***
Suzanna Wheeler closed her eyes and kissed Colton Stevens with all the love she felt for him in her heart. He embraced her tightly, pressing her against him with such passion; she knew that he felt the same way about her. She could feel his hands running through her hair, pulling her closer to him as their tongues intertwined. They clung to each other like two people drowning, neither one willing to let the other go. They both knew this could be the last time they ever kissed each other and soon they could both be dead.
Finally, they forced themselves to break away and set themselves to carrying out the task at hand.
“I hope this works,” Suzanna said and Colton could hear the tremble of fear in her voice. She looked up the mine shaft, where she and Colton were both trapped in an elevator car in the Groghan Mine. She estimated it was at least twenty feet to the surface. Even if they could climb to the top, a gang of armed cattle rustlers waited to kill them.
With more confidence than he felt, Colton said, “I know your plan will work. Those bastards think they can sell your father’s herd. They’ve seriously underestimated who they’re messing with! You’ll see they all spend the rest of their lives in jail!”
Suzanna smiled at his reassuring words. “That’s just because they started messing with my boyfriend! I may have let those cattle rustlers sell Daddy’s herd and I may have even let them kill me like they plan to do when they’re done with the sale. However, when we found out the rustlers were teamed up with Sheriff Newman and that he was going to frame you for everything—well, I couldn’t let them get away with that! No one messes with my man!”
Colton was glad to see the sparkle back in Suzanna’s eyes and immediately started unlacing his hiking boots. He normally wore cowboy boots and realized it must have been the hand of God that made him put on his hiking boots that morning. The laces were 63 inches long each and made of strong fibers woven into thick, durable cords.
Suzanna had always admired Colton’s skill with rope. He could create the most complicated knots within the blink of an eye, securing runaway cattle, lifting fallen trees, hauling objects, and most recently, binding her to the bed in exciting sex games. Today’s rope trick, however, would be a matter of life and death. Suzanna could see the pressure he felt from the furrow of his brow. She raised her hand and delicately wiped away his beads of sweat with the tip of her finger as he wound the sturdy bootlace around her and secured the knot.
“How’s that feel?” he asked, tugging on the cord to make sure the knot wouldn’t slip.
Suzanna smiled reassuringly and said. “It feels fine; not too tight and not too loose.”
“Good. This mine shaft goes down for miles. If I haven’t done this right, you’ll fall to your death.”
Suzanna kissed him gently on the lips and looked deep into his eyes. “I trust you. I know you won’t let me fall. Now let’s hurry. They’ll be done selling Daddy’s cattle soon and then they’ll come back for us. We want to be gone before that happens.”
Colton nodded in agreement. He checked the harness he’d created around Suzanna one last time, and although it was only made of bootlaces, he felt confident that it would hold. Hoisting her up into the air, he shoved the woman he loved out of the elevator car. He held his breath, waiting for the sound of her falling to her death. When he heard her voice, he sighed deeply, releasing all his fears along with the air from his lungs.
“I’m okay,” Suzanna said from where she hung suspended to the outside of the elevator car. “Come join me. It will be like a romantic date in a dark restaurant.”
“I’m coming!” Colton called to her. “I just need to finish tying my harness.”
The bootlace fit relatively well over Suzanna’s slender body, but Colton was finding it more difficult to stretch it around his bulkier, more muscular frame. Plus, he had the disadvantage of not being able to maneuver around his own body like he had Suzanna’s to see the harness from all angles. Tying the bootlace around himself, he was basically working blind.
As soon as he had the harness safely secured, he would have to hoist himself out of the elevator car. When the cattle rustlers and the Sheriff came to get them, they would discover they were gone. While they were out searching for them, it would give them a chance to climb out of the mine shaft and escape. It wasn’t a fool proof plan, but it was the best they had. They each had their doubts that it would work, but they each put up an optimistic front for the other.
“Okay, I’ve got it! I’m coming to join you!” Colton called down to Suzanna. She was about to shout out some words of encouragement to him when suddenly there was a loud noise and the elevator began to move. It was rising up! The rustlers were bringing them back to surface too soon!
“Climb out quickly!” Suzanna cried out to Colton.
“It’s too late! I’ll never make it over the side of the car without being seen. You stay where you are! Don’t make a sound!” Colton shouted down to her. He frantically pulled at the knots of his harness, struggling to remove it. As the elevator crested the surface, he removed the last of the cord from around himself and tossed it out of the elevator car. Suzanna managed to catch it as it fell clutched it to her breast. She wondered if it would be the last thing she ever held from him.
“Well, what have we here?” one of the cattle rustlers taunted, as the elevator came to a stop level with the ground. His eyes grew wide with alarm as he saw that only one person was there when there should have been two. Frantically, he called for the leader of the gang, Jasper.
A skinny man with cold eyes and a stubbled chin sauntered over. His cowboy hat sat low on his head and he held a revolver in his hand. He pointed it directly at Colton’s heart. In a voice as cold as his eyes, Jasper said “So, where’s your little girlfriend?”
Colton squared off to the criminal and set his jaw. It was clear he had no indication of talking. Jasper nodded his head at his men. One of them secured the elevator, locking it in place, while two others moved inside the car and yanked Colton out into the vast cavern. They held him by the arms while Jasper interrogated him, but Colton set his jaw and refused to talk.
Suzanna clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out, as she could hear the sound of Colton being punched repeatedly by Jasper and his men. She knew she had to act quickly if she were going to save both of their lives.
“I’ll ask you one more time; where is she?” Jasper said. Colton opened his mouth as if to speak, and then spit on Jasper’s shoes in a clear act of defiance. Jasper grabbed Colton by the collar and said, “She can’t have gone far. We’ll find her, and when we do, I’m going to have a particularly good time killing her and pinning it on you! Men, search the mine shaft!”
***
Colton held his breath as Jasper’s men entered the elevator car and began their search. As they peered over the sides, he was certain they would see the woman he loved dangling there and this would all be over. To his surprise and relief, the men only shook their heads. “There’s no sign of her, boss! She must have climbed out or fallen in.”
“Well, which is it?” Jasper pressed his pistol to Colton’s knee; threatening to blow his knee cap off if Colton didn’t talk.
“She’s gone,” Colton said.
“We know that! Where did she go? Did she climb out the top?” Jasper sounded nearly hysterical in his rage.
“No, she fell. I was trying to help push her to the top, but she slipped from my grip and fell to the bottom. She’s dead.”
“I don’t buy it,” Sheriff Newman said to Jasper. It made Colton’s gut churn with disgust that the trusted man of the law had partnered up the gang of criminals. The Sheriff grabbed Colton by the hair and said, “Why wouldn’t you have just said that from the start and saved yourself a beating? A man only holds his tongue like that when he’s got something or someone to protect.”
Colton jerked his head, freeing himself from the Sheriff’s grasp and said, “I knew that with Suzanna dead, you’d never let me go. I’m not gonna spend my life in prison for her death. My only chance to get away was if you thought she was still alive.”
“So what made you confess now?” Sheriff Newman asked, still feeling skeptical.
“Well, if Jasper’s going to blow my knee caps off, I’d rather go to prison,” Colton said, eying Jasper carefully. The band of criminals huddled together, trying to decide if Colton was telling the truth or not. Finally, they reached a decision.
Jasper said, “The only way to know for sure if you’re telling the truth is if we see her body. Besides, the Sheriff is going to need it for your trial. Get in that elevator; we’ll lower it all the way to the bottom. When you’ve got her body, we’ll bring you back up.”
“What if I can’t find it?” Colton asked, with true fear in his voice. He knew in his heart that Suzanna must have found a way to escape.
“Then I guess you’ll die down there. Now move it!”
Suzanna watched in terror as Jasper prodded Colton toward the elevator with the barrel of his gun. She had indeed managed to climb out of the elevator shaft while Colton had distracted everybody during his interrogation. She hid herself in a mining car and tried to think of a plan. This was her chance! Everyone’s attention was focused on the mine shaft. If she was going to stop these criminals, she had to do something now! She saw Colton’s horse tied to a post just outside the cavern and knew just what to do.
“Do you have the body yet?” Jasper called down the mine shaft after a few minutes.
“No, I can’t find her. It’s too dark down here. Pull me back up!”
Suddenly, a female voice shouted from the mouth of the mine cavern. It was Suzanna, mounted on a horse. She called to the men, “You won’t find me down there! Prepare to go to prison for the rest of your lives! I’m going to the authorities!”
She spurred the horse into a gallop and took off into the wilderness. Jasper ordered his men to chase after her. Running for their horses, they mounted and galloped after her. She had a good lead on them, but her tracks were easy to follow.
“She’s not as clever as she seems,” Jasper scoffed, but he had no idea just how wrong he was. Suzanna knew the area well, having played there often as child. She easily created a complicated pattern of hoof tracks that doubled back onto itself. Soon, Jasper and his men were following their own tracks in a circle without even realizing it.
As soon as she could, Suzanna ditched the horse, sending him running freely into a meadow, and then she ran back to the Groghan Mine. She entered the cavern cautiously, making sure they had all left. When she was sure the cavern was clear, she ran to the elevator and pulled the lever to bring the elevator car back to the surface.
“Colton!” she cried out happily, and threw herself into his arms the moment the car reached the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. The fear she had felt that she might never have held him again had almost been too much to bear and now she intended to make up for it now. She crushed herself against him, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest and devouring him with her love.
Colton wrapped his arms tightly around her, squeezing her to him. His own feelings mirrored hers exactly. He wanted to hold her and kiss her forever, and never let her go. Soon they could both feel his erection growing. Delighted by it, Suzanna stroked him through his jeans, causing him to moan with pleasure.
“I love you so much,” she whispered as she kissed his neck. “I was afraid I’d never feel you make love to me again.”
