by Nora Nolan
She continued to sob.
"Answer me, or I'll start back up at the beginning."
"No! Please, no more. I'll mind you. I will."
"And no back talk or smart mouthing. Either discuss it rationally and reasonably, or don't say anything. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." He was amused at that and liked the sound of it. "Will you let me up now?"
"In a minute. You need to calm down some." He gently rubbed his hand across her hot, red bottom. Her breathing slowed back to a more normal level, and he let her up but held her on his lap. He held her so that her backside wasn't against the rough fabric of his britches, so he had to steady her in place with his left arm around her middle. She laid her head against his chest, and with his right hand, he cradled her head and stroked her hair, comforting her. Her crying eventually stopped.
"Aaron?"
"Yes?"
"Nobody's done that to me since my ma was alive. She didn't do it very often, but when she did, she made her point."
He chuckled. "My ma was like that. My pa, too. I always deserved it, though. So, nobody spanked you since your ma died?"
"Not a spanking. They'd slap me or knock me around, sometimes with their fists. I'd have bruises for days."
He held her more closely. "Nobody will ever do that to you again."
She was curled up in his lap, against his chest, with her arms clutched to her own chest. In spite of the throbbing in her backside, she'd never felt so safe and secure.
Aaron kissed her forehead and stood her up. She was about to reach back to button up the drop seat of her long johns, but he stopped her. "Leave that open. Let the cool air get to it. It'll feel better than having it covered with the heat trapped in."
"I can't go around with my ass hanging out!"
"Your ass has been hanging out for the last two days, and more than just your ass. You can let it hang out for another ten or fifteen minutes. Only squirrels and rabbits and birds are going to see you. Maybe some deer."
"No!"
"Oh, Evie. Don't tell me you're refusing to obey right after you got a whoopin' for that very thing."
"Oh, all right." She truly didn't want any more of the same. "How can I sit on the saddle like this?"
"Easy." He picked her up and took her to Big Boy where he placed her over the saddle on her tummy.
"No! I can't ride like this!"
"Just for a few more minutes, then we can get back to normal." He walked around to where her head hung. "Please tell me you won't argue this time."
She knew better than to argue or even pout. "No, sir."
"Good girl." He took the reins and led Big Boy for just a few minutes before stopping and lifting her down. He buttoned up her long johns, pulled up her britches and buttoned them, too.
"Is it all right if I walk for a while?"
He smiled. "Sure. We can both walk and give Big Boy a break."
They walked for about the next half hour and conversation returned to normal.
"Aaron, you know this area pretty well, right?"
"Yes, I do."
"How close are we to any other towns?"
"We're not really very close to much. There are a few isolated cabins here and there, but not any settlements until you get to Big Rock. If we were to go a few miles out of the way, we'd get to a little town called Crawford. A little way over in the other direction is the stagecoach trail that heads down to Fort Bridger. There are a few way stations along the stage line, but nothing you'd call a town."
"Fort Bridger!" Evie gasped.
"What about it?"
"I've heard of that. I heard my brothers planning something with John Walters about Fort Bridger, and I heard them mention Big Rock and the stage line in the same conversation."
"Once a month, the stage carries the fort's payroll down from Rawlins. The stage only travels on certain days, so the army guards the payroll at Rawlins until the next scheduled stage leaves that's headed for the fort. Do you think they could have been planning to rob the stage on its way to the fort?"
"I can't say for sure, but it's likely. It's something they would do."
Aaron thought about the timing. The payroll usually hit Rawlins around the first of the month, then it was on the next south/east stage. The first of next month was only a week away. The stage should leave Rawlins on Monday and get to Big Rock on Wednesday. Then it would be another two days before it got to the fort. If they planned to hit it this month, that didn't leave much time to make plans to catch them.
Evie was glad to be able to help Aaron, but it embarrassed her that it was her family who was doing the crime. Aaron reminded her that we don't choose our families, and nobody could hold her responsible for any of their misdeeds. If nothing else, he'd make sure of that. Mostly, she thought of how she never wanted to see any of them again, particularly John Walters. At least her brothers had helped her and taught her things in the past that stood her in good stead now. There was nothing at all redeeming to be said of Walters.
They continued walking. After another half hour or so, they came near a stream. Aaron suggested they stop a while and grab a bite while they let Big Boy graze and drink, too. They sat on the ground. Evie sat a little sideways but found the pain was now only a dull ache. Aaron noticed how she sat but decided against mentioning it and embarrassing her. He pulled out the leftovers from last night and handed her enough for lunch.
As they sat there together, neither of them felt the need to carry on a conversation. It was a nice comfortable silence, almost like old friends who've known each other for years. Finally, Aaron spoke. "I'd sure like to take a nap, but we need to move on. I'd like to put more distance between the cabin and us. I get more comfortable, the further away we get."
"Do you really think they'll be coming after us?"
"There's a good chance, especially since we're in the general direction of where the stage will be. The only question really is how long they were away before returning home to find you gone. My guess is they'll look for you until it's time for them to try to rob the stage. They didn't mention anything else about exactly where they'd try to hit it? There's a lot of area between Rawlins and the fort."
