Chase the Wind (Apache Runaway Book 2)

by Madeline Baker

  Gradually, she realized that the men were bedding down for the night.

  With a murmured “good night”, she sought her own blankets. Only then did she let the tears fall.

  She woke with a start, wondering what had jolted her from a sound sleep. And then she felt it again, a soft tap as something hit her shoulder.

  Sitting up, she gazed into the darkness.

  “Beth.”

  Was she hearing things? Eyes narrowed, she peered into the trees to her left.

  “Beth.”

  Chase! Heart pounding with excitement, she stood up, stifling a groan as she put her weight on her injured ankle. Glancing around, she saw that all the men were sleeping. Grabbing a blanket, she wrapped it around her shoulders and limped toward the trees. Should anyone wake up and see her leaving camp, they would think she was answering a call of nature.

  It was all she could do to keep from running to him. And then she was there, in his arms, and he was holding her close, his hands running up and down her back.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered.

  “Fine. And you?”

  He hesitated only a moment. “I am all right. I have two horses waiting. Do you wish to go with me?”

  “Do you have to ask?”

  He blew out a deep breath that seemed tinged with regret. “I was going to take my horse and go, but I could not leave without seeing you again. I have no right to ask you to go with me…”

  She’d heard it all before, and she was having none of it. With a huff of irritation, she kissed him soundly on the mouth.

  “Does that answer your question, you silly man?”

  She couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but she had a feeling he was staring at her, his mouth open in astonishment.

  “Where are the horses?”

  “Back here.” Taking her hand, he led her deeper into the trees.

  A short time later, they reached the horses. He had taken Dusty’s roan and her own mare. Chase had saddled both horses. Canteens hung from the pommels; their saddlebags, which one of the men had stuffed with their supplies from the lean-to, were tied behind the cantles.

  Beth slanted a grin in his direction. “Pretty sure I’d come with you, weren’t you?”

  “I hoped you would,” he admitted, “even though I think it is a mistake.”

  He lifted her into the saddle, his hands lingering at her waist before he turned away and mounted his own horse.

  Beth felt a shiver of excitement rise within her as she urged her horse after his. She might never know another moment’s peace, she thought, but she’d found more excitement with this man than she had ever dreamed of.

  They rode until well after sunup, then took shelter in the lee of a rocky overhang. Exhausted, Beth sank down on the ground and was instantly asleep.

  When she woke, it was almost dusk. For a moment, she stared up at the gray rock over her head and wondered where she was, and then it all came back to her, Chase’s appearance at the posse’s camp, the long ride through the night.

  Turning her head, she saw Chase lying beside her, his eyes closed. The blanket had fallen away and for the first time, she saw the numerous bloody scrapes and abrasions on his arms and chest. There was a jagged gash on his right cheek, another on his left arm, and still another across his chest.

  She was sitting there, still staring down at him, when his eyelids fluttered open and he smiled at her. And in the warmth of that smile, she forgot everything else.

  It wasn’t until he reached for her, groaning softly as he did so, that she came back to herself.

  “You’re hurt,” she said accusingly.

  Sitting up, Chase considered the bloody cuts that adorned his chest and arms. None were serious, but the cut across his chest was deep, and painful.

  “The canyon has sharp rocks,” he remarked.

  “Let me see your hands.”

  With a sigh, he held out his hands, palms up.

  “Oh, Chase,” she murmured. “they must hurt terribly.”

  He didn’t deny it, only shrugged. He would have sacrificed another layer of skin to gain his freedom.

  He glanced at her ankle, still tightly bound. “Your foot,” he said, “how is it?”

  “A lot better than your hands.”

  He didn’t object as she soaked a strip of her petticoat in water and began to wash the blood from his chest. The cold water stung the cuts, but he thought it a small price to pay to have her near, to see the concern in her eyes, to hear the worry in her voice as she fretted over the possibility of infection.

  There were a multitude of cuts on his legs as well. Even though none of his injuries were life-threatening, she knew he’d lost a bit of blood, knew he’d followed her thirty miles on foot.

  The thought made her heart ache with tenderness.

  When she had the blood washed away, she wrapped his hands in layers of cloth, then sat back, watching him as he regarded his bandaged hands.

  “I cannot do much with my hands like this.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “We need wood, food, fresh meat.”

  “Didn’t you look inside the saddlebags when you saddled the horses? There should be enough food in there to last until your hands are better,” she said. “I don’t mind eating jerky for a couple of days.”

  But he wasn’t thinking of food. With his hands bandaged, he couldn’t hold the rifle.

  Leaning back against the rock, Chase watched Beth rummage through the saddlebags. It had been a mistake to go after her, but the thought of leaving her behind, of never seeing her again, had overcome his good sense.

  “There’s plenty of dried meat and canned goods,” Beth called. “Oh, and a side of bacon and the makings for biscuits. That should hold us for a couple of days.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “You sit back and rest, and I’ll fix breakfast.”

  Chase grunted softly. They’d have to be on their way soon, but, for now, he was content to sit back and watch her.

  Beth brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, glad that it was almost dark. Her back and legs ached, and she had a dreadful notion that, when it came time to dismount, she’d find her backside had become part of the saddle.

  She wished fleetingly that they could go back to Rainbow Canyon. It had been so pretty there, so peaceful, but Chase had feared that, should the posse lose their tracks, Rainbow Canyon was the first place they’d look.

