Spirit Journey: Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 3) (17 page)

              Living with Hope and Switch had been fun, but having both Skip and Switch in the house was hysterical.  Peanut loved listening to the way they related to each other.  Their conversations were disjointed and yet they somehow almost always came back to finish the subject they’d originally been talking about.  They sometimes confused each other, which made it all the funnier. 

              It was also amusing to watch the two men vie for Annie’s affections.  They made faces for her, various animal noises, and even danced—all to get her to come to one or the other.  Although Annie loved Switch, if Skip made bullfrog noises, she invariably picked him.  Switch always said that was cheating, but Skip didn’t care.  Peanut loved hearing him refer to himself as Annie’s pa and he kept trying to get Annie to say it.

              Their wedding was set for the end of September.  Peanut didn’t want to wait any longer than that because she’d be six months along and she wanted to hide her pregnancy as much as possible for the ceremony.  She and Skip picked out wedding bands and they’d decided to live with his parents until they’d saved up enough for a down payment on a house.

              Hope and Switch didn’t want them to move out, so they told them not to be in a hurry about it.  The house would be empty again without them there and they would miss seeing Peanut and Annie every night.  Renee’s old room would become the nursery and Skip and Peanut would make Skip’s room theirs. 

              The young couple’s anticipation of their upcoming nuptials grew stronger with each passing day.  Skip had always enjoyed his job, but now he rushed home afterwards to his girls.  They were now the center of his life and he felt a sense of purpose in his life now.  He was convinced that his destiny had never been to go to college and he was happy just being with Peanut and his family. 

*****

              Peanut walked along the street late one mid-September afternoon.  She had some time to herself since Switch had confiscated Annie for a while.  He wanted to show her off to Will and take her down to camp to see everyone.  After visiting the Le Femme Boutique for a last dress fitting, Peanut decided to stop by the Sweet Spot to satisfy her craving.

              Randy Cooper greeted her.  “Back for another one, huh?”

              Peanut smiled and patted her belly.  “He’s in charge.”

              “So you think it’s gonna be a boy?”

              “Yep.  Call it a hunch,” Peanut said, thinking about Brown Stag.

              Randy asked, “Care to make a wager on that?”

              “Sure,” Peanut said.  “I’ll be happy to take your money.  Five bucks says it’s a boy.”

              “You’re on,” Randy said, holding out a hand to her.

              Peanut shook it, paid for her order, and sat down at one of the tables.  Some girls came in and went over to the counter. 

              “I miss seeing Joey at school and the football team isn’t the same without him,” one of them said.

              Another said, “Have you seen Skip?  I never noticed how cute he is before.  I sure noticed the other day when I saw him, though.”

              The first girl said, “He filled out a lot.  I can’t believe he’s engaged to a pregnant girl.  I guess he won’t be going to college now.”

              The second girl said, “I didn’t know he was going.”

              “Joey said that he was thinking about going, but that he hadn’t made up his mind.  I guess he made it up,” the third girl said.

              Randy heard them and when he came to take their order, he made a gesture telling them to shut up.  Once he was finished, they turned around and saw Peanut sitting at one of the tables.  She got up and went right over the trio of girls.

              “Let’s get something straight right now,” Peanut said, narrowing her eyes and planting her hands on her hips.  “Skip is mine, so hands off.  I’d also appreciate you not discussing my pregnancy out in public.  I hear you do it again, and there’ll be trouble.”

              The girls were so shocked by her threatening attitude that they could only stare after her as she stormed out the door.

*****

              “What the heck got into you?” Skip asked breathlessly.  “Not that I’m complaining.”

He and Peanut lay in his bed after a rowdy lovemaking session the next morning.  His parents had left for work very early so they had the house to themselves.

              Peanut caught her breath a little and said, “I just don’t want there to be any question that you’re mine.”

              Skip laughed.  “I don’t remember saying any different.”

              “No, but the girls around town seem to think that you’re up for grabs.”

              Skip rolled over and looked down at her.  “They do?  Are you sure?”

              Peanut kissed him.  “Yes, I’m sure.  Some girls in the Sweet Spot yesterday were talking about how handsome you are.  I let them know that you belong to me and that they need to leave you alone.”

              Skip blinked in surprise and then laughed.  “Staking your claim, huh?  You already did that, but feel free to stake it any time you want to.”

              She giggled and hugged him.  “Skippy, why didn’t you tell me that you were gonna go to college?”

              “It’s not important.  I didn’t know if I was gonna go anyhow,” Skip said.

              “How come?”

              “Because of my issues.  See, all through high school, people picked on me because I’m different.  I could tolerate it up to a certain point, but then my temper would get the best of me.  I have anger issues and I’m not kidding about that.  I beat up another boy real bad.  It took three guys to pull me off him.”

              Peanut stared at him.  “Three?”

              Skip nodded.   He hated talking about this, but he didn’t want there to be any secrets between him and Peanut.  “I’m a really good fighter.  I’ve learned from different people since I was a kid and when you combine that with my anger, which technically could be called rage, it’s really scary.  So what I usually do when I get to that point is go off alone for a few hours until I calm down.  There were times I had to leave school to avoid a fight.”

              Peanut said, “Well, when you get angry like that, just come see me.”

              He smiled.  “Ok.  That was my big concern about going to college.  Usually Joey and Sawyer can talk me out of my anger, but if I go away, there won’t be anyone to do that.  I don’t want to hurt someone or wind up in jail.  So, it’s best that I don’t go.  Besides, marrying you and raising our kids is a lot more important to me.”

