Chapter One
Lucinda was terribly weary from traveling, and would have loved nothing more than taking a night or two in a hotel to refresh herself before continuing her journey, but the fiery rage burning within her insisted she push forward until she arrived at her destination and put an end to the life of the man she’d traveled all the way from Boston to kill.
The stopover at this out of the way station in the middle of nowhere was to give the driver and the station manager a chance to change horses. The station manager’s wife cheerfully served the travelers hot food that was surprisingly good, and Lucinda permitted herself to enjoy a second helping when it was offered. It was the best meal she’d had since leaving home on her mission.
When the driver finished eating, he got to his feet and announced they would pull out in ten minutes. Lucinda politely thanked the station manager’s wife for her meal and told her how much she enjoyed it before walking outside into the hot sun. When none of the other passengers joined her she wasn’t surprised; she’d overheard the two women and young boy wondering aloud if William would remember that he was to pick them up at Crawford’s Station. Since the family was still inside, it appeared that William’s memory was none too good.
The driver came around and gave her a toothless smile. “Time to board, ma’am. We need to be on our way. I hope to make Snowfall before dark.”
“That is a ridiculous name for a town in a desert state!” Lucinda remarked.
“Yes, ma’am. Folks who settled there first sure had a sense of humor,” the man chortled, helping her into the small coach.
Lucinda smiled, but did not tell the driver that the first settlers were more than likely crazy to begin with to willingly settle in the middle of the desert! She took a seat riding forward in the coach, and when she heard some children laughing she looked out the window to see a wagon coming as fast as the horses could go toward the station! Apparently the children thought it amusing, since they were pointing and laughing, but Lucinda failed to see the humor in the situation. She did notice the driver seemed to be waiting, and once the wagon pulled to a halt right beside them, she realized that the handsome man was trying to catch the coach before it pulled out. The children were all trying to talk to him, and he took a moment to pat them on the head, and said something to make them giggle, before throwing his bag on top of the coach and then jumping inside and sitting across from her. He turned to the window and said, “Thanks a lot, William. Don’t forget to go and get your family from inside the Station,” he reminded the elderly gentleman.
“Thanks, sonny,” the man nodded happily, and then started to climb down to go and fetch his loved ones home. He’d nearly forgotten all about that!
The driver let out on the brake, and slapped the reins against the horses’ rumps with a loud, “Giddyap!” They were soon on their way toward Snowfall.
“My apologies for making you wait, ma’am. I needed to get back to town tonight, and Elmer is running ahead of schedule, and William forgot all about bringing me, so we had to hook up the team to the wagon,” he chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with good humor.
Lucinda acknowledged his comments with a nod of her head, but she knew better than to speak to a gentleman she had not been properly introduced to. She pointedly looked out the window, hoping to put an end to the conversation.
Henry grinned, then pulled his hat down over his eyes and pretended to go to sleep. They had at least seven to eight hours of travel to make town, and he hadn’t had much sleep in the last several days. It wouldn’t hurt to rest, and leave Miss Snooty alone with her thoughts. It was too bad, however, because she was a pretty little thing. Coal black hair, and pretty green eyes, and she was built just right in all the right places. He shifted a bit on the seat because his body decided to respond physically to his thoughts, and he knew it had been much too long since he’d been with a warm and willing female. Precisely two years and ten days, he felt the pain jab him once again as he remembered his sweet Marilynn. She was at work in the Mercantile her Papa owned, and climbed up to get down a jar of medicine for a customer. She caught her foot in the hem of her skirt, fell, and hit her head on the wooden counter. Marilynn was gone by the time he got to her… and the pain still stabbed at his heart. Henry knew that he would eventually come to love again, but not yet… His memories of his sweet wife were all he wanted for now.
Lucinda couldn’t resist peeking at the handsome man as he slept. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen on a man! And, she liked his smile, too. His dark red hair was wavy and a bit too long for her taste, but it was so thick and she wondered what it would be like to run her hands through it. She felt her cheeks turn pink, and had to laugh silently at herself. What would Mother and Father think if they knew her most private thoughts? She was raised to be a lady, and Lucinda doubted that her prim and proper Mother ever had a lusty thought in her life… especially about her very strict and stern husband. Lucinda’s Father rarely smiled, and he never laughed. He was full of responsibility and had a sense of duty to his family, and of course, to the business he ran with an iron fist. His ideas were old-fashioned, and unless his subordinates were willing to do things his way, they did not remain employed very long. Calvin Jacobs ran his family in much the same way as his business. Compliance to his wishes was expected, and his children learned that at a very young age, and Lucinda often suspected her Father chose her Mother for a wife because she was totally without spirit. Mildred Jacobs deferred to her husband in every way, and Lucinda vowed she would never marry a man like her Father. She wanted a husband who knew how to laugh at a joke, and one who would respect her views and listen to her opinion.
