Connie swung from the saddle and Brett followed suit. They all walked around the house to a well. Curiosity set in the woman’s dark brown eyes. “You folks passin’ through?”
Brett took Chester’s reins while Connie turned to answer. “Sure are. We’re headin’ toward Springfield.”
The woman seemed to relax at that news. She gave a curt nod. “My name’s Laurie. Laurie Rains and this here’s my son, Joshua.”
Brett held both horses until the boy finished pumping a stream of water into a trough. While the horses drank, Brett filled their canteens. Connie and the woman seemed to be comfortable talking, but he didn’t bother to listen. A green and yellow bruise covered the woman’s cheek directly under her eye. He didn’t mean to stare and turned away. The bruise looked a lot like the ones that had all but disappeared from Connie’s face. More than once he caught the woman giving him a wary glance. Probably figured he’d given those almost healed bruises to Connie.
“Don’t reckon you’d know how far we are from the Missouri border, would ya, Ma’am?” Connie brushed a hand down Chester’s side while he drank.
A slight smile touched Laurie’s otherwise solemn face. “Can’t get much closer. You headin’ north to Springfield, you say?”
Connie nodded.
“In that case, you crossed over from Arkansas almost ten miles back.”
“Really?” Connie’s eyes lit up for the first time since she’d listened to the letter. She touched his arm. “Oh, Brett, we’re almost there. How far’s Springfield now?”
He smiled at the eagerness in her voice and couldn’t resist teasing her. “Should be just a couple of days. Why? Are you getting eager to meet your in-laws?”
A becoming flush covered Connie’s face, and she turned to Laurie. “We just got married a couple of weeks ago.”
Laurie’s gaze darted to the barely visible bruises on Connie’s face. When her hand unconsciously touched her own cheek, she pretty much showed what she was thinking. For certain, it was none of her business, but he didn’t want anyone thinking he’d ever harm Connie. He opened his mouth to explain at the same time Connie spoke.
“Maybe we could help Mrs. Rains with some chores in exchange for a place to sleep and maybe even a bath.” Connie looked from him to the woman. “We don’t mind beddin’ down in the barn iffn you’ve got anything needs done.”
Laurie looked out over the rundown farm while a sigh tore from deep inside her chest. “There’s so much needin’ done around here, I’m not right certain where to start.”
She gave them the hint of a smile before she looked down. “My husband is away right now. On business. I reckon it wouldn’t hurt nobody if you slept in the barn, long as you head out come mornin’.”
“Much obliged, ma’am. We want to get an early start, and we don’t mind helping out. If you have a cow, I’d be glad to milk her. And Connie’s a fine cook.”
They made a bargain for supper and a night’s lodging. Brett and the boy took the horses to the barn while Connie went inside with Laurie.
~*~
Connie looked around the spotless kitchen and marveled at the homey touches in the cheery yellow gingham curtains and matching tablecloth. A vase of wild flowers sat in the middle of the table. Something about Laurie touched Connie deep inside. Maybe her wariness toward Brett as if she didn’t trust him. She’d been hurt by a man no doubt. The older woman had probably lived a life not so far removed from her own.
“You live here long?”
“Since before Josh was born.” Laurie busied herself with getting out the ingredients for biscuits. “Would you mind peelin’ some potatoes?”
“Course not.” While the two women worked, Connie confided in Laurie. “We been on the trail for more’n two weeks now tryin’ to get to Springfield. My husband,” She liked how that sounded, “Has been readin’ to me outta his book.”
Laurie gave her a puzzled look.
“You know, a Bible.”
“Oh.” The look on Laurie’s face spoke of fear and disappointment.
“You ain’t no Christian, neither, are you?” Connie paused with a potato in one hand and the knife in the other.
“If you mean, do I go to the church you passed on the corner and then look down my nose at the poor people that can’t get out of the rut their pa dug for ’em, then I guess I’m not a Christian.”
As soon as the words left Laurie’s mouth, a flush covered her face. “I’m sorry, Connie, I shouldn’t’ve said that. It isn’t like my family or my husband’s has ever been real respectable-like.”
