“Thank you,” Emma stated softly.
“For what? I didn’t do anything.”
“You did, you just don’t know it yet.”
“Well, um…I guess we need to decide where to go from here. I kinda feel like…well…”
“I don’t have any place to go. I have no family and no money. I know you don’t know me and you have no responsibility toward me, but I can’t go back there. I’d be downright appreciative if I could go with you…at least until I figure out what to do.” Emma’s face turned pink.
“You’re welcome to stay with me for as long as you want. As for goin’ back to that place…I don’t think so. That line of work ain’t for you, and I’d die ‘fore you went back there.”
“So, um…think I can know your name?” Emma asked. She pulled the blanket around her tighter, before settling back on the bed, her eyes darting around the room.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Rayne.”
“Mathews? Luke and Martha… were they your kin?”
“Yeah…did you know ‘em?”
“Enough to know they were good people. She always spoke to me never treated me differently than she did any other woman she encountered. Even though I was just a cleaning girl. Not like a lot of the other women around here.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m hearing. Guess I missed out on getting to know ‘em better. Shoot, last time I seen ‘em I was only a sprout … maybe eight years old.”
“So you’re all right with me stayin’ until I figure out what to do?”
“Of course you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Mind you, it ain’t much to look at right now but its home. I had to do some quick repairs the other day since it seems that someone decided it was a good idea to throw stones through my windows. I hope that don’t scare ya off.”
“Trust me, after the week I’ve had, I don’t think broken windows will worry me much. Unless, of course, it’s in the middle of the night. Then I’m sure you’ll come runnin’ cuz I promise I’ll be screamin’.” Emma shivered and pulled the blanket closer.
Rayne saw the terror cross Emma’s face and kept her distance. “You’re safe with me. Trust me, if anyone comes around in the middle of the night, ol’ Lucifer will have them screamin’,” Rayne said, smiling.
“Lucifer? Um, what or who is Lucifer?”
“Lucifer is my dog…well actually, he ain’t mine. He just showed up one day and decided to stick around. Follows me like my shadow
“So you’re kind of a beacon for strays?”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” Rayne chuckled at that statement. “So, um, it’s late and we need an early start in the mornin’. I suppose we should get some shut eye.”
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I’m usually not so chatty. I just feel like I’ve known you all my life. I’ll just settle down on the floor so you can have your bed.” She started to rise.
“No, that’s all right. You stay where you are. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No, I can’t do that to you after all you done. Besides, I’m kinda still a little…I don’t know…would you mind sharing the bed? I’d feel safe with you here and I think I might be able to sleep better if you were next to me.” Emma stared at the blanket.
“Oh, well yeah, I’m sure you are …um…sure I can do that.” Rayne’s fingers immediately went to her hair, running through it as she looked nervously out the window unsure as to what to do.
Emma moved over and slid off the bed then pulled the blankets down before quickly sliding under them.
Rayne had seen how apprehensive Emma was and had turned to give the blonde some privacy. She moved to sit on the bed and slide her boots off, then slowly undid her shirt and pulled it off, stood to do the same to her pants, and then slid under the blankets still dressed in her long johns. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling. It felt so right being next to the other woman yet she was also uncomfortable. She rolled on to her right side and realized that was a mistake because now she faced Emma.
Just breathe, Rayne. It’s all right. Sounds like she drifted off to sleep already anyway, so just relax.
Rayne eventually did slip off to sleep as well. That was only after she had thought of all the responsibility she had taken on when she said yes to Emma staying with her. She was now responsible for feeding, clothing, and providing shelter for another woman as well as protecting her. She realized suddenly that she didn’t have a problem with any of it. In fact, she realized that she was actually looking forward to doing all those things. What is it with this woman? Rayne felt as if she found the other half of herself and that confounded her. She would look into Emma’s eyes and see her own past in them. It was as if they had shared a life before. Her heart felt like it wanted to explode for some reason every time she looked at Emma.
