Jousting, Jesting,
or Just Joshin’
(Written
by Melissa M.(aka Honey Bee) from
To
The breeze
lifted Joe’s hair from his forehead.
Across from him was his opponent, a man dressed in black.
Joe shifted the weapon in his hand, aiming it directly at the smirking man.
The man
in black also held a weapon. Long,
pointed, and dangerous.
Joe tightened
Cochise’s reins—the horse was anxious to get started.
So was Joe. “Now!” he shouted, urging
his horse forward.
The hooves
of the horses pounded out a beat and kicked up clouds of dust.
Joe whooped
as the black hat was knocked off from his opponent’s head.
They reined in their horses, hopped off, and faced each other up close.
Joe couldn’t help laughing hysterically.
“Adam, you shoulda seen your face when that hat flew up into the air!”
He slapped his knees and continued, choking on laughter, “And your hair’s
stickin’ up like you’re scared or somethin’!”
Adam flicked
Joe’s hat off with his stick. “I’ll
show you scared, or something,” Adam growled, pasting on a menacing frown
and putting the tip of his stick to Joe’s throat.
“Oooh, I’m
shakin’ in my boots!” Joe said, grinning and backing away.
“Are you gonna come after me or are we even, now?”
“We’re even,”
Adam sighed. “But wait until next
time.”
Joe chuckled
and wiped his damp forehead. Then
he stooped down to pick up his hat.
It was a mistake.
Adam was
on top of Joe before he could blink an eye.
Adam tickled Joe, and Joe choked again with laughter.
“Stop it, Adam! Please—I—won’t tease
you anymore!”
“You better
not,” Adam warned, still keeping Joe pinned to the ground.
“Let me
up, will ya?” Joe panted.
“Only if you promise.”
Joe rolled
his eyes.“I promise.”
Adam slowly
let Joe up.
“The old
widow’s gonna be missin’ you if you don’t get there before her bedtime,”
Joe said, singsong.
Adam pinned
Joe down against the ground again and tickled him for all he was worth.
“I—didn’t
say—what I—promised,” Joe said, crying tears of laughter and trying to squirm
out of Adam’s grasp.
“All right,”
Adam said, keeping hold of Joe’s shirt.
“Unless you want another joust, you’d better stop your teasing.
You know that Sarah is a lovely young lady, and that you’re just jealous.
Admit it.”
“Fine,”
Joe grinned. “She’s a lovely young
lady and I’m jealous. Of her cat, that
is.”
"She doesn't—have
a—cat," Adam said, realizing what Joe meant.
"Exactly," Joe grinned.
Adam let
Joe go and stalked away. "You're not worth the trouble," he murmured, smiling
slightly.
~~~~
Adam’s pulse
raced as he knocked on Sarah Everett’s door.
He hid blue and yellow wildflowers behind his back.
He wasn’t
prepared for the vision that met him.
A young man was holding Sarah’s hand as she opened the door.
Adam’s heart dropped, suddenly questioning the weeks he had spent with
Sarah.
“Hello,
Adam! I had unexpected company.
This is my second cousin, Mr. Canaday.
Everyone calls him Candy. Candy, this
is my good friend, Adam Cartwright.”
“Hello,”
Adam said evenly.
“Good to
meet you, Mr. Cartwright,” Candy grinned.
“I can see you’re want to be alone with Sarah,
so I’ll just go back to the boarding house in town.
Have a good evening,” he said, tipping his hat to his cousin.
“Bye, Sarah.”
“Bye, Candy.
I’ll see you later, I hope!”
“Sure will,”
Candy said and waved, ducking out the door.
Adam cleared
his throat, taking in the loveliness of Sarah’s glowing cheeks and small
form. She was dressed in a lavender
and green plaid dress, with lace accents at the throat and sleeves.
Her dark brown hair was twisted back, with a cute little bob hanging down
her neck. “Come in and sit down, Adam,”
Sarah said softly.
Adam, gathering
his thoughts, produced the wildflowers from behind his back.
“These are for you, Sarah. They
may be a little wilted by now, but I know you love these colors.”
“Oh, yes, how lovely!
Thank you so much, Adam.” She smiled
warmly, taking the little flowers and sniffing in their faint scent.
She went to the kitchen and put them in a water-filled vase.
Coming back,
she looked up at him, smiling and raising her brow inquiringly.
“You want to know if I really love you, don’t you?”
Adam
stared, amazed at her ability to read his mind.
“Candy is
one of my few relatives, and he is very dear to me,” she said simply, taking
his hand. “But I love you as I can
love no one else.”
Adam, heart
thumping, took Sarah in his arms.
“I needed to hear that. I love you
so much. ” Slowly he lowered his head
and kissed her.
