Deputy
by Susan Horsnell
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Victorian Western Historical Romance
Synopsis
When James Glenmore locks up a feisty young girl because she
causes a disturbance in the local saloon; he doesn’t realize both their lives
are about to change forever.They have to endure her father’s deadly temper, which has already destroyed her young life, before they can be free.
A band of outlaws target the bank in Gold Springs and several horrendous tortures and murders take place before the law finally catches up with them. James’ life is placed in grave danger.
James and Rebecca’s lives withstand all obstacles that are put before them but will James survive the capture of the cruel outlaws?
Teasers
Excerpt
James was
concentrating on a report and twirling a cider in his hand when the front
swinging doors were pushed in so hard they banged on the walls behind.
He swore
the doors hit the wall so hard the whole building shook. He dropped his hand to
his colt as he kept his eye on the door.
A woman
in the doorway roared.
“Pa, you
get your good for nothing, lily livered ass off that stool and get home right
this minute. I swear I’ll hog tie you and drag you there behind Peachy if you
don’t move now. If Peachy happens to release his business over you on the way
home I wouldn’t be sorry.”
Tim March
the owner and barkeep groaned. He really didn’t want any trouble.
The woman
at the door drew James’ attention. The powerful banging of the doors and
thunderous voice came from a tiny package that a good gust of wind could have
blown away.
She had
chestnut brown hair that was more out of, than in a braid, eyes the colour of a
summer sky and the fullest, pinkest lips he had ever seen.
She wore
a drab brown dress with no frills or lace and although old, it appeared to be
clean. Like the woman, it was all business.
She had
her hands placed on a pair of very curvy hips and her breasts looked full and
firm. James cringed. She was everything he hated in a woman. He felt
embarrassed for her father, whoever the unfortunate fella might be.
He
relaxed his hand that had been hovering over his colt and watched to see how
this would play out.
Every eye
in the saloon was on her except for one mans’ and James guessed he must be her
father. He was perched on a stool and draped over the bar with a whiskey in his
hand.
He
watched with interest as she stomped her way towards him.
The man
lifted his head but didn’t look at his daughter.
“Rebecca,
what the devil do you think you’re doing? I’ve told you a thousand times,
saloons are no place for a lady.”
She drew
up alongside him.
“Wade
Nolan, I’ve told you a thousand times, I’m not a lady. I have never been one
and I’m never gonna be one. If you weren’t always in a saloon I wouldn’t have
to keep coming in to drag you home. Now get your sorry ass off that stool and
get on home. There’s chores need doing and I’m not doing them all myself
again.”
“Rebecca,
please.” Wade lifted his hands to his head and slumped back down on the bar “Me
heads a hurtin’, just one more whisky for your old Pa eh?”
James
watched with amusement as Rebecca moved closer to her Pa. No-one in the saloon
had moved an inch. They were too engrossed with the exchange between father and
daughter.
Wade was
a huge man. James had seen him walk in earlier and figured he would be at least
a head taller than him.
Although
he wasn’t muscular; he was wide in the chest.
His large
belly, thanks to constant consumption of liquor, hung over his belt. Rebecca
would have barely come to his waist. His ruddy face from years of drinking was heavily
lined.
What
happened next had James leaping from his chair and moving towards them in a
hurry.
Rebecca
hooked her leg around the leg of the stool and yanked with all her strength.
As the
stool tipped, Wade fell backwards onto the floor. His head hit the floor with a
thud and his eyes glazed over.
Whether
the cause was the whisky he’d been imbibing or his head hitting the floor,
James didn’t know.
As she
began moving toward her father again James grabbed her around the waist and
hoisted her off her feet. She kicked and screamed, catching him hard in the
shins with the heels of her boots. It caused him to let her go and she spun
around to face him.
“What the
hell do you think you’re doing mister?” she yelled. She hadn’t noticed the
badge on his chest.
He
noticed the fire in her eyes. She was one very angry young gal.
“Miss,
you can’t go around treating people like that. You could have injured him real
bad.” he said calmly.
She
wasn’t paying attention to James as she’d noticed Wade had sat up and was rubbing
the back of his head. She reached down to grab a handful of his hair but before
she could get to it James grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Get your
goddamned hands off me.”
With her
free arm, and using all her strength, she swung. Her fist connected hard with
James’ jaw. He stumbled back a step from the force of the punch but he didn’t
release her. As she lifted her leg to stomp on his foot, James decided he’d had
enough of this wildcat.
