Hernando Heat

by Tymber Dalton

  Joe knew they wouldn’t make it. “I know where we can get some fresh horses there. We’ll be chasing this damn train halfway to Tampa.”

  The ride into Dade City felt like forever. Sure enough, the train had already pulled out by the time they reached the depot. Fortunately, they’d only missed it by an hour, meaning they had a chance to catch it.

  The sun lay low in the sky to the west when they jumped on their fresh mounts and took off after the train, following the railbed. Mason had Sherriff Birch telegraphed from Dade City to let him know what was going on and to ask him to telegraph ahead to Zephyrhills to alert the station and sheriff there to stop the train.

  The sun lay low in the sky, golden shafts of light stabbing through the pines along the railbed. Neither man talked. Joe didn’t hear the sound of the horses’ hooves pounding into the dirt, their sharp breaths as they spurred them into a full gallop, or the creaking of saddle leather and jingle of bridles.

  All he heard in his mind was the sharp report his gun would make while putting a bullet through Junior and Senior’s heads.

  After another twenty minutes of riding, they caught sight of the train ahead of them. Joe screamed in triumph and dug his heels into his lathered steed’s side. The game animal responded with a snort and another burst of speed that took him past Mason. He heard Mason whooping behind him, using his reins to slap his horse’s withers to keep up.

  In another minute, they’d gained on the train. Relentless, they charged alongside, catching up and gaining ground, passing several stock and cargo cars before passing the five passenger cars. They didn’t bother trying to look in the windows as they passed, their goal the locomotive at the head of the metal beast.

  Joe pulled alongside the train and drew his pistol as he screamed at the engineer.

  “Pull the brake!”

  The soot-covered fireman looked up, startled, and reached for a rifle in a rack against the back window when Mason also rode up and pointed at the deputy star pinned to his shirt. “Stop this goddamned train right now! You’ve got a kidnapped woman on board!”

  The engineer and fireman looked at each other and shrugged. The engineer reached over and threw the brake while the fireman blew off the boiler.

  * * * *

  Katie heard but ignored the mild commotion on the other side of the train. One minor consideration she was glad for, she didn’t have to sit on the hotter western side of the train with the sun beating in on her through the window.

  She heard Junior and Senior remark about whatever was going on. When the train lurched and began to slow, Senior sent Junior up front to check it out. When the train finally came to a stop, Katie briefly considered jumping from her seat and bolting for the rear of the car. She entertained fleeing into the woods and evading the Dorchesters, maybe to find her way back to Brooksville.

  Then Senior’s meaty hand cruelly clamped down on her shoulder. “You wait here. If I have to hunt you down, no one will ever see you again.”

  She didn’t look away from the window, but managed a soft, chilly tone despite her fear. “If you don’t take your hand off me, Mr. Dorchester, you will wake up with a bloody stump.”

  Katie didn’t believe it when he released her as if she were a hot coal. “Watch your tongue with me,” he growled low enough no one else could hear. “You might awaken one morning without any teeth.” She didn’t breathe a trembling sigh of relief until she heard his heavy, lumbering stride head toward the front of the car.

  She closed her eyes and struggled against the tears threatening once again to flow. She wouldn’t cry in front of them.

  She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

  * * * *

  “There’s at least two men, the Dorchesters, with a woman. You see ’em?” Mason yelled over the sound of the steam blowing off.

  The engineer shook his head. “I don’t pay no attention to the passengers. That’s the conductor’s job.”

  “Where’s your conductor?”

  The engineer spit a mouthful of tobacco juice out of the cab, but away from the two mounted men. “In the caboose. Where the hell else you think he’s at?”

  Mason and Joe whirled their mounts around and were starting toward the rear of the train when the conductor, an older and overweight man, jumped down from the caboose and started waddling toward them, his face red with outrage.

  “Who the hell do you two think you are?” he puffed.

  Mason pointed at his badge. “Brooksville deputy. I’m searching for Miz Katherine Dorchester. She’s most likely with two men, Dorchester Junior and Senior.”

  “And she ain’t here willingly,” Joe chimed in. “I can damn sure guarantee you that. They forced her to go with them.”

  The conductor’s eyes widened. “She done been kidnapped?” His expression turned angry. “That explains why she looked so sad and upset. I knew there’s a problem from the get-go, but you know how them Dorchesters are, you don’t cross—”

  Mason waved the rest of the conductor’s comments away. “Where the hell are they?”

  “Coach three, about three quarters of the way back, if I recall.”

  Joe jumped down from his horse. “Which car is that?”

  The conductor waddled forward, taking the lead. “This way.”

  Joe and Mason exchanged a murderous glance as Mason dismounted. With their guns drawn, they followed the conductor toward the front of the train.

  * * * *

  Katie couldn’t believe her ears when she heard two familiar voices arguing with some of Dorchester’s men at the front of the car. She stood and caught sight of Mason, who drew his gun.

  Dorchester’s men raised their hands. “Joe, go find her,” Mason ordered.

  “You won’t get away with this!” Senior bellowed.

  “What, you mean rescuing the woman we love?” Mason said.

  Junior snorted, but didn’t lower his hands. “Woman? You mean whore, don’t you?”

