Jon shook his head.
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” the reverend said. “All right. What are your full names?”
“Jon Evans,” Jon said. “Jonathan.”
“Ruby,” she whispered angrily.
“Come on, girl,” Reverend Minter said. “What’s your last name?”
“Tell him to let go of my hands,” Ruby said.
“Sergeant, please,” the reverend said.
Sergeant Hawkins let Ruby’s arms drop.
“Maybe you could remove her cuffs?” Reverend Minter asked.
“She stays cuffed until she’s out of Sexton,” the sergeant replied. “Think of them as her wedding ring.”
Jon nodded. “Ruby, tell them your name,” he said. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Grub,” Ruby said. “Ruby Grub.”
Sergeant Hawkins struck her hard against her cheek.
“No!” she cried. “That is my real name. Ruby Grubb. G-R-U-B-B.”
The three men burst out laughing. When one of them stopped, one of the others would make a joke about really marrying a grub, and they’d laugh all over again.
Reverend Minter was still snorting when he began the ceremony. “Do you, Jonathan Evans, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to honor and cherish her, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, to be faithful only unto her?”
“I do,” Jon said.
“And do you, Ruby Grubb”—and here the reverend cracked up again— “do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to honor and obey him, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, to be faithful only unto him?”
Ruby nodded. The sergeant kicked her.
“I do,” she mumbled.
“Take her wrist,” the minister said. “Now repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Jon said, holding on to the handcuff.
“Look, Reverend, could you speed this up?” Sergeant Hawkins asked.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the reverend said.
Sergeant Hawkins tossed the handcuff key to Jon. “You may now uncuff the bride,” he said. “Give me your ID badge, Evans, and get going.”
Jon uncuffed Ruby and then removed his badge. He hoped the sergeant didn’t see him shaking. It was one thing to participate in this sham of a wedding. It was another to give up the badge that had protected him for so long.
Sergeant Hawkins grabbed the ID badge and then cuffed Jon to Ruby. “All right,” he said. “Sooner the two of you are out of Sexton the better.”
“Good luck, Jon,” Reverend Minter exclaimed as the sergeant pushed Jon and Ruby onto the street.
“Keep walking,” Sergeant Hawkins said. “Don’t make me hurt you on your wedding day.”
Jon kept his head down, hoping no one he knew could see him. He knew it didn’t matter, that he’d never be back to Sexton, never see the people he’d shared his life with, but still he felt overwhelmed with shame. He was no longer a claver. As far as Sergeant Hawkins was concerned, he was no better than a grub trespassing on Sexton property.
At least Ruby was keeping quiet. Jon understood she’d never thank him for saving her from the mines, but he knew what he was giving up for her. And because of her.
The sergeant walked behind them and alternated prodding Jon and Ruby with his gun butt. When he had to, Jon pulled Ruby along, making her walk even faster.
They got to the gate. The sergeant showed his identification to the guard. “I’m uncuffing them now,” he said. “Then they’re out of here.”
“You can let them loose,” the guard said. “I got them in my sites.”
Sergeant Hawkins uncuffed Jon first, then Ruby. He pushed them out of the gate, out of Sexton.
“Get the hell out of here,” he said. “Don’t either of you show your faces in Sexton again.”
For a moment Ruby stood still. Then Jon grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the gate.
“Come on,” he said. “The highway’s this way.”
“What makes you think I’m going with you?” Ruby asked.
“You want to live, don’t you?” Jon said. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and held it tightly as they began walking away.
“Hold it, mister,” Ruby said. “I can see the sun. Which way you taking me?”
“East,” Jon said.
“White Birch’s west of here,” she said. “Why ain’t we going west?”
“Because we’re not going to White Birch,” Jon said. “Now, come on, Ruby. The guard can still shoot us. We’ve got to get moving.”
Ruby stood still. “I’m going home to White Birch,” she declared.
Jon wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. But Ruby in White Birch was almost as dangerous as Ruby in Sexton. She could still talk. She could still be overheard. Jon could still be found.
“You’re coming with me,” he said. “You married me, Ruby.”
“I didn’t want to!” she cried. “You all made me.”
“Nobody made you,” Jon said. “Nobody can make a person get married. Not if they really don’t want to. A minister married us, Ruby. A man of God. And you vowed you would obey me for the rest of your life. That was a vow you made to God, and if you break that sacred vow, you’ll be damned in hell for all eternity. I say we’re going east. We’re going east.”
“What’re you going to do to me?” she asked.
Jon shook his head. “I’m not going to do anything to you,” he said. “I never did, and I’m not about to. But we have to get moving. It’s for your sake, Ruby. If you go back to your parents, the police will find you. They’ll blame you for Lisa’s death, for Gabe’s kidnapping. I’m taking you someplace where you won’t get hurt. Once we’re there, we’ll decide what to do next. All right? You know you can trust me. I’ve never hurt you.”
“You’ll be sorry,” she said, but she began walking in Jon’s direction.
“I’m sorry now,” Jon said. “Come on. It’ll be dark soon. Let’s get some distance between us and Sexton while we can.”
Ruby scowled. “Don’t come anywhere near me tonight,” she said. “I don’t care what God thinks. I ain’t gonna obey you that way.”
“Fair enough,” Jon said. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 15
“We gotta stop,” Ruby said. “I can’t walk another step more.”
“All right,” Jon said. He estimated they’d walked about ten miles the day before, and today they’d been walking since dawn. Each step was getting harder. He hadn’t eaten in close to a day, and he had no idea how long it had been since Ruby had.
They sat on the ground by the side of the highway. Jon saw the fifth truck of the day.
A few days ago he’d waved his ID badge and a trucker had pulled over immediately. Now they whizzed by with no intention of helping.
Well, they’d help Ruby. But Jon wasn’t letting her out of his sight.
“How much longer do we gotta go?” Ruby asked, rubbing her feet.
“I don’t know,” Jon admitted. “A few more days, I guess.”
“We ain’t gonna make it without food or water,” Ruby said.
“We had water a few hours ago,” Jon said. “We’ll get food somehow.”
“Water probably poisoned,” Ruby said. “Biggest mistake I ever made in my life, letting you marry me.” She wiggled her toes. “Think we really are married?”
“I know we are,” Jon said. “The minister doesn’t do fake weddings.” He shuddered to think what Ruby might do if she decided they weren’t really married. It was the only hold he had on her, and they were still too close to Sexton for him to take any chances.