The horse bent her ears back as if she understood. Missy gently placed her heels into Sunshine’s ribs. “Let’s go!” The mare shot out of the yard, galloping for the open pasture behind the barn like she was made to run. Missy threw her head back and laughed. Mud flung up from the horse’s hooves and Missy knew she’d be covered before the ride was over. She didn’t care. All her worries over her parents, Tate returning and what he might do, and if Porter was really interested in her and her alone, flew away as they rode through the pasture and up the valley behind Porter’s house.
The ride passed too quickly. They slowed to a walk to savor the last rays of spring sunshine on their faces and the freedom the ride had brought.
“Thanks for bringing me out here,” Missy said.
“Anything for you, pretty girl.”
She closed her eyes and savored every moment. The brisk wind through her hair, the sun’s warmth on her face, Porter next to her, the scent of new life and smoke… Smoke. Her eyes flew open. She searched and saw a plume of smoke coming from the ranch. “Porter!”
He was already spurring his horse and flying away from her. He glanced back. “You okay?”
“I’m coming, go!” Missy hurried to catch up, grateful he was concerned about her even when his first priority needed to be his livelihood.
She crested the rise above his ranch and tried to urge Sunshine on to greater speed to help Porter. The barn was on fire. She reached the yard just in time to see Porter leap from his horse and charge into the barn. He disappeared inside the smoke and flames.
“No!” she screamed.
Hands reached up and lifted her off the horse. “Luke,” she cried out. “Porter went into the barn!”
“Let’s hope it collapses on him.”
Missy whipped around to face Tate. She screamed louder. Tate clamped a hand over her mouth, easily lifted her off her feet, and flung her over his shoulder. Missy hit and flailed at him, but it made no difference. It never had. Tate was going to beat her. She was too concerned about the danger Porter was in to even feel the usual fear.
**
Porter watched as the firemen turned off their hoses. The final flames had been doused. It looked like the barn wasn’t a complete loss, though they would have to file a claim for all the hay that’d burned and replace the walls and roof sections that had been damaged. Thankfully he and Luke had gotten the horses out quickly enough that none of them showed any signs of distress. He wondered what had set the fire. He’d think on that later, right now he wanted to take a shower and then hold Missy in his arms.
He searched the yard for her, realizing he hadn’t seen her since the fire started. She’d probably gone to help his mom. Rebecca walked out of the house with a large pitcher of lemonade and plastic cups. The firefighters gratefully gathered round.
“Mom.” Porter hurried to her side and took the pitcher, pouring while she kept distributing cups. “Is Missy in the house?”
“I haven’t seen her.”
Porter handed the empty pitcher back to his mom and ran to where Luke and Annie were talking with Jamison Pitcher from the fire department. “Luke! Annie! Have you seen Missy?”
“No,” Luke replied as Annie shook her head.
Porter started questioning all the firemen. No one claimed to have seen her at the fire at all. He saw Sunshine wandering around the yard. Her saddle was empty and her reins dragged sadly in the dirt. Fear ripped through him more strongly than when the barn had been on fire. Missy would never leave Sunshine without tying her up. She wouldn’t just desert them when they were fighting to save the barn. Sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. He wanted to chase after and rescue her, but he had no clue which direction to run.
Chapter 12
Missy heard Tate re-enter the cave and pulled herself into a tighter ball. She’d stayed awake most of the night, hoping to find a chance to escape and knowing if she fell asleep Tate would come upon her unaware and hit her in places that she really wanted to protect. He hadn’t roughed her up too much when he initially brought her to the cave, but when he got bored he’d start inflicting more damage.
She clenched her arms around her legs and buried her head into the ground. Maybe she should be stronger and stand and face him like a woman, but she just couldn’t handle the hits to her chest, abdomen, and groin.
His fist landed on her rear and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She wouldn’t give Tate the satisfaction of knowing how painful the attack was. She pictured Porter’s face as blows rained on her shoulders and back, and even a few to her kidneys. Hopefully Tate wouldn’t cause too much damage. She imagined Porter winking at her and calling her “pretty girl” and the pain actually diminished. She was even able to block out all the insults Tate screamed at her, but when he started laughing and told her that Porter had died in the fire, all her dreams and hopes fizzled and tears leaked from her eyes. It couldn’t be true. Tate was just an expert at destroying her.
Suddenly, Tate stopped hitting her and she heard a loud thud. She looked up to see Tate slam against the cave wall.
“You are such an idiot, Tate,” Porter growled.
Missy’s head whipped toward the sound of that deep, mellow voice. She looked at him through eyes bleary from lack of sleep and the swelling from Tate’s fists. Porter? Could he really be here? Her heart leapt. Tate had lied. Praise the Lord.
“You knew I’d find you,” Porter continued, his voice dripping with contempt. “Bringing her to an old hangout where all the losers used to come smoke pot.” Porter looked over Missy’s battered body and compassion filled his eyes before anger lit his face up and he focused back on Tate.
“Maybe I wanted you to find me.” Tate flung the knife at Porter so quickly, Missy didn’t have time to scream.
