Love Rules (26 page)

“Ale, beer, great…” Maggie huffed.

“You mad, Maggie?”

“Nope,” she announced as she washed the dishes a little harder.

“You sure you’re not mad?” Jesse asked as he watched her.

“I am not mad!” She whirled around at him. “I’m disappointed you didn’t share it with me.”

“You like beer?” Jesse smiled.

“I certainly do not, but you didn’t share your secret with me, and that hurts.”

Maggie pouted.

A tear rolled down her cheek and it seemed so out of place over beer. He flicked it away with a finger. “I never want to see you cry, Maggie.”

He took her hands out of the dish pan and put them on his chest. “I’m sorry, baby, and I will tell you next time.” Another tear escaped her. “What are the tears for, honey?”

“I-I’m pregnant.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes grew wide in wonder.

“Of course I am. I haven’t had a monthly since you came back with Abby. It seems every time you touch me, I get pregnant.”

He started smiling and twirling her around the room like music was playing, and she didn’t know what to make of his nonsense. When the others came in, they stared as though he’d lost his mind.

“What’s goin’ on?” Ben asked.

“Maggie’s going to have another baby.” Jesse laughed.

“A baby! Oh my goodness. That’s voderful!” Ben smiled. Paul, Olle, and Stefan all gathered around wishing her well, and twirling her about the room in merriment.

“You shouldn’t be on your feet. You should rest,” Olle demanded.

“No, I’m fine, really. Just get a little sentimental sometimes.”

For hours they all sat about, talking and planning about the baby. Maggie wanted to cry, she was so happy. She never dreamed life could be so good. In fact, it was so good, she became afraid something would happen to ruin it all.

“When will it come?” Jesse asked when he came out of the clouds.

“Next spring.” She added quietly, “Early spring.”

“Good. We have time to build and make things about the place. We’ll need a new crib and a room for the little ones and…”

“Shouldn’t we go home, Jesse?” Maggie asked.

“No…not yet. With you in this condition, I can’t take any chances,” Jesse insisted.

“I guess, you are right.” Maggie sighed.

Olle came up to her and sat beside her at the table. “You are our family, and you should stay here with us. We should combine our places and make them bigger, but this house is too big for just us, and we need a woman who can cook and clean it. So why not make this your home?”

Ben stopped fiddling with Abby’s wooden doll and came over to them. “He’s right. It makes sense. We need a woman here, too, and you don’t need to be alone over there. So why don’t we join the places and work all the land, and you can live here? We will be one big family.”

“You’re very sweet, very special, but—”

Jesse cut her off. “Wait a minute. That is a great idea, Maggie. If we join forces, we can make this place a showplace, and you will have a nice home to live in. I

mean, that shack of mine isn’t much. And we can all take care of each other. I’d work right alongside them, and we could do very well. Of course it might be a little harder on Maggie to cook and clean, but we could all pitch in and help, so as not to burden her.” Jesse smiled.

“But what if trouble comes?” Maggie protested.

“Then we will be much better able to handle it with all of us here.” Jesse answered.

“Yah….we’ve all gotten so used to you three being here. We’d be lost without ya,” Ben said.

Maggie almost smiled, but she feared for them, too. If anything happened to them, she wouldn’t be able to stand it. “But I’m black, or part black. Won’t that bother you when others come?”

“Not many come out here. Since we moved here we only have visits from the doctor, the sheriff and one or two close friends. This house is much too big for just us.” Stefan said joining his brothers in the argument.

Maggie looked all around the room. She had to admit she loved the house, one because it was so big and roomy, and two, the Jenkinses had so much of themselves in the house.

“All right. If Jesse is of a mind, too, then it’s fine with me. I love your house, and it is big….”

“Vonderful! “ Ben laughed.

That night as Jesse and Maggie went to bed, Abby slept in the room with Olle and Paul, and it gave Jesse and Maggie a little privacy, which they had not had since long ago.

Jesse pulled Maggie into his arms. “You’ve made me so happy, Maggie. I told you I wanted a big family, and already we’ve begun.”

“I’m so glad you like children.” Maggie cried and cuddled against him.

“Like them? It has always been my dream to make a big and happy family,”

Jesse said and kissed her tenderly.

