OMG... what's this another chapter! and So soon! did hell just freeze over, quick check the window, see if there are any flying pigs!

AN: All characters belong to the amazing SM, I just like to play...:)

A Huge thank you goes out to my Beta Karisgrace!

Well here you go my lovelies, enjoy!

Chapter 18

Consequences

Bella POV

Peter and Jasper were having a silent conversation – well argument really – about just what would be a good way to get rid of Maria. While Peter was all for torturing and burning, Jasper thought making it a long term punishment was better. Finally, like the little boys they reverted to, they decided on drawing sticks. I just stood there rolling my eyes at the two most feared vampires in the south. They were seriously going to dole out justice using sticks. Peter grabbed up a couple from the ground handing them to me. I turned from them making sure that this was fair and then presented them.

Jasper ended up winning and thus, Maria was going to be wishing for death for a very long time, years in fact. He would not let either Peter or myself in on his brand of justice saying, "You'll find out when I do it," while sporting a cheeky grin.

Now, to take care of Daniel. He was cowering in his little bubble trying to put as much distance between us as possible. Idiot. I decided to show him just how futile that was and started moving his bubble closer to us. He tried scrambling away but it was of no use of course. I just laughed at his antics of attempted escape. Finally he stopped; I suppose realizing that he was not going anywhere. "Well Dan, what do you have to say for yourself? You could have been free, but you chose Maria and I want to know why," I invite an explanation of him.

He just whimpered a bit. This vampire was just pathetic. He had known what would happen if we won, and now he whines when he has to face the consequences. Peter and Jasper did not bother speaking to him, just stared blankly with matching black eyes not bothering to even acknowledge his existence. Apparently, I would be deciding his fate. Despite the fact that he did betray us, I did not think that he deserved to be tortured – well, at least not like Maria would be – so I would make it relatively quick.

"Dan, if you don't answer my question, things are going to be much harder on you," I assured him and I made my point by using my shield to rip his arm off. "Inquiring minds want to know," I smirked. He screamed in pain, making to grab his injured arm. Too bad, I locked him in place so he could not even comfort himself with the gesture. "Next will be your other arm, then I'll move to the legs followed by your ears, nose and eyes. If I were you, I'd start talking," I explained threateningly. Apparently, he did not believe me because I had made it to his ears before he started blathering.

"She told me that I'd become her first in command once they were gone! She said she loved me and that I'd be her lover!" he whined at us.

I was dumbfounded. Staying with Maria in her sick world was better than freedom? What a moron. "Well, how's that working out for you?" I did not wait for him to answer. I was so pissed at his lame ass reason I just squashed him like a cockroach.

Peter wrapped his arms around me and kissed my ear while whispering in a sexy gruff voice, "Damn woman, yer so damn sexy when yer pissed." I could feel the corners of my mouth lifting and the start of a chuckle in my throat. Jasper sent a burst of impatience our way.

We both turned to see him rolling his eyes at us, obviously ready to get on with the show. Maria had not said a peep in the last few minutes. She seemed to be in shock; I had not even known that was possible for our kind.

We started a fire in the center of the battle field and quickly gather up the dismantled fighters, throwing them in. It was not long before all the remains of our battle were erased from sight. Then we set fire to the dust piles of the sisters and Daniel, leaving just Maria to deal with.

Jasper grinned evilly at her and told her almost tauntingly, "Well, now that all the riffraff's takin' care of, its time ta make ya pay fer yer crimes."

She looked at him, pleading with her eyes. "Please, just kill me!" she begged.

He chuckled darkly, "No, sorry. Yer not gonna get outta this that easily." He walked up with Peter at his side. "Isabella, release her if ya would, please," he instructed me. I did as he asked and she immediately tried to run as I did.

She only made it about five feet before Peter grabbed her by her hair, dragging her back to Jasper. He tsked at her like you would a naughty child. "Now, now, none'a that Mistress," Jasper sneered the word bitterly. "I wouldn't want'cha ta miss all the fun." He quickly grabbed her pinky, ripping it off throwing it into the now smoldering fire. "Pete 'n I reckon we owe ya fer all the years'a hell y'put us through." Peter nodded in agreement and took the hand on his side, ripping that pinky off, making sure that if found the fire as well. They ripped her apart taking turns until the only thing left was her head.

