"We wouldn't want this 'secret' to get out, so close to the wedding, would we."
"Get out!" she screamed and without further thought, she pulled the trigger, sending the bullet flying past his left shoulder.
Dillon's expression hardened. His eyes glazed over, his shoulders tensed, and his face contorted into a real frown. "I guess Harry will find out from me, then." Dillon moved toward the door.
Ma came running out with her shotgun.
"Dillon! You try this again, I'll kill you," Ma said, her shotgun aimed right at him.
"Now, Ma, is that any way to treat me? She wanted me here."
"If she wanted you here, she wouldn't have shot at you, you fool! Now get out before I get Harry after you."
Dillon left, slowly, his grin aimed at Jo Ella.
Jo Ella was shaking. Tears streamed down her face and she finally looked at Ma.
"He's trying to blackmail me, Ma!" Jo Ella cried.
"What's he got over you?"
Dillon was barely out of site before Jo Ella fell totally apart, crying hysterically.
"Child you get out of that water, and get something on you before you catch cold. We'll settle this. Ain't nothin' that bad…." Ma reassured her as she checked to see if Dillon had truly left or was merely waiting for her to leave. When she was satisfied that he was gone, she glanced at Jo Ella who was shaking like a leaf in a bad wind. "It's gonna be alright girl."
But Dillon had merely walked around the house and came back. He saw Ma still standing there and he grinned. "You tell her, I'll tell Harry." His expression sobering
"I don't think so. You ain't going nowhere, Dillon. Not until this is settled. Get your butt in here, now." Ma held her shotgun steady. "Now you get in here and sit down until she can get dressed. And we'll all sit down and talk."
Jo Ella sighed. Thank goodness Ma had the upper hand. She waited until they got out of the room to dry off and put her thick robe on. She joined them in the kitchen at the table.
"Is it true?" Ma asked as she joined them.
Jo Ella hung her head. "Yes, it's true."
"You ain't told Harry?" Ma's gaze held her.
"No… not yet."
"Then you go upstairs, put your clothes on, and go on over and tell him right now. And remember one thing." Ma glanced at Dillon. "If you really love him, and he really loves you, it won't matter one bit."
"But, Ma! Despite the way it looks, I love Harry. That was no lie. I don't want to lose him."
"You don't have to convince me. You have to convince Harry."
She nodded. "All right. I'll get dressed." Jo Ella moved toward the stairs but paused to listen.
"Now," Ma said directing all her attention at Dillon who looked a might frustrated. "You are gonna sit here and listen to me. You have done nothin' but create trouble for Harry these last few years. He'll put up with you, but I won't. I don't like you, Dillon, never have. You're a rat when it comes to women. I knowed you was bad. I just didn't know how bad until now. You may not know it, but Harry has been one of the few real friends you ever had. But you can push a man only so far, Dillon. Until he pushes back."
"Ma, I thought we were friends."
"Maybe a long time ago, when you were a kid. Not now. Not after this. Understand me, Dillon, I don't care what those girls upstairs are. They are all sweet, decent, young women who want the right things in life. And I don't blame them for trying to get them either. They had some bad starts in life, but unlike you they are trying to improve themselves. And there is nothing wrong with that. I guess with your good looks you could charm any one of them, but the devil is in you, Dillon and I aim to drive him out, one way or another. What you done to Jo Ella is unspeakable. No decent person would want to be around you. And while we are at it. Don't think you pulled the wool over Harry's eyes either. He knew you sent for that judge. He ain't stupid. Now, here's the deal, you are gonna straighten yourself up and act right, or I'm gonna shoot your pecker off. Got the idea?"
"Why Ma, I never heard you talk like that." Dillon frowned.
"You ain't heard a lot of things…" Ma chuckled as if to herself.
It warmed Jo Ella's heart to hear this, but would Harry feel the same way? Would he understand?
"They are sweet young women, every one of them," Ma continued. "They want a better life. Where better to get it than right here in Vada? This town has its fair share of sinners. But we don't need anyone like you going around, ruining things that might work out well in the long run. Scum like you is what made things bad for girls like Jo Ella. I won't have it. You are gonna sit here until either Jo Ella comes home or Harry does. And then you are gonna tell Harry what you have been up to."
"She's nothin' but a whore. Why you protecting her?"
"She ain't been nothing but a lady since she's been here. So I'd say she's a retired whore. All of them are. And you ain't gonna ruin their chances at a good life with your dirty mouth. You understand me. Do you have any idea why women end up whores? Has it occurred to you how their families mistreat them, kick them out of the house, and expect them to make a livin' for themselves? A woman can't do that without some money behind her. I've known lots of whores. I know all of them here in Vada. I like most of them. But I don't like you, Dillon. "
"You got the gun."
"I sure do, and don't you forget it."
Dillon smiled at her as Jo Ella passed him to reach the door. "Harry won't marry you."
