Page 65 of Fairy Tale Husband

Three more men stood. The judge ran a hand across his face. “Let me guess. You, too?” he asked. They all nodded. “It would seem you have no shortage of husbands to choose from, Mrs. Hondo.”

“Just not the one I want,” she replied, her voice catching.

Asa Blue rose to his feet. “Jake’s divorcing Wynne and that’s a fact. We all know the man. We all know why he married. And we all know he intended to divorce his missus once he was legally wedded, bedded, and court approved.”

No one argued with his assessment of the situation.

“So, let’s get to the crux of the matter,” he continued. “Wynne says the children were left to her in her sister’s will. The Marsh lady says that without a husband, ahome, or a job, the children would be better off with her. Makes sense to me that if we get Wynne what she needs, then there won’t be any more problems.”

Murmurs of agreement echoed around the courtroom.

“Now, here’s what I propose.” Asa ticked off on his fingers. “Belle and I will make sure she has a job. As far as a home is concerned, either she can live with her new husband, or we’ll rent her a place in town. That just leaves gettin’ her a man.” He planted his hands on his hips and scanned the room. “All you who are interested in applying for the position of her husband, stand up so she can pick out the one she likes best.”

“Wait just a damned minute,” Mrs. Marsh snapped, leaping to her feet. “This is insane.”

Judge Graydon cocked an eyebrow. “How so? You’ve listed your complaints and we’re taking care of them for you.”

“There’s one small problem,” Wynne interrupted. “I haven’t agreed.”

“But, honey,” Belle called out. “What Asa’s suggesting is the perfect solution.”

Wynne turned to face her. “Except, Jake and I are still married.”

“For your sake, I’d like to believe that’s true,” Belle replied compassionately. “But you have to be realistic. You know what sort of man Jake is. And you know he only wanted a temporary marriage. Heck, his own words condemn him. As tough as it is, there comes a time when you have to face facts.”

Wynne looked around. Except for Randolph, they all returned her gaze with pitying looks. She bowed her head. “You’re right,” she said softly. “When you weigh all the evidence, Ihave to admit, there isn’t much room for doubt. Chances are, Jake’s going to divorce me.”

In the back of the courtroom, shadowed in the doorway, stood Jake. He caught the arm of the woman next to him before she could reveal their presence. “Quiet,” he murmured. “Let her finish.”

“But—”

His eyes flashed an unmistakable warning. “For once in your life, shut the hell up.”

He returned his attention to the scene being played out before him and folded his arms across his chest. His wife sat near the front of the silent courtroom, her head still bowed. Wisps of white-blond hair clung to her nape and more than anything he wanted to go to her, slide his hands into those silky curls and kiss her senseless. He didn’t budge. He simply stood and waited, steadfast in his conviction.

After a full minute, Wynne lifted her chin. “It’s obvious to everyone here he’s going to divorce me,” she reiterated, then stated in a firm, carrying voice, “But I still don’t believe it. Ithink you’re all wrong. Ithink he loves me. And I know I love him. So until he walks in here and hands me the actual divorce papers, I’ll have to decline your generous offers. But I appreciate your support.”

It was all he needed to hear. Dragging his companion along with him, he strode into the courtroom, never once looking right or left. The entire time he kept his gaze trained on the only person in the world who mattered to him. He stopped in front of her and without a word yanked her from the chair and into his arms. And then he kissed her. He kissed her as if there was no yesterday and no tomorrow, kissed her with all the pent-up passion of a man who’d lived a life of emptiness and despair, kissed her until the darkness of the past few days were vanquished from hersoul.

He felt her hot tears on his cheeks, tasted the sweetness of her love, heard the glorious sound of his name tumbling over and over from her lips to his. “I love you,” he whispered for her ears alone. “And I swear, I’ll never give you cause to doubt me again.”

“Excuse me!” Mrs. Marsh’s jarring voice cut like a knife. “Perhaps we can get back to business?”

Jake turned, planting himself between Wynne and her dragon. “Sure thing. Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?”

“We’re picking out a husband for your wife,” a voice called from the far side of the courtroom.

Jake’s eyes flashed dangerously. “My wife already has a husband. She doesn’t need another.”

“What?” Bright patches of red stained Kitty Marsh’s cheeks. “You said you were getting a divorce! We had an agreement.”

“What agreement is this?” Judge Graydon interrupted.

She blanched, as though aware she’d said far too much. “I—Idon’t think that’s relevant,” she stammered.

The judge’s eyes narrowed. “I suspect it’s very relevant. But we’ll get back to that later.” He switched his attention to Jake. “Mind answering a question or two, Hondo?”

Jake lounged against the defendant’s table, his arms folded across his chest. “Ask away,” he said with a shrug.

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