A Woman Worth Marrying Chapter 9

Annabelle stirred and her eyes fluttered open to find light pouring in from the windows. She turned and found Jedidiah sleeping soundly next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist. She smiled and gently pushed his arm off and sat up. She took a deep breath and stared at the tub, remembering how he had washed her the night before. And then the lovemaking they'd shared on the bed. She was finally his and he was finally hers. Last night, she'd given herself to him and he had taken her everything. Suddenly feeling shy, she gathered her hair into a ponytail and got up. She pushed the cotton nightgown up her shoulders and turned around to find Jedidiah leaning on his elbows watching her. She blushed as he got up from the bed, slowly, and when he reached her, she felt as if the world was spinning. He held out his hand and she took it. He pulled her toward her and gathered her up into his arms. She leaned against him and inhaled his scent as he kissed the top of her head. When she pulled away, he smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he said.

“Good morning.”

The bacon was sizzling in the frying pan as Annabelle set the biscuits on the table and Mia added coffee to the table. She turned over the bacon and wiped her hands on the towel. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear and turned to find Mia setting plates and forks. She drained the bacon, put them on a plate, and brought it to the table. When she walked out to ring the bell, she noticed a horse standing not far from the house. What was it doing there? She walked out and realized this horse wasn't like any she'd seen on this ranch. She reached up to touch the horse and she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She turned around, too late, and was met with a fist. Darkness took over her.

Voices woke her up and she gasped loudly and found her arms and legs tied spread eagle to a bedpost. She found herself among a room of men and the first face she laid eyes on was Ty, her fiance. She dropped her mouth open and raised her head higher. He was dressed all in black and was smiling at her with his hands crossed across his chest. Standing next to him was the sheriff who had crossed her earlier. She looked around the room and realized she was trapped. She was never going to get away and the thought of Jedidiah believing she'd run off again hit her like a ton of bricks. What did he have planned? She felt fear and bile rise in her throat at the same time. She felt sick and she began to feel the fear kick from her heart to her body where she trembled.

Ty walked forward and smiled at her. “Hello darling.”

She glared at him. “I am not your darling.”

He laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Just a few weeks with him and already you're no longer mine? Did he have you already? Is that it?”

She didn't answer him.

The silence made his face turn dark. “I should have known you were a whore, not worth my money or time spent on.”

“The only whore here is you and your band of bastards.”

“Oh, my, you sure have picked up a few new terms of endearment. I'm impressed. I thought living out there in the wild would break you, but it certainly has made you a better woman. I have to admit, I'm even attracted to this version of you. I knew that underneath all that layer of politeness, there was a wild woman. Did he already break you?”

Annabelle sneered at him. “You should be careful of what you do to me. He'll kill you with his bare hands.”

Ty bent down low until he was almost touching her. “Oh, I'd hoped for that, sweetheart.”

As he left, the men followed him out and she was left alone. She shut her eyes and the tears that threatened to fall, fell down her cheeks. She started sobbing and all thoughts ran to Jedidiah and his gentleness. He would come to save her, he had to. He did love her, didn't he? She knew now, trapped, that she had a deep longing for him and that longing was love. Last night, when he made love to her, she felt it pounding in her chest, but afraid of her feelings, she kept it hidden. Oh, why didn't she say it to him last night? She may never get a chance again. With that in mind, her tears continued and she cried until sleep found her.

Jedidiah stared into Ty's dark eyes and inside he wanted to kick that smile off of his face. How dare he show up like this? The man was a bit shorter than he was, but he had the same built and he knew that Ty wouldn't go down without a fight. But neither would he, especially when it came to the concern of his wife. The woman he loved, yes, the woman he loved. Thoughts of Annabelle hurt made him see red as he stared at Ty's face. Behind him stood his army of men, Boone, among them.

“Where is she?” Jedidiah asked.

Ty kicked some dirt off of his shoes and looked up at him. “Not here, apparently.”

“If you've hurt her, you'll wish you were dead.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you threatening me?”

Jedidiah laughed. “No, I don't do threats, Ty.”

His face paled and he cleared his throat. “I'm here to talk business.”

“She's not business. She's my wife.”

“Well, to me, she is business. You see, you cost me a lot of money when you took her off my sheriff here. She was supposed to be my biggest account. And now because you've also taken her virginity, she won't be worth as much. So you'll have to pay.”

Jedidiah tilted his head to the side. “She's my wife and if I wanted to take her virginity, it was my right. You, however, will have to pay for touching what is not yours.”