by Natalie Dean
“When the market first opened.”
I jumped from the barrel as fast as my belly would let me move and I walked towards the inn and started unraveling the leather reigns of a stranger’s horse. It was dangerous for me to ride when I was so close to giving birth, but I couldn’t waste any time. I needed to get to Liam and warn him.
“Ma’am! Where are you going?” Kristin called.
“Liam is in danger!” I didn’t wait to answer any more questions, I didn’t have the time to answer any more questions.
I leaned forward, focusing all my strength on staying balanced. I needed to be quick and as careful as I could possibly afford to be. The horse’s hooves kicked up chunks of soft, dry earth, leaving a trail of thick dust behind. I was terrified, clinging to the reigns and praying that I wasn’t too late. My heart pounded in my chest as hard as the horse’s hooves did on the ground.
I saw a gray plume of smoke before I saw the cabin. It was so close. I was so close. I nudged the horse with my booted foot, silently begging it to move faster. The horse leaped forward, and I nearly fell off but managed to cling to the saddle and the reigns. I knew the horse could sense my urgency.
Finally, the cabin came into view, and I jumped off the horse, stumbling through the expanse of tall grass that surrounded my home. My legs gave, and I fell to my knees before pushing myself up and running towards the house.
Chapter 14
Nothing seemed out of place just yet. There were no strange horses in my yard, and nothing appeared to be disturbed. The door creaked when I pushed it open, and I found myself standing in my empty living room. No one was here. It was just me. The burning embers that had once been a fire crackled loudly as if they were trying to alert me to their presence.
I could see through the kitchen and out the small window that led to the vast sea of crops just outside our home. Liam was working hard, pulling up various crops and wiping dirt off them. Maybe Mrs. Abernathy didn’t tell Reynold where I lived.
A sigh of relief left me, and I leaned against the sturdy cabin wall, my legs quivering. I put my hand on my belly and rubbed it as if it would calm the child inside of me, but it was mostly for my own comfort. I knew I needed to tell Liam that Reynold was looking for us, but for now, the world was silent and safe. I needed to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.
I pushed against the wall and started towards the back door, but just as I crossed the threshold that separated the back room from the main room, a meaty hand snapped out and clamped itself over my mouth. My eyes widened, and I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The familiar hand pressed to my mouth had effectively silenced me. I didn’t even need to turn around to see who it was. I knew it was the same man who’d been silencing me all this time.
Reynold yanked me from the back room and pulled me through the living room. I kicked and thrashed in any way I could, trying to get away from him. He didn’t budge, however. He had a tight hold on me and made it clear that he wasn’t going to let me go without a fight, but if he was under the impression that I wasn’t going to fight he had another thing coming.
“Stand up! Stand up, harlot!” His voice was full of visceral rage, and it sent a shiver up my spine, but didn’t stop me. I went as limp as a ragdoll, trying to keep calm and plan my next move. He continued to curse and scream. “I will drag you out of this house if I have to!”
In dragging me, his grip on my mouth loosened just enough for me to open my mouth and bite into the soft, fatty flesh of his palm. My teeth sank in, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I could feel the thick, warm liquid spilling down my chin, but I didn’t let go.
Reynold howled and pulled his hand away, ripping off a chunk of his hand as he did so. I spat it into the grass and screamed for Liam, scrambling away from Reynold. I couldn’t move fast enough, though. My belly was too large to allow me completely free movement and soon Reynold’s bloodied hand grabbed me by the back of my dress and yanked me back towards a carriage, which had been hidden behind the neighbor’s barn.
I grabbed the doorframe of the carriage, clinging to it and making it impossible for Reynold to pull me in. Finally, he grabbed my long locks and yanked so hard I saw stars from the pain. I swore I heard the tiny screaming tears of hair ripping from my scalp. The sheer pain made my grip on the door loosen and then he had me. He dragged me into the carriage as I struggled to regain proper eyesight.
As he threw me into the carriage, I feared that this was it. He was going to take me away and kill me. I knew he wouldn’t want me in his home anymore, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to give me up to someone like Liam. Reynold was just here to make a point.
I could feel the panic start to rise in my chest, and I swung my head around, trying to find a way out.
“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” he whispered in my ear, yanking my hair again.
I screamed but didn’t answer, shaking my head back and forth in a futile attempt to get him to release my hair. It only made the pain worse, but I wasn’t about to give up. I could practically hear Liam’s voice in my ear.
‘Fight!’
The carriage started to pull away, but it only moved a few feet before I heard Reynold curse under his breath.
“You double-crossing bastard!”
My eyes snapped open, and I swung my head towards the door, my heart fluttering excitedly when I saw Liam riding the same horse I’d borrowed from town. He had a hunting rifle in his hand and had it aimed at the driver of the carriage.
“If you want to keep your head, you best pull that carriage over!”
I couldn’t see the driver, but the carriage lurched to a halt. The rifle was aimed at the driver, who I saw scramble off the horse and run into the woods. It was clear that he had no idea a kidnapping would be involved on this trip.
