Stolen Moments 5

She sat up and brushed her hair back. She kept her eyes lowered; embarrassed that she’d done as he’d said. She got up to go when he held her arm and she turned around to face him. She saw the scratch on his left jaw and reached up to touch it.

            “Did I do that?” she asked.

            He laughed and caught her hand as she pulled away. “It’s nothing. You sure you’re ok?”

            She pulled her hand away and nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

            Yelena stood up and walked away when she caught sight of Emily’s dark stare from across the camp. She ignored it and walked away to the bushes to relieve herself. When she finished, she came out to find Emily waiting for her. The look in her eyes told her she was more than angry at her for stealing the night from her.

            “So you went from a stolen kiss to losing yourself to him. You work fast,” Emily said.

            “What hurts you more, Emily? That I was what he wanted or that he discarded you? Some men prefer their women untainted.”

            “You just watch. He’ll throw you like a rag when he’s done with you.”

            Yelena turned around and stared at her. “You should know, right?”

            Emily smiled. “I wouldn’t be so cocky if I were you. At least I still have my mother.”

            When Emily walked away, Yelena felt her heart sink and she knew Emily was right. No matter how hard life got, Emily still had her mother. But for Yelena, she was alone, truly alone. She had no one and was left to fend for herself. She took a deep breath and wouldn’t let the tears win. She had to be strong because if she was weak, no one would stand beside her. Now, she was all on her own. She had to show the world that she could do it. She may have carried a mark on her forehead that she was alone, but she wouldn’t let any arrows hit her.

            She came back to the site and Tom was rolling up the bedroll. “Where are we going?”

            He turned to her. “We’ll be heading to my ranch. I’m going to drop you off there to stay with my caretaker. We have business to do.”

            Yelena let the pain of calling another stranger’s home her home slide. “How long will you be gone?”

            “I don’t know. But you’ll be fine there. No one will find you. I promise.”

            Yelena cocked her head toward her friend. “And what of her?”

            Tom turned to Emily and then back to her. “We’re taking her back to her parents.”

            Emily must have heard because she came walking to them to argue. “No. I’m not going back there. I’ll die before I do. Wherever Yelena goes, I’m going.”

            Tom turned to her. “You still have your parents. It won’t be honorable for me to do that.”

            She laughed. “You’re an outlaw. What do you care about honor?”

            He walked to her. “I may be an outlaw, but I still had a mother who taught me a few things. Honor is one thing I do not mess with. If you want to come with me, you get your father to say his blessings and then you’re good to go.”

            Emily’s face turned red. “He’s not my father! He never will be. If you don’t take me, I’ll just follow you and mark my words, I will. So either you take me now or you risk me following you with a posse of my own.”

            “That lady is trouble,” Two Faced said as he joined them. “Forget her.”

            “I agree,” Bobby said.

            Emily turned to them. “You have no right to label me.”

            “Leave her,” Bobby warned.

            “Take her, please,” Yelena said. “I promise I’ll keep her out of trouble.”

            Emily turned to her as Tom sighed and shrugged. He signaled for the other two to start hurrying up. Yelena walked to her friend and took her hands.

            “Don’t make me regret this.”

           

            The large sprawling ranch came into view just as the sun began to set. Yelena was sitting in front of Tom on his horse. She was in awe of the beauty of the home and even more that a man like Tom could own such a place. She had made assumptions and was now embarrassed at how low she’d thought him to be. When they reached the front gates, a woman in her late fifties came out of the front door wearing a red apron. She had brown hair with graying strands mixed in and soft blue eyes.

            “That’s Nettie, she’s my caretaker,” Tom said.

            The woman, Nettie, smiled when they reached her and Tom helped her off the horse. She was a bit embarrassed about meeting her in the state she was in. Usually she was dressed nicer with her hair done and she wasn’t so dirty. But the ride had been tough and she was covered in dirt from head to toe. She brushed her hair aside as much as she could, but before she could say a word, Emily came running to Nettie.

            “Hello, I’m Emily. Thank you so much for having us here at your lovely home.”

            Nettie’s face turned bright red and she looked at Tom and back to Emily. “Oh.”

            Tom nudged Emily aside and gave the confused woman a hug. “How are you? I missed you.”

            Nettie smiled. “I’m fine. You didn’t tell me you were bringing guests.”

            “Sorry.” He turned to Emily. “And it’s my home.”

            Emily’s face brightened and she laughed uncomfortably. “Oh.”

            “Nettie, you’ve met Emily. This is Yelena.”

            Yelena stepped forward and took the woman’s hand. “I’m sorry for troubling you.”

            She smiled. “No worries. Any friend of Tom’s is a friend of mine. Come on in and I’ll draw you a bath.”

            “Me too!” Emily cried as she followed them.

