No one moved or made a sound, except for Mary, who couldn’t stop her sniffles as tears slipped down her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole. She crossed her free arm over her stomach, fighting back nausea. Her back also chose that moment to cramp from standing too long in one place. Oh God in Heaven, how could everything change so quickly? Help me, please! Get me out of here!
Doc had one more rebuke to make. He turned to the two men who had started the ruckus. “And as for you two…frankly, Mr. Robinson,” he stared directly at Hank, “I’m beyond disappointed. For crying out loud, man, Mary’s your sister!” he bellowed.
Hank had the grace to lower his head in shame, all the fight draining out as he belatedly realized what he had done. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Then, he raised his head enough to meet Mary’s eyes. “Sorry, Mary. I didn’t think. I…I’m s…sorry,” he stumbled, shaking his head as he mumbled, “Me and my big, stupid mouth.”
“And you said my mouth would get me in trouble?” Olivia murmured, not quite under her breath, glaring at him.
The Maynard brothers let both men loose and Dwight hastened over to Mary. Gently nudging Pauline aside, he took his wife fully in his arms as she burst into the sobs she could no longer hold back. The pain of the town’s disdain was more than she could handle.
Dwight held her tightly and whispered calming words against her hair for a few moments before she felt him turn his face toward the still-circled, but somewhat contrite crowd. She kept her face pressed against his chest, unable to bear seeing their scorn.
“None of you know anything about our business,” Dwight told them all, his voice still angry, but in a protective way that did more to soothe her than even Doc’s words of taking up for her had. “None of you know me or my wife. You don’t know she’s an honest, God fearing woman—” he hesitated for just a second and stared daggers at a person who let out a snicker. The man instantly lowered his head.
Dwight went on, “and it tore her up to have to keep the secret of the timing of our marriage. She’s a hard-working woman who was dealt a blow in life that would have sent most of you over the edge—yet she landed on her feet and took care of herself. She didn’t give up. Did you know that her father was killed and her brother was run out of town for something he didn’t do, and she found herself all alone, and forced to leave as well? She did her best, even working two jobs once she arrived here. But how we got together is no one’s business but our own,” he declared with force. Pausing to lean back and place a finger under Mary’s chin, he encouraged her to look up at him.
When she did, sniffling and trying to control the flood of tears, the adoration she saw glowing in his eyes made her breath catch as he went on addressing the onlookers, but maintaining eye contact with her. “The only thing you need to know is that I am her husband and I love her. I love her and I love our baby with all my heart—and I’ll fight anyone who tries to hurt them.”
His eyes swept the room, ending with Hank, before he settled them on Mary again.
Then, he smiled and reached up to his inside pocket for his handkerchief, and with great care dabbed at her tears. “I love you, Mary,” he repeated, for her ears only.
“And I love you, Dwight. I love you so much.” Oh, it felt so good to say those words aloud and within his hearing!
All was quiet for about five seconds; the only sound was the muffled wind outside and the crackling of logs in the large wood-burning stove in the corner as everyone in the room stared at the couple.
Then, old Cliff let out a loud, “Yahoo!” startling everyone in the room.
“Well, doggies!” he cackled. “Now that that’s settled, how about we get back to this here party, huh? Eric, start up a happy tune on that there fiddle, son!”
Eric did just that, and as the band started back up and Mary thought the upset had passed, an upset of a different sort was making itself known.
Her eyes opened wide as she felt liquid rush down, wetting her skirts and puddling on the planks of the wooden floor beneath her feet.
She opened her mouth to say something, but before one word could escape, she was hit with a hard, piercing pain in her belly. It happened so fast; it was all she could do to stop a scream from escaping her lips.
Oh no, the baby! It’s too soon!
Chapter 15
D wight looked down at their feet and realized instantly what the liquid was. Part of his brain knew it was too soon, even as he immediately took charge of the situation.
“Doc!” he called over the music, as Doc Reeves had moved away from Mary’s side when Dwight had taken her into his embrace.
Both Doc and Pearl looked their way, and judging by the look on Mary’s face, they instantly knew what was wrong.
Doc surged forward and gently grasped Mary by one elbow. “Let’s get her home,” he said, looking past Dwight as he began to issue orders. He sent Tobias