The carriage creaked under Reynold’s weight as he squeezed himself out the door. He pulled a pistol from his jacket and aimed it at Liam.
“This is none of your concern!”
“To hell it isn’t! This is Mari’s home! You can’t take her away!”
“She is my wife, and I will do whatever I please with her! You stole her from me, and I could have you reported to the authorities!”
Liam slid from the saddle and marched towards Reynold, the barrel of his gun fixed on the fat man. My heart was in my throat, and I tried to call out to Liam, but no words came, my fear for him had silenced me.
“Report me then,” Liam said, gun still raised. “Report me, and we will explain why she left. Your abuse and infidelity will become public knowledge, and I don’t think your renters and business partners will take kindly to that kind of behavior.”
Reynold’s lips drew back into a snarl. “Who would believe you?”
“They might not believe me, but you know that a woman’s word holds up in public opinion. Times are changing Reynold. You can’t just silence your wife with the back of your hand anymore.”
Reynold started to close the space between them, his pistol raised. “I will skin you alive! I gave you a job and put you to work! I paid you well, and in return, you steal my wife?”
“I did not steal her. She ran because she was afraid for her life and the life of her child.”
“I will tear you to pieces! If you’re going to shoot me, then you better do it quickly!” Reynold snapped, cocking the lever of his pistol.
I was sure that one of them was about to be killed when the ground started to quiver and the sound of horse hooves hitting the dusty road filled the air. I managed to peek through the window of the carriage and see the whole town riding towards us. Kristine lead the charge, a gun tucked under her arm.
Reynold’s grip on the door loosened as he stared at the small army of townspeople in complete shock. I took my chances and shoved the door hard, knocking him off balance. He tumbled forward, and the pistol slid out of his hands and hit the ground. It was a wonder it didn’t discharge.
I hit the ground on my hands and knees, ignoring
the throbbing pain as I reached for the gun and managed to snag it before Reynold could get his hands on it.
“Mari!” Liam called, running forward and pulling me to my feet.
I stumbled but managed to get my bearings and aimed the pistol at Reynold, panting and shaking from pain and fear. My knees were scraped, my head was throbbing, and tears stung my eyes, but I’d made it this far without crying, and I wasn’t going to start now.
Reynold fell against the carriage, wheezing and wide-eyed. “Mari…Darling-.”
“Don’t you say my name!” I snapped, my words dripping with anger. “Don’t you ever say my name again! I am not yours, and I am not your daring! I never was! You forced yourself upon me and made me believe I had no worth! You were no different from any of the other men in my life! You do not deserve to say my name. I may be a woman, but that doesn’t mean I’m not strong! Perhaps I was a weak, scared little girl when you first met me, but I am no longer any of those things. I am much stronger now, and you are going to listen to me!”
When I first started speaking, my voice had been shaking. Now I sounded strong, confident and unafraid. I aimed the still cocked pistol right at Reynold and stared him down. “You are going to get on your horse, and you will ride back to the city and forget about me. You will leave, and you will never utter my name again.” I motioned to the crowd behind me and then pointed the pistol back at Reynold. “These people know who you are now. They know your face, and they know what you are willing to do to get your way. If you come back here, you won’t make it ten feet into town before you are gunned down. We are our own authority, and we handle people like you swiftly and without hesitation. Do you understand?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, his chest heaving and his face red with anger. “You won’t do it. You don’t have the heart to pull that trigger!” he snapped.
My finger shook but remained on the trigger as his eyes darted between the gun and my face. “Just turn around and leave, Reynold.”
“I didn’t come here to leave empty handed!” he roared, lunging forward.
It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react. My finger wrapped around the trigger and the pop of the gunshot rang in my ears. Reynold’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back, pressing his hands to the weeping wound. When he pulled them back, his fingers were bloodied, and he seemed surprised.
“Oh…” he whispered before falling back.
Liam rushed to me and wrapped his arms around me as the gun fell from my hands. We stared at Reynold’s unmoving body, barely breathing. “Darlin’, are you alright?” he whispered, the fear in his voice finally starting to crack with the fear he’d been holding back.
I looked up at him and couldn’t stop the sharp bite of laughter that forced itself out. “I’m fine. I’m okay,” I said, pressing myself against the warmth of his broad chest. “I feel incredible.”
I didn’t feel bad about killing my husband. I knew I’d been fighting for my life. The sheriff was standing there and just gave a small nod of approval as if to assure me that there wouldn’t be any repercussions.
“That was incredible, darlin’.”
I smiled and just leaned against him for a long moment. The townspeople were starting to head back towards the homes and marketplace, but Kristen stayed. She hopped off her horse and helped Liam get me to my feet. I leaned against them heavily, my legs still shaky from the shock of the situation.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kristin asked, wrapping her arm around my waist.
“Yes. I just need to get inside and rest.”
She nodded and watched as Liam lifted me off my feet, holding me bridal style despite the extra weight pregnancy had blessed me with. “You do not have to-,”
“Shhh. Let me carry you,”
I didn’t argue with him after that. I went limp in his arms and relaxed, allowing myself to drift off. I was exhausted emotionally and physically from the fight I’d had to put up. I knew Liam was concerned about our baby’s safety, and so was I, but I didn’t want to worry him any more than I had to. The only thing we could do was wait and see.
