Feelings he'd never experienced rushed over him. His own body reacted.
She rushed off to dress then. But it was already too late, he'd seen her, all of her this time. And it was obvious she meant for him to see her now. Perhaps she thought he would reject her but seeing her made him want her in every way now. He knew she'd deliberately let him look. It made him more confident that she would not hide herself from him.
Damn…. she was beautiful! He'd never seen a better-looking woman in his life!
He cursed himself under his breath and was still doing it when he got back to camp.
"What's wrong little feller?" Ferg asked.
"Women. I told her we had to get married." He scoffed.
"Married, what fer?" Ferg asked.
Matt looked at Ferg as though he'd lost his mind or something. "I won't take her unless we are. But then she said she'd marry me, because she likes me too. Now, I'm as confused as ever." Matt stomped about. "I didn't think she liked me. She's been mad at me ever since she found out I wasn't going to take her immediately to her people. And then this…"
"Settle down. We can marry you. But you and her will have to decide about the taking."
"We, we who?" Matt peered at him with surprise and shock.
"Coon there, is a preacher." Ferg told him.
"You don’t' mean it." Matt stared at the heavily bearded man. "He's a preacher?"
"Was back home. He can do it."
Matt thought on that a minute. These men did seem to have more gumption than most. Maybe there was more to them than met the eye. Maybe they were better men than he even imagined.
"Then let's get it done, before she changes her mind about that." Matt told them. He stared blatantly at Ferg, "I just don't want someone raping her again, especially since she's with child."
"I'm glad you care so much, little feller." Ferg patted him on the back. "It speaks well of you."
Ferg went over and spoke to Coon, who said very little most of the time.
But he drew out his bible from his saddle bags and nodded. "It's the Christian thing to do Ferg." Coon told him.
"I reckon you are right." Ferg agreed.
When Snow Bird came back to camp, all clean and pretty, Matt stared at her, "Coon's going to marry us, he's a preacher."
Snow Bird stared at Coon. "Him?"
"Yes."
She frowned but nodded. "It is the only way?"
"Yes, the only way." Matt affirmed.
It was a simple ceremony, but Coon did go on as he pronounced them man and wife. Matt turned to her and kissed her solidly on the mouth. Her mouth was soft as the petal on a flower, and sweet. Her lips welcomed him and moved against his now and it shocked him. Startled his head came up. What shocked him most was her kissing him back, he was at a loss for words. Then he slowly grinned. "Now it's legal." He nodded as he came up for air.
She was a bit confused, and contrite. The kiss seemed to startle her as much as him.
But from that moment on, Snow Bird changed. She did things for him that he was used to doing for himself. She followed him and, in every way, but one, she was his wife.
Ferg watched them with amusement. "That'll suffice for now, but sooner or later, you are going to have to take her."
"One step at a time, Ferg, one step at a time." Matt told him.
Ferg gave a belly laugh.