Porter dove to the side. The knife stuck into his shoulder. Missy’s scream came then. “Porter!” She pushed to her feet and ran to him.
Tate grabbed her and threw her at the cave wall. “Shut up!” he hollered.
Missy’s head banged against the rock and she went down in a crumpled heap. She wouldn’t close her eyes though, wouldn’t give in. She would fight for Porter until Tate killed her.
Porter tugged the knife from his arm and tossed it out the cave entrance. He stood and Missy knew she’d never seen anything so majestic. “You touch her again and I’ll rip your arms off,” he growled at Tate. The look on his face said he wasn’t exaggerating.
Tate gave a horrific laugh then ran at Porter and slugged him on the shoulder where blood oozed out of the wound. Porter grunted, but didn’t waver. He hit Tate with a solid jab and then two uppercuts. Tate fell to his knees. Porter pushed him to the ground and shoved his knee into Tate’s back. “You should be grateful I called the police. If it was up to me I’d beat you to a pulp.”
Tate flipped over and kicked Porter between the legs. Porter bent over and Tate kneed him in the face. Missy sprinted the distance and launched herself onto Tate’s back. Locking her elbow around his neck with her arm she squeezed for all she was worth. Tate flailed at her, cussing and bucking to get her off.
Porter grabbed Tate’s arms and squeezed. Tate stopped fighting and gasped for air.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Porter told Missy. “You can let go.”
Missy realized she wanted to choke the life out of her ex-husband. She looked into Porter’s eyes. He nodded. “I know, believe me, I know. He doesn’t deserve your mercy and I want to kill him for what he’s done to you, but I don’t want you to have to live with that.”
Missy said a prayer, nothing more than, Please help me. Her arms loosened and she pushed away from Tate and stood on shaky legs.
Porter flipped Tate around, pulled his arms behind his back, and smiled at Missy. “Good job, pretty girl. We’ll let the police deal with him.”
Missy registered red and blue lights coming in the cave entrance. Sheriff Carter strode in and took Tate from Porter.
“We both want to press charges,” Porter inform
ed the Sheriff. Tate squirmed and cursed as they hauled him away.
Porter’s arms wrapped around Missy and she collapsed into his strength. He kissed her forehead, holding her like she was a china doll.
“Hold me tighter,” she begged.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Porter’s voice was rough with emotion.
“You’re the one who’s hurt!” She gingerly touched the blood dripping down his arm.
“Nothing a stich or two won’t fix.” He held her back and his eyes swept over her battered body. “Oh, Missy, if I’d seen how badly you were injured I would’ve killed him.”
Missy looked up into those green eyes that she loved. “No, you wouldn’t. How could you have taught our class The Ten Commandments then?”
Porter chuckled and shook his head. “Ah, Missy. I love you.”
“You do?” her voice cracked as she looked up at him hopefully.
“Yes. When I realized you were gone and then the police suspected Tate had taken you… I didn’t know how I would keep going without you.” He gently held her. “I’ve cried twice in my life. The day my dad died and last night… when I thought I’d lost you.”
Missy reached up and pulled his head down. She kissed him until she could hardly remember the aches and bruises Tate had inflicted. “I love you, Porter,” she whispered against his lips.
Porter kept his arm around her as he escorted her out of the dark cave and into a night filled with millions of stars. She studied the beauty of the heavens. “Someday I’ll be able to forgive Tate.”
Porter glanced down swiftly. “How?”
She spread an arm out. “Because of this. God loves me. I don’t know why I had to suffer at Tate’s hands but I do know that I love and appreciate you all the more because of what I went through with Tate. You’re a good man, Porter Wilson.”
Porter kissed her forehead and sighed. “I’m a long ways off from forgiving Tate, but I’ll trust in the good Lord and count my blessings that He brought me you.” He opened the door to his truck and lifted her inside. “Let’s get you to the hospital, my love.”
“Wow. Now that’s a romantic line.”
Porter brushed his hand down her legs as if checking for injuries. “Don’t try to tell me you don’t need to go there.”
“Actually, I’d love to go there.”
Porter arched an eyebrow at her.
“To get your shoulder stitched up, but also…” She dipped her head and admitted, “I’ve never had someone check out my injuries and make sure I was okay.”
Porter’s face tightened. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He finally exhaled and nodded. “I’ll always make sure you’re okay.”
She brushed a hand down his face. “Thank you.”
He captured her hand between his fingers and kissed her palm. Missy wished she didn’t feel so beat up and could enjoy being touched and loved by Porter. He released her hand, shut the door, and walked around to the driver’s side. They didn’t talk as he drove down the mountainside. Missy closed her eyes and basked in knowing she was with a man who would never hurt her and would truly “make sure she was okay”.
Chapter 13
It was a beautiful May day, ideal weather for a wedding. Porter’s yard looked amazing with spring flowers and trees in bloom. The gazebo was the perfect touch for the couples to exchange their vows.
