A Bride for Deke

church on Sunday morning.
Laura’s raised voice carried through the entire shop. “I heard she worked in a saloon, and Deke found her in an alley, drunk and barely dressed. Being a man, of course, she appealed to him in her tainted state, and he brought her back to the ranch. They aren’t really married, you know.” The three young women with Laura giggled.
Amalie looked at a startled Mavis and stammered, “I didn’t. I never,” before bolting from the store and running right into the hard chest of her husband.
Deke caught her by the shoulders. “Whoa, what’s your hurry?” he asked. He seemed concerned once he saw Amalie’s tears. “Tell me what’s wrong,” Deke insisted.
Amalie explained quickly, and Deke took her hand and pulled her back into the dress shop. He looked at Mavis and said, “I’ll pay for my wife’s purchases if you give me a total.”
When he heard the giggling behind him, he spun and took three steps toward Laura and her friends. Addressing Laura, Deke said, “This anger and hate has to stop. Amalie is my wife. We are legally married. She did not, nor has she ever worked in a saloon. I would strongly suggest you stop spreading lies. We both know why you’re angry with me. I loved your sister, not you. It’s never going to be you and me. Not then, not now, not ever.”
Deke turned back to Mavis and paid for Amalie’s purchases.
Mavis thanked him and said to Amalie, “It was nice to meet you, Amalie. Please come back to the shop again. You’re always welcome.”
“Thank you,” Amalie whispered, and she followed Deke out of the shop, hearing the snide comments and giggles of the young women, which were now directed at Laura and not her. She said a silent prayer that Laura would leave her alone and that Laura’s friends wouldn’t treat Laura as cruelly as Laura had treated her.
“Thank you,” Amalie said as she followed Deke to the wagon and watched him place her packages in the back.
“It’s not necessary to thank me. I said I’d protect you, and that means from everyone. Laura has been angry with me for years, and she thinks she can take her anger out on you now. I won’t allow that if I can help it.”
“She loves you,” Amalie said softly.
“I suppose she thinks she does. Laura was twelve and smitten with me when I courted Sarah, but we thought it was cute. When Sarah died, she blamed me in public, and when we were alone, she tried to get me to marry her. After she was shot, I found the man responsible and a good reason to leave town for long stretches, hoping she’d find a man and settle down. She never did, but she found my bounty hunting one more thing to be angry about. Now, she’s turned that anger on you.”
“She’s jealous,” Amalie explained.
“That could be, but it’s no excuse for cruelty and bitterness. Now, let’s see if we can find you some boots and a warm coat,” Deke told her, and he took her hand.
They walked hand in hand to the mercantile to find boots and a coat more suitable for winters on the ranch than those offered in the dress shop.
Deke paid for the boots, the coat, all of the items on Amalie’s household list, and a large bag of penny candy, just as the bell above the door tinkled, and Laura’s friends walked in.
Amalie steeled herself for a confrontation, but the young woman who had left the dress shop to find Laura approached Amalie and said, “We’re sorry. We didn’t know Laura felt that way. We acted horribly.”
Amalie did her best to smile. “I forgive you, but don’t be angry with Laura. She’s upset and hurt. She’ll need her friends.”
The young woman agreed and left the mercantile with the three other young women.
“That was kind of you,” Deke told Amalie on the way to the wagon.
“I understand jealousy. There was a lot of it at the orphanage where I grew up. Some children found homes and some didn’t. Anything one of us received as new was coveted by some other child, and hurtful feelings were often the result. It’s easier to forgive and forget than be angry,” Amalie confessed. “Life is hard enough without anger.”
Deke nodded his agreement and thought that Amalie would make someone a wonderful wife one day. If he were looking, he might have considered staying married to her, but his heart would never allow that. He couldn’t love another. In a few months, he could safely send her on her way. Although he told her she’d have a home for as long as she wanted, he doubted she’d want to remain married to a man who could never love her.

Chapter Nine
Amalie greeted Deke the following morning, wearing her new dark blue riding skirt and blue striped blouse.
“Good morning, Amalie. You look nice this morning. I assume ready to ride?” Deke said.
Amalie shook her head. “I’m not sure about riding, but I thought maybe I could try to sit on Honey while she’s in the corral. Nate told me not to worry because she’s too old to try to jump the corral fence.”
“She is getting up there in years, and I agree that she probably won’t jump the fence, but I’d never underestimate a horse. She’s very good at following directions, and if you don’t want her to run, she won’t,” Deke assured Amalie.
“I’ll take your word on that.” Amalie did her best to smile through her nervousness. “Nate said he’d walk us around the corral until I’m comfortable.”
“Honey won’t run or jump with Nate holding the reins. You’ll do fine. In time, you’ll ride younger horses and gallop across the open range,” Deke told her.
Amalie laughed. “I doubt that will