Read Online Marry Me by Jo Goodman - Free Book Online Page A

obstetrical bag on Thursday. Whitley will show you which one it is.”
    Will nodded. “The larder’s stocked. I peeked in the root cellar. You sure as hell won’t starve.” He glanced at Rhyne as it occurred to him that maybe he should apologize. “Pardon my language.”
    She sneered at him. “Damn you and your apology, Will Beatty. You can’t leave me with him.”
    “I can’t leave you with your pa.” “I want my rifle.”
    Will looked at Cole, saw the almost imperceptible nod, and agreed. “I brought it back with me when I got my shirt. There’s nothing gained by leaving a fine rifle like your Winchester on the ground. I’ll clean and polish it before I go, and I’ll put it on the rack.”
    “I want it here.”
    “Bring it in, Will,” said Cole. “She doesn’t know she’s supposed to be too exhausted to argue.”
    “Runt never did.” Will realized his mistake, but he didn’t correct himself this time. Rhyne wouldn’t have thanked him for it, but she would have sapped her strength setting him straight.
    Will took Cole’s glass with him when he went. He poked his head out the door to check on Judah and got a double fist shaken at him for his interest. Grinning, he ducked back inside, took the glasses to the kitchen, and got the rifle. Rhyne’s Winchester repeater was a well cared for weapon and he was still admiring it as he carried it back into the bedroom. “I don’t mind cleaning it,” he said, approaching the bed.
    “Take your time,” Cole told him. “She fell asleep again.”
    Will found what he needed in the other room and set to work while Cole took some time to familiarize himself with the cabin. He climbed to the loft where Will told him Rhyne slept and found some relatively clean shirts, a pair of denim trousers, another flannel union suit, and five socks. “She doesn’t own much,” he said, showing Will what he’d found.
    “No, I’ve never seen Runt in more than three of four different shirts.”
    “What about her stage clothes? Where do you think they might be?”
    “Now, there’s a question.” He looked up from cleaning the rifle, a gleam in his eye. “You want me to ask Judah? It’d be a pleasure.”
    Cole shook his head. “Let me look around some more.”
    “Suit yourself.”
    The cabin only had three areas, and Judah’s room was the only one that afforded some privacy. The small loft was open and looked down into the front room. The kitchen and larder took up all of the space under the loft. Cole made his own inspection of the larder, saw that it was as well stocked as Will had said, and wondered if Rhyne was the one who made the preserves and pickled the beets. He chose ajar at random and read the label. The script was small and painstakingly neat: CHERRY CURRANT JELLY . The date indicated it was made last summer. Replacing the jar, he moved on, taking note of how precisely the shelves were organized and of how clean they were.
    Judah’s influence, he thought, but perhaps not his work. It was difficult to know, and he wasn’t confident that Rhyne would see fit to answer his questions.
    The door to the root cellar was set squarely in the middle of the larder. Cole lifted it and peered in. He found a lantern on one of the shelves, lighted it, and then eased through the opening and down the ladder. The smell of the rich, dark earth was pleasant, and Cole breathed deeply, inhaling the layered odors of onions, radishes, and potatoes.
    Raising the lantern, Cole glanced around. He almost didn’t see the trunk for the burlap bags piled around it. He didn’t assume the intention was to hide the trunk, but rather that it had come to be hidden as a consequence of its lack of importance.
    Cole cleared off the trunk and found that the key was in the lock. He turned it, flipped open a pair of latches, and lifted the lid. He called up to Will, “I found it!” Above him, he heard Will moving around. He looked to the opening and waited for the deputy’s face to appear.