by Paige Tyler
She shoved at his dead weight, cried out, “Get him off me! Get him off me!”
Morgan was there in a flash. He picked up Marino’s body as if it weighed nothing at all and flung the dead man a good six feet away. Then he pulled her to her feet and crushed her against him. His whole body seemed to shudder and she felt his heart pounding against her own.
“Don’t you ever scare me like this again! Ever!” His voice shook with the depth of his emotions.
“Brandy? Tyler? Are they all right?” Whiskey asked, tears of relief streaming down her face. She snuggled even closer to him, not wanting him to ever let her go.
Taos picked up the knife and looked pointedly at them. “Let’s get her cut free. Then I need a hug of my own.”
Keno stepped over Marino and walked up next to them too. As Morgan inched back so Taos could cut the rope tying her hands together, Keno looked at her face. Fury threaded his voice as he snapped, “What the hell did he do to you?”
Now that it was all over, she fully felt the pain of her injuries. Her nose ached, as did her mouth. Her ribs still throbbed from their abuse against the saddle. But it was her jaw that really throbbed. Then there were her wrists with severe rope burns, and now her neck hurt, too.
To her dismay, she gave into weakness and whimpered, “I want to go home.”
Morgan gently touched her jaw, thumbed her lip. At the same time, he pulled a handkerchief from around his neck and then carefully wiped at the thin line of blood. “If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill the sonofabitch again.”
*
Whiskey sat up in bed as dawn’s light first crept through the curtains. She had been in bed at doctor’s orders for over two days now. Brandy had been ordered to bed as well until she could stand without getting faint. So far that hadn’t happened, although she’d heard that her sister kept trying to get up. Chase had taken it upon himself to make sure she didn’t. He guarded her like a hawk, which confused and amused her brothers. But while Morgan had stayed by Whiskey’s bedside immediately upon their return to the ranch, she hadn’t seen him for over a day now.
She was frustrated, bored, and feeling neglected. He was avoiding her, probably because she’d tried to get him to talk about that whole marshal business. He’d admitted to her that he’d received a telegram telling him to report back to work, but he’d refused to say any more about it. They were not getting married until she was reassured once and for all that he was giving up his badge.
Her brothers, too, had stopped babying her, probably because she’d started pressing them about Morgan and why he was staying away from the house now. Manuel had told her this morning that Taos had moved to town, to live in the room above his law office. Keno was also settling permanently in town in the room above his saloon. When she’d complained to Manuel, he’d shrugged and reminded her that the ranch and house now belonged to her and Morgan. That fact that hadn’t made her happy, since he was steering clear of her.
Even Tyler wasn’t around, which really depressed her. He’d gone to stay with Taos for a few days, also according to Manuel. Evidently he, too, wanted to give her and Morgan space to work their problems out.
Only that wasn’t happening.
Well she wasn’t going to stay in bed another minute longer! The ranch hands had been taking reluctant care of her animals, but it was time she took over those chores. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She swayed on her feet.
The door to her bedroom opened and Morgan stood there scowling. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m getting dressed, going to go check on my animals.” She raised her chin and glared right back. He couldn’t stay away so long and then prance in here and tell her what to do!
“No, you’re not. You’re pale as that damn sheet.” He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Get back in that bed right now.”
She was feeling lightheaded but refused to acknowledge it. “No.”
A vein in the side of his neck pulsed. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t push me on this, Angelina.”
She recognized the look in his eye, couldn’t believe he was even thinking about spanking her. “I’m injured. You wouldn’t…”
“If you’re still so injured then get back in that bed.” He walked steadily toward her. “Otherwise my hand is going to connect with your bottom until you agree to stop this foolishness.”
To her disgust, tears filled her eyes. “You’ve been avoiding me. Now suddenly you’re back and thinking you can tell me what to do. No.”
His eyes mirrored wariness. “I’ve had things to take care of. Quit acting like a brat and get in that bed.”
