First Comes Marriage

by Sophia Sasson

  “Who are they?” Jake pointed at the band.

  “Don’t worry, I thought the meatless meal would be enough of an experiment. The band is from Richmond—they do country music. The online reviews said they’re quite good.”

  He smiled mischievously. “Well, then, you’ll have to save a dance for me.”

  A shiver ran down her spine. She looked down shyly. “I don’t dance very well.”

  He leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.” His breath warmed her ear.

  “Jake, these burgers are yum-mum-mee.” While Meera was staring at her feet, Gloria had sidled up to Jake and put her hand on his arm.

  Meera smiled brightly at her. Best fake smile, Meera—time to mend fences. Gloria was wearing extremely small shorts again, showing off miles of legs that ended in wedged heels. Ah, note to self: pointed heels get stuck in the mud, wedges are the way to go. She would have to go shoe shopping soon; retail therapy might be a good antidote to the stress of Bellhaven. Gloria had paired her shorts with a red-and-white-checkered shirt tied in a knot above her belly button, and a pink cowboy hat completed the look. She and Jake would make a picture-perfect, all-American couple.

  “Mmm... This is so good, Jake—what did you put it in?” Gloria purred. She leaned in, and Jake took a step closer to the grill, away from her.

  “It’s just beef, Gloria, nothing special.”

  Oh, I can’t watch this. Meera excused herself, much to Gloria’s delight and Jake’s apparent dismay. She headed over to see the band.

  “Dr. M., can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Meera turned to find a young woman standing behind her. The girl was red in the face and heavyset. Meera frowned. The raised rash on her face could indicate a medical problem. “Of course. Come with me.”

  Meera led her to the cottage, and she looked around nervously as she hurried along. “Please don’t tell anyone I’m talkin’ to you.”

  Meera ushered her into the living room. “Don’t worry. If I’m here as your doctor, I won’t repeat anything you say unless you ask me to.”

  “Okay. My name’s Lily...” She still seemed anxious. “I have this problem, and I can’t tell anyone else in town...”

  Meera nodded and scanned the young woman’s body, looking carefully at her face. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

  Lily’s eyes widened. “You can’t tell anyone!” Her voice was panicked.

  Meera put her arm around Lily soothingly. “Like I said, this is confidential. Nothing you tell me will leave this room.”

  Lily relaxed visibly. “You promise? You can’t tell a single soul in this town.”

  Meera nodded.

  Lily collapsed on the couch. “How did you know?”

  “The rash on your face looks like pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. And your weight.”

  “Everyone thinks I just got fat, but the rash is new and I... Is the baby okay?”

  Meera went to her bedroom and brought out the medical bag her father had given her. She opened it and began taking Lily’s blood pressure. She asked Lily some questions and did a brief exam, pressing on her belly. “The rash can happen with pregnancy, and I think you’re fine, but I need to do an ultrasound to be sure. If you’re right about your last period, you’re about thirty-two weeks along.”

  Lily shook her head. “I can’t come to the office for an ultrasound. Rose would blab about it to the whole town.” She paused and touched her cheek. “I haven’t told the baby’s father—that’s why I haven’t seen Dr. Harper. I can’t have this town knowing...” She stopped and looked down. “It’s a little complicated.”

  Meera squeezed her hand. “If you haven’t seen a doctor since you got pregnant, it’s really important we do an ultrasound and run blood tests to make sure everything is all right. Come to the clinic tomorrow after twelve. Rose goes to lunch and Dr. Harper goes home to check on his wife around then. Wait in the car until you see them leave, then ring the bell and I’ll come get you. They’ll never know.”

  Lily nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Dr. M. I had no idea what to do or who to go to. Jake said you’re a good person...” She sat up straighter. “I know the town doesn’t want you here, but please don’t let them run you off.” She put her arms around Meera and held her tight, taking her by surprise. Meera had never been hugged by a patient before. And I haven’t even done anything for her.

  She let Lily leave the cottage and followed several minutes later, watching as the young woman rejoined the crowd.

  She hasn’t seen a doctor since she got pregnant! Maybe being an outcast isn’t such a bad thing. Then people who need privacy, like Lily, can come to me, and I can focus on those who really need my help. She felt a spring in her step as she went back to the barbecue.

  She had to remember to thank Jake for sending Lily. The fact that she’d gone to him when she hadn’t told anyone else in town said a lot about the type of person Jake was.

  The band was in full swing and from the look of it, everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were several people on the dance floor, yelling with delight and teasing each other. Perhaps all was not lost. She took in the gleeful faces and grudgingly wondered whether Jake was right. Maybe it was too much to expect the town to rethink their way of life with one barbecue. Where was Jake, anyway?

  “Hey.”

  She placed a hand on her chest. “Could you not sneak up on me like that?”

  “What was that about?” He nodded toward Lily.

  Meera shrugged. “Nothing. She just had to use the bathroom and wanted to tell me how much she hates tofu burgers.”

  Jake smirked. “You’re such a bad liar, it’s written all over your face.” Meera started to protest, but he waved her off. “It doesn’t matter. It’s time to do the two-step.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  His eyes gleamed. Grinning ear to ear, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her onto the dance floor. She squealed. He twirled her and began showing her the steps to the dance. She felt breathless as she followed his steps, feeling a little anxious at her clumsiness.

