Wrong Husband Read online

  Sally ran over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. Shooting a scolding look at Owen, she asked, “Are you happy? Look at what you’re doing to her!”

  Jenny sat on the bench and Sally sat beside her, still hugging her sister.

  Owen winced. “I’m so sorry, Jenny. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “You’ll answer our questions right now!” Tom interrupted.

  Owen quieted and waited.

  Tom nudged Richard in the side. “Go on.”

  Richard nodded. “So you ended up in Omaha and decided to be Irving?”

  “No. Well, I mean it turned out that way,” Owen began, “but that wasn’t what I originally intended. I was just passing through. I saw the Wanted posters. Big Roy framed me for murder, but I didn’t mean to kill Mitch.”

  Jenny groaned. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

  “You murdered someone!” Dave shouted, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

  Owen threw his hands up in the air, as he’d seen other outlaws do when they were caught. “He was going to kill me! I had to protect myself.”

  “Then why was your face on a Wanted poster?”

  “I don’t know. I think Big Roy told the local sheriff that I killed Mitch on purpose.”

  The sound of Jenny throwing up into the trashcan Sally held for her stopped the interrogation. The five men cringed, and Owen had to look away in case he joined her. Once the horrible sound stopped, his stomach settled.

  Sally marched over to the cell and showed him the trashcan. “I ought to fling this in there for what you did to her!”

  “Now, Sally,” Richard began, “let’s not be gross.”

  She grunted. “I’ve never seen Jenny this upset.” She turned to Owen. “I hope you’re happy. I just hope you’re absolutely happy with what you’re putting her through!”

  Owen hastened to a free section of the bars so he could see his wife. He winced. She was too pale. This wasn’t good. “Jenny, I love you. I only said I was Irving because the sheriff came up to me and I thought he was going to hang me. Then I married you, and I think you’re the most wonderful woman a man could ever have.”

  “Get away from her!” Richard ran over to him.

  Owen immediately scurried back to the safe area of his cell where no one could touch him. He tried to look around Richard to see if Jenny might give him some leeway, but Richard expertly shifted so his view of her was blocked.

  Richard pointed at him. “You’re not having anything to do with Jenny ever again. Do you understand? You’re a wanted man. You can stand trial before a judge, and maybe he’ll release you. But there’s no way you’ll ever get near our sister again.”

  Tom nodded his agreement. “We’ll chase you out of town if we have to. We won’t have anyone else hurting her.”

  The door opened and the infamous Irving Spencer entered the building with the sheriff close behind.

  Owen pressed his back to the wall. He was still overwhelmed by the sheer brute strength of the formidable tower of a man. As if the brothers secretly felt the same way, they cowered in his presence. Owen had no doubt that if the roles were reversed—if he was built like Irving—that the brothers would think twice before gaining up on him. Irving could take on an entire town and still be left standing.

  “I need to speak to the prisoner,” Irving said in a low, controlled voice.

  Without question—or even a hint of hesitation—the brothers took Sally and Jenny out of the jailhouse.

  Owen rolled his eyes. Yep, it was too bad he wasn’t actually built like Irving. The man didn’t even have to raise his voice to get four tough brothers to run off like a bunch of women. Irving was the perfect man, and Owen was really beginning to resent that. Didn’t the man have one flaw?

  Irving took the key out of his pocket and opened the cell door.

  Startled, Owen braced himself against the wall and glanced at the window. Why did it have to be so small? There was no escaping this beast! He shot an anxious look at the sheriff who simply sighed, shook his head, and went to his desk. Oh great. Sheriff Meyer was going to leave him alone in the cell with Irving the Monster Spencer. And Irving couldn’t be happy with him since he took his job and Jenny from him.

  To Owen’s surprise, Irving sat on the cot and calmly folded his arms. “What do you know about Big Roy?”

  Of all the things Owen expected, this wasn’t on the list. “W-what?”