Colton buried his face in her chest to keep himself from crying with emotion, for he felt the same way. Her soft bosoms welcomed him and he couldn’t resist covering them with kisses as he lifted her blouse. When his lips found the dark pink nipple of her right breast, he kissed it so tenderly that a sigh escaped both their lips. Uncontrollably, Suzanna buried her hands in his hair and pushed his mouth closer to her, urging him to go on. He obliged willingly, and eagerly took her hardened nipple into his mouth, suckling her there while she moaned in pleasure.
“Make love to me!” Suzanna cried out. She unzipped his jeans, freeing his throbbing member, and stroked him. Colton used both his hands to frantically remove Suzanna’s jeans. He caressed the bare flesh of her hips and buttocks, and she guided his hands to the triangle of her sex. He massaged her there and found she was already moist with the juices of her lust.
Suzanna bent forward at the waist, spread her thighs wide, and invited him to enter her from behind. His manhood slid inside her wet folds easily, making her cry out in ecstasy. He thrust quickly, and their passion quickly rose to a frenzy.
“Harder!” Suzanna moaned, feeling herself nearing climax. Colton gripped her breasts and played with her nipples as he drove himself into her with deliberate movements of his hips. Suzanna climaxed powerfully, crying out in pleasure.
Colton climaxed with her, his entire body going rigid as every muscle spasmed with pleasure. When at last they had finished, they held each other tightly as they leaned against the cavern wall, and gasped for breath. It took them several moments to regain their composure, and then the reality of their situation came back to them.
“We’ve got to get out of here. It won’t take them long to realize I’ve led them in circles and come back here looking for us!” Suzanna said smartly, pulling her jeans back on. Colton completely agreed. He took her by the hand, but the sound of approaching hooves let them know it was already too late.
***
“Quickly, climb into this mining car!” Colton said in a harsh whisper. He grabbed Suzanna by the waist and helped hoist her inside. He was about to climb in with her when Suzanna suddenly stopped him.
“Wait! You’ve got to lower the elevator back to the bottom of the mine shaft, or they’ll know you escaped!” she whispered. Colton realized she was right. He ran across the cavern and pulled the lever that operated the antique elevator. The gears groaned loudly, and then began to turn, slowly lowering the car. As the sound of hooves grew closer, Colton knew there wouldn’t be enough time for it to reach the bottom and pulled the lever to a stop.
“Hurry! Hide!” Suzanna whispered fearfully. Colton ran as fast as he could to the nearest mining car and dove inside, seconds before Jasper entered the cavern along with his gang of cattle rustlers and the Sheriff.
“Damn bitch lead us a wild goose chase!” Jasper snarled. He kicked a rock bitterly and it skittered across the cavern floor. When it banged right into the mining car where Suzanna was hidden, she had to stifle a yelp by covering her mouth with her palm.
The Sheriff said, “She abandoned her horse in the meadow, which means she’s traveling by foot now. She won’t get far in this terrain. I’ll call in my deputies and they’ll find her in no time.”
“No!” Jasper said. “We’ve got to find her ourselves so we can kill her. If you call in your deputies, it’ll ruin everything and we won’t be able to pin her murder on Colton Stevens.”
“That could take days with your gang of bumbling idiots. My deputies are trained in finding people on the run. They’ll have her within the hour.”
“You’re the idiot!” Jasper said, not caring that he was talking to man of authority. “If we can’t pin her murder on Colton Stevens, it blows our whole deal. I need him to take the fall for stealing her father’s cattle so I can walk out of town with all the money. The only way people in this town will believe he stole that herd is with her blood on his hands! If you mess this up by calling in your deputies before we’ve killed her, then you’re throwing away your cut of the money!”
“Don’t threaten me, boy!” the Sheriff roared. “I could solve this cattle rustling crime right now by taking your ass to jail and I don’t care about the money. What I do care about it winning the election and I need Jeremiah Wheeler’s support to do that. I was going to gain that by arresting Colton Stevens for the murder of his little girl, but if she gets back to her ranch before we find her, then we’re all sunk. I think under the circumstances, we need a little change of plans.”
“What do you have in mind?” Jasper asked, intrigued.
The Sheriff paced around the cavern, growing dangerously close to the mining car where Suzanna crouched in fear. He said “If we can’t pin Suzanna Wheeler’s death on Colton Stevens, we’ll just have to pin his death on her. I’ll say they planned to sell her father’s cattle and run away together, but then he jilted her, tried to just take the money and run. In a rage, she killed him and dumped his body down the mine shaft. My Deputy Larson alerted me of the crime, and I sent my officers to arrest her, end of story.”
“That won’t gain you Jeremiah’s favor in the next election,” Jasper said knowingly.
The Sheriff said, “It will when I determine she was innocent of the crime and had been set up by Larson, who killed her to cover up his plan. I’ll put him in prison for the murder of Colton Stevens and Suzanna Wheeler. The election will be mine and you can walk out of town with all the money you got from the herd.”
“Well, I guess you’re not so stupid after all,” Jasper said with a laugh. He strode to the lever that operated the elevator and pulled it, slowly bringing the car up to the surface. He grinned and said, “I’ll kill Colton Stevens and you call your deputies. I’ll meet you at the bar for shots of whiskey tonight. The first round’s on me; after all, I’ve got the money to pay for it now.”
The Sheriff tipped his hat at Jasper and left the cavern. His patrol car churned up dust as it rolled down the dirt road that lead to the Groghan Mine, making the horses whinny in complaint.
No sooner had he left, the elevator car reached the surface. Jasper glared to find it empty. He walked up the edge of it and shouted down the mine shaft, “You can try and hide down there if you want to, but you’re still going to die!”
Jasper fired his gun into the void below. Suzanna covered her ears to protect them from the noise as Jasper fired again and again, until his pistol was empty.
“Did you get him?” one of Jaspers men asked curiously.
Jasper grabbed him roughly by the collar and said, “I don’t know; why don’t you go find out?”
He shoved his man into the elevator car and stole his pistol from him. Another man shouted, “You can’t make him go down there!”
“Fine! Maybe you’d like to go instead!” Jasper pointed the pistol at the second man and hollered “Get in the elevator. You can both go make sure Colton Steven’s is dead. Are there any other volunteers?”
Jasper looked over his shoulder and saw that his remaining gang members were fleeing the cavern. They mounted their horses and took off into the wilderness. No amount of money was worth being sent down that mine shaft; they’d rather cut their losses and escape.
“Fine! Let them go. That just means we can split their share among us.” Jasper said, still training his gun on the two men in the elevator car. He said to them, “Now, you two do what I say, or I’ll shoot you both and keep all the money for myself.”
He pulled the lever and lowered the elevator down into the depths below. When it came to a halt at the bottom of the shaft, Jasper shouted, “Is he dead?”
“No!” his men yelled from below. “There’s no sign of him anywhere! He must have escaped!”
“Damn it!” Jasper shouted in a rage. “I’ll get that bastard and his bitch girlfriend!”
“Not if we get you first!” a strange voice said from behind and Jasper turned to see Colton standing behind him. With one quick movement, Colton kicked the pistol out of Jasper’s hand and sent it skittering across the cavern floor. He followed the move, with quick punches of fists that landed powerfully on Jasper’s stomach.
The criminal was no stranger to fighting, and the blows hardly seemed to faze him. He struck back, hitting Colton with rock hard blows that nearly knocked him unconscious. Colton fell back onto the ground and struggled to lift himself back into a standing position, but Jasper kicked him brutally.
From where he lay on the ground, Colton saw Jasper’s pistol laying just a few feet away in the dirt. He scrambled for it, but Jasper reached it first. Training the pistol at Colton’s head, he said “Now where’s your little girlfriend?”
“She escaped!” Colton said.
“Now, don’t be lying to me. I couldn’t help but notice you used the word ‘we’ before, so I know she’s here.” Jasper grabbed Colton painfully by the hair and pulled him to standing position. He pressed the barrel of his pistol to the side of Colton’s head and shouted out into the cavern. “Show yourself girlie, or you’ll get to witness me blowing your boyfriend’s brains out!”
Suzanna knew Jasper would only kill them both if she showed herself, but she couldn’t just let him murder the man she loved. She crouched in the mining car and considered her options. She didn’t have a gun, a knife, anything! All she had was the bootlace Colton had dropped earlier. Suddenly, she knew what to do!
“Come on, Suzanna! I know you don’t want to see me kill this boy! Show yourself and I’ll let him go!”
The cavern remained silent and Jasper began to wonder if Suzanna really had escaped, when suddenly he heard a rustling sound from the corner of the cavern. He inched in that direction and realized that the sound had come from one of the mining cars that stood in the corner. Suddenly, he knew right where she was. He smiled evilly and strode toward her.
Colton heard the same scuffling sound that Jasper did and realized fearfully that Suzanna had been discovered. He struggled in Jasper’s grip, trying to escape the lock hold he had around his throat. Frustrated, Jasper hit Colton hard on the head with the butt of his pistol, successfully knocking him unconscious.
Colton fell to the ground and Jasper continued to slowly tiptoe toward the mining car.
“Gotcha!” he cried out victoriously as he pulled the tarp swiftly off the car, but to his surprise it was empty. Only a length of cord lay in the bottom of it. He picked up and stared at it. It was too new-looking to have been there for long and had been tied into an unusual loop. Too late, his mind realized that it was a bootlace tied into the shape of a hunter’s snare.
At that precise moment, Suzanna pulled the other end of the bootlace, closing the loop of the snare around Jasper’s hand. She jerked on the cord with all her strength, pulling the man off balance, and causing him to tumble into the mining car.
Colton, who had only been pretending to be unconscious, leapt up from the ground and ran to Jasper. Suzanna out climbed from her hiding place behind a different mining car and handed the end of the bootlace to him. Within moments, Colton had expertly hogtied Jasper with his hands and legs bound behind his back.
“We did it!” Suzanna cried out happily. She threw her arms around Colton and kissed him enthusiastically.