“The only thing that bothers me is what if more come…?”

Jesse pulled her on top of him and stared into her eyes, “Honey, we are more able to handle an army, now more than ever, but I think with us killing that

bunch, things are much more peaceful. We aren’t going to have to worry forever about that. I want you to know, I don’t condone killin’, but sometimes, it is necessary out here. That said, out here, away from town, I think we can live happily.”

“I’m afraid for everyone. Afraid I might bring destruction upon everyone.”

Jesse shook her lightly, kissed her hard. “Don’t be. We’ll live our life together, come what may. We’ll face whatever we have to. And we’ll be the biggest family and ranch in the territory.”

“I love you so, Jesse.”

Jesse smothered all her fears with kisses and made love most of the night, waking up with satisfaction and happiness. He opened his eyes and his wife was prancing about the room, naked. He watched her move and grew warm. “I may never get to work.” He smiled.

“I love tempting you like this. I see the fire in your eyes when you look at me. I know I can’t run around the whole house this way, but every once in a while, I’ll do it just for you.”

“Come here, you temptress. I want you again,” he murmured.

She giggled and jumped into the bed with him, smothering him with delicious hot kisses.

“No more love rules?”

“Only one.” She whispered against his ear.

“What?” He pulled her so his lips could play against her breast.

“That we make love every night,” she sighed happily in his arms.

“Now, that’s a rule I won’t fight.” He growled and kissed her lips firmly. He looked into her beautiful, warm brown eyes. “God knows I love you.”

“Forever?”

“Forever,” he murmured as he held her close.

Two peaceful months passed with no disturbances, and Jesse and Maggie began to relax.

When several buggies and a few wagons pulled up in the Jenkins’s yard, though, Jesse kept his rifle near as he went outside to greet the townspeople.

“What’s all this?” Jesse asked.

A distinguished looking gray-haired man came straight up to Jesse. “You’re Jesse Coleman?” he asked, putting his arm around Jesse’s shoulder and smiling as he puffed on a cigar.

“That’s right? Who are you, sir?” Jesse asked, not sure if he should shoot him or hug him.

“The name is Henry Lodge, and I’m commissioned from General Grant, and the President of the United states, Andrew Johnson, to award Mrs. Coleman with a presidential commendation for her excellent assistance during the war,” Mr.

Lodge said.

Jesse stared at him but saw no sign of derision. “You’re giving her, my wife a medal?” Jesse almost smiled.

“Yes, sir, and most of the town has followed me out here so we might present her with it and put her picture in the paper.”

“Let me get my wife out here, then,” he smiled at the gentleman. He saw that Tucker, Constance, Reverend Daniels, and many others including old Hattie had come for the event. He smiled at them.

Dashing inside, he went to get Maggie and Abby. Maggie was lying down, as she’d had morning sickness several times.

“Honey, come here. Bring Abby. You won’t believe this,” Jesse cried, pulling her along with him.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Maggie protested as Abby followed them, almost running to their steps. When Maggie saw all the people, she backed up.

Jesse took her hand. “It’s okay, honey. They want to give you a medal.”

“A medal? I don’t understand. For what?”

Mr. Lodge approached her. “Mrs. Coleman?”

“Yes?” Maggie answered stiffly, not understanding and wondering why her yard was filled with people from Bright Star.

“It is with great pleasure that I tell you that President Johnson has issued a special medal in your honor for services rendered during the War of

Independence. Mrs. Coleman, your country thanks you for your participation in that great war, in helping bring victory to the troops west of the Mississippi, and in supporting and honoring our dear country. This great war was fought because of people like you, Mrs. Coleman, and as a shining example of loyalty to your country, we want to honor you with this medal, from the president himself. It is one of the highest honors a civilian can earn during wartime.”

Maggie stood speechless as the entire town watched the man pin the medal on her blue velvet dress. A silent tear escaped her. “I don’t know what to say,”

Maggie cried.

The entire town began clapping. And then suddenly a man from the crowd rushed through and grabbed Maggie, pulling her to him with a knife at her throat.

He backed away from the crowd and sneered at them.

The crowd gasped.

Jesse whirled about and started to come after him. “Let her go.” Jesse’s teeth gritted.