  “You had personal dealings with Big Roy. He’s a sneaky fox. Escaped prison. Though he wouldn’t have if I’d been there.” He slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. “Now the weasel’s hiding.”

  Owen winced.

  He directed his confident gaze to Owen. “Problem is, I need something to lure him out from his hiding spot.”

  It took a moment before Irving’s meaning dawned on Owen. Gasping, Owen tapped his chest. “Me? I’m bait?”

  “Don’t think of it as being the bait. Think of it as giving a helping hand. You know all about taking care of the scum. You did become me.”

  He gulped but nodded.

  “And in return for your help, I will talk to the judge about going easy on you.”

  Owen wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. “What about Jenny?”

  “What about her?”

  “Well...I married her, you know?”

  He nodded.

  “I want to stay married to her.” That is, if she’d still want to be married to him—Owen Russell. He scanned Irving. Did he even stand a chance against Irving?

  “I only agreed to marry her to help her out. Clyde Jenkins runs around with a suspicious crowd.”

  “Really? What did he do?”

  “Nothing...yet. His name popped up awhile back though. Seems suspicious when a thief makes a comment. Slip of the tongue or intentional, I don’t know. But either way, I got to figure him out too.” He stood up and placed his hands on his hips. His legs were spread apart and he stared Owen down as if he were bracing for a fight. “What’d you say?”

  Adjusting his collar again, Owen asked, “I get to stay with Jenny then?”

  “If she’ll have you. She didn’t look too happy just now.”

  True. And she had every right to be mad. But she loved him. No. Not exactly. She loved him as ‘Irving Spencer’. Still, he had been his true self around her. He might have assumed a different name and a deputy job, but he’d been who he really was with her. Surely, she’d remember that. When they were alone, it wasn’t possible to hide who he really was. He just hoped she really would remember that. He couldn’t imagine his life without her...or Jeremy. Even if she had four brothers ready to take off his head.

  Well, he had to try. He nodded. “I’ll help you get Big Roy.”

  “Good.” The matter done, Irving headed out of the cell and locked the door.

  Relieved he was still in one piece, Owen relaxed and exhaled.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jenny didn’t feel like dealing with anyone at the moment. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, and her relatives weren’t helping. Her brothers and Sally sat around the kitchen table trying to decide what to do about the situation while Greg, Jeremy, and Isaac played with the dog in the backyard. Mary stayed out there to watch them from where she sat in the chair next to the house.

  Maybe Jenny shouldn’t have come to Sally’s house after they left the jail. Maybe she should have just gone home. She watched the children as they laughed and took turns throwing the ball for the dog to catch. It was simple for them. Children didn’t sit and analyze things. They either liked something or they didn’t, and they acted accordingly.

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window. Her hand fell to her abdomen. She should’ve realized it sooner, but she and Owen had stayed up well into the night to enjoy lovemaking. The fatigue was easy to explain. Today when she found out that he was really Owen Russell—instead of Irving “Owen” Spencer... Naturally, it made her sick to her stomach.<
br />
  It wasn’t until she was at the jail and throwing up into the trashcan that she realized what was going on. She hadn’t thrown up since she was carrying Jeremy.

  “I found something we can use,” Rick said as he entered the kitchen.

  Startled that he was in the room, Jenny’s eyes flew open as she turned from the window.

  “I hope it’s good,” Richard replied, looking sour.

  “All Jenny has to do is get an annulment,” Rick told the group. He didn’t even seem to notice that she was right there in the corner of the room, for he kept his gaze on the group crowded around the table. “Jenny didn’t know she was marrying Owen Russell. She thought she was marrying Irving Spencer. Therefore, the marriage is null and void.”

  “Even though he signed the license with his real name?” Richard asked.

  “She didn’t know he did that. None of us did.”

  “You’re a judge, Rick. Why didn’t you double check?”

  Sally stood up and went to her husband’s side. “Why didn’t any of us think to double check? Were we supposed to know that Owen was an imposter?”

