Under the Strawberry Moon

by Beth Bennett

  Kelly pulled Cantaloupe to a stop. “What?”

  Branson went through the barn and into the paddock. He crossed over to Kelly and pulled her off Cantaloupe and gave her bottom a hard smack. “Put that horse away right now, missy. My bull is out and I’ve got to go chase him down. Get your behind in the house and don’t come out till I get back. That bull is dangerous, and I don’t want to have to worry about him getting after you. I’ll tend to you when I get back.” Kelly stood holding the reins with her mouth open as she watched Branson saddle up Gray Boy. “Now!” Branson yelled.

  Kelly jumped and quickly led Cantaloupe into the stall while Branson took off after the bull. I’m in for it now, she thought, as she put Cantaloupe’s saddle away and started to leave. On her way to the house, Kelly saw a dark blue car pulling down their driveway. She tried to call for Branson, but he had quickly become a small dot on the horizon as he rode off after Blue.

  It wasn’t often they had a visitor Kelly didn’t recognize, so she ambled toward the car. It parked in front of the house. Kelly raised a hand in welcome. The face that greeted her caused her blood to run cold. Eric Hinton got out of the car. A buzzing sound began in her ears and her feet felt like lead. She wanted to run but her thoughts couldn’t seem to connect with her body. She tried to breathe but the whole world seemed to stop. Eric stepped toward her.

  He spoke in a simpering whine. “Aren’t you glad to see me?” The look in his eyes did not match the sound of his voice. He looked like he wanted to kill her. Kelly didn’t waste another second. She turned and ran as fast as she could go. Eric was on top of her before she could even reach the barn. She desperately tried to get away but Eric slapped her across the face so hard, the world spun, and she was knocked off her feet. Her head hit the ground with a hard thud.

  Eric flipped her onto her stomach and dug a knee into her back. He wrapped a rough length of twine tightly around her wrists and tied another around her ankles. Stuffing a handkerchief into her mouth, he secured another one around her face so that she could make no sound.

  Kelly was genuinely afraid she was going to suffocate. She tried to calm down but her thoughts raced a mile a minute. Branson! Oh Branson, this just couldn’t be the last day they would ever have together. What if Eric killed Branson? Kelly would rather it be her. She would do anything to protect him. Her jumbled thoughts were interrupted when Eric dragged her across the ground and left her laying in the dirt at the back of his car. She heard the keys jingle and the trunk popped open. Eric reached down and roughly threw her in the back. The trunk slammed shut and the lights went out. All alone, and bereft of hope, Kelly began to cry. Her face still stung from Eric’s hard slaps. Her shoulders felt like they were nearly out of joint. The twine around her wrists and ankles was excruciating. The car door shut. The engine started, and they pulled away.

  Kelly frantically tried to keep track of the time. Anything to enhance her chances of saving Branson. If she could just figure out where Eric was taking her. She guessed they had traveled about fifteen minutes when she heard the car engine shut off. Her arms had gone completely numb, and she could do nothing with the tightly confused knots.

  Kelly squinted suddenly against the brightness of the sun as Eric opened the trunk. He leaned in and hovered over her like a dark shadow, anger washing across his face. His eyes darted to and fro in a crazy motion and he seemed completely out of control. He took out a large hunting knife and waved it in front of Kelly’s eyes. She blinked, but could say nothing to calm him. Tears ran down her face from the pain and terror of her predicament. She trembled while Eric continued to brandish the knife. Eric brought the knife against her throat and Kelly closed her eyes. She breathed a silent prayer, absolutely sure that Eric was going to kill her.

  The gag around her mouth fell away and Kelly realized Eric had sliced through it with the blade. She gave a cough and spit the material out of her mouth. Gulping for air, she lay like a helpless goldfish, panting and heaving for breath.

  Eric reached down and pulled Kelly out of the trunk by the arms. A cry of pain escaped her mouth. Eric was unmoved. His eyes held a dead stare. They reminded Kelly of something she had seen on TV once. Sharks had that same dead look, right before they tore their victim to pieces.

  “I saw you down here you whore. I saw you. I just can’t understand how you could hurt me so bad.” He dropped Kelly to the ground and began pacing back and forth. Kelly could see Clear Springs pool in the distance. Eric couldn’t get his car any further down the trail. Kelly knew she must do something, say something. Eric was so unstable. Her only hope was to calm him down.

  “I’m so sorry, Eric,” was all she could think of.

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry, that’s all you ever say!” Eric screamed. He was making jerking motions with his hands while he held the knife. “I’m sorry I have to do this, Kelly. I have to. You made me have to do this, Kelly. You made me. This is the only way I can have you to myself forever.”

  Eric’s strange behavior continued. He left her where she lay and walked down the trail towards the pool. Kelly watched as he sat down on the bank. She tried to think what to do.

