Page 30 of The Soul Never Forgets

“Our marriage license is inside that house. That piece of paper will be the only proof of our marriage if they have someone erase it from public record.” They may not know it, but it’s in their possession. They could find it if they search her room hard enough. And I’m certain they would put a match to it.

“Oh God, Frank. What are we going to do?”

“First, I have to go get the money I’ve hidden in my room at the shop, and then we’ll go to the Le Blancs’ house. I’m sure they’ll let us stay there tonight while we figure out something.”

“My father knows you work for Mr. Le Blanc. What if he or the police come to their house looking for us?”

“I don’t know, Gussy. I need a minute to think.”

They will look at the boat shop for us. There’s no doubt about that. And she’s right. The Le Blancs’ house is the second place they’ll look for us. I don’t want to cause problems for them after they’ve been so good to me.

“We have to leave the pickup at the shop after we get the money. Your father and the police will be looking for it. We’ll go to the Le Blancs’ on my motorcycle so I can tell him we’re leaving town.” I can’t disappear without letting him know what’s happened.

“No, Frank! You can’t leave town and lose the deal you made with Mr. Le Blanc. That job is your lifeline. It’s your future.”

“I can find another job. I can’t find another you.”

She twists and buries her face against my chest. “I’m so sorry this is happening.”

“Hey, this isn’t your fault.”

“It is. We wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for my parents.”

“Don’t worry, my love. We’ll figure it out.”

With money fetched, our goodbyes said to Hank, and the pickup dumped, we arrive at the Le Blancs’ home. The front porch light comes on and Mr. Le Blanc steps out onto the porch, rifle in hand. He is a man who protects what’s his. Not that he’s a rich man by any means, but he makes a modest living. Many lowlifes in this town would view him as a good candidate for robbing.

“Don’t shoot, Mr. Le Blanc.”

“Frank? Is that you, son?”

“Yes, sir. It’s Gussy and me.”

He rests the rifle against the front of the house. “Sakes alive, boy. You’re lucky I didn’t shoot at you.”

“Thank you for not shooting.”

“What are you doing here this time of night?”

“I came to tell you that me and Gussy have to leave town for a little while.”

“Oh, Frank. What in the world have you gone and done?”

I did what a man does when he’s in love, to hell with the repercussions. “I married Gussy and the Lebeaus are not too happy about it.”

“No, I ’spect folks like them wouldn’t be. But I can’t say I’m surprised that you got hitched. Anyone could’ve seen that coming from a mile away.”

“I ’spect her folks will come looking for us and likely send the law after me. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone. I just wanted to tell you that I hate to abandon my job and the deal we made, but I can’t stay and risk them taking her away from me.”

Mr. Le Blanc puts his hands on his waist and rocks back and forth on his heels. “I assume you already did what it takes to make the marriage binding?”

Gussy presses her face against my back, murmuring something too low for me to make out.

“Yes, sir. The marriage is binding.” Very binding.

“Then neither her parents nor the police can do anything to reverse your marriage as long as it was legal.”

“Normal folks can’t reverse a marriage after it’s been consummated, but the Lebeaus don’t follow normal people’s rules. Her father tried to kill her in their front yard just now after she told him we were already married.”

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