p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in; margin: 0in 0in 0in .1in;" align="right"strongspan style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;"Chapter 19/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Rock Creek/spanspan style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;", Nebraska/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;" align="right"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"February 1867/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;" align="right"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'm sorry Parker. I don't remember you and I just don't feel the same way about you." Kaylie apologized sincerely to the man that sat across the table from her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's this town darling." He assured her. "Once we get home, and we are with all our friends you will see everything will be just wonderful again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I don't love you." She said flatly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""You will." He took her hand in his and smiled. "You will my dear."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie fought the instinct to retract her hand abruptly, instead allowing it to remain in his grasp as a sense of unease settled in her stomach. She studied his face intently, searching for any flicker of recognition, however faint. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"His piercing blue eyes, stark against the backdrop of his dark brown hair, seemed to bore into her, unsettling her to the core with their intense gaze. There was a familiarity there, a whisper of recognition, but whether it was genuine or merely a trick of her mind remained uncertain. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'm not feeling well. I think I'm going to head up to bed." She excused herself and started walking up to her room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'll bring you a drink." Parker opened her door and walked inside with her and shut the door behind them. He poured a glass of bourbon and while her eyes were diverted he dosed it with a touch of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's alright." She smiled uneasily and took a sip of the drink and frowned. "I just need some rest."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Take another sip it will help you sleep."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie settled onto the edge of the bed, lifting the glass of liqour to her lips for a couple of cautious sips. The burning taste made her grimace, and she set the glass down on the nearby table. Rising to her feet, she crossed the room toward the washbowl, feeling the need to rinse away the confusion that clouded her mind. The cool water splashed against her skin, offering a brief respite from the swirling thoughts and emotions that threatened to overwhelm her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Go ahead and undress I'll help you into your nightdress."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Really, thank you for your help. I'm fine." She turned around and found herself in his arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Here darling." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's attempts to swat away his hands were feeble, her movements sluggish as if she were moving through thick fog. Her mind struggled against the hazy veil of the liquor, a brief moment of clarity piercing through the fog. She remembered something, a fragment of memory hovering just out of reach, but it slipped away as quickly as it had come. Her thoughts were muddled, her senses dulled by the intoxicating effects of the drink./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"He removed her dress and helped her step out of it as he left it in a pile on the floor. Kaylie winced as his rough hands squeezed her breasts, the pain jolting her momentarily from the fog of intoxication. She felt his excitement pressing against her, his touch invasive and unwelcome. Panic clawed at the edges of her consciousness, but it was as if her body refused to respond, trapped in a haze of alcohol-induced numbness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Her mind screamed for escape as his weight pressed down on her, his hands roaming over her body with a force that made her skin crawl. She felt suffocated by his overpowering presence, her attempts to resist him were weak against his strength. His kiss was a violation, his touch a torment, and she longed for nothing more than to be free of his grasp. But the drugs dulled her senses, rendering her helpless against his advances./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""No, no, Conner no." She murmured. "Please stop."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's stomach convulsed violently as she retched, the taste of bile burning her throat. Through the haze of drugs and nausea, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before her. His shouts echoed in her ears, distant and muffled, as if coming from a world other than hers. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she fought against the fog in her mind, clawing her way back to consciousness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Show me what my patience and devotion has bought me Kaylie." He slapped her hard across the face as he struggled to free her from her corset. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, pain radiating through her cheek. His words cut through the haze, piercing her like a knife. Tears welled in her eyes, mixing with the bile in her mouth. She fought to stay conscious, to resist the darkness threatening to engulf her. Every fiber of her being screamed for escape, for freedom from this nightmare./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"As he straddled her, Kaylie wasted no time, in her drug induced stupor she brought her knee up hard to his most sensitive spot between his legs. When he doubled over in pain, she seized the opportunity, grabbing the light off the nightstand and smashing it over his head. Hastily, she grabbed a sheet off the bed and fled the room, her chemise, pantalettes, and corset still on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Kaylie stumbled out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She ran as fast as her weakened body would allow, fueled by sheer desperation. Her mind raced, searching for a way to escape, to find safety from the man who sought to harm her. As she fled into the night, her only thought was to put as much distance between herself and her assailant as possible, praying that she could find help before it was too late./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Draped in the sheet like a makeshift dress, Kaylie hurried through the shadows toward the Marshal's office. She was aware they kept horses in the back, and she hoped to find one there she could use to reach Buck's ranch. Despite risking the wrath of Hickok, whom she had only just won over, she knew she had to act quickly to reach Buck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie rode like the devil himself was on her trail, covering the typical hour and a half ride in just over an hour. She knew Buck would be asleep by now, but she also knew he wouldn't mind being woken up, especially now that she had remembered everything. The struggle with Conner must have triggered the flood of memories that now rushed back to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"A wave of relief washed over her as she spotted his house and saw him standing on the porch with a shotgun and a lantern. She didn't even wait for the horse to come to a stop; she slid off, tripped, fell, and ended up rolling in the dirt, tangled in the sheet. Finally, she sat on her backside in her corset and undergarments at Buck's feet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Buck held her tightly as she cried, then carried her into the house and sat her next to the fire. "What happened? Why are you wearing your underthings?" he asked with concern etched on his face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's Conner, Parker is Conner! He lied about everything." She shuddered. