Abigail

Chapter 1

Texas 1855

"Abby wait!"

Stopping, I turned back to see Christopher hurrying after me.

"You know I can't," I said, waiting just long enough for him to catch up before I started walking again. "I have to get home."

He latched onto my arm, making me stop again.

I huffed and looked at him.

"Oh come on," he said, smiling. "You know they're going to be mad no matter what. May as well make it worth while."

"Five minutes," I allowed, unable to keep from smiling back.

"I'll take it." He grinned before leaning in to kiss me.

Closing my eyes, I indulged him for a minute, but we were out in the open and it wouldn't be that hard for someone to see us. I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away, fighting a smile.

"Oh come on," he complained. "There's no one around."

"Yet," I said. "All I need is for Pa to hear about me kissin' some boy."

"He wouldn't care," he grumbled.

"He wouldn't like it," I countered.

Chris scowled. We'd had this argument before. Many times. Chris insisted that Pa didn't really care about me or the rest of my family very much, but I couldn't believe that. Pa was just...particular. He worked hard and didn't want to deal with noise or kids underfoot when he was home. And sure, maybe he wasn't the warmest person in the world, but he did his best to provide for the lot of us. That was a big job, and it would only get bigger when Mama had the baby. There'd be eight of us then.

He didn't drink as much as he could have either. A lot of the other men in town got drunk all the time. Pa only did that sometimes. Maybe he would take the switch to us, but it wasn't really that bad. It didn't actually harm you. It just stung for a while. And he wouldn't beat us like some of the men did with their families.

"Well then, let's get married," Chris said, smirking. "Then it won't matter."

Smiling, I shook my head. That was another one of our constant arguments. Chris had been asking for a year now, but there was just no way. I was barely fifteen and he was only one year older. It wasn't unheard of, of course, but I wasn't ready for that. Besides, I doubted that Pa would allow it.

Chris took my hand. "Come on. What's the point in waiting?"

"We're too young," I reminded him.

"I don't think so," he said. "Besides, it's not like we'd be the first ones to do it."

"No one's going to marry us without Pa's consent."

He frowned.

"What's the rush?" I said. "In another few years-"

"In another few years, your Pa will have married you off to some old man," he interrupted me. "Probably whoever bribes him the best."

I scowled and pulled my hand away. "That's an awful thing to say. He wouldn't do that!"

"Yes, he would," he argued. "You don't hear what the men talk about."

That was true, but I couldn't believe Pa would sell me off to the highest bidder.

"He's never gonna say yes to me," Chris said a little softer. "You know that."

I looked down. Unfortunately, he was probably right about that.