this.
Cord said, “No waste,” and exchanged his empty plate for hers with a smooth sleight of hand. The urge to hug him redoubled. He had a dreadful foul mouth, what he had just done was terribly uncouth, and she liked him more than she had imagined possible.
The cafe door banged, and her brother Robert came storming in, a purposeful scowl on his face. Rob had the same soft brown hair as Anne, but bright blue eyes. At twenty-five his face was still soft and boyish with a spoiled, usually sullen looking mouth, a sign, his sister thought, of immaturity.
“Anne, it’s all over town about your being here. Noah told us you’d gone to Chicago, and we haven’t had a letter from Aunt Clara. What are you doing here with that man?”
The next person who referred to Cord as “that man” was going to get an earful. “Well, I should think you know, Rob. Father wanted me married, so he saw that I was married, and here I am. Let me introduce you to my husband.”
Already primed, Rob let go of his temper immediately. “You’re not introducing me to him, and you know perfectly well you’re not really married to him. If you weren’t so pigheaded, you’d be filing charges against him. You’re coming home right now! I suppose you think you’re getting even with Father for a couple of little slaps you absolutely deserved. You know all you have to do is apologize. You’ve ruined yourself for living in Mason, but you can go to Aunt Clara’s. No one will know.”
“Hell will freeze over before I apologize to anyone or before I ever set foot in that house again. It’s not my home any more. I’m not going back today, I’m not going back tomorrow, I’m not going back in ten years, and I’m not going back to die.”
Rob grabbed Anne’s arm, and as she pulled away from him she saw Cord look up from the last of her steak, his pale eyes looking like glass shards reflecting the cold winter light. Noah set his coffee cup down hard, his eyes darting back and forth between Rob and Cord.
“If you’re going to act like this I won’t even talk to you. Go away, Rob.”
Almost beside himself, Rob shouted at her. “Maybe Father’s right about you! Maybe you are just a slu….”
He never finished the last word as Cord erupted from his chair, backhanding the other man so hard Rob fell backwards across another table. He barely landed before Cord had him by the front of his coat, pinning him to the table as he shook his head to clear it.
“How do you like that sample of the ‘little slaps’ your father gave your sister? Boy, you listen careful, because if you ever talk to my wife like that again, I’ll break your jaw in so many places you’ll never talk again.”
Anne sipped her coffee and gave Noah a hard look. Surely it was time for him to start sheriffing. Cord slammed Rob down on the table and returned to his chair. As Rob began to get up, still full of indignant righteousness, Noah got to his feet, went over and put an arm around his shoulders.
“Sheriff, you have to arrest that man.”
“For what? My wife’s been dead for three years, and if you called her names like that today, I’d shoot you.”
“She’s not really his wife. He can’t keep her out there like that.”
As Noah hustled Rob out of the cafe, Anne smiled apologetically at Cord. “I’m sorry. He’s not really mean, he’s just….”
Cord shrugged. “Maybe he’s been taking etiquette lessons from my brothers.”
She laughed out loud at that and saw the surprise on Noah’s face as he came back to their table.
“I think I convinced him to head for home and leave you be,” he said. “Anne, I’m surprised it didn’t bother you to see him roughed up like that.”
She just shook her head. “The sad thing is it probably didn’t do a bit of good. The trouble with my brother is he thinks God himself should consult with Father before making a decision to be sure to get it right.”
Halfway home, Anne gave in to the urge and threw her
Cord said, “No waste,” and exchanged his empty plate for hers with a smooth sleight of hand. The urge to hug him redoubled. He had a dreadful foul mouth, what he had just done was terribly uncouth, and she liked him more than she had imagined possible.
The cafe door banged, and her brother Robert came storming in, a purposeful scowl on his face. Rob had the same soft brown hair as Anne, but bright blue eyes. At twenty-five his face was still soft and boyish with a spoiled, usually sullen looking mouth, a sign, his sister thought, of immaturity.
“Anne, it’s all over town about your being here. Noah told us you’d gone to Chicago, and we haven’t had a letter from Aunt Clara. What are you doing here with that man?”
The next person who referred to Cord as “that man” was going to get an earful. “Well, I should think you know, Rob. Father wanted me married, so he saw that I was married, and here I am. Let me introduce you to my husband.”
Already primed, Rob let go of his temper immediately. “You’re not introducing me to him, and you know perfectly well you’re not really married to him. If you weren’t so pigheaded, you’d be filing charges against him. You’re coming home right now! I suppose you think you’re getting even with Father for a couple of little slaps you absolutely deserved. You know all you have to do is apologize. You’ve ruined yourself for living in Mason, but you can go to Aunt Clara’s. No one will know.”
“Hell will freeze over before I apologize to anyone or before I ever set foot in that house again. It’s not my home any more. I’m not going back today, I’m not going back tomorrow, I’m not going back in ten years, and I’m not going back to die.”
Rob grabbed Anne’s arm, and as she pulled away from him she saw Cord look up from the last of her steak, his pale eyes looking like glass shards reflecting the cold winter light. Noah set his coffee cup down hard, his eyes darting back and forth between Rob and Cord.
“If you’re going to act like this I won’t even talk to you. Go away, Rob.”
Almost beside himself, Rob shouted at her. “Maybe Father’s right about you! Maybe you are just a slu….”
He never finished the last word as Cord erupted from his chair, backhanding the other man so hard Rob fell backwards across another table. He barely landed before Cord had him by the front of his coat, pinning him to the table as he shook his head to clear it.
“How do you like that sample of the ‘little slaps’ your father gave your sister? Boy, you listen careful, because if you ever talk to my wife like that again, I’ll break your jaw in so many places you’ll never talk again.”
Anne sipped her coffee and gave Noah a hard look. Surely it was time for him to start sheriffing. Cord slammed Rob down on the table and returned to his chair. As Rob began to get up, still full of indignant righteousness, Noah got to his feet, went over and put an arm around his shoulders.
“Sheriff, you have to arrest that man.”
“For what? My wife’s been dead for three years, and if you called her names like that today, I’d shoot you.”
“She’s not really his wife. He can’t keep her out there like that.”
As Noah hustled Rob out of the cafe, Anne smiled apologetically at Cord. “I’m sorry. He’s not really mean, he’s just….”
Cord shrugged. “Maybe he’s been taking etiquette lessons from my brothers.”
She laughed out loud at that and saw the surprise on Noah’s face as he came back to their table.
“I think I convinced him to head for home and leave you be,” he said. “Anne, I’m surprised it didn’t bother you to see him roughed up like that.”
She just shook her head. “The sad thing is it probably didn’t do a bit of good. The trouble with my brother is he thinks God himself should consult with Father before making a decision to be sure to get it right.”
Halfway home, Anne gave in to the urge and threw her
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