The Diary of Jerrod Bently by J.W. Osborn (large ebook reader TXT) 📕

Essie sat up and buttoned her dress “I like him,” she said “He is so stoic, but he makes me laugh. How old is he?”
“Don’t know,” Brian replied “Sam said he might be in his seventies, but she doesn’t know either. Did you know that he is an ordained Protestant minister?”
“No!,” the girl declared “He’s a Indian.”
Brian laughed , “Blackfoot to be specific,” he said, “But he went to the seminary, was ordained around 1863, I think it was and has studied the bible and been preaching ever since.”
“I never heard of such a thing.”, Essie replied.
Brian turned over on his back and looked up at the hand hewn rafters that held up the barn roof. “My grandmother was a true believer and follower of Christ,” he said “She taught him to read the bible and that was how it started. I sort of remember her, but not well. She was a white woman. He was a war chief when he was young and with his tribe. He left all that to be with her. “
”That is so romantic, Brian,” Essie replied as she leaned close to him, hoping he might kiss her again. He did not disappoint her, and he kissed her long and lavishly. She had to catch her breath when she broke away.”
“My Grandfather is a preacher, Essie,” Brian said “We could go to his cabin and he could marry us this afternoon while Doc and the boys cook that chilli they are all raving about.”
“Could we spend our wedding night here in the hay loft?”, she asked. Brian sat up and reached for his shirt. “Is that a yes, Essie Wilburn?”, he asked as he pulled it on over his broad shoulders.
“I think so, Brian,” she replied “But can you ask me formally, like Jerrod asked Sam?”
Brian laughed. “According to Doc, Jerrod proposed to Sam in a muddy street, in a down pour after he and Ely fought over a misunderstanding where my sister was concerned.”
Essie wrinkled her nose. “At least it is dry here,” she said. She thought he looked so handsome as he took her hands in his and looked her in the eye. “Essie Wilburn, will you forget about my aunt and stop worrying?”
“Yes,” she replied
“Will you help me with Sam’s horses?”
“Yes I will.”
“Do you want to finish what we started here in this hay loft?”
“Yes, please,” she replied with a giggle.
“Well, then,” he added with a wink of his eye and a crooked smile on his face “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife as soon as we can find Scrub Pot?”
“Yes, Brian Dodge,” she breathed against his lips “and I will be a good wife to you.” Brian finished buttoning his shirt and tucked his shirt tail into his dungarees. “And I will be a good husband,” he said as he reached out to her and helped her up. “I think I have been in love with you for a long time,’ he added. She looked up into his eyes, hers dreamy and moist with emotional tears. “I did not know how you felt, Brian,” she said quietly “I was going to leave for California as soon as I had the money saved up to go.” He drew her into his arms “I would have never let you leave me, Essie.”
“If we can get married this afternoon,” Brian added “Were you serious about having our wedding night out here?”
Essie smiled devilishly. “Yes,” she said “I think it would be fun.”
“So do I,” Brian agreed “But we will need some blankets to lay over the hay up here.”
“Good idea,” Essie replied as she pulled the remaining shafts of hay out of her hair. It did not take Brian much time at all to get down the ladder and saddle two of the horses and a short while later, they rode out to find The Reverend Zachariah Dodge. Brian’s mind was made up. He was ready for this, ready for Texas and more than ready to make Essie Wilburn his bride.

Scrub Pot was just about two miles from the ranch when his grand daughter appeared out of no where on her sorrel stallion. From the look on her face, the old man knew that something was wrong. He drew Wakeese to a halt and waited for her to catch up to him. “I went to the cabin,” Sam said as she stopped next to him. “I need to talk to you.”
Scrub Pot slid off his horse’s back and motioned Sam to follow him. There was a large shade tree by the side of the road which afforded them a good place to sit down and talk. Sam dismounted and left Trouble ground tied near by. “What is so urgent, child?,” the old man asked. Sam had always been direct, when something was on her mind, but right now she was not sure what she was feeling. “It’s the wedding,” she stated “I don’t want to do it.”
“Has something happened between you and Jerrod”, Scrub Pot asked worriedly.
“No,” Sam replied “It’s not him. Grandfather, you know I love him and I want to marry him, but since Aunt Lillie arrived, it’s gotten out of hand. She has made all these plans and she keeps ordering everyone around, and that dress she is going to make me wear! It is awful and I hate it. So does Victoria and I want to..” Scrub pot reached out and put an arm around her shoulders. “Say no more Samantha Ann”, he said “I understand.”
“Grandfather, it was just going to be us, not the whole world,” Sam said “I am so glad that Brian came, but I wish Aunt Lillie had stayed in Philadelphia.”
Scrub pot chuckled “Your aunt has never changed,” he said “And never will. Forgive her, Sam. She means well, but always falls short of her goals. She can not help herself.”
“You are too kind to her, Grandfather,” Sam said “She has been nothing but hateful to you since the day she arrived.”
“That is nothing new either, child,” the old man answered. “Don’t worry, when Doc has had enough, he will put her in her place.”
“I don’t want to wear that dress,” Sam stated “I’d rather go get Jerrod right now and have you marry us under this tree than look like a white buffalo.”
“I think I have a solution, Sam,” Scrub Pot replied “But we will have to ride back to my cabin.”
“What is your plan?”, she asked “Hobble my aunt and throw her on the next stage out of town.”
“No,” Scrub Pot replied as he whistled for Wakeeze. He caught the reins as the big horse ambled up to him. “I think we can do better than that.” The gleam in his tired dark eyes always made Sam smile. He was up to something, again. She mounted up and followed him back to his cabin at the edge of The Bear Claw settlement.
“I have married many couples in my time,” Scrub Pot said as they walked through the front door and into a room the size of the entire cabin. “Some white, some Indian, Mexicans who could hardly speak English at all, but the one thing that they all seemed to understand was that God had brought them together. The most memorable wedding I preformed this summer was Doc and Victoria’s. “
”I hope mine will be among your fond memories,” Sam replied disdainfully.”
“I am sure it will be,”, he said as he motioned toward the items wrapped in deer skin, lying on the table in front of the fire place. “Go. See what is inside.” Wearily, he lowered himself into his old wooden rocking chair and watched as Sam unwrapped her grandmother’s white deer skin wedding dress. She was stunned by the beauty of it as she touched it and traced the intricate bead work with her finger. “It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.,’ she marveled as she picked it up and held it in front of her. “Oh, it is perfect, Grandfather. Where did you get it? I have never seen it before.”
His eyes turned misty “Your Grandmother wore that dress on the day we were married in the chapel at Fort Dodge, Sam,” he said quietly “My brother had it made especially for her and sent it to me there. It was many years ago. Now it is yours to wear, my child.”
Sam was unwrapping the matching boots now and tears were streaming down her face. She was in awe of the treasure and deeply touched by her Grandfather’s gift. She went to him and put her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”