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Awkward Marriage 55 - Wrong Husband
The courthouse is right up ahead.‖ Owen dug his heels into the dirt, but the sheriff lifted him by the shoulders and dragged him along, making him stumble a couple of steps before he found his footing and walked with him. ―What a joyous day this will be! Now Jenny can rest assured that her little boy will be safe.‖ ―Little boy? She has a child?‖ ―Don‘t act so surprised. That‘s why you two are getting married.‖ ―It is?‖ They stopped in front of the imposing building and the older man set his hands on Owen‘s shoulders. ―Now, I know you‘ve never been a family man before, but you‘re about to become one. I feel responsible for you, what with you being so young and all, but I know your ma raised you right. You‘ll do right by Jenny and Jeremy. They need you.‖ ―Uh...no, I don‘t think- ―Oh, here she comes. She‘s the one in the pretty white dress. She even sewed it herself.‖ Owen grabbed the sheriff‘s vest. ―You don‘t understand. I can
Awkward Marriage 56
Baton Rogue, Louisiana August 2,1876 Owen Russell held the cards firmly in his grip. Play it calm. You’re almost there. He eyed the money in the center of the round table. After seven hours of playing poker, it all came down to this moment. If I win this hand, Aunt Rachel will be financially stable again. The dim light in the saloon and the heavy smoke gave him a headache but he pressed forward. He hated being here. But he had to do this. If he didn‘t, his aunt would end up homeless. Ignoring the drunk patrons and the prostitutes lingering around, he straightened in his chair and focused on the cards in front of him. Forcing his attention from the whispers as people bet on who would win, he peaked at the clock. Almost five in the morning. Almost there. Just be calm. This game was too important. Out of the eight players who started the game, only he and Big Roy Hawke were left. A quick glance at Big Roy, aptly named for his overweight frame, notified him that the b
Awkward Marriage 57
Three days later Baton Rogue, Louisiana Owen was leaving the bait shop to go fishing at sunrise when he saw Big Roy‘s two cronies, Mitch and Lance, walking toward him. Despite the six men who lingered inside, talking and laughing, and the old man crossing the street from the pier to the shop, he felt isolated. He recognized the twin rail-thin brothers from the saloon. By the looks on their faces, he knew that they meant business...and that business was him. Without waiting for them to catch up to him, he bolted down the street. ―Come back here!‖ As if I’m that stupid! Owen didn‘t bother glancing back as he raced passed an elderly couple and a small group of men. A dog jumped in front of him, barking, and he tumbled, his fishing supplies flying out of his hands. He quickly debated picking them up, but the sound of eagerly approaching footsteps behind him made up his mind. Scrambling to his feet, he turned the corner of a street and ducked into an alley. He fou
Awkward Marriage 58
Owen entered the restaurant, aware of the looks he was getting. Oh well. He‘d just have to act like he didn‘t notice the snickers. He was lucky to even be alive. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he found a seat in the corner of the spacious room and sat down. The boots that were much too big for him scraped across the hardwood floor. He had to pull up his pants so they didn‘t fall down. Rope. He needed rope. Or a belt. But then, a pair of pants that fit would do even better. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax. He made it to Omaha. That meant his problems were finally over. No one would be looking for him this far out west. ―What can I get you?‖ a woman wearing an apron asked, holding a pad and pencil in her hands. Right. Food. He quickly picked up the piece of paper in front of him and read the list of menu items. ―Do you have any fish?‖ She grinned. ―No. We don‘t. Hey, you sound funny. You aren‘t from here, are you?‖ ―No, ma‘a
Awkward Marriage 59
