Not the Marrying Kind by Christina Cole Page A

held the coin up and smiled. “Pa said he’ll make sure
you’ll fail, and then you’ll have to honor your part of the bargain
and marry Reverend Kendrick.” She lowered her hand, puckered up her
mouth and turned toward her older sister. “Did you really say you’d
do it, Kat? Why would you make a deal like that?”
    Why, indeed!
    “I had to,” she admitted. “Those were the
terms Pa offered. But I won’t fail, Emily. I guarantee you, I won’t
fail.”
    “Pa says he’s going to sabotage you. I’m not
sure what that means, but it sounded awfully serious, and—”
    “Sabotage!” Of all the nerve. What sort of
dirty tricks did Pa have up his sleeve? How dare he make such an
outrageous deal, all the while planning to sabotage her. It
gave Kat all the incentive she needed. Under no circumstances would
she allow him to best her. No matter what she had to do or how hard
she had to work, she would come through on her end.
    She sucked in a deep breath, managed to calm
herself, and put on her brightest smile.
    “Thanks, Emily,” she said, shooing the
little girl off her bed. “You’d better get back to your own room
before Mama catches you.”
    “Yeah, I suppose. And don’t worry, Kat,” the
little girl said, grinning as she stopped at the door. “I won’t
tell anybody I saw you prancing around, checking your titties in
the mirror.”
    “Emily Sue!” Kat didn’t know if she should
laugh, cry, paddle her observant little sister, or just
throw up her hands and forget it. The latter seemed the best
course.
    She turned toward the mirror again. Titties?
    Now where had little Emily ever heard a word
like that?

Chapter Four
     
    As Kat stepped inside the little wood-framed
church the next morning, she kept her head bowed, not from any deep
religious feeling coming over her, but as a way of avoiding eye
contact with Virgil Kendrick. He must have been watching for her
family. He swooped down from the pulpit where he’d been preparing
for the morning service and came directly toward Kat.
    “You’re looking lovely this morning, as
always,” he said. “As are you, Mrs. Phillips.” He nodded first at
Kat’s mother, then exchanged glances with her father. Kat thought
she caught a quick nod pass between the two men.
    But then her father turned away and gestured
toward the pew where they usually sat. “Come on now, ladies,” he
said. “Let’s not dilly-dally around.” He stood at the end, waiting
as first Emily Sue, then Kat, and finally his wife took their
seats. He gave another curt nod toward the minister, but said
nothing more.
    Kendrick looked a bit nonplussed, and little
wonder why. Usually Dirk Phillips had a lot to say. His silence
that morning confused Kat, too. When she turned toward him, he
quickly averted his gaze. Was that a look of guilt upon his
face?
    As for Reverend Kendrick, his pathetic,
pleading expression left Kat feeling nauseated. No doubt he was
hoping his suit had been accepted and was waiting for her father to
give him the good news. It seemed almost cruel to ignore him.
    Kat leaned forward, reached around her
mother, and tapped her father to get his attention.
    “You need to tell him.” She mouthed the
words and pointed toward the somber man in his stiff, white
clerical collar.
    Her mother pushed Kat’s hand away. “Stop
that. You know how impolite it is to point, Katherine Ann. Now,
settle down. Church is about to start.”
    “It’s not going to start as long as he’s
standing there.” She pointed again at Reverend Kendrick. “Pa needs
to tell him that I’m not—”
    “Hush, Katherine.” Her father’s voice rose
up, drowning out her quiet words. Red-faced, he turned toward the
other worshipers. “Sorry, folks.” He turned toward his wife and two
daughters with a stern countenance, then settled back against the
hard pew. He clasped his hands in his lap and stared straight
ahead.
    Reverend Kendrick cast one last, longing
look in Kat’s direction, then strode toward the