“No, you did it.” Colton smiled proudly. He kissed her in return and held her tightly. “You captured Jasper; I just wrapped him up for you. The question is, what do we do with him and the two down in the elevator now?”
“What do you mean?” Suzanna frowned, thinking the answer was obvious. Then she realized that calling the Sheriff’s office wasn’t an option. They didn’t have any proof that the Sheriff Newman had partnered with Jasper and it would just be their word against his.
They sat thinking for a while, when suddenly an idea came to her. Beaming brightly, Suzanna said “I know how we can get the proof we need! It’s time for me to turn myself in for your murder!”
***
Deputy Larson was in shock. If he hadn’t heard the information directly from Sheriff Newman himself, he never would have believed it. It was incredible to think that Suzanna Wheeler would plot with her lover Colton Stevens to steal cattle from her own father, Jeremiah Wheeler, and then turn to cold-blooded murder when her lover tried to jilt her. It just didn’t sound like something she would ever do. Still, the Sheriff had sworn it was true.
Larson shook his head sadly and continued to search the wilderness for any sign of Suzanna. When anyone found her, they had orders to take her straight to Sheriff Newman.
“Larson! I surrender!” Deputy Larson looked up at the sound of a female voice behind him, and turned to see Suzanna Wheeler herself standing there with her hands held high in the air. In a calm voice, she said, “I’m ready to turn myself in.”
“I can’t believe it!” Larson gasped and fumbled clumsily with his gun in an effort to pull it from his holster. When at last he had it aimed at her, he began to recite the Miranda Rights to her and prepared to handcuff her hands behind her back.
“I don’t need a lawyer. I want to confess right here; right now,” Suzanna said, causing Larson to pause. He held the cuffs dangling in one hand and his gun in other and gaped at her in surprise. She said to him, “I didn’t steal my father’s cattle and I didn’t kill Colton Stevens. I’ve captured part of the gang who did. They’re imprisoned in the mine, waiting for you to haul them off in your police car.”
Larson’s expression of surprise turned to one of doubt. He chuckled and said, “I see what you’re up to and you can’t fool me. I’m not going to let you lead me on some wild goose chase just so you can shove me down a mine shaft along with your deceased boyfriend.”
“You have to believe me. It’s true,” Suzanna pleaded. “And there’s more. Sheriff Newman is part of the plot. After you arrest me, he’s going to kill me and frame you as being the mastermind behind everything. You’ll go to prison for stealing Daddy’s cattle, the murder of Colton, and the murder of myself! Don’t you see, you’ve got to stop him!”
Larson shook his head and slapped the handcuffs on Suzanna’s wrists. “Nice try, little lady.”
Suddenly, Colton Stevens himself stepped out from behind a tree and put an arm protectively around Suzanna. She smiled up at him, her eyes full of love and Larson knew without a doubt that she could never kill him. Colton said, “She’s telling the truth. As you can see by looking at me, the Sheriff lied to you about me being murdered and that’s not the only thing he lied about. We’ve got Jasper, the leader of a gang of cattle rustlers, tied up in the Groghan Mine and two of his men trapped in an elevator. Gather up as many officers as you can and order them to arrest Sheriff Newman.”
“Don’t bother!” Sheriff Newman suddenly appeared from behind a shrub and pointed his gun directly at the trio. He glared angrily at them, spit a wad of chew onto the ground, and said “Nothing has been going according to plan thanks to the two of you, but now that I’ve got you all together, I’m finally going to be able to make things right.”
“You mean they’re right about you?” Deputy Larson cried out in horror. With sudden brutality, Sheriff Newman shot him right in the chest and the Deputy fell down dead. Suzanna screamed in terror and buried her head in Colton’s chest. He enfolded her in his arms, wishing he could protect her, but knowing there was nothing he could do to stop a bullet. This was where they probably both going to die.
“Well, look at that!” the Sheriff said with a mocking tone. “I was able to kill the criminal Larson, after discovering that he was really the one who stole Jeremiah Wheeler’s herd of cattle and killed you, Colton. Larson had tried to frame Suzanna for it, but I used my brilliant skills as Sheriff to unravel his crimes and I shot him. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to kill Larson until after he had already shot and killed Suzanna, but I should still be considered a hero by Jeremiah for killing the man who committed so many crimes against his family. Why, I bet Jeremiah will personally fund my election campaign next year!”
“You’ll never get away with this!” Suzanna cried out in rage and despair.
“Of course I will,” the Sheriff said cockily. The only problem is, I don’t want to have to haul Colton’s dead body all the way back to the mine, where I told my officers you’d kill him. So, we’ll have to walk back up there, and I’ll shoot him there. “I can shoot you right here, though, little lady.”
The Sheriff tried to get a clean line of sight with his gun to shoot Suzanna, but Colton prevented it by shielding her with his body. Suddenly, a ring of officers stepped out from the wilderness and surrounded the Sheriff. They’d been searching the surrounding area along with Larson and had heard everything.
Suzanna sighed with relief as she and Colton witnessed the officers arresting Sheriff Newman and hauling him off to jail. Deputy Larson had been wearing his bulletproof vest and wanted to be the one to lead the squadron of officers up to the mine to pick up Jasper and his two crewmen. Colton took Suzanna home to her father and they told him everything that had happened; well, almost everything.
“Thank God you’re all right!” Jeremiah cried out as he hugged his daughter. Then he turned to Colton and shook his hand gratefully. With tears brimming in his eyes, he said, “I was a fool when I said you weren’t good enough to marry my little girl. Without you by her side, she might not be alive today. You have my full blessing to take her for your bride.”
Suzanna squealed with joy and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. “Thank you, Daddy! Tell the pastor to book the church and dust off your old suit! I’m getting married!”
Just then, a knock came at the ranch house’s front door. Jeremiah opened it to find Deputy Larson standing there with a somber expression.
“We went to the Groghan Mine and arrested the two rustlers who were trapped in the elevator car, but the third man you described wasn’t there. We found a length of cord discarded in the bottom of a mine car and footprints leading out of the cavern; but they disappeared after a while and we weren’t able to pick back up on the trail. Jasper must have escaped.”
The three people in the room nodded in understanding. However, Suzanna wouldn’t let a dark pallor cover the room. She grabbed the deputy excitedly by the hand and said, “Well, if he’s smart, he’ll never come back here again. In the meantime, we’ve got a wedding to plan and I want you to be in the very front row!”
Colton slapped Larson and the back and said, “Forget the front row; I want you to be right beside me as my best man!”
Larson blushed and said, “I’d be honored. Don’t let your guard down, though. Jasper is a dangerous man and he could be out for revenge. It’s important you remain vigilant and cautious until we capture him.”
“Thank you, Deputy. We will,” Colton and Suzanna both said in unison. Then they kissed each other passionately, their vow already forgotten.
***
“It’s been quite a day!” Suzanna said with an exhausted but happy sigh as she plopped on the sofa in Colton’s cabin one evening. Several days had passed since their encounter with Jasper, and the horrors of that day were becoming blissfully forgotten as she prepared for her wedding. Playing with the end of her long blonde braid she said, “I must have tried on a hundred wedding dresses today before I chose the one you had suggested I try. I should have just gone with that one from the start.”
“And why didn’t you?” Colton asked with an amused smirk. He loved listening to her talk about the mischief she always got into. She always had to things her own way. Somehow, he just knew that marriage to Suzanna was going to be full of difficulties, and he was looking forward to every minute of it. Her ornery nature was what he loved most about her.
“Because, I didn’t want you to think you knew what I wanted!”
“You are a naughty girl, aren’t you?” Colton grinned and pulled her playfully onto his lap. “You even have to be difficult when picking out a wedding dress. Perhaps I should give you a spanking and teach you to listen to me every now and then.”
Suzanna’s eyes lit up with excitement. Playing kinky sex games with Colton was her favorite way to make love! She rolled over on his lap so her stomach was flat against his thighs and exposed her buttocks to him. In a sensual voice, she said, “If you think it will teach me a lesson, go right ahead.”
Colton rubbed his hand over the round curvature of her buttocks. He raised his hand in preparation to strike her and Suzanna held her breath in anticipation, eagerly awaiting the delicious pain. Teasingly, Colton put his hand behind his head in a casual gesture, refusing to give her the spanking she desired. He wanted to drag out their game and make her wait for what she wanted.
Colton got up from the sofa and said, “I don’t think a spanking would do any good. Not for a girl as naughty as you are. You need a different kind of lesson.”
“Like what?” Suzanna asked.
Although she kept the expression her face neutral, Colton could tell from the sparkle in her eyes that she was feeling excited at the prospect of a new game. He said to her, “You need to learn to listen to me sometimes. You think you’ll get more pleasure doing things your own way, but that ain’t so. If you learn to submit to my authority and listen to my opinions, you will find the rewards are far more pleasurable than any you could gain on your own and well worth the sacrifice of any freedoms you must give up.”
“Oh really?” Suzanna jeered. “And how do you plan to teach me that lesson?”
“Like this.” Colton guided her into his bedroom and fitted her with a pair of soft leather shackles they’d purchased together at a sex shop. They were lined with fake fur, making them soft and comfortable, and they fit her wrists just right.
Once the toy shackles were secured in place, Colton said, “Now, I’m going to select things that I know will give you the most pleasure. If you obey me, you will see just how right I am.”
Suzanna scoffed playfully at him, and in the spirit of their game said, “And what makes you think you know what will give me the most pleasure? I can give myself all the sexual pleasure I need, with no help from you!”
“Okay, prove it!” Colton jibed back. He sat back in a chair he kept in the corner of his room and prepared to watch. Undaunted, Suzanna lay down in the center of his bed and began to undress herself. As she stripped, she caressed her bare skin with her hands, rubbing herself with her hands in just the right way.
When at last she was naked, she massaged her most sensitive folds with her fingertips. They quickly became wet with the juices of her arousal and she increased the stimulation, bringing herself to climax with frenzied movements. She cried out as her orgasm came with quick intensity, then faded away. When she was finished, she smiled at Colton with a haughty look that clearly indicated she had won.
