The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,129

doin’ nothin’ to this girl or her baby. You hear me?”

Letty hid a smile. It might just work after all.

“I wasn’t going to suggest anything of the kind,” Letty said, then looked at Mary. “You got a baby that’s gonna be missing a daddy and you got yourself a man, here, who treasures the ground you walk on.”

Dooley’s face turned a dark, angry red as Mary gasped. She looked up at Dooley, and for the second time today, found herself unable to look away from those big blue eyes.

“I didn’t know,” Mary said.

Dooley frowned. “Didn’t matter then. Still don’t matter. I ain’t anyone you’d ever care for and I know that.”

“She needs a husband,” Letty said.

Mary’s eyes widened further as she began to understand where the woman’s conversation was leading.

“Put me down,” she begged of Dooley.

“Don’t reckon I will,” he said. “Least not until I’m sure you’re under the watchful eye of your folks.”

“I said… she needs a husband,” Letty muttered, unwilling to turn loose of her idea. “You got a problem raising another man’s child?”

Dooley looked down at Mary and slowly shook his head.

“I reckon it would be real easy to love any part of Mary Farmer, be it her or her child.”

Mary started to cry.

Dooley glared at Letty. “Now see what you went and done. I told you not to make Mary cry.”

Letty hadn’t survived all these years without persistence, and she wasn’t about to give up on what she considered was her first mission of goodwill.

“She’s not crying because she’s mad. Ask her and see what happens.”

“Ask her what?” Dooley said.

Letty rolled her eyes. “Save me from the stupidity of men. I reckon the Good Lord took more than a rib from man to make his mate. I’m thinking He took the smart half of their brain as well.”

“Are you insultin’ me?” Dooley muttered.

“I rest my case,” Letty muttered, and rolled her eyes. “Mr. Pilchard, ask her to marry you and see what happens.”

Dooley looked down at Mary, who had again, covered her face with her hands.

“There ain’t no way a girl this pretty would ever want anything to do with me. Besides, she gave her heart to another.”

“He’s dead,” Letty countered. “You’re not. I said ask.”

Dooley felt himself coming undone. This morning he’d gotten out of bed with nothing more serious than a good bait of ham and biscuits for breakfast. Now this. He didn’t know what to think. But he did know that he didn’t want to let Mary Farmer out of his sight for fear she’d try to do herself in again.

He cleared his throat.

Mary looked up. He was as dusty as she was and skinned up even more. That was when she realized she hadn’t even thanked the man for what he’d done. Without knowing her intent, he’d put himself in harm’s way to save her. She at least owed him a thank you.

“Dooley.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You put yourself in harm’s way for me. I thank you for that.”

He felt himself blushing.

Letty rolled her eyes and started muttering beneath her breath, which made Dooley nervous all over again.

“You’re welcome, Miss Mary.”

Letty made a sound between gritted teeth that sounded somewhat like a growl.

Being sandwiched between these two women was more female companionship than Dooley had encountered in some years. He didn’t know whether to run, or state his case. Then Mary Farmer touched his arm.

“Dooley, please don’t. My shame is not your concern.”

He frowned. “Well now… it could be, if you was to let me take up your care.”

“I’m sorry?” Letty asked.

The embittered whore in Letty shoved it’s way past Sister Leticia’s act as Letty punched Dooley’s shoulder.

“For God’s sake, mister, say it or get the hell out of my sight.”

Dooley was too startled by the rough words coming out of Letty’s mouth to argue. Instead, he took Mary by the hand and tried not to think about how tiny it felt against his palm.

“Miss Mary… I’m not presuming to think that you care anything for me, and that’s all right. I reckon if you was to do me the honor of being my wife, I could care enough for the both of us.”

Mary’s breath caught in her throat. She kept looking at this mountain of a man and remembering the strength in his arms and that he’d chanced his life to save hers.

“I can’t,” Mary said.

Both Dooley and Letty exhaled as if they’d been gut-punched.

“At least not until I confess my whole sin,” Mary added.

Both of them drew a new breath, taking fresh heart.

“That’s