Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed some movement, and she smiled to herself as she recognized Finnegan sitting on the far end of the tree line watching her. Malcolm had said one of the locals who bred the sled dogs in the community lived over there, so she wondered if he was staying close to the other animals for some reason.
She hoped he wasn't hungry. It seemed like he was always close by, so she wondered how he was getting any food to eat. She would pick up some extra items to set some out for him. Malcolm would probably think she was crazy, so she just wouldn't tell him. She didn't want to see Finnegan go hungry.
"Annie, wait up!"
She spun around as she heard Gemma's voice. The woman was coming out of the cabin just on the other side of hers. "I wasn't sure where you’d ended up living. I'm glad to see you'll be right beside me."
Annie smiled as the other woman caught up to her.
"Well, I'm not sure about yours, but my new home is going to need a lot of work to make it livable. I have no food in my cupboards, so I thought I should head out to the store and see what I could find there."
The women made their way up the street, drawing the stares of the locals who were hanging around the town to see the new Mounties that had arrived.
Annie brought her hand up to her mouth without thinking, letting the softness of her glove rub against her lip.
"So, what is Malcolm like? He seems to be kind to you, and I will admit I was a bit shocked he was so willing to let you drive the dogsled yesterday. That's not something you see a man do every day."
Annie had spent a bit of time with Gemma at Miss Hazel's, and out of all the women, she was the one who seemed most like her. But Annie had also sensed that the other woman was holding something back, or that she didn't want to completely let anyone get to know her.
Annie could understand that. She hadn't told anyone about her past. She didn't want to be judged for her father's crimes, and she knew it would be hard for people to see past everything he'd done.
She knew she should have told Malcolm, and someday she hoped she'd get the courage to tell him the truth.
"He's been very kind, and even though I know he's got a bit of a tough exterior sometimes, I can already see he's got a softer side too."
They climbed the steps to the store, and were greeted by an older man on the other side of the counter. "Hello, ladies. My name is Mr. Harper. You must be some of the new Mounties’ wives in town." He put his hand out to them.
After they introduced themselves, he told them to look around and let him know what they needed. When he mentioned everything could be charged to their accounts, Annie's stomach sunk as she realized she hadn't even thought about how she’d pay for any of it. Malcolm wouldn't make a lot of money as a Mountie, and she'd just assumed she could go out and buy whatever she needed without asking him.
She'd never really had to worry about money before. And now that she knew the truth about where her money had come from, it made her sick to know how much she'd been able to enjoy because of the activities of her father.
Malcolm came through the door just then, the red of his jacket bright against the whiteness of the snow behind him. "I thought that was you I saw headed this way."
He smiled at her as he walked over.
"I'm sorry, Malcolm. I hadn't even thought about how much it might cost to come and pick up a few items to stock our cupboards. I should have asked you first."
He brought his eyebrows together and scrunched his nose slightly. "Of course I'd expect you to stock the cupboards, Annie. I should have thought of that and made sure I came to escort you here and help you carry everything."
"I'll just get a few things."
He kept his eyes on her, the muscles in his jaw moving as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"I know I might not make the kind of money you're used to having in Vancouver, but I assure you, we can afford to get the basic necessities we need to keep ourselves from starving."
His eyes flickered with a hint of anger, and she realized she'd offended him. Here she was trying to be nice, and he'd automatically assumed she was hinting he couldn't take care of her like she was used to.
"Well, I wasn't sure what I was allowed to get. I was only trying to be considerate as I wasn't sure how much your budget would be. If it will make you feel better, I will be more than happy to pick up some frivolous items we don't truly need."
Gemma snickered behind her. Looking over at the counter, the first thing that caught her eye was a pair of lacy pantaloons that looked completely out of place among the more important necessities of a store in a remote location.
"Mr. Harper, I'd like to take these, please." The shopkeeper's cheeks had turned a bright shade of red as he'd overheard them talking. Now, as he reached into the cupboard to pull the underthings out, she was sure his skin was becoming an alarming shade of purple.
"Um, well, these were sent here by mistake. They aren't generally the kind of item we would keep in stock." He coughed as he set them on the counter, looking to Malcolm to see what he should do.
Malcolm was still standing with his arms crossed, watching her with one eyebrow raised slightly. "Go ahead and wrap them up for the lady, Mr. Harper. I'm sure she'll get a lot of use out of them."
Her cheeks burned as the poor man wrapped them in paper and set them back on the counter. She wasn't sure what had just happened here, but she still didn't have any food to stock their cupboards and now she was going home with a pair of lacy underthings that would serve no purpose whatsoever.
Chapter 6
She pulled her coat up tighter around her neck as she stretched her head out to look into the bushes beyond their cabin. Having to use an outhouse was proving to be a challenge she hadn't been prepared for, but thankfully it wasn't too far from the house.
She thought she'd seen Finnegan out of the corner of her eye as she'd been making her way back inside, but now he was nowhere in sight. The bowl of scraps she'd set out for him still sat to the far side of the outhouse. She'd put it out of view, so Malcolm wouldn't know she was feeding the wild animal.
