Willow Creek Christmas

by Graison, Lily

  "Oh, I planned on doing that, sweet thing." Reaching for his belt, he unfastened it. "But what I want at the moment is you." He grinned again, then chuckled. "Now don't go looking at me like that. I promise, by the time I'm through with you, you won't even remember your man's name." His gaze roamed her body again.

  Keri flung the blankets aside, darting behind the privacy curtain Noah had hung and searched desperately for something to use as a weapon. The sound of ripping material echoed in the room as the man yanked at the blankets, pulling them from the nails securing them from the ceiling. Keri scrambled onto the bed, crawling across to the other side, and screamed when he latched onto her leg, his fingers digging into her flesh.

  Kicking as he pulled her back across the bed, the world seemed to dim, the light in the room fading, the sound of her screams hollow to her own ears. Fear exploded in her chest and stole her breath. She raised both arms, flinging her fists at him as he grabbed at her skirts, jerking her body to the edge of the bed.

  The loud report of a gun going off outside nearly stopped her heart. The man sneaking into the barn, the gun she'd seen in his hand filling her mind's eye. A choked sob strangled her as she thought of Noah, of the man, Hershel, killing him. Of him then coming inside to help this foul creature assault her, and she kicked and fought harder, tears blinding her as she tried to get him off her and a knee to his groin finally doubled him over.

  She jumped from the bed, her feet barely touching the floor before he grabbed her and swung her around. She fell against the small table by the bed, the oil lamp tipping to one side. Grabbing it, Keri twisted, screamed and slammed it against the man's head.

  It shattered into a hundred tiny pieces. The man's yell was followed by an outraged bellow that nearly stopped her heart. He raised his hands, swiped at his eyes, then threw a murderous look at her seconds before he flung her back to the mattress.

  His face was red, rage clouding his eyes as he gritted his teeth, his hand lifting before he brought it down, slapping her face hard enough to stun her. She clawed at him and managed to turn her head when he raised a fist to her. The impact dazed her, her head snapping back moments before he hit her again, and again, and again, the pain intense enough to numb every other sensation in her body. She slumped against the bed, his voice a dull echo in the room as everything around her started to go dark.

  He flipped her to her stomach, grabbed both her arms and pulled them behind her back, then lifted her skirts. Keri blinked, trying to get her dazed brain to function. Her legs were dangling over the side of the bed, his hands were tugging at her bloomers, and the only thought going through her head was, would he kill her when he was through? Would his friend? And what would happen to her babies if they did?

  The pain in her arms increased, his hold on her forcing her shoulder blades to nearly touch. Spots flashed before her eyes as the material of her bloomers ripped, cool air hitting her bottom moments before he stepped between her legs, his fingers probing and digging into her flesh. She let out a strangled sob, kicked her legs to try and dislodge him and winced when a loud crash, followed by a yell so feral filled the room that her heart skipped a beat before the weight of him was suddenly pulled from her back.

  * * * *

  Noah flung him to the other side of the room, rage burning so hot his blood felt near to boiling. The man bounced off the wall, then slumped to the floor, his eyes wide as he turned his head to look at him before trying to stand. Crossing to the fireplace, he yanked the shotgun he kept hanging above the mantel down and raised to his shoulder, the gun cocked and aimed at the man's head before he gained his feet.

  "Don't shoot!" The man scrambled back, crawling across the floor toward the door, fear causing his complexion to turn pasty white.

  The gun barrel wavered. Noah realized his hands were shaking.

  He'd killed so many men during his time in the war, the deaths caused nightmares to plague his dreams. He regretted the loss of every life he took and prayed for their souls nightly, but looking at the man cowering at his feet…

  Noah had never wanted a life so badly as he did in that moment.

  Keri let out a small sob. He could see her out of the corner of his eye. She was on the floor, her skirts twisted around her thighs. A trickle of blood ran from her lip and just seeing her wide, frightened eyes caused bloodlust so fierce to cloud his vision, his finger tightened on the gun’s trigger.

