by Vanessa Vale
The animals could run for a mile without stopping, or fan out across the prairie in all directions. It was the worst consequence on a cattle drive, but I didn't fucking care. Rose was with Ivers and I needed to get to her. He hadn't held a gun when he'd taken her, but that didn't mean he didn't have one. I had to be cautious in my approach; the man's desperation could drive him to do anything.
I slowed my horse, knowing they couldn't have gained too much distance. Now I had to follow and wait, every minute Rose was with that man torturous.
***
"You can't think I'm going to let you watch," Rose said, her voice full of anger.
There had been no place to hide on the prairie with it wide open as it was. A horse and rider would have been too visible and Ivers could have panicked at seeing me and done something to Rose. After about an hour, when I recognized they were heading toward a creek, I had to assume to water the horse, I dismounted mine, left it, and followed surreptitiously up the creek toward them. The Cottonwood trees offered me some shelter, allowing me to slowly get near them, my footsteps muted by the sound of the water. I was thirty feet downstream and Rose was using all the sass. She was the most beautiful sight and the tight band around my chest lessened just seeing her whole and unharmed.
"I can't just let you go off," Ivers countered. "Even to do your business."
Rose put hands on her hips and narrowed her gaze. "Where do you think I'm going to go?" She waved her arms. "You're much faster and stronger than I am. It's not as if I can run away. The water's too shallow to jump in and swim."
Using the man's ego was smart. She was painting herself a defenseless woman, when I knew that to be a falsehood. She was the least defenseless woman I knew.
"I’ll stand behind this tree and talk the entire time. Will that suffice?"
"Fine," the man replied, his voice dejected, as if she were wearing him down.
Rose stomped off in the direction of a large tree, but went out of my view. She started talking, loudly, about how she intended to add lace edging to the bodice of one of her dresses, taking the time to describe the color of the thread she'd purchased, then contemplated aloud whether she should add the same lace to the end of the sleeves or whether it would dangle into her soup.
I shook my head and grinned, knowing she was doing this just to annoy the bastard. I doubted Rose knew how to sew, let alone had ever looked at a piece of lace in her life. I'd never seen her wear anything beyond something serviceable and that suited her. She didn't need lace trim to look more appealing to me. In fact, I liked her best when she wasn't wearing anything at all.
"Will you shut your trap?" Ivers called out.
"You're the one who wanted me to keep talking." Rose came around from behind the tree. "If you don't want me to talk about lace, then I can certainly share with you a delicious recipe for homemade apple cobbler. The secret is adding a touch of molasses to the crumb topping because it bakes up sweet yet melts in your mouth."
"Lady, I don't care if it melts in your mouth or not. Here's what you're going to do, just sit on that rock and just keep quiet."
"Oh, I can't sit on that rock. Do you know what kind of animals live beneath big rocks like that? Snakes! Even prairie dogs and you know they have sharp teeth. I refuse to be bitten by a wild animal while being held captive. When will this captivity end?"
I slipped closer as Rose continued to blather on. If I hadn't known she was doing it intentionally, I would have considered her a vacuous ninny.
"End? You're going to be with us for a while now. We've got plans for you."
"Well, those plans had better be short lived. Oh dear," she said.
"What now?" he grumbled.
"We may have to stay here a bit, for I am beginning to feel a little queasy."
"Queasy?" he repeated.
"Only in the mornings and it comes on suddenly. I would hate to vomit on you while upon the nice horse."
"Vomit? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'm expecting, of course. The baby doesn't show very much, what with the full skirt and all, but surely you can tell."
Her words had me freezing in my tracks. Baby? Impossible. Well, probably actually, but she wouldn't know yet. Hell, I would know. She was certainly not far along enough to show as she'd said. What was she getting at now?
"Baby?" Ivers shouted. "Stills didn't say nothing about a baby getting mixed up in all of this."
I moved closer so just a tree separated us.