Taking one last peek around, she hurried inside and closed the door behind her. The air had grown colder throughout the day, and she thought the wind might have picked up a bit too.
Malcolm had walked Gemma and her home after picking up some supplies, and they'd had their lunch together before he went back to the office. He hadn't seemed angry about her buying the underthings. In fact, she thought he was actually amused that she'd acted so silly.
He'd helped her carry her basket of food back home. And when they'd gotten inside, he couldn't wait to pull out the paper wrapped package and ask her what she'd like him to do with them.
Her cheeks still burned when she thought about him standing there holding her underthings with a grin on his face like he'd just eaten the last candy from the jar.
Well, she wasn't going to let him get to her. She still planned to make them a nice dinner of chicken, potatoes, and gravy. Miss Hazel had taught her the basics, and this was one meal she'd managed to make without burning it too badly. The smell of the chicken roasting in the oven already filled the small room, making her stomach rumble in anticipation.
She hoped they could spend some time together this evening, getting to know each other better. Since the day they'd been married, there hadn't been much time to be alone. She knew nothing about his life, where he came from or what his family was like.
Of course, she also realized that if she wanted to find out more about him, he'd probably want the same thing. And she wasn't sure how to get around telling him about her father. She didn't want to lie to him, but she wasn't sure yet how he would react, knowing he was married to the daughter of a criminal.
It just didn't seem like the kind of thing a Mountie would like to find out.
The door opened just as she finished checking on the chicken in the oven. She looked up and the air caught in her lungs at the sight of him. He'd only worn his red uniform
jacket today since the weather had been a bit warmer, and as he took the large hat from his head to hang it on the hook, she suddenly had to fight the urge to go over and push the hair back that fell down on his forehead.
"I can feel the weather starting to change. I won't be surprised if we have a storm coming in over the next day or two."
He sat on a chair and started to pull his boots off. She couldn't seem to make herself stop staring, watching as his shoulders moved against the red jacket.
Finally, he lifted his eyes and looked at her with his brows pulled together. "Are you not talking to me now?"
Instantly, her cheeks caught fire and she turned back to the stove, pressing her hands down the front of her apron.
"Yes, I'm talking to you. I was just waiting for you to finish."
She heard him chuckling low in his throat, so she spun around to see what was so funny.
He put his hands up in front of him. "I was only trying to joke with you, Annie. I knew you were a bit upset earlier today, although I have to admit, I'm still a bit unsure why. I'd hoped maybe we could spent a nice evening together before I have to go out on a patrol around the area tomorrow."
She had to smile when she saw the look on his face, and she shrugged. "I'm not really sure why I was upset either. I think maybe the past few days have caught up with me, and I might be a bit more sensitive than I normally would be. I assure you, I'm not really one to buy frilly underthings just to make a point."
She was glad he was obviously the type of man who could see the humor in something like this, and was willing to be forgiving.
He stood up and pulled his jacket off. "Well, I may have been a bit defensive and unfairly judged your motives. Truthfully, I have no idea what you would have been able to afford when you lived in Vancouver, but I'm quite certain it would be more than what you'll be living on as a Mountie's wife. Thankfully, most men don't decide to become a Mountie for the wages, or I'm afraid the entire country would be without any law."
He walked over to a basin set in the corner and washed his hands while she set some plates on the table.
"And thankfully, I'm not the kind of woman who needs the finest luxuries, so that won't be a problem at all." She laughed as he turned and raised his eyebrows in her direction. "Well, except for frilly pantaloons."
They ate their meal and shared stories about their lives, slowly starting to get to know each other. Every time Malcolm would ask anything about her family, though, Annie was careful not to give much detail. She didn't want to actually lie to him, so she just avoided any answers that had to do with her father.
She hoped he wouldn't notice as she kept bringing the conversation back to him. "So you grew up in the Yukon? I imagine it must be terribly cold up there most of the time."
He shrugged. "Not much colder than here, I'd imagine. But I learned a lot growing up in the north, and it's been useful as I became a Mountie and have been sent out on assignment in remote areas."
"Is your family still there?"
His jaw clenched tight and he kept his eyes on the wall behind her. She thought maybe he wasn't going to answer, but he finally moved his head to look at her. "My parents are still living there, but my sister died about seven years ago." His voice was low as he mentioned his sister.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Malcolm. I might have fought with my own sister quite often, but I couldn't imagine if anything were to happen to her." She reached her hand across the table to place it on his. He looked down at their hands, the muscles in his jaw working as he seemed to fight against the memories that he'd brought up.
"She'd been estranged from us for a few years after marrying a man we all warned her was no good. But she couldn't see it, and was completely blinded by love. She didn't believe me when I told her he was a thief, and the last time I saw her we had a fight. She didn't think he was that bad, and thought that her love could change him. I found out a few months later she'd died of pneumonia. Her husband had been in hiding from the law at the time, so they'd been staying at an old cabin his mother knew about. His mother had convinced him not to get any help for Mary, not wanting him to risk being caught."