Of course, she would never marry, Lucinda was forced to face reality. Once she killed the man she came so far to see dead, she would either be hanged or sent to prison for the rest of her life… unless she chose the coward’s way out and took her own life. She doubted she had the courage it would take to do that, but it was a comforting thought when faced with life behind bars, considering she was only twenty-one years old and she had a good many years ahead to be punished for her deed. She would rather be hanged than live in prison for forty or fifty years.
Still, it would not hurt a single thing for Lucinda to enjoy looking at the handsome man and pretend that he loved her. Her vivid imagination had no trouble picturing him sliding across the coach to sit beside her, and coaxing her to return his sweet kisses with passion. And, of course, his touch was gentle when he caressed her breasts. Her nipples hardened at the thought, and Lucinda was a bit embarrassed when she felt the moisture between her legs. She was the type of woman her Mother whispered about as being a wanton and immoral, one of those rare women who actually enjoyed a man’s touch! Why else would she entertain such fantasies? she demanded of herself. Her Mother would be ashamed of her if she knew, and her stern Father would lock her away until he secured an older, more settled man to be her husband. If that man were a widower and also worked for Calvin, it would be a bonus. Calvin did not wish to dower his daughter unless he could benefit in some way from a union.
Lucinda took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Perhaps before she committed murder, which was a sin that would guarantee her a trip to hell, she would break another commandment and sample the pleasures of the flesh. She couldn’t imagine being hung, or going to prison for the rest of her life, without experiencing a man’s touch. Her lovely green eyes looked across the coach in speculation; maybe the handsome man would be just the perfect candidate?
It was all Henry could do to keep from smiling at the pretty young woman as she openly studied him as if she was considering buying a piece of property. He could tell that she liked what she saw, and the pink on her cheeks told him her thoughts were straying into areas that most young ladies did not express a curiosity about. He was trying to decide whether or not to ‘wake up’ when there was an earsplitting scream. Henry didn’t hesitate, but quickly pulled the young woman to the floor of the coach and ordered her to keep down. He drew his gun, and leaned out the window, taking aim and shooting at the Apache closest to the coach. The man screamed, grabbed his chest, and fell to the ground dead.
“How dare you push me down!” Lucinda sputtered angrily. “I can shoot as well as you can!” she declared, and quickly moved to the other side of the coach, removing her gun from her bag as she did so. She took aim and quickly fired at the man who came alongside the coach, and the look of shock in his dark eyes would have been comical under other circumstances. It made her ill to take a human life, but she would rather live than die, and she was not a fool… if she did not help defend them, they would all be killed, or even worse, taken captive. If that happened, she would not be able to fulfill her mission, and that was unacceptable. She took aim again, fired, and another Indian brave fell to the ground. “How many more are there?” she asked her companion, who was also firing as quickly as possible.
“I don’t know,” Henry fired once more, and heard her do the same. “I’ve stopped four now.”
“I’ve hit three,” she said. “That is seven.”
“They’re turning tail and running,” Henry said calmly, more relieved than he cared to admit. “Without your help, we wouldn’t have been so fortunate,” he praised her.
“You folks okay?” the driver called down to them in a loud voice.
“We’re fine, Elmer… You doing all right?” Henry asked.
“I’m fine. You did good, Henry. Thanks!”
“Thank this young lady, Elmer; she got three of them!” he gave her credit.
“Good Lord!” Elmer laughed. “Didn’t know you had it in you, lady!” He slapped the horses at that, and kept them moving at a brisk pace lest the braves try once more.
Lucinda’s heart was beating rapidly now that the danger was past, and although she was trying to reload her gun, her hands were beginning to shake and to her shock, her eyes filled with tears and she started crying uncontrollably. The handsome stranger took her gun from her hands and placed it in her bag, and then slipped over on the seat beside her and gave her a comforting hug. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest and held her close.
“Go ahead and cry, honey. It’s all over now.” Henry couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young woman. It was obvious she’d never been forced to kill before and now that the danger was past, she was falling apart. “You did what you had to do, honey. Those Apache would have either killed you, or raped you and sold you into slavery. You saved us all, and I’m proud of you.” She continued to sob, and he continued to say comforting things as he held her. Finally, she quieted down, but instead of pulling away, she went to sleep. Henry smiled and held her. It was the least he could do.