Once the fire was out and all that remained was ashes, we left running back to our camp. We arrived midmorning and immediately started tearing the place down, burning all that remained of Maria and her army. Once the fires were going we gathered what few possessions we wanted and ran to Peter's and my cabin. Over the past months we had stored supplies there for this day, the day we would forever leave this hell.

We all cleaned up and changed into more presentable clothes. We would now have to blend into the human populace. Jasper had been surprised at how prepared we were; he had been told but that is quite different than seeing our efforts first hand. Both my boys cleaned up quite well. I had never seen Jasper look so dashing and I had to tease him a bit. "Jasper, you may make me leave Pete for you. Damn, you clean up well," I announced with a cheeky smile on my face.

He grinned back and waggled his eyebrows at me. "Well, thank ya ma'am! I'd be honored ta have such a gorgeous woman on m'arm." He took my hand bringing it up to his lips, kissing my hand. It was one of the most lighthearted actions I had ever seen him make.

Peter let out a growl grabbing me around my waist pulling me tight against him. "No ya don't, brother. Git yer own woman! This'n's all mine, an' I don't share." He turned me, kissing me hard, declaring that I only belonged to him and him alone.

I could hear Jasper chuckling in the background, "Aw, come on, brother."

Peter just ignored him and continued assaulting my lips, making sure to show Jasper just how unlikely that would be. Finally he pulled away, winking at me before sobering some. "I suppose we need a plan," he decided. Jasper nodded in agreement.

I spoke up, voicing my opinion, "I think we should go to my ranch in El Paso. We can stay there for a while and that way we can see what's happening in the world right now." Both of them thought about it for a minute and I added, "Besides, I need to send a letter to my brother. I haven't been able to send one in a couple of months. He's probably worried.

Jasper scrunched up his face at that. "What'cha mean, 'haven't sent one in a couple of months?' Ya shouldn't'a sent any at all! We can't jus' waltz 'round in the human world. It's against our laws," he reproved indignantly.

I just scoffed at him. "Why not?" I argued lightly. "I see no harm in sending him a letter. He's living all the way in California. I'm not going to run up and visit, but he's young and I want to stay in contact for now. Eventually, we can fake my death, but for now I will write to him. Besides, it's against the law for humans to know about us, not for us to live in their world."

Peter just stayed out of it. We had already fought about this and he lost. Jasper would not fare any better. "Ya damned, headstrong woman! Fine," He huffed out, flinging his arms to his side to show just how irritated he was at the whole thing.

Peter spoke up, "Well, now we have that settled, how're we gonna blend in with the human's? Our eyes're crimson red, that ain't normal for humans. They'll run screamin' the firs' time they see 'em."

I thought about it for a moment. Contacts were out, they had not been invented yet. The only possibility was sunglasses. "Well then, we need to hide our eyes from them. We can just get some sunglasses." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Both of them just stared at me completely blank, having no idea what I was talking about. "You know, dark colored glass set in frames – like glasses…er spectacles," I tried to explain. If they did not understand this then we were screwed. I was sure they were invented by now; I mean we were coming up on the twentieth century. Both of them seemed to grasp what was trying to convey.

Peter grinned, "Ya mean tinted spectacles." He seemed proud of himself.

I just smacked my palm against my forehead, "Yeah, tinted spectacles. I call them sunglasses."

Jasper piped in, "Where'd ya get that weird name from?" Neither Peter nor I had explained about me being from the future. Now was as good as any I suppose.

"Well, see it's like this. I'm not actually from this time. I was born in 1986, and by some fate found myself here," I tried to explain in such a way that I did not sound completely crazy.

Jasper was a bit slack jawed and it took a couple of minutes for him to get a hold of himself. "The future? Ya sure y'weren't injured when I turned ya?" He queried in a concerned voice.

My mate growled at the insinuation. "Oh, common Jasper, we're vampires for Chrissake. Why's time travel so farfetched?" I rolled my eyes at him.

