by Rita Hestand
After a long silence Bill added, "The minute I let his chair slip, I regretted it. But she came out of her bedroom and kissed me like there was no tomorrow and I forgot the regrets and grabbed hold of her like a lifeline. And my wife, I asked Roy how it went and he put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes and he said, he thought she knew and there was no fight in her. She was ready to die. She suffered a lot. Kind of like Sam looked a lot."
As they made camp and sat back with a cup of hot coffee though Bill raised his eyes to Jace. "I sit here and tell you all of this and remorse fills me. What I done was so bad. I deserve whatever I get. And yet, part of me wants to still live and try again. But I'm gonna tell you the truth, even knowing how she is, I miss her already."
Jace seemed to understand. "You're doing the right thing. Set it straight. Take what comes and sleep at night. I doubt she will."
Bill stared into the fire. "I don't know about her. Sometimes I think women like her think the world owes them something and that they have every right. She was never sorry about anything. It kind of sticks in my craw that she wasn't woman enough to come back with me and set things right like she should. I guess Sam did right, giving the place to Doug. He'll run it right and won't cheat his hands. He was always fair with me. You see, up until Sam died, no one was aware we were having an affair."
"That's remarkable. I like Doug, even though he beat me up…"
"For what?"
"He thought I was trying to romance Kate's fortune from under her."
"Were you?" Bill chuckled.
"No sir, I got her to admit she was giving guns to the Indians. But I couldn't prove it. I was trying to find some way to prove it, that's why I came over here, to catch her, but she was smart enough to know that a confession without witnesses wouldn't hold in a court of law."
"Yeah, she was trying her best to get Noah's land. She sent them over there to harass him or scare him. It didn't work too well, as you know."
"Noah's pretty smart."
"Yeah, I found that out too."
They curled up in their blankets and went to sleep.
They talked all the way back to Carterville.
"Want to go with me to the Sheriff's office?" Bill asked.
"Would you want me to?"
"Yeah, you might could fill in any details I leave out."
"All right." Jace agreed.
Bill related the entire story to Al and he locked him up. "You aren't the first one to be caught in her web, Bill. And you might get out of this unscathed. But I'm glad you confessed to what happened, because if she ever shows herself here, I'll throw her in jail as quick as I can."
"I realize that Sheriff. I know the only way I'm gonna feel like a man again is to face what's comin' without a fight."
"We'll wait and see what the judge says."
"Oh Bill, where can I find Jen?" Jace asked.
"That's been takin' care of. She's up at Noah's as we speak." Al told him.
"Was she hurt in any way?" Jace asked with a worry wrinkle on his forehead.
"Not a scratch, said she's been playin' poker."
"What happened to Roy?" Bill asked.
"I guess that's the man that had her hold up. Well, when we got the note from him saying where she was, he took off and we haven't seen him since. She was in an old abandoned cabin about twenty miles from here."
Jace let out a breath, "Thank God."
After talking with the Sheriff a while Jace asked Al what would happen to Bill. "He'll stand trial. But Sam's death wasn't caused by the fall, he had a heart attack and so he can't be charged for the murder itself. His wife died, and the doctor ruled she just expired, not knowing she'd been suffocated. So, there won't be much to do about it. But I doubt Bill will find work around here any longer and he's going to have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. That's a burden I wouldn't want." Al shook his head.
"Yeah, me either." Jace said. "Well, I'm gonna get now. I want to see Jen. It's been a while…"
"Good luck son. Glad this all turned out for the best."
"Oh, what about Kate Williams?"
Al looked sharply at Jace then Bill. "If we ever catch her, she might have to stand trial for pre-meditated murder. I guess if she really went to Mexico, she could get lost down there."
"Strange justice, isn't it?" Jace shook his head.
"Yeah…that it is."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jace couldn't wait to get to the cabin. He was so anxious to see Jen and hold her once more in his arms.
But he barely got to the place when Jen must have seen him coming and ran out to greet him.
She ran into his arms and he kissed her long and hard.
"God, I missed you woman."
He lifted her in the air and twirled her around and she laughed.
"Are you all right? Were you hurt?"
"No, he didn't hurt me. In fact, we played cards a lot."
"Cards? You were playing cards and I was out of my head with worry?" He kissed her again, this time softly, with as much love as he was feeling.
