Chapter Forty-Seven

The early afternoon air was crisp and cool as Audrey stood upon her back porch and surveyed her land. The cream-colored lace dress she wore was beginning to itch slightly but she was loathe to take it off. Today had been one of the very best days of her life and she wanted to keep it going for as long as she could.

When Audrey and Alexander had gotten married there hadn't been any guests and they had simply signed paper at the courthouse back east and listened to a judge say a few words about the sanctity of marriage. It had been necessary because their families had been gone and there'd been no one to invite.

Audrey had wanted something different with Ance. She'd wanted a small affair with their friends and with Penelope. She'd wanted to stand up with Ance and claim him hers for everyone to hear. The white tent and flickering lights were still set up in the yard and Audrey could hear voices laughing and talking as the wedding guests milled around and waited for the new husband and wife to make an appearance to the after party.

Speaking of her husband....

Audrey felt her strong arms snake around her middle and she was pulled back into his broad chest. She breathed in the scent of witch hazel, hay and horses and sighed as she relaxed against him.

"Let's never, and I do mean never do anything like that again," Ance growled against her ear.

Audrey felt her body tremble as his breath washed over her. It seemed that the last couple of months here on the ranch together every day had done nothing to ease her passion for this man nor his for her.

"I know you didn't want all of this, Ance, but thank you for letting me have it."

"Yeah, yeah. If there's one thing I know about women, it's that you're all nothing but trouble."

Audrey smiled and turned her head to look up at him. He'd trimmed up his beard, though the stubble was still thick on his face and his scar stuck out even more sharply, adding to his ruggedly handsome appeal. "You should have run while you had the chance. Now you're stuck here forever."

Ance chuckled. "There's no place I'd rather be stuck, I reckon."

Audrey snuggled up tighter into his embrace and sighed with sheer happiness. It had taken her physical injuries a good solid six weeks to heal. Both she and Penelope were plagued with nightmares quite often and more often than not Ance and Audrey found themselves making room for Penelope in the middle of them on their big bed, but things were getting better.

Three months had passed since Rodger's attack and Penelope was having fewer nightmares, and Audrey was finally beginning to stop looking over her shoulder every five minutes certain that someone was after her.

Ance had been a rock during it all. Yes, a grumbling, growling, overprotective, possessive, brooding rock, but a rock just the same. And if Ance weren't grumbling, growling or brooding as he remained possessive and overprotective, then Audrey would assume something must be terribly wrong with the man.

God, how she loved him.

Her reasons for waiting three months to have their wedding weren't purely because of her injuries or nervousness over another attack, there had also been fear. Fear that Ance would realize he couldn't be tied down to the ranch, that he'd realize he'd bitten off more than he could chew and be miserable here.

But that hadn't happened.

Ance seemed quite content and happy here with her and their daughter and for that Audrey was beyond grateful. He rode the fields and helped with the horses and only complained when asked to go into town--something he hated doing with a passion.

He tucked Penelope into bed every evening and loved Audrey to sleep every night. He was truly everything Audrey could have ever asked for and more.

"Now that we're officially husband and wife are you regretting buying these rings?" Audrey teased.

Ance kissed her hair. "You've been my damn wife since you agreed to wear that on your finger. Now they just have record of it to keep for all those record keeping types to know what everybody else is doing. Nosy bastards, every one of them."

Audrey laughed. "You don't like them either?"

"Nope. I can't stand a person who sticks their noses into other people's business."

Audrey just sighed. That was her man.

"We should be getting back to the party," she whispered. "They'll be wondering where we are."

"You are one hell of a woman, Audrey. I don't reckon I've ever been to a wedding where a brothel full of whores were on the guest list."

"Have you ever been to a wedding?" Audrey countered.

"Well, no, but that's not the point."

"Those ladies mean a lot to Penelope. They kept her safe and I'm grateful for that. I had to invite Madge and her girls."

"Well Pete and Jake sure seem happy they're here," Ance admitted. "I've never seen two men more nervous and beside themselves all day."

Audrey laughed as she thought of her two young ranch hands and the way they'd fumbled and stuttered all day while trying to impress all the pretty ladies. Their wedding guest list had been small. Irish, Madge, her eight girls, the ranch hands and Anna, and that was it.

Irish had stood up for Ance while Anna had done the same for Audrey. It had been small but perfect--just as Audrey had wanted it.

The music kicked up a little louder and Audrey heard Irish beginning to sing. "We better get out there before it gets any crazier than that. I believe that damn bastard found the whiskey."

"You love Irish and you know it."

Ance snorted. "About as much as I'd love a rotten tooth."

Audrey laughed and spun in his arms. "When will you ever admit that you aren't nearly as bristly and mean as you put on to be?"

"I'm just as mean and bristly as I seem to be," Ance replied with a smile tugging at his lips. "You're just blinded by my manly charms."

