I nodded vigorously. If they thought my husband was soon to return, they'd step back, and give me the deference any man would give someone else's wife. "Yes."
"You've said that already," the other man replied.
"Just passing through, are you?"
"Yes. We've come from Liberty and are headed east." I knew my directions with fair certainty and I'd travelled in that direction from town.
"I only see one horse." The very blond gestured toward my animal.
I titled my chin up, hoping for a show of defiance, but I knew that was not possible in just my shift. I couldn't look formidable in just my unmentionables. "My husband rides the other."
"To hunt a rabbit?"
My claim was absurd and even I knew it. I started to move, to try to step back, but the man had yet to relinquish his hold upon me.
The men began to pepper me with questions.
"Who were you visiting in Liberty?" "Where are your clothes?" "Why did your husband leave you alone?"
"The...the Bridgers!" I said, my voice overly loud. I was beginning to panic at the spontaneous and erroneous answer that popped from my mouth.
Both men silenced and just looked at me closely. The one in the blue shirt put his hands on his hips, the other let me go.
"You're married to a Bridger? Are you Jake's new bride?"
"No." I offered a slight head shake. "I'm not a Bridger bride. Please, just let me go."
I moved to skirt around them, making a hasty retreat toward my dress and shoes.
They, of course, followed. One even grabbed a stocking off the scrubby bush I'd placed it, ran the soft material through his large fingers. Seeing it held in his big hand looked so incongruous.
"There is no husband, is there?"
I froze in place momentarily, then relaxed, trying to appear nonchalant. "Why would you question my word?"
"You're wearing a harness over your pussy. Don't deny it. You're legs were spread and your shift about your waist when we came upon you," the blond replied, his voice shifting to one with authority.
Grabbing my dress, I pulled in close to my chest, hoping to cover as much of me as possible. Retreating slowly, I tried to think of a response. Like the moving water, I couldn't keep up with their words, my lies.
"Perhaps her husband put it on her as punishment, Tagg." He told his brother then turned back to me. "Do you have a dildo or a plug attached?"
I paused and frowned. Confused. "What? I don't know--" I bit my lip, cutting off my sentence realizing I'd said too much, given too much away.
The men glanced at each other, then nodded. It was as if some form of silent communication just occurred without me.
"No husband then. All right, love, tell us your name," the blond offered, his voice rich and deep.
"We're not going to hurt you," the one called Tagg added. "Unlike other men who might have come across you." His jaw clenched.
Their tone changed, their voices quieter, calmer. Slowly, they approached and slowly I moved away. They said they weren't going to hurt me, but the intent look on their faces, the way they inspected every inch of my body, meant they had plans of their own, and those plans involved me. The land angled down ever so slightly and I felt water rushing around my ankles.
I shook my head and put my hands up in front of me, even knowing that wouldn't ward them off. Two long strides and they'd be on me. What were they going to do? I retreated once again, slipped on the smooth pebbles beneath my bare feet and fell back onto my bottom with a ‘oomph.’ Water splashed up around me, then continued on downstream. I was once again sitting with both men looming, although this time I was drenched along with my dress that had fallen into my lap in the water. The river was chilly, but I barely felt it because they'd both rushed to the water's edge in concern when I fell.
"Come on, baby. Climb out of there." The man in the white shirt - the blond - squatted down and held out a hand - a big hand with light hair sprinkling the top of it and up his forearm. He smiled at me, showing straight white teeth. He was even more handsome when he smiled. He looked...safe. Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand in his big one.
Giving me a gentle tug, he pulled me up and onto my feet, then stood himself, leading me back onto dry land as water sluiced down my body. I tried to pull my hand free, but he wouldn't let go and even took my dress away, tossing it to his brother with a wet squashing sound. I tried to shield myself from their eyes as much as possible, shifting this way and that, but knew the effort was fruitless. They could see...everything.
"Tell us your name," he said, glancing down at my breasts, which were clearly visible. And my nipples! They were hard little points and the brightest of pink. Why did the fabric have to be so sheer?