Anna Doubles Down

Anna Doubles Down Anna can’t believe how much the woman in the picture looks like her. They could be twins, except the picture was taken in 1871. Either she’s a relative, or Anna had a past life in Hamilton, Nevada. Either way, the temptation to visit the old ghost town is too much. She and her friend Kat travel west. While off exploring on her own, Anna is knocked unconscious when she falls down the steps in the saloon. She can hardly believe her eyes when she wakes. Beau and Zeke won the Silver Rush Saloon in a poker game and have been partners and secret lovers for over ten years. They don’t know what to make of the woman they found half-dressed in their cellar. She claims to know something terrible that’s about to happen to their town and needs their help. Will Anna be able to win their love and trust before it’s too late? Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Time Travel, Western/Cowboys Length: 42,319 words

ANNA DOUBLES DOWN

Missy Martine

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

ANNA DOUBLES DOWN Copyright © 2011 by Missy Martine E-book ISBN: 1-61034-615-7 First E-book Publication: July 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Anna Doubles Down by Missy Martine from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Missy Martine’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Martine’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION For my loving husband, Nigel. His love and understanding has proven to be unconditional and limitless.

ANNA DOUBLES DOWN MISSY MARTINE Copyright © 2011

Chapter 1 Anna gazed at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. At five feet nine inches tall and a hundred and forty pounds, she looked like an overripe piece of fruit in the peach-colored scrubs the hospital required her to wear. Frowning, she hunched her shoulders forward in an attempt to make her breasts appear smaller. The garish material hugged her breasts seductively, emphasizing their size. “Wonder which one of those asshole doctors chose these uniforms?” she mumbled. She looked at the clock on the table beside her bed. “Shit! I’m not gonna have time for breakfast if I don’t get my ass in gear.” She walked over and began to open the window blinds. A glance toward her neighbor’s apartment had her freezing, her breath catching in her throat. The window in her bedroom faced another building in the complex, and she had a clear view into the apartment directly across from her, one floor down. She’d met the two men living there only once, out by the pool. The curtains in their apartment were open, giving her a front-row seat to the action. Her hand reached up to lightly clasp her throat before sliding down, her fingers splaying out in a fan against her breastbone. Panting, she licked her lips as she watched the two lovers. The dark-haired Adonis leaned forward and nuzzled the cheek of his lithe, blond lover. As she watched, their gentle kisses grew into

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deeper ones, their lips parting. The dominant male peeled away the shirt of his lover then hooked his fingers in his belt loop and pulled their hips together. Anna’s fingers moved to the hardened tips of her breasts and began stroking them through the fabric of her shirt as he undid the button on his pants and slowly slid the zipper down. “Oh, God!” she groaned. “I’ll never get to work at this rate.” She thought back to their meeting and tried to remember their names. “Evan and Maddie? No, that’s not right. Maddox! Maddox and Evan,” she whispered. Maddox licked a long line from Evan’s throat to his nipple, circling the brown disc before kissing a trail down his smooth stomach. Anna held her breath when he dropped to his knees, his fingers sliding along Evans’s fully erect cock and gliding over the tip. She could feel the moisture trickling between her thighs as he flicked his tongue along Evan’s length like he was an ice cream cone before swallowing him down to the root. His hands snaked around his hips, fingers slipping into the crevice between the cheeks. Anna’s hand was sliding toward the elastic of her pants when her doorbell rudely captured her attention. “Shit,” she cried out and guiltily stepped away from the window. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heartbeat as she went to look through the peephole. Her closest friend in the world stood outside the door shuffling back and forth on her feet. “Hey, girl! What’re you doing here so early in the morning?” Anna opened the door and stepped aside so her friend could come in. Katarina Elizabeth Evans was a teacher of sixth grade and definitely not a morning person. She and Anna had been practically inseparable since meeting in the first grade. “If you’d make ’em give you some kind of permanent, normal schedule I wouldn’t have to resort to tracking you down at the break of day,” Kat groused. “Do you have any coffee?” “No, I just get coffee out on the days I work six to two. I repeat, what’re you doing here so early?”

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Kat narrowed her eyes. “Why’re you so flushed? Are you sick?” Anna snorted. “Yeah, sick of my solitary life.” She could feel her cheeks flushing. “I’ve, um, been watching my neighbors.” “Really,” Kat squealed. She rushed over and peeked out the window. “I don’t see anything.” Anna joined her and glanced down at the apartment. “Guess they moved on to the bedroom.” She grinned at her friend. “They’d reached the point they needed a flat surface.” “Damn, you’re so lucky to have that for a view.” “Yeah, right. The only way I’d be lucky is if they’d let me join them. I can’t think of anything hotter than being part of a ménage.” Kat laughed. “Maybe you had one in a previous life.” “What are you babbling about, woman? I need to get to work.” Kat pulled a book out of her briefcase. “You remember I told you about the research I’m doing on Xander?” Kat was writing a book about an obscure, little known artist-author named Martin Xander. “Well, I found out he was born in Hamilton, Nevada.” “Hamilton? Why’s that name familiar?” Kat shrugged. “Not sure why it’s familiar to you. It’s known for the silver mines and mills there.” Anna frowned. “Doesn’t ring any bells.” Kat shook her head. “Anyway, this is a book about Hamilton. It’s a history of the town and the mines there. It’s got pictures of just about everything including some of the people that lived there back when the mine was in operation.” She opened the book and turned it toward Anna. “I came across this picture last night.” Anna stepped closer and studied the black-and-white photograph. Two of the handsomest men she’d ever seen stood on each side of a seated woman. They were dressed in clothing of the mid-to-late nineteenth century. “Who are they?” she asked. “Are you blind? Don’t you see anything unusual?” Kat pointed to the woman in the picture. “You see any resemblance?” Anna peered closer and gasped. “Holy shit. She looks like me.”

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“Exactly like you, missy.” “Who is she?” Anna took the book from Kat and moved over to the light. “It doesn’t give any names. Just says it’s a prominent family of the town and that they owned a lot of property.” “A family? As in three?” Anna smirked. “If this is me in a former life then I wanna be reincarnated again and again.” She studied the picture closer. “I guess it could be a relative of some sort. I don’t really know much about my father’s side of the family.” Her father had died before she was born, and as far as she knew, he didn’t have any family. “Listen, I know you’re in a hurry to get to work, so I’m not gonna keep you long. During my summer break I’m going on vacation to Nevada to check out the ghost town of Hamilton. There’s supposed to be a few of the buildings still intact to some degree and even the mill is still partially standing.” She gave Anna a pleading look. “I think it’ll really add authenticity to my book. Do you think you can get your vacation at the same time and come with me?” “Kat,” she groaned. “I don’t wanna spend my vacation tramping around some old west town.” “Please, Anna, for me? I don’t wanna go alone. It’ll be fun. The two of us, on the road again.” She gave her a cajoling smile. Anna sighed. She’d never been able to turn Kat’s pleading looks down. “Okay,” she groaned. I’ll put in for the time off today. When do you wanna go?” “First two weeks of June. You get two weeks of vacation, don’t you?” “Yeah, I’ve enough hours built up for that easy.” Anna shrugged. “It’ll depend on whether anybody else has already asked for those weeks off.” “Well, get your butt in there and sign up for it first thing this morning.” Kat walked toward the door and then stopped and turned around. “I have to be honest, though. There’s not a lot there. A huge

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fire took out a lot of the mill back in 1871, and it destroyed a lot of the property. I guess the mine played out because they never bothered to rebuild everything that was destroyed.” “You got all that from that book?” “No! Oh, my God, I forgot to tell you.” Kat rummaged around in her briefcase and finally pulled out a small journal. “This is a diary handed down in the Penbroke family. Their ancestor worked for Belmont Mill and recorded a lot of the area’s history over the years.” She handed the book to Anna. “He’s got insights into a lot of the town’s people as well as the daily operations of the mill. Why don’t you take some time and read through both of them before we go. It’ll make the trip more interesting for you.” Anna carefully leafed through the journal’s yellowing pages. “Okay, if I get a chance. I’m on early shift the next two weeks, and I barely function in the afternoons now. I can’t imagine having time for reading.” Kat opened the door. “Do the best you can. You’ll enjoy the trip more if you know a little about the history.” She waved her hand over her head as she walked out into the hall. “Call me and let me know you have the time off.” Anna picked up the book Kat left on the table and opened it to look at the picture of the two men and a woman again. “Damn, she really looks like me.” She ran her finger along the woman’s face. “Could you be some long lost relative?” She glanced at the clock. “Shit, I’m late.” Dropping the books on the table, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. **** Anna coughed and quickly rolled up the window on Kat’s Jeep. “You know, we could’ve been lying on some sandy beach soaking up the sun right now.”

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Kat laughed, and then gripped the steering wheel tighter as she maneuvered the four-wheel drive vehicle around another large pothole in the middle of the narrow dirt road. “You mean this isn’t your idea of a heavenly vacation?” “Right!” Anna snorted. “I’m thrilled to be bouncing around on dirt roads without even a gas station in sight.” “What’re you bitching about? We’ve got plenty of gas.” Anna bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably on the seat. “If you must know I gotta go.” Sighing heavily, Kat pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. “Couldn’t possibly be the Pepsi you had for breakfast?” Her eyes narrowed. “No, must’ve been the three you’ve guzzled since we left the hotel.” She turned off the engine and snickered. “It’s just an idea, but maybe if you dumped some food in on top of all that pop, it might soak up some of the liquid.” “Ha, ha, very funny.” Anna frowned as she looked around. “Why’d we stop?” “You said you need to go.” Anna glanced around warily. “Yeah, but I figured I’d just wait until we got there. How much farther is it?” “Anna, we’re visiting an old ghost town. It’s just a collection of partial buildings. I sincerely doubt one of them is gonna be labeled Ladies.” She swept her arm around. “Just pick a spot. We haven’t passed another car since we turned off the main highway. The road’s dry enough that I’ll be able to see a dust cloud if anybody comes along.” She smiled. “I promise this is the best place to go.” She opened her car door. “Hell, I might as well go, too.” Anna watched her friend stroll to the back of the Jeep and then calmly push her shorts down her thighs. “Just what I need, two weeks in a car with Pioneer Woman,” she muttered. Resigned, she got out and went to the front of the Jeep to take care of her problem. Three minutes later she was buckling herself back into her seatbelt,

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diligently ignoring her traveling companion’s snickers. “What’re you waiting for? Let’s hit the road, girl. Daylight’s a wastin’.” Ten minutes later they pulled into a small clearing and parked in front of a sign proclaiming the place to be Hamilton, NV. “Not much here, is there?” Anna asked. To the right of the Jeep were several mounds of wood and rock that appeared to be all that was left of several buildings. On the left side things looked to be in better shape. At least two of the buildings were still standing, although they looked like they could fall down at any minute. “No, didn’t you read the book? Most of the place burned down in the big fire. The mine was beginning to show signs of playing out, so they never bothered to rebuild.” Kat grabbed her notebook and camera off the backseat and climbed out of the Jeep. “Come on, Anna. I wanna get some pictures of the mill.” “Wait,” Anna cried. She quickly joined Kat on the road. “Where’s the mill? Wouldn’t it have burned first?” “Yeah, it did, but they rebuilt most of it. They had to keep it open until the owners shut down the mine.” Kat pointed down the road. “It’s down there.” Anna looked more closely and spotted the sign. “Belmont Mill, how far is it?” The idea of walking very far into the woods didn’t really appeal to her. Kat consulted her notes. “It should be about a quarter of a mile down this path.” She looked up and grinned. “At least what’s left of it?” She nodded toward the nearest building still standing. “According to my notes that’s the saloon, and the building next to it was a House of Ill Repute!” “A what?” Kat laughed. “A Cathouse. You know, a whorehouse.” She began walking toward the mill sign. “This place had a jail, a laundry, a bathhouse, and general merchandise store. The saloon was the center of everything that went on here. Back in 1870 there were only a handful of women within a hundred-mile radius. Most of the miners

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were either single or they’d left their families in nicer places and just sent their money home.” “Sounds pretty depressing.” Anna stopped and gazed up at what had been the saloon. For some reason she didn’t understand, she felt drawn to it. “Come on,” Kat begged. “Let’s go check out the mill.” Anna hesitated. “You go ahead. I wanna go in here.” She hesitated at Kat’s disappointed expression. “Hey, don’t pout. I’m just more interested in the saloon.” She pulled her camera out of her fanny pack. “Tell you what. You go check out what’s left of the mill, and I’ll go over this building and take lots of pictures for your book.” Kat grinned. “Perfect! We’ll get twice the area covered in half the time. With Xander being born near here, it stands to reason he or his family spent time in the saloon.” She glanced up at the building. “Get lots of shots from every angle you can.” She started down the road. “I’m counting on you,” she called back over her shoulder. Anna watched her go with a bemused smile. For such an intelligent woman, Kat could be so juvenile. She turned and surveyed the area around the desolate buildings, the peace and solitude settling around her shoulders like an old, familiar cloak. She lifted her face and let the gentle breeze stir the hair around her face. Her gaze took in the sun-dappled trees swaying gently, the fallen leaves and underbrush carpeting the ground underneath. The sound of the wind whistling around the trunks, disturbing the leaves, complemented the chattering of the squirrels and humming of the insects. Her nose wrinkled as she took in the subtle, fetid smell of rotting wood. Unable to withstand the pull any longer, Anna carefully climbed the pair of rotting steps up to the wooden porch. The door swung open easily as she stepped cautiously into the darkened room. “Yuk!” She groaned, swiping at the cobwebs guarding the entrance to the room. Slowly, she pushed the door further with the flat of her hand while a feeling of lightheadedness had the hair rising on the back of her neck.

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“Hello? Anybody here?” She hugged her arms across her chest, swallowing hard to try and slow her breathing and heartbeat. “Don’t be such a wuss, Anna,” she whispered. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” She took a couple of steps forward, the dank smell of mildew and wet wood assaulting her senses. “Damn, what a mess!” As her eyes adjusted in the subdued light, she focused on what appeared to be the former bar. There wasn’t much of it left, merely an oblong, boxshaped structure on the far wall. Curiosity brought her closer, her fingers running lightly through the dust covering the surface. Broken glass on the floor made her think a mirror once graced the wall. A loud crash had her whirling around, her camera clutched tightly to her chest. “Shit!” A shutter banged back and forth against the dingy window. “God, I’m glad Kat’s not with me. I’d never hear the end of it,” she mumbled. She cringed when a dark shadow moved swiftly across the floor while visions of spiders, cockroaches, and rats danced through her head. She had no trouble imagining the gaps in the floorboards held the secrets of the past. Kneeling, she ran a finger lightly over one of the chasms. “There could be gold dust down there from gamblers who’d had too much to drink.” She stood and brushed her fingers against her shorts. “Or maybe some famous gunslinger met his maker here, and his blood drained out between the boards.” She laughed and then muffled it quickly with her hand. “You’re losing it, girl.” She glanced around. “I wish there’d been more of the furniture left. This just looks like an old house that needs to be condemned.” Focusing intently on the shadows in the corner, she spied a door. Moving carefully across the wooden floor, she reached for the dusty doorknob and turned gently. An ominous creaking sound filled the room as the door swung inward. Stairs led down into a yawning blackness. Belatedly, she remembered the penlight on her keychain. Rummaging through her bag, she finally pulled it out triumphantly. Taking a deep breath she shone the tiny light down the stairs.

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The banister leading down dripped with spider webs, the dust so thick it coated Anna’s tongue as she struggled to take in shallow breaths. The light wasn’t bright enough to pierce the blackness completely, but it did illuminate several shapes at the bottom of the stairs. “That looks like trunks,” she exclaimed. Excitement overriding caution, Anna clutched at the banister and started down the gloomy staircase. Each step she carefully felt with her foot, pressing to look for any signs of rot. Halfway down, she stopped to get her bearings. She shone the light straight down and gasped. “What the hell is that?” A red, glowing circle had appeared on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. As she watched, it seemed to glow brighter and grow in circumference. “Oh, my God.” Terrified, Anna turned to move swiftly back up the stairs. She could feel her feet tangling as she turned on the narrow strip of wood. Something seemed to be pulling her down toward the glowing red light. “Kat,” she screamed grabbing for the banister with both hands as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. She dropped her camera, dimly hearing it hit the step as she lost her battle with gravity and began to fall backward. In a vain attempt to control her fall, she twisted her body sharply and put up her hands to protect her face as she hurtled toward the effulgent red light. A bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips as she fell into the circle and blackness enveloped her. **** Beauregard Martinson stopped in the doorway to watch his partner rinse the tin mugs they’d used with supper. Ezekiel Moses Bennington had been his constant companion for the past eleven years. Well over six feet tall, his blond hair and blue eyes set him apart from most men in the area. They’d met playing poker in a bar in Kansas City and just sort of drifted along together ever since. Beau’d been anxious to get away from his family’s farm, and Zeke just wanted to find someplace he could fit in. They’d moved further west,

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playing poker and taking odd jobs to eat. Their luck had changed the night Beau won the Silver Rush Saloon in a poker game. Hell, they hadn’t even known where they were that night. It was just another saloon in another mining town. But now, they called Hamilton their home. “You ’bout done?” Beau asked, a tingling settling low in his balls, his eyes glued to the threadbare denims covering Zeke’s rounded ass. Zeke looked over his shoulder and grinned, bringing out the small, round dimple in his right cheek. “What ya got in mind, cowboy?” Beau moved in close and cupped the prominent bulge in Zeke’s jeans and squeezed. “I’m thinking we should make use of the doors and windows being locked up tight.” He leaned in close and ran his tongue over the seam between Zeke’s lips. “Open for me,” he whispered. Zeke nipped at his earlobe and then pulled him in for a kiss, sliding his tongue against Beau’s, licking and stroking. Younger by three years, Beau moaned into his mouth. He grabbed two handfuls of ass and walked Beau backwards toward the table. “Need you, now.” His fingers reached to unbutton the tight denims exposing the faded long johns underneath. “Get ’em off,” he growled. He yanked his own pants down around his knees as he watched Beau finish undressing completely, throwing his pants across a chair. Zeke moved forward quickly, spinning Beau around to face the table. He let his hands trail up Beau’s muscled arms. “Touch yourself,” he whispered. Zeke waited until Beau reached down and began rubbing his cock before pressing against his back, licking down his neck and rubbing his hands up and down his chest. He smiled when Beau relaxed back against him. “Want you inside me,” Beau whispered. Zeke looked down. His rock-hard cock was dripping, leaking onto his muscled belly. He let one hand snake down and gently caress his cum-filled balls. “Bend over the table. Get that ass in the air for me.”

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Beau bent over, his head pillowed on his folded arms on the table. He started when Zeke kicked his legs farther apart. “Don’t tease me, Ezekiel.” Zeke chuckled and reached for the butter dish on the table. He scooped up a liberal amount and let his buttered up fingers slide between Beau’s ass cheeks. He found the puckered hole with his finger, circling several times before pushing in slowly. “Don’t wait, Zeke. Do it now,” Beau begged. Zeke grunted and pushed in deeper, rubbing inside the forbidden opening. Inner muscles clamped around his finger like a vise. Beau groaned and pressed back against his hand nearly causing Zeke to lose control. He greased up his hand and generously coated his throbbing cock. Holding the rounded cheeks apart, he touched the tip of his staff to Beau’s puckered opening and pushed slowly, his head dropping back and his eyes closing. “I’m gonna fuck you so damn hard,” he promised. “Then fuck me already. I’ve been waiting for this all day.” Zeke seated himself balls-deep inside Beau, rocking his hips very slowly. He pulled nearly all the way out and then slammed back in again trying to hit his sweet spot. From the groans and trembling legs, he guessed he’d hit his target. “Fuck! That feels good.” Beau wiggled his ass closer. Zeke smirked and reached around with one hand to grab Beau’s erection where it bobbed up and down with his thrusts, his fingers digging into his lover’s thigh. “So fucking hot,” Beau cried out when Zeke’s hand began moving up and down on his cock. He tightened his ass muscles around Zeke, holding him tighter as they fucked. Zeke pumped faster with his hand. One, two, three more strokes were all it took. Beau bucked wildly, coming all over Zeke’s fingers. His cock shot thick ropes of white cream as Zeke continued to stroke, milking him for every drop he could. He let his fingers trail over the cum splattered on Beau’s stomach and felt his own legs begin to

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tremble. Every muscle tensed up, and then he came, jerking and shooting into the tight body beneath him. With a hoarse cry he shuddered and ground in deep, savoring the moment. “Son of a bitch, that was good.” Beau raised his head from the table. “Do you hear anything?” “Yeah, you screaming when you came.” Zeke chuckled, pulled out, and slapped him on the ass. “I’m gonna have to start putting a gag on you.” A crash from below had him turning his head toward the cellar door. For a minute there was silence. “Kat, I’m in the basement. I need help.” “Shit! Was that a woman’s voice?” Beau asked. He grabbed his pants off the chair and began pulling them on. “Yeah, it was.” Zeke pulled his pants on furiously. The only women for miles around were the whores from Bart’s house next door. They knew they weren’t allowed in the bar. They were thieves and liars, and he didn’t want them hassling his customers. “How the hell did she get past us to hide in the cellar?” he asked. “Maybe she’s trying to run away from Bart.” Beau put his hand on Zeke’s arm. “Remember, even whores can turn their life around.” Zeke stared at Beau for a moment and then gave a small nod. Zeke’s mother had been a prostitute. She’d given him up after he was born, leaving him to be raised in an orphanage. But nobody had wanted a whore’s baby. He’d finally run away when he turned fourteen and quickly learned to fend for himself. “Okay, let’s go see who our uninvited guest is.” **** Anna shifted restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position. She’d never been so cold. Without opening her eyes, she rolled to her back and then stiffened, memories of her morning cascading through her mind. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes and felt cold sweat break out on her palms. Her breathing accelerated and she felt her

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body begin to tremble. The darkness was so thick it was a struggle to swallow. “Oh, God, I’m alive,” she whispered. Carefully, she moved her arms and legs. “Doesn’t feel like anything’s broken.” Gingerly, she pushed herself into a sitting position, letting her fingers trail across the floor. “Ew, I’m sitting in dirt,” she groaned. Swallowing hard, she struggled to her feet. Slowly she reached out with her hands, and then her feet, as she tried to find her way back to the stairs. “The door must’ve slammed shut when I fell.” Moving forward an inch at a time, she stopped when her hands touched some type of crate. It felt wooden and stood higher than her waist. Her hands ran lightly over the surface, drawing back swiftly when something jabbed sharply into her palm. “Shit,” she cried, holding the injured hand to her chest. “How the hell am I gonna get out of here?” Bitter saliva left a tang in her mouth as she ran her hand along the crate, using it to gain her balance. A musty, moldy smell filled the air as the sounds of scurrying filled the darkness behind her. Fear was stealing her breath when she heard the sounds of footsteps above. “Kat must be looking for me,” she whispered and then laughed. “Why the hell am I trying to be quiet? Kat,” she screamed. “I’m in the basement. I need help!” Anna waited in silence for a moment and then heard footsteps coming closer. “Down here,” she screamed. Suddenly, a sound had her head turning toward the right. Above her, to the left, an opening appeared where a strange, amber glow illuminated a man. “Holy shit!” Blinking her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating, Anna stared at the vision above her. A half-dressed man was staring down at her. An old wick lantern in his hand highlighted a hard, sinewy body with broad shoulders and a worried frown on his long-jawed face. His bare chest gleamed in the lamplight, his belly flat with an intriguing bulge in the front of his pants. He took a couple of steps

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down, and another tall, lanky man appeared in the shadows behind him. “Who the hell are you and how’d you get in here?” The man holding the lantern spoke harshly, his hand gripped into a fist at his side. Realizing she was alone, with two half-dressed men, Anna felt her lips tremble, her mouth going dry as she took a couple of steps backward. She felt frozen, her heart racing, the sound of her heartbeat roaring in her ears. “Darlin’, it’s all right. You don’t have to be afraid of us.” The shadowy man’s voice came from the darkness as blackness closed in around Anna. **** Zeke blinked and then swallowed hard at the sight before him. He’d never seen anything like her. She didn’t appear to be very tall, and she was barely dressed. It looked like she wore some newfangled female undergarments he’d never seen before. Short drawers that barely came down to her knees and some kind of skimpy chemise that left her belly button showing were all that covered her. Where the hell were her clothes? The light wasn’t good enough to see much, but if he lived to be a hundred, he’d never forget the wild, doe-eyed look in her eyes as she stared up at him in stark terror as she backed away. He took another step down, wanting more than anything to calm her, and froze in horror as her pupils rolled back in her head and she swayed to the side in a dead faint.

