Page 6 of Earning Tia’s Trust
SIX
After ordering breakfast, Robert smiled at Tia. “You look beautiful. The lighter colors bring out the blue of your eyes. What do you want to do today?”
“I’d like to go to the bookstore you found.”
“What do you like to read?” Robert asked.
“Everything I can get my hands on,” Tia said. “The school in Stone Falls only teaches the primary levels to the eighth grade. I was pulled out of school when I was twelve. Hayward said I didn’t need any more schooling. Mrs. Mason was our housekeeper then, and her daughter Francine is only three years older.
Mrs. Mason was a school teacher before she married. When Hayward went into his office to drink, she would teach me at the kitchen table, and Francine would share her school books with me. Mrs. Mason quit her job as our housekeeper when I was sixteen. Francine and I have remained best friends, almost sisters. After Francine became the school teacher, she gave me the tests, and I earned a certificate to teach up to the eighth-grade level.
“Last year, she saved enough to purchase a set of Encyclopedias for the school. She lets me borrow them. We pool our money and order books through the mercantile.”
“What do you like to read?” Robert asked.
Tia shrugged. “Everything. It’s silly, I know, but when we ran out of books to read, I started writing stories. It’s just something between Francine and me. I’d like a book to teach me how to write better.”
“Learning is never silly,” Robert said.
“Did you go to college to be a lawyer?”
“Yes. It was a two-year program specializing in law and required training as an apprenticeship before admission to the bar. But, before I could graduate, the American Bar Association tacked on stiffer requirements for on-the-job training and attending lectures at registered law schools. Changing the rules delayed my admission to the bar by a year.”
“What is a bar ?” Tia asked, looking confused. “Trials take place in courtrooms, not in saloons.”
Robert laughed and then scratched his head. “That’s a legitimate question I’ve never had to explain before. Have you ever been in a courtroom?”
Tia shook her head. “If there is a trial in Stone Falls, it’s usually done in the schoolhouse.”
“I’ve never given a single thought about this before. In most courtrooms, wooden bars or a fence separate the spectators watching the trial from those involved. For a reason that I can’t explain, the word bar has come to symbolize the law. When a lawyer says he is a bar member, it means he can represent his client before a judge and jury.
“There was no need for a jury trial for your uncle and his cronies. Nine witnesses testified to hearing Raymond Kingston and Judge Thatcher admitting to the shooting and murder of Leo Mercer. They were drunk at the time, but that didn’t change the verdict. Mercer’s body was found exactly where they said it was dumped. The other charges of falsifying Hayward’s will were quickly proven. Hard liquor and crime don’t make a good match.”
“Stone Falls doesn’t have a courtroom,” Tia said.
“True enough, but it does have a jail. Judge Bentley held the trials of Thatcher and Kingston there, and it only took forty minutes to prove them guilty of all charges,” Robert assured her. “Eat up. You can use a few pounds.”
Tia finished her breakfast without further questions. She seemed to be pondering something, and when the bill was paid, they walked outside, and she finally spoke. “I never liked Raymond, although I didn’t see much of him growing up. When he did come around, there was always a lot of shouting and swearing.”
She paused and raised her eyes to meet Robert’s. “Hayward stopped pretending to care for me when I was about twelve. I had no value to him except to marry and give him a free ranch hand and possibly grandsons. When I kept refusing to marry, he used me as a hired hand. Hank, Mrs. Mason, and then Mrs. Putney have been more parents to me than he ever was. That’s why I refuse to refer to him as my father. You have treated me better in three days than Hayward did in the last fifteen years.”
Robert was moved by her words. He took a deep breath and pulled her into a hug. Tucking her under his chin, he kissed her on the forehead. “You deserve to be pampered but not spoiled. Let’s go see if the bookstore is open.”
An elderly woman walked by them and gave Robert a scornful humph. He glared at the woman and growled. “She’s my wife!”
Tia laughed, and Robert liked the sound.
The bookstore didn’t have much on display, but Robert found the latest version of Black’s Law Dictionary and a book entitled Harvard Law Review that interested him. Looking around, he found a new book by author Conan Doyle called The Sign of Four. He’d enjoyed the first offering from the writer and had been looking forward to another story from the author. Stacking his selections on the counter, he looked around for Tia. He’d told her earlier to select what she wanted but had lost track of her while looking at the titles. Looking around for her, he found her behind a bookshelf, holding a huge Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary in her arms. She was running her fingers along the leather covers of a multiple-set encyclopedia.
