Page 3 of Earning Tia’s Trust

THREE

“If you’re not married before midnight, everything you’ve worked for will be lost.”

Those words kept repeating in Tia’s mind over and over again. She knew Robert spoke the truth. She’d been ignoring the warnings, and now she had to make a decision. His words rang true, and Robert Grayson offered her a way out of her dilemma. He was the only man in town who had offered to rescue her, Sammy, and the ranch, although very few knew of her predicament.

Robert watched as Tia’s face went chalky white. He thought she was about to faint, but she took a deep breath and nodded.

“All right,” she said finally. “I need to change out of my work clothes. Ring the bell on the back porch, and Sammy will hear it and come running. Tell him he needs to clean up and put on his Sunday best. Did you come by horse or by buggy?”

“Buggy,” Robert said, surprised at Tia’s suddenly changing her mind.

Tia looked at a tall Grandfather clock and turned her back to him. “Give me time to dress. I wouldn’t want you to be shamed by my appearance.”

“Are you going to make a run for it?” Robert asked.

Tia turned back to look at her rescuer and shook her head. “Even I can understand that I don’t have a choice. I’ll be down as soon as I’m presentable, Mr. Grayson.”

“It’s Robert,” he responded as Tia disappeared upstairs.

“Closing her bedroom door, Tia leaned against it and took a deep breath. She had no choice, but at least Robert Grayson wasn’t a liar. From the beginning, he had told her the truth and championed her cause to take down Raymond Kingston and his cronies. Tia knew that because she could spot a liar, man or woman, as soon as they opened their mouths to speak. She had to give him credit for imprisoning her uncle and Judge Thatcher. She couldn’t hold the hate-driven words of her father against a man trying to save her.

Stripping out of her work clothes, she washed in cold water and opened a chifferobe full of dresses. She had a lot of frilly dresses purchased by her father. They were part of Hayward’s attempts to make her over from a tomboy to a young lady, along with his efforts to marry her to a man he could use as free labor. She had thwarted his efforts time and time again and sent the men scurrying back from where they came.

Wrapping her long blonde braid around her head, Tia pinned it in place and turned back to view the chifferobe.

The overly decorated dresses didn’t suit her, and she crossed the hallway and opened what had been her mother’s room. She knew the contents of Harriet Davenport’s chifferobe because it was filled with memories. It had become a shrine to her deceased mother. While Hayward had tried to marry her off to gain a son-in-law who could share the financial responsibilities of Kingston Ranch, her mother had spoken of a future husband in terms of love and devotion.

Tia searched through the covered dresses until she located the one she wanted. Everything she needed was in her mother’s room, although she didn’t bother with the corset. Tia was smaller than her mother, but not so much that the dress fit her unfavorably. She stuffed socks in the toes of her mother’s fancy white shoes and pinned a headpiece of white silk roses to her hair.

Covering her dress with a black cape that covered her from neck to toe, Tia squared her shoulders and returned to the parlor.

“Are you really marrying Mr. Grayson?” Sammy demanded.

“I am,” Tia said firmly.

Robert couldn’t see what was under the black cape, but the headpiece of white silk roses gave him hope that Tia wouldn’t embarrass him. He glanced over to the clock. “We need to get this done.”

Tia didn’t answer but nodded and followed her brother to the buggy.

Except for non-stop little boy chatter from the backseat, neither Robert nor Tia spoke during the trip into town. Robert parked the buggy in the parsonage yard and lifted Tia to the ground. He knocked on the door while Tia shushed Sammy.

Preacher George Niken opened the door partially. “What can I help you with?”

“We’d like to get married,” Robert said.

“I don’t marry folks on a Sunday, and I don’t marry folks without a three-day warning,” Preacher Niken growled.

“All right,” Robert said. “We’ll go to honorable Judge Bentley. I’m sure he will perform the ceremony.”

“George!” a female voice screeched from behind the door.

“Hold on for a minute,” Preacher Niken said, closing the door except for an inch.

Robert and Tia could hear arguing but not the actual words.

The door opened again. “I’ll marry you here, not over at the church, but it’ll cost you five dollars, not one. Six if you want a paper certificate.”

“We do,” Robert said. “And, for five dollars, we’ll be married in the church, and I want two marriage certificates.”

Preacher Niken puffed out his lips, but he nodded. “The church ain’t locked. Go over there, and I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

Robert offered his arm, and Tia looped her arm through his as they walked over to the church with Sammy following.

“We could have been married cheaper,” she whispered.

“If we’re going to do this, I want it done right,” Robert said, hanging his hat on the hat rack inside the church lobby. When he turned, Tia was unbuttoning the black cape. He sucked in his breath and smiled as he raked his eyes over his soon-to-be wife.

“This was supposed to be my mother’s wedding gown,” Tia said.

“Supposed to be?” Robert questioned.

Tia’s eyes went to her brother. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Thank you for not mocking this ceremony,” Robert whispered in her ear. “I swear on all that I believe in that I will make you a good and decent husband regardless of the circumstances we were wed under.”

“I heard the words,” Tia whispered. “But, I reserve judgment on your actions.”

