One Year Later

Ma and Pa sat rocking in their chairs on the porch, just as they did most nights after dinner when they didn’t have a traveler spend the night at their inn, the Streicher Haberdashery. Their lit kerosene lamps were a tiny speck in the vast open space around their cabin. The darkness surrounding them was so thick, leaving the property would be a foolish mistake, but the thought had crossed Ma’s mind many a nights. When she heard a familiar sound coming from upstairs, she immediately stood up and entered the cabin, sitting at the piano Thomas had bought Kate shortly after moving in. Ma didn’t know how to play, but she tapped the keys and stared at the fireplace, trying to drown out the sound. Pa, still rocking in his chair, smoked his pipe and drank bourbon from a tin, looking at the nothingness ahead, the smoke mixing with the visible cold air when he exhaled.

Winter was around the corner and it always brought more travelers seeking a warm shelter or a warm meal before continuing their journey across the Osage trail. Kate and Thomas had garnered a good reputation for the inn, with Kate even offering some medicinal services to the sick. It didn’t hurt that Kate’s beauty was common knowledge amongst the townspeople and one of the main attractions at the inn. Thomas grumbled whenever men would show up feigning illnesses just to get a glimpse of the beautiful healer and insisted on sleeping with a rifle at his side and a hunting knife under his pillow. He gained his own reputation as well and was referred to as “the German Osage” to those who knew them.

In the room upstairs, Kate was on her knees in bed with her palms pressed against either side of a small window in front of them as she quietly cried out with each thrust. Wanting Thomas’ length to fill her to the hilt, she leaned back against him as he moved in and out of her, wrapping one of her arms around his neck. Perfect. He kissed her shoulder and neck, whispering something crude in her ear that made her moan in delight. Thomas unwrapped one of his arms from around her waist and dropped his hand, finding her tiny bud and smiling when her breath hitched. He cupped her breast with his free hand, gently rubbing and pinching her nipple while plunging harder into her and waiting for that singular moment when he felt her sex clench all around him. The sound of his own thrusts slapping against her buttocks sent him over the edge and he let out a deep groan as Kate felt his warm release coat her insides. Nearing hers, she pressed both hands on the window and met each of his thrusts with one of her own until she felt the familiar burst of warm wetness and cried out. Feeling her whole body go limp, Thomas wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly as they both looked out the rippled, hand-blown glass window. He chuckled lightly when she touched the air bubbles on it.

“Still the four?” he asked jokingly.

“Mmhmm.”

She had a habit of counting them in the highly unlikely chance a new one would appear.

Taking one of his hands, she placed it over her stomach as their panting slowed down. Kate closed her eyes to prevent tears from forming and smiled when Thomas kissed the side of her head. He always knew when something was wrong.

“Don’t be sad, little one. We’ll keep trying.”

“What if we’re not meant to? What if we’re being punish—”

“Stop,” he whispered into her ear. “That’s just shit nosy people with darker secrets say to make themselves feel better. We’re not being punished, Kate. We’re just on a different path than others, is all. We’ll get to where we need to and you will have everything you want in due time. I swear on my life.”

Kate smiled through her tears and brought his hand up to her lips to kiss it. After her miscarriage that past summer, Ma told her God was punishing them for the atrocity they were committing and her words clawed through Kate and festered in her mind. Thomas forbade their mother from ever discussing their relationship with her after she fell into a deep depression. Regardless, they continued fucking as Kate couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. She loved him as both a husband and a brother and if she had her way, they would live as such, but the “sinful half” of their lives, as Ma called it, never left the room upstairs.

Thomas’ head was resting over Kate’s stomach when her eyes fluttered open as she abruptly emerged from a nightmare she couldn’t recall. Feeling a sense of peace and contentment, she stroked her brother’s head gently while he slept and listened to the sporadic drops of morning dew hitting the soggy earth outside.

A few minutes went by and Kate felt the urge to go to the privy. She blamed Thomas’ head pressing down on her bladder as she gently tried pushing him to the side. He was too heavy, so she pushed a little harder, causing him to stir and moan in objection. He lifted his head, still half asleep.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her in German.

“I have to pee,” she whispered and felt him chuckle against her as he rolled off of her. She got up and couldn’t find her chemise, so she ended up grabbing Thomas’ shirt hanging from the chair in their room and quietly went downstairs as she put it on. Ma was already awake and had prepared tea and coffee in anticipation of early morning customers as many people would be on the trail before sunrise. She was slicing a loaf of bread when she heard Kate come back inside and pointed to the cup of tea and one of coffee, doing a double take when she saw her attire.

