As promised, I have Chapter 4 of Sweet Liberty ready to go.

Later this month, look for my free contemporary romance, entitled A Baby for New Year, a quick read about a father who isn’t sure his little girl is biologically his.

Today, though, I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Sweet Liberty.

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Libby stifled a gasp. Where had that thought come from? More importantly, why had she even had it? She didn’t want men to treat her that way. She wanted to be treated with respect, like her father had always told her she should. Now this virtual stranger was making her feel like she’d been missing something all her life.

Suddenly, Nate stopped talking. The tension she already felt increased in an instant. There was a reason he quit, and she sensed his hesitation pertained to something serious. Even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what was on his mind, Libby prompted him on. “There’s more, isn’t there. I can tell by the look on your face.”

“Yes, but I’m reluctant to tell you. She might have been fabricating a tale to get me to do what she wanted, and I certainly have no means of validating that it was the truth—short of one way that I refuse to use.”

Libby was quickly losing patience with Nate’s rambling. If he didn’t stop, she might even get angry, and she didn’t want to do that. Forcing herself to speak in her normal volume, she replied, “Tell me what she said.”

“All right, but keep in mind that it may not be true. Flossie told me that she’d … she’d bed …” Thoughtfully covering his mouth with two fingers, he muttered, “How the hell can I word this delicately?”

“Why don’t you say that she’s been intimate with several boys?”

“You knew?”

“I suspected it,” Libby admitted. “She gets that kind of behavior from her mother.”

“Her mother was wanton?” Nate asked curiously as he sat up to lean against the wagon wheel.

“I don’t know that I would use the term wanton, but she didn’t hide what she and my father did in the bedroom. I knew what was happening when I was that age, and from the way Flossie acts around boys, I’m relatively certain that she knew, too.”

“You don’t sound as though you cared much for your stepmother.”

“I didn’t.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re so worried about how your brother and sister are going to turn out.”

Deep in thought, Libby leaned back against the wagon wheel. As she did, Nate slipped his arm around her. She lurched forward and glared at him. But when she spoke, her voice carried no indication of her anger. “Must you do that, Mr. Payne?”

Nate shrugged. “I’m only trying to make you more comfortable. These spokes can be very unpleasant to sit against. It’s all right, Miss Libby. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She stared at him, trying to decide if his motives were innocent, then slowly leaned back beside him. He smiled sheepishly. Gently grasping her elbow opposite him, he asked, “Why don’t you tell me why you blame your step-mother for Flossie’s immorality?”

“She could always talk my father into going to the bedroom—any time of the day or night. And she always insisted that the door be left open so she could hear the children. I saw Papa and Maria in the cornfield and hayloft several times. I even found them in the chicken coop when I was Will’s age. When I asked Papa why they were intimate so often, he told me everything he could. So I understand your need to be with Flossie, Nate. I’ve always been outspoken with relatives, and I told Papa that what he and Maria did was very embarrassing. I begged him to protect Will and Flossie from what I went through. He tried—he told me so several times—but he couldn’t resist Maria’s advances. I talked with him, but Flossie was different. I always felt that she thought she was supposed to be intimate with her male friends. Now, somehow, I have to convince her that it isn’t necessary.”

“I see,” he said noncommittally. “There’s something I need to know, Miss Libby. I honestly believe that you three need my help—at least, for a while. I’d like to travel with you so I can give Will lessons concerning living in the wilderness. Considering the circumstances of last night, though, I’ll understand if you don’t want me to, but I need to know what you think.”

“I’d be very grateful if you’d stay, Nate,” she admitted, “but the decision is yours.”

“What about Flossie?”

“I don’t think you’ll be intimate with her if that’s what you mean. As long as you don’t encourage her, I don’t see why you can’t stay.”

“You don’t have any idea how glad I am that you said that. You can trust me, Miss Libby. I promise.”

When she turned her head to face him, she eyes gazed directly up into his brilliant blue eyes. The intensity of his look caught her off guard, and she forgot what she was planning to say.

Then he spoke again, quietly this time, his tone lower than usual and quite caressing. “It isn’t Flossie you have to worry about, Miss Libby. She’s perfectly safe with me.”

As he spoke, his hand moved slowly up her arm to her shoulder, her neck, then her hair. Libby inhaled at the exciting new sensations his caress sent through her, but she said nothing. His fingers sought out the combs that held her long locks in a neat bun on the back of her head. First one comb, then the second, freed her hair. It tumbled luxuriously past her shoulders to midway down her back. He ran his fingers through it, slowly, deliciously combing it out. Had he somehow bewitched her? she wondered absently. Probably, because it was the only explanation for her inability to either protest or avert her eyes from his.