Robert smiled and shook his head. He turned when Preacher Niken and his wife entered the church.

Mrs. Niken did a double-take and frowned when she recognized Tia Kingston. “Are you sure about this, Tia?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” Tia said.

“Then let’s get it done,” Preacher George Niken said. “My supper is getting colder by the minute!”

The words were simple and repeated often enough that Preacher Niken didn’t have to look down at the book he held. “I pronounce you husband and wife,” he said, shaking Robert’s hand. “I don’t sanction kissing in my church, and I don’t approve of kissing in public. It sets a bad example for the children.”

“It’s your church and your rules, but I’ll kiss my wife when I see fit, ” Robert said. They signed the papers that made their union legal. He took the rolled certificates and stored them in his jacket pocket, careful not to bend them.

“Are you gonna kiss her?” Sammy asked Robert as the preacher and his wife walked toward his house. “Kissing is for sissies!”

“You won’t think that in about four or five years,” Robert said as they walked to the buggy. Tia had covered the white lace dress with the black cape to keep it from getting dirty. When she turned to Robert to ask a question, she found herself being kissed as she’d never been kissed before. “That wasn’t in the bargain,” she hissed, recovering from a strange feeling that rippled over her.

“We didn’t make a bargain on this,” Robert said with a quirk of his eyebrow. “We didn’t have time. We’ll make up the rules as we go along, Mrs. Grayson. You are a beautiful young woman when you’re not trying to be a boy.”

Tia didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or pleased. She was definitely flustered.

Robert gave a twitch to the reins and drove the buggy down the middle of the road. Stone Falls was nearly deserted on Sundays. The saloon was open, but that wasn’t exactly where a post-wedding dinner could occur. The only other eateries were the hotel and Nell’s Eatery. He knew from experience it closed at five p.m. on Sundays, and it was well past that.

“I wanted to celebrate over a good dinner, but everything in town is closed,” Robert apologized.

“We won’t starve,” Tia said. “Mrs. Putney fixes lunch and supper on Sundays. They are in the ice box. Then she goes to visit with her friends.”

“That’s good to know,” Robert said. He pulled the reins, jumped out, and tied them to the hitching post. “Sammy, I want you to stay with the buggy. We’ll return in a few minutes and then head to the ranch. Tia, as my wife, I’d like to introduce you to Judge William Bentley.” Without waiting for Tia to agree, he lifted her from the buggy seat.

“Why is it his business?” Tia hissed. “He didn’t help me at all!”

“You may think he didn’t, but you’re wrong,” Robert said firmly. “Plus, he’s a good friend of mine.”

William Bentley opened his front door and was surprised to see Robert Grayson for the second time that day. Only this time, he was standing beside a beautiful young woman. He offered to take her cloak and was surprised to see her wearing a wedding dress.

William recognized Tia Kingston, as she’d been in his courtroom during the Raymond and Thatcher trials. She’d never been dressed for a court appearance. “Robert, Miss Kingston, please come in.”

“It’s not Miss Kingston anymore,” Robert said, handing his friend the second copy of their marriage license. “This is for your files. Should Raymond Kingston try working around Hayward Kingston’s stipulations in his will! That license will hold up in any courtroom. Tia Kingston is now legally Tia Grayson, and the date and time of the marriage took place before the deadline of her twenty-first birthday.”

“I can read,” Bentley said, validating the day and time. “You cut it close. The question would be whether this is a true marriage or a scam marriage simply to defy the will.”

“Frankly, the state of our marriage is no one’s business but our own,” Tia said.

“Well, I guess I can agree with that,” Bentley said, turning to his friend. “Would you like to come in for a congratulatory drink?”

“Not now, but maybe later,” Robert said. “We need to get back before dark.”

“Well, congratulations,” Bentley repeated. “Are you going to work out of your office, or will you be working at the ranch?”

“Both, depending on where I’m needed. The ranch is in good hands,” Robert said. “I’ll be riding into town to serve as a lawyer several times a week. Stone Falls still needs a lawyer. I’ll have to see how it goes.”

Tia was quiet on the trip back to the ranch. It was an hour trip on a well-worn dirt road, and they needed to get back before dark because they were in a quarter-moon cycle. When Robert pulled up in front of the house, Tia jumped to the ground without assistance. She went to shake her brother, but Robert stopped her.

“I’ll carry Sammy in,” he offered.

“His room is upstairs, third door on the left,” Tia offered.

Robert nodded and carried the sleeping boy inside.

Normally, Tia would have jumped back in the buggy, taken it to the barn, and cared for the horse. But she was wearing her mother’s wedding dress. A dress Harriet Davenport had never worn herself but passed to her daughter.

Hank Walker appeared out of the darkness. “Is it true you married him?” the foreman asked.

“How did you find out?” Tia asked.

“Bert Hennessee was in town. He saw you going into the church,” Hank replied. “He said you and him were dressed fancy. Did you marry that pencil-pusher?”

“Yes, I did. Robert may be a greenhorn about ranching, but he saved our asses. We were going to lose everything because of Hayward’s ridiculous will,” Tia retorted. “I didn’t have a choice. It was him, or lose the ranch, and I couldn’t do that to Sammy.”

