Loving Eliza Read online

  She gasped and nearly fell back. As soon as she caught her footing, she grabbed her comb and pointed the sharp edge of the handle in his direction. The edge really wasn’t all that sharp, but it would do. She took a step back, careful not to slip.

  “It’s a shame you put those clothes back on,” he calmly stated, his expression cold.

  “What do you want?” she yelled, hoping John would hear her. Surely, he’d investigate if he thought someone was on their property.

  He sneered at her. “How cute. You think John’s going to hear you and come running. It’s too bad someone shut the windows in the house.”

  She didn’t know whether to believe him or not, but there was no way she was going to take her chances if she didn’t have to. She took a step to the side, careful to keep the comb pointed at him. “Get away from me, Troy!”

  “I don’t think so, Eliza,” he said in a low tone. “Word on the street is you’re used to being alone with men. You owe me, honey.”

  Her heart caught in her throat and she struggled to take a deep breath. She needed to think clearly. Now wasn’t the time to panic. “Stop it! Get out of here!” She took two steps closer to the house. But the house was still too far! She didn’t dare turn her back on him. She needed to keep the sharp edge of her comb on him. It could mean the difference between him succeeding in what he’d come to do and her getting away.

  He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. Just because you tell me to do something, I should do it.” He lowered his hands and undid his belt buckle. “You were supposed to stay with me during that dinner at the Custer house but you bailed on me so you could marry John. Do you really think I’m going to let you off the hook for that?” He unzipped his pants and approached her.

  Oh crap! Her hands started to shake and flashbacks came at her full force. She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. No. She wasn’t fourteen and he wasn’t her uncle. It didn’t have to end the same way! She took another deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs. Then she scrambled backwards, toward the house, but not daring to keep her focus off of the beast in front of her.

  He lunged for her and she sidestepped so that he tripped on the tree root that had been at her foot. Still screaming, she tightened her grip on the comb and bolted for the house. How much time did she just buy? A few seconds. That was all, but she was going to use those few seconds to her advantage. Adrenaline shot through her as her bare feet ran over rocks and sticks that jabbed her. Flesh wounds. She could tend to those later. She heard him get up and glanced back to assess how much distance she’d gained. Not enough!

  Screaming while she was running was making it hard for her to breathe, but she figured it was her best offense. If John heard her and came to her...She said a quick prayer that it would work. She hadn’t screamed before and her uncle succeeded. So she had to scream now. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was gaining on her. She gasped for air and got ready to scream again when he plowed into her.

  “Listen, you little whore,” he seethed as he slammed his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream anymore.

  Tears stung her eyes but she couldn’t give up. She had to keep fighting. She gripped the comb and tried to figure out where to stab him so he’d have to release her.

  “You’re use to this kind of thing,” he whispered as his free hand curved down her leg and lifted her dress. “You made a fool of me. You owe me.”

  No! Not this time! Focus. She needed to focus. In one swift motion she threw the comb at his neck. He released her but not before he slapped her across the head. She ignored the ringing in her ears and scrambled away from him.

  She hadn’t crawled three paces when she realized someone else was there with them. She looked back and saw John lift Troy by the collar and punch him in the jaw. The relief she felt at seeing John there was too much for her to handle. She collapsed on the ground and kept praying her thanks that history wasn’t going to repeat itself.

  “John! Stop!”

  Suddenly a pair of hands were around her, and she was looking at Shawn. “Are you alright? Did we get here before Troy...?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine.”

  He helped her to her feet and waited until she had enough strength to stand on her own before he let go of her. She turned her attention to Guy and Aaron as they struggled to pull John off of Troy. She saw the blood, but it was hard to tell where it was coming from. Everything was happening so fast. She could tell that John had Troy pinned to the ground and he wouldn’t stop punching him, but Aaron and Guy were hovering around and blocking a clear view of him. They kept yelling at John to stop and grabbed for him.

  “It’s a good thing we came out when we did,” Shawn said, not taking his eyes off of his brothers.

  She sobbed into her hands. “It’s my fault.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I let him take me to Charity Custer’s party. I should have said no.”

  “Troy’s taken other ladies to parties and other social gatherings, but he never tried to rape any of them. I hate to say this but I think it was because you married John and were a...well...a lady of ill repute.”

  She took small comfort in that. Maybe there was nothing she could have done to avoid it. Maybe it would have happened just because she had been a prostitute and he figured that meant she would be intimate with any man who wanted to be with her that way.

  Aaron and Guy finally succeeded in pulling John off of a battered Troy who was barely moving in the grass. She had the sudden urge to go over to him and kick him in the face but refrained when she realized that her comb had landed right into his throat.

  Once a bloody and winded John settled down, Aaron knelt beside Troy and pressed his fingers to the side of his neck. He looked up at the group watching him. “He’s alive but we need to get him to the doctor. Then we’ll have to report this to the marshal.” He turned his attention back to Troy. “Why did you have to go and do something stupid like this?” He stood up and Guy helped him lift Troy. Glancing at John and Eliza, he said, “We saw what Troy was trying to do. We’ll back up your story to the marshal.”

