Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2) (15 page)

“Let me introduce you to the family,” Marybeth interrupted. “We’ve all traveled from Virginia. They might be a bit tired from the journey. I’m usually so energetic, but lately I’ve been so exhausted around midday. I just can’t understand why.”

She rattled off the names of the women in front of her, along with their relationship to her and the men who stood with Ethan. Anna focused on the introductions, but her mind was on the things Marybeth had said a moment ago.

“That’s Mildred Howell, my sister-in-law. She’s married to Pastor Albert Howell, Jeremy’s brother. His cousin, Ed, lost his wife in the river crossing a week back. Poor man has three little girls, but Cousin Maude and Cousin Millicent are taking good care of them.”

Millicent smiled and shook Anna’s hand. Maude waddled toward her, holding one hand to her arched back, which made her pregnant stomach more obvious.

Marybeth paused for a breath. “Of course, Ed’s going to be looking for a wife in Oregon.” She smiled brightly at Anna. “If you’ve half a mind to wed up with someone, he’s a good man. He’d make a fine husband, wouldn’t he, Mildred?”

“Ed’s a hard worker. In fact, he –”

“And these are my young’uns, Sally Mae and Henry.” Marybeth pointed at two young children. The boy couldn’t be older than Patrick, and the girl must be about four.

“I’ve been teaching Sally Mae how to bake the most incredible molasses cookies. She really is a brilliant girl for her a . . . take your thumb out of your mouth, Sally Mae. That’s not how a young lady behaves.” Marybeth bent to grab her daughter’s hand and pulled it away from her face.

“Young’uns,” she mumbled, smiling at Anna. “Do you like children?”

Anna opened her mouth to reply that she loved children, but Marybeth flicked her wrist before she could say a word. “Of course you do. What woman doesn’t love children, am I right, Maude?”

Maude nodded rather than reply verbally. No doubt she’d learned a long time ago that answering with words would be futile in Marybeth’s presence. Boisterous laughter came from where the men stood. Anna glanced to find Ethan. He appeared to be listening to Pastor Howell.

“We can always use another good man on the trail,” the burly man proclaimed. He chuckled, a bright smile on his face when looking at Ethan. His eyes drifted to the group of women, picking out Anna. “If your sister is looking to wed up with someone, Cousin Ed just lost his wife.” He shook his head. “Sad situation, God rest her soul.”

“Anna isn’t looking for a husband.” Ethan’s words were strong and firm.

He glared at the man named Ed, then looked her way. Their eyes met and Anna’s heart did a little flip in her chest. Ethan looked at her with his dark eyes, as if silently telling her he was not letting her go.

The pastor chuckled. “I understand your protectiveness over your sister, Mr. Wilder. I’m the same way. We have to look out for our women, don’t we? I assure you, Ed is a good man. Perhaps once you get to know him better, you’ll give your blessing.”

Ethan grunted and mumbled something unintelligible. He stepped away from the men, beckoning to Anna.

“Let’s all eat, shall we?” Marybeth called, and the men eagerly dispersed.

Ethan walked up to her. “I prefer supper at our own camp,” he murmured so only she could hear.

“These are nice people, Ethan.” Anna offered a smile. “But I don’t like this charade.”

Ethan frowned. “I don’t, either, but what was I gonna do?” His jaw muscles tensed, and he nodded toward Ed. “Do you want to marry that man? I’ll head home if that’s what you want.”

Anna grasped for his hand, staring up into his eyes. “No, that’s not what I want.”

“
W
hy don’t
you let that sister of yours walk with me a spell, Mr. Wilder? I promise I’ll bring her back. I always walk when I can. They say it’s good for preventing consumption. Back in Virginia, I would walk every day to my friend Vivian’s farm, but the countryside was much prettier there.”

Anna groaned quietly on the wagon seat. Ethan suppressed a chuckle. He drew back on the reins to bring the mules to a halt.

“She’s welcome to walk, Mrs. Howell,” he called to the woman, who waited several paces away from the wagon.

“You have no heart, Ethan Wilder,” Anna hissed under her breath, shooting him a glaring look.

“I’ve been told that once or twice.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the tops of his thighs, a smile on his face.

“Come along, Anna, before he changes his mind.”

“I won’t forgive you for this,” Anna whispered and moved to climb from the wagon.

Ethan held out his hand to steady her as she stood. She met his eyes when he didn’t let go right away.

“You’re the one who told me I needed to be more agreeable with the folks.” His smile widened.

Anna’s chest heaved and fell. She offered him another annoyed glare once she stepped off the rig. Ethan caught her face changing to a forced smile before she headed for Marybeth Howell.

“I do say, Anna. That brother of yours sure doesn’t let you out of his sights. Ever since we left Fort Hall he’s practically been your shadow. Is he always like that? I was telling Jeremy that a woman ought to have more of a say in the things she can and can’t do. I mean, I tell him all the time he needs to tend the young’uns more. Goodness knows, I do all the cooking and washing, and . . .”

Ethan shook his head and clucked to the mules. He slapped the reins against the tops of their backs, and the team leaned into the traces. The wagon lurched forward.

