“Watch how you talk to the
lady.”
“The lady forcing my best friend to marry on a lie?”
“If it’s a lie, how does she know so much about him?”
Ace’s brows went up. “I wasn’t aware that she did.”
“She does.”
“And if it’s a lie,” Dickens continued, “why was she out
traveling on her own, following him?”
“Because she’s crazy?” Ace countered.
Maddie gasped. No matter what stunt she was pulling, it still
bothered Caden to see that hurt in her eyes. And that pissed him off.
“When this wedding’s over, Culbart, what then?” he asked.
“You’re going to write me an IOU for a horse, and we’re going
to have the party Maddie arranged.”
“We’re having a party?”
Maddie nodded up at him, her eyes shining. “With chocolate
cake. Just like Tia had.”
Just like Tia had. That wedding had
been the fantasy of Maddie’s life. She’d thrown herself into Tia’s plans,
sharing the excitement as if it was her own, which might explain why he was now
standing beside her facing a preacher with the world believing they were
promised. That’s how make-believe went with Maddie. A little bit of reality
turned into a whole lot of pretend. If she was
pretending
Caden looked over at Culbart. “You’re letting us go?”
“Any reason I shouldn’t?”
He exchanged a look with Ace. Ace shrugged, clearly having no
better idea than Caden as to what was going on, but the goal was to get Maddie
out of here, and if a fake marriage succeeded in achieving an actual escape,
then who was he to argue? For sure no one would hear of this, and even if they
did, it would be a simple matter to bribe the preacher to make the papers
disappear, assuming there even were papers.
Setting his jaw, he bit back his pride. It’d been a long time
since anyone had been able to force him to do anything. “If this wedding’s going
to happen, then someone get talking. Daylight’s burning.”
And so was his temper, because as the reverend started the
ceremony, as Maddie repeated the vows in her sweet, low voice, happiness written
all over her face, he couldn’t shake the certainty that he’d been set up. It
wouldn’t be the first time and it likely wouldn’t be the last. But to think that
he’d fallen into a trap of Maddie’s making, betrayed by one of Hell’s Eight,
soured his stomach. From the expression on Ace’s face, it wasn’t sitting too
well with him, either, and as much as he wanted answers, now wasn’t the time to
search for them.
The ceremony was short, to the point. No rings were exchanged,
which didn’t stop Maddie from holding out her hand and expecting one. The
expression on her face was crestfallen when he didn’t produce one, but then just
as quickly, she tucked her fingers up into her palm and smiled at the
preacher.
“He’s saving up to get me a special one. I’ll be the envy of
all the women.”
She was going to be something. She’d be lucky if he didn’t put
her over his knee.
“I bet he will, pretty thing,” Culbart said, “but if he
doesn’t, you come give your uncle Frank a visit.”
The threat was thinly veiled.
“Do you really want to be on the wrong side of Hell’s Eight,
Culbart?”
Culbart gave Maddie a hug, tilted his head to the side. “Seems
to me I just forged an alliance with Hell’s Eight.”
“One that lasts only as long as this wedding.”
“Never known a Hell’s Eight man to break a promise, and you
just promised to love and cherish this lady forever until death do you
part.”
Son of a bitch. So he had.
“A promise made under duress.”
“A promise is a promise,” Culbart cut in.
Caden had to agree. He really had promised to love and cherish
and protect Maddie forever.
“Dickens, put down that shotgun,” Culbart said. “No need for it
anymore, and fetch the whiskey. Bob, go fetch your fiddle. I fancy a dance with
the bride.”
Maddie giggled and blushed. “I’m sure my husband will want the
first dance.”
Caden flexed his
lady.”
“The lady forcing my best friend to marry on a lie?”
“If it’s a lie, how does she know so much about him?”
Ace’s brows went up. “I wasn’t aware that she did.”
“She does.”
“And if it’s a lie,” Dickens continued, “why was she out
traveling on her own, following him?”
“Because she’s crazy?” Ace countered.
Maddie gasped. No matter what stunt she was pulling, it still
bothered Caden to see that hurt in her eyes. And that pissed him off.
“When this wedding’s over, Culbart, what then?” he asked.
“You’re going to write me an IOU for a horse, and we’re going
to have the party Maddie arranged.”
“We’re having a party?”
Maddie nodded up at him, her eyes shining. “With chocolate
cake. Just like Tia had.”
Just like Tia had. That wedding had
been the fantasy of Maddie’s life. She’d thrown herself into Tia’s plans,
sharing the excitement as if it was her own, which might explain why he was now
standing beside her facing a preacher with the world believing they were
promised. That’s how make-believe went with Maddie. A little bit of reality
turned into a whole lot of pretend. If she was
pretending
Caden looked over at Culbart. “You’re letting us go?”
“Any reason I shouldn’t?”
He exchanged a look with Ace. Ace shrugged, clearly having no
better idea than Caden as to what was going on, but the goal was to get Maddie
out of here, and if a fake marriage succeeded in achieving an actual escape,
then who was he to argue? For sure no one would hear of this, and even if they
did, it would be a simple matter to bribe the preacher to make the papers
disappear, assuming there even were papers.
Setting his jaw, he bit back his pride. It’d been a long time
since anyone had been able to force him to do anything. “If this wedding’s going
to happen, then someone get talking. Daylight’s burning.”
And so was his temper, because as the reverend started the
ceremony, as Maddie repeated the vows in her sweet, low voice, happiness written
all over her face, he couldn’t shake the certainty that he’d been set up. It
wouldn’t be the first time and it likely wouldn’t be the last. But to think that
he’d fallen into a trap of Maddie’s making, betrayed by one of Hell’s Eight,
soured his stomach. From the expression on Ace’s face, it wasn’t sitting too
well with him, either, and as much as he wanted answers, now wasn’t the time to
search for them.
The ceremony was short, to the point. No rings were exchanged,
which didn’t stop Maddie from holding out her hand and expecting one. The
expression on her face was crestfallen when he didn’t produce one, but then just
as quickly, she tucked her fingers up into her palm and smiled at the
preacher.
“He’s saving up to get me a special one. I’ll be the envy of
all the women.”
She was going to be something. She’d be lucky if he didn’t put
her over his knee.
“I bet he will, pretty thing,” Culbart said, “but if he
doesn’t, you come give your uncle Frank a visit.”
The threat was thinly veiled.
“Do you really want to be on the wrong side of Hell’s Eight,
Culbart?”
Culbart gave Maddie a hug, tilted his head to the side. “Seems
to me I just forged an alliance with Hell’s Eight.”
“One that lasts only as long as this wedding.”
“Never known a Hell’s Eight man to break a promise, and you
just promised to love and cherish this lady forever until death do you
part.”
Son of a bitch. So he had.
“A promise made under duress.”
“A promise is a promise,” Culbart cut in.
Caden had to agree. He really had promised to love and cherish
and protect Maddie forever.
“Dickens, put down that shotgun,” Culbart said. “No need for it
anymore, and fetch the whiskey. Bob, go fetch your fiddle. I fancy a dance with
the bride.”
Maddie giggled and blushed. “I’m sure my husband will want the
first dance.”
Caden flexed his
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