Cora's Pride (Wilderness Brides Book 1)

by Peggy L Henderson

  Nathaniel held the canteen to his lips. Nothing had felt as good in a long time as the cool liquid going down his parched throat.

  “Thank the good Lord. Now you can finally talk some sense into this woman, Nate. Tell me she minds you better, ‘cause she sure don’t listen to anyone else.”

  Nathaniel grinned. Travis would learn soon enough that no one told Cora what to do. Her head shot around to glare at Travis, who sauntered toward them.

  “What are you two doing here?” Nathaniel looked from Trevor to Travis before his gaze rested on Cora.

  He couldn’t get enough of looking at her, searching her face for any hint that the memories in his mind weren’t simply illusions of wishful thinking.

  “Come and sit down. Are you in pain?” Cora reached for his arm. Nathaniel smiled. Any discomfort vanished instantly when her soft hands touched his skin.

  “Don’t go coddling him again,” Travis scoffed.

  “The bullet you took went straight through, Nate.” Trevor said, deflecting his twin’s comment. “I sewed you up as best as I could.” There was a note of pride in his little brother’s voice.

  “Thanks, Trev.” Nathaniel looked at Travis. “Glad you showed up when you did.”

  “We were hunting in the area when we heard gunshots,” Travis said. He grinned. “Imagine our surprise to find you here.” He shot a disbelieving glance at Cora. “Married.”

  Nathaniel chuckled. Without thinking, he reached for Cora’s hand. She didn’t protest or pull away.

  “We wanted to go on to Harley’s Hole.” Travis narrowed his eyes on Cora. “But she would hear none of it. She outright refused to hitch up the mules and let us get you home. Said you weren’t fit to travel. Ya ain’t going soft on us now, are you Nate?”

  “Even if he had been conscious, he wouldn’t have been able to sit on a horse, or ride in the wagon,” Cora retorted. Her hands went to her hips as she glared at Travis.

  Nathaniel laughed, which made his wound ache. His heart warmed at the thought that Cora seemed to care so much about him to insist that he not be moved. He certainly wasn’t used to a woman’s pampering. Travis was probably right about his ability to travel, but he wasn’t going to argue with Cora.

  “I’ve been on a horse before with a wound, Cora.” He smiled at her.

  Cora’s head snapped in his direction. “Not on my watch, Nathaniel Wilder. You needed rest. Now that the fever’s gone, you’ll be on the mend that much quicker.”

  “Ethan was getting worried that you ran off with our goods.” As the peacemaker in the family, Trevor interjected, no doubt to end the arguing. “Harley will be skipping like a young buck when he gets the news. I feel sorry for Ethan already. He’ll never hear the end of it that you were the first to get hitched.”

  Travis punched his brother in the arm. “At least you and I have a few more years before he even mentions the idea to us.”

  “Your brother needs a few lessons in manners and how to be civil.” Cora glared at Travis, then looked up at Nathaniel.

  “You’re probably right, Cora.” Nathaniel smiled and shot a warning glance at Travis. “Be respectful to my wife, Trav, or you’ll answer to me.”

  Travis shook his head and scowled. “It’s bad enough we got Ethan dishing out orders all the time. Now you bring a wife home who’s got more sting in her than a nest of hornets. What’s it gonna be next?”

  Nathaniel shook his head at his brother. Travis’ sense of humor took some getting used to. He always enjoyed getting a rise out of Ethan, and he’d evidently decided that he’d found a new target in Cora.

  “I believe you are overdue for a lesson in being cordial, Travis Wilder,” Cora shot back at him. She’d taken his little brother’s bait, but she had no trouble putting him in his place.

  Trevor rolled his eyes. His gaze drifted to where Caroline sat by the fire with a book in her lap. “At least it won’t be dull at Harley’s Hole anymore.”

  “Don’t pay no mind to my little brother, Cora,” Nathaniel squeezed her hand. “He’s like a young colt who has to test the boundaries. Once you lay down the law, he’ll settle right down.”

  Next to him, Travis eyed him with a mischievous grin.