Sometime during her night, Rayne rolled over and wrapped her arm around Emma.
Emma jumped and covered her body protectively. “Get your hands off me,” she screamed.
Rayne sat straight up in the bed, her hand on the ivory handle of her 45.
“What…who’s there?” she called.
Emma reached out with shaking fingers and touched Rayne. “I’m sorry. It was just a dream. Please put the gun down.”
“You sure you’re all right? It was just a dream?”
“Yes, I think you placed your arm around me and well…I was already dreaming and I’m sorry.…”
“Oh, God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I.…”
“Rayne, it’s all right. I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it, I overreacted because of what happened earlier tonight,”
“Did he hurt you?”
“Define hurt. He wasn’t gentle by any means. God, I feel so ashamed,”
“Did he raise his hand to you as well? I’ve heard stories.…”
“Not this time. No. He said he was going easy, it being my first time and all…” Emma shivered. “He said that I was getting special treatment this time; that he needed to break me in easy.” Emma wrapped her arms around her body. “Then he said he expected I’d eventually fill Fern’s shoes mighty nicely.”
“It was your first time?”
“Yes.”
“That miserable bastard. I should have killed him.”
“Rayne, if it hadn’t have been him it would have been someone else. Hank made sure I understood that.”
Rayne gently place her hand on Emma’s shoulder only to have the woman jump back.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just…sorry that hurt a bit.”
“Can I see?” Rayne asked. At Emma’s nod, Rayne gently moved the gown off Emma’s shoulder. Rayne sucked in a deep breath when she saw the angry red outline of teeth. The injury was deep enough to have drawn blood in a few areas. The anger in Rayne boiled.
“Bastard,” she swore under her breath. “Did Bessie see this?”
“No. She left me alone while I…cleaned up. I asked her to. But she was right outside the door. She said she wouldn’t leave me any farther than that because she promised you she wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“Yes. She did promise. Before we leave, we need to have Doc Adams look at this. I wanna make sure it ain’t infected.”
“Okay.”
“Look, we’d better get some shut eye. We’ll need some extra time in the morning. Are you okay now? ”
“Is it okay if I snuggle against you?”
“Yes.” Rayne pulled Emma close.
†
The next morning Rayne was up and getting coffee in the dining room when Sprigs walked in. Both his eyes had dark rings under them and there was no doubt that she had broken his nose.
Sprigs began to advance on her. “I’m gonna take care of you, bitch.”
Two of the men with him grabbed him and held him back
“What the hell do you think you’re doin’? Let me go, damn it. That bitch needs to be taught a lesson.”
The room fell quiet.
Rayne looked around the room. She rose from the t
able where she was sitting and looked directly at Sprigs. “Nice look for ya there, Sprigs.”
“You bitch. God, I can’t wait to teach you a thing or two. You ain’t no man and you ain’t got the right to speak to me that way, and you sure as hell don’t deserve no goddamned ranch. Why don’t you sell me that place and let a real man show you how it’s done? Better yet, marry me and I’ll show ya how a man does a lot of things.”
“If you’re gonna teach me a thing or two like ya did last night…well damn, I suppose I should be downright scared. And if I thought you were any sort of man, I just might consider selling you my place, but I don’t. So get this straight…in fact, all you men here that think my place is up for grabs, ya’ll might wanna hear this too… my place ain’t for sale.”
Rayne fixed Sprigs with a cold hard look, her eyes filled with hatred “Now, Sprigs, if you still think ya can take me, let’s go on outside. I don’t wanna mess Miss Bessie’s place up. Course, I just might be more of a man than you are, and it might be you that’s afraid. If that’s the case, why not go back outside and crawl under that rock you slithered out from.”
†
Jeremiah turned a deep red and his two friends backed away from him. He turned on his heel and glared at them. “What the hell is wrong with ya? Get outta my way.” With that, he stormed out of the dining room, a roar of laughter following him.