Sarah pulled
back a little.“Adam, I—”
Adam’s brows
lowered.“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just
that—I think those things should be kept for after marriage. ”
She hesitated, as if saying the word “marriage” was presumptuous.
Adam smiled
a little. She was very sweet, but
self-prepossessing. “I understand.”
Adam had not said anything about marriage
yet. “I will wait, then.
But, Sarah, I cannot wait long.” He
pulled out a small box. “Will you
marry me?” He lowered himself onto
one knee and pulled out a shining golden and diamond band.
Her mouth
dropped open.She flung her arms around
his neck. “Yes, oh yes, Adam!”
~~~~
“I’m getting
married to Sarah.”
“What?”
Ben stopped his writing. The pencil
clattered onto the desk. “Well, congratulations,
Adam!” He leapt up and slapped Adam
on the back.
Adam grinned.
“I don’t think I’ll be able go to sleep tonight!”
Ben laughed.
“I can understand. I’ve been married
three times, and each time I was as excited as a newborn pup!”
Hoss and
Joe bounded down the staircase. “Did
I hear you’re gettin’ married?
To the old widow?” Joe asked.
“To the
young widow,” Adam said, narrowing his eyes.
“You’re
just joshin’, ain’t you, Adam?” Hoss said.
“No, I ain’t
just joshin’!” Adam said, pulling down Hoss’s hat low.
“Well, whaddya
know! Big brother’s really gettin’
married!” Hoss exclaimed, correcting his hat and
patting Adam’s back. “Whooee, you’re
gettin’ married!”
“It’s about
time,” Ben said, eyes wide, and smiling.
Joe laughed.
“Thought you would be a bachelor for good!
Guess you’re getting desperate since you’re marrying a widow.”
Adam scowled,
refusing to answer. He easily saw beneath
Joe’s jesting, but liked to play along.
“Congratulations,
big brother,” Joe added more seriously.
“Thanks,”
Adam said, smiling wryly.
~~~~
Candy ate
the last bite of his blueberry pie, tipped the waitress, and headed out
the door. He wanted to see Sarah again
and tell her his good news. He had
just gotten his first paycheck from the lumber company he was working for
and it was well beyond what he had expected.
He also
hoped to ask Sarah more about Adam Cartwright, as he had heard and could
see there was a growing relationship there.
He knew the Cartwrights were very wealthy, but besides that, Adam seemed
like a nice man and Candy was glad for Sarah’s sake.
Sarah had been mighty lonely in the past few years after her husband had
died in an oil field accident. Sarah’s
only living relatives were himself and an uncle, and she deserved the most
happiness life could give.
It was a
short walk to Sarah’s house, which was a small cream building with ruffled
blue curtains and an herb garden out front.
Her flower garden had died in the cold months, and now she kept herbs to
spice up her food. And delicious
food it is, Candy thought, smiling.
I’ll have to come over more often.
She said I must.
Sarah welcomed
him inside with almost bursting excitement.
“Candy, guess what? Adam proposed
to me last night! I’m going to be Mrs.
Adam Cartwright!”
Candy grinned
and swept her into a hug.“Well, congratulations!”
“Thank you.
Oh, Candy, he’s the most wonderful man!”
“Good,”
Candy said, smiling and kissing her lightly on the cheek.
“For you’re the most wonderful woman.”
“Candy,
stop that,” she said, rolling her eyes and laughing.
“I’m not. I’m sure you won’t think
so when you meet the right woman to marry.”
Candy tilted
his head in denial. “I doubt it—and
the way I’m going, I don’t know if I’ll ever
get married!”
“You’re
only twenty-nine, Candy,” she chided.
“You’ll get married.” She hugged him
again. Then she held up her hand and
the gold ring sparkled. “Isn’t it
gorgeous?” she said softly.
“It sure
is,” Candy smiled.
~~~~
Adam backed
away from the window slowly. He had
just seen Sarah hugging Candy. The
hat in his hand felt heavy, for some reason.
Adam swallowed and moved to the side of the house, leaning against the
siding. He was probably making way
too much of it. They were cousins,
after all—second cousins. But hadn’t
it been a cousin who had taken away Laura Dayton, the woman he had once been
engaged to? He felt much more strongly
about Sarah than he had about Laura or any other woman.
Could he bear it if something happened to take Sarah from him?
No. But nothing would take her away;
it couldn’t. She had said she loved
him, and he trusted her honesty more than anything.
But things could change, couldn’t they?
What if Sarah fell in love with Candy?
Adam clenched his jaw, willing the thoughts away.
He had had more than enough tragedy in his life, already.
~~~~
I’ll
ask her.
Adam combed his hair and pulled his jacket on.
But she may think I’m being too suspicious.
He put his hat on. I’m sure I
am, but I have to ask her, just to get it out of the way.
He headed
for the front door.
