Texas Rain

CHAPTER 35

Rainey watched with pride as Travis took the oath to practice law. He looked like a fine gentleman in his black coat. The lawyers sat on the first row behind him as if backing him up. All their friends were watching-the Rangers, the Langlands, the Baileys. Even Roy had brought his wife and six children.

Duck sat beside her on the second row, looking around and wiggling. He seemed to enjoy watching the candles along the walls and the way the dark blue drapes shifted gently in the breeze from the open windows.

She'd tried to understand all Travis had done for her today. He still hadn't said he loved her out loud, but he'd proved it. He'd given Rainey her dream of freedom. He'd known her well enough to understand her. He'd shown his love without asking for anything in return.

Rainey closed her eyes and realized she loved him so much her insides hurt. She must love him now the way he'd loved her from the first, and he'd been right, just sleeping together would never have been enough.

The bailiff stood and held out a Bible for Travis to swear on.

Travis glanced at her. He looked as nervous as if he'd been asked to dance.

Duck suddenly darted beneath the bench, disappearing just as Travis was about to be sworn in.

Rainey reached for him, but couldn't find him without getting to her knees and she didn't want to make a scene.

When she looked back at Travis, he also began to move. In one fluid movement, he shifted his stance, grabbed the Bible, opened it and pulled out a gun.

Everyone in the courtroom seemed to suck in air at the same time he held the weapon with both hands and fired directly over their heads.

A second later the Bible hit the polished wood floor of the courtroom.

Dottie screamed as a wiry old man tumbled from the curtain near where she sat. His hand held a gun.

Suddenly the courtroom was chaos. The Rangers moved to cover the doors. The doctor rushed to the man who'd been shot. Mothers hurried their children together.

Rainey looked back at Travis. He stood frozen, the gun still in his hand. One of the Rangers yelled that the shooter was Old Man Norman.

She ran toward Travis, knowing that if he hadn't fired, he would be the one dead on the floor now. The Rangers had told her the old man hated them all, but no one thought he'd do more than cuss them out.

The bailiff mumbled, "How'd you know I keep a gun there, son? I've never told anyone, not even the judge."

"I dreamed it," Travis said. Then he knelt, lifted the Bible, and handed it and the gun back to the bailiff. "Thanks for keeping it there."

Travis turned back to Rainey and opened his arms. "Don't cry, fairy. Everything's all right."

She hadn't even been aware she was crying. Wrapping her arms around him, she held on as tight as she could, thinking of how she'd almost lost the only man she'd ever love.

As he held her, the tears wouldn't stop.

He kissed her cheek and smiled. "It's all right, Rainey. It's all over."

She shook her head, feeling like a fool. "No. It's not all right. You almost died before I told you I love you."

He grinned. "About time you realized it. I've known it since we danced." He kissed her on the mouth in front of everyone.

"Travis McMurray," the judge interrupted finally. "Travis, if you had a ring I'd be marrying you two for acting like that in my court."

Rainey pulled away and reached for the bag around her throat. "I have a ring," she whispered as she pulled out her grandmother's only valuable. "But he'll have to ask me first."

Everyone in the room grew silent waiting, and Travis knew he'd have to do the asking in front of them all.

"Will you marry me?" he said without a smile.

"I will," she answered and was surprised he kissed her full on the mouth again.

Everyone shouted, except the judge, who hammered his desk and demanded they get on with the swearing in of Travis. "Soon as that's done, we got a wedding to have," he said and everyone broke into another round of shouts.

After several minutes the judge finished, and Travis signed the papers while Roy pulled the body of Norman from the courtroom.

After all the hugs and handshakes, Judge Gates called for a ten-minute recess to give time for Rainey to walk from the back of the courtroom and Duck to stand beside Travis.

The judge married them with simple words, but Rainey wasn't listening. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart as Travis slipped the symbol of her freedom on her finger.