For more than a week, the small caravan of six wagons had rolled along the desolate prairie, following the winding Snake River the first three days and taking Ethan further away from his solitary mountains. Although the Howell clan and their relatives were nice enough folks, the more time he spent around them, the longing grew stronger for the wilds of the mountains with their green meadows and sparkling streams.

The smile froze on his face. Another thing that had steadily grown stronger was his yearning for the woman who now walked behind the wagon with her newfound . . . friend. In Anna’s company, he hadn’t felt more at peace since he’d been a boy. Slowly, day by day, with each mile they put behind them, Anna had chiseled away a little more of the granite around his heart until there was none left.

She hadn’t brought up his past since that night when he’d kissed her, and she hadn’t talked about her fiancé, either. For all outward appearances, they’d assumed the roles of devoted siblings. Anna mingled with the other families as if she belonged with them. For her sake, he’d been friendly with the men, something that would have made old Harley proud and his brothers drop their jaws.

What Anna thought of him was most important, however. She often sought him out with a pleased smile on her face, so she must be satisfied with his demeanor around the others. More often than not, he’d wondered about what would happen once they reached their destination. It was still months away, and each day became more difficult than the one before to pretend indifference where Anna was concerned.

His feelings for her were anything but brotherly, but there was nothing he could do about them. For her sake, he had to continue to act indifferently. His admiration for her grew steadily, and he couldn’t remember why he’d ever considered her weak or had wanted her gone from Harley’s Hole. She was tireless and resilient, and she had the patience of a saint to be able to put up with a woman like Marybeth Howell.

Ethan grinned as he played with the leather reins in his hands. He’d enjoyed testing Anna’s patience earlier when he’d indulged Marybeth’s request for Anna to walk with her. Clearly, she hadn’t been too pleased about it.

Anna seemed to enjoy the company of the other ladies and mingling with people again. She smiled more than he’d ever seen her smile at Harley’s Hole, or perhaps he hadn’t paid as much attention there. Ethan had seen her spend time with the three little girls that belonged to Ed Howell. What if she decided to marry him?

No matter how hard he tried, Ethan couldn’t find fault with the man. He seemed to fit all of Anna’s requirements in a husband. He was looking to start a farm in Oregon, he was a family man, and he worked hard. There was nothing he could do to stop her if she decided that Ed was the kind of man she’d been looking for. He simply had to keep reminding himself why he didn’t want attachments.

Ethan stared straight ahead, scanning the vastness of the desolate prairie that stretched out in all directions. To their right was the winding Snake River, flowing through a steep canyon that was impossible to access from where the trail led them.

The vegetation along the trail was sparse, and each day the animals showed more strain due to poor grazing. Fresh meat was also scarce, and the two scouts Jeremy Howell had hired came back empty-handed from a hunt more times than not. The few rabbits they brought back weren’t enough to sustain the group for more than a meager meal.

One thing was for sure. Ethan didn’t trust those two men and kept his eye on them whenever he could. They didn’t mingle with the families and kept to themselves. He’d thought about going off hunting by himself to see if he’d have better luck, but reluctance to leave the wagons out of sight held him back.

The younger of the two, Anton, eyed the women with too much interest, and Ethan had interceded once when the scout had followed Millicent away from camp one evening. Ethan hadn’t planned to cause trouble with the guides, so he’d walked up to the man and struck up a conversation with him until Millicent had returned to her family.

The one with the eye patch, Oliver Sabin, bothered him even more. The man kept a low profile, only spoke to Jeremy when he needed to, and was away from camp frequently. When he was nearby, he’d often glanced at Anna, and Ethan had even caught the man studying him with a satisfied sneer on his face as if he knew something Ethan didn’t.

Jeremy Howell called a stop to the day’s travel along a small trickle of water out in the open grasslands. A few sparse trees grew here and there, but there was little shelter from wind or the elements. Ethan unhitched the mules and led them, along with his horse, away from camp to forage.

Anna was heading his way when he returned to the wagon. Evidently, she’d made an escape from Marybeth Howell. A small child ran toward her, then stumbled and fell, and instantly let out a loud wail. Anna knelt to the ground and scooped the little girl into her arms. Ethan rushed toward them.

“Ethan, I need some water,” Anna called, carrying the girl to the wagon. “She scraped her knee. I don’t think it’s serious.”

The child, one of Ed Howell’s daughters, clung to Anna’s neck, her tears leaving streaks on her dusty cheeks.

“It’s going to be all right,” Anna cooed. “We’ll get you all fixed up.”

Ethan dropped the wagon’s tailgate and Anna set the girl on it, pushing her dress up her leg to expose a scraped-up knee. He dipped a tin cup in the water barrel strapped to the side of the wagon and handed it to Anna. She offered a warm smile.

“How would you like a sweet treat for dessert tonight?” Anna asked enthusiastically, no doubt in an effort to distract the child from her sore leg. The little girl nodded. Anna dipped a cloth in the cup, then cleaned the blood from the girl’s knee. Using a different cloth she wiped her dirty face, then kissed her forehead.

