Laura’s thoughts had frozen at the word apologize, and her numb mind struggled to keep up with each comment after that. She eased out a breath. “Thank you for saying that. You can’t imagine how many times I’ve regretted that day.”
A corner of his mouth tipped in a sardonic half-grin. “That makes both of us.”
The tightness in her chest eased a bit with a little chuckle. “I’ll bet so.”
Then his face straightened, his eyes showing that soberness again. And an earnestness. “I also wanted to say thank you.”
Again, his words stole her breath. He was thanking her? For shattering his leg?
“For not giving up on me. For not showing how much you hate me.” His gaze shifted back to the window. “I know you must, at least a little, for everything I was part of. But you’ve never once made me feel that way.”
“I don’t hate you.” The pressure in her chest finally eased.
He turned back, and it wasn’t surprise shimmering in his eyes so much as doubt. “I’m glad.” After a pause, he added, “Even though I’m not sure I believe you.”
Part of her wanted to smile at his attempt at light words, but his pain was still so fresh. He was finally facing it—the first step. Yet if she could make the path to healing easier for him, she would in a heartbeat.
“I know I’m not the man I should be—I’m certainly not the man my brother wants me to be—but I need you to know I’m trying to do better.” His eyes shone with that earnestness again. His throat worked in a swallow.
“I’m glad to hear it.” She gathered her courage. “God can help you if you ask Him.” Sharing her faith was still so new, but that hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected.
Aaron’s mouth tipped up again, and this time real humor touched his eyes. “You and Nate really are a good fit.” He held the look for a moment, then nodded, as though he’d confirmed something inside himself. “I’m trying. Let’s just leave it at that. Me and God are talking finally, so we’ll see if anything comes out of it.”
For the first time since she’d come into Aaron’s presence, the knot in her middle finally unclenched, and the last of the weight lifted from her shoulders. She couldn’t have stopped her smile if she’d wanted to. “I’m glad.”
A sound from down the hall drew her attention as Nate stepped through the bedroom door. He paused, standing in the hallway, strong and tall.
Her heart surged with a love she no longer tried to deny.
He sent her one of those off-kilter smiles that made her stomach flip, and she jerked her focus away from him to stop the heat from surging up her neck. Especially with his brother watching. “I, um, came to tell you both the morning meal is ready in the kitchen. You’re welcome to eat any time.”
The scuffle of footsteps sounded from the corridor leading to the kitchen. She turned to see Samuel pulling Bright Sun by the arm as he rambled on to her. “C’mon. My daddy and I play it all the time. It’s so fun.”
Laura stepped aside to allow them passage, and Samuel paused long enough to send her a grin. “I’m gonna show Bright Sun the new game me an’ Daddy Isaac made up. She’s gonna love it.”
Bright Sun’s grin was sheepish, but she let Samuel pull her toward the front door. They made an incongruous pair—the barely-six-year-old boy with his red hair and energy enough for three lads, and the staid Indian girl who stood at least a head taller than him.
But the picture soaked through Laura’s chest like warm tea and honey soothe an aching throat. The girl needed the chance just to be a child. And no one could pull her into childish abandon like Samuel Watson Bowen.
“Guess I’ll head to the kitchen, then.” Aaron’s voice pulled her back to the present.
She nodded as he walked past, then she turned her focus to the one remaining person in the hallway.
A smile quirked Nate’s lips as he strode toward her, and when he stopped in front of her, his nearness seemed to magnify his presence. He settled those warm green eyes on her, roaming her face with a look radiating so much love that her heart squeezed with the intensity of that exact emotion welling inside her.
He reached out a hand, and she slipped hers into his, allowing him to pull her a step nearer, so that only a handbreadth separated them. His gaze never left her face. His eyes never stopped their caress. “I need to tell you something, Laura Hannon, and I don’t want to wait another minute to do it.”
She could barely breathe as she soaked in every word. The sweetness in his look.
“I love you. I know I don’t deserve you, but I promise there’s not another man alive who could love you more. You can take as long as you want to get used to the idea. I can be patient if I have to, but I want you in my life. I want to be the one who makes you laugh, the one there when you need a sidekick on your next adventure.” His hand tightened the tiniest bit around hers, and his voice grew hoarse. “I want to protect you and never let you forget how special you are. How much you’re loved.”
Oh, dear God, you’re good to me. Tears of overwhelming happiness welled in her eyes, cutting off both her breath and words. She could only release a strangled laugh as joy surged through her.
She stepped into his waiting arms, releasing his hand and wrapping her arms around him as the tears spilled down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her, locking her tight against him. She wouldn’t have left his embrace for anything in the world.
“So . . . does that mean I’ll need to be patient awhile?” Nate’s deep voice rumbled in her ear, not covering up the humor in his tone.
She chuckled a shaky laugh as she pulled back enough to look into his handsome face. He raised his eyebrows and cocked his sideways grin. “No need for patience on my account, although I’d be happy to wait awhile before we have any more adventures. At least the kind that involves men with guns.”
