The Golden Rules of Love: Western Romance (5 page)

That night, Annie lay awake for a long time and two things became clear. One, she yearned for Mack to finish what he started. Two, she could never let him touch her again. She had told him everything he wanted to know, and she hadn’t denied him a single touch. She couldn’t trust herself around Mack.

With that said, she was beginning to see the sense in sticking close to Mack when they first arrived in San Francisco. She hated to admit it, but she didn’t know what she might be getting into.

THE GOLDEN RULES OF LOVE

CHAPTER THREE

Across the camp,
Mack also lay awake. He was still rock hard from his time in the woods with Annie. He closed his eyes and pictured the way her soft body felt pressed up against his. Everything about her had softened in his arms…her lips, her hips, and her sharp tongue.

He didn’t mind a woman who could handle herself. Life had taught Mack to be a survivor. But he sensed that Annie had a much softer side, despite her tough-as-nails exterior. He had seen her with the children on the wagon train. When she didn’t know anyone was looking she turned soft as butter with those children. No, he would wager that Annie wasn’t normally so gruff. She had just been going through some hard times.

He sighed heavily; he needed some sleep. They were only a week out from San Francisco and then the real work would begin.

It was vitally important that he remain focused in California, and not just on what he was doing for the wagon train. He needed to concentrate on his mission, no matter how much he wanted to help Annie. Annie was searching for something in California but so was he. He rolled over and looked to where Annie was sleeping.

He couldn’t allow his attraction to Annie to get in his way. He would help her if he could but he had his own questions to answer. Nerves he rarely experienced rose in his chest. If he failed again, he was unlikely to ever succeed.

The next morning Mack woke up with the sun. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes but they were puffy and sore.

He groaned as he stood and headed off to the river to try splashing his face awake. As he approached the river, he could see Annie already there. She had taken off her bonnet and her red hair gleamed in the early morning sun. What was curious was that the other women had moved away from her and were standing in a cluster twenty feet away, whispering furiously.

Mack swore to himself. He already knew what had happened. He had carried her off into the woods. Now she was being labeled as a loose woman and ostracized from the group. “Dammit,” he swore to himself.

Annie needed these allies when they reached California. She would need all the help she could get. And these ladies didn’t know it, but many of them would end up in Annie’s position. Their husbands would abandon them for gold fields and some of those men would end up dead.

They would need a friend like Annie then. She was a strong woman who knew how to fend for herself in this world.

He stopped and thought about what he could do. This mess was his fault and he had to help Annie clean it up. Taking off his hat, he ran his fingers through his hair. He rubbed his eyes and then started towards her.

“Mornin’ Annie.” He walked over and knelt down beside her.

“Mack,” she replied softly but he could hear the strain in her voice.

Mack sighed. He reminded himself that she didn’t want his help. Then again, he couldn’t leave her to face this alone when he was responsible. It went against his grain. Even deeper, even though Annie was tough, he sensed a real vulnerability in her. Whispering quietly so the others wouldn’t hear, “Tell those ladies we’re getting married if you want. It doesn’t matter to me. I won’t tell a soul the truth until I leave California.”

Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. As he watched her take a deep breath, he knew she was going to tell him off again. Couldn’t she stop being so prickly for one second? He was only trying to help. He cut her off before she could speak, “Or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me. But if you won’t take help from me in California, you’re going to need some of these women. Your choice.”

He got up before she could say a single word and started walking toward the group of ladies. Damned if Annie couldn’t be the most infuriating woman in the entire country sometimes…maybe the world. He didn’t want to hear what she had to say. It was like she wanted to make things as hard as possible for herself.

Mack hadn’t been in a good mood to begin with, and by the time he reached the huddle of ladies, he was spitting mad. He wagged his finger at them, barking out, “You ladies take care to set up farms far away from the gold fields. Miners will trample your crops and your husbands will join the hunt for gold in desperation or desire. You may find yourself in Annie’s shoes before you know it. Watch who you judge, lest you be judged.”

Each and every one of their mouths hung open as they stared with fish eyes at him. Not a single one spoke as he turned to stalk back to the camp. Those women deserved every word, but he was going to catch hell from their husbands later.

As he walked back towards camp, Annie looked up at him. Her eyes glowed as her smile spread from ear to ear across her face. She was so beautiful, she nearly took his breath away. She gave him a single nod of gratitude as she stood.

That woman was exquisite. With her full lips smiling at him like that, her look unguarded, it was like she was sent from heaven. It was almost as sweet as the softness of her body the day before. The memory of her eyes, filled with desire, looking up at him caused his entire body to tense. He clenched his teeth together and gave her a single nod back.

Shaking his head, he headed back to camp. Annie Sullivan was wreaking havoc on him. He had just agreed to have a fake engagement, for Christ’s sake.

