"Nebraska, right?"

"I remember that!" Eddie sat on the floor with his nose millimeters from the map, finger running along the line of the main road. "You're sure it's this one?"

"I wrote it down!" Rosie brandished the notepad with the address once more. "I think that's too far north."

"There's no road with that name!"

She pushed him over and started scanning the same way, glancing from paper to map, map to paper. "Where...?"

"See!"

"Town's here." She jabbed the marker into the middle of the crossroads. "Go north. Turn onto... this doesn't make any sense."

"I told you!"

Wayne emerged from his bedroom, robe tied around him, to go to the bathroom. He stared as they squabbled by the coffee table. When he came back out, their voices had risen, so he held up his hands for calm.

"What's going on?"

"This place doesn't exist!" Eddie slapped the map.

"My dad gave us this address!"

"Well it's wrong!"

"He's been there before!"

"Doesn't mean he's not wrong!"

"I'll tell him you don't believe him."

Eddie went pale.

"Now, now. Both of you." Wayne pulled over a chair. "Rosie, Darlin'?"

She handed over the address and folded her arms next to Eddie.

"It should be -"

"I'll decide that."

Eddie fell back onto the floor and huffed. "Sure."

His uncle bent right over, mouthing the address and the directions to himself as he worked. Then did a double-take.

"See? Not there!"

"You sure this is Johnson and not Johanesson?"

Rosie sat up. "Could be. I didn't ask him to spell it."

"And it's a ranch?"

"Yeah!"

"Gotta be this one." Wayne took the marker from her and drew a big red circle. "It's the only ranch for miles in any direction."

"Told you it was there!"

"You were on the other side of the ridge!"

"You were in Kansas!"

"Children!"

Rosie shrank. "Sorry, Uncle Wayne."

"You have it now."

Eddie examined the map. "Looks big."

"It is, far as I know." Rosie nodded. "Must be it."

"At least if it's not, folks there should know the way. Leave early, Ed." Wayne ordered.

"Better than nothing."

Wayne yawned and went back to bed.

"You sure you have everything?"

"Sure I'm sure." Eddie responded. "Wayne brought me to get it all."

"Can I see?"

"Not a chance."

"Please?"

"Nope. I want it to be a surprise."

"I just hope my sister doesn't make me look like a meringue." Rosie played with her hair.

"You don't get to pick your dress?"

"No. Bridesmaid."

"Oh." He thought a moment. "Does that mean I have to sit alone?"

"Yep."

"Ughhhh!"

"Well, with my family."

"Babe!"

"You'll be fine! I'll ask to put you with my brothers."

"Weehhhh..."

"Stop crying it's only for the ceremony!"

"I'm scared."

"You'll live. If my brothers are nearby the only thing you need to worry about are my nieces."

"Why?"

"There's four of them."

"Four?"

"He can't hear us, right?"

"If you don't start squawking."

"I do not squawk!"

"Like that."

Rosie slapped his hands away from her tits. Did he really think he could get a squeeze after that? Eddie smirked and stepped back to dial up the speakers. Thunder of The Four Horsemen beating against the walls. He pushed her back by the elbows and ducked to her chest, sucking painfully on one nipple, then the other. Rosie groaned and writhed, making him trap her with his legs before she could get away.

She rolled her hips instead, very nearly upsetting his balance. Only succeeding in amusing him.

"You know you're stronger than you look."

"Stronger? Or slipperier?"

"I'm not sure." He snarled suddenly and chomped on her ribs. Rosie squawked. "What'd I just say?!"

"OW!" She jostled with bite after bite. "Jeez! This what those bats did?"

Eddie glowered. "Not funny."

"Yes it is."

A lower growl, he swooped right onto her and savaged her neck. Rosie ran her fingers over the scar by his jaw.

"You know, I'm curious."

"About?"

Eddie looked at her. "Strong or slippery?"

"I dunno."

"You fought Charlie."

"I ran from Charlie. And didn't even get away. You're the one who punched his face in."

"Stupid face."

"Very."

Eddie stood, striding half-naked over to the closet. Rosie propped herself up on one arm to watch.

"What are you up to?"

"No good." He shoved things around carelessly. "Here it is."

"Oh."

"Not for you."

Rosie blinked. "But I -"

"Usually, yes. Like I said: I'm curious." Eddie threw the crop down on the bed and knelt to meet her stare. "You think you can hurt me?"

"I-I..."

"Let's find out."

"Um."

He shuffled around, showing her his bare back. "Try it."

Rosie picked it up, hesitating. This wasn't the usual routine. "How should I...?"

"You rode horses, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Then you know how to use it. " Eddie set his shoulders. "Just don't get my face or dick and we're good."

She waved it, testing the flex. It made a clean, sharp sound as it cut the air. Still uncertain, she tickled his back with the tongue. "You sure?"

"Do it."

A small one. Just a flick of the wrist. It tapped his left shoulder and left a little red dot.

Eddie twisted his neck: "What the hell was that?"

"A test?"

"I can take better than that."

"Right." Rosie flicked a little harder.

"Come on!"

She put her forearm into it, creating a 5-inch line across his shoulder blade.

"Better."

"More?"

"Until you do it right."

Adjusting her footing, Rosie struck. Three quick lashes. Stopping when his back tensed. Eddie puffed audibly.

"Right?"

"Almost. I've a whole lot of space there, you know."

Her arm already ached. She didn't want to disappoint him. Planted one leg and drew up all her frustration into a flurry of blows.

"Stop!"

Rosie halted. "Did I hurt you?"

"That's kinda the point."

"Bad?"

"Not bad, Princess. Just enough."

"Enough?"

"Don't relax yet. " Eddie arched back to look at her. "I've done far worse to you."

"Yeah but I'm..."

"Made for it."

She blushed. "How much?"

"Til I say."

Rosie swapped hands. This could take a while. Eddie hunched forward, shielding his head and arms. He liked to move top to bottom, bottom to top. It wasn't that she didn't like giving him a taste of his own medicine, but Rosie just felt wrong. That didn't stop her from squaring up. Didn't stop her from readying herself like she was about to enter the ring. Didn't stop the switch from clashing against his exposed back, stark red lines staring at her. All the way down smack smack smack. His muscles knotted, but Eddie kept his mouth shut. She changed the crop over again. Up this time smack smack smack. He would tell her when to -

"STOP!"

She did, but he leapt to his feet. Was he angry? There was a strange fierceness in his eyes. She recoiled instinctively when he reached, but Eddie moved faster than anticipated, grabbing her by the neck and yanking the stick from her grasp. Teeth bared, he forced her backwards until she slammed against the doorframe. Rosie felt her pulse skyrocket.

"You'll wake Uncle Wayne." She reminded him.

Scary as he tried to look, he chuckled. Pressed a finger to his lips, fingers squeezing around her neck. His free hand lifted and Rosie cringed a bit, but it just hung in mid air. Eddie's head tilted. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

Pat pat. Rosie opened her eyes.

"No. I'm not going to mark that pretty face."

"YOW!"

But he would take a chunk out of her neck. Rosie grunted at the pinch of his teeth as they closed hard. Gasped her way through that little jolt it gave her and sucked his ear.

"That's gonna mark."

"Good," Eddie pushed her head aside, admiring his handiwork. "Let those Boston shit-for-brains know who you belong to."

Rosie quirked her eyebrows. "And who do I belong to?"

Finally, a kiss. "Sweetheart, you're all mine."