“Have you found what you want?”
She turned and smiled, and then her chin dropped. “Everything is expensive. This dictionary is a dollar and fifty cents!
“That’s not a problem,” Robert said.
“Can I help you?” the bookseller interrupted.
“Yes,” Robert said. He took the dictionary from Tia’s hand. “Add this to the books on the counter. How much is the encyclopedia?”
Tia’s eyes widened in shock.
“Nineteen dollars and ninety cents, sir, and it comes with the wooden stand, but it has to be put together. That’s thirty volumes, and you’ll never find a better bargain. I have several in the back, still in the crates. I’ll open the crates to ensure no critters have gotten into them.”
“Thank you, and please tally the purchases,” Robert said. “I’ll pick them up tomorrow on our way out of town. Oh, and wrap a few writing tablets and pencils. We’ll take them and the Conan Doyle book with us.”
“Not a problem, sir,” the bookseller said with a wide smile.
Standing outside on the sidewalk, Tia whispered, “Are you out of your mind? You spent over forty dollars!”
“I can afford it,” Robert whispered. “The encyclopedia is your wedding present!”
“You’ve already spent a fortune on my new clothes!”
“Money is not a problem,” Robert said. “I’ve been working on commission for years and had little to spend it on. When Rainer Bishop straightens out your accounts at the bank, you will discover that you’re not poor either. I may have to put you on a budget!”
“How is that possible? Hayward was always yelling and complaining about being broke!”
“Tia, your father was a liar,” Robert said, annoyed. “Haven’t you been listening to me? Rainer recognized the danger to the ranch, you, and Sammy as soon as Raymond and his gang rode into town. You’re not broke, but you’re not a Rockefeller either. It’s my job as your husband to keep you balanced.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Tia admitted.
“We’ve got time to figure the ins and outs,” Robert said, then frowned. “Why are you limping?”
“The boots aren’t broken in yet,” Tia admitted.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Robert exclaimed, turning around to read the signage for a mercantile.
They walked together to the mercantile, where a young woman took them into a back room and brought several boxes and sizes of shoes for Tia to try on. Tia winced at the blisters on her feet, but she gamely tried on several pairs of what the women called ladies ’ shoes, one pair with side buttons and the other with front lacing. One pair was brown and the other black. Robert was careful that they weren’t too tight.
“One pair would have done,” Tia whispered.
“We’ve been over this already,” Robert whispered back. “You will be dressing more like the lady you are rather than the ranch hand you were.”
“I still want to work on the ranch,” Tia whispered.
“You will, but you won’t be mucking out stalls. You’ll be consulting with Hank about the work schedules. If the ranch needs manpower to replace you, I’ll fill in until we hire additional help as it’s needed.”
While in the mercantile, Robert asked if they carried women’s slippers and an ointment to use on the blisters. The clerk quickly returned and put the boots into the sack with the other boxes of shoes. Robert doctored the blisters on Tia’s feet and gently put the slippers on her feet. He paid the bill, and they left the store.
Returning to the hotel, they found the lobby empty. Robert looked around, handed Tia the sack, and swept her into his arms. He carried her upstairs to their room and deposited her on the fainting couch. “I’ll return the new boots to the leather shop and have them stretched. You should have told me earlier that they didn’t fit properly.”
Tia ducked her head. “I’ve never had a new pair of boots before,” she whispered.
Robert winced at her words. The daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Stone Falls had been neglected and abused. He dumped the sack on the bed and threw the boots back into it. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Slamming through the hotel doors, he inadvertently scared a woman on the sidewalk. “Sorry, ma’am,” he mumbled. He darted into an alley filled with empty crates. He leaned against the outside of the building and then punched the wall several times with his fist. At the moment, he wanted to kill Hayward Kingston or at least beat the shit out of him. Unfortunately, the man was already dead!
It took a few minutes to get his anger under control, and when he did, he went straight to the leather shop. The owner stretched the offending boots, and while he was there, Robert bought another pair of boots for his wife that were a size larger. Then he returned to the bookstore and asked the owner what books women purchased the most. The proprietor pulled several books from behind the counter.
“The town council won’t allow me to shelve these books with the other books,” the shop owner said. “The Minister in town frowns on them. He claimed they are indecent for women to read, and it would ruin their minds.”
