‘‘That’s the truth.’’ He straightened, proud that she’d seen the light. ‘‘I knew you couldn’t be happy with that half-breed no matter how rich he is. Folks say he’s the hardest man in the county.’’ He looked down at his feet. ‘‘Since we’re starting out, I want to tell you somethin’. I didn’t write those letters, but they was my thoughts. I ain’t never learned about writing.’’
Kora couldn’t bring herself to say anything against Win. ‘‘I belong here, with you,’’ she answered. ‘‘Whether you wrote the letters or not.’’
‘‘That’s right, you do.’’ Andrew smiled a yellowed grin. ‘‘All I want is a woman to work around the place and warm my bed at night. I won’t even smack you around if you behave yourself. In time you’ll settle in just fine.’’
Kora studied him, feeling sorry for him. He was a little man who seemed to be shrinking before her eyes.
‘‘You will warm my bed tonight, won’t you, girl?’’ he asked.
‘‘All right,’’ she forced herself to say. ‘‘Now, untie me.’’
He pulled out a long hunting knife from his boot and slit the cord he’d used to tie her to the chair. Leaning, forward, he untied her hands. ‘‘I don’t want no trouble. I only want a wife,’’ he mumbled. ‘‘I never wanted any trouble, but a man can’t just let somebody take what’s his without doing something.’’
He tossed the knife on the table and staggered toward the door, swelling in victory. ‘‘But don’t get any ideas about running off again or I’ll beat you, yes, I will.’’ Puffing up his chest and straightening his belt, he said with pride, ‘‘My pa used to have to beat my ma ever’ now and again, but I never heard her complain. After the beatings, she was always real nice to him.’’
He opened the door. ‘‘In another hour it’ll be dark enough for us to move. I know places over by the settlement where we can hide. An army couldn’t find us there, so you don’t have to worry about McQuillen’s men bothering us. We’ll take all the time you need to get to know one another.’’
She stood slowly and moved about the kitchen she’d once tried to keep clean. There wasn’t much, a few halfrotted potatoes, a can of peaches, some rancid lard. She only hoped the chickens were still laying. ‘‘I’ll cook you something before we go,’’ she said hoping to stall for time.
He closed the door and moved up behind her. His voice grew low and thick. ‘‘It’s been a long time since I had me a woman.’’
He reached for her and Kora stepped away.
‘‘Go over by the bed, girl.’’ He tried to make his words sound like an order, but he seemed a man unaccustomed to having authority over anyone.
Kora faced him. ‘‘Why?’’
‘‘ ’Cause I want a taste of what my nights are going to be like since you’re staying. There’s no use waiting. Now go on over and lift them skirts. It won’t take long.’’
‘‘No.’’ Kora swallowed hard and forced herself to smile. ‘‘There will be none of that until bedtime.’’ She tried to sound determined, yet not angry.
To her relief, Andrew shrugged and backed down. ‘‘All right. That’s the same way my other wife felt. She used to say only whores do it before full dark. I figured you was more of a whore after sleeping with McQuillen, but maybe you got some respectable left in you.’’
Kora busied herself at the sink and waited for her chance. She had no plans of still being around come nightfall. Somehow, now that she was untied, she’d get Dan and herself out of this place.
‘‘I’ll go get the wagon ready.’’ He patted her on the hip as he passed her, as if trying to reshift the power between them. ‘‘I can tell I’m not going to have to beat you much at all, girl. You’ll be hardworking and respectable in the daytime and still at night. A man can’t ask for much more.’’
His fingers squeezed hard, suddenly making her jump.
There was no place to run. He was behind her and the counter was in front of her. Kora leaned far into the counter while his palm rubbed over her bruised hip. He was close behind her, daring her to try and run.
She had to let him prove who had control. Now was not the time to make a stand. She had to make herself remain still.
He spread his hand once more over her rounded hip and squeezed again, laughing at the way she took his advance without a word.
