Unwilling Bride

by Joannie Kay

  "Pa says she’s not," Will stated firmly. "And that is one rule he adheres to. He didn’t let Vickie or Carrie travel alone, and Vickie was twenty-two when she married. She lived at home until then,

  and obeyed Pa’s wishes."

  "Your father sounds very strict," she commented.

  "He is strict, but fair. And he loves every one of us," he added, and then leaned down to give her another quick, hard kiss. "I hope to be just like him with our kids," he said, and then asked,

  "How many kids would you like, Mrs. Bishop?"

  Bridget giggled as he wiggled his eyebrows at her, then said

  seriously, "As many as the Lord sends us. I love children, Will."

  Will nodded in agreement, kissed her one more time, and

  grabbed a handful of cookies as he headed for the door. "See

  you later, honey."

  Bridget dusted the parlor, and then decided to go and check on

  Katie. She’d slept for over three hours now, and she was starting

  to worry about her. She paused in the doorway and studied the

  quilt covered Katie, wondering how she could stand the heavy

  cover as warm as it was inside the house at this time of day.

  Suddenly, Bridget realized the lump she thought was Katie

  wasn’t moving at all! There was no sign of breathing, and she

  couldn’t hear her either. Quickly, she moved to the side of the

  bed and pulled the quilt down. Instead of the blonde Katie, there

  was a bundle of blankets all rolled together to resemble the

  shape of a person, and a note was pinned to the top of the roll.

  Bridget removed it and read:

  Dear Will and Bridget,

  I am on my way home!! I borrowed Dancing Sun and will leave

  her in the livery in town, and take the coach today. There is no

  way I will let Patrick take me home! Will, you be nice to Bridget!!!

  Love you both, Kathleen

  "Damn, damn, and damn!" Bridget exclaimed as she quickly pulled off her clothes. "I’m going to smack her silly!" she sputtered, hurriedly pulling on the pair of well-worn jeans she

  kept hidden in the back of the drawer. She added a faded plaid

  shirt, a pair of socks, and then pulled on her boots. Her gun and

  holster came out of another drawer, and she strapped it around

  her tiny waist with familiar movements, then grabbed her hat and

  plunked it on her head. She also picked up her rifle, and then

  hurried to the barn to saddle Sampson. Bridget suspected that

  Katie waited until Will was in the house to sneak out the front

  door and get the mare; she could see Will had King saddled, and

  knew she wouldn’t be seen leaving. It was perfect, and just what

  she would have done! Katie couldn’t possibly have more than a

  two hour head start… and the redhead was positive, with any

  luck at all, she would overtake Katie and have her home before

  Will knew she was missing!

  Katie looked around and tried to get her bearings. Why did things

  look so different to her today than they did yesterday? She knew

  which direction the ranch lay, but wondered if she hadn’t taken a

  wrong turn on her way to town. She honestly didn’t think any of

  this countryside looked familiar, and she didn’t have time to be

  lost. If she didn’t hurry, the stage would pull out of Bluemoon and Will would come after her, and force her to travel with Patrick

  O’Riley!

  Katie made a decision to press forward, hoping that her usual

  sense of direction was working. She rode for a bit, and finally

  permitted herself to think about the man who kept stealing into

  her thoughts. Okay, he was handsome, if you didn’t mind

  redheads, she conceded. He was tall, and well built, and used to

  working. The strength in his large hand had convinced her of that

  yesterday. He also had friendly eyes, when they weren’t

  snapping with temper. She flushed with embarrassment as she

  recalled the spanking he’d given her; she’d deserved it. There!

  She was glad to have that out of the way! Admitting her mistakes

  was always hard, but Katie simply refused to be less than honest

  with herself. Will wouldn’t let anyone call her a "bitch" and it stood to reason that Patrick would want to defend his sister…

  especially when Bridget didn’t deserve the title. She nodded, and

  then said in a whisper, "Yep, Kathleen, you deserved that

  spanking." Then the little voice within went on relentlessly. "So why are you running from Patrick O’Riley?" Katie thought about that for a while, and then let out a deep sigh. "Damn it… I think I love him!" The idea so startled her that she reined in the little mare and covered her face with her hands. If she was in love

  with Patrick O’Riley, then why was she running away? Because

  she wasn’t going to make it easy for him, she supplied the

  answer. But, she asked herself, wouldn’t it be more fun to do that in person?

  Giggling, Katie decided to head back to the ranch. If Will

  questioned her, she would simply tell him she woke up and felt

  like going for a ride, and didn’t want to disturb him and Bridget

  when they were so obviously occupied with each other!! There

  was no doubt in her mind that Will and Bridget loved each other,

  and it looked as though they were finding that out for

  themselves. She could go home and relieve everyone’s mind,

  and see how Patrick passed scrutiny with her family, especially

  her Papa. Papa wasn’t easily fooled, and he’d sent more than

  one unworthy beau on his way in order to protect his daughters.

