A Heart's Legacy
Sequel to Captured Heart
By
Daniel Running Water
Chapter Two
Previously in chapter one:
"Excuse me Mr. Bennett, but there is a gentleman here to see you," George's butler, Hubert said, interrupting George from his thoughts.
"Well who the hell is it Hubert," he barked at the man.
"He refused to give me his name, but said that he had information that you would find quite valuable."
Wondering what this man wanted, he stormed past Hubert and into the foyer. When he saw who it was, George froze momentarily before he regained enough composure to speak.
"Well Shawn Murphy, you're the last person that I ever expected to see again," a shocked George said, remembering how Shawn stiffed him, knowing that his sister Jenny was not waiting for him in the cabin.
"I've got some information that might just be of interest to you."
Now chapter two:
Shawn Murphy was a devious man, who looked out only for himself and didn't care for anyone else, not even Jenny, his sister. He was now down on his luck and broke, but he had hatched a plan to gain money from George Bennett by telling him about a son that he fathered with Jenny many years ago.
"I highly doubt that anything that you have got to say could benefit me, Murphy, not get out of my house before I have you shot for trespassing," George snarled and turned to walk away.
"What if it concerned my sister Jenny and..." he looked about him, not wanting to say what he was about to, in front of someone that might tell the concerned party. "How about we take this into your study, George," he suggested.
"Very well, but so help me if you are playing games with me, I won't hesitate to shoot you myself for trespassing," George promised as he led the man to his study, pausing only when Emily stepped from the kitchen and into the hall.
"Father!" she gasped, surprised at the sudden appearance of him, but more so Shawn.
She gave Shawn a questionable glare, before turning her attention back to her father. Her father, over the years, had always seemed to be dragging in varmints from his shady dealings, but Shawn went beyond shady, he was downright evil looking.
Shawn's back bowed and he had a hump along his shoulders that gave him the appearance of something evil. His stringy grey hair hung like Spanish moss, most of it covering his pock marked face and falling down his back. But when he smiled at Emily, his teeth, those that he had, were yellow and pitted, causing a shiver in Emily.
"Emily, go to your room," George ordered, shoving Shawn into his office and then closing the door shut behind him...locking it to ensure privacy.
As Emily began to go, her curiosity got the better of her. Leaning close to the door, she listened as Shawn and her father talked.
"Now what is so damn important that you have crawled from whatever hole you have been living in causing you to come to torment me," George asked. "And what is this about Jenny," he further inquired.
"What would you be willing to pay me for information concerning your son," Shawn asked and snickered wildly at a shocked George.
"Son...you of all people know that I have only daughters, so what is this about a son," he questioned.
"A son, what have you been doing father," Emily whispered to herself and pressed her ear closer to the door.
"Jenny got pregnant with your child and gave birth to a son and that is why she disappeared all those years ago. He'd still be living with her if'n it hadn't been for you finding her."
"I had wondered why she seemed to vanish from my life, but she never told me about a child."
"She wouldn't, she never wanted you to know," Shawn said smirking at how his plan to milk George of his money was working. "She even made me promise never to tell you who your son is and she even promised to continue with her whoring for me if'n I kept her secret."
"Then why are you telling me now," George scoffed at how reliable Shawn's word was and wasn't to sure if he believed him.
"Because she's too damn sick now to make me any money, so I figured that you would pay to know who your son is." Shawn smiled sadistically and stepped a bit closer, placing his filthy hand on George's shoulder. "I will go as far to say that you, that you already know him, but just never knew that he was your son."
Shawn laughed heartily, he loved playing games with George, and this was the best one that he had ever devised.
"How much do you want Shawn, tell me and it's yours," George said eager to know who his son was.
George had always wanted a son, but fate had given him just daughters. Even his two married daughters were not giving him grandsons, but his oldest had four girls and his middle daughter, two, so knowing that someone that he knew was his son perked his interest.
"Ten thousands dollars and I will not only tell you who yours son is, but I will also tell you where you can find Jenny," he said, laughing louder now because he was finally going to have money.
"I don't have that kind of money here in my house, I keep it in the bank," George said.
"Then get it together and I'll be back tomorrow," he said and walked over to the door.
Outside in the hallway, Jenny gasped when she heard that she had a brother and wondered who it could be. Jenny hearing that the conversation was over, stepped across the hall and into the closet and closed the door securely. She barely breathed when she heard her father's study door open and shuddered when they paused to talk beside the door.