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Chapter 2 “Damn it to hell!” Zeke put the kerosene lamp on the step and rushed down to the fallen woman. “Is she alive?” Beau asked as he picked up the lamp coming down the steps. “Yeah, she just fainted.” Zeke easily plucked the small woman from the floor and caught his breath. Her clothing didn’t hide much, and she was a buxom woman. “Is she naked?” Zeke grinned, looking over his shoulder at Beau. “Damn near.” He looked back at the skimpy material covering the woman’s breasts. “There’s something written on her chemise.” “Bring her closer so I can see.” Beau moved to the bottom of the steps. He held the lamp close to the woman’s chest and stared at the words across her bosoms. “Nurses do it with care.” He looked up at Zeke. “What the devil does that mean?” Zeke shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me.” He glanced down at his bundle. “What am I supposed to do with her now?” “For crying out loud, Zeke. What do you think you’re supposed to do? Carry her upstairs and put her in the bed.” Beau started up the stairs holding the lamp so Zeke could see the steps. “Why don’t we just call Bart to come get her?” He ran his cheek along her soft hair as he climbed the steps. “She’s bound to be one of his girls.” “Maybe, maybe not. I saw the fear on her face right before she passed out. We’re not turning any woman over to a man she’s afraid of. There had to be some reason that made her hide out in our cellar.”

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Zeke continued on in silence until he laid her out on the feather bed in his partner’s room. Beau lit a second lamp and brought it in to set on the dresser. With the added light they could both see the treasure they’d unearthed. Soft, shoulder-length hair the color of ripe raspberries in the field draped across the white muslin sheets. Her creamy skin was the color of eggshells with just a touch of sunburn across her nose. “What’s this on her feet?” Beau had lifted one of her legs and was staring at some type of mangled shoe on her foot. “What do you suppose happened to her shoes?” His hand caressed her leg briefly. “Hell, she’s as smooth as a baby’s butt.” Zeke looked closer at her shoes and frowned. They were brown leather with straps across the top of her foot and behind her heel with only a thin piece of something soft underneath to walk on. “Damn, look at that!” “What?” Zeke peered closer. “She’s got some kind of paint or something on her toes.” Zeke focused in on her feet and saw a light pink covering on her toenails. “I never seen nothing like it.” “She’s got it on her fingers, too.” Beau held up one of her hands for his inspection. “What the hell kind of belt is that?” Zeke looked at the leather around her waist more closely. “Hell, it’s stretchy on the sides but it ain’t holding nothing up. It’s not threaded through any loops.” He poked the large pouch on the front. “It looks like some kind of wallet on here.” “Kat?” Both men jumped back when the woman began awakening. She groaned harshly and tried to roll over. “Hang on, little darlin’. Don’t be moving too fast.” Beau put a hand on her arm. ****

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Anna heard a male voice and struggled to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was a pair of warm, chocolate-brown eyes. They crinkled in the corners when he smiled. “Who are you?” she asked. “Since this is our place maybe we should be asking you that?” She turned her head cautiously and stared into the frosty blue eyes of the man who’d found her in the basement. “I’m Anna, Anna Oakland. Where’s Kat?” “Why do you keep asking about some damn cat?” Mr. Blue eyes raked his fingers through the collar-length mane of corn silk hair on his head. “Kat’s my friend.” Anna struggled to sit up. “What’ve you done with her?” A sharp pain in the back of her head had her groaning, rubbing the area with her hand. Her breath caught when she felt a sticky residue. “Relax, darlin’. You must’ve cut your head when you fell.” He pulled her hand away and held it between his own. “My name’s Beau Martinson.” He nodded toward the other man. “And this is my partner Ezekiel Bennington.” “You can call me Zeke.” He walked closer to the bed. “What were you doing in our cellar?” “Your cellar?” Anna glanced around the room. “Where am I?” “You’re in the Silver Rush Saloon, darlin’.” “What, I, uh—” Everything looked so old. A dresser stood against the far wall, its bare wooden top scratched and dented. A mismatched pitcher and basin stood on a crude washstand in the corner. She’d seen pictures of something similar in the book Kat had given her. Beside the bed, in front of a small pane window, was a kerosene lamp brightening the room. The whole scene looked like some picture out of a history book. “We’re waiting, Anna. What’re you doing here?” Zeke sat down at the foot of the bed. “And where are your clothes? Did you come across the alley dressed like that?”

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“My clothes?” Anna stared down at her shorts and T-shirt. “What’s wrong with my clothes?” “I mean your outer clothes, not your under things.” Zeke swept his hand down her length. “You’re practically indecent, woman.” “Not that we mind.” Beau grinned. “I’m still unconscious. I fell and now I’m in some hospital with a concussion.” She closed her eyes and then opened them in shock. “Ow! What the hell did you do that for?” Zeke had pinched her on the leg. He shrugged. “Now you know you’re not dreaming.” “Not dreaming? It has to be a dream. I mean we visited Hamilton and I went to check out the old saloon.” She thought for a moment. “I opened the door to the basement.” She felt a chill and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “There was a red, glowing circle. It pulled me down.” “Sounds to me like she needs to be locked up somewhere to keep her from hurting herself.” Zeke stood up and looked at Beau. “Maybe we should just call Bart and let him deal with her.” “I’m not crazy,” Anna argued. She pushed up to sit on the side of the bed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I’m not crazy.” “Whoa there.” Beau pushed her back down when she tried to stand. “Prove to us you’re not crazy. You already didn’t know where you are. Do you know the date?” She snorted. “Of course I do. It’s Saturday, June the fifth.” Beau looked over to Zeke, his expression impossible to read. “Darlin’, it’s Wednesday, August the fourteenth.” “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not gonna fall for this crap. I had to get my vacation days approved. Unless I’ve been unconscious for more than a day, it’s the fifth of June, the year is twenty ten, and the president of the United States is Barack Obama.” She glared at the two men. “Satisfied?” The men exchanged another uneasy glance and then Zeke came and sat down beside her. He took her hand gently between his own.

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“Anna, I don’t want you to get upset, but you’re wrong. It’s Wednesday, August the fourteenth in the year eighteen seventy one.” He gave her a look of pity. “And the president is Ulysses S. Grant.” Anna felt a chill run over her. Before they could stop her she’d scooted off the bed and ran toward the door. She immediately spotted steps leading down. She practically flew down them, letting her hand slide along the banister to keep her balance. At the bottom she found herself in a large room that resembled a bar or a restaurant. Several tables with chairs littered the floor while a rectangular island stood to one side apparently serving as the bar. There were bottles of liquor lining a shelf behind it, along with a discolored mirror hanging on the wall. She froze, remembering this room in a slightly worse condition. “If this is the saloon, then—” She turned around and there was the door she remembered. “Will you wait a minute?” Zeke was hurrying down the steps, Beau hot on his heels. She yanked open the door and peered down into the darkness. It was pitch black, no light, no shadows, and no red circle. “No,” she cried, falling to her knees in tears. Zeke caught up with Anna and dropped to his knees to take her in his arms. “Hush now, girl. Everything’s gonna be all right. We’re gonna get you some help. Did you run away from Bart Cander’s place?” Anna pushed out of his arms angrily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know any Bart. I’m on vacation with my friend Kat, and I fell down those stairs into some kind of void and woke up here.” She looked up into his questioning eyes and felt tears roll down her cheeks. “Why won’t you believe me?” Beau knelt down and ran a finger down her cheek wiping away the tears. “Darlin’, be reasonable. What you’re saying makes no sense.” Anna thought for a moment and then looked down at her pack. “I can prove it,” she whispered.

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“What did you say, Anna?” Zeke put his hand beneath her chin and raised her head up. “We couldn’t hear you.” She swallowed hard and swiped her arm across her eyes. “I can prove what I’m saying.” Zeke exchanged a look with Beau as she got to her feet. She reached down and unzipped the fanny pack. “What is that thing? I’ve never seen a belt like that.” Zeke bent toward her for a closer look. “It’s called a fanny pack.” Beau barked out a laugh. “A what?” She sighed, rummaging through the pouch. “A fanny pack. It’s like a purse. It’s a place I can carry personal things like this.” She held out the small plastic container that held her driver’s license. “What is it?” Beau asked. “Take a look at it. Read it. It tells you who I am, where I’m from, and gives my date of birth.” She glanced down at the card. “Hell, it even has the expiration date.” Beau reached out and took the license from her hand. He held it up to the lamp he’d brought with him when he came downstairs. “Anna Lorraine Oakland,” he read. He looked up at Zeke with wide eyes. “It’s got her picture on it, Zeke.” He looked at Anna. “What’s DOB mean?” “That’s my date of birth.” “The hell you say.” He looked at the license more closely. “Well, what does it say, Beau?” Zeke took a step closer to Anna. Beau shook his head. “It says her birthday is February nineteenth, in the year nineteen hundred and eight-six.” Both men looked at her, their skepticism etched across their faces. “I’m not lying,” she insisted. “Why do you think I’m dressed so differently? This is normal where I’m from.” Her voice broke into a small sob. “I don’t know what’s happened to me, but somehow I’ve gone back in time, and it’s got something to do with that basement.” “All right, darlin’, we believe you.” Beau took her in his arms enveloping her in a haven of warmth.

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“We’re gonna have to hide her.” Zeke walked over and checked the lock on the front door. “What are you talking about?” Beau asked. “I may not be all that educated, but even I know that there’re a lot of people, some right here in Hamilton, that might like to get their hands on somebody from the future.” He walked over and put a hand on Anna’s back. “Let’s get you back upstairs away from the windows and doors until we figure out what we’re gonna do.” “Oh, he’s right, darlin’. It’d be best if nobody saw you dressed like this.” Beau let his gaze wander over her from head to toe. “Come on now, I’ll get you something to sleep in that’ll cover you up.” He began pulling her toward the stairs. Anna dug in her feet. “Wait, I need to go.” Beau sighed. “We understand you want to get home, but you’ve got to give us some time.” “No, I mean yes, I wanna go home, but right now I need to go to the bathroom.” She took in their puzzled frowns. “The bathroom?” she asked with a sinking feeling. “Oh, hell, you don’t have indoor bathrooms, do you?” Anna let her eyes close for a moment. “I need to, um, pass water.” “Oh, you need to use the privy.” Zeke pointed toward the hall. “Go down there and it’s just a little ways out the door at the end.” Anna bit her lip. “What if someone sees me?” “Not to worry, girl. This building’s on the edge of town, and we dug the privy so it couldn’t be seen from the road. It’s late and there won’t be anybody about. Hell, we’re the only ones that use it.” “Would one of you mind coming with me?” Anna felt her face flush. “Sure, I’ll go, but give me just a minute.” Zeke hurried up the stairs taking them two at a time. In less than a minute he was back carrying a gray blanket. “Put this around you and it’ll just look like you got up to go in your nightgown.”

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Anna took it gratefully and wrapped it around her like a robe. “Thanks, this is much better.” Beau cleared his throat. “Darlin’, you think tomorrow you’d be willing to explain some of the things you’re wearing?” She giggled before she could stop herself. “I guess I do seem a little strange to you. Sure, I’ll tell you anything you wanna know.” “Come on then, girl. I’ll show you the privy, and then we’ll all get a good night’s sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow’s gonna be a really long day.” **** Zeke watched Beau back out of his room, closing the door quietly behind him. “Did you get her settled okay?” Beau whirled around at the sound of his voice. “Shit, you scared me. What’re you doing loitering around in the hall?” “Waiting on you. Figured you’re gonna need someplace to sleep seeing as how she’s in your bed.” “Are you offering to share yours?” Zeke grinned, grabbing hold of the waist of Beau’s pants and tugging him down the hall toward his bedroom. “Damn right I am. You didn’t answer my question.” “She’s as settled as she can be.” He watched Zeke close the door to his room and then brace a chair under the doorknob. “Do you believe she’s really from the future?” Zeke stripped off his pants and motioned for Beau to do the same. “You’re the one who read that little card. I’ve never seen anything like it, and what about those clothes?” “Yeah, there’s a lot telling me to believe her.” Zeke walked over and let his palms run over Beau’s ass. “What say we forget about Miss Anna for a while?” His eyes shifted down, his gaze roaming over his partner’s body. “What do you think we should do instead?” Beau whispered.

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Zeke rubbed his cock against Beau, grinding their bodies together. “I’m sure we can think of something.” Beau’s hands ran down his back while his own were drawn to the dark brown nipples he loved so much. The minute his fingers touched the little nubs they sprang to life. Leaning forward, Zeke sucked up a mark on Beau’s chest while his hands reached around his hips, working his fingers between Beau’s clenching ass cheeks searching for his hole. He looked down as hands rubbed up his thighs, the palms tickling the thick, blond hair almost invisible against the pale skin. He quickly spread his legs in an open invitation. When Zeke felt the warm fingers caressing his sac, he hissed and then pushed Beau away and dropped to his knees. He cupped the hairy balls hanging low and heavy and then tightened his hand around Beau’s cock, stroking it twice, his thumb rubbing back and forth across the tip. A loud groan filled the air as he thrust into Zeke’s fist. “You’re gonna have to be quiet, Beau. I don’t know that Miss Anna would be too happy to find us together.” Beau chuckled. “You never know. She seems pretty open to me. Hell, maybe things are different in her time.” His last word turned into a moan as Zeke lowered his mouth to the stiff column of flesh. He moved his tongue around the head catching the first drop of precum and then slid his lips down the length as Beau thrust slowly into his mouth. “You’re killing me.” Beau growled. Zeke chuckled as he dragged his teeth gently around the head of Beau’s cock, flicking the jutting organ with his tongue and then licking up the length. “That’s gonna be a little hard to explain to doc.” Sucking his way down the shaft slowly, he gripped Beau’s tight ass and pulled him closer. “Need you in me,” Beau moaned. Zeke released the firm shaft and stood, pushing Beau toward the bed. He reached into the drawer of the dresser and pulled out a jar of Vaseline. They’d sent off to New York for the wonder cream about

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six months ago after a stranger riding through had used it on a burn. It worked great medicinally, but had much more practical uses that nobody knew about. He grasped Beau’s butt, massaging the cheeks and pushing his greased-up finger all the way into the tight, puckered hole, the ring of muscles clamping tight around his invasion. He added a second finger, hitting a spot that had Beau’s head jerking up. “Oh, man, do that again,” he begged. Zeke chuckled and nipped Beau’s thigh, stroking that spot once more before pulling out a bit and scissoring his fingers back and forth. When he could add a third finger, his hands roamed over the cool flesh, kneading the fleshy cheeks as the tip of his cock grazed the seam. He slapped those cheeks hard. “Get up on your hands and knees.” “Damn, you’re bossy.” Beau pulled his knees up to his chest; his head bent low on the mattress, giving him easier access. Zeke greased up his cock, held it to Beau’s dark opening, and pushed solidly until his balls rested against the man’s ass. Slowly he pulled out and then thrust back in, picking up a steady rhythm. “Fuck, your ass is so tight.” Beau gasped. “You feel so good,” he whispered, pushing his ass back, grinding against Zeke’s groin. Zeke slipped his hand around Beau’s stomach and wrapped his fingers around his shaft and pumped. He could feel the cock pulsing against his palm as he stroked the erection slowly. He began to thrust his hips in earnest, pushing in again and again. “Fuck,” Beau moaned, grinding into Zeke’s ass. “You’re hitting my sweet spot every time.” “You complaining?” Zeke panted. “Hell no, keep it up.” Zeke’s hips began to snap, fucking at a brutal pace with strong, deep thrusts, his balls slapping hard against the fleshy ass. He increased the strokes of his hand, and soon he felt Beau’s balls pull up, his cock jerking as warm fluid covered his fingers.

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He continued to slam into him and pump his cock as Beau spilled his seed. Zeke could feel his balls tighten as heat invaded his body. His hips bucked frantically, his eyes rolling back in his head as the sharp pleasure knifed through him. The pressure built until his hips slammed forward, his body stiffening as his cock erupted inside the warm cavity. He held his position for just a moment and then collapsed onto his side, pulling his lover into an embrace. “Are you okay?” “Oh, yeah, I’m great.” Beau snuggled closer and wrapped his arm around his chest. “Just make sure one of us gets up before our little time traveler. I don’t think I want to know what her reaction would be to find us here together.” He was quiet for a moment. “Hell, maybe she’d just join in.” Zeke laughed softly and then relaxed in Beau’s arms. I wonder if she’d be willing to join us sometime. With that thought he drifted off into a deep sleep. **** Anna listened to the sounds coming through the walls and had to stifle a groan. Of course, if she had to be sent back in time to be with two sexy men, it stands to reason they’d be more interested in each other. Story of my life, she thought, thinking about her handsome neighbors back home. She sighed. Get over it, girl, you’re supposed to be here. It hadn’t escaped her attention that Zeke and Beau were the men in the photograph Kat had showed her. But why send me here if I can’t be with them? A particularly loud moan had her raising a hand to cup her breast. What did he say the date was? Her fingers traced gently over her swollen nipple as she thought back to their earlier conversation. Saturday, August the fourteenth. That’s what he said. Why’s that so familiar? Suddenly, she sat up in the bed. The fire, oh, my God. The fire that killed all those people and destroyed the town started early in

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the morning on August the seventeenth. She lay back down. Maybe that’s why I’m here. Maybe fate wants me to change things. Muffled sounds from the next room had her mind shifting to thoughts of the two men together. She let one of her thumbs rub lightly over her nipple and then tugged and pinched the tender peak. A groan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, opened her legs, and let her fingers brush the inside of her thighs. Delicately she probed her slick folds, reaching for her clit, and then ran circles around the throbbing nub. Her fingers began pumping in and out of her pussy, faster and faster until her body stiffened, her inner walls clutching as she came. Her orgasm hit hard, her body going limp with the force of her climax. She glanced warily at the door and felt fresh tears flood her eyes as a pain settled in her chest. “I don’t wanna be alone,” she whispered. Turning over, she buried her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs. She fell asleep to the sounds of lovemaking in the next room. **** Anna paused at the bottom of the stairs and pulled the pants up where they continued to slide down her hips. She’d found a man’s shirt, a pair of pants, and a thin rope lying on the foot of her bed when she’d wakened along with the thong she’d been wearing. Remembering how shocked they’d seemed by her shorts and T-shirt, she’d hastily donned the clothing, tying the pants at her waist as tightly as she could. “There you are. Good morning, Anna.” She looked up into Beau’s smiling face. “Good morning.” “Did you sleep well?” Anna felt her face flush as she remembered the sounds coming from the next room. “Um, fine, thank you.” He held out his hand. “Come along then. Zeke’s just about got breakfast ready.”

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She let him link their fingers together. “Sounds great. I’m starved.” She followed him down the hall into a large kitchen. At least it looked like a kitchen. A beat-up looking wooden table with three mismatched chairs stood in the center of the room. There were plates, cups, and several dishes of food decorating the top. Zeke was standing in front of a wood stove, stirring something in what looked like a cast iron skillet. “Good morning.” She gave him a small smile. “Good morning to you, beautiful lady.” He turned back to the stove. “Hope you’ve got as big an appetite as we do.” She felt herself blush again. “What’s for breakfast?” Beau laughed. “He’s gone all out this morning in honor of our special guest.” He nodded toward the table. “We’ve got sourdough flapjacks, fried ham, eggs, biscuits, and cornmeal gravy.” He gave her a wicked grin. “I think he believes the way to your heart is through your stomach.” Anna had to grit her teeth to keep from cringing. If she ate like that every day, her heart wouldn’t be around long enough for him to find. “Sounds great, but I don’t usually eat that much for breakfast.” She let Beau lead her over to the table. “What do you usually eat, darlin’?” Beau pulled out her chair for her to sit. “I don’t know, different things. Sometimes a granola bar with yogurt, or maybe a couple of pieces of fruit.” “What’s yogurt?” asked Zeke as he placed a bowl on the table. “It’s a dairy product.” “You mean like from a cow?” Beau took the seat beside her. “Not exactly. It’s usually made from cow’s milk. I guess the simplest way to describe it is that they add bacteria to it and it makes yogurt.” She stifled her laugh at the looks on their faces. “It’s really pretty healthy, and it tastes great.” “Doesn’t sound healthy, much less tasty. I guarantee you’ll like my breakfast more.” Zeke laid a plate in front of her that had two fried eggs, the yellows bright and unbroken, a large slab of ham, and

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two golden brown biscuits. “There’s butter and honey on the table for the flapjacks and biscuits.” Despite being appalled at the amount of fried foods in front of her, she couldn’t help but be impressed with how good everything looked as he poured the gravy from the skillet into a bowl. She glanced around. “I don’t see any other pans. Did you cook everything in that skillet?” “Of course, darlin’. I wouldn’t wanna use anything else.” “Why not?” She watched as Beau poured her a cup of coffee. “We’ve had this pan for a few years, and it’s properly seasoned.” “Seasoned?” she asked. Zeke placed a plate filled with biscuits on the table. “Yeah, we take the pan and coat it in bacon grease when it’s first new, and we bake it over the fire. After it cools, we coat it again and bake it again. It seals the surface of the pan and cooks in that bacon taste, and everything you cook in it after that can’t help but be good. Hell, the more years you use it the better it gets.” Frowning, Anna began to eat gingerly. Everything tasted good until she took a sip of the hot coffee. She grimaced and tried to figure out how to keep from swallowing the vile liquid. It was nothing like the Folgers Hazelnut she lived on at home. “Do you have any sugar?” she asked, trying not to cough. Without a word, Zeke rose and brought back a small jar of white crystals. “Coffee not to your liking?” “Just a little strong.” She laced it liberally with the sweetener and then took a deep breath. “Have you given any more thought to my situation?” She looked at Zeke through lowered lashes. “Do you believe me now?” Beau sighed and put down his fork. “It’s not as simple as believing you or not. The fact is you can’t prove any of it.” He ran his hand through his brown hair. “Put yourself in our place, Anna. If we’d showed up on your doorstep with some crazy story about coming from the future, would you’ve believed us?”

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“What if I can prove it?” Beau stared at her long and hard before turning his gaze briefly to Zeke. “Prove it how?” She told them about the journal Kat had shown her. “There’s gonna be a fire at the mill next Saturday. It’ll start early in the morning and get out of control really fast. If we don’t stop it, a lot of men are gonna be killed, and a good portion of this town will burn down.” “You know this for a fact?” Beau asked suspiciously. “Yes. It’s already part of our history books.” “Did it say how the fire gets started?” Zeke pushed his plate away. She swallowed hard. “It doesn’t say for sure, but it speculates that Canders set the fire on purpose.” “Bart Canders? The foreman out at the Seligman mine?” Zeke looked at her skeptically. “Where’d this journal come from?” “It was handed down by the family of Charlie Penbroke. He worked, or I guess works, at the Belmont Mill. He kept a kind of diary over the years of everything that went on at the mill and here in the town.” “We know Charlie. He comes in here two or three times a week.” Zeke glanced at Beau. “Never seems too happy.” She snorted before she could stop herself. “Yeah, well if I was working in conditions like he describes at the mill, I wouldn’t be happy either.” Beau frowned. “Does it say why Bart sets the fire?”

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Chapter 3 “He speculates that Canders was cheating the mine owners and set the fire to cover it up.” Anna clasped her hands on the table. “Will you help me?” The two men glanced at each other, and then Beau covered her hands with one of his own. “Help you do what, darlin’?” “Stop him,” she growled. “If we can be there early on Saturday, we can stop it before it goes too far and keep all those men from dying.” “What makes you think history’ll be so easy to change?” Anna stood and paced back and forth, her sandals making squishy sounds on the wooden floor. “It’s the only thing that makes any sense. I have to have been sent here for a purpose, and I can’t think of a nobler reason than to save lives.” She gave them a grin. “Besides, saving lives is what I do.” “What do you mean?” Beau asked. “I’m a nurse.” She frowned at their puzzled expressions. “It’s like being a doctor but without as much schooling. I work in a hospital taking care of sick people.” “Damn, that’s really something.” Zeke walked over and took her in his arms. “What happens after we stop this fire? Do you think you’ll just up and be sent back to your time?” “I don’t know. I just know that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I don’t do something to try and stop it from happening.” Beau joined them, hugging her from the other side and trapping her in a sexy-man sandwich. “Do you think you could be happy

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staying with us if there’s no way for you to get home?” His hands caressed up and down her back. Anna couldn’t think, the heat from their bodies soaking through her borrowed clothes. “Why would you want me to stay? I thought the two of you are a couple.” Zeke froze and took a step back. “What do you mean?” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to embarrass you. I could hear you through the walls last night.” “And it didn’t bother you?” Beau asked. “Are you kidding? It was really hot. I was just sorry there wasn’t a visual to go with the sound effects.” She could feel herself blushing and knew she had to be bright red. “You would’ve wanted to watch?” Zeke asked incredulously. “Would you’ve joined us if you could?” Beau asked, pressing his body a little closer. “Anybody home?” A voice called out from the front room. Anna pulled away just as a strange man walked into the kitchen. Tall, ragged, and tired-looking, he had a mop of gray hair peeking out from a battered felt Stetson. His handlebar mustache twitched, his bushy brown eyebrows meeting over the bridge of his nose when he caught sight of Anna standing by the stove. “I’m sorry, Zeke. Didn’t know you had company.” His gaze traveled down her torso, his eyes widening when he got to the sandals on her feet. “No problem, Clarence. This here is Anna. She’s visiting from back East.” He gave Beau a shrewd look and then smiled. “We sent off for one of them mail-order brides for the two of us.” All three men looked at Anna when she tried to stifle a gasp. “Anna, this is our friend Clarence Williamson. He works out at the Seligman mine.” Clarence took off his hat. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Anna.” He turned to Zeke. “Congratulations. I’d no idea you were thinking about getting hitched.” Beau walked over and put his arm around Anna. “We decided we wanted a woman of our own to love and maybe have a family with.”

