Unlawfully Wedded Bride

Nathan should have known that would be the first question she asked. “I explained the best I could in the letters but I guess you didn’t read those, did you?”

She shook her head.

He was quiet for a long moment as he searched for the right words. Finally, he asked, “Have you ever felt like God took your plans for the future, crumpled them up in his hands and scattered the pieces?

“That’s what happened to me,” he said gravely. “Then I saw the advertisement. I scoffed at it at first, don’t get me wrong. Still, try as I might, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I finally just broke down and wrote to you. I didn’t expect anything to come of it, but you responded and the more I learned about you the more I felt God leading me to continue.”

Her blue eyes filled with doubt and skepticism. “Then why didn’t you just try to meet me first? All of this could have been avoided.”

He shrugged. “The letters insisted on a proxy marriage. They said you wanted to cause as little disruption to the farm and your family as possible. I’m not saying it didn’t seem a little odd but at that point I believed God wanted me to do it. I wasn’t about to go against that.”

She smiled sympathetically then lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “We all make mistakes. I’ve certainly made my share. Thankfully, this shouldn’t be too hard to fix.”

“I never said I was mistaken.”

Her eyes lit with surprise. “Oh.” Her gaze faltered for a moment then shot toward the large window. “I think I hear the barn door.”

As she went to the window, he carefully refolded the letter she’d read, then slid it back into his saddle bag with the rest of them. He was in trouble if Kate’s last statement was a hint of what was to come.

He’d questioned his sanity for taking on a proxy bride but that advertisement had sparked more hope in him than he’d had in a long time. He hadn’t fooled himself into thinking their marriage was a love match. That would surely have been impossible. He had hoped that within a relatively short time that would change. Now, if he wasn’t careful, it would all slip through his fingers.

Suddenly Kate turned with a frown marring her delicate features. “They’re here.”

Kate forced herself to sit calmly on the settee as she waited for her siblings to come inside. She couldn’t stop herself from peeking at the man sitting next to her. He nearly caught her sideways glance so she pulled her eyes away to let them land on the front door.

“Kate, calm down. We’ll figure this out.” His deep voice startled her but she covered her reaction to it.

“I know. It’s just—”

Childish voices approached. The wooden door creaked open and Ellie appeared. Kate watched as the girl’s gaze skimmed deliberately over her before moving on to the stranger. “Oh, Mr. Rutledge, I see you’ve made it. That’s wonderful!”

Sean entered the room but paused at the doorway to cautiously take in the scene before him. Ellie glanced at her brother, seemingly for support, then smiled brightly. “What’s for supper?”

Kate glanced at Nathan hoping to convey a message and he seemed to receive it for they both sat in silence. The silence drew all eyes to her. Once she had her siblings’ attention she quietly commanded, “Sean, Ellie, sit down.”

They moved to their seats, placing their lunch pails and slates on the side table. Neither would meet her gaze. Sean stared at the floor while Ellie looked off into a corner.

“Explain this,” she commanded with a sweeping gesture toward Nathan.

Sean finally met her gaze. “It all started out as a misunderstanding. I thought you changed your mind when I saw the filled-out form. I asked if you wanted me to take care of it. You said yes. I mailed it the next morning before school. I didn’t realize you just wanted me to stack those papers until much later.”

She groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You told us never to mention it again,” Ellie reminded, giving Kate a pointed look.

“I also told you not to send him any more letters.”

“We didn’t,” Sean interjected. “We just sent that paper. He sent something telling us when he was coming. That was all.”

She glanced up to find Ellie surveying her carefully. Her sister shot a glance at Nathan. “Did she try the ring?”

He lifted his eyebrows as an amused smile teased his mouth. “Somehow we haven’t quite gotten to that part.”

“That’s too bad. Do you still think it will fit?”

He discreetly glanced at her ring finger. “It probably would.”

Ellie nodded. “Can I see it?”

“May I,” Kate automatically corrected, then frowned. “Ellie, don’t you think there are more important things to discuss?”

“I was wondering.” Ellie glanced between them. “Did you fall in love at first sight like Jacob and Rachel did in the Bible?”

Kate’s mouth fell open. “Ellie, that’s enough! This is serious. You’ve tampered not only with two people’s lives but also with one man’s emotions. He came all the way from who knows where—”

“Noches, Texas,” he supplied.

“He shows up and defends me and our house, all the while thinking I’m his wife. A wife created by a ten-and a twelve-year-old.”

Sean lifted his hand to speak. “Remember we just told him about you. We didn’t make you up.”

“And we didn’t do it on purpose,” Ellie interjected, then blushed. “Well, not this time.”

Ignoring those statements, Kate continued firmly, “I want you to apologize to Mr. Rutledge for lying and interfering in his life before doing the same to me.”

They looked properly ashamed, and humbly apologized before they went outside for their evening chores. Kate rose to heat up the food for supper. The clamor of the pans hitting the stove seemed jarring in the silence. Clearing her throat, Kate apologized, “Mr. Rutledge, I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s Nathan,” he said, his voice sounding closer than she anticipated.

She turned to look up into his dark brown eyes and persisted. “Mr. Rut—”

He smiled knowingly, then shook his head. “Nathan.”

Frowning, she yielded. “Nathan, I guess the only way to get out of this would be to get an annulment.”

He leaned back against the table. “Should we want to get out of it?”

“Of course we should.” Her eyes widened. “Why? Don’t you?”

His gaze slid thoughtfully over her face. “I don’t know.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “How can you not know? It’s the only sensible thing to do.”

“Sensible to me is this. You need a husband, I need a wife, and we’re already married. Why not stay that way?”

She laughed. “You can’t mean that.”

His jaw tightened. “Just why can’t I?”