"Like I said...I'll be back tomorrow night and you had better have the money, George," Shawn warned and turned to walk away but paused when he noticed a piece of a blue satin sticking out from the closet door.
He instantly remembered it was the dress that Emily was wearing when she had come across them earlier. A smug smile crossed his face before he walked off, wondering if she had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Shawn moved on, figuring that she was George's problem more than his, but he wouldn't mind having her sweet body working as his whore, earning him money like Jenny use to do.
"Don't you worry about my end of the bargain, you just be here tomorrow with the information," George demanded, oblivious to the dress that stuck out from the door as he walked Shawn to the front door.
Knowing that Shawn and her father had left the hall; Emily quickly exited the closet and hurried upstairs, using the servant's staircase.
"I've got a brother...I wonder who he is," she whispered to herself once she was inside her bedroom.
Spotted Wolf paused on the outskirts of Hawk's village, it was the first time since he and Jonas had been together that Jonas was not there with him to share his blankets. Tears flowed from his eyes and rolled down his face as he thought back on the events that led up to him now being at Hawk's village. He remembered the words that he and Jonas had, concerning his son Caleb's arrival and how it would affect their relationship.
"What do you mean, you're taking Caleb to dinner, and just what was I suppose to do, while you and Caleb had a nice dinner?" he snarled as his anger grew.
"Now sweetheart, Caleb doesn't know about us yet and I need time to gently ease him into our relationship, because I don't know how he's going to take it."
"I understand that Jonas, but what happens when you tell him and he is horrified because you and I are lovers. Do you throw me out like some old piece of clothing that you no longer want, or do you tell him that I am your life and he needs to accept it?"
Jonas went quiet far too long to suit Spotted Wolf, all the while Jonas kept glancing back at the house.
"I see Jonas, your silence is answer enough," Spotted Wolf said, turned and mounted his horse, glaring down at Jonas as he said...
"And here I was, thinking all this time that you loved me, when all along you were ashamed of our love." He added.
Spotted Wolf looked at Jonas a moment longer with tears streaming down his face and then rode off, feeling rejected.
Now wiping his eyes with the back of his hands, he took a deep breath and continued into the village, stopping outside Hawk and Red Sun's lodge.
"Spotted Wolf, what are you doing here at this hour, where is Jonas," Hawk asked, standing at the door to his lodge.
"Can I stay with you and Red Sun," he asked before he dismounted.
"Ay-uh...but why, what is wrong," Hawk asked and glanced over his shoulder when Seth came up behind him, resting his hands on Hawk's shoulders. "Where is Jonas?" he asked when Spotted Wolf stood before him.
Noticing that Spotted Wolf had been crying, Seth moved around Hawk to stand in front of Spotted Wolf, looking into his reddening eyes.
"What is wrong my friend, has something happened to Jonas?" he asked, taking Spotted Wolf by the arm and leading him into the lodge.
"Gah-ween, not to Jonas...but to us," he said softly, fighting back the tears that threatened his composure. "He is ashamed to love me because of his son, Caleb," he blurted out and fell into Seth's arms, crying. "Maybe it's because our skin is so different also," he added as he stepped into Seth's embrace.
Seth glanced over Spotted Wolf's shoulder to Hawk and he could see that his husband was also feeling pain for Spotted Wolf.
"You can stay with Red Sun and Hawk as long as you wish," Hawk said, running his hand gently across Spotted Wolf's shoulders.
"Thank you my chief, your generosity is too kind," Spotted Wolf said and wiped away his tears. "As soon as I can, I will build me a lodge of my own," he promised.
"Gah-ween Spotted Wolf, you can have Brave Bull's lodge. We were going to come see you tomorrow and tell you that the counsel has named you Shaman for our people," Hawk said, causing a smile to come to Spotted Wolf's face.
"I have studied quite long under Brave Bull to learn the ways of healing of our people as well as attending the university to gain the knowledge of their white medicine. I will make you proud of me, my chief," Spotted Wolf said, stepping into Hawk's embrace and hugging him also.
"Ay-uh my friend, now come, eat and tell us all about that which ended your love with Jonas." Hawk said, ushering him down to the floor beside the fire.
Seth set a platter of venison and bear's meat, along with corn and pumpkin slices before them. He brought a container of honey water to wash down the meal also, before sitting down with them. They ate and talked late into the night, Spotted Wolf telling them about Jonas and his son's arrival, until all were yawning.