"It was a surprise to me as well. Do you know how babies are made, because I most certainly didn't before I married? If you're going to keep me around, I shouldn't be jostled and then of course marital relations are not allowed."
"Marital relations? Your man is dead."
"Dead? Good riddance. Clearly you do not have a woman of your own. You know nothing about babies, where they come from or why women marry. There were too many mouths to feed and my father handed me off to that tyrant of a man."
"I heard you screaming your pleasure last night. Hell, the entire territory got wind of it."
"He is—was—a lusty man, but I learned that if I pretended to enjoy it, he'd get done quicker."
Done quicker? Done quicker? The woman was going to get a spanking as soon as I got my hands on her.
"Actually, I'm right glad you got rid of him. Now I can travel with you and I won't have a man to worry about. It's not like you're going to touch a woman who's got a baby in her belly."
Ivers grumbled something, then I heard him stomp towards the water. From my hidden spot, I saw him squat down and splash water on his face. Before I could do anything, Rose stooped and picked up a river rock and started chattering again. The man didn't even turn, clearly annoyed with her presence. She lifted the weapon and as he turned to see her approaching, she whacked him on the head. He fell face first into the shallow water with a big splash.
I jumped out from behind the tree. "Rose!"
She turned to me and a look of complete surprise crossed her face. "Chance! Oh my God, I heard the gunshot and thought you were dead!"
I closed the distance between us and Rose flung her arms about my neck, her feet clearing ground. I held her to me securely, then kissed her. She was as eager as I, our lips meeting, our tongues tangling. I held the back of her head in place with one hand, the other around her waist holding her tightly. Knowing she was well and unharmed had all my energy pour into the kiss.
"Did he hurt you, touch you in any way? He didn't—" Fuck, I didn't want her to suffer the horrible impact of having a man use her against her will. If he had, we'd deal with it together, but....
"No," she said vehemently, shaking her head. "He hit me on the head, but I only have a slight headache. Otherwise, he didn't do a thing to me."
I ran my hand over her scalp and felt a lump.
"Are you sure that doesn't hurt?" She could have been addled from a blow to the head, but based on how she'd behaved, her smart actions, I doubted she was injured.
She shook her head.
Relieved, I said, "I think you were making him insane with your incessant chatter."
She grinned. "Good. That was my intention. I remembered the way the girls talk with each other. No man could remain in the same room with the topics they discussed."
"Very smart."
She shook her head, but said nothing.
I looked down at Ivers, and then pulled him from the water so he didn't drown. "Go see if he's got some rope in his saddle bag."
Rose dashed off as I assessed the blow to his head. No blood, but he was out cold. I wanted to hit him again just for hurting Rose, but it wouldn't have been as fulfilling since he was not awake. Rose returned with a short coil and I readily tied him up.
When Ivers moaned, she pulled back, her gaze raking over every inch of me. "I thought he shot you."
I shook my head. "I'm unharmed."
She looked left and right. "Then where is the other man? He could get us, and he has a gun!"
I put a f
inger over her lips. "Stills won't be bothering us ever again." I left out his gruesome demise as I pulled the gun from the back of my pants.
I angled my head toward Ivers. "We need to secure him better, then go get help."
Rose's hand gripped my arm. "I want to stay with you."
I grinned down at her. "You seemed to have done just fine on your own." She had. She'd used her brain to outsmart Ivers, staying unharmed and waiting for the right moment to save herself. "You didn't even need me."
"Oh, Chance. I'm so sorry! I need you. I need you so much. I should have listened to you and not been so mule headed."
"Mule headed?"
She pursed her lips. "Mule headed and willful. I see now why you didn't want me to come. I will be more prudent in the future."
I eyed her suspiciously.
"Well, I'll try." She looked up at me through her lashes as her hands smoothed over my chest in a placating gesture that I enjoyed immensely.
