Josie walked into the bunkhouse on Cody's arm and just stood there looking around. The others were all finding their seats and she didn't know where she belonged. For a moment she wanted to cry. Everyone here belonged and she did not. But then the light blue eyes turned to her and the arm rested around her shoulders. He pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

"Don't mind this rowdy bunch," he said smiling, "We just get real excited about Rachel's cooking." He turned his focus to the table. "Don't forget to leave a space for my lovely wife."

The other young men all shifted around making sure there was space to sit down next to Cody. Josie smiled shyly at all of them and then at Bill. She still felt like an intruder but then she knew she had to get over that. This was her home until they had something permanent and this was her family. Josie knew that this was an attempt to make her more comfortable but it actually made her feel more self-conscious when every dish came to her first. She didn't have much practice being a guest or even really an equal member of a family. She picked at her food. It was delicious but she just didn't feel comfortable eating it with any enthusiasm.

"Is there something wrong with supper?" Rachel asked when she noticed how little Josie was eating. "I didn't know what you liked."

"It's delicious, Rachel," Josie quickly answered, "I'm not very hungry I guess."

"Are you feeling alright, Josie?" Cody asked sounding worried. "I thought women in your condition needed to eat extra."

"I'm fine, thank you Bill. I think I just need some air."

Josie stood and headed for the door. Cody tried to follow but she insisted that he stay and finish his meal. Of course once she left, Cody couldn't enjoy his meal very much. He worried that something might be wrong with her or the baby. Teaspoon noticed the young man's distraction and stood.

"Aren't you staying for dessert?" Rachel asked him sounding surprised. None of her men liked to miss food, especially dessert but it was a genuine cause for alarm if either Cody or Teaspoon missed out on her offerings.

"I think I will take my dessert on the porch," he said adopting the tone of a man of leisure, "If you don't mind dishing up an extra serving, I think the young lady might be more inclined to eat something now. A little something sweet sure won't hurt her or that babe."

A few minutes later Teaspoon was settling himself into a chair next to the newest member of their little family. She looked up at him and his heart broke a little at the fear and uncertainty in her eyes.

"Thought you might like some dessert now that you got some air," he said offering the plate to her, "This bunch can take some getting used to."

"I'm used to rowdy boys," she replied taking the plate and proceeding to poke the blueberry pie with the spoon. "My brothers are far worse than those guys."

"You know them though," Teaspoon pointed out. "You don't know us. I'd like to think you will in time."

She only nodded and went right on analyzing every blueberry in the piece of pie.

"I know this ain't going to make you happy to hear but your husband told me some of your situation," Teaspoon said and he patted her arm when she looked up at him alarmed. "Didn't do nothing but make me want to give that fella at the bank a piece of my mind. Weren't there no one you actually knew that you could say was the baby's pa?"

She shook her head still looking down at her plate.

"Why Cody?"

"I met him once before and he was nice to me. He said I made a good cobbler. I do too," she asserted and Teaspoon smiled. "He has such beautiful and kind eyes. I didn't want to have to see Mr. Howell anymore either and I hoped he could take me away. He did. I just forgot that he'd be taking me somewhere and that people would have to know what happened, what I did. I didn't think that he might have such nice folks waiting to home for him. I didn't really think at all. I'm sorry."

"You were scared, honey."

"That don't make it right."

"Has Cody talked to you about how you don't have to keep this charade up?" Teaspoon asked.

"What?"

"Well, it ain't a real marriage and you don't have to stay hitched if'n you don't want to."

Josie frowned at him for a minute pondering his words. Then they seemed to come clear to her.

"I understand," she said in something barely above a whisper. "Bill told me what you are to him, all of you. You're like a pa and the others like his brothers. I'm trouble. I know. I guess you're right, I should leave. I-I could go tomorrow. I'm so sorry."

Her voice shook and her lips quivered but she kept the tears from flowing until she finished speaking. Teaspoon saw the first droplet make its way over her eyelid just before she bolted for the house.

"What did you do to her, Teaspoon?" Cody asked from the doorway. He had only heard her apologize sounding about to cry and then saw her run off.

