Unwilling Bride

by Joannie Kay

  "And I know Ma will be happy to have your help. Her ankle is still giving her trouble. And I’m sure Katie isn’t helping all that much right now."

  "I’ll be happy to see Patrick, too. I didn’t realize he would choose to stay there until after the wedding," Bridget remarked. "I can’t help but wonder if something is going on?"

  "I’ve been wondering about that, too," Will admitted. Bridget squirmed again, and he sighed. "Come here," he gently lifted her, and then settled her on his lap. "Is this a bit better?" he asked with a tender smile.

  "Much," Bridget replied with a smile, then leaned close to kiss him sweetly. Now it was Will’s turn to be glad they had the coach

  to themselves…

  *****

  As the coach pulled into Willow Creek the next afternoon, Will

  felt Bridget tense up and he smiled at her reassuringly as she

  reached up to make sure her hat was straight, and her hair still

  looked respectable. "You look just fine, honey. My folks won’t bite, honest."

  Bridget tried to smile, but the butterflies in her tummy were

  overpowering. She was so afraid that Will’s parents were going

  to hate her on sight… especially after the way she "forced" him into marrying her.

  "There’s Pa… and Katie and Patrick!" Will said excitedly, and as soon as the coach stopped, he had the door opened and was

  outside giving his Dad an excited bear hug. "Come here, honey,"

  Will turned back and easily lifted Bridget to the ground. "Pa, this is my Bridget," he said proudly, and Bridget was surprised when the older man took the polite hand she offered and pulled her

  close for a genuine hug.

  "I’m pleased to meet you, Bridget. We’ve heard so many

  wonderful things about you, and it’s plain to see that my son is a happy man." His smile warmed her, and Bridget smiled in relief.

  Katie hugged her next, and then Patrick picked her up and spun

  her around, then gave her a playful whack on the bottom after he

  sat her down on her feet.

  Bridget immediately cried out, and reached back to rub the

  injured area. "Patrick!" she exclaimed indignantly.

  "Ut oh! What did you do this time?" he asked with a knowing expression in his dark eyes.

  "Something I’m not ever going to do again, so we don’t need to discuss it! She replied tartly.

  "She decided to break a wild horse; got thrown; would have been trampled if your Pa hadn’t stopped by just in time to save her,"

  Will revealed.

  "My God, sis," Patrick paled. "What were you thinking?"

  "I wasn’t thinking, or I wouldn’t have done it, Patrick," Bridget admitted, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Papa was

  angry," she confided.

  "He should have busted your butt!" Patrick announced.

  "He did," Will said, and then laughed at the astounded look on Patrick’s face.

  "Well, he always warned you that he’d tan you if he ever caught you trying to do that, little sister. And it’s high time, too…"

  Katie laid a restraining hand on his arm. "You can scold later, Patrick. Mama is waiting for us…"

  "Isn’t Ma feeling well, Pa? Her ankle?" Will asked, his blue eyes full of concern.

  "She figured that it would be too much to have the whole family here to meet the stage, so she sent me, along with Patrick and

  Katie. Everyone else is at the ranch waiting. Bridget, you just tell those girls to mind their own business if they get too nosy," he ordered, his deep blue eyes twinkling with mischief and good

  humor.

  Bridget smiled in reply, then sighed deeply when it was time to

  climb into the wagon for the trip to the ranch. Her poor bottom

  was so tired of sitting!

  "Don’t worry, Bridget," Katie whispered. "It isn’t too much father. I know how you must be feeling after two days in that coach. I

  didn’t think my backside would survive the trip… and all I could

  think of was that Papa was going to add to my misery."

  "I still don’t think that was fair!" Bridget replied, unaware that their conversation was overheard until Will’s father turned to give her

  a scolding look.

  "What wasn’t fair, young lady, is that my daughter chose to break a rule made for her own safety, worry her mother and I in the

  process, and set a bad example for her younger sisters. I do not

  tolerate willful disobedience in my home. You would do well to

  remember that."

  Bridget felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment, and she didn’t

  dare glance at Will to see if he’d overheard the comments. He

  and Patrick placed their bags in the wagon, and then they were

  off and headed for the Bishop Ranch.

  Will noticed that Bridget seemed unusually quiet, and Katie

  seemed to be chatting away non-stop. His father seemed

  troubled by something, and Patrick seemed content to let the

  little blonde talk while he alternately nodded, or chuckled.

  "Is Ma’s ankle better, Pa?" Will finally asked when Katie fell silent for a moment.

  "She’s getting around a lot better, son. But it pains her some if she’s on it too long. She’ll be happy to have a couple pair of

  extra hands to help out some with the wedding preparations." He fell silent again.

  Will frowned, "What’s wrong then?"

  The dark blue eyes turned to look at him, "We’ll talk about it once you get settled in, son."

  Bridget swallowed hard, and felt tears well up in her eyes. She’d

  already upset Will’s father, and it was obvious he was going to

  complain to Will about her. She hadn’t even been here an hour

  yet, and she’d been judged and found lacking.

  Will happened to glance over his shoulder to smile at Bridget,

  and was immediately aware that something was seriously wrong.