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROSE
We rode all day, riding Chance's horse with the lead to Ivers' animal tied off so it followed, to return to the Goodman ranch as the sun slipped low in the sky. I was content to sit within the circle of Chance's arms, sideways across his lap. I could have easily ridden the other horse, but neither of us mentioned it. I would have been too far away and we both needed the physical connection. For me it was to validate that Chance was alive and whole yet I was so weary I nodded off on the journey. It was almost impossible not to; the steady beat of Chance’s heart beneath my ear was so reassuring and lulling.
Surprised by our early return, Chappy and Walt came out of the bunkhouse to meet us. After hearing about our complications, they rode off to the Lenox ranch to gain Big Ed's assistance. The older man would ride into Clayton and get the sheriff. At the same time, Chappy and Walt would head west to retrieve Ivers from his bound state by the creek, wait with him, and then give him to the sheriff when he arrived. After that, they'd herd the cows back into a group and on the right path.
I assumed Chance would leave as well, but when he walked me inside instead of saddling a fresh horse, I was surprised. "Aren't you going with them? If you want, I'll go stay with the girls."
"Now you're compliant?" He wiped a hand over his face, making his whiskers bristle; he was probably as weary as me.
"Temporarily," I countered.
The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Then I best take advantage then."
We went first to the washroom, where Chance stripped the dirty clothes from me, one layer at a time. He grumbled when he had to unwind the wrap that covered my breasts, but that was all. I was anxious to scrub the dirt and grime from the trip, but also Ivers' touch from my body. He hadn't done anything inappropriate, but I'd had to sit with him atop his horse and that had been more than enough contact for me.
I took my turn first in the tub, Chance using a cloth lathered with soap to clean me, paying very close attention to specific, very pleasurable spots on my body before washing my hair. I closed my eyes and reveled in the feel of his fingers massaging my scalp.
"Out, before you fall asleep. I need you awake for what I plan to do."
He helped me from the tub and dried me himself, his hands gentle, but every line of his body indicated his eagerness.
"Your turn," I said, working at the buttons on his shirt.
He covered my hands with his own. "If you help, I won't get clean before I fuck you, kitten." The wicked gleam in his eyes showed the truth to his words. "Get on the bed, hands on the headboard, legs spread and wait for me."
"Chance...I—"
One dark colored brow arched. "You're compliant, remember?"
I bit my lip and spun on my heel.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and dried the ends of my hair with the bath sheet as I listened to Chance splash in the tub. Using his words as a guide, I had to assume he would not linger on his bath, so I did not linger on my hair. The wild mass was a lost cause; there was no time to brush out the tangles. I took a deep breath to soothe rattled nerves, and I was apprehensive, as I knew Chance's demeanor was too mild for the predicament we were in earlier. What would he do to me besides fuck me?
I'd learned so many carnal things in the few days we'd been wed, but I imagined we'd only done the more innocent of acts. Chance had reassured me again and again what we did together, no matter how dirty or decadent, was beautiful. Sometimes when he was deep inside me I couldn't tell where I ended and he started. I wanted to reaffirm that now, after what we'd been through, but not knowing what he had planned made my heart rate accelerate.
"You didn't listen." A naked Chance stood in the doorway, hands up by his shoulders as he gripped the doorframe. His cock was pointed straight at me as if it knew where it wanted to be. I jumped at his words but stilled, then stared. I couldn't help it. His shoulders were broad, his belly rippled with muscle. A line of hair travelled from his navel downward into the thatch of hair at the base of his cock. I licked my lips, remembering the feel of him in my mouth, the taste of him on my tongue.
"Kitten," he prompted.
I moved into the position he wanted, my head on the pillow, my hands over my head and gripping the slats of the headboard, then looked to him. I exhaled and relaxed my tense muscles.
He hadn't moved, just followed me with his eyes. With his chin, he indicated something I forgot. Oh! My legs. I bent my knees and planted my feet on the bed, then moved them apart. Only when he was satisfied with my position did he come into the room. Putting a knee on the bed had me shifting slightly, but I remained still. Placing himself between my splayed knees, he looked his fill, taking his time. I felt his gaze on me as if it were his hand, a soft caress that had my nipples tightening and a shiver raced down my spine. My breath quickened with the anticipation and I ached for his touch. My fingers clenched nervously at the headboard, my grip slippery.