Jasper lazily reached up to scratch his head, obviously thinking "That's true enough, I s'pose. So, from the future, huh?"

I smiled at him, the poor guy was trying. "Yep, I'm surprised you didn't suspect anything before with my speech and all."

He just shrugged, "Yer Northern." Like that was the answer for all of my abnormalities.

I just rolled my eyes again, "Yep, sure am. I don't see how that explains everything though."

"Jus' does," He huffed out.

Peter finally got us back on track, obviously wanting to change the subject. "So, 'bout the tinted spectacles, I agree that could work well durin' the day, an' durin' the night most people won't notice 'cause'a the dark."

Jasper nodded in agreement with his brother. I then thought of one other solution but I was not sure how receptive they would be to it. "Another option is hunting animals instead of humans. Our eyes would turn golden, then we could blend in much easier," I voiced somewhat reluctantly.

Both of them scrunched their faces up at the thought. Peter was the first to express his opinion, "Nope, ain't gonna happen, an yer crazy fer thinkin' it. Animals are foul."

Jasper, however, was a little more receptive. "It'd mean I wouldn't have ta deal with their emotions," he admitted grudgingly. He had become troubled with killing humans over the past year. Their emotions brought him down each time he had to feed. "Common Pete, I can't do it by m'self." He pouted to his brother, obviously wanting to give it a go.

Personally, I could go either way. Intellectually, I did not particularly want to be a killer, but I did not exactly feel any remorse when I fed either. I knew if Jasper kept it up, Peter would cave. He would do anything for his brother, even quite hunting humans. I just laughed at Jaspers antics.

Finally, after about an hour of Jasper making puppy dog eyes at his brother, which I personally found hilarious considering his imposing persona in general, Peter gave in. "Fine, how th'hell do we hunt damn animals?" he turned to me "Yer the one what brought it up, ya get ta go first," he grumped out.

I just smiled and tried to mollify him, "Oh, it's not going to be that bad. You make it sound like we are going to eat human food."

"I think that'd be better," He huffed.

I smiled indulgently at his disgruntled expression. "How about we give it a try, and if it doesn't work we can go back to hunting criminals?" I suggested.

Jasper bobbed his head in full agreement with my plan, while Peter barely nodded. He was just too cute when he was annoyed. "Well then, I guess I'll go first." I offered. "We should hunt before heading out, anyway."

"We'll follow behind ya," Jasper drawled out. Peter gave me a quick peck on the lips, "Good luck, darlin'. Yer gonna need it."

I went outside and started scenting the air around me. Nothing smelled appetizing in the least. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds surrounding me rather than the smells. I could hear faint heartbeats south of me, I started running in their direction. They became much louder the closer I got to them. The smell was still quite off-putting and I was not sure this was such a good idea after all. I decided to just hold my breath and focus on the heartbeats as they swished, pushing blood through the animal's body. I focused on how that sound drew out my monster and the need for blood, instead of the smell. Finally, I let that take over and I crouched down getting ready to pounce on the unsuspecting coyotes.

There was a pack of them lounging around their den. I quickly ran in and grabbed two of them, snapping their necks, and started drinking. The fur was in the way and quite disgusting. On the second one I grabbed a handful ripping it out to bare the skin. The taste of the blood was quite bland but I could deal with it if I had to. I had to admit, though, that I was with Peter on this one.

Jasper and Peter came closer. Jasper had an eyebrow raised in question. "It wasn't horrible, but I would much rather hunt humans. The whole fur thing is quite disgusting," I grimaced.

Peter burst out laughing at me, "Darlin', if that's the worst part then yer crazy. Their blood's repulsive!"

I shrugged, "I didn't think it was that bad, not very satisfying, but I can do it if I have to. Your turn, Jasper, since you want to do this so bad."

Peter and I stepped a few paces from him so he could concentrate on hunting. It was not long before he took off. We followed, keeping a safe distance. It was never a good idea to be close to a hunting vampire.

We came up on a small herd of deer that were quite scraggly looking. He quickly snapped all of their necks and started feeding, only taking minutes before all of them were drained. He did not look impressed in the least and Peter started laughing at him. "I hate the way humans feel," Jasper frowned, "but I'm not sure I can do this," he pointed at the now dead deer surrounding him.

