Submitting Sarah (Montana Maiden 4)

CHAPTER ONE

SARAH

For someone who'd escaped in the dead of night, slipping past not only the town doctor but the sheriff as well, I wasn't as free as I'd hoped. The lightening of the sky was just a faint gray on the distant horizon, the air cool and crisp as if fall were approaching. I shivered in the simple dress I'd donned this morning on my father's ranch. Now, not quite a full day later, my life had changed irrevocably.

Yesterday, my stepmother, Devney, and I, had been taken into town by Doctor Graham, the sheriff, and Mr. Bridger to offer us protection from unsuitable and money-grubbing men. With my father's death a week prior, my stepmother inherited the property and became a very wealthy - and very young - widow. We were very familiar with these vultures rightly enough when Carl, one of the ranch hands, had decided to claim Devney as his future bride, willing or not. Not interested in the union, especially to a cruel and ruthless man, Devney had shot him dead. Then there'd been Mr. Wainright from some far off town who’d been forced to flee after she'd shot in the arm. It had become clear as the glass on the windows we'd been stuck behind that Doctor Graham, the sheriff and Mr. Bridger had been reasonable in their offer of protection; what irked us both was the lack of choice in the matter.

They'd given us an unsavory option - a marriage between Mr. Bridger and Devney - which I'd forbid. She didn't know the man, let alone love him. I'd been on the ranch for six years, yanked from school to stay isolated per my father's wishes, and in that time, Devney and I had spoken dreamily of the men we'd marry, and the love we'd share with those men.

Also in those six years on the ranch, I'd planned my escape. There were no prison bars, of course, but the confinement was the same. With my father dead, leaving Devney alone on the ranch with those men circling to claim her was not something I could do. I'd been forced to remain. But that changed swiftly. With Devney safe under the protection of Doctor Graham, she would be well taken care of. And based on the way Mr. Bridger had been watching her, I was sure she would be married to the rancher soon enough. Devney was safe.

Because of that, I knew my moment had come. I could finally set off to do what I wanted, be who I wanted to be, and see the places I'd only dreamed about from the confines of the Jenkins Ranch. So with the rising of the moon, I'd slipped fully dressed from bed in Doctor Graham's house, and tiptoed down the stairs and out into the darkness.

Now, a few hours later, it was clear there were some flaws to the plan. In my hasty departure, I gotten no food, no water, and I had a wretched harness about my waist, a veritable chastity belt. Not only did it fit uncomfortably where it covered my woman's core so snugly, it also was positioned between the cheeks of my bottom in a way that was uncomfortable. It was the only constant in my thoughts as I rode the horse I’d borrowed from the livery. Doctor Graham had placed the belt upon me as a protection from unwanted advances; he'd stated that it was to guard my pussy, my virtue. It also made the most basic of life's necessities extremely difficult.

I sighed, savoring the sight of the sky turning pink from a different vantage point, something different than what I'd seen day after day from my father's ranch. In the distance was a smattering of trees in a long line, which I knew meant water. I turned the horse in that direction. As I climbed from the animal, letting it walk to the water's edge for a cool drink, the sun had broken the horizon and I could see clearly.

I knew there had to be some way to remove the leather harness. I'd tried, oh, I'd tried, yet the lock at the small of my back, meant to keep others out, kept me tightly confined within. I would need to find some tool to cut through the tough leather. Perhaps a sharp rock could work. My dress, however, would be quite the hindrance. I couldn't hold it up and work on the leather belt about my waist at the same time. Glancing left and right, I searched for anyone who might witness me in just my shift.

I removed my ankle boots and stockings, undid the buttons of my dress and let it puddle at my feet. I wore my simple white shift and the annoying harness. Devney wore a corset as well, but I was too petite to require one. When I did, it lifted me up and enhanced my breasts in ways I felt only drew more attention to me. My red hair was enough of a burden as it was.

The water was slow moving and shallow, clear and babbling as it was forced around rocks and larger boulders. Finding a tool to use would not be hard. Following the water's edge, I picked up rocks and discarded them, until I found one with just what I was looking for. Pleased, I couldn't help but smile at this first step to escaping the harness.

Finding a patch of soft grass, I sat down on the cool blades still wet with dew, and lifted the bottom of my shift. Spreading my legs wide, I balanced myself as I gripped the leather at my hip in one hand, the rock in the other, rubbing the sharp point across it. Using small motions, I worked one particular spot, hoping to soften and tear through until it broke apart. Then I'd be free. But this wasn't going to be a quick task. As the sun rose, so did the temperature and I became warm.

"This is a sight I had not expected to see."

A man's voice had me jumping in utter surprise, the stone flying from my fingers. Jerking my head toward the voice, I looked up, and up, and up. Although just one man had spoken, two men stood towering over me like giants, I felt as if I were in Lilliput of Gulliver's Travels. The men both wore dark pants but one wore a white shirt, and the other light blue. Their hips were narrow, their chests broad and their shoulders even broader. With the sun behind them, I could not see the faces shadowed by the wide brims of their hats.

"A stray cow perhaps, but I never imagined coming across a stray woman." The man's voice was deep, a little rough, and obviously humored.

"Oh!" I gasped, jumping to my feet in a spry, swift motion. As I backed away, I stepped on uneven ground and stumbled, flailing, and crying out. A strong grip on my arm kept me upright.

"Are you all right?"

I looked up at the man who held me close. His pale blue eyes showed clearly now, as did his narrow nose, strong cheekbones and full lips. His hair was close cropped, but very blond. The way his lip turned up at the corner and there were small crinkles at the corners of his eyes. He seemed congenial and found humor in my predicament. Regardless, he was so handsome and striking that I was sure I’d not met a man his equal. Being confined to my father's ranch since I was twelve did not offer me much variety when it came to male presence. My breath caught in my throat just looking at him, and it hadn't been because I'd almost fallen.

"Yes, thank you."

"Is your husband about?" the other man asked as his gaze roamed the landscape.

I squinted into the sun to look at him, but he kindly shifted so the glare was no longer a hindrance. Oh my. Clearly, the two men were brothers. Not twins, for this man's hair was a few shades darker, his shoulders broader and his build stockier. My stomach leapt into my throat and my heart thumped wildly in my chest.

I was attracted to these men. Both of them. There must be something wrong with me as I first considered their appearance and not my own personal safety. They were watching me closely, like a coyote and a cornered rabbit. I could flee, but there was nowhere to go. These men could outrun me, outmaneuver me in any escape attempt I might make.

Their eyes moved lower as they appraised my body blatantly, boldly and without shame. It was then that I remembered I was practically naked – naked! - with two men who were virile, strong and extremely attentive.

"Yes." I cleared my throat, hoping to emit a sense of strength even when there was none. "My husband is...is hunting a rabbit for breakfast."

The fairer haired one hitched a brow. "Really?"