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“Can’t say I blame you. Soon as I save up enough money I’ll be sending for Eloise.” He glanced at Anna. “Eloise is my wife. She’s staying with her folks back East until I get some money saved up.” He looked back at Zeke. “I’m riding over to Treasure City today. Charlie’s in need of supplies for the mine that he can’t get here, and I thought I’d see if you needed anything while I’m there.” “Well, now that’s mighty kind of you, Clarence. As a matter of fact you can do us a big favor.” His arm tightened around Anna as he pulled her closer to the two men. “Anna, here, got her bags stolen off the train on her way out, and it left her with only one change of clothes.” He grinned down at her. “She put her things in to soak this morning, so she’s making do with some of our clothes. Do you think you could swing by the mercantile and pick up an assortment of ladies’ clothes? I’m sure there’ll be somebody there you could ask to pick out appropriate things.” Clarence smiled. “I’ll be happy to, Beau. I’m a married man myself and it won’t bother me none to pick up some ladies’ things.” He lowered his voice. “I have to admit I was wondering why she’s dressed so funny.” He cleared his throat. “How much do you want me to buy?” Zeke pulled out a money clip and handed some bills to Clarence. “Tell them she needs enough for several days of changes. After that, she’ll be able to go and pick out her own.” “Not a problem.” He nodded at Anna and put his hat back on his head. “I’ll be back sometime late this evening or early in the morning.” “That’s fine, Clarence. Travel safely.” Zeke left, walking him toward the front of the saloon. Anna remained quiet until Zeke came back and then she exploded. “Mail-order bride! Are you nuts?” Instead of being offended, Zeke merely grinned. “What? You don’t like the idea of being our bride?” “The last I heard it’s illegal to have two husbands.”

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“Maybe where you come from, but out here it’s a little different. Women are scarce and folks don’t think nothing of two men sharing one wife. Just makes the line shorter over at Bart’s place.” “Bart’s place?” You mean the place next door? The House of Ill Repute?” She remembered Kat telling her there was a whorehouse next to the saloon. When the men remained silent, she laughed. “You mean to tell me you’d marry me just so you don’t have to wait in line for the tainted ladies working for a living?” Zeke quickly crossed the room and took her in his arms. “It’s not like that, Anna. We weren’t visiting Bart’s place before you got here.” He looked at Beau. “I admit we’ve always had each other.” He took his hand and raised her chin. “But that don’t mean we haven’t longed for a woman to share our bed and our lives. We want a wife, Anna, someone to share things with, and to give us children.” Anna stared deeply into his blue eyes. “And you want that person to be me? You hardly know me.” “You gotta understand something, Anna.” Zeke moved closer. “The only women we ever get to see are Bart’s whores. We don’t wanna risk losing a fine woman like yourself. Will you at least think about it? We could make a good life together. You’d make a great wife and mother.” Beau moved in close behind her. “We know it probably seems pretty fast to you, but things are done differently here in the west. A man sees what he wants and he goes for it. Nothing would make us happier than for you to become our bride, Anna.” He turned her head around and placed a soft kiss on her lips. When she didn’t pull away, he deepened the embrace, letting his tongue slide across the seam of her lips. “Come on, darlin’, open up for me.” When she parted her lips, his tongue swept inside, filling her with his taste. “My turn.” Zeke pulled her away and covered her parted lips with his own, wasting no time in plunging his tongue inside. His hands settled on her waist, his thumbs digging in painfully, and then slid up to hover under her breasts.

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“You smell so good.” Beau aligned his body along her back, his lips caressing the skin behind her ear. “Come upstairs with us, Anna. We’ll make it so good for you,” he whispered. “Bennington, get out here!” Anna jerked away from Zeke’s hands and glanced warily at the door. “Who the hell is that?” The man sounded furious. “Damn, that’s Bart Canders.” Zeke pushed her into Beau’s arms. “Both of you stay here.” He turned and hurried toward the front room. “Come on.” Beau urged her toward the door. “I wanna hear what he has to say.” Together they crept down the hall until they could hear the voices clearly. “I don’t care what he told you, Bart. Mathers wasn’t cheated. He lost fair and square and then got drunk.” “He told me Ellis won every hand and that you cheered him on. He also said you told Ellis to teach him a lesson.” “You’re damn right I cheered him on. Carl Ellis has never won a hand of cards since we’ve owned this place. The man sends home money to raise seven kids, and I was rooting for him to win.” “That’s no excuse for telling him to ambush Mathers.” Zeke sighed heavily. “Nobody said anything about ambushing. I told Carl he should teach Mathers how to play better. Hell, the men laughed about it.” “Well, Mathers wasn’t laughing when he was beat senseless at the stables.” Zeke’s voice turned hard. “If he was beaten then I’d wager he brought it on himself. Carl left after he won that last hand, quite some time before Mathers stumbled out of here drunk on his ass.” His voice lowered. “Where’d this supposed beating take place?” “He says at the livery.” “What the hell would he be doing there? Last I heard Mathers doesn’t own a horse.” “Didn’t figure I’d get any satisfaction from you, Bennington. I’m here to tell you that I’ll be encouraging my workers to stay away from

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this place. We’ll see how long you stay in business without being able to take their weekly pay.” Zeke laughed. “You encourage them all you want, Canders. We both know I’m the only place in walking distance they can come to unwind. And as for taking their weekly pay, you don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s a payday rule here at the Silver Rush. No miner gets served until he shows his copy of the wire sending part of his pay home. I’m the one watching out for these men, not you.” The sound of a door slamming had Beau and Anna peeking around the door frame. “You ’bout ready to explode?” asked Beau. Zeke turned and gave them a weak smile. “Why couldn’t that asshole be the one who got beat? I’d pay good money to see that.” “He’s the one who’s gonna set the fire, isn’t he?” Anna walked further into the room. “If your friend’s journal is right, that’s him. Zeke pulled out a couple of chairs and motioned for Anna and Beau to sit. “What’s the plan, darlin’?” Anna thought for a minute. “In the book, Penbroke said he believed the fire started in the main office right before the miners were due for the first shift.” She looked at both men. “I say we show up there early on Saturday, before the workers, and see if we can catch him in the act.” Zeke narrowed his eyes. “How ’bout I show up there on Saturday, and you keep Beau warm until I get back?” “Absolutely not.” Anna shook her head so hard her hair formed a curtain over her eyes. “Fate sent me here to fix things, so I have to be there.” “That’s pure hogwash,” he argued. “You don’t have the slightest idea how or why you’re here.” “All right! Everybody needs to calm down.” Beau gave Zeke a look Anna couldn’t decipher. “What say we settle this the cowboy way?”

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“What does that mean?” Anna asked, her hands clasping together on the cold wood table. Zeke grinned and then walked over and reached for something behind the bar. He returned moments later with a deck of cards in his hand. “Means we’ll play poker to see who wins.” He sat down. “If I win, the two of you stay here and keep the bed warm.” “And if you win”—Beau covered her hand with his—“we’ll all go together.” Anna grimaced. “I don’t know how to play poker.” The men exchanged a glance, and then Beau scooted his chair closer. “Do you trust me, darlin’?” “Trust you?” “Yeah, trust me. Do you trust me to play the hand for you?” “You’ll do everything you can to win?” He leaned over and kissed her lips lightly. “I promise to do everything possible to beat Zeke.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, then poker it is.” “What’s your game, Beau?” Zeke began shuffling the cards. “Let’s keep it simple. Instead of poker, how ’bout a game of blackjack?” “You got it.” He laid the deck of cards on the table in front of Anna. “I’ll let you cut the cards, darlin’.” She looked at Beau questioningly. “What do I do?” “Just divide the cards into two stacks to further mix them up, and then put them back together in a single deck.” Anna began separating the cards into little piles. When she had five little stacks sitting on the table, she stacked them back together in one whole deck. She looked up and caught the amused looks on both men’s faces. “Is that all right?” Zeke laughed. “Sure thing, honey. Those cards have never been so well-shuffled.” He dealt a card facedown in front of Beau and then one in front of himself. Immediately he placed cards on top of those face up. There was a nine of hearts on Beau’s side and a king of

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spades on Zeke’s. He glanced at his hidden card and then looked expectantly at Beau. Beau tapped his card once. “Double down.” “Are you kidding?” Zeke asked. “What’s double down mean?” Anna bit her lip and stared first at Beau and then Zeke. “Double down is what we say when we just want one card.” Beau scratched his head. “Sometimes you just get a feeling, and something tells you that with just one card added everything will fall into place and be perfect. Doubling down gives you one card, and if you win, whatever you bet gets doubled.” “And you think another card will give you a perfect hand? What makes it a perfect hand?” “The goal of the game is to get the closest to the number twentyone as you can without going over.” Zeke gave Beau one card and smiled. He’d turned up the four of diamonds. “Doesn’t look like your luck has changed much in gambling.” “Wait,” Anna cried. “He has to be closer to twenty-one than you to win. Is that right?” When Zeke nodded she swallowed hard. “Okay then. Let’s see what ya got.” Zeke turned over his hidden card and uncovered a Jack of hearts. “Dealer pays twenty-one.” He smirked. Slowly Beau turned over his card and grinned. “Twenty-one, asshole.” His hidden card was the eight of hearts. “Son of a bitch,” Zeke growled. “Of all the stupid, asinine stunts. You called a double down with a seventeen total and me showing a King? Are you crazy or just stupid?” Beau laughed. “Beat your ass, didn’t I?” He smiled at Anna. “Looks like we’re all going to pay the Seligman Mine a visit on Saturday morning.” Anna squealed and jumped into Beau’s lap. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She peppered his face with kisses as he held on tightly to her waist. “You’ve got to teach me how to play this game.”

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She got up and walked around the table and sat down hard in Zeke’s lap, laughing when he grunted. “You won’t be sorry, Zeke. I feel like I have to be there, like it’s destiny for me.” “What happens afterward, Anna? Are you gonna leave us?” She didn’t like thinking about leaving. Going home should be uppermost in her mind, but all she could think about was getting closer to her men. My men! Where did that come from? “I don’t know what’s gonna happen after I fix things Saturday.” “You don’t know that you can change anything.” Zeke pushed the hair away from her face. “What do you wish would happen?” She bit her bottom lip and glanced over at Beau. He was staring at her with a heat in his eyes she’d never had directed at her before. Her gaze cut back to Zeke and found the same desire in his eyes. “I wish,” she whispered. “I know it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, I haven’t known you two but for a day. But it’s like everything I ever wished for has been dropped into my lap. I wish I could stay here forever.” Without another word Zeke stood with her in his arms and headed toward the stairs. “Lock the doors, Beau, and get your ass upstairs.” When he reached the bedroom, he set Anna on her feet and walked over and pulled down the shade. He turned around slowly and held out his hand. “Come ’ere, little darlin’.” Anna swallowed hard and then walked over and placed her hand in his. Her breath caught in her throat when Zeke pushed her up against the wall, his hard thigh slipping between her legs and pushing up against her pussy. He licked, and then gently bit her bottom lip before he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. “Hey!” Beau’s voice cut into her thoughts as she heard the door slam shut. “Don’t be gettin’ started without me.” He hurried over and pushed Zeke to the side without breaking his hold. He leaned forward and licked her neck before sucking up the skin forcefully. Anna had no doubts he’d leave a mark for everyone to see.

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“Don’t be so damn bossy.” Zeke lifted away from the kiss and buried his lips in the curve of her neck. “There’s plenty of lovin’ to go ’round.” Beau lowered his lips to hers for a brief kiss, and then made his way along her jaw back to the side of her neck. You smell so good, honey.” Work-roughened palms with long, tapering fingers roughly untied the rope at her waist and yanked the loose pants down her thighs. She groaned and let her fingers slide through Zeke’s hair when he nuzzled her mound over the satiny cloth of her thong. “Darlin’, you’ve got some of the strangest drawers I’ve ever seen. There’s practically nothing to ’em.” He ran his thumb over the silky nub of her panties eliciting a soft gasp from her lips. Beau pulled her hand away, forcing her arms back as he unfastened and pulled off her shirt. She became pliant as he kissed every inch of the skin he exposed, his hand sliding down her back to rest on the swell of her ass. She could feel him tugging on the elastic of her thong. “I wanna see you, Anna.” “Yeah, me too.” Zeke slid the tiny scrap of material down her legs letting his fingers run through her feminine curls. “You’re so silky here.” “Let me see.” Beau’s hand snaked around her hip, his fingers skimming over her pussy lips. “Damn, she’s sopping wet.” Zeke reached between her legs to brush a fingertip across the hood of her throbbing clit. “I can’t wait any longer, Beau.” He dropped to his knees and rubbed her swollen clit with his thumb. Leaning close, he replaced his hand with his mouth and ran his tongue up the slit of her wet pussy. “No!” Anna cried out when Beau pulled her away from the fiery pleasure of Zeke’s mouth. “Patience, Anna. We just need to get a little more comfortable.” He scooped her into his arms and tossed her onto the bed. Now we can all get down to business.”

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Anna watched the two men quickly strip off their clothes. Their chiseled, work-roughened features causing the breath to catch in her throat. Both men sported impressive erections, and both were already leaking pre-cum. She swallowed hard. “What about protection?” Beau gave her a wink as he climbed onto the bed. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll make sure to pull out in time. We won’t be leaving you with a babe.” Anna forced herself to concentrate as Zeke snuggled close on her other side. “No, that’s not what I mean. You can’t get me pregnant, at least not right now.” Zeke placed a hand on her chin and forced her gaze up to his. “I’m so sorry, Anna. You can’t have children?” “No, I mean yes, I probably can. I just wouldn’t be able to get pregnant for a few months. I just had my Depo shot before we left on vacation.” She sighed at the puzzled frowns on their faces. “It’s an injection the doctor gives me a few times a year that keeps me from getting pregnant. That way I get to decide when I want to have a baby.” “Guess we don’t have to ask if you’ve been with a man before.” Beau smoothed the hair away from her face. “Well, yes, I’ve had a couple of relationships with men.” She watched their faces carefully. “Does that make a difference?” “Absolutely not!” “No, honey, not at all.” Anna giggled. “I’m glad it doesn’t bother you.” “If you can’t conceive a child, then why were you asking about protection?” Zeke moved over and settled between her spread thighs. His warm breath on her stomach made it difficult for Anna to voice her thoughts. “I meant condoms, you know, for disease.” She took a deep breath. “Not that I’m sick or anything, I mean I’m clean and I’m sure you are, too, but it always pays to be careful.” She could feel herself flushing as she rambled on. “What are you—”

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“I know what she’s talking about.” Beau ran his hand through Zeke’s hair. “I read about ’em. Some kind of little coverings men could use to catch their seed so they didn’t spill into their woman’s body.” “I never heard of such a thing.” Zeke leaned close and blew gently on her spread pussy. “As far as I know there’s nothing like that around here.” Anna groaned and closed her eyes as she brushed her hand along the bristly roughness of his unshaven beard. She could feel the muffled heat of his breath flicker across her abdomen. “I guess it’ll have to be okay then.” She lost the ability to talk when Zeke stroked her clit with his thumb, his fingers working their way inside her. She began to pant as he rubbed gentle circles around the tiny nub. “You’re so beautiful.” Beau kissed her eyelids softly, his hand caressing across the skin of her chest. His lips roamed over to her earlobe and then down the side of her neck while his fingers teased the sensitive tip of her breast, making maddeningly slow circles around the peak. He pinched and kneaded each nipple in turn before lifting her breast in his hand. He circled her nipple with his tongue just before he sucked it deep inside his mouth. “Spread your legs wider,” Zeke ordered. He settled his upper body even lower between her spread thighs and licked her from bottom to top. “God, you taste like sweet honey.” He laved her most intimate places with his hot tongue, stroking down her slit and back up, swirling around her pulsing clit. Anna groaned harshly when Beau’s thumb circled her nipple, torturing it into a hard bud before sucking it deep into his mouth. She couldn’t stop a moan from escaping when she felt the sharp nip of his teeth on her tender flesh. Zeke opened her folds with his fingers and began to lick her clit in earnest while he penetrated her sheath with his fingers. He plucked and teased her swollen nub, slipping his thick index finger in and out before tracing her cleft again.

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“Oh, God,” she cried out, her hips bucking off the mattress as an orgasm washed through her senses. Zeke threw a hand across her abdomen, holding her still as he lapped and sucked until the last wave of pleasure receded. **** Beau watched Anna’s eyes roll back as she found pleasure from Zeke’s mouth. He knew the kind of pleasure that mouth could bring firsthand. Stifling a groan, he slipped his arm under Anna’s shoulders and sat her up. “It’s my turn.” He pulled her over to the side of the bed and helped to steady her on her feet. “You leaving me out?” Zeke smirked as he moved up to lounge on his side. “Nope, just wanna feel this lovely lady’s lips on me, if she’s willing.” He sat down and pulled her gently between his legs, slid his hands around to cup her buttocks, and hauled her up against his erection. “What about it, Anna?” Zeke got up and came around the bed to stand behind Anna. He moved in close and pressed his hard body against her back. “He wants you to put those beautiful lips of yours around his cock. Can you do that, Anna?” Beau pulled her closer, crushing her breasts against his chest while Zeke pushed up against her back. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, honey. We’d never force you to do anything.” He could see Zeke’s hands slide down over her hipbones and then roam across her stomach before inching up and cupping her firm breasts. “You won’t regret it if you do it,” promised Zeke. “He tastes as good as you do.” His fingers lightly pinched the tips of her breasts. Beau let his hands slide up her bare back and down again, enjoying the silky feel of her skin while his mouth moved to her shoulders and back up her throat to her mouth. He heard her gasp

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when he spread his hands across her buttocks, his fingers lightly delving between the rounded globes. His teeth nipped at the skin of her neck causing her to arch her back and moan. “Come on, honey. I wanna feel those sweet lips around me.” Pushing Beau to his back, Anna caught his cock in her hand and ran her tongue around the head. He made a groaning sound deep in his throat and trembled at her first tentative damp stroke. “Holy hell!” Zeke leaned forward and locked gazes with Beau. “What’s it feel like?” “Heaven,” he groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. “Damn, I never knew it’d be so hot to watch someone else doin’ it to you.” Beau’s eyes flew open when Anna’s tongue reached out and swiped the tip of his cock before probing gently into his weeping slit. “Shit,” he cried out, unable to stop his hips from thrusting forward. She cupped his sac, rolling his balls gently, and opened wide to take his erection fully inside her mouth. “I never seen nothing like it,” Zeke mumbled in a gravelly voice. Anna gripped Beau’s shaft firmly, pumping him as she inched her slick lips over his crown. She hollowed her cheeks and began to suck him in earnest. “Wait!” Beau held his breath, gritting his teeth in an effort not to come. He reached down and cupped the back of her head to hold her in place for just a moment, savoring the moist heat of her mouth, and then pulled her away from his body. “I need to fuck you, Anna. I wanna sink my cock deep inside you.” “Yes,” she groaned. “I want that, too.” Her gaze turned to Zeke. “Why don’t you fuck him while he’s doin’ me?” Zeke’s mouth dropped open. “Shit, is that even possible?” “Oh, yeah, it’s possible all right.” Beau grabbed her chin and raised her head so he could look into her eyes. “You’re just full of surprises, honey. Where’d you learn something like that?”

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Chapter 4 Beau didn’t give her time to answer the question. He pulled her closer and devoured her mouth. “Get on your back, Anna.” Zeke’s voice was hard, like he was having trouble keeping control. He walked over and pulled the jar of Vaseline out of the dresser drawer while Anna climbed onto the bed. Beau pushed her legs wide apart and reached down and pressed on her exposed clit. “You’re dripping for us, Anna.” He ran his finger from the top of her slit to her anus collecting her honey and then spread it all over his lips. He turned to Zeke and gave him a wicked grin. “Come see what the two of us taste like together.” “Oh, God,” Anna groaned. Zeke moved forward quickly and covered Beau’s lips with his own. His tongue came out and licked across the damp surface. “Man, I can taste both of you, so very different but kind of complementing each other.” He turned his gaze to Anna. “It’s a taste I could easily get used to.” Beau grinned and moved closer to Anna, settling between her thighs and nudging her opening with his leaking shaft. He sheathed himself deep inside her pussy with one stroke, easily sliding into her soaked channel. She moaned, lifting her hips high, rotating them in an effort to fit their bodies together. Her ankles locked behind his back as she lifted her arms, looping them around his shoulders and spearing her fingers through his hair. “I need you to hold still while I get situated.” Zeke moved in close behind Beau. “Spread your legs a little bit more,” he demanded in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

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“Don’t take all day cause I’m not gonna last long. She’s so damn tight.” He reached down and put his fingers against her clit, rubbing it while he moved inside her. Her loud groan brought a smile to his face. “You like that, honey?” “Don’t be an ass! Of course she likes it.” Zeke moved closer and pressed two slickened fingers into Beau’s hole. He hissed, and circled his hips, helping Zeke to stretch and prepare him. “God, you’re always so fucking tight. Your ass is clenching around my fingers.” Beau felt Zeke’s fingers teasing the nerve endings around his anus. “Come on, Zeke. I want you inside me.” He raised his butt higher and pushed back when he felt the tip of Zeke’s erection pressing against his hole. His hoarse cry echoed in the room, his gaze never leaving Anna’s eyes, as Zeke plunged his cock deep into his ass, rubbing against his sweet spot on the way in. “You feel so good, Beau.” Easing back, he pushed slowly ahead again, pegging his gland over and over. “Man, I don’t even have to move. You’re pounding me hard enough to make me fuck this pussy at the same time.” Beau leaned forward and sucked an engorged nipple into his mouth. Anna gasped and gripped her nails hard into Beau’s shoulders. “Faster, I need you to move faster.” Beau didn’t think anything could be better than the feelings running through him. He could feel Zeke’s cock stretching him open, filling him completely at the same time Anna’s pussy gripped him like a tight, hot glove. His buttocks flexed, his ass muscles clenching, as he ground in a bit before pulling back out to tease her. Zeke’s thrusts were jarring, and he didn’t think he’d last much longer, so he flexed his hips to sink his hard cock a little deeper inside her. “Oh, God, that feels so fucking good.” She rotated her hips, tightening her pussy muscles around his shaft. Beau let out a strangled moan when Zeke’s hand drifted around his hips and grabbed the base of his cock as it went in and out of Anna. From the sound of her groans he knew his knuckles were

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scraping against her exposed clit. For just a minute more he continued to pound into Beau’s ass, grunting in pleasure with the wild thrusts. Suddenly, with a loud moan, Anna shattered. Zeke sped up the movements of his hand, pulling Beau from the warmth of Anna’s body just in time for his seed to spill all over Zeke’s hand. When Zeke came, it was long and hard, his head falling back as he released a primal cry. Nobody moved for a few moments and then Beau grunted. “Get your ass moving, Zeke, before we squish our woman.” Anna giggled as Zeke groaned and pulled back, collapsing onto the bed beside her. “That was great! Do you think we can do it again?” Now it was Beau’s turn to groan as he dropped to her other side. “She’s gonna be the death of us.” Zeke leaned up on one elbow and smiled. “Yeah, but what a way to go!” He leaned over and pressed a kiss against her shoulder. “Honey, would you like to relax in a bath?” **** “Really?” Anna wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. Did he really just ask if she’d like a bath? “Really!” Zeke ran his hand down her bare arm. “Wouldn’t it feel good to soak in some warm water, maybe add some sweet smelling soap?” “No offense, guys, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable taking a bath somewhere outside like you have your outhouse.” “Our what?” Beau asked. “Your outhouse, you know. Oh, what did you call it, um, oh yeah, the privy.” Zeke laughed. “No, honey, you don’t have to go outside to take a bath.” “Well, then where? I haven’t seen any bathrooms.”