"I don't rightly know," the older man replied, "Maybe I should go on over and try to set things to rights."

"No," Cody told him, "She's my wife, at least for now. I'll go to her. She and I need to talk anyway." He turned toward the house and then turned back with half a grin. "I don't know how much chance I'll get or even if it's right to wonder but I could almost get used to having me a wife. She's pretty too, ain't she?"

"Yeah she is," Teaspoon said thinking he really wished he could get Cody to stay for just a bit and talk. Maybe the boy was falling for this girl which might be a good thing or a bad one. But he might also just be falling for the idea of being a husband and father and falling for an idea and not the girl that came with it was more likely to end in disillusionment.

Cody walked into the house. It felt strange to him to go in without knocking but no one was inside but the woman he had married and Rachel said it was where he was living too. A person just doesn't knock on his own front door. He found the spare room and with it Josie. She was sitting on the bed with her head in her hands crying. He'd have a talk with Teaspoon later. It wasn't that he was ungrateful for all the man had done for him but he had made Josie cry. Cody wasn't going to sit idly by while some man made his wife cry.

"Josie, honey," he said softly as he sat next to her. He tried to put an arm around her but she tensed and moved away from him. "Sweetheart, whatever he said, it's okay. I'm here. I'll talk to him later. I doubt he meant to make you upset. You can talk to me. I thought we was finally getting to know each other. I'm still your husband."

"You don't have to be no more," she sobbed, "I'm leaving so you don't have to be."

"We can talk about that later," he told her. "Right now I am about to order you to talk to me. I hate that I might have to. I thought you maybe learned to trust me enough to tell me what upsets you. But if I haven't, I am your husband and that ought to mean something."

"I'm sorry," she whispered fearfully as she dipped her head and Cody felt terrible.

"No I'm sorry, Josie," he told her and tried to pull her close to him again. She allowed him but remained stiff. "How about we take a little walk? I know a pretty enough place we can get away, get some air. I think we have a lot to talk about, don't you?"

She nodded without making eye contact and he led her out of the house. Catching Rachel's eye as she headed toward the house, he offered a small smile but couldn't read the look on her face. Once they reached the small stand of trees at the top of the hill, he stopped.

"I always thought it was pretty here," he told her, "Thought maybe if I was ever to court a young lady I might want to bring her here for a picnic or something. Guess no one was worthy of the spot before you. Unless you don't like it."

"It's pretty, Bill. Too nice for me."

"Please stop saying things like that. I don't think it's true and I wish you wouldn't keep talking about yourself like that."

"Bill-"

"Josie, please, I got a few things I want to say. I want to hear all you got to say too but I'm asking you to let me go first."

Josie dipped her head in something of a nod and Cody continued talking.

"I been thinking on a lot of things," he said, "I guess the biggest thing I been trying to figure is why getting married all sudden like we did didn't upset me. It didn't, not at all. I think I like the idea of being married and I like the idea of raising up a young 'un. And then I think too that you must've been awful scared and you picked me to help you. Maybe you need someone to rescue you. I know you don't know me too good yet but I like to read books and lots of them I read have grand adventures and the reason for the adventure is lots of times to save a lady who needs rescuing. I like the idea of rescuing you. I know you married me out of fear though too and I don't want to make you stick to nothing you don't want. You don't have to stay married to me if you don't want to. Teaspoon says-"

"I told him I'd leave," she interrupted and then looked at her hands in her lap. "I know he don't want the trouble for you that I am. I know he wants you to take up with a respectable woman."

"Did he say that to you?" Cody asked getting angry.

"He didn't have to exactly. He said it ain't a real marriage and I didn't have to stay. I know what he meant."

"I don't think you do," Cody informed her, "He meant you don't have to be stuck with me. He likes me and the rest do too but I don't think I'm anyone they'd want their sisters getting tangled with."

"But you are a nice man."

"I like to think so but sometimes I get to running my mouth and I know it makes them think I ain't so nice."

He lifted his hand and brushed away a few locks that had blown across her eyes.