“No.”
He stepped to her even as she stood her ground. Then he blindsided her by bending down to kiss her, cupping her head in his big hands. His kiss sent heat searing through her, made her tremble. His tongue slid along the crease of her mouth and uncertainly she opened it. Immediately he pushed his tongue inside her mouth to dance with her own.
She purred and snaked her hands around his neck, up into his shaggy hair. She pressed closer, feeling the hard ridge of his manhood between them. Her lower body ached; she needed…
But as soon as she’d begun kissing him back, he pulled away, breathing raggedly.
“Turn around and lean over the bed,” he said gruffly.
“Morgan, no. Please. I don’t want to be spanked,” she protested.
“I’m sure you don’t.” His expression remained determined, even though his eyes remained heated.
“You can be so stubborn.” She hesitated and finally did as he’d said. At least she turned around, but she didn’t lean over.
He gently pushed her down until her palms met the mattress. “And you’re not?”
All right, they were pretty much a match when it came to being stubborn. She didn’t like standing vulnerable like this, especially not when she’d rather he be holding her, kissing her.
“You should have obeyed me, about staying in bed.” He lifted her long nightgown and placed it on her back.
“I was feeling fine.” Maybe she was still a lightheaded, but he didn’t need to know that.
He snorted in clear disbelief. Then he pulled her drawers apart to bare her bottom. “I won’t spank you long, but I am going to spank you.”
She wasn’t sure why she didn’t just climb into bed. She doubted that he would pull her back and spank her if she finally did as he asked. But she was too annoyed with him for having stayed away and now for showing up and thinking he could tell her what to do. She wanted to show him she would stand by her decisions. Clearly this hadn’t been a wise decision, this choosing to disobey him.
The first swat landed with an attention-getting force. She yelped. No, she should have stayed in bed.
“I honestly don’t know why I love you so damn much,” Morgan grouched, sending another sharp swat to her bottom. “You’re a lot of trouble sometimes.”
She hissed at the sting, but it was his words that she latched onto. “You really love me?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. She wished she hadn’t when she saw him sending his big hand flying down again.
When it landed hard, she danced up on her toes. “This is loving me?”
“Damn right it is.” He met her gaze grimly. “Turn away.”
She focused ahead once more, lowered her head and gritted her teeth. She absolutely didn’t want to watch him spank her. But the rebel in her hadn’t wanted to obey him on this either.
His hand landed briskly several more times and she jerked each time. Her marshal sure could give a devil of a spanking. She protested, “What happened to not spanking me too long?”
Fool man chuckled. At the same time he smacked her wriggling bottom with another sizzling swat. “It won’t be much longer, Angelina.”
She muttered under her breath, “I have trouble seeing how this is loving me.”
“It’s just one of the ways I’ll show you how much I love you
. A more painful way, granted.” Then to annoy her, he stopped and smoothed a hand over her throbbing bottom.
Tears were threatening to spill out and she sniffed them back in irritation. “Stop that. If you’re spanking me, do that.” She glowered back at him where his hand still rested on her sore butt. “If you’re going to touch me like that…”
He drew in a shuddery breath and blinked back to the moment. “Spanking it is, then.”
Next time she would try to keep her mouth shut and not antagonize him. It didn’t bode well for her poor bottom. She concentrated on standing as still as she could and taking the rest of his “brief spanking.”
By the time he finished painfully showing her his love, she promised to stay in bed for at least another day.
He gently helped her into bed and she settled on her stomach, annoyed at having to do so. “You don’t expect me thank you, do you?” She wasn’t going to do it.
“No.” Then he fingered her much shorter hair and sighed, “I’d like to kill Marino all over again for what he did to you.”
She softened her heart a bit as he continued to play with her hair. She almost rolled over, decided against it, but then looked back at him. She asked warily, “I need to know, Morgan. Are you turning in your badge or not? I’m heart tired of you refusing to talk about it.”