“See, I can get all the pleasure I need without needing to listen to the opinions of anyone else!”
Colton chuckled as he rose from his chair, then his expression became serious. With a sudden burst of movement, he grabbed her by the hands and pulled her arms over her head. He threaded a piece of rope through the cuffs on her wrists and quickly tied them to the headboard of his bed, binding her there with a sturdy knot. Suzanna struggled against the bonds, but her efforts were useless and she knew that she helpless and at his mercy.
“Now I will teach you how much pleasure you can receive by obeying me, and you will learn which is better.”
Knowing that Suzanna could not escape, Colton delighted in taking his time pleasuring every inch of her. He massaged her feet and nibbled on her toes, delighting in sucking on them one at a time. He kissed intricate circles around her ample breasts, and then lapped at her nipples with his tongue until they hardened into rosy nubs.
He kissed a trail down her stomach and ran his hands down her ribcage. He cupped her round buttocks in his hands and she spread her thighs wide for him, inviting him to enter her most sensitive folds.
“Not yet,” he chided, refusing to enter her. “When you rush to the finish, you fail to maximize your pleasure. I know what is best for you and finally, you have no choice but to listen to me.”
He continued to make love to her body with his mouth and hands and Suzanna writhed in pleasure under his expert touch. Every nerve in her body was vibrating with pleasure and her breathing fluctuated between rapid panting and satisfied sighs.
When at last Colton entered her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and began to buck her hips wildly, eager for the orgasm she knew would come.
“Not yet,” Colton said, unwrapping himself from her legs. He grabbed a length of rope and bound her ankles to the corner posts of the bed. When he was done, he entered her again. She was so wet with the juices of her arousal that he slid inside easily. He thrust slowly in and out of her, nearly withdrawing completely out of her, before entering her again fully to the hilt. The slow, deliberate movements he made in doing this drove Suzanna wild with desire.
As he stroked slowly within her, he used his hands to massage her most sensitive folds of all, and the orgasm that came crashing upon her was the most powerful she’d ever felt. She thought she might drown as she gasped for air between her cries of pleasure, having never felt such ecstasy.
When at last her orgasm came to an end, Colton untied her from her bonds and flipped her over onto her stomach. He pulled her up so that she was kneeling on all fours, with her buttocks in the air. Her every nerve was still quivering with the power of that incredible orgasm, when suddenly, she felt the sensation of Colton spanking her.
The sting of the first slap came so unexpectedly that she cried out, more in surprise than pain. The next one wasn’t such a surprise, but his hand made the blow more powerful, and she squeezed her eyes shut at the pain. The nerve pathways that carry signals of pain to the brain are the same nerve pathways that carry signals of sexual pleasure.
Suzanna’s body was still reeling from the sensations of her orgasm and could not differentiate them from the stinging slaps of the spanking she was receiving. Before she knew it, she was climaxing again, with an orgasm brought on by the sensual spanking.
Suzanna’s voice was so hoarse from crying out in pleasure that she could hardly speak, but she didn’t care. This session of lovemaking was the most incredible she’d ever had. Just as her second orgasm was ebbing away, Colton plunged into her dripping folds again. No longer restraining himself, he thrust with great enthusiasm. He gripped her hips and drove himself into her deeper and harder than either of them would have thought possible.
As he thrust, he commanded her to pinch her own nipples and without argument or hesitation, she complied. The pain that ran through her body as the pinching blended once more with the pleasure running through her nervous system and a third, even more powerful orgasm crashed over her.
Suzanna could no longer even cry out as the pure ecstasy of her pleasure swept over her, enveloped her, and overpowered her. It seemed to last forever and she never wanted it to end. Finally, slowly, the pleasure of her climax began to ebb away. Her heartbeat began to slow, as did her breathing, and she found that once again her voice had come back to her.
She snuggled up to Colton and laid her head against his sweaty chest, smiling as he put his arm lovingly around her.
“Okay,” she admitted with a grin. “Maybe I could defer to your opinion sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Colton pretended to be insulted and Suzanna laughed.
“Well, you wouldn’t want me to stop being me, would you?”
“I sure wouldn’t,” Colton agreed whole heartedly. He kissed her lovingly and said, “I want to marry you exactly the way you are.”
***
The rest of the month flew by as everyone on the Wheeler Ranch prepared for the wedding of Suzanna and Colton. Jeremiah was always a bit of a penny pincher, but for once, he didn’t spare any expense. He was more than happy to write out large checks to florists and caterers as long as he knew his little girl was finally getting married. He’d waited twenty-one years for this day, and as hot-tempered and opinionated as his daughter was, he had feared this day might never come.
For a while, he’d planned to marry her off to some wealthy man from another state just so he could have the peace of mind of knowing she was being well provided for, but he’d always known in his heart that she would have been miserable and he didn’t want that. When she’d first told him that she was in love with his ranch foreman, he’d practically thrown Colton Stevens out on his ass, but now he thanked the heavens that he hadn’t. Colton was a good man; hard-working, honest, and true. Most importantly, he made Suzanna happy, and that was no easy task. Whenever Jeremiah thought about that day Suzanna had nearly been killed by Sheriff Newman, and how Colton had saved her life, he had to force back the tears from spilling down his cheeks. It was going to be a real honor to give his daughter away to Colton, and he knew he couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.
When the big day finally arrived, everyone on the ranch was running around like a bunch of chickens.
“I can’t find my veil! Daddy, have you seen it?” Suzanna shouted as she came running down the stairs in her gown.
“Keep your boots on,” Jeremiah said calmly. “It’s hanging on the hat rack.”
“Who put it there?” Suzanna asked with a touch of exasperation. She sighed with relief as she found her veil on a hook right above her favorite Stetson cowboy hat and put it on.
“Well, it goes on your head, doesn’t it?” her father answered. “So, why not keep it on a hat rack?”
Suzanna rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t keep the giggle from rising up in her throat. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, baby. Now let me help you with your veil. With your hair up like that, you look just like your momma did on our wedding day.”
“Thanks Daddy. I wish she could be here,” Suzanna said, choking back tears at the thought of her dearly departed mother.
“She’s here, watching over us,” Jeremiah assured her as he squeezed her hand.
Suzanna squeezed his hand in return and wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She put a big smile on her face and said, “Come on, let’s get to the church or they’ll start without us!”
The ceremony was everything she’d hoped it would be. Colton looked more handsome than ever in his rented suit, and Deputy Larson stood beside him in his uniform, looking dapper as well. The ring Colton put on her finger wasn’t particularly fancy, but she knew it was what he could afford and that it a true gift from the heart.
Everyone in the church cried as they recited their vows, and none cried more loudly than Jeremiah himself. Afterward, they had a lovely reception filled with dancing, music, and homemade wine. Suzanna, however, couldn’t wait to slip away with the groom.
“I thought we’d never get away from there!” she giggled, when at last she had Colton alone in his cabin. Her father had offered to pay for an expensive honeymoon trip for the two of them, but they both realized the one place they wanted to be was right here on the ranch amongst the horses and the wilderness. It was the one place they both truly felt happy and free.
“I thought you liked being with all your friends, dancing and socializing,” Colton said with a tone of surprise.
“I do, but right now, I’d rather just be with you.” Suzanna wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately, then slid down to the floor and playfully unzipped his trousers. His organ sprang free, and she took him into her mouth, sucking gently. He became instantly aroused and groaned with pleasure as she made love to him with her lips, tongue, and mouth.
“Oh, take it easy or you’re going to make me climax.” Colton moaned. His words only spurred Suzanna to work with greater passion, and Colton had to remove himself from her hot, wet mouth.
“Are you willfully disobeying me, naughty girl?” he said with a playful arch of his left eyebrow.
“I am. Does this mean you’re going to punish me?” Suzanna’s eyes danced with excitement at the invitation to play their favorite game. The kinky world of sexual bondage games they played together had freed her sexually in ways she never would have imagined. The fact that they both enjoyed the games was something special that they shared only with each other and made their love for each other even stronger. Their compatibility in that regard was part of how they both knew they would have a long and happy marriage.
Colton kissed her lovingly and said, “Now that you’re my bride we don’t have to sneak around trying to avoid your father, we can play this game every night if you want to.”
“Good!” Suzanna grinned. “I bought you a paddle for a wedding gift. I’ll go get it and you can punish me for being your naughty girl.”
“Terrific! I’ll wait right here for you to return.” Colton smiled as he kicked back onto the bed they would now share together as husband and wife.
Suzanna ran excitedly outside to the barn, where she’d carefully hidden the gift she’d purchased for him. She paused in the moonlight and stared at her surroundings, trying to make out the shapes of the shadows.
From deep in the darkness, Jasper crouched even lower in his hiding position. Could she see him? Did she know that he’d been watching her since the day she’d escaped? When he’d first encountered her, she’d been a minor annoyance that had cost him the earnings from poaching. Now, he wanted a lot more from her than the money he would have received for stealing cattle. He wanted revenge against her for damaging his pride. He’d had a good thing going with an entire gang leaping at his every word and an alliance with the Sheriff, and was going to be rich when he sold her father’s herd. Now he was nothing but a wanted outlaw hiding in the darkness. She’d turned him into nothing and for that she was going to pay!
His heart began to pound as Suzanna shook her head and continued to walk toward the barn. Obviously, she’d decided that she hadn’t seen anything in the darkness after all. Only Jasper knew that she was now walking right toward him.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK FOUR: Suzanna Bound by Love - Volume 4
***
***
Suzanna Stevens had a happy bounce in her step as she followed the moonlit path that led from the foreman’s cabin to the barn. It was a journey she had made countless times before, but this time, something made her pause. She stopped in the darkness and peered into the night shadows, trying to figure out what was different.
