Once in a Blue Moon (44 page)

A brief picture of the
crazy man on the television flitted through her head. He’d lived
with Indians. Had she been kidnapped by Indians?

Fighting to restrain
the hysteria advancing close to the surface, Melissa bit her lip,
hoping the pain would bring her out of the fearful paralysis
gripping her.

She felt herself being
carried up stairs, heard the hard slap of boots hitting wood; a
jingle of spurs. Not Indians then? Cowboys? A door was opened, she
was carried inside, and swung around as the door was shut
again.

She fought to retain
consciousness. “Please,” she begged, gasped, “I can’t breathe!”

She
was laid, stomach first, on something soft. A bed? Was she going to
be assaulted? “
Nooooo
!” Terror kicked into overdrive and she started to struggle,
to scream and kick.

Her legs were grasped
and straddled, effectively trapping her.

She started to cry.

A deep voice crooned to
her as the wet sack was wrestled up to her waist, and her hands
were grasped and tied behind her back.

Sobbing, pleading, she
was tugged into sitting position, and the sack was jerked off her
head.

Disoriented, it took
her a moment to realize she was sitting on a couch and that the
hulking demon grinning down at her was Curly Jenkins.

“Mr. Jenkins?” She
stared up at him in shock.

A big cheese-eating
grin widened his lips. “Welcome home, darlin’.”

Melissa was in shock.
“Mr. Jenkins! What do you think you’re doing? What’s going on
here?”

Curly Jenkins slapped a
meaty paw to his leg and laughed, his handsome face excited. “Can
you believe it? No one even saw! I just snatched you, and your
so-called husband didn’t even notice! Not much of a man, is
he?”

Large and muscular,
water dripping from his dark curls, his dancing eyes invited her to
share the joke.

Melissa’s fear started
to recede, and her heartbeat slowed. “Mr. Jenkins. Why have you
kidnapped me?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand any of
this.”

Some of Curly’s
amusement faded, and he threw her a look of reproach as he sat on
the chair across from her, his big hands clasped in front of him.
“Come on now, darlin’. ‘Kidnapped’ isn’t a very nice word. The way
I see it, I’m savin’ you from a life of poverty.”

Her
brows drew together. “
What
?”

He
didn’t look crazy, he looked sincere. “Your husband wasn’t takin’
good enough care of you. He had you living in a shack, workin’ like
a dog and dressin’ like a scrub woman.
And
he had you out in the rain
tonight.”

He spread his hands for
emphasis. “He can’t appreciate a fine, high-strung woman like
yourself, so I’m taking over his job.” He grinned, very pleased
with himself, and awaited her reaction.

Melissa scowled and her face heated. The guy
was
crazy! She had no
intention of being separated from her loved ones, or of missing out
on going home because of this buffoon! Her temper exploded.
“
You
are
the
biggest
idiot
I have
ever
seen
in my entire life.” She attempted a swift kick, but missed and
barely kept from falling off the couch.

“I
have absolutely
no
interest in you whatsoever! I have
never
expressed an interest in you,
and I
will
never
express an interest in you.” She tugged at the ropes binding her
wrists, but they held firm. “Why are you doing this?”

“Temper, temper.”
Amusement creased Curly’s eyelids as he stood and came close to
tower over her. “The way I see it--”

Melissa tried to kick him again. “
Kidnapper
!
Creep
--”

Curly jumped back with
a laugh.

Melissa lost her balance, fell off the couch and landed hard
on her knees, a soft, expensive rug cushioning the fall. “Untie
these ropes,
right now
!” She struggled against the rope, wrenching her body back
and forth. “Take me back and put me where you found me!
I hate you
!”

“Now hold on there.”
Curly’s amusement faded and he grabbed her up, set her on her feet,
hugged her to him, and untied her wrists.

She tried to kick him
again and this time made contact with his boot, but they were too
close together and the kick had no power to it.

When her arms were free
he didn’t give her a chance to take advantage of that fact and
wrestled her into the heavy chair he’d vacated, grabbed a length of
rope and half-knelt on her as he tied her to the chair. “You’ll do
what I say, and I say you’re staying here.”

Enraged, Melissa tried
to buck away from the chair, from him, but he was too strong. “I’ll
murder you in your sleep the first chance I get if you don’t let me
go! Then I’ll kill your horse, poison your wells, and burn down
your house!”

Curly finished tying
her arms and legs, stood, and chuckled. “If I’m dead, then I guess
I won’t care much, will I?”

Melissa screamed in
temper and fought the ropes but gained little ground, simply
chafing her wrists and ankles for her efforts. The chair was
sturdy, and the guy knew how to tie a knot.

Curly stood in front of
her with his arms crossed, a patient expression on his face.

Melissa calmed and, as
her breathing regulated, realized it was quiet. Too quiet. She
looked at him. “It’s stopped raining.”

“So
it has.” He sounded disinterested. “All right, now listen up.
Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to let you think about
your
improved situation
for a while. I want you to take a good look
around.” Curly gestured about the room.

Melissa glanced around
the beautifully decorated parlor. It reeked of money and put the
widow’s to shame.

“All this can be yours.
I’m a rich man. I have a lot to offer a woman like you. Marriage, a
beautiful home, fine clothes, jewelry, servants, good food. We
could travel if you like. And I could give you more children if
that’s your inclination.” He grinned. “It would be my
pleasure.”

Reminded of her
children, Melissa bucked in the chair. “I hate you! I despise you!
I want my family! Let me go!”

A look of impatience
marred his face, but he gently laid a quilt across her lap and
tucked it around her shoulders. He touched her cheek.

She jerked away.

He
took a swift breath and straightened. “I’ll just leave you to think
about your
vastly
improved situation for a while.” He extinguished both
lanterns set in the wall. “In the dark.”

