Unedited. Read at your own risk.
Chapter 12
Millie changed into a warmer dress and went downstairs to the kitchen. Mariah and Quinn seemed to be carrying on a one-sided conversation in Quinn’s favor, and Clayton was reading the paper. Jess was probably waxing the floor in the parlor like she had planned, so it appeared that Millie and Trey weren’t going to be missed. Slipping out without being noticed, Millie walked quickly into the warmth of the barn. Trey was no where to be seen, probably out in the pasture rounding up Hank and Graceful, so Millie sat on a nearby bale of hay. Price was no where around, and the barn was deathly quiet.
Suddenly, a board from the barn’s back wall came off and hit the ground with a thud, and a short, stocky man entered through the gap it had created. Memories from back a few months ago flashed into Millie’s mind and struck fear in her heart.
“Escort this man out” Trey said.
“What should I do to him, sir?” Clayton asked.
“Nothing. But if you ever see his face again, kill him” Trey said.
Wes’ eyes widened as Clayton grabbed him and jerked him down the hall.
Millie jumped up, knocking over a pail next to the bale of hay she had sat on the moment before. The man jerked his head in her direction.
“Who’s there?” he asked.
The dimly lit barn didn’t give Millie a good look at the man’s features, but she hadn’t heard his voice before. Panicking, Millie grabbed a pitchfork from the wall a few feet away and held it out in front of her as the man neared.
“Hey, you’re that nursemaid lady that Boss has got the softies for, ain’t ya?” the man asked, the light from a small window to Millie’s left giving him a view of her.
Millie tightened her grip on the pitchfork at the man’s name for Trey. Only one of his men would call him “Boss”. What if this man was here to convince Trey to rethink his decision to make a better life? What if he succeeded?
“What do you want?” Millie asked.
“I’m here to talk to Trey. Is he around?” The man asked.
Millie hesitated.
“I’m Jed. We met once, I think” the man said.
“What do you want Trey for?” Millie asked, fixing the man with a glare as he stepped into the light.
His blonde hair fell just below his ears, and his clean shaven face looked like it was made up of planes. His intense green eyes looked her up and down.
“I need to speak with him. Business matters. Do you know where he is?” Jed asked.
Just then, the front door of the barn opened and Trey entered, leading two horses by lead ropes. He looked around and dropped the ropes when he saw Jed.
“Jed?” Trey looked back and forth between them before his eyes settled on the pitchfork in Millie’s hands. “What’re you doin’ here?”
Jed walked over to him. “We have a situation, Boss.”
Millie put down her pitchfork, her knees growing weak with relief that Trey was near.
“What kind of situation?” Trey asked.
Jed looked over at Millie hesitantly.
“Anything you’ve got to say she can hear. I’ve told her” Trey said.
“Then why’s she here?” Jed asked, confused.
Trey looked over at Millie, an unfamiliar look in his eyes. “I don’t really know, Jed.”
“Well, what I’m trying to tell you is that Adam cut out this morning” Jed said urgently.
Trey bent down and retrieved the lead ropes, leading them further into the barn, not saying a word.
“Don’t you think this is serious no bueno?” Jed asked.
“I think it’s fine. I’m cutting out too, Jed” Trey said.
“What?” Jed squeaked. “You’re quitting?”
“That’s what I said. I have a son who needs his father” Trey threw a saddle over Hank.
“Why the sudden change of heart?” Jed asked, eyeing Millie.
“I’m tired of living for myself, Jed. You know what we did wasn’t right” Trey said.
Jed was silent.
“Was Adam mad?” Trey asked.
“I don’t really know. He’s been real jumpy since Wes left, er… got kicked out” Jed said.
“Think he knows about the money?” Trey asked.
Millie thought back. Trey had said something about some money being stolen.
“I think he and Wes both were in on it, Boss” Jed hesitantly.
“Wes told me you took it” Trey finished saddling Hank and grabbed another saddle.
“What? No, I would never” Jed said quickly.
“Why did he ask for money from me then?” Trey asked.
Millie silently watched Trey’s facial expressions, trying to figure out if he was regretting his decision to turn from his previous life.
“Cover up, I guess” Jed said.
Trey sighed and appeared to be thinking. It seemed like they had both forgotten Millie’s presence.
“Thanks or telling me. I’ll meet you up at the cabin in the morning” Trey told Jed as he waved Millie over to Hank.