  Bridget was worried. She should have overtaken the other

  woman by now, and was truly concerned about Katie. She’d

  either become lost on her way to town, or was pushing the little

  mare beyond endurance. Bridget truly didn’t think Katie would do

  that, and decided she’d taken a wrong turn somewhere. She

  turned Sampson, and headed back the way she came. In less

  than two hours it would be dark, and she simply had to find Katie

  and get her back to the ranch before Will returned. She

  shuddered to think what would happen if she didn’t. That small

  riding switch hurt like the very devil, and she didn’t ever want to experience it again, and she couldn’t bear the thought of Katie

  going through the same ordeal. Of course, Will wouldn’t bare his

  own sister first; she was positive of that. But, all the same,

  traveling on a bumpy stagecoach was bad enough without

  having a bruised and welted sore bottom to sit on for the entire

  journey.

  She suddenly spotted a rider approaching her, and Bridget was

  relieved to see the pretty blonde. She urged Sampson to a faster

  pace, and made haste to reach her side. "I have been looking all over for you, Katie Bishop! What do you mean by running away

  and scaring me half to death? Will is going to take a riding whip

  to you if we don’t hurry and get home before he gets back!" she scolded.

  "Shhhhh!" Katie held her finger over her lips, and Bridget suddenly noticed how pale she was. "I spotted a group of Indians about an hour ago. I hid from them until they passed by, but I

  know they’re around here somewhere."

  "Probably Comanche," Bridget said calmly. "How many were there?"

  "Six, or maybe seven," I was too scared to peek.

  "We’d best get back to the ranch. Keep your eyes open, and if they confront us, whatever
you do, don’t panic and act like you’re afraid. They respect strength, even in women." Bridget found

  herself lecturing the other girl. "So help me, Katie, I could smack you myself for this!"

  Katie giggled, and then said, "I’m in love with Patrick."

  "You’re what?" Bridget asked in genuine surprise.

  "I know! Isn’t it the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?" she giggled. "But it’s true!"

  "Then why were you running away?"

  Katie didn’t answer because Comanche warriors suddenly

  surrounded them, coming out of nowhere… and without a bit of

  warning. One brave reached for her reins, and without giving it

  the first thought, she drew back her fist and hit him smack in the nose. The startled man let out a cry of surprise, and grabbed his

  bleeding nose. While he was doing that, Katie used her left foot

  to kick him from his horse. She glanced back to see that Bridget

  had her gun leveled on another brave, and was shocked when

  that man suddenly said something in his own tongue and the

  other men started laughing. Obviously the leader of the small

  group, he said something else, and within seconds, Katie and

  Bridget were grabbed from their horses. They both put up a

  struggle, but were no match for the strong men. Their hands and

  feet were tied with strips of rawhide, and then they were propped

  against a tree while the men built a fire and put chunks of meat

  over the fire to roast.

  "Oh God, Bridget, I’m so sorry I got you into this!" Katie declared repentantly. "What are they going to do to us?"

  Bridget looked at the other woman and replied, "I think you

  already know what they’re planning… Our only hope is that

  they’ll wait until they’ve eaten… and it gets dark. By then Will

  should miss us, and come looking."

  "But he’s only one man against six!" Katie whispered. "I’m scared, Bridget!"

  Bridget looked at her sister-in-law, remembering everything that

  her friend Sally suffered before she was mercifully killed, "So am I, Katie. So am I."

  Will frowned as he approached the ranch. There wasn’t a light on

  anywhere! He cautiously approached the house, and then went

  inside. A quick walk-through assured him that no one was here.

  He hurriedly lit a lamp, and then looked for a note, telling him

  where Bridget and Katie had gone. A few minutes later, he’d

  found the roll of blankets in the bed, and read the note pinned to them. Katie had run away, and knowing his wife, she’d gone

  after her… probably to protect Katie from a deserved hiding…

  and in the process earned one for herself!

  He checked the barn, and the other two horses were missing.

  Grimly, he mounted up and headed straight for the O’Riley

  ranch, deciding that was where Bridget would take Katie to hide

  her from him. It wasn’t going to work! Katie was in for a good

  tanning, and unless Bridget had one hell of a good excuse for

  her actions, she was going to rue being out after dark, too!

  "They ain’t here, son!" Flynn said. Sean, you gather Tom, Andy, and Michael and head towards town from here. Me and Patrick

  and Davy will ride with Will and go east a ways. We’ll meet up

  with you by the south crossing. Bring guns and ammo!" he

  added.

  They were saddled and on their way within minutes, and Will

  looked at the older man and said, "I appreciate your help, Mr.

  O’Riley. I should have expected Katie to pull something like this."

  "My little girl is out there too, son. I’d be mad as hell at you if you didn’t come to me for help," the man replied. "We’re family now, and family helps family."

  Will nodded, and then gave a pained smile, "My Pa says the

  same thing."

  "When we find those two…" Patrick said quietly, "I am going to keep a promise I made yesterday!"

  "Bridget is mine to deal with, Pat," Will warned him.

  "And Katie is mine. Damn it! I can’t believe this is happening again!" Patrick was so upset he didn’t realize what he was

  saying, but his words weren’t lost on either Will or Flynn.

  "It ain’t gonna happen again, son. We’ll find them."

