First, I'd like to thank everyone for your wonderful reviews. I love reading them all and I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this version of Jack and Elizabeth!
***WARNING*** This chapter contains some scenes of violence. If this will bother you, please skip ahead and rejoin me on chapter 19.***
August 28th, 2009 - World's Toughest Rodeo, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
The opening ceremony was over and the evening's events had just begun. The preliminary rounds were the first night with the main rodeo the next. Rosemary had joined Elizabeth to watch until it was time for the barrels.
The first barrel racer came out, running with a good time, but she had knocked over a barrel, adding a penalty of five seconds to her time. The next three ran perfect patterns, all with great times, too.
The next rider that entered the arena was Polly. She flew through her pattern, clearing the first two barrels clean but knocked over the third. A small smirk grew across Elizabeth's face as she watched the final barrel slowly tip over and hit the ground.
Seven more women ran their patterns before it was Rosemary's turn. Elizabeth watched as her best friend burst into the arena on her buckskin gelding. Samson turned tightly around the first barrel, then the next. He took the third barrel tighter than any other horse Elizabeth had ever seen, then ran as fast as he could across the timer line.
The team's time of 14.89 moved her into first place and Elizabeth jumped up, clapping and cheering on her friend.
Elizabeth enjoyed watching the rest of the riders, none of which ran as fast as Samson, keeping them in first.
Thirty minutes after Rosemary completed her ride, she returned to her seat next to Elizabeth. Several people around them in the crowd congratulated her when she walked up. Elizabeth jumped up and hugged her when she reached her seat.
The pair chatted through the night, watching and cheering on the riders through each event. This new life had completely engulfed Elizabeth; she felt as if this was the world she belonged in all along. She never felt like she fit in during her teenage and college years. This was the most at home she had ever felt.
The bulls were up next and Elizabeth and Rosemary settled back into their seats and quieted down. They watched as the bulls were moved through the chutes, filling them. Jack was one of the first riders and was standing on the platform with his safety vest on.
Elizabeth's heart began to race when she saw him, pride filling her. Two riders went before Jack, both lasting only a couple seconds. She watched him as Lee helped Jack prepare for his ride: adjusting the bull strap, warming the rosin, locking his hand in. With everything prepared just as he wanted it, Jack lifted his free arm and nodded.
When the chute gate was opened, the bull shot straight up into the air. Sounds of gasps along with cheers could be heard throughout the stadium. The bull bucked, kicked and dodged as he attempted to throw Jack off, unsuccessfully. The buzzer blew and the stadium filled with roars of cheers. Jack released his hand, went into the air off the bull, and landed on his feet. He turned to see the bull coming at him and ran to the closest fence and climbed on it, fellow cowboys above him pulling him up.
Once the bull was secured behind a gate, Jack jumped back down and walked back into the arena. He removed his mask and knelt to one knee, his head bowed and his eyes closed. Then he stood as they announced his score of 92. He pumped his masked into the air, smiling, and turned to find Elizabeth. His eyes locked on hers and he kissed the palm of his hand then held it out in her direction.
"Folks, that is going to be one ride that will be hard to beat," the announcer said over the loud speakers. "Thornton has been on fire this season and I think we'll be seeing him in Vegas in a couple months."
Jack left the arena, a huge smile across his face. He found Lee and waited with him until his ride. The pair stood on the platform, helping fellow riders and cheering them on. Jack stood by several as he held his arms out by them as they prepared their riggings, ready to grab them and pull them to safety if the bull exploded inside the chute.
Elizabeth watched them, competitors helping one another. That was one of the things she loved about this sport. The men helped each other and cheered each other on, jumped in and helped when needed, even though they were competing against each other. It was a family, a camaraderie amongst rivals.
Lee was up next, his rigging was in place, hand secured and he gave the gateman the anticipated nod. The bull burst out of the chute and one step out, he stumbled. The bull quickly recovered and came straight up into the air and into a sharp turn to the right. To everyone's surprise, Lee had stayed his ground and rode the bull to the eight second buzzer.
The stadium filled with cheers, louder than Elizabeth had ever heard before. She and Rosemary joined in as they stood and screamed.
After the bull was out of the arena, Lee removed his helmet and threw it into the air. He turned to Rosemary and pointed at her, smiling.
