Chapter Nineteen
Two months later.
“There must be a mistake,” Liberty said to Marty Moon. She reached in through the slats of the trailer to nuzzle Storm’s nose.
“No mistake, Liberty. Wyler dropped off the check this morning and I told him I’d return Storm.” He opened the trailer then paused “Are you not wanting the horse back?”
“Yes, I want him back.” She couldn’t believe what her husband had done for her.
“I’ll unload him and place him in the pasture for you.”
“Thanks, Marty” Her cell rang and she answered it. “Wyler, I just got your gift. How did you manage this?” It was the greatest gift she’d ever received, outside of the news she’d got that morning. She was pregnant again and planned to tell Wyler over a romantic dinner when he arrived back from the auction. “You didn’t take a loan out, did you?”
“I didn’t take out a loan. I sold my father’s property.”
“You said you didn’t want anything, not even the money, from the land that he left you.” She squeezed the phone tighter.
“I didn’t until now. I figure it was time because I’d never live there. As far as I see it, the money was spent on something good.”
“I love you. Thank you.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she hurried to blink them away as she returned Marty’s wave as he climbed into his truck to drive away. “When will you be home? I have a surprise for you too.”
“I’m finishing up. I should be headed back in an hour.”
They hung up and Liberty visited Storm a bit before she left Sagebrush Rose to go back to the cabin. She and Wyler were living there and were very happy. After the hands were moved back into the bunkhouse, Liberty decided she didn’t want to return to the Manor. She felt a peace in the cabin, that Wyler had named ‘Liberty Bliss’.
Maybe eventually they’d build a home at Willow Wild or Crescent Rose, but right now she loved where they were. Life had certainly come full circle. Love made everything more colorful.
She didn’t know it was possible to be so happy.
At the cabin, she showered, pulled on shorts and blouse and went to the kitchen to start dinner. As she was chopping vegetables, she munched on a carrot and turned up the radio to one of her favorite songs.
Something caught her attention. The back door was left ajar.
She stepped over to shut it then looked out onto the back yard that led down to the water. Nothing seemed amiss.
“Dinner smells delicious. Too bad you won’t be here to eat it.”
Liberty dropped the rest of the carrot onto the floor.
She spun around, terrified. Standing in the threshold between the kitchen and hallway was Lacey.
“What are you doing here?” Fear trailed its icy fingers down Liberty’s spine.
“You didn’t really think this was over, did you?” Lacey appeared frail. Her cheeks were thin, her clothes hung off her, and she was shaking. And in her hand, she had a gun aimed at Liberty.
“You got the money. We made a deal.”
“I decided I didn’t get enough.”
“What do you want, Lacey? Or should I say Penelope” When the woman’s expression shifted slightly, Liberty said, “Yeah, I know who you are and the entire story.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you deserve to pay for what you did to Reggie.”
“ Ronald is a scammer. Both of you are. I won’t give you any more money.” Liberty stood her ground. “Ronald will pay for what he’s done. You should leave because he will be in jail a while.”
“Oh, you didn’t hear? He was released on a technicality.”
Liberty felt her world turn upside down.
“Hello, Liberty. Long time no see.”
At the sound of Reggie’s voice behind her, Liberty slowly turned. His hair was to his shoulders, he’d grown a thick beard, but his eyes, they were still penetrating. Her stomach plummeted into her bare feet. “Get out of my house,” she seethed.
“Wouldn’t that be your lucky day if I allowed you to command me away. However, you and I have an issue we need to resolve.”
“We have nothing to say to each other.”
“That was all grand until I was arrested. Now I need more money,” he said as casually as if he were asking for a drink of water.
She wouldn’t back down. He stepped deeper into the room and Liberty took a step back, but the cold metal of the gun that pressed against her shoulder stopped her. “You won’t get away with this.”
“We just came for enough money to help us get out of the country. Give us twenty grand and you’ll never see us again,” Reggie said,
“I’ve heard that before.” She wanted to pick up a chair and throw it at his head.
“But this time I’m telling the truth.” He snickered.
“Go to hell!” she pressed through tight lips.
Lacey gave Liberty a push. “Bitch, don’t play with us.”
“Do you both actually believe I keep piles of cash laying around?”
“I told you this wasn’t a good idea,” Lacey told Reggie. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Give me the gun and you search the place.” He took the weapon and held it, aiming it at Liberty’s head.
Lacey sighed and reluctantly made her way out of the kitchen.
Liberty could hear the woman rummaging through the back bedroom. “She won’t find anything, Reggie. I’m telling the truth.”
His gaze lowered to the ring that belonged to Wyler’s mother. “Give me the ring.”
“It’s not worth anything.” But it was worth the world to her. When Wyler had given it to her during their renewal of vows, as the family watched, she’d felt proud that he had wanted her to have it as a token of his love.
“Let me be the judge of that. Now hand it over.”
She had to protect the baby that she carried. It was best to do what Reggie wanted, but she didn’t have the money to give him.
Her hands were shaking as she slipped the ring off her finger. “You want it? Here.” She held it in the center of her palm
He started to grab it, the gun lowered slightly, and she gave the ring a toss over his head, He tried to catch it and she saw her chance. She ran for the back door, practically tearing the door off its hinges as she pushed through the screen door. She couldn’t tell if it was her heart pounding or footsteps behind her, until a hand snaked through her hair and threw her down onto the grass warmed from the sun. She looked up into the fuming face of Reggie.
“I’m pregnant. Please don’t hurt me or my child.”
For a moment she thought she reached a softer side of him, but she’d been wrong.
He pulled back his fist then rammed it into her jaw.
Through a haze she heard him say, “You are a fucking slut.”
“Stop, Reggie. This isn’t part of the plan,” came Lacey’s voice through a tunnel effect. “I told you, we get what we came for and move fast. We’re wasting time on her.”
“Shut up, Lacey”
“Let’s go, Reg. We don’t need her money.”
Liberty listened to the two bicker back and forth as she drifted in and out of consciousness. His hand was still twisted in her hair as he held her up. His face was very close to hers. “Where’s the money, bitch?” He spat in her face.
She became more aware. “I told you there is none.”
“I don’t believe you!” He lifted her by her hair and practically dragged her across the yard. “Take the gun, Lacey! If she runs again shoot her.”
Liberty could see the doubt on the woman’s face. Would she follow through?
“Get walking!” Reggie demanded.
Walking slowly, Liberty made it to the cabin and stepped over pieces of the splintered door. As she got beyond the threshold, she saw someone standing there about the same time she heard a loud thwap . It was Kaitlynn and she’d hit Reggie square in the face with a cast iron pan. He dropped like a fly.
“Are you okay?” Kaitlynn whispered.
“There’s one more.”
“What the hell?” Lacey came running in, saw unconscious Reggie, then started to back away but it was too late.
Liberty picked up the pot of still warm oil off the stove and tossed it into Lacey’s face. The woman bent over, screaming while holding her burnt face in her hands. She had dropped the gun somewhere.
Lacey started swinging blindly. Her face was red, and some skin was peeling away on her cheeks. Her eyes were closed tightly. “I’m going to kill you with my bare hands, you fucking bitch!”
“Hit her, Kaitlynn!”
“My pleasure.” She brought the pan down hard onto Lacey’s head with a sickening cracking of bone. She fell to her knees in a daze then onto her face. She was out like a light.
“You really are as bad ass as Betty Crocker,” Liberty said to Kaitlynn who didn’t seem a bit worried by what had just happened. Liberty was grateful she and Kaitlynn had put aside their differences weeks ago.
“I was driving by and saw these two snooping around the cabin. Townsfolk around here protect our own.”