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Zeke shook his head as he stood and reached for his pants. “I’m not even gonna ask what a bathroom is. Just lay here and relax for about a half hour and then come on down to the kitchen. Beau and I’ll get everything set up for you.” “I’m going to take a bath in your kitchen?” Beau snickered as he pulled on his pants. “Just trust us, honey. Well get everything ready and you’ll love it.” Anna watched the men scurry out the door and frowned. “What the hell am I doing?” she whispered. “Maybe I’ll wake up any minute and all this will have been a dream. Yeah, that’s right. I stayed up late reading that stupid journal Kat gave me, and now I’m dreaming myself right into the story.” She glanced around the room. “Freaking realistic dream. What am I gonna do if I can’t get home? I can’t stay here.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I don’t belong here.” But it feels like I do. She got up and wrapped the quilt around her body. “If this is all real then I’m here for a purpose. I’ve got to keep that asshole from killing all those men in the fire.” She walked over and looked out the window. The scene outside was like something from a history book. “What did you get me into, Kat, and where the hell are you?” She felt dampness on her cheek. Surprised, she raised a trembling hand to wipe away the tears. “If I’m here, where did you end up, Kat? God, I hope you’re okay.” After several minutes she decided she’d waited long enough. She gathered the quilt firmly around her, and headed down the stairs. She could hear muffled voices coming from the kitchen. Cautiously, she cracked open the door and peeked inside. Beau and Zeke looked up and smiled when they saw the door open. “Come on in, honey. We’ve got everything ready.” Zeke held out his hand. Anna padded into the room and stopped. Someone had hung a rope between two walls and draped a sheet over it, effectively

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blocking off part of the room. The shades were drawn on the windows creating a dark, intimate atmosphere. “We thought maybe you could use a few things.” Beau pointed to the table. Anna glanced down and smiled. They’d laid out a brush, hair pins, and some ribbon. “Thanks, guys, that’s great.” “Here, hon, how do you like this.” Zeke held out a small round object for her to take. She grinned as the sweet smell of lavender invaded her senses. She’d not smelled lavender soap since visiting her grandmother when she was little. It brought back such warm memories. “Well, come on then. The water’ll get cold if you don’t hurry.” Beau pulled her around the sheet and pushed her toward a large metal tub. He dipped his hand into the water and frowned. “It’s a little too cool, Zeke. Let’s heat it up.” Zeke walked over to the fire. A large, blackened iron pot sat on the metal grate above smoldering coals. “We keep this pot of water heating all the time so we have it when we need it.” His big, callused hands gripped the handle, his arms and shoulder muscles bunching and stretching as he swung the pot off the fire. Slowly he poured the steaming water into the tub. Beau checked the temperature with his hand and smiled. “Feels just right. Come on, honey, let’s get you to soaking.” Light from the fire glinted in his eyes as warmth from the flames crept into her body. “I guess it’s a good thing I had my legs waxed right before vacation.” She sighed in pleasure as she lowered herself into the warm water. “I don’t guess disposable razors have been invented yet.” Zeke frowned. “Of course we have razors, silly woman.” He walked over and pulled something off the shelf and brought it back to the tub. “See, here’s my cut-throat.” Anna choked when she saw the wicked looking one-edge blade. “Uh, I think I’ll pass, if it’s okay with you. I’ll just have to let my legs go au naturel.”

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Beau knelt down and began to run the scented soap over Anna’s back. “I remember when one of Bart’s women tried to use wax to take the hairs off her legs.” “Bart’s women? You mean one of the women from the place next door?” “Yeah, that’s right. He’d read something about the women back east doing it and thought it sounded real sexy, so he had her do it for him.” Zeke laughed and sank to his knees on the other side of the tub. “I remember that. Lord-almighty, that poor girl looked like somebody tried to boil her alive.” “What happened?” Anna relaxed back into their arms, letting the lavender scent relax her. She glanced over as a coal in the fireplace burst into a shower of sparks. Zeke took the soap away from Beau and began washing her other side. “I don’t think anybody rightly knew what they did wrong. I think they all figured that Bart just didn’t understand what he read.” “What went wrong?” she asked. “Well, he had her burn a bunch of candles and then dripped the hot wax on the hair below her knees. He’d had the other women cut a sheet into strips, and as soon as the wax dropped on her skin, he pressed the sheet down over it and then let it dry.” “Oh, my God.” Anna cringed thinking about what must have come next. “Yeah, you could hear that girl squeal clear over here. They said he yanked those strips off one by one expecting the hairs to be gone.” “You mean they weren’t?” “Well, not all of ’em. Of course, it did take a fair amount of skin off that made up the difference.” He snickered. “Nobody could touch her after that. They said she just lay around in bed naked as a newborn baby for days because of the pain.” Beau ran his hand up her leg and grinned. “Is that how you got your legs so silky smooth?”

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Anna shrugged. “Yeah, I had them waxed, but the process has come a long way since what you described.” “You mean it didn’t hurt?” Zeke made a similar caress to the leg on his side. “I didn’t say that.” Anna laughed. “Waxing can be pretty uncomfortable, but they give you special creams and lotions to take the sting away.” Zeke continued his caress up the inside of her thigh. “Well, if waxing is what makes you this soft to touch then I’m all for it.” His fingers trailed up, disappearing under the cloudy water. Anna held her breath and instinctively spread her legs to give him better access. She rocked her hips, moving against his hand when his fingers brushed against her clit. “That’s it, darlin’. Feel how good we can make you feel.” Zeke bent forward and captured her mouth in a hot kiss, his tongue swirling against hers. “Just let yourself go, Anna.” Beau leaned over and sucked her nipple into his mouth and tugged sharply. The dual sensation of her clit being manipulated, and the sting of Beau’s teeth on her nipple, sent Anna over the edge. “Yes,” she cried out, arching her back as the pleasure rushed through her. “We got you, Anna.” Zeke tightened his arm around her back keeping her from sliding down into the water. When she caught her breath, he bent and lifted her in his hard arms and carried her straight back upstairs to the bedroom. She held on tightly as he carried her over to the bed. “Here ya go, honey.” Beau draped a sheet over her dripping body. “This’ll get you dried off.” He finished drying away all the water and then handed her one of his shirts. “We don’t have any clothes for you yet. Yours are still wet from where we washed them last night.” “You’re gonna have to stay up here today, Anna. Clarence won’t be back with your new clothes until late, and we can’t have you running around half dressed with a saloon full of liquored-up men.”

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“But I—” “Promise me, Anna. I don’t wanna have to keep worrying about you all day when I need to be focused on working.” Zeke crossed his arms across his chest and scowled fiercely. She sighed and gave in. “Okay, I’ll behave this time.” “What do you mean, you’ll behave?” She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll stay up here in this room until you get me some clothes.” She flounced over and looked out the window. “Is that what you wanna hear?” Beau walked over and put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his strong body. “We just want you to stay safe, Anna. These miners are a rough bunch when they’re drinking.” “I promise we’ll get you out of here into the fresh air as soon as Clarence gets back.” Zeke walked over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Do you forgive me, honey?” Anna relented and smiled. “Yeah, I forgive you. I don’t wanna run into any drunken louts today, so I’ll be a good girl and stay out of sight.” Before either man could say anything else, she heard a loud banging downstairs. Zeke kissed her forehead and headed for the door. “That’ll be the supply wagon in from the stage. We’re expecting a shipment of whisky today. Thunder pot’s under the bed if you need it.” Anna watched the two men leave, shutting the door behind them. She had to take a deep breath to keep from racing after them and beg not to be left alone with her thoughts. What I need is a good plan to save the miners from the fire. She walked over and stretched out on the bed. If they could get there early enough, she could find Canders before he sets the fire. She closed her eyes to think back on everything she’d read in Charlie Penbroke’s journal. ****

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Anna woke slowly to the feel of something tickling her nose. She batted at the annoyance with her hand without opening her eyes. “Come on, gorgeous, wake up. You don’t wanna sleep away another day.” She opened her eyes and stared into the depths of Zeke’s twinkling blue eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t slept any days away.” He raised his hand and smoothed the hair away from her face. “Sorry, darlin’, but you did. You’ve been sleeping over eighteen hours now.” “What?” Anna sat up suddenly and found the room spinning around her. “Shh, don’t wake Beau up.” Frowning, Anna glanced behind her. Beau was sleeping, curled up on his side and snuggled up to her back. She turned back to Zeke and noticed for the first time that he was naked. “What’s going on?” she whispered. He pulled her back down into his arms and pressed a kiss against her temple. “Honey, when we came up to get you for dinner, you were sound asleep. We figured the rest would do you more good than a ham steak, so we let you sleep.” “How long have I been asleep?” Zeke grinned, and snuggled even closer. “Like I said, over eighteen hours now. You slept all afternoon and through the night. It’s early Friday now.” Anna tried to remember falling asleep but couldn’t. She had a vague recollection of planning on going to the mine early on Saturday but nothing after that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to conk out on you guys.” “Uh, okay.” He had a puzzled look on his face. “You need to get up to use the thunder pot?” Anna felt her face flush. “Yeah, I need to go, but I’d rather make a trip to the outhouse if it’s all the same to you.”

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Zeke snickered as he scooted off the bed. “Sure, honey. No problem. There’re not many folks out and about this early, but I’ll walk with you anyway to make sure you’re safe.” He reached for his clothes. Fifteen minutes later they were back in the bedroom. Anna looked at Beau curled up on one side of the bed and bit her lip. “If you wanna spend some time alone with him, I can go lay down in the other room until you’re ready to get up.” **** “No way, gorgeous. This bed’s plenty big enough for three.” Zeke moved closer, nuzzling her hair, breathing in the feminine, musky aroma of her skin and sex. His erection was painful behind his denims. “Beau got to lose himself in that hot pussy yesterday and I want my turn.” He ran his tongue up the side of her neck. “You think you’re up for that?” He cupped the back of Anna’s head, his fingers curling into her silky hair, and pressed their mouths together, teasing the seam with his tongue. His gentle kiss turned into a deeper one, their lips parting, colliding as the kiss turned sensual, his tongue sliding into her mouth. “I want you, Anna,” Zeke whispered. He pulled her lower lip with his teeth, biting down gently. Anna’s groan echoed in his mouth as their tongues danced again. His fingers began unfastening the shirt she’d slept in, revealing the soft swells of her breasts. “You’re so beautiful.” Fascinated, he watched her cheeks turn a dull red. “What about Beau?” Anna hooked her fingers under the waistband of his pants. Zeke glanced at his sleeping partner and grinned. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m gonna make love to you right there beside him. I don’t think he’ll stay sleeping for long.” He quickly stripped the shirt from his body and pushed down his jeans, leaving everything in a pile on the floor. Face to face, he pushed the shirt off her shoulders and let it

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drop, his hands sliding over her smooth, warm skin. Leaning close, he licked a path down her chest, breathing her faint lavender scent. His hands cupped the sides of her breasts, sliding beneath their swells to cradle their full weight in his palms as his thumbs rubbed back and forth across her nipples. A smile broke out on his face as they hardened into stiff points. “You like that, don’t you, darlin’?” “Yeah, I—” Anna’s words cut off when Zeke’s knee pushed between hers. He began sliding down her body, pausing to lick the dusky nipples that seemed to reach toward his mouth. He allowed his tongue to linger over a small nub before taking it between his teeth. “Oh, God,” she cried out. Zeke felt a shiver run through Anna’s body and felt a moment of remorse. “I’m sorry, honey. You’ve got to be cold.” He swept her up into his arms and laid her gently on the bed, pausing a moment to glance at his sleeping partner. “Won’t be long before Beau wakes up.” He grinned. “I gotta take advantage of having you all to myself while I can.” Anna giggled and then gasped when Zeke climbed onto the bed. Placing his hands on her thighs, he spread her legs. “Fuck me, Zeke. Fuck me with your tongue.” He reached between her legs and stroked a finger through her sleek, wet lips. “That’s what I like to see. All them juices, just for me.” His thumb caressed her clit while he delved a finger into her juicy well and then teased her nubbin with his slippery finger. “That’s right, ain’t it, girl? All this honey is for me?” “Yes,” she gasped. “All for you.” Zeke curved his fingers and touched her hidden spot and relished the sound of her throaty groan. Leaning close, he kissed her damp center, rubbing his nose in the dark, auburn curls and then clamped his lips over her pussy lips and sucked hard. Anna bucked, her hips arching off the bed. “Come on, honey, come for me. Let me taste you fully.” He closed his lips around her clit, sucking gently, and then

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delved his tongue into her cunt, licking and sucking her cream as she reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair. “Oh, God! I’m coming,” she yelled, her body stiffening from head to toe. “Damn, you two should’ve woke me for the fun.” Zeke turned and grinned at Beau. “It’s not like we’re done. You’re free to join in. I had the back door yesterday. It’s your turn today.” He wiggled his ass to make his point and was gratified when Beau’s eyes lit up. Beau leaned forward and smiled at Anna. “Good morning, little darlin’.” His tongue and lips traveled over her chin, licking the length of her throat before settling over her parted lips. “Do you mind if I give Zeke some attention while he sees to your needs?” “No, go ahead, I think that’s so hot,” she said, breathing heavily. Beau moved closer and nipped her earlobe. “You know, honey, one of these days you’re gonna have to take your turn in the middle.” Zeke held his breath when a tiny smile broke out on her face. “Would you like that, Anna? Beau fucking this sweet pussy and me in your tight ass?” He reached down and cupped her cheeks, pulling them apart to make room for his pinkies to explore the rim of her anus. Slowly he eased inside the soft, wet heat with the middle finger of his right hand. “I wanna fuck this tight ass so bad.” “I, um, I’ve never done that.” Anna clenched her buttocks, pushing his finger out. Zeke leaned forward and kissed her pussy. “Relax, honey. It’s not happening today, and when it does, we’ll be as gentle as possible. I promise we’ll make it good for you.” Beau pressed a quick kiss on Anna’s lips. “Don’t you worry none, girl. We’d never do anything to hurt you.” He grinned. “Now, I’m gonna go make Zeke squirm some. You just lay back and enjoy the pleasure.” Anna giggled as Beau slid down the bed. “Now where was I?” Zeke grinned and moved up Anna’s body. “I wanna enjoy the feel of you underneath me.” He rested his weight on

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his bent arms and pressed the tip of his cock against her slick opening. In one swift motion, he pushed into her and began gliding in and out with urgent strokes, each one bringing pressure to the rigid length of his cock. Her fingers dug into his hips hard enough to leave bruises as she urged him to move faster and delve deeper. “Fuck me harder, Zeke,” she begged, her inner walls clamping around his shaft as he pounded into her. “Please, fuck me harder.” Her breath came in shallow pants. Zeke felt the contractions deep inside her body as she climaxed, her scream echoing through the saloon. **** Beau watched Zeke position himself above Anna and drive his cock home. The blond hair scattered across his chest narrowed down past his navel to a thick mat cradling his erection. He leaned closer and kissed a trail across Zeke’s stomach while his hand slid over the taut muscles of one thigh. Periodically he stopped and nipped lightly at the skin, laughing softly when a shiver rippled across the flesh. His lover was extremely ticklish. Pleasure at the feel and taste of Zeke’s skin had his balls pulling tight. Moving in behind Zeke, he shuddered and placed his head on his back, listening to the rhythm of his heart. He reached up and stroked his cheek in a gentle gesture. He couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t have feelings for the man, and now, he had the same tender feelings for Anna. Beau heard Anna begging Zeke to fuck her harder. He leaned close to Zeke’s ear. “Not too fast, please. Give me time to get inside you so we can all come together.” He grabbed the jar of Vaseline they’d left by the bed and scooped out a handful. He looked down at his long, erect cock with shiny drops of pre-cum glistening and sighed. He began stroking the firm column of flesh, thoroughly coating it with the lubricant. Carefully he moved his hand up and

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down his rigid cock, his other hand gently cupping the heavy, warm sac beneath. He groaned when his fingers slid across the tip. He gently slipped a greased finger into Zeke while he continued to stroke his balls. He pushed it in and out a few times and then added a second, twisting and turning them, searching for and finding Zeke’s prostate. His efforts were rewarded when a harsh groan filled the air. Beau aligned the tip of his cock with Zeke’s opening and slowly pressed in until his balls snuggled up against his lover’s ass, gazing into Anna’s eyes as he sank in deep. He gripped Zeke’s hips and began to thrust, over and over, harder and harder. His buttocks tightened as he ground his hips against Zeke’s rump. He heard Zeke shout and his balls pulled tight, the exhilarating feel of his orgasm racing up his spine. Beau gasped and grunted, thrusting twice. He let out a guttural yell and pulled out, hot streams exploding from his cock painting Zeke’s back muscles. No one said anything for a moment and then Beau laughed. “I think I’m getting too old for this.” He ignored Zeke and Anna telling him he wasn’t old and grabbed the edge of the sheet to wipe his seed off Zeke’s back. “Man, I’m wiped out.” He collapsed onto his side. “I think it’s your turn to make breakfast, Zeke.” “Well, you definitely don’t want me cooking it.” Anna smirked. “I’m not a good cook in a modern kitchen, much less one that requires a fire to do the cooking.” “Is everything really so much better in your time?” Beau asked. “Well, let’s see. We have little boxes in our kitchens that you can put food inside and punch a few buttons. A few minutes later you have completely cooked food.” Zeke snorted. “Now you’re pulling our legs. There ain’t no such thing.” Anna shrugged. “You’re wrong, Zeke. It’s called a microwave oven and it exists. We have a lot of things to make our lives easier.” “Humph, sounds too simplistic to me. Where’s the challenge, the fun?” Zeke climbed out of the bed and reached for his pants. “I’ll be

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happy to make breakfast.” He glanced at Anna. “I’ll bring up some fresh water so you can clean up.” He pointed toward the dresser. “Clarence brought your new clothes by last night, and we put them in the drawers. Beau’ll give you a hand getting them laced up and whatnot.” “What are we gonna do today?” she asked. “We’re gonna show you our cabin.” Zeke sat down to put on his shoes. “You have a cabin?” “Yep. We talked about it last night and thought it might be a good solution.” Anna frowned. “Solution to what?” Beau ran his hand down Anna’s bare back. “If you stay with us, we thought you might prefer to live somewhere other than the saloon.” Anna sat up and looked at both men. “You mean you have a house somewhere here in town?”

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Chapter 5 Beau grinned. “We have a small cabin just outside of town. It’s been empty for quite a while, but it shouldn’t take too much to clean it up.” “Why don’t you live in it?” Zeke laughed. “It’s just easier for us to live here since we work such late hours. Besides, we’ve only seen the cabin a couple of times.” Anna shook her head. “I’m confused. Why’d you buy it if you weren’t gonna live in it?” Zeke reached over and picked up her hand. He bent and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “We didn’t buy it, honey. Last year one of the miners lost it to us in a poker game.” A look of horror crossed Anna’s face. “He bet his home in a poker game?” Zeke exchanged a wry look with Beau. “That’s not unusual. Hell, that’s how we got the saloon. The owner lost to my straight flush.” She got a strange look on her face and swallowed hard. “Would you or Beau ever bet your saloon or the cabin in a poker game?” Beau sensed the answer was important to her. He scooted over to take her other hand. “Absolutely not, honey. We’d never do anything so foolish as to risk something important on a game of cards.” He could visibly see her shoulders relax. “Okay then.” Zeke stood and walked toward the door. “I’m off to make some eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and biscuits with honey. Is that okay with everyone?” “Sounds great!” Anna pushed back the covers and stood up.

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“Come on and follow me, Beau. You can bring up some warm water for Anna to wash up and then help her get dressed.” **** A half hour later Anna was beginning to feel like she was standing in a costume shop getting ready for a party. Even with Beau’s explanations she didn’t recognize half of the clothes laid out on the bed. She studied the garment he’d laid over her arm and sighed. It appeared to be a camisole with an attached calf-length pair of drawers that he insisted had to be worn under the corset and petticoat. “Here, honey. These have to go on before the chemise.” He handed her a pair of gray, cotton thigh-high stockings and a pair of garters. “Are you sure I need to put all this on?” “I’m sorry, Anna. You wanna blend in so nobody suspects you’re not from this time, don’t you?” She sighed and glanced at the yellow, satin corset lying on the bed alongside a petticoat with a ruffled hem. “The busk is genuine whalebone and real quality.” Anna gave him an evil glare. “What’s a busk?” Beau coughed, and sounded a lot like he was hiding a laugh. He picked up the corset. “This is a busk.” He pulled a long, slender piece of something that looked like plastic out of a pocket on the front of the wicked-looking garment. “It’s used to keep the front of this thing straight and standing upright. These little pieces of lace keep it from coming out.” Frowning, Anna donned the strange undergarments and then let Beau help her slip the corset over her head. She stood still as he pulled it around and positioned it under her breasts. “I don’t think I’m gonna like this.” “I’ll be fine, honey. It’s no worse than that thing you had on your chest when we found you. What’d you call it?”

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She laughed. “A bra.” “Yeah, that’s it. It’ ain’t gonna be no worse than that bra. It couldn’t have been too comfortable cause you haven’t worn it since that first day.” “That’s true.” She grinned. “The two of you haven’t let me stay dressed long enough to need it.” “Are you complaining?” “Hell no!” Beau laughed. “Okay, come over here.” He led her over to the dresser and placed her hands on the wood. “I need you to hold on tight.” “Okay,” she agreed. She watched, puzzled, as he walked behind her and picked up the strings around her waist. “Hey,” she cried out as he yanked hard on the strings. “What the hell are you doing?” “Gotta tighten it up. It’s what defines your shape in your clothes.” Anna suffered through two more yanks and then pulled away. “No, nada, no way, absolutely not. I’d rather look fat than be trussed up like a turkey.” “Honey, I only understood half of what you just said, but I’m pretty sure you said you weren’t willing to wear this.” “Trust me,” she moaned. “You understood me perfectly. Get me out of this thing.” She breathed a sigh of relief when he immediately loosened the strings. She raised her arms for him to pull the offending garment off. “I’m not sure the dress will fit without you wearing this.” Beau handed her the dress. It was blue gingham cotton with a shallow Vneckline. The top appeared to be cut big enough to accommodate her ample bosom. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She took the dress from him and saw that it buttoned down the front. She quickly undid the fastenings and slipped it on. It was a little tight, but not uncomfortably so, and none of the buttons gaped open. Luckily, it was firm enough across the bust

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that she could get by without wearing the hated bra. She turned to Beau. “What do you think?” He grinned and twirled her around. “You look beautiful, darlin’. You’ll be the prettiest girl in Hamilton.” Anna grimaced, turning quickly so he wouldn’t see. Considering the only other women she knew about were the tainted ladies next door, she wasn’t sure that was a compliment. “What the hell’s taking you so long?” Zeke’s voice came booming up the stairs. “Breakfast is on the table.” Beau held out his hand. “Come on, girl. We better get downstairs before Zeke eats all the food.” **** An hour later Anna found herself sitting on the back of a large black horse, straddling a pair of brown saddlebags and holding on to Zeke’s shirt for dear life. She’d never realized how far up a person had to be to ride a damn horse. “Slow down, please. I don’t wanna fall off this thing. I’d break something for sure.” Zeke chuckled and patted her hands where they clutched his shirt. “I’m not gonna let you fall, honey. You’re as safe as a babe in a cradle on old Jake here.” He patted the horse’s back. “He’s the gentlest horse in these parts.” She looked over at Beau atop a dark gray mount. “Your horse isn’t gentle?” He grinned. “Chester’s pretty gentle, but he’s still young and can be spooked easier than Jake.” He gave her a wink. “You’re safer riding with Zeke, honey.” “Did you remember to ask Clarence to bring up those boxes of whisky in the cellar?” “Relax, Zeke. Clarence has watched the place for us before. I’d trust him with my life. He’ll do what needs to be done, and you don’t need to worry.”

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“I didn’t ask if we could trust him.” “Yeah, but that’s what you’re worried about. I brought up the whisky last night, remember?” “Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot.” Anna listened to them banter and silently wished they could go faster. The only people she saw around town were men, and they were all staring at her quite openly. It was annoying and embarrassing at the same time. “How far is it to your cabin?” “Not far. It’ll only take about a half hour or less to get there.” Zeke pried her hand off his shirt and twined their fingers together. “Do you think you could be happy living in a small cabin with us?” “I, um—” “Don’t answer that honey.” Beau rode closer and patted her on the back. “Just think about the possibilities as we show you around the place.” “Okay, that sounds fair.” She sighed and laid her cheek against Zeke’s back. Could I be happy living here for the rest of my life? Was that picture in Kat’s book really me? A short while later, they rounded a bend in the trail, and she got her first glimpse of the cabin. Sitting in a small clearing, it was made of logs and had a stone chimney. Zeke rode up to a wooden rail in front of the place and stopped. He cocked one leg over the saddle horn and slid to the ground, looping the reins over the rail. He reached up to help Anna down, allowing her to slide down the horse’s flank. She looked around, breathing in the fragrance of pine that drifted around the cabin. She could hear the rush of wind beneath the eaves. The walls were weatherworn with bits of dried mud filling in the holes between the boards, the front door hanging slightly crooked. “Come on, Anna.” Beau held out his hand. “Let us show you around.” She placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her inside. “Wow, it’s stuffy in here. I’ll get the windows open.” Zeke began opening the wooden shutters latched over the windows.