"I've tried to remember everything they said. I seem to remember they plan to hit between Big Rock and the fort, but I don't know where."
"It makes sense they wouldn't hit it until southeast of Big Rock, because there are fewer people around. That would have been my plan, too."
She looked at him. He added, "You know, if I were going to rob it, myself." They both smiled at that.
After just a few more minutes, they both relieved themselves and prepared to leave.
"Aaron, I don't think I can sit squarely in the saddle yet. You aren't going to make me, are you?"
"No, sweetie, I'm not. Let's try it with you sitting sideways in front of me." He got up on the horse and then reached down. "Grab hold of my arm with both hands and I'll lift you." He pulled her up and positioned her with most of her weight on her left leg, directly in front of him. "Put your right knee over the saddle horn. There. You may have to put your left arm around my back. Can you get comfortable like that? It might be awkward, but that's about all I can think of where your backside isn't being jolted with every step."
She wriggled, settling in. "Can we take a few steps and see if I need to adjust?"
"Sure. We'll go slowly anyway since we're both riding." He had Big Boy start walking.
"You may need to hold me tighter."
He did. "I will. I think that'll work for a while."
He looked down at her. She sensed it and looked up at him. When their eyes met, he grinned, and she couldn't help but respond in kind. She wished their faces were closer together.
They rode for a few miles in near silence, pointing out to one another a couple of deer going over a hill, or rabbits or squirrels.
"You should have kept out your book of poetry, then you could read to me again."
"Would you kiss me again if I did?"
<
br /> "Oh, Evie, girl. I want more than anything to kiss you right now. I'd like to kiss you all over. But I know what it would lead to, and I can't do that to you. You'll be leaving soon. I don't want you to give me something you can only give once. That should be something you save for your husband."
"Does it have to go that far? How about just kisses and nothing else?"
"It's possible, but you can't imagine what torture that would be for me, to be so close, and not be able to have you."
"Please, Aaron, just one kiss? I've never kissed a man. I want you to be first."
He moaned. He wanted more than anything to kiss her. He looked down at her and wasn't able to resist the want in her eyes.
"Whoa," he said, pulling the horse to a stop. He took her face in his hands as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. It was a sweet and tender kiss. Then Evie tightened her grip around his waist while her other arm went to his far shoulder, pulling him toward her. She moaned, and he was instantly lost. One of his hands went to the back of her head. His tongue entered her mouth, and her own responded to it. Their lips and tongues played gently, then roughly, nibbling and biting, and he imagined doing those same things to the rest of her body.
Evie felt emboldened yet safe, since they were still atop the horse. She found his left hand and slowly brought it to her right breast. His breath caught, but he wasn't able to pull away. His hand cupped her then gently kneaded her. He felt her nipple hardening and rubbed it between his thumb and index fingers. This time, she cried out a little within the kiss and pushed herself harder into his hand. He rubbed more forcefully and pinched harder than he would have otherwise, since there were two layers of cloth between them. Their kiss became hungry, needy, before he finally broke it. Both were panting, and neither said anything.
He let them sit there for just a few moments before he urged Big Boy into a brisk walk again. Neither spoke for quite a while. There was no need to.
Evie had left home planning to find her aunt. Aunt Sylvia might not even be alive, she told herself. Am I running a fool's errand thinking I can find her? Does Aaron want me as much as I want him? I mean, I know he wants me; I can feel his hardness again. But does he have feelings for me, or is it just physical? He said earlier he didn't want me to leave him. Did that mean just for now, or did he mean ever? Surely, he didn't mean he didn't ever want me to leave him. I mean, he said I should work to save money for the train to Laramie. He didn't say he doesn't want me to go to Laramie. If he wanted me to stay with him, he'd say so, right? I don't know what to think now or what to do. Somehow, finding Aunt Sylvia isn't as important as it was. She's probably not even alive. Looking back, I think looking for Aunt Sylvia was just the excuse I used for leaving. Now that I'm away from that place, I really don't feel the need so much anymore. It doesn't seem as urgent. I guess it would be nice to know her, but I don't feel like it's my main goal anymore. I might as well face it. I want Aaron Glover, to have and to hold, from this day forward. Now, how can I get him to realize he wants me, too, even if I'm not much of a lady?
AARON WAS LOST IN THOUGHT, too. Damn. Dammit. Damn. Damn. Damn. I can't keep doing these things to her. That kiss, her breast… I almost couldn't stop. That's not what she needs from me. She needs support and help finding her aunt. I should probably just give her the money to take the train and probably enough money to get back, too, if she ends up not finding her. She wants to leave as soon as she can to go to Laramie, and I have no right to ask her not to. She keeps wanting innocent kisses, but there's no such thing. She's just a sweet kid, feeling free because she's away from home for the first time. She's too naïve to realize what that can lead to. I don't have any right to take these liberties with her. One day, she'll find a man she loves and wants to marry, and she'll want him to be the one to take her, not me. Damn it. Damn it all to hell.