 

            The jasmine water made her feel at home as she sat in the tub and wondered how her life would turn out from this moment on. The room she was placed in was next to Tom’s. The room was big and comfortable with a large bed and some oak dressers. Nettie left her with a few gowns that Tom had given her to bring in. It made her wonder who they used to belong to and for some reason that feeling made her feel uneasy. Of course, Tom was an outlaw; he lived life on the fast lane. He had women in his life and in his bed. It shouldn’t bother her and most of all, it shouldn’t matter what he did. But for some reason she couldn’t figure out, it did.

            She washed her hair and got out. She dried herself, braided her hair into a long braid, and pulled on the soft yellow cotton dress. It fit perfectly and she stared in the mirror. She looked more like herself. She took a deep breath and took the photograph of her and her father. She stared at it and laid it under the pillow. She heard the knock on the door and Nettie walked in smiling.

            “You look beautiful,” she said.

            Blushing, she looked away, “You’re too kind.”

            “The dress fits you perfectly.”

            Before she could stop herself, she asked, “Who did it belong to?”

            Nettie smiled. “It belonged to Tom’s mother. She died when he was very young.”

            “Oh.”

            “Dinner is ready. Why don’t you come down?”

            Tom’s ranch was beautifully designed in rich oak tables with simple designs. The kitchen was stocked with pots and pans that she knew her father would appreciate if he were here. She found Nettie setting the table and walked to help the woman. When the table was set, she turned around and found Tom leaning against the wall staring at her.

            “You look good…in that gown. No woman has ever worn those before,” he said.

            She ran a hand down the front of the dress. “Thank you. You didn’t have to give them to me to wear.”

            He walked to her and took a deep breath. “It’s fine. Are you finding everything to your liking in your room?”

            She nodded. “Thank you very much. Dinner is set.”

            Emily waltzed into the room wearing a bright red gown and she smiled with her hair pulled up in a loose bun. She smiled sweetly and came to stand beside Yelena. “This dress looks nice on you.”

            “Thank you. Dinner is ready. You should come eat.”

            She smiled and headed toward the table when Nettie walked in. Two Faced and Bobby came in after her and they all settled down to eat. Dinner included baked beans, roast beef, peas, and mashed potatoes. Yelena hadn’t had a real meal since their inn began to have trouble with money issues. She ate slowly afraid the meal might not last and she’d be back to soup in no time.

            After dinner and helping Nettie with the dishes, she walked outside to find Emily sitting by the swing. She made her way to sit beside her and they pushed the swing into motion. It was a quite night and the air was oddly balmy compared to last night’s.

            “Tom likes you,” Emily said.

            Yelena laughed and turned to her. “Don’t be silly. He told me you were beautiful and I was only pretty.”

            Emily turned to her. “So you don’t mind if I make him mine?”

            She shook her head. “Why would I?”

            “That night you two were sleeping together, did he take you?”

            “Of course not, Emily. You know me better than that.”

            She sighed and took her hands. “I’m sorry for being mean to you that morning. But I was jealous of you. Here you are, just some plain Jane and he was all over you. Don’t get me wrong, Yelena, you’re pretty, but you’re just not that beautiful.”

            Yelena smiled and nodded. “Of course, and not to mention, so much more experienced than I am.”

            Emily’s smile faded and she shook her head. “Don’t be a bitch, Yelena. You know that you can never beat me when it comes to men. They always take me over you.”

            “Then go for it,” she said as she got off the swing and walked away.

 

            Yelena picked up a piece of hay and began to chew it as she walked down the dirt path to the small pond behind the house. She sat down and watched as the night turned a powerful purple and it made her think of her father. Tears filled her eyes and she wondered if the pain of losing him would ever fade. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart feeling as if it had been ripped open. She had a large hole inside her heart and nothing would ever fill it again. She tossed the hay away and pulled her knees up to her chest, sobbing.

            Growing up, she felt loved because she had her father with her everywhere she went. Although she never knew her mother, she still felt safe because her father gave her that shield with his love. Now, all she knew was hurt and loss and loneliness was eating her alive. She longed to hear his voice. She wanted to feel him beside her and have him hold her again. But nothing was going to make him come back. She watched as a bullet pierced through his skull and snipped the life string away from him. Would she ever forget that memory? Or will it slowly eat away at her heart until she was also cold and dead?   She wiped her eyes and settled down to lie on the grass. She was exhausted from everything. She just wanted to erase everything and begin new. She pulled her knees up and hugged them as she slowly let the evening take her pain away.

            Yelena woke to something wet slithering along her inner thigh and sat up. She screamed and stood up shaking her dress. Whatever was in there wasn’t friendly because she felt it tighten around her thigh and she stomped her foot. The texture told her it was probably a snake and it made her let out a blood curling scream. The fangs sank into her skin and she fell forward panting hard as the green snake slithered out from under her dress.

