“Bu--”
“No buts, Minnie. You wanted it and it’s my right to spoil my new bride if I so choose, now isn’t it?” Alex raised a hand and tilted Mary’s face up to hers with the tip of her forefinger. The breath caught in her chest, as it often did when Alex’s attention was focused on her and Mary felt a slight tremble run through her body. It was the slightest thing, that gentle touch, nothing more than a press of finger to chin but it did wonders for Mary. She smiled up at her wife for lack of a better or smarter thing to do.
The two women stood as they were, bodies close but not touching, faces angled towards the other, Mary almost leaned into her. So close were they she could feel the warmth of Alex’s body through her dress. She licked her lips and Alex’s brown eyes tracked the movement. Alex’s finger slid up from her chin, the light sensation of it sent a shot of adrenaline through her body. Mary knew her eyes were wide, body held tight as a bowstring, when Alex’s finger stopped its quest at her bottom lip. She leaned close to Mary, flattening her finger, the pressure causing lightning to move straight down her legs.
“Allow me to buy it,” Alex said once she was close enough to whisper. Mary’s eyes drifted closed and the world around her ceased to exist. It mattered not that she was in the mercantile, or that her mother was nearby looking for any sign of weakness she might think to use against her. Against them.
“You’ll let me do that won’t you?” Alex’s breath puffed warm against her skin, the barest brush of her lips grazing Mary’s cheek.
Mary opened her eyes to see Alex looking down at her intently. There was a yearning there she felt she understood and was helpless to ignore.
“I suppose so,” Mary murmured after a moment. She might have said more and even thought to lean into her urge to move closer, to take Alex’s mouth for her own, but just then the shopkeeper made to wait on them. Alex withdrew from her and Mary nearly pouted at the loss of her wife’s touch as she made to stand behind her.
“Alex, how are you?” He greeted them with a warm smile. “Your wedding was lovely. I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting the new missus.”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Mary Ja-“ she stopped, catching herself as she fumbled with her new surname, “Pierce. Mary Pierce.”
Mary was thankful her social training took over then and she managed to compose herself enough to make her introductions properly. Behind her Alex merely grunted and placed the bottle of perfume on the counter with a thud.
“We will take this. Add it to our order please. And whatever Minnie likes.”
The shopkeeper's eyebrows drew up at the name. “Minnie?”
“Oh, ah, she means me,” Mary offered with a quick smile. “It’s a nickname,” she explained.
He nodded, picking up the bottle of perfume. “Minnie it is then. It suits you perfectly.”
Mary beamed at the man, unable to keep the smile off her face at his words. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Mrs. Pierce. Please let me know if I can assist you with anything. I’ll have this at the front waiting for you.”
Mary turned towards Alex and grinned at her. Alex was frowning in the direction of the shopkeeper and she sighed, stepping closer to her. “Why the sour look?”
Alex’s eyes flicked towards her and almost instantly the woman went soft. She sighed and shook her head, blonde hair gleaming in the morning light that shone brightly through the mercantile windows.
“Small annoyances really,” she said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug, “but it was all for the best I suppose.”
“Oh?” Mary asked, walking past her to look at a collection of fine lace curtains. They were light and airy, just the thing to let in a good bit of sunlight while softening the hard edges of the utilitarian homestead life.
“Mmm, all for the best,” Alex said again, and this time she was smiling at her. “Do you want those as well?” she gestured towards the curtains in Mary’s hands.
“These?” Mary looked down at the material she had been considering and bit her lip. They would be lovely in the kitchen. She ran her fingers over the lace of it and tilted her head to the side considering the fine stitches. A haughty laugh sounded a few feet away and though Mary did not lift her head she knew it was her mother, and what was more, she knew it was done for effect.
Her mother did nothing without cause. Even now she was most likely keeping an eye on Mary, gauging her reaction and how she interacted with Alex, but Mary found she no longer had the patience to care what her mother thought.
She lifted her head, but she did not look towards her mother’s telltale red hair, instead her eyes were on Alex, and Alex alone, the lace curtains in hand.
“I do. I want them very much.”
Her life had been spent for far too long worried over her mother’s wants and motivations---now Mary’s only motivation was how to fulfill her dreams, and those were living a good life in Gold Sky. And she was coming to see that life, thankfully, included a wife like Alex Pierce.
* * *
A crackof lightning sounded overhead, the bright flash of it illuminated the sitting room and Mary looked away from her book with a frown of concern. She had known that it would rain but this...this was an impending storm. The sound of rain falling fast and hard on the roof drew her attention to the ceiling and she swallowed hard at the sudden roar that filled her ears.
This was no storm. This was a raging tempest in every sense of the word, and she turned to look over her shoulder in the direction of the back door. She rose from her chair and made her way towards the kitchen. Alex was out in the downpour; she had left hours before dead set on mending a line of fence for fear that the turning weather would drive their cattle to scatter.
“It’ll only take an hour or so at most. I’ll be home long before the rain arrives.”
