Excerpt from Ch 20
Jarrod sat back in his chair and said nothing for moment. The fact that he wished she'd admitted that one to herself sooner was something he didn't feel he should rub in. "Ben grabbed a couple of his ranch hands in town. He and the men are taking Nick and Kimimela to a secluded cabin he has here on the ranch. He'll be home tonight; they'll be here sometime tomorrow." Jarrod stood up. "Ben wanted them to have at least one night together…should anything happen."
~oOo~
The storm clouds that had gathered and darkened the once blue sky started pouring buckets of water down upon the small, log cabin that sat on the Ponderosa. It consisted of two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a living room and a small washroom that set in the back of the kitchen. Adam had made all the furniture out of solid oak, except for the bed. That, a beautiful wrought iron bed, was an item Ben had bought while in Sacramento. Ben had built the cabin a few years before the Civil War for Joe only to watch his youngest die from a bad heart…compliments of a fever that had racked his body after being wounded during the conflict between the North and the South. After that, the cabin was only used when the family absolutely needed some time alone.
"Stand there long enough, and you'll turn into a statue." Nick, who had just finished building a fire in the fireplace which sat on the north side of the cabin's living room, walked up behind his bride who was standing in front of the living room's window and watching small rain drops hit the window pane. Sliding his arms around her waist, he pulled her gently backwards. "Are you sorry already?" Nick asked as he kissed the side of Kimimela's forehead.
"For marrying you? Never," she turned around to face Nick, staying within his arms as she did so, "I just wish it had not been necessary to leave your family; with the exception of Jarrod, out of the ceremony. You deserve better than that. You deserved better than this." She flicked her hand through the air, indicting she was talking about the two bedroom cabin.
Nick couldn't believe she was thinking about what he may or may not deserve. Most people he'd ever met talked about what the woman deserved. Then, not knowing of Jarrod's and Victoria's conversation, he said, "I'll write to the rest of the family again the first chance I get. Then, after we deal with 'Mr. Hunter' and his friends, we'll have to see what we can do about making peace with my mother. However, it's like I said before, she's got to meet us half way. If we can get that fence mended, we'll have to see about renewing our vows and taking a second, longer, honeymoon. We both deserve it."
'Mr. Hunter', his friends, Kimimela involuntarily shuddered. Ben had told Nick and her exactly what he'd said to her biological father. She knew 'Mr. Hunter' well enough to know the idea that Ben's taking anything that belonged to the man everyone knew as 'Mr. Hunter' would push the man to go after Ben. For that matter, she wouldn't put it past the man to come after her as well.
Nick, feeling her shudder, knew it wasn't the idea or retaking their vows or another honeymoon that had extracted such a reaction from his wife. He held her just a bit closer as he assured her he wasn't going to just stand aside and willingly allow any harm to come to her. "You're my wife now." He moved his hands up to the side of her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "That's all that matterrs." Glancing at the rain, Nick thought about the words he'd spoken to Ben while standing in the church. 'Go figure, after the remarks Ben and I made, it would literally rain' he thought as he lowered his head, and then slid his arms around Kimimela's waist once more. However, rain was the last thing on his mind by the time he laid Kimimela down in the large wrought iron bed and under the warm downy quilts that were in the two room cabin.
~oOo~
Rain! Frederick growled. He knew it was necessary, but how he hated it. Always the pessimist, all he could see was what the rain prevented a person from doing. He'd seldom allowed himself to look on the sunny side of life, telling himself it was just an illusion anyway. The strong, the one who 'got it all', survived. At least that's what he told himself anytime he found it necessary to justify his actions. And, as he thought on Ben Cartwright holding Maka, thought on the claim the man was now publicly making, Frederick swore to make the man pay one way or the other. Sure he'd accused Maka of being unfaithful when he was home, but that was only so he'd be justified in slapping her around when he had excess anger and wanted it to take it out on someone or something. She wasn't really supposed to be guilty of such a thing. By the time he finished thinking on it, Frederick took his foot and kicked the side of the cot…not that it did any good. All it was did was to break his toe and get a string of cuss words rolling out of his mouth, along with the threat to kill Ben for what the man had had the nerve to take.
"Hold it down in there!" Roy ordered as he and Clem walked into the cell area of the jail; Clem was carrying a tray full of food. "I don't care to hear that kind of talk when I'm here!" He didn't either; he hadn't asked the stranger to go causing trouble. As he pulled out the cell keys, Roy ordered Frederick to back up to the other side of the cell. Of course, he called him Mr. Hunter.
"Also, I'd watch the threats." Roy said once Clem had put the tray of food in the cell and left the cell. "Ben Cartwright's human." Roy shut the cell door and locked it. "So, as much as I hate the idea of him slipping and lying with another man's wife, it was close to twenty-five years ago so I, and most folks I know, aren't going to hold it against him. On the other hand," he said as crossed his arms and glared at 'Mr. Hunter', "I know plenty of folks who wouldn't take kindly to you putting a bullet in him or you disturbing his family." Roy's eyes added 'and that means his daughter' as he turned away from the cell. "I'd be more concerned about those men whom Ben says might be heading this way if I were you."
"When are you going to let me out of here?" Frederick grabbed the gray bars as he pressed his face up against them.
"Told you, judge will see you tomorrow. I'm sure there'll be a fine or jail time." Roy answered as he walked away from cells and stepped through the doorway leading to his office. He wasn't about to stick around and listen to how the man had no money to pay any fine; he already knew that.