After long drugging kisses, he pulled her to him and they walked into the house.
"Well, I'll be damned. So how was Mexico?"
"Don't know, we never got there." Jace laughed.
Hank was there too and they talked into the night as Jace told them what all happened and how Bill turned himself in.
"After all that time, he finally woke up to what she was doing to him?" Noah shook his head.
"Yeah, but Al said he probably wouldn't even go to jail believe it or not, because the doc pronounced a heart attack as what killed Sam. And Roy, killed Bill's wife, but the doc there said she died from her sickness. So no one will really be blamed for it, unless Kate shows her head in these parts again. Al said they could get her on pre-meditated murder."
"What happened to her, by the way?"
"We don't know. Bill asked her to go with him to turn herself in. She wouldn't have any part of that. I figure she went on to Mexico." Jace explained. "No telling what will happen to her down there."
"Kate in Mexico, she's liable to turn that country upside down." Hank chuckled.
Jen was quiet, Jace looked at her, "Something wrong, honey?"
Jen shook her head, "I guess not, but there seems a lot of getting away with, more than justice."
"No honey, Bill will pay for the rest of his life because he has a conscious. Kate will eventually meet her match and might be dealt some rough blows from it. In the end it all works out for the best. Someday, someone will take advantage of her, and she'll get her comeuppance. God himself will take care of Kate."
She shrugged and got up to get everyone some coffee and brought in a cake.
Hank hung around for a while then left, satisfied that all was well. But before he left Noah looked sharply at him and then smiled. "What say you we get together every Friday night for a game of poker at your house?"
"All right, sounds good. All of you all are welcome."
"Sounds good to me," Jace laughed.
They all went to bed early that night because of all the stress everyone seemed to finally unwind.
The next day things returned to normal. Jace and Noah were breaking broncs and Jen was keeping the house.
It was three days later that Jace took her into the barn to talk to her. Noah had gone to town and told them he'd be back before nightfall.
"You know, we haven't been alone that much lately, but I wanted to ask you, do you still want to marry me?"
She smiled and cuddled up to him in the hay. "Of course I do, if you do?"
"I haven't thought of anything else for days."
She kissed his jaw. "I guess we shouldn't put it off then…" she giggled.
"I haven't been a man to be afraid of things, but when you were kidnapped, I was afraid I'd lost you." He admitted, as he kissed her senseless. "It was the not knowing if you were all right that did it. I was afraid I'd never hold you in my arms again, afraid I could never
kiss your lips again. Afraid we'd never have a future together. You are my world now Jen. I need you by my side."
"And when they told me you had to guide them to Mexico, I wondered if you'd ever come back." She admitted too. "I mean you said they had a warrant out for you down there. I imagined all kinds of things, none of them good."
"Thank goodness we didn't go that far, but we were mighty close." He told her.
He stared into her eyes now, "I want you so bad."
"Then I think we better get married pretty quick, because I want you right back."
She saw the desire in his eyes, and his hands went all over her. "What are you doing?" She finally asked him.
"Making sure you are all here." He murmured, "And enjoying it…"
She laughed. "Is it silly for us to wait, I'm not a virgin you know…? And I do love you!"
"Do you really want to be a desperado's bride?" He asked as his hand stopped at her breast and his thumb moved softly over her nipples.
She wiggled in his arms and smiled, "Sounds kind of exciting, doesn't it? Just like conceiving a child the day before your weddings sounds sinfully pleasurable."
"I've had a problem keeping my pants done up since the day you came and curled up in my lap and we watched the sunrise. I don't know if it was the way you walked, the way you smiled at me, the way you looked into my eyes that day, but I've wanted you ever since that day. You trust me enough?"
"I always have."
He kissed her hotly on the mouth, and his kisses went everywhere, all over her face, her ear, her neck and down to the open point of her shirt. His lips covered her nipples through the thin cotton. Her breasts were well shaped, and her nipples puckered against his mouth. Her hips moved sinuously. "Oh Chance…" she whispered like a prayer, "I want to be yours so bad."
Without thinking, but with such feeling, he pulled her shirt off of her, kissing her gently at her breast, then pulled her pants and drawers down and pulled his own clothes off. Then he took his leisurely time kissing every part of her body. He didn't hold back, he didn't stop to think about it, he simply made slow, heated love to her, taking his time to prime her for their coming together. He cradled her small breasts in his hands, looking touching, and tasting them. She let her hands wander all over him too, discovering what pleased him and cooing from his touches.
