The Valentine

When we arrived at the docs office, I flinched when I saw Sterling, but it wasn't as bad as I was afraid it would be. His lip was split and swollen, but other than that, his face looked almost normal. His hair was a bit of a mess and that seemed to throw me off more than anything. I knelt next to him as Pa spoke to the doctor.

"I'm here," I whispered softly, combing his hair back off of his head.

To my surprise, he opened his eyes to look at me. He looked... happy to see me.

"I'm sorry they did this," I whispered, still stroking his hair back. "We came for you, to take you back home with us so we could care for you. Is that ok?"

He smiled slightly. "Cass," he breathed, "don't have to do that," he wheezed.

"Hush. I know I don't have to do anything. I want to do it. I am happy to do it. I didn't want to wait all the way till Saturday to feed you anyway," I said lightly with a fake, cheerful smile. "I'm a good cook. I wanted to show off a little."

He smiled again. "I'll be ok in a day or so."

"Maybe. Maybe once you had someone taking care of you and feeding you, you might decide you're sicker than you thought and milk it a few more days," I teased.

He chuckled, then winced.

"Is it bad?"

"I'll be fine."

"Was it Jack?"

"He was there, but it was Dew and Peter who did it. Jack just watched and did all the talking."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"Mr Whitter," Pa cut in. "Mind if I lift you up?"

"I can try and..." Sterling said, straining.

"No," the doctor cut in. "You need a couple days off your feet. At least one more whole day. If you are opposed to being carried by him, I can get the stretcher and both of us can take you out."

"I'll have to do it alone when we get him home anyway," Pa said, then bent and picked Sterling up as if he were nothing. He carried him out to the wagon and I followed nervously, climbing in to settle him on the pallet. Pa got up front, saying bye to the doc before heading off towards home. Once we got out of town, Pa spoke up. "Doc says you're lucky. I admit I am surprised. You're a little tougher than I imagined. He said you should have broken bones, especially your ribs. They didn't break anything, but not for lack of trying. Bruised you up good though, have you pissin' blood. He said you'll be fine though, even good to move around in a day or two. A lot tougher than I imagined. You intend on staying on at the school after this?"

"Yes, I won't let them run me off."

"Good on you. We have a couch that's plenty comfy where you can rest easy and safe."

"I appreciate that, thank you both."

"It's nothin' at all," Pa answered, then went quiet.

I stayed quiet as well, sitting next to Sterling awkwardly.

Pa carried him in to the couch and I brought in the pillow and blanket to keep him comfortable, then got him a cup of water and hovered a moment as he grimaced and shifted on the couch.

"What can I do?" I asked quickly.

He managed a weak smile. "Don't worry over me. I don't want to be a burden."

"You aren't'!"

"Do what you would normally do," he said, his breathing labored.

I went quiet, knowing it was hurting him to talk. I hurried up and grabbed a book, then came back down and pulled a chair close to curl up and read. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn't asleep, so I read out loud.

Pa checked in on us more than once and when Sterling finally did fall asleep, I got up and made dinner. I made him a plate, but he didn't wake, sleeping through the night. I stayed close, curling up in the chair. Pa said nothing as he went to his room off the living room. He left his door open though.

I made breakfast in the morning and when I came back with a plate, he was sitting up slightly, trying to move.

"Lay back down!" I ordered, rushing to him. "Here, eat breakfast, you didn't eat yesterday, you need your strength."

He took the plate, giving me a smile as he ate. "I can't stay laid down today," he said finally after finishing.

"You want more? Why not?"

"No thanks, that was plenty. Because you might try reading me another awful story. How do you read those?" he teased.

"It wasn't that bad! I mean... admittedly it wasn't as good as most, but... I like them. They are fun."

I realized I was smiling at him as he gave me his tired smile back and I blushed.

"You seem as though you do feel better though."

"I think so. Still sore, but not wishing I was dead."

"That's something at least. Here, I will get you more milk."

I stayed close again and he pretended to protest when I started reading another penny dreadful, but it wasn't as bad as the one the day before and he went quiet and listened. When I looked up, he was watching me. He was watching me every time I glanced up and I began stumbling and tripping over words nervously until he was grinning and his eyes were shining in amusement.

That evening, Pa came in with a professional smile. "You look better. Think you can sit up at the table?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," Sterling answered with a nod as he sat up and put his feet on the floor.

