A Promise Kept

Of course, a man's body can betray him, and when I woke next morning we'd turned over in the night, I was snug behind her, my arm around her, and my pecker trying to bore a hole in my long johns, my jeans and probably Mary's dress as well. That was my first problem. Second was where my hand had gotten itself, because I had Mary's breast cupped in it, and there was no way I was getting free without my waking her, 'cause her hand was covering mine.

Not for the first time since I'd known her, she surprised me. She pushed back briefly against me, squeezed my hand over her breast, and then wriggled over until she was facing me, our faces only inches apart. She smiled, shy, sweet, lovely, warmth in her regard.

"Mornin', Jack."

"Mornin', Mary."

"Sleep well?"

"I guess. You?"

"First time I slept on the ground in a long time, Jack, but once I'd gotten off to sleep, yes, I did."

"Good. Only one night of this, I think. We should be in town by afternoon. Probably too late for the train, so we'll get us a couple of rooms for the night, catch the mornin' train. That's iffen there's a westbound! Never thought to check before comin' to fetch you."

She smiled again, and stretched across to kiss my nose. She held my eyes when she spoke. "One room, Jack, one bed, that's all we need, you and me. I ain't felt so safe for a long time as I did sharing this bed of ours, out here, under the stars."

I gave her a wry smile. "Sharing a bed with my step-mama."

She smiled, shaking her head. "No, Jack, your pa and me, we was never married. We just told you that, 'cause I didn't want you thinkin' bad of me."

I stared at her for a long, long, moment then smiled. There had been an anxious look deep in her eyes, one she'd tried to hide, but it faded as I leaned forward to kiss her, quick, light. More kisses would come later. "I could never think bad of you, Mary. I love you."

"And I love you, Jack," she said, sending a jolt of pure joy through me. She shook her head, a rueful expression on her face. "I ain't even certain how or why. I jus' know, that when you came into that saloon, and I realized who the big man with the broken nose was, well, I just felt good, happy, really happy, that you was back in my life. I said goodbye to a boy two years ago, but it was a man who come into that saloon looking for me, to keep his promise. You're the only man who ever looked out for me, Jack, and I thank you for that, from the bottom of my heart."

She made a face. "I never loved your pa. I was grateful, and I tried to be good to him, but he drove that away with his meanness." She sat up, tousled and lovely in the early morning sunshine. "Get a fire goin', Jack, we'll have some coffee and hit the road. We got those crackers and jerky. 'T'aint great, but we can eat as we go. Sooner we get to town, sooner we get us a room, sooner we share a bed." She held my eyes. "You're five years younger'n me, Jack, but I don't care a damn. You're more man than anyone I ever seen, and I want to share your bed, and your life." She stopped dead, looked across at me, and flushed. "Guess I'm takin' things fer granted, ain't I?" she said, suddenly hesitant.

I laughed, and shook my head. "No, Mary, you're just makin' my dreams come true, an' a lot quicker'n I ever thought. I kinda hoped that, one day, maybe, you might love me a little, and I was gonna be good to you, to make it happen. I'm only sorry it took me so long to come back for you."

She shook her head, smiling. "You did come back, soon as you could, and that's what matters to me." She paused. "I know I said California, but if there's anywheres else you'd rather be?"

I shrugged. "California's as good as anywhere else, I reckon. Maybe Oregon, it's pretty there. Don' think as Pa'll be followin' us, anyways." I shrugged. "If he does, well, he better look out."

"My hero!" Mary laughed. "You certainly put him out. Did you see the look on Alec Grant's face, when he realized who you was?"

"Yeah, I figured he was tryin' not to laugh." I reached out and squeezed her fingers. "Let's us get movin', Mary."

It was a long day, but a happy one. We made better time than I had figured, and we reached town probably mid-afternoon, a good long while shy of sunset. I dickered with the livery for the buckboard and the bay. I took a loss on it, but not near as bad as I feared, only a few dollars. I guess they was glad to have it available again. There were a couple of hotels in town, but we asked around and called at a little cottage on the edge of town, where I'd been told we might get some lodgings. There was a spry ol' lady living there, and she took a shine to us straight away.

Upshot was, she let us have a little cabin she had, maybe a hundred feet back of her cottage. Only had two rooms, a kitchen with a table and two chairs, and a bedroom with a big ol' brass bed. We'd taken us time to get Mary a few things, and I let her get washed and changed while I got the stove going. She came out, dressed in her new nightdress, hair tied back, her face scrubbed clean.

