Chapter Twelve
“It’s too damn dark to see anything!” Mac complained as he knelt on the ground trying to see some signs he could read to figure out where Emily took her mother. “Emily knows hundreds of places to hide out, Doc Z. She’s better at tracking than I am,” he admitted, and she’s been everywhere in all directions. My guess is that she wouldn’t kidnap the woman just to kill her, and that is what worries me. What is she up to?”
“It might not be Emily who kidnapped her mother. It could be someone who knows how wealthy the woman is and is after a ransom.
Mac shook his head, and then he chuckled. “I know it’s not funny, but if some fool asks Emily for a ransom, she would tell them to go straight to hell so fast it would be a real shock to the kidnapper…!” He chuckled again. “Someone is barking up the wrong tree, my friend, if that is the case. And, it still doesn’t tell us where Em is hiding out.”
They heard someone coming, and as a precaution, Mac drew his gun and had it at the ready. The figure was small, and he would recognize that body anywhere. He holstered his gun and waited for his wife to come closer. “Emily, where have you been?” he demanded as he pulled her off her mount to hold her close.
“I needed to be alone, Mac. You were suffocating me. I went to the lake and went swimming nearly all day. I came home just long enough for Mr. Andrews to come by the house; he wanted to know what you were doing to find whoever kidnapped my mother. I found out where the stage was stopped, and rode out here to see what you know about everything.”
“I know that my worst fear has been taken care of,” he said, hugging her and giving thanks that his wife was not the kidnapper. “Thank God you’re here and innocent,” he whispered emotionally.
“I was worried that you took her because you didn’t trust me not to shoot her down…” Emily was relieved to learn that Mac hadn’t gone against his principles just for her.
Henry chuckled. “I’m glad that you are both in the dark about this kidnapping, but we still have a job to do. Emily, if you kidnapped someone and wanted to hold them for ransom, where would you take them to hide them?” he asked of the redhead.
*****
Sylvia cried out in shock and pain when Hiram started spanking her. “What did I do? What did I do, Hiram? I’m sorry, whatever I did! Please don’t spank me!” Her poor posterior was so sore that each spank fell on flesh that was sensitive as could be. “Oh, stop!” she begged of him.
Hiram gave her one more resounding spank, and then put her on her feet again. “I never want to hear you say anything so foolish again, young lady.”
“I won’t say it again if you just tell me what I said to upset you, Hiram.”
Sylvia, are you trying to set off my temper?” he demanded.
“No, I’m not.” She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. “Please don’t spank me again, Hiram. I hurt so much already.” Tears ran down her cheeks, making Hiram feel guilty.
“You said you didn’t think you were worthy of me, Sylvia, and that is just not true. I won’t hear you putting yourself down like that, do you hear me?” he demanded, giving her one shake. “You are worthy of me and I want you to say it out loud, right now, or I’m going to toss up your skirts and spank you so soundly you won’t sit the rest of this week and part of the next!”
“I’m sorry I made you so angry, Hiram. I didn’t mean it exactly the way you took it. I meant that you are such a good person, that it would be hard for me to live up to your goodness. Look at all you have done for me and little Kathy. I don’t know what makes me so special… Why you picked me to help, but I am so thankful. Oh, Hiram, for the first time in a very long time I feel like I am alive. Like I have a purpose, and it is you who has brought about the change in me.”
“You are the one doing the hard part, Sylvia. You are more than worthy of my help. Please tell me you understand that.”
Sylvia realized that Hiram was serious. He wanted to hear that she was his equal. “I do understand, Hiram. I know that God loves us all, but may I please believe that you are a little higher on the ladder of being helpful and good than I am? I promise to climb those rungs and join you at the top, but right now you are a good and wonderful example to me.”
“Sylvia, you are making it difficult for me to spank the daylights out of you when you keep saying such nice things about me!” Hiram was frustrated.
