“Why on god’s green earth would you do such a thing Emma?”
“Because he was nice, and I thought I’d never know the touch of a man.”
Emma sniffled again and tried to look away from the Madame, but remained locked in her gaze by the Madame’s knuckle.
“My dear Emma, you are a foolish girl. You are going to stay in this shed until the preacher can tell me what to do with you.”
“But Madame, the preacher won’t be here for several weeks yet.”
“I know.”
The Madame removed her knuckle from Emma’s chin and turned around, not speaking another word to Emma as she closed the door to the woodshed and returned the lock to its place, ensuring that Emma could not escape the dark confinement. Emma collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears once again, letting her face press against the cold wood as she let herself get lost to the darkness. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Isaac and second guessed if it was the right decision to let him do those things to her, to take her womanhood. She knew she would never feel anything like it again, but begged god to forgive her as she curled up into the fetus position in a small corner of the shed.
Her body was shivering by the time the sun had fully set, the heat of the bright morning gone and replaced with the cool breeze of midnight that slipped through the cracks between the wooden walls. Emma continued to repeat her apology to god over and over through the night, barely able to sleep for free of freezing while lost to the dream world. Her mind wondering if she should just let herself drift off and give into the cold, knowing the rest of her life would not get any better than it was in that single moment of pain and darkness.
Chapter Ten
Emma woke with a start. There was a loud banging against what sounded like metal outside the woodshed door. She wasn’t sure how many days had passed since she had been locked away in the shed, the Madame only fed her once every few days so it was hard to keep track. When the shed door opened up to reveal the bright light of the sun it stung her eyes, forcing Emma to crawl backwards until she was encased in darkness in the far corner of the shed.
“Emma?”
It was the sound of her sister’s voice echoing through the shed. Emma didn’t believe what she was hearing or seeing was real, she curled up into a ball and began to chant go away.
“Is she in there?”
This time it was Isaac’s voice, proving that she must still be dreaming, or the cold had finally taken her life and she was in the afterlife of heaven or hell, she wasn’t sure which she was destined to go to after what she had done with Isaac.
“Emma, oh my dear Emma!”
Ellen rushed into the wood shed and found Emma in her corner. She wrapped Emma up in her arms and squeezed her tight, resting her warm cheek against Emma’s frozen one.
“Emma it’s me. It’s going to be ok, I’m here now.”
Ellen began to cry as Emma continued to rock in her small ball, chanting for Ellen to go away.
“Isaac, something is wrong with her.”
Isaac walked into the wood shed and knelt down beside Ellen, trying to get a good look at Emma to see what could be wrong.
“I think she’s in shock. Too cold for too long. We have to get her out of here.”
“I can’t leave, the Madame will notice.”
“I can take her, but I’ll need your help.”
Ellen nodded and squeezed her sister tightly again.
“What do I need to do?”
“Go pack a few things for her, and meet me at the back of the house. Wait till everyone is asleep, including the Madame.”
Ellen nodded and rose to her feet, running out of the shed and back towards the house to the bedrooms. Ellen tossed a few belongings of Emma’s into a tiny satchel and hid it under her pillow, then she returned to her chores, hoping the Isaac knew what he was doing and could help her poor sister return to her. Back at the shed Isaac had closed the door, returning the entire room to darkness. He wrapped Emma up in his arms and softly hummed for her, kissing the top of her head over and over again, reassuring her that everything was going to be ok.
“Is this heaven, or hell?”
“This isn’t heaven or hell, this is here and now. You are alive Emma, not dead.”
“That can’t be right. Go away, don’t torture me anymore.”
“Torture you?”
Isaac was confused how his presence could be torturing her. He let out a deep sigh and continued to rock her, hoping that she didn’t continue to feel tortured as he tried to warm her body up and bring her back to a clear state of mind. He watched the small crack underneath the door and waited till the sun had long been set before rising to his feet. He picked up Emma and carried her in his arms, taking her out of the shed into the moon light night. Emma looked up at the sky confused, she stared at the moon for a long moment before turning her gaze to Isaac.
“Isaac?”
“There you are.”
“What…What are you doing? How am I out of the shed?”
“I should have guessed it would be the moon and the air to bring you back.”
“Bring me back?”
Isaac nodded and smiled at Emma, continuing to carry her as he walked to the very back of the house to wait for Ellen.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m rescuing you…or kidnapping you. One of those.”
Isaac chuckled and Emma looked even more confused.
“I’ve been trying to see you for weeks. I only just was able to talk to your sister without the Madame catching us.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you are my choice sweet Emma, I wish to marry you.”
Emma shook her head in disbelief.
“No, nobody ever chooses me. Everyone wants Ellen.”
“Except me. I never should have done what I did with her.”