When he lifted his eyes back up to hers, her heart ached at the pain in them. "I became a Mountie because of that man she married, and I was determined to prove to her he was a criminal. But I was too late. I swore to myself I'd be the best at what I do to keep men like him away from society. And that includes their families who think it's fine to protect them even if it means someone else might die."
Her heart pounded as he spoke about his hatred of all men like his sister's husband—and their families.
Families like the one she'd grown up in.
Chapter 7
"Are you sure it won't be too much trouble?"
He was surprised how happy it made him to see the look of excitement on her face.
"It will be good for the local residents to meet the wife of the new commander too. Besides, I'm sure seeing a pretty face will make them more accepting of the new Mounties in town."
Her eyebrows pulled together, and he almost laughed out loud as her eyes rolled. Her hand also came up to her lip as it always seemed to do when anyone paid any attention to her.
"Just make sure you bundle up. The weather is starting to turn, and I don't want you getting too chilled. We'll have to be quick because I'd like to stop and grab some more supplies at the store when we get back. Then we can be ready when the storm hits."
She was already pulling the large wool jacket over her shoulders. "Will we have to walk?"
He pulled the fur hat down over his ears. "No, I’ve borrowed a horse from the stables. We need to get to some of the outlying areas and it would take too long to try walking. You can just ride with me."
She stopped tying her boot and looked up at him. "I've been riding since I was a little girl, so I can manage on my own."
He shrugged. "I'm sure you could. But for today, you'll ride with me. It can be a bit trickier riding through unfamiliar terrain covered in snow, so I'd just feel safer if you were with me."
Her jaw clenched, and he could see he was in for an argument. He put his hand up to stop her. "I promise, as soon as spring hits, and you are more familiar with the area, you can ride on your own to your heart's content."
She seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded and stood up, pulling her gloves onto her hands. "I'm ready to go."
When she smiled, his breath caught in his lungs. Those brown eyes seemed to let him know her every mood, and at the moment he was almost certain they were sparkling with excitement. It was clear to him that Annie was the type of woman who was happier outside, doing things that required less domestic skills.
The dinner she'd made last night had been good, and truthfully, he was the type of man who could eat anything as long as it wasn't poisonous. But it was also clear to him she wasn't particularly comfortable in the kitchen, even if she was more than capable.
They walked outside to where he'd tied the tan colored horse they'd be riding. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over to pat the animal on the neck. "Oh, you're such a pretty girl." She turned back to look at him. "What's her name?"
He walked up beside her and lifted his hand to scratch the horse's ears. "This is Lady. Lady, meet Annie."
Annie had her nose pressed right up to the horse's, and it was clear neither of the females in his presence were even aware of him still standing there. He enjoyed a few moments to simply watch his wife without her knowing. They'd only been married for a few days, and he still couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten.
Annie was beautiful, even though he knew she wouldn't agree with his assessment. Someday, he'd make sure she believed it as much as he did. She was going to need a bit more time to feel comfortable and trust him when he told her. Tufts of hair poked out from the sides of her fur hat, curling up around her cheeks that were already red from the cold.
He’d promised her he would court her properly once they were married and had arrived in Reinde
er Rock, but Malcolm honestly wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about that. It wasn't like he could invite her out on a picnic or anything in the middle of January. In a city, he could take her to a restaurant for a meal, or to the theater, but that wouldn't be an option in this remote community.
He might have to be a bit more creative in his courtship of his new wife.
And that was exactly why he'd asked her to come with him today. Spending the day together was a start, even if it might not be the most exciting way for a woman to be wooed. Although looking at the way Annie was gushing over the horse in front of them, he realized she wasn't like most women. And it might actually be something she'd enjoy more than anything else he could have suggested.
He walked over to the side and checked the straps to make sure everything was tight and ready to ride. She came over beside him, giving him a wide grin as she placed her foot in one of the stirrups and flung her leg up over the horse's back, skirts and all. He laughed under his breath as he jumped up behind her, taking the reins and turning the horse to start on the trail out of town.
As he put his arms around Annie, she leaned back slightly into his chest. He decided he could easily get used to this. He was so thankful he hadn't ended up with a woman who grumbled and complained about the primitive way of living up here. But he realized he'd never heard a word of complaint from Annie since the day they'd arrived.
After the initial shock of walking into their small cabin, she'd simply searched for a broom and started to clean it. She'd taken the bedding yesterday and washed everything while she'd been making their dinner. Even after seeing the lack of anything but the most basic of necessities in the local shop, she hadn't even mentioned not having the luxuries she would have had at home in Vancouver.
"There is a group of cabins just up ahead that we were told belong to some members of the Ojibway tribe that have lived in this area for decades. I want to stop and introduce myself, so they know who to come to if they need anything."
Bride for Malcolm Page 3