Peter could not keep his mouth shut, "I d'know why ya can't jus' give 'em happy feelin's while ya hunt. Make 'em happy, or even just peaceful."

Jasper looked quite thoughtful, "I've never tried that. Couldn't hurt, if that doesn't work, though, I'm'a gonna have ta switch ta animals."

Peter nodded in agreement, "Sounds good ta me. Now let's go get us a real meal, an' get rid of Maria, too. I'm sick'a lookin' at her."

We ran back to the cabin, picking up our supplies and continuing on to my ranch. We made good time getting there and arrived just before sunrise the following morning. Everyone on the property was thankfully still asleep judging by the heartbeats.

We made our way to the house. It looked like the workers had kept everything well maintained for me. Along with writing to Luke regularly I kept in touch with Mr. Dawson my lawyer, letting him know that I did intend to come back, and that I was still with my dying relative in Boston.

The interior of the house was very clean with little lingering dust. Someone obviously came in regularly to clean. All the furniture had dust sheets over them so we started pulling them off, beginning in the dining room and finishing up with the bedrooms. It did not take long before we were finished, vampire speed really made things easier.

Once finished we just relaxed. It was so nice knowing that we could fully relax never having to take part in the Southern Wars again. Jasper was lounging in a chair by the fire place while Peter and I were cuddled up on the loveseat.

"Jasper, you can choose which room you want. There's the one right down the hall from us and then the other one across the courtyard for guests."

He did not even have to think about it. "I'll take the guest room. I wanna be as far from y'all as I can," he finished by scrunching his face up in distaste.

Peter just laughed at him, "Like that's gonna help."

Jasper scowled, "Well it's better'n bein' right down the hall."

"True," Peter agreed mirthfully.

I was trying, quite unsuccessfully, to keep from giggling at the whole thing. Peter started chuckling at my efforts, which led me to flat out belly laughing. Soon Jasper, who could not keep the emotions from affecting himself, started laughing as well.

Finally, after a few minutes we all settled down. I decided to go see how Miro was doing. I was not sure how he would react to me, but I wanted to try. I let the boys know before heading out the house to the stable. The humans had already been about taken care of him and left to do other work. Luckily, the barn was still cast heavily in shadows. I quietly made my way to the door, slowly opening it to test the waters.

Miro snorted and raised his head but did not seem too distressed, so I slowly made my way inside. He stood in his stall just watching me. He snorted a bit but stood his ground. I walked up to his stall and murmured softly, "Easy boy, it's just me. I know I'm different but I won't hurt you." I kept talking to him as I made my way closer. He kept his ears forward closely watching my every move, but stood keeping his ground. Once I was standing in front of him he took a few steps closer, he seemed to remember me and relaxed a little. "Hey there, how's my boy been?" He reached his nose out to delicately lip at my fingers looking for treats. Finally, deciding I was not a threat, he walked up to me, nosing my hair while I pet him on the neck and scratched at his itches. I was so thankful that he was not scared. I had really missed him; although I had not been into horses as a child, I had grown rather fond of them.

I smelled Peter behind me as he slowly made his way up towards me. "Well, I'll be damned. I think yer horse's brain dead," he joked.

I turned and slapped him on the shoulder "Be quite, you! He just remembers me." Peter reached out and started scratching his neck and chest. Miro was thoroughly content. He stretched his head up high, his eyes rolled back, and his lip twitching showing just how amazing it felt to him. When he decided he had received enough attention, he went back to happily eating his breakfast. He looked quite fat and happy, I was glad they were taking such good care of him.

Peter led me away from him and we went back into the house, encasing ourselves in the bedroom.

Jasper POV

There had been many a time over the years that I had fantasized about bein' rid of Maria, but to actually have it happen was an incredible feelin', more than I had ever thought it would be. Sure we still had her head in a sack but the rest of her was gone There would be no way for her to come back from that. I smiled to myself in anticipation of what I had planned for her remains. Peter said I got to pick out her final punishment and I had a good one thought out. I hadn't even told Pete about it yet. I know he'll love it though.

