Jesse walked toward the fallen men as Maggie started for the house. He turned and called to her, “By the way, thanks, in there. You could have let him kill me.”
He smiled. Thinking of his sweet little Maggie, gun aimed to protect him, helped to dissolve a bit of worry.
Maggie nodded dully.
By the time he came inside an hour or so later, blood dripped from his leg wound. She grabbed some rags and made him sit down. The worry lines in her face said she was more upset about his wounds than he was. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been hit?” Concern laced her voice.
He’d tied a bandana around his leg, the one he’d been shot in during the war, to keep from losing too much blood, but it hadn’t deterred him from burying the men outside.
Same damn leg!
All he needed was for someone to show up and wonder about all the dead bodies. “Didn’t know you cared.” He smiled, deliberately ignoring the pain.
“I don’t, but you’re my only insurance for Abby,” she came back at him. She cleaned the wound and frowned. “We need to take the bullet out.”
“Then do it. You’re good at stuff like that.”
She noticed his ear bleeding and she began to dab there, leaning over him and not paying a bit of attention at how her body was making him react. “Quit starin’
at me like that. Never knew a man that could undress a woman with a glance like you. It’s indecent.” She rolled her eyes at him.
“Cain’t help that, Maggie, you got the prettiest…well, they sure are pretty.” He smiled
She pulled away and stared into his eyes, then turned to get a pan of water and a knife. If looks could have killed, Jesse would be dead too, he decided, staring at her cold regard.
“That’s all you see, isn’t it? What I look like. What someone looks like, not what’s inside them.” She huffed.
“I already know what’s inside, Maggie. I figured that out real fast like…and I like both. A young girl who nursed me back to health and gave me…gave me her heart. You don’t touch someone like that unless there’s a lot of trust involved.”
A flicker of a flame in her eyes said she wasn’t as immune to him as she let on.
If he took her in his arms, she’d be lost. But he wanted more. He wanted Maggie, heart and all.
When she came up to him again she frowned. “Don’t talk to me like that while I have a knife in my hand.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grimaced.
“You keep getting shot, you won’t be much good to me. First your arm, then your ear, and now your leg,” Maggie muttered.
“As long as I have you to nurse me, I won’t worry.”
Shut inside the bedroom, Abby began to pound on the door to get out.
“Oh, I forgot I put her in there when that man kept staring so. Did you see how he looked at her, and how he kept asking questions about her? That bothers me, Jesse.”
Jesse smiled, “Good thinking. You know the more I think on it, the more I think you might have been right about that one. Maybe I should have killed him. I don’t like how he was putting everything together. Askin’ questions.”
“It’s too late to worry about it.” When she returned with Abby at her hip, she glanced at him. “We don’t have any whiskey this time.”
“Sure we do.” Jesse smiled. “Look in the bedroom, in the third drawer. You’ll find a pint.”
Maggie ran to get it.
“You better take a swig, ‘cause I need to clean the knife.”
“Such a waste of good whiskey,” he grumbled and took a big swig. He kissed Abby on the cheek and then turned to Maggie. “You wanna be next?” he asked with a grin.
“That ain’t part of the bargain.” She sent him a sultry glance. But as she went to check his ear, moving her soft body closer, he pulled her down into his lap and touched his lips to hers in a kiss that fed his hunger for her. Her hands gripped him so hard he almost pulled away. But slowly, her arms crept around his neck, pulling him tighter. Holding on with all her might, and enjoying the kiss for what it was worth. Someone moaned the pleasure of the kiss. Who wasn’t important.
The sound lingered.
Gently, he released her once he’d satisfied a bit of his craving for her, and sighed. “Man, even when you fight it, you’re good, Maggie.”
“You took an advantage,” she pouted breathlessly. “You broke a rule.”
“Come on, Maggie, admit it. You let me. Besides, rules were meant to be broken.”
His gaze held hers for a long moment. Maggie’s breathing was ragged, her cheeks flaming. Then Abby cooed, “Dada.” She pointed to him.
Jesse smiled and rubbed her black curls. “That’s right, baby.”
When Maggie began to work on his leg, he took another swig of whiskey. He was pretty much out of it by the time she finished.
