by Rye Hart
He smiled a lightly. “I was hoping I could be thunder,” he whispered softly, putting an arm around me.
I froze up, staring into my stew as lightning danced across the sky. He looked down at me, his fingers pressing into my shoulder with a gentle urgency. I swallowed and looked up at him. He was smiling the gentle smile he always offered me and his hand reached out, fingers dancing over the scar on my neck.
I turned away, my hand flying up to cover the scar, far too embarrassed by the mark to simply ignore it. “What are you doing?”
“Exploring your imperfections.”
“Why?” I asked, tears pooling in my eyes.
“Because they make you beautiful.”
I turned to him, the hot tears starting to roll down my cheeks. “I’m not-”
“Shhh. You are beautiful. You’re beautiful to me. There’s something about you, something different from the other women. Something I’ve never seen in anyone else before.”
I swallowed thickly, looking down at our laps. “I’m nothing special,” I whispered softly.
“Of course you are,” he argued. “You’re brave! You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. You’re my lightning in a bottle.”
“Why lightning?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Because there can’t be thunder without it,” he said simply.
“You’re saying you need me?” I asked, brows furrowed as he took my hand and brought it to his lips.
Another clap of thunder sounded overhead and lightening illuminated the sky. I saw his face clearly and in his gaze I saw an adoration that no other man had shown me.
“What are you saying, Rick?” I asked again.
He leaned in closer so that the space between our lips was so minimal that I could feel his warm breath.
“I’m asking you to be mine.”
I started to open my mouth to speak, but before the words of doubt could escape, he pressed his lips to mine and put his hand on the back of my neck, holding me close and refusing to let me go. My body filled with warmth and my fingertips started to tingle. I whimpered underneath him and pressed myself closer, eyes fluttering open and then shut again.
My fingers tangled in his mess of dark locks and I held him tight, not wanting to let go. We only parted when the need for air grew too strong to ignore. He stroked his fingers through my hair and I barely heard the words he spoke over the sound of my beating heart.
“Be mine?” he asked again.
I nodded quickly and threw my arms around him, our lips crashing together again as the heavens danced for us.
“Yes!” I whispered against his lips breathlessly. “Yes.”
Chapter Seven
I was on cloud nine for the next few days. Rick was mine and I was his. We’d held each other through the rest of the storm, sharing adoring kisses and looks of pure bliss. Was this love? I really hoped it was.
At first I’d been concerned that my feelings towards Rick stemmed from the fact that I felt like I owed him some sort of debt for saving me. I was concerned about the legitimacy of my feelings, but now I knew my love for him was true.
Though we had yet to say it out loud, we both understood that we were, in fact, in love. It happened fast, but that’s how everything in the west happened. It came through in a whirlwind and swept you off your feet. This was no exception to that rule.
I decided to stay quiet about it, knowing it might cause a bit of an uproar. Women all over Boulder were trying to get their hands on Rick. He was young, handsome, and had money to spare. He was everything any young woman could have hoped for in a husband, and he was mine.
I smiled at the thought as I ran my fingers over a brass watch. It had delicate engravings in it, depicting horses. I knew he would love it. It was a bit pricy but our vegetable crop had brought in a rather large sum of money. Rick was actually surprised that I’d managed to grow so much so quickly. He’d struggled with the soil for years and decided to just settle on live stock.
The elderly man selling the watch thanked me as he handed the money over. I smiled fondly and tucked it carefully in my dress pocket, patting it gently as I head back down the dirt road to our home, practically skipping. I was excited to show Rick his gift.
About a mile out from my home, I heard the sounds of hooves padding the ground. When I turned I saw Claire riding up behind me on her white steed. She came up beside me, her horse moving at a slow trot to keep pace with me.
“Why if it isn’t our little stray!” she sang.
I frowned deeply and tossed a red braid over my shoulder, starting to walk away from her, determined to put some distance between us.
“Where are you going?” she called after me, her horse blocking my path now.
I looked up at her and put my hands on my hips. “Aren’t you a little old to be playing these childish games?” I asked.
I should have been the bigger person and just walked away from the confrontation, but I was tired of Claire butting into every aspect of my life. I wanted to settle this with her once and for all.
“I’m not playing any games, dear.” she said, a coy, wicked smile coming across her lips.
She jumped down from her horse and took a step toward me so I took a step back. Her hand flew out at lightning speed and grabbed at my hair, yanking it back and exposing the brand on my neck. I slapped at her hand and she just laughed, pulling it back and shaking her head.
“I didn’t know my dear Rick liked his women so feral.”
“I’m not feral,” I whispered, my voice weaker than before.
“Of course you are. Everyone knows that people who have lived with the Indians can’t be trusted,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re just a shiny new toy for him to play with. He’ll get bored of you soon enough.” She threw out her hand as if to emphasis her point. “Look at you! With that scar and that mess of red hair! Who would want you?” she asked, snorting and crossing her arms.