“What are you two lookin’ at?” Sprigs spat at the two men once they were outside.
“Nothin’, boss, just.…”
“Just what? That you two cowards didn’t think to back me up in there?”
“Jeremiah, you obviously ain’t seen that look in her eyes. I damn near guarantee you she’d just as well shoot ya than talk to ya, and we kinda like livin’ right now.”
“Shit, you two just turned chicken shit, so don’t go givin’ me no damn excuses,”
“Yeah, well you walked out just as quick as we did,” Norman Bigalow said.
Sprigs gathered Norman’s shirt in one hand and pushed the man against the building then leaned in so they were face to face. Through gritted teeth he said, “Remember who I am, boy. I’ll kick your ass from here to next Sunday. Everything I do, I do for a reason, I choose when and where that cunt learns not to fuck with me. Ya hear?”
The frightened man nodded.
“Good. Now, go get my horse.”
Jeremiah was eager to buy the land that now belonged to that bitch. Who did she think she was trying to run a ranch anyway? It was a man’s job. He made no secret of his intentions… that he wanted to be the owner of that ranch. Even when Luke Mathews was still alive, he made certain that everyone knew he wouldn’t take kindly to anyone who tried to out bid him.
His eyes had spotted the tall woman when he walked into the room. Despite his broken nose, he had let his eyes roam up and down her body. What she had done to him the night before humiliated him but nevertheless, he felt a strong sexual stirring when he looked at the woman. A man needs boys to carry on his name and I can kill two birds with one stone here. His lips curled into a smile.
He touched his nose and grimaced.
“But first she will pay for embarrassing me,” he said aloud.
Chapter Sixteen
As Rayne and Emma rode up to Rayne’s place, Emma took in the beauty of it all. She could smell the sweet aroma of the prairie grass; she was able to hear the water of the flowing creek and the occasional moo of a cow. She spotted a dog trotting toward them as they stopped in front of the small, wood-frame house.
“Em…hey, do you mind if I call you Em?” Rayne asked as she helped Emma off the horse.
“No, not at all.” Emma smiled. She liked the way it sounded coming from Rayne.
“Okay,” Rayne said with her own big smile. “This here is Lucifer. Lucifer, this is Emma and she is gonna be stayin’ with us for a spell.”
Emma looked at the big dog that seemed to be studying her as he sniffed her hands. Emma reached out and patted the dog’s head for just a minute before she watched him trot back to his spot on the front stoop.
“He’s a funny dog that’s for sure,” Rayne said. She laughed before leading the horse toward the barn.
Emma followed Rayne and stood beside her when she stopped at a stall in the barn. She opened the stall and led Apache toward the corral to let him stretch his legs. She put Samson into his stall then took Delilah out to join Apache.
“This here is Apache and the lighter bay is Delilah. Apache here is my best friend. We rode out here together from back East.” Rayne tenderly stroked the horse’s mane then hugged him. “I love him, ya know? And it kills me that I know his time is getting’ short.”
“Well, hello there, Apache. My, aren’t you a beautiful animal?” Emma got a snort from Apache for her comment.
Delilah’s front hoof pawed at the ground.
“Oh, my yes, you are too, Delilah. I’m sorry to have neglected to mention that sooner, girl,” Emma laughed. “It’s like they understand what I’m saying.”
“I should have warned you. Delilah is sort of touchy about things. She seems to feel the need to be the center of attention. Don’tcha girl?”
Rayne ruffled Delilah’s ears and chuckled. “I got her at the same time I got Samson; she was glued to his side and wouldn’t allow me near him without her bein’ involved. It was so cute I just didn’t have the heart to separate em.”
“How did Apache deal with two new arrivals in his stable?”
“He don’t mind none. I think he likes the idea that he ain’t gotta go out and pull the plow or herd the cattle as much.”
”Oh well. I can understand that.” Emma moved so she was standing in front of Delilah, petting her ears. “I don’t blame ya none at all, Apache.”