He had to figure out how to get himself back under control before he lost his senses entirely and ruined his chances of putting his family back together.

***

Annie watched Mack walk away with a spreading smile of satisfaction on her face. She had never been more grateful to anyone in her life. While she doubted she would take him up on the offer of a fake engagement, watching him chastise those ladies had been so very gratifying.

Sighing, Annie headed back to camp, the eyes of all the women on her back.

She couldn’t deny that she and Mack had engaged in some scandalous behavior but she hadn’t done what those women thought she had. She was a good woman. Even if she had, he was an unmarried man and she was an unwed woman. It wasn’t as though she was going to try to steal any of their husbands away. What did they hold against her?

Mack might be right about needing some friends in California. But she could not commit to even a fake engagement. She crammed her bonnet on her head and tightly tied it under her chin. If Garrett were still alive, she would knock him out of his boots. He had made her afraid of any commitment, even a fake one.

Except for Mary Beth, the women in the camp continued to avoid her. She said a silent prayer for her friend as she approached their campsite. May Beth had beat her back and was already getting breakfast ready. “Mary Beth, thanks for sticking by me.”

Mary Beth slapped her on the back. “You’re all I got, kid. I need ya.”

“I need you too.” It had been a long time since she had said those words to anyone and it actually felt good. Annie shook her head in shock. Her own feeling surprised her.

“Someday are you gonna tell me why you’re heading west? I already told you I’m going to find my husband, if he’s still alive.”

Annie nodded. Albert had left for California, leaving Mary Beth nothing but a note. If anyone would understand Annie’s story, it was her friend Mary Beth. But Annie just hadn’t been able to tell her yet. It was too hard to admit what a fool she had been. And she was afraid that once she started it would all come out, including the hunt for gold.

Annie took a deep breath before she spoke, “I guess I’ve gone and made it into a big mystery and I will tell you, but not today, if that’s all right. I may have had all the emotion I can handle for one day and it’s only six in the morning.”

Her friend patted her on the back. “I understand. I know those ladies are wrong; although, I wouldn’t care one way or the other. But if there is one woman who wouldn’t have a tryst with a man in the woods, it’s you.”

Annie smiled weakly. No need to tell Mary Beth she was having a harder and harder time resisting Mack.

***

The river crossing took most of the morning. The water was fast and deep and it took a while to get each wagon across.

Annie watched Mack work. Though it was summer, the water was cold and he spent most of the morning in it. He crossed through the water countless times as he shuttled children, animals, and wagons safely to the other side.

Little Ellie was particularly frightened. Annie held her breath as Mack carried the girl across. Her arms were locked around his neck and she could see him whispering in the little girl’s ear. She gave him a small smile and he patted her head.

A lump formed in Annie’s throat. He was so good with that little girl that it made her heart ache, though she didn’t know why.

Soon Annie and Mary Beth were crossing the river. The wagon lurched and swayed as the water pushed it and the wheels bumped over unseen rocks in the bottom.

The dark churning water was frightening, and Annie gripped the side of the seat. She felt herself slide towards the edge of the seat as the wagon gave another lurch.

In an instant, Mack was next to her. “I’ve got you,” he said, his warm baritone washing over her.

“Stay close.” Annie hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

“I will.” He quirked a single eyebrow at her.

If she hadn’t been so frightened, she would have told him what she thought about his eyebrow but she was scared out of her wits and she couldn’t hide it.

The wagon jostled again, and Annie yelped in fear as she nearly bounced off the seat. Mack’s hand shot out and in a second, he caught her mid bounce, pushing her back on the bench. If Annie was honest, she wanted to do what Ellie had done, sit on his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. Her eyes fluttered closed. She was starting to depend on Mack; she could feel it. He was so strong and capable. A part of her wanted to curl up in his muscular arms.

The wagon heaved up the other bank and Annie sighed with relief. She wasn’t sure if she should hug him or yell at him. Mack tipped his hat and headed back in the water to help with the next wagon. Annie watched him go. She climbed off the wagon and started driving her ox forward. After the cold water, they needed to move. Annie needed a distraction anyway. She couldn’t just gawk at Collin Mackinnon all day long.

Some of the women gave her the eye, but Annie tipped her chin high and kept going. The back of her head throbbed. It seemed like this day would never end.

An hour later, the last wagon cleared the river. They tried to camp by water whenever possible and Annie wondered if they would stay here tonight or move on. Her eyes strayed to the patch of woods across the river where Mack had carried her. Visions of his hands on her, his face close, his lips on her lips filled Annie with heat.

“What are you looking at?” Mack’s voice was close to her ear.

Color flushed her face. “Nothing.”

His eyes strayed to the woods and a devilish grin split his face.