Cora's Pride (Wilderness Brides Book 1) (5 page)

“I’ve got the Crow chasing their own tails.” His smile widened. Reaching into a pouch around his neck, he removed a strip of cloth and poured some water from his water skin on it. Cora flinched when he held it up to her cheek. She shrank away and scrambled out of his reach.

“Stay away from me,” she hissed.

Nathaniel clamped his mouth shut. Damn her stubborn pride. He held the cloth out to her. She didn’t take it. He shrugged and stuffed it back inside the pouch.

“Might want to clean that cut on your face,” he grumbled.

Her hand went to her cheek and she fingered the dried blood. “No thanks to you that I have a cut in the first place.”

“You would have ridden right into the arms of a party of Crow if I hadn’t stopped you,” Nathaniel defended. “And don’t argue with me that you would have listened if I had simply told you to stop. I tried to warn you earlier by the creek.”

Her answer was a glare that might send a weaker man scrambling for the hills. Nathaniel met the challenge in her eyes. Her anger did little to hide her beauty. Somehow it only heightened his awareness of her. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart.

“If we hurry and get back to your camp before dark, I can get that wagon wheel fixed so we can get an early start in the morning.”

Cora narrowed her eyes at his words. She raised the rifle, pointing it at him.

“What makes you think you’re welcome to follow me back to my camp, Mr. Wilder?”

Nathaniel smirked. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but pride won’t get you and your family to where you’re going. Sometimes it’s best to accept help when it’s offered.”

She broke eye contact and headed for her horse and mule. Freeing the reins from the tree, she mounted the mule. “You’ve helped enough. I thank you for keeping me from meeting up with the Indians, but I think we’re even now.”

“Even?” Nathaniel’s eyes widened.

“If you hadn’t stolen my horse, none of this would have happened. Now leave me be, and don’t come near my wagon or my family again. I promise I will shoot you on sight the next time I see you.”

With those words, she kicked her mule forward.

“Follow a straight line east and you’ll get to the clearing.” Nathaniel stared after her. He kicked at the leaves on the ground. Good riddance. That woman was too pig-headed to see reason. He raked his fingers through his hair. Part of him wanted to give chase, pull her from that mule’s back a second time, and . . . and kiss some sense into her.

“Damn her,” he grumbled under his breath. Now where the hell had the thought to kiss her come from? He scoffed. Maybe that’s exactly what she needed – a man to kiss her proper and remind her that she was a female.

He shook his head. Taming a woman like Cora might make for an entertaining challenge, but she was none of his business. If she wanted to return to her camp by herself and refuse his help, then so be it . . . for now. If she thought he wasn’t going to follow her, she was a bigger fool than she’d already shown herself to be.

W
hen the wagon
came into view, Cora reined the mule to a stop and breathed a sigh of relief. The three other mules grazed lazily among the lush grasses and a wisp of smoke rose from the fire. Someone had taken the clothes off the line and everything looked peaceful and quiet.

During the entire ride back to the meadow where they had camped, Cora had worried that the Indians might have found the wagon. She’d have never forgiven herself if anything had happened to her sisters and brother because she hadn’t been there for them.

Fresh hoof prints of unshod horses broke up the soil before she found the correct trail. A wave of dread had washed over her. Had she not gotten lost, it would have been as Nathaniel had said – she would have ridden straight into the clutches of the Indians. At least their tracks hadn’t led to the meadow. Once she’d gone in the direction Nathaniel Wilder had called out to her, it hadn’t taken her long to find the trail she’d missed.

Cora pressed her lips together. That backwoodsman may have saved her life in the forest, but if he hadn’t stolen her horse, she wouldn’t have ended up following him in the first place. When he’d walked into their camp, why couldn’t he have simply been honest with them and warned them about the Indians, if that had truly been the reason he’d taken Gray? She shook her head. She’d never understand the workings of a man’s deceitful mind. Hopefully she was rid of him for good.

She nudged the mule into a walk. Patrick must have seen her first. He let out a loud whoop and came running toward her, waving his arm in the air. Cora smiled. At least her little brother would grow up to be an honest man, if she had anything to say about it.

“You got Gray back.” Patrick’s eyes were wide and his mouth gaped open. He skidded to a halt in front of the mule and Cora handed him the horse’s reins.

“Did you have any doubts that I would?” She smiled brightly. “When you put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything,” Cora repeated her mother’s favorite saying. Advice she’d tried to live by.

Patrick nodded. “And we did just that while you were gone. Anna and I fixed the wagon wheel. Caroline and Josie helped, too.”

“Well, that’s wonderful.” Cora beamed. “We can pack our things tonight and get an early start in the morning.” She dismounted when she reached camp. By the smell in the air, Anna had supper cooking. Her stomach growled in response.

“Take Gray and the mule to graze, Patrick, and rub them both down good.”

Anna stood by the fire, watching her approach. The look on her face was no less incredulous than the one Cora had received from her brother.

“Where’s Mr. Wilder?” Anna handed her a cup of tea, studying her.