His face sobered, and his arms around her tightened. “I plan to do my very best to make sure you never have to face another gun pointed your way. You can be sure that’ll be in every one of my prayers, too.”
With that, he sealed his promise with a kiss so achingly tender, she couldn’t imagine ever loving him more than she did now. The rest of her life with this man may not be long enough.
Epilogue
Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Nate couldn’t help asking once more, if only to see the sassy smile Laura sent his way. He’d never seen her so happy—almost giddy—as she was today.
“Be patient. The surprise will be worth it, I promise.” She sent him that gleeful smile, but her attention quickly turned back to the trail ahead of her as she guided her horse through the woods. She’d taken a wandering route through the landscape, maybe to keep him from recognizing the scenery, but he was fairly certain they were somewhere near his old camp. A pair of perfectly spaced aspens they’d passed a few minutes back were ones he’d used to stretch hides.
The ring of an ax blade sounded from ahead, then a man’s shout. Nate’s body coiled. Was there a threat ahead? Perhaps someone in trouble?
“Stop, Laura.” He nudged his horse up alongside hers. “Wait here while I see who that is.”
“No.” She grabbed his arm, pulling him backward. “That’s part of the surprise.”
He glanced at her as he halted his horse beside hers. His pulse pounded, all his instincts on alert. He couldn’t let her ride into danger. He’d made a promise—to her, to God, and even to himself—he’d never let that happen again. “Who is it?”
Her lips pressed in frustration. “They’re not a threat.”
Could he trust that statement? He had to know for sure. He couldn’t leave Laura’s safety to chance. Not to chance. To God.
He eased out a frustrated breath as the thought pounded through him. Lord?
Hadn’t he learned this lesson already? That God was the only one truly in charge? Yet how could he let her ride forward without knowing for sure what lay ahead?
God knew. He’d have to trust in the Lord’s protection.
; “I promise, Nate. This is a good surprise. It’s like that verse in Jeremiah. God has plans for peace and not evil. Plans to give us hope for the future. I think you’ll be amazed at what He has planned this time.”
Peace slid through him as he lost himself in the fathomless brown eyes of the woman he loved with every part of his being. He reached out, letting her hand slide down his arm and into his palm, taking her gloved fingers in his own.
“I’m amazed at a lot of things these days.” A ball of emotion lodged in his throat, and he swallowed to clear it.
Her smile turned impish. “Let’s get moving, then.”
He let her take the lead again, and this time he did his best to enjoy the scenery. Yet as they progressed, the ax blows grew louder. Not just one man cutting—at least two or three. Occasional calls and shouts mixed with the blows, but the trees muffled the words so he couldn’t make them out.
The scenery around them looked as familiar as his left hand, but he couldn’t quite place it. Someone had been cutting trees through here, leaving stumps scattered all around.
At last, the trees ahead thinned, showing people moving around the half-built frame of a cabin.
His stomach dropped with realization. His cabin.
Laura had led him around to enter from behind, instead of the trail he usually took. And where he’d managed to lay a single foundation, the logs now rose up almost to the height of a man.
Three men were hoisting a log up a pole ramp, settling it in place to form the start of another layer.
Emotion warred within his chest. Had someone else taken over his claim? Built on what he’d started? But Laura said this was a surprise for him. How could all these men working here have anything to do with him?
He sent a quick glance her way to see if her expression would give him answers.
She nearly bounced in the saddle, her face glowing with unfettered joy. “Isaac and Doc Micah mentioned to a few men from the mine that you hadn’t been able to finish your cabin. They all wanted to pitch in and help.”
His mind struggled to make sense of what he was hearing and seeing. The words she spoke formed complete sentences, but they couldn’t be right. Isaac and the doc? And other men from the mine? Why would they do this?
He turned back to the scene before them. Isaac strolled across the open area, an ax over his shoulder. When he saw the two of them, he waved and shifted his direction toward them.
Nate’s gut clenched as the man approached. Isaac had been one of the founding members of their gang of thieves, but he’d had the good sense to get out after the first year.
Now, a full decade later, Isaac had finally pushed away the chains of the past and made a new life with Joanna and Samuel. An example Nate wanted to follow with everything in him.
Isaac saluted when he reached their horses. “Come on in and see the progress we’ve made.”
His words blew the last of the fog from Nate’s mind, thrusting him into action. He leaned forward and swung off his rented gelding, helping Laura down a moment later. They tied the animals to a tree, then fell into step beside Isaac as he moved toward the log frame.
So many questions spun in his chest that he had to work to separate them into logical thoughts. “How did you get so much done this morning?” According to the sun, they’d not even reached midmorning. Even with the half-dozen men he saw working, they couldn’t have completed this much since sunrise.
“We worked last Sunday afternoon, too.”
Nate spun to his friend. “You’re jesting. I would have helped. I didn’t know.”
Isaac shrugged. “We wanted to have a bit of it done before we let you in on the secret.” He slid Nate a half-grin. “Didn’t want you to find a way to stop us.”