“But, do women like to read them?” Robert questioned.
“Yes, sir! To tell you the truth, they are my best sellers. I have to order new books as soon as they are available. I reckon the women are hiding them from their menfolk.”
“I’ll take what you have,” Robert said. “One of each. I’ll return in the morning with my buggy to pick up our other purchases. We’ll be leaving town early tomorrow.”
“Thank you for the business, sir,” the shop owner said. “If you want me to notify you when new books are released, just write me. I’ll have them shipped to you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Robert said.
When he returned to the hotel room, Robert notified the man at the desk that he wanted supper delivered to their room.
When he returned to their room, he began packing their clothes and the items they’d bought on their shopping trips. When Tia limped over to help, he told her to get off her feet.
“Did I do something to make you mad?” Tia asked.
Robert spun around to face her. “No! If anything, I’m angry with Hayward Kingston. There is no excuse but pure selfishness for him to have treated you as he did. If I ever treat you in a manner that you think is unacceptable, hit me over the head with an iron skillet and knock some sense back in me!”
Looking surprised, Tia questioned his statement. “Does that include getting whacked?”
Robert shook his head, smiled, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. “No, it doesn’t. If those are earned, my hand will make the acquaintance with your bottom again. But, as your husband, I swear that your life will be more tolerable in the future than it has been in the past. I will always treat you as I’ve been taught to treat a lady.”
Tia was awakened at daybreak to an empty room, and the other side of the bed was empty. One of her new riding outfits was laid out across the fainting couch, and she quickly dressed, but she couldn’t find her new boots, only the slippers.
When Robert entered the room, he smiled at her. “Ready to go home?”
“It looks like you’ve already cleared out our things,” she said. “But I need my boots.”
Robert shook his head. “You won’t be walking or riding horseback today, and it will take a couple of days for those blisters to heal. The buggy is packed, and I asked the ladies in the kitchen to pack our breakfast and lunch for our travels. We’ll stop at the mercantile for more supplies before we leave town. I’ve already been to the bookstore.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Tia said with a smile.
“I try,” Robert said with a smile. “I can’t let my new wife down.”
* * *
Traveling by buggy on a worn road was more comfortable than riding across unknown territory on horseback. Stopping at a pond, they ate egg sandwiches and apples for breakfast before continuing their journey. Their first day of traveling was comfortable, and they were getting more comfortable with each other by talking. They stopped by a creek and slept in bedrolls that night. The following days were the same.
On the third day, Robert kept looking at the unusual sky. There was a yellow tinge to dark swirling clouds. They were getting drenched by bursts of rain, and then minutes later, the sun was out, but the wind was torturous. He was watching the weather behind them.
The wind was gusting when they heard crashing thunder and saw lightning streaks behind them.
“Should we pull over and wait it out?” Tia yelled.
“There’s nowhere to take shelter,” Robert shouted into the wind. “There’s an abandoned homesteader cabin a couple of miles ahead. I passed it coming into Brownsborough. If we can make it that far, we can take shelter there!”
Robert kept the horses moving as fast as he dared. The wind was tossing rubble at them, and lightning flashed too close.
“There!” Robert shouted, pointing at a small cabin in the distance. He whipped the reins, and the horses ran.
Lightning was flashing so close that the horses were fighting the harnesses. A lightning bolt struck a tree, and it exploded behind them. They could feel the sizzling fire behind them, and suddenly, a swirling funnel swooped down to the ground.
“It’s a twister,” Robert yelled, reining the horses to a stop in front of a barn. “Run to the house! Run! Hunker down in a corner!”
Tia ran. She hated storms, but this was so much worse. She covered her ears as thunder rolled across the skies, deafening all other sounds. A lightning bolt struck a windmill, and it crashed to the ground, smashing a shed. She screamed and ran to the cabin, pushing the door open. There was no one in the cabin, and it was almost empty. She had to throw all her weight against the door to close it.
Robert led the horses into the barn but only had time to unharness them from the buggy and lead them into stalls. He ran to the cabin, and Tia opened the door for him and slammed it closed behind his entry.
With a quick look around, Robert grabbed Tia’s hand and dragged her over to a bed in a corner. He yanked the bed out from the cabin wall and shoved her behind it. “Stay down!” Robert yelled, dragging a feather mattress off the bed and using it to cover Tia and himself.