Millie walked to them and Trey gave her a gentle leg up into the saddle.
Jed nodded and walked out, leaving dead silence behind him.
*****
Trey and Millie rode silently for a while, the stillness nearly driving him crazy. But what could he say? Inside himself he knew that Millie was in more danger than ever now with Adam cutting out and most likely pairing up with Wes. No gentle way to tell her came to his mind.
“What’re you gonna do?” Millie was the one to break the silence.
“About what?” Trey knew it was a silly question, but he had to buy some time.
“About Adam. He seemed pretty buddy-buddy with Wes, and they might be teaming up against you if they find out you’ve quit” Millie said, her eyes way too trusting for Trey.
“I know.”
Trey felt a headache coming on, and he rubbed his temples to try to keep it at bay. He felt Millie’s eyes on him, like they could see every emotion in his heart.
“You’re in as much danger as ever now, Millie” Trey said.
“I know that” Millie said simply.
Remembering Jed’s question, Trey found himself thinking the same thing.
Why is she still here?
“Huh?” Millie asked.
Trey found that he had actually voiced the question. He might as well ask her straight out now.
“Why are you still here when you know that you could be in danger?”
Millie sighed and said nothing for a moment. Finally, she cleared her throat.
“I don’t really know. Common sense tells me to get away from here and never look back, but…” her voice faded away.
“But what?” Trey pressed.
“I can’t. I don’t know why. Inside my feet are running, but I can’t get them to move on the outside. I think maybe God has another purpose for me here” Millie said.
Trey sighed. He sure hoped she was right. The thought of Millie leaving made his stomach queasy.
“Of course, I don’t want to leave you” Millie said.
Trey looked over at her and smiled.
“A-And Quinn and the others” Millie added quickly.
They neared a wide open space of abandoned fields, covered with grass and weeds, and Trey sighed.
“Here it is. Glorious looking, huh?” he said.
Millie pulled Hank to a stop and jumped down. “It’s not that bad. Once you start plowing and such, I’m sure it will look up.”
Trey dismounted Graceful. “Yeah, well I’m not sure how long that’s gonna take. After Clayton’s father died the land just sat here. It’s gonna take some work to get it plowed up again.”
“Well, you’re not scared of a little work, are ya?” Millie smiled.
“No, I guess not” Trey said.
Millie sat under a nearby tree and leaned up against it, patting a place beside her.
“Sit down and tell me about it” She said.
“Tell you about what?” Trey asked as he sat next to her.
“What’s botherin’ you. You look like you just lost your best friend” Millie said.
Trey rubbed his forehead. “There’s nothing botherin’ me.”
“I ain’t stupid, Trey. Pap always told me that it’s best to blurt out what’s got ya down so you can get on with the day. So come on, spit it out” Millie said.
Trey narrowed his eyes at her. She knew she wouldn’t normally get away with talking to him in such a way. He pursed his lips and stared out at the fields.
“If you don’t wanna tell me, that’s fine. Just don’t let it fester too long” Millie leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.
Trey smiled. It felt like a fly had landed on his shoulder instead of Millie leaning against him.
Millie couldn’t resist a smile as a chilly wind blew her hair out of her face and sent a shiver through her. I spite of Trey’s melancholy mood and the freezing temperatures, the moment was perfect. Breathing deep of the clean air, she couldn’t resist wrapping her arm around Trey’s for the warmth of him. He apparently felt her shivering.
“You cold?” he asked.
Millie shook her head. “I’m fine.”
She looked up at the sky, dark clouds hovered over them, preventing the sun from shining. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to go riding.
Trey put his hand over hers as it rested on his arm. “Your hands are freezing.”
Millie’s hands tingled as they always did at his touch. Trey removed his arm from hers and wrapped it around her, drawing her closer. Then, there was not a doubt in her mind about her feelings for this man. She wished he felt the same feeling, but there was never any telling what a man felt. Especially a man like Trey. So she just cherished his nearness while it lasted.
*****
That evening, Millie wrapped Quinn up and took him out on the balcony for some fresh air.
“Where’s Daddy?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Quinn” Millie said.
“I he gone?” Ever since they had gotten Quinn to talk, he had caught on quickly to new words and had strung them together constantly.
“No” Millie said, stroking his hair.