  “I’ll check the names on all marriage licenses in the future and make sure no one leaves blotches of ink on their names,” Rick said. “I can’t do anything about the past. But Sally’s right. It didn’t occur to me that Owen was lying.”

  Dave sighed and set down the coffee cup. “None of us would have thought someone would do something that underhanded.”

  Richard groaned. “Fine. What’s done is done. We need to figure out what to do now. Are you sure Jenny can get an annulment?”

  “Yes,” Rick said. “Here’s the law.” He handed Richard the piece of paper.

  After Richard read it, he nodded and handed it to Tom. “Good. Then let’s get this annulment over with.”

  Jenny stepped forward and yelled over their chorus of agreement. “Isn’t anyone going to ask me what I plan to do?”

  Tom glanced at her. “It’s obvious. Owen is scum. You’re getting rid of bad rubbish.”

  The others nodded.

  “No,” she argued, crossing her arms. “I am not getting an annulment.”

  They gasped with apparent shock.

  The room was so quiet that Jenny swore she could hear a needle bounce off the floor. “I’m expecting his child,” she finally said. “I’m staying married to him.”

  Richard threw his hands up in the air. “How is it possible that you keep getting pregnant by the wrong men?”

  Her face flushed with anger. “Excuse me?”

  “First Clyde and now Owen.”

  “For your information, I was married to Owen. It was perfectly alright for me to be intimate with him!”

  Sally shook her head. “I thought that wasn’t possible.”

  “It wasn’t possible with Irving Spencer,” she told her sister, knowing that only Sally knew of Irving’s impotence.

  A flicker of understanding lit Sally’s eyes. “Oh.” Then she blinked and shook her head again. “But didn’t it dawn on you that you married the wrong man since Owen could...” She glanced at their attentive audience before directing her gaze back to Jenny. “Well...you know.”

  “For a moment but then I assumed whatever caused the problem corrected itself.”

  “Problem?” Tom asked. “What problem?”

  Dave rolled his eyes. “You really have no idea what they’re talking about?”

  Joel snorted. “I’m younger than you, and even I know what Sally means. Boy, Tom. You sure are dumb.”

  Tom glared at his brothers.

  Richard grimaced and stood up. “I don’t care what the details are. Jenny, you can’t stay with him. He lied to you—to all of us—and he killed someone.”

  “To defend himself,” Jenny pointed out.

  “That hasn’t been proven,” Richard said.

  “And it hasn’t been not proven.” She groaned. “Aren’t we all innocent until proven guilty?”

  “Oh sure. We made that mistake when you married him. We’re not going to fall for that again.”

  Jenny had had enough. She headed for the kitchen door.

  “Where are you going?” Sally asked.

  “I need to think things over without the lot of you telling me what to do,” she snapped as she flung the door open. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m an adult woman. I’m perfectly capable of deciding what’s best for me and my children.” Before anyone could protest, she stepped outside and slammed the door.

  Mary jerked and turned to Jenny. She pressed a hand to her heart and smiled. “You gave me a good scare.”

  Jeremy ran over to Jenny. “Is Pa here yet?”

  Jenny smiled as she stroked his cheek. “Not yet, honey. I need to talk to your Aunt Mary. Will you be a good boy for me and play with your cousins?”

  Though he looked disappointed, he nodded and went back to the two boys who were petting a very happy dog.

  Jenny pulled the other remaining chair in the yard so that it was next to Mary’s and sat down. At a time like this, she needed someone with a level head who could do more listening than talking. “Mary, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know what Owen did was wrong, but who can really blame him? He expected to be hung. If I were in his situation, I’d probably do the same thing.”

  Mary nodded.

  “You weren’t here when I was with Clyde,” Jenny continued. “I thought we were going to get married, and when I told him I was with child, he said we’d have to marry sooner than planned. Well, the next thing I knew, he bolted out of town. His mother wouldn’t even have anything to do with me. She blamed me for making him leave. Can you believe that? I didn’t get myself in the family way. Sure, I had a part, but I wasn’t in it alone.