  “Trev and Travis haven’t been around too many ladies,” Nathaniel explained. “Evie Walker and Aimee Osborne, the wives of acquaintances of ours, make them toe the line without much difficulty, though, whenever we visit them. You’ll have no problem, especially if you feed them. Travis’ll roll over like a bear that’s gorged on spring kill.”

  “Well in that case, Anna and I have supper waiting.” Cora smiled triumphantly at Travis. “I know how to deal with boys like you.”

  “Boy?” Travis glared at her, clearly annoyed.

  Cora shrugged. “If you don’t want to be called a boy, then stop behaving like one. Now, if you want supper, go and wash the grime off your hands from that deer you butchered.”

  Travis apparently chose to ignore her. He turned his attention to Nathaniel. “Trev and I searched the area for the snake who took a crack at you. Seems he’s been tailing you for a while. We lost his tracks a few miles back down the trail. Looks to have hightailed it out of the area.”

  Nathaniel frowned. “I’m not sure we’ve seen the last of him.”

  “I can ride out again and see if I can stir him up.”

  “No.” Nathaniel shook his head. Ted wouldn’t be dumb enough to try another attempt on Cora’s life with all these people in camp. Maybe the bullet had been meant for him, and Ted thought he’d killed him. “We’ll keep close watch, but I’m not going to waste my time worrying about him right now. Once we get home, I’ll decide what to do.”

  Travis nodded and glanced at his hands. He shot Cora a final glare, huffed and walked off. Cora shook her head. “He’s certainly at that age where he’s testing the waters, isn’t he? His twin brother is a lot more agreeable.”

  “Trevor’s always been a lot more serious. He likes to stick his nose in a book every now and then. Travis is more like me.”

  Cora tilted her head and looked up at him. “Well, then perhaps there’s hope for him, yet.” She smiled. “Are you hungry? Are you feeling well enough to sit by the fire or should I bring you a plate and you can eat in the wagon?”

  Nathaniel gazed down at his wife. Her genuine concern was unexpected. They hadn’t talked much since leaving Fort Hall. He’d given her space and stayed away for fear of breaking his promise if he didn’t.

  “Cora, I’m fine. A little sore, but I’m on the mend. I think I hurt more from lying around too much.” He returned her smile. His forehead wrinkled. “Has it really been three days?”

  She nodded. “You had a high fever.” Her voice had gone soft.

  “I have your shirt.” Josie walked up to him, holding out his buckskin shirt. “I washed it as best I could and mended the holes.”

  Nathaniel nodded at the girl. “I’ll be good as new soon, then we can resume our shooting lessons.”

  Her answer was a soft smile before she returned to her place near the campfire.

  “You’ve really won her over,” Cora said with a satisfied gleam in her eyes. “You’re the first man she’s really talked to since . . . without looking scared.”

  “I hope I can give her some confidence by teaching her to shoot.”

  Cora stared up at him. The soft glow in her eyes went straight to his heart. The sensation of her lips on his while she told him she loved him swirled in his foggy mind. It seemed so real, but was it all in his head?

  He glanced toward the fire where Anna was dishing up supper. Caroline giggled at something Trevor said, and pointed at a page in the book she held open. Patrick had followed Travis to the creek. Knowing his brothers, the area around the camp was secure. No one was going to come close without one of them knowing about it.

  “Let’s take a walk,” he said as he pulled on his shirt. He grimaced when he pushed his right arm through the sleeve. “I need to stretch my legs.”

  “All
right.” Cora’s forehead wrinkled. She tilted her head to study him. “Are you sure you’re up to it? Wouldn’t you rather eat something?”

  “I’m sure, and no, I want to talk to you first.” He took her hand in his again and led the way from camp. He had to talk to her alone. He may have conjured up all these images about Cora that swirled in his mind and they were nothing more than a product of his feverish delirium, but he had to know. Thinking about it was going to drive him mad.

  Nathaniel led her a short distance along the creek and through some willow bushes that leaned into the water. When he came to a bend in the stream, he stopped.

