Her Alpha Cowboy, page 19
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
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Her Alpha Cowboy
By
Mary Wehr
Copyright © 2017 by Stormy Night Publications and Mary Wehr
Copyright © 2017 by Stormy Night Publications and Mary Wehr
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.
www.StormyNightPublications.com
Wehr, Mary
Her Alpha Cowboy
Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson
Images by Period Images with Vikkas Bhardwaj, Shutterstock/Fotomicar, and 123RF/Milen Kalachev
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.
Chapter One
Texas, 1890
“Josephine, will you please sit still? I can’t cut your hair evenly with you fidgeting around like that.”
“But I don’t want my hair cut any more, Aunty Hedy. Can’t you talk to Jed again?”
“Now you know that’ll just cause a whole lot of fussing we both don’t need.” Hedy continued snipping away. “Your uncle feels he has good reason.”
“He spouts utter nonsense,” Josephine groused. “I’m so sick and tired of hearing that same old excuse about boys being attracted to long hair and how their wicked ways will lead me to sin. Just because I look like my ma doesn’t mean I’ll turn into a whore like her!”
“Don’t say that word, Josephine.” Hedy’s reply ended with a harsh cough.
Alarmed, Josephine slid from the stool, took the scissors from Hedy’s hands, and led the elderly woman to the small bed in the corner of the room. “You’re going to rest for a bit, Aunt Hedy, and I don’t want to hear any arguments. Sit for a spell and catch your breath.”
Using the heel of her hand, Josephine massaged the space between Hedy’s thin shoulder blades. Skin and bones. The woman seemed to fade away with each passing day. “That cough sounds horrid. You must see a doctor.”
Guilt assailed Josephine. This kind woman had been a substitute for her mother since she’d been eight years old and here she was complaining about something as insignificant as a haircut. “I’m so sorry for being a selfish brat. You have enough on your plate without me adding to it.”
“Come now, child, you’re no such thing,” Aunt Hedy replied, her face a startling white against the dark blue handkerchief she held to her mouth. They didn’t speak for a moment or two then Hedy smiled. “You may be a brat once in a while, but you are not selfish. You’ve brightened up my life, Josephine, and don’t ever think otherwise. Now, stop all this mollycoddling and let’s finish up with your hair. Jed will be looking for his supper any minute.”
Hedy tucked the handkerchief up her sleeve and got to her feet. “See, I’m fine, really. It’s just an annoying cough. It’ll go away in time.”
Josephine blew out a frustrated breath. It was pointless to argue. With a drag in her step she went back to the stool and sat down once again.
For some odd reason she could never take to Jed.
Even as a little girl she’d avoid him and stay close to Hedy. He kept his distance as well, which suited her just fine, but ever since her fifteenth birthday three years ago, he had taken to reminding her on occasion that they weren’t blood related. That it wasn’t his duty to provide for her.
Josephine didn’t give one wit about the status of their relationship. It was the way he’d stare at her that made her feel uneasy.
“Why do you let him treat you so badly?” she asked softly, even though she knew what the answer would be. It was always the same.
“Jed is my husband, child. I promised to love, honor, and obey him the day we recited our marriage vows.”
“And didn’t he vow to do the same?”
Hedy’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
She reminded Josephine of a beaten woman. Beaten down by the very man who had promised to protect her and love her until death do them part.
“It doesn’t work that way, Josephine. A man labors from sunup to sundown to provide food, clothing, and a roof over his wife’s head. In turn a wife gives herself over to him completely and bears him children, preferably a son to carry on his name.”
She lowered the scissors and stared straight ahead. “I remember how happy and in love I was on our wedding day. Little did I know what kind of man I had given my heart to. I should have remained an old spinster. I truly thought he loved me.” Her eyes seemed to cloud with bad memories. “Unfortunately, as the years went by it became clear that we would not be blessed with children. I’m afraid I failed as a wife and a woman in that respect.”
“You’re far from being a failure,” Josephine remarked heatedly. “It makes me so mad when he throws that in your face. You work hard around here. Just because you can’t carry a baby to term doesn’t mean you’re worth any less. It’s probably a blessing. I’d pity a child born to a man like him.”
Josephine’s temper only soared higher when Hedy shot a worried glance toward the door. “Hush, he might hear you.”
“See, this is exactly what I mean. You’re afraid of your own husband.”
What they should do is run away. Try to build a life somewhere far away from the cruel man. “Please, Aunt Hedy, let’s…”
“Don’t ask me to run away again, Josephine. I’m too old to pick up and move. Besides, I’d made my choice a long time ago and must live with it. According to my faith, divorce is an abomination.”
She finished with Josephine’s hair and set the scissors on the dresser. “Oh, to be your age again and know then what I know now. You have your entire life ahead of you. Someday you’ll meet a nice young man and get married.”