“Does it matter?” Cora sipped at the hot brew before making eye contact with her friend. She laughed when Anna continued to stare. “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Anna stepped up to her. “What happened to your hair, and your face?” She touched a finger to the cut on Cora’s cheek.

Cora took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to speak just as Caroline and Josie greeted her. Josie wrapped her arms around Cora’s middle and hugged her tight.

“I was so worried about you,” the girl whispered against Cora’s shoulder. Cora ran her hand down her younger sister’s hair.

“I will always be here for you. I told you that. You, Caroline, Anna, and Patrick. We’re family, and we stick together.”

“I was worried that man was going to hurt you,” Josie sobbed.

“I think we’ve seen the last of him.” Cora glanced at Anna. By the way her friend looked at her, she believed her words about as much as Cora did. Something told her that Nathaniel Wilder hadn’t taken her warning to stay away seriously. No doubt he wasn’t going to simply disappear. She’d have to be on guard from now on. At least with the wagon wheel fixed, there was nothing holding them up any longer.

Cora peeled Josie’s arms from around her waist. “If you and Caroline will help Patrick tend to Gray and the mules, I’ll help Anna get supper ready.” Cora gave her sister an encouraging smile. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so we need to turn in early and be ready to go come sunup.”

She waited until her younger sisters were out of earshot before turning to Anna. The smile vanished from her face.

“There are Indians in the area. I think it might be best if we hurry up with supper and then kill the fire.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “Indians? And you sent Mr. Wilder away? Was that such a good idea?”

“What good would he be?” Cora stared at her friend. “He has no rifle of his own.” Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust that man. He may have helped us by diverting the Indians away from reaching this camp, but I couldn’t allow him to come back, Anna.”

Anna frowned and shook her head. “You don’t trust any man. You’ve said so yourself. What are we going to do if we get attacked by Indians? You can’t fend them off by yourself, either.” She paused, staring at Cora’s face. “You still haven’t told me what happened.”

Cora drank the last of her tea, then told Anna all that had happened after she’d left camp in pursuit of the horse thief. A slow smile passed over her face. Nathaniel Wilder’s astonished look when she’d surprised him by the creek seemed almost comical now. A warm, unsettling feeling spread through her at the memory of his dark eyes so close to hers while he had her pinned to the ground a short time later.

There hadn’t been anything menacing in those eyes. Thinking back on it, he’d only appeared threatening because he was looking out for her. Cora shook her head to get rid of the sudden tender feeling that welled up inside her. No man had ever looked at her the way Nathaniel had done. There had been admiration in those eyes rather than a man’s lustful stare.

He’d taken full charge of the situation before she’d even had time to blink. Even as rude and bossy as he’d been, he’d done it to protect her. How had he so easily gained the upper hand, and why had she done his bidding without question? His easy grin flashed before her eyes as if he stood in front of her.

“Cora?”

Cora blinked and focused on Anna. “What did you say?” she stammered.

“I said, would you like something to clean the cut on your face?” Anna shot her a suspicious look.

Cora touched her fingers to her cheek. She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’d better clean it.”

She handed her cup to Anna, shot her friend a tentative smile, then headed for the wagon. She couldn’t stand the weight of her friend’s inquisitive eyes on her any longer. Anna was a dreamer, and would misinterpret what was on Cora’s mind. She’d say that by letting Nathaniel get the upper hand, she’d wanted to have him take charge and act as the protector. Nothing could be further from the truth. She needed to keep her guard up from men like him, or risk being used again.

Cora shook her head. She’d relied on herself long enough that it was foolish to put trust in another person, especially a complete stranger. She’d tried that already with Ted, hoping he’d make good on his word to get them to Oregon. She’d trusted his lying words, married him, honored that marriage in all ways, and he’d deceived her. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again and fall for a man’s empty promises. If there was one thing she’d learned since her father had left, and which was reaffirmed after Ted left, it was that the only person she could count on was herself.

“And that’s exactly what you’re going to do.”

She found her mirror in her small trunk inside the wagon. She studied her cheek, then dabbed a wet cloth against it to clean away the blood and dirt. It was only a superficial scratch, but it evidently had bled quite a bit. Nathaniel’s image reappeared in her mind, offering her a strip of cloth. He hadn’t apologized for causing the injury, but he’d clearly tried to make amends, which she’d rebuffed.

Cora pressed her lips together. She couldn’t turn weak now, not when she had to get her family out of the wilderness and back on the right course to Oregon. Her head snapped around when Anna called to her that supper was ready.

She studied her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, with leaves and dirt stuck in her braid. No wonder Anna had stared at her with that questioning look. Cora packed away her mirror, undid her braid and brushed the tangles from her hair, then scrambled from the wagon. The sooner they could eat, the quicker they could pack and get ready to leave in the morning. It was time she got her head on straight again and stop thinking about her encounter with a man who was nothing more than a liar and a thief.

Cora plastered a smile on her face. Her sisters and Patrick sat around the fire while Anna dished up supper.

“That was brave and exciting what you did, Cora, chasing after that man.” Caroline beamed, a sparkle in her wide eyes. “I wish I was as brave as you.”