  “I can’t do this, Jake.”

  He shook his head. “Let go, Meera. It’s about the music and having fun. You don’t have to do it right—just try it, be free.”

  She grinned. You don’t have to do it right? Then how was she supposed to have fun? She took a breath and started moving again, watching everyone else’s feet so she could copy their steps perfectly. Several people on the dance floor were making eye contact with her, nodding encouragingly. Jake introduced her to old Mr. Leeland, who grabbed her hand and twirled her. She couldn’t help dissolving into giggles as the elderly man tried to dip her. She caught Jake’s eye, and he winked at her as she stepped on Mr. Leeland’s foot. He laughed good-naturedly and led her across the floor. She couldn’t keep up with the steps; everyone’s feet were a jumble.

  Someone twirled her and suddenly she was being passed from partner to partner, each one kind about her mistakes. She caught Rose staring at her, a smile on her face. Maybe Jake was right. She stopped worrying about the steps and started enjoying the music.

  She felt completely carefree as Jake caught her hand and lifted her up when she began stepping on his toes.

  She didn’t know how long she spent dancing, enjoying herself with each breathless round on the floor. There were cheers and hoots from the crowd as she finally made a circuit without stepping on any toes. I can’t remember the last time I felt this free. Jake had long since passed her off to another dance partner, but she searched for him in the throng.

  Billy John had just grabbed her hand when a loud scream jolted her. Several others joined in, and chaos broke out as people began running in all directions. The band stopped playing. “Everyone clear out.” It was Jake’s voice, but she couldn�
�t find him in the sea of arms and legs. What’s happening? She looked around frantically and gasped. Flames! The grill was on fire along with the edge of a tablecloth.

  “Move aside.”

  Meera saw Jake running toward the fire with an extinguisher. The tablecloth was now fully ablaze and lighting the roof of the tent. She took out her cell phone, but put it away when she heard the faraway sound of sirens. She ran out of the tent and stopped a safe distance away, noticing Jake had done the same. A few of the ranch workers were approaching with extinguishers, but Jake waved them back. The fire had spread too much. The slight breeze had carried the flames across the field, right up to the barn. The fire department would have to handle it.

  The fire engines arrived in a blaze of lights, their sirens screaming. Several firefighters ran toward the fire, aiming their hoses.

  Jake stood several yards away from her. As if he knew she was looking at him, he turned and caught her eye. Oh, boy! Even from a distance, she could feel his fury. He stalked over.

  “Tell me you opened the vent on the back of the grill when you set it up.”

  Her mouth went dry. She put a hand to her forehead, trying desperately to remember. She could see his instructions in her mind’s eye; she had written them down precisely on the clipboard. The paper said to open the vent after the coal heated up, but all she could remember was that she had been reading that very instruction when he walked up to her. And she had lost her train of thought. She didn’t remember actually opening the vent.

  “I...I’m not sure I did. Oh, God, Jake, I’m so sorry.”

  His eyes reflected the flames that were demolishing the barn behind her. “Do you have any idea how dangerous a fire is on a ranch? What it can do to the animals? Not to mention the fact that I may have lost a barn full of hay. Do you know how much bales cost these days?” He began pacing as the firefighters doused the fire. It seemed to be coming under control, but Meera could see a mess of soggy black ash on the ground and a black shell where the pretty red barn had stood. She thought that she’d ruined the barbecue earlier with the veggie dogs, but this? This was a complete disaster.

  When Jake came close to her again, she touched his arm. “I’ll pay for the damage.”

  He whirled to face her. “Are you kidding me? You can’t wave your magic credit card and make this all okay, princess.”

  She inhaled sharply, trying to breathe against the tightness in her chest.

  “Tomorrow morning, I’d like you to leave. I’ll talk to Marty about giving you a room—although after tonight, I’m not sure you’ll ever recover with this town.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  JAKE’S EYES KEPT wandering to the door. It’s still early—she may not be up yet. He knew she hadn’t left. Her rental was still in the carport.

  “Earth to Jake! What do you want us working on today?”

  Jake snapped to attention. “Go about your regular chores,” he said dismissively. “I’ll deal with the cleanup.” He watched his staff file out silently; they had worked with him long enough to know he was in a mood.

  “Kell, have you gotten your physical yet?”

  Kelly shook her head and mumbled, “I’ll get to it.” She left quickly, and he fought the urge to throw something at her. He worried about her. She tried to hide it, but he knew there was something wrong. He couldn’t let Meera go yet, not until she finished the physicals. And there is absolutely no other reason I want her to stay.

  He hung around the kitchen, rearranging dishes in the dishwasher. After he was done, he went into the pantry. I know Jolene had a teapot. A teapot she used to drink fertility tea while she was planning on leaving me. He shook his head. Every woman in my life is determined to torture me. He couldn’t figure Meera out. Why was she so desperate to have the town like her? It was as if some internal motor was driving her to make sure she was acceptable. She’d worked herself to the bone getting that barbecue organized. She hadn’t snapped her fingers and hired an army to put it together. Though if she had, he wouldn’t be calculating damages right now.