Liam eased me onto our bed and pulled a patchwork quilt up to my shoulders. A woman in town had made it for me, and I was thankful for its warmth during the winter months.
“There you are, darlin’.”
“Thank you, Liam.”
“Don’t thank me,” he said, settling down beside me, reaching out and stroking my cheeks tenderly. “You were so brave, Mari.”
“I just…I wasn’t going to go back with him. I would have died before I let him have me.”
Liam kissed my forehead, and I looked up at him, smiling softly. “You saved me.”
“You saved me.”
“No,” he said sternly, even as my eyes started to close again. “You saved yourself.”
“We did it together.”
“I suppose I can agree with that.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, and I wanted to respond, maybe throw a few more playful jabs, but I was too tired and too sore. My eyes slipped closed as his hand rested on my belly. I could only hope and pray that our baby was okay.
Chapter 15
Days passed, and nothing seemed wrong. The baby still kicked and squirmed like normal. The doctor dropped by just to check on me since Liam had been by his home, nervously asking for him to make a house call. The doctor confirmed that the baby was just fine and that within the month we would be meeting our child. I was not expecting it to come so soon, however.
A week after my encounter with Reynold I was lost in a deep sleep, curled against Liam for warmth. Even though it was Spring and the days were warm, the nights were cold. I liked the excuse to be so close to Liam, and he didn’t seem to mind either.
I was dreaming sweet dreams of the wedding we planned to have one day. When the people in town found out we weren’t actually married, I was a little worried that they’d be slightly less welcoming, but they could see we were happy and they seemed to understand why I’d fled my previous marriage.
A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and I gasped, sitting up so quickly that I nearly fell to the floor. I pressed my hands to my stomach, sucking in a deep breath as the pain subsided. I frowned and rubbed where the pain had shot through my body before I settled back down, assuming it had been a cramp. I closed my eyes and started to doze off again but as I floated between sleep and wakefulness another pain hit me, and this was worse than the last. The muscles tensed, and a pressure wound its way through my belly, squeezing and pinching until there were tears in my eye.
I cried out, and Liam shot up, his eyes wide as he looked at me, panic running across his face. “Darlin’? Darlin’!” He grabbed me by the shoulders and helped me sit up, cupping my cheeks. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know. I-AHH!” I clutched my belly and whimpered, tears coming to my eyes.
My answer came in a far more dramatic way than I would have expected. Within a few minutes of the pain, the bed became wet and a warm, clear liquid soaked my nightgown and the sheets underneath me.
“The baby! It’s the baby!” I gasped, gripping his arm. I didn’t know much about what to expect during childbirth, but they had warned me of this.
“What should I do?!” Liam was completely out of his element, and I could see his brain going a million miles a minute. I had to stay calm for his sake.
“We need…you need to go next door and get the neighbor.”
He was out of bed and dressed in slacks within a few seconds and already out the door. I knew he didn’t want to leave me alone, but someone had to get the midwife, and I knew I couldn’t move from the bed. Then sharp pains in my belly were coming faster and more intense. Every time I felt it coming I would curl my fingers in the quilt and hold my breath, silently waiting for the ripping pain to subside. It was as if a wild dog was tearing at my insides and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take it.
The pain made it hard to keep track of time. I wasn’t s
ure how long I laid in the bed for, writhing in pain. The midwife came, but by the time she arrived the world was a blur and all I could think about was the pain. I was sure that there was something wrong. Having a baby couldn’t possibly be this painful, could it?
Liam was trying to talk to me, calling for me and trying to touch my hand, but every time he touched it, I would grab it and squeeze until he cried out and pulled his hand away. Had I broken it? I really didn’t know. I didn’t know what was going on anymore. There were people around me, urging me to stay calm and push when then told me to.
If they thought I was going to listen, they had another thing coming. My body was telling me exactly what I needed to do and that was the only thing I was going to listen to. Despite the pain and despite the chaos around me, I gave one final push, screaming and clinging to Liam’s arm.
There was a sudden, unexpected relief as my child was born into the midwife’s waiting arms. There was a moment of tense silence, and finally, the cry of my newborn child filled the small room. I watched through hazed eyes as the midwife cleaned the baby up and swaddled it in a blanket she brought from her house.
Finally, she put the child in my arms, smiling adoringly at us. “Congratulations. You and your husband are the proud parents of a healthy baby girl.”
The sweet smell of the baby overwhelmed me, and I let out a breathy laugh as her soft, wispy blonde hair tickled my nose. She was perfect and so warm. I cradled her to my chest, brushing my shaking fingers over her perfect soft skin. I was so enamored by her that I didn’t even notice when Liam settled beside me until he wrapped his arms around us and pressed a kiss to my sweaty forehead.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “You did so good. I’m so proud. You…are so amazing.” His voice was filled with awe as he gazed down at our daughter.
I smiled and leaned into him. “We did it together,” I murmured, echoing his words about Reynold. “We did it together, my love.”
