For a Sister's Love

by Paty Jager

  “Yes. This will work out for both of us. You’ll see.”

  Ty released her and holding her hand led her to the reverend.

  The reverend studied her and smiled warmly. “If your father was a preacher then you know this is not something to take lightly. If you are agreeing to marry this man it must be God’s will.”

  Maggie glanced at Ty. He smiled warmly at her. Was this God’s will, too, and would he not leave her like everyone else she’d loved?

  She balled her fists in anger at God—fear drained her heart—a hidden inner resolve surfaced in defiance. She wouldn’t let God rob from her again.

  Six

  Maggie pinched herself. She was now Mrs. Ty Bancroft, in name only. She wore a fashionable, yet conservative dress as she stood on the deck of the sidewheeler Oneonta watching the supplies and cargo be loaded.

  After the brief nuptials the night before and a peck on the cheek, Ty had been a gentleman collecting her personal belongings from her room behind the dress shop, and then getting her a room adjoining his for the night at the hotel.

  They’d spent today purchasing her clothes, telling the Ainsworths she would travel with them, and packing. After an early dinner, they boarded the ship. Ty had settled her in their large compartment and left, telling her to make herself to home and not worry about him as he’d be up all night taking care of business. The gleam in his eyes as he set out to his duties made her smile. He was a man who committed whole-heartedly to his missions. Her breath caught. He’d also committed himself to helping her find Lora Beth.

  “Mrs. Bancroft, I’m so glad you decided to join your husband.” Nancy Ainsworth stopped beside her at the railing.

  “Please, call me Maggie.” She liked the woman and her husband. How fortunate and lucky for Ty to have found employment with a vital organization.

  “Only if you call me Nancy.” She pointed to the dock. “I see your husband is one to get in and do his part.”

  Maggie peered at the dock and ogled “her husband” lifting a crate. She was married. It still hadn’t seeped in. Gazing at him she wondered if she would be able to keep it a marriage in name only. His rolled-up sleeves revealed bunched forearms. Taut trousers clung to the bulging leg muscles as he picked up a crate with the help of a dock worker. Her breathing quickened watching him work. What would it feel like to run her hands over those bunched muscles? Her palms itched and heated.

  “That’s one of the reasons my husband hired him.”

  “W-what?” Maggie dragged her gaze back to the older woman standing beside her.

  The woman smiled knowingly. “I remember watching John when we first met.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t… really, I was…” She couldn’t think what to say and her face grew increasingly warm.

  Nancy laughed. “It’s okay to admire your husband. Just don’t let him catch you admiring other men. Then there could be trouble.”

  “Oh, I’d never look at another man.” She hadn’t been looking for this one when he entered her life.

  “That’s good to know because you’ve been getting quite a few admiring glances from the crew. I’m sure once we have nearly five hundred passengers aboard, you’ll be getting lots of attention.” Nancy stepped from the railing. “Let’s spend some time in the Ladie’s salon. I feel like sitting for a while.”

  Maggie hurried to her side. She didn’t want anyone noticing her. She hadn’t had to worry about it dressed as a pauper. The only men who thrust their attention on her were drunks she encountered in the streets when she worked late.

  Her sharp tongue kept most men at bay. All except Ty.

  They visited in the salon until Mr. Ainsworth retrieved his wife and escorted Maggie to her cabin.

  “Your husband is an excellent worker. I hope he gets some rest tonight before the passengers arrive.”

  “He told me not to expect him until morning. He plans to have everything set up and running by the time the gambling salon opens.” Maggie entered her cabin and nodded goodnight to the couple.

  “Lock your door if you’re going to be alone. Unfortunately, when loading it’s hard to keep the riffraff from coming onboard and causing trouble.”

  Maggie heeded his words and slipped her key in the keyhole, clicking it locked once inside. The slap of water against the sides of the vessel and gentle rocking brought her thoughts to the voyage. Her first trip on a boat. She planned to savor and enjoy the experience.

