New Frontier of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 2) (37 page)

“A beautiful place for a beautiful bride,” he said to himself, as he contentedly gathered more dry wood for the cook fire. For some reason, he took pleasure in building their camp fires here as
though the ancient forest offered up the wood he gathered as a sacrifice, and the burning of it joined him to this particular place.

Catherine never woke easily and still slept but soon started to stir when the coffee began to brew. She stretched, sprawled out on her pallet, and he admired for the hundredth time her shapely figure showing beneath her sheer nightdress. Even after a night of loving her, he found his body gleefully responding to the pleasant sight and tried his best to suppress the feelings for now.

“Sam, I was dreaming of you,” she said, yawning. “And you’ll never guess what you were doing in my dream.”

“Oh, I can guess, my love,” he said, amused. “Are you hungry?”

“Ravenous. I can’t remember ever being this hungry in my entire life.”

“That’s because we didn’t eat last night, remember. We were preoccupied.”

“The Moonbow and what we did afterwards was well worth the loss of a meal,” Catherine said. “But I think it’s more than skipping our dinner. You made my body feel things it has never felt before. I feel so alive. Sam, will it always be like this?”

“I pray that it will, if a person is allowed to pray for such a thing.”

“It does seem a miracle. I mean not just that we love each other and that the loving part of it is so remarkable, but that we were put together at the right moment in time for both of us.”

“Some call that a divine appointment,” he said.

As the flames of the fire grew, he marveled at his good fortune. They could so easily have missed each other on the Wilderness
Trail. But God literally put her right in his path. He had been a fool to have taken so long to realize what the good Lord had sent him.

“I put some yams in the coals earlier to bake. Give me a few minute to clean the fish on the line and fry them up and then we’ll take care of your hunger.”

“What if I’m hungry for more than food,” she teased.

Her comment sent a tingling vibration up and down his spine. “No worries there either.”

“Sam, are you sure we’re perfectly safe here?”

He didn’t want to say that no place was perfectly safe. He checked to be sure that both rifles and his pistols were nearby. They were. “I’m told the natives are north of the Kentucky River for the most part and are not often seen here near the Cumberland. If we do happen upon any, I’m usually able to settle things with a trade or two, using sign language. If not, I have both our rifles nearby and loaded.”

“I didn’t know you knew sign language,” she said, sounding amazed.

He showed her a sample.

“What does that mean?”

“May the Great Spirit make a sunrise in your heart.” As He has in mine, he thought.

“Sam, you continue to astonish me. That was beautiful.”

“Sign language is the one common means of communication between all tribes. Surprisingly effective and eloquent.”

He extracted the plump fish from the river and held them up
for her to see, their scales glistening in the morning light. “One or two?” he asked.

“One. That big fat one. He looks like a tasty fellow.”

He unhooked two for him and the big one for Catherine. He had caught the fish the evening before and kept them fresh in the running cool water.

“Do you think it was a mistake not to take Little John with us?” she asked.

“We’ve discussed this. We agreed that we could hardly take a boy on a honeymoon. He understood.”

“I hope you’re right, but I know he’s missing his father and needs us. Sam, I think we should leave soon and go back to the others. Little John needs us to be his parents
now
—not later. And a couple of weeks can seem like a couple of years to a child.”

It amazed Sam how quickly the maternal instinct had captured Catherine’s heart. In truth, he felt conflicted about it himself. Part of him yearned to stay here forever. Another part of him wanted to be with Little John and the others. He guessed he would never outgrow trying to be the protective oldest brother. And now he was a father too. Becoming the child’s guardian had been the natural thing to do for both of them.

Catherine was right. By the time they got back, they would have been away two weeks. That would just have to be long enough.

“You’re right, of course, but leaving this amazing place and the privacy we have here will be one of the hardest things I have ever done,” he nearly moaned. “I’ve never known such happiness Catherine. It’s almost more than my heart can bear.”

“I know. I never knew what it felt like to feel loved. More than
loved, I feel treasured.”