Throwing his arm around her shoulder, she dragged him to the bed. She laid him down and propped his leg up, then looked into his face. Fear, anger, and something else mingled in her gaze before she went back into the kitchen to fix Abby’s supper. She thought about the kiss and how her heart pounded when he touched her.
Lord I want that man.
A day later the cavalry rode into the yard. Jesse greeted the colonel and Maggie and Abby walked out into the yard. The officer stared at her a long time. “Are you the Black Widow?” the man asked, his eyes straying to Abby, who was right behind her. He looked at all three of them and seemed to put it all together.
The colonel was a stout man with graying hair and eyes.
“I am, yes, sir.” Maggie licked her suddenly dry lips and waited in anticipation.
“We thought you were hung.” He looked at her with a frown.
“They never got around to it, I guess. You kept them too busy.” Maggie sighed.
“Well, no matter. I’m here to inform you of some disturbances in the
Greenville area. We’ll be enforcing marshal law there for the time being. It seems some of the rebels haven’t understood that the war is over, and are still trying to fight it. Especially since a local politician has aroused their ire. Anyway, your life could be in danger, here. You are welcome to come along with us, if you want to, we can provide ample protection for you.”
Maggie looked at the troops and then at Jesse.
“Thank you, Colonel, but this is my home and I’ll stay. We heard about the disturbance.”
The colonel glanced about the place, his eyes resting on the cemetery under the big oak tree. “Family?”
“Some are. Killed a few rebs, too,” Jesse answered.
The colonel nodded. “Send for us if you have any more trouble, then. Good day.”
Jesse saluted him respectfully. As they rode off, he turned to Maggie, “You might have been better off with them.”
The uncertainty in his eyes bore into her resolve to keep him at a distance.
“Maybe, but I’ll take my chances.”
***
When they arrived at the Jenkinses’, both Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins came out of the house and greeted them. Mrs. Jenkins was a sweet faced, round woman with a tongue that wouldn’t be still, and a smile wider than the Red River. Her husband was a thin man with a strength about him that was inexplicable. They complimented each other.
As Jesse helped Maggie down from the wagon, he introduced them. “This is Lars and Helga Jenkins, and these big strappin’ boys are their sons, Ben, the biggest, Paul, Ollie, and Stefan. Nicest people you’ll ever get to know.”
“Oh, you brought your beautiful wife. Thank you, Jesse,” Mrs. Jenkins cried and welcomed her with a hug.
“You come right in, and we’ll have some tea and cookies I made this morning, yah.”
Maggie took Abby and put her on her hip as she walked behind Mrs. Jenkins.
The men walked off toward the barn.
Maggie noted the brick walkway to the house and the lovely flowerbeds in the yard. “Oh my, they are so beautiful.”
“Yah, my Lars planted every one of them for me.” Helga chuckled.
Maggie was shocked by the sweet greetings and immediately took to the older woman. She also liked the way the woman spoke of her husband. She carried Abby inside the beautifully decorated, old two-story farmhouse. “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Jenkins,” Maggie said as she looked about the place. Never had she seen such a lovely home, filled with hand carved cabinets and what the lady called Old Dala horses, wooden horses that were painted in brightly colored patterns.
“You just call me Helga. I’m so glad we are neighbors, and you came with your husband. We don’t get enough company and females are practically non-existent out here. We’re so far from town it gets a mite lonely. I’m so glad you live down the road from me. I’ll be makin’ lots of trips, I can see,” the woman said brightly.
Her hair was blondish silver and her eyes were a twinkling blue. She made over the baby and insisted she make some julgrot porridge for them, since it was so early in the morning.
“Your home is so warm and friendly,” Maggie said glancing about at the tapestry on the wall, the hand carved clock, and the crackling fireplace.
“Thank you. A lot of it is from the old country. Some of it we made after we got here, though.” She smiled. “Lars is not the sort to forget all his talents. I kept him very busy when we first arrived here with not much of nothing.”
After she made the porridge, she poured some for Abby and Maggie. Maggie ate it and found it delicious. However, half way through she found something hard. She bit down on it and wondered what it was. It was tasty.
“Ah, yah, you found the almond. Gonna be a marriage soon.” Helga chuckled.
“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, on Saturday, Jesse and I are getting married.
But it wasn’t common knowledge,” Maggie said with a bashfulness that surprised her.
