Kissed by the Outlaw Page 9

  Kelly got back up into the saddle. She'd been a real tenderfoot for the first few days, but now she was doing better at riding. She even found she enjoyed it. Motioning to Mimi, she was surprised when Sarah bent down, picked her up, and handed the poodle to her.

  "It's a portal," she said plainly. "It's a link to another time, one over a hundred years in the future. And my fascination with it is now over."

  * * * * *

  "They told me I'd find you here. You don't seem all that happy to see me, old friend."

  McSwain didn't flinch, though the afternoon sun in his eyes made him squint up at the man on the horse. He knew his gun was in its usual place, there in its holster on his hip. He didn't make a move for it, not yet.

  Clyde Shannon hadn't gone for his pistol, either. He held the reins in his hand, leaning forward slightly in his saddle. His mouth was curved into an insolent smirk.

  "Didn't know we were called that," McSwain drawled. "Friends. I don't remember it that way."

  "Heh!" Clyde came down from his saddle slowly, careful, evidently, not to make any sudden movements.

  That's good, McSwain decided. Just because he was reformed, because he'd turned over a new leaf a few years ago, didn't mean he'd forgotten how and when to use his gun. He still knew how to stop a man like Shannon with one bullet.

  Shannon spit casually on the ground. "So where's your woman?"

  Who had he been talking to? McSwain trusted Hattie and Doc Fairlane, but that didn't mean someone hadn't mentioned Kelly to someone who'd then gone blabbing to the wrong people.

  "She's not here right now, Clyde. What do you want?"

  His brothers' old gang member put a hand to his chest, donning an appropriately hurt expression. Clyde Shannon had never been a particularly good-looking man, yet like McSwain, he was tall and imposing. He hadn't changed much, other than looking even harder than he had before. His features were dark and chiseled, his hair stringy and his nose hooked under slightly like that of an old literary villain, and he still wore that familiar moustache and straggly goatee. His piercing dark brown, almost black, eyes captured McSwain's.

  "I heard you became a farmer." He barely hid his mocking tone. "I had to come out and see that one for myself, seeing that I'm here anyway on…business."

  "I see. So this is a social call."

  Shannon caught his sarcasm and chuckled. "'Course! Unless you're a little tired of being a farmer. I tend to think that's not as lucrative as the old family business was for you."

  McSwain remained calm. The men maintained their distance from each other for the time being.

  "The family business died with my brothers," he said plainly. "I don't do those things anymore."

  "Oh, no, no, sir. You're a good boy now." Shannon placed his hands in a praying position and looked up at the heavens. "You're Saint McSwain now!"

  "I'm Farmer McSwain now," Jess corrected him, tiring of his game. "You're wasting my time. What do you want?"

  "Aw, old friend, Jess—farmin' is hard work. Doesn't pay too well, either. But now…" Shannon smiled, baring his yellowed teeth. "I've got a very worthwhile proposition for you. I know you haven't forgotten everything your big brothers taught you. And you've always been good with a gun."

  "I'm not your man, Shannon. Keep lookin'. Now get off my land."

  "Oh, now, that's not very friendly of you." Another laugh, this one low and dangerous. "Wouldn't you like to buy your woman some diamonds? Furs? Women love those things, you know. Something to wear besides the dust of your old farm in her hair."

  You might have a point there. It pained McSwain to admit that, even just to himself.

  "My woman is none of your business," he snapped.

  "She could be. Let's not be hasty about this. I understand she's…not your average lady."

  And I'm glad now that she's not here right now, McSwain mused.

  He wanted to go for his gun. With a man like Shannon, who made his brothers seem tame by comparison, he had to be especially careful.

  "She's just my woman," he said.

  "She's a little more than that. Ain't that right?" The outlaw wrinkled his crooked nose. "She's a future lady, I hear."

  "Watch your mouth. She's a lady now."

  Shannon didn't appreciate McSwain's humor. "That's not what I meant. I'm talking about…could this future lady, or whatever she used to come here, be used to make some money?"

  McSwain hadn't even considered that possibility. He couldn't fault Shannon too much. His brothers hadn't been the only ones with a mercenary heart. He almost blurted out that he didn't think she'd be returning to him, which was the truth, but his instincts advised him against getting into all that.

