Wrong Husband Page 8

  He threw back the rod and released the line. It caught onto the belt loop of the man’s pants. Even as Owen pulled the rod toward him, he realized that he was falling off his steed. He struggled to compensate with his weight, but it was no use. He tumbled off the animal and fell right onto the prairie grass. Still holding onto the rod, he was pulled along the land, being scraped and bruised in places he didn’t even know existed.

  He screamed and grunted. Where was Sheriff Meyer?

  Suddenly, the man stopped his horse.

  Owen continued to roll a few turns until he stopped, flat on his back and staring up at the sky. He gasped for air and tried to focus on the clouds. His head was spinning.

  To his surprise, the thief walked over to him and handed him the hook. “Whatever did you do something stupid like that for?”

  “Stupid like what?”

  “Like not letting go of that fishing rod. You could have killed yourself.”

  “It didn’t occur to me to let go. A fisherman always holds his fishing rod so the fish doesn’t get away.”

  The man laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re the strangest deputy I’ve ever come across. But I heard that you are an expert with the rod, and darned if that ain’t the truth. Why, you got me good. It took all my strength to hold onto that horse.”

  Owen grinned at the compliment. “I spent years perfecting the technique.”

  “Well, I hate to see you go through all that trouble to lose, so I’ll tell you what. You talk that sheriff of yours into going easy on me—you know, avoiding that rope—and I’ll turn myself in.”

  “Really?” Was it going to be that easy?

  “Sure. Why not? You remind me of my brother.”

  “Oh.”

  Just as Owen was about to thank him, he continued, “Not too bright and clumsy but he’s got a good heart.”

  Owen blinked and gave the man a startled look. Was that a compliment or a put down?

  The sheriff called out to them as he rode in their direction.

  “Don’t worry. I got this covered.” The man slapped him on the shoulder again and stood up. “I give up. Your deputy got me.” He held up his hands and waited for the sheriff to arrive.

  Sighing, Owen stood up. “He’s returning the horse to its owner. What happens with someone in a case like that?”

  The sheriff rubbed his chin. “I suppose a few nights in jail might be enough since I haven’t seen you on any wanted posters.”

  “Wanted posters? Are those serious?” Owen asked, hoping he didn’t sound too stupid...or guilty.

  “Of course they are. Only the worst of the worst get on those.”

  Oh great. Just what Owen wanted to hear. He could only hope that no more posters of him were being printed and sent out across the state. Because if the sheriff got a hold of one and Jenny saw it... Well, he didn’t even want to think of the implication of those events, and hopefully, he never would.

  ***

  Jenny sat next to Sally who’d stopped by her new home to check it out. While Jeremy played outside with the dog, she faced her sister who looked torn between screaming and crying.

  “Rick spent the entire weekend locked up in his den. He loves his job more than he loves me.”

  Jenny wished she had some words of comfort to offer her sister, but she couldn’t think of anything. “He did kiss you though, and you said it was a good kiss?”

  “I thought so. At least it got me excited. I really thought something interesting was going to happen. But no. Someone came to the door and ruined everything.”

  Inspiration struck her. “I know what you two need! You need time to get away from it all, even if it’s a romantic dinner for two.”

  “I’ve tried.”

  “But you didn’t get out of the house. Why don’t you bring him here? You two can have a nice, relaxing meal. Take a stroll down the lake or sit on that lovely porch swing. Then Owen and I will watch Greg, and you two can go home alone. By the time you get back, it’ll be too late for anyone to bother you.”

  Sally bit her lower lip, as if she considered it. “It might work.”

  “It very well might! Why not give it a try? What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “He’ll talk about his job through the whole meal.” When Jenny laughed, she shook her head. “Believe it or not, he’s done it before. He even put Greg to sleep one time. The poor child fell forward and his head landed right in the mashed potatoes.”

  “Well, we’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, but we’ll think of something.”

  The front door opened and Owen entered the house. “Good afternoon, Sally. It’s good to see you.”

  “What are you doing home so early?” Jenny wondered.

  “Sheriff said he had nothing for me to do so I should spend time with my bride.”

  Sally gave a wistful sigh. Glancing at Jenny, she whispered, “You’re lucky.” Turning back to Owen, she smiled and stood. “It’s time for me to go anyway. I need to be home when Greg comes back from school.”

  “I finally got to entertain in my own home,” Jenny told Owen. Then she hugged her sister. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Of course, I came. I had to see why you were so excited about this place.” She stepped to the door which Owen held open for her. “There’s no need to walk me to the buggy.”

  After she waved to them, he softly shut the door. “You have a great family.”

  “Yes. I know.”

  “Where’s Jeremy?” he asked.

  “He and the dog are by that big oak tree out front. He said he needed to practice fishing.” She chuckled. “He even broke off a thin branch from that tree to use as a fishing rod, and he’s pretending the grass is a big lake.”

  “I’ll have to go out there with real rods.”

  Touched, she walked up to him until they were inches apart from each other. “You’re really going to teach him how to fish?”

  “I promised I would.”

  “You’ll make his year, you know.”

  “It’s not like I don’t want to fish. I miss it sometimes.”