“Humph, I don’t see that happening any time soon, at least not here in this town. My mother’s reputation as a saloon girl still lingers in the minds of the townspeople even though she’s been gone for years. The women talk to me, but I know they’d never consider me as marriage material for their precious sons. Having short hair and a nonexistent bosom doesn’t help either.”
“Don’t say such things. Your blue eyes are startling and you have such a sweet smile. Any decent man would be thrilled to take you to wife.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway, Aunt Hedy. I refuse to marry and be forced to obey some man who smokes smelly cigars and reeks of whiskey.” Josephine crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. “Marriage only gives a man free rein to push his wife around and get away with it. If I marry and that’s a big if, I will choose a gentleman who treats me like a delicate flower and puts me on a pedestal. Until then I plan on doing exactly what I want to do. Jed’s just being a horse’s ass as usual.”
“Josephine Marie, I should wash your mouth out with soap.” The harsh reprimand would have been taken seriously if not for the spark of humor in her aunt’s eyes.
Josephine giggled. “No, you won’t. You love me too much and I heard you call him the same thing a time or two when he wasn’t around.”
“Lord, forgive me for my transgression,” Hedy sighed. “Promise me something, Josephine.”
Josephine grew solemn. “Anything.”
“If my time comes before Jed, you must seek out Mrs. Clancy. You like her, don’t you?”
“Of course I like her. She’s always been nice to me, but don’t speak such foolishness.” Josephine’s voice cracked with emotion. “You and I will always be together, Aunt Hedy.”
But the woman remained adamant.
“Promise me, Josephine. I won’t rest easy until you do.”
Josephine relented and sighed. “Okay, I promise.”
“Good girl. And remember, when you do meet that special man, try not to be so vocal with your thoughts and use coarse language. Men only marry good girls.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to be a bad girl. I’ll speak my mind, swear whenever I want, and stay right here with you forever.” She got up from the stool and hugged her aunt tightly. As long as the two of them were together things would be okay.
The front door slammed shut, making them both jump.
“Goddammit, woman, where’s my food?”
Hedy’s reply was interrupted by a series of gut-wrenching coughs so brutal they sent a chill down Josephine’s spine. If the doctor wasn’t called soon there may not be much of a future for either of them.
Chapter Two
Two days later
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”
This was all so wrong. It couldn’t be happe
ning, but yet here she stood in front of a small pine box covered with wild daisies. A warm and sunny morning was not the kind of day to be burying a loved one. How had this happened? Why hadn’t she insisted her aunt see a doctor? She should have ignored Jed’s threat of a thrashing and went for the doctor herself. Pneumonia had killed her aunt and it was all her fault.
Oh, Aunt Hedy, I’m going to miss you.
Overwhelmed with sorrow, Josephine expelled a sob. The pressure on her upper arm increased, reminding her of the man who stood beside her. Anguish filled her soul, but she remained quiet.
The preacher bowed his head, indicating that the service had come to an end. Josephine turned and was surprised as several townspeople openly ignored Jed and offered their condolences mainly to her. She smiled weakly at the kindness offered. It may be a little too late, but she appreciated the thought. Being the daughter of a painted lady didn’t make her all that popular with the decent folk.
“Come on, girl. Ain’t no need to be standing around doin’ nothin’. Time’s a-wastin’. I got work waitin’ at the ranch.”
Josephine jerked out of Jed’s hold and moved on ahead. The man was as mean as they came. She had taken an instant dislike to him from the moment she met him nearly ten years ago at her aunt’s wedding and her opinion hadn’t changed. In fact it had gotten worse. He still possessed that sinister look about him and a nasty temper. She would have liked to avoid the man altogether, but since her mother worked at the local saloon, Josephine had spent most of her childhood with Hedy.
She enjoyed those times, but things had changed drastically when Jed took over the household. He set up rules and expected them to be followed. It seemed that laughter was no longer allowed and she often wished she could stay at home alone.
On the morning of her tenth birthday Josephine got an extra pat on the shoulder from her mother along with the promise of as many licorice sticks she wanted once she came home from school. Josephine remembered how excited she’d been and couldn’t wait for the dismissal bell to ring. She raced to Aunt Hedy’s and didn’t stray from the door, glancing up and down the dusty road, but her mother never showed up.
Later that day Hedy had surprised her with a homemade birthday cake and insisted on taking her to the general store. Despite Jed’s warning, she bought Josephine a bag of licorice sticks and had gotten a beating for being disobedient. Josephine had cried as she held onto Hedy’s legs, refusing to let go, which resulted in Jed dragging her away and locking her in her room.
In all the years Josephine had lived with them, she’d never heard Jed utter a kind word to his wife. All he knew how to do was give orders and use the back of his hand if those orders weren’t carried out fast enough to suit him. Hedy made her promise to hide whenever Jed was mad. It was a man’s right to discipline his wife and the sooner she accepted it the better off she’d be.