  He faced her, looking down into her expectant eyes. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

  Cora shook her head. “Why wouldn’t I, Nathaniel? I’m the one who needs to be thanking you. That bullet was going to hit me. You sacrificed yourself for me.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper.

  Nathaniel reached for her other hand. He rubbed his thumbs along her wrists.

  “I’d do it again if I had to. I made a promise to keep you safe, remember?”

  “I never thought that would include getting shot.” Cora’s voice cracked. Nathaniel took a step closer. He cleared his throat.

  “Cora, I don’t remember a whole lot about the last three days. I might have said some things –”

  Cora cut him off. “You were delirious a few times, especially when your fever spiked the first night. You drifted in and out of consciousness for the next three days.” She laughed softly. “Anna and Caroline have been washing mattress sheets nonstop because you’d sweat so much whenever your fever came down.” The smile faded from her face and she added, “You said a lot of things that didn’t make sense.”

  Nathaniel tugged on her hands to bring her toward him. “There are also things swirling around in my head that you might have said.”

  Her eyes widened. “What things?” she whispered.

  A slow grin spread across his face. “Some images are fuzzier than others, but I sensed that you were hovering like a mother hen. I think at one time you kicked Travis from the wagon when he came to talk to me, and I heard you tell both him and Trevor to watch their mouths at some point.” He chuckled. “Wish I could have been awake enough to see the looks on their faces.” He paused and smiled down at her.

  “Travis wanted to wake you so that you could tell me you were well enough to travel,” Cora huffed. “I wasn’t going to allow him to do that.”

  “There were other things, too.” Nathaniel raised his hand to her face, touching his fingers to her cheek. He leaned in closer. Cora didn’t back away. The pounding in his heart brought a dull ache to his wound.

  “You kissed me and you told me that you loved me.” He cupped her cheek with his hand and stared into her wide eyes. “Cora, I need to know that I didn’t dream it.”

  Her chest rose and fell faster than if she breathed normally. She didn’t say anything for what seemed like an eternity. Then she leaned into his touch.

  “You didn’t dream it,” she whispered and reached her own hand to touch his face. “I know you said this marriage isn’t permanent, so I don’t want to burden you with my feelings. I won’t hold you to anything.”

  Nathaniel released her hand and curled his arm around her waist to draw her fully up against him. Warm sensations started in his chest and moved quickly throughout his body and to his limbs. The ache from his wound became stronger in response, but it didn’t matter.

  “Cora, I made a promise to you, but it’s not what I really want. I love you.”

  He leaned forward. The hand cupping her cheek snaked around to the nape of her neck, bringing her closer until his mouth touched hers. The contact was soft and light, and Cora sighed as she leaned up to accept his kiss.

  “You are the most honorable man I have ever met, but I don’t want you to honor that promise,” she murmured against his lips.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “I really don’t have to sleep in the wagon anymore. I can sleep outside by the fire.”

  The flickering shadows created by the flame from the lantern inside the wagon made Nathaniel’s stare seem even more intense than he’d probably intended.

  Cora secured the bandage around his chest and held his gaze. “Your wound looks good.” She smiled tentatively. Her hands trembled slightly. “As for sleeping outside, you’ve been in this wagon for the last three nights, and everyone else is settled into their new sleeping arrangements.”

  With the wagon occupied by Nathaniel, and then Trevor and Travis showing up in camp, Cora had helped Anna erect a tent using several bed sheets and blankets to give her sisters and Anna some privacy. Patrick had built his own little tent next to the bigger one. The Wilder twins had preferred to spread their bedrolls further away from camp.

  “Where have you been sleeping?” Nathaniel’s voice dropped to a low rumble.

  Cora swallowed. “I’ve lain next to you,” she whispered. She doused the lantern but the darkness did little to ease her nerves. The look of love and passion in Nathaniel’s eyes had only grown over the last few hours after their feelings for each other were laid out in the open.

  Cora’s chest had swelled with happiness. There hadn’t been a time in recent years where she’d been this happy or at ease with her life. Not a shred of doubt remained in her about Nathaniel’s sincerity. She’d finally found someone whom she could trust and love completely.