She glanced around the room as if someone might be listening. “I mean most of them’ll take about anything that isn’t nailed down. Reckon it’s no wonder the good people around here don’t want to associate with the likes of me.” Her voice dropped until Connie had to strain to hear her.
“You mean those people,” Connie inclined her head in the direction of the church. “Are ‘haves’ and you’re a ‘have-not’?”
A smile touched Laurie’s face. “That’s one way of puttin’ it.”
Connie nodded. “Yeah, I should know. I been a ‘have-not’ all my life. My daddy was an outlaw. He got killed a few years back.” She paused. “But my husband’s a ‘have’.” She smiled. “He’s the best ‘have’ I ever did meet.”
“I noticed the bruises on your face.” Laurie touched her own cheek. “I mean they’re almost gone, but I guess I notice things like that more than most folks would. Did . . .did your husband do that?”
“Land sakes, no.” Connie laughed. “Brett wouldn’t hurt a flea lessen he had to.” She sobered. “I got them bruises when we had a run-in with a crazy man on the trail.”
Laurie visibly relaxed. “Oh, that’s good. I mean that you don’t have to put up with—”
“Yeah.” Connie understood even though Laurie didn’t finish her sentence. “I reckon so.”
They worked in silence for a while until Connie had to ask, “Isn’t there anything you can do? I mean about . . .”
“About my husband beating me?” Laurie shook her head. “I reckon when you dig a hole and crawl in, you might as well plan on stayin’ in it. Besides, he’s gone a lot and he only gets real mean when he’s been drinkin’.”
“What about your son?”
Laurie gave Connie a sharp look. “No, he never touches Josh. Never has. That’s one thing I’d never put up with. Reckon he knows it, too.”
Connie only nodded, but their conversation swirled through her mind while they finished getting dinner. What had she done to deserve a man as fine as Brett? Too many women like Laurie and her Aunt Rose had to put up with their bad choices until they escaped through death. Brett cared for her like she was something special when her shoulder hurt. His tenderness and understanding when her daddy’s letter pained her heart was real sweet.
Brett stepped through the kitchen door from outside with Josh right behind. He turned and grinned at something the boy said, and Connie’s heart swelled. He was a good man. She hadn’t been appreciatin’ him enough.
Laurie pulled a pan of golden brown biscuits from the oven. “Josh, you better wash up for supper.”
Connie met and held her husband’s gaze. Love for Brett welled up in Connie’s heart until she couldn’t hold any more. She turned away to finish mashing the potatoes. If she wasn’t careful, she might bust out crying.
After supper, Laurie showed Connie her roomy pantry. “Reckon y’all might welcome a bath tonight before beddin’ down.”
“You can’t imagine how much.” Connie helped her hostess lift the large wash tub from the wall and set it in the middle of the floor. “Do we need to haul water in?”
Laurie shook her head. “I’m thinkin’ there’s enough hot in the reservoir. We’ll add cool from the pump.”
Brett carried the water from the kitchen to the pantry until the tub was full then Connie shut the door and stepped into her bath. She leaned back, letting the warm water relax her muscles. She couldn’t stretch out
her legs, but she didn’t mind. Getting clean again was worth being cramped. Brett would have a time folding his long frame into the round tub. She giggled at the thought. Maybe bathing in a pond had some advantages after all.
The next morning, they got up before daybreak and headed out, carrying the packet of biscuits and jerky for their breakfast that Laurie had graciously given them.
Brett smiled at her. “Ma’am, we sure do thank you for letting us stay the night.” He rubbed his stomach. “You set a good table. Best I’ve had since Connie had a chance to cook.”
Laurie gave him a brief smile. “Thank you. It wasn’t no trouble. Josh and me appreciate you milkin’ the cow and cleanin’ out the stalls. That was more than we expected.”
“No problem.” He stepped back as Connie moved forward and gave Laurie a quick hug.
“Brett and me won’t forget your kindness, I promise. You take care of yourself now, ya hear?”