When Lucinda woke up she was shocked to find herself in the arms of the handsome man! She bolted upright, her cheeks turning a brilliant pink with embarrassment over her behavior. “I beg your pardon!” she said at once. “I am not given to tears or hysterics, and I assure you I have never fallen asleep in a man’s arms before!”
“There is no need to apologize, ma’am, or to be embarrassed,” Henry smiled. “You have never been in a battle before, and taking a human life hurts, even when that person is trying to kill you. I wouldn’t think as highly of you as I do if you’d taken killing as an everyday occurrence.”
Lucinda looked at him, and could see he was serious. She nodded, and then asked, “Did I sleep very long?”
“A couple of hours,” he answered. “We’re getting closer to town now, and there is less chance of the Apache coming after us now.”
“Good!” She was suddenly aware that her hat was sitting sideways on her head, and she reached up to adjust it, discovering that her hair had fallen down! “Oh, I am one huge mess!” she gasped in feminine outrage.
“You look pretty as can be,” Henry told her, and in the next instant her green eyes were glaring at him. “Now, I’m just telling the truth, young lady. There is no need to look daggers at me.”
“I think you should sit on your own side of the coach!” Lucinda belatedly remembered her manners.
Henry threw back his head and laughed. “If you don’t beat all! I’ve held you in my arms for the last two hours, and pay you one little compliment, and you want to banish me to the other side of the coach? I don’t think so, little girl. I like it here just fine.” Predictably the brunette gave him a look of pure petulance and quickly flounced to the other side of the coach. “What are you doing out here, Miss…? What is your name? I would think since we saved each other’s lives, we could introduce ourselves…”
“I am Miss Lucinda Jacobs,” Lucinda answered primly. “As for what I am doing out here… I am here to kill the man who murdered my brother!” She nearly laughed at the expression on his face.
“What?” Henry was startled. “You can’t be serious…?”
“I assure you, sir, I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life.”
“Tell me what happened. Surely the law can arrest whoever…”
“Unlikely,” Lucinda said bitterly, her eyes full of angry tears. “Philip did not deserve to die so far away from home and without those who love him in attendance. He was given false promises and lured here to die.”
“Lucinda,” Henry spoke gently, “If someone lured your brother out here to kill him, then it isn’t safe for you to confront that person or persons. You could be killed, too,” he warned her, trying to reason with the pretty young woman. “Do your parents know what you are doing?” he asked, and watched her face take on a stubborn look.
“I left them a note telling them.”
“And your father hasn’t come after you?” he asked in disbelief.
“Father has probably washed his hands of me and disowned me, if you must know the truth. He has no patience for anyone who thwarts his wishes, especially if that someone is foolish enough to be a female.”
“He should have come after you and turned you over his knee for a good spanking!” Henry declared. “I’ve a mind to do it myself,” he said in a low voice.
“I would not advise you to try that, sir. I might not be used to the way things are done out here, but I assure you that I am capable of self-defense.” She’d spent hours training with the man and woman who did their laundry, behind Father’s back, of course. He would have had a heart attack if he’d known his eldest daughter actually dared to enter the private apartment of the Chinese couple. It was not proper behavior. Neither was changing into the trousers and top they provided and learning the ancient form of self-defense.
“Those thoughts are the kind that will get you killed, Miss Jacobs. I cannot permit you to do something so foolish.”
“You have no say in what I do, sir… and you have not given me your name!” she suddenly declared, aware that she was at a disadvantage. She’d heard the driver call him Henry, but she could hardly address him by his Christian name! It was not proper unless they were engaged, or at the least, friends for a very long time!
“Henry Zabarski,” he grinned. “Most call me Henry, or Doc Z!” To his absolute shock her pretty face drained of all color and for an instant he thought she was going to faint. He reached out to catch her when she suddenly slapped him just as hard as she could. Henry saw stars, and wondered how a tiny female could possibly pack such a wallop. He shook his head to clear it, and then said to the angry woman, “That was a big mistake, little girl.”
Lucinda was so caught up in the emotions coursing through her that she didn’t realize she was in trouble until it was too late. Her brother’s killer jerked her face down over his lap, and pinned her with one strong arm around her waist, and his right leg over the calves of her legs! To her absolute shock and mortification, the bastard pulled up her clothing so that the only thing covering her bottom was her thin cotton drawers, and then he proceeded to spank her as if she were a naughty child! “How dare you do this to me?” she gasped in outrage and fury! “Stop it right now!”