Ben looked
up from his newspaper. “You’re up
early and heading out already. Breakfast
takes second place to love, I suppose.”
He chuckled.
“Yep,” Adam
said.
“Have a
good time!” Ben said and looked back down at his paper.
“Thanks,
Pa,” Adam murmured and hitched up the team.
At the house,
Adam knocked on the door. No one answered.
He knocked again.
Finally,
he heard shuffling footsteps and Sarah opened the door, robe wrapped around
her and hair still tangled.
“Oh, I’m
sorry—I woke you. I know I’m here
earlier than normal, but you usually get up early.”
Sarah smiled
sleepily. “It’s all right, Adam.
I stayed up late last night reading Sense and Sensibility.
It’s a good book, but I liked Pride and Prejudice better.”
Adam smiled
wryly. “The romance
of Jane Austen. Not a terrible
writer.”
“You’ve
read her books?” Sarah asked.
“Only one,”
Adam admitted. “Sense and Sensibility
, actually, and it’s not at all sensible.”
Sarah laughed.
“I guess it’s not, really, but I like
it, anyway.”
“Could you—make
a mistake like Marianne did by falling in love with the wrong man?”
“Not a chance,
at least not here. There’s nothing
wrong about you, only right and wonderful. ”
She looked up at him with her sparkling brown eyes, smiling.
“Except if you count the time you stepped on my foot when we were dancing,”
she whispered.
Adam raised
an eyebrow. “You had to bring that
up, didn’t you? I was convinced I was
perfect.”
She pursed
her lips in an attempt not to smile.
“No, I can’t say you’re perfect, but close enough for me.”
“I really
want to kiss you,” Adam murmured, “but that would only add to my blunders.”
“I wish
you could, too, but I’m an old-fashioned girl. ”
Her eyelashes lowered for a moment.
“Could we be married in a week?
Or a day? How’s that for old-fashioned!”
She laughed. “Only if it’s all right
with you,” she added.
Adam’s heartbeat
quickened. “Why couldn’t we?
If you don’t need a big wedding with fancy clothes—why don’t we get married
tomorrow?”
“Yes, why
don’t we!” Sarah laughed in happiness and gave
in to Adam’s embrace.
~~~~
“Tomorrow!”
“Are you
joking?”
“You’re
joshin’ us, now.”
“No, I am
not,” Adam said firmly.
Joe snickered.
“Our cautious, scared big brother, getting married after one day of engagement!”
Adam narrowed
his eyes. “Care to have another duel
to take back that statement?”
Joe held
his hands up in retreat. “No, no.
I had enough ticklin’ to last me a lifetime!”
Adam chuckled.
After some
of the excitement had died down and Hoss and Joe had gone back to work,
Adam sat on the fireplace next to Ben.
“Pa, I know this means moving into the old cabin sooner.
It’s not totally fixed up, yet, but I was wondering if you’d let me have
the day off to do that.”
Ben nodded.
“Certainly! I’ll even get
Hoss and Joe to help you if you want.
I can lend a hand, too, if you don’t think I’ll be a hinder.”
Adam smiled.
“Never,
~~~~
Sarah’s
house was running down, since she had little time to tend to it while she
baked for a living. Adam had helped
her repair various things over the weeks, but she shook her head at the siding
that needed painting. She loved the
little house, with its sweet picket fence, tall oak tree in the back yard,
and, most of all, the room where her mother and
father had slept.
Now, as
Sarah got into the wagon to go to town, she resigned herself to leaving the
place permanently. Adam had told her
he had a house picked out to live on the Ponderosa.
It would be finer than this house, perhaps, but it would still be hard
to leave this one. She would really
be happy living anywhere with Adam, so she would not complain.
How could she, with such a dear man for her own?
I’ll take some of Mama’s and Papa’s belongings with me, anyway.
Mama’s dear quilt and dresser, Papa’s pocket watch and cane.
Her parents would be happy for her.
They probably knew of it in heaven, and were smiling down at her, now.
She smiled, joy filling her to the brim.
As she stopped
her wagon in town and went into the clothing shop, she heard whispering
coming from behind a dress rack.
“If it isn’t poor little Miss Everett, wearing a glimmering diamond!”
“I heard
she’s gone and engaged herself to Adam Cartwright!”
“Tsk,
tsk, tsk.
The shame of it—her chasing after a rich man, just to get out of her discolored
house and shabby clothes!”
Sarah’s
cheeks burned. How could they say such
things! She swallowed and moved to
the back of the store, determined not to let it bother her.
She found tears forming in her eyes, however, as she bent to look at a pair
of shoes.
One lady
bumped into her. “Oh, I’m sorry
,” she crooned mockingly. “I wouldn’t
want to hurt the little princess!”