“Not a chance. You idiots givin’ this tramp a medal. You gotta be out of your minds. She was sentenced to die by a Confederate court, and now she’s gonna.”

“Mommy, Mommy,” Abby cried and ran toward her.

“No, baby! Please, not in front of my child,” Maggie gasped.

Ben grabbed Abby to keep her from running to her mother. All the people gathered about stood rock still.

Mr. Lodge stepped forward. “This woman has been recognized by the

president of the United States. How dare you, sir.”

“I dare a lot, Mister. She’s responsible for the deaths of many families. I aim to see justice done this day,” the man with the knife said. “You can give her your stupid medals, but she’s a spy, and she deserves to die.”

Jesse felt every fiber of anger stir within him. Maggie had come to him for defense, and this man was about to kill her in front of their daughter. He’d be damned first. His hands fisted as sweat dripped from his forehead. He would not let this happen. He’d die first.

“My wife is pregnant.” Jesse announced. “You kill her, you kill an innocent child.”

The crowd all gasped again. Many cried out for her. Many shook their heads.

Some of the women turned their heads with a sob. Tucker bristled.

Ben, Olle, Paul, and Stefan were standing only inches from Jesse, poised to attack, but afraid for Maggie’s life, too.

Maggie panted, her eyes pleading with Jesse not to do anything.

“You think I care? I ain’t got no heart. Not since my family lay on the fields of Arkansas dead. I’m gonna see real justice done. It’s her fault, all her fault. She’s gonna pay like she should’ve paid at the fort.”

“Sir, you will not get away with this. The war is over. Your family members unfortunately are dead, like a lot of other families, but killing her won’t bring them back. Many people fought and died in that war. Many spies died in that war trying to support their beliefs. Let us end it here and now.” Mr. Lodge spoke eloquently, but the stranger had no pity.

The man was in rags, his teeth were rotten, his hair uncombed. He was a remnant of the war that everyone was trying desperately to forget.

The knife scraped her neck and blood oozed. The crowd shrieked.

“No!” Jesse could stand it no longer. He dove for the man, knocking Maggie away as he did so. A slash against his rib cage nearly downed Jesse, but an inner rage rang in his ears as he fought the man down. The dagger went flying. The clash of two bodies made bones crack as Jesse wrestled with Maggie’s attacker, rolling over and over in the dust, fists flying, blood oozing.

Olle went to Maggie’s side and pulled her away from the fight. Miss Constance and Miss Lucy joined them as they tried to wipe the blood from her neck.

Maggie was so worried about Jesse she didn’t care about her own wounds.

“Somebody do something, please!”

But it was Tucker’s. that downed the man as Jesse scrambled away quickly.

The crowd shouted and then quickly became hushed as Jesse stood up. He turned around to see Maggie’s face and staggered toward her, and then fell over in a heap to the ground.

Maggie cried out, “No!”

Rushing to Jesse’s side, frantic that she might suddenly lose the one thing she craved the most—her Jesse—she pulled him around and cradled his head in her lap, “You can’t die. You can’t die. I won’t let you.”

Jesse’s eyes opened slowly, a slight smile curled his lips, “Better get to nursin’

me, then.”

“Oh, Jesse.” Maggie kissed him hotly in front of everyone.

Tucker, Ben, and Olle took Jesse inside. Paul turned to the crowd of people.

“We’d be honored to have the town for supper as we just butchered a calf last night. Plenty of meat to put on the fire.”

Everyone began to gather about the house, and Tucker got rid of the body of the man who took Maggie.

Doc Mabanks was late for the party, Jesse noticed through the window as the familiar buggy drove up. Paul spoke to him and pointed toward the house. The old doctor hurried to help. As he finished bandaging Jesse, he smiled at Maggie.

“Jesse, you are undoubtedly one of the toughest men I know. You’ve been shot up, cut up and beat up, and you’re still kickin’.”

Jesse grabbed Maggie’s hand. “I got a lot to live for, Doc.”

Putting away his medicine bag, he winked. “That you do, Jesse. That you do.

And say, Miss Maggie, I’m going to remember your talent as a nurse when I’m in need of it.”

“I’d be glad to help you whenever you need me.”