Rarely did Kim ever get frightened, but the trees that were surrounding her seemed to meet overhead, making it look like she was driving through an ominous tunnel with only her headlights as her guide. What the hell is that? she thought as several yellow eyes watched her from the side of the road. She soon saw there were deer around every corner and there wasn’t just a couple, there were several. She had never seen deer close up before and wasn’t sure if they were dangerous or not. The moon was not bright that night and she tried to stay focused on the road ahead. The stars, however, would shine down periodically when the trees would allow it. Stars? I’ve never seen so many!
she thought as she came upon a clearing.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see this many stars every single night?
As Kim finished that thought, she came upon a sharp curve in the road causing her to have to brake heavily. She made the curve with no problem, but when she started to pick up her speed, this massive beast ran out in front of her. As she swerved to miss it, she quickly started to spin out of control toward the ditch. All she could hear were the tires screeching and a woman screaming. No—that’s me, she realized, then everything went black.
Kim woke up feeling like she had a horrible hangover. Her head was throbbing and she felt warm liquid trickling down her face.
Blood?
She tried to move each body part to see if there were any broken bones. Everything appeared to be fine, except for her arm, and it hurt like hell. Great,
she thought as she started to realize the situation she was in and not knowing how she was going to get out of it. She found her phone, but of course there was no signal. Maybe Texas wasn’t so wonderful after all. She had an urgent need to cry, but wouldn’t allow herself to go there. She had to stay focused and find help first. She started to walk slowly down the deserted road. Her head was pounding and she was starting to get dizzy. She just hoped she could find a house or something before she ended up passing out on the ground.
Caleb and Logan Wade were heading home after a long couple of days. They had just finished taking some of their cattle to auction and were both exhausted and ready to call it a night. The Wade brothers had lived in Haven’s Crossing most of their lives and now ran the ranch their fathers had given them after they had retired a few years back. The brothers loved the ranch. It was in their blood. Caleb was a year older than Logan and took care of the finance aspect of it. Logan oversaw the running of the actual ranch and liked being outdoors every day. They were a good team and for the most part they got along more than they argued. They were so close they usually knew what the other was thinking and could communicate with just a nod or a glance. They had had a good life on the ranch. Caleb had gone to college when he graduated from high school and had gotten a degree in business. Logan had joined the army when he graduated, but both boys knew they would always come back. They loved this land and it would always be their home.
Haven’s Crossing was a very special little town. It definitely wasn’t for everyone, but for everyone who lived there, it was a little piece of paradise. This was the place people came to when the outside world had turned its back. If you were a hard worker and had a good heart, you could live there. Most families were not the traditional “husband, wife, and 2.1 kids.” Walking down Main Street, you might see a woman with her two
or
three husbands, a Dom with his submissive, or couples of all makes and models. It didn’t matter here. You were never judged and could live your life in peace—as long as you followed the rules.
The rules were simple. Women were respected, loved, and protected, no matter what. The men stood together in unity and would make sure this occurred by calling meetings on an as-needed basis to resolve any issues. The town had strong beliefs about male expectations and those beliefs had been upheld for years. A man should be a man. He should be the head of his household, a hard worker, and a good provider. If you ever abused a woman, you’d get the shit beat out of you and be sent packing. There were no exceptions. Now, this life wasn’t for everyone and that was fine. You could just pass right on through and keep on going. For those who lived here though, it was worth protecting.
The Wade brothers were getting close to fifty, but you couldn’t tell it by their looks. Logan was divorced. He had been married once for a short time, after getting out of the army. They had both been too young and being married in the traditional sense just hadn’t been right for him. Now Caleb had been in a couple of serious relationships, but had never married. Both brothers knew in their hearts that they wanted what their parents had. They just never found the right woman and honestly wondered if they ever would. Their family was worried as well apparently. Any eligible woman would be invited to their home by their mother, and she considered matchmaking her hobby. Their fathers would just laugh at the brothers’ objections, knowing their wife would not be at peace until her sons had the perfect wife.
Logan had one son who was now away at college, so at least there was one grandchild who could carry on the Wade name. Logan and his son were close and Will would come and visit as often as he could. There were two houses on Wild Ways Ranch. The one their parents shared and the one Caleb and Logan shared. Both were equally nice and had plenty of room, and it was nice living less than a mile away from one another.
As the Wade brothers drove on home, they rounded the familiar curves with ease. They were really ready to get back. One of Logan’s men had moved the week before and he was shorthanded, which meant that Caleb had to help Logan, which meant that Caleb couldn’t do his job. As they came around the last curve, Logan startled Caleb when he slammed on the brakes.
“Is that a fucking body?” he yelled. They both got out of the pickup, seeing a woman lying on the side of the road, her car only a few hundred feet away in the ditch. Caleb went over and put his fingers on her neck to check for a pulse. He was surprised when the woman moaned and opened her eyes.
She tried to sit up, but Caleb stopped her. “Hold on, sugar, you’ve got a nasty cut on your head. Are you hurting anywhere else?” he asked.
“My, uh, arm is hurting, but I think that’s it. Thank you for stopping. I thought I could make it, but apparently I was wrong,” she stammered.
“And where the hell were you planning on going?” Logan asked sharply, after checking out her car. “It’s five miles from our house and fifteen to town.”
“Well, Mr. Smartass, I didn’t
know
that, number one, and number two, I thought it would be better than just sitting and waiting for God knows how long.” Caleb smiled at her sarcasm toward Logan, but Logan wasn’t so amused.
“We’ll take you to our house and Doc can come check you out,” Caleb said.
