Saving Grace

  Saving Grace

  Western Menage Series

  by Samantha Madisen

  Copyright 2015 Samantha Madisen

  Thirteenth Line Publications

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, companies, organizations, products and events in this book, other than those that are clearly in the public domain, are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, companies, organizations, events, or products, is purely conincidental.

  All characters depicted in this story are 18 years or older.

  Cover characters are models. Image(s) is/are licensed from:

  periodimages.com

  If you enjoy this story, we'd love it if you spent a few minutes checking out the rest of our catalog at Thirteenth Line Join the Thirteenth Line mailing list, to get notified about our releases.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Robbed

  Chapter 2: Doc's Decision

  Chapter 3: Strangers on a dusty road

  Chapter 4: House guests

  Chapter 5: A sleepless night

  Chapter 6: The proposal

  Chapter 7: Shotgun wedding

  Chapter 8: A firm hand

  Chapter 9: First night

  Chapter 10: Cole

  Chapter 11: First training

  Chapter 12: Examined

  Chapter 13: Displayed

  Chapter 1: Robbed

  He had me pressed up against the barn. My pulse was thundering in my body. I'd never felt a man this close to me before. I'd never felt a man's heat so close to my skin. Or his...stiffness pushing at the cotton of his trousers.

  I knew I'd be in trouble if Pa caught us. He knew it too but that look in his eyes meant he couldn't help himself.

  I was hot and slippery between the legs as his hands started hiking my skirt up. I looked at his face. I'd only ever seen him from far away. Riding out towards the back fields to mend fences with Pa. Or on his way into the barn. But I'd seen him looking at me, stealing glances when Pa wasn't looking. And every time he did my core got tight and I'd feel the same heat between my legs I felt now.

  When I looked him in the eye, I could tell he felt the same heat I did. When he undid his trousers and pulled himself out, that long, thick, veiny shaft, it's round, red head straining to be inside me. I looked up again and felt my legs spread slightly.

  Please let there be time...please let no one see...

  I opened my eyes and saw the floorboards of the house. A few feet away, broken dishes. The front door was open. The hinges creaking, it swung back and forth in the wind. Every few swings it would hit the wall with a loud thud. Pushing myself up I looked around the rest of the room, echoes of the dream I'd been in still resonating through my body.

  The table was overturned. The chairs too. Broken dishes. Open drawers. I'd been robbed.

  Then it hit me. Now it was my pulse thundering in my head and when I reached up and touched the sore spot, the throbbing just got worse. When I brought my hand down, my finger was red with blood and I wondered how long I'd been lying there, bleeding out onto the floor, unconscious. The thought did occur to me in a rush of fear, that I was some lucky to be alive at all. From there my mind raced to the other possibility of what might have happened and I quickly pulled up the dress I was wearing and put a hand between my legs. But it seemed that nothing was disturbed down there as far as I could tell.

  Looking around at the place you would have thought there'd been a tornado. The long wooden table and all its chairs had been knocked over, the old china hutch in the corner pulled down, drawers opened everywhere, cupboards too, and a window broken with the white curtain flapping outside in the sunny breeze. Whoever had done this had made quite a job of it and it seemed like they hadn't left a single thing. Dragging myself up off the floor I walked into the kitchen to check the damage there. Sure enough, things were just as bad.

  It couldn't have just been one man, from the looks of things. Seemed like the only thing left was the old wooden bucket we used for the well water but even that had been kicked over, its contents spilled on the floor.

  They'd even taken the cutlery. I don't know why that set me off, the fact that now I had to eat with my hands, that is if I could afford to eat at all.

  "Dammit!" I screamed to nobody in particular and I heard my voice carry out the broken window and bounce up the hills and towards the mountains. The sting of hot tears began to burn behind my eyes but I'd be damned if I was gonna let a bunch of thugs taking my things make me start weeping. Looking around at that house though, the house my daddy raised me in, in that kind of state sure brought me closer to it than I'd come before.

  I'd been selling things here and there to stay afloat. Times had been tough since daddy had passed a few months back. I'd had probably a dozen or so men come and propose but that was the last thing I wanted. I'd had the Sheriff come around I don't know how many times and tell me that it wasn't right for a twenty year old woman to be living up her all by herself. I had a feeling he had his eye on me too. Would have made a nice addition to his property, this whole ranch would have.

  But as far as I was concerned he was not the fashion of a man I was looking for. Trying to con us out of this land every chance he got when daddy was still alive. Sore on the eyes too old and too greedy. My friend Rebecca would tease me all the time about marrying the Sheriff and staying a virgin my whole life because he was too old to...

  Rebecca. Always talking nonsense.

  There was a bit of well water left in a bucket on the floor so I cleaned up as best I could and went outside to see what the damage was like out there. That was no pretty sight either.