"All yours, Jack. You get ready, and I'll get us some coffee."

"Sure thing, sweetheart." She smiled when she heard that, but I had ideas, ideas that maybe didn't include any coffee. I stripped off my clothes and washed quickly, but thorough--I wanted to be clean for Mary--and lay on the bed, naked. Thoughts of Mary and me already had me excited, and it didn't take more'n a moment or so before my pecker was hard and ready, and I lay back.

There was a quick knock on the door and she came in with the coffee for me, smiling, her new robe over her nightdress. She stopped short at the sight of my erection, flushing, but a strange expression passed over her face, one I could only describe as a cross between lust and hunger, a longing. She put the coffee cup down, tearing her gaze away from me and turned as if to go.

"Mary, no," I said. "Please stay."

She turned, the flush still on her face, trying not to look at my erection.

"I..." she began.

"Mary," I said, holding her eyes with mine. "Make love to me."

She shook her head, her mouth working, soundless, but I felt certain that it was a reflex action, because we'd both known when we took the cabin that there was only going to be one conclusion, that we would share the bed, that we would make love.

"Make love to me, Mary," I said, but gently now, "we both want it."

"I can't." Her face was wretched, torn with indecision.

"Yes, you can." I reached out and tugged at the sash of her robe. "You're not my stepmother, you're my Mary, the woman I love."

She shook her head in remembered pain, then looked up at me. "I never let him touch me again after you left."

I nodded, holding my hand out to her. "You told me already, but I'm not him, Mary, I'm me. I'm Jack Riley, not Jacob Riley." I smiled, trying to put the love I had for her into my eyes. "So make love to me, Mary, my love." I tugged at the sash of her robe, pulling her to the bedside. She came, unresisting, with a sigh of acceptance, her robe falling open as she moved to kneel astride my thighs.

She shrugged the robe off and discarded it, reaching out a trembling hand to touch me, and I hissed in a gasp of pleasure as I felt her small hand close around my hardness. There was an absorbed look on her face as she felt me, and then she shuffled forward, lifting the hem of her nightdress and taking gentle hold of my prick, angling it up, feeding it to her pussy. I caught a glimpse of pubic hair, dark as her head, before the hem dropped again as she lowered herself onto me, her pussy surprisingly slick with her juices, and I was startled and pleased at how ready she was, a moan escaping her lips as she took my rigidity within her.

"Show me your breasts," I said, holding her eyes with mine.

She flushed again but there was no hesitation as she reached to move the hem of her nightdress up, crossing her arms to strip it off over her head, discarding it beside her robe. She was slender, my Mary, too slender, and a flash of anger went through me at the fading bruise on her ribs, but a look of pleasure was growing on her face as she rode me. Her breasts were full, the nipples thick and hard with her own want. I reached up to cup the soft weight of her, my thumbs brushing over her hard nubs. She shuddered for a moment, pausing, but began to move again, to rise and fall on my aching hardness, her juices flowing freely, the squish of her movement loud in our ears.

I flexed my prick within her and she faltered briefly before continuing her ride, rising, falling...

"Soon," I said, her movements getting me nearer and nearer.

"Me, too," she gasped as she moved. "Very soon now."

I thrust up into her as she came down, moving my hand so that my fingers traced her labia before brushing lightly against her clitoris, trying to give her pleasure as I took my own. Mary's belly convulsed and her quim clamped down on me as she came, a plaintive mew of pleasure escaping from her lips, my hips moving urgently as I came in my turn and she collapsed across me as we stilled, my prick twitching in post-coital spasms. At last she turned her head and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you, Jack," she whispered, "for everything, but perhaps most of all for making me feel needed again, wanted, loved, something I haven't felt since my mama died."

"'Tis I who should be thanking you, my Mary." I paused, realizing something, and I laughed.

"What is it, Jack?" She raised her head, smiling into my eyes.

"Well, if you and Pa were never married, I don't even know your name."

She giggled, and a corner of my mind wondered how many times she'd giggled while I'd been away, when she had last managed that. "Rourke," she said. "Mary Alice Elizabeth Rourke."

