Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2) (17 page)

“Who would’ve thought that one kiss would lead to us being wed?” Anna murmured, trying to disguise the uncertainty in her voice.

Ethan chuckled. “With you, things seem to happen unexpectedly. I didn’t think a bucket of dirty water in my face would wake me up to take notice of you.”

“You were so angry that day,” Anna giggled. “I thought for sure you were going to strangle me.”

“My brothers always like to badger me, but no one’s ever dressed me down like you did that day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” Ethan pulled her into his arms. His chest heaved against hers. “You’ve pulled me out of my dark existence, Anna. I’m still not sure how you managed it, but you made me see that I’m ready to love someone.”

Anna wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m ready to move on from the past and love someone, too.”

“You were right about me when you said I’m afraid of letting people get close to me, but what scares me more is the thought of losing someone I care about. I failed my parents when I didn’t listen to my pa the day he died. It’s a guilt I’ve lived with my whole life, because I was reckless and selfish. It’s a pain I never want to feel again.”

Anna touched his face, running her fingers against the roughness of his jaw. “We all worry about losing the ones we love, but you can’t go through life with those kinds of fears. You won’t be living if you do. You’ll simply be miserable. I know I’ve been unhappy all this time, thinking about what might have happened differently had I acted differently.”

She stood on her toes and kissed his lips. Ethan wrapped her fully into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Anna’s limbs went weak, and she clung to him. Ethan bent forward, his lips still on hers, and swooped her up into his arms. Wrapping her own arms tightly around his neck to hold on, she met the sudden urgency of his kiss.

When he set her on the tailgate of the wagon, she was out of breath.

“I don’t want to sleep under the wagon tonight,” he whispered huskily against her neck.

Butterflies churned in her belly at his words.

“You’re my husband. You don’t have to anymore.”

Ethan heaved himself into the wagon, pulling Anna with him into the dark confines of the rig’s canvas-covered bed. The springs squeaked and the wagon rattled as they found each other in the darkness.

“Anna, I don’t deserve your heart,” Ethan murmured against the nape of her neck as he sat behind her on the straw mattress that had been her bed since leaving Harley’s Hole.

He ran his hand down the back of her head, pulling out her hairpins as he went. When her braid fell down her back, he untied the ends and combed his fingers through her long strands.

Anna’s heart beat wildly. This was her wedding night. With trembling fingers, she unhooked the buttons of her dress. Ethan helped her slip out of the bodice, his lips following along her exposed skin down her shoulder and arms.

“You’re a good man, Ethan Wilder.” A slight shiver passed through her once the dress was off and she wore nothing but her chemise. “You’re the man I fell in love with.”

Ethan turned her around, and her hands came in contact with the bare skin of his chest. When had he discarded his shirt? Her fingers explored along the taut muscles of his shoulders and arms. Memories of the day she’d last touched him like this filled in for not being able to see him in the dark.

“You’ve been the responsible one for so long. I think it’s time you enjoyed life a little more,” Anna mumbled, her lips touching his shoulders before she lifted her face to seek his mouth.

Ethan groaned, and eased her onto her back. “I think I’ll take you up on that, Mrs. Wilder.”

Her playful squeal was cut short when Ethan covered her mouth with his, pressing her into the mattress and fully claiming her lips. Arms and legs entwined as she explored and touched him, while Ethan did the same to her. When their bodies joined as one, a tear of joy escaped her eyes. Right here, in Ethan’s arms, she’d finally found home.

T
he gray light
of early morning filtered in through a small opening in the canvas at the back of the wagon. Ethan shifted his arm, but was stopped short by the weight of Anna’s head resting against the crook of his shoulder. A content smile widened his mouth, followed quickly by a cold rush of dread.

Anna was his wife. He’d finally admitted his feelings not only to her, but to himself last night. For a dozen years, he’d sworn never to do anything impulsive again, yet marrying her on the spot had taken less thought than anything else he’d ever experienced. He’d never wanted anything as much as having Anna for his wife even though he’d fought against emotional attachments for more than half his life.