He would have tried, too. These men shouldn’t be doing all this for him.
He looked over at Laura. It was for her, too, though. He’d not officially asked for her hand, but he’d made it clear he planned to as soon as he had a decent place for her to live. Now that Aaron was starting to help pay their debt, this would allow them to take that next step.
His focus shifted toward the cabin. This home would be far more than decent. Had he really laid the foundation so big? He’d only been planning for a single room, at least for now. Maybe adding on later.
Isaac cleared his throat. “We, uh, took the liberty of adding a few rooms off the back, and we’re going high enough for a loft. Thought that might come in handy.”
The words pressed into Nate with a new weight. A couple of rooms? That would be enough for . . .
He looked back at Laura. Her shining brown eyes met his, and the hopeful joy made him want to pull her into his arms, twirl her around, and never let her go.
She slipped her hand into his, and he gripped it as hard as he dared.
This woman. She must have had a part in coordinating this work. As unworthy as he was, he couldn’t help the joy that slipped into his own chest.
With a solid hold on Laura’s hand, he turned back to Isaac. “Thank you. I had no idea. Thank you isn’t near enough, but—”
Isaac reached out and gripped Nate’s upper arm. “It’s what friends do for each other.”
Friends. Did he dare let himself believe? Dare accept the help these men offered? He wasn’t worthy, but maybe that didn’t matter so much. He’d happily repay the kindness any time he saw opportunity.
He locked his gaze solidly on Isaac’s and nodded. “It’s what friends do.”
Nate’s body ached in the very best way. The last of the men were packing up their axes and building supplies, but he had to take a minute to revel in the sight before him.
A cabin. Almost fully completed.
They’d built up the sides and part of the roof, and the men all promised to return next week to finish the shingles and the interior. How was it possible his cabin would be finished within seven more days?
Not only his cabin.
A swish of skirts sounded beside him, and Laura slipped herself under his arm, where she fit perfectly. She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed a hand to his chest, the warmth of her palm increasing the beat of his heart.
For a moment, he let himself linger there, simply enjoying her touch, the sweet scent of her hair, the softness of her melding against him.
He brushed a kiss to her hair. “Does two weeks give you enough time?” He wasn’t sure he could stand waiting two more weeks before marrying this woman, but he’d need that time to finish a few pieces of furniture.
She pulled back enough to look up at him. “Sunday two weeks from now?”
He looked down at her, almost falling into the rich brown of her eyes. “The reverend should be back by then. We can have a ceremony after church, if you’d like. Or another time. Whatever you want.” He’d take her to the top of the tallest mountain to marry her if that’s what she asked.
She laid her head back on his shoulder, and he tucked her in close. She let out a sigh. “I suppose. If we have to wait that long.”
His blood surged, and he gripped her waist tighter. “I’ll take you to Lanton’s now, if you prefer. He’s been deputized to serve as a justice of the peace. We can be man and wife before the sun sets.” He was only half-teasing, but he pressed his lips in to nibble the side of her neck with a little growl.
She ducked away with a giggle, pulling loose from his arms. He grabbed at her, capturing her hand so she couldn’t go far.
She raised her brows at him. “I think waiting a couple weeks would be good for you. Maybe make you a little more eager.” Her eyes sparkled, and he had to force steady breaths to rein in what his body really wanted to do.
She didn’t seem to notice her effect on him, just slipped back into his arms in the same position, resting her head on his shoulder. He soaked her in, working to calm the excitement inside him. Working to simply relax and enjoy her presence.
This woman.
After a few minutes of quiet, her voice surfaced with no hint of teasing. “Have you thought a
bout what we should do with the extra room?”
The question gave his mind something to latch onto other than Laura’s nearness. “Not yet. I’m still taking in the fact that there’ll be a wood floor. That’s more than I thought I’d be able to manage.”
Her chuckle bubbled against him. “It’s going to be so nice. All of it.”
Then she looked up at him again, her expression taking on a hesitant look. “What do you think about asking Eagle Soaring and Bright Sun to come stay with us?”
The words settled in his chest with a sense of rightness. “Really? You’d like that?” Much of their care would fall to Laura while he worked. He couldn’t lay that on her lightly.
She nodded. “Eagle Soaring told Isaac their people should come back through here in the spring. We can help get them back to their family. Or if we’re not able to find the tribe . . .” The same hope burgeoning in his chest also shone in her eyes.
He reached his hand up to cradle her jaw, holding his other arm around her waist. “Eagle Soaring may not have many years left.” The man had regained some strength while he stayed at the clinic, but he still walked in a stooped shuffle with the help of a cane, and often slept much of the day. “That means if we don’t find their family, Bright Sun would stay with us?”
She nodded again. “It would be up to her, but maybe we could . . . raise her? As our own? But only if we can’t find her real family.” Laura didn’t seem to breathe as she waited for him to respond.
For his own part, the love swelling in his chest made it hard to take in air. This remarkable woman God had placed in his life. His throat wouldn’t work to form words, so he drew her closer to show his agreement another way.
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