I smiled at her, and hugged her. "Hello, Mary Alice Elizabeth Rourke. I'm John Patrick Fitzpatrick Riley, and I'm very pleased to know you." I held her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

There was a long, long, moment as she stared at me, and tears welled up in her eyes, but her smile when it came was radiant. "Yes, Jack. Oh, yes!" She dashed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "When?" She was hesitant, and I hastened to reassure her, my reward in her look of love when I spoke.

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

Chapter Six

The next few days blur in my memory sometimes, but those memories are good, very good. The next morning, after a night of love, of laughter, yes, and of tears, we'd broken our fast, and then made our way to the old lady's cottage. I think she'd seen us coming, and opened the door immediately to my knock.

"Yes, Mister Riley? Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, ma'am, Miz Adams, there is. Mary and me, we want to get married, today if possible, and we was wonderin' iffen you could tell us who we should go see?"

"You told me you were already married, young man," said Mrs Adams, sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, ma'am, sorry ma'am."

"Come on in, the two of you, and let's talk about this."

Upshot of it was, Mrs Adams got her coat and took us into town, and to the little house behind the church, where she threw open the door and marched in.

"Charles? Are you home? Emma?"

A young woman came through from the kitchen, holding a baby in her arms, followed by a man in the dark suit of a man of the cloth.

"Mama, how lovely to see you. You don't call here nearly often enough!" The young woman kissed Mrs. Adams' cheek, and turned to us, curious, expectant.

"Emma, Charles, this here's Jack Riley and Mary--never did get your name, did I, dear?"

Mary blushed. "Rourke, Mary Rourke."

"Mister Riley, Miz Rourke. Is there something we can do for you?" said the man, a gentle smile on his face.

"We want to get married. We asked Miz Adams, and she brought us here."

"Very right and proper, too. I'm the Reverend Charles Adams. This is my wife, Emma, and the baby is Nathaniel, after my late father. As I think you have already realized, Mrs. Adams is my mother. Sit down, both of you and let's get this sorted out. Emma, darling, a cup of something?"

"Of course, dear. Come on, Mama, you can look after Nathaniel for a minute or two."

With a bright smile from both of them they left us alone with the Reverend. He turned to us. "Now, I'm sorry, but obviously I have to ask you some questions. Are either of you already married?"

It took a while, but we made it clear to the Reverend that neither of us had been married before, we did not need to seek approval from anyone, and we knew of no reason whatsoever why we should not marry. Long story short, not long after two o'clock that very afternoon Mary became Mrs. Riley, in a solemn little ceremony attended by Mrs. Adams, Emma and Nathaniel, who slept throughout, and some friends of Mrs. Adams, 'who just loved weddings', and were happy to act as witnesses and congregation both.

We spent our wedding night in Mrs. Adams little cabin, happy, loving, exhausting each other with the intensity of our lovemaking. I teased Mary as we lay recovering, cozy under the comforter, her naked body pressed against mine.

"Why the rush, sweetheart? We have our whole life ahead."

"Because I want your child," said Mary. I have to say, that shut me up for a time, while I kissed her.

"Boy or girl?" I said, as we came up for breath.

She smiled happily, and winked at me. "Both!"

"Well, let me rest for a little while, then I'll be happy to help you make your wish come true."

"Am I greedy?" said Mary, kissing my nose.

I grinned at her. "Yes, love, but no more'n I am."

"Where are we going, Jack? What will we do?"

"Where do you want to go? You said California."

"That was because it was the furthest I could think of away from Jacob, but wherever you want to go is fine by me, just so's we're together."

"I've been thinking. Before I came for you, I was working in Oregon, and I grew to love the country there. I was thinkin', thinkin' that maybe you an' me could open a little store, maybe with somewhere for folks to eat, because I enjoy cookin'. Somewhere that the railroad goes, and iffen we can find a place where maybe a main road crosses the railroad, 'cause that way we get both lots of people, as that's where the towns tend to be."

"If that's what you want, Jack, that's what we do."

"I think we could make a success of it. Mister Eldersen is still shippin' into the territory, 'cept he uses the railroad now. I think I might persuade him to extend me credit to get goin'. I want somewhere safe for you and our kids."

"Ah, yes, the children." She reached down, stroking me, smiling into my eyes as my pecker hardened to her soft touch. "Help me make a baby, Mister?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Chapter Seven

The journey West was pleasant. We were together, we were in love, and we had a future, a future together. We got a little frustrated at times on the train, as we wanted to be making love, but we'd decided to travel as cheaply as possible to save money, so being able to sit was about all we could afford.

