Alicia's Misfortune (16 page)

Despite the gravity of being completely worn out, Addie
Filcher sat straight up in her strange new bed.
 
There were shadows outside her window where there ought not to be.
 
She was terrified. There was no man within
earshot.
 
She had no weapon.
 
At the moment she had no voice.
 
Fear constricted her throat and wouldn’t let
any out.
 

She made some noise that was a cross between a moan and
whine.
 
It came out like something of a
chant.
  
Whatever it was she was not
communicating to anyone for help.
 
She
was doing nothing but give herself away.

Indians she thought.
  
They didn’t have that problem in Chicago.
 
She was going to scalped or whatever they did
to blond women.
 
Or worse
.Sold
into slavery.
 
Addie was going to be an
Indian slave. Her body would be used to appease military men and traders.
 

She hid her face in the calico spread and willed either Galen
or Emory to come to her.
 
To know her
plight and to save her.

But what if it was the magistrate?
 
What if he tracked her all the way out to
Great Falls?
 
What if
 
he discovered that she swiped the money of a
marriage prospect and jilted him?
 
Addie
wondered if such a thing was a crime.
 
It
did not matter.
 
She paid off her
father’s debt.
 
She had proof of that.

Addie heard a rifle report. It cracked the sky as loud as
thunder.
 
People were rushing the
house.
 
Addie crawled under the covers
and didn’t breathe.
 
She didn’t
move.
 
She prayed.
 
Someone rustled her foot.

“I know you’re in there,” came Galen’s soft voice.
 
“You can come out now.”

Addie sobbed beneath the quilt.
 
It was the best she could do.
 
Galen peeled back the covers.
 

“Shhhh,” he said pulling her shoulders up to his massive
ones.
 
“It’s over now.”

“What was it?” she howled.
 

Then she asked in a low whisper.
 
“Was it an Indian?”

“No it was not an Injun,” he hugged her a little tighter.

“How do you know?” she stuttered.

“Well because the Black Feet and I have an understanding and
for two, I caught him.
 
Rustler,” he
said.

“Is he dead?” she asked not lifting her face from his iron
hard shoulder.

“No. But he’s wishing he was.
 
This feller does not want to be caught.
 
Does not sound like he’s from around
here.
 
We’ll send him back to town with
the preacher,” he said.

“What were they rustling?” she sniffled.

Galen laughed.
 

“I have a thousand head of cattle,” he said.
 
“Did I fail to mention I was a rancher?”

“I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly.
 
The fence was small and I didn’t see any
animals except the horses,” said Addie.

“You really are a city gal, ain’t you?” he said.
 
“I own everything outside the fence too.
 
That scalawag was trying to steal my beef.”

“All by himself?” asked Addie.

“No but I have ranch hands and Emory and we’ll all stand
watch.
 
There’s likely to be a few of
them. But when this feller doesn’t return, they’ll get the message,” he said.

The notion that Galen Allen was potentially rich warmed
Addie involuntarily.
 
Or perhaps it was
his physical closeness.
 
He was having
that effect on her again.
 
It wasn’t
travel.
 
It wasn’t the upset of losing
her father and being chased by the magistrate.
 
It wasn’t her unfriendly brother or the rustler. It was him.
  
There was no mistaking.
  
Galen’s effect on her was dark and
mysterious and delicious.

“I can’t go back to sleep now,” she said with a tremble.

“Can’t you now?” he asked wickedly.
 
“Come with me.”

Galen took her hand and led her through the shadowy
dark.
 
Off in the distance was the
filtering light of a lantern.
 
Addie
froze.
 
There was someone sitting out on
the porch.

“Careful,” he assured her.
 
“It’s only my brother.”

Galen felt around in a cupboard and pulled out a bottle.

“Let’s go out front, shall we?” he said.

Addie really didn’t want to after all but she didn’t have
the nerve to tell him.
 
He was going to
be her husband after all.
 
It was time
she practiced her obedience.
 
Galen led
the way and she followed.
 
His brother
eyed her as they stepped outside.

Addie realized at that moment, now that the smoke of terror
had cleared, she was in her night gown. Oh well, she thought.
 
She hunched over as she sat, to protect her
modesty.

Galen de-corked the bottle and swigged.
 
He gasped afterwards.
 
Addie could smell it was whisky.

“Brothah,” he said, passing the bottle to his brother.

He encouraged Addie to sit.
 
He sat beside her.
 
He took the
bottle back.
 
He swallowed again and
handed it to Addie.

“It will help you sleep,” he said.

She took a delicate taste and braced herself as she flushed
with the aftertaste.
 
Galen
chuckled.
 
Even his brother reacted.
 
She took another sip.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“It’s nice,” she said, feeling soft and melty.

Galen was looking more and more attractive to her.
 
Even his brother was making her yearn.
  
She was going to take another but Galen
stopped her.

“Two sips that’s enough,” he said.
 

Galen helped her to his feet.
 

“Night brother,” he said.

Galen stomped off to the bunk house. Something made no sense
about him.
 
It was like Addie’s very
presence bothered him so.
 
Galen shadowed
her as he corralled her into the house.
 
His hands gripped his waist as they maneuvered into the bedroom.

