by Ann Mayburn
“Make her gush,” Edward growled. “I want to watch her rain her release on your shaft.”
Garret took her legs from Edward and held her ankles, forcing her hips to tilt up farther, as he began to pound into her. The whole bed shook, and Edward stroked his rapidly hardening shaft with one hand while tweaking her nipples with the other. The combination of their attentions had her reaching between her own thighs and rubbing her clit, giving herself the edge she needed to cum.
Garret pulled out with a shout, and she was shocked to see wetness pouring from her body as her orgasm struck her. Her cry of shock turned to pleasure, and Edward captured her mouth with his own, kissing her blind as she rode out her never-ending release. Garret’s loud groan had her tearing away from Edward’s lips and they both watched as he worked his erection until pearly white liquid spurted out from the tip, landing on her belly and mound.
With a mighty sigh Garret collapsed next to her, one leg thrown over her shaking ones, one hand playing with his release on her belly.
The bed dipped and Edward returned a few moments later with a steaming bowl of water and a clean towel. He proceeded to clean her with the warm, soothing water then himself before rising the towel and handing it to Garret. She watched all of this with slumberous eyes, happiness saturating every inch of her body and soul. The things they did together might be a sin, but she couldn’t imagine God creating this kind of pleasure then denying it to his children. The love she felt for both of them made her nearly giddy with joy.
“I love you,” she whispered. “Both of you. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone as quickly as I love you both, but I do.”
Edward and Garret grasped her between them, both of them raining kisses down on her before Garret said, “I love you, too, my brave, beautiful little tigress.”
“And I love you,” Edward rumbled as he rested his forehead against hers. “So much. More than I knew was possible.”
They remained cuddled together, hands stroking, soft words of love and devotion being shared before Garret said, “You know, there is a preacher in town whose married a few of the Bridgewater brides. I originally wanted to wait until we got back home to give you a proper ceremony, but what would you think of getting married today?”
“Today?” she asked as her heart gave a hard flutter.
Edward nodded vigorously. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had, my friend. Pastor Milden lives only a few houses down. I don’t think he’d mind making the journey.”
“We could have a small, private ceremony,” Garret said, excitement filling his voice. “And a big party when we get back home to Bridgewater. What do you think, Rowan?”
“I think that sounds perfect.”
8
ROWAN
* * *
The early dusk of winter darkened the world beyond the thick windows of the Inn, painting the cloud-streaked sky with hints of pink and purple. It was a serene view with a thick layer of snow covering a bustling town getting ready to turn in for the night. A few people still walked down the main street, and the windows of the various shops glowed with warm golden light. As Rowan stood there, she pressed her fingers to the cool glass and thought about her family, wishing with all her heart they could be here with her.
A knock came from the door, and Rowan quickly opened it, expecting to see the maid who was supposed to help her with her hair. Instead, Nancy stood there, anxiously twisting her fingers together. The younger woman looked as lovely as ever, with her raven black hair swept up to reveal her swan-like neck, but there was a sadness to her that was almost palatable. Unsure what she was doing here, Rowan braced herself for another scene like the one she’d had yesterday with Cassandra.
“Hello,” Nancy said in a soft voice. “I was wondering if you would like me to do your hair for the wedding? I’m very good at it—you can ask my mother—and I promise, I’ll style it however you want.”
For a moment, Rowan considered sending her away, but she didn’t detect any malice in the young woman’s gaze. Only a little bit of sorrow and nervousness. She hesitated, wondering if Nancy would mess her hair up on purpose, or some other petty revenge for marrying Garret and Edward, but she pushed those thoughts away. If Mrs. Tibbs trusted her daughter enough to send her up to do Rowan’s hair, then she wouldn’t turn down the other woman’s kindness.
Lord knows, the Tibbs family have been more than generous. As soon as Mrs. Tibbs learned of their plans, she’d sprung into action, organizing the ceremony with a glee that bordered on manic. Soon, Rowan found herself swept up in a whirlwind of pampering and feminine delights. She’d even received a massage from one of the spa’s attendants, and she swore the woman’s touch was the healing hand of God. Despite the subtle ache of her lingering injuries, she felt better than she had in a long, long time.