  Eric was out of his mind. He got up from the pool, and was pacing to and fro, slashing at trees and muttering under his breath. He crossed back to the path a little distance from Kelly and screamed, “This is your fault, Kelly, your fault.” Kelly lay her head on the ground and closed her eyes. She tried not to be threatening in any way toward Eric. A few moments of silence went by. Kelly raised her head to see what Eric was doing.

  The horror of the scene below was beyond anything Kelly could ever have imagined. Eric stood at the bottom of the trail with his back to her. About twenty-five yards away stood Branson’s bull, Blue. The animal acted as if it had just realized there was something standing in its path. Eric made a slight movement. The bull turned its head toward the motion. When Eric didn’t move again, Blue became menacingly still. The bull took one step forward and snorted. Eric stupidly waved the knife. Blue shook his head and waved his horns in warning. He bent his head down and pawed the ground.

  Eric again slashed at the air with his knife and this time he shouted, “Come and get me you son of a bitch.” Kelly saw the hair on the neck of the bull stand up. Blue put his head low and charged all 1700 pounds directly toward Eric. Kelly couldn’t keep herself from screaming. The bull bore down on Eric and a cloud of dust obscured the attack. Kelly looked away. It was too horrible to watch.

  Kelly’s scream of terror reached Branson’s ears. He kicked Gray Boy into a dead run toward the sound. When he pulled up over the rise, he saw Kelly laying below, tied up on the ground. Only a few yards away, Blue paced and snorted over the body of a man. It was the most gruesome thing Branson had ever seen. The love of his life, lay yards away from death.

  Branson quickly retrieved his rifle from the holster on his saddle. He looked through the rifle sight at Blue. Branson would not hesitate the second he was sure of a clear shot. Blue kept moving and pacing, looking for another place to vent his rage. Kelly made a small movement as if to try and roll under the car to safety. Blue noticed. Branson placed his finger on the trigger. “Stay still, Kelly, stay still.” Kelly could see the bull coming towards her. Her movements increased as she desperately tried to get away. Branson was afraid if he shouted at Kelly to be still, it might cause the bull to charge. He closed one eye and aimed. “Lay still, baby.” Blue shook his horns and began to paw the ground again. The bull put his head down toward Kelly. Kelly saw it coming, the thing was going to charge her. She squeezed her eyes shut at what she knew was inevitable.

  Suddenly, a shot rang out. Kelly watched as blood spurted from Blue’s head. The bull fell over dead, just steps away. On the rise above, Kelly saw her knight in shining armor, seated on his big gray horse, holding a rifle. When Branson saw that Blue could no longer hurt her, he turned his horse and rode down the rise, toward the springs. In only a moment, he was by her side, cutting the biting twine on her wrists and ankles. Branson g
athered up a sobbing Kelly and held her tightly in his arms. He rocked her back and forth. “Shhh, sweetheart, I’ve got you now. I’ve got you, it’s all over. All over, baby.” Relief such as Kelly had never known washed over her. The bull lay dead. Down the trail, Eric Hinton lay in a motionless heap. His neck crooked at a strange angle. He was covered in blood. Branson was sure he was dead.

  Chapter Ten

  Branson lifted Kelly and carried her away from the terrible scene. He sat her next to a tree and looped Gray Boys reins around a branch. Taking out his cell phone, he called the authorities including an ambulance for Eric’s body. As they waited together, Kelly crawled up in his lap and hid her face in his chest. She didn’t say a word but wrapped her arms around Branson and caressed his face. Branson rubbed her back over and over. Gratitude and relief surged from deep within both of them. It was over, truly over. She and Branson were safe at last. They would never have to think about Eric Hinton again.

  When they returned home, Blake confirmed that Eric was dead and also told him that two ranch hands had found the fence line cut. Eric must have purposely let Blue out to entice Branson away. Bob and Emma stayed at the Triple H that night and Emma made dinner for everyone. They talked long into the night. It helped to process all that had happened. The long struggle was over and the relief was palpable. Kelly and Branson fell into bed that night physically and emotionally exhausted.

  When morning broke, Kelly opened her eyes while Branson’s light snores serenaded her ears. She put her feet on the floor and started to get up when she felt a warm hand around her wrist. “I need to talk, Kelly.” Branson sounded serious. Kelly lay back down and rolled over to look at him.

  “What is it, Branson? Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay, sweetheart, but I need to talk to you about yesterday.” Kelly lay back down and rolled to her side as she looked at him. She couldn’t discern his thoughts. “Yesterday was a terrible day, Kelly. I’m so glad you are safe. I’m so glad all that is over. There is one thing on my mind though. I need to ask you something. Something very important.” Branson licked his lips while he thought a moment. “Will you tell me why you were out riding Cantaloupe around when I expressly asked you not to?”

  Kelly blinked back at Branson. She didn’t know what to say. “I…I…I shouldn’t have done it, Branson. I know I’m an inexperienced rider. I…I…” Kelly couldn’t think of a single excuse that would be worth repeating. “I’m sorry, Branson.”

