Early the next morning, as the sun was just creeping into the valley, Ginny was woken up by a presence in her room. When she opened her eyes, she startled at first, seeing Colby so close to her face.
He chuckled softly and asked, “Why didn't you wake me up, Mrs. Miller?”
Recovering quickly, she reached up and felt the stubble on his cheek. “You were out, Mr. Miller. I wanted you wide awake, not stumbling around in the dark.”
Colby kissed her, and Ginny knew she was in trouble. Before she could stop herself, she reached up and grabbed his shirt and pulled him fully on top of her. They fumbled with the covers for a moment, before he settled himself between her legs, kissing her neck and playing with her breasts.
“This is a great way to wake up. Thank you,” Ginny said absently, as he continued his sensual assault.
Colby reached down and lifted up her nightgown. His hand started to feel its way up her leg. Ginny wanted her clothing gone, along with his, and was about to say so when the boys started yelling at each other from the other side of her door.
“Give me that. I told you to stop taking my stuff, Nate. Ain't yours to take!”
“It is mine. You stole it from me first.”
Then came Georgia's voice. “Boys, you're gonna wake up the house if you don't keep your voices down. Get downstairs to breakfast.” That was followed by the trampling of feet down the steps. Colby let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
Picking her up out of bed, he ordered her to get dressed. “I'll be downstairs waiting with some breakfast. We're going on a picnic. To be alone. Without anyone disturbing us. Agreed?”
By the look on Colby's face, Ginny would have to be stupid not to agree, even if she didn't want to. Which of course, she did. Very much so. She shook her head with an affirmative, then went about getting dressed as quickly as possible.
She was downstairs in a couple of minutes, entering the kitchen in enough time to hear Colby explain that he and Ginny would be gone for part of the morning. He told Nate and Frank what he wanted done by the time he got home and asked Georgia to supervise.
“Any questions,” he asked, knowing that in his current mood, there had better not be any.
All three shook their heads. When Ginny entered, all three heads looked at her for help. “Well, if that's settled, Colby and I will just be going. Mind your sister, boys. If we get back and there's been trouble, you won't be liking life too much. Georgia, don't take any excuses. Okay, bye.”
With that, Colby and Ginny left out the front door and headed to the barn. Colby quickly saddled his horse, climbed up and pulled Ginny to sit on his lap. They were off to find some peace and quiet and hopefully, sex.
*******
They stopped by the same swimming hole that Ginny had visited earlier with Nate. She couldn't think of a better spot, since they could have privacy, then enjoy a nice swim afterwards. The air was filled with the sweet smell of flowers that were growing near the water's edge.
Ginny watched as Colby laid a blanket down on the soft grass. He retrieved the basket with the food and set it aside. As Ginny was reaching down to feel the water, she turned to see Colby had already taken off his boots and socks. In the next few moments, he had his shirt and pants off as well, keeping his long drawers on. It wasn't like Ginny couldn't see his excitement level. Colby hadn't taken his eyes off her the whole time he'd been undressing.
Standing there in his near nakedness, Colby held out his hand. Without a word, Ginny approached him, while removing her shirt. She had opted for her blouse and pants, rather than the cumbersome skirt and seven layers of underwear. She did have on a tight fitting, corset top with chemise. Riding a horse without any support would have been murder.
She opened her pants and let them drop to the ground. She kicked off her shoes, slipped off the pants with the socks. Now she stood before him in the short chemise. She reached in front and loosened her stays. Colby's eyes widened as Ginny's plump breasts popped out of the tight fitting top. She could hear his breathing get ragged as he reached for her.
Colby kissed her immediately, running his fingers in her hair and caressing her face. Before she could think, he had her lying on the ground next to him, pulling apart her top and fondling her. As his mouth kissed other parts of her face and neck, he whispered sweet endearments. Ginny got lost in the moment, enjoying his attention.