"I love you." The words came out in a blurted rush.
His eyes widened at the words, clearly surprised. I hadn't expected to say it, but I meant it.
He crooked his finger at me and I moved to sit up. A big hand snaked around my waist, pulling me into him so we were chest to chest, both on our knees atop the soft quilt. His face was so close I could see the flecks in his eyes, the whiskers on his strong jaw. I licked my lips, unsure of myself.
He groaned, then whispered, "Kitten." Lowering his head, his mouth met mine in a gentle brushing of lips. He kissed the corner of my mouth, then along my jaw until he kissed the dainty curve of my ear.
"Do you know how long I've waited for those words?" he whispered.
Another chill ran down my spine at his warm breath on my neck. He kissed my frantic pulse, then moved back up to gently suck on my earlobe.
"No," I whispered back.
"I can't remember when I didn't love you."
I froze at his words, my hands on his solid chest. "You...you do?"
"You doubt my love?" He pulled back just enough to tilt my chin up with his fingers.
"We always fight," I replied.
"I think that will change now, don't you?" He still held my chin, but his thumb ran over my lower lip.
I'd fought against everyone for so long. I couldn't remember when I wasn't contrary. I argued just so I could be heard, which was hard when growing up in a house of ten females. So I'd found a way to have a voice and I used it often, even with Chance. I'd wanted to be free, yet I had been all along. Even Miss Trudy had alluded to it the day Chance had left for the cattle drive. Marrying Chance hadn't taken my freedom away, quite the opposite in fact. He'd given me room to be myself without the need to argue to be heard.
But I hadn't seen that. I'd continued on, arguing with a hot head and a loud mouth, fighting him just to be difficult. I'd wanted his attention, and yet I'd had it all along. His attention especially. Once we were married and I fought him, he'd spanked me. I didn't like it, but it had given me the attention I'd sought. It was a vicious circle that I hadn't broken from, yet Chance had seen
it all along. The last time, he'd even said I'd been itching for a spanking. Most likely, I had.
"Oh." The sound slipped out.
The consequences of my flippancy had never been as extreme as on the cattle drive. It had made me learn that some boundaries couldn't be crossed, that fighting them wouldn't give me the attention I craved, but a life-threatening situation instead.
I'd put both of us in danger. I'd jeopardized the livelihood of the ranch. I remembered the booming sound of the gunshot and knew that the most precious thing in the world could have been taken away from me. And for what?
Tears welled in my throat, filled my eyes. "Oh," I repeated. "I've been so awful to you." The tears fell now, unhindered and the emotion I'd been holding inside followed with it. This was the first time I'd truly cried in...forever. "How can you say you love me when I've done nothing but fight you?"
I tilted my forehead against his chest and cried—cried for the near death we shared, for the terrible attitude I'd had with him when all he'd wanted to do was keep me safe. I cried for not appreciating Miss Trudy's words and what she'd experienced in her hard life. I'd devalued her dreams as inconsequential, when instead I should have been proud of her. She'd worked and fought incredibly hard for her dreams and all I'd done was whine.
Chance stroked my back as I sobbed, patient as always. When I was all out of tears, I hiccupped and wiped my nose with the back of my hand before he tilted my chin up once again.
"I love that you're feisty and independent and strong. Brave, too. I also like it when I get to spank you for being insolent and insubordinate and just plain cranky."
I couldn't help but give him a watery smile.
"You're always with me, Rose, even when you're not there. The ride to Parsons, it was miserable. It rained."
I frowned.
"We had to sleep in the livery. Do you think I would rather be in bed with you or on hay with some horses and the other men? You may think I want to do things without you, but that's not the case. I want to be with you...always, but sometimes it's better if I'm alone."