  “Do you?”

  “I grew up on the water. Fishing is how my pa and I spent most of our Saturdays together. It brings back a lot of good memories, except instead of being the son, I get to be the pa this time.” He put an arm around Jenny’s waist and drew her closer so she was in his arms. “Does the ma want to kiss the pa?”

  Her heart raced with excitement. “Well, that depends,” she replied, deciding to be coy.

  He raised an eyebrow. “On what?”

  “Is Pa going to bring home a fish for supper?”

  “He can’t guarantee it, but he’ll do his best.”

  “I suppose effort counts enough. Alright. Ma will grant Pa a kiss.”

  He bowed his head to kiss her, and she held her breath in anticipation. His lips brushed hers, sending a thrilling spark up and down her spine. Besides the kiss he gave her at the courthouse, it’d been a long time since she kissed a man. She’d forgotten how wonderful it was. But it was better with Owen, for she knew he wasn’t going to run off and leave her when things got tough.

  For a brief moment, she thought he might end the kiss, but then he brought his lips back to hers and deepened it. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. The thought did occur to her that perhaps she shouldn’t be so eager. But then she remembered they were married, so it was perfectly fine for her to be enthusiastic with him.

  He reached up to cup the side of her face with his hand. Giving a light moan, she parted her lips for him and allowed him to more intimately pursue her. He followed her silent lead and took his time in enjoying the moment. He was wonderfully solid against her. His hands were gentle but firm. This was much better than kissing Clyde had ever been. It was more than the fact that Owen wasn’t rushing through the kiss to go further with her. Owen was tender and patient.
And best of all, he was her husband.

  When he pulled back slightly, her heart was racing with the possibilities of what they might do. Even if he couldn’t consummate the marriage, there might be other things they could enjoy. But could a man really enjoy lovemaking without the ability to perform? She thought to ask him about it when someone threw the front door open.

  She jerked, noting that Owen also gave a small jump, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jeremy holding the stick in his hand. There was that split second where she thought it might be Clyde. She hadn’t told Owen about Clyde, but she knew she’d have to...even if it would ruin the newfound joy she’d found with her husband. Clyde had a way of causing problems.

  “I saw you came home, Pa!” Jeremy exclaimed, as excited as a boy could be.

  “Yes, I did.” Owen gave her waist a quick squeeze before he let her go. “I thought we might have our first fishing lesson.”

  His eyes grew wide. “No kidding?”

  “I didn’t lug a boat all the way home to let it sit in the yard.”

  She gasped. “You bought a boat?”

  Owen glanced at her and nodded. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll do the job. That lake is deeper than it looks, and I think we might stand a better chance out there. But that boat is a little heavy. I need someone strong to help me carry it. You have any ideas on who that someone might be?”

  Jeremy puffed out his chest. “I’m strong!”

  “Well, you sure do look strong.”

  “I am! I carried a box up the stairs all by myself when we moved in.”

  Chuckling, Owen winked at her. “That’s good enough proof for me. Let’s go see if we can catch a fish for your ma to fry up.”

  Without a glance in her direction, Jeremy bolted out the door and raced to the wagon which, did indeed, have a boat strapped to it.

  “He’s a great kid.” Owen gave her a quick kiss. “Wish us luck!”

  As he headed toward the wagon, she called out, “Good luck!” and smiled as she watched them work together to get the boat onto the ground. Reluctant, she closed the door so she could return to her sewing. Already, she missed being close to her husband.

  ***

  That night, Owen was wide awake in bed, again aware of the fact that Jenny was sleeping next to him. It was a bittersweet experience to feel her soft body pressing up against him. She felt incredibly good, and the male part of him was insisting he nudge her and tell her that he could consummate this marriage.

  But what if it was too soon? They’d only shared their first real kiss before he took Jeremy fishing. Wasn’t it jumping the gun to go from the kiss to ravishing her? He pushed the silly notion aside. He wouldn’t ravish her, no matter how eager his body was. At least, he didn’t think he would—not when he was much too interested in checking out all of her.

  Next time she dressed, he should barge into the room. It was natural that a wife dressed while in the presence of her husband. In the past, he’d lost his nerve and didn’t dare enter the room when she wasn’t decent. Well, he could thank his pre-marriage years of abstinence for that. Pre-marriage abstinence? Being married hadn’t changed his virginal status one single bit. And this little fact was getting old—fast.

  There was no doubt about it. Irving Spencer had to overcome his problem. The kiss was a step in the right direction. Next time they kissed, Owen would get a little further. He glanced at Jenny in the moonlight. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was slow and even. Yep. She was asleep.

  He wondered when they could do more than kiss. Tomorrow? The next day? A week? He inwardly groaned. He really needed a plan. If he established goals, then he might take note of his progress. Maybe that would help him be patient.

  Letting out a low sigh, he debated getting up and doing something productive with his time. The leg of the chair in the kitchen needed to be sanded down so it wouldn’t scratch the floor anymore. He could work on that. But then he looked over at Jenny who rolled onto her back. With the sheet at her waist, he had a pretty good view of her breasts because the nightgown she wore was a thin cotton material.