Nate glanced over his shoulder, so Libby let her gaze follow. Flossie’s skirted legs lay still on the ground, but the wagon hid her torso and head from his view. That meant she couldn’t see them, either. When she returned her gaze to his face a moment later, she saw that he was looking at her unfalteringly again.

“My tastes run to women not young girls,” he announced in a near-whisper. “Whether or not Flossie has been with other boys or men isn’t my concern. I don’t give a damn. But I do care about you. I want you to tell me that you haven’t. Hearing that would make me happier than anything else, although I’m not sure why.”

Her lips parted slightly but no words came out. To moisten them, she leisurely ran the tip of her tongue around them. As she did, the look in his blue eyes changed. She let her gaze skip to his lips. He had the most seductive smile that she’d ever seen. Within her, the sensations she’d never before experienced intensified. Again she traced her lips with her tongue. It was an instinctive motion, one she’d never before used.

He drew in a deep breath then exhaled slowly and audibly. After licking his own lips hungrily, like a starving dog seeing meat just out of his reach, he whispered. “Damn it, Liberty. Don’t do that. You have no idea how it’s making me react.”

Still not speaking, Libby bit her bottom lip then her upper gently. Again she ran her tongue around her lips again, letting her slightly open mouth beckon to him silently. In the back of her mind, she knew her actions were brazen. No true lady would use them in the presence of a man—especially one who’d been away from women as long as Nathaniel Payne. But she vividly remembered his kiss and desperately longed for another. She didn’t even care about propriety anymore. In truth, she didn’t even know if she was doing the right thing to attract him!

His head moved slowly toward hers. Their lips met tenderly. Then he embraced her almost cautiously, like he didn’t want to break her. He gently laid her on the ground and covered her chest with his. His hands slid caressingly down her arms to her narrow waist.

She was doing the right thing! And the feelings within her became more intense with his embrace, with his tender movements. While he gently caressed her waist and hips, she abandoned her reserve.

Using Maria’s example to guide her, Libby slid her hands up Nate’s muscular arms. His hardness felt wonderful under her tentative touch! Her hands reached his shoulders and slipped slowly across them to his neck. Hopefully, he would understand that she was demonstrating her acceptance. No man had ever made her feel as though she wanted more than a little kiss. No man had ever made her long for more than he was offering. No man, that was, until Nathaniel Payne. Whatever the emotion was that he created in her, she liked it! And she never wanted …

“Libby!” Will called from nearby. “Uh-oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Libby’s propriety returned in an instant. Pushing Nate’s head away, she slapped him hard across the cheek. Almost instantly, he shouted at her angrily. “What the hell did you do that for?”

Despite her irritation, Libby answered without raising her voice. “You’re an aggressive, arrogant man who needed to be reminded that I’m a lady. You didn’t ask my permission either last night or now. Apparently, you’ve been away from civilization so long that you’ve forgotten your manners.”

“You didn’t give a damn about stopping me until Will found us.” He sat up as she scrambled to her feet and straightened her skirts, brushing off the dirt on the back. “Besides, I went slowly enough for you to say no.”

“Are you denying that you were aggressive?”

“No, but I am denying that I’m arrogant. You wanted me to kiss you as much as I wanted to do it. I know you did, too, because I saw it in your eyes.”

“That’s exactly what I mean by your arrogance. You assume too much, Mr. Payne. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better see what Will wants.”

To hide her embarrassment, she scurried around the wagon. How could she ever explain why she’d acted so irresponsibly when she didn’t understand herself? Grabbing Will’s arm, she pulled him along until they were far enough away from Nate that he couldn’t hear them. This wouldn’t be easy, but somehow she had to find the words to tell Will why she’d acted so irrationally.

With a grin, Will glanced at the wagon over his shoulder then returned his gaze to his sister, observing, “You like him a lot, doncha, Libby.”

“Like who?” she asked innocently.

“Nate, of course.” When Libby peered up at him, pride shone in his nearly black eyes. “He’s a real man, and someday I’m gonna be just like him. He ain’t afraid to fight, and he smokes a pipe and swears, and he can shoot anythin’. And best of all, he cin have any woman he sets his mind on—even you. And you ain’t easy to have from what I seen.”

“Willie Nichols,” she scolded softly, “that was a terrible thing to say. You apologize this instant.”

“I’m sorry, Libby. I didn’t mean to insult you. It was s’posed to be a compliment. He’s a real man, though. You gotta admit that much. And I’m gonna be jest like him with I git older.”

