Page 27 of Harvey

“You don’t know?”

“She is.” His mind drifted to the woman he was unwillingly married to. He left the house early this morning and stopped at his trailer to have coffee and make his sandwich. He had also left the house to avoid his parents, Silas, and his new bride. He knew he couldn’t avoid her forever but would do so as long as possible.

“I have been married to my Sheila for thirty years. She is too good for me, and I know I don’t deserve her.” He tapped his face and then his head. “I can’t read much, but she teaches me and tells me I am a good husband and father to our two kids.”

“You happen to be the best carpenter I have ever known,” Harvey told him sincerely.

“She said that as well.” Polishing off his sandwich, he reached for his juice box and took a long swallow from the straw. “It’s up to you to be happy and a good husband.”

Ignoring that, Harvey finished his sandwich and told the older man. “Time to get back to work.”

*****

“Oh, my dear! Let’s see it.”

“See what?” Dusting her hands off on her apron, Kendra gave the woman a puzzled look.

“Your ring, of course. Rumors are flying around that you are married to that gorgeous Harvey Blackwood. I had no idea you were seeing each other.”

Kendra had reluctantly told her employees of her marriage and hastened to say it was an intimate ceremony. “We wanted to keep it private.” She hated lying, but she had no other choice. If they accepted her lame explanation, she had no idea.

Now, people were coming to her and offering congratulations, making her feel like a fraud.

“I had to leave it at home.” She told Mrs. Morgan with a smile as she went to get the woman’s order. “Dirt and diamond don’t mix, as you well know.”

“Oh, my dear!” the woman clapped her hands in delight. I expect to see some pictures, and I must ask—“Latching onto Kendra’s arm, she steered her to the back of the store. You are married into a mighty family with lots of money. Have you thought of what you will do with the shop?”

Kendra stared at her with a frown. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You don’t like this place because you don’t need the money- “

“Mrs. Morgan, I appreciate your concern. If that’s what it is, my husband’s money is his. I have every intention of running my shop, no matter what.”

“My dear, I did not mean to offend you- “

“No.” Kendra shook her head and took a deep breath. “It’s just that this is all new to me, that’s all. I am the one who should be apologizing. Being married to Harvey Blackwood does not change anything regarding my running the shop.”

Giving her a speculative look, Mrs. Morgan nodded slowly. “If you say so, my dear. But I feel things are about to change, even if you don’t see it yet. Now,” She continued briskly. “I have some changes to be made to the bouquet I previously ordered. I am afraid my daughter wants to add magnolias and yellow roses to the rest.

That poor girl does not know her mind and is killing me and the wedding planners by changing the details.” She gave Kendra a crafty look. “It was sensible of you to have a small wedding. A lot less stress.”

Chapter 7

The headache was maddening, and she tried to rummage through his bathroom cabinet before he returned home.

She did not doubt that the migraine had been brought on by the stress she was experiencing and had been triggered no doubt by the people coming into her store and exclaiming how lucky she was to be married into the Blackwood family.

By the time she was ready to close, she felt like screaming and telling them it was the last thing she wanted, and she certainly did not feel lucky.

She felt trapped. She had arrived at the manor after six and rushed upstairs to make herself presentable for dinner, relieved that her husband was not there. The atmosphere in the room was more pleasant and less tension-filled.

But she had felt the headache brewing and getting worse. Her migraine had not resurfaced for years, so she had no medication, of course. Now, she desperately needed one. She had endured it for an hour, but it progressively worsened.

Taking a quick look around the very masculine bathroom with its tan and gold décor, she dug through several cupboards before she found some painkillers.

She was so absorbed in trying to get the cap off that she failed to notice that he was in the room until he spoke, his deep voice jolting through her and making her spill the contents of the bottle.

“May I help you with something?”

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