The only sounds were the birds chirping in the trees and their desperate breathing. When his hand reached up her leg, Ginny opened up for him, allowing him to explore her further. His fingers found her sensitive nub and began a rhythmic motion. Without thinking, Ginny reached down and grabbed him through his drawers, soliciting a hiss from Colby.
She looked at him and demanded, “Take those off.”
Smiling his compliance, he stood and pulled down his drawers to reveal himself to her for the first time. Seeing him naked, Ginny had that stab of love once again. She was too old to mistake lust and love, but at that point, it didn't matter. She knew what she wanted and dammit if she wouldn't get it.
Lowering himself slowly to the ground, he settled once again between her legs. He pulled down her chemise to fully expose her. He examined each breast in turn and decided on one. Taking the nipple into his mouth, he sucked gently as his fingers once again found her nub. He used one finger to enter her, finding her impossibly wet. Colby felt his control slipping.
He looked at her as he slipped his finger into her, watching her face as she shivered from his invasion. “I have never wanted a woman like I want you right now, Mrs. Miller.”
Ginny picked up her head and raised herself on her elbows. She sat up and grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. “Then take me. Now.”
“My pleasure,” was his response. He lowered her to the ground, kissing her as they went. Ginny reached down and grabbed hold of him. He was so hard, but after waiting so long, it wasn't a shock. The situation had become dire, with need and want.
He moved her legs to open her up more. Then he whispered his warning. “This may hurt a little, my love. I promise to go slow. If you tell me to stop, I will.”
Ginny, laid back against the blanket, her hair all spread out around her head, said, “I'll be fine. Please don't wait any longer.”
Lowering himself on top of her, he reached down to direct himself inside of her. Just as the head had pushed through the entrance, they heard hoofbeats. Colby stopped to listen, to make sure whoever it was wasn't coming near them. As it became obvious that the direction of the rider was searching them out, Colby cursed.
“Goddammit, somebody better be dead.”
Colby only had a moment to retrieve his drawers and pull them on before the rider broke through the trees. Using his body to shield Ginny, giving her a little time to straighten herself, Colby saw Vas get off his horse. Vas respectfully turned and looked away as Ginny and Colby dressed.
When they were decent, Colby turned back to his friend and asked, “What could be so important, Vas?” His voice was low, nearly growling.
Vas turned around and walked over. “I'm really sorry, Colby. You know I wouldn't have come out here unless it was important.” Vas looked over at Ginny, he looked almost angry at her.
He continued, not taking his eyes off Ginny. “Some people showed up shortly after you left. They were claiming to be Ginny's kin.”
“What?” This was from Ginny. Her family was here? Her real family? Ginny forgot all about her unspent passion and looked back at Vas. “Who were they? Did they say what happened to me?”
Vas turned toward Colby. “They said she ran away to avoid a marriage.”
Colby turned toward his wife. He didn't appear angry, just sad. “Well, I guess we'd better go and see what this is all about.”
After packing up their picnic, the three rode back to the ranch. As they approached, Ginny saw a carriage sitting in front of the house. Both boys were climbing on top and looking inside. The coachman was showing them around it.
Vas took both horses as Ginny and Colby walked toward the house. Ginny started to feel a strange intimidation. She still couldn't remember anything, but for some reason, she knew this was going to be bad. Pushing past the feeling, she recognized it for what it was. “The big problem.” It was the “thing” that would conspire to keep the two lovers apart. As predictable as it was, when forced to live it, it made Ginny very uneasy.
The boys spotted them and came running over. Their voices were full of excitement.
“Ain't it grand, Ginny. John was showing us the coach. You should see the inside,” Nate was so excited he probably didn't even realize he had spoken so much in front of Colby.
Frank chimed in next. “There are two men. One says he's your pa. I don't know who the other is, cause he wouldn't talk. Looks kinda angry. You want us to protect you, Ginny?”
Forcing a smile to her lips, Ginny said, “Thank you, Frank, but that won't be necessary.” Lowering herself to Frank's level, she whispered, “If I need protecting, I'm sure your brother can handle it.” She winked at him and followed Colby into the house. The boys went back to examining the coach.