  Beside her, Shawn gave a heavy sigh but joined his brothers as they made their way back toward the house.

  Still trembling, she walked over to John and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her tightly against him and kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and reminded herself that this time she had taken the steps necessary to defend herself. She’d learned to fight back.

  “You heard me screaming, didn’t you?” she asked.

  She felt him nod.

  “Thank you for coming.”

  He took her hand and pressed it against his chest where his heart beat, steady and strong.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.

  He then led her to their wagon to get ready for their trip to town.

  They followed his brothers, and John kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders the entire time. She sensed the anger still raging inside him. In all the time she’d known him, she couldn’t recall a time when he’d been this furious, but given the circumstances, she really couldn’t blame him. It was a rough trial, and the fact that it was his own brother had to be a sharper sting. Somehow, they would make it through this. Troy hadn’t succeeded. And that counted for a lot.

  When they reached the doctor’s office, they waited as Aaron and Guy took an unconscious Troy in to seek medical attention. A part of her wished her aim hadn’t been off. She’d wanted to kill him—anything to stop him. And even as she struggled to forgive him, she realized this was going to take time. She couldn’t simply will her anger away. No. It was good he lived. How else could he get a second chance? If they prayed for him, maybe he would call on God. Or maybe not. Everyone had to make that decision on their own time.

  As she thought over her life, she realized that she couldn’t control what others thought or did. All she could do was control what she did. The revelation struck her so suddenly that it shocked her
. And in that moment, she felt freer than since the day before her parents died. Somehow, some way, she knew that everything was going to be alright. God hadn’t abandoned her all those years ago, and though she had no idea how He could allow her uncle to mistreat her, she had to put her faith in Him. The fact of the matter was that evil was in the world, and as long as it was, bad things were going to happen. It was just like Preacher Peters told her before she left Omaha. God would find a way to work good out of any of the bad things that happened. Sometimes it happened right away, and at other times, it took longer.

  And here she was with John. She hadn’t hoped for marriage when she stepped off that stagecoach. She certainly hadn’t hoped for someone like John to come into her life. Oddly, she considered that if she had to go through everything she’d been through so she could be with John, she’d do it all over again. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

  Aaron came back out. “Guy is going to help the doc, but it looks like you got his larynx,” he told Eliza. “He’ll live but he won’t be talking ever again.” He looked at John. “Are you ready to see the marshal?”

  John nodded.

  They waited until Aaron got on his horse and followed him to the jail where Ralph was doing some paperwork. He looked up as soon as the four of them entered. “Howdy,” he called out. Then he blinked. “What’s going on? John, is that blood on your shirt? Are you hurt?”

  “No,” Aaron quickly said. “But Troy is. Look, Troy just assaulted Eliza, and we came to find out what’s to be done about it.”

  Ralph grabbed a chair from the vacant cell and put it in front of the other two chairs in front of his desk. He then motioned for Eliza to sit in his chair but she declined. She went to stand behind John as soon as he sat down. She needed to stay connected to him, and touch was the best way she could think to do that. After she gave her story, John wrote his, and Shawn and Aaron supported what she and John reported.

  Ralph leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I always thought there was something off about that boy. Alright. There’s no need for a judge in this case. He’ll have to go to jail in Sioux Falls.”

  She relaxed. At least, he wouldn’t be in their town anymore. She noted that John’s shoulders also relaxed.

  As they left the jail, a group of people had gathered outside. Eliza instinctively stepped closer to John. Aaron and Shawn stood to her other side.

  The preacher stood in front of the group and came forward. “Morning, John, Eliza. We heard you were in town and wanted to see you. We hope that you will still want to be a part of this community. There was some talk that you might leave, but when trouble happens, we’ve got to stick together.”

  “That’s right,” Willy called out. “John, this place wouldn’ be the same without you and Eliza. You do a lot of good in this town.”

  “He’s right,” the marshal said from behind them. “I think a lot of us didn’t realize how much you do around here. I’m sorry for that.”

  “Me too,” Greg Stevens added from the crowd. “I’m sorry, John. I owe you some lumber.”

  “We’ve learned our lesson, John,” another man called out.

  Charity spoke up. “And Eliza, after what you’ve been through...I mean, what with your uncle and all...I just can’t imagine what you’ve been through. It would be wrong for us to turn our backs on you.”

  The crowd nodded and murmured their agreement.

  The preacher turned back to them. “I hope you won’t let the opinion of a few run you out of town.”

  Eliza didn’t know what to say, but John smiled and shook the preacher’s hand and that seemed to settle the matter. The crowd surrounded them, and for the first time, Eliza felt like she was a part of the community instead of watching everyone from the outside. She glanced up as someone called her name and smiled and hugged Addy.

