by Diane Darcy
Jessica and Jeremy hugged their friends.
Sarah stepped forward and gave Melissa a little cloth sack filled with cookies. “Be very careful that these do not make you fat,” she reminded Melissa of the day they met.
Everyone laughed.
Melissa took the cookies and gave Sarah a hug, then Emily. When it was Hannah’s turn, she hugged her close. “You are going to have a wonderful life, you know that, right?”
Hannah pulled back to wipe at eyes with a handkerchief and nodded, her breath catching.
Finally, Melissa stood in front of the widow, lifted her free arm and gave her a hug.
The old bat actually hugged her back.
“Don’t forget your promise,” reminded Melissa.
The widow actually smiled, slightly wistful, her wrinkles digging a deep groove in the corner of her eyes. “I would like nothing better than to find myself with the need to keep my word.”
Richard finished shaking hands and slapping backs, and helped Melissa up into the back of Sully’s wagon before climbing in behind her.
With a click of his tongue and a flick of the reins, Sully started the horse moving.
They waved goodbye as the wagon bounced away.
About half-a-mile down the road, just before they went over the rise, Melissa tugged at Sully’s sleeve. “Sully, stop here for a moment.”
Sully pulled on the reins.
They all turned to look back at the ranch.
The tears finally came. She turned to Richard. “It was great, wasn’t it?”
Richard put his arm around her. “Yes, it was.”
Jessica started to cry.
Jeremy wiped at his eyes.
Sully snorted. “Now, none of that blubberin’ stuff. Not in my wagon.”
Melissa laughed and rubbed Jessica’s back, then Jeremy’s. “Okay, now let’s go home.”
Grumbling about bossy, irritatin’ women, Sully signaled the horse to go again.
Melissa watched the ranch until it was out of sight, and, lifting her eyes, noticed for the first time the clouds in the sky.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hours later, Melissa’s neck hurt from looking up at the sky. “Nothing is happening,” she whispered the words to Richard so the kids wouldn’t hear.
“Give it some more time.”
Like she had a choice, Melissa despaired silently. They’d done everything right. Sully had dropped them off long before sunset, so it was the right time. They were on their property, so they were in the right place. And they were supposed to be looking at the blue moon, but there was no moon in sight, blue or otherwise.
The clouds, which had been patchy all afternoon, were now a solid block of dark fluff that had grown ever darker in the twilight sky until, a few hours later, there was simply nothing to see. Not a star in sight, let alone a moon. How were they supposed to get out of there if they couldn’t even see the moon?
Melissa clutched her shawl tightly against the chill, glanced at the kids and saw the worry on their faces reflected in the lantern’s glow. She almost wished Sully had stayed, after all. At least he’d be a distraction to the kids. But he’d left soon after he’d dropped them off, telling them he had no intention of getting sucked into their nonsense. Not with his son coming home.
She looked at the sky again, searching for a crack, a spot of moonlight, anything, but there was nothing to be seen except endless dark clouds. She shivered and for the first time allowed herself to wonder what they would do if this didn’t work. If they didn’t go back. Could she stay in this century?
She might not have a choice.
She looked at Richard and the kids and felt reassured. Everything would be all right as long as they were together as a family.
But she really, really wanted to go home.
Melissa reached out and took hold of Jessica’s hand and gave her a squeeze.
“There!” Jeremy called out excitedly, pointing.
Melissa quickly glanced up. A small section of clouds glowed low in the sky for a moment, then darkened once more.
“At least we know the moon is there,” said Richard.
Melissa squelched her irritation at his encouraging words.
She needed to support him in keeping everyone’s spirits up. “Yes, we have all night. The clouds have to clear sometime, right?” She tried to sound as if she believed it.
In the weak lantern light, Richard smiled at her and nodded approvingly. “Come on, everyone, why the long faces? We’re going home tonight!”
Jessica looked dubious. “What if we don’t get back?”
