Shotgun Groom (2 page)

“Your parents enjoy farming?”

“They do, and so do al of my brothers except for the oldest,

but he went into construction back when we lived in New

York.”

“I do some farm work, and I don’t mind it.”

“I’ve heard of a couple women who ran farms of their own.

It’s not common, of course, but it’s been known to happen.”

Motioning to Nora, he added, “You’re not doing much

farming these days, though.”

“I assist my brother almost as much as before. I just strap

Nora to my back like the Indians do with their young.”

He frowned. “But what about your husband? Surely, he’d

rather have you tending to the child if your brother can lend

a helping hand.”

“Oh, wel , he died in March.” She decided to leave the

detail of the saloon and gunfight out of the discussion. It’d

been a long time since she had a good conversation with

been a long time since she had a good conversation with

someone, and she didn’t want to waste this opportunity by

bringing up unpleasant topics. Clearing her throat, she

continued, “It’s alright. My brother and I get along fine. My

pa taught us everything we needed to know, and last year,

we had a good crop at harvest.”

He pul ed the buggy up to the mercantile and set the brake.

“There’s a patch of ice over on your side. I’l help you out.”

She waited for him to come to her side before she pushed

the blanket aside. He took her by the elbow and her skin

tingled. It was such a strange sensation that she hesitated.

It was nothing like being touched by her husband. When

Harvey touched her, she had to fight the urge to shudder.

But with Joel, she found that she didn’t mind it one bit. In

fact, she found his touch…pleasant.

“Your timing is perfect, sis. I just finished getting the

groceries.”

She looked over at her fourteen-year-old brother who came

out of the mercantile with a box ful of things they needed.

“Good, Sep.” After she got out of the buggy, she told Joel,

“My brother’s ful name is September. My name is April.

Guess which months we were born in?”

A big smile crossed Joel’s face. “No kidding?”

Chuckling, she said, “Our parents couldn’t agree on a

name, so they decided to name us on the month we were

born. My brother doesn’t like to be cal ed September, so he

goes by Sep.”

“I don’t blame him. April works fine if you’re a girl, but

September doesn’t fit for a boy.” Keeping his hand on her

elbow, he helped her onto the boardwalk which was clear of

al remaining snow. “But as I think about it, I can’t think of a

month that fits any boy.”

“I can’t either.”

Her brother set the box in their old wagon and said, “Lucky

me, huh?”

“Now hold on,” April said. “August is a man’s name.”

“True. I didn’t think of that,” Joel said before he turned his

attention to Sep. “Do you have any more boxes to load into

the wagon?”

“Three more,” Sep replied.

Looking at her, Joel said, “I’l get you into the wagon and

then help your brother.”

Joel led her a few steps to the edge of the boardwalk and

then to the wagon. Once she was settled in her seat, he

went into the mercantile with her brother and came out with

a box.

Nora let out a happy sigh, and April grinned. “He is a

keeper, isn’t he?” she whispered to her daughter as she

keeper, isn’t he?” she whispered to her daughter as she

watched Joel set the box in the wagon.

After her brother put the last box into the wagon, Joel

helped him secure the items. “I’l be out tomorrow to check

on your child,” he cal ed out to her.

“Thank you,” she replied.

Her brother hopped into the wagon. Her attention stayed on

Joel as he went into the mercantile, and her brother must

have noticed since he chuckled. “I thought you said you

didn’t need a man.”

Forcing her gaze off the door as it closed behind Joel, she

rol ed her eyes. “I told you I don’t need a man who’l give me

grief. My marriage to Harvey lasted two years too long.”

And those two years felt more like twenty when she looked

back on them.

“Who was he?” Sep asked as he urged the horses forward.

“Joel. He helps Doctor Adams.”

“You like him.”

“Of course, I do. He was very nice. He even helped you with

the heavy boxes.”

Giving her a knowing look, he said, “I meant, you’re

interested in him, as in you’d let him court you if he asked.”

“Be serious, Sep. He has better prospects than a woman

with a rundown farm and a daughter to care for.”

“It’s because of Harvey that the farm is in the shape it is.”

The bitterness in his tone didn’t surprise her. With a shrug,

she said, “Give us a couple of years and we’l have that

farm in tip-top shape. We’l even replenish the animals

Harvey sold.”

“You’re right. We need to be patient.”

“Fortunately, we don’t have anyone preventing us from

getting the farm back to how it was when our pa was alive.”

He nodded. “Fortunately, indeed.”

She examined Nora and saw that her daughter was stil

asleep. With any luck, the fever would be gone when she

woke up. She kissed Nora’s forehead and thought of their

future. It was going to be a good one. She and Sep would

make the farm one they could be proud of soon enough. Al

it was going to take was time, and time was something they

had in their favor.

Chapter Two

After they returned home, Sep headed out to the barn to

take care of the few animals they had left. As Joel

suggested, April gave Nora a lukewarm bath and fed her

as much as she would eat before giving her the medicine

from the doctor.

Once Nora settled into a nap, she started making supper.

She placed the beans into the pot of seasoned boiling

water. The front door opened, so she cal ed out, “Done

already, Sep?”

Instead of Sep’s reply, she heard footsteps in the parlor.

