Figuring he wasn’t all that opposed to another kiss after all, she made another attempt to wiggle a kiss out of him, but he shook his head.
“Not until you shoot another bottle,” he said. “That was the agreement you made.”
She let out a moan but shook her head in amusement. “You’re a hard man to please, you know that?”
“If you wanted kisses without shooting a bottle, you should have specified that.”
Chuckling, she decided to let him win this particular battle. She stepped away from him and picked the next bottle she wanted to shoot. It took her three tries to knock it off the post, but when she did, she let out another cheer and faced him, waiting for him to give her another kiss.
“I would,” he began, gesturing behind her, “but we have company, and I don’t think she wants to watch us kiss.”
She turned around and saw her mother heading toward them. Glancing at Abe, she said, “You owe me one.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do more than kiss you later when we’re alone,” he replied.
The heated look he gave her sent a shiver of pleasure straight through her. Who knew the intimate life of a married couple could be so wonderful?
Abe retrieved the revolver from his holster and gave it to her mother when she reached them. “I’m going to put more bottles up, so hold off on the shooting until I’m back.”
“I had no idea he had such a good sense of humor,” Phoebe told her mother in a low voice so he wouldn’t overhear.
“It’s nice to see you in love,” her mother replied with a smile. “I was praying you’d find a good man you could be happy with when you started answering those ads.”
“Things didn’t happen the way either of us expected, but it did work out. It’s just as you said. I had to give it time.”
“It’s easier for someone my age to talk about giving things time. The older you get, the more patient you become.”
“Sometimes I’m actually grateful to Carl Richie for doing what he did. I know the way he went about it was wrong, but it brought us here and I’ve never been happier in all my life.”
“That’s the important thing. And Abe’s just as happy. It all worked out for the best.” Her mother’s eyes twinkled. “Actually, it worked out better than I hoped.”
Abe came over to them. “You sure you feel comfortable handling a gun?” he asked her mother.
“I can handle it,” she said. “I just need to brace myself better when I pull the trigger. I won’t fall back today.”
“At least Abe caught you before you landed on the ground,” Phoebe added, unable to avoid laughing. “I warned you there was a kickback.”
“Yes, I know,” her mother replied, “but you made it look like it was nothing at all to just stand and shoot.”
“It got easier the more I practiced,” Phoebe admitted. “I don’t even think about it anymore.”
“Practice makes everything easier,” Abe said. “You’ll do fine today. Remember to keep your arms and wrists straight out.”
As her mother got ready to shoot, Phoebe couldn’t help but notice Abe went behind her mother. “You think she’s going to fall back again?” she asked him.
“I didn’t say that,” he replied.
“Don’t give him a hard time, Phoebe,” her mother said, a sparkle in her eye. “He’s watching out for an old woman.”
“You have a young heart,” he replied.
“Ma does have a young heart,” Phoebe agreed. “How old we feel is often in our minds.”
“If only the body would cooperate better,” her mother mused.
“You do fine for someone your age,” Abe said. “It’s often how we feel inside that affects what we’re able to do. If you believe you can shoot well, you will.”
“That’s true.” Phoebe gestured to the bottle in front of her. “Go for it, Ma. Give that bottle what’s coming to it.”
Her mother laughed then fired the Colt. The bullet didn’t even come close to the bottle, but it didn’t go up like the others had. And more than that, she didn’t fall back.
“You did better that time,” Phoebe assured her. “Try again.”
Her mother nodded and shot again. Though she still didn’t get close, her aim was even more level with the bottle. “I’m afraid it’s going to take me longer than you to get the hang of this,” she told Phoebe.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes to reach a goal as long as you get it.”
“You’re right. When you put it like that, I don’t seem so bad.”
“You’re doing more than some women would do,” Abe spoke up. “You’ll get there.”
Phoebe met Abe’s gaze and smiled. She’d underestimated how patient he was. Oh, she knew he was patient. He’d been patient with her while she was learning how to do the chores around the place. But he was especially kind in his instructions, and she couldn’t help but love him all the more for it. Yes, Carl Richie had done her a favor by posting the ad on Abe’s behalf. She couldn’t have ended up with anyone better.
***
Phoebe kept her legs wrapped around Abe’s waist, reluctant to part from him after their lovemaking. The loft was quickly becoming her favorite place. Yes, they usually slept in the cabin at night, but from time to time, they would find a reason to go up into the loft during the day to enjoy each other. More often than not, she was the one who instigated their lovemaking, as had been the case today.
At the moment, he was kissing her neck, his actions now lazy since they’d both exhausted their passion. She sighed in contentment and ran her hands up and down his back. He brought his lips to hers, and soon, their tongues were intertwining.
She was quickly learning there were different kinds of kisses. There were those that they gave each other during the day that didn’t lead to more. They were more like a hello or a quick way to say, “I love you.” Then there were those that did lead to more. Those had more passion in them. The ones they shared during lovemaking were, by far, the most passionate.
The kiss they were currently sharing was more gentle and slower. It seemed to express a tender thankfulness for the fact that they were together.