  They’d remained away from camp until the sun had nearly set, holding hands, kissing, and talking. Nathaniel had told her more about his valley and convinced her that she would love it there more than she would have liked Oregon.

  “How can you be sure? You’ve never been to Oregon,” Cora had teased.

  “But I’ve lived half my life at Harley’s Hole, and I know it’s a place like no other.”

  After they’d returned to camp and eaten supper that she’d reheated, he’d gone to the creek to wash away the sweat, grime and dried blood from three days of being laid up.

  She slipped out of her dress, then crawled under the blanket and eased up next to him as she’d done every night since he’d been shot. Except this time, he was no longer feverish and delirious. Her heart pounded against her ribs when Nathaniel slipped his arm under her and tucked her head against his chest.

  “I was really hoping this part was real and not just a dream,” Nathaniel murmured against her hair. Cora’s skin tingled to life at his words.

  “How would it look to your brothers if I didn’t share your bed?” she added to justify sleeping next to him. “They would have called me a liar, that I wasn’t your wife.”

  Beyond the wagon’s canvas, crickets chirped their rhythmic cadence and frogs croaked their nightly songs. The fire outside had long since died down. Somewhere along the creek, one of the horses snorted contently. The camp was quiet, but Cora was wide awake.

  “I certainly don’t mind having you next to me every night from now on.” The smile on Nathaniel’s face was unmistakable in his words, even if it was too dark to see.

  Cora lowered her head fully into the crook of his left arm, her palm resting on his chest. Her pulse increased when his hand connected with her bare arm. He ran his fingers along her skin, caressing her arm until it reached the fabric of her chemise along her shoulder.

  “I can’t think of a better way to fall asleep at night than with you next to me,” Nathaniel drawled, keeping his voice down. He shifted to his side and leaned over her. His fingers continued to slide along her arms, then up her neck and along her jaw. He explored her face, the soft curves of her waist and hips, then down along her legs, as if he tried to see her in the dark with his hands.

  “Nathaniel,” Cora breathed. She squirmed in response to his touch. “Your injury. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

  He chuckled softly. “I don’t feel a thing, except you in my arms,” he murmured, dipping his head to her neck. He kissed her below her ear, then lower. Cora shivered in response and wrapped her arms around
his neck, careful to stay away from his wound.

  “You’re a liar, Nathaniel Wilder,” she breathed into his hair.

  His lips grazed her cheek. “You’ve already turned me into a dishonorable man who doesn’t keep his promises. I might as well keep going and be branded as a liar.” A quiet laugh rumbled in his chest.

  Perhaps sleeping under the same covers with him hadn’t been such a good idea. If he re-injured himself, it would be her fault again.

  “I think Travis is right,” he murmured, his lips traveling from her neck to her mouth, sending shivers of delight down her back. “You’re coddling me too much, Mrs. Wilder. What was it that you promised Father Morris?” He paused, presumably to give her time to think. “Oh, yeah,” he finally said as if the answer had just occurred to him. “You promised to comfort your husband whenever he desires.”

  Cora opened her mouth to speak and let him know that this was not a good time to bring up that detestable preacher. Nathaniel brought his lips down on hers, giving her no chance to respond. He intensified the kiss while his hand stroked along her waist.

  He drew back slightly and whispered in her ear, “I desire my wife right now.”

  Cora melted against him. She couldn’t respond any other way. Her body went limp in his arms and to his touch. He leaned heavily on his good side while he explored her with his right hand.

  She sighed. “Who am I to disobey Father Morris?” she whispered against his shoulder. Cora squirmed beneath him, taking care not to press against his injured side. If he was in any pain, he didn’t show it. Nathaniel chuckled.

  His mouth moved against hers while his fingers tugged at the chemise, loosening the ties that held it together, and slipping the material from her shoulders. The touch of his calloused fingers along her skin sent hot waves of desire through her. Her breathing became more labored with each tender stroke of his hand.

  “I think you’re the one who might be getting feverish,” he mumbled against her neck. “Your skin is as hot as mine.”