Authors: Ginger Simpson
She slowed Chessie to a walk and looked up and down the path
to make sure no one was around. So far, her gunfire had gone unnoticed, and she
wanted to keep it that way. She hadn’t run into the Bryant boys, but that
didn’t mean they weren’t up to no good, especially Jeb. Now that she
practically knew he was responsible for the pot shot aimed in her direction,
she felt strangely secure.
Surely, he wasn’t dumb enough to try the same thing again,
especially with the finger of blame pointing at him, and so many men patrolling
Fountainhead.
She supposed she should be frightened to be out and about by
herself, but it’d be a snowy day in Hades when the likes of Jeb Bryant kept her
housebound. Besides, he was one of the reasons she practiced shooting anyhow.
Chessie’s clop, clop, clop echoed in the eerie stillness and
sent a shiver through Ellie. If she believed in ghosts, the old, deserted mine
would be a great hideout for them, but luckily, she didn’t hold much stock in
the spirit world. Still, the desolation made the back of her neck bristle. She
reached behind and patted the side of her saddlebag where her newfound security
bulged. Funny how a gun made a person feel safe.
At the mouth of the mine, she dismounted and tied Chessie’s
reins to a nearby tree. She buckled on her holster and loaded her gun. Power
surged through her. Something about carrying a weapon made her feel in control.
She chided herself for such a silly notion, but chuckled. Wearing a sidearm
probably accounted for the cocky walk of most cowboys.
Ellie pulled a makeshift target from the other side of her
saddlebag. It wasn’t very big, even when she unfolded it, but the circles she’d
drawn on it were more distinct than the floral-patterned material she’d
previously used. The busy print had made it hard to determine the hits and
misses. Today would show whether her accuracy had improved as much as she
believed.
She spied a small twig protruding from a tree trunk, punched
it through her paper bull’s-eye then backed up twenty paces.
Ty’s teasing words echoed in her mind, and she laughed. She
must’ve looked pretty ridiculous with her hand forming a make-believe gun. What
would he think if he knew she had a real one, and knew how to use it?
She withdrew her Smith & Wesson and rubbed her hand
along its length. Her new revolver was sure different than the old rifle she’d
used to shoot cans off the corral railing in her younger days. Back then, you
could take all day to pull the trigger and not worry about something shooting
back at you.
Ellie took careful aim at the target and squeezed the
trigger. Chessie nervously danced at the noise but settled after one or two
rounds. "It's all right girl. I'm just practicin'."
After hitting only one ring away from center, she fired
again, then again and again. Each bullet hole moved closer to the middle, but
didn't quite make it. She gnashed her teeth in frustration.
Maybe she was trying too hard. Perhaps a change in strategy
might help. She decided to attempt some quick draws and holstered her weapon.
With legs slightly apart and feeling balanced, Ellie’s hand hovered over the
twenty-two. Her gaze fixed on the target. She took a deep breath then yanked
the weapon clear of leather and held it mid-air. At that exact second, a bullet
whizzed by her ear, hitting the bull’s-eye dead center.
Ellie’s head whipped around in the direction of the gunshot,
her arm followed. Her weapon pointed directly at Jeb Bryant, astride his horse
and holstering his sidearm. A cocky smile played across his face. “That’s how
you do it, Miz Fountain.”
Her heart thundered beneath her shirt. The sight of him
sickened her. How she hated his condescending attitude.
Not yet ready for a confrontation, she lowered her weapon.
Finally, she managed to find her voice. “What are you doing here?”
There was an evil twang to his chuckle. He sobered and
leaned forward, an arm resting on his saddle horn. “I could ask you the same
thing? Aren’t you a little far from Fountainhead?”
“This is public land, and I don’t think what I’m doing is
any of your business.”
Jeb’s lips thinned. He stood in the stirrups then
dismounted.
Ellie’s breath caught in her throat. He’d already humiliated
her, why didn’t he just ride on? She grasped her weapon tightly, keeping it
aimed at the ground but ready to use.
Jeb closed the distance between them. He stopped
uncomfortably close and leered down at her. “You know, I’ve never liked a sassy
woman.”
