Wrong Husband Read online

  “Yes, Jenny, there is.” Tears filled Sally’s eyes as she stood up. “Rick doesn’t love me anymore. He’d rather be up there chasing a stupid rodent than be down here with me.”

  “That’s not true,” he said, his face red with anger. He threw his cloth napkin down and stood up.

  “Oh really? Then why do you avoid me all the time?” she demanded, hands on her hips.

  “I have to work. If I don’t, I can’t put food on the table.”

  “You do more than your share of work. You’re doing others’ work too.”

  “Townsend’s been sick!”

  “He’s not the only one you fill in for. You also do some of the clerk’s duties.”

  “Because he was fired.”

  “Then hire someone!”

  “I can’t,” Rick argued. “It’s not my position.”

  “Then talk to your boss or have someone else help you.”

  In a desperate attempt to break up their argument, Jenny motioned to the roast. “This is getting cold. Now, Irving can do this. He’s got everything under control!”

  In that instant, a crack came from the ceiling before it caved in, and Owen fell down onto the table. Sally screamed as a bowl of soup landed on her dress. One of the candles landed on Owen, and he caught on fire. Jenny dropped the roast.

  “I’ll go to the well!” Greg yelled as he ran to the door and flung it open.

  Jenny and Sally grabbed the candles and blew them out. Rick took the tablecloth and beat it on the places where Owen’s shirt was in small flames. The dog bolted into the house, barking and running on top of Owen.

  Jenny reached for the dog and pulled him off of Owen. “Stop it!” she scolded the animal. As soon as the fire was out, she pulled off Owen’s shirt . “I think the wounds are minor.” She glanced at Sally and Rick who looked bewildered. “Do you think we should take him to the doctor?”

  “I’m fine, Jenny,” Owen assured her. “It shocked me more than it hurt.”

  “Are you sure?” She inspected his red skin.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Greg came in with a pail of water. He looked disappointed. “Oh, the fire’s out already?”

  Through the hole in the ceiling, a squirrel leapt in front of Jenny. She jumped onto Owen’s lap and shrieked. The dog, that had been eating portions of the roast, stopped and barked at the critter. The squirrel ran under the chair. The dog ran after it and knocked the chair over. The two animals went in circles around the room twice before the squirrel found the exit and bolted out the front door. The dog followed it right on outside, leaving everyone in shock.

  “This is all your fault!” Rick told Sally.

  Sally’s jaw dropped. “My fault?”

  “Yes. If you’d let me go up there and help him, none of this would have happened.”

  “You don’t know that!”

  “It wouldn’t have hurt to try.”

  “Oh please. The only thing that would have been different is that both of you would have fallen through the ceiling instead of just one.”

  Rick looked as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you saying that I’m incompetent?”

  Sally raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Are you saying he’s incompetent?” She nodded in Owen’s direction.

  “Of course not.”

  “There’s your answer.”

  Jenny sighed. Apparently, the romantic mood she’d carefully set up had been destroyed. She helped Owen to his feet and said, “I’m sorry, Sally and Rick. I never meant it to be this way.”

  Owen coughed before adding. “I would have fallen through whether you were there or not, Rick. The floor up there was thin.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Sally said, obviously irritated. “The point is he’d rather be up there chasing a stupid animal than spending time with me. Just like he’d rather be doing anything as long as it doesn’t involve me!”

  “That’s not true!” Rick argued.

  Sally rushed to the door, and the others followed. She snatched her coat off the hook and hurriedly put it on.

  Greg ran over to her. “Does this mean I can’t stay here tonight?”

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart,” she told her son.

  “Why not?” Rick asked. “We already promised him he could.”

  She glared at him. “And you promised to love and cherish me above all others, but look at how well that turned out!”

  He groaned and threw his hands up in the air. “What does that have to do with Greg staying here?”

  “There’s no need for him to stay because nothing interesting will happen at home.” She grabbed Greg’s coat and put it on him. “Let’s go, honey.” Glancing at Jenny and Owen, she gave an apologetic smile. “Thank you both for a wonderful meal.” Then she headed out with Greg.

  Rolling his eyes, Rick snatched his coat and said, “We’ll see you at church.”

  The door shut and Jenny sighed. That didn’t go at all like she hoped.

  Owen put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a slight squeeze. “It’s alright.”

  Jeremy, who had stayed out of the way during the ordeal, stepped from the corner of the parlor. “Don’t cry, Ma. I can clean.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Owen quickly said. “We’ll clean up this mess. I’m sure Rick and Sally will work things out.”

  She supposed he was right. But she really wished things could have ended better.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jenny wiped ointment on Owen’s arms to soothe his burns. As she did, he watched her, enjoying the way she fussed over him. His Aunt Rachel had fussed over him too, but it was different with Jenny. It was much nicer. He was lying on the bed and she sat next to him, gentle and caring. Yes. It was definitely much nicer.

  She closed the lid on the jar and placed it on the nightstand. Then she wiped her hand on a clean cloth. “It was funny...in a way.”

