The Firecracker Gets Her Man (10 page)

Lance reined in his stallion, and quickly turned to see if he was hearing things, or if, by some miracle, his sweet redhead was truly calling to him. She waved her arms as he hurried toward her, jumped from his saddle, and hugged her tightly. “Are you all right, Rachel, love?” he asked.

“Yes, I am fine. I didn’t want to walk all the way to town, however. How did you know I was missing?” she asked. “I am supposed to be in my room, and I didn’t think I would be missed at all.”

“Your father is one smart man. The broken teacup, the dirty dishes sitting in the dishwater, and a cloth soaked in chloroform – he came for me immediately.”

“Good. You need to know that both Jared and Misty are in town, and getting ready to rob the bank. He had Parker and Risky kidnap me, and they were told to hold me in case one of them was wounded, but I convinced them that Cane was going to simply keep the money for himself and Misty, and kill them along with me. I told them that you knew all about Cane’s plan, and would stop him, and he would be dead, or blame them. It worked; they ran for their lives. I got free and started walking toward town. I was frightened when I heard your horse, so I hid until I knew it was you, Lance!”

“Smart girl. We need to get back to town. I want to stop Cane.”

“Yes. Another reason he kidnapped me was to distract you.”

He climbed on his saddle and then easily lifted her in front of him and held her close.

“Ow!” Rachel complained. “My butt is sore, mister! You are not to spank me again, ever!”

“That will last, if we are lucky, until tomorrow. You are a spanking a day girl,” he said with a chuckle. “Honey, I am so relieved you are all right. I was afraid they were abusing you,” he admitted. “Your father is going to be overjoyed to have you back in one piece. He was afraid, and he wanted to come with me. I am afraid I insulted him by telling him no. I knew he couldn’t keep up.”

“Poor Papa. He does so love me, brat that I am.”

“He is a good man. You are fortunate to have his love.”

“Yes, I am. I am also lucky to have your love, Lance. I prayed that you were safe, and that Jared didn’t know you were in town and try to shoot you!” She rested her head on his chest, hoping he wouldn’t see her tears, but of course he did.

“Don’t cry, honey. I’m fine, and I’ll catch the bastard.”

“Risky said Cane intended to rape me before killing me. I laughed it off and said he wouldn’t dare do that in front of Misty, but I have been thinking. What if he is planning to leave her behind to take the fall? Maybe he isn’t happy about the baby?”

“That could be, honey. Do you have someplace you can go that you will be safe? I can’t leave you at your house because Cane knows where you live. I guess you could come and sit in the jail. Or, I could put you in my room at the hotel, but I don’t trust Jeremy not to blab it all over town.”

“Or me not to clout him!” she muttered darkly, and Lance laughed.

“You are one sassy, spunky lady, and I do love you.” He leaned down and kissed her. “You are a little firecracker, Miss Rachel,” he insisted, making her smile.

“I must know, am I in trouble for not going directly to my room when you left? I wasn’t deliberately being disobedient, Lance. I didn’t even think about that, only my pride, and I didn’t want Mary to come down to a dishpan full of dirty dishes this morning. Honest, honey, I wasn’t trying to disobey you, but my bottom was on fire, and the dishes seemed important.”

“I am not an ogre, sweetheart. I knew exactly what you were doing, and why. I’m not going to spank you for that.”

“Good. You are such a good man, and I want to stay with you at the jail,” she informed him. “The jail is the one place in town that Jared Cane won’t go near.”

“Smart girl.”

“You’d best drop me off here, and go to the house and get my boy’s getup and bring it to me. Cane won’t expect that.”

“Right.” Lance helped her down and asked her to remain hidden.

Doc was sitting on his front porch, and he slumped over in pain when he saw Lance was alone. Lance helped him inside. “I have her, sir. She is all right. I came to get her boy clothes and then I am taking her to the jail.”

“Was she abused, son? You tell me the truth, damn it!” Caleb ordered sharply.

“She is sassy and just fine, sir. She used her brain and made the two men who kidnapped her think Cane was going to kill them. They ran for their very lives. She then freed herself and started walking back to town, hiding when she heard someone. She is great, but I want you to act as though she is still missing, and that we don’t have a clue where to look. Her life could depend on it.”

“I will do my best. You give her a kiss and a hug from her papa, please. And, Lance, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love that child more than life.”

“She loves you too, sir. She knows she is very lucky to have you in her life. She told me so.”

“Keep her safe, son.”

“Yes, sir. I promise I will.”