Ethan stroked her cheek. His arm tightened around the sleeping woman, bringing her closer against him. The familiar painful feeling of loss and guilt swept over him again. He gritted his teeth and mentally shook his head. He wasn’t going to lose Anna. He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes he’d made in the past.

She’d taught him to open his heart and move beyond all his remorse and fears. He wasn’t going to start the first day of their new life together wallowing in dread. His mother and father would have been happy for him for finding a woman like Anna.

Anna’s eyes opened, and she blinked, looking up at him. When she smiled, any doubts melted away instantly. He tugged her up closer, and kissed her forehead.

“Good morning, Mrs. Wilder,” he murmured.

“Goodness, I think we slept too long.” Anna squinted toward the light coming from outside.

Ethan chuckled. “I don’t think we slept enough.”

Her face turned scarlet at his words and she dropped her gaze, pulling the blanket that laid over them up past her exposed shoulder. Ethan gently pushed the covering away, and rubbed his hand down her arm, then along the curve of her hips and thighs, eliciting a soft moan from her.

“What’s Cora going to say when she finds out she and I are truly sisters now?” Anna whispered, sliding her palm against his bare chest.

Ethan sucked in a quick breath at his body’s reaction to her innocent movement. He shifted from his back to his side, pulling Anna close. His hand cupped her cheek, then slid up into her hair, brushing back strands that had fallen into her face. His eyes roamed over her, still awed by the thought that she belonged to him, and the feeling of pure happiness that flowed through him. When had he ever felt this content?

“Does that mean you want to return to Harley’s Hole?” he murmured into her hair, his lips gliding along her forehead. “Or are you planning to send a letter from Oregon?”

Anna braced against him and looked up into his eyes. “I found what I’ve been searching for, Ethan.” Her finger grazed along his chest. “It’s you, and wherever you are, that’s where I want to be. Harley’s Hole is your home, and honestly, I miss it, too.”

Ethan chuckled. “Good, since I don’t think I recall how to plow a field and grow a crop. I’ve lived in the woods too long. Marybeth would be disappointed in me.”

Anna laughed and leaned forward to kiss his lips. “Marybeth is always disappointed with something. Besides, she isn’t your wife, whom you have to please.” A glimmer of mischief sparkled in her eyes.

“Thank God for that.” Ethan pulled her into his arms and rolled her onto her back, silencing her laughter with his mouth.

He shifted his weight to deepen the kiss when the loud and distinctly grating voice of Marybeth Howell screeched outside. Ethan groaned and slumped to the side. Anna’s body vibrated underneath him with laughter. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and joined in.

“What are you talking about, Albert Howell? That’s impossible.” Her voice drew closer to the wagon. “And where are Anna and Mr. Wilder? Their cooking fire isn’t even lit.”

A man coughed loudly. “Perhaps they had a long night,” Jeremy suggested.

“Well, the day’s going to waste away if we don’t start early,” she proclaimed. Her voice sounded as if she was right on the other side of the canvas. “Anna? Are you in there, Anna?”

Anna startled at the sudden pounding on the outside of the wagon. She extracted her head from under Ethan’s chest. “I’m getting dressed, Marybeth,” she called, her voice muffled. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Well, you’d better, and find that husband of yours. Jeremy and the others seem to think the mules and oxen have wandered off.”

Anna looked up into Ethan’s eyes, frowning.

“Grazing is sparse here,” Ethan said quietly. “It’s been getting worse the further we’ve traveled. The animals may have wandered in the night to look for food. Whoever was on watch should have kept a better lookout.” He reached for his britches and shirt. “I’d better go and help find them.”

Ethan dressed quickly, then pulled Anna into his arms one final time and kissed her with the promise of continuing their honeymoon later, then hopped from the wagon. Marybeth Howell’s eyes widened when he emerged.

“Why aren’t you out looking for the livestock, Mr. Wilder?” she chided. “Without the mules and oxen, we can’t start the day, now can we? I tell you, laziness was never tolerated back home in Virginia. Everyone was up before the rooster crowed.”

