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“What am I doing? What ishedoing?” He threw out a finger to point at Preacher. “I’m down there digging yet another grave for who knows what reason, and this so-called man of God is standing mere yards away, kissing my wife!”
Nora’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “Your what?”
Adam opened his mouth again and then seemed to realize what he’d just said and snapped it closed, a look of utter confusion on his face. Yeah, well, that made two of them. Did the fact that he seemed jealous that Preacher had kissed her send her heart skittering about her chest like a flat rock on a smooth lake? Yep, it sure as shit did, damn it all. But after spending the last several days ignoring her existence, not to mention the last couple of weeks denying their marriage, he didn’t get to act like the aggrieved husband now. Especially to a good man who’d been trying to help her.
“First of all,” she said, rounding on him, “Preacher is just a friend, a good friend. I was having a difficult moment, and he was trying to comfort me.”
Adam frowned and took a step toward her. “What do you mean? Is everything all right?”
She held up a finger. “Not the point. Second of all, wife? He’s kissing yourwife? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but you have spent every moment since the second we saidI doswearing that you didn’t mean it and that we aren’t married. And now you are assaulting a man of God, of all people, for touching yourwife?”
“Well, when you describe it like that…”
“How else am I supposed to describe it? You can’t have it both ways, Adam. Either you are my husband or you aren’t. Either you intend to stay my husband or you don’t. You don’t get to deny that our marriage is valid, refuse to sign the one tiny form that will make it so, and then act like you have a claim on me.”
“Yes, but…”
“No. No buts. You just…shush.” She sucked in a big breath and turned to Preacher, who had managed to pick himself off the ground and brush most of the dirt out of his hair. “Preacher, thank you.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I still disagree with what you said…” She glanced at Adam and frowned. “Well, with most of it…but I do thank you for listening.”
“My door is always open, Miss Nora.”
She nodded, then glanced over at Adam. “You…just…” She let out a frustrated growl. “You need to figure out what you want and leave me out of it until you do. But you better do it quick, because you only have two weeks left before the decision will be made for you.”
She nodded again at Preacher and walked back around to her horse. It was time for tea with the ladies. She could do with getting away from men for a while. One in particular.
Even if there was no way she’d be able to get him out of her mind.
…
Adam watched Nora storm off and debated the wisdom of following after her. He knew he’d made a mistake. Yet again. That was no surprise. But he didn’t like leaving things with her angry.
“Let her be for now,” Preacher said, shaking a bit of dirt out of his ear. “She’ll be more inclined to talk once she’s calmed down a bit.”
Adam gave him a wry grin. “Does she ever calm down? She seems to be fully loaded at all times.”
Preacher’s lips lifted in a quiet smile. “Her burden is a heavy one. Some days she bears it better than others.”
Adam nodded, his heart hurting for her. “I apologize for the dirt,” he said, brushing a bit off Preacher’s shoulder.
Preacher nodded. “No apology necessary, I understand. But it’s appreciated. I will still have to fire you, of course.”
“Never thought otherwise,” Adam said, handing over his shovel. Truth be told, he was right glad to hand the thing over. He had no aversion to manual labor, but it wouldn’t be his first choice. Though it was yet another job falling through. He stifled a sigh, trying to erase the image of Woodson and his damned pocket watch forming in his mind. He was running out of time to find some steady employment.
“Come on,” Preacher said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s go get a drink. You look like you could use one.”
Adam snorted. “You really are doing the Lord’s work. Lead the way.”
…
When they entered the tavern, Woodson and his deputy were already there with Doc. Adam hesitated at the door, but they’d already seen him. He wouldn’t turn tail now.
He sank gratefully into a vacant seat and ordered a cider. He could do with something with a bit more kick, but he was more thirsty than anything and wanted to be able to get out of the tavern on his own two feet.
Deputy Sunshine raised his glass in welcome, and Doc followed suit. Woodson just sat glowering as he typically did. He glanced back and forth between Adam and Preacher.
“Have you two been rollin’ around in the dirt?” he asked.
Preacher and Adam glanced at each other with matching grins, and Adam answered, “I have, in a manner of speaking. Preacher here caught a shovelful of it.”