  Fine. So there was no way he was going to give up this to work on a chair leg, no matter how much his body was aching. Instead, he rolled onto his side and stared at her. Whether he studied her angelic face or let his gaze drift lower, it didn’t matter. She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld. Though, he had to admit, his focus seemed drawn more to her breasts than her face. His fingers itched to touch her. Just what did breasts feel like anyway? Did he dare try to find out?

  But that was wrong. He couldn’t do that when she was asleep! Even if they were married, he didn’t feel right about taking that kind of liberty with her. No. She’d have to be wide awake and aware of what was happening. However, watching her as she slept was fine. She chose to wear the nightgown to bed and lay down next to him. Surely, she knew the chance she was taking in doing that. But would Irving Spencer even be interested in looking at her like this? Of course, he would. A man would have to be dead not to be interested. And he was very interested in her.

  She gave a soft sigh and opened her eyes.

  Startled, he quickly directed his gaze from her breasts and up to her face.

  To his surprise, she smiled and turned onto her side so she was facing him. Then she snuggled into his arms and rested her head against his chest.

  His heart pounded with uncertainty. She hadn’t done that before. At least, she hadn’t wiggled up to him while she was awake. What did it mean? What would Irving do? He’d want to caress her, wouldn’t he? A man in bed with a soft, warm body would want to hold her. Yes. That would be fine. He could hold her. He gingerly brought his arms around her.

  She didn’t protest. That was a good sign. Deciding to press his luck, he let his hand slide down her back. She wasn’t angled in such a way where he could feel her breast, but he enjoyed tracing the curve of her hip. She didn’t protest that either. So that was something else he had permission to do.

  He didn’t dare go further than that. Not tonight. This was enough. Tomorrow, maybe he’d make a little more progress. Patience, Owen. It’ll come soon enough.

  Chapter Ten

  The next day at the jailhouse, Owen fell asleep while sorting through some paperwork. Half aware he was dreaming, he gave himself permission to enjoy the world where anything could happen. And enjoy himself he did. He smiled at the images dancing before him.

  Then, just when things got really interesting between him and Jenny, a loud bang jolted him from the world of sleep and back into the stark reality of unrelenting desire. He blinked several times as he sat up in the chair and straightened his wrinkled vest. Then he adjusted his deputy badge and turned to the sheriff who gave him a knowing grin.

  “That little woman of yours keeping you up at night?”

  “Well...” Since the man had caught him sleeping on the job, Owen figured he might as well tell the truth, even if it was in a roundabout way. “Yes.”

  Sheriff Meyer chuckled. “There’s nothing quite as wonderful as that first year of marriage. I’m glad things are working out between you two. She’s a fine one. I knew you’d make her happy.”

  “Uh...thanks.” Owen wondered, once again, just how great this Irving Spencer really was. The man seemed to be idolized by everyone who heard his name. In some ways, it was intimidating. There was no way Owen could ever live up to that kind of legacy.

  “I got an assignment for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I suspect that Clyde Jenkins is up to no good. He’s supposed to be meeting up with some men in town. Those men are shady characters. I haven’t pinned anything on them yet, but my gut’s telling me something is up with those three. I got word that they’re meeting up at Guy Ike’s house in an hour. I’ll give you directions and you can head on over to find out what they’re talking about.”

  “You mean, you want me to eavesdrop? Is that legal?”

  “Don’t eavesdrop. Just pass by a window and take a
rock out of your boot.”

  Owen wondered if that was a good idea, but if there was something serious going on, then wouldn’t it be better to find out exactly what that was? Maybe he could prevent a bank robbery.

  He nodded and stood up. Placing his hat on his head, he stretched. “Clyde Jenkins? Where have I heard that name before?”

  “He’s Jeremy’s father.”

  He stilled and stared at the sheriff. “Jeremy’s father is in town?”

  “I thought you knew. That’s why you came to marry her. I thought once you two exchanged vows, Clyde would hightail it back to wherever he’s been hiding for the past few years, but he won’t leave.”

  That made Owen uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. He knew that Jeremy had another father—that another man had been with Jenny, but it made him uneasy to know that this man was lingering around in town...and that he’d have to deal with him. If it was up to him, the man would stay out of sight forever.

  The sheriff told him where to find Guy’s house, patted him on the back, and steered him to the front door. “Just stay there for a little while. There’s no need to stay all afternoon.”

  Owen indicated his consent and left.

  As he retrieved his horse from the post in front of the jailhouse, the boy he’d given the fishing rod to ran up to him. “Are you going to catch any outlaws today?”

  “No. I’m afraid not today, Amos.”

  The boy looked disappointed.

  Realizing the twelve year old was probably bored and needed an adventure, he said, “But I do have an important task.”

  The boy’s eyes lit up in interest. “Oh?”

  “Yes, but I can’t tell anyone what it is.” Then he purposely paused to build the suspense. “That is, of course, unless my partner promised to keep it a secret.”

  “I can keep a secret!”

  Pretending to be alarmed, Owen glanced around and put his fingers to his lips. “Shhh... We need to be quiet. This is too important to mess up.”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, looking embarrassed. “I won’t be loud again.”