  “What? Seeing me on fire?”

  “No, silly.” She nudged him playfully in the side. “That a squirrel could cause so much damage.”

  He chuckled. “That was a smart squirrel.”

  She got up.

  He tried to reach for her hand to stop her, but she was too quick for him. Quick just like the squirrel. “Where are you going?”

  “To check on Jeremy.”

  He watched as she left the room. It was unfortunate that things happened as they did. Jenny had been so excited about making the perfect supper, and all it took was a loose squirrel in the attic to spoil everything. She had a good heart. He lucked out when he married her.

  Well, maybe Owen Russell didn’t luck out. It was Irving Spencer who did. He sighed and pushed the stab of guilt aside. So he took on another name. Did that make him a horrible person? He winced and rubbed his forehead. But what else was he supposed to do? Turn himself in? Who would believe he had killed to protect himself when Big Roy and his men claimed otherwise? Big Roy was an imposing force. He even got the law involved. And now Owen was part of that law. Though he couldn’t deny the irony of the situation, he wished it hadn’t happened like this.

  He wished he hadn’t married Jenny under these conditions. When he kept busy, it was easy to forget his deception. But when he fell through the attic floor, his life passed before his eyes. He used to think people saying that happened were exaggerating...except they weren’t. It really was that profound—and quick. Jenny hadn’t married a brave deputy ready to take on all the outlaws in the world. Nope. She married a fisherman who had lived a relatively quiet and peaceful life in the Louisiana bayou until he decided to get Aunt Rachel’s money back. And that decision led him into a whole lot of trouble.

  Would Jenny fault him if she knew? He could imagine her disappointment when she discovered he wasn’t the strong, invincible Irving Spencer. He could see the sheriff’s angry countenance when he realized he’d been had by a simple fisherman. Then there was Jeremy... That was probably the hardest one to deal with. In some ways, the boy looked up to him as if he were
a hero. Owen had never been a hero before. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint that little boy. Just how could he tell Jeremy he was a fraud?

  Jenny returned to their bedroom and shut the door. “He’s asleep.”

  Owen nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. He loved that boy with the same love his pa probably loved him with. He always wanted Jeremy to be proud of him.

  “What a day, huh?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

  He turned his head and his eyes grew wide. Was she actually going to undress in front of him?

  She removed her shirt. “I hope they’ll be in a better mood when we see them at church tomorrow.”

  He blinked. Who? Oh right. Sally and Rick. She was still talking about them. “You can’t change anything by worrying about it.”

  She glanced at him and sighed. “You’re right. I’m sure they’ll get through it.”

  He was ready to voice his agreement when she slipped out of her skirt. Now, his interest was definitely peaked. Was she going to keep taking her clothes off? He’d always gone to bed after she got ready for the night. Apparently, he should have made it a point to come into the bedroom earlier in the evenings.

  She went over to the kerosene lamp, and he feared that she’d turn down the flame, but she didn’t. She simply took her necklace off and laid it on the dresser.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. He didn’t want to miss this for a moment. She took off another layer of clothing, and he couldn’t believe she had more underneath. Did women have to wear all those undergarments every day? The whole process of watching her, and her not seeming to even notice he was in the same room—or simply unabashed about being in his viewing range, was as frustrating as it was arousing. He wanted to see if she’d bare everything, but the suspense was thrilling, to say the least. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been more entertained in his entire life.

  By the time he finally got to see her breasts, he had to physically close his mouth. Thankfully, she didn’t notice. It would be embarrassing if he showed just how eager he was to see her naked. Sure, this was the greatest thing that ever happened to him, but he didn’t have to let her know that.

  She removed the last of her clothing, and he was as giddy as a little kid who just caught his first big fish. He had to stop himself from jumping up and down on the bed. He knew that women looked good without clothes on, but he had no idea just how good they looked. They were absolutely beautiful. He wished he could take this moment and gaze at her forever.

  But in the split second he got to see her completely nude, she then turned to the dresser drawer to select a clean undergarment to put on.

  No! In his panic, he grabbed his arms and said, “Ouch!”

  She gasped and turned to him, dropping the piece of clothing that would block his view of her, and ran over to him—a process that he most enjoyed since her perky breasts bounced.

  This was definitely a lot more fun than sitting in a boat and waiting for a fish to reel in. Remembering his arms, he gave a slight wince, trying to look brave through the pain, and said, “Maybe I need more ointment.”

  She nodded and grabbed the jar.

  He struggled not to stare at her breasts, but every time he forced his gaze to her face, it ended up falling back down.

  She took his arm and placed it on her lap as she dug into the jar.

  His fingertips brushed her thigh. Her skin was so incredibly soft. He sighed. Yes. He could get used to this. “Jenny,” he whispered.

  “What?” she asked, gently rubbing ointment on his arm.

  “I’m glad I’m your husband. A man couldn’t ask for a better wife.”

  She looked at him then and smiled. “I’m glad you came to marry me.”

  Emboldened by her confession, he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” She lowered her head and kissed him.

