Authors: Fiona Knightingale
Chapter 5
Finished putting the last few pins in her hair, she grabbed the flowers that she was using for her bouquet and went to meet her husband-to-be down where he and the pastor were waiting for her. The entire town had showed up for the wedding. She was a little shocked, but he was well liked so maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised.
Walking down the aisle, she wished her mother was here, but at least she'd gotten a letter from her mom about the wedding before it took place. She was still small enough with her pregnancy that the dress with a princess empire cut was able to hide her growing belly.
Feeling blessed and assured that today would go without a hitch, she held her head high and went to meet her husband.
She should have realized that the family she used to work for would cause a scene, but she didn't think they'd do it at the wedding, or in front of the Sheriff.
When she got down and put her hand in Dave's, he smiled big at her, happy to see her.
"You look beautiful," He whispered to her, just loud enough only she could hear.
They turned to the pastor and when he asked if anyone had any issues with the wedding or could forever hold their peace her old Master stood up and protested.
Dave looked angry and turned to face him.
"She's nothing more than a servant. You have no business marrying her." The man told Dave angrily.
"I'm free to marry who I want. If you don't like it, leave the church." Dave told him. The people sitting in the pews were whispering loudly.
"She's pregnant with our child, and won't give it to us," Her old Mistress announced loudly, trying to humiliate her. She glared at Penelope.
Penelope was shaking in embarrassment and wished she'd realized that they might have created a scene to get back at her for denying them the baby.
Dave leaned over and spoke to one of the deputy's and asked them to escort them from the church if they wouldn't leave willingly. Nodding, Travis went to do as Dave asked.
"No, you don't understand. She is having our baby. It's mine, she has to give it to me," The woman protested and started to cry. The sympathetic looks that were tossed her way full of pity and realizing that she was falling apart in front of the entire town.
Travis forced them to leave and then stood guard at the church entrance to make sure they couldn't come back in. The pastor was waiting for the scene to be over and then cleared his throat.
"Does anyone else want to protest, or can I get on with the wedding now?" He asked loudly and waited a moment. "Okay, good."
"Thank you," Penelope mouthed to him and the pastor gave her a gentle smile as he started his sermon.
When it was over and Dave had kissed Penelope, the crowd cheered for them. The church had a buffet style of food that was setup in the other room for the reception after the ceremony. Dave escorted Penelope there and kissed her temple, telling her he was happy she was his wife.
"I'm sorry they caused a scene," Penelope whispered to him. It was a moment she'd never forget and it's not how she pictured her wedding day.
"Don't be sorry. You're not the one who chose to make a fool of yourself at someone else’s wedding. They brought this on themselves and there's a good chance that they will be shunned by many of the townsfolk after this. People don't like drama, and she's showing signs of brain sickness."
"I could almost feel bad for her, if she wasn't so aggressive about the pregnancy. I understand wanting a child. I even understand wanting her husband's child. But you can't just take someone's baby." Penelope told him quietly and slipped her hand in his as they walked into the reception room.
"She'll get over it. I plan to go have a long talk with her and her husband later about knocking this off. We deserve to have a good life, and I won't let them interfere with it anymore." Dave told her and then let the women pull Penelope away from him to socialize and visit before they headed home for their wedding night.
"Are you really pregnant?" The innkeeper asked her. She was a round lady, but she was usually sweet. Her name was Melly, and Penelope and she had chatted a few times in the past.
"Yes." Penelope admitted.
"Is that why you quit working for them and left to be with Dave?" Melly whispered to her, wanting the latest gossip first hand from Penelope.
"It's complicated and I really don't want to talk about it at my wedding." Penelope disengaged from the conversation as politely as she could and then searched the room to find her husband. He was standing over with two deputies that were at the wedding and she made her way to him.
"I think I've about had it. Their scene at the wedding is making everyone ask me questions that I don't want to answer." Penelope told him and gave him a pleading look to get her out of here.
"We can do that. Let me just tie up a few loose ends first and we'll go home." He told her and brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it before doing what he promised.
Penelope made her way outside to the back where their wagon and horse waited for them. Lucille was waiting for her and had a big stick in her hand. Penelope hadn't been prepared for her to be there, and she didn't have her gun with her. Backing up slowly she ran into Marvin's chest and he grabbed her arms hard and then put his hand over her mouth before she could cry out for help.
"You broke Lucille's heart," Marvin whispered hatefully in her ear. "Now she's going to break yours."
Lucille came at her with the stick as if she was going to hit her and Penelope struggled hard in Marvin's arms, trying to get away from them. Her intention clear as Lucille stared at her belly and went to swing the stick at her.
A shot fired out, in the air and both Travis and Dave stood there. Travis had a rifle pointed directly at Lucille and Dave was glaring at Marvin.
"Let go of my wife, or I will shoot you both." Dave growled at them. The look on his face would have traumatized Penelope if she knew it was directed at her, but in her defense it had her sighing in relief. His timing couldn't have been any better.
"She deserves this," Lucille screamed and lunged at Penelope to attack her. Dave fired and shot her in the shoulder, making her drop the stick. She fell to the ground whimpering, holding her shoulder.
"Marvin, let go of my wife, or I will shoot you." Dave told him, threatening him.
Marvin let her go with a look of disgust on his face and stepped back from Penelope. He didn't immediately attend to his wife on the ground, he was too busy glaring at Dave and Travis.
"You are both under arrest," Dave told him and nodded to Travis who slung the rifle on his back and grabbed some rope out of his pouch on his belt. Tying both their hands up he made Lucille get to her feet.