“Come on, I’ll show you the house then I need to come back out and feed the critters.”
Emma walked behind Rayne as they exited the barn. “Let me help with that. I might as well start earning my keep around here.”
“No, that’s all right. I got it….”
“Rayne, look, you did me a big favor by taking me out of that saloon, and I don’t expect to stay with you and let you do all the work. Not when I’m able to help. I can cook and clean the house for you, make sure you got clean clothes, and I’ll help you tend to the animals and whatever else needs tendin’ to.”
“I figured we’d get to that later. But if ya wanna help…sure come on. First thing we need to do is unsaddle Samson and brush him down. I’ll do that if you wanna give ole Apache and Delilah a bucket of oats.” Rayne spoke as she walked toward the barn with Emma following her.
The two began working side by side getting the few chores done in very little time. Rayne finished her part first, and then showed Emma the rest of the barn before heading for the house.
Inside the house, Rayne said, “Well this is it, this is home.” Pride was in her voice but she knew it was mixed with a little nervousness.
“It’s cozy, the feeling of home does come through in the way it’s been set up,” Emma commented.
“This here is the kitchen obviously, and that there leads to the store room,” Rayne said as she pointed out a door.
“This door over here is the bedroom. Uh, I suppose we’ll have to figure out who’s sleepin’ where.” Rayne stated nervously as she walked toward the bedroom. “I know for a fact that the ground and floor ain’t comfortable at all. So, um…if you don’t mind…I guess we share the bed. That is until I can figure something else out.”
“Well, that’s just fine. I shared a bed at Hank’s all the time. I don’t mind if you don’t.”
“It’s only till I figure out how to fix the problem,”
Emma nodded and walked back to the fireplace. “This is where you cook right?”
“Yes, my aunt preferred it to a stove.”
“It’ll take some getting used to.”
Rayne looked around nervously wondering what to do next. “Well, that’s about it.” She looked away. “I need to head out
to the canyon and see how the rest of my cattle are doin’.”
“Wait, what…do you have to leave now? How long will you be gone?”
“Well, I leave now and I’ll be back late tonight.”
“Do you really have to go now? I mean I just got here and Sprigs will be lookin’ for me.” Emma wrapped her arms around her waist. “That scares me.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Rayne looked down at her feet, her face red with embarrassment. “I can check on them in the morning and maybe you can go with me and ride Delilah.”
“I don’t know how to ride. Coming out here was the first time I was ever on a horse.”
“Oh.” Rayne looked at the frightened woman. “Then I’ll leave at first light and be back as fast as I can.”
†
The next morning as Rayne saddled Apache, she thought about Emma.
The afternoon and evening went by fast just doing chores around the place and she was amazed by the way Emma just stepped up and helped without a complaint. Most of the women she’d known hated to be around any animals. She grinned. They were mostly working women and they had made it clear they had no plans on taking care of any animals except maybe the men they served. Truth be told, she had never had occasion to ask any of them. She stole a glance at the house. Hell, none of ‘em ever made my heart skip a beat like Emma does. What is it about this one? She didn’t know the answer but only knew that every time she looked at or thought about Emma it made her soul dance.
“God, I need to figure this out, Apache.” She flicked the reins and lightly kicked the horse’s flanks. “Come on, let’s take a ride.”
The big bay took off at a gallop.
†
From the small kitchen window, Emma watched as Rayne and the bay rode off toward the south. She had a mixture of feelings going through her. Along with relief and thankfulness, she felt other things as well. While sitting behind Rayne on the horse as they rode to the house, she had a feeling that she had done it before. There was a security and a feeling of belonging in that simple action. Every time Rayne looked into her eyes, Emma was filled with a warmth she’d never felt before. She was sure she would never feel that way with anyone else since there was something about Rayne that called to her. She couldn’t put a finger on it or explain what it was she felt, however.
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