Richard looked up at the sky. “Don’t worry, we will. What’s the first thing you want to do when we get home?”
Jeremy jumped up. “Order pizza!”
Jessica answered, more subdued. “Watch a movie and eat candy bars.”
Melissa played along. “Take a bubble bath and read People magazine.” She glanced up at the black sky, and flinched as a drop of rain hit her on the forehead.
“It’s raining,” said Jessica, her tone defeated.
Melissa turned to Jeremy. “When did you say the next blue moon was?”
The lantern light barely illuminated Jeremy’s worried features. “Three years from now.”
Feeling sick, Melissa lifted her head and more fat drops of rain hit her in the face. She willed the clouds to part. “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home,” she whispered under her breath.
Jeremy turned to Richard. “Dad, do you think the widow would hire us back?”
They were not staying here! She couldn’t stand still one more moment. Melissa turned and climbed to the top of the hill, knowing the view wouldn’t improve, but needing to do something. She reached the crest just as lightening flashed, illuminating Sully’s cabin and causing her to flinch. Going to high ground probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do during a storm.
Seconds later a loud, ear-splitting, boom of thunder shook the air, quickly followed by a noisy torrent of rain falling from the sky and hitting the ground.
She was soaked and cold in seconds. Perhaps they should make a dash for the cabin. But did they dare go inside, out of the potential moonlight? It didn’t look like they had a choice.
She turned to call Richard and a black shape loomed up in front of her.
Instantly paralyzed, a scream caught in her throat.
A rough, burlap sack was thrown over her body, scratching her face and trapping her arms as she was quickly hoisted over a brawny shoulder, knocking the remaining air right out of her lungs.
* * *
She couldn’t believe it! She’d actually been kidnapped! Terror beat at her, keeping the same fast pace as the pounding of the horse’s hooves as she lay face down over her kidnapper’s knees, a hand placed firmly in the middle of her back. The air jounced out of her lungs with every hammer of the animal’s striking feet.
Rain lashed at her exposed calves, numbing them. She couldn’t breathe, and the smell of wet gunny sack made her gag. She gulped helplessly, trying not to vomit, trying to gasp in enough air to protest, to beg if she had to, and especially to fight if she got the chance.
She struggled again, trying to push away from the hard thighs underneath her. “Please, let me go!” Defeat burned at her eyes. She couldn’t even hear herself over the assaulting rain and crashing hooves. Desperate, she gulped in air and screamed, “I have to get back to my family! I can’t be separated from my family. Please! Let me go!”
The horse briefly soared, then landed hard, and Melissa gasped as the air surged out of her again. Dizziness gripped her. She couldn’t pass out. She wouldn’t! If she could just get her arms free, perhaps she could defend herself.
She squirmed against the tight, wet material, and the hand at her back pressed hard, taking what little air she had left. She stopped moving, despair rushing through her. When would they stop? Which direction were they going? How would she ever get back to her family in time? What if they left without her
?
Melissa fell into a numbed daze, and after what felt like an eternity, they finally stopped and she was dragged off the horse and carried like an infant.
She struggled again; bowed her body and tried to buck away from the hard chest as she sucked in a deep breath. “Help me! Somebody help me. I’ve been--”
She was hoisted over a shoulder once more, the air effectively knocked out of her once again.
Fear clawed at her insides and she could feel her heart beating painfully in her chest. Why was this happening? Did it have anything to do with the blue moon?
A brief picture of the crazy man on the television flitted through her head. He’d lived with Indians. Had she been kidnapped by Indians?
Fighting to restrain the hysteria advancing close to the surface, Melissa bit her lip, hoping the pain would bring her out of the fearful paralysis gripping her.
She felt herself being carried up stairs, heard the hard slap of boots hitting wood; a jingle of spurs. Not Indians then? Cowboys? A door was opened, she was carried inside, and swung around as the door was shut again.
She fought to retain consciousness. “Please,” she begged, gasped, “I can’t breathe!”
