Cole's Redemption (Love Amongst the Pines) (16 page)

             
She only managed a nod.

             
He rose off her for a second and, before she knew what was happening, he began peppering her face and jaw with small, darting kisses. Next, he teased her senses by nibbling at her neck, tenderizing her flesh down the length of her chest with small bites here and there, each one awakening a new height of arousal. She drew in a sharp breath when his mouth took in first one breast, and then the other, intermittently teasing each suckling kiss. Several times, he moved back and forth, worrying his tongue over the sensitive areas of her raised skin. It was as if she was a meal, and he was preparing to feast. Barely able to stand his ministrations, she thrashed helplessly.
             
             

Certain she could take no more, she roughly pushed him away, breathing hard and
wanting
nothing more than to flee this unwieldy beast she had aroused.

             
Cole was not to be denied, and he simply changed his venue of attack. Without a word, he lowered his approach, sliding his mouth down her belly and into the triangle of hair below her pubic bone. Plunging deep into her private place, he began caressing her in the most intimate way imaginable.
Kissing her and fondling her with his mouth, bringing forth new and tantalizing sensations with each assault.

             
Startled, she tried to pull away. His hands held her firm and, before long, he had melted her into nothing but a bundle of raw nerves. She cried and moaned. She begged him to stop and not to stop all at the same time. Just when she thought she could take it no more, he made a final thrust with his tongue, and she shattered into a thousand pieces, the powerful spasms rocking her body and stealing all of her senses at once.

             
When her treacherous flesh had finished, she
lay
quivering and breathing hard. She looked up and saw him hovering just over her.

             
"Natty," his voice was strained, the tenor of his breathing matching her own. "I need to enter you soon. It's going to hurt, but only this once, I promise."

             
She nodded; she drew in a shaky breath, preparing herself for his touch. He looked like a conquering angel descended from the heavens. Around them, the afternoon sun faded, casting its golden light into the small cabin. Suddenly, she realized she could deny him nothing.

             
"I want you inside me." Her voice came out as little more than a strangled whisper.

             
"I hope you won't be sorry later." He barely breathed as he sat up, tugging the damp long johns. In less than a moment, they were pulled down past his hips. He settled on top of her, once again. Placing his right hand to his mouth, he used his teeth to tear away the damp bandages. The splints on his fingers remained, but his fingertips were free. Then, leaning heavily on one arm, he used his other hand to separate her womanhood. Rocking forward, he began to push himself inside of her.

             
He moved back and forth, each time pushing a little harder. As the pressure increased, Natty felt as if he might split her in two. She tried to bite her lip, to not pull away, thinking surely this couldn't get any worse. And then, it did.

             
He shoved forward breaking through the last of her barriers. Natty screamed, struggling to push him away. It was too late for that, and she could do nothing as he entered her fully once and for all with a final thrust.

             
She thought she would break in half, but once he was fully inside, the hurting stopped. It was just
him
. All of him, and she felt a new sensation as he began to move inside her. As the fire of their coupling began to build, her muscles tightened around his. Before she knew it, her passion flared. She felt him tighten inside of her, and for a split second she thought he might pull away, so she wrapped her legs around him and thrust herself upward. His body became stone as blessed release broke upon them. The spasms of her body grew harsher still, until she was certain she could take no more. The final tightening of her muscles around him came, and the two of them fell helplessly into bliss.

             
When Natty finally returned to herself, she was looking up into the face of her lover. Cole had eased himself off of her to lie on his side, his broken hands holding onto her face. She felt hot drops of liquid splattering on her face and suddenly realized that he was crying,

             
"Cole, what's wrong?"

             
He didn't speak to her for a moment, as if there were no words left to convey his feelings. She saw the struggle ride across his features, and then he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he spoke in a soft, ragged voice.

             
"You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

             
"Oh, Cole, you don't have to say that," she started, suddenly embarrassed and sore. She tried to turn away, but he wouldn't let her.

             
"No. You are. And, I don't deserve you. But for all of me, I can't help but love you. In fact, I love every inch and every ounce of you, Natalie Lane!"

             
"And, I love you, Cole. Now and forever." ~*~

             
The stagecoach pulled into Calvin City, South Dakota, about noon. Miriam was overjoyed to see something besides empty plains and dusty roads. She would have paid cash money to see so much as an outhouse. Of course, Calvin City, with its ratty buildings needing paint and broken fences surrounding overgrown yards, wasn't much more picturesque than an outhouse. But it was a sign of civilization just the same.

             
When the carriage pulled to a stop, Miriam was the first to disembark. She quickly scanned the street until she saw it. The Sheriff's office and jail, two equally rickety buildings standing side by side. Miriam tried to beat down the feelings of fear, telling herself this would be one step closer to finding Cole.

             
"Can I buy you a cordial, Ma'am?" Wesley Greene asked behind her.

             
"No thank you, Mr. Greene. I have some business to attend to. I appreciate the offer."