“Or with me…”
“No. With you I did exactly what I should have. I gave my wife exactly what she asked for.”
“Wife?”
“Soon enough, that’s exactly what you will be.”
“But…but why me?Because we…please don’t stick yourself with me because of that.”
Emma began to cry, causing Isaac to drop her down to her feet and grabbed both sides of her face with his hands, pulling her eyes up to meet his.
“Emma. I loved you from the moment I saw you, from the moment I caressed your scar and saw you blush. I want to marry you, and only you.”
Emma gasped and bit down on her lip, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Now, if only your sister would hurry up.”
“I’m right here.”
Isaac turned to see Ellen walking up to meet them, a tiny satchel in her hands.
“I packed what I could, the Madame is a very nosey woman.”
“Ellen? What is going on?”
Ellen smiled and hugged her sister tightly, kissing each of her cheeks before pulling away.
“I love you Emma, you deserve to be happy and in love.”
“Can you please tell me what is going on!”
“We are freeing you from the shed, so you can run away with Isaac. I thought that would be obvious by now.”
Ellen grinned at Emma and nudged her towards Isaac.
“Truly?”
Emma still couldn’t believe her ears or eyes.
“Truly sister, he came back for you and now you two are leaving together.”
Isaac nodded towards Ellen.
“Thank you.”
“Just take care of my sister.”
“Always.”
Emma started to cry again and hugged her sister tightly.
“I love you Ellen, I hope you finally meet a man worthy of you.”
“I will, don’t worry about me. I have to get back though, before Madame wakes to find me missing.”
Emma nodded and hugged her sister one last time, whispering a goodbye against her ear before watching Ellen run off around the house back to her bed. Emma turn
ed to Isaac and smiled softly.
“Do you really love me?”
“Absolutely. Now let’s get you home before Madame notices we’ve escaped that horrible shed.”
Isaac smiled and laced his fingers in between Emma’s, leading her around the house and down the dirt road. The walked for miles in silence, while Emma looked up and stared at the stars, trusting Isaac not to let her wander off of the road. When they finally stopped pulling her she looked down to find a small farm in front of them, filled with animals and a small garden of crops.
“Where are we?”
“Home.”
Isaac spun Emma around and picked her up into his arms, carrying her the rest of the way to the house and dropping her back down to her feet once he was over the doorway.
“Home?”
“Yes, Emma. Our home. This is where we are going to live out our lives, happy and together.”
Emma could only smile, lost for words as she spun around to take in the small but wonderful house that was now her home. She let out a soft, content sigh once she stopped spinning.
“Tonight, we shall get you cleaned up and in bed. Tomorrow I am going to make an honest woman out of you.”
Emma jumped up and kissed him soft but deep. Isaac moaned against her lips and pulled away.
“You keep that up woman and you won’t be rested at all for the wedding tomorrow!”
Emma smiled back and grinned mischievously for the first time in her entire life.
“I think I’ll be just fine.”
Isaac shook his head and grinned, picking her back up into his arms and carrying her off to the bedroom.
The Billionaire Cowboy’s Last Hope
By: Erin Walsh
The Billionaire Cowboy’s Last Hope
© SteamyReads4U, 2015 – All rights reserved
Published by Steamy Reads4U
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to the seller and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Warning
This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+ years old.
If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with adult content, please close this book now.
Chapter 1
It had already been two years since Paul passed away. I can still remember the day that Ethan ran inside form the corn fields, his face flushed with worry, his cheeks streaked with tears. He told me that Paul had fell over on the combine harvester, and that he couldn’t get him up. By the time the emergency vehicle had arrived at the farm, Paul was already gone. He had suffered a heart attack. I stared out the window, watching as the corn stalks danced in the breeze, and I wondered if I’d ever feel normal again.
“You have a good day at school, now, Ethan.” I handed Ethan a paper bag stuffed with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a container of pear wedges, and a slice of my homemade apple pie. He grinned and then gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you later.” He slung his backpack over his shoulder and then hustled out the back door, letting the screen door slam behind him even though he was always told to close it gently. I affectionately rolled my eyes and then locked the door behind him, watching as he jumped inside Danny’s red Ford pick-up, and then sighing as they rolled off down the dusty, lonesome dirt road.
I looked at the tiny red clock hanging on the wall beside the refrigerator. Paul had given it to me as an anniversary gift, and I felt guilty thinking about how much it was worth, but I did, anyway. I took it off the hook, and read the inscription on the back: To the love of my life- Emma. You make all my gray skies blue. I love you. Paul. I felt a tear come to my eye and I took a deep breath.