The look in Laurie’s eyes let Connie know she understood her concern about the bruises she sported. She nodded. “I will. You two be careful.”
Brett waited until Connie mounted Chester before he swung into his own saddle on Fugitive. Connie waved as they turned toward the road. She’d made a friend although she’d probably never see Laurie Rains again.
Early morning darkness gave way to a lightening sky as they rode. When the sun broke above the eastern horizon, Brett turned to grin at Connie. “Two more days and we’ll be home.”
Home. That word couldn’t mean the same to Brett that it meant to her. She’d never had a real home and the one they were going to wasn’t hers, neither. A funny, little wiggly feeling crept through her stomach when Brett talked about his family. She didn’t want to meet them, but she couldn’t think of any way to get out of it. Maybe if she knew more about them, they wouldn’t seem like such strangers. She let that idea roll around in her head until they set up camp for the night. She spread out their bedrolls. “How many you got in your family?”
Brett plopped down and patted the blanket beside him. “Sit here with me, and I’ll tell you about them all.”
She sat close, absorbing his warmth. Brett slipped his arm around her. “To start, there’s my father and his wife who is just like a mother to me. Father is a stern, unbending sort. He runs the family much like he runs the factory. Not that he’s a harsh man, because he isn’t. I guess you’d say that he believes he is right.” Brett grinned. “Even when he’s wrong.”
“He sounds scary.” Connie pulled back. “Do I have to meet him?”
Brett chuckled and tightened his hold around her waist. “Don’t worry about Father. You’ll have him wrapped around your little finger without half trying.” He touched the tip of her nose. “He has a soft spot for pretty little girls.”
“You’re teasin’ me, ain’t you?”
He shook his head. “Not really, he’s going to love you right off. Just you wait and see.”
It’d be a long wait. Connie matched his smile, anyway. “Tell me about the others.”
“Mom is great. You have nothing to worry about there. She’s a natural mother.” He laughed. “And grandmother. I can’t imagine her without a passel of kids hanging around.”
“She sounds nice.” Connie tried to imagine the motherly woman Brett called Mom, but she couldn’t. She’d never known what a real mother was.
“Elizabeth, my sister just older than me, lives about three miles outside town with her husband. They have a couple of boys—or maybe more by now.”
Connie heard uncertainty in his voice. “You ain’t seen ’em in a while, have you?”
“Five long years.” He shrugged. “A lot can happen in that time. Guess my two little sisters are getting about grown up by now. Nora should be sixteen and Lucy is four years younger so that makes her twelve. Kate is Mom’s daughter, but she’s another sister. Always has been. She lives north of Springfield with her husband. Last I knew they had a couple of girls. Then, there’s Della, older than Liz, who moved away to the wilderness about seventy-five miles north. They have some boys. Actually, I’m not sure how many.”
“Is that all of ’em? Don’t you got—don’t you have no brothers?” She’d better start talking good like Brett, or his family wouldn’t like her for sure.
“Nope, I’m the only boy. My oldest sister died in childbirth several years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. She was so much older than me. I don’t remember her very well. Her husband moved back east with their son.”
He seemed to drift away as he looked off into the distance. She knew he wasn’t seeing the countryside around them, but was looking into the past. A past where she didn’t exist. Panic seized her. Would she lose him to that time? To his family?
“Brett?” She snuggled closer to him until his arm tightened around her and he turned to look into her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Angel.” He smiled, letting her know she was still important to him. “I was just thinking about my family. I know nothing about what’s happened to them in the last five years. I don’t even know if they’re all still alive.”
She lifted her hand to stroke his cheek while the emotion she had only begun to experience at Laurie’s house welled up into her chest and threatened to bring tears to her eyes. Never, before she met Brett, had she felt so close to another human. Never had she experienced this intense longing to possess yet lose herself as she did in Brett’s arms. She lifted her face to look deep into his eyes.
“I love you, Brett.”
An indistinguishable sound came from Brett’s throat as he lowered his head and captured her lips under his.
Her hand slid from his cheek to the back of his neck.
