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THERE WERE MANY THINGS that Laura loved about being Joe’s wife: his even temper. The heft of his cock in her hand. His laugh. The way he shuddered as he filled her with his seed. Above all, she loved that she now had found her place, with people who cared for her and whom she cared for more than any others in the world.
Nevertheless, there were some things about her life on the ranch that she didn’t love so much. Doing laundry was at the top of that short list, especially on the day after her wedding. Still, it had to be done, and given how things had turned out for her on balance, she couldn’t complain overly much.
It was another clear, sunny day, and she was hanging sheets out to dry when she heard a wagon approaching the ranch. They were coming fast, whoever they were; she lifted the sheet aside and looked up the trail which ran past their property. It was a lone driver wearing a hat pulled low and a bandana across his face. Must be because of the dust, she thought at first, though her heart skipped a beat when a second thought popped into her head. Or it’s so he’s not recognized. He’s in one heck of a hurry, that’s for sure. She’d never seen anybody driving a flatbed wagon like that, in fact. She looked up toward the north line, but Joe was nowhere to be seen. He could have been anywhere on the ranch, and he wasn’t due back for hours.
Laura dropped the clothespins back into the basket and stepped out from behind the hanging wash in order to get a better look. The wagon slowed only briefly as it came down the trail and then turned, following the ruts that would lead it directly up to the house. The driver snapped the reins again and again, urging the horses to go faster, and Laura felt a chill go through her. She could see a blanket in the wagon bed, covering what might have been boxes. Or people. He’s got somebody hiding in there.
“Dan, come here,” she called, trying not to let her voice show the fear that was growing within her. “Have you seen your father?”
Dan walked over from the paddock, where he had just saddled his pony. “Nope, not since breakfast,” he said. “Why?”
She grabbed his shoulder and looked him right in the eyes. “There are some people coming,” she said. “I want you to go around the house, fast and quiet. Don’t let them see you. Come around from the back, and when you get to the door, you ring the dinner bell as hard as you can. Do you understand?”
He nodded, though his eyes had grown wide with alarm. “Who are they?”
“I don’t know yet.” Laura looked back toward the house. They were a good fifty paces away, and the wagon was nearly on top of them. We’ll never make it if we try to make a break for it. They’ll run us both down. “Now, go!” she shouted, and while Dan made for the house, Laura ran the other way, heading for the open fields.
Hoofbeats thundered behind her as she ran, and the sound of the creaking wagon was like a scream that cut to her core. She did not get far. In fact, she hadn’t even made it to the fence line when the horses passed her and the driver sharply cut in front of her.
Laura shrieked and fell to the ground, nearly going headlong beneath the rear wheels of the wagon. She rolled over and scrambled backwards while her worst nightmare appeared atop the wagon. The driver turned and lifted his hat while lowering the bandana. Even before she saw his face, she knew who it was, however. It was Keith Jurgen.
“Funny running into you here,” he said, and he grinned at his own joke, showing his nearly full set of tobacco-stained teeth. He reached behind and whipped the blanket free, revealing what Laura already knew: he had George and Hetty along for the ride.
She hurried to her feet, but not before Keith had leaped down from the wagon and fixed his fist around her upper arm. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” she asked.
Hetty let out a laugh that sent a shiver down Laura’s back. “It was easy enough, once you find the right person. I wanted to know who did this to George,” she said, pointing to the bandage that George had taped to his nose, “and the desk clerk at the hotel wanted some money. It worked out to our mutual benefit.”
She carefully climbed down from the wagon bed, taking George’s hand as she stepped to the ground, and approached Laura. “You’re looking good, I have to say. This country life agrees with you.”
“What do you want?”
“Why, you, of course,” Hetty said. “You’re coming back to work.”
Laura felt her chest constrict, as if her heart were caving in. “I won’t,” she said, though her voice had grown weak with fear. “That life is behind me. I’m married now.”
Hetty shrugged. “I told you before, nobody leaves until I say so. Get her in the wagon, boys.”
George was just about to get himself over the side when the dinner bell started ringing, loud and fast. “Get that kid!” George shouted, pointing to the house, where Dan was whipping the bell cord with all his might.
“Dan, go inside!” Laura screamed. “Lock the door!”
Keith took off for the door, pulling Laura along, but she dragged her feet and Dan slammed the door shut before Keith had gone three paces. When Laura heard the heavy bolt slide home, she felt a small measure of relief in the middle of so much fear.
Keith cursed as he turned to look out to the property. “Looks like somebody’s coming,” he muttered.
Laura followed his gaze. There, racing down the plain towards them, was Joe. Oh, thank God, she thought.
“Hurry it up,” Hetty spat. “Get her in there and let’s get out of here.”
George stepped close and took her other arm; together with Keith, he walked her toward the wagon quickly and forcefully.
If they get me in there I may never be free again, she thought. Best make sure that doesn’t happen. Laura fought like a wild animal, kicking and biting, swatting and screaming as they tried to carry her along.
“Hold on, now!” George shouted at her. She could already see the sweat on his brow, and she aimed a kick at him, landing her foot halfway up his shin, right where she’d kicked him the last time. He yelped in pain and hopped off to the side, freeing her arm and leaving Keith holding her alone.