“Not today, Emma. Not today.” I had to do a lot of self-talk to get me through the hours while Ethan was away at school. I didn’t have many close friends that lived nearby, and the house seemed to echo with sadness when I spent hours inside it alone. I knew that I should be out, trying to keep myself preoccupied, but it was hard for me to meet new people, and my heart simply ached from the loss. I wandered down the creaking cellar steps and loaded wet clothes into a sagging wicker basket, then trudged back up to hang it all on the clothesline outside.
Honk! I heard the distinct bellow of Jake’s horn as soon as I reached the yard. A series of large cumulous clouds had settled over the valley, and I wondered if we were about to get socked with rain.
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” Jake hopped out of the driver’s seat, his face ruddy and tanned from hours in the fields. I shook my head and picked up one of Ethan’s shirts, then hung it on the line.
“Nope. I’m just getting some of this laundry dried. What are you doing over here today?” I was used to Jake popping in unexpectedly, but he usually spent Mondays over in Sun Valley so that he could get supplies for his business.
“Well, I was hoping that we could chat for a bit. You got a few minutes?” Jake gave me a hopeful smile and looked around the yard. “Looks like hell back here, Emma. Is that boy of yours helping with anything?” Jake frowned and I shook my head.
“Come on, Jake. He’s only fifteen. He does what he can.” I eyed Jake with a wry grin and then grabbed a few more pieces of laundry to hang. The sky grew darker and the air got cool. “He can’t do what Paul could do. I mean, he’s okay with a hammer, but I can’t expect him to fix that entire shed, or re-wire the chicken coop.” I sighed and shook my head, trying not to look at all of the obvious signs of disrepair on our property.
“This is all the more reason to come inside and take a break. I want to talk with you about something. I think you’re going to like what I have to share.” Jake raised his eyebrows and then tipped back his cowboy hat. I reached for a pair of Ethan’s pants and hung them on the line, then slapped my hands on my thighs and straightened up.
“Okay, then. Let’s go inside.” I set the laundry basket aside and then opened the screen door, being careful not to slam it after Jake made his way inside. I walked to the sink and washed my hands, then poured two glasses of water from the glass pitcher that sat on the counter. Jake looked around the kitchen, assessing all of the signs of neglect, I was sure.
“Listen, Emma. We’re worried about you. Me and Sue, Harvey and Bess. We all think that you should be…” He paused and then bit his lip. “I don’t know. I guess we all think that maybe you should be trying to get out more, maybe even thinking of selling this place.” He lowered his head when he said the last words. I eyed him with offense.
“Who are you to decide what I should and should not be doing, Jake? Do you think it’s easy to just snap your fingers and go back to normal after you lose a spouse?” I looked away and a tear rolled down my face. Jake sighed and shook his head.
“I knew you were going to take this the wrong way.” Jake leaned forward and took a sip of his water. “That’s not what we meant. We’re just worried, Emma. We want to see you happy again.” Jake looked through me with his icy blue eyes.
“And you have some sort of plan for how to get happy again, I suppose?” I leaned back and folded my arms, wondering what Jake had up his sleeve.
“I do, Emma. And I think it could change your entire life.” A smile broke out on his face, and some of the tension disappeared from my shoulders. I narrowed my eyes and
stared at his face, just as the rain drips started to fall.
Chapter 2
“Well let me hear it.” I took a long sip of my water and then waited. Jake was a sly business man. He was good natured, but he also had a wily streak to him that always gave me pause. He and Sue had been married for almost ten years now. They had three kids and they lived about a half hour away, which was nice considering how alone I sometimes felt now that Paul was gone.
“Emma. How would you like it if all of your financial problems could be erased forever?” Jake sat back and straddled the chair, his hands on his thighs. “How would you feel if you woke up one morning, and you and Ethan had all of your bills paid?” He cocked his head to the side and I frowned.
“What is this, Jake? Some sort of fantasy idea?” I knew that my big brother had a wild imagination, and I was always suspect about his excitement over new ventures, especially when they revolved around money.
“It ain’tno fantasy, Emma. It’s reality. And if you’ll just be a little open minded, I promise you’ll think this is one of the best plans I’ve ever concocted.” He gave me a wink and I shook my head. Then I took another sip of my water and watched as the rain pelted the windows and the corn stalks sank under the weight of the water.
“Okay, Jake. Cut to the chase. I have to get dinner cooking before Ethan gets home from school you know.” I frowned and then smoothed my hair back away from my face. Ethan wouldn’t be home for another three or four hours, but I knew how long-winded Jake could get over his ideas.
“Here it is.” Jake sat up straight and then smiled. “I have a man for you, Emma. A man who can take away all of your worries.” He whispered the last part of his sentence, and I folded my arms back across my chest. I had no interest in meeting any man, especially one that Jake was going to try and set me up with.
Romance: Luther's Property Page 7