  Joe decked him, sending him to the floor before he pushed his way through the throng and down the aisle to her. With a sob, she fell into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart, we’ve got you.”

  “He threatened to ruin you both, or even kill you if I didn’t do it!”

  “We know. Where’s your bag?” She pointed at the carpetbag in the rack above her. He grabbed it then grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him.

  “Is he going to arrest them?” she asked.

  Joe shook his head. “There’s too many of them. We just want to get you safely out of here and back home.”

  Senior glared at her as she passed. “You leave this train, you’re as good as dead.”

  She looked at him and, without thinking, shot her foot out, catching him squarely in the balls. Dorchester’s face turned purple as he clutched his crotch before crumpling to the floor.

  Then she leaned over and spit on him. “If I ever see you again, it’ll be a bullet I put between your eyes instead of buckshot in your ass, you son of a bitch.”

  Mason kept them covered as they raced through the exit, backing away from Dorchester’s men as Joe helped Katie down off the train. Mason put her bag on his horse as Joe mounted and swung her up behind him. Together again, they raced north toward Dade City and away from the train.

  Behind them, she heard Senior bellow, “You’ll live to regret this, Katherine!”

  She shivered and successfully managed to keep her upset stomach in check, but clutched Joe’s waist even more tightly. She’d never let go of her men again, no matter what the threat.

  * * * *

  It was late that night, with a cup of hot tea laced with whiskey in her to help soothe her stomach, that she told the full tale to Sheriff Birch at their kitchen table. Several armed deputies stood around, looking murderous as she related the tale and the threats, leaving out the specifics dealing with her men.

  Sheriff Birch scratched at his chin. “Seems like an awfully big risk for Dorchester to take just over a piece of property. I don’t know why
he’d do that.”

  Joe looked at Mason, who nodded. “Sheriff, you know why.” He looked at Katie and gripped her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Time for the truth, sweetheart.” He looked at all the gathered men, then back to the Sheriff. “Mason and I know you figured us out, Sheriff.” He took a deep breath. “Dorchester had his men spying on the three of us. They saw that Katie is…involved with both Mason and me.”

  He sent a defiant glare to the deputies, most of whom looked shocked. “Let me set something straight right now. Katie is marrying me, only because the law won’t allow her to marry both of us. We love her, and neither of us will ever walk away from her. We ain’t gonna hide who we are, either. If people think badly of us, that’s their problem, not ours. Dorchester used threats that he would ruin Mason and myself, as well as threats to have us killed, to force Katie to recant the story and withdraw the charges. Now, what’s worse? A man who will stoop to murder out of greed, or three people who truly love each other who aren’t hurting anyone else?”

  The deputies shifted nervously and looked at each other. Ben Ainsley spoke up. “I, for one, want to be the first to congratulate the three of you. Ain’t my business what you do, as long as no one’s being forced to do it. There’ll be a new scandal to take y’all’s place soon enough. I’d rather see Junior sitting behind bars next to his father than to waste time gossipin’.”

  The other deputies considered that for a moment before nodding in agreement.

  Sheriff Birch smiled. “That’s settled then. Let’s go get us a posse.” Mason started to join them when the sheriff turned, holding up a staying hand. “I’m ordering you to stay here and guard her. At least until we have those two bastards safely sitting in jail.”

  Mason smiled as he turned to Joe. “So when do you want to hold the wedding?”

  He laughed as he pulled Katie to him. “How about first thing in the morning?”

  The sheriff smiled. “Make it tomorrow afternoon. I want to be there.”

  “Yes, sir,” Katie said as she stared first at Joe, then at Mason. “Tomorrow afternoon it is.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Katie nervously studied her reflection in the mirror. She hoped Joe wouldn’t mind this was the same dress she wore when she married Paul. She’d awoken with her stomach feeling nervous and urpy again, but she imagined it was just leftover stress from the previous day’s events. After a cup of ginger tea for breakfast, she felt a little better.

  With misty eyes, she sat on the bed and held Paul’s picture. “I miss you so much, but they make me happy. They’re good men. I hope you don’t think wrong of me for doing this, but I love them both, and they love me.” She stroked the frame before lovingly setting it back on the shelf. She wound the clock next, taking a moment to dust it. Then she looked at the wedding ring on her left hand and carefully removed it, placing it on her right hand.

  It felt strange, but she knew in less than a few hours, Joe would be placing his own ring there.

  She heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. “Yes?”

  Mason stepped inside and closed the door behind her. At least he would give her away and hand her over to Joe. “You ready, sweetheart?”

  She nervously nodded. “How do I look?”

  He gathered her into his arms and thoroughly kissed her, taking a long moment to explore her mouth with his tongue. “Does that answer your question?” he hoarsely asked.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  He smiled. “Absolutely. And by the way, Ben Ainsley told me the story about us has already made the rounds of town, and we’ve still got people coming to the wedding. They’re just happy to see the Dorchesters out of everyone’s hair for good.”

  “Did they catch them?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet, but it’s just a matter of time. Everyone’s looking for them. They can’t hide for long.”

  She hugged him. “Do you think women will still chase you?”

