“He went in the shed?” Mike stood up. She looked up at him.
“I watched him when he left but he didn’t take anything.”
Mike breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. We are running out of supplies and I will need to make a trip to town soon.”
“I don’t know what to do, Mike. I know he will come back. I just know he will.”
“Why would he come back?”
“He’s not a stupid man. He may be a brute, but he isn’t stupid. I know he had to see there was a fire in the fireplace. He saw bowls in the wash basin. He saw that this cabin is not abandoned. He will put it together and know that I am here.”
Mike shook his head. “Not necessarily. He may realize that someone lives here but there’s no reason for him to think you are here.”
“He yelled out that he was looking for someone. A missing woman. That’s me. It has to be me. He will be back.”
Mike was quiet for a moment as he thought about it. “I think you’re right that he will return. Even if it’s just to ask if I’ve seen a body or seen a woman wandering around.”
“Oh, what will I do? What will I do?”
Mike wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. “The first thing you need to do is not panic. You are safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you or your baby. I promise you that.”
“But you are not always here.”
“I will be now. Until we have resolved this problem, I will not leave you.”
Sarah shook her head. “You have so much to do. You have to take care of the land, and the chickens and horses, and you have to hunt for food. I can’t always be with you.”
He touched her chin and made her look up at him. “Yes, you can. I don’t have to leave. It seems to me that if he came all the way up here and found my cabin, he’s probably staying in a tent in the area and will return soon. Either today or tomorrow. We will keep our eyes open. And if he returns, I will turn him away. I will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe. Do you hear me? Do you believe me?”
Sarah pressed her lips together, trying to calm her anxious heart. His words were comforting. She did believe him and nodded, saying, “I do believe you, Mike. I do. I am just so afraid of him. He is a dangerous man. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Mike threw back his head and laughed heartily. “You don’t want anything to happen to me? Oh, Sarah, you are sweet. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. A very long time. And this man-child is not going to scare me. I’m big and strong. Don’t you worry about me.”
Sarah smiled at him through her fear. She pulled in a deep breath. “Mike, I don’t want to go back to Wickenburg.”
“I know you don’t. We’ll take care of this man if he comes back up here…”
She shook her head and he stopped talking. “I mean, I don’t want to go back at all. If I have to, for a midwife or a doctor to have my baby, then maybe. But I don’t want to live in my mother’s house anymore. I don’t want to take care of the land and be around the people in town. I want to stay here.” She dropped her eyes and swallowed. “If you want me here. I know you’ve been alone for a long time and you like it that way. Having a woman and a baby here may not be what you want. If that is true, I will respect that and find somewhere else to live. But-“
She stopped when he put one finger over her lips. She looked up into his eyes. They were so warm and inviting. He shook his head. “You are right; I have lived here for many years alone. Yes, I did get used to it and have a set routine most of the year round. But things have changed, haven’t they? Since I found you, things have changed. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’ve thought about what it was like when Rachel was here. How much I thought my life was fulfilled and rich, even though it was hard. Now, with you here and your baby on the way… and I have a dog, too, well, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Sarah scooted a little closer to him on the couch, pressing her legs against his knees as he sat sideways. His arm was still around her shoulders and he squeezed her with his large hand. “I do want you to stay here, Sarah, if that is your wish. When it gets warm, I will finish the room and build a crib for your child.”
“I want…” Sarah paused, dropping her eyes for only a moment before looking up at him again. “I want you to be a father to my baby, Mike. I want it to be our baby. I know Jason is the father but you… you would make a better papa to my baby. I want it to have the best mama and papa it can have.”
Mike licked his lips and ran one hand over his beard. She could see he was pleased by the idea. His lips were twitching in that familiar way she had come to recognize when he was happy about something. “I’d like that, too, Sarah.”
“I think… I think I am in love with you,” Sarah’s heart raced when she said it, unsure how he would respond. She was technically a married woman but felt in her heart, that since her husband had tried to kill her, he had nullified their marriage contract. “I… believe I am. It’s not just because you rescued me and saved my life. It’s because you are… you are you and I love so many things about you.”
She smiled when she saw his cheeks burning red. She would never get used to seeing such a big mountain man blushing like a woman. He returned the smile. “I feel the same way, Sarah. I love you, too. I never thought I would love again after Rachel died. It is one of the reasons I stayed up here and rarely went down to town. I didn’t want to take a chance on falling in love with anyone else and being heartbroken again. But it seems God had other plans for me.”
“He didn’t want you to be alone anymore. This must have been His doing.”
Mike nodded. “I believe that. He put us together. He had me find you just in time.”
Sarah pulled in a deep breath and leaned closer to him. He put his large hands on her cheeks and tilted his head, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and then pressing firmly against her lips. A sweet sensation flowed through Sarah, one she had never felt with Jason, even when she thought she was in love with him.
She wrapped her arms around Mike’s large shoulders and their kiss was long and filled with passion. His arms around her made her feel safer than she had ever felt in her life.