  She lit the kerosene lamp and began the arduous task of getting out of her dress, four petticoats, and the corset Mrs. Spacker insisted she wear with her new dresses. She tried to scrunch her body forward to loosen the buttons on the corset and slip them from the loops. Mrs. Spacker had tied the laces in the back to form the hard heavy contraption to her body. She hated wearing it but didn’t want anyone to realize her true identity, a preacher’s daughter who cleaned for others.

  Marriage to Ty made her as good as the people she cleaned rooms for at the hotel. She had to dress the part. And get used to wearing a corset. The torture the garment rendered, it most certainly had to have been designed by a man.

  She draped the dress over a chair, kicked the corset into a corner, and donned the frilly nightdress Ty had insisted they purchase. He insinuated he’d like to see her in it. She scanned the small, though larger than most, cabin. She’d have very little privacy if he slept in here with her.

  Shivers of anticipation and fear tickled her arms. She thought of the intimate kiss he’d bestowed on her at the restaurant. Her fingers touched her lips. The drugging effect he’d had on her mind and the fireworks he’d set off in her body with that one innocent kiss gave rise to thoughts of what it would be like to have his hands caress her bare skin.

  Her breathing quickened. Heat swirled in her middle, and she ached for something unknown to her.

  “Blazes!” Maggie fanned her hands in front of her face. This would never do. She had to keep those kinds of thoughts out of her head.

  Heavy steps stopped at her door. She doused the light and hopped onto the cot. Ty walked light on his feet. These footfalls didn’t belong to him. The handle shook. Thankful she heeded Mr. Ainsworth’s suggestion to lock the door, Maggie pulled the covers up to her nose and quietly waited for the steps to leave.

  ****

  Ty nodded and scanned the gambling salon. The tables for faro, euchre, and poker were ready. All three of the men he’d handpicked to oversee each leg of the river had helped setup and now toasted their new jobs.

  “How about joining us Bancroft?” Ralph Edmonds, the man who would oversee the gambling salons on the first section of the river, asked. He’d be in charge of the three boats that serviced the leg from Portland to the Cascade. Edmonds had the equipment for the other boats in this section of the river and had free rein at hiring help on each ship. As did each man Ty had handpicked for each leg of the river.

  “I’m tempted but with your help, I’ve finished earlier than I expected, so I think I’ll just head to my stateroom.”

  “We got a gander at the reason you’re so quick to turn down a drink.” Walter Dickens, the overseer of the second leg of the trip from Cascade to The Dalles winked at the other two men.

  “What do you mean by that?” Ty leveled a glare on the three.

  “Just that wife of yours is a looker, and I could see why you’d be wanting to head to bed.” Dickens’s face glowed red.

  “I hired you to tend to the salons and make sure it all runs on the up. I’ll not have you gawking at my wife or talking to others about her.” Ty grabbed his coat from the back of a chair and stormed to the door. He whipped around and stared pointedly at each man. “I mean it. If she wanders in here looking for me, I want you to treat her with respect and not let any of the customers treat her any different. The gambling salons on Ainsworth’s ships will all be respectable. No cheating and no disrespect to anyone.”

  They all nodded, and he spun out the door. He stalked to the deck and breathed in the fishy stank of the crowded har
bor. The men’s comments shouldn’t bother him. His wife was a looker. He couldn’t stop other men from wishing they had her. Happiness swirled in his chest. She belonged to him and from her actions so far, she’d not stray to another. Confidence renewed, he listened to the bustle of activity on the dock.

  It wouldn’t be long and the passengers would start boarding. He could stand at the rail and watch the flurry of activity, but knowing Maggie slept in that frilly nightdress he’d picked out, he wanted to at least get a glimpse of her and figure out their sleeping arrangements. She hadn’t asked where he would sleep when he escorted her to the cabin. He hadn’t brought it up not wanting to spoil her eagerness to see everything.

  He headed back into the hallway running down the middle of the ship. Their stateroom sat at the far end of the narrow dark passage. His feet stalled noting a shadowy movement. He quietly, crept up on the shadow lurking by their cabin. A man worked feverishly at the lock on their door.