Nancy bit her lower lip and took a step back. “If you’d rather have Polly, the maid, do it for you, that’s fine.”
“No, please, come in,” Rowan said, snapping herself out of her wandering thoughts. “I’m sorry. I was woolgathering.”
Giving her a shy smile, Nancy came into the room, the skirt of her dark green dress swishing as she walked over to the vanity where a hairbrush, ribbons, and other pretty things had been laid out.
The younger woman glanced over at the bed where Rowan’s wedding dress, a pretty cream gown with a blue satin ribbon around the waist and lace over the bodice, lay waiting for her. “I’m so glad they were able to get the dress fitted in time for the ceremony.”
“Me too,” Rowan said awkwardly as she sat down in front of the mirror, watching Nancy in the reflection as she bit her lower lip again. “Thank you for doing this.”
“I’m sorry for my behavior yesterday,” Nancy blurted out. “It was very childish of me.”
“It’s all right,” Rowan said gently. “I understand.”
Tears shimmered in Nancy’s lovely eyes as she met Rowan’s gaze in the mirror. “I heard my mother and father talking about what happened. How Garret and Edward saved you, and how your brother left you behind. I’m so sorry you had to endure all of that.”
Turning around, she took Nancy’s hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you, but please don’t cry.”
Squeezing her hand back, Nancy swallowed hard, then blinked rapidly as she looked at the ceiling. “Don’t worry, I cry over everything. Garret and Edward used to call me crybaby. I guess…I guess I should have realized that they would never see me as anything other than a younger sister.”
Unsure what to say to that, Rowan turned back to the vanity to give the young woman a moment to collect herself.
Nancy leaned over Rowan and picked up a wide toothed comb, a forced smile on her face. “But I am happy they found you, truly. They have never looked at a woman the way they look at you.”
“Not even Cassandra?” Rowan asked with a wry smile.
Nancy made a disgusted face that had Rowan giggling. “Goodness no. One of the maids said she heard that you kicked Cassandra out Garret and Edward’s room. I wish I could have been there to see it.”
Blushing, Rowan toyed with the ribbons on the thick robe that she wore. “It wasn’t my finest moment.”
“I still can’t believe her nerve. Well, then again, yes, I can. Once, she tried to seduce a visiting priest.”
“No!” Rowan gasped.
“Oh, yes.” Nancy began to carefully run her fingers through Rowan’s hair as she told a rather hilarious tale of Cassandra chasing the poor priest around town, and how he’d thrown holy water at her, claiming that she was a demon from hell sent to torment him.
By the time, Nancy finished, Rowan was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “Oh, I would have paid to see that.”
“It’s one of my favorite memories,” Nancy said with a giggle as she tucked a pin into Rowan’s hair. “There, I believe that should do it. What do you think?”
Looking in the mirror, Rowan had to admit the girl had a talent for hair. Her curls gl
eamed in the lamplight, darkness having fallen while they chatted. Nancy had managed to tame the unruly mass, and two silver combs embedded with jewels that were either paste or diamonds, she was afraid to ask, glittered as she turned her head.
“You are a miracle worker,” Rowan said in a sincere voice as she lightly ran her fingers over a curl that artfully framed her face. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for letting me play with your hair,” Nancy said with a smile. “It’s stunning, and I’m so jealous. I have this boring, straight as a board black hair. I would kill for your golden curls.”
Rowan was surprised to see that the younger woman meant it. “Nancy, you are gorgeous. I would love to have your hair, it’s so straight and silky.”
Nancy blushed and busied herself putting the hair supplies away while Rowan stood. “Do you need help with your dress?”
“Yes, please.”
Rowan had forgotten about her injuries until Nancy gasped as she dropped her gown. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, they got you good, didn’t they? Those bastards. I hope they…well, I don’t hope they die, because God forgive me for thinking such a thing, but I hope they suffer from the gunshot wounds Edward and Garret gave them.”