I heard Bella and Pete come in from the barn and they went directly into their bedroom. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. They would be gone for the rest of the day if not longer knowin' them. It's amazin' that Maria never got suspicious of them; of course she was too worried about me tryin' to overthrow her. She had been growin' increasingly wary of me over the last few years. I'm actually surprised that she didn't try gettin' rid of me before. Of course, she would've had to deal with my brother as well, and she knew that she'd very likely lose. Her little plan with her sisters was a good one and may have actually worked if not for Bella. Thank God she had her shield to protect all of us. It made the battle almost too easy.

I decided to go see my room. The house was stunnin', just large enough to be roomy but still have a homey, invitin' feelin' about it. The room was a decent sized with a queen sized poster bed in the center, an armoire off to the side and a writing desk on the opposite wall.

I went and sat on the bed, pullin' my little satchel with me. I went through my meager belongin's, just goin' over the memories that were attached to each item. I had a tin picture of myself dressed up in my uniform. It was taken the day I'd been promoted to Major. My family had been so excited. Peter was just a boy, but he had been my best friend. I was incredibly happy that he had found his mate, but I felt lonely at the same time. Nothin' would be the same now.

I packed everythin' back in my bag, settin' it on the floor beside me, and lay down on the bed, lost in my thoughts and tryin' to ignore the sounds comin' from the main house. I wasn't a prude by any means but I didn't want to hear my brother goin' at it, either.

Xxxxxxx Break xxxxxxX

Around midnight Peter and Bella finally came out of their bedroom and came to the study where I was currently lookin' over her collection of books. Peter sat down in one of the chairs, pullin' Bella into his lap and circlin' her waist so she couldn't get away. "So, we gonna git rid'a the head now?" he excitedly asked.

"Yeah, an' I think we should leave soon. Most everyone's prob'ly sleepin' now. I was thinkin' we could go ta the store an' get some'a them spectacles, hopefully they'll have some in stock."

Bella frowned, "The store will be closed, though, and I don't like the thought of stealing."

"We don't have ta steal. We'll jus' leave money fer 'em at the register." I thought it was the lesser of two evils.

She still wasn't very happy with the idea though. "I suppose if we have to. It's not like we can go in there during the day. Plus, we can't see anyone without the glasses, not without them freaking out anyway. Alright, let me go grab some cash," she finally conceded. Peter kissed her cheek before lettin' her up to go get the money.

"So, what'cha plannin' for the head? I know it's somethin' good." He tapped his head, lettin' me know his gift informed him of that much.

I just grinned, "All in due time. Y'ill like it an' it'll be a way fer us to not lose track'a where she's at. That, an' so no humans'll find it. First, I wanna hunt, though. Those deer jus' didn't do it fer me," I admitted. Peter just smirked.

Bella came back in and she now had a handbag with her. "Alright, I'm ready to go when you are," she announced.

Pete and I stood up, makin' our way out, with Bella close behind. I grabbed the head on the way out the door. We ran to the outskirts of town, and waited outside of a saloon for our meals to show up. There was really no better place. Most men out at this time of night were outlaws lookin' to cause trouble.

We all broke up, goin' in different directions, waitin' for our prey to leave the saloon. After a short while, a group of men left. I saw Peter in the alley across from me waitin' patiently. He then started trailin' one of them.

I grabbed my meal up after he wandered down my way. I tried what Pete had told me to do and filled him with all kind of good, happy emotions. It made it much better on me, but underneath that I could still feel his fear. Finally he was gone and I let out a sigh. The blood may taste better, but it was useless. If I hunted humans I was just gonna have to deal with their emotions and the animal blood was a weak substitution.

I grabbed the man and made my way to the cemetery where we had all agreed to meet when finished. They were standin' there waitin' for me to arrive; their meals were both layin' on the ground beside them.

"Alright Jasper, what exactly are we doing here?" Bella asked. She was throwin' out a lot of confusion, while Peter, on the other hand, was feelin' anticipation and excitement. He obviously had figured my idea out.

"First off, look fer a grave that's fresh," I instructed. We started lookin' around for one that appeared to have just been filled in. Bella was in the back when she called out that she had found one.