“The only part of his personality that I want you to emulate is his speech. Otherwise, he’s been on his own far too long. He’s become aggressive and arrogant. Besides, his being an extremely handsome man doesn’t mean that all women find him attractive.”

“Maybe not, but you do,” Will interpreted.

Knowing that she couldn’t hide the truth, she admitted, “Physically, yes. But there’s more to a man that his physical appearance. His personality and attitude make up a good amount of him. I’d say about ninety percent. The ugliest man on earth can be as attractive to a woman as the most handsome man if he has a good personality. Two of any man’s worst qualities are aggressiveness and arrogance. Don’t you ever obtain those qualities, either, or I’ll personally take you over my knee. I don’t care if you are more than a foot taller than I. I won’t tolerate it. Do you understand?”

“Sure, Lib, I understand. But …” He stopped speaking and gaze down at her, his anxiety vivid in his expression.

“But what?” she prompted.

“Oh, what the hell. You’re mad at me anyway. You ain’t foolin’ me, Liberty Woods. You ain’t foolin’ nobody but yerse’f. I don’t know much ‘bout women, so if I cin see it, Nate cin, too. You like him a lot. I know you do.”

“That’s nonsense. What you see as liking him is nothing more than gratitude for his saving Flossie’s life. Speaking of which, I’d better go check her. She’s been asleep for quite a while now. You start skinning those rabbits you’re holding so I can cook them.”

 

After dinner, Nate took Will to the river to explain that morning’s events.

“Are we going to have a man-to-man talk?” Will asked excitedly.

Nate studied him and shook his head. This young man had a lot to learn that a good father would have told him years ago. Apparently, he had to teach Will more than he’d originally expected. “Not the kind of man-to-man talk that you want—not now, anyway. I brought you here to explain why I acted like I did this morning.”

“That’s right!” Will exclaimed. “I forgot you were going to. Libby told me not to say anything about it, so I didn’t.”

“Why would she tell you that?”

“I dunno. Why did you want me to hit you?”

“It was because of Flossie. I kissed her in a far from brotherly manner. I was much more … intense than I had intended to be, and I let myself go beyond something … innocent.”

“You mean you was kissing her like you did Libby this afternoon?”

Nate’s face heated in embarrassment. “That’s you were. And no. It was even more intense than that. I hadn’t planned to get so amorous, of course; and as soon as I realized what I was doing, I stopped.”

“I don’t see what’s wrong with what you did. Flossie’s a pretty girl.”

“That’s exactly what’s wrong,” Nate insisted. “Flossie’s a girl—not a woman. I should never have kissed her that way. I’m more than twice her age, Will. What I did was wrong. I want you to remember that you should never, ever treat a young girl like I treated Flossie.”

“I still don’t see what’s wrong. Boys always kiss Flossie that way. She likes it.”

“I don’t care if she likes it or not. I don’t even care if other boys have done it. I expect you to treat a girl right—with respect. A lady, too. Do you promise to remember what I said?”

“As long as I don’t have to promise to understand.”

 

While Will and Nate were away, Libby approached Flossie and sank onto the ground beside her. “We need to talk about your behavior with Nate last night, Flossie. It was brazen and un-ladylike. He’s going to be traveling with us for a while, and I want you to behave properly.”

“He told you what happened?” she asked in shock.

“He most certainly did. He wanted to be honest with me before he asked if he could guide us. You made him feel very guilty, Flossie. I want you to apologize to him as soon as he and Willie get back to camp.”

“I won’t!” Flossie declared. “I didn’t do anything Mama wouldn’t have done.”

“It was different with Papa and Maria,” Libby explained patiently. “They were married, so what they did was all right. Unmarried women don’t do what you did. They have names for girls and women like you, and not one of them is nice. You have to stop being so … friendly with men. It isn’t normal behavior.”

“But Mama always told me a man and a woman being together—having sex—is normal.”

“If they’re married, but it’s not outside of marriage. I intend to watch you very closely to see that you don’t approach Nate like that again. If I see you trying to be alone with him, there will be serious consequences. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Flossie said dejectedly.

 

Nate waited until he was reasonably sure that the others were asleep before he got up. Passing the campfire, he went to the wagon where Libby was sleeping with her head by the open end. For several minutes he watched as her breasts rose and fell evenly. Unable to resist touching her, he ran his fingertips across her forearm and hand. They lingered on her fingers for several seconds before he removed them. Pulling the blanket from her waist to her neck, he tenderly lifted some hair off her face. With her left profile exposed, he studied her carefully.

