{Chapter 13}
“So you want to get married right in a few days? Do you think Katie will fall for it? Has there been enough time?” Toni paced the floor.
She had even forgot why she was marrying the man in the first place for a moment, but then reminded herself that it was for her ranch.
“I think so, but if you don’t then I completely understand that,” Erik said.
“It’s not that I don’t think she’ll fall for it. I’m just scared that I’ll crack and tell her everything. She has a way of weaseling things outta me” Toni continued her pacing, as if it made her feel better. “And you know what this means, right? We’ll have to sleep in the same room. Where will Katie sleep?”
Erik’s face paled. He probably hadn’t even thought about that. “W-Whoa. I hadn’t thought of this,” he said.
That’s what I thought.
“I can shove all the guys into this bunkhouse and she can have the other, but we’ll just have to cross that path when we come to it. When do you want to tell them?” Toni asked, still pacing.
“Tomorrow?”
“Fine. We’ll have to make sure we keep Katie controlled. Before you know it, she’ll be booking us a church wedding and… No. I won’t have that,” Toni said, rubbing her bottom lip with her thumb.
She saw a hint of a smile come across Erik’s handsome face as he balanced the crutches on his knees.
“Someone ticklin’ you, McBride?” she asked, a little more harsh than the situation merited.
Erik shook his head. “No.”
Toni stopped her pacing and looked at him. “Are you sure you want to surprise your family with a brand spankin’ new wife? Some families look down on a girl stealin’ their man. Especially their only one.”
“Are you kidding? They’ll love you. Emily’ll think you hung the moon by the time we leave” Erik grinned.
The grin eased her taut muscles somewhat.
“I’m not too sure about this,” she said hesitantly.
“It’ll only be for a few months until these rustlers get the message and leave” Erik said.
“What will people in town think? They’ll think we… we…”
“We?”
Toni leaned closer and whispered. “They’ll think we got a divorce. They’ll talk.”
“So let them talk. Wouldn’t you rather them talk than ignore you?” Erik asked.
“They already do that” Toni sighed and sat on the bed beside him. “Women keep their men away from because they think I’m like a disease to them. They think I tempt them or something. One look at me and that seems ridiculous. Look at these goofy freckles and horrid complexion. I’m as skinny as a beanpole and half the time I smell like unpleasant end of a horse. Then the women keep their daughters away from me so that I don’t poison their perfectly clean outlook on life. Where everything is peachy-Q and life is grand. Oh, to be young again.” Toni sighed and folded her arms across her chest.
“People are stupid and I don’t like them,” Erik stated.
She whirled toward him. Did those words just come out of a Christian man? “What? Don’t like them?”
“It’s true. Oh, I love them because the Good Lord does. I just don’t like them. There’s a difference. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you have to like them,” Erik explained with a faint smile.
Toni nodded. It made sense- as strange as it sounded.
“I’ve got to get to work. Gotta foal to wean and a horse to train. Poor Prince doesn’t know what to do without you pestering him” Toni stood and headed for the door, turning around before opening it.
Erik smiled. “I’ll have to start over with him when I get back on my feet,” he said.
“Just as long as you’re around to take forever on him. I could have killed you, ya know” Toni said, feeling the familiar pang of guilt again.
Erik smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. He was obviously bracing himself for another apologizing fit. Toni didn’t force him through that, but instead turned to open the door.
“Thanks, Boss” Erik said. Toni spun around at the sound of… was that gratitude?
Erik held up the crutches. “For these and… well, everything else.”
Toni simply smiled and exited the room.
No one had genuinely thanked her in a long time.
**********
Erik had been walking on his crutches for most of the day the next day. He was thoroughly enjoying being able to move again. Being stuffed up in the bunkhouse when the days seemed to stretch on like years was less than tolerable. He’d tried his best not to complain, even to himself, but sometimes he felt like screaming in the solitary quiet that was life as an invalid.
Now he and Toni stood before the ranch hands and Katie as they were all seated around the kitchen table after breakfast, leisurely enjoying the Sunday morning. Normally Erik would be reading the scriptures to them right about now, but there was a pressing matter to get over with, so he had decided to postpone.
“Boys, Katie, we have something to tell you” Toni spoke up, and everyone turned to face her.
Erik’s stomach clenched. Why was he so nervous? It was just the guys and Katie.
“Mc-…Erik and I have some news” Toni said, her voice wavering.
“We’re getting hitched” Erik blurted to spare Toni of saying the words, leaning on his crutches, his hands free.
Every eye darted between the two of them, some choking on half-swallowed drinks of coffee, others staring at them, their mouths gaping. Katie paused, her fingers in the middle of finger combing her blonde curls, and her eyes widened in shock.