He flung
her over his shoulder, picked up the report he’d been reading and headed for
the saloon doors.
She
pounded his back with her tiny fists and kicked her legs. “Put me down, you
good for nothing mudsill.”
He took
no notice. He picked up his Stetson from a peg near the door and jammed it onto
his head.
“Wade, if
you know what’s good for you, you’ll get yourself home and get those chores
done. I’m gonna lock her up and let her cool off overnight. You can come by and
get her in the morning. I’ll decide by then if I’m gonna press charges.”
“Yes sir,
deputy.” Wade said as he scrambled to his feet.
He could
hear the customers laughing as he left.
It was
early summer and the night was warm. There were still a few people on the
streets and Rebecca’s screaming and cussing attracted their attention as he
stomped to the jail.
He
unlocked the front door and carried her through the swinging door to a cell out
the back. He dropped her onto the bunk and left, locking the door behind him.
She
leaped up onto her feet and slammed up against the locked door. “You let me out
of this godforsaken hoosegow right now.” she bellowed. “I’m not staying in here
a minute longer.” She shook the door and stamped her feet.
James had
his back leaned against the wall opposite with his arms crossed over his chest.
He was a picture of calm and this upset her even more.
“Let me
out now.” She yelled at him. He noticed tears welling in her eyes.
James
waited for a break in her tantrum before he spoke.
“I’m
going out front now because thanks to you I’ll be spending the night. I’m
telling you missy, you’re not going anywhere before morning. Now, calm down,
hobble your lips and get yourself a good night’s sleep.”
She was
pacing up and down the cell like a caged cougar.
As James
walked away he heard the clanging sound of the drink mug. She’d picked it up
off the table beside the bed and was hitting the bars. He couldn’t help but
chuckle to himself.
He went
into the small room off the front office which had a bunk and a washstand with
a water pitcher. It was used by the sheriff and deputy for overnight stays. He
poured water from the pitcher into the bowl and washed up. His jaw was tender
and throbbing and he knew he’d have a decent sized bruise come morning. For
such a tiny little thing she sure packed a wallop.
He
shucked off his uniform, hung it on the wall pegs and crawled into bed. He
could sure use a good night’s sleep but his head was beginning to ache from all
her yelling and his jaw didn’t seem to want to quit its damn throbbing.
He had a
feeling sleep wouldn’t come easy. To make matters worse he could hear the
little hellion pounding on the bars of her cell and yelling to be let out.
When she
hadn’t quieted after an hour he decided to get up and do something about it.
He
dressed back into his uniform and grabbed the cell door key from the table
beside his bunk.
His head
and jaw now had a symphony going with their pounding pain and he was mighty
angry as he stormed down to the cell.
The
minute Rebecca saw his thunderous face she knew she was in trouble. She dropped
the mug onto the floor and jumped into the bed.
“Too
late.” said James as he unlocked the cell door. She folded herself into a tight
ball and pressed against the wall at the top of the bed.
She
watched in fear as he stalked towards her.
He picked
her up like she weighed no more than a feather and sat down on the bed. He laid
her face down across his thighs, lifted her skirts and proceeded to spank her
backside.
She
yelled, cussed and kicked but James continued.
After a
few minutes James pulled her skirts back down, sat her on the bed and stormed
back out the door picking up the mug on his way.
“Now, go
to sleep.”
“Yes
sir.” Rebecca squeaked. Tears flowed over her cheeks as she undressed and
climbed into the bunk.
James
went back to his room, shucked off his uniform for the second time that night
and got back into bed.
His
stinging hand had joined in the symphony with his head and jaw.
Because
of his anger he’d hit her a bit harder than he’d intended and thought to
himself she’s sure gonna have a sore backside in the morning I bet.
The rest of the night was quiet but James didn’t get much sleep.
He tossed and turned with images of Rebecca’s shapely backside and legs filling
his mind.
Author Bio
I grew up
in the Western Suburbs of Sydney in the 50's and 60's and have always been a
fan of Cowboys, Indians and Outlaws.
During my
years as a nurse I would write down ideas and when I retired five years ago I
finally published my first book - The Glenmore's: Revenge. This developed into a
four part series.
Since
then I have published a further eleven Western Romance books and one
contemporary. My westerns are set in Texas, USA during the 19th century and my
contemporary in Sydney, Australia.
When I am not writing I enjoy walking our dogs with my husband and
travelling.
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