  “I’m sure there will still be a few tenacious ladies dedicated to getting a ring on my finger, but I imagine most of them will get pitying looks for chasing a lost cause.”

  His expression turned serious. “But you listen to me. Even if someone were to talk about us, you let me and Joe handle them. You just ignore them if they’re nasty. I don’t give a whit, and neither does Joe, what people say. They’re going to say what they want to say regardless of what the truth is. The only truth that matters is that the three of us love each other.” He kissed her again. “Understand?”

  She nodded. “Absolutely.”

  Ben Ainsley and two other deputies waited outside with the buggy. Joe had already ridden into town and was waiting for them there. Reverend Anderson had agreed to perform the ceremony at the church even though he now knew the truth about the three of them.

  As Mason helped her up into the buggy, the three deputies took up position behind it, on guard for any sign of the Dorchesters or their men. Joe had arranged for two of their ranch hands to guard the house while they were gone.

  Katie suspected the Dorchesters would never make trial. Not because of their money or influence, but because they were pretty well despised in the area. No one would shed a tear over them if they disappeared or ended up dead in a gunfight.

  She voted for disappeared. There was a lot of thick piney woods in the area. A body could be hidden and never found.

  Even someone as fat as Senior.

  Katie clung to Mason for the entire ride. She was startled to see nearly a hundred people gathered at the church to witness the wedding. Fear set in. Would they call her a whore and berate her and her men for this?

  Judging from the smiles on people’s faces, which well outweighed the occasional disapproving frown, they wouldn’t.

  Katie felt like she was living a dream as Mason walked her down the aisle, handing her over to Joe, who stood waiting for her with a big smile on his face.

  When the reverend launched into the vows, Katie could barely focus on what she was supposed to say. Her entire focus was on Joe’s blue eyes.

  “Do you, Katherine, take Joseph to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

  Unable to pull her gaze away from Joe, she nodded. “I do.”

  He smiled as the preacher repeated the vows for him.

  Joe nodded. “I do.”

  “Do you have a ring?”

  Mason, who was also Joe’s best man, handed it to him. Katie fought back a fresh round of tears as she watched Joe slip it on her finger.

  “By the power invested in me by God, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Joe took her into his arms and laid one on her that set the whole church applauding and nearly took her breath away. Then he whispered something to Mason, who stepped in and also kissed her. She felt her face turn beet red, but didn’t miss the second round of applause that followed.

  Joe and Mason both smiled at her. “There, see? The secret is out.”

  Her stomach felt a little nervous again, but she returned their smile. The men both escorted her to the Fellowship Hall, where their friends had prepared a small reception, complete with cake. Katie managed to eat a little, eager to be away from everyone despite receiving nothing but congratulations and well-wishes from those in attendance.

  Finally, in a shower of rice, they made their way to the buggy. With Mason’s horse tied to the back, the three of them climbed on and left for home with two deputies following them. Only once they were safely back at the ranch did the deputies leave.

  At the front door, the men stood, their heads bent in quiet discussion.

  “What’s wrong?” Katie asked.

  They turned. “We’re trying to figure out who gets to carry you across the threshold first,” Mason said. “Joe says it should be me, I say it should be him.”

  She rolled her eyes. “How about you both do it?” She held up her arms and the men caught on. Standing on either side of her, she draped her arms over their shoulders while they locked
hands underneath her, supporting her butt.

  Laughing, the three of them squeezed through the door. “There, was that so hard?” she quipped when they set her back on her feet.

  “No,” Mason said from in front of her, “but I am.”

  Joe pressed his body along the back of hers. “Me, too.”

  She felt their hard cocks. Finally, her stomach had settled enough she knew she could enjoy their attentions. “Then let’s take care of that.” Taking their hands, she led them to her bedroom where the men slowly undressed her.

  Lying down on the bed, she watched their nearly identical passionate expressions as they undressed. Both of their gorgeous cocks stood at rigid attention as they climbed into bed on either side of her.

  They were hers for life.

  How did I get so lucky?

  They both smiled at her. “Well, Mrs. Lansing,” Joe said, “what would you like to do first?”

  She couldn’t help but smile at their playful grins. “I want the two of you to fuck me silly, that’s what.”

  Mason reached for the jar of lotion. “Ooh, a woman who knows what she wants. I’m in love.”

  Joe pulled her on top of him. He buried a hand in her tresses, pulling her down to him and kissing her, teasing her with his tongue and making her squirm against him. She wanted his cock inside her, and he wouldn’t let her mount him.

  Mason laughed. “Aw, Joe, you’re being mean to your new wife. Give her what she wants.”

  Joe released her hair and, without breaking their kiss, unerringly put his hands on her hips and let her get into position. With a happy sigh, she felt his thick member sink home, slowly stretching her pussy and filling her to her very womb.

  Mason wasted no time kneeling behind her, slicking her ass with the lotion and pressing his cock against the tight ring of muscle.

  “Breathe, baby,” he said with a grunt as he slowly pushed home.

  First the slightly uncomfortable pinching burn as her body struggled to stretch and accept him, then the pleasantly full feeling as he pressed onward until his entire cock was completely buried inside her ass.