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―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
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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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Owen groaned and rolled over in the bed. Maybe he should sleep on the floor. Laying next to Jenny in the dark was driving him insane. The bed wasn‘t that big, and the fact that Jeremy was asleep in the small bed next to them wasn‘t that much of a deterrent. At least, it wasn‘t as much of a deterrent as it should have been. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on what he needed to do. Really, he had some serious problems coming up. If Irving had been a fisherman, there wouldn‘t be anything to worry about. But Irving wasn‘t a fisherman. He was a deputy. And apparently, a good one. In fact, from reading Irving‘s note, Owen could tell that the man took his job seriously. Owen tried to imagine doing the things that deputies did...whatever those things might be. Chasing the outlaws, naturally, was one of them. He never thought that he‘d be one of those outlaws. Seeing his face on a Wanted poster had been a chilling experience. Killing Mitch had been as well, but that wasn
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―I sure do, Pa,‖ Jeremy said. She hoped her brothers would approve. Though she knew they couldn‘t do anything about her marriage, she longed for them to accept her husband. After she made the huge error in judgment with Clyde, it‘d be nice to know she could do something right...even if the sheriff had to arrange it for her. On their way to the church, Owen slipped his hand through hers. The contact felt natural, as if they had always known each other. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing she was safe with him. He wouldn‘t run off on her or Jeremy. Somehow she knew that this was the kind of man she could trust. When they reached the yard, Sally waved to the other family members. ―Oh good! Irving‘s right over there.‖ Owen must have noticed Jenny‘s anxiety, for he squeezed her hand. ―Everything‘s going to be just fine.‖ Then he let go of her and picked Jeremy up and told the boy, ―Now you make sure to tell them lots of good things about me, alright?‖ ―I sure
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Jenny couldn‘t hide her excitement as she took Jeremy to the mercantile. They‘d be moving into a house. One that would have a kitchen, a parlor, and a couple of bedrooms. There would also be land for Jeremy to run around on. She couldn‘t wait! It would be wonderful to get out of the boarding house. As nice as her landlady was, Jenny longed for a place to call her own. Now she could make breakfast for her husband and son, see her husband off to work, and watch Jeremy run around outside. And Owen agreed that they could get a dog, so Jeremy would finally have the pet he always wanted. As she walked with Jeremy down the boardwalk, Jeremy said, ―I really like Pa. Do you like Pa? She smiled. ―Yes. I do. Owen was turning out to be a lot of fun. From his formal letter, she‘d never guess he had the kind of personality that naturally drew people to him. Already, her brothers liked him—and they weren‘t easy to please. ―He‘s going to take me fishing. Are we going to live by a lake? ―That‘s wh
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News of Owen‘s deed spread fast and within two hours, Jenny heard it from Mrs. Wilson who paid her for the two dresses she made for the woman. ―He caught ‗fast as a bullet Joe‘?‖ Jenny asked. Mrs. Wilson smiled as she held the clothes in her arms. ―He sure did. That new husband of yours is a real catch, if I ever did hear of one. You did good on this one.‖ Jenny grinned. It was nice to have the respect of being married to a good man. ―I didn‘t realize how good I was going to have it when Sheriff Meyer suggested the arranged marriage to me. But it really has worked out.‖ ―I‘m glad. It‘s about time you got a good one after thatClyde ran off.‖ ―Yes, well, I should have said no.‖ ―And what can you do about the past? Nothing. Which is why there‘s no sense in dwelling on it.‖ Jenny sighed. She feared that she didn‘t deserve Irving. When she thought it was just going to be a convenient arrangement, it was easier to accept. But Irving was turni
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That Saturday, Owen purchased a wagon and led his new family out to the home that Sheriff Meyer had given them to buy. The quaint little home was situated on the outskirts of town with a good five acres around it and a good-sized lake not too far away. Owen liked it immediately, and he turned to Jenny and Jeremy who sat beside him in the wagon to see what they thought. Jeremy bounced up and down in between him and Jenny. ―Wow! This is for us?‖ ―It sure is,‖ Owen said. ―And I‘m going to pay for all of it too. It might take a few years, but this is going to be ours.‖ Then he lifted his gaze to Jenny who had the most beautiful smile he‘d ever seen on a woman. ―What do you think?‖ She looked at him with tears in her eyes. ―It‘s the most wonderful place I‘ve ever seen.‖ ―Then there‘s no need to cry,‖ he teased. ―Grandpa says women cry over everything,‖ Jeremy whispered in his ear. ―Don‘t worry about Ma. That‘s her happy crying.‖ He grinned and winked a
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Two weeks later, Owen chased the man who just stole another man‘s horse. The two rode on horseback toward the outskirts of town. ―Get back here!‖ Owen yelled. The thief ignored him. He groaned. Why couldn‘t any of the bandits he‘d been chasing around actually stop? He‘d love it if one would obey him. After all, he was the deputy. Shouldn‘t that carry some weight in this town? He reached for his fishing rod. Yes, real deputies like Irving Spencer carried a Colt .45. Owen carried a fishing rod. But the rod worked. He threw back the rod and released the line. It caught onto the belt loop of the man‘s pants. Even as Owen pulled the rod toward him, he realized that he was falling off his steed. He struggled to compensate with his weight, but it was no use. He tumbled off the animal and fell right onto the prairie grass. Still holding onto the rod, he was pulled along the land, being scraped and bruised in places he didn‘t even know existed. He
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