Quinn sighed and lay his head on her shoulder. “I love you.”
Millie thought she might have heard him wrong at first. “I love you too, li’l man.”
“Hey Millie!” A voice said from down below her.
Millie leaned over the edge of the balcony and saw Trey down below.
“What’re you doing?” she asked.
“I don’t really know” Trey said so low that she barely heard him.
“Need something?”
“Yeah”
Millie huffed. He wasn’t making any sense.
“Daddy!” Quinn giggled. “Did he get littler?”
Millie giggled with him. “No, buddy. He’s just far away.”
“I got something to ask you” Trey said.
“Well, ask away” Millie said, leaning back over the edge.
“Give me a minute” Trey said.
Millie shook her head. “Let me put Quinn inside.”
Setting Quinn on the floor of the nursery and giving him a toy to occupy him, Millie went back over to the balcony.
“A’ight Trey. You okay?” she asked, leaning over the edge to see him clearly.
“I’m fine” Trey said, pacing the ground below.
Millie waited a moment.
“This must be pretty important if it’s taking this long for you to think of it. Or did you just forget?” Millie teased.
Trey sent her a chilling glare that she could see even from her position on the balcony.
“I didn’t forget” he said.
Millie folded her arms on top of the balcony railing and watched him. He twisted his black roll-brimmed Stetson in his hands, making swirls in the dirt with his dusty boots. The wind tousled his hair, that was in a desperate need of a trim, and his eyebrows drew close together as he appeared to be in deep thought.
She waited.
“What’s this question about again?” she asked.
“Will you marry me already? I’m down here going crazy and you’re up there asking stupid questions” Trey said, directing his gaze upward to her.
“Marry you?” Millie knew she couldn’t have heard him right.
Trey stilled. “Did I say that?”
“I-I think so” Millie stammered.
Trey looked up at her for a moment.
“D-Did you mean it?” Millie asked.
“Yeah.”
Millie stared at him for a moment. “I-I…”
“Don’t act all surprised. You knew this was coming, didn’t you?” Trey said.
“N-No. I-I mean, yes. Well…”
“Are ya gonna stammer all night or tell me if you will?” Trey interrupted.
“I’m gonna tell ya” Millie gulped. “I’m gonna tell you that I will. Marry you.”
Trey blew out a breath. “Really?”
“Yeah” Millie nodded.
Trey stared at her with a grin on his face. “I think that was the most awkward proposal any man has voiced.”
“It was. But it was perfect” Millie smiled.
They both ran inside at the same time, Millie through the window and Trey through the door. Millie ran down the hall and met Trey at the top of the stairs and ran into his outstretched arms. Trey picked her up off the ground and spun her around, crushing her to him. Millie smiled and savored the moment. She felt her heart might burst with love for this man. Trey set her down after a moment and cupped her face in his calloused hands.
“I know I’ll never even come close to ever deserving you. Frankly, I don’t even understand why you’re marrying me, but if you can love me even one millionth as much as I do you, I know we can make this work” he said, a flame burning behind his eyes she hadn’t seen there before.
She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. “You’ll never have to deserve me, Trey. I’m yours any way you’ll take me.”
*****
Trey and Millie decided to keep the news about their engagement a secret until their life died down a little bit. Millie knew it would be difficult to contain her joy and keep it from Mariah, Clayton, and Jess, but she hoped it would be worth it. Little did she know how hard it would be until breakfast the next morning.
“Trey, I’ve decided that I’ll help you with this corn scheme” Clayton announced. “I hope you know what you’re getting into though.”
Trey smiled. “I think I do. I appreciate it.”
“When do you plan to start?” Clayton asked.
“Whoa!” Mariah interrupted. “Before ya’ll get all caught up with this farmin’ business, Clayton and I have an announcement.”
I knew it.
Millie thought.
“Oh, yes. Mariah and I are engaged. She made me wait to tell ya’ll until after Millie came back” Clayton said.
Trey dropped his fork, his eyes wide as he looked between them all. Millie leaned back and grinned.
“It’s about time” she said.
“That’s what I say” Jess said.
“You guys knew about this?” Trey asked.
“No, but I suspected it” Millie said.
Jess nodded. “Me too.”
Trey recovered from his shock and smiled at Mariah and Clayton. “Congratulations” he said before directing his smile at Millie, who struggled to keep from grinning so big she gave away their secret.