“You
are
my treasure,” he responded, hearing a catch in his own voice.

“And you’re all I ever dreamed of husband. Good heavens, it brings me pleasure to be able to call you that.”

“And you’re my wife—the bride of Cumberland Falls. As long as I live, I’ll treasure every moment of the time we’ve spent here.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. “I wish we could remain, making more memories, but we can’t.”

Unexpectedly, she put her hands on his chest and slowly pushed back, releasing a pent-up breath. “Sam, I’ve been trying to find the right moment to tell you something. Somehow, it never comes. So, I’m going to force myself to do it now. Oh Sam, this is so hard.” She chewed on her quivering bottom lip and then stepped away, putting her back to him.

His brows furrowed and he slowed his breathing, worried about what might be coming. “What is it? Tell me.” What would she find so difficult to tell him?

She turned back toward him and he saw a shadow of trepidation pass over her face. “I…about a year…after I was married, I learned I was with child.”

Did she have a child back in Boston? Why hadn’t she mentioned it before?

“After about four months, I lost the baby,” she said, her words soft and her lips quivering. She swallowed hard and bent her head before she could continue. “It was a little boy. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me—maybe the worst thing that will ever happen to me. I cried for weeks. Not only did I lose my son, the doctor said I might not be able to have another baby.” She
looked up, her eyes glistening.

The admission, dredged from a place of deep pain and hurt, lay naked in her eyes. Sam wanted to reach out and hug her, but he could tell she wasn’t finished.

“I know I should have told you before we were married. But I was afraid it would cause you to harden your heart towards me again. I know it’s important to a man to have a son. I can see it on Stephen’s face every time he looks with such hope at Jane’s growing belly. I was so afraid of losing you over this that I decided to keep it from you.” In a tear-smothered voice, she continued, “That was wrong of me. I’m sorry now. Forgive me, I wish I had told you sooner.”

“Catherine, I…,” he started, but she interrupted him.

“If you want to annul the marriage, I’ll understand, or at least I’ll try to.” She was crying now. Her tears flowing in earnest. It was the first time he had seen her weep and it broke his heart. He would do his best to be sure he never gave her reason to cry.

He reached for her hands and squeezed them. “My love. Have you forgotten that God has given us a son? Not just any orphan—he’s a Wyllie—and he’s ours. If we are meant to have more children, then we will. If we are not, then the three of us will be family enough. Never again worry about this or anything else from your past. You can tell me anything and I will only love you more because I will know and understand you all the better. As husband and wife, we need to share everything. The good, the bad, and everything in between.”

Catherine threw herself into his arms.

As his lips covered her wet face with kisses, he tasted the salt of her tears. The taste of it touched his very soul. She had shed those
tears because she did not want to deny him a son. Because she was afraid he would end their marriage. He gazed directly into her moist eyes. “Catherine, know this, nothing, nothing, will ever make me stop loving you.”

“Or, I you,” she said, sniffling and smiling now. She hugged his chest again before she stepped away and took a deep settling breath.

She stood on the shoreline with her back to him for a few minutes, her bare feet in the clear water. She seemed to be deep in thought.

He regarded her with somber curiosity. There was something else on her mind. “Do you have anything else you need to tell me before I satisfy that hunger of yours?”

“Well, what hunger are you talking about?” she teased. “Food, or…?”

“Either one. Your wish is my command, my lady.”

“Well, my knight in buckskins, there is one thing.” She turned back to face him.

“Is it a big thing or a small thing?”

“You might consider this a big thing,” she said, nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

It made him want to nibble on her lips too, but he made himself focus on her eyes. He searched her face anxiously for the meaning behind her words.

“A
very
big thing,” she added, gripping her hands together.

CHAPTER 36

S
am felt his pulse quicken. Now what? He hoped it would not be something else that caused her pain. The silence lengthened, and she seemed reluctant to speak. He raised his brows in question.