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Buck clenched his fists in anger, but he knew he needed to stay calm for Kaylie's sake. He pulled her close and stroked her hair softly as she cried. With gentle care, he carried her up to his bed, removed her corset, and tucked her in. He lay next to her, offering comfort as she slept fitfully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Rock Creek/spanspan style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;", Nebraska/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;" align="right"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"February 1867/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;" align="right"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'm sorry Parker. I don't remember you and I just don't feel the same way about you." Kaylie apologized sincerely to the man that sat across the table from her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's this town darling." He assured her. "Once we get home, and we are with all our friends you will see everything will be just wonderful again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I don't love you." She said flatly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""You will." He took her hand in his and smiled. "You will my dear."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie fought the instinct to retract her hand abruptly, instead allowing it to remain in his grasp as a sense of unease settled in her stomach. She studied his face intently, searching for any flicker of recognition, however faint. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"His piercing blue eyes, stark against the backdrop of his dark brown hair, seemed to bore into her, unsettling her to the core with their intense gaze. There was a familiarity there, a whisper of recognition, but whether it was genuine or merely a trick of her mind remained uncertain. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'm not feeling well. I think I'm going to head up to bed." She excused herself and started walking up to her room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""I'll bring you a drink." Parker opened her door and walked inside with her and shut the door behind them. He poured a glass of bourbon and while her eyes were diverted he dosed it with a touch of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's alright." She smiled uneasily and took a sip of the drink and frowned. "I just need some rest."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Take another sip it will help you sleep."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie settled onto the edge of the bed, lifting the glass of liqour to her lips for a couple of cautious sips. The burning taste made her grimace, and she set the glass down on the nearby table. Rising to her feet, she crossed the room toward the washbowl, feeling the need to rinse away the confusion that clouded her mind. The cool water splashed against her skin, offering a brief respite from the swirling thoughts and emotions that threatened to overwhelm her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Go ahead and undress I'll help you into your nightdress."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Really, thank you for your help. I'm fine." She turned around and found herself in his arms./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Here darling." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's attempts to swat away his hands were feeble, her movements sluggish as if she were moving through thick fog. Her mind struggled against the hazy veil of the liquor, a brief moment of clarity piercing through the fog. She remembered something, a fragment of memory hovering just out of reach, but it slipped away as quickly as it had come. Her thoughts were muddled, her senses dulled by the intoxicating effects of the drink./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"He removed her dress and helped her step out of it as he left it in a pile on the floor. Kaylie winced as his rough hands squeezed her breasts, the pain jolting her momentarily from the fog of intoxication. She felt his excitement pressing against her, his touch invasive and unwelcome. Panic clawed at the edges of her consciousness, but it was as if her body refused to respond, trapped in a haze of alcohol-induced numbness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Her mind screamed for escape as his weight pressed down on her, his hands roaming over her body with a force that made her skin crawl. She felt suffocated by his overpowering presence, her attempts to resist him were weak against his strength. His kiss was a violation, his touch a torment, and she longed for nothing more than to be free of his grasp. But the drugs dulled her senses, rendering her helpless against his advances./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""No, no, Conner no." She murmured. "Please stop."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's stomach convulsed violently as she retched, the taste of bile burning her throat. Through the haze of drugs and nausea, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before her. His shouts echoed in her ears, distant and muffled, as if coming from a world other than hers. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she fought against the fog in her mind, clawing her way back to consciousness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""Show me what my patience and devotion has bought me Kaylie." He slapped her hard across the face as he struggled to free her from her corset. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie's head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, pain radiating through her cheek. His words cut through the haze, piercing her like a knife. Tears welled in her eyes, mixing with the bile in her mouth. She fought to stay conscious, to resist the darkness threatening to engulf her. Every fiber of her being screamed for escape, for freedom from this nightmare./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"As he straddled her, Kaylie wasted no time, in her drug induced stupor she brought her knee up hard to his most sensitive spot between his legs. When he doubled over in pain, she seized the opportunity, grabbing the light off the nightstand and smashing it over his head. Hastily, she grabbed a sheet off the bed and fled the room, her chemise, pantalettes, and corset still on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Kaylie stumbled out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She ran as fast as her weakened body would allow, fueled by sheer desperation. Her mind raced, searching for a way to escape, to find safety from the man who sought to harm her. As she fled into the night, her only thought was to put as much distance between herself and her assailant as possible, praying that she could find help before it was too late./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Draped in the sheet like a makeshift dress, Kaylie hurried through the shadows toward the Marshal's office. She was aware they kept horses in the back, and she hoped to find one there she could use to reach Buck's ranch. Despite risking the wrath of Hickok, whom she had only just won over, she knew she had to act quickly to reach Buck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Kaylie rode like the devil himself was on her trail, covering the typical hour and a half ride in just over an hour. She knew Buck would be asleep by now, but she also knew he wouldn't mind being woken up, especially now that she had remembered everything. The struggle with Conner must have triggered the flood of memories that now rushed back to her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"A wave of relief washed over her as she spotted his house and saw him standing on the porch with a shotgun and a lantern. She didn't even wait for the horse to come to a stop; she slid off, tripped, fell, and ended up rolling in the dirt, tangled in the sheet. Finally, she sat on her backside in her corset and undergarments at Buck's feet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Buck held her tightly as she cried, then carried her into the house and sat her next to the fire. "What happened? Why are you wearing your underthings?" he asked with concern etched on his face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;""It's Conner, Parker is Conner! He lied about everything." She shuddered. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"Buck clenched his fists in anger, but he knew he needed to stay calm for Kaylie's sake. He pulled her close and stroked her hair softly as she cried. With gentle care, he carried her up to his bed, removed her corset, and tucked her in. He lay next to her, offering comfort as she slept fitfully./span/p