  The man in the barn had taken him so completely unaware, his heart had yet to stop pounding. He'd heard the barn door open and thought it was Keri, his anger at her invading his personal space scalding his throat until he turned and saw a man he'd never seen before. The moment he spotted the gun in his hand, Keri's face shimmered in his mind's eye seconds before he heard her scream. Fear for what would happen to her filled his head as the man advanced on him, raised the pistol, and fired the gun.

  He'd ducked, the bullet hitting the wall behind him. He stayed low and ran at him, his shoulders connecting with his middle and they both went down. When Keri screamed again, the fear for her safety intensified. Noah tossed the gun away, grabbed the man's arm and brought it down over his upraised knee, the sound of breaking bone loud in the stillness. The man's bellow of pain was cut short when Noah punched him in the face, then did it again, a satisfied warmth rushing through his limbs when the man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped to the ground. He'd drug him outside, dropped him by the barn door, and ran for the house.

  The blinding rage that filled him when he walked in to see Keri sprawled on his bed with some unknown man's filthy hands on her took all rational thought from his mind. The need to kill him was still there. The only thing that stopped him from pulling the trigger was the sound of Keri crying. It tore a piece of his heart out to hear it.

  He'd been so cold and dead inside for so long, he wasn't even aware he was capable of feeling anything anymore but one quick look at her left him breathless. She was staring at him, her eyes wide and luminous, her head shaking from side to side. A soft whispered, "don't," slipping past her lips was enough to stay his hand.

  Noah turned back to the man still on the floor. "Get up." He stood, reaching for his discarded coat and hat as he scrambled to his feet. "Your friend is lying out by the barn. Drag him off my property and if I see either of you again, I'll not hesitate to kill you. Am I clear?"

  The man nodded and had the gall to look back over at Keri. Noah took three steps toward him and had the gun barrel pressed into the side of his head so fast, the man gasped.

  "We'll go," he said, the words coming out breathy and high pitched. "We'll not be back. I swear it."

  Easing his finger from the trigger, Noah motioned to the door with his head and followed the man out when he left. He stood by the side of the house, watched as he ran to the barn and grabbed his friend by the shoulders of his coat and started dragging him away. He didn't lower the gun barrel until both of them were out of sight.

  He went back inside and slid the bolt on the door. Keri was still sitting on the floor. She'd stopped crying but her complexion was so pale he feared she was hurt worse than he thought.

  Propping the gun against the wall, he approached her, bent to one knee and curved a finger under her chin, raising her head so he could see her. The left side of her face was bruising. The bastard must have hit her hard for discoloration to already be forming. Her lip was bleeding as well. He glanced down the line of her body. She'd yet to pull her skirts down. Red marks slashed across her thighs from hands holding her too tightly. The sight of all those little bruises made him want to run outside and chase those bastards down and shoot them point blank whether Keri wanted him to or not.

  Her whole body was shaking, tears swimming in her eyes. A few of them spilled over her lashes to run the length of her cheeks. Noah wiped them away with his right hand and smoothed her hair back with the other. "It's all right," he said. "They're gone." She nodded, fear still clouding her cornflower-blue eyes. She tried to get up but he put a hand
on her shoulder. "Just stay right here for a minute."

  She nodded her head again and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. "He asked for water and came in when my back was turned."

  Noah watched her hands start to shake, her eyelids sweeping up. Tears still pooled in her eyes and the sight tightened his chest. "I didn't much think you invited him in." She stared up at him, his gaze roaming her face before he gently swiped the blood from her lip.

  "I thought the other one killed you," she said.

  Her words were so soft, he barely heard them, but the look in her eyes came across loud and clear. She'd been afraid. For him. His pulse raced at the thought. "He tried," he said. "but I ducked the moment I saw the gun. Once I heard you scream, I didn't give him a chance to fire another shot."