They entered the parlor, side by side, and faced the two gentlemen sitting in opposing chairs. An older man, with short, salt and pepper hair, stood up first and faced Ginny. There was no tenderness in his eyes. He looked every bit a harsh taskmaster.
“You've put us through a great deal of trouble, Cassandra. We've had to travel halfway across this country to find you.”
At the sound of his voice, Ginny was slammed with her memories. In an instant, she knew who she was and what had happened to her. She'd been waiting for those memories for weeks, but wasn't so happy to have them. All she knew was she was in big trouble. Swaying under her father's gaze, Ginny turned to Colby and promptly passed out cold.
Ginny woke up in her own room, with a wet compress on her forehead. As she reached up to remove it, Georgia appeared and moved her hand away.
“Don't fret, Ginny. Just let me take care of you.” Georgia sounded worried, which was a sharp contrast to her usual, upbeat self.
“Where are they?” Ginny asked, knowing she would not have to explain who “they” were.
“Downstairs, talking to Colby and Vas. Your father told quite a story. He paints you in a very bad light. Do you remember anything yet?” Her voice was filled with worry.
“What did he say?”
“He said that you are engaged to Mr. Fitzhume. He said that to avoid the marriage that you deemed 'beneath' you, you ran away with another man. I believe his name was Robert. They tracked down Robert, who told them that you had run away from him, and he hadn't any idea where you'd gone. He indicated that they had to hurt Robert to get the information from him. Somehow they tracked you to the matchmaker and then to here.”
Ginny closed her eyes for a moment. As far as stories went, it wasn't far off. She had run away from the marriage with Reginald Fitzhume. Not only had the man raped her, he had beat her in a way that left no visible marks. She hadn't been able to walk for days and stayed hidden in her room until she was able to face her father.
She told her father that she had no wish to marry Reginald, but he would have none of it. Her father had gambled away most of the family's money, and this was the only way to replenish the coffers. Reginald was very rich and very willing to take care of Cassandra's family in exchange for the marriage.
When Cassandra had told her father of her fiancé's cruelty, he told her to get used to it. If she had been born a man, she could have worked to pay off their debt. But since she was merely a girl, and his only child, her only use to him was by marrying well.
“I do remember now. And I did run away from my fiancé. But not because I was some spoiled brat.” As the words left her mouth, she realized that Cassandra was just that. She'd had people waiting on her her whole life. She'd never done anything productive. She used her beauty to get anything she wanted. She'd had dozens of suitors, but she had chosen Reginald because he was the richest and the most influential. What she hadn't known at the time was that he was also a sadistic bastard, who liked his women screaming in pain.
“How'd you lose your memory?” Georgia asked.
“Robert was a gardener at my father's home in St. Louis. He helped me escape. Once I was away, he said he would help me hide, but I didn't want him to get into trouble, so I left him one night while he was sleeping. I was wandering the streets, when a group of boys tried to rob me. One of them hit me with something. The next thing I remember was the matchmaker finding me.”
“Let me go get Colby. He'll know what to do.” Georgia got up and left.
Ginny sat up in bed and thought about what Cassandra had done. She had to be truthful with Colby. She owed him that much. To say she was a different person now was an understatement. Lamentably, Ginny would have to pay for the sins of Cassandra.
A few minutes later, Colby entered the room. His face looked much like it did in the early part of their relationship. Disappointment and exasperation mixed with anger. Apparently, he had bought into most of her father's stories.
He closed the door and leaned his back to it, folding his arms across his chest. He didn't say a word, just stood there and stared at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. Ginny guessed that he probably was.
“Don't listen to all my father's assertions.” Ginny refused to take so many steps back. They'd come so far together.
“I suppose I should hear your side of the story.” Would he listen? He didn't sound too reasonable, but Ginny had no choice but to carry on.
Ginny decided to start at the beginning. “I was a spoiled, rich girl. Exactly what the men outside Denver accused me of being. I wouldn't lift a finger to help with anything. I had maids do my bidding. My mother died when I was very small, so my father always coddled me. I was his only child. Although he remarried, they never had any more children.”
