Chapter 11
With shaking hands, Evelyn rummaged in her pack for the length of muslin Alex had given to her while they were still at rendezvous. She hadn’t had a chance to cut the material and begin sewing a dress. She tore off several wide strips at one end. There was so much of the material, she could probably make two dresses from it. She certainly had enough to make bandages for Alex and Yancey. Her heart had finally slowed to its normal pace after that experience with the bear.
Laurent hadn’t allowed her to see Yancey, whom he’d moved under the lean-to, but he had assured her that the impulsive easterner would live. She had no idea how badly he’d been hurt. Soft moans came from under the lean-to as Laurent hovered over his charge.
The bear had wandered into camp, obviously attracted to the meat from the deer that Alex had brought from his hunt the evening before. Yancey had spent many hours cutting it into large strips, which he had then hung to dry from some nearby tree branches. He had dashed for his rifle when he saw the imposing predator.
Evelyn had begged him not to shoot at the animal, advising him that if they remained quiet, the bear might leave. It wasn’t worth risking their lives over a few pieces of meat, but Yancey hadn’t listened. His shot had merely enraged the massive beast, and it had charged, one swipe of its huge claws sending Yancey to the ground. The bear would have lunged for Yancey if she hadn’t startled the creature momentarily by yelling and waving her hands in the air. She’d darted for Yancey’s rifle, even though she knew it would be useless. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to simply let the bear kill the man on the ground
Alex’s fight with the bear replayed in her mind. Fearlessly, he had thrown himself at the mighty predator without any thought to his own safety. Evelyn could only watch in silent horror while the man she loved battled the giant monster to the death. She raked her teeth across her lower lip. She loved Alex. It was the one thought that came to her mind as she watched helplessly while he threw himself in harm’s way to shield her. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be dead at this very moment if Alex hadn’t come to the rescue.
Evelyn fingered the cotton material in her hand. Alex Walker was the most perplexing man she had ever met. One minute he behaved in ways that sent her temper soaring, and the next his thoughtful actions left her breathless. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she tried to focus on the task at hand. She had caught a glimpse of the torn flesh on Alex’s arm where the bear had raked him with its claws. Alex had dismissed it as a minor wound when she noticed it while he held her after her impulsive kiss. She could sense he wanted to kiss her again, had seen the longing in his eyes even as he scolded her and called her insufferable.
“I’ll tell you who’s insufferable,” Evelyn had voiced loudly, staring at Alex’s torn and bloodied shirt. “It’s you, Alex Walker, and your damn stubbornness.” She’d pulled away from him, and pointed a finger at his chest. “I may not have the skills and knowledge of a healer, but I do know a wound when I see one, and yours needs to be treated. At the very least, allow me to clean it and wrap it, and perhaps it won’t fester.” She hadn’t given him a chance at a rebuttal, and rushed off to find her leather pouch that held her meager belongings. Her most treasured item was the length of muslin.
Evelyn peered over her shoulder. Alex hadn’t argued, and headed for the creek that flowed at the edge of their camp. He unbuckled his belt from around his waist and pulled his shirt up and over his head. Even from a distance, several wide, angry-looking red gashes visibly slashed across his upper left arm where the bear had clawed him Evelyn hoped the wounds weren’t too deep. She didn’t have Aimee Osborne’s skills to treat Alex’s injuries.
With a will of their own, Evelyn’s eyes remained fixed on Alex’s profile. Heat slowly crept up her neck, and into her cheeks. Well-sculpted, chorded arms hung from wide shoulders. He knelt at the creek’s bank, splashing water on his face with his good hand, giving her a pleasing view of his broad and chiseled back. Fascinated, she watched the play of muscles along either side of his spine bunch and relax. He clearly favored his injured arm by letting it dangle at his side. Without having to see the front of him, she envisioned an equally solid and firm chest and abdomen. The skin on her back tingled with the memory of pressing up against him during the night, his strong arms shielding her from the cold.
Alex chose that moment to look up and glance in her direction. Evelyn whipped her head around. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment at having been caught staring. Her pulse pounded at her temples, and the sensation of drowning took hold in her. She drew in a deep breath of air to fuel her deprived lungs. Had she been holding her breath while admiring his physique?