             
"We're going to be in town for the afternoon. If you change your mind, please let me know."

             
"Thank you," Miriam went to turn around, but Greene reached out his hand and lightly grasped her arm. She turned back at him, her temper on edge and ready to snap.

             
"I just wanted to give you a word of warning.
There's
plenty of bounty men that might be looking to make a dollar or two bringing that boy in. I'd be careful about who I talked to."

             
"Are you a bounty hunter, Mr. Greene?"

             
"I am a father, Mrs.
Remmington
, and a concerned citizen. Nothing more."

             
With that, he let go of her arm and tipping his hat, turned and strode toward the saloon on the far end of the street.

             
"I swear, Mrs.
Remmington
, I decidedly do not like that man."
Melly
stated beside her.

             
"Neither do I. But, since he's going to be our stage partner for an undetermined time, we have no choice but to tolerate him. The last
thing we need now,
Melly
, are
enemies."

             
Dismissing her thoughts of Wesley Greene, Miriam turned back towards the Sheriff's office.

             
"Right now, I'm going to see if there's any news of Cole. You go on to the stage office, and see if there is someplace we might settle for the afternoon. I could die for a change of clothes and a chance to brush my hair."

             
"Yes, Ma'am."
Melly
picked up her own over loaded sewing bag, and crossed the street. Miriam watched until her maid was safely across then set out on her own errand.

             
Opening the door, Miriam saw that the law office was pretty much the same as the other ten jails she had visited on her trip westward. A dusty, dingy place, it smelled of strong cigars, old coffee, and male sweat.

             
Crinkling her nose, she scanned the small office. At the far end, two men sat pouring over a deck of cards with a pile of coins strewn out between them. One, an older man, wore a faded blue shirt with a silver star pinned to his left front pocket. The other wore a dirty white shirt, the stains of at least a week's meals visible.

             
"Excuse me, Gentlemen," Miriam said as she stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her. "Would either of you be Sheriff Donnelly?"

             
Neither looked up immediately, but the man with the star, waved his hand. It was clear there was nothing short of a public disturbance that would interrupt his card game.

             
"I am. How can I help you?"

             
"I need to inquire about a man listed on a wanted poster." She boldly stepped forward, and pulling the paper from her reticule, slapped it down on the desk between the card players.

             
Only then, did
Donelly
look up. "You a bounty hunter, Miss?"

             
"No, I'm not. One of the men listed here is my son. I need to know if you've heard any news of his whereabouts. I was told at our last stop that he was seen here about six weeks ago. Have you any new information?"

             
The man looked up at her, narrowing his eyes as he examined her from head to foot. "You
ain't
from around here, are you?"

             
"No. I'm from Boston. I've been traveling almost two months, and I am desperate to locate my son."

             
"I can't rightly say. We don't get much news these days. But I'll tell
ya
what I know. Here, Billy, get up and get the lady a cup of coffee." He stood up, cleared the table of the cards and coins, and motioned for her to sit down.

             
Miriam's knees went to water. "It's bad news, isn't it?" "I can't say as I know one way or the other, Ma'am." Billy sat the cup down in front of her, but she couldn't summon the strength to even think about accepting their kindness.

             
"What do you know, sir?"

             
"There was a fella captured north of here in a town called 'Whispering Pines.' Some gunslinger that shot a man in a

saloon
there. About a week later, he had a trial, and then we got the news of a hanging.

             
"Oh God," Miriam barely breathed. "He's dead!"

             
The sheriff reached across the desk and took her hands to steady them.

             
"Not exactly. The story I got was the man was saved by a young woman who bought his sentence."

             
"I don't understand?"

             
"Out here in the wilds, life's a bit hard. Men die easy, and women are left without any recompense. They have a law that can save a man from hanging if a
woman'll
buy his sentence. To avoid execution, the fella has to marry her and work her property. The girl from Pines inherited a silver mine, and the judge let her save the condemned man."

             
"And, you think it might be my son?"

             
"Well, some drovers came to town last night, just a
talkin
' up a storm about this '
hangin
' bride.' They said the town's
puttin
' on a Church wedding for them, and that there's stories about them all up and down these hills. I hope that boy is your son."

             
"So do I." She stood slowly, her feet still wobbly. She was determined to press on. "Thank you so much for your help."

             
"You're welcome." He turned to the other man, "Billy, accompany this lady down to the stage office."

             
Miriam barely noticed the walk back down the street. Her
mind was spinning with hope that her son was still alive, and despair
that he might be lying in an unmarked grave thousands of miles from home. The entire journey Miriam tried to prepare for the worst. She only knew one thing for certain. Until she had tangible proof of his death, she was not going to give up.

             
From his vantage point of looking out the
saloon's
only window, Greene watched the couple walk back to the stage office. He waited patiently, not moving until he saw the woman disappear inside. Swallowing the last of his warm beer, he set the mug down and threw a nickel on the table. He left the tavern and walked out to stand in the glaring afternoon sun.