“I’ll tuck you in,” he said gruffly.

But something within her wanted him to stay with her.
 
She knew they were not married yet but they
would be.
 
By her coming to his house,
she had made her promise to him.
 
Addie
turned to Galen in the darkness and silently asked him to say.

He heard her.
 
He felt
her.
 
He leaned his tall form towards her
and kissed her.
 
Addie had no experience
with men but some kind of natural force guided her.
 
That magical good feeling her stirred in her
when he sat next to her in the rig all the way out to the house from Great
Falls, was all the more powerful within her now.
 
It was not the whisky.
 
It was him. It was them.

Galen’s hands roamed her. His breath was hard through his
nose like a bull ready to charge.
 
Addie
never knew a human body could be so hard. Galen’s was as hard as the floor they
stood on.

Galen unfastened the single mother of pearl button hat held
her neckline in place. He smoothly slipped her gown from her shoulders.
 
He nudged her back onto the bed.
 
Even though she had never done this with a
man before and she had had no schooling, Addie was at ease.
 
She knew what he wanted to do somehow.
 
She lifted her hips and he slipped the
bloomers from her body.

Galen looked enormous from where she lay.
 
His entire upper body seems to be a canopy
across the ceiling above her.
 
She could
see faint outlines of him as his hair caught the shimmer of the moonlight. He
leaned down and kissed her.
 
His kiss was
warm and soft and made her belly melt.

Addie’s legs sought the small of his back.
 
She wrapped her ankles around him and drew
him to her.
 
Galen chuckled.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“Hold on there, wild cat,” he said.
 
“No you didn’t nothing wrong.”

He pressed his lips to hers again and this time, he slipped
his tongue inside her.
 
She shivered at
the new invasion.
 
His pace was patient
and slow as he explored her.
 
She
adjusted to the sensation and even liked the taste of him.

They wound their heads this way and that as they sought to
almost fuse together. Galen drew his head back as he broke the kiss.

“You’ve never been kissed before, have you?”

“No,” she said. “Not like that.”

Galen growled. And renewed his kiss.
 
It was more passionate than before.
 
And while he tasted of her, he situated
himself deep between her thighs.
 
He
expertly removed his pants by kicked and wriggling.
 
His hands never left her.
 
When he was naked, Addie felt the soft yet
hard length of him, nudging at her wetness.

Galen cupped her generous, doughy breast.
 
He planted his hot wet mouth on her nipple
maker her arch off the bed.
 
Addie cried
out.
 
He wedged his face deep into the
crevice of her enormous bosom and kissed her on the delicate sensitive spot
there.
 

Addie was grunting with passion.
 
It was all so new to her.
 
Galen showed her more of her magical places,
suckling the ticklish dip at the base of her neck.
 

“Dear God,” she whimpered.

Galen kissed her again.
 
It was now familiar and comforting.
 
He pressed his need between her thighs as they had closed in around
him.
 
He touched her.
 
Addie thought she would faint with utter
shock.
 
She supposed he knew what was
decent to do.

He penetrated her with one finger and then with the next,
stretching her.
 
Filling her.
 
She almost had a conniption but he made no
sudden move and Addie calmed.
 
Then he
drew his fingers in and out of her.
 
She
got used to it.
 
She settled so that she
could actually enjoy it.
 

His hand stayed where it was.
 
He took the tip of his member and put it into
her.
 
Slowly at first.
 
It was an altogether different sensation.
Addie wanted more.
 
Once again, on
impulse she wrapped her ankles around his back and inadvertently impaled
herself.
 
Galen was completely inside of
her.
 
The pain was horrific.
 
She whimpered.

“Shhh,” he said.
 
“Let
me take the lead.”

He kissed her more until her body relaxed.
 
The pain gave away to melting warmth.
 
Galen moved within her. Addie was alive with
an excitement that made her want to move.
 
She rocked her hips up against his.
 
She drew her knees up boldly. Every which way she moved she experienced
a new thrill.

He was possessed by the same spirit.
 
They danced against each other.
 
Addie was driven.
 
She wanted something – chased something – but
she did not know what.
 
Every brush of
his flesh against hers made her draw up tight around him.
 
The feeling was so beautiful and delicious
that it made her head swim.

She thrust against him with more power, more purposes until
Galen clasped her buttocks and drove into her as though this were not her first
time. But she kept pace with him, bucking and reeling until he cried out and
collapsed.

Galen’s arm possessively laced around her though he was
completely spent.

Or so she thought.

He moved.
 
She thought
it was to curl up and retreat to what would be his side of the bed.
 
But he didn’t.
 
He propped up on one elbow and drew his hand
down between her legs.
 
He pressed and he
wagged his fingers.
 
She writhed,
exhilarated by the sensation.

“Shhh,” he said.

She closed her eyes and let it happen.
 
Soon she was rocking against his touch, again
with that age-old passion.
 
Again with
the pursuit of something she could not name.
 
Galen did not let up until she burst from within with wave after wave of
exquisite pleasure.
 
It pushed through
her, washing every part of her.
 
Addie’s
heart beat in her ears like Black Eagle Falls.
 
She relaxed against the mattress and let it take over her.