Where Mary and Marshall are walking… again…
Start the adventure from the beginning.
A laugh escaped Mary’s lips.
She slapped her hands over her mouth. The laughter was instantly replaced by tears.
“Now, Now, Mary, we’re safe,” Marshall reached out for her.
She twisted away from him.
“Are we? Are we? We’re trapped in the middle of this endless prairie again. We have no weapons, no giant sauran to keep those little raptors at bay.” She waved her arms around, gesturing to the horizon.
Marshall gathered Mary to him. She began pounding her fists against his chest.
“We are no better than Forsyth, never leaving this place, but without an airship to keep us safely out of reach of the monsters.”
Marshall stroked her hair down and continued to make soothing noises. “You’re safe, we’re not in sauran territory.”
“How do you know?”
Marshall stepped back and pointed.
When Mary looked up she noticed the rounded backs of cows chewing on grass, and she finally heard the loft lowing noises they made in the distance.
Mary sniffled. “Cows?”
“Cows,” Marshall agreed. “Cattle doesn’t mix with those nasty little saurans. And we’re not trapped like your good captain. You have me. I will keep you safe. I have thus far haven’t I?”
Mary tilted her tear streaked face so she could look up into Marshall’s eyes. He had kept her safe. He had protected her when their train had been derailed, and he kept the saurans at bay so she could rest. He had protected her, and all she had done was complain and cry.
He had protected her so many times when it would have been easier to simply walk away. But he stayed. He got her clothing and defended her honor. He chased after her, and he was there now, comforting her in his arms.
A chill shivered up Mary’s arms and down her spine.
Marshall buffed his large hands over her arms. “You didn’t catch a chill in all of that rain, did you?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” She knew she should step away, but she wanted to be right where she was. Marshall was safe, Marshall was strong. And she didn’t hate him. Didn’t understand how she had found him so reprehensible before.
“Don’t leave me,” she managed to whisper around the lump of emotions that formed in her throat.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed hold of her chin with his fingers and held her face in place. “Not without you.”
And then the unthinkable happened. His lips pressed against her.
Mary blinked, stunned by the contact. Terrified of the riot that welled up in her, she froze in place. She wanted to laugh, and cry. She wanted to clutch tightly, throwing her arms around his neck and never let go. She wanted to run in circles and dance with the cows.
Marshall smiled and stepped away. “You’re grandfather is waiting with the rest of my money in San Francisco. I’m stuck by your side all the way there.”
This time Mary didn’t move because she felt the drag of the world pulling into it’s depths. He hadn’t been protecting her because of feelings, and that kiss had meant exactly nothing. She was nothing more than a pay check to him.
Marshall, having taken a few steps from her, turned and returned. He picked up Mary’s hand and pulled her after him. “I saw a town we passed over a while ago. I’d say it’s a good day’s walk. And I promised you a bathtub and a night in a real bed.”
Will Marshall be able to deliver on his promises? Tune in next time…
©2026 Lulu M. Sylvian
What do you do when your imaginary friends start pestering you with images of sexy male strippers and hot were-shifters? You write stories about them. Well, that's what I did! Oh, and then I combine them and toss them in a kilt for good measure!
Hi, my name is Lulu and I write sexy hot contemporary and paranormal romance. Welcome to my website.
Making the Para "Normal" and the Supernatural Extraordinary.
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