For Love

Chapter 5

"Later, because of the rain," she said, still taking in her surroundings. "And after you get your new contract started."

He nodded even though she wasn't looking at him. He vaguely remembered saying something like that earlier. Blast it, she was saying his own words back to him, which meant he was repeating himself. He pinched his lips together and when she finally turned her head to look at him he said, "I'll bring your trunks in so you can get settled."

She glanced at his bed. "Where will you put them?"

"Oh. Well, there's another bedroom through that door," he said, pointing to the back of the room beyond the bunk beds. "It was my father's before he passed away. I'm putting you in there."

The implication was louder than if he'd said anything more, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about the intimacies of marriage. Not yet.

She faced him and with unspoken implications of her own she said, "I see."

They both stood silently, observing each other. In his mind, he heard a warning bell sounding as loud as the warning bell back at camp, but he couldn't understand what all the clanging was about. "Well, I'll go get your things."

"Thank you," she answered, and smoothed the skirt of her dress. "I'd like to get out of these clothes."

He looked her over and blanched. He hadn't realized she was still in the dress she wore to the wedding ceremony. It was crumpled with mud streaks staining one side. "I suppose I should have had you change before we left Tacoma," he said, his voice apologetic. "It was a nice dress."

She shook her head, dismissive of the subject. "It's nice of you to notice. I'm sure I'll be able to—" She cut her sentence short when outside voices and footsteps broke her concentration. The door opened and both his brothers spilled into the room.

"Jason! We figured you'd wait another day until—oh." Joshua switched his attention from Jason to Laurie and back again.

"Uh, um..." said Jeremy, matching Joshua's confused look. He pulled his gaze away from Laurie to question Jason with his eyes. "Jason?"

On the way home, Jason had mentally rehearsed his story to explain the events that transpired in Tacoma, but he figured he'd need at least four hits of whiskey before he could tell it right. "Josh, Jeremy," he said, gesturing to show Laurie who was who and then took her hand. "Brothers, meet your new sister-in-law, Laurie. Laurie, my brothers."

"Pleased to meet you," she said with a small curtsy.

Neither Joshua nor Jeremy said anything, both gaping at her.

"Well, are you going to just stand there with your mouths open like a women's prayer meeting in a dance hall, or are you going to say hello?"

Usually, his brothers sprang into action when he barked, a habit left over from the days when he was the sole provider and protector for both of them, but this time they dumbly shifted their gaze from her to him. Laurie was looking at him with wide eyes.

Joshua burst out laughing. "Oh boy, Jason, for a second you really had me going there," said Joshua, dismissing Jason's incredulous look. "You know, that's not funny."

"What are you... Josh, I'm serious."

"Right, Jason," said Jeremy, his big apple cheeks more prominent as he tried to hold in his laughter. To Joshua, he said, "I told you he was desperate when he left. Lottie said he might do something drastic."

"Yeah, but aren't you taking this a little too far?" asked Joshua. He looked at Laurie. "I hope you're a good actress. Jason's in deep."

Realization dawned on Jason and he took a step forward so Laurie couldn't see his face. "I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. I would never pretend... not about this. Not about marriage."