The Promise
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 6:
Tears were streaming down her face as she struggled in his renewed hold, all the while praying that her gamble had paid off and that help was on its way.
The man spun her around and pinned her face first to the wall and she squeezed her eyes shut as he started gathering her skirts, the smell of his foul breath making her stomach roll. She whimpered and heard a solid thumping noise and then she was free and being scooped into the now familiar arms of Peter Whitlock. “Lock that no-good up Ray and I’ll be there in a while after I see to the lady.”
“Sure thing Pete. I’ll start the paperwork, you can add to it later.”
He hauled the dazed criminal up and drug him out of sight by one arm and the scruff of the neck.
She kept her face pressed close to Pete’s chest, just taking in his calming scent, trying desperately to slow her racing heart and calm her nerves. Her tears just wouldn’t stop however, and she began to shake uncontrollably as the shock of what almost happened set in.
Pete sat down on a nearby bench, pulling the distraught woman close as he spoke to her in low tones. “Hey now, you’re all right Miss Isabella, it’s over now. I gotcha.”
She buried her face in his shirt that she clutched with both hands and continued to cry quietly. “He didn’t hurt you did he? We got to you in time?”
She nodded and Pete felt relief wash through him as he held her just a little bit tighter, closing his eyes and giving silent thanks that she was spared such a horror.
Being a Texas Ranger, he’d seen the aftermath of such a violation of a woman and he knew it was something that they never really got over; something they simply learned to live with. He also knew that some never did.
Her shaking was beginning to ease, so he reached into his pocket and withdrew a clean handkerchief which he handed to her.
“Thank you Mr. Whitlock.” Her voice was still somewhat choked with her tears as she began to dry her eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done…” Her voice caught and she covered her face as a fresh wave of tears assailed her.
He pulled her to his chest, his fingers running through her hair as he soothed her. “It’s all right sugar. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”
Her tears eventually slowed and she began to try to pull herself together again. She felt a bit embarrassed about blubbering all over this gorgeous man’s shirt. Now, how to exit this situation with at least a shred of dignity intact?
She sat up and tried to smooth out his now very rumpled, shirt. “Oh god, I’ve ruined your shirt. I’m so sorry.”
He laughed quietly. “It’s quite all right sugar. Don’t worry yourself, it’s just a shirt and I have a bunch more just like this one. What I’m worried with is you. You all right now darlin’?”
She sat up straighter, becoming a bit embarrassed that she was sitting in his lap now that she wasn’t so distressed. She felt herself blush. “Yes, I’ll be fine now. I think I was just a bit shocked by what happened.”
He nodded. “Understandable. Anybody would have been. It was a close call. I just thank the lord that we got to you in time.”
He was silent a moment, but she could tell that he had more he wanted to say, so she waited.
He cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit and she blushed even more at the feel of his body so close to hers. Now that she wasn’t about to go to pieces, she was very aware of the muscular thighs she sat upon and the warm, solid chest she was nestled against. She had to do something before this turned into a very awkward situation.
She lifted her head to look at him and was caught off guard when their gazes locked as he looked down at her in turn. He was so close, his luscious lips so close...an inch forward and she could taste those lips…lose herself in that mouth...draw him in and play...It didn’t help matters that he was slowly leaning down, looking almost entranced, drawing closer, slowly closer. Should she let this happen so soon?
Her voice came out in little more than a whisper, just a fraction of an inch away from his lips by then. “I think I’ll be fine now Mr. Whitlock, if you could put me down, I’d be grateful.”
The speed at which he acted was almost breathtaking and she blinked at finding herself sitting on the bench while he paced a few feet away, his hat in his hand as he ran the other through his sandy hair, his body noticeably tense. “My apologies Miss. It wasn’t proper of me to hold you for so long.”
She smiled a small smile at his obvious embarrassment. “It’s quite all right Mr. Whitlock. I appreciated the comfort. You made me feel very safe.”
He stopped and stared at her for a moment, and nodded. “I just didn’t want you to see me as taking advantage of your distress for less than gentlemanly purposes.” He stared at the ground as a blush suffused his cheeks. She thought it was adorable, in a very masculine way of course.
“Not at all Mr. Whitlock.”