Raising her chin, she swallowed back the lump in her throat. She swiped some hair away from her face that had come loose of the confines of her braid, and gathered the strips of muslin. Evelyn pushed herself up off the ground, and with a determined set of her mouth headed in Alex’s direction. With each step she took, her heart sped up.
Good grief, Evie! It’s not like you’ve never seen a man’s nude torso before.
Her father and Henry had often removed their shirts in the summer months when coming in from the fields, but neither her father nor her brother looked like Alex. His lean body and sculpted muscles exuded strength. The memory of his strong arms holding her gave testament to that fact. Evelyn shook her head to clear her mind.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked, hoping her voice sounded normal. There was no need to give Alex a glimpse of what she was thinking.
“It stings a little,” he said, his eyes on her. Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then sank to her knees beside him. Her nose caught a trace of his distinct male scent of sweat and rawhide, and her heart fluttered again.
She dipped one of the cotton rags in the cold water, resisting the impulse to use the wet muslin to cool her own face and neck. Instead, she wrung out the excess water and dabbed gingerly around Alex’s wounds to clean away the dried blood. She repeated her actions over and over, until finally the area was free of blood. He remained motionless while she worked, and Evelyn raised her head to find him watching her intently. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his at that moment if her life depended on it. An intense gleam shone in the depths of his stare, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Extreme longing smoldered in his eyes, along with regret and uncertainty.
Give him time, Laurent had told her. He is afraid he will become his father.
“I think a bandage to keep the wound clean should suffice to allow it to heal.” The words barely escaped her dry mouth. If she could make time stand still, this was a moment she wanted to hold on to. To divert her attention away from Alex’s stare, she grabbed for another swath of muslin. Gently, she wrapped the material around his arm to cover his wound.
Evelyn tied off the end of the bandage in a knot, and pulled her hands back. She adjusted her knees on the hard ground, intent on standing up. Before she could move, Alex reached out, and his calloused fingers grazed against her cheek with a feather light touch. Heat seared through her body at his tender gesture. Wide-eyed, she glanced at his face. His mouth curved upward at the corners. Slowly, he leaned forward.
Evelyn closed her eyes, and she held her breath. Her lips parted and tingled in anticipation of what she knew was to come. Alex’s hand slid behind her head, cupping the back of her neck. He pulled her toward him, and just when she thought he wouldn’t kiss her after all, his lips brushed against hers. Her hands reached out to brace against his chest. The feel of his warm skin against her hand, the strong beating of his heart, and the solid strength beneath her fingers sent ripples of some unknown need racing through her. Just when she thought she would drown in the sensation, Alex pulled away, ending his gentle kiss much too soon. His fingers lingered just a moment longer against her cheek, then he broke off all contact with her. Evelyn’s eyes flew open, and she fought for a breath of air.
“I’ll ask Laurent to take you back to St. Louis,” Alex said, and stood. Avoidi
ng her eyes, he reached for his torn shirt lying in the grass, and then turned his back, his gaze fixed across the water at the distant snow-capped mountains. Evelyn stared in stunned disbelief. It was the last thing she expected him to say. The muscles in his shoulders and back tensed.
“I don’t understand,” Evelyn said quietly. Dumbfounded, she reached up to touch his arm.
“He should have never brought you here,” Alex said firmly. He turned his head, and his mouth was set in a firm line. “You need a husband who will take care of you, not someone like me.”
“Alex, I don’t think—”
“No arguments. I free you of your ties to me. You’re going back.”
“And what if I refuse to go back?” Evelyn moved around him to stand in front of him, and glared at his face. It was time to put her foot down. All her life, someone else had made decisions on her behalf, telling her what was best for her. “What would you have me do in St. Charles, Alex? Marry the man who killed my parents?”
Alex faced her fully. “A week ago you thought you were already married to that man.” He scoffed.
“And I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “I realize I was wrong about you, Alex.” Evelyn stepped closer, inches from him. The heat coming off his body seeped right through the fabric of her shirt. “Perhaps it’s time that you come to the same conclusion,” she whispered. Hesitating for only a second, she placed her palm on his chest over his heart. Alex’s jaw clenched.
“Same conclusion?” His eyebrows scrunched together. “I know I didn’t kill your folks.”
