he straightened, shifting so they stood in a circle in the hallway of the store.
This woman had made a man move aside with a single look. Cassie’s heart started pounding. She’d never heard of a woman who could do that.
Belle turned to Red. “Yes, it’s always
done,
isn’t it? Done to a woman. No one gives us a
choice.
Look at her. She doesn’t even know what I mean by ‘choosing.’ ”
Muriel came up behind Belle. “It’s all right, Belle. She had to pick a man. You know that.”
Belle rested her hand on her belly. “I don’t know any such thing.” Her jaw tightened, but kindness was there, along with anger. “You can come home with me.”
Red shook his head. “She’s a married woman.”
“She belongs with her husband, Belle,” Muriel said.
Belle ignored them both and spoke to Cassie. “You can come home with me if you want. I’ve got a husband who spends most of his time hiding from work and three daughters who would love a big sister. When that baby comes, I’ll have one more. We’ll pray it’s a girl. And I’ll help you; you’ll help me. We’ll get by. What do you say?”
Cassie almost launched herself at Belle, grabbed her, and clung to her.
Some of that must have shown in her eyes, because Red stepped close and slid his arm around her shoulders. “We were married before God and man, this very day. My wife stays with me.”
Muriel’s eyes snapped with satisfaction. Cassie didn’t understand that.
Cassie nearly shook as she realized she’d bound herself to a man she didn’t know. A man she’d have to obey. Tears burned her eyes. This was a way out. She knew if she said the word, Belle could make it happen. Just as Red was strong enough to snatch her out of Mort Sawyer’s arms, Belle was strong enough to settle things her way. Cassie marveled at the woman, her strength, her confidence. Muriel had a glimmer of it, but this woman looked like she’d stand toe-to-toe with any man and come out the winner.
“Let me talk to her, Red.”
So Red and Belle knew each other? Why had Cassie never seen this woman before? There weren’t that many women. Surely Cassie wouldn’t have forgotten one.
“You can talk to her, Belle, but she stays with me.” Red’s shoulders relaxed. “If it helps any, maybe you should know Cassie gave me this black eye.”
Belle’s head whipped around to stare for long moments at the purple bruise. “Well, maybe she will be all right.”
Muriel snickered.
Red let Belle come close. Belle rested a work-roughened hand on Cassie’s shoulder. Cassie felt the calluses through her dress. The hand was scarred and brown and so strong, Cassie wondered what Belle could hold on to with that hand.
“I know you took vows,” Belle said quietly, “but just tell me, if there’d been a choice, would you have married again today, a day after …” Belle fell silent, shaking her head. “Lester Griffin, worthless excuse for a man. Dead now. No surprise. How old were you when you married him?”
“F–Fifteen.”
“I was fifteen when I first married.”
“First?”
“William was my first husband. I’m on my third. I tend to marry stupid and they all tend to die, although Anthony seems to be hanging around so far.”
“She might have married fast, Belle, but she didn’t marry stupid.” Red settled his Stetson on his head and his voice sounded warm. Considering how tough Belle was, that warmth didn’t make sense to Cassie. It was almost as if he…pitied this woman.
Belle snorted. “I’ve decided
married
and
stupid
are the same words. I’ll bet if we had a dictionary, one would define the other.”
Muriel coughed and covered her mouth.
Cassie was shocked and almost smiled at the nerve. What would she give to have the courage to speak so to a man…to anyone?
“What’s done is done. I’ll take care of her. And you should have known better than to marry Anthony anyway.”
Belle jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at Muriel. “Except I had
This woman had made a man move aside with a single look. Cassie’s heart started pounding. She’d never heard of a woman who could do that.
Belle turned to Red. “Yes, it’s always
done,
isn’t it? Done to a woman. No one gives us a
choice.
Look at her. She doesn’t even know what I mean by ‘choosing.’ ”
Muriel came up behind Belle. “It’s all right, Belle. She had to pick a man. You know that.”
Belle rested her hand on her belly. “I don’t know any such thing.” Her jaw tightened, but kindness was there, along with anger. “You can come home with me.”
Red shook his head. “She’s a married woman.”
“She belongs with her husband, Belle,” Muriel said.
Belle ignored them both and spoke to Cassie. “You can come home with me if you want. I’ve got a husband who spends most of his time hiding from work and three daughters who would love a big sister. When that baby comes, I’ll have one more. We’ll pray it’s a girl. And I’ll help you; you’ll help me. We’ll get by. What do you say?”
Cassie almost launched herself at Belle, grabbed her, and clung to her.
Some of that must have shown in her eyes, because Red stepped close and slid his arm around her shoulders. “We were married before God and man, this very day. My wife stays with me.”
Muriel’s eyes snapped with satisfaction. Cassie didn’t understand that.
Cassie nearly shook as she realized she’d bound herself to a man she didn’t know. A man she’d have to obey. Tears burned her eyes. This was a way out. She knew if she said the word, Belle could make it happen. Just as Red was strong enough to snatch her out of Mort Sawyer’s arms, Belle was strong enough to settle things her way. Cassie marveled at the woman, her strength, her confidence. Muriel had a glimmer of it, but this woman looked like she’d stand toe-to-toe with any man and come out the winner.
“Let me talk to her, Red.”
So Red and Belle knew each other? Why had Cassie never seen this woman before? There weren’t that many women. Surely Cassie wouldn’t have forgotten one.
“You can talk to her, Belle, but she stays with me.” Red’s shoulders relaxed. “If it helps any, maybe you should know Cassie gave me this black eye.”
Belle’s head whipped around to stare for long moments at the purple bruise. “Well, maybe she will be all right.”
Muriel snickered.
Red let Belle come close. Belle rested a work-roughened hand on Cassie’s shoulder. Cassie felt the calluses through her dress. The hand was scarred and brown and so strong, Cassie wondered what Belle could hold on to with that hand.
“I know you took vows,” Belle said quietly, “but just tell me, if there’d been a choice, would you have married again today, a day after …” Belle fell silent, shaking her head. “Lester Griffin, worthless excuse for a man. Dead now. No surprise. How old were you when you married him?”
“F–Fifteen.”
“I was fifteen when I first married.”
“First?”
“William was my first husband. I’m on my third. I tend to marry stupid and they all tend to die, although Anthony seems to be hanging around so far.”
“She might have married fast, Belle, but she didn’t marry stupid.” Red settled his Stetson on his head and his voice sounded warm. Considering how tough Belle was, that warmth didn’t make sense to Cassie. It was almost as if he…pitied this woman.
Belle snorted. “I’ve decided
married
and
stupid
are the same words. I’ll bet if we had a dictionary, one would define the other.”
Muriel coughed and covered her mouth.
Cassie was shocked and almost smiled at the nerve. What would she give to have the courage to speak so to a man…to anyone?
“What’s done is done. I’ll take care of her. And you should have known better than to marry Anthony anyway.”
Belle jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at Muriel. “Except I had
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