Sylvia put her hand on his cheek and caressed him, and then she stood on tiptoe and pulled his head down so that she could kiss him tenderly. “Thank you for being you, Hiram.”
“Sylvia, I hope you mean this because I am falling hard for you. I don’t want to rush you into marriage, but my feelings for you are deep and there is no denying that I want you for my wife.”
“We will take the time to be sure, but I feel as you do,” she told him. “Will you kiss me again?” she asked, and he did.
*****
“How do you expect us to sleep in this dingy shack?” Zinnia Craig demanded in her shrill voice. “This place is filthy.”
“It’s filthy because no one has lived here for some time. The man died of lung disease. He had no relatives to leave the land to, so he left it to a church in town. They intend to rent it out when they can find someone who is willing to live this far out of town. There is still a threat from the Apaches, so not too many folks are willing to take the chance of living and working here.”
“And you brought me here?!” Zinnia exclaimed. “What will you do if the Apache show up here?”
“I’ll give you to them. I’m sure you’ll appreciate their cruelty,” Lucy promptly replied.
“Why are you tormenting me so? What business is it of yours how I treat Sharon?”
“She is my friend.”
“You are just after her money!” Zinnia screeched. “I’ll see you dead before you touch a penny!”
“You truly are evil. I’ve already told you that I come from wealth; I do not need or want money. I’ll check the rabbit and see if it is ready to eat; I’m starving.”
“How do you expect me to eat when I am tied to this chair?” Zinnia complained, her voice strident. “And how do I know that rabbit is safe? You might be planning to give me tainted food!”
“Zinnia, a bullet is much quicker and more accurate,” Lucy told her. “Oh my God, I am so glad that Emily is nothing like you. She surely takes after her father.”
“That low-life bastard raped me and got me with child!” Zinnia screamed. “I hate him so much.”
“He didn’t rape you; you were his wife, and married people have children, if God blesses them. I don’t understand why He permitted you to have a child when you so obviously aren’t fit to be a mother, but He did, and Emily is the sweetest person I have ever met, thanks to her father and Dove.”
“Her father was a no good son of a bitch! He stole my daughter from me!”
“Your daughter left with the parent who loved her and the one who didn’t abuse her.”
“She doesn’t deserve happiness after leaving me alone. I had to lie to everyone when they asked about her. First, she distorts my body, makes me ill, keeps me home for months on end so that no one can see me looking so ugly, and then she gives me agony by being born. Her father was so happy, and I wanted to kill them both. I will not allow her to stay here with this so-called Sheriff. She deserves to pay for all she put me through!”
Lucy wished she could say she was surprised or stunned, but Zinnia was simply a female version of the evil that was her father. “It is really too bad that you and my father didn’t meet each other; you are exactly alike.” She shook her head, and then added, “That is not a compliment, Zinnia. If I didn’t love Emily like a sister, I would let her kill you. If I were you, I would shut up because I have a terrible temper, and if you persist in spewing evil, I will probably shoot you dead and not feel any remorse.”
“I will see you in prison forever for keeping me here like this. I might have known that Sharon’s friends would all be criminals.” Zinni
a kept talking, but Lucy didn’t answer her. She was at the end of her patience, and if she paid attention to Zinnia’s insults, she would very well slap the daylights out of the older woman.
*****
“See, there is smoke coming from the chimney. Someone is in there.”
“I want you to stay right here, Emily. Hear me?” Mac asked.
“I hear you, Mac.” Emily had no intention of obeying, however. She was going to do her best to protect her husband.
“Doc Z, you watch the back so no one escapes that way.”
“Got it, Mac.”
Mac stayed low as he approached the cabin. Whoever was in there obviously wasn’t concerned about anyone finding them in the cabin. Who knows? Maybe the church found someone to rent the place from them? He kicked open the door and pointed his gun. “What the…? Doc Z, I’ve found your wife,” he called loudly. “Lucy, your butt is in so much trouble. What the hell do you think you are doing?”
