as if this were truly her home, also.
“I love the dresses.”
“What?” Ford had forgotten all about Hannah being in the room.
She’d placed all the things from the box out across the bed. Touching each, she smiled her pleasure. “Thank you. I’ve never had anything so…”
He touched her lips, stopping her confession. “Don’t say it,” he whispered. “Don’t say anything like that to me or anyone else here.” He didn’t want to think that she’d never been cared for. “You deserve them, and far more. Thank you for doing what you did out there in front of everyone. If they didn’t think we were happily married before, they do now.”
For a moment she looked puzzled. “Oh, helping you with your shirt. It was part of our agreement. I want to make this charade work, for both our sakes.”
“So do I,” Ford agreed as he moved to the dressing area to shave. How could he explain to her that, though she was not the kind of wife he’d ever have chosen, she was acting like the very kind of woman he’d always dreamed would stand at his side? He knew it was only a performance for the crowd, but she was so attentive and loving out there, he almost believed it was real. “Mind if I clean up in here?”
“No, I don’t mind. You might cause quite a stir if you shaved in the kitchen, as we agreed. You’re welcome to the space, as long as you keep your back turned. I can’t wait to try on at least one of these dresses. Maybe you can tell me about the people while we get ready.”
Setting the kettle to heat on the little stove, Ford unbuttoned his shirt and began to lather up for his shave. He squared his shoulders so that there was no way he’d turn slightly and see her dressing.
When he looked in the mirror, he almost cut his own throat with his razor. Hannah’s image reflected back. By all that was good and proper in this world, he knew he should step away from the mirror, but Ford remained frozen, unable to do anything but watch.
She stood next to his bed, her back to the dressing area as she slowly unbuttoned the nightshirt. He could measure the progress of each button by the slipping of the shirt from her shoulders. Her gaze was on the new dress when she finally let the shirt tumble to the floor.
The razor slipped from Ford’s hand and plopped into the basin water. He hardly noticed.
Hannah stretched her arms above her head, then twisted her mass of hair into one knot. Slowly, as if she wanted him to enjoy the sight of her, she turned as she slipped the silk camisole around her back and began lacing it up from the waist. When her hands neared her breasts, the mounds of creamy white seemed to push up, as if resenting being tied away, even in silk.
Ford felt his throat go dry. To his amazement, she didn’t hear his heart pounding and continued dressing.
Next, she leaned forward and slipped into a pair of legging things Ford could never remember seeing, even in the stores. They were silk, with ruffles of lace and bows just above her knee. As she pulled them over her hips, she leaned forward at the waist slightly and seemed to stick out her bottom in a manner that made Ford forget to breathe. The bloomers laced at the knee. As she lifted each leg to reach the ties, the material on the other leg stretched tight, making a clear outline of her form from the waist down.
Her beauty washed over him in scalding waves, warming his blood.
Ford watched as she pulled on white stockings that went all the way to her knees. She leaned sideways to straighten them. A silk shoulder strap fell, causing her camisole to slip and Ford to have to grip the shaving stand to keep from turning to face her.
Hannah seemed unaware of his dilemma, for she continued dressing. She pulled on the high-collared, toe-length navy dress that was very proper, but all Ford could see were the curves beneath the wool. Curves he knew were bound with ivory lace and silk.
He closed his eyes, knowing if he lived to be a hundred he’d always count this view of her as the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. A few times when he’d traveled he’d gone into saloons where they’d had unclothed women pictured over the bar, but nothing compared with this woman in the flesh.
“The shoes are too big.” Hannah startled him.
Ford turned slowly, pulling himself from the dream in the mirror to the reality of her behind him. Impossibly, reality was more beautiful than mirror image. She was brushing her hair in long, steady strokes. “I’m sorry,” he said, feeling like a fool. “I didn’t hear what you said.” He knew she should be able to hear his heart; after all, it was pounding now in his throat.
“I said, the shoes are too big, but everything else is a fit.”
Ford caught himself before he yelled, “I know.”
“I think that would be fine.” Ford fished for his razor in the now cool water. “But, Hannah, all those things are yours now. Plus anything else you need from the store. Just let Jinx know and she’ll send them out with the next load. She was right; I should have thought to stop and pick them up last night.”
“We both had a lot on our minds last night. However, thank you for them today.” She looked embarrassed by his offer to order more. “You’re a good man.”
“No, I’m not!” Ford wanted to scream. If she could read his thoughts right now, she would think he was an animal.
Chapter 6
HANNAH HAD JUST been introduced to a dozen women in the kitchen when Ford entered the room. He’d cut himself in two places shaving and his bandanna was untied around his neck, but she couldn’t help but smile at him and take the hand he offered.
His fingers were strong and firm around hers, giving Hannah an anchor in this sea of chattery folks. She’d seen men offer women an arm while walking down the street, but she’d never thought of herself as needing such a crutch.
“I want to have a dinner party in town,” Gavrila said, drawing Hannah’s attention. “As soon as you two decide to leave this cabin and take your place in the community.”
“We’re not hiding out here, sister.” Ford tried not to think about how long Gavrila would like to see them stay away from town. He knew she saw him as her cross to bear. She’d even told him many times that she’d have a flock of suitors if she hadn’t been cursed with him always lurking in the shadows of her life.
“If Hannah feels up to it after the trip from Dallas, I thought we’d ride in tomorrow.”
Hannah didn’t say a word.
“I assume I’ll have to teach the school for a while longer until she gets settled.” Gavrila was dragging her burden again. She’d told everyone who would listen how much she hated teaching, but thought she was the only one who could do the job until they hired someone proper.