He packed her things in a saddlebag, mounted his stallion, and then hurried to the end of town, talking to people along the way, and asking if they’d seen or heard from Rachel. He got only negative responses, but it was his way of throwing off attention. He also spotted some kids playing with firecrackers, and gave them a stern warning to be careful that they don’t startle horses. They gave him a polite, “Yes, sir,” and he vowed to find them later and treat them to something special and tell them they’d helped him capture a criminal.

He traveled the length of the street and then galloped when he was far enough away that he shouldn’t be seen. He found Rachel waiting patiently, and then he waited while she went behind some bushes to change into her boy’s clothing. “Make sure you strap on your gun belt, honey.”

“I am all ready.” She stepped out to face him, and she did look like a boy. “This is Papa’s shirt,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“It is. He wanted to be with you and this was the only thing he could think of. I am to give you a hug and a kiss from him, and tell you how much he loves you.” He pulled her close and gave her the hug and the kiss, and then kissed her again. “Don’t cry, honey. He is so relieved you are all right, although he did swear at me, afraid I would lie to him.”

“Yes, he hates treating women who have been abused. It makes him so sad. He was afraid for me, I know.”

“Yes. Now, let’s go. I am going to get a bit rough with you when we get to town. You are going to set off a firecracker, and I am going to take you in.”

“Fun!” she said, giggling.

They finally made it to the jail, and Arnie was sitting at his desk. “You found her, thank God! Are you all right, Rachel?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine, Arnie.” She told the story again, and then glanced out the window while Arnie shared his opinion that Cane would wait until the fireworks went off so he could blow up the safe with dynamite.

“No! It’s happening right now, Lance! See that man in the gray suit? That is Mr. Payne; he owns the bank. The woman is Misty Feathers, and the man wearing the blue suit is Jared Cane. They are getting Mr. Payne to unlock the door and once inside, they will insist he open the safe. He will take everything from the safe, and probably kill Mr. Payne. We have to stop him, Lance!” In the next second, Rachel was out the door and on her way to the bank.

“Come back here, Rachel!” Lance called, but she couldn’t hear him over the crowd. He had no choice but give chase, and Arnie followed too.

Rachel was determined to save the bank president’s life, and she went straight through the bank door, gun in hand. Mr. Payne looked at her in shock, and Jared Cane went for his weapon, but he was so shocked to see her, that he fumbled his gun and accidentally shot Misty! She screamed and fell to the floor.

“You! This is all your fault!” Cane screamed at her.

“You shot and killed Doctor Merritt! I am going to see you hang for murder!”

“I am going to kill you for what you did to Misty!” he blustered, but his hand was shaking so badly that his shot went wild.

Arnie came in through the back door as Lance came in the front. They both fired, and Jared Cane fell to the floor, dead.

“Are you all right, Mr. Payne?” Arnie asked the man. He was shaking like a leaf.

“They seemed like such nice people. They came to my home and told me that they had a problem, and needed to cash a check so they could take the stage out of town. They were trying to get home for a funeral for her mother!”

“They were lying to you, sir,” Lance told the man. “He was a thief and a killer by the name of Jared Cane. The woman is his pregnant girlfriend. Rachel Waterford overheard them planning to rob the bank here in town, and she came home to prevent it from happening.”

“Thank you, Rachel! What a brave thing you did!”

“It was foolish, and I am going to make sure she knows just how foolish in a little bit!”

Rachel was kneeling beside Misty, and she looked up at Lance and said, “This one needs Papa; she is losing the baby.” Lance could see the woman was lying in a puddle of blood.

“Are you sure Doc will tend her after what they tried to do to you, Miss Rachel?” Arnie asked quietly. “I sure wouldn’t.”

“Papa will tend her. She is a human being and needs his help. I will make damn sure she doesn’t get a chance to shoot him too.”

Arnie picked the woman up and they walked briskly through the town, people moving out of the way and whispering about what could have happened. Mr. Payne stood outside the bank and told his story, proclaiming that Rachel Waterford was a true hero. People listened, and even Mr. Lowe, the elderly man from the stage who thought Rachel needed a switching was forced to give her credit and admit he’d judged her too harshly.

Caleb came running when he heard the front door open, Mary on his heels. “Papa, this is Misty Feathers. That moron Jared Cane shot her when we caught them robbing the bank. She is losing the baby, I think.”

“Bring her in, and hurry and change, daughter.”

“Yes, Papa.” Rachel ran to obey her father, and then went in to help him do what needed to be done. They worked for over an hour, trying to save Misty, but in spite of their efforts, she lost her child.