  "We never really understood how the portal worked," he answered.

  "How what worked?"

  "The portal. Like a doorway or something, the way she got here. We tried to find it. It's up there, somewhere on that mountain. Don't know how to fine it or…get her back there."

  "Well, hell. Sorry to hear that."

  "Yeah. Guess it's back to robbing trains and cheatin' on card games for you. Bummer," he flippantly tossed around the word he'd heard Kelly use.

  Shannon widened his eyes at that last word but went on confidently. "Guess you're right. This brings me to my reason for being here. My partner—lost him, unfortunately. No use to me in jail. Your brothers are dead. But there's still you."

  "Wrong. I'm done with all that."

  "Because you have all this?" The outlaw mocked him, outstretching his arm to display their surroundings. "A small farm and an even smaller house? And a woman that I haven't seen yet. But I'm told she's a very lovely lady…"

  He had the house and the farm. That part was true. McSwain sighed, more and more certain with each passing moment that Kelly wasn't coming back to him.

  With each passing moment, too, that Clyde Shannon lingered, it became more certain that he wouldn't be leaving without a fight.

  "I'm not comin' with you," McSwain stated. "I don't want that life anymore. This might not look like much to you, but it is to me. I don't want to die at the end of a rope or spend what's left of my life in jail."

  He stood still, not moving so much as a muscle. His hand was down by his side, at the ready, close enough to his holster. Shannon also stood, motionless until he combed his goatee with his finger.

  "Maybe I'd feel that way, too," he said, and it seemed to McSwain as if he were speaking more to himself. "If I found a good woman, maybe. From any time—this one or another one."

  McSwain continued to watch him from under his hooded eyes. Was that really it? Was Clyde Shannon going to leave peacefully? He'd turned to his horse and grabbed hold of the saddle horn, with one foot in a stirrup.

  Then they both heard another horse approaching. McSwain looked up and saw the Appaloosa—and in the horse's saddle was Kelly, looking at first forlorn and then concerned when she saw the stranger in front of the house.

  The house that had been her home since she'd gotten there.

  "On second thought…maybe I'll just take yours!"

  Shannon had gotten as far as turning and pulling his own revolver from his holster. Moving in a step, McSwain kicked it out of his hand and swung, throwing all this strength into the blow.

  That sent Shannon reeling against his horse, but he recovered fast enough to grab a handful of McSwain's shirt. Fighting to free himself, Jess dodged the fist aimed at him, yet was thrown off balance, landing both men on the ground.

  Aware that his own gun was still tucked into its holster, McSwain tussled on the ground with Shannon, who was cussing loudly and reaching for his own weapon, there on the ground. Moving quickly, McSwain pushed all his weight into rolling Shannon onto his back and pummeled him in the face with his fist.

  Off to the side, Kelly had climbed down from the Appaloosa. McSwain was afraid to be distracted but hoped she'd have the good sense not to take his attention from Shannon, who managed to tip McSwain over onto the ground. Shannon took one swing,
leaving McSwain to taste blood, before taking hold of the gun handle. McSwain, his face reddened, instinctively covered Shannon's hand with his own.

  "Get off him! Get off him—or I'll shoot!"

  McSwain saw the dark grimace coming across Shannon's face. The outlaw laughed but kept his hand fully on the weapon's handle and turned at the waist.

  Behind him, in a small cloud of dust raised by the man's fighting, stood Kelly. With her feet spread apart, she stood with Shannon's revolver in both of her shaking hands.

  "Careful there, honey!" Shannon laughed condescendingly. "Don't want to hurt yourself with that."

  "I'll hurt you if you don't get off McSwain right now!" Kelly snarled back.

  Shannon sputtered another swear word. He gave McSwain his attention before he could be tipped over again. Temporarily forgetting the gun, the outlaw entwined both hands around McSwain's neck. "Aw, honey, you're not gonna shoot anybody!" Shannon shouted back.

  Now or never, McSwain told himself as he struggled to breathe and pulled his gun free from his holster.

