Page 75 of Repentance and Absolution
“Yes, it is. That’s us, together…always.”
* * * *
Irene and Clarence held our wedding ceremony the following weekend. T’was a bit of folly, but I reckoned Irene and Oscar enjoyed it.
Irene wore a pretty blue dress, and Clarence wore his suit. Oscar and I didn’t have anything fancy, but I borrowed a hat from Clarence and Oscar borrowed a tie.
Clarence conducted the basic ceremony. He had us take each other’s hands and promise to love and honor each other for the rest of our lives. That’s when it all became real to me, and I couldn’t believe this young, handsome man was willing to stay with me forever. I stumbled o’er some words of emotion and I needed to sit down. Oscar sent a worried glance Irene’s way then joined me on the couch.
“You okay, Jimmy?”
“Yeah. I’m—” I gazed into Oscar’s sweet brown eyes, my hand going behind his neck as my fingers wove through hair that wasn’t there anymore. “I’m just so grateful to have you, Oscar.”
His eyes went wide. “You’regrateful?”
He covered my hand with his own, as Irene and Clarence stood watching.
“Do you remember when you came across me in Dawson City?”
I nodded, my hand cupping his shorn head, that seemed smaller and more delicate than ever.
“Of course, I do. I thought you were a kid because you were so skinny and dirty.”
Oscar blinked, and I could see the memories of that day in his eyes. “I’m the lucky one, Jimmy. If we hadn’t found each other—” He inhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t wanna think about it.”
“Neither do I,” I said. “But we did, and we’ll always have each other,” I said, leaning in to kiss him softly. “And now we’ve got Clarence and Irene, too. Our lives are richer than I ever expected.”
Chapter Sixteen
Wolves
Clarence was able to start doing his own chores after about three weeks of recovery, though I’d told him to pace himself and get Irene’s help if he needed it—or send her for one of us. But his leg was healing fine, and his limp had become less noticeable. I reckoned the muscle would take longer to heal, but regular movement would help.
We returned to our little kitchen-house after spending most of January at Clarence and Irene’s. T’was strange at first but appealing to have some privacy. We went back to their place often o’er the next few weeks, whenever the weather was decent, to check in and make sure Clarence was managing.
Oscar had asked Irene to sew us some thick curtains for the windows in the small house. He’d claimed t’was so the sun wouldn’t wake him up so early, but he and I knew t’was so we could close them when we got up to our games in the off chance that someone stopped by for an unexpected visit.
They proved useful about a week or so after we put them up. We were only getting started, kissing and touching each other, when we heard boots outside and a knock at the door. We jerked apart like we’d been burned and gazed at each other, thinking the same thing about them good, thick curtains and being glad we’d drawn them.
“Who’s there?” I asked, getting up from the bed and glancing at my rifle, which was in its place against the wall by the door.
“It’s Carson Moore.”
“Oh!” I said, checking that Oscar had all his buttons done up before I pulled the door open and smiled at Carson. “Howdy! Great to see you!”
T’was good to see him. Carson smiled and took off his hat.
“I figured I’d come along and check on the two of you, make sure you weren’t freezing to death out here.”
“Good idea,” I said.
Carson had told us how he and Tim Jensen hadn’t thought to check on Oscar’s uncle after his young wife had died and he was out here all alone. In the spring, when he didn’t come to town, they had found him out here, dead in his own home. His horse was in the barn and had starved to death.
“Come in. You know it ain’t much, but it’s warm. Can I get you some tea or coffee?”
“Some coffee would be nice,” Carson said, hanging up his coat and taking off his boots.
I found the coffee pot and filled it with water, then added the coffee grounds and put it on the stove to boil.