"We shall talk more when the sun rises," Hawk said as he stood, helping Seth to rise beside him.
Spotted Wolf looked around the lodge and noticed that there was only one pallet for sleeping. Red Sun noticed his eyes searching for a place to sleep and turned to Hawk.
"Can we make room in our blankets for Spotted Wolf," Seth whispered to his husband, remembering how Hawk was once enticed by the warrior. "I shall take the right side by my husband and Spotted Wolf can sleep to your left," he suggested.
"Ay-uh?" Hawk questioned, a little too excitedly for Red Sun.
"Ay-uh, but remember this my husband, that Red Sun always sleeps with one eye opened," he mused, needing to say no more and then turned back to Spotted Wolf.
"Come our friend, share our blankets with us tonight," Seth said and extended his hand down to Spotted Wolf.
"Truly," Spotted Wolf asked, looking from Seth to Hawk and then back to Seth.
"Ay-uh my friend," Seth said and then hugged Spotted Wolf and noticed that when their bodies pressed together, Spotted Wolf was hard. "Does the thought of sharing our blankets excite you," Seth asked and looked over at Hawk, noticing that he too was hard. "Come my husband and let us counsel together," Seth said, taking Hawk's hand and quickly leading him outside.
"Why do you seek counsel now with your husband?" Hawk asked, knowing quite well why Seth needed to talk to him.
"I am not blind and cannot see that the very thought of lying beside Spotted Wolf has excited you," Seth said and ran his hand along the hardness of Hawk's heat.
"Ay-uh, but does it not also excite my man to sleep beside Spotted Wolf, noticing that Seth was also hard when Hawk placed his hand on Seth's manhood.
"Tonight we shall share our love with our friend Spotted Wolf," Seth said and noticed how the very thought put a large smile on Hawk's face. "But it will be for tonight only my husband, because I will not share you," he added and then led him back into the lodge where Spotted Wolf stood with questioning eyes.
"Tonight shall be special for you Spotted Wolf, because we shall share our love with you," Seth said and noticed the excitement on his face.
Seth and Hawk walked over to Spotted Wolf and Seth began to undress him, with Hawk running his hands along the smoothness of his copper colored skin as Seth uncovered it.
"I do not wish to do this if it will cause harsh feelings between my chief and his man," Spotted Wolf said, but before he could say more, Hawk captured his mouth with his own.
"You may not want to Spotted Wolf, but I sure as hell do," Hawk thought as his mouth took possession of his in a heated kiss.
Hawk kissed Spotted Wolf long and hard, while Seth lowered Spotted Wolf's breeches down to the floor, exposing his swollen, throbbing manhood. Seth looked up at his husband kissing Spotted Wolf and then lowered his mouth down and around Spotted Wolf's swollen member.
"Aiiiiieeeeee," he gasped when felt his balls resting against Seth's chin. "Your mouth knows how to pleasure a man," Spotted Wolf said as Seth glided his mouth up and down the thick shaft.
"Ay-uh, Red Sun knows how to pleasure his husband very well," Hawk said his voice thick and his breathing labored when Seth moved from Spotted Wolf's cock to Hawk's and began sucking him.
Hawk kissed Spotted Wolf passionately, all the while Seth labored hard on his throbbing manhood.
"Enough my man, I have need of Spotted Wolf's heat for my seed," Hawk gasped, pulling his cock from Seth's mouth and laying Spotted Wolf down on their bed.
Spotted Wolf grabbed his legs and pulled them upward when Hawk knelt between his legs. Hawk could see the tension rising in Spotted Wolf's eye when he noticed how endowed his chief was.
"I fear your size my chief," Spotted Wolf whispered, his eyes still fixated on Hawk's thick member. "Jonas was not half the size of you, so I fear that you may injure me."
"Do not fear my husband's size, for he is always gentle," Seth whispered into Spotted Wolf's ear.
Seth lowered his mouth down to Spotted Wolf's and kissed him heatedly and long, slipping his tongue into Spotted Wolf's mouth as Hawk slowly thrust his cock into Spotted Wolf.
Spotted Wolf gasped when he felt the thickness of Hawk penetrating where only Jonas has been. When Hawk was fully in Spotted Wolf's velvet sheath, he began with slow rhythmic strokes until Spotted Wolf became adjusted to his size and began thrusting his hips upward, meeting each thrust that Hawk gave him.