Sadness overwhelmed me for a moment. I stood there and stared at the beautiful woman before me, doubt in my heart. I brushed my fingers over my messy curls and looked down at them for a moment. I touched the deep scars on my neck and my heart dropped into my stomach. I stood there for a long time, feeling inadequate and ugly.
‘You can’t have thunder without lightning.’
I recalled his words and remembered that Rick loved me, my bravery, and my spirit. It wasn’t my face he’d fallen in love with, it was my soul. My gaze snapped to hers and I frowned deeply.
“Claire, you can be as cruel to me as you want, but I know the truth,” I said softly. “Rick picked me. At the end of the day he brushed you aside and he picked me, because he values a woman’s brain and her soul. Your beauty is going to fade one day, Claire, and I hope for your sake that you find someone who loves you the way Rick loves me before that happens,” I said, turning away from her.
I could feel her stunned silence as she stared after me. “You little- “
“Claire. That’s enough,” Rick’s voice echoed through the valley.
I turned and smiled, my breath catching in my throat as I stared at him. “Rick.”
His horse trotted over to me and he offered his hand, helping to swing me up over the saddle. “Claire, I want you to stay away from me and Corine,” he said, pulling me close to his chest.
She stared at us, mouth hanging open in disbelief. “What do you mean?”
“If you continue to harass us, I won’t think twice about telling your husband what you do when he’s away,” Rick said matter-of-factly.
Her mouth snapped closed and she stared at me for a long moment, anger dancing across her features. I could tell she wanted to rip me apart, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the way Rick pressed his lips against mine. He nudged his horse with his heel and we rode off down the road, leaving Claire in our dust.
Chapter Eight
Claire didn’t bother me again after that. I could feel her eyes burning a hole in the back of my head al
l through church, but I didn’t pay her much mind. She was very much like a child and she was just angry that I had something she thought belonged to her. For some strange reason, she was convinced that I’d stolen Rick from her when he’d never been hers in the first place.
Despite her jealousy, she and her gaggle stayed far away from me, leaving me to live in peace with the man I was falling deeper and deeper in love with each day. Every day that passed was a new testament to our love. I couldn’t believe that I’d gotten so lucky. I hated to admit it, but being taken prisoner by the Indians was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Without that terrifying ordeal, I never would have met Rick. I would probably be in Montana right now, married to a mining tycoon who could care less about me. I might be like Claire.
I shuddered at the thought and Rick glanced over toward me. “Is everything okay, Sweetheart?”
I loved his nicknames for me. They gave me goose flesh and made me shiver in the most delightful way.
“Of course. Just a little chilly,” I said, brushing some hair out of my eyes.
He frowned and looked up at the sky, which was quickly turning from a bright blue to almost black. A few of the preacher’s cattle were lowing at the sky, stomping in the mud. They were clearly distressed, though I couldn’t place why. I’d seen animals get like this before storms, but never this bad.
“This temperature dropped awfully fast, didn’t it?” he asked, guiding me towards our horses.
“I suppose it did,” I mused, looking around. “What do you think it means?”
“Not sure,” he said softly.
There was a nervous edge to his voice and I didn’t like it. I’d never heard Rick sound unsure, let along nervous. If he was worried about something, then there was probably something worth worrying about.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, mounting my own horse and nudging it along.
“I’m sure it’s fine, but this is tornado weather, you know,” he murmured, patting his shirt pockets for his cigarettes.
“Is it?” I asked, looking around.
“Yes. We should get home quickly.”
I nodded and urged my horse along, casting him a soft smirk. He got the hint and soon we were racing home, our horses neck and neck. It was as if we were racing the storm itself. The sky above our cabin was as clear as it had been earlier that morning, but the dark clouds looming over head were creeping up over our house.
We walked inside together and I took off my sun hat, hanging it up near the door before Rick snatched me up and pulled me close to his strong chest. I melted in his arms and moaned as his lips pressed against mine. I would never get tired of feeling his body pressed close to mine. His warmth radiated through me and made every inch of me tingle. My blood turned to fire in my veins whenever he touched me.
We parted and he moved to kiss my neck, pressing me up against the wall to taste my skin. He was always hungry for me. We’d agreed not to take each other before we were married but there was something wonderful about feeling desired. We wouldn’t act on it, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t explore each other just a little.
My fingers tangled in his hair as his lips grazed over my scar. I shuddered a little and pulled him away, yanking him down for another hungry kiss. We clung to each other, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears.
Just as my eyes fluttered closed again, there was a loud bang. I jumped and yelped, eyes wide as Rick pushed away from me, his gaze at the window. He stood up straight and went to the door, opening it only to have it ripped from his hands by the dangerously strong winds.
I followed him to the door, looking out over our farm land. My eyes widened as they wandered skyward, taking in the strange funnel-shaped cloud that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger with each passing moment. I’d never seen a tornado in Georgia, though I’d heard of them. Now that I was staring the cyclone down, I had the sudden urge to flee as far and as fast as I could. I wanted to get away and I wanted to take Rick with me. It filled me with a strange sort of primal fear. I gripped his hand and started tugging him back inside. It only made sense that the walls of our home would protect us.