He smiled, a small, nervous smile, looking very relieved. “Good. That’s good. I wouldn’t want to offend you.”
He scrunched the brim of his hat in his hands. “Miss Isabella, I don’t want to seem forward, but what are you doin’ in town all by yourself? It’s a dangerous place for a beautiful young woman, as you discovered.”
She thought of her purpose and gasped, looking around frantically for her satchel. “My satchel! Have you seen it?! Oh god, it has everything that’s important to me in it!”
He held out a hand. “Calm down Miss and wait right there. I’ll look for it. You probably dropped it when that scoundrel grabbed you.” He walked off toward the mouth of the alley and just at the corner of the building, she saw him bend down and pick something up, holding it up to show her with a smile as he made his way back to her.
He handed it to her and she blew out a breath in relief. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done had I lost it. It has my means for living in it,” She shot him a dark look. “...which reminds me, I owe you some funds for the boarding house and the doctor.”
He was shaking his head before she was even through speaking. “No ma’am. You don’t owe me a dime. I did that because I wanted to.”
“It’s still too much Mr. Whitlock. I can’t have you paying my way. You barely know me. It’s not right.”
He narrowed his eyes at her and she crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her’s right back at him. Then he smirked and she thought she may have ovulated on the spot. Jesus, but he was gorgeous.
“Tell you what Miss...I’ll let you pay me back...if you agree to havin’ dinner with me... And... I escort you to where you need to go, when you’ve a need to go somewhere.”
She smirked at him. “I would’ve had dinner with you anyway, so that part’s a deal, but I can’t possibly put you out every time I need to go somewhere Mr. Whitlock, really.”
His expression was steadfast, determination in every line of his body
“Those are my terms Miss Isabella. I will not concede.”
She fumed for a moment, her mind working furiously to outsmart him. Then she thought about all the shopping she still needed to do...for clothing and all the other trappings that a woman of means in this time required, and she grinned widely. She was sure that, after being dragged around to all the shops for that alone, he would be begging for mercy.
“Fine Mr. Whitlock. Our first stop is the bank.” She stood, back straight and marched off, leaving Pete frozen where he stood for a minute, wondering what the hell just happened.
Tears were streaming down her face as she struggled in his renewed hold, all the while praying that her gamble had paid off and that help was on its way.
The man spun her around and pinned her face first to the wall and she squeezed her eyes shut as he started gathering her skirts, the smell of his foul breath making her stomach roll. She whimpered and heard a solid thumping noise and then she was free and being scooped into the now familiar arms of Peter Whitlock. “Lock that no-good up Ray and I’ll be there in a while after I see to the lady.”
“Sure thing Pete. I’ll start the paperwork, you can add to it later.”
He hauled the dazed criminal up and drug him out of sight by one arm and the scruff of the neck.
She kept her face pressed close to Pete’s chest, just taking in his calming scent, trying desperately to slow her racing heart and calm her nerves. Her tears just wouldn’t stop however, and she began to shake uncontrollably as the shock of what almost happened set in.
Pete sat down on a nearby bench, pulling the distraught woman close as he spoke to her in low tones. “Hey now, you’re all right Miss Isabella, it’s over now. I gotcha.”
She buried her face in his shirt that she clutched with both hands and continued to cry quietly. “He didn’t hurt you did he? We got to you in time?”
She nodded and Pete felt relief wash through him as he held her just a little bit tighter, closing his eyes and giving silent thanks that she was spared such a horror.
Being a Texas Ranger, he’d seen the aftermath of such a violation of a woman and he knew it was something that they never really got over; something they simply learned to live with. He also knew that some never did.
Her shaking was beginning to ease, so he reached into his pocket and withdrew a clean handkerchief which he handed to her.
“Thank you Mr. Whitlock.” Her voice was still somewhat choked with her tears as she began to dry her eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done…” Her voice caught and she covered her face as a fresh wave of tears assailed her.
He pulled her to his chest, his fingers running through her hair as he soothed her. “It’s all right sugar. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”
Her tears eventually slowed and she began to try to pull herself together again. She felt a bit embarrassed about blubbering all over this gorgeous man’s shirt. Now, how to exit this situation with at least a shred of dignity intact?
She sat up and tried to smooth out his now very rumpled, shirt. “Oh god, I’ve ruined your shirt. I’m so sorry.”
