Tame a Wild Bride, a Western Romance (17 page)

“Bachelor?
 
That’s an odd name for a town.”

“Not a town, really.
 
Just a settlement.
 
Lots of miners, a couple of saloons and that’s about it.
 
No store or church yet.
 
They do have a whorehouse, though.”
 
Sadie said with distain.

“Oh, those poor women.
 
Forced to make a living that way.
 
How awful for them,” said Rosie.

“I never thought of it that way.
 
I always assumed they chose the life.”

“I suppose some do, but I think that hardships of one kind or another lead those women to those straights.
 
There but for the grace of God go I.”

“Amen.”

They walked back out to the front of the store.
 
Tom was talking to Sam Kent, the bank president.
 
Rosie left her purchases with Sadie to go and talk to them.

“Hello, Mr. Kent.
 
How are you this fine day?”

“Very good, Mrs. Harris and you?”

“I’m doing very well and do call me Rosie.”

Sam smiled at her.
 
“Only if you’ll call me Sam.
 
I have a little confession to make.”
 
He leaned in and whispered so only the three of them could hear.
 
“I’m terrible with names.
 
I didn’t remember your name is Rosie.
 
But I’ll do better.
 
I promise I’ll know it the next time we meet.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”
 
She looked over at Tom, “Tomorrow, I want to go up to Bachelor, can you take me?”

“Of course.
 
It’s pretty up that way.
 
I wanted to take you on a picnic tomorrow any way.”

“Are you two in town for a couple of days?
 
Finally, getting a little honeymoon?” asked Sam.

Rosie blushed.

Tom answered.
 
“We are.
 
As much of one as you can get in two days.”
 
He leaned in and whispered to Sam, “and nights.”

Sam laughed.
 
“I’m delighted for you.
 
Have a great time while you’re here.
 
Well, I best be getting back to the bank.
 
Just out for a little walk when I saw you walk in here and thought I’d say hello.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Kent, I mean Sam.”

“Oh, I will, …Rosie.
 
You, too.”

Sam walked out of the store, whistling.

*****

Sam Kent walked quickly past the bank and to the little house where he lived.
 
He went inside, directly to his sister’s bedroom.
 

“Get up,” he shouted at her, opening the curtains.
 
“We have our chance now.
 
Get the hell out of bed you stupid drunken bitch.”
 
His anger at her hung-over state almost got the better of him.

“What the hell?
 
Why are you yelling?”

“Because we have the perfect opportunity to get that boy, maybe the girl too and you’re too wasted to take advantage of it.”

She shook her head.
 
“I’m not.
 
Tell me.”
 
Putting her feet over the side of the bed she sat up and then went behind the screen and used the chamber pot.
 
She scratched her backside, yawned and stretched as she came from behind the screen.

“Well?”

“Tom and his new bride are here, in town, for the next two nights.
 
Tomorrow they’re going up to Bachelor for a picnic.
 
We, meaning you, can snatch the children while they are gone.”

“And how pray tell am I going to do that?”

“Look, no one knows you’re my sister.
 
And you don’t look like the mousy little woman that left here with Frank two years ago.
 
But I bet you can become that mousy woman again if you just wash your face.
 
Put your hair under up tight under your hat and the color isn’t so noticeable.
 
Right now it’s dirty from the train trip and looks browner anyway.”

“So you want me to just ride up and take the kids out from under the nose of the help at the ranch?”

“Yes.
 
Ben will still recognize you.
 
He’s missed you, though for the life of me I don’t know why.
 
He’ll be more than willing to go with you.
 
Leave the girl.
 
You’re going to be on a horse.
 
Only room for two.
 
You do still remember how to ride don’t you?”

“Of course.”
 
She went behind the screen again and took off her nightrail.
 
“Do you still have my trunk with my old clothes in it?”

“In the attic.”

“Get it.
 
I’m going to need my riding gear.”

“You can’t wear your old garb anymore.
 
You’ve gotten fat.
 
I’ll get some of my clothes.
 
If they’re a little baggy all the better.”

He left to get her the clothes.
 
She came out from behind the screen wearing her chemise and bloomers.
 
No corset today, not if she’s to hide her assets.
 
Long past the modest stage of life, she sat on the bed and waited for Sam to return.

Ten minutes later, he was back.
 
He’d brought her old boots, some wool pants, a chambray shirt, wool jacket and hat.
 
She dressed and looked at herself in the mirror.

“Not bad,” she said to her reflection.

Sam sat on the bed and watched her dress.
 