She giggled. “Do you really think
you’ll be able to afford those shoes—oh, yes, I forgot!
Adam’s money does come in handy, doesn’t it?”
Sarah clenched
her jaw, swallowing and blinking back tears.
She turned away from the young lady and pretended that she had heard nothing.
“So it’s
true, isn’t it? You’re marrying Adam
for his money! You can’t deny it.”
Sarah turned
suddenly to face the woman, mustering all her courage.
“There’s no need to deny it, because it’s an utterly absurd and
jealous comment!” She steered away
from the woman, refusing to cry in front of her.
She picked up a pair of pointed white shoes and looked through the dresses
for something elegant but simple to wear to the wedding.
She would have asked her friend to make the dress if there were more time,
but she would be as happy wearing sackcloth as she would silk.
She did want to look lovely for Adam, of course, so she sorted through
the dresses in search of the perfect gown.
One of the
earlier whispering ladies stopped by her, encouraged by the other woman’s
barbs. “You shall have your punishment
one day, you hussy!” The woman clomped
out of the store, banging the door behind her.
“If I shall,
it shall not be for greed,” Sarah whispered to herself, sniffing and continuing
to examine the dresses. There were
bright blues and pinks, soft peaches and lavenders.
Many pretty dresses. Just then she
pulled out a soft cream dress, trimmed with butter-colored ribbons and white
lace, with tiny buttons trailing down the back.
The neckline was square and lace-lined, and the skirt was full and flowing.
She felt its softness longingly.
She looked at the tag, her eyes widening.
Six dollars! She could never afford
that! With drooping head, she put the
dress back and started looking again.
“Miss Everett?”
Sarah looked
up, surprised to see the store manager, Mrs. Dowland, walking her way.
“Yes?”
The woman,
gray-haired and gentle, looked into her eyes sympathetically.
“I overheard some of the rude remarks those women made.
Take no mind of them. You spoke the
truth when you replied to them, and I admire your bravery.”
She smiled and placed her hands on Sarah’s shoulders.
“I’ve seen you here a few times before, and I always liked you.
I know you’re a sweet girl. You remind
me of my daughter, who lives in the East, now.”
She paused and looked at the dress rack.
“I saw you looking at that cream gown, and—I
want you to have it.”
Sarah frowned,
sure she had heard wrong. “What?”
“Consider
it a wedding present,” Mrs. Dowland said with a smile.
“But—but—it’s
so much. Too much,” Sarah protested.
“Nonsense!”
“At least
let me pay what I can for it!” Sarah said, opening her purse.
“No, my dear.
It is my pleasure to give it to you.
You don’t want to take my pleasure away, do you?”
Her eyes twinkled.
Sarah smiled.
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“You have,
already, just by your smile. But—I
would love to come to your wedding tomorrow, if it’s all right with you and
your fiancé.”
“Oh, of course!
I’m sure he won’t mind, and I’d be happy to have you!”
Sarah wiped tears from her eyes.
“My own mother died four years ago.”
“I know,
and I’m very sorry,” Mrs. Dowland said softly.
She patted Sarah on the back. “Someone’s
looking for me, so I must go. Don’t
forget to hold your chin up despite what anyone says!”
Sarah smiled.
“Yes, I will. Thank you!”
~~~~
Sarah crossed
the street to the cobbler, where she hoped to find a pair of white shoes
for her wedding.
She remembered
her first wedding, when she had worn a lovely but simple pale dress her
mother had bought for her. It seemed
ages ago, and yet—the memory was still alive . . . and painful.
She quickened
her steps, looking down at the ground, counting her steps out of habit.
She had gone temporarily blind one time and had often learned the number
of steps it took to get from place to place.
She felt
her head hit into something.
“Why don’t
you watch where you’re—”
She looked
up—and blanched. It couldn’t be him—it
couldn’t! But it was.
Her ex-husband.
~~~~
“Adam’s
head’s so lost in dreamland we could hit ‘im with the broadside of a beam
and he wouldn’t notice!”
Joe laughed,
wiping sweat off his brow. “Ya know,
I think you’re right!” He grinned,
holding up the beam in his hand and leaning towards Hoss conspiratorially.
“Why don’t we try it?”
Hoss raised
an eyebrow and scowled. “Now, Joe
. . . I don’t think that’s so funny.”
Joe shrugged,
holding his hands up innocently. “Just
a nudge, Hoss—that’s all I meant.”
Hoss looked
over to Adam again, who was slowly painting the door, his eyes shining.
“Well . . . all right.” He smiled
and took the board from Joe.
“Hey, I
was gonna do it,” Joe protested.
“You said
‘we,’ didn’t you? We can both carry
it over there—but just be quiet.”
“Sure, I’ll
be quiet,” Joe whispered as he wielded the front part of the board and held
a finger to his mouth, tiptoeing ahead of Hoss.
