When Kat's Away [Sequel to Anna Doubles Down] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (12 page)

“Is she still there?”

“I don’t think so. I can’t see anything.”

Win turned and looked over his shoulder. “Should we check on her?”

“Yeah, let’s see where she is.” David pushed Win off and got up, tiptoeing to the door. He peeked around the corner and turned back to Win. “I don’t see her, but her door’s closed.” He motioned for Win to follow him.

Quietly, Win followed David to stand outside Kat’s door. They both pressed their ears up against the wood. For a moment, he didn’t hear anything. Then, he heard soft groans from inside the room.

David grabbed his arm and pulled him back down the hall. “She’s in there touching herself.”

“Maybe we should just go in and join her. Obviously she was turned on by what she watched.”

“No, there’s not enough time. The family’s coming for dinner tonight. I don’t wanna have to rush through our first time.”

Win sighed. “Okay, but I’m tired of waiting. Tonight, after dinner, we’re gonna make our move.”

David slapped him on the back. “Tonight it is.”

* * * *

Kat backed up slowly, careful not to make a sound. She hurried down to her room then closed and locked the door. “Oh, my God. That was so damn hot.” Her fingers slipped beneath her shirt. “Shit, I can’t even touch myself with these crazy clothes on.”

She reached behind her and unbuttoned the back of her blouse. It slithered down her body, catching briefly on her distended nipples. She tossed it to the floor before cupping her breasts and squeezing gently. She gasped when her fingers slid over her breasts, grazing the hypersensitive nipples.

Unfastening her skirt, she pushed it, along with her petticoat and drawers, to the floor and stepped out. She walked over and lay down on top of the quilt. Her fingers played across her pebbled nipples before she cupped one breast, plucking on the hard tip. She could feel little tremors of excitement coursing through her.

She tugged on her nipple greedily while her other hand caressed down her stomach, raked through her curls, and spread her lips apart. A groan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, opening her legs a little more. The area between her thighs was wet, her clit throbbing painfully.

Her finger became coated with her slick excitement as she searched for the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit. She moaned when she found it, rubbing the taut flesh slowly in tiny circles. Holding her breath, she pinched the swollen clit sensuously between her thumb and forefinger, her fingertips gliding easily over her swollen nub.

“That’s so good,” she whispered.

Gently, she pushed two fingers inside her pussy and began pumping in and out of her channel, her thumb keeping up pressure on her clit. Her body strained toward a peak, her breathing faster and faster, her body stiffening. She pinched her clit hard, and bright colors swirled behind her closed eyelids as an orgasm rocked her. She cried out, her body shaking from the pleasure.

For a moment, she lay there basking in the glow, and then reality began to settle in.

What am I doing? What if they heard me?

A lone tear slid silently down her cheek.

How can I stay here when I want them so much? I can’t lose Anna’s friendship.

She turned over, pulling the quilt over her sweaty body.

I’ve got to find a way to open the portal, or I’m gonna have to leave here and find somewhere else to live.

* * * *

“Okay, everybody, take a seat. Everything’s ready.” David placed a glass of water on the table.

“What’s on the menu tonight, brother dear?”

David ruffled Eva’s hair and laughed when she dodged away. “We’ve got ham steak, fried potatoes with onion, and a pot of fresh green beans.”

Win brought a basket to the table. “And I made this sweet cornbread you like so much, Eva.”

She squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, and thank you.”

Anna walked over to the stove. “Do you want me to pour the coffee, David?”

“No, Mom, I want you to sit down. You’re our guest.”

She threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’m going to sit down. Sheesh can’t even offer to help my own boys.”

“Where’s Kat?” asked Beau.

David pulled out a chair. “She’s up in her room. Eva, will you go and let her know supper’s on the table?”

“Sure, be right back.” She took off running through the house.

“How are things with Kat? Is she adjusting okay? Has she heard any more about starting up the classes?”

“She’s doing fine, Mom. She’s still a little down, but as soon as the sheriff gives her the go-ahead for teaching I think she’ll be fine. She just needs a focus for her to be happy here.”

Anna sighed. “David, you have to be realistic. She may never be happy here. Hell, she may not even stay here in Hamilton with us.” She walked over and put her hand on his arm. “Honey, you’ve got to stop dreaming about something that’s never going to happen.”

David set a bowl down on the table a little harder than necessary. “Mom, I know you mean well, but you need to stay out of this. Our relationship with Kat is just that, our relationship. It has nothing to do with you, and I’ll thank you kindly to stay out of it.”

“Now you wait a minute, young man.”

Beau walked over and put his arm around Anna’s shoulder and led her to the table. “No, Anna, you wait. The boy’s right and I’m telling you to mind your business now. You’re not to interfere, and I want your promise to let them live their lives without interference. Do you understand?”

Zeke walked over and swatted her behind. “We’re serious, little lady. You leave the three of them to make their own mistakes, or their own happiness. Give them the same chance you had.”

Anna sighed heavily and walked back over to David, putting her arms around him. “Okay, son. I love you and I want you to be happy. I just have a real problem thinking about you with the woman who’s been my best friend since we were children. It goes against everything in me, but I can’t fight all of you. I love Kat, too, and I really want her to be happy. I won’t say anything else, but if you hurt my best friend I’ll take a leather strop to your naked backside.”

Win whooped, slapping his hand on his thigh.

Anna glared over at him. “Yeah, your red butt can get even redder, little man. Don’t make me prove it.”

“Wow, what did I miss?” Kat walked in chuckling.

David snickered. “Nothing. Come on in and grab a seat. Dinner’s ready.”