  Maggie! Fear ripped through his chest a second before anger propelled him forward.

  Ty rushed the man, lunging and wrapping his arms around the thief’s legs, tackling him to the deck.

  “Omph!“

  The intruder swung arms and fists, connecting with Ty’s chin. His teeth clanged. Pain shot through his jaw.

  He grabbed the intruder’s throat and slammed his head into the deck.

  “What’s going on?” Someone shouted as running feet grew louder. The man under Ty squirmed and lashed out more.

  Ty barely held on until reinforcements grabbed the intruder’s arms, hauling the suspect to his feet.

  “This man was trying to break into my cabin,” Ty said, catching his breath and checking his jaw.

  A deck hand ran up carrying a lit lamp and shined it in the captured man’s face. He wasn’t familiar.

  “Who are you, and why were you picking the lock on my door?”

  The man stubbornly clamped his mouth shut.

  “The captain will deal with him.” The ship’s mate shook the stranger and glanced at Ty. “Do you want to come along to tell your side of things?”

  “I’d rather check on my wife. I’ll talk with the captain in the morning.” Ty heard his door click behind him.

  “I’ll tell the captain to expect you in the morning, then.”

  “Thank you.” Ty watched as the stranger struggled to get away, but the two shipmates clung to his arms proving the greater strength.

  Ty walked to the door, tried the knob, and found it unlocked. “Maggie? Maggie, are you all right?” He pushed the door open, and Maggie sprang at him all curls and white ruffles, the key dropping from her hand. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and her head buried against his chest.

  He shuffle-walked moving them into the room, closed the door with a kick of his foot, and turned up the lamp.

  “Everything’s fine. I’m here now.” He smoothed the mass of curls out of Maggie’s face and peered at her. Her eyes scrunched closed. He ran a hand up and down her back. Her shaking body subsided. He inhaled her sweet spicy scent and kissed the top of her head.

  “W-why was he trying to get in here?”

  Her shaky voice made him wish he’d had more time to do damage to the man.

  “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me. I saw him at our door and jumped him. The shipmates took him to the captain to see if they can figure out what he wanted.” He smoothed her hair out of her face and gazed into her eyes. “I’ll be here the rest of the night, no one will get in.”

  She nodded, but her arms didn’t loosen around him. For being so tough all the time she was showing him a vulnerable side.

  He grasped her arms and pried them from his middle. “Go get back in bed. I’m going to wash up, and I’ll be right there.”

  Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly in an expression of shock. Cute.

  “W-what do you mean you’ll be right there?” Fear no longer lingered in her exotic eyes.

  He’d been around her long enough to know the signs of her temper flaring. “I’ve put in a long day and I’m tired. We’re going to share the bed.”

  Her head moved from side to side, her hard stare never leaving his face.

  He slipped his jacket off, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled out the tails.

  Ty glanced at Maggie standing in the middle of the room, seething and watching his every move. Fine by him if she stood there displaying her angelic form in that feminine, frilly nightdress.

  He poured water in a bowl set in a hole on the small stand, replaced the pitcher lid, and stored the pitcher. He draped his shirt on a hook beside the stand and lathered up a cloth, cleaning his upper body. The cot creaked and he smiled. She’d finally crawled into bed.

  Ty rinsed, combed his wet fingers through his hair, and faced the bed. Maggie’s body curled toward the wall. He turned down the kerosene lamp, sat on the edge of the bed, and removed his boots and socks. He stood to shuck off his drawers and a soft gasp whispered from the depths of the covers.

  The sound shot heat to a region he dared not think about. She’d stated clearly there’d be no consummating this marriage. The minute the words came out of his mouth to marry her, he’d decided this marriage would not be broken.

  He’d go slow, and eventually, she’d come to crave him as he craved her. The kiss they’d shared and her fiery temper proved she had a passionate nature. When she loved, she would love with all her heart.

  Ty slipped his pants down and laid them over the end of the bed. He raised the covers and slid in beside her. The bed quivered from her shaking.