"You have a nice butt," she chuckled.
"You have a nice everything, honey."
"You have a very sexy slow hand…" she smiled.
His lips were everywhere. She spread her legs slowly, inviting him in, she felt the hard warmth of his readiness. He drove himself as deep inside her as he could and she moaned with an abandoned pleasure.
She looked up dreamily at him, "I'm yours at last. I think maybe I always have been. No other man would ever do." She cried as her hands pulled his hips to her. "I don't want to ever sleep alone again," She cried.
"I'm crazy in love with you woman." He whispered as they climaxed quickly.
By the second time he entered her, she was clawing his back for more and begging him to take her. "Oh Chance I love you so!"
He smiled and they climaxed together for long glorious moments. When they collapsed against each other, she sighed happily.
"I want to marry you, quickly. I don't want to wait, I don't want to prepare, I want to marry you. I want to be a part of your life, forever. I don't want to spend another night without you. You think Noah and Hank will understand?"
"I think, under the circumstances." He smiled and pulled her into the circle of his arms. "They'll insist."
She giggled, playfully and kissed his nipple. He jerked as though another climax hit him. She chuckled.
"I'm saving the best for later, but I think I can handle as much as you can take in one night." He smiled. "Jen," he took her cheeks in both hands and his thumb caressed her as he stared into her eyes. "We've already committed ourselves to each other. I'll never be sorry for taking you now, not when I thought I had lost you. We needed each other, that's all there is to it. And I'm ready to find that preacher. And one more thing, you'll never sleep alone again, I promise."
He leaned down and kissed her belly, "Someday, we'll have children."
He hands slid downward, his finger finding the softness of her and she sighed.
"Maybe we'll go get married a little later, like morning—" He whispered.
"Hmmm…" she sighed and moved to his touches.
"I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of you…" He sighed and kissed her there.
"Let's stay here tonight and get married in the morning, what do you say?"
"I say, it sounds like heaven to me." He laved her until she could no longer stand it, they made love many times that night, and the next morning, Noah marched them to the church, after seeing how raw her cheeks were. He wasn't mad, but determined to get the deed done. Jace and Jen smiled at each other. Noah got a hold of Hank, and they all rode to the church eagerly. Finally, they were at long last married. Hank let them stay at his house for a few days and he joined Noah at the cabin. He left instructions for his men not to disturb the newlyweds until his return.
There were groans, and moans, and laughter coming from Hank's house for days and the boys on the ranch, just smiled and went about their work as though listening to music.
Jen had finally become the Desperado's Bride! And Hanks' house was filled with love once more!
The End
About the Author
I’m a professional writer of romance and children’s books. I’m also a poet and short story writer. I’m working on another historical western right now, one mid-grade book and just finished two historical westerns. You’ll find a lot of facts in my historical western romances not the run of the mill romances. Check them out.
I’m also a grandmother and great-grandmother who enjoys spending time with her family.
I hope you enjoy my books. Thank You and God Bless
Rita Hestand
Rita's Other Books
Beyond the Dream Catcher
Just One Kiss
Ask No Tomorrows
A Promised Heart
Be Free My Heart
Western Serial Killer Series
Better Off Without Her
Good Day for a Hanging
Bad Day for a Killing
The Travers Brothers Series
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Courting Abby
Hannah's Man
Along Came Love
The McKay's
Raining in My Heart
Ring of Fire
Twelfth of Never
Stand By Me
The Amory's
Heart of the Wild
Sweeter Than Wine
Mail Order Nanny
Singles
Always Remember
Love Rules
Jodi's Journey
Nick's Baby
Pretend Mom
Runaway Bride
Suspicions of the Heart
Wandering Heart
Brides of the West
Heart of a Family
Delivering the Bride
Heart of a Woman
Wanted Bride
This Side of Forever
Shotgun Bride
A Love as Big as Texas
Heart of a Captive
(coming soon to this series)
Where Ever My Heart Roams
In the Arms of an Angel
Bride From Shenandoah
Falling for the Bride
An Unexpected Welcome
A Desperado's Bride
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