Chapter 7 #2
With his hands lingering on her hips, he was only a few inches away. There was something so solid and steady about him, something that beckoned her to lean against him for just a minute so that she could absorb some of his strength.
But that’s exactly what she didn’t want to happen. She didn’t want to rely on him or any other man. She wanted to be independent, free, and strong enough on her own—unlike her mother, who had always needed a man to make her life complete.
She shook her head and stepped back, breaking their connection. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine with the boys. You go on and do what you need to.”
He didn’t step away.
“We’ll meet back at my house over on First Street in a little bit.” She latched onto Bo’s hand and started up the step to her lawyer’s office.
She didn’t wait for Jameson’s response as she opened the door and ushered the children inside. When she looked out the window a few moments later, Jameson was gone.
She spoke with Mr. Dickinson, her lawyer, for a short while and was appalled to learn from him that a rumor was circulating about her living in sin with a man on the ranch.
She didn’t have to speculate too much to know who had spread the rumor.
No doubt Vinnie had done so to spite her after that last morning when he’d witnessed both her and Jameson exiting the house less than put together.
She assured Mr. Dickinson she wasn’t living in sin and that Jameson was only a drifter she’d hired for a month.
Once she was done with her business, she headed to Buckner’s Mercantile, where she knew she could purchase most of the items on Mimmi’s list. She walked around the store with the boys, ignoring the stares of the other customers.
If Mr. Dickinson had heard about her living situation with Jameson and had assumed the worst, she guessed everyone else had heard and assumed the worst too.
She was good at avoidance, had learned to be over the years. She ignored everyone as she shopped. Then she let the boys each pick out a piece of candy and allowed them to sit on the bench outside the store to eat their treat.
As she stood at the counter and waited for Mr. Buckner to finish tending to another customer, she could feel the stares and the censure once again. Or maybe it was the silence.
Whatever it was, she finally lifted her gaze defiantly. She was weary of always being judged for the worst. She just wished for once she could be normal, with a normal family, a normal life, and a normal husband.
“Have you met my new husband, Mr. Buckner?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.
The store owner froze, and the woman across the counter from him grew motionless as well.
The defiance inside Lottie only flamed hotter. “My husband is looking for a dog for the boys. You wouldn’t happen to know of anyone with a spare dog, would you?”
Mr. Buckner opened then closed his mouth.
The woman at the counter spoke first. “We didn’t realize you’d gotten married. The reverend didn’t mention it.”
Lottie didn’t recognize the woman but wasn’t surprised by the nosiness. “We were married by common law.”
“Is that right?” Mr. Buckner seemed to find his voice.
Dray had checked with her lawyer about requirements for common-law marriages in Texas and had learned that a man and woman only had to verbally agree to be husband and wife and then live together for their marriage to be considered legitimate.
Such marriages were legal in Texas because there wasn’t always a reverend around to solemnize a marriage.
Of course, she’d wanted a real wedding and had convinced Dray to go to the church in Turnersville to have the reverend there officiate. But she wasn’t opposed to common-law marriage. Most people saw the benefit of it.
“Yes.” She wasn’t sure why she was lying, but now that she’d started, she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Jameson and I figured it was the best thing.”
“Jameson?” Mr. Buckner’s brow furrowed as he tried to place the name. Since he knew most people, he would no doubt remember Jameson.
“Noble,” Lottie added. “He worked for a while at the Double T.”
Mr. Buckner’s brow remained wrinkled for another moment before he nodded. “Ah, yes. Jameson Noble. Now there’s a real fine man. Quiet and keeps to himself. But real fine.”
Lottie held her shoulders stiffly. “Realized that right away, which is why we decided to get married.”
“Well then. I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you.” She was digging herself into a deep hole. But what would it matter? She’d ride back to the ranch, and no one would have to know the truth, that she and Jameson weren’t really married. Jameson would leave in a couple of weeks, and people would assume he was like Dray, coming and going.
In fact, if Vinnie heard she was married, that might help her situation. He’d stay away, at least for a while, until he figured out Jameson wasn’t coming back. The fake marriage could buy her some time to figure out what to do next.
In the meantime, a fake marriage might help to repair her reputation so that people wouldn’t consider her a loose woman who was living in sin with a man.
Apparently, it was all too easy for them to assume she was following in her mother’s footsteps.
And she wanted to make it absolutely clear she wasn’t.
She swept her gaze over the store and the other customers who were staring at her. “Now it looks like everyone can stop gossiping about me and spreading unfounded rumors.”
They dropped their gazes.
“Good. Glad we’re clear about that. Now, about a dog.”
As she finished her shopping, one thought began to clamor above the rest—that hopefully, while they were still in town, Jameson wouldn’t hear about her crazy declaration that they were married.
She didn’t want the news to spread too far yet.
Not until they left town. By the time the news made its way out to the Longhorn, hopefully Jameson would be long gone.