The Encounter (24 page)

He wanted to climax with her but he couldn't hold it any longer. That triggered something in her. Her body pushed him out. The muscles closed her so tightly nothing could penetrate. He rose up on his knees and looked at her. Her skin had taken on a pink glow, as though all the blood in her body had moved to the surface of her skin. Her eyes were still closed. He looked at her lower stomach. The muscles caused slight ripples in the skin. He looked up. She was watching him. Her expression was soft and alluring.

              He began rubbing her thighs. "Well, how'd we do? I mean, that's something I don't usually ask, but..."

              She took his hands in hers. "I understand. I was wondering the same thing myself, but I think we both know the answer."

              "What happened when I first... You know?"

              "Don't worry about it. Everything's fine. We do this just to produce a child. Unlike Humans, who’ve raised it to an art form."

              He lay down beside her. For the first time in a long while, making love was something new to him. Something crossed his mind.

He rose up on one elbow and looked at her. "Can we do this again or is this something you can only do once?"

              She grinned at him. "No. We can do it again just not tonight."

              He thought about what she said, an art form. Maybe there were other things they could do. The next two hours were spent in each other’s arms, touching and exploring and, for her, finding ways to pleasure him.

She finally dropped off to sleep. He watched her for a while. He knew his life had changed forever. There was a strange feeling inside him. Not so much physical, as emotional. He loved her. He knew he would never want to feel this way about anyone else. He finally dropped off to sleep holding her hand. Her face dominated his dreams.

                                                        ***

              The next morning he never felt her climb over him. She slipped into his pants and shirt and left the room.

Erma had left their clothes in the washroom hanging in front of the wood stove. She felt them. They were dry. She heated a little water in a bucket, removed the pants and shirt and bathed as best she could. Even after the bath she could still smell him on her. She sat and examined herself. He had done what was needed. Her bonding was complete. The burning desire to just have sex with him had been replaced by a longing to be near him and bear his children.

              As she dressed the reality of what had just happened began to set in. She could have justified everything she'd done up until last night. It could have been fixed with the removal of this one man. Now, it wasn't so simple. She had bound her life to his and may very well have doomed them both. She pulled down his clothes and left the washroom.

              Margaret could hear movement in the building. Erma was in the kitchen. Her senses couldn't locate John or Joseph. She opened the door to Martin's room. The body was gone and the bed was made. This was probably the activity that had awakened her in the first place. At the time, she had ignored it and snuggled back down against Lawrence. She had blocked out everything, but the sound of his breathing and his scent.

              She looked in on Sarah. She was still asleep, drained by the events of the last thirty-six hours.

              She opened the door to their room. Lawrence was sitting up in bed, the covers to his waist. "Good morning. You're up early", he said.

              She closed the door. "When you gotta go, you gotta go."

              She crossed the room, put down his clothes, and then sat on the bed.

              He looked at her. "You know, you really do play the part very well.

              She took on a confused look. “What part?”

“I mean you might as well be visiting from Wisconsin, not the other side of who knows where. What are we gonna do when your friends show up and you have to leave? I wanta go with you"

              She leaned over, kissed him and held it for a moment. His hand rubbed her breast. All the touching he was doing now, and last night, was something that wouldn't have happened with someone of her own kind, not that pleasure wasn't derived from sex, but it was limited to the period of actual intercourse. There was no word in her language for foreplay.

              She needed to reassure him. "I'm bonded to you. As long as you live I'll never want to be with anyone else, but for the safety of both of us I'll have to go with them... and you can't come." He started to say something. She put her fingers to his lips. "I’m in so much trouble and believe me you don’t want to meet my parents until I have a chance to get them used to the idea of you." She put her arms around him. "You can believe this. There's no power in the universe that will keep me away once it's safe."

              He returned the hug. "You know, I had plans to wake you up in my own way."

              There was a knock on the door. It's Erma. "Breakfast is ready."

              "Thank you", Margaret answered over her shoulder and then to him, "Get dressed." She pecked him on the lips. "You're gonna have a lifetime to wake me up."

              She got up, walked to the door, opened it and looked back. She smiled at him and left the room.

              By the time Lawrence reached the outhouse someone else was taking their turn. He would have used any excuse to find someplace else to go. In his mind if the horses could piss in the alley it was good enough for him.

              He went to the washroom, stripped down, rinsed off and redressed. By the time he got to the table he was the last to arrive. John and Joseph had returned from the undertaker's and Sarah sat next to Margaret. Everyone picked at their breakfast, except for Sarah. She wasn't hungry. Lawrence sat down across from Margaret. Erma placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him along with a mug of coffee.

              John broke the silence. Looking at Sarah and Joseph, "Everything's ready for you to take him home.” Then to Lawrence and Margaret, “I think it'd be a good idea for you all to go. Before Ben Kramer and his bunch can start more trouble."

              Joseph and Sarah exchanged glances, and then Joseph looked at Lawrence. "You and Miz Casey are welcome to stay with Sarah and me for a while, if you want."

              Sarah looked at Margaret, "Please, I'd like you to stay."

              Margaret looked at Lawrence. He nodded. She looked around the table. "Well, I guess it's settled. We'll stay for a little while."