When the kiss ended, he asked, “Wasn’t I supposed to be teaching you how to ride a horse?”
She offered a playful shrug. “We did make it to the barn.”
“Yes, but you cornered me as I was getting the reins, and the next thing I know I’m up here.”
She ran her leg down his, noting the way her action made his eyes darken in desire. Besides the kissing, she was quickly learning how to seduce him. “I don’t recall you protesting.”
“It’s hard to protest when a beautiful woman is kissing you and touching you in a certain place.”
“That certain place was already hard by the time I touched it.” Which was something else she’d learned. When he had an erection, he most definitely wanted to make love. She ran her fingers through his hair and shot him a wicked grin. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel better when it’s inside me. I feel better when it’s in me.” Then, noting the way he lengthened inside her, she clenched around him.
He let out a low groan. “I’m never going to get any of the chores done if I keep taking you with me.”
“But we weren’t going to do a chore. We were going to ride horses. Tell me the truth, wasn’t it much more fun to do this instead?”
“Alright, yes, it was. This is always going to be more fun,” he admitted. “But you need to learn to ride one. What if I get injured or sick and can’t make it to town to get the doctor? There are good reasons why you might need to ride a horse. You can’t always hook it to a wagon.”
“You’re right. I might need to ride a horse in the future, and it’d be good to learn how to do it. Everything you’re teaching me is useful, Abe. I might get distracted from time to time, but I am a quick learner.”
“That’s true. You do learn fast.”
“See? It’ll all work out. Just like with everything else you wanted me to
do, I’ll learn to ride a horse.”
“I want you to learn today.”
“I’ll learn today. I promise.”
She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him. She intentionally let her lips linger on his. Then, for added measure, she clenched around his erection again, aware he was, most definitely, ready for more lovemaking. Her tongue brushed his bottom lip in silent encouragement for him to forget about the horse for the moment and focus on her.
The ploy worked. He started kissing her in earnest, his tongue sweeping her mouth. Having successfully managed to get him exactly where she wanted him, she opted to urge him to roll onto his back so she could be on top this time.
Then, out of curiosity, she turned her back to him and straddled him, taking him inside her. She leaned forward and lifted her hips. She let him slide partly out of her before she lowered herself back on top of him. She released a groan. She hadn’t expected the movement to feel that good, but this particular position was allowing him to stroke a part deep in her core that the other positions hadn’t.
Intrigued, she repeated the action, lifting her hips and then bringing them back down. She bit her lower lip and did it a third time. This time, she was rewarded with a moan from Abe. He brought his hands to her hips and squeezed them.
“Don’t stop, sweetheart,” he whispered then lifted his own hips so he was deeper inside her.
He guided her hips in a rhythm that soon had her rocking over him in earnest, and before long, she reached the peak. Crying out, she stilled, only briefly aware he was still thrusting in her, his movements fast as he sought his own climax, something that served to prolong her own state of bliss. He grew taut, his penis throbbing in her as he filled her with his seed.
After they both descended back to earth, she got off him and snuggled up against him. He brought her into his arms and kissed her, once more showing her how thankful he was they were together. And she, in turn, kissed him back with the same gratitude.
They would linger in the loft for a while and keep kissing, she knew. But then, she’d be good and learn how to ride the horse. It was important to him, and she would do it. Maybe afterward, though, she might talk him into coming back up to the loft for one more tryst before she had to help her mother with supper.
Chapter Twenty-One
Clinking metal scraps broke Abe out of a sound sleep. He bolted up in the bed, taking a moment to process what he needed to do. But only a moment. Those metal scraps served as his only warning. There was trouble, and he didn’t have time to delay. His uncle made that mistake, and it cost him his life.
Abe got out of bed and slipped on his clothes, trying to be quiet so he wouldn’t alarm Phoebe. It was best she stay out of whatever was going on. No doubt, it had something to do with that day in town when Enoch tried to take advantage of Phoebe. He knew Enoch and Benny wouldn’t let the matter go. Those types never did.
Just as he grabbed the Colt from his drawer, Phoebe sat up and yawned. “What’s going on?”
“Shh…” He gestured to the open window then hurried over to her. “Someone’s out there,” he whispered. “I have to take care of it.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she suddenly seemed alert. “You think they’re here to hurt us?”
“Why else would they be sneaking around in the middle of the night?” Before she could respond, he said, “Go to your mother and hide in the attic in her bedroom. No one will find you there.”
He caught the sound of a horse approaching. The person was heading to the barn. Good news. At least for now. It would buy Phoebe and her mother time.
“Get to the attic,” he whispered. “I don’t want anything to happen to you or your ma.”
From there, he slipped out of the room and quietly made his way to the window in the kitchen. In the moonlight that filtered through the trees, he saw someone sliding off his horse. Even in the dark, he could tell who it was because of the man’s taller than average height. Benny.
But was he alone? There had only been one round of clinking from the metal scraps. It was possible someone following him managed to bypass the metal. The second person would definitely have an advantage.