Helga smiled. “Indeed, you’re going to marry Jesse, then?”
“Yes, a little late, I guess,” Maggie said.
“Nonsense. I think it is beautiful to marry at any age. Mr. Jenkins and I have been married thirty-five years this next spring.” The woman smiled happily.
“Thirty-five years? That’s a long time.” Maggie marveled at all the things on the walls. The kitchen, painted yellow, brightened the place considerably. The entire house was like nothing Maggie had ever seen.
“Yah, and we are as in love today as we were back then. Maybe a little more so.”
Maggie chuckled. “That’s something. So, have you lived here long?”
“Oh my yes, we came over before any of our sons were born. They are all natural born Americans. So, what are you wearin’ to the wedding?” Helga asked.
“Oh…uh, well, I-I don’t have a big supply of clothes. This dress,” she said lamely. “I know it isn’t much, but it’s the best I have.”
“Oh, my no! You must marry in silk, and wear a veil and be proud. You have a fine young man, that Jesse. Why, you are so voluptuous, I betcha you could wear my old gown. Come on, let’s try it on. Besides, maybe it will give you good luck, too. Thirty-five years…”
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” Maggie began but Helga was already moving into another room and going through a trunk.
“Of course you can. You are a beautiful woman, and you must have a dress befitting you. Come along, let’s see if you can get into it. My waist was never that tiny, but my bosom was quite like yours. I bet I can alter it so you can wear it just fine. Come on, don’t be shy. You are simply too beautiful not to wear something nice for your weddin’.”
Maggie was shaking her head but Helga was having none of that. Nevertheless, when Helga dragged the dress out, Maggie gasped. Layers of pure silk whisked by her fingertips as Helga moved the dress into her lap. Pure silk, softer than a cloud. Maggie’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Oh my, Helga, that is the loveliest dress I’ve ever seen. Truly.”
“Ya like it, don’t ya? Then you will wear it. Let’s get to tryin’ it on. Come on, don’t be shy around me,” Helga encouraged. “We women folk have to stick together out here in the sticks and do for each other. That’s how we survive.
You’ll learn it.”
Maggie’s hand reached to touch the delicate silk and had never once imagined anything so grand in her life. It seemed to float between her fingers. It had rows of beads on the bustle and in the front. Then she tried it on and real tears fell down her cheeks. “Oh my God!”
“Yah, you are a beauty to behold. Jesse will love it on you, just as my Henry loved it on me. I can take the waist in for ya. You have such a tiny waist, never seen a woman built like you before. Such hips and breast but no waist at all, don’t even need a cincher.” Helga smiled. “Unfortunately, I never had a small waist. I never had anything tiny I don’t suppose, but my Lars loved me on first sight. And I him.”
“But…” Maggie turned to her. “This is too much, I mean, I just can’t accept it.
It will be a quiet wedding. No one is coming,” Maggie said. “There’s no reason to dress up for the occasion.”
Helga looked puzzled, “And why won’t they?”
“Because, Helga, I am sure you’ve noticed, I’m part black and my marriage won’t be accepted by the people around here,” Maggie explained.
“But Mr. Lincoln freed the black people. They are free to live and love as they choose. Besides, you don’t look black to me.” She smiled. “You just look beautiful.
I didn’t understand that old war in the first place. Besides, all I have to do is look into your Jesse’s face to see how much he loves ya.”
“But don’t you understand? I’m part black and the people here won’t like Jesse marrying me. That’s why we’ve waited so long.” Maggie tried to make her understand. “That’s why we’re sorta doing it in private. We don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Jesse’s already invited us to your wedding,” Helga said as she stared at Maggie.
“You want to?” Maggie asked, astonished at this woman who saw no colors.
“I’d love to see that dress waltz up the aisle once more.”
“Well, I don’t know. I mean, it is supposed to be a secret.”
“I won’t tell a soul, no one but my Lars and our boys.” She smiled.
“All right. Come to Reverend Daniels church, in the back way.” Maggie nodded. “And I’ll take this dress off immediately and change after the wedding. I certainly don’t want to get it dirty.”
“Nonsense, I’ll never wear it again, and I have no daughters to give it to. You take it and keep it,” Helga insisted without another care.