  The barn doors were wide open and my heart jumped at the possibility they'd taken the horses too. I broke into a run as soon as I'd seen that and ran the rest of the way until I was standing at the barn and looking inside. Empty. My heart sank and I felt myself start to slouch as I thought of what this meant. There was nothing left. Nothing left to sell. Nothing left to live off of. This meant I was going to have to sell the land. My heart swelled a bit and I felt those same tears from the kitchen well up with it and a choke at my throat.

  This was going to be the end of this whole dream that daddy had.

  He'd raised me almost as if I were a boy, to the ire of some who constantly had to tell him what he should be doing different. I reckon he'd always wanted a son but never said as much. Then when mama died he swore off women, well, except for me. I remember from that day he said that I was gonna learn how to run a ranch if it killed him. If it killed him. The memory of him mingled with the shame I felt at letting him down and it made it all the harder not to cry.

  The hard clatter of hooves on the barn floor made me look up with a start, made my heart jump and my eyes widen, trying to peer deep into the corners of the dark barn. Destiny's huge shape came into view as the massive animal walked towards me. I almost took a step back but my daddy had taught me better than to back down from a horse who thought it was boss. So I puffed out my chest as I could. I won't lie that I did take some pride in the size of my bosom, and the horse stopped a few feet away, nodding its head and pawing at the ground.

  "Of course they left you," I muttered, shaking my head. I couldn't help but smile at what Destiny had done when those damned thieves tried to get at him. I walked up slow and careful and put a hand on his nose to stop his head from swaying. "Oh you poor thing, they got you good and scared, didn't they?" Destiny gave another nod, almost as if he were saying yes.

  Destiny was my daddy's favourite horse. Mine too. Only trouble was, no one could ride him. Oh, I tried now and again, but that was one horse that was stubborn as a mule. Wouldn't take a rider for a bucket full of apples. I think that's why daddy liked him, he always did appreciate a creature with an
opinion.

  I don't know what got into my head right then and there. Maybe the knock on the noggin' I'd received had shaken something up in there, but standing in that barn looking at that horse I decided that would be a great time to try and get a saddle on him and ride him into town. Well the choice was either that or walking, so why not?

  "Okay big feller, you and me are gonna try something and you're gonna act like the gentleman I know you can be. What do you say?"

  He just kind of looked at me with a wide eye, probably trying to tell me I was crazy. Well I managed to get a blanket on him, that was a step in the right direction. But as soon as that stubborn stallion started pawing at the ground again and gave me a couple of snorts my way like he was letting me know to stay well enough away. "Come on now you big dumb horse," I said as calmly as I could, walking towards him with big leather saddle. With how high he was, I wasn't even sure I could reach to get the saddle onto him, much less get myself on. Turned out there was no need to even try. Soon as I got a few feet from him that horse bolted out of that barn faster'n lightning in a summer storm.

  Looked like I was walking to town after all.

  ***

  "Gracey?" Rebecca's drawl stretched out my name even longer than usual as I came walking up towards the porch.

  "Hiya Becca," I called out, giving her a wave just to add some flair to the occasion.

  "How'd you get here? And don't call me that out loud," she said scowling and glancing around for her daddy, "you know Pa don't like no nicknames."

  "What does it look like? I walked!" I said, pretty cheerful considering I'd just spent the better part of the last three hours walking the nine miles from my ranch to theirs.

  "What do you mean you walked?!? Where's your horse?"

  It was my turn to look around and make sure her Pa wasn't listening. Like most of the men round those parts, he didn't much fancy me livin' on that ranch on my own and made sure to let me know every damn time I saw him. The last thing I needed was him giving me a big ole' I told you so. I put a finger up to my lips to shush her a bit and sat down beside her on the bench.

  "Look, don't tell no one yet, but...I been robbed." As I expected, Becca's eyes popped open even wider and I had to put my hand over her mouth so she didn't start screaming. She was always a little more of a lady than I was.

  "What do you mean you got robbed? Horse thieves?!?" she hissed once she'd pulled my hand away.

  "No. They took everything."

  "Everything?"

  "Everything. Cutlery too. What they couldn't take, they broke. I got a dining room full of dishes smashed on the ground."

  Rebecca's face melted from shock to pity and the old bench squeaked as she leaned towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I felt her hot, wet tears start to run down my cheeks as she held me close. I have to say it almost did make me cry as well, but I'd be damned if I gave those thieves that additional pleasure. No sir. I pushed her away and wiped at her cheeks with my thumbs. "Hey, I'm the one got robbed. I should be crying." She sniffled a couple times then finally managed to calm herself down.

  "Well, why aren't ya'?"

  "I figure there's no use doin' that. Doesn't help much, just feelin' sorry for myself. Look, I need your help."

  "Well, of course! I'll see if Pa's around," she said, jumping up off the bench and bounding towards the door. I caught her just in time.