His arms surrounded her, and their kiss deepened. When he pulled away, his breath came in short, quick bursts. He leaned his forehead against hers. “We need to wait.”
“But why?” Connie knew what he meant, and still she didn’t understand. How could she hold on to him if he wouldn’t take all of her? “We’re married, aren’t we?”
“I don’t know. I mean, we are legally, but I don’t really feel right about the way it happened.” He pulled back so they could look at each other. “We were forced to marry, Connie. Is that the way you want it? I didn’t put up a fight because I thought it would be a simple matter to have the marriage annulled so we could go our separate ways after we got to Springfield.”
The keen edge of pain ripped through Connie’s heart at his words. Tears filled her eyes. Her voice came out in a whisper. “Is that what you want, Brett? To be separate?”
He pulled her close to his chest. His voice vibrated in her ear as she pressed against him. “No! How could I give you up now? You are my own sweet angel. The wife of my heart. I love you, Connie.”
She closed her eyes, letting his words of love seep into the hurt places of her heart, bringing healing.
Brett cleared his throat. “I’ve been praying about all of this. I’ve asked God what he would have me do. Should I follow my heart, or would He have me give up what has become so precious to me?”
Connie couldn’t breathe. Brett would follow his heavenly Father’s advice no matter how much hurt it brought them. She didn’t fully understand having a conversation with the Almighty, but Brett did it all the time. She stayed motionless, waiting for his announcement that they must part when they reached Springfield. And when the words came, her heart would break into a million jagged pieces.
He kissed the top of her head. “The scripture admonishes us to not be unequally yoked, yet in our case I believe God may have a reason for our union. I’ve sensed that you’ve been seeking for the truth, and I believe God will bring you in. We certainly didn’t ask to be married, but we are. I don’t feel that we should dissolve what has already been done.”
Brett talked soft like he was thinking out loud, his voice slow and even. Connie couldn’t move. She shut her eyes tight and waited for the hurt to come.
He pulled b
ack. “What do you think about us having a real wedding after we get to Springfield? I’ll bet Mom and the girls would have a heyday with that.”
The air rushed from Connie’s lungs before she realized she’d been holding her breath. She opened her eyes. Had she heard him right? Her throat had tightened so she tried twice before she could ask, “Get married again?”
He nodded, his grin spreading. “Yeah, only this time it will be our idea. How about it, Connie? Will you marry me?”
Laughter bubbled up from Connie’s relief. She threw her arms around Brett’s neck and kissed him again and again on the cheeks, eyes, forehead and mouth. He finally caught her face in his hands and held her while he kissed her long and deep.
When he pulled back, he kept his hands on either side of her face, holding her in front of him. “You didn’t answer. I need to hear the word.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.” She shouted until he laughed and kissed her again.
As they settled down to sleep that night, Connie let the thoughts roll through her mind. There was Brett’s family and all those sisters she’d have to meet before the next day ended. He seemed so eager to see them again. She hated the thought. If only she and Brett could stay here in the wilderness forever, just the two of them. Meeting Brett’s family terrified her. They wouldn’t like her. They wouldn’t think she was good enough. They might even try to take Brett away from her or come between them. If she lost his love, she’d have nothing left to live for. Not even her gold could make up for losing Brett.
Finally her eyes drooped with fatigue. She’d no sooner closed them than a twig snapped like a man stepped on it. Burns! He wasn’t dead after all. Had he come after them?
She reached a tentative hand out to touch Brett. He slept undisturbed. She scooted close until his bulk almost covered her. He turned to lay his arm around her, drawing her even closer.
She strained to listen, but heard no sound other than the chirping of a thousand crickets and the call of an occasional bird. Surely, if someone moved about, the forest would be quiet. Her pounding heart settled. She’d been half asleep. Her breathing returned to normal even as she found the pistol and brought it to rest under her hand. She’d probably dreamed the sound because of her distress over meeting Brett’s family. Her eyes again drooped, and the next thing she knew Brett’s kiss woke her as sunlight streamed over their bed.
Connie and the Cowboy (Outlaw Gold) Page 15