The Stagecoach Bride

by Stephannie Beman

  They stopped at the mountain lake, the moon shimmering on the water. He drew her close, resting his chin on her head. “He’s dead.”

  “Good,” she murmured against his neck. “I hate to see people die, but I didn’t think he would stop unless he was imprisoned or dead.”

  Mic wished imprisonment would have stopped Robert, but a man like him wouldn’t have let bars and stone walls stop him from his revenge. “He was a little too keen for your money and shocked when he couldn’t find it.”

  “He was at the cabin?”

  Dropping the blanket, he peeled off layer after sticky later of clothing. “Ransacked the place from the noise of it. Didn’t find what he was looking for though. Seemed to think I had it. I kinda liked ribbing him over the fact that you hid it good enough he’d never find it. And that I’m married to one smart lady. ”

  She grimaced. “I knew the trunk was a dangerous place to keep it, but even so, I hate the thought that his grimy hands were on my things. I don’t know if I can wear them again.”

  He paused, wincing at the thought. “I’m sorry, Prudence. I really am.” He dropped his shirt on the ground and drew her to him, kissing her on the forehead. “I’ll buy you new things, but it won’t change that he was there.”

  “I don’t want to be called Prudence. I hate that name. I always hated that name.”

  “It’s a beautiful name, Uzizitka. But I understand. I’ve never liked Michaiah, but it’s the name my mama gave me.”

  She laughed. “I can try to call you by your given name, but I’m not sure I can. If I can’t pronounce that hiakushu or whatever it is, I don’t think I can call you Mikiah-Micaiah.”

  He laughed, releasing her then removing his pants. “No one else could pronounce it either. It’s why Mic stuck.” The drawers followed. “Wish me luck.”

  He headed for the lake, splashing into the water with a curse, and scrubbing his skin fiercely with sand. Within seconds his teeth chattered and his skin looked far too blue.

  Lillian’s laughter echoed from the mountain slopes. “Is it warm?”

  “Freezing! But considering the smell, dirt, and blood, I’ll risk the cold.”

  “You should have waited until we got to the cabin. I could have heated you some water to put in a tub,” she said, shaking her head at him. “If you’re hungry, I have another strip of jerky.”

  Nearly frozen, he emerged from the water. He grinned at her proffered piece of jerky and nipped it from her fingers while wrapping himself in the blanket.

  “I didn’t go hungry all night,” she added, a hint of pride in her voice.

  “Brilliant wife,” he said, teeth chattering. “I’d have loved to take you up on the offer of a bath in the warmth of the cabin. However, doing so with Jeremiah there would not be so pleasant.”

  She slipped into his arms. He snuggled into her warmth, thinking of several ways to warm up, one of which sounded rather pleasant at this moment.

  He nipped her neck, drawing her closer. She rose to her toes, her womanly curves rubbing against him. He gently slid his hands over her waist, pulling the shirt from her waistband, drawing it up and over her head.

  The delay at Charles’ ranch had almost cost Lillian her life, and he didn’t plan on letting her out of his sight again. He planted several kisses on her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and lips. He nibbled on her earlobe, her neck, and her shoulders.

  She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t you dare ask me to take a bath in that water.”

  He grinned at her, his calloused hands sliding over her nipples, waist, and belly, stopping at the waist of her pants. “Wouldn’t think of it.”

  Turning her around until he was behind her, Mic unbuttoned her pants and slid them over her hips and down her legs, baring her beautiful body to his gaze.

  She looked at him over her shoulder, a seductive smile curling her lips. “Here? Now?”

  He nodded, reaching around her to cup her breasts, his fingers pinching and rolling her nipples. “No one here to hear us.”

  She groaned, her head resting on his shoulder. Her hands went behind her back, taking his length into her hand, stroking him to hardness.

  Drawing one hand down, Mic caressed her, teasing her until she moaned. His finger slipped between her wet folds, rubbing her sensitive nub. Her hips bucked, seeking. She started to turn around to face him and he stilled her.