"It's a superficial wound, I'll have the doc come around at the jail to dig out the bullet and sew her up. You're lucky Dave didn't do worse to you," Travis hissed at Lucille when she whined that it hurt.
"I'm taking my wife home now. I don't care what you have to do, make sure they stay in jail, and when you talk to the judge, I want them out of my town for good. They can't be trusted here." Dave told Travis and then wrapped his arms protectively around Penelope.
Watching Travis get his horse and force them to walk behind it with tied wrists to the jail downtown Penelope wanted to feel bad for them, but she couldn't.
"Thank you. You saved my life and most likely that of our baby." Penelope whispered when he helped her up into the carriage.
"I would do anything to keep you safe Penelope, I hope you never doubt that." He leaned over and kissed her passionately. If there was any doubt about his feelings before, she didn't doubt it now, even if he hadn't said the words yet.
"Are you ready to start the rest of our life together?" Dave asked her quietly when they pulled into their yard and started unhitching the horses to put them away.
"I couldn't think of anything I'd like more," Penelope told him and put her hand on his arm for a moment. "I love you Dave, I'll be inside waiting for you."
Dave smiled at her and nodded watching her walk to the house.
Penelope went inside and worked on getting out of her dress, she laid on the bed and waited for him. This wasn't exactly how she pictured the start of her marriage beginning, but with Dave at her side, she could handle anything.
She waited for him to join her.
THE END
The Cowboy Soldier’s Knocked Up Email Order Bride
Chapter one
“I don’t know how you do it, Avril. You’re constantly in the kitchen and you’re making these new dishes all the time. The papers rave about you, but critics can’t get enough. It doesn’t seem to matter to anybody that the menu doesn’t stay the same on any given week. I came to work with you, specifically because I helped you with your success and I want to learn from the best. I try to get here early in the morning to beat you to the punch, but you’re always here. It almost makes me think that you live here.” Timothy was my right hand man and if I didn’t have him, I probably would’ve sunk into a pit of depression.
What I didn’t want to tell him was that my work visa had expired. I was going to be shipped out next week back to Nigeria. Not something that I missed or wanted to return to. I found the solution on the internet by becoming an e-mail order bride. The guy I got in touch with turned out to be a regular at my restaurant.
Timothy was the one that told me that I had a gift and that I should pursue it and give the world a taste of what I had to offer. It wasn’t lost on me that he had a crush on me and that he looked at my caramel skin and wondered what it would be like to be with me. I might’ve been a little overweight, but it was nothing, as far as most were concerned. I was 5’10, 180 pounds and most of that was up front and in back.
“I’m just glad that you convinced me to do this. I never thought that you would want to join, but I’m more than happy to have you. This whole thing was mostly your doing and it would be a damn shame that you lose out on some of the accolades. I’ve only been teaching you for the past two weeks and already I see potential to become a chef in your own making.” I stood there and admired him from behind, trying to bring about some kind of attraction that might turn things from something friendly to something even more explosive.
If I didn’t have my chef outfit on, I might have taken matters into my own hands. There was no denying that Timothy had a body that just wouldn’t quit, but his attitude towards women didn’t exactly make him something that I wanted to try out myself. Maybe if I could gag him and stop him from making these insane remarks that put women down, I might be able to see clear about giving him one moment of bliss.
“I think you know that he’s out there waiting for you. He ordered the Beef Wellington. He always gets the special and I think he might have a thing for you.” I knew exactly who he was talking about and this guy was a bit of a mystery wrapped up in a paradox. I saw him on several occasions come in and he wouldn’t say much, but he would constantly look at me and make me feel like he was undressing me. I had no choice and I had to throw out a proposition of marriage.
“Holden Reynolds is a very accomplished businessman with a checkered past. He came back from Iraq and instead of wallowing in self pity; he opened up his own security agency. He has his own farm right here in Texas and I think his penchant for hard work and discipline comes from the navy. I’ve done my own research on the Internet and I found out that he was quite instrumental in bringing some of those very sought after terrorists to justice.” He wore his suits impeccably and there wasn’t a crease to be seen. Any time that I went out to see him to make sure that his food was good, he would only smile and nod his head politely.
I probably wouldn’t know that he was even interested, except for the fact that he kept looking at me. I saw him in the mirror, stopped cold with his fork poised in the air about to go into his mouth. I think he was drooling a little over my posterior and wondering what it would take to ask me out. He found out that I was the one that approached him.
“You really should go out and see him. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen you admiring the man and not do anything about it.” I didn’t even know that he noticed that, but it didn’t bode well, because if he did, then everybody else probably saw it written across my face in bold letters. “I think that I can handle things back here. When I’m done, I’ll close up and then we can compare notes tomorrow morning. I have a date and let’s just say that my hopes are up for breakfast in bed.” I was glad to see that he wasn’t pining after me. It did make me feel a moment of jealousy, but I had no reason to be. He had every right to date whoever he wanted and besides, I wasn’t even interested in him in that way.
If I was going to approach him, then right now would be the right time and the right place. If I didn’t do it now, he would walk out and I probably wouldn’t see him, until next week. I didn’t know if I could go that long without doing something about this obvious attraction and heat between us. The arrangement of marriage had been made between the two of us, but he thought that was all I wanted…silly boy.” I had a delicious cheesecake that was to die for. It wasn’t even on the menu, but I had made it in hopes that he was going to come in tonight. It was getting late and he was always the last one to leave.