"I will make dinner!" I said quickly, hurrying to the kitchen.

I could hear them in the living room talking quietly, but not what they were saying. Sterling gave me a smile as he limped in to the table and eased himself into the chair. "This is good," he said after a moment. "I thought you were joking about being a good cook, but you weren't."

"She takes after her ma, she was a good cook too," Pa said with a tight smile.

"Did you lose her?" Sterling asked sadly.

"Yes and no. Don't know that she is gone, but it seems so. She went back east to see her Ma when her Pa passed. She got on a coach to come home, but never made it. No one in the coach has been seen or heard from, though they found the coach some time later. It was empty, no bodies or anything. No one knows what happened. Some say it must have been robbed, some say it must have tipped after the horses spooked, some say indians. Truth is, no one really knows."

"That must be hard, having no closure," Sterling said sadly. "I am sorry."

"Anyhow, Sprout here is just like her in a lot of ways, especially in the kitchen."

"Sprout?"

"Yeah. She never really grew past Sprout, did she?"

Sterling gave me another smile as he looked at me. "Though she be but little..." he said softly.

I grinned, knowing the rest of it and looked down at my plate.

"Thank you for allowing me rest and recuperation, Mr Sutton. After dinner, I will head home. Cass, I will be back at school tomorrow."

"So soon?!?"

"I will not let them run me off. You don't have to come if you still need time, I am just letting you know class will be in session, even if it is just the one day before the weekend."

"I will come," I said with a nod. If he could go back after what they did, so could I.

"I will take you home," Pa said, standing. He went out to hitch up the wagon and I looked over at Sterling.

He smiled at me again. "I think... I think I will send away for a few things," he said after a moment.

"Oh? Like a gun?"

"What?" he laughed. "No! No, I was thinking some real novels. Something much better than the trash you have been reading. Something more enriching."

I laughed then, unable to help it. "Don't make fun of my stories! I like them!"

"And that's fine, but I think you would enjoy better works too if you had access to them."

"Always the teacher?" I asked, still amused.

He looked at me then, and I saw the longing in his eyes, the look on his face as he looked my face over. After a long moment, he spoke. "Do you think... Saturday we might walk a bit?"

"If you want."

"Do you think I might be allowed to kiss you, if it's not too forward of me to ask?"

I blushed, unable to stop the smile as I looked down. "Perhaps... I guess we will have to see how the walk goes, if my Pa allows it."

"We spoke. He gave me his blessing to court you, if that's what you want."

I nodded, still unable to look up at him. "Then we will see how the walk goes," I answered, feeling a little giddy.

"All set," Pa said, coming in. "Sprout, I will be back soon. Unless you feel like you don't want to be alone? You feel safe?"

"Yes Pa, I know where your rifle is," I answered, getting up and starting to clean up dinner. "See you tomorrow Mr Whittier," I said, still not looking at him.

"Yes. Thanks again for the care you gave me," he answered, then left.

I let myself laugh then as I hurried to clean up. I was curled up on the couch when Pa got home and he came in and smiled at me. "It's good to see you happy for once, Sprout," he said softly.

I felt my face heat again and smiled at him. "Pa?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel he is a good man?"

"I do. He has a gentle nature and the soul of a man who hungers to learn. Not like me or folks around here. Just different. I shouldn't have judged him like I did at first. He cares for you, a blind man could see that."

I smiled again, then took my book and went up to bed, feeling lighthearted.

I was giddy walking to school the next day, smiling and excited to see him again. He looked up and smiled at me when I came in, standing with a little added effort. He was trying hard to look like he wasn't in pain.

"Good morning!" I said happily. "I brought something to read!" I said, showing him the penny dreadful.

He rolled his eyes as he grinned. "You look well. A smile suits you."

I sat down, still grinning and sighed. I was content to just be close, knowing he was right there. I liked that I didn't need more to feel happy around him.

Lizzie came in and sat next to me, hugging me as she did. "Things are going to go badly, I think," she said softly.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

She looked back and I turned as well, looking around. There were four students besides her and I, all smaller ones. No one else.

"Ephram?" I asked.