"Straddle my chest and give me your hardness," Spotted Wolf said as he wrapped his legs around Hawk's waist and began to feverishly thrust upward.
Seth knelt over Spotted Wolf, placing a knee on each side of Spotted Wolf's arms. Seth lowered his manhood down to Spotted Wolf's mouth, thrusting it slowly into the wet warmness.
"Aiiiiieeeeee Spotted Wolf...your mouth is so warm," Seth said as Spotted Wolf continued to suck Seth's cock into his throat, not stopping until Seth's balls were resting on his chin.
Falling forward and now on to all fours over Spotted Wolf's face, Seth made long slow strokes downward into Spotted Wolf's warm, wet mouth. Groaning throatily over what he was watching, Hawk lowered his mouth down to Seth's rosebud which was before him and began teasing it with his tongue.
"Mmmmm," Seth moaned, being pleasured by two men would quickly draw him to his edge and push him over.
After several long minutes of Hawk's tongue making love to his ass and Spotted Wolf's mouth sucking heatedly on his cock, Seth threw back his head and groaned deeply as he spewed his seed into Spotted Wolf's mouth.
Thrusting hard and fast downward, Seth shot his seed across Spotted Wolf's tongue and down his throat, all the while Hawk's thrusts became harder, deeper and faster into Spotted Wolf's ass. Seth pulled his spent cock from the warmth of Spotted Wolf's mouth and turned quickly, moving his mouth down to his cock.
"Aaaagggggghhh," Hawk howled and thrust his cock fully into Spotted Wolf's sheath, stopped, and then shot several hard blasts of his seed, before resuming his frantic thrusts.
"Red Sun...I'm...gonna shoot," Spotted Wolf gasped out to his friend who was fervently sucking on his swollen manhood.
"Mmmhmmm," Seth moaned as he swallowed each drop of seed that Spotted Wolf fed him until he had none left to give Seth.
Exhausted and panting frantically, they gasped for normalcy as they lay side by side, their bodies pressing against each other as they rode out the tide of their sexual afterglow.
"Jonas...could never do this...for me," Spotted Wolf said between gasping breaths.
"It is always this good for Red Sun and Hawk," Hawk said and then kissed his husband hard, long and with much feeling.
"Ay-uh...always," Seth agreed, drained and tired, but smiling widely.
Early the next morning, Emily rode hard and fast as she hurried to see Abe, who would waiting for her beside the river. She was excited this morning to share with Abe the news that she overheard the previous evening. As she came to the top of a rise, she saw the tall physique of Abe standing and watching as a paddle boat made its way up the river.
Hearing the pounding of hooves, Abe quickly turned to see Emily pull her stallion to a stop. Hurrying to her side, Abe reached up and lifted her from the saddle and into his waiting arms.
"It felt like an eternity as I waited for you to arrive," Abe said softly and then pressed his mouth to hers, crushing her lips with his as he kissed her.
"I'm so excited this morning Abe," she gasped, still swooning from his kiss and fanning herself with her hands. "I overheard my father and this man talking last night in his study. Well not overheard, I was eavesdropping on them with my ear pressed to the door."
"Alright, and that has you excited why?" he asked, noticing the sparkle that accented her eyes. "Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are Em?" he asked, completely oblivious to what she wanted to tell him.
"Abe please, I want to share this with you," she said, frustrated that he wasn't listening to her.
"I have something to share with you also," he seductively said, before he lowered his mouth to her neck, sucking and kissing it.
"ABRAHAM!" she shouted and stepped back from him. "Will you just calm yourself and let me tell you this," she demanded as she fought off his reaching hands.
Frustrated and knowing that until she tells him he would not be able to make love to her, Abe behaved and sat down on the cool grass that still had the morning dew clinging to its soft blades. Reaching up and pulling her down beside him, Abe looked deep into her eyes, smiling.
"You have my undivided attention Em," he said, fighting the urge to just grab her and kiss her.
"Thank you Abe, now just sit there and listen," she said softly, a blush flooding her cheeks as he laid her onto her back and cuddled to her side. "You can't really expect me to talk to you when you are trying so hard to seduce me, now behave yourself or else I'm going home," she said.
Sitting up beside her with his knees pulled to his chest and his arms surrounding them, Abe smiled and waited for her to begin.