Evelyn laughed quickly, and shook her head. “You really are as dumb as a warthog, Alex Walker. When will you realize you are wrong about yourself?” She shook her head. What did she have to do or say to prove to him that he wasn’t like his father? “Why I am even in lo—”
“Hello the camp,” someone called loudly from the direction of the woods, and Evelyn spun around before she could complete her thought. A lone trapper rode into view, two mules laden with supplies following closely on the heels of his horse.
****
Alex stepped in front of Evie at the sound of a man’s voice calling the customary greeting when riding into someone’s camp. Her soft palm left a searing scorch mark on his chest as if she had branded him. No words could describe the way her tender touch affected him when she cleansed his wounds. Intense desire had rippled through him along with the urge to protect this woman from harm, which meant he had to protect her from himself. He cursed under his breath. He would have thought Evie would be happy to go back to St. Louis. Why was she arguing with him? What had she meant by he was wrong about himself? This wasn’t the time to ponder her words, nor the look in her eyes. Or the kiss they had shared.
Alex forced his focus to the visitor riding into their camp. He recognized the trapper instantly. He held up his hand in greeting, and stepped away from Evie to meet him.
“Jasper Williams, what a surprise.” Alex approached the man’s horse, and reached his hand up. The trapper leaned forward and over his saddle, and firmly clasped Alex’s hand and arm.
“Wal, ah’ll be et by a tater. If it ain’t Shadow Walker,” he nodded with a wide-eyed smile. He pushed the fox fur cap he wore away from his forehead. “Thought you’d be up in that hole of yers by now, buildin’ that cabin.”
“Heading there now. Didn’t see you at rendezvous this summer. Get off your horse and have some coffee.”
The trapper nodded, and dismounted. Holding firmly to his rifle, he pointed to the dead bear.
“That’ll make a nice meal,” he grunted. “Didn’t know ya was huntin’ bar.”
Alex laughed. “He didn’t give me much choice.”
“I remember when ya was just a green pup, tryin’ to get yerself kilt by Ole’ Ephraim up on the Madison.” He chuckled, and spit tobacco on the ground. “Yer green shore is weared off now. Heard ya was no longer a company man.”
“I’ve learned a thing or two over the years. And, yeah, I joined the free trappers.”
Laurent had left Yancey’s side and came walking up to them, a wide smile on his face. “Jasper Williams. I believed you to be dead.” He grabbed the trapper’s hand and pumped his arm up and down.
“I’s feelin’ right pert, ya crazy voyageur. Ain’t gone under yet.”
“Why did we not see you at rendezvous?” Laurent added coffee grounds to the pot in the fire, and headed for the creek with it without waiting for a reply. A low moan came from under the lean-to.
Jasper Williams’ eyes darted in the direction of the sound, his bushy brown eyebrows raised.
“A flatlander who Laurent insisted on bringing along,” Alex said in answer to the man’s unspoken question. “Thought he’d try and prove himself against the bear and lost.”
“Sounds summat like you, Walker,” Jasper chuckled, and slapped Alex on the back.
“Yeah, well, at least I was alone, and didn’t put someone else’s life in danger,” Alex argued, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder. He knew the loner was referring to Alex’s first year in the mountains, when he had tried to prove himself by foolishly shooting at a grizzly. He’d almost paid with his life that day. Lucky for him the incident had happened far to the north of here along the Madison River. Daniel Osborne, the man who would become his friend and mentor had saved his life that day. Anger seethed through him again, thinking about the danger Yancey had put Evelyn in by shooting at the grizzly.
Jasper Williams grunted, and scratched at the stubble on his jaw. He glanced around camp, and his eyes widened with a look of disbelief. There was only one reason for the man’s reaction. He must have directed his attention on Evie. That the trapper hadn’t noticed her before was a surprise. Alex turned to see her standing by the creek where he’d left her. Uncertainty was etched on her face. He couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t met many friendly trappers, and it was wise of her to be cautious.
“That ain’t no Injun squaw,” Williams proclaimed, his eyes volleying between her and Alex. A wide grin spread across his face. “I’ll be,” he said, and slapped Alex on the back again. “Ya got yerself a woman, Walker. And a fine lookin’ one at that. How’d ya get so fortunate’n get a white woman to come to the mountains with ya? I thought only Dan’l Osborne was that lucky.”