"What a ride!" The announcer shouted. "I didn't think this was possible, but Thornton's score was just beat by his best friend. Coulter's score is 93."
Jack pumped his arm into the air, shouting for his friend. Lee jogged into the chute and climbed out, Jack and another cowboy pulling him up and over. Jack hugged Lee, patting him on the back.
"What a ride, brother. That was amazing."
"I don't know how I did that one," Lee laughed.
"Skill, brother. Skill."
…..
Rosemary and Elizabeth had joined the guys by the chutes when the rodeo had ended. Jack and Lee had been encircled by several men as they chatted and celebrated their victory. A few small boys ran up to the pair, and Jack and Lee gave them high fives. Elizabeth and Rosemary, both, stood smiling as they watched the interaction.
Jack and Lee approached the women, grabbed them and spun them around, kissing them. From an outsider's view, it probably appeared to have been planned and choreographed.
"Why don't you and Rosie go ahead and go to the trailers," Jack said, handing Elizabeth his keys. "Lee and I have to check out the lineup for tomorrow and then we'll meet you over there."
"Okay," she said as she reached up and gave him a quick kiss.
Rosemary and Elizabeth started down through the corridor that led out to the parking lot; it was late and not very many people were left milling around.
"I'm going to run to the horse pens really quick and feed Samson. I'll meet you over there in just a few." Rosemary didn't wait for a reply and bounded down a hall that led to a different area of the stadium.
Elizabeth was humming quietly to herself as she made her way down the long hall. She was just about to the opening and could see the rows of trailers when a group of men stepped out in front of her.
She stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at each one of them, all staggering and obviously drunk.
"Hey, there, honey. We hear that you're looking for a good time."
"Excuse me," Elizabeth said as she tried to push her way through them.
One of the men stepped behind her and began to run his hands up and down her arms.
"Stop it!" Elizabeth yelled. "Let me go!" She tried to push her way through but was blocked by the men all around her.
"Come on, baby. Give me a kiss." One of the men pushed himself against her and began to kiss her on the mouth.
Elizabeth pinched her lips tightly shut and held her arms up between her and the man. She pushed him away just enough to forcibly raise her knee into his groin, dropping the man to his knees.
"You stupid bitch!" He yelled while holding himself.
The man behind her, grabbed her arms and spun her around to face him. He pushed her back against the wall and began running his hands all over her body. He slid his hand between her legs and rubbed it back and forth.
"Oh, you like that don't you?" He said, running his tongue and lips all over her cheek and neck.
Elizabeth screamed and yelled, "No! Help!"
The man covered her mouth with one hand while he ripped her shirt open with the other. "Mmmmm...look at those." He bent down and began to kiss the top of her breast.
Tears were running down her cheeks now and she bit the man's hand as hard as she could.
"Ouch!" The man yelled and then slapped Elizabeth across the cheek.
He grabbed her bra and pulled it down, ripping it, frantically grabbing her breasts with both hands as he kissed her neck. The other men, who had been standing back and watching, each stepped forward. One man on each side of her grabbed her arms and held her still as the one in front continued on his conquest.
Elizabeth continued to cry, scream and shout. "No, please. Let me go. I don't want this. Please, help me."
The man reached down and began to unbutton her jeans. Just as he was about to slide his hand into her jeans, someone grabbed him, spun him around and landed a blow on his jaw that knocked him out cold. The man dropped to the ground into a folded heap.
Jack grabbed the man holding her right arm and punched him, also knocking him out. Lee had stepped in, beating the man on her left until he fell to the ground next to his buddy. The man that Elizabeth had kneed, stood and took a swing at Jack. Jack ducked, then landed a right cross against the man's jaw and dropped him again.
Then Jack returned to the first one, the one that had his hands all over Elizabeth. He rolled him onto his back and proceeded to beat him to a pulp. Lee finally grabbed Jack's arms and pulled him off of him.
"Stop, Jack. You'll kill him." Jack stood and looked at Lee, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. "Go to Beth."
Hearing her name brought Jack back. His eyes softened as he ran to her. She was leaning against the wall, clutching her shirt, blood dripping from her lip.
Jack pulled her shirt closed more, scooped her into his arms, and carried her to his trailer; leaving the men where they fell.
As Lee opened the door for him, Rosemary came running up. "What happened?"