"Now that's better Abraham," she happily said. "As I tried to say earlier, I listened in my father's conversation with this man, Shawn Murphy. He sounded like he was coercing my father into giving him money for some information that he had. It seems that somewhere in my father's past, he fathered a son with some woman," she told him. "And from what it sounded like, she was a whore he was seeing when my father was governor."
"Damn...I'm sorry Em, I didn't mean to curse, but damn," he cursed again, "your father cheated on your mother with a whore and got her pregnant?" Abe asked Emily, who was definitely receiving his undivided attention.
"Did you actually hear what I said, Abraham?" she asked.
"Yes Em I did, you said that you have a brother that your father fathered him with some whore while he was governor," he told her and again she blushed.
"Thank God my mother is dead; this would have broken her heart to know of my father's infidelities...and with a whore at that."
"So what's his name, this man that is your brother?"
"I truly don't know yet, because he refused to tell my father until father gave him ten thousand dollars," she confided. "He is supposed to return tonight and when my father pays him, he'll then reveal the man's name to him."
"I bet that made your old man furious," he said and then regretted having referred to him so disrespectfully.
"I know that you don't like my father Abe, but he is my father," she scolded, her face showing her hurt.
"I'm sorry sweetie...will you forgive me for being so crude and disrespectful?" he asked while sporting a pouting lip.
"You know that I do handsome, now kiss me," she said and Abe lowered her back to the grass, crushing her mouth with his.
His kiss was hard and long and while their tongues danced together, Abe worked his hand inside her blouse, softly caressing her breast.
"Abraham, I am not that kind of woman," she scolded, slapped his face, and got up abruptly, walking heatedly to her stallion. "If you can't show me proper respect, than you can just forget about us ever being together," she snapped and got on her horse.
"I'm sorry Em, but being around you just leaves my insides swimming with emotions," he said, holding her reins so she couldn't ride away. "Won't you just sit with me, if I promise that I'll behave," he asked, staring into her eyes.
"Well...as long as you promise to behave, I guess I can spend a few minutes with you."
Emily dismounted and fell right into Abe's arms, locking their mouths together in another heated kiss. Once they broke their kiss, they strolled hand in hand along the river, talking about the news that she just shared with him.
Just being this close to her had Abe flustered sexually, he wanted nothing more than to make sweet love to her, but he knew that she was a lady, and ladies like Emily didn't do those kind of things before marrying.
"Have you noticed our son lately, he's acting rather strange wouldn't you say," James asked, looking across the dining room table at Shane.
"He's in love, James," Shane said rather calmly, pulling his eyes away from the paper that he was reading and gazing into James' eyes.
"In love...with whom," he asked, surprised by the declaration.
"Do I have time to follow our son around day and night," Shane asked. "I have all I can do keeping up with your cute ass," Shane mused, raising his eyebrows rapidly up and down.
"Do you really think that my ass is cute, Shane," James asked.
"How about we go upstairs and let me take a closer look before I give you a second opinion?" he asked as he stood and came around the table to lay a kiss on James' neck.
James tilted his head to the side to give Shane better access, moaning with delight as his husband licked, sucked and nibbled along the length of it.
"I would love to Shane, but as soon as Abe arrives back home from his ride, we are heading into town for supplies. Mammy wants me to pick up a few things from the mercantile for her."
Shane was still involved with his affections to James' neck when Abe strolled into the room. Abe gave his fathers a glaring look as he sat down at the table and reached for the platter of pancakes.
"Do you two really have to do that at the dinner table?" Abe asked as he slid five pancakes onto his plate from the platter.
"Just wait until you are in love son, then you just try to keep your mouth off of your lover," Shane said and then tilted James' head back and covered his mouth with his.
"At least I will use discretion and take her to the privacy of a bedroom," he said and shoveled a large fork full of pancakes into his mouth.
"Her?" they both questioned and looked at each other.
"Don't ask because I ain't telling," he said with a mouthful, knowing that his dads would go crazy with wanting to know who held his heart.
"Now son, what is wrong with telling us who this young lady is that has your heart?" James asked, because his curiosity was driving him crazy.
"I ain't saying just yet dad, so please let it rest," he said and washed his pancakes down with a mouthful of coffee. "By the way dads, have either of you ever heard of a man name Shawn Murphy?" he asked and then wiped his hand with a linen napkin.