Ethan groaned silently, standing next to Anna as she comforted the little girl. Old memories played out in his head of his mother consoling his little sister after she’d fallen at one time in much the same way. The past suddenly became the future – a long, solitary future. Then Anna appeared, filling his heart with love and taking away the loneliness and the guilt from his mistakes.

“Heavens, what happened?”

Marybeth’s distinct screech pierced the air, pulling him from his daydreams. Somewhere in the distance, a hawk answered. The annoying woman swooped into camp, her wide eyes darting from Ethan to Anna to the little girl. Ethan backed away when Marybeth pushed her way to the tailgate.

“Hattie fell and scraped her knee. It’s all better, isn’t it, Hattie?” Anna smiled at the girl.

“I say, that girl needs a ma. Maude is heavy with child and can’t chase after Ed’s young’uns all the time, and Millicent and I have our hands full looking after our own. Every child needs a mother. We certainly don’t want people to be calling her names when we get to Oregon. Children can be so cruel to one another.”

“I certainly don’t mind watching the girls for a while during the day,” Anna offered. “We’ve gotten to know each other already over the past week, haven’t we, Hattie?” The little girl smiled and nodded.

No doubt Marybeth would suggest again that Anna marry Ed Howell. No sooner had Ethan thought it, when the woman voiced her opinion.

“Well, in that case, you really need to think about getting married, Anna. Ed needs a wife, and I’ve seen you talking to him.”

Anna’s eyes darted to Ethan. If he could, he’d sweep Anna into his arms and kiss her right in front of everyone, and let Marybeth Howell know in no uncertain terms exactly what he thought of her idea.

Anna laughed softly. “I don’t think there’s a need for –”

“Anna, you need a husband. Your brother isn’t going to take care of you all your life,” Marybeth chastised and shot him a stern look. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Wilder?”

“Anna can take care of herself,” Ethan grumbled. But he’d always be there for her.

Marybeth’s eyes widened. She blew air through her nose. “Well, in that case, she ought to get married, like I said. Do you want her to become an old maid?”

“Is everything all right here? Hattie?”

Ed Howell rushed toward them, saving Ethan from answering Marybeth’s question. His worried eyes shot to Ethan, then to his cousin and Anna.

“She’s all right, Mr. Howell,” Anna assured him. “Just a little –”

“She was running around unattended,” Marybeth interrupted. “Why, if Anna hadn’t been there, she could have been killed. And look how she’s taken to Anna.” She shot her cousin a meaningful look.

Ed Howell pulled his hat from his head. “Thank you, Miss Wilder, for taking care of my girl.”

“Of course. She’s a good girl. I promised her some sweets after supper. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind? Of course he doesn’t mind, do you Ed? Why, you really ought to –”

Ethan gritted his teeth. He stepped up next to Anna. Everyone in this outfit might put up with Marybeth Howell, but that didn’t mean he had to.

“I’m sure Jeremy is getting hungry and wants his supper, Mrs. Howell.” He stared at the thin woman, whose eyes went wide at his interruption. Her mouth gaped open, but he continued before she could interrupt again. “And I’m sure Pastor Howell’s wife expects you and your kids at their wagon, Ed.”

Ed Howell nodded, avoiding Ethan’s stare.

“You can come back later for some dessert, Hattie,” Anna said quickly, coming to Ethan’s aid. “And you can bring your sisters, too.” She lifted Hattie into her arms and handed the girl to her father. He smiled hesitantly.

“Thank you again,” he said, and headed toward his own rig.

“Well, if that were me, I would –”

“Go and fix your husband his supper.” Ethan finished for Marybeth. Next to him, Anna coughed, which sounded distinctly like a suppressed chuckle. She cleared her throat.

“I’d best get supper started, too. Don’t you agree, Marybeth?”

“Why . . . yes. As I was about to say, time to fix something to eat for Jeremy and the children.” She glared at Ethan. “I can tell when I’m not wanted. Not everyone seems to appreciate sound advice. I guess I will go back to my family. At least there I know they care about what I say, and enjoy my cooking. I could tell the other night that you must not know good corn chowder when you taste it, Mr. Wilder.” With a final huff, she marched from camp.

“Glad she was in agreement to leave,” Ethan grumbled. Anna’s lips pressed together. She held her hand to her hip in silent disapproval, but she couldn’t hold the pose for long. Her eyes shone with laughter and her hand flew to her mouth to suppress her sudden giggles. Ethan smiled back at her. He had to turn away or he would go through with what he’d planned to do a few minutes ago, and kiss her.

“I’ll get your cooking fire started.”

* * *

E
than offered
Anna a cup of steaming coffee when she walked into camp. She accepted it with a grateful nod and a smile.

Speaking softly, she said, “The girls are back at their wagon, all tucked in. I think they enjoyed the peach pie. Of course, Marybeth had to tell me about the wonderful peach pies she used to bake in Virginia.”

The fire crackled loudly, casting shadows on the canvas of the wagon. The camp had quieted some time ago. Fires burned low at the nearby wagons, and it appeared as if most everyone had gone to bed. It was peaceful again, now that the three young children were gone. Although, it had been surprisingly pleasant to have the kids in camp and watch Anna dote over them. She was a natural caretaker. Ethan took a long sip of his coffee.