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Awkward Marriage 71
Did you come for a tour?‖ Owen asked, walking over to them. ―We were in town and thought we‘d say hello,‖ she replied. ―What do you think, Jeremy? Do you want to see where Pa works?‖ The boy eagerly nodded, so Owen put him up on his shoulders. ―Here is Sheriff Meyer‘s desk. I share it with him.‖ She motioned to the stack of paperwork. ―It looks like you do a lot more than catch dangerous men.‖ ―Yep. Judges and lawyers like reports.‖ That made sense. ―Over here,‖ he began as he directed them to the three cells, ―is where we keep the prisoners.‖ ―Whoa!‖ Jeremy said when they stopped in front of an empty cell. ―Do really bad men go in there?‖ ―Some more bad than others. We get the occasional drunk or bar brawler.‖ ―Do you get bank robbers?‖ ―Sometimes.‖ ―I want to see a bank robber!‖ ―Well, you would have if we didn‘t stop a robbery.‖ Jeremy‘s eyes grew wide. ―You did?‖ ―Just the other day. Someone was goi
Awkward Marriage 72
Jenny bit her lower lip as she studied the parlor. If this didn‘t peak Rick‘s romantic interest, then he was a lost cause. She spent that entire Saturday getting everything ready for the special supper. The lacy white curtains were drawn to give the room a private feel to it, and she had set out the matching tablecloth. She made both years ago when she thought she‘d marry Clyde. Was she ever glad she ended up with Owen instead! She hummed as she lit the two candles. She dimmed the kerosene lamp and smiled. Though she had no flowers, she arrange some colorful leaves in the center of the table and placed a pinecone on top of it. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet scent, which was almost masked by the pot roast that was cooling in the oven. She opened her eyes and set the cushions on the chairs so they‘d be comfortable. Then she stepped back and examined the effect of the candlelight. It seemed magical to be in here. She clapped her hands and nearly skipped out of the
Awkward Marriage 73
Jenny wiped ointment on Owen‘s arms to soothe his burns. As she did, he watched her, enjoying the way she fussed over him. His Aunt Rachel had fussed over him too, but it was different with Jenny. It was much nicer. He was lying on the bed and she sat next to him, gentle and caring. Yes. It was definitely much nicer. She closed the lid on the jar and placed it on the nightstand. Then she wiped her hand on a clean cloth. ―It was funny...in a way.‖ ―What? Seeing me on fire?‖ ―No, silly.‖ She nudged him playfully in the side. ―That a squirrel could cause so much damage.‖ He chuckled. ―That was a smart squirrel.‖ She got up. He tried to reach for her hand to stop her, but she was too quick for him. Quick just like the squirrel. ―Where are you going?‖ ―To check on Jeremy.‖ He watched as she left the room. It was unfortunate that things happened as they did. Jenny had been so excited about making the perfect supper,
Awkward Marriage 74
Jenny scanned the crowd of people the next morning. She didn‘t want to go into the church until she saw Sally. But Sally wasn‘t anywhere, and that wasn‘t like her sister. She couldn‘t even focus on what her brothers were telling Owen...or what Jessica and Mary were talking about. An uneasy feeling swelled in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps she should have run after her sister last night. But then she wouldn‘t have taken care of Owen and then... She blushed. She didn‘t know lovemaking could involve such bliss. She glanced at him, recalling the way his hands and mouth felt on her skin. Her body tingled from the memory. She couldn‘t wait to be alone with him again. ―Jenny?‖ Someone nudged her in the side. She jumped back and cleared her throat. She realized that Mary and Jessica were staring at her. ―What?‖ she asked, hoping they didn‘t detect what she‘d been thinking about. ―Sally‘s here,‖ Mary said. ―You wanted us to tell you if we saw her.‖ Jenny looked in th
Awkward Marriage 75
Owen patted his stomach and leaned back in the chair at the sheriff‘s desk. If he had to eat another bite of anything, he was going to burst. Those Larson women knew how to stuff a man senseless. Who knew Thanksgiving could render a man comatose for days on end? He sat up straight. He couldn‘t even take a deep breath. In an effort to finish up the leftovers, Jenny persuaded him to have an extra helping of ―thanksgiving breakfast‖ that morning. He hoped that they were officially done. He‘d had enough of turkey to last a lifetime. Now it was time for his poor stomach to get a break. He picked up the latest papers on Meyer‘s desk and sorted through them. Good. None were of him. But there was one on Robert Scott. Owen frowned. Why did the name Robert sound familiar? Oh yes. He was the name Joshua had written and placed in his wallet when Owen went to Guy Ike‘s house. That was the day of the shoot-out. He shivered at the memory. He hoped shoot-outs didn‘t happen often
Awkward Marriage 76
Jenny grabbed her broom. ―Stay here,‖ she told Jeremy who was eating at the kitchen table. She looked back out the window. She didn‘t know whether to be angry or afraid. Why was Clyde coming out to see her? Was it because Owen arrested him? Glancing over her shoulder to make sure her son was still at the table, she put her coat on and stormed onto the porch. He got off his horse. When he looked in her direction, he didn‘t seem concerned by the fact that she was ready to whack him with the broom if he got too close. ―Hi there, Jenny.‖ ―Get away from here,‖ she snapped. He sauntered over to the bottom step of the porch and stopped just two inches shy of her being able to hit him with the broom. Placing his hands on his hips, he tilted his head up so he could make eye contact. ―I want my son.‖ ―He‘s not your son.‖ She tightened her grip on the broom handle and got ready to strike if needed. ―That‘s not what you told me five years ago.‖ She gritted her teeth.
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
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
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