He lowered the hat over his eyes and hastened down the boardwalk, hoping no one realized that the man in the Wanted poster was him. Yes, he had murdered Mitch, but it had been to defend himself. How did the sheriff in this town know about that anyway? Big Roy. He must have sent his cronies out to spread the word about me. It made sense. Since they couldn‘t get him, they figured they‘d frame him. Great. If the sheriff in this town knew Owen was a wanted man, then chances were good that no matter where he went, he‘d run into other sheriffs who knew the same thing. Except if he ended up in a small town. He quickly pulled out some of the change from his pocket. Did he have enough to get to the end of the world? That might be far enough. ―Now, hold it right there,‖ someone said from behind him. He gasped and raised his hands, dropping the coins which rolled on the boardwalk and settled several feet away from him. He‘d been found! This was it. He knew what ha
Awkward Marriage 60
Jenny stared at the calendar on the wall in the parlor. It was September 29th and Irving hadn‘t arrived in town yet. She glanced at Jeremy who played jacks with Sally‘s son, six-year-old Greg. One-year-old Isaac sat in the corner of the room and chewed on a stuffed toy. Jenny looked over at her sister who didn‘t say anything, which was unusual for her. Then her gaze shifted to Mary, her sister-in-law, who was the mother of Isaac. She usually enjoyed her time together with her two closest friends. But she couldn‘t today. ―Irving did say he‘d be here before October 1st in that letter, didn‘t he?‖ Mary asked, as if she could read her mind. Jenny exhaled and rubbed her temples, willing her headache to ease. ―That‘s what he said.‖ ―He does have tomorrow to show up.‖ Mary‘s voice drifted off. The silence hung heavy in the room. What could any of them say? Irving probably wasn‘t coming. Jenny took a deep breath and clenched her hands together. ―Maybe I should marry
Awkward Marriage 61
―A real kidder, huh?‖ the blond woman standing on Jenny‘s right said. ―Well, I‘m Jenny‘s sister, Sally. And this is our sister-in-law, Mary.‖ Owen couldn‘t take his eyes off of Jenny. He tried to...but he couldn‘t. ―I really appreciate this, Irving.‖ Jenny glanced down at her son and smiled. ―We both do.‖ Owen knew he should tell them all the truth. This was the time to do so. He took one last look at the train station and then turned his attention to Jenny. Was there really a contest? She was much more attractive. And Irving wasn‘t here. And everyone expected Jenny to get married today. And Jenny looked very happy about it. He looked down at the boy. ―How old are you?‖ ―Four,‖ Jeremy answered. ―You been taking good care of your ma?‖ he asked. The boy puffed up his chest and nodded. ―Yes, sir.‖ The group chuckled. Well, the boy seemed like a good kid. Owen returned his gaze to Jenny who appeared hopeful. Who was he to let them a
Awkward Marriage 62
As soon as Jenny closed the door to the room in her boarding house, Owen frowned. ―Is this it?‖ She nodded. ―I know it‘s small, but it‘s all Jeremy and I needed. Well, until now.‖ His gaze drifted from the small boy to the two beds. One was his, obviously, and the other was hers, but this wasn‘t what he expected. He cleared his throat. ―Can I talk to you...‖ He glanced at the space that consisted of a dresser and a washstand. ―Over there,‖ he finally said, pointing at the window on the other side of the room, which was only a few paces away. At her prompting, Jeremy went over to a box in the corner of the room and pulled out a toy train set. ―What is it?‖ she asked, looking concerned. ―Um...‖ He tried to think of how to phrase this. Lowering his voice so the kid wouldn‘t overhear, he asked, ―Is someone going to watch him tonight?‖ ―No,‖ she whispered. ―He stays with me.‖ ―Yes but—‖ he glanced at Jeremy who was focusing on his toy—―what abo
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Awkward Marriage 85