Abe went to the window in the main area of the cabin, but he didn’t see anyone else. Still, he had to be careful. He lifted his gun and watched as Benny entered the barn.
Was Benny there to give him a warning? If he wanted to hurt him or one of the women, he would have come to the cabin. So by going to the barn, he might be sending Abe a warning.
Sometimes Abe wondered if Phoebe thought he was being paranoid, but at times like this, he thought he wasn’t paranoid enough. He probably should have dug holes along the property and covered them up. Then Benny might have fallen into one, and they would all be safe right now. Or he could have laid out a net, which would have caught Benny and captured him. Of course, Benny might have missed the hole or net, but it would have been one more level of protection.
Abe shook his head. No sense in worrying about that right now. If he survived this, he could dig holes or set up a trap to catch someone in a net later. Right now, he had to focus on getting rid of Benny.
He left the cabin, careful to search the property. He detected no one else. Benny was in the barn. Abe decided to take the chance Benny didn’t see him and swiftly made his way to the barn. The only thing he had on his side was the element of surprise.
With a glance around him, he saw no one else. Well, so far, so good. He turned his attention back to the barn and peeked in through the opening. Benny’s back was to him.
Abe snuck into the barn, glancing once more to make sure there was no one else around.
Benny lit a match and held it above the hay near the trough.
Abe put the gun up to the base of Benny’s neck. “Don’t drop that,” Abe said.
Benny hesitated, holding the match out, and Abe figured the man was weighing the pros and cons of releasing it.
“Who came with you?” Abe asked. Might as well find out who might be lingering in the shadows, waiting to make a move, even if he still didn’t see anyone. When Benny didn’t answer, he pushed the gun into the base of his neck. “You’re on my land, Benny, and on this land there are lots of hiding places. I can shoot you and bury your worthless hide. No one will find you. So if you think I’m not willing to shoot, you got another thing coming.”
Assured there was no one in the barn, Abe looked back through the doorway, scanning as much of the cabin as he could make out in the dark.
“Blow out the match,” he told Benny.
For a moment, he didn’t think Benny was going to do it, but then Benny did.
Abe frowned. That was too easy. Once more, he scanned his surroundings. What else was going on? What was he missing? He grabbed Benny’s collar and forced him to arch his back toward him so he could whisper in Benny’s ear, “Who did you bring with you?”
“You shoot me, they’ll hang you,” Benny hissed. “If I go missing, they’ll know you did it. I don’t care where you hide my body.”
Abe gritted his teeth. Benny had set a trap, and like an idiot, he fell right into it. Benny had every intention of Abe finding him, and he was taking a chance Abe wouldn’t shoot. But Abe couldn’t shoot. Not when he knew doing so would hurt his chances of finding the other person, or people. Benny wasn’t the only one in town who’d love to see him hang.
Abe glanced around the barn, wondering where might be a good place for him to hide. As it was, he was too exposed. Anyone could see him. The only thing holding them back from shooting was probably the fact that he had Benny in a delicate position.
Yanking on Benny’s collar, he forced him to go with him into the corner of the barn where he could hide in the shadows. He looked around for something to tie Benny up with, but the rope was too far and he doubted Benny would sit still while he retrieved it.
“This is better than you deserve, you piece of filth,” Abe whispered before he slammed the butt of the gun on the side of
Benny’s head.
Benny slumped forward, unconscious. Abe hurried to the window and peaked out the corner of it, making sure no one would see him. After he studied the cabin, he searched for any signs that someone else was there. He tightened his grip on the gun. Someone had to be out there, biding their time to make their move. He just wished he knew who it was and where they were, so he could make a plan to stop them.
His gaze went back to the cabin. He hoped Phoebe and her mother were in the attic. For all he knew, someone could be in there already. It was stupid to leave the cabin. He thought he’d taken care of everything, but he forgot how vulnerable it made a man to have women under his care. If it was just him, there wouldn’t be that surge of panic rushing through him right now. This must have been how his uncle felt that night Gene Carter came on their property.
Abe glanced around him, once again making sure no one else was in the barn. No. There wasn’t. He released his breath and turned his attention back to the cabin. Maybe there was no one else. Maybe Benny had come out here by himself, wanting to set the barn on fire, to issue a warning. Abe ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face.
He didn’t know what to think. All he knew was that he should have set more traps along the property. Did his uncle go through the same doubts, thinking over all the things he should have done to better secure the place?
What if Abe had overlooked something small but important that would be his undoing? What if he hadn’t done enough to protect Phoebe and her mother?
He hated this. He hated feeling helpless. He wiped the sweat from his brow and focused on the cabin while listening to every little sound around him. Was he better off getting to the cabin or staying here? Just what was the exact nature of the threat? He caressed the trigger of the gun. Oh man, if only he knew what to do.
A couple of gunshots fired from the cabin, and he bolted out of the barn. He didn’t think to stop and see if anyone was hiding among the trees. At the moment, none of that mattered. All he kept thinking was someone found Phoebe and her mother.
The Convenient Mail Order Bride Page 16