Chapter 4 #2
Anita smiled and cast a happy glance at the beasts plodding along with the cart.
“Yes,” she said. “They’re all healthy, from the look of things. Their hooves are fine, and so are their teeth. I think they’ll be with us for a long time to come.”
“That’s wonderful,” he said. “So, the chapel is just up ahead. Are you, uh, ready to get married?”
Anita abruptly grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, more than ready.”
Kevin smiled. This was turning out to be a good day in spite of the bank mess.
They stopped at Father Sumner’s chapel. The priest was sitting in his garden when they arrived and seemed less than eager to move when they pulled up. However, he got off his chair and went into the chapel with them.
“All right,” he said. “Here you go … Do you take this woman to be your wife?” he asked Kevin.
“I do,” Kevin said, a little stunned at the brevity of it all.
“Do you take him to be your husband?” he asked Anita.
She said she did.
“Then, by the power vested in me, you’re now husband and wife in the eyes of God and the law. Sign the document in front of you and you’re all done,” Father Sumner said.
They signed the document … And that was it. No kiss. No long sermon about love. No … anything, really. They were just … married.
As they drove away, Anita looked thoughtful but not upset, which she rightfully could have been. “Could we do that again one day? You know … properly, I mean.”
“Yes,” Kevin said, a little abashed at the abruptness of what he’d thought would be a far more meaningful event. “Definitely.”
She reached out and curled her fingers around his tentatively, and Kevin wrapped his own around hers in turn, grateful that she wasn’t completely put off by the whole mess of the last two days. This surely couldn’t be anything at all like she’d dreamed when they’d been corresponding!
“In spite of everything that’s happened,” Anita said quietly, “I’m glad you’re my husband, Kevin. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing that has happened since I arrived has made me change my mind about the person I first met on paper. You’re just what I hoped and prayed for. Just so you know.”
He cleared his throat in surprise and squeezed his new wife’s small, strong hand. “I feel the same way,” he said gruffly.
Thank you, Lord, for your mercy.
Around midday, they stopped at a creek to let the animals graze and drink.
They had lunch sitting under a tree on a patch of green grass that was soft and lush, and even with the shock of the non-wedding-like wedding, Kevin enjoyed sitting beside his new wife and relaxing for a short while before they started down the road once more.
As they drove along, the landscape seemed to put Anita into a trance, and she sat quietly, staring at the scenery.
Kevin found his thoughts running back to the Lucky Bull and Mr. Santiago.
That man in black … He was so familiar and not in a good way.
He hadn’t wanted to mention that to Anita at the time, but Kevin had the terrible, gut-knotting feeling that he was one of the bandits who had been causing so much grief for Kevin and his friends.
Then again, Kevin hadn’t had much interaction with the bandits since he’d been spending a good deal of the last few months down the shaft in the mine.
Also, lately the bandits had been quiet.
Andrew seemed to have worked out some sort of deal, or so the rumor mill said, and that was why no one, not even folks on the road, was being beset by anything worse than a couple of coyotes if they were out too late.
Still, Kevin continued to have his doubts about why things had gone quiet.
Perhaps the worst really was behind them, and the man in black and Mr. Santiago were simply businessmen from Mexico. It wasn’t unheard of in Texas. Perhaps he had simply been worried for nothing.
They rolled into town before the sun had begun to set properly, rattling through the old mining camp, which still housed some of the folks whose houses were being built. Then they drove over the wooden bridge Lizzy and Troy had designed and built, and through the new town.
Anita’s eyes were wide, her mouth hanging a little open in surprise.
“You said some of the houses were built, but you never said there were so many,” she said.
He chuckled. “Well, a lot has happened since the last letter.”
She squeezed his hand, which she’d been holding for the last half an hour, to his delight. “Oh, this is so wonderful!” she said. “I’m so excited, Kevin!”
He smiled, pleased by her reaction. “I’m really glad you like it.”
Their house was about a ten-minute ride out of the new town. It stood on the edge of a green field. There were lights on, and a lantern hung on the front porch.
“Who’s in the house?” she asked.
“My friend Kyle,” Kevin said. “He’s been looking after Betsie and the other horses while I was away since he has a cabin just on the other side of the barn from us. He’s our closest neighbor.”
Kyle was walking backward across the yard when they arrived, and Betsie, who never really took no for an answer, was coming after him.
“No, girl,” Kyle said, holding out his hands. “I’m not going to brush you again. You’ll get bald spots. Now stop your nonsense.”
He heard the cart coming into the yard and turned. When he saw Kevin, Kyle’s face lit up.
“You’re back!” he said and stopped walking.
Betsie rammed her head into Kyle’s back, and down he went on his rump. Anita gasped.
“You okay, Kyle?” Kevin called with a laugh.
“We’re all right,” Kyle called back, climbing to his feet and giving Betsie an affectionate scratch between the ears. The man had a real way with animals, and Betsie had taken to him far more than she had to Kevin. “I see you have some new additions to the family.”
“Yes, indeed,” Kevin said, grinning.
He pulled the cart to a halt. As he was walking around to help Anita down, Betsie stepped in his way. He reached out and patted her, rubbing her neck in the spot she liked.
“Well, hello, Betsie,” he said. “You’re looking fine.”
Anita climbed down on her own in the meantime and hovered by the cart. She seemed nervous again after several hours of seeming self-confident and more comfortable with her new surroundings.
Kyle made his way over and held out his hand. “Hi, you must be Anita. I’m Kyle. It’s really good to meet you in the flesh. Kevin has been talking about you for months. It’s nice to finally put a face to the letters. And it’s a mighty pretty face if you don’t mind my saying so, ma’am.”
If it had been anyone other than Kyle, Kevin might have been annoyed, but he knew Kyle meant no harm and just had a tendency to say whatever was on his mind. Plus, Anita was pretty. You’d have to be blind not to see that.
Anita managed a small smile and shook his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you too,” she said. “Thank you for looking after the farm. It looks like you’ve had your hands full.”
Betsie was now pushing up against Kevin as she did when she wanted to be scratched and brushed and fussed over. She was starting to grow some serious longhorns. They were about two feet long now and sharp.
One of them poked Kevin in the ribs, and he squawked before getting out of the way.
Betsie lowed at him and pushed harder.
Kevin took a step back and then another. “Betsie, you’re pushing too hard,” he said. “You have to stop.”
She kept on coming. Kevin backed into the paddock fence. This wasn’t good.
And then suddenly, Betsie backed off. She turned her head, and there was Anita. She had somehow put a rope around Betsie’s neck and was leading her away from Kevin as easily as you please.
Kyle’s mouth hung open. “Betsie’s not easy to handle. Is your new lady a cow whisperer or something?” he asked.
Kevin shrugged and just grinned at his new bride, who seemed to struggle around people but had no such difficulties with much more dangerous bovines. “I don’t know about that, but she sure is something. That’s for sure.”