  Taking her hands from around his cock, he placed them on the rock in front of them, encouraging her to bend forward. He placed several soft kisses along the back of her neck and spine. “Don’t move.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, a frown on her face. “What are you doing?”

  He leaned forward, his arms coming around her, using one hand to rub the nub she so loved him to play with and the other to gently knead her breast. “Pleasuring my wife,” he whispered against her ear, placing a kiss on the back of her neck.

  She shivered, a pleasure-filled moan escaping her lips. His finger left a trail down her spine and she arched into his touch. Her bottom rubbed against his straining erection and pushing into his hand.

  “Mic?”

  Resting the tip of his cock against her slit, he slowly pressed inside her tight passage, her warmth closing around him. She gasped, her bottom wiggling against him, pushing him further inside.

  His body quaked. His muscles tensed. He wanted to move slow and take his time with her but was finding it increasingly difficult. He wanted to thrust inside her, to pleasure her until she screamed his name.

  Taking care to be slow and gentle, he easily slid into her, working his finger over her nub. His other hand cupped her breast, holding her still and enjoying the perfect fit in his palm. She gasped loudly, her breathing hitched, her body quivering beneath him.

  “You are my Uzizitka, my beautiful, smart, inquisitive, amazing wife. And I love you with all my heart and soul.”

  She gasped, her body rocking against him, taking him into her body. She was a breathtaking blend of innocence and sultry temptress. She was everything he wanted. She was what he needed. And for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel alone; he’d come home.

  Her body shuddered and she cried out, his name a mantra on her lips. Her core wrapped around him, milking him, and he exploded inside of her with a shout to the heavens. She collapsed against the rock, her breath quick and harsh.

  He pulled out of her, wrapped a blanket around her, and scooped her into his arms. While he wanted to return to the house, he didn’t want to share her attention with the others. He wanted her all to himself tonight.

  Laying her in a sheltered spot beside the boulder, he kissed her forehead. “I’m going to get wood and be back.”

  She mumbled, curling tighter inside her blanket and drifted back to sleep. Quickly, he gathered wood and started the fire then washed the worst of the grime from his clothes before returning to his wife. She barely moved as he snuggled behind her and nuzzled her neck. He drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mic woke early to fish in the lake and pick fresh vegetables for Lillian. While it wouldn’t be the finest meal he’d ever provided for her, it wouldn’t be the worst either. The fish was nearly done when she first started to stir. He watched her wake slowly, seeming almost confused by her surroundings, and who could blame her after the ordeal over the last two days?

  “Breakfast is ready, Tehila.”

  She glanced up at him and her entire face brightened. Holding the blanket with one hand, she sat up, offering him a coy smile. “Hello, my husband.”

  He turned his back to her, not to give her privacy but because he knew if he watched her dress in the full light of day, he’d have to make love to her yet again and they were both too worn out for that. Three times in one night with no sleep was his limit.

  “I’m dressed.”

  He turned back and gaped. Lillian’s fingers slowly closed the buttons of her shirt but not before he caught a glimpse of her pert, perfec
t rose-tipped breasts. “Minx.”

  She grinned and sat down beside the fire. “It’s only fair. You did the same to me that first morning.”

  He shook his head and held out a piece of fish for her. “I was tucking in my shirt, not flashing lovely breasts at you.”

  She leaned forward, nipping it from his fingers with her lips, her tongue darting out to lick his fingers. “I don’t think they’d look right on you.”

  They ate in companionable silence for several minutes before Lillian asked, “How are the others?”

  “Unless something has changed since last night, Noah and Caleb are fine. Jeremiah has a broken arm and was shot in the leg. Haven’t see Wade, Abby, Lloyd, or the woman since we all parted ways. They won’t come back here if they’re being followed.” He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on his mind since he’d watched Robert take Lillian into the house. “I need to know, Lillian. How did Robert get a hold of you? Where was Abby?”