When they finally separated, Sarah was blushing as much as he was and he chuckled softly. “I never thought that would happen.” He murmured, shaking his head. “I really thought I would spend the rest of my life alone.”
Sarah looked into his eyes, admiring how unique they were, a light brown she had not seen before. “You are a wonderful man, Mike. There are a lot of women who have missed out because you chose to live up here. I must say I’m glad, though. I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”
“You owe me nothing, my dear. Nothing.”
“I owe you my life,” she countered, shaking her head. She put one small hand into his and he squeezed it. “I will always owe you my life. And that’s what I plan to give you. The rest of my life.”
“We will have to deal with Jason first. We must decide what to do about him. I… I don’t know how far you are willing to take that. Do you know what I am saying?”
“If you are saying that you might have to kill him…” Sarah trailed off, moving her eyes away from him and staring blankly across the room as she thought about what that might mean.
“If he is as violent as I think he is, I might have to. He will have to be taken care of one way or another. I can go to Wickenburg and enlist the help of my brother. We can go to your mother’s house and confront him. That is if he doesn’t come back up here. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I will go down there.”
“I don’t want to be alone,” Sarah said quickly. “I know he will come back here. He is that kind of man. If he came up here today, he will be back. I know he will.”
Mike nodded. “All right, I believe you, and no, I won’t leave you here if I go down to Wickenburg. I will take you with me. I won’t leave your side, I promise. I’ll be with yo
u, stuck to you like a third arm. You might get pretty sick of me staring at you all the time like this.” He widened his eyes and glared at her without blinking until she couldn’t help laughing. She swatted at him with one arm and he laughed with her.
“I’m glad you feel better now, Sarah,” he pulled her into his arms again and gave her a long hug. She felt warm against him, resting her head on his shoulder and holding on to him tightly. He was so large, she couldn’t get her arms all the way around him, so she lifted her hands and rested them on his back. She was completely enveloped by him. He smelled of firewood, a deep musky smell that she knew she would get used to.
“I hope you never get tired of me. I hope you don’t lose your love for me.” Sarah was surprised at his words and pulled back from him.
“That will never happen. Why would that happen?”
“It gets lonely up here, Sarah. You have to understand that there is no traveling to town on a moment’s notice, that the weather can be harsh and the land can be even harsher. It’s not an easy life.”
“It’s not an easy life anywhere, Mike,” Sarah shook her head. “That doesn’t make someone not love someone else. The only thing that changes that is bad behavior. Cruelty. Anger. Distrust. These are not things I would ever see in you. You are the best man I have ever known. I am blessed to be with you.”
Mike smiled again, his heart melting for the woman in front of him. “I do love you, Sarah. I never thought I would love again but you renewed my faith and my spirit. You have done more for me than you will ever know.”
She smiled back. “I could easily say the same to you, Mike. I am happy to be with you. So very happy.”
When they kissed again, Sarah knew she was going to be all right.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JASON RETURNS
JASON RETURNS
Mike and Sarah were tense for the rest of the evening, constantly looking outside for any signs of Jason’s return. The time passed so slowly, Sarah thought it would be forever until she could get some rest. Late in the evening, Mike insisted she go to sleep.
“I’ll stay up and watch the house. There’s no reason to think he will come out this late.”
“He might if he thinks someone is here. It’s reasonable that you weren’t here earlier today, but the fire was going and no one leaves a fire in the fireplace and just leaves.”
“You don’t need to stay up. I’ll watch for him.”
“You need to get some sleep, too. I’ll stay up with you.”
Mike sat next to her on the couch. They had just finished eating and he could tell that she was getting tired. Her eyes were already half-closed and she was yawning every few minutes. “No, dear, you need to sleep. You and the baby need to rest. I don’t know a lot about ladies who are pregnant, but I do know that forcing yourself to stay up can’t be good for either one of you. Now if I have to pick you up and take you in there, I will. Don’t think I won’t. You aren’t heavy, you know.”
Sarah bit her bottom lip. “I’ll fight you,” she said jokingly. He chuckled.
“You wouldn’t win. I can pick you up no matter how much you fight.”
“Oh, you could, could you?” she asked, smiling.
“Oh, yes. I definitely could.”
She laughed. “All right, Mike. But I won’t be able to sleep. I’m too anxious. Jason scares me.”
“I know he does.” Mike pulled her into a warm hug. “But I’m here now. I won’t let him hurt you. And I’m willing to bet you will be asleep before you know it. Besides, Buddy will sleep next to you and if anything happens, he will hear it first.”
“I trust you,” she sighed. “I do. And I trust Buddy, too. You’re right that he will hear any noise before either of us. I just know how Jason is. He’s sneaky and conniving. I wouldn’t put it past him to come in here in the middle of the night.”
“I will put the brace on the door. He won’t be able to come in without making a lot of noise. Come on, let’s get you to bed.” He took her hand and stood up. She followed him into the bedroom and he tucked her in as if she was a small child. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. “You rest easy, dear. I won’t let anything happen to you or the baby. Come on, boy.” Mike put his hand on the bed and patted it. Buddy jumped up and lay down next to Sarah.