They rode in silence for quite a while, and Aaron realized Evie had fallen asleep against him. He tightened his arm around her, feeling very protective as she slept. They kept on until she awoke nearly an hour later. He had planned to stop and give Big Boy a break, but the horse wasn't showing signs of tiring, so he'd let Evie sleep. They snacked on jerky a time or two during the day, so they didn't need to stop to eat until they stopped for the night. When it just started to get dusky, he decided they'd better go ahead and stop and get a fire built. He knew a spot protected by a cliff overhang on one side. It would be perfect.
"Evie, why don't you get a fire started over there?" He pointed to a spot largely protected from the wind. "While I go shoot some food?"
"Glad to."
"Stay here, Evie. There's plenty of fallen wood right here within sight. You hear me?"
She looked at him with exasperation. "Yes. I'll stay here."
He took his rifle and started walking, knowing he needed to head further in the direction they were traveling, because they would have already scared any animals in the other direction into hiding.
Evie looked for some dry leaves and tinder and found some wood that had fallen under the overhang, so it was dry. She cleared out an area, so the fire wouldn't spread where she didn't want it to, and stacked the wood to allow ventilation. She found a few dry leaves, but most were still damp from all the rains. She found a cedar tree and, with her knife, scraped thin slices from the outer bark until she had a couple of good handfuls of it. She knew it would light even when damp. She used her matches instead of the flint and steel, because they were headed into a town and she could get more matches from Aaron if she needed them. Soon, she had a nice fire going. Then she found some good, sturdy sticks and sharpened them to use to cook pieces of whatever meat Aaron brought. She heard two gunshots in quick succession and figured Aaron had gotten two of whatever he had. She was prepared to make fun of him if it had taken two shots to bring in one animal.
She was still smiling when he strode back into the camp with a squirrel and a rabbit. "Nice."
"Which one do you want to skin?"
"I'll take the squirrel." He handed it to her, and they stepped away from the area where they'd be sitting by the fire to do the bloody work. They both made quick work of their animals and decided to cut them into fairly thin slices so they'd cook faster. He poured some canteen water over the meat and their hands.
They went back to the fire and Evie spread out a blanket on the ground beside the fire for them to sit on. They skewered the meat and chatted while it cooked. They both thought there would be enough left over to eat in the morning, so they could save time. Aaron was very pleased at the progress they'd made and thought they'd get to the McBride ranch before suppertime the next evening.
"Are you sure they won't mind if we just barge in on their supper?"
"Girl, you aren't trying to get out of wearing a borrowed dress, are you?" He grinned as he asked the question, so she knew she wasn't in trouble again.
"No!"
"Good, because I thought I already addressed that."
"Yes, you did, very thoroughly." She paused. "I don't know why I pitched a fit and refused to wear someone else's clothes. When you explained how you could lose your job because of what people thought, I did understand. I don't know why I said I didn't. I don't know why I argued with you."
"Sweetie, it's over and done with now. I'm glad you told me this, though. Somehow, I didn't really think it was like you to act like that, but then again, let's face it—we haven't exactly known each other very long. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with me to talk about it."
"This is all so new to me. I've never been alone with a man before, at least not by choice, and I'm not sure what the rules are. I've never been alone with anybody who isn't family. I think maybe that's another reason I pitched a fit about stopping at the McBride ranch. I've never been to anyone else's house for dinner. I don't know how to act. I'll probably embarrass you, and I'm so afraid of that."
"Evie, Evie." He smiled, putting down his skewers on a relatively clean piece of wood and taking her hand in one of his. "You're a delight, not
an embarrassment. I would be proud to be in your company."
"But your friends are ladies, and…and look at me!"
He smiled at her warmly and took her hand in both of his. "But listen to what you just said. You want to make sure I'm comfortable and at ease. Evie, you were already a lady before I ever burst through that door. Don't let anybody tell you differently. Clothes don't make a lady. And truthfully, neither does language, although we should all be careful of what we say. Being a lady comes from your heart, and so far, I think you've got one of the kindest ones I know of."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes, ma'am. I do."
"I think you're a gentleman, Aaron. In spite of the spanking, you're a gentleman."
He laughed as he uttered his thanks. They finished cooking the meat and ate enough for supper then tucked away the remaining food in an oilcloth bag in the saddlebag.
He banked the fire, then went to Big Boy and unloaded their bedding. He handed hers to her, but she shook her head no. "Let's make one big pallet."
"Evie, I don't think that's a good idea."
"We were fine that way when we took a nap, remember? And this time, I'll have on my long johns. I just want to be close to you."
He thought of how much he wanted to touch her all night, but he wanted more than just the touch of lying next to her. He wanted to make love to her. It was going to be another long night, because he couldn't bring himself to say no.
He decided he'd better sleep in his clothes. It was safer that way. Besides, if her brothers and Walters caught up with them, he'd be best served being dressed. He set up the pallet against the overhang wall so the fire was between them and the rest of the world. No one could sneak up on them from the rear. She took off her boots and shirt and britches, leaving only her long johns. He lay down first on his side, and she crawled in beside him, just as they had been when they napped in the cot. Aaron was almost painfully aware of her softness against him. She took his arm and pulled it over her, holding it against her. He fell asleep much faster than he thought he would, and the night passed uneventfully.