Ethan ignored the woman and sought out Jeremy Howell. He stood over a campfire by his wagon, sipping a cup of coffee. He appeared to be deep in thought. He looked up when Ethan approached.

“Who had early morning watch?”

Jeremy rubbed his hand across the back of his neck while he looked Ethan in the eye. “One of the scouts. I believe Anton. Cousin Ed had first watch, then Sabin took over for him.”

“Have you talked to Anton?”

Jeremy slurped from his coffee mug, looking away. “No one has seen either Anton or Sabin since last night,” he said slowly in a quiet voice.

“What?”

Anger mixed with understanding. Ethan cursed under his breath. Ever since leaving Fort Hall, he’d kept a close eye on those two scouts. He’d reasoned with himself over and over again that men who lived in the mountains didn’t always look presentable. Even so, there had been something about Oliver Sabin that had set off warning bells in his head.

The one night he should have been vigilant, he’d spent in the arms of his wife, completely oblivious to anything that went on around him.

“Maybe they’ve gone looking for the livestock before anyone else noticed,” Jeremy suggested.

Ethan scoffed. “You don’t believe that any more than I do. I should have known better, and suggested you hire someone else while we were still at Fort Hall.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened. “You think they stole the livestock?”

Ethan nodded. “And you believe it, too. I can see it in your eyes. We’ll organize a search near camp, but my hunch is those animals are miles away from here by now.”

Jeremy stared at him as if someone had died. “Without the oxen and mules, we’re stuck here. What are we going to do?”

Ethan shrugged. “There’s not much water here, but we should be all right until the next outfit passes by. Maybe you or someone else can barter for a horse from them and ride back to Fort Hall for help.”

Hell. He should do it himself, but the thought of leaving the wagons and Anna sent a shiver down his spine. He’d done that once before, and it had ended in tragedy. Right now, the best thing to do was stay here and wait for someone else to pass through while continuing to look for their livestock, although that seemed like a futile idea.

Jeremy shook his head. “There won’t be any other wagons coming this way.”

Ethan frowned. “There were several outfits heading out a day after us from Fort Hall. They can’t be too far behind.”

Jeremy lowered his head. He shook it, then let out a drawn-out sigh. Whatever he was about to say next would not be good news. Ethan braced for the worst.

“When we were at Fort Hall, Oliver Sabin told us he knew of a shortcut off the main trail that would save us several weeks of travel. He said he’d been in the area plenty of times, and knew the way like the back of his hand. He even told me he wouldn’t take any payment from us until we reached Fort Boise.”

Ethan gritted his teeth. “And when did we break off from the main trail?” His words were low and quiet, while his insides threatened to boil with rage. These people had been swindled, and he hadn’t seen it. This was unfamiliar territory to him, and he hadn’t paid attention because he’d been too preoccupied with other thoughts. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere might cost them their lives.

“Three days ago.” Jeremy tossed the rest of his coffee into the fire and stared up at the sky. “How could I have let this happen?”

“Jeremy!” Marybeth Howell stormed in their direction.

“Control your wife, Howell. I need to think about what we’re going to do without worrying everyone,” Ethan warned.

Jeremy’s eyes filled with hope. “Having you here eases my concerns, Ethan. You’re a woodsman like those other two. You can get us out of this.”

Ethan’s hand curled into a fist. “I might be a woodsman, but I ain’t like those two thieves.”

“That’s certainly not what I meant to imply. You know your way around –”

“Jeremy, Albert says there is no sign of the livestock anywhere.” Marybeth sauntered toward her husband. She shot a stern look at Ethan, then ignored him. “Do you want to know what I think? I think Indians came and took them. That’s the only thing that makes sense. They’ll be coming for us next.”

“Indians don’t steal mules,” Ethan said quietly. “They have no use for them.”

“What do you mean, they have no use for them? Everyone has use for mules.”

Marybeth turned on him, her eyes blazing with annoyance for him having contradicted her. Ed, Albert, and the husbands of Millicent and Maude headed their way. Anna followed with the women, staying close beside Maude, whose advanced pregnancy prevented her from moving fast.