Hoss rolled
his eyes. “Of all the brothers in
this world, he is the dang silliest . . .” he muttered, smiling.
When they
were right behind Adam, Joe let go of the board and Hoss swung it towards
Adam’s back.
Adam cried
out as he lost his balance and banged into the door.
He swiveled and glared at them.
Joe and
Hoss broke out in hysterical laughter.
Joe held his stomach and pointed toward Adam.
“You—I think you put a little too much makeup on this morning!”
Adam’s nose
and left cheek were covered with white paint.
Adam frowned
and swiped Joe’s face with his paintbrush, then Hoss’s face.
“Hey!” Hoss
protested, picking up another paintbrush and battling Adam’s brush.
Joe used
his hand to pick up paint, and slapped Adam’s neck.
Soon they were splattered all over in white paint.
“What’s
going on?” Ben’s voice rang out. The
boys ignored him. “Stop it right now!”
Ben pushed them apart, only to be whacked in the face with a brush.
“Oops,”
Joe said, smiling nervously behind white lips.
Ben, standing
still in the middle of them, glared at Joe.
“Jo-seph! Did you have
anything to do with starting this?”
He shrugged.
“Uh—uh, yes, sir—b-but we only wanted to have a little fun.”
He smiled timidly.
“A little
fun,” Ben repeated, nodding his head.
“I thought you were all over this the time you were fighting in the mud
before Mr. Milbanks arrived. And it’s
not even springtime!”
Adam lowered
his eyes. “Uh, sorry, Pa, but I was
really the one who started the fight.
Hoss knocked me off balance with that board, and I got paint on my face,
so—”
Ben shook
his head up and down. “So you decided
to get paint on their faces.”
He sighed. “Well, I hope this washes
off or we’ll be in no shape for a wedding tomorrow!”
Joe chuckled,
hiding his mouth behind his hand.
Ben glared
at him.
Joe tried
to stop laughing.
“Sorry,
Adam pursed
his lips. “Well, at least you called
her young and pretty this time. I
guess you learned your lesson.”
“I guess
so,” Joe said, winking.
Adam wiped
his hands on a towel, trying to get any of the still wet paint off.
“Unfortunately, Pa, I think we’ll have to use turpentine to get this paint
off.”
“And lots
of soap so we don’t smell like turpentine,” Ben added.
“You go
ahead. I want to finish up this door.
Since I was pushed onto it, it needs some touching up.
And I wouldn’t trust these two to get near it,” Adam said with one eyebrow
raised.
“Hoss said
we could hit you with the broadside of a beam an’ you wouldn’t notice,”
Joe remarked. “So there was only one
way to find out if he was right. . . . I guess he wasn’t, but I bet I coulda
done it gentler so you wouldn’t have noticed.
It’s all your fault, Hoss!”
Hoss shook
his head. “There’s no reasoning with
you.”
“That’s
because you know I’m right!” Joe smiled
triumphantly.
“See what
I mean? That’s not what I said.”
Hoss and Joe headed off behind Ben toward the ranch, laughing and arguing
all the way.
~~~~
Sarah couldn’t
get herself to move as she stared up into the stubbly face of her ex-husband.
“Sarah .
. . where you been, honey?” he leered, lifting a beer bottle to his lips.
“It’s where
you’ve been that disturbs me,” Sarah said stonily.
“And don’t treat me like your wife, because I’m not, anymore!”
“Yeah, an’
I’m glad. Though I mus’ say—you’ve
aged well . . .”
He reached forward and put his arm around her.
“Get your
dirty hands off me!” She tried to
break free, but his arm tightened.
“You was
my wife—my wife!” he shouted.
She slapped
him and ran away, tears clouding her eyes.
~~~~
Miss Penelope
Jenks squinted in the afternoon sun as she hid behind a post.
Her mouth dropped open when she saw the young lady—that hussy of a Sarah!—locked
in an embrace from a drunken man. She
caught the last words he loudly said.
“His wife!”
Her eyes widened. “Well, it doesn’t
surprise me—not one bit!” She watched
as Sarah slapped the man and fled.
“Poor Adam!I must warn him.”
Armed with a purpose, Penelope hustled toward her wagon.
~~~~
Adam had
finished cleaning the paint off himself and scrubbing
with soap. He dried his hair off with
a towel, then combed it.
Ben opened
the door. “Adam—there’s a woman downstairs
who wants to see you.
A Miss Penelope Jenks. She
seems awfully impatient.”
Adam raised
his eyebrow. “Penelope Jenks—isn’t
she that busybody spinster we saw in town last week?”
“I wouldn’t
know,” Ben said. “But I wouldn’t doubt
it.”
Adam sighed
and set his comb down. “Coming,
As Adam
stepped down the stairs, Penelope rushed forward.