She’d grown up on this ranch, which belonged to her father, Jeremiah Wheeler. Ever since her mother died when she was a little girl, Daddy had been especially protective of her, and kept her by his side constantly. She learned to ride a horse practically before she could walk and she spent her days working with her father and learning how to care for the cattle he raised.
The barn had been her favorite place to play. She used to swing up to the rafters on the tire her father had hung in the center of the barn. Afterward, she would climb to the top of the hayloft and slide down the haystacks as if they were hills of grass.
When she grew older and her child-like figure developed the curves of a woman, Suzanna had delighted in rolling in the hay in a completely different way. When Daddy had caught her making out with one of the summer employees, he had exploded with rage. He suddenly adopted the philosophy that a woman’s place was in the home and Suzanna’s days of running carefree around the ranch came to an abrupt end.
“Suzy, it ain’t proper for you to be out riding and roping! If you’re going to learn to be a good wife, you’re place is in the kitchen, learning how to cook and sew,” he had said, much to her irritation. “My little girl is going to have a white wedding and be a proper lady!”
“We’ll see about that!” Suzanna Wheeler had yelled at her father, her blue eyes sparking with rage. It was the beginning of a quiet war between them. Suzanna did everything she could to sneak out of the house and defy her father. She didn’t just want to make-out with boys, although that was a lot of fun. Most of all, she just wanted to get away from the oppression of the house and ride her horse, Lucky Penny, across the fields. She wanted to feel of the wind blowing through her blond hair and the warm sunshine on her tanned face. There was beauty and majesty to the countryside that she longed for and couldn’t live without. She vowed that she would never be a wife.
Jeremiah, however, thought he knew what was best for his daughter, so he ordered his best foreman to look after her. Colton Stevens was hard-working, honest, loyal and true. He was also smart as a whip and Jeremiah knew that if anyone was clever enough to keep Suzanna in line, it was Colton. What he didn’t count on was the two of them falling in love.
Suzanna grinned to herself as she remembered the look on Daddy’s face when he’d first caught them kissing. He would have had a heart attack if he’d known that they’d done a lot more than just that, but thankfully, he never found out. Suzanna figured her father honestly believed that she was virgin when she married Colton today, and that this evening, on her wedding night, she was finally giving herself to a man for the first time.
Suzanna paused along the path to the barn as it finally dawned on her what was different. She was no longer Suzanna Wheeler, rebellious daughter. For the first time, she was Suzanna Colton, wife. Would this change who she was inside? Would this ruin her relationship with the man she loved? The sex she’d always shared with Colton had been naughty and full of kinky taboos. Would that wild spark of passion fade between them now that their lovemaking was no longer forbidden?
Thinking of the wedding present she’d purchased for him, her lips curved into a smile, and she realized there was no chance of that. They shared a love and a passion that was sure to last a lifetime and their mutual interest in kinky sex games only enhanced their relationship. It was something that marriage was sure to nurture and grow.
Suzanna shook her head as she pulled herself away from her thoughts and ran onward to the barn. She dug under the hay where she’d hidden Colton’s gift until her hands felt the package, and pulled the beautifully-wrapped item free of the straw.
“He’s sure to love this!” she said as her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound from the back of the barn. Snapping up her head, she peered into the shadows and shouted out, “Who’s there?”
She grabbed a pitchfork from against the wall and held it in front of her like a spear. Slowly, she stalked forward, with her eyes searching and her heart pounding. Suddenly, a large owl flew down from the rafters, flapping its wings noisily and screeching, as it fled the barn.
Suzanna laughed at herself for being so afraid of a simple barn owl. She propped her pitchfork against the wall, picked the gift back up, and left the barn. She walked merrily up the path back to Colton’s cabin; their cabin now that they now lived in as husband and wife. Tonight was their wedding night and with this gift, she was sure it would be one to remember.
Deep in the barn, the man hid and watched as Suzanna entered the cabin and the lights inside went dark. He had been certain she was going to find him, hidden behind the hay, until, thankfully, the barn owl had distracted her.
“That was too close!” he whispered to his brother, Jasper.
“Not near close enough!” Jasper said angrily. “I’m telling you, Clyde, that bitch has to be taught a lesson!”
Clyde looked at his brother with worried eyes. He said, “Don’t you think you should just drop this idea of trying to get revenge against that girl? So she ruined your scheme to poach mountain lions and so she ruined your plans to get rich stealing cattle. The Sheriff got arrested for the cattle rustling scheme and you escaped. Just leave town and move with your life.”
“No!” Jasper said vehemently. “I won’t leave until I’ve taken everything from her, just like she did to me! I was going to be rich until she took it all away from me! I had the respect of my gang, the power of an alliance with the Sheriff, and I was going to be wealthy for the rest of my life! She stole everything that matters from me and I’m going to make sure she loses everything that matters to her!”
***
Colton Stevens waited in the cabin for his bride to return. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was that she had chosen to marry him. She drove him crazy sometimes with her willful independence and contrary attitude, but her fiery spirit was also what he loved most about her.
He had been content to be bachelor. He had rugged good looks and a muscular build, enhanced by his wavy brown hair and deep green eyes. Although he didn’t have any trouble meeting women, he preferred to spend time with horses and was dedicated to working the ranch. Everything changed, however, the day he fell in love with his boss’s daughter. Suzanna was twenty-one at the time, beautiful, smart and witty. From the moment they kissed, they couldn’t get enough of each other.
Still, marriage had been the furthest thing from his mind, until the day he thought she would be killed by Jasper and his gang of rustlers. His fear of losing her made him realize that he never wanted to spend a minute of his life without her. Now, they were husband and wife and they would spend the rest of their lives together, right here on the ranch they both loved.
As he sat in the cabin, thinking of Suzanna, he realized that she’d been gone a long time. It didn’t usually take her this long to get something from the barn. He was just about to go looking for her to make sure she was okay, when suddenly, she burst through the door, and he let out a sigh of relief.
“There you are!” he said, with a rueful grin. “I was beginning to think you had second thoughts about marrying me and had taken off.”
“I wouldn’t leave you in a million years! I want to get you see you enjoy this!” she thrust her package into his hands. He unwrapped the beautiful paper slowly, teasing her by ignoring her urgings to rip it open quickly. Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer and she snatched the gift from his hands and tore off the wrapping paper with one rapid swipe, revealing the leather paddle within.
“There! That’s how you open a gift!” she teased and handed the paddle to him with a grin.
He arched his eyebrows at her playfully and said, “I planned to save that wrapping paper as a memento of this special day. You are a naughty girl to take it from me and just rip it open like that. I think I’m going to have to teach you a lesson on how to behave. “
Suzanna’s eyes lit up with excitement at the invitation to play her favorite sex game. She leaned forward, jutting out her buttocks and said, “Punish me. I want you to.”
Colton shook his head and clicked his tongue in an admonishing tone. “No, no, no. I want to do this with more elegance. After all, tonight is our honeymoon. We should do things right.”
He told Suzanna to take off her clothes and she complied willingly, performing a sensual striptease for him. She delighted in seeing his erection grow inside his jeans as he watched her. When she had nothing left but her panties, he commanded her to stop and guided her into the kitchen, where a simple wooden table stood.
“Bend over the table and grip the far end of it,” Colton ordered simply but firmly. Suzanna eagerly did as she had been told, laying her torso against the surface of the table. She stretched her arms as far ahead as she could and was able to grip the far end of the table. Her stomach could feel the smooth surface and her breasts were smashed flat against it.
“Are you comfortable enough?” Colton asked with sincere concern. Suzanna assured him that she was and they reviewed the safe words that they always used when they played sex games. Once they were done, he resumed play by saying, “Perfect. Now stay exactly as you are and don’t move.”
Colton left the room for a moment, leaving Suzanna to eagerly anticipate what might happen next. She could feel the moisture between her thighs as the juices of her arousal slowly soaked her panties.
When Colton returned to the kitchen, he was carrying several lengths of rope. He used them to secure her ankles to the legs of the table, binding her there. Then he did the same thing to her wrists, binding her arms to the far end of the table. Now she was truly at his mercy, but she was not afraid. She trusted him completely and the game made them both feel deeply aroused.
“Now, I’m going to punish you, naughty girl, for taking a package that wasn’t yours and ripping it open.”
He picked up the leather paddle she had given him and held it where she could see it. Suzanna felt her entire body tingling with sexual excitement and anticipation. Then, suddenly, her body was tingling with pain as the paddle came down hard against her buttocks. Again and again, he struck her tender flesh with the hard paddle, making her cry out in pain and lust. It was the most erotic sensation she’d ever experienced and she loved it.
When Colton knew he had spanked her enough, he stopped and rubbed his hand tenderly over her red flesh to sooth away the pain.
“Have you learned your lesson, naughty girl?” he asked her. His voice was thick with arousal and his erection was straining powerfully against his jeans.
“Yes, I’ve learned my lesson,” Suzanna said her own voice dusky with passion and her panties now fully soaked with the juices of her desire. She wanted him more now than she ever had before.
“Good. Now I get to open a present exactly the way I want to and I don’t want you to rush to the finish until I’m ready” Colton said, and Suzanna grinned back at him. With great delight, Colton ‘unwrapped’ Suzanna by untying her ropes and peeling off her panties. Then he lifted her up onto the table and had he lay on her back while he ‘enjoyed’ his gift.
To the pure delight of them both, Colton used his lips, hands, fingers, and tongue to pleasure Suzanna from head to toe. Soon, she was gasping for air and clutching the table as she neared orgasm.
“Don’t climax yet.” Colton said forcefully. “It’s not time yet!”
“Yes, Sir,” Suzanna said, struggling not to orgasm. Colton grabbed two ice cubes and held them to her nipples, rubbing them over her areolas. The freezing pain shocked and thrilled her. She could feel an orgasm about to overtake her and she clutched at him, desperately. “Let me orgasm.”