“Jed, both you and Josephine are welcome to come to the church. The town got together and prepared some meals for you to take home.”
Shaken from her woolgathering, Josephine felt her heart swell at the thoughtfulness extended from Mrs. Clancy. Cooking was so far from her mind right now. She’d rather lie in bed and cry for the woman who had treated her as if she were her own daughter. Cry because the woman who had given birth to her didn’t want her.
“Got no time for socializin’, ma’am.” Jed brushed past the woman and caught Josephine’s arm once again. “The girl has chores pilin’ up. She’s gotta earn her keep. Ain’t that right?” He gave her a shake.
Josephine grew lightheaded. The pressure on her arm increased, threatening to break a bone. “Yes, yes, I do have things to catch up on but thank you for the kind offer, Mrs. Clancy.”
Reaching the wagon, Jed gave her a shove. “Climb on up, girl.”
“For heaven’s sake, Jed, must you be so rough? Honestly, you can’t expect this young girl to keep house right now. She needs time to grieve.”
Josephine swallowed hard. Mrs. Clancy’s pleading tone broke through her dismal thoughts. Her kindness brought a fresh bout of tears to her eyes but apparent heartburn for Jed. She watched his face turn red with rage.
“Listen here, old woman, go to yer husband where ya belong and keep yer nose out of my business. I’m tellin’ ya fer the last time.”
The entire wagon shook as he took his place in the driver seat. Cursing beneath his breath, he cracked the horse’s hind end with the reins. Josephine nearly lost her seat as the wagon lunged forward. Oh, how she wished she could take a whip to this miscreant of a man.
Unable to resist, Josephine glanced over her shoulder and watched as the town grew smaller and smaller. Bile rose in her throat, threatening to choke her. She had no other family left except the man sitting next to her, a man who scared the bejesus out of her. Unable to help herself, she expelled a loud sob.
“Quit wailin’ or I’ll take a strap to ya.”
Josephine lost what hold she had on her temper. “Is that all you have to say? My aunt, your wife, just got buried. Have you no compassion at all?”
His hand seemed to come out of nowhere, striking her across the face with a stinging blow. “I ain’t gonna tolerate yer sass like Hedy did. Get that into yer head and I ain’t about to explain myself to you or anyone else. My feelings are my own.”
Josephine could have argued that point. The man had no heart, so how could he claim to have feelings? Cradling her cheek, she scooted across the seat as far away from him as she could without falling off.
They got back to the rundown shamble of a house with Josephine feeling sick to her stomach. It felt as if there were a dozen butterflies knotting her insides. She jumped from the wagon intent on hiding in her room for the rest of the day.
“Git movin’ and put on some coffee,” Jed shouted. “Somethin’ decent to eat too.”
Josephine hurried into the house and banged the door so hard behind her, it rattled on its hinges. She tore the bonnet from her head and tossed it across the kitchen. All the man knew how to do was give orders.
While the coffee brewed she slammed plates on the table, not caring if they broke. Some were chipped anyway and since Aunt Hedy was no longer here she couldn’t care less. She was absolutely appalled by his lackadaisical behavior. Just like that. It didn’t matter that he had just buried his wife, he didn’t care. What a heartless, soulless man.
She slapped a couple of ham sandwiches together and set them on the table just as Jed stomped into the kitchen. They exchanged glares then Josephine picked up the dented coffeepot and filled his cup.
Without a word, he pulled out a chair and sat down. Aside from the disgusting noises Jed made while eating and slurping his coffee, he remained aloof.
When Jed went outside to smoke a cigar, she placed a pot of water on the stove to heat while she cleaned up the dishes. Now that she didn’t have Hedy to accompany her to the creek she’d have to bathe in her room.
Josephine carried the pot to her room and stripped down to her undergarments. A simple dab of the washcloth here and there didn’t do it for her, but she had no other choice. This would be her way of life from now on.
* * *
Panic began to set in more and more each day. Each of Jed’s attentions grew bolder than the last. Countless times Josephine caught him eying her chest when he thought she wasn’t looking and whenever she’d bend over she could almost feel the heat of his stare.
Things couldn’t go on this way indefinitely. She had to escape and her first thought was to confide in Mrs. Clancy. But since Jed only went into town once or twice a month she had to remain vigilant and wait.
As it turned out the opportunity to speak with the woman had presented itself that afternoon. Josephine had been absolutely thrilled when Mrs. Clancy stopped by for a visit. She set her mending aside and they both sat on the porch sipping tea and chatting amicably.
Just when she was about to broach the subject about Jed’s behavior, he suddenly appeared from behind the house with a rifle in hand and ordered Mrs. Clancy off his property. In good conscience Josephine couldn’t knowingly place the woman in danger. The only person she could rely on was herself.