Shane and James looked at each other, shocked to hear the man's name. It had been years since that name had been mentioned and they both thought the man dead.
"Where did you hear that name son," a curious Shane asked.
"Just did pa, so do you know him?"
"Not really know him, but I have heard of him before...why?" Shane asked, glancing quickly at James.
"Someone mentioned him to me and about some scam that he was involved in."
James got up from the table and motioned to Shane to meet him upstairs, and as soon as they were in the privacy of their bedroom, James' eyes filled with tears.
"We are going to lose our son...I just know it," he said to Shane, whose arms were wrapped tightly around James. "If he ever puts Shawn and Jenny together, there'll be hell to pay."
"I never in a million years would have thought that Shawn would come back into our lives," a shocked Shane said to James, pulling away and turning to look out of the window.
It was a hot, sunny day and Shane watched as Abe hooked up the wagon, preparing to go into town.
"You'd better get going, Abe had the wagon hooked up and you know how he hates waiting, especially when he's going into town."
"Are you alright baby, I can send Abe into town without me," James asked, concerned over Shane's sudden silence.
"I'm fine sweetheart," he said turning to face James. "Besides, I'd rather not take the chance of Abe running into Shawn without one of us there with him."
"I just hope that we don't run into Shawn...whatever would I say or do?" James asked looking for guidance from Shane.
"Don't say or do anything, just pretend that you don't see him and go about your business," Shane offered.
"Well it's not like we ever kept it a secret, that Abe was adopted."
"No, but we did lie about his mother having died though, even though she should be dead by now, seeing how she had consumption," James said.
"Not necessarily, people have lived for some years with it. Look at her when she brought Abe to us, she looked healthy and vibrant, and even I would have never suspected that she was sick."
"True, but that brother of hers still scares me, what if he tells Bennett that he's Abe's father. You know how evil that man is, he'll never stop until he has Abe at his side, teaching him all of his evil ways."
"You could give our son some credit; we did raise him to be caring and loving. Besides, Abe hates George Bennett as much as we both do," Shane said, offering James a bit of relief. "I can't see him siding up beside George and acting all father and son like. Especially after George hit him the other day at Sam's mercantile," he added, feeling better about things.
"Abe is a good man isn't he sweetie, and he really does hate that man deeply now that you mentioned it."
Shane and James went downstairs and out to an impatiently waiting Abe.
"It's about time, what took you so long?" he asked and then smirked, when a picture of his dads getting it on together came to his mind's eye. "Never mind, I really don't want to know," he said as James climbed up into the buckboard.
Abe nodded to Shane and clicked the reins over the backs of the horses, causing them to take off hurriedly.
Shawn Murphy leaned against the wall outside of Sam's mercantile store, just watching the customers as they came and went. When he saw George and Emily Bennett pull up, his eyes took in her beauty as she climbed down from the wagon with the help of her father and walked deliberately toward the store.
"I've got some business at the bank so I'll meet you back here Emily, now don't go walking off until I return," he ordered and Emily cringed.
Although she was old enough to go to town on her own, her father still treated her as if she was still a child. It had taken her months...years, to convince him that she was old enough and capable of going riding on her own. And she especially hated it whenever he insisted on accompanying her whenever she went into town.
"Howdy ma'am," Shawn said, tipping his hat to her and breaking her train of thought.
Emily gave him a quick glance, noticing that he was just as disheveled as when he had visited her father the night before. As the stink of body odor and stale cigar smoke wafted her way, she covered her nose and mouth with her gloved hand and hurried into the store. Shawn sneered to himself when she ignored him and without as much as a nod, she entered the store.
"You may think you are all high and mighty missy in that fancy dress of yours, but just wait until I dress you in a more revealing outfit, something that will entice the men to take you into their arms and bed you," he chuckled as he walked away, heading for the bank right behind George.
Emily was thankful that Shawn had left and hadn't followed her into the store. Once her eyes were accustomed to the dim light of the store, she began searching for Abe.
"You don't have to come in with me," James said as he climbed down from the buckboard. "I am quite capable of handling things," he added but Abe jumped down and waited for James to join him.
"I'll just poke around while you get the things that you need," he said, knowing that he was going to meet Emily there.
Abe, being tall, glanced over the shelves and soon found Emily, back in the corner where Sam kept the yard goods. He hurried over to where she was standing, working her hands through the bolts of calico materials. Abe paused and looked around for James before making his presence known to Emily.