“Danke,” replied Kate, avoiding her mother’s glare and turning around after grabbing the cups, the smell of sweet peppermint tea making her smile all the way up the stairs.

Thomas was awake and sitting up in bed with his back resting against the wall. He scratched his full beard as he yawned and smiled at seeing Kate wearing his shirt, holding up the chemise he removed and tossed across the room the night before.

She groaned and handed him both cups while she took off his shirt to put on the undergarment.

“You’re such a brute.”

Thomas’ smirk disappeared as he took her in slowly, the delicate material sliding down her arms and momentarily piling above her swollen breasts before cascading down her body. The mesmerizing moment caused him to take a sip from the wrong cup and broke his concentration.

“Sheisse!” The taste of mint made him grimace. “I don’t know how you drink that shit.”

Kate chuckled and sat down facing him, taking her tea.

“It’s good!”

“It’s too sweet and I think it’s making you fat. Your belly looks bigger,” he said nonchalantly as he took a sip of coffee, stopping when he watched Kate’s eyes widen to the point he thought they might fall out of her skull.

“Du bastard!” She tried storming off, but Thomas grabbed her arm and held on to it as she tried slapping it away, even taking a sip of his coffee as she struggled, spilling some of her tea on the bed. He calmly leaned over and put his cup on the floor, doing the same with hers while she continued to hurl insults at him.

“Let me go! I hate you!”

In one swift movement, Thomas laid her down and got on top, pinning both her arms above her head as she turned her face away, refusing to look at him. Still holding her arms in place, he used his free hand to turn her face to his and their eyes met.

“Tell me you hate me again.” His voice and expression both softened and Kate, recognizing the signs, decided to torment him for a bit.

“I. Hate. You. And I’m going to marry William Bartlett. He wouldn’t mind a little meat on these bones. I think he’d rather enjoy biting Mrs. Bartlett’s fat ass, night after night.”

Checkmate. She felt his entire body stiffen at hearing that name. William Bartlett was a young local man whose crush on Kate was as well-known as his reputation for seducing all the pretty young things in town. Being the most eligible bachelor in Cherryvale only added to Thomas’ dislike of him. He was set to inherit a large estate from his elderly father, who could pass any day, and the fact that Kate was unfazed by this only made his pursuit of her more aggressive. She watched a muscle in Thomas’ jaw twitch as the anger and jealousy tore through his insides. Still on top, he rested his chin on her stomach and held her down as he gazed at her like a wounded puppy.

“I’d cut out his entrails if you did that,” he said softly before lifting her chemise and planting a kiss on her bare belly. “And then I’d kill you.” His eyes turned a shade darker and Kate watched him plant another kiss lower on her stomach. She felt the moisture between her legs building and closed her eyes as she listened to his deep voice.

“And after that, I’d kill myself.”

She moaned when his fingers found her opening and her breath shook when he sought her sensitive spot. Thomas moved over her and Kate opened her eyes, feeling the hardness between his legs and needing to feel it inside of her.

“Because I love you more than anything.”

She drew in a long breath and dug her fingertips into his shoulders when she felt his tip slide in.

“And I won’t live without you,” he said in a gruff voice as he pushed himself all the way inside of her.

“I love you, brother. I love you so much, I could never be anyone else’s but yours.”

Her words gave him the fuel he needed and he quickened his pace, fucking her like she was his. Because she was. He sought out her sensitive nub with his fingers as he continued to thrust, making her body jerk and spasm with the overwhelming stimulation.

“Thomas,” she whimpered before an explosive orgasm rippled through her, causing her muscles to clench around Thomas’ length. A deep, husky sound sundered from him as he climaxed and thrust until there was nothing left. His massive body crashed onto hers, stifling Kate, but she clung to him as hard as she could, not wanting to ever let go.

Out of breath and spent, he raised his head and gazed at his sister, her eyes mirroring what he felt for her. She could never be happy with someone as normal as William Bartlett and that was enough to expel the jealousy Thomas had just experienced. Their fate was sealed, and their bond was as unbridled as it was twisted.