“I took this evil woman into protective custody until you could find Emily, and the Judge got here to send this one back where she came from. You have to keep Emily away from her, Mac!”
“Too late, Lucy,” Emily said as she entered the cabin and leveled her gun on Zinnia. “Hello, Mother,” she said calmly.
“Honey, please put the gun away.” Mac took a step toward Emily, hoping he could distract her enough he could disarm her.
“She isn’t worth hanging, Em,” Lucy said softly. “You are five times, no… you are ten times better than she is. She is stupid, hateful, mean, and cruel. Everything you said about her is true, and the best thing you can do is let her live with herself. She is miserable.”
“Emily, I know you are upset, but killing her won’t take away your pain,” Henry said. “Please, honey, hand Mac the gun and step back. I promise you that we will protect you from her.”
“Maybe I should just shoot her right between the eyes and rid the world of her ugly presence?”
“Sharon, how dare you behave in such a crude manner? You are wearing pants, and you look positively uncouth! I demand that you stop this nonsense and come home with me where you belong.”
“I am married, and I am not going anywhere with you. In fact, I wouldn’t go with you if I wasn’t married and I was starving to death. Are you capable of hearing and understanding what I am saying?”
“I will beat that sharp tongue right out of you!” Zinnia threatened.
“And that is where Father made his mistake; he should have taken his belt to you a few times. However, he was a gentleman and he didn’t want to humiliate or upset you. He was too good for you, Mother.” Emily holstered her gun and then turned to Mac. “I’m ready to go home, darling. You are right; she is nothing to me, and she can’t harm me in any way.”
“The Judge will send her packing, I promise you that, Em.” Mac was so relieved that Emily put away her gun and seemed calmer.
“I demand you arrest this woman for kidnapping me!” Zinnia ordered. “And you can keep your filthy hands off of Sharon. This so-called marriage will soon be annulled. I am Sharon’s Mother, and I won’t permit her to be married to you!”
“You have no say, thank goodness,” Mac said forcefully. “And Lucy was acting as my assistant by taking you in protective custody until I could locate my wife and make sure she wasn’t going to take judicial matters into her own hands. You mistreated my wife, and you will never do so again.”
“How are we going to get her to town?” Henry was doing his best to tend to logistics instead of focusing on the switching he was going to give his wife when he got her home.
“I put her fat ass on a horse to bring her here, so she can ride that poor animal into town.” Lucy was less than thrilled to be taking Zinnia to town, but it was the only way to be rid of her. She wanted Emily to be safe, and she wasn’t going to permit her friend to commit murder, no matter how much she wanted to do so. Of course, Lucy was in trouble with Henry, but that couldn’t be helped. As long as he didn’t scold her in front of that odious woman, she could handle what he dished out. It would be worth it to know that Emily was safe. Lucy also wanted to thank Mac for backing her up. He could have arrested her if he’d been of a mind to, but he wanted Emily to be safe as much as Lucy did.
Emily thought that her mother was pathetic. She kept harping on taking ‘Sharon’ home with her, and no one paid any attention to her threats. Zinnia also insisted she would have Lucy arrested. Mac couldn’t wait until the Judge arrived to deal with her and send her home. Mac kept an eye on Emily as they slowly rode back to town. It was obvious that Zinnia hadn’t been on horseback for years and she complained constantly. Em seemed to take great delight in that, but she kept her mouth shut, or talked to Lucy about other things not related to Zinnia, which also irritated the woman. It was obvious that she was used to being the center of everything, and no one was giving her the attention she felt she deserved.
Finally, they reached town. “Em, you go on to the house and I’ll be there as soon as I see Zinnia to a room for the night.”
“You can’t expect me to stay in a hotel in this place? Why, there is probably lice and bedbugs everywhere!” Zinnia argued, balking at the thought of the accommodations available to her. I assumed that I would stay with Sharon!”
