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“Why did I have to come up with that ridiculous plan to say my vows of marriage in front of Reverend James and sign the marriage certificate and send it to her so she could do the same in front of her minister? If I hadn’t, then neither one of us would be in this miserable situation.” He caught his brother’s gaze. “What am I going to do, Jess? I’m in love with a dream woman who doesn’t exist. And even worse… I don’t love my wife. She’s a complete stranger to me.”
All of a sudden, his stomach churned and he thought he might be sick as unbidden flashbacks of another loveless marriage came rushing in on him.
Unbeknownst to anyone, as a young boy Michael had witnessed time and again his brother Haydon’s first wife Melanie’s rage toward Haydon.
From afar Michael heard Melanie’s cruel and spiteful remarks about what a poor excuse of a man she thought Haydon was. How she resented him for bringing her to this desolate place. How she hated him and wished she had never married him. How she had never loved him and had only married him for his money and his position in society.
To this day the memory of the pain on Haydon’s face still haunted Michael. His brother’s unhappiness had crushed Michael’s young heart. His brother changed after Melanie. He was no longer his confident self until years after Melanie’s death when God had sent Rainee into Haydon’s life. Because of her, Michael now had his brother back, and Haydon was happier than Michael had ever seen him.
Michael wanted the special kind of love Haydon had found with Rainee. With all his heart, Michael believed he had—until a few hours ago. But it was fully clear to him now that his marriage to Selina was nothing but a farce and that his worst nightmare of being stuck in a loveless marriage had now come true. How had he let this happen?
Jesse squeezed his shoulder, yanking Michael from the cave of darkness his thoughts had taken him to.
“I know this is hard, Michael.”
You have no idea how hard this thing is. No one does.
“But I have faith in you that you’ll do what’s right. Keep in mind that when Rainee first came, Haydon didn’t want anything to do with her, either. He didn’t believe God was in that whole situation, yet look how it turned out. They have two beautiful children and one on the way. Listen, I’ve got to run. Hannah is waving me down. If you need to talk, you know I’m here.”
“Thanks, Jess.” Michael pulled his brother into a quick hug then watched him head toward Hannah.
“Hey, buddy.” Michael stiffened. The town heckler, Jake Lure, stepped alongside him and slapped him on the back. “Well, I guess we know who wears the pants in your family.” Jake cackled and twitched his thick blond eyebrows in a mocking gesture.
Michael clenched his fists at his sides.
Jake looked around and then leaned closer to Michael. “You know, I think I’ve seen that beautiful face somewhere before. On one of the wanted posters at the jail.” He cackled again.
Even though the man was a few inches taller than Michael’s six-foot, broad-shouldered frame, Michael found himself wanting to punch Jake. But, he refused to stoop to this man’s lower-than-dirt level.
Yet, hadn’t he already done that by judging Selina’s outward appearance, too? He had even justified his actions by reminding himself that she was not what he was expecting and it was the shock of seeing her dressed in trousers that had made him act so unbecomingly.
Thinking about how despicable his ungodly thoughts had been, he repented immediately. In that second, he decided no man or woman was ever going to get away with talking about his wife like that again.
“I’ll thank you not to insult my wife ever again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find my bride.” Michael turned to leave.
“Just look for the lady in trousers.” Jake’s hooting laughter grated on Michael’s nerves, but he refused to give into the temptation to pummel the guy.
Instead, he pushed his shoulders back and headed toward Selina. “I will.” He tossed the words over his shoulder.
All the way to Selina, Michael fumed. Just who did Jake think he was, anyway? How dare he or anyone disrespect his wife like that? He may not like the way she dressed, either, but maybe that was all she could afford or had or grew up with. So who was he or anyone else to judge her?
He walked up next to Selina, standing amid a group of women who were laughing at something his wife had said. These were the very same people who when they had first laid eyes on her had shown disgust.
He slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Excuse me, ladies. You won’t mind if I steal my wife away, will you?”
