The Teacher's Star

spoke clearly for him.
The woman met Rol’s gaze and waited for him to break the silence. When he only stared, Mrs. Stewart narrowed her eyes and scowled. Behind him, Delia stuttered and tried to protest.
Holding a hand up to stop her muttered protests, the would-be groom focused on the shopkeeper’s wife. “Let me talk to Miss Perkins for a moment. Alone, please.”
Paps spoke up then. “Can’t do any harm, Livvy. After all, you can’t close the barn door after the horse is out.” He laughed at the saying while the woman shook her head with a twist of disgust on her face.
“Five minutes!” Growling out those words, Mrs. Stewart stomped out the door. Paps ignored Delia but cast a mischievous smile in Rol’s direction. “Now don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Not sure what he would do,” Rol absentmindedly muttered to himself before focusing his mind on the woman glaring holes into his back.
When he would have spoken, Delia fired an accusation his way. “What were you doing in here? Snooping?”
“Shh! They’ll hear. Want to blow our cover before I can discover the leader of the gang?”
She froze, her brow wrinkled with confusion. “Cover? What do you—”
“—mean? Seems to me you met Jessup so I figured you must know.” He leaned down and picked up the paper. Holding it in front of her, he stabbed a finger at Jessup’s signature.
Delia stiffened. “You know Marshal Jessup?”
Shaking his head, Rol studied her closely while answering. “No. I received word he was on his way.”
At that, Delia snorted. “Even the outlaws check up on a marshal’s movements?”
“Outlaw!” His face reddened as he reached into his vest. Sunlight peeked around the edge of the curtain and flashed on the silver star he drew out of the pocket. She let out a squeak of surprise.
“Miss Perkins, Jessup was coming to help me!”
The door opened suddenly. Rol hurriedly shoved the badge back into his vest before turning to see who’d entered. This time, Preacher Elkins joined Mrs. Stewart and Paps. He calmly asked, “Miss Perkins, what is going on in here?”
Not sure how she would answer the man, Rol jumped in before she could get out a word. “A woman like Delia can make a man forget himself. Guess we got carried away since we even forgot that the door was open.”
“Well, that has just carried you away into marriage. Sound match, as I see it.” Paps rubbed a hand over the salt and pepper whisker at his jawline. “Kind of fond of Eenie since she’s spent so much time at my livery. This marriage might settle that little girl down some.”
Horror filled Delia’s eyes as her mouth trembled out one word. “Marriage!”
Mrs. Stewart grumbled, “Thought you were talking ‘bout that when we left to go fetch the preacher.”
Ignoring her, Rol pleaded with the preacher. “Please, just a few more moments alone?”
Paps laughed. “Like I told Livvy, can’t see that it will do any harm. Not after the mischief we walked in on a bit ago.”
The preacher bobbed his head. Then he cleared his throat awkwardly. “One way or t’other, you’re marrying if you two plan to stay in Belle. We don’t turn a blind eye to goings on like those Livvy described to me.”
No sooner had the door softly shut than Rol gripped her hand. “We’ll annul it as soon as this case is over and I’ve made the arrest.”
“Annul it? Can a couple do that?” She showed him how very innocent she was as her rounded eyes conveyed doubt at the possibility. “I thought only kings and such had their marriages annulled. Leastwise, those are the only ones I’ve ever read about.”
Rol rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “A few do get annulments, so I’ve heard. But only under certain circumstances.”
“Are you pulling my leg?” Before he could answer, she frowned. “I’ll be out a teaching job, and you’d go on your merry way! Everything was going so well, too.”
This took him by surprise. “You mean you really are a teacher, not a marshal?”
“Marshal? That’s only temporary. Only so I could give Jessup’s contact some papers.”
Grabbing her shoulders, Rol felt her stiffen under his hands. When he would have pushed for details about the papers, a throat behind them cleared meaningfully.
“Not so willing is she?” The preacher looked at Delia. “Trust me in this, Miss Perkins. In fact, Mr. Stewart and I have agreed that you will be allowed to finish out this school year. But, only as long as you are married.”
At the small nod of her chin, the man pointed to Rol. “Now, Mr. Anderson, take her hand. We’ll do a short ceremony here.”
While the man droned on about obligation and honor, Rol held Delia’s trembling hand. After the ceremony, he would reassure her about a future as a teacher away from Belle. Then, he’d get his hands on those papers. Maybe, Jessup had figured out who in the area was heading the gang.
When silence filled the small room, Rol felt four sets of eyes on him. Guessing the cause, he said, “I do.” Tension eased around him, telling him he’d guessed correctly.
Not long after, Delia gave the same response in a quiet, questioning tone. Reverend Elkins paused, not sure what to do.
“Does that mean you will take him or not?”
Paps harrumphed. “She said the words. Don’t matter much how they sounded.” Yes, the man’s words convinced Rol he’d engineered this whole marriage trap.
When Delia stood silent, saying nothing more, the pastor pronounced, “I now declare you man and wife. And what God has joined together let no man put asunder.” The words brought a rush of guilt to Rol. He mentally shrugged it off, reminding himself that he would be doing Delia a favor by annulling the marriage.
Sticking with the