“Not yet,” Colton insisted. He grabbed her by the thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table, and entered her wet folds with his throbbing member. Slowly and powerfully, he thrust within her, until she was begging for the release of orgasm.
Colton could feel her muscles rippling and knew that she could wait no longer. “Okay, now! Climax now!” he commanded, and began to thrust within her with all the passion he possessed.
Suzanna let herself go, succumbing to the pleasures of their love making, and cried out as a powerful orgasm shook through her. As her climax was ebbing away, Colton stimulated her most sensitive folds with his fingers, bringing on a second orgasm and then a third, as he spilled his seed deep within her.
When at last they were finished, Suzanna was breathless and weak from the physical toll of such intense orgasms in unending succession.
Colton carried her lovingly to their bed, curled up beside her, and held her in his arms.
“Happy honeymoon,” he murmured, then smiled and kissed her gently.
“Happy honeymoon,” she echoed, grinning from ear to ear. She had never been so content in her entire life. She fell asleep blissfully in her husband’s arms, but her dreams were not peaceful. Her mind was troubled with nightmares. Something wasn’t right on the ranch. Danger was nearby, and she knew it.
***
Over the next several weeks, Suzanna and Colton settled happily into married life. They enjoyed working together every day and then going home together and making love all night. As happy as she was, however, Suzanna couldn’t shake an impending sense of dread that something terrible was about to happen.
Her suspicions took the shape of little things. Gates were being left open that normally were locked, tools were being left out in dangerous places where people or animals could be hurt by them, and supplies were being left out in the weather and ruined. It was like someone was conspiring against the ranch to cause damage, but of course, that was a ridiculous notion.
Suzanna knew that all the men who worked for her father were dedicated and loyal to him. They were all good men, decent and hard working. Still, there had been countless times over the past few weeks when the hairs had stood up on the back of her neck and she had an unmistakable intuition that someone was watching her or that danger was in the air.
“I don’t know why I’m so jittery lately.” Suzanna said when Colton closed the gate behind her, the sound of the squeaking hinge making her jump with fright. “I guess I need to lay off the coffee.”
“Normally, I’d agree with you,” Colton said with a somber look on his face. “But this time you have good cause to be jumpy.”
“Why, what happened?” Suzanna asked, instantly on alert.
Colton shifted from one foot to the other, not wanted to break her heart, but there was no way to avoid it. She had to be told and he had told Jeremiah that he thought it was only right that she hear the bad news from him. Putting his arms around her, Colton said gently, “The hay in the barn was contaminated. Most of the horses are sick and some of them are dead, including Lucky Penny.”
“No!” Suzanna cried out for the horse she had loved since she was a little girl. She railed against Colton, beating his strong chest with her tiny fists. He just held her and let her pummel him. After a moment, she stopped the assault and simply collapsed into his embrace, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing. “Not Lucky Penny! How could this happen?”
When as last her crying stopped, Colton handed her a handkerchief and let her wipe her eyes. He thought she had never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment, but her serene expression quickly hardened into one of determination. Thrusting the damp handkerchief back into Colton’s hand, Suzanna stood up and strode purposefully across the grounds.
“Where are you going?” Colton cried out as he ran after her. She didn’t answer, but he already knew. He tried to block her stride, but she just walked around him and kept marching purposefully toward the barn. Desperately, Colton grabbed her by the arm and cried out, “Don’t do this to yourself, Suzanna! The vet has already hauled off the animals. You won’t find them there!”
Suzanna turned on him and the look in her eyes was full of rage and not pain. She said venomously, “Don’t tell me not to do this to myself, like I’m some pitiful child! I’m not going to pine over deceased animals. I’m going to find out what killed them and make sure it never happens again! They deserve that much. Lucky Penny deserves that much.”
Colton let go of her arm and respectfully stepped aside so she could pass. He had wanted to protect from the emotional pain, but he realized that he couldn’t. All he could do now was support her while she did what she had to do. He followed her into the barn, where she stood silently staring at all the empty stalls in which her beloved horses once stood. Tears welled in her eyes and he when he reached for her hand, she let him hold it.
“Where is the contaminated hay?” Suzanna asked after a while, and Colton led her to it. She could tell instantly that it was filled with poison hemlock, a natural contaminate that was deadly to horses. The question was, how did it wind up in the horses’ feed? The Wheeler Ranch always purchased its hay from the same reliable supplier, and they had never once been let down. Although she knew an investigation was being held against the supplier, Suzanna’s instincts told her that they weren’t the ones at fault.
“Have you seen enough?” Colton asked her tenderly, as he gently urged her toward the door. “We should go back to the ranch house and check on your father. Also, Deputy Larson wants to ask us a few questions.”
Suzanna shook her head and shrugged out of his hands. “You go ahead. I’ll be there in just a few minutes. I want to take a moment to be here alone and say goodbye to Lucky Penny.”
Colton nodded his head in understanding. He kissed her lovingly on the lips and left her alone with her thoughts. The barn was eerily quiet without any of the horses. Those that hadn’t died were being cared for at the animal hospital. The entire barn would have to be decontaminated before any of the surviving horses could be brought back.
Suzanna strolled slowly through the empty barn, running her hands over the old wood and kicking at the ground. Suddenly, something caught her eye and she stooped to look at it. It was the old barn owl that had lived in the barn for years, lying dead on the ground. It had been strangled by a belt.
Gently, Suzanna removed the belt from around the bird’s neck and stared at it. The silver buckle on the end of the belt was distinctive and it sparked recognition in her mind. She’d seen it somewhere before, but whose was it?
As hard as Suzanna tried, she could not remember where she had seen belt buckle before. She wrapped the belt around it and shoved it into her pocket. Something told her that when she found the owner of this buckle, she would also have found the person who poisoned all the horses and killed Lucky Penny.
***
Suzanna tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to fall asleep with all the thoughts churning in her mind. She knew that she recognized that belt buckle and had spent the better part of the day checking the waistbands of all the workers on the ranch, but none of them were missing their belt.
Fitfully, she turned from her left side onto her back, fluffed her pillow, and then turned onto her right side.
“What’s the matter?” Colton asked her tenderly. Her insomnia was making it impossible for him to sleep too, but he loved her too much to be annoyed by it.
“Every time I close my eyes, my mind starts racing,” Suzanna confessed. “I wish I could find a way to just clear my mind of everything that happened today. Then I know I’d be able to sleep.”
“I have an idea. Try putting this on,” Colton suggested. He handed Suzanna a pair of earphones. She put them on her ears and heard the soothing sound of her favorite symphony playing. She smiled and said, “This is nice, but I’m not going to be able to sleep listening to an orchestra.”
Colton said, “I’m not finished with my idea yet. I’m going to help you remove yourself from all your thoughts. Now put this on and lie on your back.”
He handed Suzanna a blindfold. She secured it over her eyes and lay back on her pillow while Colton turned up the music player until she could no longer hear him rustling beside her on the bed. Plunged into complete blackness by the blindfold and unable to hear anything but the blissful symphony, Suzanna felt like she was floating in another world.
Suddenly, she felt the sensation of Colton binding her wrists and ankles and securing them to the four posts of the bed. Now she was now helpless to move, in addition to being blind and unable to hear what was happing around her. With a pair of scissors, he cut away all her clothes from her body, leaving her completely naked and bound to the bed in the shape of a giant X. The vulnerability of her position thrilled and excited her, and she felt her skin tingle as she strained to discern what would happen next.
Colton’s idea was working beautifully. Her mind was no longer spinning with thoughts of her investigation; instead, it was filled with erotic anticipation and sexual excitement. Suddenly, she felt something soft caress her cheek. The unexpected touch made her jerk her head, but then she realized the sensation was pleasant and she leaned into it. Velvety soft and with a wonderful aroma, Suzanna smiled as she realized Colton was brushing a rosebud against her cheek.
He trailed the delicate flower down her face, over the hollow of her throat, and began to trace a pattern across her body with it. As it brushed her nipples, they puckered into hard nubs. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her left nipple, and yelped out in surprise. As the sensation repeated on her right nipple, she quickly realized Colton was pricking her nipples with the rose’s thorns. Afterward, he applied his lips to the wounded area, soothing away the pain with sensual kisses. Suzanna arched her back, thrusting her breasts toward his lips, as she sighed at the pleasurable sensation.
Then, she was alone in the dark again, as he withdrew himself away from her. Suzanna lay helpless, unable to see or move, hearing only the music playing in her headphones, and wondered what would happen next. The anticipation was excruciating and yet wonderful. Moisture built between her thighs as she fantasized about what he might be preparing to do to her.
Then, fantasy became reality as he pleasured and punished her body with a riding crop. Small, stinging slaps against her tender flesh were followed by soothing kisses and licks with his mouth and tongue. No part of her body was left ignored as he gave his attention to every inch of her in turn.
“I want you inside me,” Suzanna gasped between moans of pleasure. He was making love to her with his mouth and fingers while intermittingly spanking her thighs with sharp slaps of his hand. The dual sensation of pain mixed with sexual pleasure had already driven her to have an orgasm.
Suddenly, Colton removed all of her trappings. He took off the blindfold, untied the ropes binding her wrists and ankles, and removed the headphones from her ears. She was free from her bindings, but not yet free from her lust. She wanted him inside her now, more than ever.
Colton lay down beside her on the bed and said, “If you want me inside you, come and get me.”
Suzanna delighted in her turn to ravage his body. Her hand and lips caressed his entire body in ways that made him moan in pleasure. When she came to the most sensitive part of him, she tortured him with her lips; licking, sucking, kissing and caressing the length of him until he wanted to explode.
Then she mounted him at the waist, riding on top of him like a wild animal, thrusting and bucking with all the passion she felt in her heart. He reached up and held her breasts as she pumped, pinching her nipples in the way he knew she liked best. The sensation increased her passion and she climaxed powerfully on top of him, arching her back, throwing back her head, and screaming loudly with pleasure as she gasped for breath.