Anna came to his side and slipped her hand in his, glancing at him with a silent question. Ethan waited for Jeremy to speak, but the man shot him a pleading look. Ethan straightened. Apparently he was the one who would break the bad news to the families.

“I haven’t gone to search for tracks, but from what I believe, the livestock were herded away in the night by our scouts, Anton and Sabin.”

A loud murmur erupted among the five men. One of the women gasped.

“Why would they do that?” Anna asked softly.

“I’m telling you, it was Indians. They’ve probably been following us for days. Most likely they killed our scouts.”

Ethan ignored Marybeth. He looked around at the faces staring at him. These people were helpless in the wilderness. Without a proper guide, they’d never get out of this predicament on their own.

“Indians might steal a cow or an ox and the horses, but they’d leave mules behind. Since Sabin and Anton are missing, it’s not hard to figure out what happened. They led you on the wrong trail so they could take your animals, most likely to sell them at Fort Hall or somewhere else.”

“What will happen to us?”

“Some of the men will have to walk to the main trail, and wait for help to come along.”

Marybeth laughed a shrill laugh. “You can’t be serious, Mr. Wilder. We can’t split up like that.”

“You may not have a choice.”

Ethan looked at the families around him. Ed held his youngest girl in his arms. Millicent consoled her crying youngster. Maude stood, her hands clutching her swollen belly. These people might not survive. His gaze drifted to Anna. He wasn’t going to leave her. Jeremy and a couple of the others would have to head back to the main trail, while he’d remain behind and wait.

The thought barely crossed his mind, when Maude cried out. She bent forward, gripping at her stomach. Mildred and Marybeth rushed to her side while her husband stumbled back, his eyes wide with worry. Anna rushed up to her.

“Let’s get her to her wagon,” she said. “She’s in labor.”

“Lord in heaven, what next? It seems that there is no end to our disasters lately. I wouldn’t be surprised if those Indians come and scalp us in our sleep. Not that birthing a baby is a tragedy. It’s just the timing of it all. When I had my babies in Virginia, it was the easiest thing in the world. Good thing I’m here to help deliver this one. Come along, Maude, you’re going to be fine. Let’s get you to your wagon.”

Anna stayed behind while the other women helped Maude to her rig. Ethan raked his hand through his hair. The responsibility for these people had fallen on him, and he had no answers as to what to do.

The men huddled around Jeremy, who looked toward Ethan.

“We’ll figure out what to do once I take a look at the tracks.” He headed for Anna’s wagon and pulled his rifle out from the bed.

Anna came up beside him. She reached for his shoulder. Ethan forced a smile, his eyes roaming over the woman who calmed the turmoil inside him.

“What are you thinking?” she whispered.

He opened his arms, and she stepped into his embrace.

“I don’t know how to keep you safe and get everyone out of here,” he murmured against her hair.

“Yes you do.” She raised her head. Trust shimmered in her eyes when she smiled up at him.

“We’re three days’ walk from the main trail and the possibility of finding help, according to Jeremy.” He released her and kicked at the dirt on the ground, sending up a swirl of dust.

“Dammit!” Ethan raked his hand through his hair. “Why was I so careless? I should have realized we were off the main trail.”

A short distance away, a scream came from inside Maude’s wagon. Marybeth’s shrill voice followed. Ethan tensed. Anna reached for his arm, looking up at him with soft eyes.

“This isn’t your fault, Ethan. When we were with our company from Independence, the scouts recommended a cut-off that we took that saved us several days to Fort Laramie. It’s not uncommon.”

“But I should have seen right through that crook, Sabin. I could smell he was trouble back at Fort Hall.”

“You can’t bear the responsibility for this, Ethan. This was Jeremy’s decision.” She wrapped her arms around his middle.

Ethan held her tight. His arms trembled while his mind churned with indecision.

“You know what you have to do, Ethan,” Anna whispered against his chest. “You’re the only one here who knows how to track.”