Colby stared into the corner, not looking at his wife. He'd spent the last half hour listening to her father and fiancé, as they went on and on about her. How she was spoiled, but also how she had shown signs of her mother's mental illness. He listened attentively, but didn't believe much of their tale. There was a certain ring of desperation to it.
“When I turned eighteen, I started looking for a husband. I attended all the society balls and soirées in St. Louis. I was the belle of the ball, so to speak. I had my pick of just about anyone. But I chose Reginald Fitzhume.” Her voice shook when she said his name, but she continued on with her story.
“I chose him for incredibly selfish reasons. He wasn't terribly attractive, but he was unbelievably rich. When my father had told me of our money issues, I realized that I didn't want to live without that kind of security. I figured I could manipulate Reginald easily. After all, he would be the luckiest man in the world to get to marry me.” Her disgust in her own behavior was evident, but Colby remained silent.
“Reginald wanted me so badly, he went to my father and offered to buy me. Since I had no dowry, Reginald would settle a large sum on me, payable to my father, in the event I married him. My father agreed and told me that we would be wed. The next day, my father dropped me off at Fitzhume's house. He said that Reginald wanted to ask me properly. My father left and told me he would pick me up later.
“I was surprised when Reginald answered the door himself. He said that his staff had the day off and showed me to his parlor.” Ginny's voice grew distant and she felt herself grow cold. Although the attack hadn't happened to Ginny, she carried the vivid memories of it as if it had.
“He locked the door and told me to take my clothes off. I laughed at him and he punched me in the side of my head. I fell down and he raped me. When he was done dispensing of my virginity, he went about torturing me for an hour or so. He...” Tears sprung up in Ginny's eyes. She felt herself sway again, but this time, Colby was there to steady her.
“I'll kill him,” was all he said, but those three little words told Ginny that he believed her.
Taking her hand and placing it against his cheek, she said, “You can't. You would do no good getting yourself hanged. But thank you for believing me.”
“Anyone can see that he ain't right, Ginny. I mean... Cassandra.”
“Please keep calling me Ginny. I'm not that girl anymore. I won't ever be that girl again.”
Colby bent down and kissed her gently. Pulling away, he said, “I told you we could work out anything. Whether they like it or not, you're still my wife. I'll protect you.”
Not caring how corny it was, Ginny kissed him back. It might be trite and predictable, but she felt like a million dollars at that moment. Did she love him? She thought maybe she did. He was willing to fight to protect her. What could be more romantic?
“Stay here. I'll go and take care of our guests.” Colby got up and went to the door. “I love you, Ginny Miller.” With that, he left, closing the door behind him.
Ginny wanted to hear what he said, so she waited a few moments and left her room to sit at the top of the steps. There, she could hear every word.
Colby entered the parlor, where Ginny's father and ex-fiancé were seated. Georgia had served their guests some tea and promptly left. Vas sat across the room, not moving even when Colby reappeared.
“Mr. Thompson, as I stated earlier, your daughter is married to me. She entered that union without duress. We have been living as husband and wife for a month now. I'm sorry to you, Mr. Fitzhume, but the reasons are immaterial. Our union was sanctioned by a minister. It cannot be undone.”
Cassandra's father stood up and paced the room. Finally, turning back to Colby, he asked, “You would want her, even though she is unstable?”
“I don't know what you experienced with her in your home, sir, but here, she has been a wonderful mother to my siblings and an excellent wife to me. Perhaps her 'issues' only manifest in your home.”
The insult was clear and Thompson was enraged. “How dare you? I have called men out for far less than that. I will not be leaving here without my daughter. She had no right to marry you. She has an obligation to her family.”
Colby relaxed against the wall. “Mr. Thompson, I've had extensive training in the law. I assure you that I know what is legal and what is not. Despite your assertions, your daughter was never obligated to marry Mr. Fitzhume.” Colby could barely keep the disgust from his voice as he glanced toward the other man.