It was perfect, she could pass for a boy in the outfit.
 
No one would think twice about a youngster riding out of town.
 

“I’ll saddle one of my horses for you.
 
I don’t ride it much so the horse won’t be recognized as belonging to me.
 
Besides you’ll be long gone before anyone sees that horse.”

She put on her hat, cinching it under her chin.
 
“Alright, I’m ready.
 
Let’s go.
 
Where to you want me to take the kid?”

“There’s that old abandoned miner’s shack north of the ranch.
 
You remember.
 
You can hide out there until I come for you.
 
I’ve written a ransom note which you’ll leave at the ranch in a place someone will find it but you won’t get seen leaving it.”

Carolyn nodded.

“And Sarah.
 
Don’t screw this up?”

“I won’t.
 
You just do your job and you’ll have twenty five hundred dollars to do with as you please.
 
And don’t call me Sarah.
 
I’m Carolyn.
 
Sarah’s dead.”

CHAPTER 9

Tom carried all of the purchases except the “special” one back to Mary’s.
 
Rosie wouldn’t let him carry that one and made Sadie wrap it in plain brown butcher paper in the back of the store so he wouldn’t see.
 

When they got to the room, Tom opened the door to their suite and ushered her in.
 
The room was lovely and very well appointed.
 
It had a tall boy dresser, chest of drawers, small table set for two with a platter of food on it.
 
A beautiful cheval mirror stood on one wall with a Chinese changing screen next to it in the corner.
 
And, of course, a bed.
 
A brass bed with ornate scrolled head and foot boards.

The bathroom was immense.
 
Rosie guessed they’d converted a small bedroom to the bathroom.
 
It had a huge, claw footed bathtub that looked like it could easily accommodate two people.
 
She couldn’t imagine how they’d gotten it through the door.
 
Although it’s size did give her ideas.
 

Her body ached but she wasn’t sure why.
 
All she knew was she wanted to make love to Tom badly.
 
The little surprise she had for him should help her seduce him.
 
He was more open to making love since he’d given her the massage.
 
Her face heated at the memory and she took a deep breath to squelch the feelings that it brought with it.

When Tom went down to see Mary, Rosie hurried to freshen up.
 
She took her hair down, ran her fingers through it. loosening the curls.
 
Tom liked her hair down.
 
She’d seen it in his eyes.
 
Tonight she was going to have it spread out on her pillow while he made love to her.
 
Just like in those romance novels one of the maids back home loved to read.
 
If making love was anything like what he did after the massage, she was going to like it very much.

She had a vague idea of what to expect.
 
Her mother died before she could give Rosie the ‘wedding night’ talk.
 
And it wasn’t something her brother ever would have considered talking to her about.
 
Just the thought of it mortified her.
 

She wasn’t a farm girl but had seen the neighbors’ dogs once.
 
They were locked together and the bitch didn’t seem to be enjoying it.
 
Rosie knew people weren’t like that but still there had to be some similarities.

Now was the time for seduction and she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.
 
Twenty-six years old and as naïve as a girl just out of the schoolroom!
 
Well not anymore.
 
She was going to make love with her husband tonight.
 
Whatever it took.
 
Tom would be back shortly so, she went behind the changing screen, removed her clothes and put on the negligee.
 

By the time Tom came back she was nervous as hell.
 
Sure she was making a big mistake, she almost took off the negligee and put back on her clothes, but she decided it was better than waiting in her chemise and bloomers or her regular nightgown.
 
Both of which she decided weren’t sexy at all since Tom had seen her in both and seemed decidedly unaffected.

There was a knock on the door.
 
Rosie opened it but stood behind it so he couldn’t see her and neither could anyone else who happened to be passing in the hall.
 
She wasn’t about to parade about in the silky attire she now wore for all the world to see.

Tom carried a bucket with a bottle and ice in one hand and two glasses in the other.
 
He set them on the table and turned around to say something.
 
At least she thought he was going to say something.
 
His mouth was open but nothing came out.
 
Then he smiled and she knew everything would be all right.

“You look beautiful.”

She ducked her head, thoroughly embarrassed.
 
“Thank you.”

He walked over to her and lifted her chin until she looked him in the eyes.
 
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

Slipping his fingers beneath the lapels he slid the robe down her arms and into a puddle on the floor.
 
Then he took her in his arms and kissed her.
 
His tongue ran along the seam to her lips and she opened for him.
 
He explored her, tasted her and she him.
 
He tasted of apple, clean and crisp.
 
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for the ride.