Misty sobbed, heartbroken over her loss, and when she learned that Jared was also dead, she shook her head in disbelief. “How did this happen? We were going to South America to live.”

“On money that belonged to the people in this town. Didn’t you care that stealing their money would bankrupt some of them? What about the elderly people who worked so hard to have money to live on during their old age? Some people were saving to buy a house, or to own a business.”

“It was just our luck that you had to be in that doctor’s office that day and overhear everything. We didn’t know you were there!” Misty hissed at her. “You ruined everything for us!”

“He didn’t intend to take you with him, Misty. He was using you and your belly to trick Mr. Payne into opening the bank. Once the vault was open, Cane was going to kill him, and then kill you. He wanted the money for himself, to go somewhere that no one knew him and he could live like a king and be respected. He certainly didn’t intend to marry you, Misty. Parker and Risky told me he planned to rape me, and he didn’t want them going first.”

Misty’s blue eyes filled with tears. “Damn him! He loved your red hair and the fact you are so slim. I told him I gained weight because of the baby, but I know that he really didn’t want a kid. He told me we would leave and head south and let Parker and Risky deal with you when we didn’t show up. They would have been so mad by then, and they would have taken it out on you! Damn you, Jared! Damn you for killing our baby!” She started sobbing.

“Let her rest, honey. I don’t think she has any more information to share now.”

“You’re right, Papa.”

Misty lost her will to live, and when she went to sleep, she didn’t wake up.

* * *

“Did I upset her, Papa, to the point that she died?” Rachel asked, afraid that she was responsible.

“No, child. She was dying all along, in spite of our attempts to help her; she bled too much. She was so upset at the loss of her baby, and the betrayal of the man she loved that Misty just gave up.”

“Yes, Papa.” She hugged her father. “Do you know how much I love and respect you? Arnie asked whether you would help Misty since she was part of the gang that kidnapped me. I assured him that you would help, and I am so proud of you for doing your very best.”

“Thank you. Now, I know what you told Lance, but did those men harm you in any way? There is no need to be embarrassed with your Papa. Are you all right?” he asked, tipping her chin up so he could see her eyes.

“I am fine, Papa. I was not abused in any way. Threatened, yes, but it was the threats of what Jared intended to do when he got back from robbing the bank that frightened me. That and I feared he would shoot Lance in the back. I prayed a lot!”

“We were praying too, daughter. Lance thinks that you were very smart to talk to those two men who kidnapped you and make them afraid of Cane. You used your brain as a good weapon.”

“I used the only thing I had, but it was you who saved me, Papa. You are the one who knew I would not leave my kitchen so messy. Thank you for investigating. Lance was truly impressed that you knew I was kidnapped and not having a childish temper tantrum and disobeying on purpose. You were able to convince Lance that I needed his help. Thank you, Papa.”

“We make a good team, don’t we, daughter?”

“We certainly do.”

“I want you and Lance to go and have some fun now with the festivities. Go and put on a pretty dress.”

“Yes, Papa,” she replied, and she left his offices, running upstairs to her bedroom. As she was dressing and fixing her hair, she recalled Lance’s promise to spank her. She certainly didn’t want that to happen. She wanted to go and enjoy the rest of the day – if it was possible after the things that had happened.

Once she was all prettied up, Rachel went downstairs to the parlor. No one, not even her father was sitting in there. She decided to go and visit with Mary and Clay, but as she started to open the door, she caught them in a moment of intimacy, and she quickly backed away. Jack’s girlfriend was with him, and Timothy and Sally Brice were cooing over their baby, and only had eyes for each other.

Rachel reluctantly returned to the parlor, and carefully placing a pillow on her piano bench, sat down on it and started playing. She enjoyed singing, and soon lost herself in the song. To her surprise, another voice joined in and she smiled when Lance sat on the bench beside her. She led him into another song and was pleased he knew that one also.

“Do you want your spanking now or later?” he asked when that song was finished.

“I don’t want a spanking at all!” she argued. “I can barely sit as it is!”

“You should have thought of that before you went charging into that bank, putting yourself in danger! If I could have, I would have walloped you then and there, and the only thing that stopped me was the fact that Misty needed your help, and making her wait for that help would have been cruel to her. Seriously, young lady, you frightened me.”

“I’m sorry. My only thought was to protect Mr. Payne. He is a very nice man, and he has five children who need their father. I also knew that Jared Cane would strike quickly, like the snake he was. I wasn’t trying to frighten you, and I am sorry I upset you.”

