"You were worried about me being embarrassed?" He asked.
"Well, when you aren't yourself, nothing you do seems right, they were your friends, not mine."
His eyes glittered like diamonds through the pale light in the room.
"Tell me you want an annulment and I'll go get one as fast as I can." He challenged her.
"I-I can't… " she cried. "I just can't." Then she ran for her room and leaned against her door and cried.
He heard her crying, but despite the tears she shed, he smiled to himself. She couldn't ask for an annulment, because she didn't want one.
God! He was falling in love with his wife!
Chapter Nine
She laid across her bed and went to sleep.
The next morning, she got up and fixed breakfast as though nothing had happened. And it hadn't. She put a skirt and blouse on that he bought her and her old clog shoes and went to the kitchen to fix the coffee.
But low and behold he was standing there by the coffee pot, staring out the door.
"Something wrong?" she asked as she grabbed the big coffee pot and took it to the counter to wash it in the bucket, she used every day to wash dishes.
"After branding is over, we'll be taking the herd north to market. We'll be gone a while. I wanted to tell you."
"Oh," she turned to look at him. "All of you?"
"No, I'll leave a skeleton crew to watch over things here, and you. You'll be safe. But I wanted you to know."
"I'm glad you told me. How soon are you leaving?"
"Another couple of weeks." He told her. "Will you be afraid to stay here?"
"Afraid, no." she answered and continued to make the coffee. "My father taught me how to use a gun, if necessary. If you'll leave me one, I'll be fine."
"Will you be here when I get back?" he asked softly. It was the kind of question one waits for the answer.
She got the ingredients out for pancakes and bacon trying to ignore his question. She gave him a quick glance, "Where would I go? I don't own a horse, and I have no money. And," she turned to face him. "Until this is settled, I'm not going anywhere. You may need me to testify at the annulment, so I'll be here until it is settled at least. I like my job, even it if won't have much to do while you are gone."
He smiled, "I'm glad. I've been thinking about you being here alone while I'm gone, I need to introduce you to a couple of neighbors before I leave. If you have any trouble or need anything, they'll be glad to help you out. And maybe you'd like to meet them."
"That would be nice, yes."
"Good, I'll take you over there this afternoon, the Mitchell's are nice people and the William's they'll be glad to help out, if you need them. And we have an account at the general store in town, if you need anything, or want to buy groceries and supplies. Whatever you want or need."
She shook her head.
"What?"
"You act as though money is never an object. And it seems to come up in our conversations all the time."
"It isn't. Especially where you are concerned."
"We'll get our supplies, I'll take Chico with me and he can help figure out what they will need, and I can handle the food."
"Would you like to meet our neighbors."
"Yes, I'd like that."