"Abraham, I was beginning to think that you weren't coming," she scoffed and returned her attention to the material, knowing how it frustrated him when she acted cool towards him.
"Why do you do that to me Em, you know very well that I was gonna meet you here," he said, glanced around and placed his arms around her waist and turned her to face him, lowering his mouth down to hers in a kiss.
James came around the corner and stopped when he saw Abe kissing Emily. He wanted to yell at him and say that what he was doing was immoral. But he couldn't, because neither he nor Emily yet knew that they were brother and sister.
Abe jumped, dropped his arms to his side and blushed, when he heard James clear his throat
"How long have you been standing there pa?" Abe asked, shooting James a harried look, his cheeks still heated with embarrassment.
"Long enough to know that what you two were doing is not proper," James said and stood there, apparent to Abe that he was not going to just walk away and leave him and Emily alone.
"Pa, I believe you know Miss Emily Bennett," he said softly as he introduced her to his father.
"Of course I know who she is, and if her father had come upon you two kissing, I doubt that he would have been as cordial about it as I was," James said, causing Emily to blush now. "I'll be about my business son, so why don't you say your goodbyes to the young lady," he advised and moved around the corner, to give them some privacy, but not far enough that he could not keep his eyes on them.
"I'm sorry about that Em," Abe whispered, pulling her back into his arms.
"Don't worry about it Abraham, because eventually we have got to tell him that we are planning to marry," she said and glanced both ways before she pulled his mouth down to hers.
"God damn it boy...how many times have I got to tell you to keep away from my daughter," George yelled and came after Abe, with a glare of hatred in his eyes.
Pulling Abe from the arms of Emily, George sent a right fist hard into Abe's jaw, knocking him again to the floor.
"That's my son that you just hit," James said as he placed his hand hard on George's shoulder, turned him quickly around, and gave him a solid right hook, sending him crashing into the shelf, knocking its contents flying.
"Listen you robin, you're as good as dead now," George said and quickly rose to his feet but Abe grabbed him by the arm and turned him around, returning his own fist to George's jaw, knocking him out as he crashed to the floor at James' feet.
Abe turned to look at Emily who was still standing there in shock. She had her hand to her throat, gazing at her father that was now lying on the floor unconscious, to Abe who was now walking toward her.
"That was my father that you struck...how could you Abraham," she asked, crying profusely as she knelt beside her father. "Leave...just leave me alone," she snapped, her eyes looking up at Abe.
"But Em, he hit me first and..."
"I said to just leave," she shouted in tears as Sam came running around the corner and found his merchandize scattered about, with George lying unconscious in the middle of the mess.
"Always a day late and a dollar short," he muttered, upset that he missed George getting what was coming to him. "Yes sir-re bob, always to late for the fun."
James grabbed Abe away and pulled him to the front of the store, where he offered to pay Sam for the damages.
"I'll just bill that son of a bitch for damages, I just wish I could have seen him get his," Sam said, shaking his head. "Always a day late and a dollar short I am," he said walking away as James and Abe left the store.
"Just wait till you know that he's your pa," Shawn snickered as he looked through the window, witnessing the disturbance and easing himself around the corner, out of sight from James. "So that's who has been raising your boy, Jenny," he whispered as he watched James and Abe climb into the wagon. "I could sure use a fine looking boy like him for them there fellas that tend to like the men folk," he added as he noticed how handsome Abe was.
He watched as they rode away and then stepped into the store, moving through it until he found George and Emily.
"Can I offer you a hand with your pa, ma'am?" he asked, and as much as she found Shawn disgusting to be around, she did need help getting her father into the wagon.
Along with Sam's help, Shawn got George into the back of the wagon and climbed up into the seat.
"What do you think you are doing?" she asked sharply.
"If'n I know your father, he wouldn't want you driving alone back to the ranch," he said, knowing that he just needed to get her out of town and then he'd snatch her away.
Shawn wanted Emily, and this was the perfect chance for him to snatch her, while her father was out for the count. She knew that she would need help with her father once she got home, so reluctantly she climbed up into the wagon, her handkerchief now covering her mouth and nose, she nearly fell backwards when Shawn urged the horses on.
To be continued...
Chapter two is done and let me know what you think at about this next generation at: danielrunningwater@yahoo.com
Thanks guys and gals.
Daniel