              Peanut’s brows drew together.  “Skip, I don’t want you to have any regrets about not going.”

              “I won’t,” he assured her.  “I promise.”

              “Are you sure?”

              “Positive,” he said, kissing her.  “Mmm.  How would you like to stake your claim again?”

              “I’d love to,” Peanut said.

              Skip glanced at the clock.  “Holy cow!  I gotta get going.  I’m gonna be late for work.  Damn it.”

              “I’ll stake my claim again tomorrow,” Peanut said, giggling.

              “Ok.  I’ll hold you to that,” he said, hurrying off to the washroom.

*****

              Several nights later, Skip and Peanut went down to camp to see Jaylyn, who was working at the orphanage now since one of their housekeepers had quit.  She had a room there, too.  They sat in the kitchen of the orphanage playing cards with Reckless and Brook. 

Reckless was coming along well.  Although he wouldn’t be able to go back to being a bouncer, he was back to hunting and working in the fields.  He wanted to dive in the worst way and was hoping that Mike would declare him well enough so he could get a few dives in before fall closed in.

Peanut said, “I’ll be right back.  Nature calls.”

Skip smiled.  “Ok.  We’ll be right here.”

When Peanut left, Brook said, “You must be excited about your wedding.”

“I can’t wait,” Skip said.  “Oh!  Guess what?  I felt the baby move for the first time the other day!  It was amazing.  I talk to him all the time now.  I can’t wait until he’s born.”

Reckless laughed.  “I remember feeling that way with our three.  It’s a special feeling.”

Brook said, “You’re already a very good father.”

“I had a lot of good teachers,” Skip said. 

They chatted more about the baby and the wedding.  After fifteen minutes, Skip began wondering where Peanut was.  He excused himself to go look for her.  Peanut wasn’t in the restroom, so he went outside to look for her.  She wasn’t at the central fire or at Squirrel’s tipi.  Alarm had set in by the time he spotted her behind Raven and Zoe’s house with Runner.

He started towards them, happy to have found Peanut.  As he approached, Runner hugged Peanut and kissed her cheek.  Fury unlike any other he’d ever felt gripped Skip and he marched forward rapidly.

“Hey!  Get away from her!” he shouted.

Runner looked up and stepped back from Peanut, arching an eyebrow at the enraged expression on Skip’s face.

“We were just talking, Skip.”

“I don’t call hugging and kissing just talking, Runner,” Skip said.

Peanut said, “Skippy, it’s not what you think.”

He said, “Peanut, it’s not you I don’t trust.  It’s him.”

“I know that I have a reputation, but I’m not the same guy, Skip.  I wasn’t trying to pull anything with Peanut.  It was just a friendly gesture, nothing more,” Runner said, laying a hand on Skip’s shoulder and smiling.

Skip smacked it away and shoved Runner.  “Sure you weren’t.  I’m warning you, Runner.  Stay away from her or else.”

Runner tried again.  “We were talking about your wedding and I was congratulating her.”

Peanut said, “That’s right, Skip.  It was completely innocent.”

The wild gleam in Skip’s eyes scared her and she now saw what Skip had told her about his anger.

“I’m sure it was on your part, but you don’t know him like I do,” Skip said.

Annoyed, Runner said, “You need to let it go, Skip.  That was three years ago and this is now.”

Peanut asked, “What are you talking about?”

“He stole a girl right out from under my nose,” Skip said.  “He knew I liked her and yet he went after her.  It was just a big game to him.  A way to torment me.”

Runner said, “I didn’t know you were still mad at me about that.  We were just kids.”

“It still hurt.  I’d forgiven you, but I see you’re back to your old tricks,” Skip said.

“No, I’m not,” Runner said.

“It sure looked like it to me,” Skip said.  “You said the same thing about Tammy.  You were just friends and then the next thing I knew, you were seeing her.”

Runner said, “I’m sorry, Skip.  It doesn’t matter now.  You’re with Peanut.  I’m just her friend.  That’s all.”

Skip looked at Peanut.  “I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

Peanut said, “Skip, you can’t tell me who to be friends with.”

“Sure I can.  Do you want me to be friends with any of those girls you told me about?” Skip asked.  “I don’t think so.  He’s not to be trusted.  He’s charmed girls out of their skirts lots of times.”

Peanut gaped at him.  “Are you sayin’ that I would let that happen?”

“It wouldn’t be your fault,” Skip said.  “He’s just that smooth.”

Runner took hold of his shoulder.  “Skip, knock it off.”

Skip struck out with lightning reflexes, his fist catching Runner in the stomach.  He followed it up with a blow to Runner’s jaw.  Pain flashed briefly in Runner’s mind and then darkness enveloped him and he dropped to the ground.

By this time, several men had gotten a hold of Skip, who screamed at Runner to get up so that he could dish out more punishment.  They dragged him away from Runner while Raven knelt by his son.

Peanut watched in horror, wondering if this was the same sweet man she’d fallen in love with.  Jaylyn took her by the shoulders and led her back towards the orphanage.  Skip broke away from Wolf and Nash, running after them.

“Peanut!  Wait!”

“No, Skip,” Peanut said.  “Leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, trying to touch her.

Peanut shrank away from him.  “Don’t!”

“Peanut, I would never hurt you,” Skip said.  “I’m sorry, but he had it coming.”

Jaylyn said, “Skip, leave her alone.”

Her warning wasn’t what made Skip stop.  It was the fear in Peanut’s eyes—fear of him.  He’d never wanted to see that in her eyes.  As his anger abated, shame over his actions set in. 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, backing away from the sisters.

Then he ran off, disappearing into the woods.