Sixty Acres and a Bride (29 page)
Read Sixty Acres and a Bride Online
Authors: Regina Jennings
“What was your wedding to Mack like?”
“Nothing like Louise’s.” Rosa thought back to that day in the village. “Eli performed the ceremony. He read a chapter in the New Testament about love and prayed for us. That was it.”
“Sounds perfect. Cora’s and my wedding was a huge to-do. Nothing as intimate as yours. I felt like a sideshow freak with all the people staring at me. Of course she was beautiful and happy. That’s what was important.”
Rosa pulled his hand around and pressed a kiss into his palm. She’d never heard him speak of Cora like that. As if she was a pleasant memory. As if he was healed.
Weston led her by the belt of her robe to the bed. He sat down and pulled her to stand between his knees. He was a little shaky. She smiled tenderly. He had nothing to be nervous about. Taking his face in her hands, Rosa flashed him a wanton look straight from her mariposa routine and quoted to the best of her memory the vows she’d heard spoken before the altar that morning.
“Do you, Weston Garner, take me, Rosa Garner, to be thy wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part?”
“I do,” he said distinctly, pouring all the promises he’d made her into those two words.
Unlike the last kiss, she saw this one coming, but she didn’t try to dodge it. Still holding onto her belt, Weston pulled her against him and wrapped her in his arms, no apologies and no reserves.
“But that’s it?” She gasped at her first chance for a breath. “I don’t have to promise anything?”
“I can come up with something if you insist.” He held her snugly between his legs and let his fingers trace her wide cheekbones, her jaw, down to her neck and collarbone as he thought. “Do you, Rosa, promise to be mine? To whisper my name in your sleep and blush when you think of me during the day? To remember that you were chosen by me and are loved?”
“Is that all?”
“No, there’s more. You can’t keep accounts. You mustn’t ever run away again, and”—his crooked grin made an appearance—“above all, you will only crawl under
my
blanket if you need a favor. No more finding men in barns. Do you, Rosa, promise me that?”
“I do. You may kiss your bride.”
“Um, I intend to.”
He was doing just that when Jake called through their door. “Excuse me, Weston, Rosa?”
“There’s no excuse. Go away,” Weston hollered.
She giggled against him, but Jake wasn’t dissuaded.
“It’s Eliza. She’s going to have the baby. I hate to bother you—”
“It could take hours. Tell her to walk around, and I’ll be down later,” Rosa called. She couldn’t tear her eyes off her husband. She leaned forward and took another kiss, enjoying the freedom to do what she’d imagined for so long. “I plan to kiss you a lot.”
“Uh, I can hear you.” Poor Jake was still at the door. “Rosa, where’s the mop? She said something about her water, and Red isn’t back yet. Someone needs to get Dr. Trench.”
“Just ignore him. He’ll go away. I, on the other hand, am right where I’ve wanted to be for weeks.”
Rosa ran her finger down his chest. “I have to go. Eliza needs me.”
“Not as bad as I do.” He pulled her to him and kissed her once more with an intensity that left them both shaking. “But you’re right. Better get dressed and go down there. God willing, we’ll need her help someday soon.”
The bundle in Rosa’s arms weighed as much as a cantaloupe and smelled even sweeter. She rocked quietly in the great room while the rest of the house slumbered. Little Cora watched her with bright eyes and held tightly to her finger, not the least interested in sleep.
“Your family loves you already,
bebé
,” Rosa whispered, kissing her for the hundredth time in her two-hour life. “And it’s a wonderful family. You’ll never know how lucky you are. First, there’s Aunt Louise and Uncle Deacon. They’ll be back soon. Then there’s Aunt Mary and Uncle George. They have three boys who won’t let anyone mess with their princess and two girls who will spoil you rotten. But your favorites will be Aunt Rosa and Uncle Weston, because they already love you the most.”
From the window Rosa saw the light of a lantern make its way across the yard. The darkness hadn’t yet broken, and family was already coming. With a coffee-scented gust, Mary entered the room.
“A baby already? I’m glad Wes went for the doctor when he did.” She laid her shawl aside and wiped her hands on her skirt. “Happy birthday, sweet pea. You like your aunt Rosa, don’t you? She’s a mighty special lady in this family.” Mary leaned in close to coo over the baby and peek in the diaper. “A girl, by thunder! All right, Rosa, you’ve had your turn. Hand her over and go get some sleep.” She took Cora from her arms and pecked a kiss on Rosa’s forehead. “Morning will be here soon, and with the sun a whole new day to tame.”
At an hour when every other God-fearing woman of Caldwell County was either elbowing her snoring husband or sleeping undisturbed in her spinster bed, Rosa found herself sneaking toward a room that was not her own. She was a trespasser whose goal was to get caught—a blissful pursuer whose prey was within reach.
Holding her nightgown above the thick rug, she inched closer with a pounding heart. Surely he could hear it.
Why had this short trip across her room taken her so long? Her stubborn insistence that he would eventually reject her seemed foolish now, for if anyone would love her, it was Weston Garner. And if there was anyone she’d like to visit with or work beside, it was he. And he had made his position clear. She and the farm were not a package deal. She belonged to him permanently, irrevocably, and completely.
Her hands were clammy as she pushed against the bedroom door. Mentally she judged the distance between herself and his bed, counting the steps it would take, and then pulled the door shut behind her, plunging the room into darkness.
Maybe this will be easier if I can’t see him
, she hoped, wondering if he was awake. Her tentative steps brought her closer and closer. With an outstretched hand she slowly searched until her fingers touched the edge of the quilt. Trembling, she lifted his blanket, climbed in next to him, and pulled the blanket over them. She meant to keep her distance, to wait until he woke, but the mattress sloped where it supported his weight, causing her to slide right into his chest.
He could feel her warmth against him; her breath was burning a ring near his heart. She was trembling, so he took her in his arms and pulled her close, until they were both burrowed deep in the feather bed.
Stubborn child
, he thought,
I’m never letting you go.
Holding his wife, he was at peace. This was approved—sanctioned—his heart told him. God have given him someone to protect tonight and for the rest of their lives.
Regina Jennings
is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at
The Mustang News
and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.
