Page 20 of Chasing Trouble
Mac walked over to Whitney and took her hands in his.“I’m telling you right now, Whitney, I don’t care what people say.I will find out who’s been talking and straighten them out, but in the end, it doesn’t matter.I only care for your sake.I want you to be my wife, and I’ll marry you right this minute if that's what it takes.I have no doubts.”
“I...I need to think.I’m going to the barn.”Whitney pulled her hands from Mac’s and grabbed her jacket and hat, then let herself out into the cold November day.The sun was shining with no wind at the moment, so it wasn’t bitterly cold.Impulsively changing her mind about the barn, she pushed her hands deep in her pockets and took off walking across the clearing, headed for one of her favorite places to be alone.The leaves rustled beneath her feet, and the serenity of the forest slowly began to seep into her soul.
The little glade wasn’t too far away.She’d discovered it on a hot day last summer when she’d been scouting for rabbits.Amazingly enough, it was on their property.
The waterfall was about eight feet across, and it rushed over the rocks and into a calmer pool in the sunny glade.Surrounded by giant oaks and elms, the majestic trees provided shade on the outer edges of the glade where one could sit.The hot sun warmed the pool as the run-off from the mountains splashed into it and swirled lazily around before finally spilling its overflow into a meandering downhill stream.
Whitney had brought Luke and Amelia here during the summer to swim and play in the waist-deep pool, and to occasionally bathe the dust and sweat off from working in the garden and fields.The surrounding boulders also absorbed heat from the sun, even in the colder temperatures, and one flat rock in particular was her favorite place to sit.
Wrapping her jacket tight around her, she sat down on the rock and pulled her knees up to hug them to her chest for warmth.As usual, the rock had a warmth that felt good through her heavy jeans and long-johns.
Being a practical girl, Whitney knew what gossip could do.Her older cousin Emmaline had a baby about nine months after she and the preacher’s son hastily married.People had gossiped like crazy and continued to speculate.In fact, Emmaline’s name was always speculated about, even after two kids later.Her name would always be tied to that same speculation, written in infamy for the rest of her life.Her mother had advised her never to get herself into that situation.
Lord help her.
She was pretty sure she wanted to marry Mac; she’d been considering it for the last three days, but figured it would be after her birthday.That would give her time to know if he was really the one, and give him a chance to change his mind if he decided he didn’t want her after they got to know each other better.Rushing into things wasn’t on her agenda.
Besides, being told she had to annoyed her.
She didn’t like to have surprises sprung on her, especially something like this.Every girl has a dream wedding planned, and she was no exception.She’d had a beautiful white wedding dress in mind and envisioned a handsome man with whom she hoped to marry and live happily ever after.People’s big mouths were obliterating her lovely dream.
She picked up a smaller piece of shale from the rock she was sitting on and skipped it across the pool.The sunlight caught the drops that splashed up in the rocks’ wake, sending prismatic light through them in sparkling colors.Brooding, she watched the cheerful stream gurgling over the stones and wished she felt as happy as the water sounded.
She groaned at the thought of the embarrassment she would have to endure at the church tomorrow with everyone staring and whispering about her.And probably for the next nine months until no baby shows up.Then the trial period would be over, and her name would be safe—unlike poor Emmaline.
But what if a baby did come along?
She sat up straight at the thought, horror filling her.She’d have to keep Mac out of her bed for the first month or two after they were married to prove to the wagging tongues that they hadn’t precipitated their wedding vows.Sighing, her shoulders slumped.Why couldn’t people mind their own darned business?
“Well, well, what do we have here, Clem?”
Whitney sprang from her rock and whirled to face the voice, her heart racing.Two men were smiling slyly at her from across the boulder—the men who had taken the cougar.Shock riveted through her as she glanced around.She couldn’t run; she was between the rocks and the pool, but at least the rock was between them and her, for the moment.
“I dunno, Jeb,” the rounded, shorter one replied.“Could it be one of those sick brothers?”He cackled as if he’d told a hilarious joke and slapped his knee.
“Seems a might scrawny for a man, don’t you think?”Jeb drawled, his eyes roving up and down her body.“Then again, maybe the trots done took it all out of him.”He chuckled at his own insanity.
Whitney cursed herself for being foolish enough to leave the house without her shotgun or rifle.She did have a knife in her boot, as usual, but she’d never get the chance to use it against the two of them.They both held rifles in the crooks of their arms.At least she was dressed like a man.Mac had insisted on it when she went outside.It looked like he’d been right to be cautious.
“Thought you two were long gone with your cougar,” she snarled in her fake low voice.
Jeb turned his head to the side and spat from a wad of chew in his jaw, then his shifty dark eyes returned to her face.“We decided we liked this area and we plan to stay around,” he replied with a big grin.
Whitney grimaced in distaste as his open mouth revealed dark spaces where teeth used to be.The tobacco juice had stained what bits of teeth he had left.Her danger meter soared higher.These two were up to no good, whether she was a male or a female.“What do you want?”she growled, trying to sound menacing.
“We tried to be neighborly the other day,” Clem complained, but your brother wouldn’t even get so much as a canteen of coffee for a poor traveler.”
Whitney snorted in disbelief.“Like he said, there’s been sickness in the house.There aren’t any homes for sale in this area, so you might as well head back to wherever you came from before the snows come,” she tried to bluff.
Jeb spat again, this time right on Whitney’s rock.“We decided we liked your place.Once the snows hit, won’t no one be looking for us and we can spend the winter here, then move on next spring.”
“We don’t have enough for ourselves, let alone two big oafs like you,” she snapped, her heart racing.
They looked at each other with knowing grins.“There’s a right nice ranch not too far from here.A steer or a hog going missing once or twice won’t cause anybody any upset.They’ll think it got lost or taken by a cougar or a wolf,” Clem drawled.
They were talking about Mac’s place, she realized.Her eyes narrowed at them.Who were these men?“Are you running from the law or something?”she asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer, but stalling for time.Her hands were clammy, and she wiped them down her jeans.Why wasn’t Mac here yet?Her dad had said they needed to talk, so she figured he’d have found her by now.
Jeb stared at her.“He’s smarter than he looks, Clem.”