There was a loud, ominous rumble for a few minutes. They could hear the violence of the wind and the destruction in the tornado’s path. Glass shattered, and Robert held the old mattress over them, tightening it with his closed fists. Whatever was left in the cabin went airborne for a few seconds, then dropped and crashed to the dirt floor. Suddenly, there was silence, except for slashing rain and hail pouring down on the cabin.
Robert released Tia, unaware that he’d used his body to shelter hers under the mattress. He shoved it off and looked around as they got to their feet. The cabin hadn’t taken a direct hit because it was still standing. Making his way to the door, Robert forced it open. The tornado had passed close, but the cabin and the barn had been mostly spared.
“Be careful! There’s window glass everywhere,” Robert ordered as he kicked debris out of the way. Part of the roof was now missing.
Robert used his boots to scoot glass out of the way, then he grabbed Tia and swirled her around before kissing her. “We survived!”
Then, he ran through the rain to the barn. It, too, had been battered by the tornado’s high winds. The horses were spooked but unharmed. The buggy was turned over, but he managed to turn it upright and, upon inspection, decided it hadn’t been damaged. Robert ran back to the cabin, and they stood side-by-side in the doorway, looking to the sky as dark clouds receded, and suddenly there was sunshine.
Together, they had survived. Tia felt safe as Robert’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders.
“We’ll stay here tonight!” Robert said.
As Robert ran back to the barn, Tia turned to go inside the cabin. It was only then that she realized that she was barefoot. She’d lost the slippers in the dash for cover.
Robert returned to the barn and looked through their belongings. Surprisingly, the crates and bags hadn’t been harmed. Probably because he’d tied them down with rope for the trip. The homesteader’s cabin would have to do for the night. His thoughts went to Tia and the cabin. A single chair and the bed frame and mattress had been left behind.
Now that the excitement was over, Tia realized she was soaking wet. She had lost the slippers, and bloody footprints were on the planked floor.
Sitting on the bed, she was trying to examine her foot when Robert appeared suddenly in the doorframe. His eyes followed the path of blood, and he went down on one knee to examine her feet.
“It’s only the blisters breaking open,” Tia exclaimed.
“And they hurt like hell,” Robert exclaimed. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No, but we both look like we’ve been through a tornado,” Tia said with a smile.
Robert laughed. “We were, sweetheart, and we survived! I’m going to the barn for our supplies and to check on the horses again. We’ll stay here tonight, and I’ll try to make it as comfortable as possible for you.”
“I’m not a dainty woman. I can make do. We were blessed to reach this cabin. I’ve camped in worse conditions if you exclude the tornado,” Tia said.
“Not under my watch,” Robert said firmly. Returning to the barn, he found the box containing what they planned to eat on the three or four-day trip back to Stone Falls. He gathered several valises of what he thought they would need for the night. Both of them were soaking wet.
While Robert was preparing to spend the night, Tia found a bucket and filled it with water from an overflowing rain barrel she discovered outside. She was leaving a trail of blood from her blistered feet and wasn’t sure she hadn’t stepped in the glass.
Robert returned to the cabin and set his load down. He knelt before his wife and inspected her feet. “I know these hurt. Be careful. Let me start a fire in the fireplace and heat some water so we can bathe and change clothes. We survived a tornado, and I guess we look like it.”
Robert did as promised but had to make another trip to the barn. He’d seen a broom in the barn and needed it to sweep the glass on the cabin floor. On the return trip, he noticed a back door that was partially open and went to investigate. When he opened the door, Tia gasped in surprise and tried to cover herself with a nightgown.
Struck stupid for a second, Robert gently removed the nightgown from her hands and took in the sight of his wife from head to toe. “You’re beautiful,” he exclaimed, drawing her into a long kiss.
“We can’t...” Tia whispered.
“I have to,” Robert mumbled. “You are so damn beautiful, and you’re mine.” He pulled her into another kiss as his hands stroked her naked body.
Tia felt something swelling inside her as the kiss went on, and a need she had never felt before made her squirm. Although she’d never felt that way before, she knew it was her body responding to Robert’s needs and her own.
Robert knew he shouldn’t be pushing sex this soon, but he couldn’t deny his need, and Tia wasn’t trying to stop him. He’d been denying himself for days and didn’t think he could do it this time. Gazing into her passion-filled sapphire eyes, Robert knew she belonged to him. He broke away and buried his face in the scent of her freshness. “Will you be mine?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Given permission, Robert took a step away from her.
