The Pastor's Replacement Bride
Copyright© 2023 by George H. McVey
Chapter 25
Hattie
Hattie kept praying as they rode away from Sanctuary. She couldn’t see from her spot in the wagon. Two Gun rode in the back with her and kept looking at her in a way that made her more afraid than anything that had happened so far. She wondered if she could escape the wagon. She thought she might slip out the side, but when she almost worked up the nerve to do it, she felt a voice inside her say, “WAIT.”
Hattie knew that voice. It was the voice that whispered to her when she talked to God. So she waited. Before long, they turned off the main trail. The one they’d called Slim was getting down and walking behind them, brushing at the snow with something. She could hear him.
The ride got bouncy for a while and then they came to a stop. Two Guns motioned for her to get out. The three men led her into a ramshackle one-room cabin. Then Slim went back out to lead the horses and wagon around the back, where it wouldn’t be seen if someone rode up.
“Well girly, did you really think you could escape from Papa John?”
“I wasn’t hiding from anyone. I was getting married.”
The enormous man laughed. “Getting married? Girl, you ain’t fer marrying. Yer just fer using and leaving. Orphan trash like you? Why’d anyone want to marry ya?”
Where, in the past, this might have made her scared or sad, now it just made her mad. She was loved and knew it. God loved her, Randall Long loved her, her sister brides loved her, RoseAnn loved her, and most important at the moment, Joshua Bryce, former Texas Ranger, loved her. He loved her and she knew in her innermost being that he was coming for her, and that made her bold.
“He loves me and he will come for me. When he does, you will wish you’d never left Chicago. This place isn’t like there. The men here are strong and brave and wild. You just wait till he gets here. You’ll wish you’d never left.”
The big man stopped laughing. “You better hope he doesn’t, pet. Cause if he does, we’ll kill him.”
Two Guns was looking like he was going to build a fire. Thaddeus looked at him. “What are you doing?”
“Gonna start a fire; it ain’t much warmer in here than out there.”
“Don’t know if that’s wise. Might draw attention to us.”
“It’s a line shack,” Two Guns said. “They’re used all the time and not regular like. It won’t appear suspicious and besides, no one knows we took her.”
“Okay, just keep it small.”
“Smoke is smoke, Thaddeus. I’d rather be warm. Ain’t like we got anything to do while we wait.”
The gigantic man smiled in a way that sent chills up Hattie’s back and tightened her stomach in fear.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I have an idea. Today’s supposed to be sweet Hattie’s wedding day, but thanks to us, she’s gonna miss her honeymoon. I think we show her what she’s missing.”
The door opened and in came Slim. “Papa John won’t like that, Thad. He wants to break her in himself.”
“Well, she’s been gone a month. She’s a mail-order bride. Far as Papa John would know, her husband broke her in. Don’t see no reason we can’t enjoy ourselves. Besides, why should he get first rights? We’re the ones who came to get her, not him.”
“What if she tells him?”
Thaddeus smiled that cold smile again. “She won’t tell. By the time we get this wagon all the way to Chicago, she’ll be as docile as a lamb. We’ll train her all the way and when we get there, we’ll tell him she was married when we found her, so didn’t think he’d expect us to not train her for him. He might not like it, but he’ll love being able to put her to work soon as she gets there.”
All three men seemed to consider that for a while. “We’re going to take the wagon all the way back?”
“Can’t risk the train, now can we? If she acts up or says something, then it’s the gallows for us all.”
“So you’re suggesting we travel with her and teach her about her new job on the way?”
The smile grew. “Exactly.”