Chapter 6
Chapter Six
If the ground opened up and swallowed her whole, she’d not lift a finger to dig her way out.
Violet sighed while staring at Reverend Peele.
She had no doubt the only reason Edwin brought the man today was to force her to do something.
Either marry Josiah or him. The fact he backed her into a corner made her mad enough to want to just hit him.
She’d never been a violent person, but that look on his face was changing her mind about it real quick.
“What’s it going to be, Violet?”
How could a man look so smug and satisfied while making someone else so uncomfortable?
She glanced at Josiah. He’d helped her with the lie by mentioning his living arrangement, but despite his help, the look on his face told her he was angry. She just wasn’t sure who he was angry at. Her, Edwin, or this entire situation.
If she had to guess, she’d say it was all three.
“Can I have a word with you?”
Violet blinked up at Josiah as he took her arm and turned from the crowd, walking away from everyone before stopping at the creek bank.
“I’m so sorry, Josiah. This has turned into a complete mess.”
“You don’t say.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We?”
She scowled at him. “You said you’d help me with all this.”
“That was before I realized it was going to cause so much havoc.”
She watched the water babble over the rocks in the creek while so many thoughts ran through her head. She wasn’t even sure where to start fixing the mess she’d made.
Josiah blew out a deep breath beside her.
She should have never dragged him into this.
Her drama had nothing to do with him but she’d made it his business by being a coward and hiding behind someone else when what she should have done was put her foot down and tell Edwin she wasn’t going to marry him and been done with it.
But you did do that, and he refused to listen. Or leave.
Josiah shifted his weight on his feet. “Look, I think the worst thing you could do is give him what he wants, and he wants to force your hand. To make you do what he wants and nothing more. Just tell him it's not going to happen today and be done with it.”
“I’ve told him that already.”
“Then tell him again.”
“I did.” She glanced to her right when someone stepped into her line of sight. It was Rose. Her sister was the only person besides Mabel who knew the proposal was fake and she hoped to keep it that way. When Josiah looked over at her as well, Rose crossed the distance between them.
“Edwin’s over there telling everyone who will listen that you agreed to marry him and that you two getting married is just a lie to get out of it.”
Josiah crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, he’s not completely stupid, at least.”
Violet glanced at Edwin over her shoulder. “I don’t understand why he’s pushing this so hard.”
“Me either.”
“Well, there has to be a reason he’s so determined for something to happen.” Rose chewed her bottom lip a moment before saying, “Didn’t he mention something about his father when he showed up last week?”
“Yes, but I don’t remember what exactly he said.”
“Maybe he’s why Edwin is so desperate and won’t let it go.”
Violet chewed her thumb nail while thinking. “He said something about his father being sick and leaving him his store. Maybe he won’t do it unless he’s married? And since he thinks I said I would, he’s trying to force me to do it now.”
“It’s possible but, why not just marry someone else?”
She snorted. “He’s probably been turned down by every woman in Elkin, and that’s why he’s here pestering me about it.”
Rose made a small noise, her lips pursed. “Well, what if you actually did it?”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me? Are you out of your mind? All the money in the world wouldn’t get me to marry that goat!”
Rose grinned and glanced at Josiah. “No, I meant marry Josiah. Not Edwin.”
She stilled, as did Josiah. Violet wasn’t even sure he was breathing when she looked up at him.
She’d dreamed of marrying him since the day she set eyes on him and even though she’d let go of the dream, Rose suggesting it now made her girlish heart flutter.
“Look,” Rose said, “it's obvious Edwin’s not going to go away without a resolution, so give him one.”
“By telling him we’ll get married? Today?”
“Yes.”
She blinked at Rose before looking back at Josiah.
“Think about it,” Rose said. “We both know Edwin is a spoiled brat who kicks and screams until he gets what they want and by him bringing that preacher with him, he’s backing you into a corner.
If he suspects the story about you two being engaged is the lie that it is, then he’ll call you out in front of everyone and make you out to be the bad guy by not marrying him like he said you agreed to do. This way, he doesn’t win.”