Tia lowered her eyes, expecting Robert to berate her for allowing herself to be corrupted. Instead, he lowered his head and drew her into another long kiss. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her to the abandoned bed she’d covered with a blanket from their minimal supplies.
Robert stripped off his soaked clothing, and Tia couldn’t stop herself from looking at his body. She lowered her eyes and realized his need was like that of a stallion in season. His arousal was large, and its size scared her. She was about to turn away when Robert stopped her.
“Let me see you,” he demanded. “Let me feel you! You’ve been driving me crazy for days, haunting me at night!” He trailed kisses down her neck and shifted downward. She gasped as he took one of her nipples into his mouth.
“Oh,” Tia whispered, not believing what she allowed Robert to do or that she was enjoying it. She kept expecting him to realize she was a plain girl and turn away, but he didn’t.
Tia couldn’t believe it when he kissed her or when she responded to it. When she stood before him naked, he looked at her long and hard as if he’d never seen a woman before. She was reciprocating with curiosity. Robert Kingston was a magnificent specimen of manhood.
He stretched her out on the bed, taking her breasts in his mouth again, and she arched her back because it felt good. Then she felt his hands separating her legs, and she felt his erection settling there, searching for an entry into her.
Robert entered her slowly. Since she rode astride like a man, he hadn’t expected her to be tight or her barrier to be intact. With a deeper thrust, he broke through it, and she cried out in surprise.
“Easy, sweetheart,” he soothed. “You’re a virgin. It shouldn’t hurt again.”
He buried himself into her deeper and began to teach her. As their bodies were joined, he tried to be gentle, but he was a man, and while he needed his wife to be satisfied, holding back his release was painful.
Tia gasped when a feeling began to build inside her. Something was happening inside her, and whatever it was, she wanted more of it.
Robert was pumping inside her when Tia’s body seized. She gasped and shivered. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed. “What was that?
Robert only smiled and began thrusting into her harder, deeper, and with a shout, he stiffened and emptied himself into her womanhood.
“I knew it would be good between us,” Robert breathed. But Tia was suddenly embarrassed and tried to climb out of the bed.”
“What’s wrong?” Robert demanded.
“Why?” she whispered. “So, you can brag to your buddies?”
Tia’s eyes flew open as Robert sat up, dragged her across his lap, and spanked her hard.
“You are my wife, damn it,” Robert exclaimed. “I didn’t force you! You came to me willingly. Don’t blame me for your idiot ideas. I made love to my wife because I love my wife. Why! Can’t! You! Get That Through Your Stubborn Head!” Each word was emphasized with another stinging wallop on her bottom.
Tia was already crying, but another hard smack made her yelp.
“Who put these ridiculous ideas in your head? No, never mind. It was Hayward, wasn’t it?
Robert forced her to sit up in the bed. He cupped her face, this time gently.
“You let me make love to you. I could have demanded on our wedding night. Most men would, but I didn’t. I’ve given you time to get used to the idea.”
“I didn’t know I would feel like that,” Tia admitted, wiping the tears from her face. “Even though I enjoyed most of it, Hayward’s words were in my mind, telling me I was a slut and a whore!” She grabbed her discarded nightgown and scooted out of the bed. “I’m bleeding!”
“That would be the natural reaction of a virgin,” Robert explained, surprised by her words. “I’ll get you a cloth.” He left the bed and came back with a dirtied shirt. “You’re my wife in every way now.”
“Will we do it again?” Tia asked.
He smiled at her innocence. “Oh, yes, but it can wait if necessary. You’ll have a hard time sitting in the buggy tomorrow. Someone, a friend, or a housekeeper should have clued you in to what is natural for a woman.”
“Have you had many women vying for your attention?” Tia asked.
“Some, but I never wanted permanence with a woman as I do with you,” Robert said honestly. “I’ve had young women trying to attract me, but I always felt they were more interested in my social and family connections and wealth than me.”
“I will never be a fragile damsel in distress.”
Robert laughed. “It’s too late to change your mind. You’re my wife, and I’m keeping you. If I have to spank you every day to keep you on the straight and narrow, I’ll do it. I don’t mind those sessions with your bottom at all!”