Capital Bride (15 page)

He worked his way quietly upstream from the girls so the noise of the water would cover his coming. They were both too immersed in making mud pies and wading to notice his approach.

“Hello, MaryAnn.”

      Both girls turned toward him at the sound of his voice. They both screamed and started to run. William grabbed MaryAnn and let the other one go. But she turned and started kicking him. William took both girls by the hair and pulled until they stilled and he knew he was hurting them.

“Stop it both of you. Let me tell you what’s going to happen. MaryAnn, you’re going to come with me and you…what’s your name?” He shook Katy by the hair.

“Katy,” she said through her tears.

“Well Katy, you are going to tell Sarah to come to me alone right here, if she wants to see MaryAnn alive. Can you do that?”

When Katy didn’t answer immediately he shook her. “Can you do that?” he repeated.

She nodded.
 

He shook her again.
 

“Yes, yes I can do that.”

“Good. Off you go then like a good little girl.”

He let Katy go and she took off running toward the house.

“Now, little MaryAnn. What shall we talk about? Hmm?”

“You’re a bad man and my daddy is going to kill you.”

“Your ‘daddy’ is dead and this new man will be too if he doesn’t do exactly what I tell him to do.”

“Mama will never go with you. She’ll never leave us.”

“That’s precisely why she will come with me. She loves you. She won’t want me to hurt you. And I will, you know.” He shook her as if to prove his point. “I discovered long ago that I like hurting things. People are especially good. Although I haven’t hurt a child in a long time, I doubt the pleasure is any less.”

He smiled, could see the fear in her eyes. She shut up.

Now he just had to wait. His plans and his dreams were coming true. In a few short hours Sarah would be his. He’d have to take the brat along to keep her mother in line, but he could do that. He knew now he wouldn’t be able to send the kid away. If she was safe from him, Sarah would defy him but then again, watching her, seeing her fire tamed under his fist would be pleasurable too.

* * *

Katy came running into the kitchen where she saw Bertha. “Where is Mama?”

“She’s out on the shootin’ range. What’s the matter?”

Katy didn’t answer but ran out of the house and down to the target range.

“Mama. Mama.”

Sarah put her gun away in her apron. She hated for the girls to see her have it.

“Katy. Katy, what’s the matter?”

“He’s got her. The bad man has MaryAnn.”

“What? Where?”

“Down by the crick where we play. He said to tell you he had her and to come alone if you wanted to see her alive.”

Sarah squatted down so she was eye level with Katy. “I want you to go and find your daddy. Tell him everything you just told me and that I’ve gone to the creek to get MaryAnn.”

Katy started crying again. “He said he’d hurt her and pulled our hair up until we stopped moving. I tried kicking him. I tried…” She took great gulps of air and cried all the harder.

Sarah took Katy in her arms. “It’s all right. You did great, Katy. Now I’m going to go get MaryAnn back. You go find your daddy like I said, alright?”

She nodded and then threw her hands around Sarah. “Promise you won’t go away. Promise you won’t leave me.”

“I promise. I’m not going anywhere, except to get MaryAnn. Okay?”

Katy sniffled and nodded.

“Now you go. Go get your daddy.”

“Okay.” She ran off in the direction of the corrals on the other side of the barn.

Sarah reloaded her gun as she walked. As soon as it was done, she took off at a run toward the stream. When she reached it what she saw made her blood run cold. William stood with his derringer pointed at MaryAnn who sat at the base of one of the old willow trees.

“Let her go, William. I came like you asked.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, dear cousin. The three of us are going to ride out of here and get on the first train going east. The sooner I get out of this backward country the better.”

“How are we all going to ride out of here? Did you bring more than one horse?”

“No. I hadn’t planned on taking the brat here, then I realized that you would be much more malleable if she was along. You see I don’t have any qualms about hurting her if you don’t do as I ask.”

“You really shouldn’t threaten my daughter, William. I don’t like it.” She moved her hand to her apron pocket. As soon as MaryAnn was safe she’d kill the bastard.

“Do you really think I care what you like? I let you go once. I thought that you’d come back when you discovered how primitive they are here, but you stayed. Why did you stay?”

“Why? Why else would I stay? I fell in love with my husband. I’ll follow him anywhere and he’s here, so am I. Do you really think I could ever love you? I cared for you once, as a brother, but no longer. The only thing I feel for you is pity, but I’ll come with you. I’ll go wherever you say, as soon as you let MaryAnn go.”

He shook his head and pulled MaryAnn up. “The little one here is going to be in front of me and you’re going to walk to my horse and get on it.”

“Fine. Where is it?”

“Just upstream a short way.”

Sarah walked up the stream, looking back over her shoulder at MaryAnn. “Don’t worry, baby. It’ll be alright. Just do as William says.”

MaryAnn sniffled. Her tears dried up. “Yes, Mama.”

“That’s right. Everything is going to be right now. We’ll be the family we always should have been.” He laughed.
 

Chills snaked up Sarah’s back. She realized William was totally insane, probably had been for some time, if not all his life. Why hadn’t she seen it before?

Sarah got to the horse and waited for William to tell her what to do.

“Put MaryAnn on the horse.”

Sarah did exactly what he said, helping MaryAnn into the saddle.

“Now, untie the horse and give the reins to the child.”

Hope sprang in her chest. William didn’t know MaryAnn could ride. She put the reins in her baby’s hands.

“Lean down and ride for home, baby. Don’t look back. Just go get Daddy.” Sarah whispered.

“No talking, Sarah. Just do as I say.”