Kat walked over and sat in the chair David held out. He and Win immediately sat in the chairs on each side of her.

David grinned when he saw Anna and Beau roll their eyes. “What?”

Beau shook his head and looked at Kat. “Sheriff Curtis came to see me today about you opening up the school.”

“Why didn’t he come talk to me?”

Beau laughed. “Because you’re a woman without a man to guide her.”

She snorted. “What the hell does that mean? Why do I need anyone to guide me?”

“Remember, girl, you’re in a different time now. You’re gonna have to learn to curb your independent nature or you’re never gonna get anywhere. That’s the sheriff’s main concern now.”

Kat frowned. “I don’t understand. What’s his main concern?”

Zeke pulled out a chair. “It’s simple, Kat. You’re making the good sheriff nervous the way you’re taking charge, getting the schoolhouse ready even when he’s not given his approval yet. He’s used to women taking a back seat to most things, and especially to them deferring to his judgment.”

Kat groaned. “Anna, how did you survive all these years with such Neanderthal ideals?”

“Ha! I kept out of sight for the most part. My guys kept me sheltered and hidden from folks as much as possible. It was hard at first, and I had a few major setbacks over the years, but taking care of my family helped me keep centered.”

“Is the sheriff gonna let me teach or not?”

Beau nodded. “He said he’s willing to give it a chance, but not until the first of the year. He talked with the mill and the mine owners, and they’re in agreement that a school is needed. They have too much absenteeism with workers that have children. They figure if they have a place to stash their kids, then they’re more likely to give them a full day’s work.”

Kat took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. “Nice attitude. They want a glorified babysitter, not someone who’ll teach their kids.”

Beau scratched his head. “That’s another thing.”

Kat narrowed her eyes. “What?”

He coughed and looked at Anna then returned his gaze to Kat. “They’re insisting on you writing out a lesson plan for them to approve.”

Everyone jumped when Kat slammed her hand on the table. “Why would they want to know my lesson plans?”

“That’s easy,” Anna said. “They wanna make sure you’re only teaching them what they want them to know.”

“And what would that be?” asked Kat.

Anna shrugged. “Well, if I had to guess, I’d say they’d approve anything to do with arithmetic, spelling, grammar, reading, and a little bit of history. You’ll want to stay away from anything that seems political, and especially anything to do with women’s rights. You have to remember the time you’re living in and plan your history lessons accordingly.”

“Come on, Anna. I’m smart enough not to try and teach them things that haven’t happened yet.” She took a bite of her ham and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “I can’t promise not to promote a little women’s liberation, though.”

“Women’s liberation? What will that entail?” David snickered.

“Well, let’s see. You said this is 1899, so it’ll be at least twenty years before women are given the right to vote here. But, in just ten short little years, the women in New York will stage a rebellion that’ll bring union rules to garment workers.”

David shook his head. “You’re going to excel in trouble. I can just feel it.” He watched Kat grin as she took a large bite of her potatoes.

Win reached for a piece of cornbread. “What kind of rules did these unions bring?”

Anna held her hand out for the basket. “They brought about better wages and working conditions for the women that work in the clothing factories back East. They were working under slave conditions, even unsafe conditions in most cases. The unions had the women strike, which brought the garment industry to its knees. They had to give the women what they wanted to get them to come back to work.”

“Huh,” Win said. “Sounds like there are rough times ahead for women.”

“Honey, you said a mouthful.” Kat laughed when Win raised his brow.

“I have a question?” Eva asked. “What is it with Timothy Canders sniffing after Kat like she’s a hambone he wants to chew on?”

David felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “What are you talking about?”

Kat reached over and patted his arm. “Relax, Rambo. She’s exaggerating.”

“I am not. He turns up every time we’re together.”

Kat snorted. “Maybe it’s you he’s sniffing around.”

“Uh-uh. He always asks you to dinner when we meet, or to go on buggy rides, or picnics on Sunday.”

“Who’s Rambo?” asked Win.

Anna laughed. “Ignore her, Win. Rambo was a fictional character in a movie. He was this tough guy, always coming to the rescue of people in distress.”

“Ah, then it’s an apt description of David.”

“You both need to stay away from that lowlife.” David growled. “There’s something wrong with him.”

Beau nodded. “I think maybe he has a little too much of his father in him.”

“His sister seems nice enough.” Kat pushed her plate away. “She always makes the effort to stop and say hello when I see her out.”

Eva grunted. “Don’t be fooled by her sweet disposition, because I think she’s as crazy as her brother.”

“What makes you say that, honey?” Anna asked.

“I can’t give you any specific examples, just a lot of little things over the years when we were in school. Strange things happened around her, and she was the worst gossip I ever knew. Even the teacher seemed wary of her.”

David pushed his chair back. “Anybody besides Win want some apple pie?” He got up and brought two pies to the table.

Anna reached for one of them. “What are your plans for tomorrow, Kat?”

“I’m gonna finish cleaning up the school, and then I guess I’ll put together some kind of lesson plans on paper that will appease the local powers that be. I thought I might see if I could set up a meeting with the owners of the Seligman Mine and the Belmont Mill.”

David set a piece of pie in front of Kat. “You’re not going to those meetings alone.”

“What do you want to meet with them for?” asked Anna.

Kat glared at David and then turned her gaze to Anna. “I want to address their concerns and see if I can get them to fully support the school. I wanna talk them into sending the boys as well as the girls to class.”

Beau reached for a piece of the pie. “David’s right. You must not go to the mines or the mill alone. You’ll need protection.”