Audrey laughed loudly and smacked his chest. "And right there is proof that you've spent too much time around Irish! You're beginning to sound like him!"

Ance rolled his eyes and took her hand. "Well come along now, woman. Let's go get the party over with so I can get you out of that damn dress."

***

"Mama looked so pretty today, didn't she pa?"

"As pretty as a picture," Ance agreed with the sleepy girl as he helped her out of her brace and adjusted her sleeping gown.

"I'm sad that Madge and the girls have to go home tomorrow. I wish they could stay here forever."

Ance barely kept himself from laughing out loud. He'd already heard the whispers in town about Audrey and her outlaw man that she'd taken up with. He could only imagine what all those nosy high-class harpies would say if suddenly Audrey had nine whores living here as well!

"We'll go visit one day, Penny. Your mama and I plan on taking you on a trip in the spring and we'll make sure that's one of our stops." Ance was happy when he saw the smile that graced Penelope's face. She made herself comfortable on her pillow and he pulled her blankets up to her chin.

"Is Irish gonna leave tomorrow too?" Penelope questioned. "I like it when he's here. He's funny."

Ance grumbled under his breath. "I'm sure he'll stay. I don't think turpentine would get that bastard to go anywhere."

Penelope's eyes widened. "Mama told you not to cuss like that around me!"

Ance tweaked her nose. "Yeah, well mama's not here right now..."

"I'm not?" Audrey's voice came from the door.

Ance turned and was surprised by just how sheepish he felt. He retuned his gaze to Penelope and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep, Penny. Tomorrow we're gonna practice some more commands on your pony. I think she'll be show ready come spring."

"Really?" Penelope beamed.

"Really."

"Ance?" Penelope whispered. He leaned closer. "I hope you aren't in too much trouble with mama."

Ance chuckled. "I think I can convince her to forgive me but, just in case, why don't you tell her some nice things about me and butter her up?"

Ance stood up and went to the door. "Ance? Really? Calling Irish a bastard right in front of her?" Audrey scolded quietly in the hall.

Ance shrugged. "It slipped out."

Audrey glared. "I'm sure."

Ance loved that glare. "Tuck Penny in and come to bed. You can tell me just how mad you are behind closed doors." He winked and saw her blush before she turned and disappeared into Penelope's room.

As Ance began making his rounds to ensure every door and window in the house was locked, he thought about the way things had turned out. He was surprised by his new life and just how much he enjoyed it. He'd always imagined that being tied down to a house and having a family would be hell. He'd figured it'd be like wearing a shoe to small and he'd hate it every single day. But Audrey and Penelope had changed his thinking.

He loved waking up to that woman's beautiful face every morning. He loved helping Penelope with her ponies, checking the fences for breaks, working with the horses, having Audrey beside him as they rode in unison, doing the working that needed to be done. He loved tucking Penelope in at night and he loved falling asleep with Audrey in his arms.

Irish had stayed close by too and as much as Ance wanted to grumble and complain, truth was, the man was like a brother nowadays and Ance enjoyed having someone around he could trust and depend on.

And in true Audrey fashion, the woman was already planning a trip in the spring so that Ance could have a bit more of that open sky and sleeping under the stars that she knew had always meant so much to him. Ance wasn't sure what the hell he'd done to earn such a life but he was damn happy that he'd done it.

Satisfied that the house was secure and no unwanted visitors would get in, Ance made his way back to the bedroom. He opened the door, stepped inside and froze at the sight he was met with.

"What's the matter, outlaw?" Audrey whispered as she sat perched upon the bed in black garters, a red corset and absolutely nothing else. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Holy hell, woman..." Ance closed the door behind him. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, that wasn't the goal..."

Ance kicked off his boots and slid off his gun belt, never taking his roaming eyes off her delectable little body. "Where did you get a get-up like that?"

Audrey winked. "You can get all kinds of nice presents when you invite a brothel full of working women to your wedding."

"So your intentions weren't completely true by inviting them?" Ance teased, undoing his buttons in record time and letting his white shirt fall to the floor.

"What can I say?" Audrey replied, her eyes raking over his torso. "Maybe I've got a little outlaw in me too."

Ance stalked his way toward the bed with a smile on his lips. "After seeing you like this, I'm not sure if I should be thanking God or the Devil for you, whiskey lady. Either way, I'm damn glad you're mine."

A/N: That's the end of 'Dancing with the Devil' y'all! Thank you so much for reading and supporting me during this story! As you can see, I didn't do an epilogue. That's because i want to leave this open just in case i decide to write Penelope her own story, which i am thinking about doing. I have a couple other projects to finish up before I do, but if you click that little follow button on my profile, i'll send out messages when I get ready to write the next one. Thanks again y'all!