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Chapter 12
Mabel sat on the porchswing, tucking her feet up underneath her and resting her hands in her lap.
It was nice to get out of her work clothes, to get the smell of cow manure off her, and sit in peace on the swing.
A beautiful view, a beautiful evening, and...someone she was really starting to like beside her.
That scared her just a little bit. The idea of getting married was scary enough, but getting married to someone she cared about was even more scary for some odd reason. Probably because she was afraid that he would not care for her the way she cared for him, and she would end up getting hurt. It was that old issue she dealt with in childhood. The one she had worked so hard to overcome.
It felt like she was taking a very big risk to start to like James as more than a casual acquaintance.
It was bound to happen. He was insisting on a real marriage, and she had to agree with him.
Swallowing her fear, she looked over at him. “So we’re both willing to do it sooner, but a week is good?”
“Sure. Let’s plan on that. You heard the conversation I had on the phone, and I might have to go to Chicago. I told him I had to stay off my foot,” he said, giving her a look that said that he would do his very best to obey her orders.
“I’m sure I can dig you up a pair of crutches, if you need to go. In fact, you shouldn’t have to be stuck on the front porch swing all day long every day for the next week. You need a pair anyway.”
“I can probably make myself something.”
“I’m pretty sure Hines Cannon broke his leg not long ago. I think he might have crutches, and I’m sure I can borrow them, if he doesn’t outright give them to us, which he probably will.”
“All right. Maybe after the pastor leaves, if there’s still time, we can take a ride out.”
“Sure. Let me text Eliza and see.” Her fingers flew over her phone as she sent a quick text. She wasn’t best friends with Eliza, but they knew each other fairly well and liked each other too.
“So are we going to tell the preacher that this is a marriage of convenience? He’s sure to ask us about love and all that other stuff that he probably expects from people he’s giving marriage counseling to.”
Mabel let out a long breath. She wanted to sigh and put her head in her hands.
“I don’t want to lie or mislead the preacher,” she finally said. “But you’re right, it’s going to be an awkward conversation.”
“I’m sure Aunt Carol will help us if we need her to.”
“Yes. I’m sure she will. And I guess if he has issues with it, we’ll deal with that when we get to them.”
She knew that they were doing something rash that a lot of people would frown on. It didn’t feel rash to her though. It felt like a wise move. Like they were doing something to create a home for three girls who needed it, and that they had talked about it like adults and made a firm decision.
She supposed that the world’s idea of spending years getting to know someone was necessary if people did not plan on sticking to their vows no matter what. She felt from a carnal perspective that it was probably foolish, because most couples who spent years together ended up committing fornication before their marriage.
She supposed it was just another way of the world trying to impose their wisdom above and beyond what God commanded. Trying to insist that man’s wisdom was somehow better than God’s commands.
Not that she ever thought long and hard along those lines, but it just made sense to her, that two people of character could make a smart decision and then get married without a whole lot of fanfare.
“I kept thinking all day that there were so many things for us to talk about, and now that we’re sitting here, I can’t think of a single one,” Mabel said, twisting her hands together.
Maybe her nervousness was obvious, because James reached over and placed his hand over top of hers. “We’ve got plenty of time. We’ll be fine.”
Somehow, the feeling of his warm hand over top of hers made the tension that had been building in her body drain out. She looked up at him, the relief on her face plain for him to see, she was sure.
“You’re right. We don’t have to stress about this.”