  Chapter Five

  Bridget felt the rawhide stretch a little bit, and she kept trying to work her hands free. Katie was doing the same, and Bridget was

  impressed that she wasn’t falling apart on her. The braves were

  gambling, and Bridget feared that their game would be over

  soon… and that she and Katie would be the prizes. It was up to

  them to save themselves.

  Bridget knew in her heart that Will would be searching for them…

  unless he’d run across some Comanche, too. She said another

  prayer for his safety, and vowed that if she got out of this mess in one piece, she was going to give Will a wedding night he would

  never forget! She wanted to give Will the special gift she’d

  saved, and not have it taken away from her in a vicious attack.

  "Comanche!" Patrick said as he climbed on his horse. "A small party, but my guess is that they have the girls."

  "Then we’d best be finding them fast," Flynn replied. "Does that little sister of yours keep her head about her when she’s up

  against it, son?" he asked of Will.

  "Katie doesn’t have hysterics, Mr. O’Riley… and I don’t think Bridget would either," he answered, sickened by the idea of them in the hands of Indians. Katie was an innocent, and so was his

  little wife.

  "Keep your eyes open, boys, and let’s meet up with the others and see if they spotted anything," Flynn ordered.

  They rode a short distance, and Patrick held up his hand and

  pointed. "Fire?"

  "Yes!" Will said thankfully, offering another prayer that they would be in time to save Bridget and Katie from harm.

  "We’ve got to go in slow, son. They’l have guards posted, and we ain’t gonna be of help to the girls if we get ourselves killed.

  Be careful now!" Flynn warned.

  Bridget finally freed her hands, then quickly helped Katie free

  hers. "I’ll block you from sight while you untie your feet," she whispered to the blonde. She kept a watchful eye on the braves,

  who were intent on their game. Katie whispered she was free,

  and Bridget struggled with the tight strips on her feet. Soon, she was free, too. She motioned to Katie to get up quietly, in the

  hopes they could slip off into the darkness without being noticed, but before Katie could move, she heard a low whistle a few feet

  behind her. "Don’t move, Katie. Patrick is here."

  "Thank God!" Katie breathed in relief.

  "We need to give him some help. Are you up to it?" Bridget asked.

  "What do we do?"

  "Create a diversion. We’re going to have a hair pulling,

  screaming fight… Those braves will be so busy watching us that

  Patrick, and whoever is with him, can catch them off guard.

  Ready?" she asked, when she heard another call that was

  definitely Davy.

  "Ready," Katie replied, and in the next instant, Bridget landed on her with a loud whoop! "You little bitch!"

  "You’re the bitch!" Katie grabbed a handful of red hair and yanked hard enough that Bridget let out a scream of rage, and

  the fight was on! The braves were immediately on their feet,

  watching in a mixture of outrage, disgust, and good humor, but

  not one of them made a move to stop the hair-pulling contest!

  "Move in boys!" Flynn gave the okay, and the oth
ers quickly obeyed. "No killing!" Flynn cautioned, and within a minute the brief battle was over. The six Comanche braves were stoic, and

  resigned to their fate as they faced the guns of the angry men.

  "Tie their hands and feet until Andy gets here and we can talk to them without a misunderstanding. I don’t want no war out of

  this," Flynn bossed, never taking his eyes or his guns off the young men for an instant. The others did as he said, and once

  they were safely bound, Wil turned his attention to Bridget.

  She was standing close by, her arms wrapped around Katie, and

  both females had tears streaming down their cheeks. He opened

  his arms, and Bridget threw herself into his embrace, sobbing.

  "Oh, Will! I knew you would come!" Will held her close, and saw that Patrick was holding Katie, who was also crying noisily.

  "Did they hurt you, honey?" Will asked quietly, dreading her answer.

  "Noooo!" she wailed. "We’re…. Fiiiine!" she cried. "Just….

  Scaaaared!"

  "It’s okay, honey. You’re safe. You’re safe now!" Will murmured comfortingly, holding her close and stroking her back. "No one is going to hurt you now!"

  Flynn walked over and stroked Bridget’s hair. "That was right smart of you, Girl, to start that fight with Katie. Good thinking!

  Awwww… Don’t cry! I hate it when females cry! Let me hug, her,

  Will. She’s still my little girl, you know!"

  Will turned Bridget over to her father, and then walked over to

  Katie. "Kitten, are you all right?" he asked in concern.

  "I am now," she sniffled, looking at Will tearfully. "Oh, Will, this was all my fault!!!! I’m sooo sorry!"

  "You’re going to be sorry, brat, believe me," Patrick threatened.

  "Are you going to spank me again, Patrick?" she looked up at him to inquire.

  "Until you beg for mercy!" the redhead promised.

  "Because you love me and want to marry me… I know… And

  that’s okay," Katie smiled happily, snuggling closer.

  "Damn right!" Patrick didn’t think the conversation the least bit strange, Will noted in shocked surprise as the other man

  continued to hold Katie with tenderness.

  Within another few minutes, the rest of Bridget’s brothers joined

  them, and once assured their little sister and Katie were

  unharmed, they turned their attention to the young braves.

  "Andy, tell these boys that we don’t hold no grudge. We know