Melissa rolled her eyes
at the childish punishment. “Oh, I’m so scared.”

“We can talk in the
morning. Try and get some sleep.” He bent over and kissed the top
of her head.

She cringed away.

He sighed. “Melissa, I
have a lot to offer you. Think about it while I’m gone. Good
night.” Curly went out the front door and shut it behind him.

“
Good riddance
!” Melissa screamed after him.

Panic
quickly bloomed in her chest. He couldn’t leave her. He had to let
her go first. “
Wait! Come back! Don’t
leave! Please don’t leave! I’m sorry! Let’s talk! Just come
back!”

Nothing.

She
sucked in air. “
Please! I’m freezing! My
wrists hurt and I’m afraid of the dark! I need a change of clothes!
I need to use the outhouse! You’re right! I want to stay with you!
Please, come back
!”

Out of breath, she
sagged on the chair and watched the darkened doorway. Nothing
happened. She’d left it too late. He hadn’t even heard.

Five minutes passed as
she listened for any sound other than the ticking of the clock in
the room.

She
squirmed, her wet clothes warming under the quilt, but sticking to
her. She glanced around, barely able to make out the furniture in
the room. Perhaps Curly’s punishment wasn’t so childish after all.
Being alone and trapped in an unfamiliar house actually
was
kind of
spooky.
Especially
tied to a chair in the dark. It smelled of tobacco, burnt
wood, beeswax and kerosene.

She noticed a weak
flutter of light shining on the lace curtain, and hope filled her
as she willed Curly to come back with a change of heart and release
her. The light faded and it took a moment to realize it had been
moonlight shining on the curtain.

Shock widened her eyes
and she held her breath. The light came again, weak, but definitely
there.

Panicked, she fought
the chair again, but the rope held firm.

Horror kept her gaze
riveted on the now dark curtain and she realized that she was
really trapped here until morning. That her family had to be
looking for her. How would they be able to all get home
together?

Weak
light landed on the curtain again and she bucked, trying to scoot
the heavy chair to the window. The chair rucked up the carpet, but
barely moved. She took a deep breath. “
Curly
!” she yelled as loud as she
could. “
Please, Curly, come
back
!”

She waited, listened,
her ears ringing with the silence.

Again, nothing.

She started to shake.
That was it. It was over. It was really over.

She watched the
moonlight hit the curtain again, brighter this time, and tears
filled her eyes. She bowed her head and sobbed.

* * *

Richard scanned the
darkness beyond the lantern’s glow for what felt like the hundredth
time. Jessica sat in the long, wet grass at his feet, and Jeremy
stood a couple of yards away, always in Richard’s line of sight. He
wasn’t losing anyone else. They’d do this together, or not at
all.

He blew out a breath
and acknowledged that with Melissa gone, staying here was no longer
an option. They had to get back as well. Their family couldn’t stay
separated.

His
gaze continued to search and he couldn’t push back the feeling that
he’d missed something. The moon hadn’t been out when Melissa had
disappeared, so how had she returned home? And why hadn’t they gone
with her? His jaw clenched and he felt like hitting something. He
should have been watching more closely. He’d
thought
she’d been in his sights.
He’d
thought
he’d
had everything covered.

Once again Richard
lifted the kerosene lantern and cast its weak light up the side of
the hill, a part of him still expecting Melissa to appear.

But they’d searched the
entire area several times over, as well as every nook and cranny in
Sully’s small cabin. If she were still here, they’d have found
her.

He shook his head,
determined to throw off the feeling of uneasiness, and lifted his
gaze to the cloud-filled sky once again.

He was grateful the
rain had let up, but frustrated that the moon still hadn’t made an
appearance. It felt like they’d been waiting forever. The moon had
to come out sometime. Right?

Anyway, maybe it didn’t
matter. Melissa had gone back, so perhaps they simply needed to
continue waiting outside and they’d get the same result.

Jessica shivered,
despite Sully’s old blanket, and lifted her face from her knees.
“Dad, when is it going to happen?”

“I don’t know, honey,
let’s just give it a chance.”

“Is Mom okay?”
Jessica’s voice quavered as she repeated the question for the fifth
time.

“She’s fine.”

Jeremy sank down beside
Jessica. “Do you think she’s worried?”

Richard looked from
Jeremy’s searching gaze to Jessica’s. “I’m sure she’s just
patiently waiting for us.”

Jeremy grinned.
“Patiently?”

Richard couldn’t help
returning the smile and he reached out to rub Jeremy’s head. “Well,
waiting anyway.”

Jessica tightened her
arms around her knees. “Dad, I’m scared.”

They all were. “It’ll
be all right. Just wait and see.” Richard tried to infuse
confidence into his tone. They’d get back. They had to.

Jeremy studied Richard
as if trying to discern the truth, and Richard gave him a
reassuring smile.

The wind kicked up and
blew Jessica’s hair into her face, and she pushed it back, her
small hand shaking from cold, nerves, or both.

Protective instincts
made his fists clench and the lantern’s wire handle bit into his
fingers. They had to get home. These kids needed their mother. His
lip quirked up on one corner. He needed her too.

Suddenly, Jeremy jumped up and pointed to the sky.
“
Look
!”

The clouds parted
momentarily, one crack, then another, and finally, a silver-lined
cloud, a huge one, broke away to briefly reveal the moon, bright
and glowing in the sky, before it was obscured once more.

Jessica stood, the
blanket dropping to the ground, an expression of hope lighting her
face.

Richard blew out the
lantern, set it on the grass and breathed in a slow, deep breath as
anticipation raced through him. “This is it, kids.”

They waited.

The moonlight pierced
the clouds, hid again, then broke through, brilliant and
penetrating, a huge gap in the clouds giving them an unobstructed
view.

Moonlight washed over
the three of them.