Stepping into the skirt that Nancy held for her, Rowan said, “How do you know what happened?”
Nancy gave her a guilty look. “I may have just happened to have been listening to my parents talking last night while they had their nightly libation together. Please don’t tell my mother, because she’ll have me cleaning out the stables for a week by myself for eavesdropping.”
Grinning, Rowan said, “I won’t say anything.”
“Did your brother really leave you behind?” Nancy asked in a soft voice.
It was Rowan’s turn to blink back tears. “He did, but he had to. If he didn’t make it to California in time, they’d give the job he was promised to someone else.”
Nancy’s jaw took on a stubborn jut that reminded Rowan of Mrs. Tibbs, “I never would have left one of my sisters behind, not even if I did have a good job waiting for me. I love them too much.”
Sighing, Rowan turned so Nancy could do the myriad of buttons up the back of the dress. “Ted loves me. He didn’t abandon me; I made him go. Sometimes, the decisions we have to make aren’t easy, and the sacrifices we have to make hard, but in the end it’s all worth it.”
Nancy was quiet for a moment, then said, “Do you think he’ll come back for you?”
Rowan closed her eyes and whispered, “I hope so, but now I worry that he’ll be mad at me for not waiting for him like I promised. And for getting married.”
“Oh, please,” Nancy said in a crisp tone. “That is just poppycock. If he’s any kind of brother at all, he’ll be happy that you found someone to love.”
“Or in this case, someones to love,” Rowan said with a grimace. “Gee whiz, is that going to be a fun conversation to have with him.”
Nancy picked up the length of blue satin from the bed and giggled. “Yes, I can imagine it will come as a bit of a shock to him that his sister married two men, but I’m sure he’ll see you together with Edward and Garret and understand. Every brother wants his sister to marry someone who will love, honor and cherish her. Treat her right and provide for her.”
Rowan wasn’t so sure, but she nodded in agreement.
The creak of the door opening had both women turning. At first, Rowan’s mind couldn’t make sense of what she saw as it slammed shut behind a large man in a gray duster. His black hair was disheveled, and a thick layer of whiskers covered his normally smooth shaved face and his skin was a pale, cheesy yellow color. One of his arms was in a sling held close to his chest. The gray of his eyes matched the color of his gun that he raised and pointed in their direction.
“Well, Roger,” he sneered. “So nice to see you again. Scream and I’ll shoot your pretty little friend right in her whore face where she stands.”
9
GARRET
* * *
Dr. Tibbs stood from his seat by the fire with a low grunt, then raised his cut glass tumbler to the chandelier blazing overhead. “On your wedding day, may these rich blessings be your due: a wealth of friendships, old and new, quiet nights and busy days, time for prayer and time for praise, some service rendered, some solace given, and gentle peace with God and Heaven.”
“Hear, hear,” Pastor Milden said as he raised his own glass.
Sipping the amber liquid, Garret relished the burn while it filled his mouth and traveled down his throat. Right then, he needed some liquid courage. Despite his rush to the altar, marriage wasn’t something he took lightly. This was the moment he’d been dreaming about since he first came to his decision, back in the exotic opulence of Lady Uriel’s court—to live the life that he wanted instead of what society deemed appropriate.
Mrs. Tibbs bustled into the room, her cheeks red and flushed as she said, “Edward, Garret, there is someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?” Edward asked as he set his half empty glass of bourbon down on the table nearby.
Before she could answer, a tall bearded young man with close cropped curly blond hair, tanned skin, and a wide nose and mouth moved past her and into the room.
Though he was skinny, and his blond beard hung more than a little scraggly, Garret knew instantly who he was by both his features and his pale, ice blue eyes.
“Where’s my sister?” the stranger demanded. “Which of you bastards has her?”
Dr. Tibbs began to speak, but Edward cut him off. “Are you Ted? Ted Larsen?”
