Howdy buckaroo's! I'm back in the saddle! :)
I got side tracked writing a smutty one-shot for the "Wet Jasper Challenge" but I'm back!
Check these out if you are over 18 and love wet Jasper. (I know I do)
Me (happyghost): "Late Night Swim"
CayStar: "All I Need"
GeezerWench : "Prelude to a Sunset"
jlove34: "Covet thy Enemy - Betray thy Master"
I enjoyed reading all of your reviews. I don't think I replied last time, but I appreciate ya'll taking the time to say something nice . . . :)
I hope you enjoy my story. I enjoy writing it.
I want to thank "GeezerWench" for prereading and creative consulting :)
Happyghost love ya'll!
Bella and Jasper were sleeping blissfully and peacefully when they were wakened by a rapping knock at the door.
Quick as a flash Jasper lunged over Bella with the quilt, shielding her nakedness from whoever might be coming.
Bella shrieked, but the door never opened. "I'm not dressed," she warned.
The reply came from Edward. "I'm very sorry to wake you, but there has been a gun-fight and I have an injured patient downstairs. Would you be able to assist me?"
"Yes, yes . . . I'll be right down," Bella said absentmindedly.
Jasper looked disheartened. "You should have told him no. What makes you think I'm going to let you go anywhere?" He whispered into her ear and planted a row of hot, wet kisses down her collarbone as he gently brushed his hardness against her thigh.
Before Bella could contest him, he kissed her mouth, then pulled away and smiled. "You look so beautiful in the morning."
Bella couldn't help but blush. Jasper was beautiful too. His hair was disheveled and the soft, morning light that filtered through the window behind him made him look like a bright, golden angel.
Her sweet angel continued to smile down at her. Caressing her cheek with the back of his hand, he promised that he would love her, always, and would be back to marry her today, just as soon as he found a preacher.
Jasper quietly stood up and got dressed, which put on quite a show for Bella. She felt much more self-conscious in the morning light than she had under the cover of darkness, which seemed rather silly after everything that they had shared the night before.
She could tell that Jasper wanted to watch her dress too, but Bella was frozen in place hiding under the quilt.
Wearing only his britches, Jasper tugged playfully at the blanket, which Bella held firmly in her grasp.
Jasper crawled back into bed and began to kiss her sweetly. Her tension melted away. She found herself pinned under him again, and when he kissed her, she found, it made all the thoughts fly from her brain. Her insides melted into mush as he licked down her neck and collar bone. By the time his tongue reached her breasts, all her reservations had flown out the window.
"Let me look at you." He ran his hands up her arms and held them over her head. It was better than he had imagined. Her soft pale skin glowed with her blush. Her long dark hair fanned across the pillow. She was already his, but soon she would be his wife.
"I need to go downstairs. Someone might find you here," Bella said, worried.
Jasper didn't want her to go, but he relented. He handed Bella her old dress and even turned around to give her some privacy while she put it on.
Peeking around the curtain, Jasper could see that there were a lot of men coming and going from the Doctor's house. He would have to wait until all of them left before he would be able to make his escape. It wouldn't do for anyone to see him crawling out of Bella's window.
The lovers shared one last embrace, and Jasper promised Bella once more that he'd be back to marry her just as soon as he could.
Bella finally made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
She found Edward standing over a man who had been shot. There was so much blood and the sight of it made Bella feel a bit nauseous.
"I need boiled water—please check and see if Charlotte has it ready, and fetch the amber colored bottle over there on the top shelf." Edward gestured to his supplies. His hands were covered with the injured man's blood.
With a quick glance at the poor man's wound, Bella thought she might faint. Somehow she pulled herself together enough to hand Edward the bottle, and then she rushed into the kitchen.
Charlotte took one look at Bella's pallor and decided that she would take the kettle of water to Edward herself.
"Good morning, Bella," Peter said with unusually bright enthusiasm. "You're lookin' a bit peaked. Did you not sleep well? Come sit beside me a while."
"That man in there . . . did you see him? Do you think he will make it?
"Most likely. I've seen folks survive worse."
"Maybe I'm not cut out to be a nurse after all," Bella covered her face with her hands.
"You just need to eat something. The doctor told me I could have solid food, and I've been hankerin' for some of your good ol'biscuits," Peter grinned.
"But Peter, that poor man in there is dying."
"You know what I just thought of? Ham hocks . . . I reckon that's what would go good with biscuits this morning, is ham hocks, eggs, and milk gravy. Bella, what did ya'll buy at the store? I'm starving."
"I can't think straight, Peter. I should go help Edward. Breakfast will have to wait." Bella forced herself to get up and stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the makeshift hospital.
