Seth was moving so quickly; Ruby couldn’t really see everything. At the end of the street was the small church and further out to the right was a large field in which sat a small, school house. It seemed almost barren.
“Isn’t there a teacher in this town?” Ruby asked.
“Not anymore. She left at the end of the last term. So far, we haven’t been able to convince anyone of good moral character to take her place.”
Ruby thought he emphasized the words “good moral character” a bit too much, reminding her he still didn’t know if he could believe the things she’d told him about herself.
“The main reason no woman will come teach is because there isn’t a place for a woman to live. The last teacher could afford a small home outside of town, not because of her teaching salary, but because she had a husband so the town never did anything about it. Since they won’t add living quarters to the back of the school house, the only teacher we would be able to get has to be married and none of the married women in town want to teach. If one of our eligible bachelors would get themselves a wife who could teach, we’d be all set.”
Ruby glanced back at the forlorn building. She had no desire to be a teacher, but she felt sorrow for the children of Waterhole. Education had been so important to her.
Seth finally stopped in front of the small church. “Pastor Joshua will perform our ceremony.”
“What will he think of me, coming to town to marry someone I don’t even know?”
Seth ran a hand through his hair, remembering he hadn’t taken time to go the barber.
“Joshua is married to another one of our town’s women sheriffs. The story of the four sister sheriffs is notorious. I doubt anything would surprise the pastor.”
Ruby clasped her bottom lip between her teeth. Someday she was going to get Seth to tell her all about those four lady sheriffs.
Seth held out his arm and Ruby lay her hand on it. They walked slowly up the path to the big front door. Just as they stepped inside Ruby crashed into a woman coming out of the building. It was Abigail Crane. The woman actually blocked their way, her hands on her hips.
“You needn’t go in there, sheriff. I’ve already had a talk with the pastor. Told him all about that floosy.”
Ruby stepped back as if she’d been slapped.
The woman glared at her.
“Hmph, you think a different dress can change my opinion of you?”
Ruby straightened up. “Well, the dress I was wearing earlier made you form an opinion about me, so yes, I assume, a different dress can change your mind. That’s the problem with small minded people; they make judgments on others before they know anything about them at all.”
Abigail Crane’s mouth opened and closed. Finally, she ground out the words, “How dare you!”
Ruby took a step closer to the woman. “How dare you make a rash judgement about me, when you know nothing about me at all.”
Just then Timmy pulled his thumb out of his mouth and pointed at Abigail Crane and said just one word. “Bad!”
Mrs. Crane shrieked in anger and stomped away from the church.
Ruby pressed Timmy closer and hesitantly met Seth’s eyes. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I can get very angry.”
“I see that.” Seth answered, then burst out laughing.
“I believe that is the first time anyone in this town beside my wife and her sisters have dared to put Mrs. Abigail Crane in her place.” A voice came from behind her. Ruby turned around. Her cheeks flushed red.
“Please, excuse me Pastor. I’m so ashamed.”
Pastor Joshua began to laugh. “No, my dear, I can assure you, that is one thing you are not.”
Chapter Seven
“I do.” Ruby’s words trembled from her lips. It was impossible to make this ceremony seem real; standing in a pink calico dress, beside a man she didn’t know at all, promising to love, cherish and obey him for the rest of her life.
Lord, how can I make such a promise? But, for Timmy’s sake, I must.
“You may now kiss the bride.” Pastor Joshua’s words pulled her out of her thoughts. Her head tilted up so she could look at Seth. Would he actually kiss her?
Seth took a step forward, leaned over and pressed his lips on to hers for the shortest second, she could ever have imagined. She would not even consider it a real kiss. Seth turned and shook the Pastor’s hand, while Ruby fanned her burning cheeks.
Was she to be ever embarrassed around Seth? She’d blushed more in the last few hours than in her entire lifetime. Timmy had been sitting on the floor playing with a few rattles the pastor kept in the church to help keep babies contented through his sermons. Timmy, who’d had little joys in his life was very happy. When Ruby sat on the pew beside him, he smiled and held up a rattle. “Mama, pwetty.”
Tears threatened to press from her eyes. Timmy was never going to know his real Mama and at this point she wasn’t sure he’d ever be loved by his new father. She didn’t doubt Seth would care for them. He’d proved himself already by how he acted toward the Carter brothers.
But that’s not love. Oh God, is it wrong to hope for more?
“It was nice to meet you, Ruby.” Pastor Joshua stood beside Seth, a genuine smile on his face. “I know my wife, Dan, is going to be happy to meet you. Our town has a few women, but not