“Yes,” the young man said, “now, where is my sister, you kidnapping lowlifes?”
“We didn’t kidnap your sister,” Garret said, his heart racing as he took in the strong family resemblance between Rowan and Ted. “She’s safe upstairs right now, getting ready for our wedding tonight.”
The young man blanched beneath the layer of dirt covering his face. “Your wedding? What are you talking about? She’s engaged to Daniel.”
“Who is Daniel?” Edward demanded, his voice coming out in a low growl.
“Her fiancé,” Ted snarled back. “The one you and your perverted friend kidnapped her from. I swear, if you harmed her in any way, I’ll kill you myself.”
Dr. Tibbs held his hands up in a soothing gesture, taking a step closer to Ted who was nearly shaking with anger. “Easy there, young man. I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. Neither of these men kidnapped your sister. They saved Rowan’s life.”
Scrubbing a hand over his beard, Ted shook his head. “No, that’s not true. They took her from Daniel.”
“Who the hell is Daniel?” Edward said as Ted started to look a little less sure of himself.
“Her fiancé,” Ted replied. “They got engaged while I was…gone.”
“You mean after you abandoned your sister, left her alone to die?” Garret had to clench his hands into fists at his side to keep from decking Ted right across the face.
“I know I shouldn’t have left her, but we didn’t have a choice!” Ted yelled back, but the guilt was obvious on both his face and in his voice. “And I came back as soon as I could. When I got to California, I found out that there was no job. It had been given to someone else weeks ago. I had to scrape by, do whatever work I could find, to afford a ticket back. Besides, Rowan wasn’t suffering—she had Daniel. She was fine until you two decided to kidnap her after you shot Daniel when you robbed him.”
A sinking feeling hit Garret’s gut as he said, “This Daniel…is his last name Charles?”
“Yeah,” Ted said with a frown as he studied Garret. “Why?”
“Is he here? With you now?” Edward asked in a frantic voice.
Ted frowned, “Why?”
Unable to stop himself, Garret crossed the room and grabbed Ted by the dirty lapel of his duster and slammed him against the wall. “Because Mr. Charles is the pimp who beat your sister half to death because she wouldn’t work for him. He’s the bastard we shot while him an
d his thugs tried to beat her to death in an alley.”
“No,” Ted whispered, his eyes wide. “No, that’s not true. He’s her fiancé. He heard me asking about her, found me and told me that he was her fiancé and she’d been kidnapped. He promised to help me rescue her.”
“He lied to you, you idiot,” Garret yelled as Dr. Tibbs and Pastor Milden pulled him off the young man. “Where is he?”
“He—he said he was going to rescue Rowan while I kept you busy,” Ted said in a hollow voice. “He lied to me?”
Edward and Garret exchanged a panicked glance as Mrs. Tibbs cried out, “Nancy is up there with her!”
Dr. Tibbs rushed past them, but Edward grabbed onto his arm. “Wait, we don’t know what’s going on up there. If we all rush at once, he might panic. Is there any hidden servant’s entrance or something like that?”
“No, no,” Mr. Tibbs said in a rough voice. “There are two sets of stairs going up to the second floor, that’s it.”
“Dr. Tibbs, you and Pastor Milden guard one set, but stay out of sight. Edward and I will guard the other. Mrs. Tibbs, I need you to get the sheriff here soon as possible. Alert the staff, tell them that, whatever they do, don’t engage Mr. Charles. He’s as mad as a hatter and twice as dangerous.”
“Wait,” Ted said from behind them, “I have an idea. I could go up there and tell Daniel that I couldn’t find you two—that you’re waiting at the church for Rowan. You can hide outside the door, and I’ll give you some kind of signal once I get him away from the women. He has men waiting for us, hidden in town. This may be our best chance.”
Edward raised a brow. “Good plan. Our room connects to Rowan’s. We can wait in there until you give us the signal. Just call Rowan ‘little tigress’ and we’ll come in.”
Ted jerked his chin at the stairs, “Show me where her room is, and I’ll do my best to separate them.”