Page 9 of That Fateful Ride

R ebecca wiped her hand across her mouth to remove the dripping water. She felt terrible. Standing upright, she hefted the bucket to add to the tub to continue the washing.

“You okay, Rebecca?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She nodded along with her response although it was nothing more than pure fabrication. Something was wrong and she didn’t know what. Emotions were all over the place, she was sore in ways she’d not been since she first laid with Cy. It didn’t make sense.

She’d been home for nearly a month now. Summer had arrived and was settling in with a vengeance and Robert had gone back to riding the route. A fact that both pleased and upset her.

Cy. Her hands trembled again at the thought of never seeing him again.

A mental admonishment for that’s what caused the splash the first time. She emptied the bucket in the large iron pot. This would be the last load for the day and she was glad. She stirred another and glanced to her mother.

Ever since word of the start of the war had come through, Mama had been nervous about Papa. Not that she wasn’t, no word from her Papa wasn’t like him. She noticed this slight slump in her mother’s normally erect carriage.

Was she exhausted? Of course, but so was her mother. Rebecca took a deep breath and tucked a short curl beneath the kerchief on her head. “I can finish this, Mama, why don’t you go inside early.”

“There’s so much—”

She pasted a small smile on her face. “It’s okay, Mama. You go. I’ll finish folding these to be ready for pickup.” She’d already delivered some.

“Maybe I will.” Mama removed her apron and went from the small building where they ran the washing business to the house.

Rebecca sighed and chewed on a fingernail as she stirred the boiling sheets, briefly. She made her way to where her mother had been ironing and folding. Determined to ignore the unrelenting images and memory of Cy, she worked like a woman possessed.

When people began showing up it was all ready. Even the final wash hung out to dry.

“Hello, Rebecca,” a deep voice said from her left.

Startled, she looked up and put a hand on her belly stilling the unease there. “Good evening, Anson.” Not whom she wanted to see. Sure, he was nice enough, if she wanted to have ten kids hanging on her skirts. He couldn’t understand she had no desire for that many.

“You’re looking lovely tonight.”

His look was expectant and she hid her annoyance. “You’re very handsome as well.”

As she anticipated, he preened and puffed out his chest even more. In her eyes, he still fell short. Moreover, to her knowledge everyone would for they just couldn’t begin to compare to Cy.

She hadn’t lied that day—that last day—when he’d taken her in the stable. Idiot that she was she’d gone and fallen in love with him the former solider turned station manager.

Then she told him. Not her best moment.

“What do you think?” Anson touched her arm as he asked.

Great. While she’d been daydreaming about Cy, this one had been talking. “Umm.”

“Just a stroll through town, Rebecca. That’s all.”

“Sure.” She could do that. Besides, just because he didn’t make her legs weak, heart race, or breathing go out of control didn’t mean she couldn’t accompany him.

“I’ll be by for you at eight.”

“See you then.”

The smile on her face hurt by the time she finished dealing with her last customer for the day. Cleaning up, she regretted agreeing to this thing with Anson. She did her chores then washed up and took her tired body inside. Everything ached and she longed to simply take herself to bed.

It didn’t make sense, I did more than this riding and I wasn’t this sore.

It was true, with the rides, the cooking, the hard life out there at the station, she would have sworn she’d done more there than here but right now, all she longed for was sleep.

And Cy.

Her sleep had been sporadic at best. Nothing had felt quite so right than falling asleep being held by his strong arms and hearing his heartbeat while the masculine and outdoorsy scent of him wound around her. Now, she had nothing but blankets.

“I see Anson stopped by.”

Mama set the table.

Rebecca licked her lips. “He asked me to go walking with him. I can tell him no if you need me here.” Did her mother hear the hope in her tone for an excuse not to go?

A brief head shake. “Go. Eat first though.”

She’d hoped to get out of it, especially since her mother wasn’t entirely fond of him. “Yes, ma’am.”

