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Confirmation that the demon sheriff himself was the instigator in spreading the news about my magical abilities and my wanton living situation, as well as Bryant’s participation in it. No doubt by Halloween, the man would have everyone believing I would ride down main street on a broomstick rather than my gray mare.
“No problem. We’ll just get married then,” I suggested. “That should shut down the gossip.”
All three gaped at me, making me wince and lift a shoulder.
“It’s a good solution,” I said.
“That’s a good idea,” Alice agreed.
“The hell we are!” Bryant blasted at the same time.
“Holy guacamole,” Henry muttered, earning him another sharp look from his mother.
“Come one. It makes sense,” I said calmly, trying to lower the emotional temperature of the room. “You’re right, Alice. Bryant and I are two single adults who shouldn’t be living together unmarried, so we fix that. Problem solved.”
“No!” Bryant yelled.
“It would have to be right away,” Alice said, ignoring him. “Tonight even, before you head back.”
“Do you think the minister here would do the job before we leave?” I asked.
“No!” Bryant blasted, at the same time Alice jumped up and dashed to the window.
“Yes, there’s Preacher Hogue coming from the livery now for tomorrow’s service,” she said. “We can all run over to the church and get you two properly hitched. Henry, go and catch him. I’ll make certain to tell everyone in church tomorrow. I’ll tell Karen Gumley first. Her gossip spreads faster than the telegraph office in Seattle.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Do I look okay? Should I spruce up a bit?”
Bryant viciously cursed and jumped to his own feet, gripping my arm, hissing, “Excuse us a minute.”
He roughly marched me down the backstairs, outside and all the way to the barn before closing the door and rounding on me again.
“Are you completely insane, woman?”
“It’s okay, really,” I said.
“It is certainly not okay. Not by any means.”
I rolled my eyes, the dense man still not getting it.
“Don’t you see?” I said. “Ours would be a fake wedding, temporary, something to pacify the townsfolk until I’m gone in a few months. Then it won’t matter what some piece of paper in the nineteenth century claims. It will be null and void after I’m gone.Because I won’t exist yet.”
This stopped him for a long moment as he fixed his stare with mine.
It was an odd thought, I had to admit.
“Married in name only then,” he said, slightly calmer.
“Why not? If it maintains your respectability amongst the townsfolk here. At least enough so that you’re no longer a pariah, and it stops cutting into your trading business.”
Bryant narrowed a silver-blue glare at me adding, “Not to mention thwart the efforts of a few Snoqualmie mothers who have been eyeing me for their daughters lately, by some strange coincidence.”
“Yes, a nice bonus. And sorry about that. Yellow Leaves’ mother will be sorely disappointed that you’re officially off the market.”
He made a noise in his throat that held a myriad of unspoken meanings.
“Well, Michael James Bryant?” I prodded, taking his hand in mine. “Will you do me the practical honor of becoming my reluctant fake husband?”
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