His own orgasm was equally powerful, and he knew that if he hadn’t been lying down, he would have passed out from the intensity of the pleasure. Panting for breath, he pulled Suzanna into his arms, so they were lying side by side, cuddled together. Within moments, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, undisturbed by any nightmares.
As he held her close, however, he caught sight of something he hadn’t noticed before. A man’s belt was sitting on her dresser. It didn’t belong to him, but he knew exactly whose it was. He just wondered what Suzanna was doing with it; could it be she was having an affair?
***
Colton Stevens woke up at dawn to the crowing of the rooster. He had important business to tend to today and he was anxious to get it done. Suzanna was sleeping peacefully in their bed and he lovingly pulled the blankets around her shoulders and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. He had quickly brushed aside any doubts he’d had last night about her loyalty. Colton knew in his heart that Suzanna loved him faithfully and that she would never cheat on him. He concluded that there must be good reason she had another man’s belt buckle on her dresser and he suspected it had something to do with her investigation of the barn and the poisoning of the horses. Colton intended to help her in every way he could by talking to the owner of the belt buckle himself.
Colton dressed quickly in his favorite boots, jeans, and flannel shirt. Then he placed his worn cowboy hat on his head and strode purposefully across the ranch to the barn.
“Clyde, I want to talk to you!” Colton called out in a friendly voice, not wanting to scare him away by sounding angry or suspicious. Clyde was a new employee on the ranch that Jeremiah had hired to help for the summer, but no one knew him that well. Colton had to admit that as the ranch foreman, he should have taken the time to get to know the new employee better. He’d had very few conversations with Clyde, but there was one thing that had stuck in his mind about the man, and that was his unique belt buckle.
“Yeah, what is it?” Clyde said, seemingly in a hurry. His eyes darted around and he looked nervous.
Colton put a casual hand on his shoulder and said with a smile, “Can we talk for a minute?”
Clyde shook his head and said, “No time to talk. Mr. Wheeler needs me to get wire cutters from the barn and take them out to the west field immediately.”
“I’ll help you find them. We can talk along the way.” Colton offered and followed the reluctant Clyde into the barn. As Clyde searched for a pair of wire cutters, Colton leaned against the wall and said, “So I noticed a few days ago that you have a rather unique belt buckle. Where’d you get it?”
Clyde dropped the box he was searching through with a noisy clatter and all the tools inside it tumbled onto the ground. He stammered and said, “My Pa used to make belt buckles as a hobby. Everyone in my family has one specially engraved with the family crest.”
“That’s great; can I see yours?” Colton said, kneeling down to help Clyde place the tools back in the box.
Clyde stood abruptly with a pair of wire cutters in his hand and said “No, I ain’t got the time. I’ve got to get these out to Mr. Wheeler.”
“Surely it would only take a minute,” Colton pressed. “Besides, I know for a fact that Mr. Wheeler isn’t here this morning. He slept at the veterinarian hospital last night to be with the sick horses. So, I’m betting he’s in no hurry for you to deliver those wire cutters.”
Caught in the middle of a lie, Clyde didn’t know what to say. He tossed the wire cutters angrily into the box and balled his hands into fists.
Colton pulled the belt buckle out of his pocket and said smugly, “Could it be that you don’t want to show me your buckle because you lost it?”
“That ain’t my belt buckle. This is!” Clyde suddenly found his voice. He lifted his flannel shirt to reveal that he was wearing a buckle almost identical to the one Colton was holding, with just slight variations in the engraving.
Colton blinked in surprise and took a step back. Now it was his turn to stammer. “I thought for sure this was yours when I found it on Suzanna’s dresser.”
“My father sells those all over town. That dumb bitch could have been rolling in the hay in that barn with anyone.”
Colton’s eyes flashed with a sudden realization. He squared off to Clyde and said, “I never told you that Suzanna found this belt in the barn. You know whose belt this is and you probably helped them poison the horses! Tell me everything!”
Clyde swung his fist at Colton with sudden speed and force, catching him right in the jaw. Colton struggled to keep his balance and swung back, slow and wide. Clyde swung again, with rapid punches that landed on Colton’s stomach that made him double over in pain. As Clyde moved in to punch him again, Colton rallied with a series of punches that hit his opponent hard and fast in rapid succession.
Clyde stumbled backward and crashed against the wall of the barn. He wiped his bleeding lip with his sleeve and glared at Colton through his good eye; the other one already starting to swell and turn black. Colton squared off to him again, and said, “Tell me whose belt buckle that was.”
Clyde looked like he was about to confess everything, when suddenly his lips curled into a wide grin. “I already told you, my Pa made matching buckles for all my family. I’ve still got mine, but that one belongs to my brother, Jasper.”
Colton recognized the name as being the leader of the gang of cattle rustlers that had tried to kill him and Suzanna. Colton reached for the gun he always kept in a holster at his hip and found it missing.
A distinctive click behind him made him freeze and a familiar voice ordered him to turn slowly around. Colton complied and found himself looking into the barrel of his own revolver, held in the hand of none other than Jasper himself.
“I see you know my brother,” Clyde said smugly to Colton, and Jasper laughed at the joke.
“I should have known why that belt buckle looked familiar!” Colton chastised himself aloud. “I recognized it from when you tried to have me and Suzanna killed so you could steal all her father’s cattle. Is that why you poisoned the horses; so you could have another shot at stealing Jeremiah Wheeler’s herd?”
Jasper laughed a sickening sound and said, “No, this goes way beyond cattle rustling now. This is about that pretty wife of yours. She took everything from me and I’m going to do the same thing to her. I started with that dumb horse of hers, Lucky Penny. Next, I’m going to burn that ranch of hers down to the ground. When she’s done putting out the ashes, she’ll discover the final blow that will make my revenge complete. She’ll find your dead body amongst the ruins of her old family ranch. Then, when she finally understands that she has lost everything, she’ll lose her life, too!”
***
Suzanna opened her eyes slowly and smiled. It had been a long time since she’d gotten such a good night’s sleep and felt so completely rested in the morning. She reached her hand across the bed, searching for Colton, but he had already left for the morning.
She took the time to take a shower, enjoying the feel of the hot water on her naked body. Afterward, she got dressed in her most comfortable jeans, denim shirt, and cowgirl boots. She twisted her long blonde hair into a braid, but when she reached for a rubber band to secure it with, something made her pause. The belt buckle she had found in the barn yesterday was missing. A note scrawled in Colton’s distinctive handwriting lay in its place.
As she read the words, her hands started to shake. It said:
Darling, I know how important it is for you to find who poisoned Lucky Penny. This belt must have something to do with it and I know who it belongs to. I’m going to talk to him this morning and hopefully I’ll have made everything right for you by the time you wake up. Love, Colton.
Suzanna felt tears stinging her eyes but she refused to let them fall. It touched her heart that her husband loved her enough to want to solve this mystery for her, but it also made her fear for his safety. Anyone willing to poison a stable full of horses might also be willing to kill any person who got in their way. Colton might very well be putting his own life at risk in his noble attempt to make her happy. He said he knew who the belt belonged to, but he didn’t give her a name. How could she stop him from putting himself at risk if she didn’t know where he had gone?
The tears she had been trying so hard to hold back burst forth, unbidden. Suzanna had no choice but give into them. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. It was humiliating to behave so childishly, but she couldn’t help it. She realized with a sigh that she hadn’t had her menstrual cycle since before the wedding and it was probably just hormones that were making her so emotional lately.
“Pull yourself together, Suzanna,” she scolded herself. She grabbed a handkerchief from the dresser and wiped her eyes dry then blew her nose loudly. Afterward she felt better, but as she blew her nose a second time, something made her pause. There was an odd smell in the air she hadn’t notice before.
Suzanna’s eyes flew open wide as she realized what the scent was; smoke! Suzanna ran outside of the cabin as fast as she could and saw the barn was engulfed in flames. “No!” she cried out and ran toward it. The heat from the flames drove her back and she stepped right into one of her father’s workers.
“Take it easy. The horses aren’t in there, so there’s no need to run,” he said as he held her. Suzanna recognized him as one of the newest employees, a man named Clyde.
“I’ve got to call the fire department!” Suzanna said frantically, but he held her tightly by the arm, squeezing her painfully with his fingers.
“Your father already did that. He told me to tell you to wait here,” he said in an odd tone of voice.
“Wait for what?” she asked, puzzled. That wasn’t the kind of thing Daddy would have told her to do in an emergency. He would have counted on her skills to evacuate all the employees and animals, and get everyone to safety. Waiting wasn’t his style or hers.
Clyde shrugged and said “I was just with him in the house and he told me to find you and tell you to wait here. Something big is about to happen that you need to see.”
“I’ll just get Colton then,” Suzanna said, trying to pull her arm free from Clyde, but he only gripped her harder.
“Colton is part of it. They both want you to wait here.”
“Okay,” Suzanna said and Clyde relaxed his grip on her. As soon as he had, she lifted her boot and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. As he began to hop on one leg in pain, she shoved him with all her strength, knocking him completely off balance and onto the ground.
“Daddy’s not here! He spent the night at the veterinary hospital with the horses! Colton went to confront the man who poisoned them, and I think it must be you!”
Suzanna pulled her revolver from her holster and pointed directly at Clyde’s head. He immediately put his hands in the air and cried out pitifully, “It wasn’t me. It’s my brother. He’s the one who poisoned the horses! I told him not to do it; but he wanted to teach you a lesson. He wanted you to know what it was like to lose everything that mattered to you.”
“So he poisoned Lucky Penny,” Suzanna said with understanding. She listened as Clyde confessed everything, and gasped in horror as when he revealed that his brother was Jasper, the cattle rustler who had tried to kill her and Colton not so very long ago.
“Where is he now?” Suzanna asked, her voice trembling.
Clyde shook his head pathetically and cried out, “He’s gone to take away everything that you love. He’s gone to get his ultimate revenge.”