“Texas was better off when it was an independent republic,” Hank growled. “Back then, a woman could do as she damned pleased with her property!”

“That was part of the problem,” Tia snapped. “Hayward was determined to marry me off, and he finally got his way, although he had to die for it to happen.”

Hank frowned at her words. “Your father never meant to hurt you. Men our age look at women differently. He didn’t believe a woman could run the ranch. I argued with him until I was blue-faced when he started letting you work with the hired hands. It wasn’t right, and he knew it, but once Hayward decided on something, there was no stopping him. What about the horses we are supposed to deliver to Brownsborough in four days?”

“Nothing’s changed,” Tia said. “Move them out at daybreak. I’ll catch up at the ten-mile marker.”

“Hank pushed his hat back off his forehead and scratched his head. “You’re coming?”

“Yes,” Tia said.

“Does he know you’re coming?” Hank asked, jerking his head toward the house.

“It’s none of his business,” Tia said.

“Everything you do is his business, now,” Hank disagreed. “This ain’t no way to start out a new marriage. You’re asking for trouble.”

“I’ll deal with it when we return,” Tia said stubbornly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Hank said, tipping his hat back on his forehead. He climbed onto the buggy and turned it toward the bunkhouse. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Tia looked over her shoulder. She entered the house as Robert Grayson came down the stairs.

“Sammy is sound asleep. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat,” Tia said, removing the black cape. “I’m going upstairs to change out of this dress first.”

Robert smiled. “It’s a beautiful dress, and you look beautiful in it. When a photographer comes through town, we should have our pictures taken. Do you have a family Bible? We should record our marriage in it if you do.”

Tia heard the words, but they didn’t make sense to her. They were married on paper. Nothing else was real. They might have said the words, but what they had done was to outfox Hayward’s will, and it had nothing to do with a real marriage.

“Which way is the kitchen?” Robert asked.

Tia pointed to the right and hurried upstairs to her mother’s room. Redressing into work clothes, she made her way back to the kitchen. She could see that Robert had made himself comfortable. He’d removed his suitcoat and rolled his shirt sleeves to the elbow. A plate of fried chicken, a pan of biscuits, and what looked like green beans in a bowl were in the center of the table.

“Mrs. Putney is a good cook,” Robert said, pointing a drumstick at his new wife. “It’s a little late for barn work.”

“I didn’t want to ruin my mother’s dress,” Tia said, buttering a biscuit.

“Well, I thank you for wearing it,” Robert said, but then he frowned. “Do you own a regular dress?”

Tia added peach jam to her biscuit. “I have a chifferobe full of dresses, but I don’t like them.”

“Why not?” Robert asked.

“They were bought by Hayward, and they are ugly. I don’t care much for frills, lace, fancy buttons, and ribbons. Corsets are stupid and uncomfortable. Men don’t cover their fat bellies; why should a woman? Have you ever tried to ride a horse in a dress?”

Robert laughed, taking another piece of chicken from the platter. “I can’t say I have, but you’re my wife now. Wearing men’s clothing isn’t going to be acceptable. Just because we said the ‘I do’s’ to settle the problem doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for being my wife.”

“What do you mean?”

“In my job, I have to look like a professional. Certain occupations require being well-dressed. Bankers, judges, undertakers, and lawyers are some of them. Most folks look up to an educated man. Someone expecting and needing help wouldn’t expect a professional to be dressed like a cow hand. We got married to protect your share in Kingston Ranch. Now, we must convince the folks of Stone Falls that we are really married.”

“What’s that got to do with how I dress?” Tia demanded.

“Any woman I marry needs to be well-dressed and respectable in public,” Robert said firmly. “I figure I’ll be spending part of my time on the ranch here and part on my profession as a lawyer. We can work out those details as we go along. But, as my wife, I will expect you to dress and behave as a proper lady. You’re not in the clear yet. It could get messy if anyone suspects we married to thwart the stipulation in your father’s will.” Robert smiled. “This means you will start behaving as a proper young woman.”

“Go to...”

“Language!” Robert snapped. “Ladies, and my wife in particular, do not swear.”

Tia jumped up from her chair. “Mr. Grayson, you should have told me this before you came up with this not-so-brilliant idea of marrying me!”

“As I’ve already explained,” Robert said. “This was the only way for you to keep the ranch. You’ll get used to me. I’m a man of principles. Now, as far as our marital expectations are...”

“There are no marital expectations,” Tia hissed. “If you come near my room tonight, I’ll shoot you dead!”

Robert watched Tia flounce from the kitchen. She was wearing men’s clothing again, and he watched her turn around and use her backside to push the kitchen door open because she was carrying a plate of food in one hand and a glass in the other. Taming Tia Kingston Grayson would be interesting, stimulating, and probably volatile. She might think he was a city slicker, but he’d been raised on one of the largest cattle ranches in Texas.

Robert liked a challenge, and taming his hot-tempered, young wife might be a battle, but strangely enough, he was looking forward to it.