It was about time Jenny‘s brothers stopped their harassment, Owen thought as they took in the bright, shiny deputy badge that Sheriff Meyer returned to him. Owen‘s chest puffed up with a sense of pride as he closed the door of the jailhouse and placed his hat on his head. ―Afternoon, gentlemen,‖ he said and buttoned his coat. ―Getting ready for Christmas?‖ ―We had some errands to run,‖ Tom replied. ―Even if women say they don‘t want anything but our love, they don‘t mean it.‖ Joel snickered. ―And you had to learn that the hard way.‖ Tom‘s face grew red. ―I can‘t wait until you get married, Joel. I don‘t care what you argue about. I‘ll take her side each time.‖ ―Unlike you all, I have no desire to tie the knot,‖ he replied and gave them a smug smile. ―I‘m going to stay single forever.‖ ―Since when?‖ ―Since I saw how you all ended up. No woman is going to tell me what to do.‖ ―Oh really?‖ Dave asked. ―Then what are you doing in town looking for gifts?‖ Joel sighed. ―I g
Awkward Marriage 84
Jenny flung a dish at Clyde‘s head. Drats! She missed! ―Get off my property!‖ She picked up another plate from the stack she held to her chest and threw it at him. Again, he expertly dodged it as he made his way to the porch. She grunted and threw the whole stack at him. This time two plates hit him in the face. He yelled and touched his cheek which had a bloody cut on it. Glaring at her, he took a step toward her. ―Not this time, Jenny! I‘m getting my boy.‖ She grabbed her broom and swung at him. Unlike last time, he jumped back. She stepped forward but someone came up behind her and held her arms in place. She screamed and kicked at her captor, but his hold only grew tighter. ―Get the boy and let‘s get out of here,‖ the man growled at Clyde. ―Run!‖ she yelled at Jeremy who was supposed to be in his room. She prayed he would make it to the attic before Clyde found him. Clyde climbed the rest of the porch steps, and as he passed her, sh
Awkward Marriage 83
Owen recognized that gruff voice anywhere. And there was no way he was going to play possum now. He leapt over the counter, nearly knocking over the startled owner who ran to retrieve his gun. ―This is my store. You have no business being here!‖ the owner barked. Then he fired his rifle at the doorway. Owen didn‘t bother seeing if the man hit Big Roy or not. He just ran. He ran down the narrow space that led to the backdoor and found himself in another alley. The scene was eerily familiar. Except this time Mitch and Lance weren‘t chasing him. Nope. Big Roy was doing the honors this time. Owen raced past the dumpsters. He heard a door open and almost got hit with a bullet. He swerved to the right and found himself on a less traveled part of the business district. He bent to hide behind stagecoaches and buggies as he scampered as fast as he dared without giving Big Roy ample opportunity to get a clear shot. Where was Irving anyway? Some stellar deputy he was turnin
Awkward Marriage 82
It was a week later when Big Roy finally arrived in Omaha. And Owen had just finished breakfast when the fateful knock came at the door. He put his napkin down and went to answer it. ―Amos?‖ he asked, surprised to see the boy with his two friends standing on his porch, holding fishing rods. ―Isn‘t it a little cold to be fishing?‖ It was December after all. ―Big Roy‘s in Omaha,‖ Amos said, looking unusually excited by the prospect. Owen‘s eyes grew wide. ―How do you know this?‖ ―We saw him. Oh, he‘s big and angry alright. He was asking where you were.‖ ―You didn‘t tell him, did you?‖ Owen demanded as he watched the boy practically dance with glee. Was everyone but Jenny and Jeremy eager to send him to an early grave? ―Course not! We‘d never do that,‖ Amos assured him. ―In fact, no one‘s telling him anything. But Irving wants you down at the jailhouse.‖ Amos motioned to his fishing rod. ―You don‘t need to worry about a thing. We‘re ready to help you!‖ Amos and h
Awkward Marriage 81
Jeremy ran to the front door and jumped into Owen‘s arms. Surprised, Jenny turned from the sandwiches she‘d been making and went over to him. ―They let you out of jail?‖ ―As long as I promised not to run away.‖ He gave Jeremy a big hug. ―I missed you, squirt.‖ ―Was it scary in there?‖ Jeremy asked. ―No, but it was lonely. It‘s good to be home with my family.‖ He leaned forward and gave Jenny a kiss. ―I can‘t believe how much I missed you two.‖ ―We missed you too,‖ she said, hugging him as much as she could with Jeremy between them. ―I was just making supper. Are you hungry?‖ ―I didn‘t get much to eat, so yes.‖ He set Jeremy down and took off his coat and hat. ―It‘s nothing fancy. Just sandwiches,‖ she warned. He put up his holster on the hook next to his coat and hat. ―After eating nothing but beans and jerky, sandwiches will be a treat.‖ He turned to them and gave them another hug. ―It feels so good to be back home.‖ She laughed and hugged him back. ―It