Jack looked at her, glaring, "Where were you?" Then he stepped into the trailer, still holding Elizabeth tightly against his chest.
"Some men attacked her." Lee replied, holding the door open for her to step inside.
Rosie jumped in and ran to Elizabeth. When she saw her, her heart stopped. "Oh, Liz. I'm so sorry."
Elizabeth sat on the couch, staring straight ahead, clutching her shirt tightly and rocking back and forth. Rosemary knelt in front of her and laid her hands on top of Elizabeth's. Elizabeth's eyes stopped on Rosemary's and she began to cry harder. She was gripping her shirt so tightly that her knuckles were white, her entire body was shaking.
Rosemary stood and took Jack's arm, leading him toward the door. "Jack, can you two please wait outside. I'm going to try to get her in the shower and changed."
Jack nodded, looking back at Elizabeth, who hadn't moved.
Rosemary pulled Elizabeth up and helped her remove her clothes. She tossed the shirt toward the door so she could throw it away when she left. She steadied Elizabeth as she walked her to the shower.
Still fully clothed, Rosemary stepped into the shower and helped Elizabeth wash her hair. Then Elizabeth took a washcloth and scrubbed her face, neck and breasts until her skin was raw. Rosemary pulled the cloth from her hand to stop her and Elizabeth looked at her friend; the tears began to flow freely.
Rosemary turned the water off, wrapped a large soft towel around her and pulled her tight against her, holding her as she cried. Elizabeth's legs gave out and Rosemary lowered her to the floor of the small bathroom. She sat next to her and held her, running her hand gently down her hair over and over.
There was a quiet knock at the door and Jack opened it. "May I come in?"
Rosemary checked Elizabeth to make sure she was covered, "Yes."
Jack stepped in and saw her sitting on the floor, still lost in tears. He knelt down in front of her and gently laid his hand on her knee. She pulled back at first, then looked up to see the pain in his eyes. She scrambled up onto her knees, Rosemary keeping her towel in place, and wrapped her arms around his neck, and fell into his arms.
Jack held her tight, tears stinging his eyes. He looked at Rosemary with worry in his eyes.
"She'll be okay with time," she said very softly.
Jack lowered himself to the floor and sat back against the wall just outside the bathroom. He pulled her up onto his lap, holding her against him, hoping to give her the sense of feeling safe. Rosemary stepped over them, pulled a throw blanket off the couch, and draped it across Elizabeth, covering her more. Then she stepped outside with Lee to let them be alone.
"How is she?" Lee asked as Rosie was closing the door.
"She's beat up a little. But I think she'll be okay with time."
"Thank God we got there when we did, or it would have been so much worse." Lee explained to Rosemary what they walked up on and what happened after that.
"Yes, it could have been so much worse. She's lucky. Let's go in the trailer and leave them alone for now, I need to get into some dry clothes."
Jack was running his hand across Elizabeth's hair, trying to soothe her pain and fear. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.
"I want to go to bed," Elizabeth said in a low, raspy voice.
"Okay, Beth."
Jack lifted her up to her feet, then stood up next to her, never letting go. With his arm wrapped around her, he led her to the bed and helped her up the steps. Once she was settled on the bed, he pulled a large t-shirt from a cabinet and climbed up onto the bed next to her.
"Here, let me help you with this."
Elizabeth sat up and Jack held the towel around her as she lifted the shirt over her head.
I was the first glimpse Jack had gotten of her since the incident. She had a scrape on her back, bruising on both arms, and her lip was swelling and beginning to turn blue around her mouth. He felt sick to his stomach as he looked at the marks the men had left on her. He wanted to return to them so he could finish what he had started.
Once Elizabeth had the shirt pulled down in place, Jack pulled the damp towel from around her and tossed it out onto the floor. She laid back onto the pillow and he pulled the bedspread over her. He began to slide off the bed when she reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll sleep on the couch. You can have the bed."
She pulled his arm toward her, "Please stay."
"Okay." Jack moved back up the bed next to her as she snuggled tightly up against him. He wrapped his arm behind her and pulled her close to him.
The warmth of his body and the familiar smell of his cologne put Elizabeth at ease. For the last hour, all she could smell was the liquored breath and sweat from those horrible men. She couldn't get it out of her senses. The safety of Jack's arms calmed her as she drifted off to sleep.