Frowning, she wiped her hands on her apron and went to

see what her brother was up to. She made it halfway down

the narrow hal way when a familiar man came out of the

parlor. Her steps came to an abrupt stop and she debated

whether Harvey’s younger brother was worth greeting. What

she real y wanted was for him to get out. From the moment

she met Lou at her smal wedding to Harvey, she didn’t

care much for him.

“Wel , if it isn’t April. I wondered if anyone was stil living

here,” he drawled as he stumbled toward her, his eyes

scanning the length of her body with more interest than he

had a right to.

Swal owing the bile that rose up in her throat from the smel

of alcohol on his breath, she backed up until she was in the

kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard my brother died and I came to check on his

grieving widow. You are grieving, aren’t you? I don’t see

you wearing black.”

She glanced at the kitchen door. As she headed for it, he

darted in front of her and leaned against it.

“Come on, honey. I haven’t seen you in a year.” His gaze

rested on her breasts. “It’s nice to see you again. Too bad

Harvey didn’t leave us alone last time I was here. But he’s

not here now.” With a knowing grin, he added, “In fact, no

one’s here.”

She looked at the doorway leading to the hal way. He was

closer to it than she was and he was blocking the kitchen

door, so she was, for al intents and purposes, trapped.

“Harvey’s been dead since March.”

“You playing coy with me by ignoring what I said?”

Her back to the smal table by the cook stove, she

continued to put distance between her and Lou. “Why are

you here?”

“I wondered if you needed anything.”

Hoping the polite tactic might get him to leave, she said,

“It’s nice of you to be concerned, but we’re fine.”

His eyebrows rose in interest. “We?”

“My brother and I.”

“Oh yes. I forgot about September.” He snickered. “How is

little Sep?”

Biting back a reply to suggest he not laugh at her brother’s

name, she said, “He’s fine. He’l be back real soon.”

“I’m sure he wil .”

She didn’t know what to make of the amused grin on his

face, but her stomach tightened into a knot.

Lou examined the kitchen. “I suppose this place has

potential.”

“Potential?”

“Let’s be reasonable. A widow living on a farm needs a

man to step in to take care of things. You can’t handle a

daughter and little brother al by yourself. Especial y when

you’re nineteen and easy on the eyes.”

Swal owing the lump in her throat as he scanned her again,

she reached for the knife. On her wedding day, he’d made

it known he could warm her bed if her bed ever got too cold

for her liking. Not only was she not going to cheat on her

husband, but her times in the bedroom taught her that such

activities held no appeal to her. She’d never be pinned

under a drunk man who offered slobbery kisses and a

painful intrusion into her body ever again.

Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “My brother and I

manage just fine on our own.”

“I notice you use the word ‘fine’ a lot.”

“I suppose that’s because it fits.”

“Granted, things might be fine, but they could be better.”

He took a step toward her and she grabbed the knife. “I’m

fine. You’ve checked on me to see how I’m doing, and I told

you. That’s al you need to know. Now I suggest you get

going.”

“Oh, April, you ought to be more hospitable than that. I see

you’re cooking supper. Isn’t it rude to send a guest away

without seeing to his needs?”

“I only have enough for three people, and you’d be a fourth.”

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “It’s not nice to

lie. I saw you and Sep come back from town with four large

boxes.”

“You’ve been watching us?” she asked, her heartbeat

picking up faster than it had been before.

“I happened to be in town and saw your brother at the

mercantile.”

“So you fol owed us home?”

“There’s no need to be upset. We’re kin, honey. I got back

from Kansas City and wanted to pay my respects.”

“And you didn’t knock. You barged in here.”

He took another step forward. “Harvey was my brother. You

don’t need to knock when you’re family.”

He wasn’t going to leave, at least unless he was properly

convinced to. Mustering the courage she didn’t feel she

had, she said, “Don’t come any closer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

“Oh real y, April. This is unnecessary. You know who I am.”

He took another step toward her, so she showed him the

knife she had in her grip. “I mean it. Don’t get closer.”

He laughed. “What do you think I’m going to do to you?”

“I told you to leave, and you’re not.”

“Because you need a man in this house who can protect

you and provide for you.”

“I told you, we’re fine.”

“No woman is fine unless she has a man in the house. Your

brother is too young to do the job of an adult, honey.”

Despite her trembling hand, she held the knife out. “Get

out.”

In a low voice she barely heard, he said, “I don’t think so.”

He took another step toward her, and she understood he

was daring her to stop him. She’d never used a knife as a

weapon before, but she didn’t like the way his gaze kept

drifting to her breasts. In what she feared was a futile

attempt, she swung the knife in his direction to frighten him

enough so he’d leave. But he was too quick for her. He

caught her by the wrist and squeezed until she yelped out in

pain and dropped the knife which clattered on the

hardwood floor.

“It doesn’t have to be a bad experience for you, April,” he

whispered. “I’l do right by you and marry you. You needn’t

worry I’l get rid of you once I enjoy you.”

Her lower lip trembled and she blinked back her tears. “No.

Please don’t—”

He pressed two fingers to her lips to silence her. “I don’t

want you to speak. Be a good girl.” With his free hand, he

cupped her breast and moaned. “You feel good, honey.”

Something inside of her snapped. “No!” She tried to get

away from him, but he tightened his grip on her wrist. “I said

no!”

She made an attempt to smack him, but he grabbed her

other wrist. “Don’t fight me, April. It’s going to happen.”

Then he pul ed her into his arms, nearly crushing her in his

embrace.

As he kissed her neck, she struggled against him, tears