  He welcomed her lips and the sweet taste of her when she invited him to explore her with his tongue. They had shared intimate kisses before, and as the days continued on, the contact had grown frequent enough where he was comfortable with it. But even as comfortable as it was, his heart still hammered loudly in his chest. This was it. If he didn’t ruin it, he just might get to finally make love to her.

  His fingers traced the smooth skin from her hip and up to her nearest breast. Since she didn’t pull away, he cupped her in the palm of his hand and groaned. Breasts felt even better than they looked, and he didn’t think that was possible. But it was, and he couldn’t wait to find out how much better things were going to get. That is, if she allowed him to continue.

  He reluctantly ended the kiss and took the jar she’d been holding and returned it to the nightstand. “There’s no reason for that to get in the way.” Too eager to care that excitement was in his voice or actions, he pulled her into his arms so he could kiss her again.

  She moaned and fell into his embrace.

  It felt right to hold her close with her bare skin teasing him. It felt as if she belonged to him—as if she had been created so that he wouldn’t have to live his life alone. His mouth left hers so he could sprinkle a trail of kisses down her neck. He was aware of many things: the feel of her back as he pressed her closer to him, the way her breasts crushed against his chest, the contented sigh drifting from her lips.

  “I want you, Jenny,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I want you too.”

  He separated from her so he could wiggle out of his pants and glanced at her when he heard her give a slight gasp. “What? Is there something wrong with me?”

  “Well...no. But aren’t you supposed to be...” She motioned to his erection. “You know...”

  “Oh.” Right. Irving wasn’t able to do this. As unlikely as it was that she’d believe him, he blurted out, “It’s a miracle!” and tossed her onto her back so that he was lying on top of her. Before she could ask any more questions, he kissed her again. All he had to do was get her back into the mood, and she’d forget all about Irving’s problem.

  Fortunately, she didn’t take much convincing. She wrapped her legs around him and encouraged him to continue. He didn’t want to rush their first time, so he resisted the urge to enter her, though he did give into the urge to move his hips. He couldn’t tell whose groans were louder, but it was apparent that she was receiving pleasure from this action—just as he was.

  He wanted to fully explore her, to learn all her womanly secrets, so he pulled away from her. The tip of his manhood teased him by lingering at her entrance, but he resisted the urge to rush this. Instead, he caressed her breasts. Her nipples hardened for him and she arched her back. His breath grew heavy at the sight. She was, without a doubt, the most desirable woman who ever lived. Who knew lovemaking could be so incredible?

  He let his hands travel down her body until his fingers reached the patch of curls that marked the entrance that held a particular interest to him. Not that her breasts weren’t exciting, in and of themselves, but the male part of him was especially drawn to this area of her body. He took his time in feeling her and looking at her, growing even more aroused by her whimpers of pleasure.

  He wanted to please her. For some reason that was even more important than satisfying himself--something he didn’t think would be possible considering the insistent throbbing of his erection. Giving into his curiosity, he slid his finger into her. Yes, that male part of him was definitely going to like being in there.

  She reached down and directed his movements. The fact that she took charge further motivated him to do whatever she needed to get the most enjoyment from this. He continued until she cried out. He decided that that was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard a woman make.

  When she relaxed her hold on him, he moved over her so that he could enter her. The moment he’d been waiting for ever since he saw her coming his way in front of the courthouse was finally here, and as he slid into her, he clo
sed his eyes and groaned. Really, he knew it was going to be good, but he didn’t know it was going to be this good. What in the world had convinced him to wait so long? Irving should have resolved his “problem” weeks ago.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and allowed him to thrust deeper into her. He moved as slow as he could, knowing he could prolong the sweet agony if he did so. And he dragged it out for as long as he could before he couldn’t take it anymore and had to climax. He gritted his teeth and braced himself against the onslaught of sensation that rushed through him. Never in a million years did he imagine it’d be like this. And he thought he had a pretty good imagination.

  When the last wave of pleasure ebbed, he collapsed on top of her, hardly aware that she was holding onto him. It took a good minute before he could think clearly. He lifted his head so he could look at her. He brushed the stray strands of her hair from her eyes and smiled.

  “That was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he admitted, still breathing hard. “I mean, of course, besides marrying you.”

  She ran her legs down his, sending a thrill through him. “I want to do this again.”

  “You won’t get any complaints from me, sweetheart.”

  “It was nice, you know. To do this and know you’re not going to leave me if I get with child.”

  Turning serious, he inspected her and realized that it must have hurt when Clyde ran out on her and Jeremy. “No, I’m not leaving. I love you, Jenny, and there’s nothing that will tear us apart.”

  “Good. Because I’ve grown accustomed to having you around.”

  “You got me for keeps. Even if we have a dozen children, I’ll still be here.”

  She balked. “A dozen?”

  He shrugged. “It’s been known to happen.”

  “Oh dear. Maybe I should rethink this being in bed with you thing.”

  Giving a playful slap on her bottom, he said, “Don’t you dare!”

  She giggled and kissed him. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”