  Within seconds, a torrent of tears filled her eyes, then spilled over her lashes, a soft, strangled sob tearing from her throat. The sound caused his anger to return, to burn hot and fierce enough to scald his lungs as he tried to breathe past it. She lowered her head, grabbed onto the sleeves of his coat, her fingers gripping the material until her knuckles turned white, and cried as if her heart was breaking. Before he even had time to contemplate what he was doing, he grabbed her, sat down next to her and pulled her into his lap, tucking her tightly against his chest.

  She clung to him and buried her face against the side of his neck, her tears warm and wet against his skin. Her whole body trembled as she slid her hands inside his coat and wrapped her arms around his waist. Noah ran a hand over her head, whispering soft words to her, telling her he wouldn't let anything happen to her and continued to hold on to her long after her tears had dried.

  They sat in silence, the ticking of the clock and the occasional pop of firewood filling the room. Noah wasn't sure when he'd closed his eyes, or buried his face in the wild curls of her hair, but as he sat there, breathing in the scent of her, he couldn't deny how good she felt. How nice it was to hold her. It had been twelve years since he'd let anyone this close to him and he'd missed it. Missed the feel of someone touching him, even the innocent contact of Keri's hand on his back, her face warming the skin on his neck.

  She shifted, sniffled once, and moved her head, tucking it under his chin before sighing. Her arms loosened around his waist just a fraction and the sweet scent of the flowery soap he'd given her filled his senses.

  He raised his head, tucked a finger under her chin and raised her face so he could see her. Another trickle of blood had run down her chin. He wiped it away, noticing her lip was already swelling. Lightly swiping her lip with his thumb, he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her. To soothe all those aches he knew she had, to chase that haunted look from her eyes.

  To protect her and keep her safe. Always.

  Noah smoothed her hair back and tucked the short strands behind her ear. "Are you all right?"

  "I am now." She heaved a huge sigh. "I've been holding that in for months now." Her eyes lowered, her hand raising to brush across his shoulder. "I didn't mean to cry all over you."

  "It'll dry." He stared at her for long moments, his chest tightening again when she looked back up at him. He was loath to move. Would have been content to sit there the rest of the day just holding her but knew it wasn't possible.

  He helped her to her feet instead, then sat her on the bed. A glance at the clock had him straightening and crossing the room to grab her coat and hat. "Put these on," he said, laying them on the bed. "I'll go hitch up the wagon. It'll be time to pick up Aaron and Sophie Ann soon."

  Chapter Seventeen

  They headed into town without a word spoken between them. Noah kept his gaze on the trees lining the road, watchful of the two men he'd run off. That is, when he wasn't stealing glances of Keri. That bruise on her face was darkening by the minute and her hands were still shaking.

  When he pulled the wagon to a stop next to the school, he rounded the horse and helped Keri to the ground. Class wouldn't be dismissed for another hour and at her questioning look, he took her by the arm and crossed the street, guiding her to the new building the townsfolk had just finished erecting.

  The words, Dr. Evan Reid, were printed in fine script across a painted piece of wood that hung on the wall. Noah had seen the new doctor on his last trip into town. He saw him sitting behind a desk when he looked in through the glass on the door. He knocked, opening the door when he motioned them in.

  "What are we doing here?" Keri asked, her whispered words barely audible. Noah glanced at her face, at the bruise on her cheek and her busted, swollen lip, and turned his attention to the doctor.

  Evan Reid was tall with brown hair and a kindly smile. He seemed a bit young to be a doctor, Noah thought, but he supposed the man knew what he was doing if the framed certificates lining the wall were any way to judge. He smiled at them, held out his hand, and Noah shook it, pleased at the tight grip. "Noah Lloyd," he said, nodding his head when Dr. Reid introduced himself as well. “And this is Keri.” He hesitated, glanced at Keri out of the corner of his eye, and said, "my wife.”

  The man looked over at Keri, his head tilted a fraction as he looked at her face. "Run into a bit of trouble?"

  "Something like that." Noah let go of her arm, placing his hand on her back instead. "I think she's okay but I'd like you to look her over anyway just to be sure."

  Dr. Reid nodded, catching his eye once before motioning Keri to a table along the right hand side of the room. "Come have a seat, Mrs. Lloyd, and let me take a good look at you."