"Don't be so sure." Ma put the gun to his head. "Go on, honey. Tell Harry. And let me know what he says. But if you don't come back for a long time, just be sure and lock those jail doors." Ma laughed.
"Thanks, Ma. Wish me luck." Jo Ella glanced at them.
As she shut the door, she heard Ma whisper, "Now you'll see what Harry is really made of."
Chapter Thirty-Six
Harry was doing his daily reports and going over his wanted list. When Jo Ella walked in, he stopped everything and took her into his arms to kiss her.
"Hmmm, you are just what I needed." Harry smiled at her.
But Jo Ella moved out of his arms. She visibly tensed and paced. She should be able to tell him anything, she thought to herself.
"You smell so sweet. Did you just have a bath?"
"H-how did you know?" she asked in a whisper.
"I remember the smell from the last time I was there. I couldn't forget that smell."
He tried to pull her toward him to kiss her, but she stopped him. "Harry, I need to talk to you. And I can't keep my head straight with you kissing me."
Harry still held her, able to see her face. She'd never looked so serious before. "Sure."
"I've got something to tell you… and you better sit down."
"Sounds ominous," he said quietly.
"It is serious."
Too anxious to sit, he stepped back. "Okay, Jo Ella, just spit it out. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it together."
"You know me and the girls came from up around the Red River area, right?"
"Yeah, I know that." He began, but her confusion and doubt seemed to crowd him. "So…"
"But what you didn't know, what everyone here doesn't know…" She dropped her gaze to the floor.
"You are wanted by the law?" he guessed.
"No. Not that."
"Good. Nothing else could be that bad. So tell me what you are trying to so hard not to. We'll work it out together."
"Will we?" Her eyes searched his.
"Sure. Come on. Come sit with me. Let me hold you. I like it better when I'm holding you." He pulled her unresisting body toward him.
"There's just no easy way to say this. We were…" She stopped, turned away from him, and then, as if seeking some comfort, turned back. "All of us girls… we… we were whores."
He sat there for a long time, still holding her, processing what he heard, thinking.
He frowned for a moment, and then slowly a smile began to form on his lips. "So?"
She looked incredulous at him. "So… aren't y
ou the least bit upset?"
He chuckled softly, pulling her fully into his arms. "Not the least…"
She pushed him away. "Why aren't you?"
"I told Ma about my suspicions a while back. That's when I decided to find out for myself. I ran a check on you. I've known for a while."
"You've… you've known for a while?" She swallowed and got up on her feet. "B-but you never said anything, about any of us. Why?"
"I run a check on all mail order brides. I have to, Jo Ella. I have to make sure the women aren't trying to take the men they marry for money or something. I have to be sure that there isn't some scheme working. But I have to admit, I took this news a little more serious because I was falling for you and I wanted to know more. Forgive me for prying. I finally had a long talk with Ma about it a few days ago."
"She knew too?"
"Not until then she didn't. But she did suspect there was something rather unusual about you girls. We talked it out and I felt better immediately. Look honey, being a whore doesn't make you a bad person. It means somewhere down the line you had some kind of struggle with life and you sought a way to get out. But I gotta admit, this is one of the most clever ideas I've ever heard. Mail order brides. Why should I be mad? You weren't trying to pull anything. You were trying to improve your conditions. Of which I admire you all for. Besides," He hugged her to him. "You've got experience in pleasing men. That means you know how to please men, in every way. I kind of like that myself. Part of the reason I never married was that I didn't want some squeamish girl who scared easily or was too modest to love me. Then I met you. I thought you the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. You still are. It doesn't matter to me."
"Ma acted like she didn't know."
"She didn't until a few days ago when I told her. I wasn't going to announce it around. That was your past business. I don't care personally. You have no outstanding records of arrest for high jacking men. You are beautiful, and you are mine." He sighed, pulling her back into his arms.
"Oh, God, you really mean it?"
"Of course I do. And I want to assure you I wouldn't say a word to anyone else about you or the other girls. But what forced you to come here tonight after your bath and tell me?"
"Ma did. Dillon came over. He was going to blackmail me into an affair so he could rub it in your nose. I told him I intended to tell you anyway, but he insisted he'd beat me to the punch. Ma is holding him at gunpoint now."
"I am going to kill that man. But I do want to know one thing." This had been plaguing him for a long while now. "Have you and he… ever…"
"No Harry. Never. Not even while we were on the trail. I wouldn't let that happen. I've wanted a home and family so bad. I wanted to hold my head up high and be a lady so bad. Even Dillon couldn't change that."
"Then that's all I need to know. Dillon will keep his mouth shut, I can assure you."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Ma has a way with men. She threatens to shoot their privates away. That usually does the trick. And she means it too." He chuckled as if to himself and then looked at her. "She says if they can't use them correctly, they could do without them. Pretty effective thinking, huh?"
