The Cowboy's Lady

Chapter 11 Manda

David returned to the his room after walking Emeleth and her sister home. His helping in the kitchen with the dish washing had been great source of amusement for Amanda and her cousins. They laughed especially hard at his claim that Em promised him kisses for his labor so when they finished Amanda and her cousins dutifully planted a kiss on his cheek and Em on his lips. Then thoroughly kissed he walked them all home. He was in great mood until he saw Emeleth's brothers and Sean waiting for him. Sean looked extremely angry and he thought it would be good to handle the brothers first. "Do you play pool?" David asked.

"Yes,"Jake said and his twin nodded.

"The hotel has a small private bar with a table for guests, lets play and we can talk. Sean you can come along and we can play in teams." They left the room and entered the bar. The pool table was not in use so David paid for a game. "Jake go ahead and rack the balls and I'll get us a around of beers." Jake set up the balls while Freddy chose a cue stick. David rejoined the group carrying two pitchers of beer and four glasses. Then pouring himself a beer he said, "What did you boys want to talk about?"

"We've been thinking, and we think you should marry Em," Jake said.

"And why would I do that?" David said surprised by turn of events. He looked warily at the brothers.

"You already told us you liked her and planned to court her proper," Freddy said.

"And we ain't blind, we see how she looks at you." Jake said, "poor girl has fallen for you."

"You think so?" David asked as he stood at the table and sent the cue ball straight into the pocket. He winced and whispered to himself, "Steady, concentrate, this is going your way." Luckily Sean was able to recover the game.

"She's right pretty when she wants to be," Jake continued, "and damn can she cook."

"I remember before the accident," Freddy said wistfully, "she always dressed so nice, she'd put makeup on and do her hair right pretty."

"Do you know what happened that day," David asked.

"Manda found her. She had fallen from the loft and hit the hay wagon on the way down. Manda yelled for us and we ran for the doctor." Jake said.

"She looked so pitiful laying in her bed, she is just a tiny little bit of a woman," Freddy said, "Doc said she might loose her leg and she would never walk." David saw tears welling in Freddy's eyes.

"Em doesn't listen well," David said. The twins laughed and nodded in agreement, "Where was you father?"

"He was off somewhere drunk I guess," Jake said. "Every thing changed that day. Em hardly ever smiled after that. She dressed so you couldn't see how pretty she was. We used to have long talks after diner and she was so much fun to talk to. Just sitting and talking to her made the hard times go away, everything felt better. Things that appeared so difficult seemed funny when we talked to her. I really miss the little sister I lost on that day. We'd sit on the porch in warm weather or by the stove in cold weather and talk. We lost all that after the accident. Pa changed too."

"How did he change?"

"Pa's a mean drunk. He beat us until we got bigger them him. He'd beat Ma and Em. Em would stand up to him and he would get furious," Jake said. "After Em got hurt he stopped beating her and has not beat Manda."

"We tried to keep them apart but we couldn't always be there," Freddy said. Of course he stopped beating her you oaf David thought she shot at him. Freddy continued, "Now Em is dressing better again and letting her hair down. You did that, she likes you."

"That's why we want you to marry her. You can have her to talk to at night. She is a very smart girl. She manages the business and the house," Jake said. "Think of that, she's pretty, smart, fun to be with and talk to."

"I do like talking to her at night myself. I noticed how talking to her does sooth one's soul," David said remembering their talks as he walked her home.

"Your nights with her will be different than ours," Freddy said with a smile and David too had to smile thinking of Em naked and in his bed.

"You have to promise us something," Jake said no longer smiling and looking quite menacing, "Promise that you'll never beat her or hurt her."

"I promise I'll never strike her or intentionally hurt her," David said honestly. "I love her and want her to be happy."

"That's good," Jake said smiling, "cause we'd come to England and thrash you good."

"We should have done that to Pa," Freddy said. He was looking sad and thoughtful.

"Em managed to stop him herself," David said.

"One more thing Englishman," Jake said, "You got to take Manda too. You got to get her away from Pa. She is no where as tough as Em and I know Pa terrifies her."

"I'm more than willing to do all that you asked," David said, "the hard thing is to convince Em."

"We got confidence in you," Jake said, "and we like you." David had to grudgingly admit to himself that he liked her brothers too in spite of himself. They finished their beers and the game. The brothers departed and David motioned Sean to follow and walked back to their room.

"You look rather grim," David said.

"That bastard sold her!" Sean growled.

"Slow down a bit, who sold who?"

"William sold Manda to Sweeney."

"You can't sell a person. It's not legal." David felt his heart seize in response to Sean's words. "Em wont stand for it!"

"William had lost pretty much everything to Sweeney in a series of card games. Then on a cut of the cards he lost Manda. Sweeney plans on collecting on the debt. I have no doupts about it.""

"I'll go to the sheriff," David said.

"I don't think that will stop Sweeney. He 's playing some kind of deep game and I believe you are the real target. He has a companion who stays in the shadows. I think he helps with the cheating."

"I don't understand why or what he has to gain. But we can't let him hurt Manda. Or Em, you know she won't sit buy and let it happen. She shot at her father once."

"An accident?"

"No she meant to shoot the bastard. She'd have hit him too if she kept her eyes open."

"She closed her eyes and shot at him?" Sean looked genuinely surprised as he spoke shaking his head.

"He apparently tried to rape he one day when he was drunk. She grabbed his gun and shot at him."

"She's something else."

"That's my Em. Haughty as as a queen, fierce as a badger with the heart of an angel."

"What are we going to do?"

"I'll stay close to the girls, you keep an eye on Sweeney. I don't think we need to worry when the brothers are around. They seem to have gotten rather protective of their sisters."

"It's about time."

"Yea, Em said they apologized for past behavior. She does love her brothers and her worthless father too. We need to move carefully. It would be so much easier if I could get her to elope."

"Any chance of that?"

"Not a snowballs hope in hell. Why did I have to fall for someone so stubborn?"

"You're just lucky, Major. But look at is this way, things will never be boring."