He didn’t answer at first and then said grimly, “I’ve done some serious thinking these last couple of days.” He closed his eyes for a second and heaved a sigh. “Worrying over Marino coming after me had me worrying about other enemies I’ve made doing the same thing. How can I marry you and risk putting you in danger? How can I stay here with Tyler and risk putting him in danger?”
Her heart nearly stopped. “So you’re not marrying me.” She struggled with the words.
He shook his head. “I can’t. I love you damn much to do it.”
Stunned, she rolled over, winced. “But…”
His shoulders stiffened and he turned and strode toward the door. He hesitated. “I’ll make arrangements to sell you the ranch.”
Chapter Twelve
True to his word, two days later Morgan sent papers to sell her the ranch via Taos, who had been furious with his former trail partner. She’d promptly shredded them into tiny pieces and ordered her brother to throw them at Morgan. The stubborn marshal had found a room to stay in at the Great Western hotel. He hadn’t left town yet to return to Texas like he’d told her. Nor had he sent any kind of telegram to the U.S. Marshal’s office, from what she’d been able to find out and she seemed to have spies everywhere. Everyone in town was upset with him for backing out of the wedding, especially her. But she’d told the reverend to keep things as planned in case the marshal came to his senses. She didn’t know what the heck Morgan was doing, but she was surely mad at him.
Now on this day before her supposed wedding Tyler had come to see her with Chase, who had come againto check on Brandy. She wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but she had enough problems of her own at the moment. She was darn tired of tossing and turning at night only to wake up and have her heart hurt so painfully that she burst into tears. And she’d been losing weight because she couldn’t eat.
Well, she was done with this nonsense with Morgan. It was time to make her stand.
She had been brushing down the camel, who was trying to resist as always, and mulling over her problems while Tyler sat in the dirt nearby. As so many times before, he was holding Morgan, the skunk, and lovingly stroking its back. They were going to greatly miss each other. Even more important she was going to miss the boy. She decided it was time to share her frustrations with him.
“Your father is an impossible man. Stubborn. Impossible. Oh, I already said that, didn’t I? But he is, impossible, I mean.”
He looked at her with eyes so like his father’s now filled with misery. “He’s been grouching all over town. People steer clear of him, including your brothers. Maybe especially your brothers.”
“I don’t want him taking you away. I love you like my own.”
She stomped her foot and stirred up a small cloud of dust. “Damn his sorry hide.”
Tyler blinked at her show of temper and his hand stilled on the skunk’s back. “I was looking forward to you being my new ma. It’s so unfair.” He swallowed hard and she saw tears shimmering in his eyes. “It’s not like he plans on being with me when we leave here.”
“What do you mean?” Of course she already knew what he figured to do, but she’d hoped maybe, just maybe, she’d been wrong.
Tyler gazed up at her and for the first time since she’d known him, he looked truly angry. “He’ll just dump me with Uncle Chase at the ranch back in Texas. ‘Course I like being with Uncle Chase. Still, I’ve been wanting to have Pa stick around, looking forward to it. Won’t happen, though. He’s still wearing that damn badge.” He thrust his chin out. “I’d rather stay here with you.”
She was so mad at Morgan that she would have burned his ears if he’d been anywhere close. Which would make him mad and he’d probably toss her over his knee for a spanking. Right now she’d take a spanking if he’d just come to his senses. They belonged together, her, Morgan and their son.
While she was in the midst of her spell of anger, Chase walked toward the corral with Brandy at his side. “We’d best get back to town, Tyler. I was telling Brandy that you and I will head back to Texas in a—”
That did it! She threw down the brush and the camel sped in relief to the other end of the corral. She snapped, “You will not! I’m tired of all this nonsense.”
She marched to the fence, stopped nose-to-chest with him and looked up. “You go tell that idiot brother of yours that I will be at that church tomorrow as planned. You tell him that he’d better show up, too.”