“I haven’t told you much about my life in Boston or my late husband Mr. Adams. He was a relative of John Quincy Adams and his friends were among our country’s most well-known patriots and influential men. And, he was wealthy. Do you remember what I told you? That, before he was murdered, my husband was going after a prime parcel of land here in Kentucky. He purchased it several months before we ever left Boston. He was well acquainted with Isaac Shelby, Kentucky’s first Governor. The Governor ordered the Land Office to set aside a first-rate piece of land for my husband and to expedite the processing of his claim. He was in a hurry to see it. I wanted him to wait until we could travel with others, but he was so haughty and self-important, he foolishly thought he could take care of us himself. Well, as it turned out, he could not. He told me that the land would be mine if something happened to him on this trip. He showed me where he hid the deed in our wagon, along with his will naming me as the
beneficiary of his estate. He also hid a rather large quantity of gold and currency. It’s also still hidden in the same place.”

Catherine paused to catch her breath, and then added, “Remember when I went to see the lawyer? I showed him the papers and he confirmed that they were all in perfect order and that I have an undisputable claim to the land.”

“How large a parcel of land?” he asked.

“Ten thousand acres.”

Taken aback, he nearly swallowed his tongue. “You own ten thousand acres?”

“
We
own it.”

Sam felt his mouth drop. “No, I can’t…” he started to protest, shaking his head.

“You just said as husband and wife we share everything. Do you believe that or not?” she asked with a defiant lift of her chin.

“I believe it, but…”

“No buts, my Captain. We share it. Period. I’m not giving it to you, I’m giving it to
us
.”

Still unable to believe his ears and speechless, he started to pace, trying to take it in. Was he man enough to accept all this from a woman? Yes, of course he was. He dismissed the idiotic thought as quickly as it had arrived. He would expect her to accept it from him if the circumstances were reversed. What difference did it make where it came from? It was all a gift from the Almighty anyway.

He couldn’t believe he and Catherine were landowners, and ten thousand acres to boot. He stopped abruptly and gawked at her. “Do you realize what this means?”

Her extraordinary eyes blazed with excitement. “Yes, I believe I do. It means you, Stephen, Bear, and even William if you can get him to leave Boonesborough, will all have the land you need. It means we can begin building homes for all of us now. For
our
family Sam. They’re my family now too and I want to help them. If you’re willing.”

“Willing? Of course, I am. I’m still stunned, but I’m also elated. We can help them build a future in Kentucky. A future for all of us.”

“When do you think we should leave?” Catherine asked, as she hurriedly braided her hair.

He could hear the eagerness in her voice, and realized she was anxious to share her good news with the others. As was he. Stephen would be beside himself. At least Sam hoped he would be. Stephen was a proud man. He was sure his brother would want to pay a fair price for the land, or trade horses and cattle for it once he built up a herd. But at least now, he wouldn’t have to worry about all those complicated steps and potential conflicts involved in securing a parcel of land. Yes, Stephen would be happy. And so would Jane. If they all hurried, they could get a home built for Stephen’s family before the baby came. And before winter. And in the spring, he would get a home built for Catherine and Little John, and if the Almighty blessed, maybe more. But for now, three of them seemed perfect. Absolutely, completely, perfect.

“Sam, I think we should be on our way soon, don’t you?” she asked again, tossing the long braid behind her back.

“Sorry, my mind is racing. I’m still trying to come to grips with what this means to all of us. As for leaving, it will be hard to beat a morning like this and we’re about to have a good meal. If it’s what you want, we could leave after we have eaten.”

“Oh Sam, I could stay here
forever
, but I want to get back to the others—to our family.”

Our family. He liked the sound of that. Wait. She had never told him where the land was. “Catherine, where is the acreage?”

Her eyes twinkling, Catherine starting giggling. Then she was laughing. Then she was clapping her hands and twirling in a circle. What had gotten into her? She seemed about to burst with glee. Finally, she stopped laughing long enough to say, “Cumberland Falls on the Cumberland River, south of Fort Harrod.”

The shock of her revelation hit him full force. “Here?” he asked, incredulous. “Right here?”