Together they ate the simple but filling fare. She wanted to crawl in bed and dream; instead, she changed into a nicer dress and waited for Anson. There were no anticipatory butterflies. No sweaty palms or rapid breaths as she hoped maybe a brush of skin or even a kiss. He arrived on time and she made herself appear happy and not as she truly felt—resigned to her fate. He gave her a small bag of Snaps, which she accepted with a smile then handed to her mother. Why bother telling him again she didn’t eat them?

In fact, licorice made her nauseous. Horribly so.

Anson took her arm and they moved into the main part of town. Strolling along the boardwalk, they passed other couples and exchanged pleasantries.

“How is your friend?”

“My friend?”

“Your ma said you went to visit one of your Injun friends.”

She narrowed her eyes. “She’s not an Injun.”

“It’s just a word, Becca.”

She pulled free and glared at him as she lifted the hem of her dress to avoid a pile of mud. Why it was on the on the boardwalk, she wasn’t able to say. “So are some names we’re called, but that still doesn’t make it right.”

The sun hadn’t fully set and she could see the anger flickering in his eyes. Apparently, he didn’t like corrections. Tough.

“You shouldn’t be friends with her.”

This time she stopped walking and fully placed herself before him. Hands on hips she seethed. “You should finish this walk on your own and stay away from me. No one tells me who my friends can be.”

He appeared shocked by her declaration. Then a patronizing look took over. “Are you having woman issues? It would explain your irrational behavior. Perhaps tonight wasn’t a good night to walk. You should rest then we’ll talk again when you feel better.”

Was he kidding? Woman issues? Her fingers itched to slap him. “You…of all the arrogant…woman issues? Let me tell you something, Anson. I’m not irrational. Yet. What I am is a woman who can think for herself and doesn’t need a man to tell her who to befriend or treat like a simpleton. So yes, this was a mistake, one that will not be repeated. Stay away from me.”

She stepped to her left to walk around him when bruising fingers caught her upper arm.

“Don’t walk away from me.” The voice was not from the Anson she knew. This was from a man angry and sinister.

She met his gaze, refusing to show fear. “Let go.” Why had she left without a weapon?

His fingers flexed and it took an extraordinary amount of control for her not to wince at the pain radiating out from where he gripped.

“There a problem here?”

“Cy,” she breathed on a whisper.

A new voice, menacing in its own right, intruded. The instantaneous reaction her body had told her who it was before she even looked. The advance knowledge didn’t help as her gaze hungrily ate up the vision there.

Cy rode a large paint and watched them from under the brim of his cowboy hat. His face was unreadable yet she could feel the tension pouring from him.

Anson’s grip relaxed. “Nothing. Just having a discussion with my girlfriend.”

She gasped with indignation. “I am not your girlfriend.” She stepped away from him only to refocus on Cy. So powerful, he drew many an eye. People watched them and she thought it more his good looks and the fact he was a stranger as opposed to the color difference.

“Rebecca?” Cy spoke her name with rugged familiarity.

“You know him?” Anson sounded furious. “This…man?”

Not bothering to respond, she lifted her chin. “What are you doing here, Cy?”

Her cowboy lifted his head and speared her with his gaze, one eyebrow lifting. “We need to talk.” He rested his arms on the saddle horn.

Anson babbled but she ignored him. She shook her head.

She rolled her “You shouldn’t be here.”

A slight narrowing of his gaze. “Did you think I would let it go?”

Honestly? Yes, she had. She moved her mouth but nothing came out. She broke left and dashed away, cursing her skirt and how it slowed her. Forcing herself to walk before she entered the house, she closed the door gently behind her.

“How was your walk?”

She kept her face averted. “It was okay, Mama. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, child.”

Rebecca paced behind her closed bedroom door. Cy. Here. Oh God, she felt nauseous again and a bit like riding away on Polaris. Why was he here? What possible reason could he have for showing up?

Bigger question would be why she felt this way just from seeing him again. Her fingers burned with the desire to touch the silky sandy brown hair and let it flow over her skin. Follow the contoured and sculptured muscles.