She started looking around and replied, “Uh, I really think I should go to town and find a hotel. I’ll be okay. I just hit my head on the steering wheel and I’m sure my arm is just bruised or sprained. I don’t need to see a doctor.”
I can’t afford a doctor, she thought.
“There’s no discussion, sweetheart,” Caleb said, picking her up and walking toward the truck. “You’re going home with us and you’re seeing the doctor.”
Oh God, he’s carrying me!
“Put me down!” she yelled as she tried to get out of his arms.
“I’ll put you down in the truck, now stop fighting me.” Caleb’s voice was stern and his tone clearly said “no arguing.” Logan opened the door for him and Caleb gently put her in the middle of the seat. Caleb got in after her and Logan went over and got in on the driver’s side.
She hadn’t really looked at them until now.
Oh my gosh, they’re gorgeous. And I’m right in the middle of them.
As she came out of her thought, she noticed Logan looking at her. “Are you okay, little one?” he asked, concerned.
“Uh, yeah, I’m okay. Thank you.”
Little one? I am anything but little.
“Good,” he continued. “We’ve got about five miles to go. Caleb, why don’t you go ahead and call Doc so he can meet us there.” Kim again started to protest until Caleb cocked his head and raised his eyebrow. She then swallowed hard and sat there quietly. For some reason, she started to feel warm inside—and she didn’t think it had anything to do with her injuries.
He had been watching from the road. He saw her car spin out of control, saw her finally get out and then try to walk. She looked like all the others. He was going to have fun with this one first though. The others he had taken too quickly and then it was over, causing the pain to come back too soon. The only time the pain ever went away was when he had them, making them cry and beg. He needed to make the pain go away, and soon. They always thought they were better than him, better than
all
men. He could hear his father’s voice in his head. “They’re all fucking whores, every last one of them—they don’t deserve to live.” That voice never went away, ever.
When he saw her stagger and lie down on the ground, he had started to get her then. He inched close, waiting to see if she had already died. Fucking bitch better not be dead yet, he thought. That was when he heard the truck. He waited, hidden in the trees, until it could pass. But it didn’t pass—it stopped.
No!
He wanted to scream, but didn’t. He just watched as they picked her up and carried her away.
Damn fools. Why can’t they see?
Kim’s head was throbbing again, and she was having a hard time sitting up. Caleb was looking at her. Why in the hell do they keep watching me? she wondered. He then, without asking her, picked her up.
Okay, he really needs to quit doing that
. He then sat her on his lap sideways so her head could lean against his chest.
Holy crap, I can’t believe this is happening.
He smelled so good, but it wasn’t cologne—it was
him
. He smelled like he had been working, but at the same time there was a clean scent as well.
That must be some damn fine soap
. The warmness in her body started to slowly travel down below.
Am I getting wet? Oh, God.
She felt the need to shut her eyes, knowing she just couldn’t stay awake any longer.
Kim vaguely heard talking, the pickup door shutting, and her body being moved. “I just want to go to sleep,” she mumbled and then heard, “I know, little one.”
Logan?
Her head hurt when she opened her eyes, so she kept them shut. If they would just put her down, then she could go to sleep.
The pain she felt caused her to wake up quickly and then she tried to move. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we have to get this cleaned up. I’ll try not to hurt you, okay?” Caleb’s voice was soothing. She noticed Logan sitting beside her, rubbing her arm with one hand, while the other arm was around her waist. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he might be there to hold her down, so she decided to test out her little theory. She moaned a little and tried to get up, but Logan’s arm tightened around her and he forced her back down.
I knew it. If I had more strength I might be able to fight him, but not right now.
“Easy, darlin’, Caleb’s not gonna hurt ya,” Logan said.
They both sound so nice. I’m going to shut my eyes, just for a little while. They can handle this.
Kim woke up again to Logan speaking to some man, telling him what had happened. She then noticed that he was an older gentleman, with gray hair and very kind eyes. “Well hello there, young lady. I’m Doc Bailey, but everyone around here just calls me ‘Doc.’ It seems you’ve got yourself a nasty little cut on your head, so I’m gonna take a look and see if we need stitches, okay?”
Stitches? No, no stitches. I hate needles. I can’t do this!
She felt the panic starting to set in. Just the thought of needles would make her have a panic attack. “No needles, no stitches,” she managed to say as she tried again to get up. “Let me go, dammit!” she yelled, as Logan again pushed her back down.
“Kimberlee, that’s enough! Doc’s just gonna look at ya right now, so you need to lie back and be a good girl.” Logan’s voice was firm, but also strangely comforting, and knowing he was going to be there made her relax a little.
Kimberlee? How in the hell does he know my name?
Doc was very gentle and sweet. He looked her over carefully and decided her arm was not broken, but only sprained. He didn’t say anything else about the cut on her head, but she did hear him tell Logan and Caleb she could possibly have a slight concussion and would need to be woken up two to three times during the night. Kim saw Logan glance at Caleb and then Caleb nodded his head “yes.”
They didn’t even talk. How did they do that?
Doc stepped over to the table and all she could hear was paper or something being ripped open. His back was blocking her view. Caleb, without saying anything to her, gently lifted her up into a sitting position so that her back was off the couch. He then slid in behind her so that she was sitting in between his legs. What the hell? she thought, as she watched Logan scoot her legs over against the back of the couch and then lean his body in that same direction. It all happened so fast. She didn’t even realize what was going on until it was too late. She saw Doc with a needle.
Oh God, stitches!
Panic immediately took over, and she started to fight. “Get the fuck off me, you son of a bitch!” she yelled, trying to push Caleb’s arms off and kick Logan at the same time.