The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,90

you agree?”

He had her over several barrels and they both knew it. Unable to argue, Letty raced to her room to dress. In her panic, she tore both the underarms of her only decent dress and had to cast it aside. She ran to the window, as if looking for answers, then started to grin. There was a blue-sprigged muslin in the window of Matt Goslin’s store that had been hanging on a store dummy for the better part of three years. It was sun-faded in the front, and stained in the back from the time the roof had leaked and wetted down everything in the front of the store. But it was high-necked, and long-sleeved, and by God, it would hide everything—including her damned neck, if she buttoned it just right.

Let The Games Begin

It looked as if the entire population of Lizard Flats was in Sophie Hollis’s yard, ogling for a view of the ceremony about to take place upon her front porch.

Matt Goslin, storekeeper and rejected suitor, glared from a place near the steps. If Alfonso Worthy was going to snatch up his sweetie, he was going to see it as up close and personal as he could get.

Letty Murphy had picked her place early. She was less than five feet from the spot where Eulis, the drunk-turned-preacher, had taken his stance. She figured if he got out of hand, she should be as close as possible to try and prevent a disaster from occurring.

And while she waited, she tugged at the neck of her new dress, not for the first time, wishing she’d worn one of her own and said to hell with propriety. It was no wonder that the upright women of Lizard Flats often had pinched expressions about their mouths. These high-necked, long-sleeved dresses were uncomfortable as all get out.

Letty fidgeted beneath the stares of the guests milling about the yard. She supposed it was because they’d never seen her dressed in such a fashion, when in fact, they were curious as to why her dress was faded to a near-white in front and still bright blue in the back. No one recognized the dress as having come from Matt Goslin’s store. What they did notice was that the dress was about a size and a half too small, and that Letty’s ample charms were pressing with prominent persistence at the boundaries of the buttons running down the front of the dress.

Just then the bride and groom came out of the house. As they paused beneath the porch, everyone’s attention turned to them. A small gasp of admiration rose from the assembled females. Sophie Hollis was wearing a pink dress with a complexion to match.

Truly a blushing bride.

Alfonso was strutting as he took his place before the preacher.

Eulis cleared his throat and Letty held her breath. It was time to begin.

“Do you, Sophie, take…”

“I do.” She giggled and cast a flirtatious eye toward her little banker.

“Not yet, my dear,” Alfonso cautioned with a whisper. “He’s not through saying his piece.”

Just the word “piece” made Sophie quiver inside. She sighed and squeezed her legs together as a reminder to stay calm, smiling over her nervous need.

“Reverend, pray continue,” Alfonso said loftily.

Eulis nodded, and did as he was asked.

Eulis’s voice rolled up and out of his throat in deep booming consonants, echoing from beneath the porch where the ceremony had commenced. But the mighty tone was not because he’d suddenly felt the call to preach. It was because he’d talked more in the past eight hours than he had in the last eight years and his throat was getting hoarse. He continued where he’d left off.

“…this man to be your awful wedded—”

“Lawful,” Letty hissed. “The word is lawful… lawful.”

Eulis glared and paused for effect. “Lawful wedded husband. To… a… hold all the time and to a… have forever. Even when you’re sick?”

Eulis paused at the end of this statement and nodded toward the blushing bride. Now it was time for Sophie’s answer, but the preacher had left something out that Alfonso felt needed mentioning. He smiled at Sophie and patted her arm and then leaned forward.

“What about obey?” Alfonso asked. “You didn’t say anything about obeying.”

Eulis sighed and wished them both to hell and back. What possible difference could the omission of one teeny little word possibly have? Then he looked at the pout on Sophie Hollis’ face and knew that the banker probably had a point.

“Of course, of course. I’m sorry. The trip was just so