  “Are you alright? I saw Troy leave for your place and sent his brothers after him,” Addy whispered. “Frank said he heard Troy talking to you that day you got your picture taken. We’ve been watching him.”

  “Thank you, Addy. They got there in time.”

  Addy looked relieved. “Good. I’m so glad. I’ve been praying hard for you.”

  Eliza didn’t mind the tears that filled her eyes or stop herself from hugging her friend. Glancing up at the clear sky, she caught sight of the sun. It was the most beautiful shade of yellow she’d ever seen. Much better than yellow flowers. Maybe the time for sorrow had passed. Maybe this day was the beginning of the good that Preacher Peters had talked about. A new start. A time to wipe the slate clean.

  Her eyes met John’s and he smiled at her. She returned his smile. Yes, everything was going to be good for now on, and they’d have the grace of the sun to light the way.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Christmas morning came and with it the wind howled and snow covered the ground. Eliza found that she loved winters in the southern Dakota territory. There was something magical about watching snowflakes fall down, so when she woke up early that morning, she decided to add more wood to the fireplace in the parlor.

  Dawn had passed a good hour ago, so she could see the snow whirling in the wind. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she stood in front of the window and smiled. The world contained simple joys that she’d long ago forgotten to savor. Being married to John reminded her that miracles still happened.

  She heard John come into the room before she saw him. “It’s a beautiful morning, don’t you think?”

  He walked over to her and kissed her. Then he pointed to the bedroom.

  She laughed. “Don’t you ever think of anything else?”

  He crossed his arms and pretended he was shivering.

  “Oh. You got cold without me next to you.”

  He nodded.

  “We should get up anyway. It’s almost mid-morning. Farmers have been up for hours by now.”

  Grimacing, he shook his head and motioned to the bedroom. Then, before she could say anything else, he picked her up and carried her back to bed.

  “You are the most persistent man I’ve ever met. You do know that you’re persistent, don’t you?”

  He shrugged as he gently placed her on the bed and tucked her in. Afterwards, he slipped under the covers, snuggled up to her, and closed his eyes.

  She seriously doubted that he wanted to go back to sleep, and when she felt his hand lightly stroke her breast, a wry grin crossed her face. “So you had an ulterior motive for bringing me in here. I should be cooking breakfast. Aren’t you hungry? You used up a lot of energy last night.”

  He kissed her.

  Eliza wondered if he did that to shut her up, but if that was his intent, she didn’t mind. It was a wonderful way to be told to quit talking. She closed her eyes and melted in his arms. He proceeded to make love to her, taking his time in bringing them both pleasure. And when they were satisfied, he drifted off to sleep.

  Excited, she couldn’t doze off, even if she woke up earlier than she usually did. It was Christmas. That afternoon, they had plans to go to Charity’s party. As she imagined how nice it would be to spend time with friends, she remained in John’s arms and watched the snow as it fluttered outside the bedroom window.

  An hour passed by and she decided she couldn’t lay still anymore. She quickly got up and put on her warmest dress and made a quick snack. She knew Charity would have enough food prepared to feed an army of hungry men, so she didn’t have to make a large breakfast—not since John had delayed her.

  She glanced out the kitchen window. The snow had stopped but the sun had finally come out so the white ground sparkled. Humming, she went over to the freshly cut tree in the corner of the parlor and gave it some water. John had thought she was silly to decorate it, but to his credit, he humored her and helped her string popcorn and cranberries on the tree.

  When she returned to the kitchen sink, he emerged from the bedroom. “Good morning again, sleepy head.”

  To her surprise, he gestured for her to go back in
to the bedroom.

  She placed a hand on her hip and shook her head. “I can’t believe you. We have to leave in an hour.”

  He pretended he was shivering.

  “Oh no, you don’t. Not again. I’ll keep you warm in bed when we get back. Right now you need to get ready. I set out a couple of biscuits and honey to tide us over until we get to town. You do want to save your appetite. That Charity knows how to make the best food you’ve ever tasted. And who knows? You might eat so much that you will actually come back and go to sleep.”

  He sighed but obediently went to the bedroom to get dressed for the day.

  As soon as he returned, she grinned. “I hoped you would wear the same clothes you wore the day we met. You look handsome.”

  He pointed to her and made a circle around his face.

  “I’m pretty.”

  Nodding, he made his way to the kitchen table and got ready to eat. Once they finished their snack, he got the horses and sleigh ready while she put on her coat.

  She gathered the baby gift she planned to give Charity. Eliza glanced at the photograph of her son which remained on the fireplace mantle next to the picture of her and John. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered, hoping her son would have a good one with his parents. Taking a deep breath, she turned and left the house.

  She smiled as John pulled the sleigh up to the porch. He leapt out and picked her up so he could carry her to the sleigh. She giggled, amused that he still did that. She reckoned it was so she wouldn’t get her boots wet, but it reminded her of the first time he’d helped her into his wagon.