Jo Ella laughed and clung to Harry. She loved him before she told him, and she loved him even more now. "Are you serious, about it not mattering to you?"
"Absolutely. So Dillon won't hurt you or any of the others. Ma and I will see to that. You see, there's no law against shooting a man in the privates if you have probable cause and of course she would. Because I'd back her all the way."
Jo Ella laughed, the tension fleeing her body as she wrapped her arms around him. "I thought you'd be so upset you'd call off the wedding."
"Are you kidding? I've waited too long as it is for this. I'm looking forward to it, especially the wedding night. I might even have a few surprises for you that night."
Her eyes shone as she whispered something in his ear.
He pulled her even closer. "I can't wait to see you in a nightgown," he purred in her ear.
"I guess I better tell you then… I don't wear any." She blushed beautifully.
He laughed with her, and she kissed him long and hard. Her lips enticed him as he tempted and teased her to open for him. His heart sang as she joined a slow waltz with his tongue.
"I want to kiss you all over. I want to look at you in the moonlight. And I want to call you Mrs. Jo Ella Jones. I want to take you to my bed, make love all night, and go to work the next day with a huge grin on my face. And I want to climb in that tub with you."
"Sounds wonderful. I can hardly wait."
His lips went down her neck slowly, and he moved her long hair away so he could touch her there. Then he held her high so he could nudge her dress down a bit and kiss her breast. The way her dark nipple peeked out of her dress had him growling. "You are so beautiful, Jo," he whispered.
"Are the doors locked?"
"Hmmm…"
"Are the deputies gone home?"
"Hmmm…"
"Do you have a tub?" she asked in a low whisper.
"Yeah… outside. You mean… here… now…"
"Well, honey, you don't have any prisoners, except me?" She giggled.
"We gonna put the honeymoon first?" He swallowed hard.
"Well…" She fluttered her lashes purposely. "I'm too much of a lady to say."
They both broke into a hearty laugh.
"This is scandalous, you know?" he encouraged her as he went to get the tub. She was pulling down all the shades and turning the lamp down low.
She heated water on his small stove. "I know. And Ma is waiting for us at home. Do you think she'll give up and go to bed?"
"Yeah, after she ties Dillon up. She'll want me to take care of him in the morning. And I'm gonna be smellin' like lilacs when I do." He laughed.
"Oh, Harry, I love you so," she whispered, moving closer for his kisses.
"Did I ever tell you how good I am with zippers?" His grin was infectious. as he slid it down and the dress loosened on her.
"Make me yours tonight, Harry!" Her lips met his in a kiss that sealed their marriage forever.
He looked down at her seriously for a second. "On our wedding night, we'll forget this night ever happened, you understand. This night is special. This night is the night my lady came to me. The night I made her mine…" He captured her lips over and over as he continued to whisper love words in her ear.
She walked out of the dress and dropped the rest of her clothes. "Take me. I'm yours."
"What are we gonna tell our children about tonight?" he asked with mock seriousness.
"That their mother and father couldn't resist each other."
"That their mother has the heart of a lady, the body of a goddess, and the wisdom to know how to use them wisely."
They jumped in the tub together, laughing and splashing and uniting.
As their kisses sealed their bargain, he murmured in her ear, "Dear God, I love you Jo. Forever."
It was a glorious night they shared over and over through the years. They were one of the happiest couples in Vada, and their ten children would clarify that.
The End
About the Author:
Rita Hestand is a multi-published, bestselling author of contemporary and historical romances. She also writes for children, short stories and poetry. Look for her new line of western thrillers too. You'll find her work at Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Rita is a grandmother, and great grandmother. She enjoys spending time with her grandkids. Her daughter Liz has named many of her books. Her grandkids feed her with ideas for the children's books.
She's got about ten more books in the making at this time, maybe more. So come by and see her.
Blessings to all
Rita Hestand
Rita's Other Books
The Travers Brothers Series
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Courting Abby
Hannah's Man
Alon
g Came Love
Avalanche of the Heart (coming soon)
The Amory's
Heart of the Wild
Sweeter Than Wine
Mail Order Nanny
The McKay's
Raining in my Heart
Ring of Fire'
Twelfth of Never
Stand By Me
Dream Catcher Series
Beyond the Dream Catcher
Just One Kiss
Ask No Tomorrows
Red River Valley Brides
Heart of a Lady
Winning the Lady
(Catching a Cowboy, Last Bride Last Man, Marrying Maggie
Singles
Nick's Baby, Strictly Business, Pretend Mom, Suspicions of the Heat, Wandering Heart, Runaway Bride, Love Rules, Always Remember, Jodi's Journey
Rita has quite a collection of series books so don't miss them.
The Travers Brothers Series
The Amory's
The McKay's
The Western Serial Killer Series
And now The Red River Valley Brides Series
Brides of the West
Heart of a Lady (Book One of the Red River Valley Brides) Page 23