When the little cowbell on the door downstairs suddenly went off and they heard voices, Thomas leaned in and kissed her before effortlessly turning her over on her stomach and biting one of her butt cheeks. Kate cried out in shock and rubbed the area as they quickly got up and finished getting dressed, rushing down the stairs to greet the day’s first customer.

“William Bartlett! Good morning!” said Kate, turning back to flash Thomas a lopsided grin as she walked over to greet their guest.

Thomas paused mid-staircase and cursed under his breath before running his hand all the way down his face and pulling on his beard hair. Kate basically heard his eyes rolling.

“Miss Kate, good morning,” replied the dashing young man, removing his hat and revealing his perfectly coiffed dark blond hair. “You look positively radiant today.”

She smiled when William kissed her hand and saw Thomas out of the corner of her eye. He was tying his hair back and cleared his throat loudly.

William’s crystal blue eyes shifted from Kate to Thomas and he greeted him with a forced smile, extending his hand.

“Oh! Where are my manners? Good morning, Thomas, I apologize. I didn’t see you standing there.”

Yes, he did. Regardless, Thomas was used to going unnoticed when Kate was around. He stared at William for a moment before shaking his hand and grunting hello. Pa, who was working on the stable, swung the back door open and yelled for Thomas’ help, who followed his request with a string of profanities in German.

He walked up to Ma and grabbed a piece of bread before heading outside.

“Breakfast will be ready in ten,” she said to Kate, who was tying her apron around her waist and forwarded the news in English to William.

“Thank you, Miss Kate, I always look forward to your mother’s bauernfrühstück.”

Kate stopped what she was doing to gape at William. “Someone’s been practicing their German. I’m impressed. Your accent’s improved. Sit down.” She pointed to one of the chairs in the dining room and rolled her eyes when he wasn’t looking. “I’ll get you your coffee.”

The cowbell went off again and a couple of people walked in, officially starting the Streicher women’s day.

Kate set plates of Ma’s farmer’s breakfast casserole in front of William and an older couple on their way to Baxter Springs. As she took two plates out back for Thomas and Pa, she experienced an abdominal cramp that left her frozen in place. She knelt on the porch and put the plates down, covering her stomach with both hands as the pain slowly dissipated. Having helped Doctor Ford on numerous occasions, she couldn’t believe she had mistaken early pregnancy bleeding for menstruation. Thomas was right in his observation of her growing belly; Kate was with child.

The cramps continued for most of the day, but Kate didn’t say anything in hopes that it would pass. It felt nothing like the miscarriage she previously experienced, so she did her best to ignore the symptoms.

“Are you all right?” whispered Thomas that evening as Ma dispatched the last customer of the day.

Kate nodded and feigned a smile when he cupped her cheek; a million questions were going through her head with the most prominent one being the health of the baby. She was completely numb and everything around her suddenly became background noise.

“I’m fine. I have to go get the vegetables. I’ll be right back,” she replied as she headed to the root cellar. The moment she climbed down the ladder, the cramps came with a vengeance.

“No, please. Not again,” she whispered as the tears stinging her eyes spilled out. Her knees hit the dirt floor and she wrapped her arms around her stomach, doubling over in pain when she felt a warm liquid trickling down her legs. Thinking she had peed on herself, she lifted her skirt and her mouth dropped open, but before she had time to react, another wave of cramps swept through her. When the realization of what had happened hit, it was as if time had stopped. The scream building deep within her tried to force its way out of her mouth, but she couldn’t make a sound. Kate quietly kept repeating Thomas’ name, hoping he would hear her, but she was underground and the cellar was located on the side of the cabin. Feeling something abnormal in her drawers, she managed to pull them off and saw tissue.

Thomas walked outside to replenish the horse trough when he heard a piercing scream, immediately yelling Kate’s name and running to the cellar, but nothing could have prepare him for the scene he stepped into. Screaming for Pa and Ma, he knelt by Kate and carried her in his arms, noticing the clear sac and its content lying in a pool of blood. Their parents rushed out of the cabin and Pa helped Thomas carry her up the ladder. A catatonic Kate heard her brother’s voice but couldn’t make out the words as he carried her to the bed by the storefront. Pa rushed to the well in the back to fetch some water while Ma grabbed all the cloths she could find. Thomas lay next to Kate and brushed the hair away from her face, telling her over and over that everything was going to be fine.

“Thomas?” she whispered, staring at the ceiling as the stream of tears flowed out.

“Yes, Katarina.”

“Our baby is dead.”

“Yes, my love.”