  She was on the verge of tears, and he wondered what the heck

  his little sister had said to upset her so quickly. He frowned, then asked matter-of-factly, "Honey, what’s wrong?"

  Bridget wanted to jump off the wagon and start running when

  Will’s father slowed the team a bit and turned sideways to look at her. "She’s just all tuckered out, son. Honey, we’ll be at the ranch in a little bit, and then you can get off this hard wagon.

  Don’t reckon you’ll complain too much if I spoil my new daughter

  with a soft pillow to sit on, will you, Will?" he winked

  conspiratorial y. "Your Ma would be real disappointed if Bridget wasn’t able to eat some of the special food she’s been making all

  day…"

  Will grinned at his father, then nodded. "We can’t have Ma

  upset…" He looked back at Bridget, and was relieved to see the tears were gone, and she was attempting to smile.

  Bridget managed to make conversation with Katie, and once in a

  while Patrick would ride up beside her on his horse and point out

  something of interest for her to see. The lovely redhead could

  see her brother loved it here almost as much as he did at home,

  but she couldn’t help noticing that he seemed to be watching out

  for "danger" of some kind. She made a mental note to ask him about it, then forgot her intentions the minute the ranch came

  into view. "Oh, Will, this is beautiful!" she exclaimed in genuine pleasure.

  "Wasn’t always like this, Bridget," Will’s father spoke up. "We didn’t start out with as much as the two of you have… But we

  worked hard, and have something to be proud of."

  The minute he pulled up in front of the big house, the front door

  opened, and several females rushed outside, all of them anxious

  to reach Will. Will jumped down
and hugged all of them, starting

  with his Mother first. He then introduced Bridget to everyone, and Bridget found herself sitting on a soft cushion in a rocking chair in the corner of the kitchen, holding Carrie’s baby, while trying to answer the million and one questions Will’s sisters threw at her.

  "Girls… Let Bridget catch her breath a minute. Mercy!" she scolded gently. "Susie, did you set enough places at the dinner table?" she asked her seven-year old.

  "We counted together, didn’t we, Susie?" Vickie reassured her mother, and when they all gathered at the huge table there was

  a place for everyone.

  "Adam, please say grace," Rachel instructed her husband.

  The simple, heartfelt prayer welcoming her into their family

  touched Bridget. She just wished that she could undo the

  comments she’d made that upset Will’s father to the point of

  having a discussion with Will. Will would surely scold her, and

  maybe even spank her again, she fretted. The soft pillow on her

  seat helped a lot, but there was simply no way she wanted

  another punishment right now.

  The meal passed pleasantly, and Bridget could see that Will was

  truly happy to be home and catching up on what was happening

  in his sisters’ lives. Everyone was surprised and elated when

  Vickie and her husband announced they were expecting their

  first child, and Bridget couldn’t help but notice how pleased Will was by the news. She knew he would make a great father, and

  hoped it wouldn’t be too much longer before she conceived.

  After they’d finished eating, she offered to help clean up, only to be told "no". "You can help tomorrow, Bridget, but not tonight,"

  Rachel insisted. "Will, you and Bridget will be in your old room.

  You can show her where it is, so she can turn in. I know you

  must be tired, dear."

  Bridget felt she was being dismissed so they could discuss her

  shortcomings, but she didn’t argue as Will led her upstairs and

  ushered her into his old room. It was spotlessly clean, and

  Bridget noticed the fresh flowers that had been placed on the

  dresser. "Honey, you go on and get in bed. I’m going to go down and talk to Pa for a while." He gave her a quick peck on the

  cheek, and Bridget found herself alone in a house full of people.

  Her eyes filled with tears of hurt as she changed into a

  nightdress and took the pins from her hair. As she was brushing

  it out, there was a tap on the door, and Katie came in.

  "You have to help me, Bridget! Patrick and Will are in danger, and Papa, too!"

  Chapter Ten

  Bridget looked at Katie in shock. "Danger? What kind of

  danger?"

  "Mama sent me to see if they wanted coffee, and the door was

  ajar. I overheard Papa talking about a man named Aswell.

  Apparently, he’s trying to force Papa off this ranch! He’s been

  killing cattle, and he’s responsible for a lot of the accidents

  around here lately. I heard the three of them talking about setting a trap to catch Aswell and his men, and Patrick warned Will that

  one hand had already been killed trying to protect the stock. We

  have to do something!"

  Bridget listened as her sister-in-law outlined the plan the men

  had. "There are only three of them… and they’ll be outnumbered at least four to one! What about the law?" she demanded.

  "The Sheriff here is afraid of his own shadow," Katie scoffed.

  "Papa thinks he is worthless." She paced the floor. "Bridget, I don’t want my family hurt. I’m going to help them. I know how

  much you love Will, and I thought maybe you… well, I’ll

  understand if you say no, but I’m riding out there tonight, too!"

  she declared. "They are convinced that Aswell will strike again because he knows that you and Will arrived today and he thinks

  Papa will relax his guard."