“Oh, thank
goodness you’re here!” she cried, clasping her hands together.
“I have some very important news.
News concerning your—fiancée.”
Adam blinked
languidly. “Yes?”
“I saw her
in the street—in the arms of a drunken man.
And he called her his wife! She is
a married woman, and I had to tell you before it was
too late!”
Adam raised
an eyebrow unbelievingly, repressing a smile.
“You must have been mistaken.”
“No, I certainly
wasn’t! I heard it plain as day!”
Adam cleared
his throat. “Well, the man was a drunk,
so there’s no use believing him. Good
day, Miss Jenks.”
“B-but—you
must believe it!
For your own good!” Penelope
wrung her hands, staring wide-eyed up at Adam.
“Wouldn’t it be better to find out now, rather than later?”
“There’s
nothing to find out, I assure you, Miss Jenks.
Good day,” Adam said, trying to sound polite.
She looked
crestfallen. “Good day, Adam.
You’ll be sorry you didn’t listen to me!”
Adam rolled
his eyes as he shut the door after her.
Then, upon reflection, he put on his gun belt and hat.
I must go to Sarah.There may be something
to the story. She could be in trouble
if a drunk is after her.
~~~~
Sarah
wept, her head in her hands.
Why? Why now?
Why did her ex-husband have to show up the day before her wedding?
He might ruin it if he found out.
She heard
three knocks on the door. Could it
be her ex-husband?
She rose
off the couch and made her way to the door.
She peeked out the front window timidly.
It was Adam.
She opened
the door and flung her arms around him.
“Oh, Adam—oh, Adam!” Her
tears rained down her cheeks, wetting his shirt.
He lowered
her to the couch and held her.
“Shh—shhh.” He smoothed her
soft hair, then rested his cheek on her head.
“You’re okay, now. You’re safe with
me, Sarah. . . . Can you tell me what happened?”
She bit
her lip, remaining still under Adam’s protecting arms.
“Promise to listen—to understand.”
“I will.
I promise.” He loosened his arms
a bit so she could face him.
“Adam .
. . I was wrong for not telling you this before.
I shouldn’t have kept any secrets from you, but—I was afraid you wouldn’t
understand.” She sniffed and blinked
back tears. “I think you will understand,
now.” She looked down momentarily and
took a deep breath. “I was—married once,
as you know. But I told you I was a
widow. I led everyone to believe that,
because I was ashamed.” She swallowed.
“I know it was wrong.”
She looked up. “He’s still alive.
My husband, Jake Everett.—Myex-husband.
We divorced seven years ago. He—he
started spending a lot of time with other women—drinking, gambling.
He said he didn’t love me anymore, and didn’t want to stay with me.”
Her lips trembled as she looked down.
She regained her composure and continued, “I—I read in the Bible that there
was an exception to the rule against divorce.
If—if someone—committed adultery, then divorce is allowed. ”
She looked up into Adam’s glistening eyes.
“So we were divorced.”
Adam pulled
Sarah into a hug. “Dear Sarah.
I love you so much.”
Bittersweet
tears ran down her cheeks. “I love
you so much, too, Adam. But it’s not
over. . . . Jake was in town today.”
“I know.
A gossip told me, warning me not to marry you.
I didn’t believe her story,” Adam murmured.
“It will be fine, my love. Don’t
worry.”
“He was
drunk and said I was his wife. I slapped
him and ran.”
“Good for
you,” Adam smiled.
Sarah’s
mouth wobbled in a half-smile. “I just
hope he doesn’t want revenge.”
“He won’t.
Not with me around,” Adam reassured.
~~~~
Something
was wrong. Candy heard whispers coming
from the table in the corner. A couple
sat there, looking out the window.
Screaming filtered through the window.
Candy tipped
the waitress and hurried outside.
A young woman was gripped by a wobbling, babbling man, and she was screaming.
A few people had gathered around them, wondering what to do.
“I’m not
your wife. Let go of me!
Someone help me!” the woman screamed as the man shook her in his
arms.
Candy wasted
no time. He pushed through the gawking
people and grabbed the man by the arm.
Candy froze. The man looked like
Sarah’s dead husband, but of course he couldn’t be. . . . Shaking away his
thoughts, Candy tried to pull the man away from the woman.
“No!” he
yelled. “She’s mine!
My wife. She d-deserted me,
but now she’s goin’ta come back to me!”
There was
no mistaking his voice. It was
Jake. Candy clenched his jaw and
commanded, “Let go of her or I’ll punch you in the nose!”
“Try it
an’ see—see you can’t. I’m too quick.”
He laughed and bobbed backwards.
In an instant,
Candy’s fist flew out and knocked Jake on the nose.
He fell backwards, and the woman ran from him.