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The cabin was basically one large room. An old, blackened coffeepot sat on the grate above the soot-stained, raised rock fireplace. Uneven pieces of wood were draped over some crates to make a table, while a wooden rocker adorned the darkened corner. “There’s not much furniture.” Anna walked over to the makeshift table and picked up a ceramic jug with a wooden stopper. “Don’t worry about that, honey. We can get whatever we need from the rooms at the Silver Rush.” Beau propped open the door leading out the back of the cabin. “And if there’s something you want that we don’t have, we’ll either order it or have it made.” Zeke gave her a wide smile. She walked over to the other side of the room. She poked her foot at the lumpy straw mattress on top of a platform bed. “This is the first thing that has to go.” Zeke grabbed her arm and pulled her around. “Does that mean you’re willing to stay and give us a chance?” The yearning in his eyes made Anna want to say yes right away. She squirmed out of his embrace and smiled. “Give me some time. I’m still thinking it over.” She ignored his loud groan and continued to look around. A small washstand stood in the corner with a small cracked mirror nailed to the wall above it. A leather-bound trunk stood open at the foot of the bed. “How long’s this place been empty?” “About a year, give or take a month.” He pulled her toward the middle of the room and pointed to the braided cotton rug. “I wanna show you something.” Anna watched in surprise as Zeke tossed back the rug and used his knife to pry at a board. Suddenly, a door pulled up, a long rope dangling from the underside, revealing steps that lead down into a dark hole. She looked up at Zeke in confusion. “It’s a root cellar. They stored food supplies down there. It’s a lot cooler underground so stuff like meats and butter last longer.” Zeke motioned her closer. “It can also be used to hide if you need it. The

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guy we won the place from built it himself, and nobody else knows the cellar is here. If you’re ever alone and scared, you could hide down here, and nobody’d ever know you were there.” Beau lit a kerosene lantern and moved to the steps. “Come on, Anna. I wanna show you where everything’s at down here. And we wanna make sure you can get out on your own if you have to.” Reluctantly she followed him down. She ran her hand along the bare wall as she descended into the darkness, the kerosene light not illuminating much. She batted at the cobwebs and wrinkled her nose at the musky, moldy smell. At the bottom she found shelves that still had some glass jars of what might have been some type of food, a couple of chairs, and an old, dusty mattress that looked like it was home to any number of tiny livestock. She was more than ready to leave when he motioned for her to go up the steps. When she neared the top, Zeke closed the door so they could make sure she could get out on her own. To her surprise, it pushed open with no trouble. She followed Zeke out the back door and inhaled deeply to rid herself of the dank cellar smells. “It’s really beautiful here.” Zeke walked over and put his arm around her waist. “I’m glad you think so, honey.” “If we cleared the brush away over there, we could have a nice vegetable garden.” She ignored the pleased look on his face and glanced around. Hundreds of trees surrounded the small cabin, their green-tipped branches swaying in the breeze. Everywhere she looked were falling leaves, brambles, and berry bushes. Pine needles blanketed the forest floor. “Do you hear that?” Beau asked. “Hear what?” Anna listened but only heard the singing of birds and the hostile screech of some animal. There were dogs yipping in the distance. “I don’t hear anything unusual.” Zeke grinned. “That’s what he means. There’s no guns blasting or drunken cowboys cussing. It’s just peaceful here.”

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Anna smiled and remained quiet as she walked farther into the woods. She could smell the wildflowers on the wind as she picked her way across the uneven ground. Her skirts snagged on the briars, her dress sticking to her in the sweltering sun. Stooping, she picked up a stick, the sap sticking to her fingers, and glanced around warily. She had an uneasy feeling, like someone was watching her. She glanced over at Beau and Zeke, but they were laughing together, seemingly unconcerned about anything. They’ll think I’m crazy if I say something. She sighed and stood up, brushing her fingers against her skirt. “Are you okay, Anna?” Beau asked. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She frowned and looked past the men. “Is that what I think it is?” In the distance, through the trees, she could see some small white stones. Zeke turned around and looked. “It’s the town’s cemetery. It’s not on our property if that’s what’s bothering you.” “No, I’m not bothered, but I’d like to take a look if it’s okay.” He held out his hand. “Sure, honey. Come on.” She followed him out of the forest and found herself facing a small graveyard. A wooden fence surrounded a handful of headstones with leaves and twigs littering the graves. Overgrown grass and weeds obscured some of the stones while wildflowers outlined some of the plots. Anna moved closer to read some of the inscriptions and felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Many of the markers were for children under the age of five! “How could so many kids have died in one place? Didn’t anybody question it?” Beau walked over and hugged her close. “It’s a hard country, Anna. Childbirth can be hard on women living out here. If the child survives the birth, then there’s still accidents and disease that can take them away.” “That’s so sad. Things like that don’t happen in my time.” “Come on, guys, let’s head back.” Zeke walked toward the trail. “We’ve got to get back before things get busy at the saloon. Clarence

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isn’t gonna be able to handle a Friday night crowd. You know things start jumping right after lunch.” “What’s the plan for tomorrow morning?” Anna asked. Zeke stopped and turned around. “We’re gonna be at the mill early.” Beau pulled her around to face him. “Will you please listen to reason and stay at home and wait for us?” Anna narrowed her eyes. “We’ve already been over this. I’m going, end of discussion.” Zeke laughed. “Yeah, that’s what we figured. Anyway, we’ll plan on being there early. If anybody asks we’ll say we’re taking our new bride on a tour and figured it would be a good time since a lot of the men don’t work on Saturday.” “That sounds pretty good. They’d be likely to believe you wanted to keep me away from other men.” “Damn straight we will!” Zeke gave her a fierce scowl. “We’ll look for Penbroke because you read in his journals he was working overtime that morning. If we find him, he can lead us to Canders. If not, then we’re pretty sure we know where the fire starts so we’ll show up at the business office and see if we can stop him before he sets it.” “No, we have to catch him in the act for this to work. If we stop him before he can do anything he could just postpone it until another day. We’ve got to catch him with the match in his hand.” Beau walked over and grabbed both of her hands. “Please, darlin’. I promise we’ll do everything we can to catch this man and stop him if you’ll promise to stay out of harm’s way.” Anna pulled her hands free and caressed the bristly skin of his cheek. “Don’t you see, Beau? Fate sent me here and I have to be a part of this. I can’t explain it, but I know I have to be there. I have to be the one to stop him.” “All right then, let’s get moving. It’s gonna be a long night.” He turned and headed toward the cabin.

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**** Anna sighed and sank down onto the hard chair gratefully. She’d spent the afternoon helping Zeke in the kitchen, and she felt like death warmed over. On Fridays, he’d always prepared a simple meal of stew and biscuits for the miners knowing they rarely had any kind of home-cooked meal. She’d foolishly asked if she could help, and her day of torture had begun. She’d peeled enough potatoes, carrots, and onions to last her a lifetime. She did have to admit the finished product had smelled mouthwatering. Unfortunately, she’d been too tired to sample her efforts. The worst had been his attempt to teach her to make biscuits. A soak in their iron tub would be the only way she’d ever feel clean again. She’d be willing to bet she had flour in unmentionable places. She’d spent the last hour helping Beau clean up the kitchen by washing and drying all the dishes. The only good thing about the day had been the afternoon had passed quickly. All that work had taken her mind off their early morning raid on the mill. “You doing okay, honey?” She looked up into Beau’s chocolate-brown eyes and smiled. “Yeah, I’m great. A little tired maybe, but nothing too serious.” “Okay, I’m glad we didn’t wear you out.” He squatted down beside her chair. “I’m gonna be playing cards at that table near the door while Zeke tends bar. That’s how we keep close tabs on the place.” He grabbed her chin and raised her gaze to his. “You stay here where Zeke can keep an eye on you. It’s not safe for you to be wandering off by yourself.” Anna smiled and saluted him with one hand. “Aye, aye, captain.” At his puzzled look, she grinned. “I won’t move out of his sight, Beau. I’m too tired to wander off. If he gets really busy, I might offer to help behind the bar, but other than that, I’ll stay here and keep warming this chair.”

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He shook his head and kissed her cheek. “Sometimes I feel like you speak a foreign language. I’ll keep my eye on you, too. If anybody bothers you, just yell out and we’ll come a running.” She giggled and looked back toward the bar. Zeke was watching and he motioned her over. “What can I do for you, big guy?” He pointed to a stool behind the bar. “Thought you might like to keep me company for a while instead of sitting there all by yourself.” Anna smiled and plopped down on the wooden seat. She started to ask him for something to drink and saw Bart Canders walk through the door. He made a beeline for the bar. “Gimme the finest rotgut whisky you got,” he demanded, swallowing hard. His pale skin glimmered with perspiration. There was a steady tic in his cheek as his eyes met hers and then cut away swiftly. His fists clenched and unclenched as he waited for Zeke to give him his drink. As she watched, he raised the whisky jug to his lips, his throat rippling as he took a long swallow. Abruptly, he turned away and walked to a table in the corner and sat down. “What’s rotgut whisky?” Anna asked. “It’s sour mash whiskey.” Zeke offered her a sip. “We also serve cactus wine, which is tequila and peyote tea, but there aren’t many people around here that like it. I’ve got—” He focused on two women coming through the door. “Shit, I’ll be right back.” Anna watched as he hurried over toward the women. Their colorful, low-cut satiny gowns stood out amongst the dowdy miners. The heavy makeup on their faces couldn’t hide the evidence of their hard lives. They had just sat down with a table of miners when Zeke walked up. He leaned over one of the women and whispered in her ear. For several moments she listened, her face morphing into an ugly scowl. Finally, she turned and said something to her friend, and they both walked out the door, their heads held high. “I see the clothes I got were the right size.”

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Anna turned and smiled at the man standing at the bar. “Hello, Clarence. Yes, they’re perfect, and I wanted a chance to say thank you.” He blushed a light shade of pink. “It was my pleasure, Miss. Or, I guess it’s Mrs. now. Congratulations on your marriage.” “Uh, thanks. Please, call me Anna.” “Thank you, Anna. I’ve known Zeke and Beau for a long time, and nobody deserves happiness any more than they do. I hope the three of you will have many happy years together.” “Are you trying to move in on our woman?” Zeke grinned, slapping Clarence on the back. “Lord, no. I’ve got a wife of my own and surely don’t need another one. Just stopped to pay my respects and make sure the clothing was okay. Canders has me driving back to Treasure City tomorrow, and I figured if you needed anything else I could pick it up while I’m there.” Zeke raised his eyebrows. “What’s he sending you back so soon for?” Clarence shrugged. “This time I’m just taking some papers to the bank up there and sending a telegram for him.” He glanced around and paled when he caught sight of Canders drinking in the corner. He lowered his voice. “He’s got some papers sealed in an envelope that I’m supposed to give to the telegraph office. He said it’s private company business.” He glanced around again. “Well, I best be on my way. I’ve got to get an early start.” He tipped his hat to Anna. “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Anna.” He turned and hurried out the door. Anna motioned toward the front. “What was with you and the good-time girls?” “Speak English, Anna.” Zeke sat on the stool next to her. “What was going on with the heavily made-up women that came in?” “Ah, Bart’s women.”

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“They were from the brothel next door?” “Yeah. Every once in a while they try to slide in here and make nice with the miners. I don’t like it because they sucker the men into buying them drinks and dinner, and who knows what else. Those poor guys sometimes go months without seeing their families, so they’re ripe for the company. I don’t let his girls harass them in here.” “That’s awfully nice of you. They should—” She stopped and stared toward the front. “He’s leaving.” She watched Canders stagger toward the door. The obviously drunk man was swaying on his feet. “Why don’t we just follow him now and put a stop to all this before it even happens?” Zeke sighed. “You’re the one that said we had to catch him in the act. If we take him out now, we could be taking out an innocent man.” He put his arm across her shoulders. “Honey, what if you’re wrong about all this?” Anna felt the pain of his doubt all the way down to her toes. “You don’t really believe any of this, do you?” “It’s not that we don’t believe you. We believe that you believe it. We don’t think you’re lying, but we both think that something else might be going on.” “Like what?” She didn’t try to mask the anger in her voice. “That’s just it, Anna. We don’t know. It’s a lot easier to believe that something happened to you that made you think crazy thoughts and end up in our cellar than to think you came here from the future.” “All this time I thought you’d accepted that I was telling you the truth.” She brushed across her eyes to prevent her tears from falling. “Why’d you show me the cabin and make me think you wanted a life with me if you thought I was some kind of liar?” Zeke’s brows came together over his eyes. “I never said you were a liar, Anna. I just think there could be a more reasonable explanation for finding you in the cellar. I’m not discounting that you might be right, but I’m keeping my options open. And that means not attacking

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Bart Canders unless I catch him doing something wrong no matter what you say you’ve read in some journal.” Anna took a deep breath and stood up. “Fine, we’ll wait until tomorrow and catch him in the act. I can stop him the way I was meant to, and then maybe fate will show me the way home.” She started toward the stairs. “Anna, wait.” He grabbed her arm. “What does that mean?” Yanking her arm from his grasp she frowned. “It means that I’m here to do a job, Zeke, nothing more. Someday I’ll find someone that loves me unconditionally and believes in me no matter what. That’s when I’ll settle down for good.” She looked around and felt a heaviness settle over her heart. “This is your world, not mine. No matter what I do, I’ll never fit in.” She turned back toward the stairs. “I’m going up to my room now so I’ll be well-rested when we leave in the morning. You don’t have to worry. I’ll lock myself in and stay there until it’s time to leave. Then you’ll see I’ve been telling you the truth.” She kept walking even when she heard him calling her name. She glanced over to the front and saw Beau watching her with a frown on his face. She shrugged and started up the stairs. What am I gonna do after we catch him tomorrow? How am I gonna get home?

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Chapter 6 Anna struggled to open her eyes when she heard a muffled thud. “What are you doing?” She watched Zeke struggling to pull up his pants. “Never mind.” She sighed. “I already know what you’re doing and it won’t work.” She threw back the covers and climbed out of the bed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sat down to put on his shoes. “Right!” She snorted. “You think you’re gonna sneak out and leave me here sleeping.” “Told you.” Beau grinned at Zeke from the doorway. “Well it would’ve worked if you hadn’t dropped your damn shoe and woke her up.” Anna stopped to scowl at Zeke while she continued to dress. “If you’d managed to leave me behind I would’ve just followed right behind you.” “Told you.” Beau ducked to avoid the shoe Zeke lobbed at him. “Man, it was a no-brainer. You’ve been around her long enough to know she’s more apt to leave us behind.” “Doesn’t make it right. She ought to be willing to listen to reason.” “Uh, guys? You know I’m standing right in front of you. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about me like I’m not here.” She sat down on the bed next to Zeke. “We had this discussion last night. This is my fight, not yours. I’m meant to be there or I wouldn’t have been sent back here.”

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Zeke ran his hands through his hair and narrowed his eyes. “That’s just balderdash. You have no idea why you were sent here.” She laughed. “I thought we discovered last night you don’t believe I came here from the future.” “What the hell’s she talking about? Beau asked. “I’m not getting into this again. I told you last night I didn’t think you were lying. I just want to hold off on making any snap judgments until we have all the facts.” Beau tossed the shoe back. “No wonder you didn’t wanna talk about what was wrong last night.” He walked over and pulled Anna to her feet, closing his arms around her. “Darlin’, we don’t honestly know how you turned up here and I, for one, don’t care. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to us. I don’t want anything taking you away from us.” Anna sighed and glanced back at Zeke. “I’m sorry for getting so riled up last night. I had a lot of time to think after I came upstairs, and I can understand how hard it might be to believe what I’ve been telling you.” She gave him a small smile. “Friends?” Zeke walked over and pulled her into his arms. He gazed into her eyes for a moment and then lowered his lips to hers. His tongue traced the seam of her lips and then plunged deeply into her mouth. “Hey, now, don’t leave me out.” Beau moved in close and kissed the back of her neck. Zeke pulled away and grinned down at Anna. “Nobody’s getting left out. We’re gonna go take care of business and then come back here and take care of Miss Anna.” “We need to get going if we wanna get there before anybody else.” Beau started for the door. “There’re some cold biscuits and ham leftover from yesterday that’ll do for breakfast.” Zeke looked down at Anna. “You ’bout ready, honey?” She sighed as she fastened the last button on her dress. “Yeah, I’m ready.” She put her hand on his arm to stop him from walking away. “Promise me something.”

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“Sure, honey, anything.” “When all this is over, you’ll take me shopping for some pants so I can get rid of this lousy dress!” She giggled when Zeke swatted her butt and pointed her toward the door. **** Less than an hour later Anna walked down the trail toward the mine with Zeke and Beau flanking her on each side. She glanced at the Seligman Mine sign near the dirt road. “Why are we heading to the mine? Canders is gonna set fire to the mill.” “We’re taking you in the back way instead of using the main road. Figured we’d be less likely to be seen that way.” Zeke grabbed her arm when she stumbled into one of the potholes. “This road leads right by one of the mine shafts.” He pointed off to the left. “See, over there. You can just make it out.” Anna stopped and stared. “Can we take a quick look?” “Sure, honey. Just watch your step.” Zeke took one of her arms while Beau grabbed the other, and they walked over to the mine entrance. “It doesn’t look like much.” She listened but didn’t hear anything coming from inside. “I just wanna take a quick peek.” Beau walked over and picked up one of the lanterns the miners kept at each entrance. He pulled out a match and lit the wick. “Come on then, but stay near and watch where you step.” She followed close on his heels staying next to the rough rock walls. Thick, cracked support beams ran along the sides and roof of the small tunnel. Dirt blew in from the outside opening, covering the broken pick handles lying all over the uneven ground. “What’s that smell?” “Rotting wood most likely.” Zeke walked farther down the narrow walkway. “There’re a couple of pools of scummy water over here that are kind of ripe.” He had to duck his head because of the low ceilings.

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Anna pulled her hand away from the cold, slippery rock. A constant stream of water seeped slowly down the wall. “What’s that?” She pointed to a small opening off to the right. “It’s a break-off room.” Beau moved closer and put his arm around her waist. “They use them in case of a cave-in. A miner could jump in there if the beams in here started to fail.” Anna felt the dusty air closing in around her, the smell of rot and sweaty men overwhelming. “I need to get out of here.” She turned and hurried toward the opening, ignoring Zeke’s call for her to wait. Once she reached outside, she slumped over, breathing in the crisp morning air. “Anna, are you all right?” Zeke put both arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest. “Yeah, I just had a premonition of what it’d be like to be buried alive.” Beau joined their group hug. “There’s never been an accident with this mine, Anna.” “Come on, honey. We need to get moving.” Zeke turned her around and urged her toward the road. “Where’d you say Charlie Penbroke is supposed to be this morning?” “The journal said he spent the morning checking in supplies in the back but had gone up to the aerial tramway right before he smelled the smoke. It said he heard the wheel grind to a stop and went up to see what was blocking it.” “Okay, then we’ll try the warehouse first.” Zeke led the way silently down the road. It was still early but fairly light, and the road was easier to navigate. Anna got her first look at the mill when they crested the next hill. Since they’d come from the mine, she was looking down on the huge building. Cables ran above the trees that resembled the lifts in Vail when she’d gone skiing a few years back. “The wheel’s turning fine, so he’s probably still somewhere down below.” Beau nodded toward the ore bucket that traveled along the

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lines above them. “That one’s full, and see the one down there?” He pulled Anna close so she could look along the line of his arm as he pointed. “That’s the empty bucket heading back up for another load.” “I know how this would work in my time, but how do they keep the wires taut now?” Zeke smiled. “The cables are attached to a big chain which is connected to a box full of rocks that hangs from the mill. You’ll be able to see it when we get to the bottom.” Anna followed the men silently. “Is that the warehouse?” They were coming to a long, narrow building with small windows across the front and several chimneys across the top. “No, that’s the miner’s bunkhouse. For a fee, the owners of the mine rent out the beds to the men.” Zeke shook his head. “Just another way to fleece them out of their money.” He nodded toward a building further down. “That’s the mill offices. If your journal is right, that’s where Canders will set the fire.” “Let’s check the tram building first. If Penbroke needed to check on supplies, he’d most likely be there.” Zeke turned, his eyebrows raised. “How the hell would you know that, Beau?” “Because I listen to the guys when we’re playing poker. I learn all sorts of stuff.” As they got closer to the main buildings, Anna began to feel selfconscious. Some of the miners were beginning to make an appearance, and it was obvious they were surprised to see a woman around the mill. She glanced over to the office building and could see light in several of the windows. “What are you guys doing here?” She turned and saw Clarence approaching with several other men. She spoke up before Zeke or Beau could say anything. “Good morning, Clarence. The guys were just showing me around.” “Morning, Anna, Beau, Zeke. This here is Charles Kelly, Daniel Mathers, and Edward Langley. We all work together in the same

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shaft.” He nodded toward Anna. “That’s Anna. She’s newly married to these two scoundrels.” Anna muffled a giggle with her hand. “Pleased to meet you.” All three men tipped their hats but remained silent. Zeke took a step closer. “Any of you seen Charlie Penbroke this morning?” Clarence pointed toward bunkhouse. “Last I saw of him, he was in there eating breakfast.” “What are you doing here, Clarence? I thought Canders had you leaving out this morning for Treasure City.” Zeke gave him a lopsided grin. “You rebelling on the boss?” He laughed. “I can’t afford no rebellion. He came to the bunkhouse last night right after I got back. Cancelled my trip and took back his envelope.” A loud ruckus coming from the bunkhouse caught their attention. Anna watched in shock as two men came barreling out the door beating the crap out of each other. Ten or more men, loudly encouraging them to let each other have it, followed them closely! “What the hell!” Zeke took off running toward the fight with Beau and the other miners close on his heels. “Wait for me,” Anna cried. She started forward and then stopped. “I smell smoke!” Without stopping to think, she turned and raced toward the office building. The door was propped open, and she didn’t hesitate to go inside. Everything seemed to be made from wood. “This place will go up like a firecracker if there’s a fire.” The smell of smoke grew stronger as Anna looked around trying to decide which direction to go first. A door slamming had her walking quickly toward the sound. She cried out in fear when a large man barreled into her on his way down the hall. He let out a small yelp, his mouth falling open when he caught sight of Anna. “What are you doing in here?” he asked, his halting voice shaky. “You’re Bart Canders.”

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He let out a small gasp, his hand flying to his chest as he took a quick step back. “Who are you?” “I’m the person who’s not gonna let you get away with this.” He raised a trembling hand to rub across his forehead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He walked toward the front office. “I’m late and I need to go.” “You’re not gonna get away with it. The fire won’t cover up the fact you’ve been stealing.” He looked shocked as he glanced in her direction, and then his mouth twisted into a snarl. “You’re messing with the wrong man, little girl.” His fists clenched as he took two steps forward. “There’s smoke coming from the office!” “Where the hell’s Anna?” Canders froze at the sound of voices right outside. He gave her one final glare and then ran toward the back of the building. “You won’t get away with it,” she screamed after him. “I know what you did.” “Help! Help me, please!” Anna turned toward the sound of the screams. It was a woman’s voice, and she was trapped somewhere inside the building. She held her hand over her nose and started down the long corridor. Hazy smoke drifted lazily toward the ceiling at the far end. As she watched, it turned to billowing plumes darkening the walls to sooty black as it ate away at the wood. The subtle crackle of flames was almost hypnotic, the spell broken by the woof sound of the door catching fire. The groaning of the timbers sent chills down her spine. “Help me!” The voice sounded weaker. “Where are you?” Anna called out. Immediately a loud banging started down the hall. She swallowed hard. Flames were licking the walls and sweeping across the ceiling. All she wanted to do was flee, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave someone to die. As she watched, the fire spread across the floor to the right. She stumbled

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down the hall and came upon a closed door with someone pounding on the other side. “I’m here,” she screamed. “Please, get me out.” The woman sobbed loudly. “Okay, just hang on.” She pulled at the knob and then saw the key. “Shit, somebody locked this from the outside.” Quickly, she turned the key and opened the door. The woman that fell into her arms was dressed like one of the women from the whorehouse. “Oh, God, thank you.” “Come on, we gotta get outta here.” Anna wrapped her arm around the woman’s waist and started back out the way she came in. Sparks were drifting down and swirling in the air drafts. The timbers were charring and blackening from the flames and heat, a smoky haze coating the room making it hard to breathe. She had to feel her way toward the doors as she practically carried the hysterical woman. Gasping for breath, she tried to find an exit, a window or another door. We’re not gonna make it. Filled with a new determination, she pulled the woman to the floor where the air was cleaner and crawled steadily forward dragging the nearly lethargic woman behind her. Rubble on the floor cut into her hands and knees leaving behind glass or wood splinters. The intense heat was overwhelming, and everywhere she touched it felt like it blistered her palms. In agony, she continued to fumble down the hall on her hands and knees, finally collapsing to the ground from smoke inhalation. Her throat and nose felt raw as she took wheezing breaths that ripped at her throat, doubling her over in coughing fits. A flickering orange glow surrounded a door close by, and her heart pounded when she recognized Zeke’s silhouette. She could hear him call her name. ****

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Zeke watched the two miners walk off in separate directions. It had taken several minutes and four men to pull the fighting men apart. “Anybody know what the fight was about?” “Where’s Anna?” Beau grabbed Zeke’s arm. “Where’d she go?” “Oh, my God. There’s smoke coming from the office!” Clarence pointed toward the building, a look of horror on his face. “Where the hell’s Anna?” “Anna!” Zeke screamed and ran toward the building. He could already see flames licking at the roof. “Get everyone on water brigade.” He hurried up the steps and cautiously looked in the door. At first he couldn’t see anything but smoke, and then he caught movement in the far corner of the room. He watched, horrified, as Anna collapsed onto the floor. Before he could even think, he was racing through the smoky, burning room to her side. Relief poured through him when Anna turned her gaze up to him. The tear tracks on her soot-covered face nearly broke his heart. Fatigue and relief battled in her eyes when he knelt beside her prone figure. “We have to get out of here, love.” She nodded toward the woman lying beside her. “She can’t walk, Zeke.” Effortlessly, he grabbed up the unconscious woman and threw her over his shoulder. Without wasting a moment, he hauled Anna up by her arm and dragged her through a shower of sparks into the cool morning air and into Beau’s embrace. Clarence came forward to take his unconscious bundle, and Zeke turned to Beau. He was cradling Anna in his arms, and Zeke gratefully closed in on her other side. “What the hell were you thinking, Anna?” Beau lowered his head and touched his lips to her blackened cheek. “Why didn’t you wait for us?” “Leave it till later, Beau. She’s in no condition for a lecture right now.” He looked around and watched the fire-fighting efforts. The miners had rallied to contain the blaze to the office building with water from the nearby stream. It looked like their efforts were going

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to pay off. The flames weren’t spreading to the other buildings or the forest. She’d done it. She’d saved the town. “Did everybody get out?” she croaked. “Yeah, honey. As far as we know, everybody got out safely, thanks to you.” Zeke bent and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. “Did they catch that asshole? Have they got their hands on Canders?” It was him, Zeke, I swear. He was in there when I got here.” Zeke closed his eyes briefly. “No, they didn’t get him. He’s disappeared. Well, at least nobody knows where he is right now.” “Is she okay?” Charlie Penbroke came running up. “She might have a few burns, but I think she’ll be okay.” Zeke nodded toward the efforts of the firefighters. “Your men are doing a hell of a job.” “Thanks, I appreciate that. I also wanna thank you for sounding the alarm. You’ve saved the company a lot of money by catching this so quickly.” His brows drew together. “What were the three of you doing here this morning?” “Had to warn them. Couldn’t let everyone die.” Anna’s eyes rolled back in her head as she passed out. “What’s she talking about? She had to warn who?” Zeke laughed weakly. “Come on, Charlie. She’s obviously not herself. We need to get her back to the saloon so doc can take a look at her. She inhaled a lot of smoke.” “Yeah, okay.” Charlie started to walk away and turned back. “You mind if I come by later to talk to her?” “You’re always welcome at the Silver Rush, Charlie. But you might have to hold off on questioning Anna. I don’t want her upset anymore than she already is.” Why don’t we play it by ear and you come by in a day or two and see how she’s doing?” “All right, that’s fair. You guys take good care of that little lady.” He hurried away, heading for the mill’s main building.