She was too keyed up to sleep and snuck out to the barn. To her surprise, her Indian friend, Nita waited there by Polaris. The moon offered a small bit of light. They shared a hug and she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Father said he saw your horse but not you. Are you okay?”

She bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I’ve fallen in love and I’ll never see him again.”

Nita held her and whispered soothing words to her. They talked into the night before Nita had to leave. Alone, Rebecca went back to her room.

She fell into a restless sleep only to wake as if she’d not slept at all, frustrated both emotionally and sexually, from dreams filled of Cy. The cold morning air helped to wake her further. On automatic, she did her morning chores and started the fires for washing. She barely ate her breakfast and escaped as soon as possible.

She worked on instinct and was off to the side when the large paint trotted in the yard. Nice horse, sure, but it was the man on his back, which made her knees wobble. Cy. She touched her hair and smoothed her dress before she realized her actions. He dismounted and walked to the table.

“Can I help you, sir?” her mama asked.

“I was told you took in laundry, ma’am.” His gaze moved to her and she found herself nearing.

“I can take this, Mama.”

Her mother glanced between them both before walking back to what she’d been doing.

“Why are you here?” she demanded in a harsh whisper.

His dark hazel eyes never wavered as they bore into hers. “We need to talk.”

“There is nothing for us to talk about!” She slashed her gaze to her mama--grateful she ignored them, or pretended to.

“Really? The guy you were with last night mean anything?”

Was he jealous? Someone else approached and her heart raced. She swayed and before she knew it, she was in his arms again.

“Are you okay?” His deep voice was full of concern and made her want nothing more than to snuggle up to his large chest. Perhaps he would hold her tighter and kiss her.

“Rebecca!” Her mom rushed over. “What happened?”

“Nothing, Mama, I’m fine.” She struggled to get up both grateful and saddened when he released her. Catching his gaze, she silently pleaded with him not to say anything. “Thank you, sir.”

Mama didn’t seem concerned and she spoke to Cy. “Did you get the information you needed?”

Cy never took his gaze from her. “Yes, ma’am and I’ll be back tomorrow. Good day, ma’am.”

He tipped his hat and left. Not without sending her one final look. He meant it, he’d be back. She had to talk to him away from here, out from under her mother’s watchful eye.

Early afternoon, her mama approached her. “I need you to go pick some things up from the general store.”

She blinked in surprise. “Now?”

Lips flattened. “Yes.”

“All right.”

She finished folding the item in her hand and headed for town with the list in her pocket. It didn’t take too long and she had the items paid for and in her basket. Moving between two buildings, someone grabbed her. A hand stifled her scream, the basket fell to the ground, and she spun into the wall of one of the buildings. Amazing dark hazel eyes snared her.

“Cy?”

He kissed her. Hungry. Totally enveloping and dominating. She pressed closer and gripped his upper arms, returning the fevered kiss. Her burgeoning desire exploded and she opened wider, wanting more.

“Don’t leave me like that again, Rebecca,” he growled. He continued to hold her close, as if she meant so much to him.

“Why are you here?”

He drew back and frowned before tilting his head to the side. “I came for you.”

Her heart skipped a few beats at those four determined words.

Cy watched the woman between him and the wall. He shifted his weight to block those walking by from seeing whom he had with him.

“Me?” It was a squeak.

“I went to Robert a week after he returned and told him I knew.” He shrugged and reached out to trail two knuckles down her cheek, unable or was that unwilling to keep from touching her. It had been so long. “Then I had to wait for them to send a replacement station manager.” He stared in her eyes and opened up about something he’d once snapped at her about. “I got smashed beneath a falling horse going down a steep ravine during a battle with the Indians. Our medic was a drunk and set my crushed leg wrong. By the time I got to a real one it was too late. My bones had healed awkwardly. All the way here, I cursed this injury that kept me from riding as fast as I wanted, otherwise I would have been here sooner.”

Her hands—small and strong—slid over his chest. He swelled with pride and desire at the possessive touch.