“You slapped me, little girl. I’m not about to permit you to get away with that!” Henry wasn’t a violent man by nature, but he wasn’t above doling out a spanking when one was deserved, and Lucinda definitely needed a spanking for that stunt. He hadn’t done one thing to deserve her temper, and his left cheek burned like he’d been branded. He was positive he was wearing a print of her hand, and it was only fair that she have a few of his handprints to wear on her bottom cheeks!
“Owww! Owwwww! Stop it! Stop it now!” Lucinda screeched at the horrible man. “You let me go!” She tried to reach her bag to get her gun so she could shoot him.
Henry saw what she was doing, and captured her hands in his and pinned them to the small of her waist in back as he continued to spank her, even harder now. “I have never met a female who needed spanking more than you do!” he told her, making sure he covered every inch of her rounded backside, and concentrating his efforts on the tender area where her cheeks met her thighs. The little brunette would not sit comfortably for a while, he decided, giving her several more spanks to each side. “I am waiting for an apology, young lady, and this spanking won’t stop until I get one.”
“I will never apologize!” Lucinda declared. “I would rather die first!”
“Pride and stubbornness hurts, young lady,” he informed her, and continued setting her fanny on fire while she cursed him and cried out in pain. His hand was starting to burn and hurt, but he wasn’t about to stop the punishment until he got his apology. “I’m waiting,” he told her.
“You can wait until hell freezes over!” Lucinda sobbed. “I will never apologize to you, you murderer!”
“What?” Henry demanded. “Murderer? I’ve never murdered anyone!” he denied. “What are you talking about, little girl?” He stopped the spanking and picked her up to sit her on the opposite side of the coach with a thump.
“Oww!” Lucinda cried out when her bottom made contact with the seat, and in the next instant she was grabbing for her handbag and gun. The dratted man beat her to it, and put it behind him where she couldn’t possibly reach it without going through him. “Damn you!”
“Why are you so angry with me, Lucinda? I can’t recall ever meeting you.”
“Does the name Jake Thomas mean anything to you?” she demanded, and his blue eyes turned dark with an emotion hard to define. “I can see it does. You murdered my brother, and you are going to pay for it!” she told him, and then she crossed her arms over her chest and looked daggers at him the rest of the trip into town.
It hadn’t occurred to him that Jake had been using a false name. The man arrived in Snowfall nearly a year ago, and he was very ill. He brought a letter from his doctor in Boston, and Henry did everything in his power to help him regain his health, but Jake’s lungs were too far gone by then, and in spite of all his efforts, Jake died. In those months, they’d become good friends, and Jake shared many things about his family, including his little sister, Cin-Cin.
The coach finally arrived in Snowfall, and Henry made a point of taking Lucinda’s gun from her handbag before returning her purse to her. “I’ll leave your gun at the Sheriff’s office, Miss Jacobs, and he can and will clear me of any wrongdoing in your brother’s death. If you want to know about Jake, come and see me and I’ll tell you about his last hours. He spoke of you often, and loved you very much.” He tipped his hat to her, and then walked away.
Lucinda was exhausted and drained. The trip was long and not without hardships. Today was the worst, however. The Apache attack, and then, worst of all, discovering that she’d been curled up in the arms of her brother’s killer! The horrible man had dared to spank her, and she was still in considerable pain. She had no intention of going near the Sheriff’s office tonight or any other time. She would meet that particular man soon enough. Tonight, she needed sleep. Lucinda registered at the hotel, had a bath delivered to her room, and once she was clean, she went to bed. Tomorrow would be soon enough to start paying back the ‘good’ Doctor Z.
********************
Henry looked at his watch once again and frowned. By this time he normally had patients filling his waiting room, especially when he’d been out of town for three days treating a cowboy that was thrown from his horse and badly injured. When another thirty minutes passed, and no one showed up, he decided to go outside and see if something was happening that he knew nothing about. When he stepped out on the landing and put up a sign stating he would be back soon, he was aware of a group of people standing around at the bottom of the steps, whispering and laughing. When they saw him, they grew quiet. Henry marched down the steps to see what was going on, and felt anger surge over him. At the very bottom of the steps was a tub full of water, with baby ducks swimming around. There was also a sign, proclaiming him to be ‘Dr. Quack’ and warning his patients not to trust him because he was a murderer!
Henry swore under his breath and headed for the hotel and one Miss Lucinda Jacobs. The young woman was going to get a spanking on her bared bottom this time, and he was going to make sure she couldn’t sit down for at least a week!
To be continued…
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