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“Shit, Zeke, we never should’ve doubted her. Everything she told us is obviously true. What’re we gonna do if she wants to leave now?” “We’re just gonna have to make her so happy she never wants to leave.” He gently brushed the hair from her face. “When I think about what could’ve happened. Hell, she was lying on the floor, Beau, unable to get up. She’d have burned to death if we’d taken any longer to look for her.” “Yeah, but she didn’t, and that’s all that matters.” “You guys want a lift back to town?” Zeke looked up and frowned. Carl Ellis was walking toward them. “Are you talking to us?” “Yeah, Charlie told me your woman was hurt.” He nodded toward the road. “I’ve got my wagon and thought you might like me to get her back to the saloon for you.” “Thanks, man. We’d be real grateful.” They started walking toward the road. “Do you know where doc is?” “He’s setting up in his office. Told me to haul any of the injured to him since all his equipment’s there.” He shrugged. “I already took Bart’s woman down cause I didn’t know about your woman. There ain’t anybody else hurt.” When they reached the wagon, Zeke jumped into the back and reached out his arms for Anna. “Just get us home quick, Carl. Our woman needs some doctoring.” Beau climbed up after him, and they held on to Anna tight as the wagon made its way down the bumpy road. **** “What the hell do you mean, he’s not in jail?” Anna glared at the two men hovering over her bed. “The law doesn’t care that he set fire to the mill and nearly killed a bunch of people? What’s wrong with your sheriff?”

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“There’s nothing wrong with Sheriff Warring.” Zeke sat down on the mattress beside her. “There’s no real evidence against Canders.” He picked up her hand and held it close to his chest. “Darlin’, you didn’t actually see him start the fire.” “Besides, he’s been doing more than anybody to help clean up the mess. Even offered up a bunch of his own money to replace the miner’s bunkhouse since it was lost in the blaze. He’s been paying for the men to board in the rooms next door until the building’s finished.” Beau sat down and took her other hand. “What about the woman that I found locked in the room?” “Zeke glanced at Beau and then sighed. “She was one of Bart’s women, but she’s gone.” “What do you mean, gone?” Anna screeched. Beau shrugged. “Couple of days after the fire she said she got some money from family back East and upped and packed her bags. Bart had Clarence drive her to Treasure City and put her on the stage.” “Didn’t she tell the sheriff who locked her in that room?” Zeke snorted. “She said the lock must’ve caught when she slammed the door. Claims she had an argument with Canders about money and he stormed out and she slammed the door behind him.” Anna narrowed her eyes. “And he believed that? What kind of idiot is he?” “Honey, he didn’t have any choice but to believe her.” Zeke slid his arm around her waist. “She wouldn’t say anything against Canders.” “Damn it!” Anna yanked back both her hands. “I’ve been stuck in this room for a week, and he’s just running around free and clear like he doesn’t have a care in the world.” Zeke exchanged a look with Beau that made the hairs on her neck stand up. “What aren’t you guys telling me?”

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“Aw, hell,” Zeke groaned. “Canders has been by a few times this week. He says he wants to thank you for your quick thinking since it saved the mill and one of his girls.” Anna felt a chill run up her arms. “I hope you told him to go to hell.” Beau snickered. “Figured that might be a bit obvious, so we just told him you weren’t up to visitors.” “Well, I’m damn well not gonna be left alone with him. Hell, I don’t wanna see him at all.” Zeke kissed her softly on the cheek. “Honey, you got no worries.” “Yeah, he’s not getting anywhere near you.” Beau moved in close and slipped his arm across her shoulders. “Let’s talk about something happy for a change.” He grinned. “Doc says you’re all healed now, so how’d you like to get out of here for a while?” “Yes,” she exclaimed. Zeke chuckled. “What do you wanna do, darlin’?” Anna gazed first at Zeke and then at Beau. “I wanna take some supplies out to the cabin and get it ready to live in.” She watched them carefully to see their reaction. She felt her hopes drop when both men pulled their arms away. “Uh, you wanna live at the cabin?” Zeke’s hand tightened around her fingers. “Of course! I think it’s beautiful out there, don’t you?” She held her breath waiting for his answer. The men once again exchanged a look, and then Beau grasped her chin and turned her gaze up to his. “We kinda hoped you’d want to live here with us.” “Shit, you think—” She felt her face flushing. “Damn, you think I wanna live in the cabin by myself.” She snaked an arm around each man. “No way. I want us to all live there together. You could still run this place and live outside town with me, couldn’t you? I mean, this is a nice place, but I’d lots rather think about raising a family away from town.”

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Zeke moved to kneel on the floor in front of her knees. “Darlin’, we could live with you anywhere you wanted.” He swallowed hard. “Does this mean you wanna stay here with us?” Anna grinned. “Well, I’m still here, aren’t I?” Beau stood up and looked down at her. “Yeah, but is it because it’s what you want?” “I don’t understand?” “You saved the town and the mill. Were you thinking that something magical would happen and you’d be transported back to your own time and wake up in your bed at home? Anna could almost feel the anguish behind his words. “I’m not sure what you mean, Beau?” He took a deep breath. “Are you making plans to stay with us because that’s where you wanna be or because you got no place else to go and you don’t know how to get home?” She hadn’t realized just how insecure they were about her feelings. “Some kind of portal brought me here and dumped me into your cellar. It seems to me that if there’s a way home it’ll be somewhere in that cellar.” She pushed Zeke back and stood up. “I haven’t asked to go down there since you brought me back here, and I haven’t tried to get down there on my own.” She smiled and took a step closer to Beau. “I’m here because I wanna stay with the two of you. I wanna make a life with you, if you’ll have me.” Her gaze went to Zeke where he still kneeled on the floor and then back to Beau. “I, well, um, I love you guys, both of you.” The transformation on Beau’s face as he put his arms around her took her by surprise. She’d never seen such happiness. She turned to see if Zeke felt the same way and felt her spirits plummet. A frown marred his face. “I’ll be right back.” Zeke stood and left the room without saying another word. “He seems angry,” she whispered. She tried pulling out of Beau’s arms, but he wouldn’t release her. “Come on, Beau, let me go.” “Not a chance, darlin’.”

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“Look, this relationship can’t work if it isn’t equally right for all of us. It’s pretty clear he’s not terribly thrilled with the prospect of moving out to the cabin with me.” She struggled to pull free. “Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I need to go downstairs and at least see if the door back to my time is working again.” “The hell you will.” Zeke walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned the lock and walked over to the bed and sat down. Calmly, he began pulling off his boots. “I went downstairs to lock up and put up the closed sign.” He stood and walked over to Anna. “I ought to be turning you over my knee and taking your hairbrush to those sweet cheeks of yours for even thinking about going to the cellar to look for a way home.” He ran his fingers through her tousled hair. “But do you know what I’m gonna do instead?”

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Chapter 7 Anna shivered at the desire she saw in his eyes. She shook her head. “No, what?” He stripped off his shirt and moved in closer to nuzzle his lips against her neck. “I’m gonna fuck you until you scream.” “Oh, God,” Anna groaned. Zeke’s five o’clock shadow abraded her tender skin. She had trouble focusing her thoughts. “You mean you want me to stay?” Zeke snorted before licking her lips and then deepening the kiss, his tongue sliding into Anna’s mouth. She felt Beau move in closer, and then his mouth descended on her neck. Growling, he began biting and licking the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder. “What are the two of you doing to me?” Zeke’s deep kiss left her dizzy and wanting as he pulled away slowly. She trembled and ached with unsatisfied desire. “We’re lovin’ you, darlin’.” He wrapped her in his arms, rocking gently side to side as a pair of arms surrounded her from behind. Anna grinned and reached up to pull his head down. Her tongue flicked out, playing with him, allowing her to savor his unique flavor. She opened her mouth to taste him deeply and felt his cock swell against her tummy. A warm, hard body pressed against her back, causing her to groan. They stood so close she could feel their hearts beating against her back and chest while arousals poked her from the front and back. “I want you to love me.” She curled her fingers around Zeke’s hand and brought it to her breast. His palm rubbed her nipple through the thin cotton of her nightshirt. “We do love you, Anna.” Zeke smiled. “I love you, darlin’.”

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“So do I, Anna.” Beau licked the rim of her ear. “I love you, girl, so much.” “Your nipples are so hard.” Zeke cupped her breasts in his hands and rubbed the tips with his thumbs. “I wanna see.” He smoothly unbuttoned her shirt and slid it from her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor, leaving her naked. She could feel her nipples harden even more under his gaze. “Honey, you’re so beautiful.” Zeke pinched one erect tip between his thumb and forefinger, plucking at it almost lazily. To her surprise, her other breast was claimed by a pair of warm lips. “You like that, don’t you? Having two men lovin’ on your beautiful body.” He leaned forward to lick and nibble, and then pulled her nipple deep into his mouth. She quickly warmed to his probing tongue. Anna’s hands were shaking, her arms trembling as she reached for the fastening on Zeke’s pants. “I want you, both of you,” she whispered. Beau rubbed her arms with his big hands as she explored Zeke. His body hair was wiry and light in color, a rough delight to her palms. “Hold on, darlin’. I wanna get in on this.” Beau stepped away to strip off his clothes and came to stand beside Zeke. His chest hair was dark whorls around his pecs that tapered down the length of his abdomen ending in a thick nest of curls around his erection. Her eyes widened when he rubbed his swelling cock against Zeke’s thigh. “Does it bother you when we touch, Anna?” Both men watched her, their eyes wide, each with a fist on their own hardened cock. “No, it’s so hot.” Her fingers wrapped around Beau’s cock, fingertips stroking, as he grinned and leaned forward to suck half of Zeke’s length down his throat. “Holy hell,” Zeke choked out. “Shit, let’s move this somewhere more comfortable.” He scooped Anna into his arms, her hands exploring his muscled back, and tossed her onto the bed. He moved up near the headboard, his arousal bobbing near her lips. “Suck me, honey. I wanna feel your sweet lips around me.”

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Anna opened wide, letting him in and swallowing around the swollen head. He groaned, his hips thrusting up and forcing his cock a little farther into her mouth, when her nails scraped lightly over his scrotum. She grinned, wrapping a hand around his thick shaft, and planted a sucking kiss just to the head. “Damn, you two are gonna make me shoot my load all over the bed.” Beau splayed his fingers over the naked skin of her abdomen. “You got room for me in this little party?” Anna released Zeke’s cock for a moment. “Move closer,” she groaned. As Beau crept up in the bed, she moved her hand to his hip and slowly inched toward his groin. “I wanna taste you, too.” Slowly, she began stroking him. Zeke’s hand trailed across her abdomen and tangled in the curls protecting her pussy. “How do you keep these so neat?” “I shave ’em.” She almost laughed at the shocked look on his face. “Touch my clit, please,” she begged. “Your what?” Zeke’s fingers stilled. “That little nub down there that you like to lick on. It’s called a clit.” Her groan echoed through the room when he obeyed her command. “We always called it a woman’s secret place. You’re so wet and swollen.” He spread her pussy lips open and began rubbing her clit with two fingers. Her breasts ached, her nipples so tight it was painful. When he leaned forward and took the hardened nub into his mouth, she was torn between the sensations. “Hey, darlin’, what about me?” Beau nudged her chin with his leaking erection and grinned. “Sorry.” She leaned forward and swirled her tongue around the head, dragging it up the underside in a long, slow swipe and flicking it rapidly at the junction of the crown. “Yes,” he hissed. “That’s it, darlin’.” She let Beau slip free and licked lower, pressing her tongue just behind his balls to the small bit of flesh between them and his ass. She

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could feel his body’s vibrations through her tongue as he moaned loudly. Her lips slid around the base of his shaft until she felt the silky touch of his pubic hair tickle her nose. “Stop,” he cried. She pulled back and gazed up. Beau’s eyes rolled back in his head as he raked his fingers through her hair. Smiling, she cupped his testicles and gently squeezed each one in turn. Before he could say anything else, she took his cock back into her mouth and deepthroated it. Beau pulled back with a muffled curse. “If you don’t stop I’m gonna be done before we even get started.” She snorted against his thigh and then looped her arms around his shoulders in a loose hug when he bent to press a kiss against her neck. Leaning back he smirked. “You really do need a session with the hairbrush.” He kissed from her oversensitive breast to her neck and chin to cover her mouth with his. “Yeah, that’s good.” Zeke caressed her stomach, raking through her curls and coming to rest at the top of her mound. “Move over some, Beau.” “So bossy,” Beau complained as he slid over to Anna’s side. Zeke finally moved between her waiting thighs. “I can’t wait to taste all this honey.” He ran the tip of his finger along her slit and then worked it inside, wetting his finger thoroughly. “You want the first taste?” He offered his finger to Beau who promptly sucked the digit deep into his mouth. “More,” Anna groaned. “I need more.” **** Zeke dropped down and massaged her clit with his thumb as he spread her pussy lips wide with two thrusting fingers. He could smell her arousal as her cream dripped slowly down her thighs. He clamped

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his mouth over her pussy lips and sucked hard, his tongue stroking in and out. “Damn, whatever you just did had her nearly biting my dick off.” Beau moaned. “Her little titties are hard as rocks. Zeke kept his middle finger on her clit as he kissed her belly. “Her pussy is creaming and pulsing around my fingers.” Anna’s gasps became moans that filled the room as she ground her pussy against his hand. “What do you need, Anna?” Her gaze appeared unfocused as she turned in his direction. “I need to come, please.” “Okay, darlin’. I’ll take care of you.” With his fingers he spread her pussy lips wide. “All pink and pretty, just for me.” He circled her clit with his tongue, flicking back and forth across the little nub, savoring the taste. Anna lifted against him with each thrust of his tongue and then stiffened, crying out with her release. “That’s it, darlin’. Come for him.” Beau stroked a hand down her abdomen and let his fingers run through Zeke’s hair. He leaned forward to kiss Anna’s lips. “Fuck me,” she whispered into Beau’s mouth. “We will, darlin’. We wanna fuck you together. Can we do that, Anna? Will you let us be inside you at the same time?” Beau glanced down and winked at Zeke. “It’s time to put you in the middle, girl.” Zeke pinched her clit between his fingers and tugged on it, getting a curse from Anna’s lips. “Damn it, fuck me already.” Chuckling, he moved to lie beside her on the bed. He spread his hands around her waist and lifted her over him. “I wanna fuck you, honey. Long and hard.” “I want you inside me.” She glanced over at Beau. “Both of you. I wanna feel you come inside me, filling me.” Anna straddled above him, hovering over his throbbing erection. He held his cock for her as she slowly lowered herself until his balls met her ass cheeks. He

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couldn’t contain his groan as she clenched her muscles and ground her hips against his. Holding her in place by clutching her hips, Zeke rammed hard into her, her wailing cry warming his blood as he pushed in deeper. She wiggled her body and rubbed her butt against his thighs as her head fell back, her mouth opening releasing a groan. **** “Okay, it’s my turn,” Beau whispered against her ear. “I wanna fuck this tight ass.” He curved his hand over the bare flesh of her hip, kneading and squeezing her ass cheeks, keeping his gaze glued to Zeke’s eyes. “I’m spreading these cheeks wide and rimming that sweet little hole of yours.” “What?” Anna gasped. “You heard him.” Zeke pulled her down for a kiss. Beau slid his finger gently down her butt crack, spreading it. He blew lightly over the tender flesh, watching it quiver. Slowly he kissed his way down her spine, trailing his tongue between her cheeks, leaving a damp trail behind. He traced the little ring of muscles, fingertips drawing a lazy circle, and then slid his tongue farther down the crease to her tight hole. Anna groaned as she pushed her ass toward him, moaning as she arched into his touch. “That’s it, darlin’. It feels good, doesn’t it?” Zeke’s hands glided over her arms. He looked at Beau over her shoulder. “Warm the slick up in your hands before you use it on her.” Beau nodded and reached for the jar of Vaseline they kept by the bed. He coated his cock thoroughly and then rubbed a fair amount between his hands. Satisfied, he wiped one of his hands off on the sheets and spread her cheeks apart again. With one finger, he found her anus and slowly worked inside. When she moaned and pressed back, he added a second finger and began scissoring them back and forth.

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“Wait, it burns.” Anna tried to pull away from his invasion. “Zeke, help her out until I get her stretched.” “Relax, darlin’. You’re gonna love this.” Zeke moved his hand underneath her belly. “Oh, God.” Anna’s head fell back on her shoulders. Beau chuckled. “What’re you doing to her?” He slowly added a third finger and continued stretching the tight opening. “I’ve got two fingers rubbing on her clit.” He gave Beau a wink. “That should take her mind off her ass for a while.” “I think we’re ready. She’s taking three now and not trying to get away.” “Will you guys quit talking about me like I’m not here and get on with it.” Anna glared over her shoulder. Beau wrapped his hand around his cock and pressed it against her rosy opening. She moaned when she felt him pushing against that tight, pink hole. He could hear her suck in her breath as he pushed the crown of his cock through the tight ring of muscle. “Oh, God. I don’t think I can do this.” Anna froze, a look of fear on her face as she glanced over her shoulder. “Shh, darlin’, it’ll be okay. Give it just a minute, and if it doesn’t feel better, I’ll stop.” He waited until she nodded and then pushed steadily in. Anna gasped and then grunted, thrusting back against him. “Oh, yeah, she’s liking it now.” Zeke grinned. Beau drove into her from behind until his balls slapped against her clit. Slowly he withdrew and then slid back into her fiery, moist heat. “Is he thick and hard inside you?” Zeke asked. “God, I feel so full.” Beau continued to pound into her, grunting with pleasure, while Zeke gripped her waist, pumping his hips back and forth in the same rhythm. “Touch yourself,” Zeke demanded.

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Anna’s hand slowly slipped between her legs. With a loud moan, she shattered, convulsing over Zeke’s prone figure as Beau pumped hard within her. “Yeah, darlin’, come for us.” Beau felt his balls draw up as he tingled all over, his nails lightly dragging down Anna’s back. He and Zeke pushed into her body together, and with a deep moan he came, his seed shooting into her depths. Zeke drove one final time and came with a deafening roar. It sent Anna from enjoying the aftershocks of her orgasm into a new one. For several moments no one moved, and then Beau’s softening dick slid from her ass. “Are you all right, Anna? We didn’t hurt you?” “No, you didn’t hurt me.” She sighed and laid her head on Zeke’s sweaty chest. “I’m perfect. When can we do it again?” Beau laughed as Zeke groaned. He grabbed a couple of the rags he’d laid beside the bed and gently cleaned Anna’s rear and then wiped down himself. Gripping her by the waist, he pulled her carefully off of Zeke’s body and lowered her to the mattress beside him. Leaning forward, he thrust his tongue deep into her mouth to taste her sweet essence. “I love you, Anna.” Zeke pulled her chin around and placed his mouth over hers. “I love you, too, honey. Stay with us. Make a family with us.” Beau kissed her shoulder. “Your place is here with us now, darlin’. Fate brought you here and we aim to keep you.” Anna smiled as Beau pulled up the quilt. “I love you, too, both of you. I’m gonna stick around and see what kind of trouble I can get into.” Both men groaned and snuggled up to their woman. **** “I don’t know which one of us is gonna be in more trouble over this, Anna. Loosen up your hold on the reins, honey.” Beau rubbed

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his hand over Anna’s clenched fists. “Zeke’s apt to hang me up by my balls for letting you talk me into this.” “Come on, Beau, he won’t care. It’s not like I’m gonna get into any trouble.” “You’re gonna be by yourself, girl. It’s not safe.” Anna sighed. “It’ll be fine, I promise. Canders works all day at the mine along with rest of the miners. I won’t have to worry about him showing up until after sunset, and you’re gonna come back for me long before that.” “I wish I didn’t have to leave you alone at all.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t go off and leave the Silver Rush empty with Zeke off to Treasure City.” “Don’t you sometimes get Clarence to watch the place when you and Zeke have to be away?” “Yeah, I sent word, but Canders has him off on some fool errand today, and he couldn’t help out.” He glanced over at Anna. “You’re doing real good, honey. You look like you’ve been driving a wagon all your life.” Anna snorted. “Right, you’re such a liar. Even I can see the damn horse hates me.” Beau chuckled. “Honey, Kettle’s too old to hate anybody.” Anna glanced over her shoulder at the gray horse tethered to the wagon. “Why isn’t Chester pulling us?” “Cause I’m gonna need him to ride back to town. I’m gonna leave the wagon and Kettle with you in case you have to leave before I get back.” He glanced back at his horse. “Besides, he don’t do so well in a wagon harness. Makes him even more jumpy than usual.” “Well, I’m not sure this little impromptu lesson was enough to make me brave enough to set out on my own.” “Don’t worry none, darlin’. You’ll be able to get him to go if you need to. I’m gonna leave him harnessed to the wagon when we get there.” “When will you be back for me?”

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“It’ll be late afternoon before I can get away unless Clarence comes in. It’s payday for the miners, so we’ll be real busy this evening.” He looked at the pile of items in the back of the wagon. “What’re you planning on doing out here?” “Clean up the cabin.” She grinned. “I’ve got cleaning rags, a broom, an old pot Zeke said he didn’t use anymore, and some of that awful lye soap.” “Don’t be wearing yourself out, honey. Zeke really will kick my ass if you get hurt.” “No worries, big guy. You’re gonna be nice and get a fire started for me before you go so I can heat up some water to do some scrubbing. The creek was only a short distance from the cabin, so I won’t have to carry the water very far. I’ve got me a lunch packed, so I’ll be right as rain.” Beau laughed. “Girl, the way you talk is like a foreign language to me. The fire won’t be any trouble. If I remember right, there’s a stack of firewood outside the back door.” He took a deep breath. “You ever fire a gun, Anna?” Her mouth fell open as she gave a short bark of laughter. “What?” “You heard me. Have you ever fired a gun? This isn’t the big city, Anna. There are lots of dangers here that might warrant the use of a gun.” He reached beneath the seat and brought out something wrapped in a towel and dropped it in her lap. Anna yelped when the heavy handgun tumbled out of the wrapping. “What the hell’s this?” “A Colt-45 Peacemaker and it’s about the easiest gun there is for you to use. When we get to the cabin I’m gonna show you how to shoot it.” He glanced at her and smirked. “You might not be able to hit what you aim at, but you can sure scare the devil out of ’em with that thing.” Anna eyed the gun with trepidation. “Are you sure this is necessary, Beau?” “I’m sure, darlin’. Don’t worry, you’ll do just fine.”