She glanced at Tyler as he walked cautiously toward her. “You tell Morgan if he doesn’t get himself to the church and say his vows to me, he’s not seeing his son ever again. I’m keeping him.”
Both Chase and Brandy gaped at her as if she’d lost her mind, which maybe she had. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m holding Tyler hostage. You tell him that, too.”
Chase looked incredulous. “You can’t do that.”
“You really want me so bad?” Tyler stepped to her side and appeared hopeful. “You’d still marry my Pa? After how he’s been acting?”
She blew out a breath of frustration. “I’m clearly crazy, but yes, to all of that.”
When Chase continued to look concerned, Brandy added her backing, “You heard what my sister said. You go talk sense to that idiot brother of yours.”
She smiled at Whiskey and Tyler. “Because we—Whiskey and I—are holding Tyler hostage.”
He walked off frowning and mumbling about crazy women, but he didn’t even make an attempt to take Tyler with him when he rode back to town.
*
Morgan sat in a chair outside the Great Western hotel, silent, angry, alone. There wasn’t a person in town brave enough to come anywhere near him these days, including Taos. But then Taos was pretty damn mad at him for changing his mind about marrying Whiskey. And Morgan was angry with the fool woman for sending those legal documents back to him all torn to bits. Why the hell had she done that? She’d told him from the moment she arrived back in town that she wanted to own the whole ranch, not share it with anyone. Especially with him. Besides, he had no use for the place anymore. That dream was done blown to hell and back.
He tipped his hat lower against the sun as his mood darkened another notch. Fine. He’d keep his part ownership of the ranch, but it didn’t mean he planned to live there ever again. He had the family ranch down in Texas now to deal with as well. Although not for long. Chase and he’d already talked about it. Chase would take it over; all Morgan wanted in return was for him to raise Tyler there.
An ache centered in his chest. Tyler. He was letting the boy down again. But he had to do things this way; he had to keep him safe…Whiskey, too. There were just too many men who
might come after him, like Marino had done. He didn’t want to take the chance that next time someone he loved would die because of him.
He glanced down the boardwalk toward the Dusty Trails, then looked toward the Varieties Dance Hall where he’d found her dancing that fancy French dance. He’d made damn sure she would think twice before she ever did something like that again. Then he thought about her racing down Front Street, how he’d feared his heart would stop from worrying about her risking her fool neck. He’d burned her butt for that little foolish act as well. And then he’d marched her right down to the dressmaker’s shop to get her fitted for a wedding dress. Who would be watching after her now? Who would spank her soundly when she needed it? Her brothers had already moved to town, so they wouldn’t be watching after her as carefully as was needed.
That ache around his heart became more intense and he reached up to rub at it. Hell, he was going to miss this town and these people who’d eventually looked past his frowns to become friendly with him. Mostly, though, he was going to miss Whiskey when he finally decided to head down to Texas. Which wasn’t right now. But he would leave one of these days.
Feeling meaner than a bear with a thorn in its paw, he looked at the horse and wagon traffic on Front Street. Where the hell were Chase and Tyler? He needed to make a few more plans with Chase concerning his son. His brother had said they would be leaving for Texas probably tomorrow. Chase had wanted them to ride together, but he just couldn’t do it knowing that he’d be parting ways with his son at the ranch once again. The trip would have torn his heart apart, weakened him. He couldn’t afford that. They couldn’t afford that.
At last he spotted Chase threading his way on horseback around a pair of wagons. Alone. Where was Tyler? Surely he hadn’t left his son at the ranch with Whiskey. Even before they’d gone there, Tyler had been upset about having to tell her a final good-bye. He hadn’t wanted him to go, but Chase had talked him into it.
He shot to his feet as Chase rode up and dismounted. “Where’s Tyler?” he demanded.
Chase had a hard time looking him in the eye. “Whiskey and Brandy are holding him hostage, though it was really Whiskey’s idea.”