She smiled at the dog and turned it to Mike, resting her head down on the pillow. He stayed for a few more moments, brushing the auburn hair from her eyes. When she closed her eyes, she felt him lift up from the bed.
Mike looked down at her, admiring her beauty. As he left, he heard her breathing become deep and steady. She was asleep. He chuckled softly and closed the door lightly.
He carried the lantern with him, going to the front door and opening it. He stepped out on the porch and looked around. The snow on the ground was melting away. He wondered if they should expect another storm anytime soon. He’d learned to read the weather remarkably well over the years. It seemed they were due for another winter storm, but he didn’t feel it in the air. He stepped down off the porch and looked up at the sky. It was clear. Stars were scattered across the sky like a million tiny diamonds. The moon was half-full but cast down so much light, it was enough to light up everything around him.
He took the lantern to the shed and opened the door. For a moment, he wondered if Jason might have returned and was hiding in there. He chuckled, thinking he’d been listening too much to Sarah and was reacting like she would.
No one was in the shed. He looked around, counting his goods. She was right, Jason had not taken anything. A month of feeding two people had cut down a lot on his supplies and he would need to go to Wickenburg whether he liked it or not. Very soon.
He retreated from the shed and closed it up, suddenly wishing he had a lock for it. He had never considered one before. No one ever came up to his cabin. He had never had visitors in the entire time he’d been at the cabin, even when Rachel was alive and living with him.
He shook his head, remembering that his brother and family had been at the cabin but it had been so many years, he didn’t know if they even remembered where he was. He thought about his brother. Adam was a good man, had always been a good man. Mike didn’t feel bad that Adam hadn’t come to visit him. He knew that life got in the way, especially when there was distance between family. Mike took full responsibility for that distance. Adam probably didn’t think Mike wanted any visitors.
Mike took the lantern and went back up to sit on the porch swing. He didn’t push off, he just sat on it and stared out over the land, looking at the trees, looking like shadows in the sky. The air was crisp and cold but he didn’t mind it.
He went over the time he’d spent with Sarah, remembering how she’d looked when he first came upon her. He’d thought she was dead. He was glad now that she wasn’t. He pictured her broken, bruised body in his mind and felt sad for a moment. If he’d known she was pregnant at the time, he might have been quicker to tend to her.
He was glad she was doing so well. She didn’t walk with a limp, her bruises were completely gone, and she looked like a healthy, pregnant woman. She had the brightest, sweetest smile he’d ever seen. It made him feel good inside whenever he saw it.
He stayed up for several hours before deciding he could risk getting some sleep. He seriously doubted Jason would show up in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning. He built a fire in the front room and stoked the one in the bedroom, slipping into the bed, grateful for the warmth Sarah and Buddy provided. The dog had moved to the foot of the bed. Mike turned over on his side and put his arm over Sarah, something he had not done before. She was asleep but pushed closer to him anyway. His heart did a flip in his chest. He pressed a soft kiss on the back of her head, stroking her hair for a moment.
Soon, he was asleep.
When Sarah woke the next morning, she first noticed how cold it was in the room. She turned over. Mike and Buddy were both gone. Anxiety ran through her and she slipped out of bed quickly, pulling
on a long, thick robe that had belonged to Rachel. She moved to the fireplace and built a fire, staying in front of it until she felt its warmth begin to fill the room.
She turned and went to the door. It was cracked slightly, letting in only a bit of the warmth from the fire in the front room. She pulled it open and peeked through. She could smell coffee in the air. Just as she stepped out of the bedroom, Mike came through the door, holding four eggs in one large hand. He smiled at her. Buddy bounded in behind him. As soon as the dog spotted her, he ran to her. She leaned down and patted him on the head.
“Good morning, dear,” Mike said, going directly to the cast iron pot on the stove. “How are you feeling?”
She felt relief flood through her, smiling down at Buddy. “I’m feeling good. No sign of him last night?”
“No, ma’am. And I’m still being watchful, don’t worry.”
“Buddy will let us know if we have a visitor, won’t you, boy? Won’t you?”
The dog seemed to smile at her, sitting back on his haunches and letting his tongue hang from his mouth as he panted.
“You’re a good dog, aren’t you?” She laughed and looked up at Mike, who was watching them with a smile on his face. “It’s funny how we ask dogs questions like they are going to answer.”
Mike nodded. “They answer in their own way. But yeah, it’s funny. Go ahead and sit in front of the fire. I’ll bring you some eggs and bread in a moment. Are you hungry?”
“I’m always hungry when you cook breakfast. If I wasn’t, the smell would make me hungry.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“I would love a cup, yes.”
He brought her the coffee. She took it with both hands surrounding the cup, taking the chill from her skin. When she swallowed some of it, she made a sound of appreciation and closed her eyes. Her insides were warm within moments of the hot liquid going down her throat. “That is good coffee. Thank you.”
An Uncivilized Romance (Family of Love Series) (A Western Romance Story) Page 16