….
In the middle of the night, Elizabeth woke up screaming. When she opened her eyes, Jack was sitting up in front of her, talking softly to her. She began to cry and Jack pulled her into his arms. He laid back down, pulling her next to him.
Sometime, after Elizabeth had fallen asleep, Jack had removed his rodeo shirt that he'd still been wearing was lying next to her in only his jeans.
He kissed her forehead and Elizabeth tipped her face toward his and began to kiss him. The urgency in her kisses caught Jack off guard and she began to run her hand across his bare chest. At first, Jack began matching her motions, then he pulled back.
"Beth, what are you doing?"
"Please, Jack. Kiss me. Touch me."
She moved on top of him and began kissing him harder, deeper, her tongue exploring his.
"Beth, not like this," he said, pushing her back slightly.
"Please, Jack. All I can feel are their hands all over me. I want it to stop. I want to feel you."
She leaned back down and kissed him, even harder. Jack, unable to hold back, began kissing her back. He wrapped his arms around and pulled her down against him. Jack reached for the hem of her shirt, but Elizabeth sat up and pulled it up and over her head.
Jack's eyes dropped as he took in the sight before him. His hands reached out to her waist, feeling her soft skin. He pulled her down to him again, her bare chest against his, his hands sliding up and down her back.
Elizabeth could feel Jack's skin become damp with sweat, as well as her own. She felt Jack's hardness against her and reached down to his jeans.
Jack suddenly grabbed her wrists, and pushed her up, keeping his eyes on her face.
"Beth, you do not want to do this now. You're upset and scared and I get it. But I don't want you to hate me in the morning, or yourself."
Elizabeth pushed against his hold and kissed him again, "I want you, Jack. Please."
Jack released her wrists and moved his hands to her face, holding it gently. "Beth, no. Not now. Not like this." He kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you and I want you so badly. But I'm not going to do it like this. You will regret it."
"But I won't. I love you, Jack."
"You will, Beth. Please, wait until the morning and see how you feel then." Jack pulled her down to lie beside him. He pulled the bedspread up to cover her.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said, her voice cracking.
Jack looked down at her, "Sorry for what?"
"For letting this happen."
Jack rolled onto his side and rested on his elbow, brushing her hair out of her face with this free hand. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Don't you ever think that. You did nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything right. I'm the one that should be sorry. I should have never let you go alone. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
"But you were. You saved me from those...monsters." Elizabeth's tears were flowing harder now.
Jack laid back down and pulled her against him. "I should have been there sooner," he whispered against the top of her head.
Elizabeth draped her arm across Jack's still bare chest, her head nestled against his shoulder. Jack could still feel her skin against his and closed his eyes, trying to think of something else, anything else. But with his eyes closed, all he could see was that man with his hands and mouth all over Elizabeth.
He opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling. The trailer lights were still on as Elizabeth didn't want him to leave her side, so they had slept with them on. Jack counted the rivets along the ceiling seam, trying to distract his mind.
He could hear Elizabeth's breathing change and knew she had fallen asleep. He ran his fingers along her arm and continued counting until he drifted off to sleep himself.
…..
Jack woke the next the morning to the sound of a diesel truck starting. He looked down at Elizabeth who was still sleeping, her body still against his. She had kicked part of the bedspread off through the night and Jack could see her hip and thigh, her leg was draped across his own.
Her milky white skin looked perfect and Jack wanted to touch her but he kept his hands back. His eyes moved up her body along her arm. The bruising he had seen earlier had darkened and he could clearly see the finger marks across her bicep. Jack leaned his head forward to see her face. Her lip was still swollen slightly and she had a dark purple and red bruise at the corner of her mouth.
Tears filled Jack's eyes as he looked at her injuries, pissed at himself for not keeping her with him and Lee. I should have known better, he thought to himself.
Elizabeth let out a big breath with a slight groan as she rolled onto her back, exposing herself completely.
Jack quickly turned his head and looked away.
"Beth," he said, tapping his fingers on her arm. "Beth."
"What?"
"Would you like to cover yourself up?"
Elizabeth looked down to see that she wasn't wearing anything. She slowly pulled the cover over her and rolled back toward Jack.
"It doesn't really matter. You've already seen me."
Jack turned his head to toward her. "Still, Beth. I know you don't want me staring at you...yet," he said with a little grin.
