Against Her Will

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

Tanner struck a match and lit the lantern to brighten up the darkening night as he sat on the balcony with Temperance and Jackson that evening. Jackson had been a bit disappointed that they couldn't camp out in the wilderness and have a campfire but Temperance hadn't seemed ready for something like that.

As a matter of fact she had nearly panicked at the idea of being out in the open and unprotected, as she saw it, and so Tanner had quickly convinced Jackson that they needed to have a few practice camping trips on the balcony to make sure they'd be ready for a real one.

"What do we do on a camp out?" Jackson asked as he sat cross legged beside Temperance who was sitting with her skirts spread out around her. Jackson had scolded her when he had first realized she was coming to the campout fully dressed. He had insisted that she was supposed to wear her bed clothes.

Tanner had seen the widening of her eyes and had sensed her unease as she had looked at him. He knew that she was afraid to sleep near to him and was using her clothes as a barrier. While Tanner had seen Temperance in her sleeping gown before--she had not ever slept around him in them, save for the night of the fire so long ago.

It hurt Tanner to know that there was still that hint of mistrust between them but Tanner knew that it had less to do with him and more to do with her past and the men who had taken advantage of her. Tanner was very much prepared to spend the rest of his life healing those wounds and earning her trust--even if that meant a life of celibacy. A life of celibacy with Temperance at his side seemed far more rewarding than a life of meaningless rutting with women who could never hope to be her.

"Well at most camp outs I've been in, and I've been in a few," Tanner assured the boy with a wink. "We start by telling stories."

"What kinds of stories?" Jackson demanded excitedly as he fidgeted and seemed to be having trouble sitting still.

"Whichever kind you take a notion to tell. They can be happy, scary, funny.."

"Why don't you start, mommy!" Jackson pleaded. "I want to hear you tell a story!"

Temperance frowned. "What kind of story do you want me to tell?"

Jackson raised a brow and shrugged. "Whichever kind you take a notion to tell."

Temperance looked down at the lantern and seemed lost in thought for a moment before finally she spoke, "I'm not much of a story teller, Jackson."

"That's okay," Tanner quickly spoke up before Jackson could complain. "I've got a good one to tell."

"Alright, daddy, you can go first," Jackson climbed into Tanner's lap and Tanner felt his heart become even more lost to the skinny child. He had never seen himself as ever being a father--truth was he'd never put much thought into it whatsoever.

Tanner nodded took a deep breath and began his tale about a young boy who rode his pony in competition at the state fair and took home the blue ribbon. Jackson seemed to love the details about the jumps and the races and Tanner loved seeing him smile and laugh.

He had his mother's laugh. Tanner knew that now because he knew what Temperance's laugh sounded like. Beautiful.

"I have a pony!" Jackson exclaimed when Tanner finished.

"Yes you do," Tanner nodded.

"And I'm a boy!" Jackson added, hopping to his feet.

Tanner chuckled, "Yep."