“Well, wife,” he said with a grin, “are you ready for a new day?”
“I think so,” she said with a small answering smile. “I really do.”
Chapter Twelve
Minnie didn’t realize how hard she was gripping Tommy’s hand until she noticed his wince, one that had nothing to do with the rough bench beneath them, nor the rather abrupt stop of the train as it pulled into the station.
This was it. They were coming home.
“It will be all right,” Tommy said, reading her nervousness. “There’s nothing anyone can do to us now.”
Perhaps not. But that didn’t mean she was looking forward to the confrontation that was sure to come.
As Tommy helped her down the steps from the train, she noted the glint from the sun on his band of metal that matched hers.
How could it be that she could hardly know the man, and yet still be so intricately bound to him for life?
“What do we do when we see him?”
“Who?” he said, returning his gaze to her. “Your father?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose we introduce me as your new husband,” he said with that rakish grin that never failed to tug at her heart —and a few other places that she probably shouldn’t mention.
She nodded mutely, even though she already knew just how that confrontation would go.
She couldn’t avoid it forever, although hopefully it would come sometime in the future, after she’d had time to get used to being Tommy’s wife. She felt guilty for falling asleep last night before he returned to the room, but perhaps it had been for the best, as she had no idea what she would have done had Tommy crawled into bed beside her and they both had been awake.
And then this morning… she prayed that he hadn’t realized what she had done, although she had a feeling that he hadn’t been as fast asleep as he had pretended to be.
It was more than embarrassing, even though he had been a gentleman about it. She had become a wanton, her hands roaming all over him. Yes, he was her husband, but what would he think of her now? He likely wondered just who he had married. At the time, she had thought she was dreaming, but apparently her dream had become reality.
It must have been after all that had occurred during the day. She had been overcome, that was it. She would be sure it didn’t happen again.
All she needed was a few more days to settle in and then?—
“Get your hands off my daughter!”
As Minnie whirled around, Tommy released her hand, but it was only to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her in close to his body, shielding her from the storm that was her father. She could admit that she enjoyed a man protecting her as he was. And not just any man. Tommy.
Her father was stalking across the train platform toward them, mustache twitching, arms pumping, legs firing as he stomped toward them, his face red as he held a finger out toward them, uncaring of the commotion he wascreating.
“Minnie Draper, step away from that man!” he shouted, causing quite a few startled gazes from passersby.
“Minnie Ward now, actually, sir,” Tommy said, holding Minnie even closer as he stepped forward slightly in front of her, enough to cause Minnie’s father’s frown to deepen.
“Pardon me?” he stormed out.
“Father,” Minnie said, not wanting to play the damsel in distress any longer and attempting to lessen his anger, “this is my husband. Tommy Ward.”
“Oh, I know just who you are, Tommy Ward,” he said, leaning in. “Learned all I could when my men discovered you were seen fleeing with my daughter. Heard much about you, and from what I’ve learned, I don’t want you to have anything to do with her.”
“Father!” Minnie interjected, but he was having none of it.
“A blacksmith,” he said in disgust. “A good-for-nothing football player. What were you thinking, Minnie?”
“I was thinking,” she said slowly, evenly, “that Tommy has and will treat me far better than any man you would sell me off to. With him, I know I have a husband who is kind, compassionate, and will look out for my best interests, regardless of what it means for his own. That he is a man I can trust, unlike most others in my life.”