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**** Anna watched Beau ride away and sighed. She’d been desperate to get away from the saloon today, and it had taken everything she had in her to talk him into this little excursion. There was no doubt in her mind that Zeke would never have let her come alone. “Sometimes a girl just needs to be by herself.” She glanced around the interior of the cabin and grimaced. Beau had kept his word and built her a fire. A pail of water sat on a grate above the smoldering flames. “Besides, the sooner I get this place livable the better.” Grabbing the broom, she tackled the bedroom side of the large room. Walking slowly so she wouldn’t spill, Anna carried a new bucket of water over to the fire and placed it over the flame. She’d finished the sleeping area, even airing out the old mattress, and was now ready to tackle the kitchen. “It’s looking pretty good, if I do say so myself.” Everything was coming together nicely. Even the mattress had been in better shape than she thought, especially after the beating she gave it with the broom. A noise at the door had her turning around. Her breath caught, her hands clenching around the broom handle. “Oh, God,” she whispered. Did Indians still scalp people in 1871? A tall Indian man stood silently in the doorway, his muscular frame easily topping Anna’s own five foot nine inches by more than a foot. His clothing consisted of a soft, leather-like shirt and pants that laced up the sides, his long, black hair loosely flowing over his bulging shoulders. In his arms, he carried a beautiful, pregnant Indian woman. His gaze briefly dropped to the woman when she moaned and then moved back to stare at Anna. “Nanichawai.” Anna frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” He closed his eyes and then swallowed hard. “Help,” he said, haltingly. Anna breathed a sigh of relief. “You speak English.”

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“Help.” “Okay, maybe not.” The Indian nodded toward the woman in his arms. “Oahmaa.” He thought for a moment. “Baby.” “Ne sadee nei.” The woman groaned, clutching both hands around her swollen abdomen. The Indian’s tortured gaze rose to Anna. “She is afraid.” Several drops of blood dripped from the bottom of the blanket wrapped around the woman. “Shit, over there.” Anna pointed toward the bed and breathed a sigh of relief when he walked over and laid the woman down. Turning, she quickly used the soap and warm water to wash her hands and went to check on her patient. She pulled back the blanket and smiled at the woman. “I need to check you, if it’s all right.” She put her hand on the woman’s knee. When she got no response, she went to raise her dress and jumped back when the Indian let out a loud cry. Anna flinched and bit back a scream as the man moved forward, pulling out a wicked-looking knife. “I’m sorry if I scared her. I promise I won’t hurt her. I’m a nurse, like a doctor only not as good.” He looked menacing, standing poised over the pregnant woman, guarding her with his knife. “Please, let me help her.” Anna thought for a moment. “I’m like a medicine man. I can help her.” For a moment, he stared deeply into her eyes, and then he nodded and stepped back. Anna let out a shaky breath and went to check on the woman’s progress. “Damn, she’s crowning. Hell, I thought Indian women just gave birth in the fields and went right back to work.” She looked up at the large man. “What’s her name?” He thought for a moment. “She Moon Dancer.” He pointed to himself. “Running Bear.” He pointed to Anna. “I’m Anna.” She turned back to smile at the woman. “Hi, Moon Dancer. Your baby is going to be here really quick. Try not to push.” She reached underneath her skirt and yanked down her petticoat.

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Looking around, she caught sight of the Indian’s knife and reached for it. He stepped back quickly. Anna rolled her eyes and held out her hand. “I need your knife.” He hesitated for a moment and then handed it to her. “Nehwe, knife.” “Great, I’m learning Apache.” “Shoshone, we are Shoshone.” “Nettsi,” Moon Dancer screamed. “She says it hurts.” Anna ripped the petticoat with the knife and then tore the material into several strips, leaving a good portion whole to act as a blanket. She turned back to the bed in time to see Moon Dancer draw up her knees with her hands and strain to push her baby out. Her scream echoed through the cabin. Moving into position, Anna cradled the tiny, hair-covered head as it slowly emerged, helping to free the shoulder once the baby’s head was out. In a whoosh, his tiny body slid out into her waiting hands, his lungs emitting a robust cry of indignity at being evicted from his warm environment. “Hakatten?” “Duyepe.” Running Bear looked at Anna. “I tell her it is boy.” Anna nodded and turned back to the baby. She moved him onto his side and used her little finger to clear his mouth of any fluids. “I don’t have any gloves, and nothing’s sterile. What if I give him some kind of infection,” she muttered. “Kaitsaan?” Running Bear put his hand on Anna’s arm. She shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She almost laughed when he nodded and stepped back. Great, now I’m actually beginning to understand him. She took one of the rags she’d dampened in the warm water and quickly washed off the boy and then laid him on his mother’s stomach. She took two of the strips from her petticoat, tied them tightly on his cord two inches apart, and then took the sharp knife and cut the cord in two.

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Anna laid the large piece of her petticoat on the bed and then swaddled the newborn as tightly as she could. Gently, she laid him in his mother’s arms. Brushing the tears from her eyes with her arm, she returned to the foot of the bed. A few minutes later she helped Moon Dancer deliver her afterbirth. Quickly she bathed the woman’s thighs and pressed several clean rags between her legs. She turned to Running Bear. “Can you pick her up for just a minute?” She made a motion with her hand to show him what she wanted. Running Bear lifted Moon Dancer easily in his arms and watched Anna pull the bloody mattress off the platform and flip it over to the clean side. “It’s not the perfect solution, but at least she won’t be lying in a wet bed.” She motioned for him to lay her back down. “Aishenda’ga embai’gandishe.” He touched his right hand to his heart. “Daga’ ainka pampipehe.” His brows came together for just a moment. “Thanks to you.” He touched his chest again. “Friend to red hair.” “Red hair?” Anna put her hand on her braid. “Oh, yeah, red hair. You mean me. I’m your friend.” “Yes, Anna, friend.” Anna smiled. “Yes, I’m definitely your friend.” She watched Moon Dancer offer her breast to the tiny baby. “What’re you gonna name him?” Running Bear looked at Moon Dancer. “Hakatten nihya?” She smiled. “Dommo Tuukkwasun.” Running Bear snorted. “She say boy will be Winter Warrior.” “That’s—” Running Bear rushed over to the window. “Dosa dainape kuin. Nukki, pehe.” He turned to Anna. “White men come. We must run, hide.” He walked over to the bed. “Aishi pampipehe. Gray hair come, evil.” Anna could hear the clomping of a horse coming down the trail. It was too early to be Beau, and she didn’t want to know what would happen to the Indians if they were found by any of the miners. She watched Running Bear pick up Moon Dancer and head toward the back door.

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Chapter 8 “Wait.” Anna rushed over and dragged the rug away from the cellar door. She pried up the board and threw it wide open. “You can hide down here.” Running Bear came closer and glanced down into the darkened hole. He shook his head and frowned. “Kaitsaan! Moon Dancer pehe duganipe.” He sighed. “She fear darkness.” “No problem.” Anna turned and picked up the lantern on the mantle. She grabbed one of the matches Beau had left and quickly lit the wick. “Here, take this.” She held it out to Running Bear. “You can’t be locked in.” She pulled up the door and showed him the rope attached. “There’s no lock on the outside. You can open it anytime you want.” They both turned toward the window at the sound of a horse neighing. “Please,” Anna begged, “hurry.” He took a deep breath and then slowly carried his woman down the narrow steps with her holding the lantern and the baby. Anna scooped up the bloody rags, and as soon as he cleared the opening, she tossed them down and pulled the door closed. “I’ll be back for you, I promise.” She hurried over to the window and looked out. There was a horse tied to the railing out front. She headed over to the door to check things out and bit back a scream when it slammed open. Her mouth felt dry, and she could hear her heartbeat roaring in her ears when she recognized Bart Canders.

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“It’s about time I caught up with you. Them damn men of yours have been putting me off for over a week.” He let his gaze travel up and down her body. Anna panicked and then raced toward the table where she’d left her gun. Canders proved faster and grabbed her up by the waist before she could get there. “Let go of me.” “Now is that any way to treat someone who came by to be neighborly?” “You better get out of here. Beau and Zeke will be back any minute.” Bart laughed and tightened his arms around her struggling form. “I ain’t going nowhere ’til you tell me how you knew about the fire.” “I don’t have to tell you shit.” Anna stilled when he pulled out his gun and pressed the barrel against her temple. “Then I guess I’m just gonna have to take you somewhere a little more private to have our talk.” He let the cold metal caress down the side of her face. “Someplace nobody’ll find you.” Anna opened her mouth to scream and then clamped her lips tight. Running Bear would come to her rescue if he heard her scream. Canders wouldn’t hesitate to kill him and his family if he felt threatened. Bart hugged her closer, the stench of his foul breath assaulting her senses. “Well, what’s it gonna be, girly? You gonna tell me what I wanna know?” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He snarled. “Try me.” He twisted the arm he had gripped in his enormous hand causing Anna to cry out in pain. “I’m losing patience, girl. How’d you know I was setting that fire?” Anna felt tears slide down her cheeks as she glared up at him. “I’m from the future, okay?” He laughed, and then a strange sort of excitement shone in his eyes. “If that’s true then we definitely got some stuff to talk about.”

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Keeping a firm grip on her arm, he began pulling her toward the door. “I think we need to go somewhere we can get better acquainted.” Anna struggled, trying to wriggle out of Bart’s hold. She wanted to cry out for help, but the face of that tiny baby kept flashing in her thoughts. How are Zeke and Beau gonna find me if he takes me out of here? Bart half-carried, half-dragged Anna out the door and over to a large, brown horse loaded with a canvas pannier. Without a word, he lifted her up into the saddle and then jumped up behind her, pulling her snugly back against his chest.” “They’ll kill you when they find out what you’ve done.” She tried to scoot forward when she felt his erection swell against her lower back. “They’ll have to catch me first.” His arms moved around her shoulders holding her tight, his fat, callused fingers plucking at her nipples through the cotton cloth. He laughed when she cursed, butting her head back against his chest. “You’re right.” He gave her nipple a final, vicious pinch. “There’ll be plenty of time for this later.” Anna blinked rapidly to hold back her tears as Bart pulled on the reins and guided the horse away from the cabin. **** “What the hell were you thinking?” Beau glanced over at Zeke and sighed. “I didn’t see any harm in letting her spend some time out here. It’s the middle of the day. There wasn’t any danger.” He shrugged. “Besides, you try saying no when she hits you with those wicked green eyes of hers. I’m telling you, it’s impossible not to let her have her way.” Zeke snorted. “I’m not gonna have any trouble saying no. Hell, I’m gonna tan her backside when I get my hands on her. Both of you knew damn well I didn’t want her running off by herself.”

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“To be honest we didn’t think you’d find out.” Beau studied his partner for a moment and then frowned. “We didn’t figure you’d be back until late tonight. What’re you doing back so early?” “The Mercantile didn’t have what we need. They said they’d order everything, but it’ll take a couple of months to get things shipped from back east.” “What all did you order?” Zeke grinned. “Got ’er a brand-new iron stove so she don’t have to cook over the open grate.” Beau rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure that’ll go over big.” “I got ’er some feminine stuff, too. Hell, I even bought a brandnew tub so she can keep taking those baths she seems to like so much. There’re several kinds of sweet smelling soap and some genuine Paris perfume.” “Huh, she really will like that. Did you get what she wanted most of all?” Zeke sighed. “Yeah, I got ’em. Three pairs of denim pants and several bolts of cloth to make whatever kinds of shirts she wants.” “That’ll make her happy.” “Yeah, and I stopped by the Craver’s farm on the way back. He’s gonna build us a table and chairs and a nice big bed for the cabin. I bought enough heavy cloth, batting, and feathers to make a mattress big enough to fit it.” He reached over and touched Beau’s arm. “It’s gonna be big enough for the three of us to share with room to spare.” Beau felt his heart speed up. “We’re gonna have a good life with her, Zeke. She’s everything we ever wanted.” He could see the bend in the road up ahead. “We’ll be there in just a minute. You plan on telling her about the stuff coming?” “Maybe, after I strap her ass for talking you into this little stunt.” He cut his eyes over to Beau. “Maybe I ought to be turning your ass red right alongside hers.”

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“I wouldn’t try it, if I was you.” He glanced up and smiled when he saw the wagon sitting in front of the cabin. “At least she’s still here.” “It’s a damn good thing. She’d get a much worse whipping if she’d been off somewhere on her own.” He narrowed his eyes. “Hell, she’s got the door wide open.” “Give her a break, Zeke. She’s probably just airing the place out. It was pretty dirty and rank after being closed up for so long.” “Anna,” Zeke called out. “Get your ass out here, girl. We’ve come to take you back to town.” Beau felt a tinge of fear at the continued silence. “Maybe she’s gone to the creek for some more water.” He slid off his horse and followed Zeke inside. Relief flowed through his body when he saw the cellar door thrown open. “She probably couldn’t hear us down there. “Anna!” He walked over and peered down. “She wouldn’t be down there in the dark.” Zeke pointed to the lantern on the mantle. “You remember how she reacted when we showed her around this place. She hated the dark.” Beau walked over and stepped out the back door. “Anna!” He listened for a moment and started toward the path. “Beau, get down here.” He hurried back inside and saw a glow of light coming from the cellar. When he looked down at Zeke, he stifled his cry with his hand. “What the hell happened here?” Zeke held up a bunch of stained rags in his hand. “Do you think it’s her blood? Could she be hurt and wandering around looking for help?” “Is there more blood down there?” Zeke held up the lantern and looked around. “No, I don’t see anything else down here.” He threw the rags down. “I’m coming up.” Beau backed away and looked around the cabin. “There’s not any blood up here.” Everything looked freshly cleaned, and the air had a sweet, clean smell.

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“Well, something’s not right.” Zeke frowned and walked over to the bed and squatted down. “What do you see?” “Looks like some dried blood on the floor here by the bed.” He looked over at the mattress and frowned. “The threads are showing.” Beau moved closer. “What?” “The threads.” He took his finger and ran it along a seam in the middle of the mattress. “They’re always kept down to keep you from rolling around on ‘em.” He grabbed hold of the mattress and lifted. “Son of a—” He tossed the mattress off onto the floor, and both men stared at the stains. “Lord almighty. It looks like somebody slaughtered pigs on it.” Beau moved closer and ran a trembling hand over one of the stains. “What do you think happened?” He shook his head. “I don’t know, but it’ll be dark soon. We’re gonna need help to search for her.” “Then let’s go.” Beau strode toward the door. “We can be at the mill the quickest. Let’s head up there and get the miners to help us comb these woods.” He looked back at Zeke. “We’ll find ’er.” **** “Get your hands off me, asshole.” Anna struggled, to no avail, as Bart tied her hands behind her back. They’d ridden for a couple of hours, deep into the woods. When they stopped, he’d literally dragged her off the horse and carried her inside the little cabin. She’d barely had time to look around before he’d dropped her onto her stomach onto a small bed and began tying her hands. The place was tiny, not much more than an enclosed room. There wasn’t even a fireplace. “This should hold you.” Bart roughly turned her over, leaving her lying uncomfortably on her bound arms. He grabbed another rope and threaded it around her feet, binding them together and then lashed them to the bed post. “I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere anytime

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soon.” He chuckled when Anna let loose a string of curses. “There ain’t nobody around for miles, girl.” He frowned. “They might come looking for you, though. Better to be safe.” He pulled a nasty looking kerchief from his pocket and tried to shove it in her mouth. Anna kept her lips pressed together tightly. “Ain’t gonna work, girl.” He let his hand trail down her body and roughly cupped her between the legs. When she gasped, he thrust the dirty cloth between her teeth. “There, that’ll keep you quiet.” He stuffed a little more in and then took another piece of rope and tied it around her head, across her mouth to hold the rag in. “I’ve got to go report in at the mill, or they’ll wonder what happened to me.” He ran a hand across her hair. “I’m gonna tell them I’ve got to be away for a few days for a family emergency, and then I’ll be back.” He gave her a wicked grin and leaned closer. “You’re gonna tell me everything you know about the future.” Bart grinned. “Yeah, I believe you. I’ve always believed in things nobody else could understand. If you can really tell me about the future, there’s no end to what I could do.” Anna groaned and shook her head furiously. There’s no way I’ll tell this asshole anything. Beau and Zeke will be here any minute. Bart laughed. “I can see on your face you’re planning to defy me.” He reached out with his tongue and licked the side of her face. “I hope you do, darlin’. That’ll make things even more fun.” His hands trailed down her arms and then moved to cover her breasts, squeezing hard. “You and me gonna get to know each other real good.” He let one hand move down to grope between her thighs. “Real good.” Chuckling, he stood and headed for the door. “Don’t you go nowhere now? I’ll be back soon.” Without looking back, he left, shutting the door behind him. Anna strained against her bindings, feeling her wrists chafing under the rough rope. Beau wasn’t due back at the cabin until late in the afternoon. How’s he gonna know where to look for me? Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she thought about what would happen when Bart returned. He was going to rape her, and there

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wasn’t anything she could do to stop him. He’s greedy. He’ll wanna question me first. He wants me to tell him secrets about the future. I can’t do that. Anna’s tears came faster, making it hard to breathe through her nose. The foul taste from the gag was making her nauseous, and she prayed she wouldn’t throw up behind the barrier. Exhausted, and feeling helpless, she finally cried herself to sleep. **** Anna came awake with a start. Terror filled her as she fought against the ropes. Then, suddenly, her memory came flooding back, and she glanced quickly around to see if Bart had returned. The room was dark, the only light being moonlight coming through the one window. She took a deep breath to relax and then turned sharply toward the door when she heard a noise. Fear set in when the shadow of a man came slowly through the opening door. “Anna?” She sobbed in relief when she recognized Running Bear’s voice. She began to struggle in earnest again. He quietly walked across the room and pulled out his knife. Without talking, he cut through the rope around her ankles, and then gently turned her over and released her arms. Anna tried to bring them around to remove the gag but they were useless from being tied so tightly for so long. Running Bear reached out and cut the rope around Anna’s head and pulled the cloth from her mouth. She gagged, coughing almost uncontrollably. “Nettsi?” He frowned. “You hurt?” Anna shook her head and tried to swallow. “No,” she rasped. “How’d you find me?” He pulled a strange-looking pouch from his belt and held it out to Anna. “Hipi—drink.” She turned up the soft pouch and let the cool water flood her mouth. Carefully, she swallowed, grimacing when the liquid stung going down her throat.

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“Go’aih. We must go.” He motioned toward the door. “Mi’a. We go by foot.” Anna tried to stand, her arms flailing out when the room spun around her. “Namaso’hai. We must hurry. Dosa dainape kui maikku. White man come right now.” Running Bear grasped her arm and led her toward the door. “Waazi. We hide.” They made it into the shelter of the trees when she heard the clomping sounds of a horse. “Nanah Niwene.” He leaned closer and whispered, “No reason talk.” Anna almost laughed. He didn’t have to tell her to be quiet. She watched as Bart Canders rode up and dismounted from his horse. He wasted no time in heading inside the cabin. “Damn it to hell!” She shrank back against Running Bear when Bart screamed and came running out of the cabin. He looked around wildly and drew out his gun. Running Bear pulled out his knife and started to move forward. Anna grabbed his arm and looked up at him imploringly. “No,” she whispered. “There’ll only be trouble if you kill a white man. Leave him for the others to punish.” Running Bear tensed, his gaze never leaving Anna’s, and then slowly resheathed his knife. “Nniku enne suwai.” He smiled. “As you want.” Anna sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “Thank you.” They watched Bart search the wooded area with his gaze and then mount his horse and ride off. She released a sigh of relief when his horse disappeared down the road and turned toward her rescuer. “How did you find me?” “Nananganna niwene. Heard talk. Paitsi kaitsaan. He took person no good.” “Okay, let me see if I get this right. You heard us talking and knew he’d taken me.” “Haa—yes.” “How do I say, thank you?”

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“Aishenda’ga embai’gandishe.” She placed her hand on his. “Thank you, Running Bear” She thought for a moment and frowned. “Where’s Moon Dancer and Winter Warrior?” “Kattainten.” He smiled. “In my village.” He gazed at her thoughtfully. “You tell dosa dainape you know future.” “Yes,” she sighed. “I know things about the future.” “You must isha’nai’. Nanah niwene. Must lie, no talk about. Is bad for you. We nanichawai mukua for your safety and peace. We ask great spirits for blessings for you. It not good to know future.” “Kui.” He took her arm. Come. I take you home.” “Wait.” She pulled away. “Is it safe for you to go into town? Will the men in town try and hurt you?” “Kui.” He urged her forward. “Will go to back of kkuna paa gahnin.” She frowned. “What?” “We go back of fire water house.” “Fire water house? Fire water?” Oh, you mean the saloon. We’ll go to the back door of the saloon.” When Running Bear shook his head, Anna smiled. “Okay, let’s get back to town.” She allowed Running Bear to lead her farther into the dark woods. **** “Will you stop pacing? There’s nothing we can do ’til the sun comes up.” Beau watched Zeke pick up his plate of stew and slam it against the wall. “You need to pull yourself together. We can get back out in a few hours.” “We never should’ve come back here for help. We lost good daylight wasting time. We might’ve found her by now. God knows what’s happening to her.” Beau pulled out a chair and sat down. “At least we know Canders isn’t responsible.”

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Zeke’s eyebrows disappeared up into his hairline. “How the hell do we know that?” “When Clarence came by to help, he said Canders was at the mill. Said he spoke to him personally and that he’d been there working on the books all afternoon. He was getting ready to leave for Treasure City on company business.” “I wish I could say that made me feel better, but I’d be lying.” Beau sighed and stared down at his boots. “Have you considered that she went back?” Zeke stopped pacing. “What’re you talking about?” “You know damn well what I’m talking about. Do you think she went back to the future?” “Geez.” Zeke walked over and closed the kitchen door. “Will you keep your damn voice down? No, I don’t think she’d go back without telling us. She loves us as much as we love her.” “Maybe she didn’t have a chance. Maybe fate just took her away as easily as it brought her here, without asking first.” “Why can’t you—” Scratching at the outside door had both men pulling their guns. “Quiet,” Zeke ordered. He motioned for Beau to move left while he moved to the right. When both men were in position, he reached out and slowly opened the door. “Zeke,” Anna squealed right before she threw herself into his arms. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Beau moved forward to make it a group hug and stopped abruptly when a massive Indian man walked in behind her, towering over everyone in the room. “Be nice, guys, this is Running Bear and he saved my life.” Anna reached back and grabbed Running Bear’s hand, pulling him farther into the room. “These are my men, Running Bear. This is Zeke and Beau.” She smiled when the Indian merely nodded. “Darlin’, you wanna tell us where you’ve been?” Zeke pulled her tighter against his chest.

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Anna sighed and laid her head on his chest. “Bart Canders kidnapped me from our cabin.” She quickly filled them in on her adventure while Running Bear stood silently. “Damn, honey, look at your poor wrists.” Beau rubbed the reddened, scraped skin softly. “I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch when I get my hands on him.” Zeke looked over at Running Bear. “I don’t know how we’re ever gonna be able to thank you. Anna means the world to us. We’d have died if we lost her.” “Kai aishenda’qa.” “Yes, we do need to thank you,” Beau said. “You understand him?” asked Anna. “Sure, we’ve been in these parts a long time. Just made sense to learn how to communicate with ‘em.” Running Bear smiled. “Iya’aihka saika ettsemih.” Beau grinned. “That’s easier said than done, my friend.” Anna scowled. “What’d he say?” “Said for us to watch you more closely.” He laughed when Anna smacked his arm and then reached out his arm to Running Bear. “Friends?” Running Bear grasped his forearm. “Naatea papi haintseh.” “He says we’re brothers of blood.” Beau motioned for Zeke to clasp his arm, too. “Now we’re all related.” He glanced toward the closed kitchen door. “We need to let the town know he’s a friend so he and his people can move around freely.” He looked up at Running Bear. “You and yours are welcome here anytime.” He thumped his hand on his chest and then repeated the gesture on Running Bear. “We’re family.” “Family.” Running Bear nodded and started toward the door. ****

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Anna sighed as Running Bear disappeared into the night. She felt warm and safe within Zeke’s embrace. “Where’s Canders?” she asked. Beau told her what he’d learned about Cander’s supposed trip to Treasure City. “Clarence sure thought everything was on the up-andup.” “Bart told me he was gonna tell them some story about a family emergency so he could spend several days with me.” Anna shivered just thinking about what the man had planned. “He wanted me to tell him what I know about the future.” “We need to get the sheriff in here, Anna. You’re gonna have to tell him what when on.” “You want me to tell him about coming from the future?” “Hell no! Just give him the basics. Tell him how Bart was obsessed with how you knew about the fire. He wasn’t letting it go, so you laughingly told him you could see the future.” Zeke shrugged. “Sheriff’ll just think Bart’s crazy.” Beau pulled Anna into his arms. “I don’t care if he thinks he’s crazy or not as long as he goes after him and locks his ass up.” “Come on, girl.” Zeke held his hand out. “We’ve got people gathering to start looking for you at first light. Let’s go find Sheriff Warring so you can tell your story and we can get you back here where you belong.” Anna smiled. “Do you think I could have a bath when we get back? I feel really dirty.” She didn’t bother to add that the feeling came more from Cander’s hands than all the cleaning she’d done earlier.” “Darlin’, you can have anything you want now that you’re back safe and sound.” He led her toward the door. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we find him the sooner we can have you soaking in that tub.” ****

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An hour and a half later Zeke helped Beau dump out the water from Anna’s bath. “Do you think she’s gonna be okay?” “She seems fine to me. She stayed pretty calm telling the sheriff everything.” Beau locked the door after they came back into the kitchen. “I can’t stand thinking about what would have happened if Running Bear hadn’t been able to track her.” Zeke walked over and pulled him into a hug. “Don’t think on it. She’s safe and here with us, and that’s all that matters.” Beau took a deep breath. “You’re right. Let’s go see what our girl’s up to.” Together they walked into the front room. They found Anna standing at the cellar door, staring down into the darkness. Zeke felt a chill and tightened his grip on Beau’s arm. “Are you wishing you could get home, Anna?” he asked quietly, almost afraid to hear her answer. Anna sighed. “No, of course not. I just wish I could figure out a way to let Kat know I’m okay.” “I wish I knew how to make everything right for you, darlin’. But I gotta be honest with you.” He took a deep breath. “We’re not sorry you’re stuck here. We love you, Anna, and we want you to stay with us and be our wife.” Beau walked over and took her hand. “You complete us, Anna. We wanna have children with you and grow old together.” “What do you say, girl? Will you stay with us? Marry us and make a family?” Zeke took her other hand and kissed her knuckles. “Will you love us as much as we love you?” She pushed up on her toes and touched her lips lightly to Zeke’s and then pulled away before he could deepen the kiss and repeated the gesture with Beau. “I do love both of you, so much. I wanna stay here and make a life with you. It seems right for me to be here, like I belong somehow.” She looked down at the floor for a moment and then raised her gaze to Zeke. “I just want you to make me one promise.” “Anything, Anna. What do you want us to do?” Zeke asked.