"Pete, go'n grab our meals while I dig." Bella stood off to the side while I dug the grave out. Peter dropped the bodies beside us then jumped in and started helpin'. We hit the coffin before long and hoisted it outta the hole. We started makin' it larger, so that bodies and the coffin would all fit back in. "A'right, that looks good there. Bella hand us the bodies, would'ya?"

She finally caught onto what we were doin' and started laughin'. "This is great!" she giggled.

She gave us the bodies and then handed us the head. I took it out and smiled, "Hello there, Maria! How're ya feelin'?" She couldn't speak but her mouth was movin', silently pleadin' for us to end her. Not likely! "Aw, common now, won't be that bad. We're even givin' ya some friends ta keep ya comp'ny. We'll be back in a few years an' be sure ta bring some more." The rot of human corpses would be horrid, then the bugs would set in, crawlin' all around her. Maria had an aversion to bugs, even as a vampire. Now they'd be crawlin' all over her. Maybe someday we'd finally end her, but not for a long while.

We all said our farewells to her before I positioned her right in the middle of the bodies and put the coffin back on top. We filled the grave in, makin' sure to see who was buried here so we could dig her back up in the future, maybe ten years from now. Both Peter and Bella were gigglin' like little schoolgirls. I couldn't help but join in.

We went to the general store and broke in through the back door. With all of us lookin' for the spectacles it didn' take long. They had a small selection. I chose green ones, Peter went with dark brown and Bella went with a dark rose color. She said they were more feminine. We left money on the counter and hightailed it back to the house as the sky started to lighten.

Bella POV

There were no words for the punishment that Jasper had thought up. I had a shiver going up my spine at the idea of it. During our night out I left a letter for my lawyer, Mr. Dawson, letting him know I was in town and that I would like to see him and asked if he could come to the house at his earliest convenience. I was not sure how long we would be staying, I did not think for long, and I wanted to get everything squared away for when we left again.

I went into the study, deciding to read for a while. Peter and Jasper were in the living room hanging out together and I did not want to intrude. I knew how hard it was on Jasper to have me thrust in their lives when it had been just the two of them before.

I heard a buggy coming up our lane at about ten in the morning and guessed that it was Mr. Dawson. He didn't waste much time, I chuckled to myself. Peter and Jasper rushed into the room, looking a bit ruffled. "Relax, it's just my lawyer," I assured them. "I left him a note asking him to come out. I need to speak to him about what's been happening with my property while I've been gone."

Both of them visibly calmed slightly but Jasper frowned. He was not happy to be rubbing elbows with humans. "We're going to be using the study, so if you don't want to be here I'd leave." He immediately turned and retreated, making himself scarce. It did not really matter if he was in the room or not, he would be able to hear the whole conversation from anywhere in the house anyway.

Peter stood there, obviously not wanting me talking to another man alone. "Alright Mr. Whitlock, but you had better behave yourself, and no growling at the human," I have him a stern look.

"Who me, darlin'? I always behave myself," he assured with a ridiculous amount of false innocence on his face. He pulled me to him, wrapping me in a tight hug kissing my head. "I love ya, darlin', an' I promise, no growlin' at the human."

I pulled back nodding at him in acceptance, "Well, how am I to introduce you to my lawyer?" I asked coyly.

He grinned, "I was hopin' ya'd introduce me as yer husband, Mrs. Whitlock."

I squealed, jumping into his arms, "Is that a proposal? If it is, I accept."

He grinned like a school boy and kissed me firmly, "Darlin', I love ya an' I wanna live fer eternity – 'r however long we're granted – by yer side." He kissed me passionately.

We heard a knock at the front door. "That's probably him. I'll go answer it," I told him. He loosened his grip, allowing me to leave the security of his arms. I grabbed my spectacles on the way out and put them in place, quickly checking the mirror to make sure they covered my eyes.

I answered the door to find Mr. Dawson standing there, cane in hand patiently waiting. "Hello, Ms. Swan. It is good to see you."

