Bushedwhacked Bride (25 page)
Chapter Twenty-two
The next couple of weeks were busy and happy ones for
Jessica. She taught the children in town two days a week,
and tutored the boys several hours a day on the other
three. At night she wrote in her journal or worked on the
history of the town of
Mariposa
for Founders’ Day.
The whole Reklaw crew as well as Jessica attended
prayer meeting on Wednesday night and church on Sun
days. To Jessica’s immense satisfaction, both Ma and
Cole had softened their attitudes on the family’s develop
ing ties with the community.
And of course the boys didn’t protest at all, being so
happily occupied courting the girls in town. The young
women even visited the farm, Millie Holler and her three
daughters stopping by to drop off some snap beans from
their garden, Peaches and Dumpling Hicks bringing by
pies they had baked. Dumpling in particular soon became
a fixture around the farm, and she and Billy spent long hours walking about the property or conversing on the front porch swing.
The four younger Reklaw brothers definitely had their
minds on romance, while Jessica strongly suspected Cole still had his mind on sex. Every time she caught him star
ing at her in his intense, smoldering way, she was re
minded of the intimacies they’d shared, of how much she
missed him. In her quieter moments, sitting petting her
kitten, Jessica had to admit that she remained thoroughly beguiled by him. But somehow, she managed to hold the
line. She was relieved that he no longer seemed so angry
at her—indeed, he more often flirted, though she maintained her prim control.
On a couple of occasions, Cole gave her additional shooting lessons, teaching her how to fire a rifle as well as a pistol. When she pressed him on why he was practicing so much, he admitted that the gang’s last robbery
had been difficult, that the consortium had increased the guard on the shipment. However, when Jessica pleaded that he and his brothers must cease their foolhardy, dan
gerous activities, he turned a deaf ear.
His brothers proved equally stubborn. Three weeks
after the family started attending church, the gang went
on yet another foray to rob a gold shipment.
Jessica tried to address this when she tutored the boys
the next day. By now, all four were fairly adept at elementary reading, and she’d written up for them another
adventure of Winifred and
Clyde
.
Billy began the reading with, “Whinny-furd and
Clyde
was walking down the street.”
“Were
walking,” Jessica corrected.
“Yes, ma’am . . .
were
walking down the street when they found a ten-dollar gold piece in the dirt.”
“Very good, Billy,” Jessica said. “Now, Wes, you con
tinue.”
Taking the crudely bound pages from his brother, Wes
read, “
Clyde
picked up the gold piece and handed it to
Miss Whinny-furd.” He paused, grinning. “Good for
Clyde
.”
“We’ll see if it’s
really
good for
Clyde
,” Jessica pro
nounced soberly. “Gabe, your turn.”
“Down the street, an old lady was a’screamin’,
‘Where’s my gold piece?’ And old
Clyde
said to Miss
Whinny-furd, ‘You keep it, honey.’“
“Hey, good for
Clyde
!” chimed in Luke.
“Really?” Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why
don’t you read the rest for us, then?”
Luke took the pages from Gabe and cleared his throat.
“Miss Whinny-furd got mad. She told
Clyde
to come
back when he had some manners, and some morals. Then
Miss Whinny-furd gave the gold piece to the old lady.
And
Clyde
broke out bawling, just like a baby.”
Slowly shaking his head, Luke finished reading, and Jessica stared at four devastated male faces.
“Well, boys, what do you think?” Jessica asked.
“It’s terrible!” cried Billy.
“Yeah, Miss Jessie, you can’t do that to poor
Clyde
,
showin’ him up in front of Miss Whinny-furd, when he
ain’t done nothin’ wrong,” protested Gabe.
“That’s not true,” corrected Jessica. “
Clyde
was
wrong.
And he got what he deserved. He did it to himself.”
“Huh?” questioned Wes.
“
Clyde
was wrong in giving the gold piece to
Winifred, when he knew it really belonged to the old
lady. And Winifred had enough integrity not to accept
something that wasn’t hers.” Pausing for dramatic em
phasis, she finished, “She knew accepting the gold piece
would be just like stealing.”
“Wait a minute!” protested Luke. “Are you trying to
teach us a lesson or somethin’?”
“I sure am. If you want to impress women, don’t steal.”
“But, ma’am, we gotta earn a living,” Billy protested.
“Don’t give me that hogwash,” Jessica said stoutly.
“You’ve probably already stashed away enough gold to
support yourselves, plus wives and children, for the rest
of your lives. You could quit if you wanted to.”
“Well, maybe we kind of enjoy it,” Gabe confessed.
“Oh, yeah?” Jessica mocked. “Well, tell me this: What
decent woman will want to marry a wanted man? Have
you thought about what your women would think if they
knew the truth?”
“Ma’am, you ain’t gonna tell ‘em, are you?” Billy
asked.
“Of course not. But do you think the truth would
please them?”
The boys exchanged guilty glances. Then Wes asked,
“Ma’am, how do we please our women?”
“Start by not stealing.”
“Aside from that,” put in Gabe.
She shot him a chiding look.
“Please, ma’am, you’ve made your opinion clear,” said
Billy. “We just need a little help on how to melt a
woman’s heart.”