She was laid, stomach first, on something soft. A bed? Was she going to be assaulted? “Nooooo!” Terror kicked into overdrive and she started to struggle, to scream and kick.
Her legs were grasped and straddled, effectively trapping her.
She started to cry.
A deep voice crooned to her as the wet sack was wrestled up to her waist, and her hands were grasped and tied behind her back.
Sobbing, pleading, she was tugged into sitting position, and the sack was jerked off her head.
Disoriented, it took her a moment to realize she was sitting on a couch and that the hulking demon grinning down at her was Curly Jenkins.
“Mr. Jenkins?” She stared up at him in shock.
A big cheese-eating grin widened his lips. “Welcome home, darlin’.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Melissa was in shock. “Mr. Jenkins! What do you think you’re doing? What’s going on here?”
Curly Jenkins slapped a meaty paw to his leg and laughed, his handsome face excited. “Can you believe it? No one even saw! I just snatched you, and your so-called husband didn’t even notice! Not much of a man, is he?”
Large and muscular, water dripping from his dark curls, his dancing eyes invited her to share the joke.
Melissa’s fear started to recede, and her heartbeat slowed. “Mr. Jenkins. Why have you kidnapped me?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this.”
Some of Curly’s amusement faded, and he threw her a look of reproach as he sat on the chair across from her, his big hands clasped in front of him. “Come on now, darlin’. ‘Kidnapped’ isn’t a very nice word. The way I see it, I’m savin’ you from a life of poverty.”
Her brows drew together. “What?”
He didn’t look crazy, he looked sincere. “Your husband wasn’t takin’ good enough care of you. He had you living in a shack, workin’ like a dog and dressin’ like a scrub woman. And he had you out in the rain tonight.”
He spread his hands for emphasis. “He can’t appreciate a fine, high-strung woman like yourself, so I’m taking over his job.” He grinned, very pleased with himself, and awaited her reaction.
Melissa scowled and her face heated. The guy was crazy! She had no intention of being separated from her loved ones, or of missing out on going home because of this buffoon! Her temper exploded. “You are the biggest idiot I have ever seen in my entire life.” She attempted a swift kick, but missed and barely kept from falling off the couch.
“I have absolutely no interest in you whatsoever! I have never expressed an interest in you, and I will never express an interest in you.” She tugged at the ropes binding her wrists, but they held firm. “Why are you doing this?”
“Temper, temper.” Amusement creased Curly’s eyelids as he stood and came close to tower over her. “The way I see it--”
Melissa tried to kick him again. “Kidnapper! Creep--”
Curly jumped back with a laugh.
Melissa lost her balance, fell off the couch and landed hard on her knees, a soft, expensive rug cushioning the fall. “Untie these ropes, right now!” She struggled against the rope, wrenching her body back and forth. “Take me back and put me where you found me! I hate you!”
“Now hold on there.” Curly’s amusement faded and he grabbed her up, set her on her feet, hugged her to him, and untied her wrists.
She tried to kick him again and this time made contact with his boot, but they were too close together and the kick had no power to it.
When her arms were free he didn’t give her a chance to take advantage of that fact and wrestled her into the heavy chair he’d vacated, grabbed a length of rope and half-knelt on her as he tied her to the chair. “You’ll do what I say, and I say you’re staying here.”
Enraged, Melissa tried to buck away from the chair, from him, but he was too strong. “I’ll murder you in your sleep the first chance I get if you don’t let me go! Then I’ll kill your horse, poison your wells, and burn down your house!”
Curly finished tying her arms and legs, stood, and chuckled. “If I’m dead, then I guess I won’t care much, will I?”
Melissa screamed in temper and fought the ropes but gained little ground, simply chafing her wrists and ankles for her efforts. The chair was sturdy, and the guy knew how to tie a knot.
Curly stood in front of her with his arms crossed, a patient expression on his face.
Melissa calmed and, as her breathing regulated, realized it was quiet. Too quiet. She looked at him. “It’s stopped raining.”
