Free Shotgun Groom by Ruth Ann Nordin Page A

in everyone you come across. You think Joel
    wouldn’t take advantage of the situation if you invited him
    into your room?”
    Her cheeks warmed. “I wouldn’t do such a thing, and if he
    real y wanted it, he wouldn’t wait for an invitation. One thing I
    do know about men is that they don’t ask; they take what
    they want, even if the woman says no. Joel’s a decent man.
    And that’s why I won’t lie to the preacher.”
    Not looking convinced, Sep asked, “So what are you going
    to tel the preacher?”
    “The truth. Harvey’s brother wants to hurt us and we need a
    man who can protect us.”
    “Good luck on getting the preacher to care.”
    With a sigh, she stood up and went to the sink where she
    dumped out the rest of her coffee. Even if there was a
    teaspoon of honey in it, she didn’t feel like drinking it. It
    seemed that nothing could get rid of the bitter taste in her
    mouth whenever she thought of Harvey and Lou.
    “I’m going to tel the preacher whatever I have to if it means
    Joel’s staying,” Sep quietly said. “I don’t care if you back
    me up or not.”
    Putting her cup aside, she returned to the table and leaned
    over her brother. “It won’t come to that.”
    “How can you be sure?”
    “I just am.”
    “That makes no sense.”
    She took a deep breath and shrugged. “It doesn’t have to.
    Cal it women’s intuition if you want.”
    He let out an exasperated sigh, but Nora cried from her crib
    upstairs so April figured that was God tel ing her to leave
    the matter alone. She hurried down the hal way and saw
    that Joel was inspecting the area he’d repaired by the
    window earlier that day. She turned and went up the stairs.
    Things were bound to be rough as they al adjusted to each
    other, but she hoped, given time, they might at least get
    along wel enough where they could sit around the kitchen
    table and have a pleasant conversation. One day at a time.
    Just take it one day at a time, April.
    Chapter Eight
    The next morning, April’s stomach was a mass of knots.
    She pul ed back the curtain in the parlor and watched as
    Sep entered the barn. This was it. He’d be bringing out the
    horses and sleigh so they could go to the preacher’s house.
    The day was warm enough where the snow was starting to
    melt. There would be little keeping Joel here if he got bored
    of fixing things around the house. She could only hope the
    preacher would sympathize with her plight and marry her
    and Joel in case Joel protested it.
    From beside her, Nora tugged on her bonnet. Letting go of
    the curtain, she turned to her daughter and tightened the
    bonnet around her head. “Stop trying to pul it off,” April
    whispered. “Your ears wil get cold, sweetie.”
    Nora gave a cry of protest but kept the bonnet on her head.
    “It won’t be much longer now. We’l be back in an hour.”
    She glanced at the hal way which was empty. Picking up
    Nora so she’d stop fussing, she waited until she could
    determine where Joel was in the house. She heard
    footsteps in Sep’s room and breathed a sigh of relief.
    Good. He was stil working on the hole in the wal .
    Thankful y, he didn’t ask how that hole got there, but she
    wondered if he noticed it was the size of a man’s fist. She
    shivered and turned her attention back to the window.
    Harvey was no longer a threat, and in a matter of an hour,
    Lou wouldn’t be either.
    Sep left the barn with two horses and an old sleigh. Maybe
    she should have felt better now that the marriage was final y
    going to happen, but her stomach was twisting into an awful
    assortment of knots. She closed her eyes and took a deep
    breath in hopes of calming her racing heart but it was no
    use. This was one of the toughest things she ever had to do
    in her entire life. She opened her eyes and waited for Sep
    to pul up to the front of the house before she opened the
    door.
    He stomped his feet on the porch and entered the house. “I
    see you and Nora are ready. I figure it’s time