  Keri looked back over at him and held his gaze so long, his pulse started racing for no reason whatsoever. Noah pushed the "why" of it out of his mind to examine later. "I'll be back to fetch you in a few minutes," he said before turning to the door. "I need to speak with the marshal."

  He left her in Dr. Reid's care and headed across town, ducking into the marshal's office. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the low light in the building and he blinked repeatedly as Morgan stood from his chair and greeted him.

  "Noah? Something wrong?"

  The explanation took less time than Noah thought it should have. Morgan listened to his recounting of what happened, then sat back in his seat. "You didn't recognize either of them?"

  "No," Noah said. "I think they were drifters."

  Morgan nodded. "Is Mrs. Hilam all right?"

  "I think so. She's bruised up and scared but I don't think she's seriously hurt. I took her over to Dr. Reid's just to be sure though."

  Morgan asked him a few more questions, jotted things down on a piece of paper and told him he'd keep his eye out for the two men. Noah walked back to the doctor’s office, noticing as he crossed the street that school had been dismissed, the gaggle of screaming kids running from the building and spreading over the sidewalk and the small playground sitting next to the school.

  Stepping back into Dr. Reid's office, Keri looked up at him, a faint smile touching her lips. He looked toward the doctor. "She's all right?"

  "Yes." He stood and rounded the desk. "The bruises will probably get a bit more nasty looking but they'll fade eventually. I've given her something for pain." Dr. Reid looked over at her. "A bit of rest will do wonders for her."

  Noah nodded, paid the man, then held out his hand to Keri. "Come on. Let's get you home."

  They crossed the street and headed back to the school, Keri's head darting in every direction as she looked for Aaron and Sophie Ann. Noah spotted them by the side of the building, both of them on their knees petting the sorriest excuse for a dog he'd ever seen.

  The critter was all legs and ears. His coat was dingy brown and he wasn't sure if it was dirt or just the color of him. The animal’s ribs were poking against his skin. He was half starved from the looks of him. Sophie Ann and Aaron were both petting him, scratching his head, and laughing. Noah knew trouble when he saw it. Those kids had the look about them that said they'd fallen in love with that mangy mutt. He sighed while watching them.

  Aaron was the first to look up. He shot
to his feet and grinned. "We found a dog!" He reached down and laid a hand to the animal’s head. "Can we keep him?"

  Noah opened his mouth to say no, but the words stuck in his throat. The dog looked his way, his bony tail wagging back and forth as Sophie Ann cooed and talked to him. The dog let out a loud, "woof," his whole body twitching as his tail swung from side to side and his tongue lolled from his mouth.

  The dog let out a series of barks, the sound deep and loud, and Noah wondered if that dog would have let him know someone was on his property. He didn't look like much of a watch dog, but if the critter let him know if someone was messing around the house, he'd be worth the trouble of keeping him.

  He looked to Aaron and Sophie Ann, saw the moment they noticed the bruises on Keri's face. They both stilled, their eyes wide as they stared at her. She stiffened by his side and he stepped in front of her and motioned toward the dog. "What's his name?"

  "He ain't got one yet," Sophie Ann said.

  Noah nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Dog has to have a name." He looked the mutt over again. "Can't call him dog all the time."

  Aaron's face lit up. "Does that mean we can keep him?"

  It was probably a mistake but it wouldn't be the first he'd ever made. "Just until he decides he doesn’t want to be kept."

  The kids let out an excited squeal and laughed, telling the dog he was coming home with them, the dog’s, "woofs" just as loud as Aaron and Sophie Ann's yells. Noah turned and looked down at Keri, her questioning eyes, for once, not filled with tears. He shrugged. "It'll keep them distracted."

  She tried to smile but it was a weak attempt. Loading them all into the wagon, the dog included, he headed back home. Aaron and Sophie Ann said nothing about the bruises on Keri's face but they kept giving him weary looks. He reluctantly told them what happened, a watered down version of course, and once Keri assured them she was fine, they quieted.