“So it has.” He sounded disinterested. “All right, now listen up. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to let you think about your improved situation for a while. I want you to take a good look around.” Curly gestured about the room.
Melissa glanced around the beautifully decorated parlor. It reeked of money and put the widow’s to shame.
“All this can be yours. I’m a rich man. I have a lot to offer a woman like you. Marriage, a beautiful home, fine clothes, jewelry, servants, good food. We could travel if you like. And I could give you more children if that’s your inclination.” He grinned. “It would be my pleasure.”
Reminded of her children, Melissa bucked in the chair. “I hate you! I despise you! I want my family! Let me go!”
A look of impatience marred his face, but he gently laid a quilt across her lap and tucked it around her shoulders. He touched her cheek.
She jerked away.
He took a swift breath and straightened. “I’ll just leave you to think about your vastly improved situation for a while.” He extinguished both lanterns set in the wall. “In the dark.”
Melissa rolled her eyes at the childish punishment. “Oh, I’m so scared.”
“We can talk in the morning. Try and get some sleep.” He bent over and kissed the top of her head.
She cringed away.
He sighed. “Melissa, I have a lot to offer you. Think about it while I’m gone. Good night.” Curly went out the front door and shut it behind him.
“Good riddance!” Melissa screamed after him.
Panic quickly bloomed in her chest. He couldn’t leave her. He had to let her go first. “Wait! Come back! Don’t leave! Please don’t leave! I’m sorry! Let’s talk! Just come back!”
Nothing.
She sucked in air. “Please! I’m freezing! My wrists hurt and I’m afraid of the dark! I need a change of clothes! I need to use the outhouse! You’re right! I want to stay with you! Please, come back!”
Out of breath, she sagged on the chair and watched the darkened doorway. Nothing happened. She’d left it too late. He hadn’t even heard.
Five minutes passed as she listened for any sound other than the ticking of the clock in the room.
She squirmed, her wet clothes warming unde
r the quilt, but sticking to her. She glanced around, barely able to make out the furniture in the room. Perhaps Curly’s punishment wasn’t so childish after all. Being alone and trapped in an unfamiliar house actually was kind of spooky. Especially tied to a chair in the dark. It smelled of tobacco, burnt wood, beeswax and kerosene.
She noticed a weak flutter of light shining on the lace curtain, and hope filled her as she willed Curly to come back with a change of heart and release her. The light faded and it took a moment to realize it had been moonlight shining on the curtain.
Shock widened her eyes and she held her breath. The light came again, weak, but definitely there.
Panicked, she fought the chair again, but the rope held firm.
Horror kept her gaze riveted on the now dark curtain and she realized that she was really trapped here until morning. That her family had to be looking for her. How would they be able to all get home together?
Weak light landed on the curtain again and she bucked, trying to scoot the heavy chair to the window. The chair rucked up the carpet, but barely moved. She took a deep breath. “Curly!” she yelled as loud as she could. “Please, Curly, come back!”
She waited, listened, her ears ringing with the silence.
Again, nothing.
She started to shake. That was it. It was over. It was really over.
She watched the moonlight hit the curtain again, brighter this time, and tears filled her eyes. She bowed her head and sobbed.
* * *
Richard scanned the darkness beyond the lantern’s glow for what felt like the hundredth time. Jessica sat in the long, wet grass at his feet, and Jeremy stood a couple of yards away, always in Richard’s line of sight. He wasn’t losing anyone else. They’d do this together, or not at all.
He blew out a breath and acknowledged that with Melissa gone, staying here was no longer an option. They had to get back as well. Their family couldn’t stay separated.
His gaze continued to search and he couldn’t push back the feeling that he’d missed something. The moon hadn’t been out when Melissa had disappeared, so how had she returned home? And why hadn’t they gone with her? His jaw clenched and he felt like hitting something. He should have been watching more closely. He’d thought she’d been in his sights. He’d thought he’d had everything covered.