“You came to say what?”

“You’re joking, right?” He glanced over his shoulders and focused back on her once he was sure they were still safe.

“No.” She lowered her hands and wrung them together.

“After all the…”

He took a deep breath suddenly realizing he could lose her. He refused to accept that. There was one person for everyone in the world and this woman, here, before him, was his. He didn’t care one bit about others’ stance on skin color or what some deemed proper order. Rebecca Freeman was his . He wanted to spend the rest of his days with her. Fall asleep with her at night. Make love and watch her belly swell with their child.

He shook his head and tried again. “After all the times we made love over these past months and your statement of love, did you honestly think I would let it go?”

She worried her lower lip and his heart slowed, breathing became difficult.

“The moment…I…” She shrugged.

He shook his head and captured her chin in his hand. “No way, Rebecca. You don’t get to say that then run. Not from me.”

“We can’t…”

He pressed closer. “I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look. I love seeing you in a dress.”

Her eyes widened and he knew he was getting to her. He gentled his touch however, he didn’t release her. Her brown eyes were soft and large, framed by thick lashes. He could stare at them all day.

“This isn’t a good idea.”

He disagreed immensely. “Why? Do you have someone in your life to keep me away?” She frowned and he amended how it sounded. “Someone you are dating?”

“No.”

He breathed easier at her immediate response. “Then there is no problem.”

“How can you say that?”

“Easily.” He brushed his lips across hers. Shifting his leg, he grimaced.

“Is it your leg?”

He kissed her again, harder this time, gentling it when she sank into him. The siren’s call to tempting to ignore and he pulled her flush to him, his erection dug into her belly. She slipped her arms around his neck, giving him more of her weight.

The heat grew and he forgot they stood in an alley. There was no feeling like having her curved against him. Kissing the woman he wanted beyond all else took precedence.

The snort of a horse burst the world they’d created for themselves. He spun, cursing the weakness in his leg, checked both front and back of them. One hand kept Rebecca behind him.

A large bay stood at the end, street side. Seated on his back was an imposing black man in an Army uniform. He had sergeant stripes and a blank look on his face. Disappointment? No. That wasn’t it. Something else. Something that made him suddenly fear for his life.

Despite his attempt, Rebecca moved beside him. “Papa?”

Oh, shit. That was her father? Sargent Freeman. Not quite the first impression he wanted to make.

The man never smiled just looked down his nose and ran his gaze dismissively over him before returning it to his daughter. Cy waited for any sort of emotion from him. Beside him, he could feel Rebecca shaking and he grew angry.

“I’ll speak to you at home, Rebecca Ann.” A touch of his heels and the man vanished from sight.

He turned to find her with wide eyes and tears shimmering in them. Cy reached out to her only to pause when she flinched away from him. The shaft of pain was hard to bear.

She crouched and quickly gathered things back into her basket. All the while she mumbled, “I let him down. He’s so disappointed in me.”

Ignoring the throb in his leg, he hauled her up and took the items from her. “Look at me,” he ordered. No response. “Look at me, Rebecca.”

“I…I have to go.”

Never had he seen her this rattled. Not even when he’d discovered she wasn’t who she’d pretended to be. Then she’d been calm and matter-of-fact. Now, she looked ready to fly.

“We haven’t talked yet.”

Her eyes were slightly unfocused. “No…I…home…” She took the basket and bolted. Before he could dwell on that she reappeared, lower lip caught between her teeth.

“Doc Williams may be able to help you with your leg.” A shy grin filled with concern and another emotion he needed to keep focused on. Desire.

She was gone again. Cy swore and smacked his hat against his leg before plunking it on his head once more. He limped from the alley and to his mount. Using his upper body strength and a push off from his good leg, he launched into the saddle, asked a pedestrian for directions to the doc, and rode away.

After a visit to the doctor, he stabled his horse at the livery and went to the general store. He picked up two purchases there and left hoping this would play out for the good. Determined it would.