  Bridget nodded, her decision made. She loved Will, and she was

  going to see that he didn’t get himself killed. "Have you got a pair of pants I can borrow, and a gun?" she asked the younger

  woman.

  *****

  Will opened the door and was pleased to find Bridget curled up

  and sound asleep under the handmade quilts. He leaned down

  to brush a stray curl from her cheek, and then gave her a gentle

  kiss. With any luck at all, he would be back by the time she woke

  up in the morning, and he wouldn’t have to explain what was

  going on.

  He couldn’t believe the nerve of this Aswell! His folks had put

  twenty-eight years into this ranch and it was unthinkable that one man thought he had the right to either take or destroy everything

  his parents had worked for.

  Will squared his broad shoulders, and then gave Bridget one last

  gentle kiss before leaving the room and shutting the door quietly

  behind him.

  In the next instant, Bridget jumped out of bed, fully clothed, and strapped on the gun belt that Katie somehow managed to

  procure for her use. She then joined Katie in her room, and

  within minutes they’d climbed out the window and managed to

  use a rope secured to the bed to shimmy down to the ground

  below. Katie had two horses saddled and waiting, and led the

  way in the direction Will, Patrick, and her father had headed.

  *****

  "I want it to look normal," Adam said. "I’m going down to guard the herd. You two will take up a position on either side… and

  stay out of sight."

  "Why don’t you let me take the herd, Pa?" Will promptly offered, worried for his father’s safety.

  "Because this is my fight, son, and we’re doing it my way. Got that?"

  "Yes, Sir," Will knew better than argue.

  "I’ll take the rocks, Will, if you’ll take the trees?" Patrick spoke in a low voice.

  "You boys keep your eyes open, and don’t take any chances,"

  Adam warned. "I’m almost positive Aswell will hit tonight. He’s going to come at us head on, so let him get in close before you

  make a move."

  "You’re using yourself as bait, Pa!" Will complained.

  ""Figure it’s the best way to make him show himself, son. He wants me out of the way," Adam said matter-of-factly. "He won’t be able to resist the opportunity to get rid of me… I’m counting

  on you two to make sure he doesn’t get away with it."

  *****

  "Papa is taking the heard. Will is over by the trees, and Patrick in those rocks," Katie whispered. "My guess is that Aswell isn’t going to sneak up on them this time. He’s too sure of himself.

  He’s going to come in direct, right through here," Katie told Bridget.

  "Okay, then we’ll hide here… and come in behind them so

  Aswell can’t get away," Bridget said quietly. Katie nodded, and they moved the horses to where they couldn’t be seen. An hour

  passes, then two, and Bridget nudged Katie. "I hear riders."

  Katie listened and nodded. "Be real y careful, Bridget," she warned. "Aswell wouldn’t hesitate to shoot either of us just

  because we’re women. He has no principles at all!" A short time later they rode into site, and Katie said, "Aswell is in the lead; riding the white stallion."

  Aswell must be getting confident, Bridget decided. He only had

  five riders with him. She relaxed a bit. The odds were upped a

  great deal now. She knew Patrick could handle a gun, and so

  could Will. She had no idea about Katie and her father, but

  hopefully, they would have the element of surprise on their side
.

  Aswell reined in, then snorted gleefully, "Well I’ll be damned.

  Look who’s riding herd tonight? Bishop himself. I’m going to

  enjoy this, boys!" he promised, then rode forward, bold as brass and twice as confident as before.

  Bridget and Katie mounted and closed in behind Aswell and his

  men.

  "You made a big mistake in coming out here alone, Bishop,"

  Aswell grinned without humor. "I’m going to enjoy killing you."

  Katie cried out and rushed forward as Aswell gave a signal and

  his men drew and fired on Adam. She screamed when Adam fell

  to the ground, and didn’t notice when Patrick and Will opened

  fire. Her only thought was to get to her fallen father.

  Bridget hurried after Katie while Aswell’s men returned fire, but

  before she could reach her, Aswell scooped her off the ground

  and held her in front of himself as a shield. His men were all lying on the ground, either dead or dying, and he had no way of

  knowing how many men were hiding. "You come out of there

  with your hands up, or I’m killing this girl," he called out in a panic-filled voice.

  Patrick felt his heart fill with fear. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Katie, and at this range, he was afraid to fire for fear he would hit her. He rose, and held his hands up and walked out

  into the open.

  Will’s reaction was much the same, and he was positive that

  Aswell would do exactly as he threatened. His only hope of

  saving his sister was to get close enough to Aswell to try and

  throw himself on him, and hope that Patrick could get Katie to

  safety. He stepped forward, too… and then he spotted Bridget

  coming up behind Aswell. He cursed under his breath when he

  realized what the little redhead was going to do, and decided to

  "help" if he could. "Takes a big man to hide behind a little girl, Aswell."

  "Don’t know who the hell you are, stranger, but when I want

  something I take it. Got rid of the old man, and figure I’ll set an example with this girl. We can make this easy or hard. You either

  sign on with me, or I shoot you down, here and now."

  Aswell heard the unmistakable click of a gun at his back. He felt

  the hair rise on the back of his neck, and his blood run cold with fear.