I need my silent readers to vote or comment. I am falling behind in the Christan category.
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A Few Hours Later:
"Are you going to drive straight through?" Max whispered from the back seat.
"Yes. I don't think she would be comfortable staying the night in a hotel with the five of us." Rhye whispered as he glanced over at Katrina's sleeping form.
"She was raised differently wasn't she?" Joe asked,
"I found her in a group home for women. The place was filthy and run down. She was sitting outside by herself and she was crying. She was going to be kicked out next week, unless she could convince some man she would make a good wife. I don't know why, but the thought of her being forced into a loveless marriage bothered me." Rhye admitted.
"Was the mother of the group home elderly?" Joe asked.
"Yes, probably her late sixties."
"I figured as much. The way Katrina was brought up is the way woman of my era were brought up. She was raised to think because she is a woman she is not allowed to have a say in things. She was probably taught to lower her eyes in respect. I noticed she has done that several times."
Rhye sighed. "I don't want her to think that way though. I feel a marriage should be a partnership, not a dictatorship."
"She will learn differently over time, you just have to be patient." Taylor encouraged.
"Rhye, why are you going to marry her?" Tyler asked.
"because she needed a place to stay."
"but you know your mom would let her stay in the guest room. She could work on the farm and have a fresh start." Tyler reasoned.
"When she gets better. She really needs some treatment for her anxiety and her picking." Joe reminded.
'Mrs. Collins will find something she can do." Taylor said as he agreed with his brother. Rhye didn't have to marry Katrina to give her a fresh start.
Rhye frowned. "I don't know. I didn't really think of that." he said in reference to Tyler's question.
"She shouldn't be forced into marriage just so she can have a home."
"Yeah, I agree with Tyler." Max said.
Rhye thought to himself. He didn't know why he didn't consider taking her home to his momma. The thought didn't occur to him in the heat of the moment. He didn't like the thought of her being forced into marriage, but he really didn't like the thought of her not being his.
Joe chuckled causing Rhye to look up. "It looks like you don't like the thought of her staying with your momma."
Rhye cursed the older man's ability to read his mood.
"I don't like that idea. I want her with me." he said. He knew that sounded selfish, but it was the truth.
"You could still court her. It would just be proper." Taylor said, finally speaking up.
"You speak so old fashionly. You could just say "date her" instead of "court her"." Max mumbled.
"If you wait and give her time to know you more, the bond between the two of you will be stronger. You never want her to think back and wonder if you only married her out of convenience. I can already tell you feel deeply for her, so give her a chance to feel the same way about you. " Tyler suggested again.
"Yeah..." Rhye said with a small pout. The men shot each other knowing looks. Their boss had is bad for the little brown haired beauty.
"I am going to stop up here and send you boys in. I know your job descriptions don't cover shopping, but I don't want to leave Kat in the car while she is sleeping. I need ya'll to run in and grab her some clothes. She is probably a small." Rhye said, changing the subject with his demand.
The men shrugged and nodded. They didn't mind shopping for Kat, especially if it was on Rhye's dime.
"Do you want us to buy her dresses and skirts like she has on, or more modern clothes?" Tyler asked.
"I don't know. What do you think she would be more comfortable in?" he asked Joe.
Joe looked her small frame over. "I think she would be fine in whatever you approved of. From my observation, she had been taught she is to please you in whatever she does."
Rhye nodded. "Grab her some things for the ranch then please."
Everyone nodded and climbed out the truck. Rhye winced when Tyler slammed his door. He swore that boy was hormonally incapable of gently closing the door.
He watched as Kat stirred in her sleep. He chuckled when her pink lips formed in a small pout. He reached in the back and grabbed Joe's jacket and covered her with it. She slowly opened her eyes and Rhye smiled at her gently.
"Hey darlin'."
"Hey." she replied as she indulged in a full body stretch.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine, thank you."
He frowned. "Answer me truthfully." he said as he tilted her chin up to make her look him in the eye.
"I really need to use the restroom." she mumbled as a soft blush covered her face.
He lead her towards the bathroom. "Wait right here where you are done okay? I don't really know this area well and I want to make sure you stay safe."
"Yes si... Yes, Rhye." she corrected.
He smiled gently at her before leaving for the men's restroom.
Once he finished, he came back at waited for her. After a moment he opened the restroom door.
"Kat are you okay?" he yelled.
"Would you stop yelling." she croaked, making him smile. She was so shy.
"Yes, I am okay." she finally answered.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"NO!"
"Okay, calm down. Don't get your spurs in a knot."
"What are spurs?" she asked incredulously.
He laughed. "Oh, darlin' you have a lot to learn."
She appeard in the door way and smiled. "I know, thank you for taking the time to teach me."
He smiled. "I consider myself very blessed to be able to teach you."
She smiled and he took the opportunity to flip her over his shoulder. "Our first lesson is on not being so serious. We are a very calm, very laid back, and very silly family."
"Rhye!" she cried as she cling to his back.
"Yes?" he answered sweetly.
"Put me down." she cried out.
"Okay." he said as he kept walking.
"Rhye!" She tried to look angry but the right side of her mouth tipped up and he knew she was fighting back a smile.
He opened up the truck door and settled her into the seat.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Atlanta. We have about three more hours before we get home."
"Where is everyone else?" she asked.
"Shopping."
"In there?" she asked pointing to the little pink shop.
Rhye nodded.
"Do they have daughters?" she asked.
Rhye smiled at her innocence.
"They are shopping for you, but yes, Joe has three older daughters.."
"Why are they shopping for me? How old are they?" she asked so quickly it made her sentences sound run on.
"Because you will need clothes for the ranch and they are fifteen, seventeen and nineteen."
"Oh." she said in reference to both statements.
"Thank you." she added a second later.
"You are very welcome." he assured her.
"While we have a few moments alone, I need to ask you something." he said as he brushed a few, thin stray curls out of her face.
"I invited you out to the ranch and asked you to wed me, but I didn't really give you any other options. I never want you to feel forced into marriage, that is why I stopped you from marring that other man. Even though I know how I feel about you after only a few hours and I know I would love nothing more than having you as a wife, it was unfair of me not to give you a say in it. If you would rather wait until you feel the same about me, or even see if you find someone else you would rather be with, I will understand." he said as calmly as we could manage. The thought that she may wind up with someone else hurt him more than he could explain, but he was too much of a gentleman to force her into something.
"but you took me to be your wife." she said a bit confused.
"No, I took you because you were beautiful and I was instantly drawn to you, but your future is more than just being married. It is a life with me or whoever you choose. I know you don't see it right now, but you are worth so much more than you think." he whispered to her.
"but I want a life with you." she whispered back. She couldn't explain it, but she was drawn to him too.
"I just want you to understand you have other options. You don't have to marry me just to have a place to stay. You could stay with my momma and work with her. I don't ever want you to think I was only willing to be with you so you could have a place to stay, with me it is much more than that."
"I want to be with you. I don't understand how you could want me, but the fact that you do proves you are a man of God and I have always prayed God would send me an understanding man. I know that if I try I can make a great wife and even do something with my life, I just need a little time." she whispered. Rhye noticed she was playing with her lower lip and he wondered how long she had waited to tell someone that.
He reached over and pulled her into a hug. "I will give you all the time you need. I have faith in you and I know you will succeed in anything you put your mind too." he said as he kissed her forehead. He knew Kat would one day realize her talents and he was so thankful God allowed him to be the man that would witness her growth.
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Comment "Tyler" if you liked of this chapter :)