Beside him, he saw Toni’s chest rise and fall with shallow breathing while a deathly silence filled the air. Unconsciously, Erik gripped her hand with his and surprisingly, she squeezed right back.
“A-Are you two serious?” Katie asked.
Toni nodded and Erik offered a smile.
“W-When did this happen?” Tiny asked
“Yesterday” Erik answered.
Wade was the only one smiling and still drinking his coffee as the others were clearly in a state of shock.
“Congratulations” Wade said.
This brought everyone else mostly out of their shocked expressions, mostly Katie.
“Oh, this is wonderful! I had always hoped, but I never…never really thought” She stood and hugged Toni so tight that she squeezed Erik’s hand harder.
“This is a blessed day! Oh, I have to find you a dress, Erik needs a suit, and we all have to spiffy up. I’ll need to book the church and send out invitations. We’ll have the biggest, most beautiful wedding this town has ever seen!” Katie clapped her hands and Erik sensed the coming day of flusteration.
“We don’t need a big weddin’, Katie. Erik n me are gonna run down to the courthouse in a few days and say the words and come right back home” Toni protested.
Katie gave her a look and the two women went outside.
Erik dreaded the teasing from the hands… especially Ben.
**********
“You stupid idiot!” Duke kicked J.T. repeatedly in the stomach before yanking him up to throw him against the wall of the abandoned line shack in which they had been staying.
“Stop!” J.T. pleaded, holding out his hand and allowing the blood to drip freely from his nose.
Zach stood by, not stopping Duke at all, dwelling on his anger. J.T. had been careless to allow them to find out who he was. Their entire outfit was in danger now, and it was all because of one moron.
Jose was gone hunting and it made teaching J.T. a lesson a whole lot easier. Jose and J.T. might not get along, but Jose couldn’t stand to watch anything suffer.
“Boss, make him stop or I’ll hurt him!” J.T. threatened before Duke landed another right cross on him, sending him to the floor.
Zach said nothing. He wasn’t about to intervene on J.T.’s behalf.
Duke kicked J.T. hard on the side, stomach, and chest, relentless and never faltering in the power of his blows. J.T. coughed up blood, and nearly choked.
Zach still stuck to the spot.
Duke then chose to send the toe of his boot into the side of J.T.’s head and throat.
“Please!” J.T. pleaded during a strangled cough.
Zach said nothing.
Duke threw J.T. back up against the wall again, rattling the widows.
J.T., battered and already bruising, grew furious. The red flame of rage filled his eyes, and his jaw clenched in determination as blood trickled down from a cut on his forehead from Duke’s blows.
J.T. launched himself at Duke, tackling him to the ground and punching him in the face repeatedly.
Though night had descended on them, the dim light from the fire in the fireplace gave Zach a front row seat to his brother’s brutal and heartless murder.
Yet he stood, not even flinching, and his only sibling was beat and strangled to death before his very eyes.
An eerie air settled in the room as J.T. stood, silhouetted in the fire that gave a deathly ambiance to the room.
Blood stained his hands, whether his own or this opponent’s Zach didn’t know. His hair stuck to his head from the sweat caused by the stifling heat of the summer.
Zach knew that if he didn’t do something quick, he would be J.T.’s next target.
**********
Toni lay in her bed that night, tossing and turning, throwing the blanket off her body in the dreadful heat. Her nightgown stuck to her body and she pulled her hair out of her face.
“It’s too hot to breathe,” she mumbled to herself.
Toni pulled herself into a sitting position. Katie had agreed to let her and Erik just go to the courthouse in a few days and have a fine reception when they got back from Emily’s wedding.
Toni reached over to her bedside table and withdrew the invitation that had arrived today by way of the postmaster. Emily had marked the invite as urgent so that if Erik decided to join them, he would be in Georgia in time to participate in the five days of festivities that went along with any McBride wedding, and Judd had rode it out immediately.
Toni smiled. Emily’s fiancé and the postmaster had the same name.
We cordially invite you to attend the wedding of two of Peach county’s finest young people. Judd Daniels and Emily McBride will be exchanging their vows on Saturday, July 28th in the local Baptist church on the corner of Calloway and Williams streets. There will be a reception on the lawn afterwards and all who attend are welcome to stay. We look forward to seeing you on this blessed day when two hearts become one under God.
May the Lord bless you, the McDaniels family.
Toni smiled. Erik had explained to her that it was a family tradition to combine both names on the wedding invitations.
She was actually looking forward to seeing where Erik came from. Surely, Georgia wouldn’t be as hot as Texas.
Would it?