A sound of pain escaped her lips as she forced herself not to move. Andrew patted the twice-bruised flesh. ‘‘I figure you’ll be a fine wife. You’ll be still while I take my right, won’t you? I always hate it when a woman fights and wiggles.’’
Pawing at her flesh, he tried to hurt her through the layers of material. ‘‘Won’t you?’’ he whispered from just behind her.
‘‘Yes,’’ she answered, closing her eyes, fighting back the tears.
He pressed his fingers into the flesh of her hip as if to hurt her once more. ‘‘You sure you want to stay? You wouldn’t be just fooling me now, would you?’’
Kora couldn’t breathe as she waited for his hand to tighten. ‘‘I’m sure,’’ she whispered. ‘‘I’ll stay and I’ll be still if that’s what you want.’’
Straightening behind her, he laughed with victory. ‘‘I’ll treat you real good,’’ he promised. ‘‘I forgot how a woman felt.’’
Relaxing his fingers, he rubbed his palm along her thigh, as he slowly leaned into her with his body. His hot breath was at her neck as his hands circled her waist and he pushed against her backside.
‘‘I have to cook supper,’’ she managed to whisper.
Andrew laughed. ‘‘All right. But it’ll be dark in an hour and the waiting will be over. I’ll have that dress stripped off you in no time. Then you’ll never forget you’re mine.’’ He pushed her harder against the counter. ‘‘Say it.’’
‘‘Say what?’’
‘‘Say you’re mine, will you? I want to hear it.’’ He rocked his body slightly as his hands pulled at her waist.
Kora whispered, ‘‘I’m yours.’’
‘‘Again,’’ he said as he rocked against her.
‘‘I’m yours.’’ She fought back the tears.
Andrew backed away slowly. ‘‘Bringing you around wasn’t the work I thought it might be. We’re getting along fine. I’ll be back in a few minutes for my supper.’’
The moment he was out the door, Kora ran to Dan. ‘‘Help me,’’ she whispered as she shook her brother. ‘‘Please, Dan, help me!’’ She couldn’t endure another second of Andrew touching her. The lie she’d just told him made her mouth taste bitter, and his touch left her flesh feeling as if something slimy had crawled across it. But she’d convinced him. Now all she had to do was get away.
Dan only stared past her. He wouldn’t, or couldn’t, help her.
Kora looked around the room for a weapon. The old rifle that didn’t fire still leaned against the fireplace. Winter’s gunbelt she’d worn lay beneath the table, but the Colt was missing.
As Kora heard the door, she stepped away from Dan and grabbed the rifle. He wouldn’t touch her again. She’d taken all she could.
‘‘What the hell?’’ Andrew shouted as his eyes adjusted to the poor light. ‘‘Stop pointing that thing at me.’’
Kora turned the rifle like a club. ‘‘Stay away from me!’’ The memory of his body pressing against her drove her tired mind to the edge. She’d endured his advances to save Dan, and her brother didn’t even care. She was alone, totally alone.
Swinging wildly, she stormed forward. Andrew rolled beneath the table. ‘‘Stop that, girl, or you’ll be sorry!’’
Kora swung again, catching one of his legs. He yelped like a dog.
‘‘Don’t ever touch me again!’’ she yelled. The thought that Andrew, and not Winter, might be undressing her was more than she could take. She swung again.
Andrew grabbed the gunbelt and tried to fight back. But his first swing missed, and Kora clipped his shoulder with the rifle butt. When he grabbed his shoulder in pain, she hit him in the knee, almost toppling him.
He began snorting like a bull and, swinging the belt full force, stormed toward her in rage.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kora saw Dan stand and move toward the door, as though nothing were going on in the room. She tried to rotate so that Andrew wouldn’t see Dan, but Andrew’s wild swinging kept her still. The gunbelt made a whistling sound as it sailed through the air at steam-engine speed.
Dan stepped in the way before Andrew even saw him. Her brother wasn’t looking their direction when the belt hit him full in the face. The buckle ripped across his forehead like a knife.