"His Pa wouldn't let him come. Jack and Dew's pa's, they are saying some awful things, making bad accusations. Most parents won't let their kids come back till he's gone they say. Sheriff won't arrest Jack, Dew or Peter though everyone knows they did it. They all say they didn't and their folks all say they was at home with them. Fern Walker, the girl Peter's been courtin', she claims she saw Mr Whittier throw himself into a tree and then down a hill with rocks over by the wash out. Everyone knows it ain't true, but the Sheriff cain't do anything. Everyone is all upset, saying Mr Whitter is lying about everything, even after I told them what happened, Ephram too. They intend to run him off. Fire him and run him out of town."

I felt the blood drain from my face as I turned and looked at Sterling. He was looking over his class with a red face. This was so unfair!

"Class," he said finally. "Let's get started."

It was a slow day and I felt miserable. Lizzie stayed inside with me during breaks and lunch, having no one else but me to talk to. When school let out, she caught my arm before she left, not looking at me. "Cass... I won't be back come Monday. I'm sorry. Ma said as far as she was concerned, I was done with schooling and me and Eph could be married and done with it."

I nodded sadly. I looked back at Sterling and he was sitting in his chair looking down at the floor sadly, looking defeated. My heart broke for him.

I left, not intruding on his sadness and walked home slowly with my head down.

"Cass," Jack spat.

I looked up, surprised. He must have been waiting at the stump again. "Jack? I told you not to..."

"I heard what you did!" he said angrily. "You will NOT let that filth court you!" he said, grabbing my arms below the shoulders and shaking me.

"Let me go!"

"It is ME you are going to marry, so stop playing your games. You won't make me jealous with that little abomination!"

"I will NOT marry you, Jack Rafferty! Not if you were the last man on earth! Sterling has nothing to do with me saying no to you!"

"Sterling?!? What the HELL, Cass? And you WILL marry me!" he hissed, then dragged me into the woods next to the road.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

"No! You will marry me, even if I have to do it the hard way and get you with child to force the issue!" he raged, shoving me to the ground roughly.

"Nooo!" I screamed, rolling and trying to get up.

He grabbed my by the hair and held me down from behind, pinning me to the forest floor. "This isn't how I wanted to do this, but I will have you one way or another. I take you and you are ruined, forced to marry me. Your own Pa will make you!"

"Please, Jack!" I begged, struggling and trying to squirm out from under him.

"You made your choice," he growled, rolling just enough to pull my skirts up.

I screamed wordlessly, slapping at him and trying to claw at him, but he ignored me as he exposed my backside and yanked my underclothes away with a painful rip.

"Pleeeease!" I begged, terrified.

He shoved my legs apart with his knee and reached down, his fingers touching me between my legs. I screamed again, trying to buck him off of me and get his hand off of my most private area. He pinched my nether lips as hard as he could until I squealed and went still. His fingers began fumbling and searching again until he pressed a finger between my lips and into me. I screamed again, shaking my head, but I had no more fight in me.

"Please, Jack," I pleaded. "I will let you court me! I won't see Sterling! Don't do this!"

"Too late," he panted, his fingers still fumbling as he jammed his finger into me roughly, shoving it in and out. "Come on, get worked up!" he demanded. "Pete said this was how it was done! Finger you until you was ready. Get worked up, Cass!"

"Please! That hurts! Please, Jack! This is wrong!"

"Shut up! Tell me what feels good, how you get worked up for me."

"Please!" I begged miserably, then anger surged in again. "Don't TOUCH me! I HATE you Jack Rafferty, I hate you! I will KILL you before I would marry you no matter what you do to me!"

"Bitch," he grunted, rolling back a little more. He moved his hand, pulling his finger out of me, then landed a hard open handed blow on my bare ass. I squealed in shock and pain, even as he did it again, then again. "Tell me how to work you up!" he raged, still smacking relentlessly.

I could only cry hysterically.

He finally stopped and rolled me to my back then half sat up as he grabbed my knees and shoved my legs wide to look down at me. At my exposed sex. He held my legs wide, sitting between them as he pulled his cock out of his breeches. His large, thick cock. It terrified me and I redoubled my efforts to struggle away as I screamed for help.

He landed a hard blow on my nether lips and my nub, making me gasp in pain and go still again. He looked at my face, then did it again and again, more lightly. "That hurt?" he asked with a smirk. "Tell me how to work you up. Make you slick enough to let my cock in," he demanded. "Pete said it wouldn't work for me if you weren't slick... nevermind," he said with another smirk as he looked down at my sex. "I guess that don't hurt so much? That work you up, Cass? You like that?" he asked, smacking my nub faster.