Despite the knot in the pit of her stomach, she squared her
shoulders and returned his stare. “I’m sorry to hear that. I suggest if you
don’t like me, then stay away.”
Brave words from a body whose
insides quivered.
His large hand snaked out and cupped her chin. He bent
slightly, allowing his fetid alcohol breath to wash over her before his lips
curled into a feral smile. His fingers held her face straight and his voice
became a whisper. “A woman like you needs to be green-broke—tamed just enough
to leave a little wild streak. I aim to be the one to do it. You best be nice
to me cuz my brother ain’t here to save you this time.”
No, but she had something just as effective. Ellie yanked
free of his grasp and leveled her gun at his midsection. “Get your hands off
me. I might have missed the bull’s-eye at twenty paces, but I’m betting I could
hit the mark at this range.”
Jeb’s eyes widened. He took two steps back and raised his
hands. “Whoa! I was just havin’ a little fun with ya.”
“I don’t consider being man-handled fun.” She glared at him.
A twig snapped behind her. She wrenched her head around,
taking her eyes off Jeb long enough for him to grab her gun and pull her into
his arms. She struggled to free herself, but the more she fought, the tighter
his grasp.
“I guess I should thank your horse for distractin’ you.
There ain’t
nobody
here but you and me.”
Horrible pictures flashed through Ellie’s mind. What a fool
she was to think he posed no threat to her. Her strength was no match for
Jeb’s, and now he held her gun. She fought the welling panic and tried to stay
focused.
“You know, if anything happens to me, you’re going to be the
first person my Pa and his men come after. You’d better let me go.” She prayed
her words would scare him enough to do just that.
Jeb’s arm tightened, making it hard for Ellie to breathe.
Her threat apparently made him angrier as his lips disappeared into a thin
line. “I ain’t scared of your Pa. I could kill you and hide your body in that
there mineshaft if I was a mind to. The animals would have your bones picked
clean by the time anyone found you. Lucky for you I’m in a charitable mood
today.”
The thought of creatures rending her flesh sickened her. She
had to think of a way out of this mess. If she could keep him talking, maybe
she’d concoct a plan. “Well what do you want, if not to kill me?” Immediately
she wanted to kick herself for asking such a stupid question. She’d seen that
hungry look in his eyes one too many times. She tried a different approach. “I
promise, if you let me go I won’t tell anyone about this.”
He released her revolver, letting it thud to the ground, and
moved his hand to boldly cup her breast. His eyes locked with hers. “Just let
this be a warning to you,” he muttered. “My Pa’s gonna make an offer on
Fountainhead, and it’s in your best interest to convince your Pa to sell. The
next time you and I meet, I might not be so nice.”
She turned her face away, eyeing her gun and wishing she
could reach it. How dare Jeb take liberties with her body? She had to do
something. Struggling, she managed to turn within his grasp and kick, bringing
her right boot hard into his shin.
“Damn
you,
bitch,” he yelled,
shoving her to the ground.
Ellie fell to her knees. Her hat flew off, and her hair
spilled over her face. She quickly pushed her wayward locks back and warily
glanced up. Now that she’d taunted the wasp, would he sting her?
Jeb bent and rubbed his leg, then without a word, limped
over and mounted his horse. To her surprise, once in the saddle, he doffed his
hat. “Nice seeing you, Miz Fountain. You can be sure if we meet again, I’ll not
be the gentleman I’ve been today. I have plans for you and me, and soon.” His
veiled threat came through much louder than his phony attempt at courtesy.
Her stomach roiled. He had plans? There was no way in hell
she’d involve herself with him in anything, but this was neither the time nor
place to further engage him. Angry words bubbled, waiting to be hurled at Jeb.
Instead Ellie bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood.
Just let him ride away.
For once, she listened to her sensible side. When she no
longer heard hoof beats, she crawled the short distance to where her Smith
& Wesson lay. Her hands shook as she clutched the cold metal to her chest.
She glared down the empty path, her hatred for Jeb Bryant running through her
like a fever. “You’ll never get Fountainhead as long as I’m alive…or touch me
again.”