  He gave up looking for the teapot and glanced at his watch. He couldn’t waste away the day. He walked toward his ruined field and barn; he would hear her car leaving. His stomach turned as he saw the damage from afar. He’d had more than a hundred hay bales in the barn, and most of them were burned, charred or waterlogged and full of ash. With the drought this year, he didn’t have enough grazing fields to get through the winter. He’d managed to get a good deal on hay to keep the animals fed.

  He stopped and stared, painful knots twisting his stomach. He couldn’t afford to replace that much hay, especially not at current prices. He wouldn’t make a profit this year. Again. He did some quick calculations. With the loss of hay, and this field, he would have to sell at least fifty steers or send them to slaughter right now. He wouldn’t get the same price he would get in a few months, but if he had to buy more hay and grain to feed them, he’d have to take out a loan and with interest—he did some quick math—he’d be screwed, anyway. Either way, the ranch was going to take a big hit.

  He blew out a breath. Meera’s more trouble than she’s worth. Although truth be told, he should have checked the grill. That’s what he’d been walking over to do when her smile distracted him. He was furious at himself. He didn’t remember Jolene turning him upside down like that. But then, he’d never met a woman like Meera before. The way she’d come back from the humiliation of her tofu dogs...it took courage to face up to Hell’s Bells like that. He had seen her retreat to the guest cottage. Most women would have stayed there licking their wounds, but not Meera. She’d marched right back as though she owned the evening.

  As he approached the field, he squinted. What the... He ran the last few yards. Meera was standing at the edge of the field, tossing debris into a trash bag as big as she was tall. She was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and her legs were covered in soot and dirt. He remembered the disdain in her eyes the first day they met when he patted his dirty hands on his jeans. What is she doing getting her hands dirty? He knew the answer even before he asked.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “I’ve been taught to take responsibility for my actions, so I’m not leaving you with this mess.”

  Her determination made his heart speed up. Why didn’t she just leave or hire staff to clean up after her? She was a princess; why break a sweat?

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  “Actually, Jake, I do. It’s my fault, and I need to fix it.”

  He took in the firm set of her lips and locked on to her earnest, brown, almond-shaped eyes. She had guts coming out here to face him after the way he’d stormed at her last night.

  Inexplicably, he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her it would all be okay, that he would take care of it. Manual labor was for hardy ranchers like him. She might have the heart for it, but she was too delicate to toil away in the heat.

  He pointed to the big white tent that had fallen once the fire went out, then gestured to the area she was working on. “This is the easy part, you know. Wait till you see what’s under the tent—it’s ash and mud, and the barn has entire sections that’ll need to be rebuilt. Any idea how many gallons of water they dumped?”

  She looked down. “I can’t undo what happened yesterday, but I’m going to make it right. I’ll also pay for whatever damage I caused.” He stepped closer, distracted by the ruined barn behind her. He pictured his last balance sheets. The numbers weren’t looking good.

  “Meera, this is not your problem. Let me handle it.”

  “I have to take responsibility.”

  “Look, I know your heart’s in the right place, but you have no idea what you’re doing here. This field, my barn, they’re ruined. My father built that barn with his own two hands and no magic credit card can replace that.”

  She made a strangled
sound, her lips trembling. “I should at least pay your building costs. And what about this field?”

  “The fields are used to feed the animals—they graze on grass. Without grass to feed them, I have to either sell or slaughter about fifty head in the next week.”

  Her face crumpled. She took a shaky breath and sat down on the dirty tent, burying her face in her hands. “You’re going to kill fifty animals because of me!” Something stabbed at his chest. She looked so heartbroken. What was he supposed to do? She didn’t understand that this was how the cattle business worked. He let out a breath. I’m so going to regret this.

  He sat down next to her. “It’s not your fault entirely. I was going to check the vent on the grill and got distracted.”

  She gazed up at him with glistening eyes. “With what?”

  “Huh?”

  “What did you get distracted with?”

  His mind brought up an image of her standing in nearly the same spot, smiling as if the world belonged to her. Inexplicably, he felt a kinship with Meera. They had nothing in common, at least not superficially, but beneath her uppity exterior, he sensed her kind soul. It made him want to know what else lay beneath the princess shell.

  She was looking expectantly at him, waiting for an answer. “I got distracted with you.” He reached out and took her hand, needing to feel contact with her.

  Her eyes widened, then she squeezed back. He exhaled. It wasn’t just him; she was feeling it, too.

  “The point is, this isn’t all on you. And I didn’t mean what I said yesterday—I was angry at myself and taking it out on you. You’re welcome to stay here. God knows you have your hands full with the town. You don’t need to worry about this.”

  She sniffed. “I appreciate your generosity, really, but this happened because of me. I’ll take you up on the offer to keep staying here, though. I still need to finish the physicals on your staff.” She extracted her hand from his, then stood up and dusted her palms on her jeans. “If you’ll be patient with me, I want to work on cleaning this up when I’m not twiddling my thumbs at Dr. Harper’s practice.”