“I appreciate that you mean the words, but you rushed into a situation that could have gotten you killed. I tried to call you back, but you ignored me and went charging into that bank like you were wearing a suit of armor. You are not invincible, Rachel.”

“I know that.”

“No, I don’t think you do. You are not my deputy; you are the woman I love, and right now I am going to express that love very firmly on your bare backside.”

“I would rather you make love to me,” she shocked him by saying. “I am shaking and still frightened, and I need to be with you.”

“Don’t you dare try and tempt me to break my promise to your father, you little vixen. I want nothing more than to hold you in that way, but spanking you is the next best thing at this point!” He gently pulled her from the piano bench and around to where he was seated, and then he put her over his knee and slowly tossed up her skirts. “Did I tell you how very pretty you are? Because you are beautiful this afternoon. Do you know how close you came to being the one who was shot this morning?” he asked, and his hand cracked sharply on the seat of her brand new drawers. “These are very pretty, but they are in the way right now.” He undid the ribbon and slid them down in such a way that she gasped in pleasure. “I will not tolerate you risking your life the way you did this morning,” he said firmly, and his hand dealt her another hearty spank that burned like crazy.

“Please stop! Please, Lance, I am already sore! Please, don’t spank me anymore. I understand what you are saying. I promise I won’t interfere in your job again! Please!” she begged.

“No, you will not. I intend to see to it!” He gave her another hard spank, and she cried out in pain, and he was shocked when she started sniffling.

“I’m sorry, but this was personal, and I had to be part of it. Cane intended to kill me when he shot Doctor Merritt; I had to help bring him to justice. He had to know it was me who stopped him! It was so important to me to see this through. I won’t feel this way about your work normally, Lance. I don’t want to be your deputy!” she insisted, trying very hard not to cry even though her bottom was in pain and already on fire from his large, hard hand.

“Are you telling me the truth, or just saying what you think will stop this spanking sooner?” he asked.

“It is the truth, darling. But, I really do want you to stop before I start bawling. I want us to go out and have fun. I want to show you as my beau to the entire town!” she admitted. “I feel properly chastised,” she added.

“That isn’t for you to decide, Miss Rachel, but this one time I am going to spare this pretty bottom. I want to show you off as my lovely lady too,” he admitted, pulling up her drawers and then standing her on her feet. “Put yourself back together, and we’ll go and celebrate the Fourth of July.”

Rachel ran from the room, and up to her bedchamber. It didn’t take her long to retie her drawers so they wouldn’t fall down around her ankles while they were walking. She made sure her thick red hair was tamed the best she could, and she grabbed her shawl for later. Rachel felt pretty as could be, and she knew it was because she was in love.

As she walked down the stairs she noticed that Lance was proudly wearing his badge, letting one and all know that he wasn’t some aimless drifter without ambition of any kind. He was the law. “You, sir, are the most handsome man I have ever met!” she declared.

Lance chuckled. “We need to have you fitted for spectacles,” he teased. “The pretty one here is you, and you are beautiful, little one.”

They walked, arm in arm, downtown to where the festivities were getting underway. Rachel kept getting stopped and welcomed home. She proudly introduced everyone to Lance as her fiancé. When asked when they were to be married, Lance told them, “As soon as possible.”

Lance found the boys he’d scolded earlier and he smiled and thanked the four lads for helping him. He explained the situation, and the kids grinned, happy to know they weren’t really in trouble. He also gave each boy some money and told them to have fun with it, and if their parents had questions, to come to him and he would vouch for them.

“Rumor has reached my ears, Miss Rachel.” Reverend Cloud stopped them to inquire. “I heard there is a wedding in the future?”

“What about today, Reverend?” Lance asked seriously. “I would like to marry my own personal little firecracker today.”

“Well, now! I am willing, but Rachel, you are not quite twenty-one yet, and I would need Doc’s blessing before I could proceed.”

“Doc is begging me to take her off his hands,” Lance said, grinning, earning the expected chuckle from the other man, and a smile from his Rachel.

“Have your pa come and see me, Rachel, and if he gives his permission, then I will gladly perform the service. Are you sure you don’t want a big wedding with the church full of your friends?”

“All I want is a private wedding in the parlor of our home,” she answered. “I know who I want to invite, and the list is very short.”

“There is Doc, across the street,” the minister said, and then waved, calling out. “Doc, over here!”

Caleb turned and saw them; he crossed the busy street with care that he didn’t get run down by the people coming to celebrate. “Well, talking to the reverend about getting married?” he asked with a big smile.