I shook my head, panting and blinking, trying to push away that rising feeling. I didn't like it. It was wrong to feel this way between my legs about a man who was doing this to me!

He grinned maliciously as he grabbed hold of his cock and moved over me, rubbing the head of it against my slit. My very wet slit that was throbbing with need, pulsing and hot now.

"Don't," I begged in a whisper, shaking my head fearfully.

"This will make you my wife," he said, as if explaining to a child, then shoved into me.

I screamed, high and piercing as he split me open, invading me. The pain was sharp and overwhelming. He put a hand over my mouth as he started shoving into me, rocking his hips into mine, thrusting into me. It was too much! He was too big! I wailed into his hand, sobbing as he took me.

"You are mine now," he whispered, still thrusting. "This is your fault! It didn't have to be this way, you chose this!" he panted, moving faster.

Pleasure reared up, making me gasp around my sobs. The pain was ebbing and that feeling of bliss was taking its place. No no no! Please no!

"God, Cass," he groaned. "It feels so good! So much better'n I thought! No one ever said it felt like this!" he panted, his eyes closed.

No. No one had ever said it felt good. I tried to escape that feeling, the euphoric feeling rising in me, trying to take over my body. I felt myself going tense, my body waiting for something.

Jack grunted, ramming into me as hard as he could, then his cock swelled and throbbed, spilling his seed into me in hot waves. I let out a wail of relief and loss. I was close to what my body needed, but so glad it hadn't happened. Not for him.

Jack eased back, pulling his shrinking cock out of me as he moved so his face was in mine. "You are mine now," he said, trying to catch his breath. "My wife. We'll have to say the words, but that's just for show now. It's done."

I shook my head, tearing up. Mellissa Guthry had had to have a shotgun wedding not two years back. Her and Joseph Miller had been caught out in her pa's barn and were forced to marry that very Sunday.

"It's ok Cass. It's better this way, you will see. You were just confused is all. Playing games to make me jealous and it got out of hand. I know that. It's ok. I took care of everything. You are mine now and it's all fine," he whispered, reaching down to tuck his cock away and fix his pants. "We can say the words on Sunday after church and you can move in with me the same day."

I said nothing as tears rolled down my cheeks. Would Pa make me marry him? Was that how it had to be done?

Jack got up, adjusting his pants again before bending down and fixing my skirts, then pulling me up to stand. "I will walk you home and you can tell your Pa. Ok? And tell him we will say the words this sunday. He won't have to force it. Ok?"

I said nothing as he led me out of the woods to the road. I felt numb and sore and sad.

Pa was coming up the road as we came out of the woods, rifle in his hand. "Cass?" he yelled as he got closer, jogging.

"She's fine," Jack called. "We talked. We made up. We made up a lot, even kissed... and then a little more, but don't worry! I will marry her on Sunday."

"What?" Pa asked dangerously, looking at me. I stared back at him, feeling broken. "Cass, come here," he demanded.

Jack's hand tightened on my shoulder. "I was gonna walk her home. We were making plans, talking about her moving in and our vows on Sunday and who she wanted there."

"Let her go before I blow your head clean off," Pa said through gritted teeth. "Cass, come here."

Jack let me go and I ran to Pa, breaking down miserably as he caught me. "I'm sorry Pa!" I wailed, not knowing what to say to him. I was ruined.

"Did that boy rape you?" Pa asked darkly.

"Course not!" Jack said indignantly. "We was talking and things just happened!"

"Cass?"

"He forced me, Pa, said I had to be his wife and that's how he would do it. Said if he did that, you would make me marry him."

He raised the rifle to Jack, who had been backing towards the woods.

"That is NOT what happened. I asked her to talk and we were talking. She said she was trying to make me jealous and she was sorry. We kissed and then things just happened. I swear!"

"Turn you ass around and start walking into town," Pa hissed. "Walk yourself to the Sheriff, or I put a hole in you. Cass, head on home... no. No, you stay with me. His friends have been staying out at his place and I don't trust them. You can tell the sheriff what you told me."

"Do I have to tell anyone?" I asked miserably.

"Unless you want him going free. Say the word, Sprout and I will put a bullet in him and bury him in the woods. No one will ever find him."