He grabbed me by the shoulders, his eyes calm, though there was a hint of fear behind them. “Listen to me, go down to the cellar and wait there for me.”
“The cellar? Where are you going to go?” I gasped, my voice already rising in panic.
“I’m going to set the cattle free. The more scattered they are, the better chance we have of saving some.”
“It’s not worth it Rick!” I said, my eyes wild with fear. “You could die!”
“This is our livelihood, Corine! It has to be done.”
“Then let me help you!”
“No!” he gripped my shoulders and gave me a little shake. “Please! The biggest thing you can do for me is stay safe.”
I whimpered softly, tears coming to my eyes. Finally, I embraced him and then released him, watching him go head first into the most terrifying storm I’d ever seen.
Chapter Nine
I put my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out to him, knowing it would only distract him and possibly put him in danger. The cattle were already panicking and I didn't want to add my own fear to the list of things he had to worry about.
As he approached the barn, I ran out the door to the side of our house where the shutter doors slammed against the frame. I forced the lock open and started down the dark stairs, squinting in the pitch black darkness.
I managed to find a lamp and lit it carefully, pulling it off the hook and turning back towards the two heavy doors. I wanted Rick to have plenty of light when he came down the stairs.
The smell of brine burned my nose and I glanced around at all the jars of pickled vegetables and meats, thankful that we wouldn't starve if we were trapped down here.
There was no way of keeping time in the darkness. I stared at the doors, which were shaking even more violently now. Panic rose in my chest as I tried to figure out how long it had been since I first came down here. I wasn't exactly sure, but I knew it had been too long. Rick should have been here with me by now.
I ran towards the cellar doors and threw my thin body against them, forcing them open despite the force of the winds. They flew open and I stumbled into the yard, falling on my hands and knees. My thin legs were no match for the strong gusts of wind.
The rain was coming down so hard it stung my skin, leaving me breathless. The wind whipped my hair against my face and neck, leaving tiny, angry red lines. I managed to force myself to my feet and look around, squinting against the rain. That's when I saw him.
Rick was trapped under a large fence post the wind had managed to blow over. He was pinned by the leg and couldn’t free himself.. He was still conscious, struggling under the heavy post and cursing towards the skies as the cyclone loomed closer and closer.
My eyes widened and I ran as fast as I could, dodging branches and other projectiles the wind heaved at me. I didn’t care what happened to me. All the scrapes and cuts would be worth it if I could make it to him. I somehow managed to cross the soft, mucky yard and make it to the pen. I dug my heels into the mud and pushed myself forward on my knees, starting to yank desperately at the post that was holding the love of my life down.
He stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief. “What are you doing? Get out of here!” he screamed, trying to push me away.
“NO! I’m not leaving you out here! We’re in this together!” I snapped, struggling to be heard over the wind.
He was still trying to push my away, but I wasn’t having any of it. The wind was starting to howl now and the terrified cows were stomping past us, barely avoiding trampling us. Despite all the danger around us, I wasn’t concerned with anything other than Rick.
After a few moments of desperately trying to move the post on my own, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. He was still screaming at me to leave, but I wasn’t going to listen. We were either going to get out of this together or we were going t
o die together. Those were the only two options.
I managed to find a lighter, thinner piece of wood and I jammed it under the post, putting all of my weight into the leverage. I’d seen my father do this when our till got stuck in the mud. I could only pray that the trick would work now. Slowly but surely, the post started to roll and Rick’s leg was free. I glanced at it and I could tell it was broken; it didn’t take a doctor’s eye to see that.
The tornado was starting to tear shingles off a neighbor’s roof and I gasped, draping Rick’s arm over my shoulder and helping him to his feet.
“Come on!” I shouted.
“You stupid girl!” he yelled as we limped across the yard, somehow making it into the cellar before the tornado had a chance to sweep us away.
We collapsed on the dirt floor, panting desperately and drenched in rain. I shivered as the adrenaline wore off, teeth chattering against the cold that was wracking my body. Rick pulled me into his arms, kissing my hair and face.
“You stupid, stupid girl,” he whispered again, though there was a smile in his voice. “Why did you do that?” he whispered. “You could have been killed.”
It took me a while to get the words out around my chattering teeth. “You could have been killed too, when you rescued me from the Indians, but that didn’t stop you. And you didn’t even know who I was,” I whispered. “You had no reason to save me, but you did anyway, and after you saved me, you brought me into your home and gave me a shot at a normal life,” I said.
I looked up at him, my eyes wide as a smile came across my face. I touched his cheek and reached up, pressing our lips together.
“Besides, when you love someone, running out into a tornado doesn’t sound that crazy,” I said with a sheepish smile.
His eyes widened a moment and he finally pulled me into his arms again, holding me tight. “Corine, I love you too,” he whispered in my ear.
My heart leapt with joy and I leaned back to kiss his face, smiling down at him as the storm raged on outside. No matter what happened, I knew it would be okay because he loved me.