Colby could see why Ginny had thought she could manipulate him. He seemed meek. He was not much taller than Ginny, skinny as a rail and his face was covered in scars from a bad case of spots. His beady eyes were almost black. His hair was short, but looked unwashed. All in all, the man was creepy.
“This is an outrage. You can't keep my daughter here against her will.” Thompson looked around the small parlor, taking in its simple furnishings. “I will never believe that she would stay here without any force from you.”
Colby kept his eyes on his guests when he called out, “Ginny, come on down here.”
“Why do you keep calling her that? Her name is Cassandra.”
A moment later, Ginny appeared at the doorway. When she saw the look on Fitzhume's face, she became incensed. She walked over and stood in front of him. “How dare you show up here!” Then she drew back and punched him in the mouth, much like she'd done to Reverend Thomas. Colby had her before she could throw herself on the prone man.
Pulling his wife back, he looked over at her father. “I guess that answers your question, then. I'm thinking that your daughter does not want to go with you. Get out of my house and be on your way.”
Vas, who had stood up at the violence, crossed his arms against his massive chest. “Gentlemen, allow me to escort you to your vehicle.”
Thompson, whose mouth was still gaping open, walked in a daze to the door. Fitzhume, finally recovering himself, stood up and brushed off his coat. Taking a small handkerchief from his pocket, he dabbed the corner of his mouth. He followed Cassandra's father out the door and into the carriage.
Vas went and removed Nate and Frank from the carriage. Without another word, the two were off, heading back toward Sherman. The boys ran into the house to find out what was going on. They found Colby and Ginny sitting at the kitchen table. Colby looked concerned and Ginny looked as stunned.
Nate looked at his big brother, worriedly. He'd never seen Ginny like this. Colby rubbed her back in small circles and soon she began to relax.
“They're gone, Ginny.”
“No, they're not.”
Vas spoke up. “I saw their carriage leave, Ginny. I believe they got the message.”
Ginny looked up at Vas. They had no idea. This was, after all, a romance novel. That meant that her father and ex-fiancé would not give up so easily. They would be back and something unpleasant would ensue. In the end, they would live happily ever after, and then she would be gone.
“They won't give up so easily.”
Colby said, “We'll be on our way to Cheyenne tomorrow, Ginny. Even if they go back there, it's a big enough city that we're not likely to run into each other.”
Ginny thought about what he said. What if her father kidnapped Nate or Frank, to ransom for Ginny's return? What if they ambushed them on the road to Cheyenne? What if they went to the sheriff claiming she was being held against her will? Ginny's head hurt with all the possibilities. If there was one thing she knew, it was that she was unlikely to just go with it. Ginny wanted to head off disaster, sparing her new family any pain. She still felt strange getting so caught up in the fantasy.
There was one thing that she knew needed taking care of before they had to confront whatever her father had planned.
“Vas, can I speak to you privately for a moment?”
Everyone in the room fell silent. Colby looked hurt, but covered it up quickly enough. The boys went out the back door, to get into some sort of mischief. Colby and Georgia went back through the front of the house. Vas took a seat next to her and waited.
“I was wondering if I could borrow your cabin today?”
“Borrow it?” Vas, looking very tasty as usual, lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Before we leave tomorrow, I want some alone time with Colby. As you saw this morning, we've been trying, but something keeps getting in the way. You can stay here tonight, which I'd ask you to do anyway to help keep Georgia and the boys safe.”
“I would give you two anything, Ginny. Of course you can use my cabin tonight.” Vas' smile was weak, but only because he knew she was hurting.
“Thank you. I'll let Colby know. I can trust that you won't try anything with Georgia tonight, right?”
Vas produced a devilish smile. “I plan to wait until we're legally wed, Ginny. Now, we might enjoy each other's company, but I swear that I will not steal her virtue.”
“That's a good boy. Thank you.” Ginny stood up and went in search of Colby to give him the good news.