We finally reached our destination and ten days after I'd left, we stepped off the train at the same place I'd got on to go and fetch Mary. She looked around, smiling.

"This is where we're going to live?"

"That was the plan, yes. We can move on iffen you don't care for it."

"We stay. This place has a nice feel to it. I think we can be happy here."

I picked up our bags. Not heavy, as neither of us owned much in the way of clothing. I nodded at the building across the street from the depot. "The hotel over there looks clean, so I reckon we'll get us a room for a few nights while we look around, see where we might make a start."

"As long as the bed's clean," said Mary and we made our way across.

There was a windowed door in the lobby, with a bell beside it, so I rang the bell and a face appeared at the window, quickly opening it.

"Yes, folks? Can I help you?" The speaker was a pleasant middle-aged woman.

"I'd like a room for my wife an' me."

The woman nodded. "We got rooms. How long for?"

I shrugged. "Don't really know, ma'am. We're looking to settle here, maybe start a little store, maybe a restaurant. A couple of nights, to start with. Is that in order?"

The woman nodded, but at my mention of store and restaurant, her interest had sharpened. She was thoughtful as she pushed her register towards us so's we could sign.

"Mister? Ma'am? Where was you plannin' to eat?"

"I don't really know. Any recommendations?"

"We do occasional meals for visitors here." She smiled. "Iffen we like them. Got a couple of drummers stayin' an' they eat at the saloon. Three families as well, but they have friends in town and eat there. If you and your wife would like to eat with my husband and me, you're welcome."

I glanced at Mary and she nodded, smiling, and turned to the woman. "We'd like that."

"Right. Here's your key. Room five, top of the stairs and turn right. It's at the back, overlooking the river, so you won't get the street noise. I'll bring some hot water up in a few minutes so's you can freshen up. Then come on down and ring the bell, and we'll have us a meal together." She glanced at the register. "Mister Riley." She smiled. "My name's Helen Clancy, my husband's Mick."

"Jack Riley," I said. "My wife, Mary."

"Pleased to know you," she said. "You folks go on up, an' I'll bring that hot water directly."

The room was clean, the bed big, covered by a bright patchwork comforter. Mary sat on it and bounced herself a couple of times. She grinned at me. "Nice and comfortable, Jack. And no squeaks!"

I laughed. Comfortable as the bed in Mrs. Adams' cabin had been, it squeaked, so that our lovemaking usually had a rather loud accompaniment, which had once or twice left us almost helpless with laughter.

"Later, my love. We'll get ourselves cleaned up and then go eat with Mr. and Mrs. Clancy. I have a feeling me mentionin' store and restaurant give her some ideas, an' I'd kinda like to know what."

The Clancys didn't say anything while we was eatin', but when we'd finished the meal, simple, but nicely cooked and satisfyin', the Clancys let us know what they had in mind. We were in their parlor, at their invitation. I got the definite idea that most casual meal guests didn't get to see the parlor.

"Mr. Riley?"

"Yes, Mr. Clancy?"

"Helen tells me you were lookin' to start a store 'round here, an' maybe a restaurant? That so?"

"It is. Ma taught me to cook, an' I cooked for a freighter comin' West two years ago."

"You must have been awful young," said Helen Clancy.

I grinned. "Sixteen, ma'am. And after that, I worked for Caslow Lumber as cook for the loggin' crew, savin' my money to go back for Mary, like I promised. We was wed back home, an' we come out here to start fresh, without the bad memories. The railroad and the main trail cross here, and I thought maybe a store, an' somewhere for folks to eat, was maybe a good idea."

"Got any start money, son?" said Clancy.

"Some, not a lot. Start small, work hard was the idea. We's young, Mary an' me, but there ain't neither of us scared of hard work."

"That's the right thinkin', son." Clancy paused. "When you come in, did you notice the buildin' next to the hotel?"

"Can't say as I did."

"It's empty. We own it, bought it when it came up for sale after the previous owner decided he could get rich quicker in the goldfields of California than he could 'round here. We was lookin' to let it to someone as a store, but it's too big for some folk. You mentionin' restaurant put an idea in Helen's mind. There's room in there for maybe eight dining tables, an' maybe a couple of benches for men in workin' clothes, an' still plenty room for shelvin' for the store you're aimin' to start.