  She popped a slice of carrot into her mouth and shrugged. “Wade and another woman came out of the house with Lloyd, but Wade was injured. Abby said he’d be alright, but we had to take Lloyd because he was in no shape to ride with him. Abby sent Wade off with the woman, told her to ride southwest and that you’d find them. Abby took Lloyd on the horse with her. I was about to get on it when Robert grabbed my wrist.” She glanced at him. “I decided it was best for her and Lloyd if I had them go and pretended I was glad he was rescuing me from the scary bandits.” She smiled at the last part. “Did I do wrong?”

  He shook his head and leaned forward to kiss her. “You did what you had to do. And now that the scary bandits have you, they have no intention of letting you go again.”

  Chuckling, she kissed him. “You’re really not so scary now that I know you, though I did fear for my life that day at the stage. You and your brothers are a formidable group to be up against, but you’re a wonderful group, too. I’m just lucky I got the best one of them all.”

  He grinned and stood, holding his hand out to help her up. “Jim always told me the best practice was to steal one’s bride. Guess the old Indian was right.”

  “In that case, you should call me your stolen bride.”

  “I think I prefer Uzizitka.”

  ***

  They returned to the cabin before midday and Lillian headed for the loft before Jeremiah could tease her too hard about their all-night absence. He seemed to understand and respect her need for privacy. Mic remained below to check Jeremiah’s bandages.

  The moment the upper door closed behind her, Jeremiah turned serious. “How did she get caught and where is Abby?”

  Mic quickly told him the story Lillian had told him. “I’ll send Caleb to town to listen for any news, but we both know Abby. If she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be. I’m more afraid for Wade and the woman.” The gunshot wound would heal. Wade would live.

  “Who is she?”

  Mic shrugged. “I’m not sure. She said she was Lloyd’s nurse. Charles might have hired her to take care of the boy. All I know is she wanted out of that house bad and she was scared of Charles.”

  Terrified was closer to the truth. He wasn’t sure why, but that woman wanted to be very, very far from Charles. Maybe Wade would figure out why.

  “When are we going to go looking for Wade?” Jeremiah asked.

  “Lillian said Abby sent them Southwest. If she stays on course, that will place her close by. I can send Noah and Caleb into the valley to keep watch, but we’re spreading ourselves thin. Charles knows us, all of us. He’ll have scouts looking for us. It won’t be safe for any of us soon.”

  Jeremiah grunted, shifting his leg and cussing. “I should have drowned the brat when I had the chance.”

  “His day will come, Jere. And it will come soon.”

  Jeremiah snorted. “Are you a prophet now? Maybe you think yourself comparable to the Michaiah you’re named after?”

  Mic hid the smile. He found it funny that three-year-old Lloyd was more stoic than Jeremiah when hurt. Then again, Lloyd was likely to scrape his knee or bloody his nose, not break his arm leaping out of a second story window. And hopefully he’d never get shot in the leg over a grudge.

  “I don’t have to be the prophet Michaiah to know that Charles messed with the wrong family.”

  Jeremiah grinned. “If I’d known all it would take to raise your blood was for Charles to endanger a woman, I would have found you one earlier.”

  Mic laughed, shaking his head and taking a seat beside Jeremiah. “That isn’t the only reason, Jere. I couldn’t act while there was a chance he had Lloyd. And now that I found Lillian, I have to make sure she’s safe. That gives me a reason to make sure he dies. I won’t let him hurt Lillian.”

  “Don’t you mean Prudence Van Horn, heiress to a fortune, daughter of one of the richest families in Virginia?”

  Mic straightened, glaring at his brother. “How long have you known?”

  Jeremiah grinned. “Since I saw who I was kissing by the river. I knew her father. Good man. We talked often about her brother when I was a preacher. Albert is worthless trash and no amount of correction would save him from his fate.”

  “Robert killed him.”

  “I’m not surprised. Are you going to tell her?”

  Mic shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Her mother was a wonderful woman. I never did kiss her, but I do remember her talking about children. She loved them dearly. How long have you known who she was, Mic?”