              Sarah hugged Margaret's neck and asked Erma for some eggs. Margaret wasn't all that fond of the eggs anyway and gave Sarah hers.

                                                        ***

              Joseph backed the wagon up to the back door of the undertaker's. John and Lawrence moved the wooden coffin into the back of the wagon and raised the gate. Sarah and Margaret got in the back and Lawrence joined Joseph on the seat.

              John reached up and shook Joseph's hand. "I'm sorry there wasn't more I could do."

              "You have to believe", Erma added, "God thought it was time."

              John looked at Sarah, then back to Joseph. "You're the man of the family now. You take care of your sister, and if you need anything come see us."

              "We appreciate all you tried to do", Joseph said, but we'll be fine. We better get started, there's lots to do back home."

              Erma looked at Sarah. "Don't let these men fool ya. All of 'em need lookin' after."

              Sarah smiled at Erma. "I already know that." She glanced at her brother, and then leaned back against the side of the wagon bed.

              John and Erma stepped back from the wagon. John looked at Lawrence. "Mr. Casey", then at Margaret, “Miz Casey, it was nice meetin' you folks."

              "Same here", Lawrence replied. "I wish it had been under better circumstances."

              "One more thing", John added. "Keep an eye out. Frank isn't likely to forget what you did to him. Next time he might not care which way you're facin'."

              "We'll bear that in mind", Margaret answered.

              Joseph released the brake and slapped the horses. The wagon jerked forward and the trip back up the mountain began.

              Erma said, more to herself. "I wonder how she knew."

              "Knew what?” John asked, still watching the wagon.

              "Let's go inside. I got something to tell you."

              Martha put her arm around her husband and they went back inside.

                                                        ***

              Jake had kept a close eye on what was taking place. He followed Joseph and John when they moved Martin's body to the undertaker's. He watched the coffin being transferred to the wagon and the McKenlys, with Lawrence and Margaret, start for home.

              His vigil had kept him up all night. He headed for the hotel to report what he'd seen.

              Jake found Henry in the middle of his breakfast in the hotel dining room. Henry raised his coffee cup and saw Jake standing across the room. He motioned him over. Jake joined him at the table.

              "Well", Henry asked, putting down the cup?

              "Martin's dead", Jake answered.

              Henry took a minute to digest this piece of information. "You're sure? You saw the body?"

              "I watched 'em carry him to the undertaker's. Then I saw 'em put the box in the wagon."

              Henry took another sip from the cup, and then began to think out loud. "Maybe Ben's right. Lotta things could happen to those two children alone on that mountain."

              "They ain't exactly alone."

              Henry looked up sharply. "What? Who's with... Ah yes, the young gunfighter and his wife. Take a message to the Bar-K. Tell Ben Kramer we need to talk, tonight."

              "Yes sir."

              "Keep all this to yourself."

              Henry went back to his meal. Jake left to deliver his message.

                                                        ***

              The McKenly wagon made its way back into the mountains. Everyone had settled back for the ride home. Sarah watched out the back. Margaret watched Lawrence. Lawrence made conversation with Joseph talking about this and that.

              Margaret's ears picked it up first. A few moments later the horses began to react to what was coming. It took Joseph another second to recognize it. He reined in the team and set the wheel brake.

              Sarah looked around. "What is it?"

              "Horses", Margaret answered. "A lot of 'em."

              The sound was plain now as dozens of hooves pounded their way down the mountain toward the road. Lawrence stood up. Margaret and Sarah moved around for a better look.

              Joseph looked back at Sarah. "Give me my rifle".

              "What", she answered?

              His face had no expression and his voice was firm. "Give me my rifle. Hurry..."

              Sarah picked up the rifle and passed it to him. "What are you gonna do?"

              Joseph didn't answer. He chambered a round. At that moment the wild herd, led by the stallion, burst from the trees and crossed the road. Joseph brought the rifle to his shoulder. He led his target. The team moved the wagon just as the hammer fell. The bullet smashed into a tree trunk just ahead of the horse. Before he could chamber another round the stallion was gone with the herd trailing behind him.

              Joseph stood up, fired the rifle into the air and yelled into the dust cloud drifting across the road. "I'll get you. I'll find you and I'll kill you."

              Sarah reacted. "No you won't. You leave that horse alone. He'll kill you too." Joseph still handled his rifle and watched the trees. Sarah climbed over Margaret and took her brother by the shoulders. "You hear me. You promise me...
You promise me
"

              Joseph shook her loose, handed the rifle to Lawrence and sat back down. He picked up the reins, released the brake and slapped the horses. Lawrence fell back in the seat. Sarah was still standing behind the seat. She fell back into Margaret's lap.

              Sarah wasn't through. "Listen to me, please. You didn't listen before and..." She looked at Margaret. "They didn't listen before. Make him promise."

              There wasn't much Margaret could say or do. Sarah knew that. She composed herself and moved off Margaret's lap. She'd think of something. There had to be someway to keep her brother away from that horse.

              Lawrence had seen the look in Joseph's eyes as he pulled the trigger. He was cool and calm. The need for revenge made him strong and gave him the strength of purpose to deal with everything else. The question was, what would happen after that need was satisfied?