Suzanna thought hard for a moment. Everything she loved; what could that be? The answers were simple enough. She loved Daddy and growing up on the ranch, and of course she loved Colton. Suddenly, the fire from the barn created an explosion that knocked her back several feet. She fell hard to the ground with her ears ringing.
As her head began to clear, she saw that the explosion in the barn had purposefully caused the fire to leap from the empty structure to the ranch house. Growing flames were beginning to swallow the beautiful home where she had lived with Daddy. Thank God he wasn’t there this morning, but someone else was! To her horror, she saw the silhouette of a man in the window on the top floor. Suddenly, Clyde’s words made sense and she realized who the figure in the window was.
“Colton!” she cried out in terror. “Jasper isn’t just trying to burn down my childhood home; he’s going to murder Colton in the process!”
Too guilty to speak, Clyde simply nodded his head to let her know she was right. Suzanna was already gone, however. She was running toward the ranch house, desperate to save the man she loved no matter what it took.
***
Colton was tied tightly to a chair, unable to break free or move. The chair was positioned in front of a window overlooking the ranch; the perfect view to the tragic scene below. Colton was forced to watch as Suzanna came running out of their cabin to see the barn burning. He saw her have a confrontation with Clyde and silently cheered when she kicked him and knocked him the ground. Then, after the barn exploded and the ranch house began to burn, he watched in terror as the woman he loved ran toward the burning building.
“No! Run away, Suzanna! Don’t try to save the house! Don’t try to save me! You’ve got to get away!” Colton shouted out uselessly, knowing that she couldn’t hear him and that she would ignore him even if she could. She was a stubborn and defiant woman who followed her heart and never listened to anybody. It was her best and worst quality rolled into one.
Suddenly, he could hear her shouting from downstairs and he realized that she had entered the ranch house, despite the growing fire.
“Colton! Where are you?”
“Get away to safety!” Colton shouted down to her. “Tell the police it was Jasper. He poisoned the horses and he started this fire. He wants to kill you, too! Get away to safety before it’s too late!”
“I’m not leaving without you!” Suzanna cried out breathlessly, as she climbed to the top of the stairs and found Colton where he was bound to the chair. Quickly, she worked to release him from the complicated knots, but it was difficult. Her eyes were watering from the smoke and it was becoming hard to breathe. Plus it was growing terribly hot and sweat was making her hands too wet to grip the rope.
“Don’t worry about me! Escape before he kills you, too!” Colton insisted, but Suzanna wouldn’t listen.
“If I let you burn to death in this fire, then I might as well already be dead. I love you more than life. Either we both escape together or we both die together.”
Colton resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t change her mind. He understood her feelings, for he felt the same way about her. They were joined together as husband and wife until death do us part, and there was no way that either one of them would ever abandoned the other while they were still alive.
Finally, the last of the knots came undone and Colton sprang free from the chair. The room was engulfed in smoke now and they both crawled along the floor, desperate for breathable air. They crawled to the window, and Colton kicked it open with his powerful legs. They both breathed in the fresh air, but so did the fire, and suddenly the flames creeping in on them became a massive wall of solid flames.
“We’ve got to jump!” Colton cried out between painful coughs of his lungs.
“We’re on the second floor! It’s too high up!” Suzanna said fearfully.
Colton saw that she was right. Desperately, he glanced around the room. Tall curtains hung from a rod above the window. He yanked them down and held them out the window. He said to Suzanna “I’ll hold the curtain for you to climb down like a rope.”
“But how will you get down?” Suzanna cried, shaking her head vehemently. She wouldn’t leave him to die just to save herself.
“When you reach the bottom, you can grab a ladder from the side of the house and put it up to the window for me to escape. It’s our only hope! You’ve got to do it!” Colton said. He grabbed her and kissed her passionately, with all the love he felt for her in his heart.
Suzanna knew that he was right. This was the only way she could save him. Clutching the curtain, she climbed down it like a rope until she felt the ground beneath her feet. She turned and ran for the nearest ladder. Just as she reached it, however, a familiar figure blocked her path.
“Jasper!” she cried out in surprise and terror.
He drew a gun and aimed it right at Suzanna’s heart. Grinning madly, he said, “Just halt right there, girl. I’m gonna make you watch while your ranch house burns to the ground, with your husband trapped inside. Then, after you’ve witnessed him burn to death, I’m going to shoot you!”
Suzanna froze in place, not knowing what she could do. Even if she reached for her gun, Jasper already had his drawn and would shoot her before she even touched the trigger. Her only hope was to appeal to his sense of humanity.
“Please Jasper, don’t do this. I’m sorry that you’ve suffered in your life, but killing Colton and me won’t fix your problems, it will only make them worse. Surely there’s some goodness in you. You can still do the right thing and let us all go.”
“Ha! I quit doing the right thing long ago!” Jasper said. Suddenly, a bullet pierced through the air, hitting Jasper in the hand. He screamed in pain and dropped the gun he was holding to grip his bleeding hand. Suzanna turned and was surprised to see Clyde holding a smoking gun aimed at Jasper.
“I’m sorry I had to shoot you, brother, but she’s right. I can’t keep on letting you do bad things to people. I wanted to stop you from killing that owl, but I didn’t. I wanted to stop you from killing those horses, but I was too afraid. Now, you’ve moved on to killing people and I just can’t stand by and let it happen anymore. This was my chance to do the right thing and I did it.”
“Thank you Clyde! I’ll never forget this!” Suzanna kissed Clyde on the cheek. Then she remembered Colton and hurried to carry a ladder up to the house. She leaned it against the window and he climbed out just moments before flames completely engulfed the room. His hair and clothes were singed, his lungs were damaged, and his skin had burns, but he was alive!
It took the fire department hours to put out the flames, and when they were done the ranch house was completely destroyed. The house she’d grown up in had to be demolished along with the barn and several other structures; only the cabin and the chicken coop survived.
Colton fared well enough, too; his burns were all minor and healed quickly, as did his lungs. He and Suzanna moved Jeremiah into the guest bedroom of their little cabin, which put a damper on their lovemaking, but they needed to take a break from that while Colton recovered, anyway. Besides, Suzanna wasn’t in much of a mood to be wild, as the stress of recent events had taken a heavy toll on her. She spent most of her mornings vomiting and didn’t have her usual energy. Colton wondered if maybe she’d gotten a virus when he was in the hospital, but it passed after a few weeks.
Making plans to rebuild the ranch house seemed to give her a spark of new life and renewed energy. As the reconstruction began, she seemed to be positively glowing and was gaining weight in a very pleasing way.
“What’s with you lately?” Colton teased her lovingly. They were surveying the progress on the new house when suddenly she started nibbling his neck.
“I was just thinking that soon this house will be finished and we’ll be able to move in. It will be nice to have our own place, away from Daddy.”
“Wait a minute.” Colton held up a hand in surprise. “Won’t your father be moving into the ranch house?”
“Daddy and I talked about it this morning. He’s just a single man and the cabin will give him all the space he needs. The ranch house is large with plenty of bedrooms for a growing family. Daddy said it’s only proper that you and I should live in once it’s built.”
“That’s awfully generous of him, but we don’t need that much space either.” Colton flushed, feeling taken aback by Jeremiah’s generous offer.
“I told Daddy that, but he didn’t want his grandchildren growing up in a tiny cabin when they didn’t have to. The timing is a little tight. I’ll be in my third trimester by the time the builders are done, but that still gives us plenty of time to decorate.”
Colton suddenly felt faint and had to grip the wooden frame the builders had erected to keep from passing out.
“What? You’re pregnant?” he asked with a look of surprise. As Suzanna nodded, all the color drained from his face. The shock he was feeling quickly turned into complete and utter joy. He scooped her into his arms and kissed her passionately as he hugged her tight. “Pregnant! I’m so happy I’m going to be a father! Is it a boy? Is it a girl?”
“Yes.” Suzanna smiled, relieved to see that he was as thrilled about the pregnancy as she was.
“Don’t tease me; just tell me which one? Are we having a boy or a girl?”
“We’re having one of each. The doctor said they’re fraternal twins.”
Colton whooped with joy and swung his beautiful wife in a circle before gently setting her back down on the ground and kissing her sweetly.
Jeremiah Wheeler couldn’t help but grin at the scene the happy couple made as they held each other amidst the construction of their new home. His daughter had always sworn she didn’t want to be a wife; she’d said she was too independent and wanted to ride her horses freely across the land, but as her father he had always known better. Sure, Jeremiah had feigned being angry about her affair with Colton, but that was just to cement the love he’d known they’d have for each other. He’d known the kind, responsible foreman was just the right man to tame his wild daughter, and he’d been right all along.
The only thing Jeremiah realized he’d been wrong about was hiring that summer employee, Clyde. He’d allowed evil onto the ranch by helping his brother Jasper in is plot of revenge. Sure Clyde had done the right thing in the end and allowed Suzanna to rescue Colton, but no sooner had Clyde turned his back on his brother, than Jasper picked his gun up with his uninjured hand, shot Clyde, and disappeared.
Jeremiah hoped that Jasper had run away this time for good and that they’d never see him again. Looking at his daughter smiling in the arms of her husband, he pushed all thoughts of Jasper from his mind. They’d had enough unpleasantness to last them a lifetime. It was time to move onto the better things and a new future. Soon, the ranch would be filled with the sound of children again as two new babies graced the land.
“I love you so much!” Colton whispered in Suzanna’s ear as they held each other tightly in the very place where their new bedroom would soon be built.
“I love you, too.” Suzanna grinned. Then she cocked her head playfully and said, “You know, I think this would be a good time for us to sneak off to the barn together. Daddy’s busy with the builders and all the ranch hands are out in the fields. We’ll have the hay loft completely to ourselves.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to be naughty.” Colton grinned playfully back at her and let her lead him to the barn. Even amidst all the changes they were having in their lives, they both knew that the one thing that would always stay the same was their passion for each other.
THE END