Candy pulled
the man to his feet. “I’m taking you
to jail, where you belong!”
“I didn’t
do anything! Take your hands
offa me!”
Candy dragged
him down the street. “Your drunken
behavior is enough to put you in jail, but holding an innocent woman against
her will is the worst kind of crime I know!”
“She’s my
wife. My wife
. I have evr’y right to—”
“Be quiet,”
Candy ordered sternly. He jerked the
man into the jailhouse and shut the door behind them as Jake babbled on.
Sheriff
Coffee sprang up from his chair. “What
in tarnation—? You’re the new man in
town, ain’t you? An’ what’s this man
goin’ on about?”
Candy pushed
Jake down into a chair and went forward to the sheriff’s desk.
“Yeah, I’m new in town, and so’s this man.
I found him in the street harassing a young lady and drunkenly calling
her his wife.”
“An’ you
know for positive that she ain’t his wife?” the sheriff demanded, looking
up at Candy.
“Well, not
proof positive, but I heard the lady screaming that she wasn’t, and I believe
her.”
“Can you
bring her in? I might know her.”
“No!
” Jake shrieked.
Candy turned,
just in time to see a revolver slip from Jake’s holster.
Candy drew his gun and shot.
Jake’s hand
went limp and his gun clattered to the floor.
His eyes were wide and unseeing.
Candy went to his side and felt his pulse.
“Jake?” There was no pulse.
“He’s dead,” Candy whispered.
Sheriff
Coffee walked over and looked down at Jake for a moment.
“It was clearly self defense. You’re
free to go. I’ll take care of the body
and find out who he was.”
Candy looked
up from the body. “I know who he was.
Jake Everett.”
“You knew
him?” He studied Candy.
“Well, you can go, now. I don’t expect
you want to take the body to the mortuary since you weren’t close with him.”
“Thank you,
Sheriff, but I’ll do it if you want.”
The sheriff
looked at Candy with new respect.
“We can take him together, since he must be pretty heavy.”
“All right,”
Candy said, taking Jake’s arms as the sheriff took the legs.
“It would
save time to put him on a horse, if you have one.”
“Yeah, he’s
over at the restaurant.”
“That’s
closer, so why don’t we go there first?”
They made
their way to the restaurant, where Candy’s horse sat swishing his tail as
he stood tied next to the hitching post.
“I can handle
it from here,” Candy assured.
“Thanks
for your help,” Sheriff Coffee said.
“No problem,”
Candy said with a nod, waving as the sheriff walked away.
Candy turned
his horse around. Then he saw the
young woman of the earlier conflict.
She was leaning against the restaurant, her eyes wide and her arms crossed
protectively.
“Ma’am,”
Candy said, tipping his hat. “Are
you all right?”
She appeared
not to have heard. “He—he’s dead,”
she breathed, staring at Jake draped over the horse.
Candy sobered.
“Yeah. He—he tried to shoot
me, but I shot him first.”
She looked
at Candy, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Thank you—for helping me earlier.”
“You’re welcome.
Are you all right, now?” Candy asked.
“Yes.
Thank you.” Her mouth tipped in a
wobbly smile. “I—I don’t know who he
was.”
“No need
to worry about that now,” Candy said softly.
“Uh, I—I didn’t get your name.”
“Elizabeth
Andrews,” she said.“What’s yours?”
“Canaday.
Candy for short.”
“Candy—how unusual.
But I—I think it suits you.” She smiled
softly. “Thank you again, Candy.”
He nodded,
tipped his hat, and said, “Goodbye, ma’am.”
~~~~
The church
doors opened at
“Martin,
you stand to my right, and Elizabeth and Rachel, to my left.
I mean the left of the church. Oh,
goodness, I don’t know what I mean!”
She laughed, and put a hand to her stomach, which felt as full of butterflies
as a flowery meadow.
“I
know what you mean,” Rachel said, smiling.
“Just come
to the back room so we can help you dress or you’ll never be ready in time!”
Sarah smiled
and followed
“Oh, this
dress is lovely!”
“Yes, and
I could never have afforded it. Mrs.
Dowland gave it to me.”
“Oh, how sweet!”
“It certainly
was. I would have paid you to make
the dress, but we didn’t have time.”
“Oh, that’s
fine—this is prettier than anything I could make.”
“I doubt
it,” smiled Sarah.
“Well, maybe
I could make something as pretty—if I had a year or two and the money to
do it.”
They laughed.
Sarah let
out a deep breath. “Oh, I don’t know
if I’ll last through the ceremony, I’m so nervous!”
“You’ll
be fine,”
Sarah smiled.
“I know. I thank God every day.”
“There,”
Sarah laughed.
“I’m twenty-eight and far from perfect.”
“Well, you
could have fooled me,”
“You’re
saying it’s not perfect?” Sarah said, her mouth dropping open in pretend
shock.