  “Kelly,” Branson said as he looked into her eyes. “I need to be able to trust you, don’t you think?” Kelly nodded wide eyed. “You saw what awful things can happen when something gets out of hand. What if instead of riding around the paddock, you had decided to take Cantaloupe down to Clear Springs like you did before? That could have been you instead of Eric Hinton. After everything we’ve been through, I want you to understand that I mean what I say. I want to be able to trust you.” Kelly nodded again.

  Branson sat up. “I want you to go over there and look in that top dresser drawer.” Kelly got up and obediently crossed to the dresser. She opened the drawer and saw a small homemade paddle. It had a wooden handle and a thin round top. “Bring that over here.” Kelly’s knees began to shake and her heart skipped a beat. She brought the paddle to Branson. Branson took it. “I saw this in the hardware store in town, Kelly, and thought I might need it one day.”

  Kelly felt as low as the belly of a snake. She wiped a tear that had managed to squeeze out her eye and slowly walked around to the end of the bed. Without another word, she bent over. Branson thought it was about the most pitiful thing he had ever seen. He got up and stood beside her. He lifted her nightgown up. Kelly’s little heart shaped bottom was creamy and smooth. He took the paddle and gave her one hard swat. Kelly jerked a little, but didn’t make a sound. He reached back with the paddle and spanked her again. As much as he wanted to stop, he simply had to make sure she understood. Her bottom turned bright red and still Branson continued with the swats. He wanted this to be a lesson she would never forget. Kelly lay limply across the end of bed, crying her eyes out. At swat number twenty, Branson threw the paddle down and gathered her up in his arms.

  He smoothed his hands over her hair and spoke as she continued to quietly sob. “Kelly, I’m going to keep that paddle right where you found it. If I ever have to use it on your bottom again, you’re going to get far worse.” Kelly howled out her heartbreak over having disappointed him. She buried her head in his chest. Branson gave her a squeeze. “Okay, my darling, that’s enough, it’s all over. All over. You won’t do anything like that again, will you?” Kelly shook her head against his chest. “Everything is put right,” Branson crooned. “Shhh.” Kelly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Branson’s neck as tight as she could. He held her extra close.

  Kelly and Branson spent the rest of the day together. Kelly felt a little awkward after the spanking she had gotten, but she soon realized that when Branson was done with something, it was truly over. He didn’t mention another thing about it. The ranch hands went about their work, and Branson took Kelly on a tour. She knew the Triple H was a big spread, but she had no idea just how big. Branson shared his huge hopes and dreams with Kelly as he drove her around the ranch in his truck. That afternoon, Kelly was busy fixing a big dinner for them. Branson was working in the office when the delicious odors coming from the kitchen came wafting his way. It smelled even better than the times Emma had cooked for him.

  Kelly had made a big pot roast with mushrooms, gravy, potatoes, and carrots. She also cooked some fresh green beans and made homemade rolls from a recipe she had learned from Susie. Branson and she sat at the small kitchen table enjoying their meal together. Branson smacked his lips and rolled his eyes while Kelly smiled in embarrassed satisfaction at his reaction.

  After dinner, Kelly poured Branson some coffee and informed him, “The best part is coming up.” She shyly batted her eyes at him. Her sweetness made Branson smile.

  “I don’t see how it could get any better, little britches,” he said.

  “Close your eyes.” Kelly got up from the table and went to the kitchen counter. She looked over at Branson, who sat with his eyes dutifully closed. Kelly didn’t worry about a kerchief, she knew he wouldn’t peek. Branson could hear her, knocking around, opening and closing the refrigerator.

  “What are you doing over there, Kelly?” He was really curious. The temptation to open his eyes was overwhelming.

  “One more minute,” Kelly sang out. He heard her cross toward him and he got a whiff of her perfume. “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

  When Branson opened his eyes, the most enormous strawberry shortcake he had ever seen sat on table in front of him. It was seven layers high, made with fresh strawberries and homemade pound cake, topped off with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Kelly had placed a giant red berry with the cap still attached right on top as a garnish.

  Branson rubbed his hands together in glee. “My goodness, I didn’t know you could cook like this. I found a gold mine when I married you.”

  Kelly smiled from ear to ear at the compliment. She blushed and turned the same shade as the strawberries. Her serving was about a fourth the size of his. As they dug into the dessert, Kelly proclaimed, “This is going to be our special cake, after all, we did meet under a strawberry moon.”

  “We did, indeed, little britches,” Branson agreed as he took a big bite. That night, Kelly, Branson and the cowhands all met on the front porch of the little house. Jeb brought his guitar. He didn’t play nearly as well as Uncle Bob, and he couldn’t sing a lick. None of that mattered to Kelly as she curled up on Branson’s lap in the big old rocking chair. She hummed along to the off-key cowboy tunes as Jeb played. Looking up in the sky, the bright quarter moon seemed to smile as the stars winked back.

  “There won’t be another strawberry moon again for a long time,” Kelly sighed.

  Branson squeezed his arms tighter around Kelly’s middle. “That’s all right, li
ttle britches, one strawberry moon is enough to keep us together…forever.”

  The End

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