“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 shoo
t 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.
Cora shook her head and focused on the shadows in the darkness. Nathaniel Wilder wasn’t like other men. In fact, he was unlike anyone she’d ever met. Was he the sort of man who could be trusted? It was a crazy notion. He’d already deceived her once. He wasn’t going to get a second chance.
CHAPTER SIX
N athaniel stuck the last piece of dried venison in his mouth and chewed. The meager breakfast would do little to quiet the growling in his stomach, but it would have to do. He could have set a trap or two overnight and snared some kind of animal for a meal, but he hadn’t wanted to risk a fire. It was bad enough that the Miller women had kept a fire going yesterday. He should have warned Cora to make sure to put it out once she reached her camp. He frowned. Hopefully she was smart enough on her own to realize the dangers of a fire.
He hadn’t followed her back to her camp, but had opted to remain in the forest for the night to keep an eye out, in case the Crow had decided to turn back this way. After stretching his back that had become stiff and sore from sleeping on the hard ground, Nathaniel rubbed at the aching muscles in his arms. Sleeping out in the open was nothing new, but it would have been a lot more comfortable with a bedroll or some kind of cover. At least the weather hadn’t turned bad, but that could change at any moment in the mountains. Judging by the clear sky, it promised to be another sunny day.
Nathaniel swallowed the last of the provisions he’d carried in one of his pouches, and set off toward the meadow where Cora and her family were camped. If he got an early start and helped them fix the wagon, he could point them toward Fort Hall and out of this area. Then he could go in search of his horses and catch up with the women later. Late into the night, he’d made the decision to take the women as far as the fort, just to make sure they were safe.
Now that it was morning, he questioned his plan. That woman clearly didn’t want his help. She’d been adamant about that already. She trusted him about as far as she could throw him. Nathaniel gnashed his teeth. Whether she wanted his help or not, she needed help, and sooner or later she’d realize it on her own. Question was, would someone in her family have to get hurt, or worse, before she listened to reason?
A slow smile formed on his face. Cora Miller was one determined woman. He’d never met anyone like her before. While it had been amusing, watching her stare him down with a rifle pointed at him, her bravery had also earned his respect. Underneath all that pride and bravado was a scared woman, but she hid it well.
When he'd galloped away from her camp, the thought that she’d come chasing after him on a mule to get her horse back hadn’t even entered his mind. More impressive was the fact that she’d caught up to him, after he’d carefully chosen a route that would conceal the horse’s tracks for the most part.
Nathaniel left the forest, keeping to an easy jog and following the prints made by Cora’s mule and horse. Anyone coming across those prints could easily follow them back to her wagon. With each step he took, his heart sped up, and it wasn’t because of the pace he’d set.
He cursed under his breath. If the cold, hard ground hadn’t kept him awake for much of the night, it had been memories of Cora’s soft body pinned beneath him, or the subtle hint of scented soap on her skin and in her hair. If he had any sense at all, he’d turn and head the other way, find his horse, and get himself back to Harley’s Hole as quickly as possible.
He should just forget all about Cora Miller, but no matter how many times he’d told himself what a fool he was for going after her when she’d clearly warned him to stay away, he couldn’t. While his dreams had been plagued by images of her, visions of his mother and sister, lying dead beside a wagon, had haunted him throughout the long hours of the night.
His brother, Ethan, harbored his own guilt about not being there for his folks. The twins, Trevor and Travis, had been too young to feel responsible, but Nathaniel had done nothing to he
lp his parents when the band of river pirates had attacked their wagon along the Missouri nearly twelve years ago. He’d simply stayed out of sight, like his father had told him to do.
No. You hid like a coward.
He’d been a scared boy a dozen years ago. He was no longer a boy, and he didn’t hide from anyone anymore, either. He’d sworn he’d never be a coward again. He’d embraced life and chose to live it to the fullest each day. It’s what his mother would have wanted for him. She would be disappointed if he wasn’t going to help a group of women find their way out of the wilderness. He’d never forgive himself if he found out later that Cora and her family had been killed when he had the means to protect them. Finding his horses could wait.
His strides lengthened. Thoughts about what had happened to his folks all those years ago sent a surge of urgency through him. He shouldn’t have let Cora return to her wagon by herself. He should have insisted on going with her. He couldn’t stop from grinning. No doubt it would have caused a heated argument and perhaps even a fight. If he'd told her of his intentions, he might have had to manhandle her again.
Even though the thought of wrestling with Cora Miller sent a quick rush of heat through him and brought a smile to his face, what he’d done when he’d pulled her from the mule was no way to treat a woman, and he’d certainly never gain her trust if he forced his will on her. What he’d done yesterday had been out of necessity. Once he reached her wagon, he’d simply have to sweet talk his way into her good graces. Perhaps her friend, Anna Porter, would be of some help. She’d seemed more sensible.
Nathaniel slowed to a walk when he came to the rise that led to the meadow where Cora’s wagon was parked. The air was clear, with not a hint of woodsmoke.
“Good girl,” he muttered under his breath. The woman had some sense, after all.
When he reached the top of the rise, his brows rose. Where the wagon should have been, only green grass gaped before him. He stood motionless for a moment and took in the scene, then headed to where there had obviously been a camp yesterday afternoon.
Cora's Pride (Wilderness Brides Book 1) Page 5