  There was so much noise, he only barely heard Shannon's pistol being cocked. Both men heard the gunshot, however, the noise completely startling Shannon, who fell over onto his side.

  Quickly, he patted his chest, and laughed at Kelly. She stood several feet away, now holding the gun securely, despite having screamed when she heard the gunshot.

  "Pretty. Not too good with a gun, though," Shannon declared, laughing.

  Lying on his side, McSwain took aim, his finger on the trigger. Shannon was already on one knee, pulling himself back up to his feet, when another blast came from behind McSwain.

  Shannon staggered back down to his knees and clasped his thigh, too stunned to make a sound. His raised his hand to inspect the blood on his fingers and looked sickened by the sight.

  McSwain heard Kelly cry out in fright and turned to her.

  "You all right, honey?" he asked.

  She gave him a weak smile and nodded, insisting, "I'm fine," before falling in a dead faint to the ground.

  Chapter Seven

  "I've never been lucky with the ladies. This is a first even for me, though. Getting' shot by a woman who came all the way from the future…"

  Sheriff Helms helped both Doc Fairlane and McSwain move Clyde Shannon onto a bed in the doctor's office. The outlaw protested with a loud, pain-filled shout.

  "Shut up, Shannon," the sheriff ordered in the same tone of voice he would have used to offer the man a cup of coffee.

  The outlaw tried to sit up and was prevented by Doc's hand on his shoulder.

  "Hope the whole town knows by now that you didn't get me," he taunted the sheriff.

  "They know already. They know McSwain's woman put that bullet in you," Helms agreed. "And they know Jess here tied you up and turned you in, and I'm gonna put you in jail. That is, once Doc gets that bullet out of your criminal hide first."

  "Mind if I don't stay for the festivities?" McSwain asked, nodding at the three cowboys assisting the doctor by holding Shannon down.

  "I think Doc's got enough men to help him," Helms said.

  "Good. Kelly's doing better, but I want to get home. She's never shot a gun before… or a man."

  Sheriff Helms nodded. "Well, she's quite a strong woman, so I'm sure she'll be all right."

  "She's all right now. Better." McSwain grinned. "She's a lot stronger than I thought, too. We got some talking to do when we get home about other matters, though."

  "All right." Helms placed a firm hand on McSwain's shoulder. "I appreciate you bringing him in. He's wanted for robbing a Wells Fargo stage and killing the driver. Someone would've gotten killed here in town, too."

  McSwain gave a nod of his head. "Send him away for a long time, Sheriff."

  "Rest assured, we will."

  "Long time. I don't want him ever getting free and coming after Kelly."

  "You have my word. They're picking him up and taking him this week." Respect shone in the sheriff's eyes. "Really couldn't have done it without you or Mrs. McSwain. Thanks again."

  She wasn't Mrs. McSwain yet, but Jess didn't correct the sheriff. For one thing, he tossed the name over in his mind, liking the way it sounded. Secondly, after the sheriff's mild flirtation with Kelly, he wanted that Mrs. business to sink in firmly.

  Mrs. McSwain. Mrs. Jess McSwain. Mrs. Kelly McSwain.

  He didn't have long to dwell on that, because Kelly was outside, standing by the wagon. She smiled, her body seeming less tense when she saw him.

  "Ready to go home?" he asked.

  "Please. I want this day to be over."

  He helped her onto the wagon. "Well…it's not over yet. We have some talking to do."

  Kelly looked worried. She folded her hands primly on her lap and waited for him to come around and join her in the front seat. She said nothing for a brief time, both of them riding in silence.

  "The sheriff told me I was very brave," she broke the quiet between them at last.

  "He's right. You were."

  "Please tell me now, you won't send me away. I mean, I guess I'd manage on my own here, but—"

  "I'm not sending you away, Kelly. But when I tell you you're not to leave and go off by yourself, especially because a man like Shannon was out there, I mean it." Suddenly, he remembered. "Oh, and you have three new dresses, not one."

  He saw her smile out of the corner of her eye. A beautiful smile. Even with something as simple as a smile, that woman could make his heart dance.

  "Do I?" She laughed, the sound of her laughter like honey to his ears. "You're going to spoil me!"