Jessica sighed, realizing she’d done about as much
moralizing today as she could afford. She didn’t want to
risk losing the boys’ goodwill, and had to be satisfied
with influencing them where, when, and how she could.
“The way to a woman’s heart . . .” she murmured, lay
ing a finger alongside her cheek. “Well, you must be car
ing, gentle, tender. Aware of her feelings. Ask her what she thinks about things—don’t just make assumptions.
Bring her gifts—stationery, flowers, candy—”
“Yeah, and if’n it’s Billy, he’d best bring the whole
candy store for Miss Dumpling,” taunted Gabe, prompt
ing Luke and Wes to guffaw.
Livid, Billy shot to his feet and hauled out his pistol.
“Didn’t I warn you varmints not to scorn Miss
Dumpling?”
Noting that the other boys appeared white-faced, and
Billy on the verge of shooting them, Jessica ordered,
“Billy, holster that weapon at once! I won’t allow gunplay
in this classroom.”
Though his expression was mutinous, Billy holstered
his pistol, hurled a glare at his brothers, then resumed his
seat. “Yes, ma’am.”
Jessica cast an admonishing glance at the other three.
“You know, boys, Billy is right. It’s terrible of you to cast
aspersions on Dumpling. It’ll make your ladies think
you’re coarse and ill-mannered. Remember how embarrassed Maybelle, Minerva, and Beatrice were that day
when you made fun of their cousin at the schoolhouse?”
The three culprits stared contritely at their laps and
muttered, “Yes’um.”
Satisfied she’d managed to shame the boys, Jessica
pulled out a dime novel she’d found in the living room and
handed it to Billy. “Now, boys, I think you’re ready to try
a few sentences from
Dastardly Dave’s Daring Deed.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Billy, taking the book. “But first, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
Solemnly, he inquired, “Do you mind that the four of
us is no longer courting you, that we’ve dropped out of
the contest?”
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Jessica said happily.
“Good,” Billy said with a relieved smile.
“‘Sides,” Gabe added, “we all know Cole’s the one
that really wants you. And the four of us have decided he can have you.”
Now Jessica shot to her feet. “What? I’m not some
damn prize the four of you can raffle off!”
“And why not?” came a deep, arrogant voice from the
doorway.
Jessica whirled to face Cole, who was standing there grinning like the very devil.
“If my brothers have dropped out,” he drawled, “don’t
I get you by default?”
She strode over to face him. “You’ll get your ears
boxed by default, if anything.”
Even as the boys broke up laughing, Cole chuckled.
“Settle down, sugar. My brothers have decided, so why
fight it?” He looked her over and winked. “‘Sides, what
can you do about it?”
That invitation proved irresistible. Jessica stomped
down hard on Cole’s instep, smiling at his yelp of pain as she swept out the door.
***
The next morning found Jessica at the little schoolhouse in Mariposa. The desks were filled with her twenty-two
happy students, fourteen boys and eight girls, who ranged
in age from five to thirteen and were all dressed in neat
but modest homespun clothing. It was music hour, and Jessica stood in front of her desk, leading the youngsters
in the song “This Old Man” in order to teach them their
numbers, while her aides, Chila and Rose, stood on either
side of the room. They were also singing and holding up cards with numbers.
They had reached the final chorus when Jessica be
came aware that she was being watched. Glancing at the back of the schoolhouse, she spotted Cole standing there,
just as he’d appeared when she’d tutored the boys at
home yesterday. What on earth was he doing in town?
And looking so dapper in his Sunday suit and hat? Strug
gling not to betray any signs of agitation, she finished leading the tune.
Afterward the children noticed Cole, pointing and snickering among themselves. Chila and Rose had also
spotted the newcomer, and Rose said to Jessica, “Ma’am,
looks like you got a visitor. You want Chila and me to see
to the young ‘uns’ lunches?”
“Yes, thank you. Children, you may get out your lunch pails.”
Amid the clang of metal pails on the desks, Jessica walked back to join Cole. “What are you doing here?”
He grinned. “Thought I’d buy you dinner at the hotel.”
She rolled her eyes. “But I’m teaching.”
Cole ignored her, turning to tip his hat to Chila and
Rose. “Howdy, ladies. Do you think you can handle these
children for an hour while Miss Garrett and I see to some
business?”
“ ‘Course, sir,” answered Chila.
That was when one of the boys, mischievous Willie
Pickens, called out, “Miss Garrett’s got a sweetheart!”
and the entire classroom erupted in giggles.
Jessica faced the children forbiddingly. “That is
enough.”
Twenty-two faces at once sobered.
Feeling a stab of guilt for being so severe, Jessica
added less vehemently, “Now be good and enjoy your
lunches. Any of you who misbehaves while I am gone will miss recess. Is that clear?”
Two dozen heads nodded.
As she stepped outside into the cool sunshine with
Cole, he whistled. “You’re really hard on those young
‘uns.”
“Thanks to you. What are you doing here, Cole?”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m your sweetheart.”
“Stop it, Cole.” But Jessica repressed a smile.
They strolled down the boardwalk to Mariposa’s small
hotel. In the cozy dining room, the owner’s young, smil
ing wife seated them at a small, gingham-draped table
near the front windows, and brought them both glasses of
tea and plates filled with biscuits and chicken fricassee.