  “Not nearly as long as you.”

  Jeremiah’s large hand dropped onto his shoulder. “Do you love her, Michaiah?”

  Mic stood, pacing away from his brother. “Yes.”

  “I hope you told her. She deserves to know that someone loves her for more than just her money.”

  Mic was about to tell him to mind his own business when Caleb and Noah tumbled into the cabin, large grins on their faces. “What are you two so happy about?”

  The boys glanced at each other and then at Mic. They started laughing until they were forced to sit. Mic glanced at Jeremiah. “They wondered if you’d be back today. We had a bet going and I lost.”

  Mic grunted and shook his head. “Come on boys, time to work.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  With Mic’s help, Lillian sorted through the things that had been in the trunks. Two of the trunks were salvageable, but Robert had destroyed the others beyond repair. Those had been taken out of the cabin to clear a space for her to go through what she could save because she wanted sufficient time to go through everything. Mic had obliged her by putting everything in the corner with the two remaining trunks close by before he left her alone to continue her work.

  It’d been a long couple of days, but it was such a relief to know she no longer had to worry about Robert. He was gone, never to hurt her or anyone else. And though she wondered about her brother for a brief moment while she was hiding in the log, in her heart she knew Albert was dead.

  If he’d been alive, Robert would have brought him along to get her money. Even if she hadn’t cared much for what Albert did, it’d been a sad realization to know she’d never see him again. But to be fair, he should have known better than to get involved with Robert. She had warned him, but he shook her warnings off as mindless woman’s talk.

  Well, at least Mic had the sense to realize she had a brain and knew how to use it. She wouldn’t have believed it was possible to get out of a tight spot with three men who wanted to get to her money, but Mic had taken the time and patience to work with her and she did it. Never again would she doubt her ability to protect herself, though she hoped she’d never have to resort to sticking something in another man’s private region ever again. Even if it was the only way she managed to get away, she hated doing it.

  Pushing aside the memory, she gathered her garments. Most were ripped beyond repair. But she was able to save a shirtwaist, two petticoats, and a skirt. She’d mend the skirt, but that would be easy en
ough with Mic’s mother’s sewing kit. The ripped garments would have to be rags or find other uses. In one of her ripped up petticoats, she caught sight of her cameo and gasped in excitement. It wasn’t damaged. Of all the things she had worried about, she prayed the cameo might be saved. And as luck would have it, it was in perfect condition. Besides the hat she lost, this was the only thing she had dared to take with her that held any special meaning to her. It had originally belonged to her great-grandmother, and one day she would pass it on to her daughter.

  She stood up and placed the cameo in the small box by the bed. She would only wear it for special occasions, even if all she was wearing was a man’s shirt and pants. Sure, one of Mic’s brothers might tease her about it, but she didn’t care. She’d just toss a joke or two right back at him.

  She went back to the clothes, curtains and blankets and saved as much of Mic’s mother’s and Abby’s things as she could, which turned out to only be about a fourth of the things originally there. She placed everything she would repair in the two trunks. Then she decided to put the money that was in the underside of the mattress in one of the trunks. Now that she knew no one would be looking for it, she felt safe letting it be there. But even so, she opted to keep the coins tucked away under the floorboard. It didn’t hurt to keep one hiding place. She didn’t know if the money would ever be needed, but if so, she would make sure it would be used to help, not to cause any more harm.

  Satisfied, she gathered the things she couldn’t save and carried them down the stairs.

  Jeremiah was struggling to get out of the makeshift bed by the stove. She dropped everything in the corner of the room and hurried over to him. “If you want to get up, then you need to ask for help.” Slipping her arm around his waist on his uninjured side, she added, “Now you can get up.”

  Jeremiah smirked, drew her closer, and looked at Mic. “See. She does like me.”

  She glanced over at Mic who was leaning against the wall behind her, shaking his head. “I didn’t see you over there,” she called out.