A Deserted Rose *Joe Cartwright Love Story*

Chapter 15: Opening Up

"Uh, Mr. Cartwright, May I be excused?" I asked.

"Yes." He smiled and asked, "is everything okay?"

I nodded and quickly wiped my mouth with the napkin, excused myself and walked out the door to outside.

You could say I wasn't very hungry, I barely touched my food, but the truth is once I got here to the Ponderosa and things got better, the nightmares I had stoppped...but now they're starting again.

And its got me on the edge sort of.

"Well, you don't look a day over 15."

Slurred words. Drunk.

Oh. My. God.

John Jarrette.

My back was to him, with my arms crossed, I grasped them tight.

"What are you doing here?" I shook in fear.

With my head down, I slowly turned around and looked up at him.

"What do you want?" I asked, shaking.

He was staggering drunk with liquor in his hand.

"So nice to see you again," he smirked as he grabbed my arm tightly, "why don't we take a little trip to the barn and-"

"No! Let me go!" I screamed as I tried to get his grip off of me.

"HEY!!"

Joe.

"I don't know who you are, Mister, but you let her go." Joe threatened, his gun in hand.

"Oh, who's gonna make me?" John said, as he let me go and shoved me to the ground, "You?"

John then came towards Joe and tried to hit him with his bottle, but Joe as always was too quick, and smashed him over the head with his gun.

He then looked at me with gentleness.

He just saved me from the man who raped me.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A few hours later...

Me and Joe were sitting outside on the porch of the ranch house in rocking chairs, he just got back from taking that idiot to jail.

We were sitting in silence, until Joe asked the inevitable question.

"Who was he?"

"Jarrette...John Jarrette. One of Jesse James's men." I said.

"Hey," Little Joe said as he put his finger under my chin and pulled me towards him, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you anywhere else?"

"No, not today..." I said, turning away.

Joe instantly turned me back to him.

"What are you talking about? What do mean 'not today'?" Joe asked me seriously.

"Joe, there's something I've...I've been meaning to tell you..." I started.

"Go on." He said, loosing his grip.

"That man who was here, when I was 15, I uh...all the men had left for a bank robbery and Jarrette was told to stay with me at this old cabin and he..."

I tried to look away, but Joe's eyes searched and found me, refusing to let me look away from him.

"...he raped me."

I bit my lip, got up and went to one of the poles that held up the house, resting my head on it.

"There I said it. Don't feel sorry for me. It's my own fault. I'm not a virgin. I'm just...DAMAGED GOODS!" I yelled, crying.

"Now you listen to me," Little Joe pulled me around to face him, "You are NOT damaged goods-"

"Joe, no!-"

"Listen!" He said, clasping my face is in his hands, "You are not damaged goods, you're not."

Little Joe said with his forehead leaned against mine, with both of our eyes closed.

"You're not...you're not." He said, as his fingers ran through my hair and then instantly we both opened our eyes, "You are everything pure and beautiful. It doesn't matter what he did to you, because he won't hurt you anymore, I promise. You are a virgin in my eyes."

He then took both of my hands and kissed them.

"You're not damaged goods, you're pure, none of that was your fault. You're perfect." He smiled breathlessly.

I could see it in his eyes. "Love yourself." His eyes said. Breathlessness. Was all I could think and feel.