Elizabeth smiled back and sleepily blinked her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Jack asked, running his fingers up her back.
She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. Okay, I guess."
"Did you get any sleep?"
"Some."
"I'm sorry about last night...here in bed," Jack said as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
"No, Jack. I'm sorry. I don't know why I acted like that. Thank you for stopping me."
"It wasn't right, Beth. I would never take advantage of you like that."
"I know." Elizabeth ran her fingers along Jack's chest. "That's one of the many things that I love about you."
"What are some others?"
"Huh?" Elizabeth asked, looking up at him.
"What are some other things that you love about me?" Jack was smiling, waiting for her reply.
Elizabeth pulled the blanket up around her chest as she lifted herself onto her elbows. "Where do I begin?" She thought for a brief moment. "I love how protective you are. I love how generous you are. I love how you are with your niece and nephews. I love how close you are with your mom. I love how kind and gentle you are with horses. I love that you know what hard work is." She paused for a second and looked back up to Jack to see his reaction.
Jack was watching her, listening and smiling. "Anything else?" He asked, flashing his dimples.
"I love how you love me. I love this," she ran her fingers across his chest again.
"Oh, do you?" Jack rolled to his side to face her. He looked down and could see a mark on her chest. "May I?" He asked, pointing at her the blanket covering her chest.
"May you what?"
"Can I check something? You can trust me, Beth."
"I know." She rolled back onto her side, slid her arm back and laid it across the top of her blanket covered hip.
Jack reached up and slowly pulled the cover down, just slightly. There were scratches and a couple bite marks across the tops of her breasts. Jack pulled the blanket back up, covering them so he couldn't see them, anger building up inside him once more.
"What is it, Jack?" Elizabeth reached up and laid her hand on his cheek.
"Those dirty bastards! I just wanted to...to..." Jack couldn't say the words but Elizabeth knew what he meant.
"You almost did." She said as she looked down to see what Jack had just seen. She pulled the blanket higher, hiding them from herself.
Jack looked down to her. "You saw me?"
"Of course, I did. You and Lee."
"I'm sorry about that."
"I'm not. I'm glad you did what you did. I would have done it myself if I was capable."
"Beth, you don't mean that."
"Yes, I do. I wanted those men to pay for what they were doing to me. And you took care of it."
Jack ran his hand down her arm, took her hand and lifted it to his lips. He kissed her fingers, one by one, then stopped on the top of her hand, giving her a lingering kiss, his eyes closed. He flattened her palm against his cheek, pressing it with his hand, feeling the warmth of her skin on his face.
With his eyes still closed, he said a silent prayer, thanking God for bringing him and Lee to her in time to stop the men before it went further. Thanking Him for her strength. And thanking Him once again for bringing her into his life.
"Let's talk about something else," Elizabeth said, breaking the silence.
"Okay, what would you like to talk about?"
"What kind of wedding would you like?"
"One with you there," he answered, grinning.
Elizabeth chuckled, "I'm serious. I picked the barn without even asking if you wanted to have it there."
"Beth, I want you to have everything and anything that you want. It is your day. I'm just going to be happy to have you as my wife. We could get married in the courthouse and I would be just fine with that. But...that is not what you want and I know that. I love the idea of having it in my father's barn."
"Okay. What about the bridal party?"
"What do you mean?"
"How many? I definitely want Julie, Rosie and Sam."
"Oh, yes. I would like Tom to be my best man along with Lee and my buddy, Jason."
"Which one is Jason?"
"He was there at the calf branding day and our engagement. His wife is Alicia."
"Oh, yes. I remember them. Anyone else?"
"No, I think that is good. What about Viola? You don't want your other sister standing with you?"
"They won't be able to make it. With both their jobs, they would have needed more notice to get time off and the trip planned. I talked to her the other day and she apologized for not being able to make it. I told her not to worry about it. I'll send her the video of it later."
"Oh, alright. I'm sorry she won't be there."
"It's okay. We were never super close to begin with. Julie and I were inseparable though."
"Alright," Jack started again, lifting his arm and sliding it behind his head. "What else?"
"Hmm...children?" Elizabeth said with a question mark.
"What about children?"
"Do you want any?"
"Oh, yes. Absolutely." He bent his head forward to look down at her face. "You?"