Her mind worked frantically. She gave the reins to MaryAnn knowing what she was about to do was risky. Not to her daughter, MaryAnn could ride anything. She’d taken to riding like a fish to water. It was the timing. She put her hand in her apron pocket, turned and fired right through the cloth, hitting William in the knee.

The shot scared the horse as she knew it would and it would be a moment or two before MaryAnn got it under control, but Sarah didn’t doubt she would.

William went down, fired his gun but the shot went wild. Sarah tried to get her gun out of her pocket but the barrel got caught in the hole.

“You shot me. You shot me.” He leveled his gun at her. “That’s the last time you’ll shoot…”

A shot rang out. Sarah closed her eyes waiting for the pain. It didn’t come. She looked at William. He lay dead in front of her.

Then she heard the thunder of hooves galloping toward her. John led the men, all armed. One of the wranglers brought up the rear, holding MaryAnn in front of him and leading her horse. He must have whisked her off the runaway gelding.

John jumped off his stallion before it even stopped. He ran to her and started running his hands over her.

“Are you hurt? Did he hit you?”

“No. I’m fine.” She fell into his arms, tears streaming down her face. “You’re here, I’m fine now.”

“I haven’t been so scared since you were wounded. I heard the shot, then saw him lying there with his gun trained on you. I prayed to God my aim was true.”

“It was. I’m safe. MaryAnn is safe.”

“Sarah, I love you. You, the girls and this new baby are my life. Without you I don’t exist.” He was crying.

She hugged him closer, her tears, tears of joy. “I love you, too. I’d never leave you voluntarily and now, with William dead, we’re safe. Take me home, John. Take me home.”

Their tears mingled in their kiss. A kiss of promise and passion and all the good things to come.

He got into the saddle then pulled her up onto his lap.

“Joe, you and Sam take care of this riff raff. Bob, you ride for the sheriff. Tell him what happened and that he can come and get him.”

Each man nodded and bent to the task.

Sarah leaned back into John, his chest cushioning her. He held her tight as though he was afraid he might lose her.

She turned her head and kissed his cheek. He turned his face until their lips met.

“When we get home I’m going to show you how much I love you,” he said.

“And I’m going to let you. But what about dinner and supper and your green broke horse?”

“Let them fend for themselves. Bertha can cook and feed the girls. I’m going to feast on you.”

She giggled and he hugged her close.

When they got home, they told Bertha that she was cooking and said they would be indisposed.

“Where is Katy?” asked John.

“She’s been scared to death. She’s in her room with MaryAnn. That little one raced up there as soon as her feet hit the ground.”

“We’ll be back down to talk to you later,” said John to Bertha.

She nodded. “I’ve got on the stew we fixed this morning and there’s plenty of bread and butter to go with it. No one is going to starve.”

John and Sarah went up stairs to the girls’ room. They found them wrapped in each other’s arms both crying. When they saw their parents they broke apart and ran to their arms. John picked up both girls and carried them back to their bed. He sat and hugged his daughters, Sarah hugged them all.

They stayed that way for a while, all of them crying, thinking how close they came to losing one another. Fear abated as the reality that they were all safe sunk in.

“We’re all fine. Your father and I love you very much and will always keep you safe.”

They all held each other a while longer until Sarah broke away. “You girls go down and tell Bertha I said you could have some milk and cookies. Tell her your daddy and I will be down later. Okay? Go on now.”

Sarah watched them run out of the room excited about getting a treat. She turned to John, “Let’s get reacquainted.”

John took her hand and led her across the hall to their room. He closed the door and slid the bolt home.

“I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Sarah let her apron fall, gun and all, to the floor, followed by her skirt, then she unbuttoned her blouse, taking her time with each button and never losing eye contact with her husband. When she was done she slid it off her shoulders to land in the growing pile at her feet.

John stepped toward her but she shook her head no and waggled her finger from side to side. He stopped.

Sarah sat on the bed and took off her boots then she pulled the bow at the top of the laces on her chemise and pulled it over her head. Then she stood and dropped her bloomers to the floor. She stepped out of the little pile of clothes and finally stood naked in front of her lover. Now she crooked her finger and let him come to her.

When he was arm’s length away she stopped him. She stepped forward and unbuttoned his shirt, caressing his arms as she slipped it off his shoulders and onto the floor. Then she took his hand, led him to the bed and pushed him down onto it. She turned her back on him and raised his leg between hers and removed his boots. She wiggled her butt and looked coyly over her shoulder at him, watching his eyes darken before he stood.

“You tease me much more woman and I won’t be responsible for my actions.

She laughed, the sound deep and throaty. Then she lay back on the bed and raised her arms to him. “No more teasing. Come to me, my love.”

He came down over her bracing himself on his arms so he wouldn’t crush her.

“I love you, Sarah, but I can’t wait any longer.” With those words he entered her in one swift stroke.
 

She welcomed him, as ready as he was. This time was slow, each of them conscious of the love they shared. Love that only moments ago they’d been afraid to mention. Fearful that it was not returned.

“When did you realize you loved me?” she asked.

“I knew when you were so sick after William shot you. But I think I fell for you when you blushed the very first time.”

“You still make me blush. I think I fell for you the first night, too. When I saw you with Katy. How you didn’t treat her any differently because she wouldn’t speak. And then it was clenched the first time you held them both and let them cry all over you.”

He moved within her.
 

“I’m so close. I’m going to come,” she kept her eyes open and looked at the man she loved. He reached down between them and rubbed her pleasure bud until she shattered. Flew up out of her body and among the stars.