He whispered her name near her ear, but she so soundly sleeping she didn’t move. Somewhat disappointed, he kissed her hair. Still, she didn’t stir. With a heavy sigh, he smoothed back her soft locks to kiss her lightly beside her lips. Then he turned around to go back to his bedroll. To Nate’s horror, Will stood on the opposite side of the campfire.

“She ain’t gonna wake up, Nate,” Will said. “She’s been frettin’ over you and Flossie all day. She’s awful tired.”

Nate joined Will beside the fire and sat down. The last thing he wanted to do now was disturb Libby, because he didn’t want her to hear his conversation with Will. “Have a seat, lad. I think we should have a serious discussion.”

Will’s face became animated as he sank down beside Nate. “You gonna tell me ‘bout men and women together? What it’s like?”

“God, I’m glad I’m not your age anymore. No, lad, we’re not going to discuss men and women. We’re going to discuss men and ladies.”

“But that’s the same thing.”

“Hardly. A man can hold and kiss a woman differently than he can a lady. A lady he should treat with respect. And a true gentleman will absolutely never take advantage of a lady—like I did with Miss Libby.”

“Do you mean that you kissing Libby was wrong?” Will asked incredulously. “Earlier you told me kissing Flossie was wrong, and now you say that kissing Libby was wrong. I don’t understand. Didn’t they like it?”

Nate looked up at the sky and muttered, “Dear God, how did I get to be a substitute father to this lad?”

“What did you say?”

“Never mind,” Nate replied, returning his gaze to Will. “I told you this afternoon. Flossie’s still a child—at least, as far as her emotions are concerned She needs to grow up some more to really know what love is. Libby’s a lady, and I treated her like a common strumpet.”

“You did? I always thought they liked to be pushed around.”

“Good Lord, you have a lot to learn! Didn’t your father teach you anything? Even harlots like to think you respect them, even if they know you don’t. A lady like Miss Libby deserves respect. And believe it or not, I do respect her. I just picked a damned lousy way to show it. And the way I talked to her was outrageous. Don’t you ever treat a lady like I treated your sister.”

“It didn’t look to me like she minded you kissing her. She didn’t even try to fight you.”

Deep in thought, Nate paused to watch the flames of the fire die. Will was right. Libby hadn’t done anything to fight against him—until … Nate combed his fingers through his hair from his forehead to the crown. “That doesn’t mean a damned thing. All she had to do was slap me the way she did.”

“I think she likes you,” Will declared. “She even told me that you’re extremely handsome. She never said anything like that about other men. I’ve been trying to think of a way to fix it so she’ll like you even more.”

Shaking his head, Nate sighed. “Don’t bother. Matchmaking seldom works. It’s best to let nature run its course. Besides, it’s very likely that I’m only interested in Libby because she’s the first female I’ve been near in a long time. A man starts missing female companionship after a while.”

“I don’t understand. If Libby didn’t try to stop you, she must have liked you kissing her. What harm did you do?”

“Let me word it this way. If you ever treat a lady like I treated Miss Libby, I’ll beat your bare ass raw. And I don’t care if you’re bigger than I am.”

“How come everybody older than me keeps threatening to tan my hide?” Will grumbled. “I ain’t even done nothin’.”

“The proper phrase is I haven’t done anything. And who else threatened you?”

“Libby, of course.”

“Libby!” he exclaimed in surprise. “That little bit of a thing couldn’t whip you if she tried.”

Will grinned. “Don’t be so sure. She may be small, but she can be real tough when she wants to be. You should see her when she’s riled.”

“I was beginning to wonder if she ever got mad,” Nate admitted dreamily. “Twice I saw an angry look in her eyes, but she didn’t sound angry. I’m glad to know that she yells on occasion.”

“She doesn’t yell, but she can make you feel awful guilty.”

“She doesn’t yell?”

“Nope. But that doesn’t stop her from telling people exactly what she thinks.”

“I noticed.” Nate tossed a small log on the fire to rebuild it. “She told me exactly what she thought of me after you caught me kissing her.”

“I heard, and that was mild compared to the kind of lectures she gives me. Hell, I ain’t even sure she meant what she said to you.”

“I’m not,” Nate corrected. “Why do you say that?”

“She didn’t lecture you long enough. She would have gone on for a half an hour if she’d meant it.”

Nate rubbed his chin. “I wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Never mind. You’d better get some sleep. I have some thinking to do.”

While Will returned to his bedroll, Nate stared into the fire. Could Will have been right about Libby? Was it possible that she actually liked him more than she was letting on? The thought intrigued him. But if he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could and learn more about her, he needed to proceed very carefully to find out if Will was right.