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to meet his and smiled. "Yes."
"Hmmm...good. How many?" Jack asked.
"Oh, I don't know. Four. Five. Seven." Elizabeth giggled.
"Okay."
She moved up onto her elbow, looking Jack in the face. "I was kidding."
Jack chuckled, "I know."
She lowered herself, her chest against Jack's, with the blanked between them. "Two, three, four. I'm good with whatever God blesses us with."
Jack bent his head down and kissed her forehead, "Me, too."
They remained that way, discussing more of their wedding and life plans; always learning more about one another.
Jack looked at his watch. "Oh, wow. We should probably get up and get going. It's almost lunch." Jack tipped his head against Elizabeth's. "I love you so much, Beth. I want you to know that I will always protect you," he just, just barely over a whisper.
Elizabeth tipped her face toward Jack's, then slid her body up until her lips met his. Her kiss was very different than that evening's, the urgency was gone, but there was a new passion and desire behind each one. Elizabeth slid her body over to cover Jack's, the blanket still separating them.
Elizabeth held Jack's face in her hands as she kissed him, her tongue brushed against his, wanting more. Jack's hands slowly slid up her back as he felt her soft skin against the roughness of his own. He slid one hand below the covers, sliding into the small of her back. He pressed the area, pressing her body into his. His hand moved slightly lower as he felt the firmness of her butt, his desire growing more and more for this woman.
He dropped both of his arms out wide onto the bed and pulled his head to the side, releasing her lips from his. He drew in a long breath through his nose and blew it out through his lips.
"Beth, you are going to be the death of me," he said with a little laugh.
Elizabeth slowly slid off of Jack, pulling the covers up to her neck, her cheeks growing warm and red. "I'm sorry, Jack. But you have...I don't know...awakened something in me?" She grinned.
"You do the same for me, Beth." Jack sat up and started sliding to the end of the bed. "I'm going to go take a shower. A very cold one." He disappeared behind the wall that held the TV as Elizabeth covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
…..
Rosemary stepped out of her trailer, closed her eyes and tipped her head toward the sun, soaking in the warmth. She walked toward the horse pens to take care of Samson for the morning. Just as she was about to open his pen, Joselyn, a fellow barrel racer and friend of Rosemary's, walked up to her.
"Hey, Rosie."
"Good morning, Jocelyn." Rosie said as she unchained the gate to Samson's pen.
"Rosie, I heard a rumor going around that I thought you should know about."
Rosemary stopped and turned to listen. "What is it?"
…..
Rosemary stormed through the area, walking around each pen, searching for the correct bay mare. After five minutes of searching, she finally found the mare, but the owner was nowhere to be found.
Rosemary started back out toward the trailers when she spotted the telltale long black hair, pulled up into a high ponytail, crossing the aisle in front of her.
Rosie quickened her steps until she caught up with her. "Polly!" she yelled.
Polly spun around to find Rosemary inches from her face. "Hey, Rosie. What's up?"
"What's up?! I hear you said something to a group of drunk cowboys last night. Something that might have given them the wrong impression of Elizabeth."
"What? I didn't say anything that wasn't true."
Rosemary took a step back, "You have no idea what you're talking about." She pulled her arm back, and with a closed fist, punched Polly square in the jaw, knocking her down.
Polly grabbed her face and staggered back up, tears sliding down her cheeks. "What the hell, Rosie!"
"Don't you ever speak to, look at, or even mention, Elizabeth again. Do you understand me?" Rosemary said sternly, her finger pointing in Polly's face.
Polly's expression turned to fear as Rosemary's voice grew in anger. "Alright."
Rosemary gave Polly one more look of seriousness, then turned back towards Samson's pen to finish her chores, rubbing her knuckles along the way.
…..
Lee slid off the bed as Rosemary stepped back into the trailer. "Good morning, babe," he said as he kissed her forehead. He noticed her rubbing her hand, looked down to see her knuckles, red and swollen. "Rosie, what happened?" He moved to the cooler and put some ice into a bag, wrapped it in a towel and placed it gently on her hand.
"I had some business I had to take care of."
"What business, Rosemary?"
She looked into Lee's eyes for a moment before answering, "Let's just say, Polly won't be bothering Elizabeth anymore." She sat on her couch and held her hand against her chest, holding the ice in place.