Awkward Marriage 80
Jenny heard Sally knock on the front door but hesitated to answer it. No one had been out to see her since the day they found out about Owen, probably because Mary managed to talk them into giving Jenny time to herself, so she didn‘t know why Sally came out. She pushed the curtain aside in the parlor. Sally was alone. She exhaled. At least, the cavalry wasn‘t coming out again. She quickly thought of a way to distract her sister from the matter at hand and opened the door while Sally was in mid-knock. ―Oh good! I wanted to talk to you.‖ Jenny pulled her into the house and peered out the door. Good. Sally really was alone, just as she thought. She shut the door and turned to Jeremy. ―Take your blocks and play upstairs. I have to talk to your aunt.‖ Jeremy obeyed and went up the steps. As soon as he was in his room, Jenny led Sally into the kitchen and sat her down. ―Would you like a snack?‖ ―No thanks,‖ Sally said. ―I came to talk to you.‖ ―Yes, and I‘m glad yo
Awkward Marriage 79
She relaxed. ―Oh. I thought you meant...‖ She had thought he meant that he didn‘t want her to stay married to Owen. But he hadn‘t, and she didn‘t want to explain it. Looking at Irving, she knew that they wouldn‘t have made a good match. She would have married him for her son, but he wouldn‘t have been her first choice. She glanced inside the jailhouse. There, in the cell, sat the man she would have chosen. Returning her gaze to Irving, she asked, ―So I can talk to him?‖ ―Follow me.‖ He led her into the building. ―Meyer, I got the wife wanting to see her husband.‖ Jeremy broke free from her and ran over to the cell, calling out ―Pa!‖ Owen‘s face lit up and he eagerly ran over to the bars so he could hug Jeremy... Well, as much as he could with the bars between them. The tender moment brought tears to Jenny‘s eyes. How many times had she seen fathers and their sons and wished Jeremy could have a pa that loved him too? Wiping her eyes, she turned to the sheriff and de
Awkward Marriage 78
Jenny didn‘t feel like dealing with anyone at the moment. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, and her relatives weren‘t helping. Her brothers and Sally sat around the kitchen table trying to decide what to do about the situation while Greg, Jeremy, and Isaac played with the dog in the backyard. Mary stayed out there to watch them from where she sat in the chair next to the house. Maybe Jenny shouldn‘t have come to Sally‘s house after they left the jail. Maybe she should have just gone home. She watched the children as they laughed and took turns throwing the ball for the dog to catch. It was simple for them. Children didn‘t sit and analyze things. They either liked something or they didn‘t, and they acted accordingly. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window. Her hand fell to her abdomen. She should‘ve realized it sooner, but she and Owen had stayed up well into the night to enjoy lovemaking. The fatigue was ea
Awkward Marriage 77
Owen jumped up as soon as the door to the jailhouse opened. He rushed over to the bars to see if Jenny came. She did. But she also brought Sally and her four brothers with her. Four very angry looking brothers. He immediately stepped back as the four glaring men surrounded the cell. He examined the bars. He hoped the steel was strong enough to keep them out. They looked like they were ready to rip him apart and feed his remains to the vultures. ―You‘re lucky you‘re in there!‖ Tom barked, pointing an accusing finger at him. ―Because if you weren‘t, we‘d run you out of town.‖ ―How could you do this to our sister?‖ Richard demanded, shaking the bars. Owen swallowed the lump in his throat and backed up until he hit the wall. He glanced at the small window and wondered if he could escape if he squeezed through it. No. That was ridiculous. He was much safer here with the bars protecting him than in the open where these men could chase him down. ―First Clyde an
