Lindsey’s Wolves(74)

“Sorry, mi alma. We’ll give you more details later. Enjoy some breakfast. Don’t let anyone get to you. It’s the same for every newly claimed woman. Family gets excited. That’s all.”

Great. Fantastic. She was sitting at the table with Ryan’s sister and his mother who knew every detail of the type of sex she’d engaged in last night with their son and brother … and another man, for heaven’s sake.

Could this day get any stranger? The sun wasn’t even all the way up.

“Here,” Nancy set a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. “Sugar? Cream?”

“Thanks.” She took the offered tray of embellishments and stirred them into her mug without lifting her head.

“It’s okay, you know. Weird for you, I guess. Kara still tells me this is too peculiar for words, but for us it’s just life.” Tessa leaned into her line of vision. “Forgive me? I was just so excited. It’s great to have another woman around here.”

“I’m just still in shock,” Lindsey said.

Nancy changed the subject. “We didn’t expect to see you so early. You looked exhausted last night. Did we wake you clamoring around in here?”

“No. Not at all. I … think I was having a nightmare. Those stupid people stalking me must be getting to me. Now I’m dreaming about sermons from my childhood.” Something still niggled in her mind.

Lindsey laid her head on her palms, breathed in the scent of hot coffee doctored to perfection with cream and sugar, and tried to recall her dream. Pastor Stone’s words rang through her thoughts.

We have a special announcement today. Sister Mary Katherine has just turned twenty-two and has agreed to marry Brother Thomas. Please praise the Lord our God for this union  . Would the betrothed come forward to complete the union  ?

Father God Almighty, blessed is your name. Thank you for all you have provided us. We pray in your name that you help this couple in their journey. Guide Sister Mary Katherine as she commits herself to serve you and her husband. Bless them with many numbers. Anoint them with your love and grace. Amen.

Lindsey gasped and jumped from her chair, sending the seat careening back against the floor.

“Lindsey? Honey? Are you okay?” Nancy stood and placed a hand on Lindsey’s arm. Through the haze of unwanted memories, Lindsey saw Nancy’s eyes, her brows scrunched in worry.

The back door opened and Ryan and Alex flew through it nearly side by side.

“Lin, babe? ¿Qué pasó? What happened?”

“We could feel your terror from across the yard.”

“I remembered something.” Her whole body shook. Alex and Ryan each took an arm and led her to the living room. All three sat on a sofa.

“What?” Ryan gazed into her eyes.

“When I was in my early teens, maybe just twelve, there was a wedding. Oh, man. I didn’t know any different. I didn’t realize it was all wrong. Off. Not normal.”

“What happened, cariña?” Alex ran his palm up and down her shivering arm.

“They must marry their women off at precisely twenty-two years old. That’s what I saw. I’ve been to several of these ceremonies in fact. As a child. They aren’t really ceremonies actually, not in the traditional sense. More of an announcement during the service. I remember one particular girl’s face like it was yesterday. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?” Lindsey scrunched her eyes closed and buried herself in the memory, trying to piece together her thoughts.

“It wasn’t her name. I didn’t usually pay close attention during meetings. I was a kid. But that day I looked up when they called her forward … because I knew her name was Christa. They’d called her Sister Mary Katherine and I thought that was strange. Why would they do that?”

She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes tighter and continued. “I watched in shock as they quickly married her with a simple prayer to a man twice her age. She looked horrified and turned toward the congregation, pleading for help with her eyes as he led her out of the church. I was probably the only one who even knew that since I had turned around to watch her exit through the back, much to my grandmother’s dismay. ‘Eyes forward, child. Never look back,’ she said.

“Shit. That must be what they meant when they said my grandmother had made arrangements for me. They want to force me into an arranged marriage.”

Lindsey bolted from the seat and started pacing. Her heart raced with the unwanted enlightenment. Sweat beaded on her forehead even though it was a cool morning, and her skin was covered with incongruent goose bumps.

Ryan and Alex were at her side in seconds. Wrapped in their embrace, they led her down the hall back to Ryan’s room. “Deep breaths, hon. We’re here. Nothing is going to happen to you. We promise.” Even Ryan’s consoling words would not calm her nerves as they sat together on the bed.