  “Anyway, my brothers were so mad they searched all over for Clyde but couldn’t find him. They insisted I stay home after Jeremy was born, but I was tired of them telling me what to do. So when I found the boarding house and worked out an agreement with the landlady to make my rent less, I moved out. And now they want to tell me what to do about Owen.

  “Maybe I’m wrong for wanting to stay with him, but I think that’s what I want to do. I don’t know exactly what happened to land him here, but he showed up when I needed someone to marry. I don’t think the timing was a coincidence. I think I was meant to be with him. And I can’t imagine that with all the time I spent with him, he was pretending to be someone he’s not. No one can put on that good of a show. You get to learn about people when you live with them. You know what I mean?”

  Mary smiled and nodded. “Yes, I know.”

  Jenny already felt better. It was nice to finally speak her thoughts. She released her breath and relaxed. “You know what Owen told me while my brothers were harassing him? He said I was the most wonderful woman a man could have. No one, not even Clyde when he was sweet talking me so he could sleep with me, ever said that to me before. That’s how he treats me too. And even though they don’t like it, I love him.”

  “I don’t think they are opposed to you loving Owen,” Mary said. “They’re worried you’ll get hurt again. But then, doesn’t every marriage suffer its trials? We all get hurt at some point, whether the other person intended to hurt us or not. As long as there are imperfect people, there will be problems.”

  “I think I should take you in there so you can explain that to them.”

  “Oh no. I wouldn’t go near them right now. They’re too hot-headed. Once they calm down enough to think straight, I can give my spiel.”

  Jenny laughed. “They can get so irrational at times, can’t they?”

  She chuckled. “They have their moments. As much as I adore your family, I’ve learned that there are times to stick with the children.”

  “Smart idea. No wonder Dave enjoys being with you.” She took a deep breath. “I need to see Owen if the sheriff will let me.”

  “I think everything will work out. Owen seems like a good man who just got stuck in a bad situation.”

  �
��I think that too. Thank you, Mary. It’s no wonder you’re my dearest friend.”

  “You’re mine too, Jenny.”

  Already feeling much better, Jenny stood up and called to Jeremy who came over to her. “We’re going to see your pa.”

  The boy’s eyes lit up. There was no denying the attachment he shared with Owen, and Owen was just as attached to him.

  Taking his hand in hers, she said good-bye to Mary and the boys and quickly snuck out of the yard with her son. She figured that she didn’t have to literally run, but she wasn’t sure if they would discover where she went. If they did, there was no doubt they’d drag her back. She knew Mary would stall them for awhile. Sooner or later though, they were bound to track her down.

  By the time they reached the jailhouse, Irving opened the door. She gave a slight gasp and stepped back. True, she’d seen him already, but he hadn’t been standing right in front of her. He was enormous. No wonder criminals shook in their boots when they knew he was coming.

  “Good afternoon, Jenny,” Irving calmly said.

  She cleared her throat and nervously replied, “Hello, Irving. Uh... Can I see Owen?”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

  “I want to see my pa!” Jeremy insisted.

  “Honey, shhh.” She turned from her son and looked back at Irving. “Yes. I wish to talk to him. Is that alright?”

  He shrugged. “It’s fine with me as long as you don’t run off with him.”

  She furrowed her eyebrows. Just what did he mean by that?

  He gave a slight smile. “I meant I didn’t want the prisoner to escape.”

  She relaxed. “Oh. I thought you meant...” She had thought he meant that he didn’t want her to stay married to Owen. But he hadn’t, and she didn’t want to explain it. Looking at Irving, she knew that they wouldn’t have made a good match. She would have married him for her son, but he wouldn’t have been her first choice. She glanced inside the jailhouse. There, in the cell, sat the man she would have chosen. Returning her gaze to Irving, she asked, “So I can talk to him?”

  “Follow me.” He led her into the building. “Meyer, I got the wife wanting to see her husband.”