Chapter Five
Ellie stood and holstered her weapon. Her stomach knotted.
She waited a few moments to make sure Jeb didn’t return, then stood and brushed
the dried leaves and grass from her clothing.
Shaken by
the realization of what had just happened, she swallowed hard and battled
tears. Things could have turned ugly. The perfect circle in the middle of her
target served as a grim reminder of his expert marksmanship. She shivered. That
day at Fountainhead, he could have killed her, if that had been his intent.
She wiped at her shirt, trying to erase the feel of his
hands, especially the brazen manner in which he grabbed her breast. Just his
mere touch made her want to bathe.
The realization of her encounter turned her knees to jelly.
She steadied herself against a tree and waited for the weakness to pass. How
dare Jeb man-handle her. How dare he threaten her in any way?
She pondered Ty’s reaction if she confided in him and shook
her head.
Why tell him at all? He’d been hired as the ranch foreman,
not her personal guard. Sharing the incident would be like giving a nod of
approval to butt into her business. Besides, if Jeb hadn’t taken her by
surprise, she could have easily handled the situation. Or could she?
She knuckled away a tear and scolded herself for being such
a baby.
After a composing deep breath, Ellie crossed to the target.
Jeb’s dead-on hit amid her errant shots mocked her. She ripped the paper
bull’s-eye from the tree, crinkled it into a ball and tossed it into the
bushes. If only it was his face. God, she hated him so much it hurt. The mental
image of his cocky smirk made her jaw go rigid.
Ellie started to unbuckle her holster, but thought better of
it. Maybe she’d leave it on until she got closer to home.
Humph! You had it in your hand and he still...
But it wasn’t her fault he crept up on her. Heck, it could
have happened to anybody. She’d have to be more careful from now on.
She mounted Chessie, wondering how to warn her father about
the Bryants’ planned offer on Fountainhead. Pa already knew they wanted to grab
as much land as they could, and he had no intention of selling it to them or
anyone else. Still, he needed to know what those dirty polecats had in mind.
Something underhanded, she’d bet. A shiver passed through
her as Jeb’s words rang in her ears…“a plan for you”.
If she told the whole truth, she could start a range war on
her own. If Pa so much as thought Jeb laid hands on her, Jeb would be on the
receiving end of hot lead. It was a pleasing image, but still a dilemma. Pa
could get hurt, too.
On the ride home, Ellie decided against mentioning anything
that had transpired. She’d handle Jeb in her own way. She just had to decide
what that was. If only Jeb was more like his brother.
How could two people who looked so much alike be so
different? Like the same breed of horses, she reckoned; one with a mean streak
and one easily tamed.
Although she rode at a good clip, she kept a nervous watch
over her shoulder. The big “F” finally appeared on the horizon and she heaved a
relieving sigh. She reined Chessie off the path, removed her gun, wrapped the
holster around it and stuffed both in her saddlebag. With her secret hidden, she
nudged Chessie into a gallop.
A hot bath, tasty supper and a good night’s sleep was what
Ellie needed. She waved to the guard sitting on the fence rail, figuring she’d
worry about the Bryants tomorrow.
Ty walked out of the barn as Ellie entered the compound. He
had the most bothersome timing. She grimaced, hoping not to be interrogated
about her daily activities.
The rising desire to run and tell him all about Jeb’s
inappropriate behavior became overwhelming. She craved having Ty hold her and
tell her everything was all right, but she fought the urge.
Her mind boggled at such strange notions. Why the sudden
need to have him involved in her business? Maybe she wanted to feel the comfort
she imagined those muscular arms could provide
She expelled a rush of air through pursed lips. God, he was
good-looking. Why did he make her feel so… so…womanly?
Ellie gave a brief nod as she rode into the barn. Hopefully,
he would go on into the house so she could stow her weapon back in its hiding
place.
She dismounted and began to unsaddle Chessie. Her heart
still raced and she wasn’t sure of the cause.
“You were gone for quite a while.” Ty’s voice broke the
silence.
“Uh huh,” she
answered, staying focused on the task at hand. The timbre of his voice
threatened to distract her.
“Did you have a nice time?”