"You as well Mr. Dawson, but its Mrs. Whitlock now, I've just been married." I smiled at the man. "Do come in," I ushered him in to the foyer. He had his hat in hand. "Would you allow me to take your hat and coat for you?"

He handed both over. "Why thank you Mrs. Whitlock, and congratulations," he offered at my news. I hung his items up beside the door then showed him to the study. Peter was sitting behind my desk. I just glared at him. Apparently, he wanted to handle the meeting. I was going to throttle him later as he had no right stepping into my business. I was more than capable of handling my own damn affairs.

He quickly stood as we entered, walking around the desk. "Mr. Dawson, I would like you to meet my husband, Mr. Peter Whitlock," I introduced them. Mr. Dawson put his hand out for Peter to shake, "It's a pleasure, Mr. Whitlock. I'm sure you are aware that I have been looking after your wife's estate." He quickly pulled his hand away, as his heart started racing. He was definitely scared of Peter, which was funny because he did not react that way to my presence. Men must simply be more trusting of females, even if they should not be.

Peter nodded, "Yes, Mr. Dawson, she's informed me. I'll be takin' over fer her, I was hopin' ya'd update us on the current condition of the ranch as well as any pertinent information that we ought ta know. We'll only be here fer a short time b'fore leavin' again."

Mr. Dawson nodded his head, "Yes, I can certainly update you on the current affairs of the ranch. In all honesty, everything has been running quite smoothly. All the workers are performing well and keeping everything in order. Have you spoken to the foreman yet?"

Peter shook his head, "No, we arrived quite late last night an' haven't had a chance ta speak with 'em yet. We will once we finish here. How're we doing financially?"

Mr. Dawson smiled, "Oh, everything is quite fine I assure you. I still have more than enough to cover the expenses of me keeping an eye on the place. I haven't really had to do much over the past year. Like I mentioned earlier it has been a quiet year."

Peter nodded approvingly, "That's good ta hear. I'm glad things've been quiet. I s'pose that's everytin' then. Thank ya fer comin'." They shook hands again before Mr. Dawson stood to leave, he seemed quite anxious to get out of Peter's presence.

I jumped in as we stood, "Could I offer you any refreshments before you leave?"

"No, thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Whitlock, but I best be on my way. Oh, and before I forget, I have a few letters from your brother that were forwarded to my office," he informed me as he handed me the letters They were wrapped together with string. "Well, I best be on my way. I hope you have a safe journey when you leave."

I showed him to the door and handed him his coat and hat, which he donned "Have a pleasant drive, Mr. Dawson, and thank you again for coming." He smiled politely, tipping his hat and turned to go out the front gate to where his buggy was tied.

I turned and went back to the study, ready to give my husband a what-for. He was grinning like the Cheshire cat when I stormed in the room. "Well now, darlin', what's got yer panties all twisted?"

"You, you big oaf! Why exactly did you feel that it was your place to talk to my lawyer, about my ranch?"

He just grinned, "Now darlin', yer gonna be m'wife, an' as the man it's my duty ta handle the business affairs."

Oh, I was pissed now! "Peter, you can kiss my lily-white ass! This may be the past but I'm from the future. I can handle my own damn business affairs."

He just smiled even wider, provoking me even further. I was just about to haul off and deck the son of a bitch when he burst out laughing. " I know, but, God damn woman, yer so damn sexy when yer pissed. I couldn't help m'self."

If that's how he wanted to play it, fine. Payback time. I launched myself at him, kissing his neck, hitting all his sweet spots. He started moaning and purring in pleasure. He gripped me tightly, pulling me flush against him. I wiggled my hand down and started rubbing him through his pants until he was so hard his cock was straining against the material.

I suddenly pushed myself away and he gave me a quizzical look. "Sorry darlin', I couldn't help myself. You are so damn sexy when you're frustrated," I all but cackled with a wink then turned to walk out the door, leaving a stunned, frustrated man behind.

A huge, humungous, enormous, gigantous (wait is that a word?) Thank You, goes out to everyone who commented you guys are fantastic, amazing, incredible, need I go on...lol

Seriously though, from the bottom of my heart Thank you for making my day brighter by leaving a little comment, It makes me smile like lunatic...:D