  "No, no...I mean, I'd rather not bother him right now. Can't you just...lend me a horse?"

  Missy's face screwed up into a question and she furrowed her dark brow, making it seem even darker. After a few moments she glanced down, stared at the wood porch and touched her neck gently with one hand. I could see a smile creeping across her face.

  "Is that a yes?" I asked, trying not to sound to gruff. I knew what I could come off like sometimes. Becca could get a little touchy if you didn't talk to her just so and this was no time for that.

  "Come on," she said in a hushed voice, looking around to make sure no one was watching us. She grabbed my hand and walked off the porch, heading towards the big barn behind the house.

  My heart swelled with relief. It was going to happen. I was going to get a horse to borrow and be able to ride into town and talk to the Doc. Not that I was looking forward to that too much either. That ole' sonofa...well, I knew he was going to give me the same damn lecture Becca's Pa would have and I was damn tired of hearing it.

  As we got closer to the barn, I started breathing a little easier that no one had seen us, happy that Becca's old man was out on the range and it looked like we were going to get away with this mischief.

  I heard the spurs before I saw him step into view, just inside the barn doors. The brim of his Stetson was pulled low, so low you could barely see his eyes. The little bit of dust he kicked up swirled on the bit of wind that had picked up and scurried around the corner of the barn. Missy froze, I felt the jolt of nerves run through her body as she squeezed my hand. My heart sank a bit, knowing she wasn't the kind to just talk herself easily out of these situations. Maybe I'd have to take charge.

  "Can I help you ladies?" the man drawled, his voice low. He seemed to know we weren't just there to pet the horses.

  "Travis!" Missy breathed, her face breaking into another smile once the initial scare wore off. "You scared us!" she giggled. I stared at the man as her reached a hand up and tipped the hat up, revealing a less severe face than I'd thought. In fact, I might have gone so far as to call him handsome. Becca seemed to think so too. "What are you doing here?" she continued, letting go of my hand and sidling up to the man slowly, in a way I'd never seen her move before. Maybe it wasn't talking that was going to be necessary.

  "What are you doing here's probably a better question, I reckon," the man purred, sizing up my friend with his dark blue eyes. There was some kind of chemistry between the two, something much more than casual acquaintance, and I found myself enticed by what Becca might have been up to and not told me about. I cleared my throat to try to break the intimate gaze between them and remind them I was there. Becca looked over at me and giggled.

  "Grace, this is Travis. One of Pa's ranch hands. Travis, this is Grace."

  The man looked at me, smiled with just one corner of his mouth, then tipped his hat and tilted his head. I smiled back, though somewhat stiffly, I fear. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing.

  "Now what exactly can I do for you?" Travis asked again, unable to keep his eyes from making another sweep along Becca's curves. I thought I saw her blush, but she pretended not to notice the attention.

  "Well, the thing is you see," Becca began, biting her lower lip and swinging her gaze along the ground from side to side, playing coy and helpless. The wind picked up even more and I looked up to see an ominous darkness in the sky, crawling towards us from the west. There had to be a way to hurry this up or I'd be drenched getting in to see the Doc.

  "Come on now," Travis growled, "spit it out." His expression clouded over too, but his attraction to Rebecca was unmistakable. His whole body seemed drawn to her, though he stood fast where he was.

  "Thing is, Travis, Grace's had some troubles. She needs to borrow a horse." She looked square at him as she said that last sentence, holding his eyes with her own. Even I was surprised at her forwardness. It took him a few moments to get over the shock and respond.

  "Wha...Rebecca you know I can't do that. Your Pa would have me shot if he found out I was lendin' out horses to strangers, particularly women I'd just met!" It seemed that the man usually didn't get this flabbergasted. He took a step back, as if he knew what was coming next. Becca stepped towards him, widened her smile and ran a hand along the front of his shirt. I drew in a breath at the sight of it. My friend who'd been nothing but chastity and innocence her whole life, seemed to have a different side to her. Travis took another step back until his back was up against the wall. Becca took one more step closer, so as her bosom was right close to him, almost touching his chest.

  Now I hadn't had
very many dealings with men, in that way. Sure I knew it's how things were done and I supposed, I guess, that one day I would do it too. But for the time being I was mostly interested in making sure I didn't lose my daddy's ranch. But to see her move like that, to see the power she had over him, well I still blush to this day thinking of the wetness that began to fill the space between my legs at the sight of it.

  "Travis, are you sure there's nothing we could do, to help you reconsider, that is?" Becca asked softly, almost breathing the words at him. I saw Travis take a breath as Becca's thigh slid in between his legs. My eyes widened at her boldness. Surely a cowboy wasn't going to let himself be taken advantage of so easily. Seemed that I was right. As soon as the shock of her closeness wore off, the seriousness returned to Travis' face as he grabbed Rebecca by the arms and spun her around.