stood unmoving until they heard the front door slam behind her.
“She’s right,” Billy said. “I always intend to do the right thing, but somehow it turns out wrong.”
“This wasn’t wrong, Billy. If I hadn’t gotten here when I did, Mrs. Trask would have taken the children and been gone before you returned. At least Raejean and Annie are still here.”
“And angry and unhappy.”
“We can change that with time.”
“I hope so. It won’t help much to argue in court that I’ve got a wife to take care of my children, if my children hate her guts.”
“We have a more immediate problem,” Cherry said.
“What’s that?”
“Zach Whitelaw.”
“What about him?”
“He’s going to kill you on sight.”
Billy gave a relieved laugh. “Is that all? I thought it was something serious.”
“Don’t joke,” Cherry said. “This is serious. Three years ago a boy tried to force himself on Jewel at a Fourth of July picnic. I’ll never forget the look in Zach’s eyes when Jewel stood crying in his arms, her face bruised and her dress torn. He took a horsewhip to the boy and nearly flayed him alive. Both families kept it quiet, but you know how that sort of thing gets around. None of us girls has ever had any problems with boys since then.
“That’s why it surprised me when Ray… If Ray hadn’t been drunk, he would never have done what he did.”
“And we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Billy said. “I won’t let any man whip me, Cherry. If your father tries—”
“I’m only telling you all this so you’ll understand why I have to go home and explain all of this to him by myself. Once he understands I was willing and—”
Billy shook his head. “We go together, or you don’t go at all.”
“Zach’s going to be furious with me.”
“All the more reason for us to go together. You may have been his daughter yesterday, but you’re my wife today. No man is going to threaten my wife. Not even her father.”
Cherry stared wide-eyed at Billy. She supposed she should have told him that no matter how angry Zach gotwith her, he would never raise a hand to her. In the past she had been sent to her room without supper, or been forced to spend a day alone thinking about the wisdom of a course of action. But the Whitelaws had always used reason, rather than force, to teach their children right from wrong.
Billy wouldn’t have to defend her, but she reveled in the thought that he was willing to do so. Of more concern to her was the possibility that the two men might provoke one another to violence. She already knew that Billy liked to fight. Zach would be more than willing to give him one.
“I’ll let you come with me on one condition,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“We bring the girls with us.”
Billy frowned. “What purpose would that serve?”
“Zach won’t be able to fight with you—or yell at me—if he’s busy meeting his new grandchildren.”
“Raejean and Annie don’t even like you. What makes you think they’ll take to your father?”
“Trust me. Zach Whitelaw could sell snow in Alaska. He’ll have Raejean and Annie eating out of his hand in no time. Besides, we have no choice but to take them with us. Mrs. Motherwell is gone.”
“I forgot about that,” Billy said as he headed toward the door that led upstairs. “Damn. All right. Let me go get them. We might as well get this meeting over with.”
“Billy,” Cherry called after him. When he stopped and turned to her, she said, “We can still call the whole thing off.”
He walked the few steps back to her and lifted her chin with his finger. “Buck up, kid. You’re doing great.”
Cherry felt tears prickle her eyes and blinked to keep them from forming.
Billy leaned down and kissed her mouth. His touch was gentle, intended to comfort. “I’m sorry, Cherry. I shouldn’t have left you here alone and driven away. It’s not easy to admit it, but I was scared.”
Cherry searched his eyes. If he
“She’s right,” Billy said. “I always intend to do the right thing, but somehow it turns out wrong.”
“This wasn’t wrong, Billy. If I hadn’t gotten here when I did, Mrs. Trask would have taken the children and been gone before you returned. At least Raejean and Annie are still here.”
“And angry and unhappy.”
“We can change that with time.”
“I hope so. It won’t help much to argue in court that I’ve got a wife to take care of my children, if my children hate her guts.”
“We have a more immediate problem,” Cherry said.
“What’s that?”
“Zach Whitelaw.”
“What about him?”
“He’s going to kill you on sight.”
Billy gave a relieved laugh. “Is that all? I thought it was something serious.”
“Don’t joke,” Cherry said. “This is serious. Three years ago a boy tried to force himself on Jewel at a Fourth of July picnic. I’ll never forget the look in Zach’s eyes when Jewel stood crying in his arms, her face bruised and her dress torn. He took a horsewhip to the boy and nearly flayed him alive. Both families kept it quiet, but you know how that sort of thing gets around. None of us girls has ever had any problems with boys since then.
“That’s why it surprised me when Ray… If Ray hadn’t been drunk, he would never have done what he did.”
“And we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Billy said. “I won’t let any man whip me, Cherry. If your father tries—”
“I’m only telling you all this so you’ll understand why I have to go home and explain all of this to him by myself. Once he understands I was willing and—”
Billy shook his head. “We go together, or you don’t go at all.”
“Zach’s going to be furious with me.”
“All the more reason for us to go together. You may have been his daughter yesterday, but you’re my wife today. No man is going to threaten my wife. Not even her father.”
Cherry stared wide-eyed at Billy. She supposed she should have told him that no matter how angry Zach gotwith her, he would never raise a hand to her. In the past she had been sent to her room without supper, or been forced to spend a day alone thinking about the wisdom of a course of action. But the Whitelaws had always used reason, rather than force, to teach their children right from wrong.
Billy wouldn’t have to defend her, but she reveled in the thought that he was willing to do so. Of more concern to her was the possibility that the two men might provoke one another to violence. She already knew that Billy liked to fight. Zach would be more than willing to give him one.
“I’ll let you come with me on one condition,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“We bring the girls with us.”
Billy frowned. “What purpose would that serve?”
“Zach won’t be able to fight with you—or yell at me—if he’s busy meeting his new grandchildren.”
“Raejean and Annie don’t even like you. What makes you think they’ll take to your father?”
“Trust me. Zach Whitelaw could sell snow in Alaska. He’ll have Raejean and Annie eating out of his hand in no time. Besides, we have no choice but to take them with us. Mrs. Motherwell is gone.”
“I forgot about that,” Billy said as he headed toward the door that led upstairs. “Damn. All right. Let me go get them. We might as well get this meeting over with.”
“Billy,” Cherry called after him. When he stopped and turned to her, she said, “We can still call the whole thing off.”
He walked the few steps back to her and lifted her chin with his finger. “Buck up, kid. You’re doing great.”
Cherry felt tears prickle her eyes and blinked to keep them from forming.
Billy leaned down and kissed her mouth. His touch was gentle, intended to comfort. “I’m sorry, Cherry. I shouldn’t have left you here alone and driven away. It’s not easy to admit it, but I was scared.”
Cherry searched his eyes. If he
Similar Books