“All right,”
Sarah conceded. “Could you put it
in a fancy bun? I’ve never quite gotten
the hang of that.”
“I’ll do
my best.”
Sarah studied
it in the mirror and smiled happily.
It was braided at either side and twisted back
into an elegant chignon, with three small cream flowers tucked into one
side. “It’s beautiful.
Thank you!”
“Now you
really look perfect, if I do say so myself,”
~~~~
Candy arrived
fifteen minutes early to church, wielding a present for his second cousin
and her future groom. He set it in
the vestibule
on a table with other presents and took off his hat and dusted his feet
off before going into the auditorium.
A few families had gathered
and were sitting and whispering while the organist played a few hymns.
He went
to the back hall to look for Sarah, and almost ran into the girl he had rescued
the day before.
“Uh—hello,
Miss—Miss Andrews,” Candy said. He
couldn’t help staring at her. She
was wearing a light lavender dress, which was embroidered with flowers and
leaves and trimmed with simple lace.
Some of her hair was in a small bun, the rest of her hair gracefully hanging
down.
“Yes.
Sarah is my second cousin, and I met Adam the other day,” Candy answered.
“Sarah is
my best friend,”
“Well—that’s
great,” Candy said, smiling broadly.
“And how are you doing today?”
“Fine,”
Candy nodded. “I was just coming back
here to see how Sarah’s doing.”
“Oh, she’s
looking wonderful,” she enthused.
“Good. .
. . You’re looking beautiful.
The dress is lovely,” Candy complimented.
“Thank you,”
she replied, looking down with a shy smile.
“I made it.”
“You
made it? It’s just wonderful!
The embroidery is so intricate,” Candy’s excitement made Sarah smile even
wider.
“Thank you.
It’s how I earn a living.”
Candy nodded.
“I can see why,” he said in admiration.
“All right.
Maybe I’ll talk to you later,” Candy said, his eyes shining.
Candy watched
her get the veil from a chair in the hall and retreat into the back room.
~~~~
Adam retied
his black bowtie for the third time and studied himself in the mirror.
He supposed he looked good enough.
His black suit was freshly laundered and pressed, and his white shirt fairly
glowed in brilliance.
He ran a
hand over his six times combed hair and took a deep breath.
He started down the stairs and was greeted by his family.
“There you
are, Big Brother!” Joe said with a grin.
“We thought you had chickened out!”
“Not a chance,
Little Buddy,” Adam said, smiling suavely.
“Ya sure
this wedding ain’t a joke?” Hoss teased.
“Yeah!
I never in my life expected to see any of my sons getting married
,” Ben said, his eyes wide in playfulness.
“Jest all
you like, but it’s the truth,” Adam insisted, raising an eyebrow in mock
haughtiness.
“We believe
you. Now come on, or we’ll be late,”
Ben said, laughing and putting a hand on Adam’s shoulder.
~~~~
Adam stood
at the front of the church in front of the preacher.
Adam clasped his hands in front of him tightly, unable to move, he was
so nervous. He had a small smile on
his face, and his eyes were glowing with excitement as the moment approached.
First up
the aisle came the best man, Candy, and Martin, a friend of Adam’s.
After a
short hush, the organist played the first chords of “Here Comes the Bride,”
and the door opened again. Stepping
towards him slowly, radiant and serene, was Sarah.
Trailing behind her were her two best friends, Elizabeth and Rachel, but
Adam didn’t notice them. His eyes were
only on his bride.
He turned
to face Sarah as she took her place beside him, mirroring her brilliant
smile.
“Dearly
beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and of man . . .” the preacher
began.
Adam could
not concentrate on the preacher’s words when such a lovely woman was standing
next to him. The
woman who was shortly to become his wife.
His eyes gleamed the words “I love you” and she
answered with the same silent words.
Adam heard
the preacher’s words just in time to repeat what he had intoned.
“For better
or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer—till death
do us part,” Adam murmured fervently.
Sarah repeated
the words, ever looking into his eyes.
“ . . .
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride.”
Adam smiled
and leaned over to kiss Sarah, who responded willingly.
The crowd
erupted into clapping and cheering and the recessional piece was played.
Adam and Sarah rushed down the aisle, smiling and ducking from the rice
that was flung their way.
“I can’t
believe it. One of my sons is finally
married,” Ben whispered, shaking his head and smiling.
“Come on,
Pa; you’ll miss the dinner!” Hoss said.
Ben chuckled
and followed behind an eager Hoss.
Outside,
Adam and Sarah hopped into their buggy and started to the place the picnic
reception was to be held.
“I love
you,” Sarah said, looking up at Adam and holding his arm.
He stooped
to kiss her, and whispered, “I love you.”
T
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