“You are not welcome in our home, Mrs. Craig. The hotel is the only place there is to put up visitors. You can either stay there or go and sleep in the stable. Of course, there might be a cowboy or two in there sleeping off a drunk, but that is the risk you take.”
“How a daughter of mine could marry someone so uncouth is beyond me! When will that judge be here so I can take Sharon home?”
“I hope he is here tomorrow. The sooner he sends you on your way, the better!” Once Mac was positive that Zinnia was taken care of until morning, he stepped outside to find Doc Z and Lucy standing there.
“Were you able to get her a room for the night?” Henry asked.
“Yes, thankfully. I swear, I don’t know what I would have done with her if they were full up.”
“That is why we waited. We wouldn’t expect you to take her home with you; Emily would have a fit,” Henry said knowingly.
“Lucy, thank you so much for what you did. Taking that old harridan off the stage was a brilliant idea. I was so afraid that Em would shoot her, and I just couldn’t arrest my own wife. I love her, and I love you and Henry for being such good friends. Doc Z, I know you aren’t happy with this lovely lady, but I hope you won’t be harsh with her. She was doing her best to protect my Emily, and I promise I will never, ever forget it.” Mac leaned down, kissed Lucy on the cheek, and whispered another thank you before walking away fast. He didn’t want to show his tears to anyone.
Henry took Lucy’s hand and walked her toward their home, but he continued to the edge of town, which surprised her. He took out his knife, handed it to her, and then said, “Cut three switches and prepare them, Lucinda. You know how I feel about what you did. What if the stage coach driver pulled his shotgun and fired at you? Good God, Lucinda! Couldn’t you think of anything else but kidnapping the woman? You know damn well that she is going to tell the Judge you kidnapped her. The stage driver will testify to it as well, and Mr. Andrews will want you prosecuted. He is a real prick.”
“Henry, you don’t need three switches to make a point,” Lucy said. Now that the time to pay up was here she was having second thoughts. “I was very careful when I approached the stage coach. Believe me, I didn’t want to get shot. All I wanted to do was take that horrid woman and stash her where she couldn’t hurt Emily in any way. I’m sorry you were frightened.”
“I told you to cut and prepare three switches. Do it quickly or we’ll be preparing four of them.” Henry didn’t want his wife to think he approved of her actions even though he understood. Lucy didn’t give him any more argument, which he thought was strange. She quietly did as he instructed, and then walked home with him. They went up the steps leading to their kitchen, and Henry asked, “When did you
get another pair of pants, Lucinda? Didn’t I tell you not to wear them?”
“They are perfect at times, but I won’t be wearing them again!” She blurted out the words.
“I’m going to set fire to them while you are wearing them and then they are going in the stove. Take off your gun belt,” he ordered in a tone of voice that meant to be obeyed at once. Again Lucy was very cooperative and Henry didn’t know what to think. He pulled out a chair from the table and then took a seat. “Come here and lie over my knee.”
“Darling, you will be very upset with me if I don’t warn you that you will be upset with yourself if you are harsh with me. I admit that I disobeyed you by wearing pants and strapping on a gun. I know that you do not approve of me stepping into things that aren’t my business, but Emily is our friend. When Mac came here and said she was missing, the only thing I could think of to do that might protect her was to get her mother someplace where Em couldn’t find her. I know it was drastic, but I love Emily like a sister, and I know what it is like to have a horrible, evil parent. I probably do deserve a spanking, but I need to speak up and ask you to have care. I am with child, Henry.” Lucy couldn’t help but giggle at the dumbfounded expression on his face.
“Is this true, Lucy?” Henry asked, delighted.
“Yes, darling. It is true. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure, but I have missed my monthly flow for three months now, and I am increasing in size. I won’t be able to wear pants again for a really long time, and my other clothing is getting tighter already.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him in excitement. “Are you happy, darling?”
“Of course I am.”
“Are you still going to spank me?” she asked.
“I should, but I can’t. You have to promise me you will behave, Lucy!”
“I promise, darling!”
Emily Page 14