Bushedwhacked Bride Read Online Free PDF

herself up with dignity and faced down the intimidating woman. “I am Professor Jessica Garrett, of Pawnee College .”
    “Professor?” the woman gasped. “You’re some sure- enough schoolmarm?”
    Schoolmarm. Hearing the word, Jessica suddenly found her instincts taking over as she remembered “Sheriff” Lummety declaring to the outlaws that she was Mariposa’s expected new schoolteacher. Heck, if noth ing was making sense here, she might as well join in the lunacy.
    Primly straightening her cuffs and raising her chin, Jessica declared, “That is correct. I am the new schoolmarm, and was on my way to Mariposa when these scoundrels robbed the stage and abducted me.”
    Jessica’s bold lie had more than the desired effect. Ma Reklaw appeared horrified, her huge mouth gaping open. Waving a hand in disgust, the woman turned to her sons. “Great jumping Jehoshaphat! What you boys gone and done this time, shanghaiing the new schoolmarm?”
    “Ma, we didn’t know,” insisted Billy, while guiltily avoiding his mother’s eye.
    “Don’t you tell me, ‘Ma, we didn’t know,’ you lying little pipsqueak,” she thundered back..
    “We thought she was a Cyprian,” explained Gabe.
    “Hell, she was in Lila Lullaby’s old pussy-wagon,” added Luke.
    To Jessica’s amazement, the woman’s face reddened in outrage; then she raised up a hand and soundly slapped Luke’s face. As he recoiled, she thundered, “You rascal! Hush up that evil talk. There’s a lady present, I’ll have you know. I didn’t raise you up to carry on like no parlor- house flesh-peddler.” She jerked a thumb toward Jessica. “‘Sides, do she look like some Cyprian?”
    All five men scowled at Jessica.
    “But it was a yeller stagecoach,” protested Luke weakly.
    “Yeah, with red velvet seats,” stated Wes.
    With a look of forbearance, the woman turned to Jes sica and touched her arm. “Honey, you just get your sweet self up there on that porch. This here is between me and my boys.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” replied a very relieved Jessica.
    Jessica beat a hasty retreat up the steps, securing her self behind a post. From her vantage point, she was amazed to watch all five men begin backing away from their menacing mother. Meanwhile, Ma Reklaw stood clenching and unclenching her hands on her broom han dle, adjusting and re-adjusting her grip, like a batter get ting ready to step up to the plate. All the while, she glowered at the men with a burning vengeance that made Jessica pray that she would never cross this ferocious woman.
    “Now, Ma,” scolded Billy, holding up a hand, “don’t you go gettin’ riled.”
    The huge woman lifted her broom. Jessica went wide- eyed as an enraged roar welled up from the woman, mak ing the image of a charging bear pale by comparison.
    Then Ma Reklaw began to swing.

 
    Chapter Four
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    “Heathens! You’re just a bunch of gall-durned heathens, the lot of you!”
    From the porch, Jessica watched in awe and admiration as Ma Reklaw swung her broom with a vengeance, sending chickens scurrying, the cat yowling and diving under the porch, and her own sons rushing for cover. The sight of four grown men—fearsome outlaws, to boot—stam peding like panicked sheep was comical to Jessica, as well as very satisfying. Within seconds, Billy was up a tree, Wes under the hay wagon, Luke behind the horse trough, Gabe inside a barrel. Only Cole stood his ground, resisting the urge to flee, though even he backed away and regarded his mother warily.
    “Ma!” called Billy shrilly from his perch in the tree. “You stop that right now. You was aiming that broom of yours where no lady dare aim.”
    Ma charged toward the tree and began thrashing away, causing Billy to squeal and clamber higher. “Don’t you sass me, you snot-nosed varmint. You scoundrels don’t know nothin’ ‘bout how to treat no lady. A body would think you was all hatched up from under a rock. I’ve tol erated your thievin’