Laura turned and sprinted toward the house, feeling Keith’s fingers digging into her flesh but slipping loose. There was a tearing sound as her sleeve ripped open, and then she was free.
For a moment, anyway. She had barely taken two steps toward the door when she felt another set of hands on her, and this time she felt fingernails sharp as claws, biting into her arm as she was whipped around. Hetty was not about to let the Jurgen boys lose her again.
Before she could even see it, Hetty’s hand flew across her face, smacking Laura in the cheek and stunning her for a moment. The next thing she knew, the Jurgens had her again and were marching her toward the wagon.
“Get your hands off of her, right now!”
The voice was loud and close. In unison, they turned to see Joe pulling up hard on the reins as he came to a stop just before them, his horse snorting out great breaths in exertion. Joe had his rifle out of its scabbard and up to his shoulder before either of the Jurgen boys could unhand her, and he was aiming directly at George.
“You,” he said. “I would’ve thought you learned your lesson back in the hotel.”
George swallowed hard and slowly raised his hands.
“And you,” Joe said, swinging the barrel towards Keith, “are going to let her go right now.”
“Be careful, Joe,” Laura called. “He keeps a gun holstered in his vest.”
Keith threw her a glance that would have curdled milk. “Serves you right,” Laura muttered. “I wouldn’t have known about it if you hadn’t kept showing it off all the time.”
“It’s all right,” Joe said. “He’s not going to use it if he knows what’s good for him.”
“Shows what you know,” Keith muttered, barely loud enough to hear.
Laura screamed.
Keith leaped to the side, as if to escape Joe’s sight, and thrust his hand inside his vest, pulling out his pistol. He was fast. Very fast. He had nearly taken aim when Joe pulled the rifle trigger, hitting Keith in the shoulder, just where he’d been aiming all the while. Keith howled in pain as his pistol went flying from his now-weakened grasp, and he clutched his shoulder while blood ran down his arm.
The gun tumbled to the dirt, right in front of George. He lunged for it, but Laura quickly whipped her fist up and back, just as she had seen Joe do back in the hotel all those days ago. Her knuckles caught him right in the nose, and George stumbled backwards, clutching his face with both hands. “Not again,” he moaned as the bandage began to turn red.
“Nicely done, Laura,” Joe said, his voice even and calm.
“I learned from you.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the Jurgen brothers. “If I ever see either of you around here again, it’s going to be the last time you make trouble for us. You understand me?”
George nodded hurriedly, his eyes wide as he stared at the rifle’s barrel, and he climbed into the wagon bed. Keith grimaced, still clutching his shoulder, and didn’t say a word, although he also boarded the wagon and plopped heavily onto the driver’s seat.
“You too,” Joe said, turning the rifle toward Hetty. “I ever see you again, you’re going to have trouble. Now let go of her and get on your way.”
Hetty only tightened her grip, and Laura cried out softly as her nails dug into her arm. “This girl is coming with us, freely and without your interference,” she said.
Joe snorted. “What makes you think my wife is going anywhere with you?”
Hetty simply smiled at him. “It’s so sweet, the life she thought she could have out here,” she said. “Very different from her old life, that’s for sure. Isn’t it, Laura?”
Laura kept quiet, but squirmed in Hetty’s grasp.
“She did tell you what she used to do, didn’t she?” Hetty said.
“She told me enough,” Joe said. “And it’s none of your business anyhow.”
“Actually, that’s precisely what it is. My business,” Hetty said. “You know, enough is such a funny word. Maybe I should tell you everything about your wife.”
Tears were rolling down Laura’s cheeks now, and she watched as they fell to the dirt.
“I don’t need to hear anything from you,” Joe said, and he raised the rifle to his shoulder, aiming it directly at Hetty. “Now get going.”
“Last chance, Laura,” Hetty whispered as she finally let go of her arm. “Come with me or I’ll tell him exactly what kind of woman you are. He’ll never have you, then.”
“Hetty, please don’t,” Laura sobbed. “I’m begging you.”
“Laura, don’t even talk to her,” Joe said. “You just come to me.”
Hetty leaned so close that Laura could feel her breath on her ear. “Come with me and I’ll let you go eventually. Go to him, and he’s going to get his heart broken, I promise.”
“Please, Hetty, you can’t do that,” Laura said.
“I will, believe me,” she said. “What a shame that would be. He seems like such a good man. And a good man would never have a woman like you if he knew the truth.”
Laura wiped the tears away and glanced from Hetty to Joe and back again. If she went back with Hetty, Joe would never forgive her—and with good reason. Yet if she refused, he would find out everything that she had tried to hide. He would never forgive her then either—also, with good reason.
My past and my present, she thought as she looked at the two of them. And no future to be found. The only thing I know is that if I go back to Omaha, it’s going to kill me.
She slowly walked toward Joe and stood by his side, staring at the dirt. “I’m sorry, Joe,” she said.
She heard Hetty snort, as if she weren’t truly surprised. Then Hetty cleared her throat and told Joe exactly what kind of woman his wife was, revealing every excruciating detail and spilling every horrid secret that Laura had hoped to take to her grave.