He laughed quietly. “It’s quite all right sugar. Don’t worry yourself, it’s just a shirt and I have a bunch more just like this one. What I’m worried with is you. You all right now darlin’?”
She sat up straighter, becoming a bit embarrassed that she was sitting in his lap now that she wasn’t so distressed. She felt herself blush. “Yes, I’ll be fine now. I think I was just a bit shocked by what happened.”
He nodded. “Understandable. Anybody would have been. It was a close call. I just thank the lord that we got to you in time.”
He was silent a moment, but she could tell that he had more he wanted to say, so she waited.
He cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit and she blushed even more at the feel of his body so close to hers. Now that she wasn’t about to go to pieces, she was very aware of the muscular thighs she sat upon and the warm, solid chest she was nestled against. She had to do something before this turned into a very awkward situation.
She lifted her head to look at him and was caught off guard when their gazes locked as he looked down at her in turn. He was so close, his luscious lips so close...an inch forward and she could taste those lips…lose herself in that mouth...draw him in and play...It didn’t help matters that he was slowly leaning down, looking almost entranced, drawing closer, slowly closer. Should she let this happen so soon?
Her voice came out in little more than a whisper, just a fraction of an inch away from his lips by then. “I think I’ll be fine now Mr. Whitlock, if you could put me down, I’d be grateful.”
The speed at which he acted was almost breathtaking and she blinked at finding herself sitting on the bench while he paced a few feet away, his hat in his hand as he ran the other through his sandy hair, his body noticeably tense. “My apologies Miss. It wasn’t proper of me to hold you for so long.”
She smiled a small smile at his obvious embarrassment. “It’s quite all right Mr. Whitlock. I appreciated the comfort. You made me feel very safe.”
He stopped and stared at her for a moment, and nodded. “I just didn’t want you to see me as taking advantage of your distress for less than gentlemanly purposes.” He stared at the ground as a blush suffused his cheeks. She thought it was adorable, in a very masculine way of course.
“Not at all Mr. Whitlock.”
He smiled, a small, nervous smile, looking very relieved. “Good. That’s good. I wouldn’t want to offend you.”
He scrunched the brim of his hat in his hands. “Miss Isabella, I don’t want to seem forward, but what are you doin’ in town all by yourself? It’s a dangerous place for a beautiful young woman, as you discovered.”
She thought of her purpose and gasped, looking around frantically for her satchel. “My satchel! Have you seen it?! Oh god, it has everything that’s important to me in it!”
He held out a hand. “Calm down Miss and wait right there. I’ll look for it. You probably dropped it when that scoundrel grabbed you.” He walked off toward the mouth of the alley and just at the corner of the building, she saw him bend down and pick something up, holding it up to show her with a smile as he made his way back to her.
He handed it to her and she blew out a breath in relief. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done had I lost it. It has my means for living in it,” She shot him a dark look. “...which reminds me, I owe you some funds for the boarding house and the doctor.”
He was shaking his head before she was even through speaking. “No ma’am. You don’t owe me a dime. I did that because I wanted to.”
“It’s still too much Mr. Whitlock. I can’t have you paying my way. You barely know me. It’s not right.”
He narrowed his eyes at her and she crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her’s right back at him. Then he smirked and she thought she may have ovulated on the spot. Jesus, but he was gorgeous.
“Tell you what Miss...I’ll let you pay me back...if you agree to havin’ dinner with me... And... I escort you to where you need to go, when you’ve a need to go somewhere.”
She smirked at him. “I would’ve had dinner with you anyway, so that part’s a deal, but I can’t possibly put you out every time I need to go somewhere Mr. Whitlock, really.”
His expression was steadfast, determination in every line of his body
“Those are my terms Miss Isabella. I will not concede.”
She fumed for a moment, her mind working furiously to outsmart him. Then she thought about all the shopping she still needed to do...for clothing and all the other trappings that a woman of means in this time required, and she grinned widely. She was sure that, after being dragged around to all the shops for that alone, he would be begging for mercy.
“Fine Mr. Whitlock. Our first stop is the bank.” She stood, back straight and marched off, leaving Pete frozen where he stood for a minute, wondering what the hell just happened.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.