“But…” Her brow scrunched.
“She’s right. I say let’s do it.”
Josiah’s quiet statement made her heart start pounding so hard inside her chest her breath caught. Josiah wanted to marry her?
“It's not a real marriage until it's consummated.” He shifted on his feet again, glancing over her shoulder to where they’d left Edwin. “The moment he’s gone, we’ll say we changed our mind, go our separate ways, and that will be the end of it.”
Her elation died in an instant, her chest aching as if he’d punched her. He didn’t want to marry her. He just wanted to be done with this entire ordeal.
She hoped he couldn’t see the disappointment on her face and cleared her throat to get rid of the sudden lump forming there. A look over her shoulder showed her everyone was still watching them. Waiting. She smiled and waved.
Meeting Josiah’s questioning eyes, she inhaled a deep breath. “I don’t suppose we have much choice.”
“No, we don’t. The only way to make Edwin go away for good is to give him what he wants.”
Rose raised an eyebrow at them both. “So, you’re going to do it, then?”
When Josiah nodded, she did as well.
“All right then.” Rose turned to everyone, looking at them and smiled. “I guess we’re having a wedding!”
He was getting married.
To Violet Campbell.
It didn’t take the women from town more than twenty minutes to get everything arranged.
A few of them had whisked Violet off while the others started making everyone pull the chairs most of them brought with them toward the big willow tree by the banks of the creek, lining them up with a wide aisle in the middle.
He’d waited by the creek bank, keeping an eye on Edwin. The man was furious. His face was redder than normal and the look he was giving him made him wonder if the gunfight the man had mentioned would happen after all.
It was obvious by the shock on his face when Rose said they were getting married that Edwin thought Violet would admit the proposal was fake and—what, he didn’t know—marry him instead?
Edwin may have brought Reverend Peele to push Violet into a decision but now that the man had a bible in hand and was standing at the base of that willow tree with him, he could see the regret of bringing the old man with him on Edwin’s face.
The ladies who’d rushed off with Violet all came back, smiles gracing their faces. Rose walked down the makeshift aisle moments before Violet appeared.
He’d heard the phrase, time stood still, more than once in his life but hadn’t thought anything of it. He knew it couldn’t literally happen, but as he looked at Violet, he could have sworn time did indeed stop.
She was still dressed as she had been, but someone had woven small white and yellow flowers into a small ring and placed it on her head while smaller flowers were sitting in the curls of her long hair.
She held a bouquet of wildflowers in her hand and as he watched, he noticed they were shaking.
She was nervous. Why she was, he didn’t know. The ceremony was just for show.
He kept reminding himself of that as someone picked up a fiddle and started playing a soft rendition of a song before Violet started down that aisle. Their gazes locked, and he realized as she neared him that he was holding his breath.
She never looked away when she stopped beside him and one look at her beautiful face was enough to make him temporarily lose his mind, a voice in the back of his head whispering for him to consummate the marriage at the first opportunity and keep her.
Reverend Peele opened the bible and started reading from the pages and he was in a daze as he repeated vows to love, honor, and cherish her, and something in his chest pinched tight as she stared up at him and did the same. By the time it was all said and done, his heart was pounding.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
The words were like a punch to his gut. He glanced at the reverend, saw his smiling face, and looked back at Violet when the man nodded his head at her.
She was staring up at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. He glanced at her lips and nearly groaned when she licked them. His heart was still pounding as someone yelled, “Well, kiss her already!”
Her cheeks bloomed pink a moment before she lifted her chin. “Just do it and get it over with,” she whispered.
He nodded, then lowered his head. The moment their lips touched, that pinch in his chest nearly took his breath. He inhaled, taking her scent into his lungs and he wasn’t sure why he did it, but he brushed his tongue against her bottom lip.
Her soft gasp made him do it again, and the moment he slipped inside for a small taste of her sweet mouth, his brain stopped working.