  "You're already spoiled enough as it is. But that's all right. I'll be addressing that little problem when we get home."

  "Oh, McSwain—"

  "No whining, Kelly."

  "I'm not whining!"

  "Not a good idea to sass me right now, either."

  She folded her arms across her chest. Wouldn't that woman ever learn?

  She looked prettier than ever, too. Maybe because he'd almost convinced himself that he'd lost her forever. He'd felt relief and joy upon learning she hadn't left for good, that she'd returned to him. Her hair was wind-tossed and framing her face in soft waves, and her lips were plump, ready for his kisses.

  "Look, I know you're upset because I went out looking for the portal, when I was supposed to wait 'til you went out with me—"

  "Yeah, and I trusted you to stay put, to do your womanly chores around the house and not disobey me. You lied about that."

  Kelly sighed. "But don't I at least get some credit for taking down the bad guy? I mean, I should only be getting a couple swats from your hand. Three, at the most."

  "I decide what your punishment should be, darlin'. You don't. And I've already decided you're getting spanked with the hairbrush tonight. By the time I'm done, you won't think about going out looking for the portal without me again."

  "I'm never going out to look for it again, anyway. With or without you. I found it today."

  They were almost home. McSwain pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. He turned to her.

  "You found it?" He was incredulous. "Where?"

  "You won't believe, but… the very first place we looked. I saw the lights there this time."

  He shook his head. "Why now? Why not before?"

  "I don't know. Honest. I don't understand the portal at all. I started walking in the way the lights were leading me. But then I realized… I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you, McSwain. If you'll have me."

  He stared back at her for a long moment. Taking the reins, he whistled for the horse to continue.

  "If I'll have you?" he repeated, not looking at her. "I didn't want you to leave. My life—my life's been different with you here."

  "Mine's been different ever since you, too. I love you, McSwain."

  He brought the wagon to a halt again, this time in front of the house.

  "I love you, too, Kelly," he confessed.

>   She smiled and leaned forward. She'd expected a kiss. Instead, he jumped off the wagon, came around the front, put both hands on her waist and set her roughly onto her feet.

  "There's no TVs and no computers here," he said, sternly, taking her by the hand and yanking her towards the house. "You sure about this? No cell phones. No twilight zone. None of the things you told me about…"

  "I know that. I still want to stay with you," she explained.

  "You're going to marry me. You'll be a good wife. You'll cook for us and clean and wash, and if you can, you'll help me on this farm."

  "Yes, sir."

  "You'll behave, or you'll get spanked."

  "Yes, sir." She was grinning at him.

  "I'll be a good husband. And I'll take care of you. And I'll love you 'til the day I die."

  "And I'll love you 'til the day I die." She was still smiling, though her voice had cracked a little. "Oh…I guess you'll need this."

  To his surprise, Kelly took the hairbrush from the small table by the bed and held it out to him.

  "If we do have any children, we'll raise them together," he continued.

  "Of course. I'd like that. A lot," Kelly assured him in a tone of voice she'd never used before.

  Something smoky and sultry that had him wanting to take her directly to their bed.

  But first things first.

  "Can I see my dresses?" she wanted to know.

  "Yes. Afterwards. First, you can bend over the table."

  "Oh. Okay. Yes, sir."

  He shrugged as soon as she'd done as she was told, helping him by pulling her dress fully up to her waist. He had to say, he was impressed. She wasn't trying to talk her way out of the paddling with the brush. McSwain slid her undergarments down to her knees, laying the brush across both full, spectacular orbs.

  "McSwain?"

  "Yeah, honey?"

  Kelly sighed. "I know I'm still going to be spanked, but… I'm sorry I disobeyed you. Sorry I disappointed you."

  He smiled. "You are still getting spanked. And I'll expect you'll learn your lesson like a good girl, Kelly."

  McSwain hadn't wanted to get a spanking over with more than that one at that moment. Nevertheless, for the sake of properly disciplining Kelly, he wasn't going to rush it. He first positioned her as well as he could on the table, making sure there was no possible way for her to slide off, and that he'd be able to use the brush as effectively as possible.