Rebecca walked down the aisle with Tyrese’s mom. It was cute to see the contrast between Ty’s tall and regal mother and Rebecca, petite and beaming. Porter came next with a beautiful bride on each arm. Kazlyn was gorgeous with her blonde hair piled on her head and a simple veil trailing down her back and Annie was every bit as beautiful with her dark curls held back by a lacy band. The grins on Luke’s and Tyrese’s faces said they were completely smitten.
Missy and Annie had grown close over the past few weeks. Missy loved her like the sister she’d never had. She watched Porter hand the brides over and answer that he gave them away, wondering if someday she might have two sisters in Annie and Kazlyn. Shaking her head, she realized she was getting ahead of herself. Though Porter told her he loved her all the time and brought her Bullman’s Pizza and Tina’s pecan pie much too often, he hadn’t asked her to marry him yet.
She noticed her mom and dad a few rows back and gave them a quick wave. Her mother smiled and nodded. Her dad had his arm wrapped around her mom. He gave Missy a thumbs up. Susannah had started medication and an intensive counseling schedule. She was doing much better. Missy had gone by to visit a few times with Porter. It was still awkward, but at least they were all trying.
Porter took his seat between his mom and Missy. She smiled up at him and his cheek crinkled in the way that never failed to get her heart racing. He reached for her hand, leaned in, and whispered, “Please say you won’t make me wait for a spring wedding.”
Her throat went dry. She squeezed his hand, hard. “Porter Wilson, are you saying you want to marry me?”
He turned to look more fully at her. “Of course I want to marry you, darlin’. I told you I loved you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know, well, you didn’t say,” her voice rose along with her frustration.
Porter silenced her with a kiss. A clearing of a throat pulled them apart. Missy looked guiltily at Pastor John, who was unsuccessfully hiding a grin, and Luke and Ty, who weren’t even trying to hide it. She couldn’t stand to look at the rest of the congregation, who were probably shocked and shaken.
“Sorry,” Porter said. “She just can’t resist me.”
Pastor John chuckled and the entire audience laughed. Missy was bright red as the marriage ceremony finally continued. The instant the couples kissed and walked back down the aisle to greet their guests, she grabbed Porter by the collar of his shirt and dragged him behind some pine trees and out of spying eyes.
“Whoa, darlin’, did I say something wrong?”
“You don’t just make casual references to getting married and then think you’re going to get away with it.”
Porter grinned then sobered. “There’s nothing casual about me wanting to marry you.” He pulled her into his arms and studied her. “I don’t have the ring yet and I haven’t asked your dad’s permission, but I love you more than my horse, pretty girl.”
“You’d have to bring your stupid horse into it.” But she couldn’t help smiling as she was lit up from the inside.
“Will you marry me, Missy? Make me the happiest cowboy in the west?”
“You know I don’t like cowboys.”
“Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that.”
“But I definitely love you and we wouldn’t want to disappoint our Sunday School class.”
He laughed and lowered his head, taking possession of her mouth and sending thrills of pleasure through her body.
“Please tell me you won’t make me go through a long engagement like those two idiots,” Porter said. “They were meeting with Pastor John every other week to try to keep their purity.”
Missy leaned back and eyed her cowboy, from his hat down to his boots. “Will you wear the black wranglers to our wedding?”
“I’ll wear anything you want if you’ll marry me.”
“In that case, we’ll make it a June wedding.”
His eyebrows shot up. He grabbed her and whirled her around. “I love you, Missy Horman,” he shouted.
Several people whirled to look in their direction, and then with knowing smiles turned away.
Porter finally put her feet back on the ground. She framed his ruggedly handsome face with her hands and kissed him thoroughly. “I love you too.”
Additional Works
By Cami Checketts
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Sweet Romance
Tenderness and Terror Series (Clean Romantic Thriller)
About the Author
Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adora
ble boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.
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First Love
Taylor Hart
Chapter 1
Destiny Morningstar waved as her cousin Janet Snow—correction, Janet Hamilton—pulled away from the curb with her new husband.
Janet was six years older than Destiny, and a first cousin on her mother’s side. They’d never been close, but by the blood of her mother they were Snows, and that was all her mother cared about.
A twinge of panic filled Destiny as she tried to remember all the last-minute instructions Janet had relayed to her like a seasoned veteran explaining how to handle a gun for the first time. Destiny was left to run the flower shop, her finger on the trigger.
“Destiny!” The Ford Mustang stopped and a window rolled down.
Destiny moved to the car.
Janet pointed at her. “I left that number to call if you need anything, but I am advising you not to call it if you don’t absolutely have to. Adam is a good guy, but … he’s been in a mood lately.” She gave a slight frown. “Sorry.” She threw her hands up. “I thought my other employee, Sharon, would be here this week, too, but she had to go out of town.”
Destiny’s mother moved to her side, waving Janet away. “Destiny will be fine. You and Michael go enjoy your honeymoon.” She winked at them.
Janet gave a grateful smile. “Thank you. Aunt Charity, what time does your flight leave?”
Spring in Snow Valley Page 28