Loud shouts and hoops and hollers were enough to bring him back to his senses, and he broke the barely there kiss and lifted his head. Violet was staring at him with a look on her face he’d never seen. Something in her eyes told him she’d not been unaffected by that tiny kiss anymore than he was.
He pulled away before he did something crazy—like grab her and kiss her all proper like. The shouts of those watching were enough to make him step back. They had an audience and the things popping into his head weren’t appropriate at the moment.
Violet was the first to look away. She smiled at those still clapping for them and he felt like such a fraud it was hard to look them in the eye.
Edwin was watching them both with an unreadable look on his face. He wasn’t happy by any means, but he couldn't say the man looked furious either. If he had to guess, he’d say he looked—skeptical.
Probably because he knows this entire thing is a farce.
There were congratulations shouted from everyone and when he was dragged away by a group of men and handed a jar of moonshine, they all gave a toast in his honor. That uneasy feeling only grew.
He caught Violet’s eye across the clearing. She looked to be having the same thoughts as the women in town all smiled happily at her, chattering away about what he had no idea, but the forced smile on Violet’s face let him know she was as uncomfortable as he was. That was something, at least.
She was married.
To Josiah Lincoln.
And—he’d kissed her. And not some simple peck on the lips. He’d kissed her like she’d always wanted to be kissed—dipping inside her mouth for a taste.
Unfortunately, it was way too brief and barely even qualified as a kiss but, he’d kissed her! She’d tasted him.
Her heart was still pounding. She wasn’t sure if it was from anxiety or the barely there kiss, but seeing Josiah across the clearing staring over at her made her pulse leap and dance.
He was her husband. It might have been in name only, but for right now, she was married to the man of her dreams.
And he’d kissed her!
The musicians started playing again, and it only took moments for someone to grab her and drag her to the make-shift dance floor. Josiah was ushered there as well, and it didn’t take a genius to realize the townsfolk expected them to dance.
She blew out a breath and took his hand, placing it at her waist before clasping his other with her own. Their first few steps were stiff and awkward but once the others joined them, and they weren’t the center of attention any longer, she was able to relax enough her spine didn’t feel so stiff.
“I’m so sorry, Josiah.” She glanced around her to make sure no one could hear them talking. “I never should have dragged you into this.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, but what’s done is done.”
She nodded and glanced at their feet before bringing her head back up. She saw Edwin standing at the edge of the make-shift dance floor staring at his pocket watch. “Well, at least Edwin will leave now.”
“One can hope.”
She lifted her head. “You don’t think he will?”
“Hard to say.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Edwin stood. “He seems used to getting his way. Seeing as he didn’t…” He looked over the top of her head at something behind her. “We’ll know by sundown, I suppose. No sense worrying about it yet.”
Violet knew he was right, but it didn’t ease her worries. Or make her any less anxious about tonight. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t go home with Josiah for a typical wedding night.
Could she?
The moment the thought popped into her head, her face heated. Her pulse started thumping as she imagined being with Josiah as a real married couple. It was something she’d dreamed about for longer than she’d like to admit, and now she could legally do it and no one would say a word.
But it was all fake. Once Edwin left, they’d call it all off, and that would be that. She’d go back to trying to ignore Josiah to convince her heart she wasn’t half in love with him and probably die an old spinster.
But—she couldn’t really go home to her own bed either. People would wonder why she had, and it wasn’t as if she could tell them they had no plans to consummate the marriage. Not yet, at least.
As long as Edwin was still here, they had to keep up pretenses and play the part of a happily married couple which meant, she may have no choice but to stay with Josiah, which brought on an entirely new set of problems, the main one being, could she pretend to be his wife, sleep in the little room behind the jail, and not lose her heart to him all over again?
She’d barely gotten over her crush on him and now they were married.
It wasn’t legal yet, but to everyone who knew them, she was now Mrs. Josiah Lincoln, and she couldn’t say she hated the idea. No, she didn’t hate it at all.