  “Shhh… There’s no need to be scared. I’m here. No one is going to hurt you.” He rolled to his side and gathered her into his arms, drawing her backside against his front and nuzzling through her hair to kiss her soft neck. Her sweet scent invaded his senses, and he nibbled on her neck.

  She sighed, then her body stiffened against his.

  Seven

  Maggie melted at the first touch of Ty’s lips on her neck. His arms, embracing her, wrapped her in safety. Then his hardness pressed against her backside.

  She stiffened and rolled to her back, trying to break the hold. Her elbow whacked the wall, and her body wedged between the wall and Ty. His arm rubbed across her breasts. Jolts of sensations shot from her nipples to her pelvic area. The vibrations echoed through her body.

  “Hold still. There isn’t much room in this bed.” Ty helped her roll to face him. Which was worse. Her nose nearly touched his. In the dark, she barely distinguished the outline of his head. His chest pressed against her sensitized nipples, his arms remained banded around her, while one of his legs slid between hers, intimately resting against the throb at the juncture of her legs.

  “This”—she licked her dry lips—“is not keeping the marriage in name only.”

  “About that.” He kissed the tip of her nose and snuggled closer, pressing his rock hard ardor against her belly as his hand pressed her lower back. “I don’t believe in divorce or leaving my wife. So we might as well enjoy the benefits of marriage completely.”

  “I’m not staying married to you. You’re a gambler. My father—”

  “Your father would want you with a man who would go to great lengths to keep you safe and happy.” He nuzzled her neck, dropping kisses down to the dip where her collar bones connected.

  Shivers of lust and anticipation rippled through her body. She craved his touch, and her mind lost focus. She placed her hand on his chest. The muscles moved and the sprinkling of hair tickled her palms. She spread her fingers, touching more, experiencing the strength she witnessed when he worked on the dock.

  He lifted his head and captured her lips with his. The softness of his tongue intrigued. The tip traced the seam of her lips. A hand cupped her bottom and she gasped, opening. His tongue dipped in, exploring.

  A moan crawled up her throat and eased into his mouth. The kiss. She’d never again think of the act as anything other than body inflaming and mind numbing. She ground against hi
s leg. Tremors of silk ecstasy rose from the spot pressed against him and swirled through her like warm cocoa.

  Ty pulled his head back, his hands gripped her head. “You keep moving against me like that Maggie, and I’m not going to be able to control my urges.”

  “Then don’t.” She froze. Where had that come from? Wickedness had descended on her. She wanted the carnal knowledge of what a man and woman experienced in bed. She’d only heard snippets from the old women who visited Mrs. Freeman and the young women whom she’d come upon talking in the alleys behind the saloons. She was married. It wasn’t as though she was dallying with just any man. This was her husband.

  “Are you sure?”

  The deep intensity of his words rippled her insides.

  Her head bobbed once, and she lowered her lips to his. She wanted to feel his passion and explore her own. He was her husband—it was her right. But heaven help her if she lost her heart to him—she’d never be whole if he left her.

  He took control of the kiss. His hands slid up her body, pushing the nightdress up, until he broke the kiss and drew the garment over her head. Leaving her bare. The heat and smoothness of his skin on hers branded and ignited the yearning. Spinning her tighter.

  His hands seared her skin traveling over her curves, cupping her breasts and—Blazes! He suckled like a babe, rooting and tugging until her body arched, and she lost all thought other than he had to take her soon or she would unravel like a burlap sack.

  Ty couldn’t get enough of his sweet Maggie. She arched against his leg and whimpered for more as he suckled her perfect hand-full breasts. His ardor ached and twinged. He reached down to the juncture of her legs. The heat and moisture made him smile.

  She was as passionate as he’d hoped. He would show her this was more than coupling. It was his commitment to many years of loving and being loved. He’d fallen for her the first night when she pleaded ardently of her need to find her sister.

  Tonight, he would show her she’d never be alone, even if they didn’t find her sister, she’d always have him. He shoved his drawers down and kicked them to the bottom of the bed.