Beyond the Green

21

Tyler watched in stunned sympathy as Molly collapsed into his arms. Sobbing hard, racking by tears, her loud, heart-wrenching cries echoed in his ears. When her fingers clawed into his shirt, burying her face to is chest, he folded around her shaking form. Words were useless. Nothing he could say would undo the pain she was reliving.

Tucking his chin over her head, he held on tight as she trembled violently, crying. Long, gentle strokes went up and down her back, rubbing her shoulders as she screamed heartbreak into his chest. The force of it brought tears to his eyes. If he'd known she was so hurt, he would never have – stopping that line of thinking, Tyler inwardly sighed, cussing under his breath. He still would have asked her to marry him.

When at last her sobs turned into dull hiccupping Tyler lifted her head, brushing her hair away from her face. Normally vibrant, intelligent eyes had become vacantly dull. He frowned as her body sagged, her head falling back. Catching her, his frown deepened to worry.

"Molly," shaking her, he looked for a reaction. "You answer me."

"Dell..." it left her lips in a wheeze. "Dell,"

Cussing again, Tyler lifted her limp form into his arms and shook her. Curls bounced as her head wobbled loosely back and forth. Her eyes were unfocused and glassy.

"Molly! Answer me woman!" he shook her harder with no response. "Molly!"

Roundly cursing himself for pushing her, Tyler got up with her in his arms. Carrying the unresponsive body of his wife to the barn, his only thought was to snap her out of such deep shock. Eyes rolled back in her head, she was almost unconscious by the time he reached the barn. The horse trough was full and clean so standing over it, Tyler took a deep breath. She'd be madder than a wet hen, but it had to be done.

He dropped her in.

A smothered cry was bubbled from her lips as she sank into the icy water, instantly soaked from head to foot. Tyler leaned down to pull her out immediately, a sputtering, shivering, fuming woman. He never saw the blow coming. Her tiny, balled fist sent him staggering back a step, his jaw throbbing. Shaking it off, he looked at her warily. Eyes snapping fire, face red with barely controlled fury, shaking fists were clenched tightly at her sides.

"How you feelin'?"

"How am I feeling?" It came out a snarl. "How am I feeling?! How do you think!"

"Molly, listen,"

"What is wrong with you!" she screamed at him. "Why would you drop me into a freezing cold horse trough in the middle of winter!"

"You were going into shock, I had to snap you out of it." His hands were lifted in peaceful surrender, but in blind rage, she ignored it.

"Shock! What shocked me was the sudden ice bath you sadistic brute! How could you treat me that way? How could you?" Turning toward the cabin dripping wet, shaking with cold and anger, she threw a glare over her shoulder. "Wait until I tell my papa!"

"Your what? Wait a minute!" Tyler caught her elbow and turned her back around. He saw a flash of movement before feeling the stinging rejection of a hard slap. Her eyes were flaming, lips pulled away from teeth in a wicked snarl.

"Don't you touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" her expression was twisted into a hatred that he had not thought her capable of. "I want nothing more to do with you! From now on, you leave me alone! Don't even speak to me!"

Ripping herself free Molly ran for the house, leaving Tyler to stand looking after her. He swore viciously under his breath, then again out loud as the cabin door slammed shut. This had not gone the way it should have!