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Chapter 9 “Promise me that you’ll never let anyone take this building away from you. It can’t ever change hands. Our family has to own it forever.” Zeke swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Are you trying to hang onto it in case you can find a way back to your time?” Anna smiled and put her arms around him. “No, Zeke. I wouldn’t leave here now if that red, glowy circle appeared right in front of me. I’m where I wanna be for now and always.” Beau smoothed his hand across her cheek. “Then why do you wanna keep this place forever?” She sighed. “Just in case there’s ever a way to get a message back to my friend, or, heaven forbid, anyone else comes through. Maybe we could make a difference in their life. Maybe make things a little easier than I had it.” Zeke pulled her close and buried his face at her neck. “I swear to you that someone in our family will always own this saloon.” He nuzzled against her soft skin. “Do you think we could move this conversation to the bed?” Without waiting for a response, he swept her off her feet and started for the stairs. “Come on, Beau. We’ve got some lovin’ to do.” **** Anna held tight as Zeke hauled her up the stairs. She touched his rough face, his hard shoulders and let her fingers trail through his silky hair. Bending forward she licked at his mouth, her tongue

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stroking along his lower lip, sweeping the seam and licking them apart. She swept the inside of his mouth with her tongue and brushed the tips of her breasts against his chest. “Darlin’, you taste so good.” Zeke caught and sucked at her tongue, storming her mouth with a deep, claiming kiss. She suddenly felt weightless as he dropped her onto the bed. As she watched, he turned and pulled Beau into his arms, their lips meeting in a searing blaze of hunger. “You two are so damn hot!” Both men turned to grin at her. Beau’s hands came up to massage Zeke’s shoulders, and after a moment he leaned in and began to nuzzle the back of his neck. Anna yanked off the nightshirt she’d donned after her bath and lay back on the pillows, naked. “You men wanna share some of that with me?” Beau’s hands drifted to the buttons on Zeke’s pants, barely skimming his stomach along the way. He undid them one by one, never losing eye contact with Anna’s gaze. His hand disappeared beneath the waist moving down toward the prominent bulge. She came up on her knees and slid her hands beneath Zeke’s loose shirt, feeling the supple movement of his back muscles. Beau reached up and peeled the shirt away, raking Zeke’s skin with a heated glance while Anna’s lips touched briefly to each inch of skin revealed. Zeke leaned forward, the muscles in his chest quivering, to steal a kiss from Anna. The moment their lips met, his tongue was pushing past her lips demanding entry into her mouth, his fingers tightening in her hair. While her tongue twined with his, Beau came around behind her and buried his mouth in her neck, licking and sucking, gently biting. “Darlin’, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered. Zeke pulled away from Anna’s mouth, trailing his lips down her chin and throat, his tongue touching her sensitive flesh. His finger trailed over the curve of her ear, slipping down her neck and teasing the creamy mounds pressing against his chest. Opening his mouth over hers he tasted her deeply, her tongue flicking over his bottom lip.

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“Need you,” he murmured against her lips as she allowed his tongue to explore inside. “You’ve got too many clothes on.” Anna’s hand snaked down into the waistband of his pants and pushed them down his hips. Beau was holding her tight, so she watched as Zeke slid them down his thighs and kicked them across the floor. “I wanna touch you, darlin’.” Zeke’s tongue trailed down between her breasts. “You have such a sweet smell.” She moaned and arched her taut breasts against his chest as his fingers lingered on the tiny nubs of her nipples. His mouth dropped to taste one of the dusky peaks, his tongue flicking back and forth before he latched on with his teeth. “Zeke!” Anna cried out when she felt his mouth open over the tip of one undulating breast. Anna felt a third hand on her, toying with her breast, and opened her eyes as Beau licked at her neck, her chest, her breasts, his mouth closing hard around her other nipple. He cupped the firm globe, rubbing the nipple with his thumb and then swirled his tongue around the tight bud. “I love the way these get so hard for me.” Beau flicked the dark, hardened nipple with the tip of his tongue. “You’re so sensitive.” He moved around and laid his hands on her back, skimming along her spine and then curling over her neck and tangling in her hair. “You smell so damn good.” His tongue left a damp trail across her shoulders. Zeke groaned. “God, yes, she smells heavenly.” He sucked the aching tip into his mouth, grazing it lightly with his teeth, and then sucking strongly, lashing with his tongue over and over. “I love you, both of you.” Anna’s hands ran up Zeke’s sides and around his back to knead at the tight muscles, and then slowly slid them forward. ****

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Zeke noticed the paleness of Anna’s skin as ticklish fingers tangled with his chest hair, teasing the small, hidden flat nipples. He looked down at the blond trail of hair down his stomach that ended in a thick nest around the base of his cock and balls. “Touch me,” he rasped harshly. Taking her hand, he led it down to his erection. “Put my cock in your mouth.” Anna kissed her way down his stomach until his throbbing cock was a mere inch from her mouth. She wrapped her fingers around it, her thumb swiping across the tip and spreading the pre-cum. “Come ’ere, Beau. Move closer so I can touch you.” Zeke held out his hand. Beau stepped forward, leaving one hand caressing Anna’s shoulder. Zeke reached down and caressed Beau’s impressive shaft, rubbing the moisture gathering at the tip into his skin. “I’m not gonna last long, Zeke.” Beau panted. “I think all the blood in my body is pooled in my aching balls.” Zeke chuckled and wrapped his hand around Beau’s cock, setting up a rhythm of slow, firm strokes. He could feel a vein pulsing beneath his fingers. “If you come too soon, I’ll get Anna all to myself,” he taunted. Anna giggled. “What if you lose control?” She bent to place a kiss and a lick across the tip and then closed her lips over the head, sucking long and deep. “Fuck, I love your mouth.” Zeke groaned and tightened his grip on Beau’s cock. Anna worked her tongue up and down Zeke’s shaft, her teeth scraping the skin on his rigid pole. “I’m gonna lick you up and down,” she whispered. Zeke let his fingers brush against Beau’s nut sac and then squeezed the heavy globes lightly. “Don’t you come yet.” Taking hold of his shaft at the base, Anna took more of Zeke’s length into her mouth. Her tongue teased the opening, swirling over

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the head, while her fist pumped up and down. As he watched, she took him deep, her nose burying in the coarse curls at his groin. “Yeah, darlin’, swallow him.” Beau groaned, his gaze fixed on Anna’s mouth. “Enough,” Zeke cried. He released Beau and reached between Anna’s legs, his fingertips brushing against the hood covering her clit. Both men grabbed her arms and helped her onto the bed, pressing her back against the pillows. Zeke used his knee to shove hers apart and then ran his fingers down between her pussy lips. “Damn, girl, you’re soaking wet.” “Let me see.” Beau leaned over and ran his tongue up the slit of her wet pussy.” He grinned up at Zeke. “Wanna taste?” Zeke sucked his lower lip and then swept his tongue through Beau’s mouth, enjoying the tangy taste of Anna’s arousal. “Hmm, that’s my kind of kiss,” he murmured. Two sets of hands palmed up Anna’s thighs, caressing her heated skin. Zeke’s touch moved to her hips, pulling her down in the bed. Beau’s fingers traced around her navel and then moved up to cup her breasts. Taking hold of her knees, Zeke opened her legs wider and settled himself in the valley between her thighs. “Your lips are so wet, darlin’.” Eager to feel her wetness, he ran the tip of his finger along her slit and then worked it inside. Groaning, she tried to close her thighs, but his shoulders held her open. “Whatever you’re doing just caused her nipples to harden even more.” Beau chuckled. Zeke glanced up to see Beau’s lips close over a rigid tip. “Suck it good for me, Beau.” He slid a second finger into her tight center, splaying his fingers and teasing her clit with soft touches. Her pussy clenched around his fingers as her hips undulated with the rhythm of his touch, his sensual assault making her gasps become moans that filled the room.

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With one hand on her hip, Zeke leaned close and traced her slit with his tongue, dipping inside lapping at her juices. “You taste delicious, darlin’.” The flat of his tongue traced through her pussy searching for her sensitive clit. Nosing aside her labia, he kissed her pulsing nub. She moaned as his tongue stroked in and out, her hips lifting against him with each thrust of his tongue as her cream poured forth. “Come for me, Anna. Let me taste you.” His teeth captured her clit and gently tugged just as Anna stiffened, her screams cutting the silence of the room. “Come on, darlin’,” Beau whispered. “I wanna enjoy the feel of you underneath me.” He scooted down on the bed. **** Anna tried to catch her breath as Beau took Zeke’s place between her legs. She trembled when he pushed her thighs further apart and settled between then. “I can’t wait to fuck your beautiful ass.” Zeke pressed a kiss on her stomach. He chuckled low and seductively, the sound causing goose bumps to spread across her skin. She could feel the moisture dripping between her thighs as the tip of Beau’s erection grazed her slick opening. With one thrust, he sheathed his cock to the hilt inside her pussy while she writhed under his weight. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she drew him fully inside her. “Fuck, you’re hot.” Beau slowly pushed out and then back in. “Come on, Beau. Give me a break and get that little ass where I can get at it,” Zeke demanded. Beau groaned. “Hold tight with your legs,” he ordered. Anna rotated her hips, deliberately clenching her pussy muscles as she tightened her legs around his waist. Beau grabbed her hips, rolling to his back and taking her to sitting astride his erection. Anna squealed as she came up on her knees, dislodging his shaft. “You okay, darlin’?” Zeke asked.

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“Yeah, just getting comfortable.” She straddled Beau, anchoring her hands on his shoulders as she impaled herself slowly, the feel of his thick cock stretching her to her limits. “God, all that warm wetness closing around my dick is like heaven.” Beau grabbed her hips and guided her back down. She tightened her inner walls around his thickness as he lifted his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth. With a keening moan, Anna let her head fall back. She sat up slowly and started to ride him, faster and faster while her orgasm inched closer. When it hit, it tore through her body like an explosion and she screamed, holding onto his shoulders and rocking her hips. “Let’s see if we can’t make you do that again.” Zeke moved in behind her and squeezed her ass cheek with one hand while he explored her crack with the other. Anna stopped moving when she felt her cheeks being parted, his fingers over her anus. “Damn, you got such a beautiful ass.” She clenched her butt as he licked the small of her back, slowly moving lower and down her crease. “Relax your bottom. I’m gonna spread these cheeks wide and rim that sweet little hole.” “Oh, God.” Anna tensed when she felt the first swipe of his tongue across the forbidden opening. “What’re you doing?” “Lovin’ you, honey.” Zeke twirled his tongue a few more times. “Damn, I can’t hold off. I promise we’ll take more time next time, darlin’. Beau, keep her mind off things for a minute while I get her ready.” **** Zeke watched Beau’s hand move under Anna’s hip and then heard her groan. He smiled and grabbed the jar of Vaseline. He spread the slick stuff liberally over his cock and across two of his digits and then trailed them down the crack of her ass. “Shit, that’s cold,” she cried out.

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“Sorry, darlin’. It’ll warm up in a minute.” He closed his eyes and worked one finger in, feeling Anna shudder underneath him. After a brief moment he stuck a second lubed finger in, scissoring them back and forth. He felt her tense, her muscles trying to push him out. “Relax, Anna. Let me in, please.” “I’m trying, Zeke. It burns.” “It’ll get better, honey.” He sent a third finger forward to stretch the tight hole and was pleased when she raised her butt and pushed upward, moaning as his finger pressed deeper. “Is that better?” “Oh, yeah. It’s beginning to feel good.” Zeke gripped his slickened cock in his other hand and aimed it straight into her body. He slowly pushed the crown through the tight ring of muscle, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he worked his way in. He could hear Anna suck in a breath as the head of his shaft passed into her dark opening. “It burns.” Anna gasped, her legs trembling. “Help her out, Beau,” Zeke ordered. “Okay, come on, Anna. Focus on my fingers playing with your secret place, darlin’.” With several small, firm pushes, Zeke slid into her, sheathing himself until their bodies met. “Oh, fuck,” he groaned loudly. You’ve got such a tight hole. So fucking good.” “A little less talk and a little more action please,” Beau begged. Anna giggled. “I think he’s feeling left out.” By the time Zeke was in completely, they were all panting and shaking. “How’s it feel, darlin’?” “Like I’m stretched beyond my wildest imagination, filled to overflowing.” She wiggled her ass. “Like we’ve fused into one person.” Beau chuckled. “I’m not sure I’m ever gonna be able to follow her conversation.” “She means we feel like we belong together.” Zeke groaned. He took his time, drawing his cock slowly out of her wet tunnel then

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shoving it back in. His gaze met Beau’s as he pulled back and then surged inside her body once again in rough, jerky motions. She tightened around his cock, bringing a groan from deep in his chest. None of them would last long at this rate. Both of Beau’s hands were on Anna’s shoulders, so Zeke reached between her legs to rub her clit and add an extra thrill to her ride. He thrust in and out almost in slow motion, and then grabbed her hips, slamming into her and riding her hard. “Come on, Anna, come for us.” Beau moved his hands to her thighs and gripped hard. Both men pushed into her at the same time and Zeke came, his entire body shuddering in climax. Pleasure washed through him, stealing his ability to breathe. As his seed spilled in her tight depths, he heard her scream of fulfillment right before Beau’s hoarse cry. Sated, he collapsed against her sweaty back. “Hey, man on bottom can’t breathe.” Beau pushed against his shoulders. “Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to wanna be the one in her pussy.” Zeke laughed as he withdrew from her ass and pulled her off of Beau. He helped Anna to lie down and got up to get some rags to clean up. After he’d washed himself, he took a couple of damp cloths to the bed and handed one to Beau. He climbed up behind Anna and proceeded to clean her thoroughly. “Damn, I’ll be glad when somebody invents plumbing so we can have warm water.” Zeke snorted. “I’m not even gonna ask what you mean.” He looked over at Beau and then brought his gaze back to Anna. “I love you, Anna. Will you marry us?” “Yes, please. Marry us, Anna. Let us make you happy.” Beau reached over and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She sighed. “You know it’s not legal for three people to get married.”

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“You’re not back East, Anna. Things are different in the West because there’re so few women willing to live here. I promise you our preacher will marry us all nice and legal.” Zeke turned her to face him. “We’ll take care of you, for the rest of your life. You’ll never want for nothing.” “I love you, both of you.” Anna took a deep breath. “I’ll be the best wife I know to be for you. I just ask that you be patient with me. It’s gonna take some time to get used to the way things are done here. Hell, I’m not sure I’ll survive the next thirty years waiting for them to invent Pepsi.” Zeke moved in close and watched as Beau copied his gesture. “I’m not sure what this Pepsi is you’re talking about, but if we can get if for you we surely will. You’re already the best wife we could ask for. We’ll have a hell of a life, Anna.” “One filled with love, laughter, and children.” Beau put his arm across her stomach and laid his hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Because we love each other.” “Okay, then let’s get married.” Anna sat up in the bed. “When do you wanna do it?” Zeke took her in his arms. “Let’s ride to Treasure City tomorrow. There’s a preacher there all the time. We don’t get one through here but every few months.” Anna smiled. “Tomorrow it is.” **** “I now pronounce you husbands and wife. That’ll be two dollars, and you can kiss your bride.” Anna had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. They’d wakened the poor preacher, and he’d not even had time to finish dressing. His shirt was only half tucked in and missing two of the buttons. What little hair he had on his head stuck straight out. “Well, ain’t you gonna kiss ’er?”

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Beau pulled her close and pressed a light kiss against her lips. “I love you, darlin’,” he whispered. Zeke moved in and placed his hands on each side of her face. He gazed into her eyes for a moment and then lowered his lips to hers. There was nothing light or brief about his kiss. His tongue demanded entry and fought an erotic duel with her own. They were oblivious to anything but each other until a throat was cleared loudly. “That’ll be two dollars,” said the sour-faced preacher. Anna giggled as Zeke dug into his pocket. He held out his hand to the preacher. “Here’s ten for your trouble, sir. You’ve made us really happy men.” The face on the grouchy man brightened. “Well, that’s mighty kind of you, son. Listen, you might take your bride over to the courthouse. There’s a professional photographer here to take pictures of the hanging the sheriff’s scheduled for tomorrow. He’s been making a little money on the side taking folks’ pictures. You could have a nice wedding photograph made to remember this day by.” Anna looked up at Zeke. “Can we?” “Sure, darlin’. Anything you want.” He took her hand and led her out onto the porch. He pointed down the street. “Courthouse’s that way.” He thought briefly about the hanging that was scheduled. Bart Canders would have been hung if he hadn’t tried to fight off the sheriff when he came to bring him in. Three men in the posse had opened fire when Bart pulled his gun. The photographer had set up on the courthouse steps. He was busy trying to get a family of seven to sit still and all face the camera at the same time. Anna looked at the ornate carved doors they were posing in front of and then quickly glanced down at her dress. Holy shit! The picture in Kat’s book was me. It was my wedding picture. “What are you smiling about?” Zeke asked, taking her hand to press a kiss against her palm. Anna looked down at her shoes and grinned. “I promise I’ll tell you later.”

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“You folks ready?” She looked up. The photographer was motioning them forward. “Yeah, we’re ready.” “Make it a good one, if you please.” Zeke slapped the man on the back. “This is our wedding picture.” If he was surprised at three people in a wedding picture, he didn’t show it. He smiled and placed a chair on the step for Anna. “Congratulations to the three of you. I hope you have many happy years together.” Ten minutes later Zeke was paying the money and giving the address of the Silver Rush Saloon for him to mail them the picture. “I’m going to be using some of my prints in newspaper stories telling about my trip west. What’re your names so I can print them with the picture?” Before Zeke could answer, Anna stepped forward. “Just say we’re a prominent Hamilton family, please.” He shrugged and then smiled. “Sure thing, that’s not a problem.” He held out his hand for her to shake. When Anna placed her hand in his, he grinned. “A saloon, huh? I know a lot of card playing goes on in places like that. I guess you could say you got yourself a really good hand in marriage.” Anna shook her head. “Not just a good hand.” She reached out and grabbed Zeke and Beau’s hands. “I doubled down.”

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Epilogue “Anna, where the hell are you?” Kat ran down the street calling her friend’s name as loudly as she could. “Where could she be,” she sobbed. She’d been searching the buildings for almost an hour with no luck. “I’ve got to get some help.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911. “911 Operator, what’s your emergency?” “My friend’s missing. I think something’s happened to her.” “What’s your name please?” “Katarina Elizabeth Evans.” “What’s your location, Ms. Evans?” “I’m at the Hamilton ghost town in White Pine, Nevada.” “You say a friend is missing?” “Yes, her name is Anna Oakland. We’re here on vacation, and we were just wandering around. I went to look at the old mill while she stayed to wander around the town. Now I can’t find her.” “How long has she been missing?” “I don’t know exactly. I’ve been looking for over an hour. There’s nobody around but me. I haven’t seen any other cars.” “All right, Ms. Evans. I’m sending some state troopers and park rangers your way. Where are you right now?” “I’m with my car. It’s parked right beside the Hamilton sign as you drive into town.” “All right, stay with your automobile so they can find you easily. Does Ms. Oakland have any medical conditions that might be a problem? Diabetes? Epilepsy? Mental disorders?” “No, of course not.”

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“Was she sick or depressed this morning?” “No, why all the stupid questions?” “I’m just trying to get all the facts to send to the police who respond to the call, Ms. Evans. Every bit of information they have before they get there will speed things up.” “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help. Do you need to know anything else? “No, that’ll be it. Would you like me to stay on the phone with you until they arrive?” Kat shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’m gonna look around some more.” “Don’t wander away from your vehicle, Ms. Evans. The authorities tell me they’re about twenty minutes away.” “Okay, thank you.” “Good luck, honey.” Kat hung up and stared down the quiet street. “Anna was fascinated about the saloon when she read the book.” She walked toward the remains of the town’s only saloon and felt a chill run over her body. “Anna,” she called out. Slowly she climbed the steps. She glanced inside and wrinkled her nose. The dank air took her breath away. “Why the hell would the air be moist?” Slowly she walked inside and gazed around the room. Nothing indicated Anna had ever been there. An open door toward the back caught her attention. It appeared to lead toward a basement. Taking a deep breath she moved closer until she could see down the steps. It was pretty dark, but something shiny about halfway down caught her eye. Cautiously she tested the first step and found it to be fairly sturdy. She moved down a few more and froze in surprise when she glimpsed the small camera lying on the step. “Who the hell would drop a camera and just leave it?” She bent and picked it up, but couldn’t say for sure it belonged to Anna. “Where the hell are you, Anna?”

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Swallowing hard, she continued down the stairs. At the bottom she looked around. “Shit, what a mess.” There were stacks of rottenlooking boxes stacked all over the room. She turned to go back upstairs and blinked. Something was glowing against the wall. As she watched, a red circle appeared, growing larger and larger in diameter. “Hell, I need to get out of here. This can’t be real.” Kat turned and started toward the stairs. She tried to keep as far away from the wall as she could when she passed the pulsating, red spot. She let out the breath she’d been holding when her foot touched the first step. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. The air around her seemed to whoosh away, leaving her in a strange vacuum. Her body began to gravitate toward the wall despite her struggles. Oh, God, what’s happening? Her eyes closed when she hit the wall, and then opened in shock when she felt herself falling. Everything around her was black, a void with a feeling of no life. She closed her eyes again in fear. All of a sudden the vacuum opened, and a huge rush of air flowed over her body. She catapulted into a room, stumbling across the floor into a pile of boxes before she could stop herself, the top one crashing to the floor with the sound of breaking glass. Before she could even begin to wonder what had happened, the sound of footsteps pounded overhead. The click of a door opening had her turning toward the sound. Light poured through a door high up, and to her shock a man came walking down. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Obviously of Native American descent, his long, black hair flowed smoothly far past his shoulders. A broad, muscled chest topped a thin, tapered waist. Thick muscular thighs framed a— Holy shit! The man was totally naked. Her eyes widened when the appendage hanging between his thighs began to grow. The sound of his chuckle had her gaze returning to the wicked grin on his face. “Son of a bitch.” He called up the stairs. “David, get your ass down here.” He returned his gaze to her. “My name is Winter Warrior and you have to be Kat!” She did the only thing she could think of. She opened her mouth and screamed!

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THE END WWW.MISSYMARTINE.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I was born, and raised in the great southern state of Tennessee. In my youth, I studied nursing, and spent several happy years working in the hospitals there until I branched out into medical management in 1980. In 1998 I was managing a medical supply house in Chattanooga, when I met the love of my life. The only problem facing me then, he lived way out in Oklahoma. You see, we had met in a chat room! He romanced me daily with love letters, flowers and phone calls. It wasn’t long before I uprooted myself, and moved west to join him. We married in 1999, and then continued our fantasy romance all over the world. Together we have traveled in almost all of the Continental United States, and taken trips to Canada and China. I retired from working in 2002 and it wasn’t long before my husband was encouraging me to find some kind of outlet to occupy my time, something that was challenging, and rewarding. I was already obsessed with reading about romance, and I began to think I could probably write a good, romantic story. My husband heartily agreed with me. With that encouragement, I began writing my first book. I wasn’t really convinced that anyone else would find it interesting, but he pressed me to take a chance and send it in to a publisher. To my surprise, it was accepted, and now I’m able to share it with readers everywhere who like a “happily ever after” story. Today, I’m living in California with my, still romantic, husband of twelve years, and our boys. Our boys consist of Beau, Midnight, and Bubba, three male cats that allow us to live with them and serve them at their leisure. I continue to write almost daily, hoping that someone, somewhere will get the same enjoyment from reading my stories, that I get from writing them.

Also by Missy Martine Siren Classic: A Wolfen Heritage 1: Discovering Her Wolfen Heritage Siren Classic: A Wolfen Heritage 2: Denying His Wolfen Heritage Ménage Amour: A Wolfen Heritage 3: Changing Their Wolfen Heritage Ménage Amour: Table for Three Ménage Amour: Sequel to Table for Three: Catch Her When She Falls

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com