Cora took the plate Anna offered her and glanced from Caroline to the rest of her siblings, who all stared at her. Josie’s gaze was filled with apprehension rather than excitement, but Patrick bounced on the log where he sat, forking food into his mouth and watching her expectantly.

“How did you get Gray back?” he asked while his mouth was still full of food. Cora shot him a motherly disapproving look and he quickly swallowed.

“I caught up with Mr. Wilder and told him to give Gray back to me.” She shrugged.

Her little brother and sisters didn’t need to be privy to all the details of what had happened, especially not that there was a threat of Indians. Once they were on their way again and out of this wilderness, she’d share her concerns with them, but not now while darkness set in. It wouldn’t do to have them worry all night, and that’s exactly what would happen. It was enough that Anna knew to be on the lookout.

“He gave Gray back without a fuss?” Apparently, Patrick was disappointed. Cora smiled. He was a young boy, and life was filled with adventure for him. She nodded.

“I had to point my rifle at him first, but then he gave Gray back. Perhaps he realized the error of his ways.”

“Bad men don’t change their ways,” Josie mumbled almost inaudibly. Cora reached out and squeezed her sister’s hand. She offered a soft smile.

“That’s why it’s always better to be cautious, especially with strangers. And it’s important to learn to defend ourselves.”

Josie glanced up from her plate and looked Cora in the eye. “Will you teach me how to shoot Pa’s rifle? I think it’s time that I learned.”

Caroline gasped. “You really want to learn how to shoot? What if you shoot the wrong person?”

Josie turned to her other sister. “Cora’s right. We all need to learn how to defend ourselves. If we have to point a gun at someone, no doubt he deserves it. Will you teach me, Cora?”

Cora glanced from her youngest sister to Anna, then back to Josie. Her little sister had been filled with fear and sadness for so long, Cora’s heart beat with joy at the spark in Josie’s eyes. “I think that’s a good idea, once we’re back on the trail. I think we might even consider trading for another rifle at Fort Hall.”

Anna frowned in disapproval, but didn’t say anything.

“Me, too,” Patrick shouted. “I want to learn, too. I’m old enough.”

Cora raised her hand to quiet him. Her eyes traveled beyond the camp, scanning the surrounding darkness. Other than the usual sounds at night, all seemed quiet.

“Best to keep your voice down, Patrick, so you don’t scare the mules,” she said as lightly as possible. Morning couldn’t come soon enough. “I think if everyone is done with supper, we should get cleaned up and off to bed. I don’t want to hear any complaints in the morning that we’re tired.”

Cora stood. She scraped her plate clean and rinsed it with some water.

“Are you worried about the Indians?” Anna whispered while she packed away the rest of the food.

“Yes.” Cora wasn’t going to lie to her friend. While she couldn’t alarm the others, at least Anna knew about the dangers, and to be cautious. “I’ll sleep under the wagon and keep watch tonight.”

“I’ll help,” Anna offered. “You can’t stay awake all night by yourself.”

Cora smiled. “I appreciate it. I know this journey is difficult for you.”

Anna wiped her hands on a cloth. “You didn’t force me to come with you, Cora. I wanted to come, remember? I didn’t want to stay behind. After Franklin’s death, I couldn’t bear the thought of being all alone while the rest of you took off for parts unknown, and I’d never see you again.”

Cora placed her hand on Anna’s shoulder. Her friend swiped at her eyes with the dishcloth. The death of her beau, the man she would have married, had been hard on Anna. Franklin had asked her to marry him two days before he’d been stepped on by one of his oxen while plowing a field on his farm. Something had apparently startled the animal, causing it to knock Franklin down and step on him. Then the harrow from the plow had hit him in the head and killed him instantly. At least that’s what the doctor had suspected.

“I think a fresh start in a new place will be good for all of us.” Cora offered a smile. “We’re going to make it, don’t you worry.”

Anna sighed. “I’ve always envied your courage. You’ve never backed away from a challenge, and I have no doubt we’re going to get to where we’re meant to be, thanks to you.”

“Let’s get some rest. You sleep while I take first watch. I’ll wake you when I get sleepy and you can keep me company then.”

Cora tucked her rifle against her side and crawled under the covers of her pallet under the wagon to keep warm. A quick shiver passed through her, even if it wasn’t that cold yet. Anna settled in next to her.

“Wake me before you fall asleep,” her friend reminded her.

Cora stared off into the darkness. Gray snorted contently at his picket line, and the grass rustled as the mules moved around. Crickets chirped and an owl screeched nearby. She’d heard these or similar sounds nearly every night since they started this journey. Why did they give her such an uneasy feeling tonight? For the first time since leaving Fort Laramie, loneliness engulfed her, and the realization how completely vulnerable they were.

Fragments of her arguments with Nathaniel Wilder replayed in her mind. Like all other men, he’d assumed she was weak and needed a man to take care of her. He’d been firm after ambushing her, yet hadn’t stopped her from leaving when the danger of the Indians had passed. He hadn’t put up a fight when she’d demanded he return Gray, and he’d voluntarily given her back her rifle.