Page 82 of Rough Stock
“Because I love you, and you wear all that old trouble like a big ol’ heavy coat in the dead of a Louisiana summer. It wasn’t right then, and it’s not right now, not right for you to suffer that way, not right to have all kinds of restrictions dropped on you because you’re classified as a felon, and not right because of all the judgment you get from people who don’t really know you. It’s wrong, Shy, all of it, and I’m sick of seeing you beaten down because of it, not to mention you beating yourself down. You’re a good person. You’ve had a hard life. I want to make sure the rest of it is sweet and easy, and it will be if I have anything to say about it.” He hesitated, then said, “They’re ready to move forward. All you have to do is say the word.”
“But I don’t have money for that kind of stuff,” she argued.
That made Jensen smile. “All attorneys have to do a certain amount of pro bono work every year to satisfy their bar association. And you were the lucky one who drew that from both attorneys. Somebody’s trying to do something nice for you. Take it, Shy. Take it and don’t look back. Just tell them thank you and let them help you.” He watched, terrified, as her face crumpled and huge tears rolled down her cheeks. With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his. “Shy?”
Sobbing aloud, she choked out, “Yes. Yes, I want them to help me. God, Jensen, do you know what that will mean to me?” She leaned until she fell sideways, her head in his lap, and he stroked her hair while she cried. “Yes,” she whispered. “I want them to help me. For once, I need somebody on my side.”
“Babe,” he whispered back, “I’m always on your side.”
“Do I look okay?”Shyanna asked for the hundredth time as she stood in front of the mirror in their usual bedroom at her soon-to-be in-laws’ house.
“You look beautiful,” Jensen said and kissed the tip of her nose, then checked his own reflection. Every mark from his ordeal had faded over the previous twelve weeks, and he felt great.
“Don’t mess up my makeup,” she growled and glanced in the mirror again. “We need to get downstairs. Everybody will be waiting.”
Jensen was on his way to the bedroom door when there was a knock. He threw the door open to find a stranger standing there, but there was a familiarity about the woman that puzzled him. “Um, can I help you?”
She looked around hesitantly before she softly said, “Shyanna?” His bride twirled to face the doorway and her eyes went wide. “Honey, it’s me.”
Shyanna hadn’t moved, not so much as a twitch, and then she screamed, “AuntJessi? AuntJessi!” As Jensen watched, she ran across the room, threw her arms around the lady’s neck, and bawled. “Oh, AuntJessi! How did you find me?” she asked as she wailed.
“Dora and Roland found me,” Jessica answered through her own sobs. “I’ve wondered for years where you were and how you turned out. I’m so glad to see you, honey!”
Shyanna turned loose and dabbed at the tears under her eyes. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! I can’t believe it?I just can’t believe it!”
“I know!” Jessica said, laughing and crying at the same time. “And you must be Jensen,” she said, turning toward the tall man in the room.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” he said, reaching for her hand. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back. “Shyanna has said so many great things about you.”
“Thank you, honey,” Jessica said as she pulled back and took his face in her hands. “You must be a good man. You’ve got a great family. Your mama and daddy wanted me to come as a wedding gift to Shy, and I couldn’t say no.”
“I owe them a huge thanks,” Shyanna said, still wiping at her eyes. “Oh, lord, my makeup is ruined.”
“No it’s not,” Jensen assured her. “You look beautiful. Let’s go downstairs… unless you’ve changed your mind,” he said, rolling his eyes toward her.
“Absolutely not! Let’s go!” With Jessica in the lead, they made their way down the stairway to find family and friends sitting in chairs on the lawn, waiting patiently as they walked down the center aisle through the chairs and up to the temporary arbor, a minister waiting there with a big smile on his face.
Thirty minutes later, they hugged and shook hands with all the guests, cut the cake, and Jensen even managed to get Shyanna to dance with him. They were almost ready to leave for their little honeymoon trip to the Smoky Mountains when a truck pulling a horse trailer rolled into view. Jensen leaned toward Leo and whispered, “Thank god. I’d just about decided they weren’t coming.”
“He said he’d be here, and I knew he would. Does she have any idea?” Leo asked.
“Can’t imagine how.” Jensen waited until the truck braked to a stop and headed toward it.
“Are we too late?” a voice called out and Amos climbed out of the cab.
“I hope not. We drove all night!” Amber added.
“No! You’re right on time!” Jensen shook Amos’s hand and the two men stood there chatting. In seconds, he felt a presence at his left elbow and found Shyanna standing there, her face screwed into a question mark. “Hey, babe!”
“You guys missed the ceremony! What’s going on?” she asked as Amber wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“We had a little errand to run. I think you’ll forgive us,” Amber said with a giggle.
Shyanna frowned. “Oh, yeah?”
Jensen laughed loudly. “Don’t give them a hard time. Just hang on. You’ll understand,” he said as he stepped to the back of the horse trailer.
Lead in hand, he led the big horse around the end of the trailer and into full view of everyone there. Everyone was staring, but Shyanna never said a word. Her mouth fell open, her eyes went wide, and tears poured down her face. Jensen just smiled. “Your wedding gift, baby. Hope you like it.”