"One of ya'll better fix me some food," Peter grumbled. " At least make me some coffee. I suppose that fella in there is going to want to eat too. If'n he lives and all. Everyone deserves a last meal."
But the women both ignored Peter and instead they assisted the doctor with the small surgery. Edward expertly removed the bullet and cleaned the wound with carbolic acid solution, before he sutured it closed.
Meanwhile upstairs, Jasper had been waiting for a good opportunity to shimmy down the side of the porch and make his escape. Well doers had been coming and going, nosing about, and checking to see if the injured man had lived. Jasper couldn't stay hidden in the bedroom forever, and he surely couldn't waltz down the stairs, so he quietly waited until the coast was clear and then eased out of the window to climb down the porch.
As soon as his boots hit the soft earth, he heard a click, the sound of the hammer of a gun being cocked back into position. A deep voice bellowed out from behind him, "Raise your hands up, partner, and don't make any sudden moves or I'll shoot. Turn around."
The man who held a gun on Jasper was a tall husky fella, who wore a shiny metal star which glinted in the sun. The Marshall. "Don't move or I'll shoot, ya' hear? I'm going to relieve you of your gun belt, and then we can talk, nice and friendly."
Jasper didn't want to cause any trouble, so he let the Marshall remove his weapons.
"What were you doin' climbin' out of Doc Cullen's window? Trying to skip out on your bill?"
"No, Sir. I'm not a patient, you see, but my brother is, and we fully intend to pay the doctor for his services," Jasper answered calmly.
"Lemme tell ya somethin'. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. Men don't climb out of windows lessen they're wrongdoing. Just hold yer malarkey stories. I'll ask the doctor, and then if he says you can go, you can go. If you try and run, I'll shoot ya'."
Jasper nervously eyed the pistol that the Marshall had trained on him, and decided that he would cooperate.
After a few heavy-handed knocks on the door, Edward appeared. He stepped out onto the porch and when he saw Jasper his face went sour. It was then that he realized how strongly he didn't want Jasper to take Bella away.
The Marshall cleared his throat. "I caught this man sneakin' out of your upstairs window, Doc. Do you know him?"
Edward pursed his lips and balled his fists. The ruffian had disrespected him, and worse, he might have compromised Bella. He was furious. "Yes, I know him. His name is Jasper Whitlock, and he wasn't invited into my home, so I assume he broke in."
"Um-hmm, I knew he was up to no good." The Marshall waved his pistol at Jasper. "Empty yer pockets."
"I didn't take anything," Jasper said as he fumbled around with the roll of bills and the few coins he had made selling the wagon.
"Just because he doesn't have any of my belongings on him, doesn't mean he didn't take something," Edward huffed. "Hold him here while I go check upstairs."
With a quick inspection of Bella's room, Edward was sure that Jasper had been there. He found large dusty boot prints on either side of the bed. It was possible that Jasper had stolen something last night, something precious that could never be returned. Edward decided against inspecting the sheets. He would never intrude upon a lady's privacy. He was a gentleman. Full of anger and spite he rushed back to the porch. "Marshall McCarty, I want you to arrest this man."
"What's your reasoning?"
Edward rolled his eyes. "You saw him sneaking out of my house yourself. Isn't that basis enough? He's a thief, and I assure you he's quite guilty."
"Well, I suppose I could take him to Idaho City along with that little drunk fella who shot that cowboy. How is he fairin' by the way?"
"He'll be fine. I'm very busy. Good-day, Emmett. Good-bye and good-riddance, Mr. Whitlock." Edward turned and went back inside his house, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Looks like yer comin' with me."
"The hell I am!" Jasper lunged towards the door, but the Marshall caught him.
The Marshall, Emmett, was as big and as strong as a bear. He wasn't afraid of anything or anyone, and he liked to keep his town nice and peaceful. He didn't want to shoot Jasper, so he put him in a head lock and hauled him away from the Doctor's house.
Jasper couldn't yell and he couldn't breathe with the Marshall's thick arm locked around his throat. Instead of calming down and making things easier, Jasper fought and bucked as hard as he could, trying to break free from the large man's hold.
"Quit fightin' me, ya' hear? I'm not meanin' to hang ya'. I'm just runnin' you out of town." There had already been enough blood spilled for one day, and if the good doctor had reason to believe that Jasper had done wrong, Emmett would be glad to oblige and remove him from his property.
Jasper didn't stop fighting. He was mad as hell. He was going to kill Edward Cullen, and then dance around his grave. Edward was going to pay. Jasper had promised Bella a wedding before sundown and, by God, that was what he was going to give her. He fought against the Marshall with all his might. With a great push he reared back into him struggling to break away.
Then everything went black.