"What I'm trying to say is we have a decision to make, Josie. Married couples I guess have lots of those but this is a pretty big one. We ain't been together like man and wife and if we ain't ever then we ain't married really or at least we can get a paper saying we ain't no more. You could go on and be free of me. We could say you was some relative of one of the guys and you was widowed and that's why you're alone with a baby coming. No one would think ill of you and you wouldn't have to explain nothing more. You'd be free to find a sweetheart that you really love and marry him someday. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of you being happy someday."

"I-Is that what you want?" she asked timidly, "To not be married to me?"

"I like you, Josie," he replied, "You're pretty and you can cook and you're sweet and I like when you sing with me. I ain't saying I'm in love or nothing but I think I'm leaning that way. I don't know how you feel about me. I don't want you staying married unless it's what you want."

"Are you saying you'd actually want to be married to me?"

"I'm saying I wouldn't be against trying it out."

"I think I would like that, Bill," she said smiling a genuine smile. He loved that smile. Maybe in time he would even love the woman who wore it.

"Do you really mean that, Josie?" he asked, "'Cause if you don't, that would be fine."

"I do mean it," she insisted, "No one's ever been so nice to me. You make me feel like I'm some fine lady or something."

"You're as fine as any lady I met."

"C-can I ask you something, Bill?"

She suddenly looked shy again but it wasn't the same sort of fearful shyness she'd shown earlier. This was something closer to a flirtatious sort of thing and Cody liked it a whole lot.

"You can ask me anything you want. I'm your husband, ain't I?"

"Would you kiss me?"

A smile spread across Cody's face. He had wanted to do just that and was hoping that when she said she wanted to stay married that she meant for them to try to be a real married couple. Maybe not everything would come to once but he liked the idea of kissing her.

Josie felt nervous about asking such a thing. She was heartened by the smile on his face and more so when his fingers brushed over her lips and across her cheek before pressing his lips tenderly to hers. She couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her. Mr. Howell rarely kissed her and when he did it was harsh and nearly brutal. Bill's lips were soft and gentle. His hand cradled the back of her head and his tongue found its way into her mouth. There were flutters in her stomach she had never known before. Without thinking she returned the kiss, her own tongue exploring and her lips moving along with his. She had never truly kissed a man but somehow her lips knew how. The kiss ended too soon for her liking but they were out of breath. She opened her eyes to Bill's twinkling blue ones and a giddy smile on his face.

"You know, Josie," he began, "You don't even need to ask. If you want to kiss me, just do it. I ain't never been kissed like that before."

"I haven't either," she whispered and then ventured, "I liked it."

"No one ever kissed you good and true before?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I suppose with the sorry excuse for a man you was with…A real man shows a woman how precious she is. A real man knows how precious she is."

"I ain't nothing special, Bill," she said, "I ain't that pretty and I didn't get much learning. I can cook and I can keep a house and I guess I can give you children. But I ain't much more'n that."

"I think you're wrong, Josie. I think you're pretty and none of us got much chance to go to school neither. Women should be treated precious anyway. They just should."

He kissed her again tenderly and then pulled his head back and grinned at her.

"You know," he began placing a hand over the small bulge in her belly, "We probably ought to think about names for the baby in there."

Josie giggled and placed her hand over his.

"I'm sorry it ain't yours. I know it's a lot to ask you to raise another man's child."

"I don't mind," he assured her, "I really don't. I like the thought that I could care for that young 'un. Have you given any thought to what to name it?"

"I must have a list a mile long for girl names but for a boy I thought William might be nice. Is that alright? To name him after you, I mean."

"I'd like that a lot."

He rubbed over the protrusion of her tummy and smiled.

"Maybe we ought to get back," he suggested, "It's getting dark."

He turned to walk away but Josie took his hand and pulled him back to her. She smiled up at him and he just had a feeling what she wanted. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her until they were both breathless.

"Yeah," he sighed taking her hand and heading back toward the house, "I could definitely get used to that."

This didn't come easy. But it got done. I think they are all kinds of cute though.-J