            “Yelena!” Tom cried as he reached her.

            She was dizzy as she reached a shaking hand to him. “H-help.”

            “What happened?” he asked.

            She couldn’t speak. The pain escalated and she was feeling a burning sensation in her thigh. He looked around her until his eyes came to the snake slithering away. He cursed and checked her body for signs of a bite.

            “Where did it bite you?” he asked.

            She was feeling weak and the tears that were in her eyes were falling down her cheeks. “Th-“

            “What? Come on! Tell me! I can’t see anything on your arms.”

            She ran her hand along his thigh and swallowed a sob. He looked at her hand and then his eyes met hers. She watched as his hands took the hem of her dress and pushed it upward past her thigh revealing her white panties. He took her left leg, yanked it apart, and found it; two small red holes.

            “Shit,” he said loudly.

            “H-help,” she moaned.

            He let her leg go and cupped her face. “I’m going to help you. But you have to stay still. Don’t move and no matter what, don’t scream.”

            Yelena nodded and he guided her hand to hold his shoulder. Then he bent down between her legs, and sucked the poison from the bite. She felt as if the world had turned upside down. His lips suctioned against her skin was pure magic beyond anything she’d felt, making her forget she was in pain. He sucked out the venom, spit it out, and went back for me. She withered on the ground and her nails sank into his shoulder. She began to cry as he nudged her legs further apart, this time, his fingers biting into her flesh. When he spit out the third time, he grabbed her head and cradled her in his hands.

            “Are you ok?” he asked.

            She felt weak as she fell backward. He caught her and moved her dress down. He picked her up and carried her into the house. They were met with commotion as he carried her up the stairs.

            “Fetch me some hot water, Nettie!” he cried over his shoulder.

            “What happened?” Emily asked as she came running from her room.

            “She got bit by a snake,” Tom said.

            “Oh my lord! Is she alright?”

            “Yes. Why don’t you go help Nettie get some hot water?”

            She nodded and left as he kicked open the door to the room Yelena was sleeping in. He put her on the bed and closed the door. She felt tingling all over as he came to her and helped her to sit up. He began to unbutton her dress along her chest.

            “What are you doing?” she asked.

            “These are too tight for you to wear right now. You need to have loose fitting clothing on. I have to take this off.”

            “No,” she said trying to fight him off.

            He turned her around and looked at her. “Look, I’ve had my fair share of snake bite experiences. I know what I’m doing, ok? Trust me.”

            When she remained quiet, he continued removing her buttons. He got her to her under gown, which was a white slip; she covered herself with her arms until he put a blanket around her shoulders. The door opened and Nettie walked in with the hot water and set it aside.

            “How is she?” Nettie asked.

            “I’m fine,” Yelena said shivering.

            “She looks like she’s going into shock or fever possibly. I haven’t checked her wound yet.”

            “Where is it?” Nettie asked.

            Tom came to her and pushed her dress up, revealing the wound. It was now red and swollen. Yelena began to shake and she fell over on the bed. He reached for her as Nettie took the towel and dipped into the hot water. As soon as it was placed on her wound, Yelena let out a cry.

            “Talk to me, Yelena,” Tom said gently.

            “I’m cold, so cold.”

            Nettie felt her forehead. “She’s not coming on with a fever. I think it may be a reaction.”

            Tom nodded. “I think so too.”

            “She’s going to need some body heat.”

            He looked at her. “Leave us and lock the door.”

            When Nettie left, Yelena watched as Tom removed the bowl of water aside and began to undress. His chest was chiseled with such strong muscles she wondered if it hurt him to breathe. He had long lean legs and a flat stomach that held muscles that probably prevented fists from hurting him. When he had on his shorts, he walked toward her. Scared, she tried to move away, but he caught her wrist and held her.

            “I’m just going to hold you. If I don’t, you may develop a fever. You’re having a reaction to the snake bite. Just let me hold you,” he said.

            “No,” she cried.

            He lifted her up onto his lap and his fingers found themselves under the strap of her gown. “I have to remove this. Trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

            “I’ve never done this before.”

            “We’re not doing anything. I’m just going to hold you. I promise that what is yours will be yours after we are through. Do you trust me?”

            Her lips were quivering so she nodded. He smiled and took the straps in his hands. He slid them off her shoulders and down her arms. He lifted her off of his lap enough to get her gown off. She covered herself with her arms as he wrapped his arms around her. Then he guided her toward the pillows where he lifted the blanket. He put her under the blanket and joined her. He wrapped his legs over hers and held her tightly against his chest. When he pulled the blanket over them, she was snuggled against him and he spoke in her ear.

            “You’ll be fine. Trust me.”