Jasper stepped around Alex before he had a chance to respond, the thick buffalo-hide robe he wore making him appear twice as wide as he really was. Without hesitation, he strode up to Evelyn and appraised her from top to bottom. Alex followed quickly on his heels. If he remembered Jasper Williams correctly, the man didn’t have the best manners, even though he was completely harmless.
“She shore shines, Walker. No question. She shore shines. Looks like she’s got a lot of pluck, too.”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, and Alex couldn’t help but grin. She probably had no idea that the trapper was complimenting her appearance. The look of annoyance she shot him and the other trapper grew with each second.
“Evie, this is a friend, Jasper Williams,” he said, and took hold of her hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. Evie remained stiff for a moment, then, to his utter surprise, the annoyance vanished and she flashed the other man a radiant smile.
“It’s a pleasure, Mr. Williams,” she said, extracting her hand from Alex’s, and reached to offer it to Jasper. The man’s bushy eyebrows widened, then his hand swallowed up Evelyn’s. He chuckled heartily.
“Ya shore is a purty little thing,” he said. “Walker got hisself a fine woman, an ya got yerself one fine man, there. Walker is brave as a buffler bull in spring, ya mark my words. He’ll do right by ya, no question.”
“Thank you, Mr. Williams,” Evie said sweetly, and slowly pulled her hand from the trapper’s grip. She turned to Alex and favored him with a smile that sent his pulse racing. She inched up next to him and slipped her hand back in his. What the hell was she doing? Alex gripped her hand and stared at her. The same warm glow shone in her eyes as what he’d seen that morning, before he left camp.
Before he left Evie with that no-good greenhorn, which almost got her killed. It was the same look she favored him with while tending to his wounds. His gut clenched, and he tore his eyes away from her.
“Go and fix some food, Evie. I’m sure Jasper is hungry.” He had to get her away from him. She would surely drive him mad. Alex released her hand, and the warmth in her eyes cooled almost immediately when he spoke his harsh words, and he instantly regretted it. She visibly inhaled a deep breath and held up her chin. Nodding silently, she turned to leave. Alex’s hand reached out and grazed her arm. “I’d be much obliged,” he said quietly, silently calling himself every vile name he could think of.
“Of course, Alex,” Evie said, and she smiled softly, but the hurt was evident in her eyes.
“Wouldn’t mind eatin’ some of that there bar,” Jasper said, running a hand across his lips.
“I’ll have to ask Laurent about how to cook that,” Evie said, glancing from him to the trapper. “I’ve never prepared bear before.” She turned quickly and scurried off toward the fire where Laurent was busy with the coffeepot. Alex stared after her. So did Williams.
“Yessir, ya got a good woman,” Jasper said again, nodding in approval and appreciation of Evie. “Shore makes me miss my Molly.”
Alex raised his brows. “Molly?” he asked.
“My wife,” Jasper answered, and adjusted the furry hat on his head.
“I didn’t know you were married.” Alex was certain that Williams had never mentioned a wife. Everyone he knew, and who knew Jasper, assumed he lived a solitary life.
“Yep. Left’er back in St. Louie.”
Alex chuckled. “You never spoke of a wife before.”
“Cause talkin’ ‘bout ‘er would be plumb hurtful,” Jasper said quietly, looking right at Alex. “Yer a lucky man, Walker. Yer gal is here with ya. Mine didn’t wanna come. I shore miss her summat fierce when I’m in these here mountains. This’s my last season. Come next spring, I’s goin’ home fer good. My Molly needs me, an’ I need her.” He pulled his hat off his head and held it to his chest. Then he pointed a finger at Alex. “Ya be sure an’ do right by that gal, Walker. I can see the love shinin’ in her eyes for ya. There ain’t nothin’ more powerful’n a woman lovin’ ya, and it’s a lucky man who can lay claim to such a woman. I thought them mountains was more important than my wife, but over the last year, I come to realize it ain’t so. You hold on to that gal, and don’t let ‘er go.”
Teton Sunrise (Teton Romance Trilogy) Page 11