  That night, they made camp in a cut-bank arroyo. She insisted Chase sit down and rest while she prepared dinner.

  “I am not helpless,” he muttered irritably.

  Beth grinned. Her father was that way, too, always refusing to admit he might need help. “Why don’t you see if you can find some wood, then?”

  “Woman’s work,” he complained.

  “Well, that’s all that needs doing at the moment, unless you want to cook?”

  He scowled at her, then turned around, limping slightly as he walked away from her.

  We’re a fine pair, Beth mused, watching him. Only two good legs between us.

  She had their bedrolls spread out and a hole dug for the fire by the time Chase got back. Dumping an armful of wood on the ground, he squatted on his heels and busied himself with building a fire.

  “I never cared much for jerky before,” Beth remarked, handing him a chunk of dried venison, “but it’s not bad. Of course, I’d rather have a steak.”

  Chase grinned wryly, thinking of the many times when he had eaten raw meat and been glad to have it, times when there had been nothing at all to eat, when the children cried because their stomachs hurt, when the old ones had given what little food they had to the young men so they would have the strength to fight. And what had it gotten them? The very young and the very old had died and the rest of the people had been sent from their homeland.

  “Chase?”

  He looked up, his expression bleak.

  “I found some salve in my saddlebags. Would you like me to…I mean, it might sooth
e your cuts.”

  He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. What was this rich, young white woman doing out here, with him?

  “Chase? Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head, knowing there was no way to explain what he was feeling, no way to make her understand that, as sincere as she seemed to be, he was afraid it wouldn’t last, that when the novelty of living out of doors with him wore off, she’d go back to her comfortable home where she belonged. The worst of it was, he would not blame her for going.

  She sat beside him and carefully unwrapped his hands. His palms still looked raw and red. Gently, she rubbed the ointment over the lacerations. It gave her a sense of satisfaction to know she was helping him, soothing him. She wished she had the ability to ease the pain in his eyes as well.

  Dipping her fingers in the pot of salve again, she began to massage it into the cuts on his arms. His skin was smooth and warm beneath her fingertips.

  He gasped as she spread the ointment over his chest.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “Not in the way you think.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He captured her hand in his and pressed it against his chest. “Do you know what your touch does to me?”

  She shook her head. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart beneath her hand, could see the spark of desire in his eyes.

  “Beth…” Releasing her hand, he took a deep breath. “I think you should go to bed now.”

  She started to protest and then, seeing the desire in his eyes, she murmured, “Good night, Chase,” and crawled under the covers.

  They traveled for three days until they arrived at a meadow set between two mountains. At her curious glance, Chase explained that it had once been a hideout for the Apaches.

  There was graze for the horses, a shallow stream, a stand of timber.

  “How long will we stay here?” Beth asked, looking around.

  “A few days.”

  “And then what?”

  “I do not know.”

  “Is there a town around here?”

  Chase nodded. “Why?”

  “I think we should send a letter to Mr. Fallon and find out if they’ve found the man who killed Greenway.”

  “No.”

  “But if they’ve found him, you won’t have to hide anymore.”

  “And if they have not, they will know where to find me.”

  “I’m sure he won’t tell anyone where we are.”

  “I am not willing to take that chance.”

  “All right.” She would drop it for now, she thought. But somehow, she’d make him see that she was right. They couldn’t spend their whole life together hiding from the world.

  Later that afternoon, they sat side by side under a tree. The weather was cool and clear, the meadow silent save for the song of a bird.

  Beth stared into the distance, acutely aware of the man sitting beside her. She had never known a man like him—virile, tender, self-confident. She knew he would take care of her no matter what, that he would protect and defend her with his very life. He made her feel safe, cherished, feminine.

  She was aware of his gaze resting on her face, felt the attraction between them grow until it vibrated like a living thing. She felt herself yearning toward him, needing his touch, wanting to touch him in return.

  She turned to meet his gaze. “Chase?”

  “I know. I feel it, too.”

  “I love you.”

  He wanted to believe her, needed to believe her. Crushing her close, he slanted his mouth over hers, drinking in the sweetness of her lips. She was honey and fire in his arms, her mouth opening to his, her tongue teaching him an intimacy he had never known.

  His hands slid up and down her spine, molding her body to his, her softness fitting snugly against him, filling years of emptiness with her nearness.

  He murmured her name, his breath mingling with hers as they kissed and kissed again. She pressed closer, and he could feel her trembling, feel the need growing within her, matching the need growing within himself.

  Time and place lost all meaning, until there was nothing in all the world but the two of them. He lost himself in the scent of her, the touch of her, the taste of her. She was like the very air he breathed, necessary to his survival. Years and years of feeling lost and alone melted away and she became all things—father, mother, sister, friend. He did not understand it, but he accepted it.

  “Tell me,” he whispered. “Tell me again.”

  She didn’t have to ask what he meant. “I love you,” she said, pouring her whole heart and soul into each word. “I love you.”

  Feeling suddenly weak, he drew her down beside him, one arm curled around her waist while his hand caressed her face. “How can you?” he asked, lost in the wonder of her eyes. “How?”

  “I don’t know. I never believed in love at first sight, but I believe it now.”

  “Is that what this is?” Chase asked. He thought of Clarai. He had thought he loved her, but what he had felt for her paled to nothingness beside the depth of emotion he felt for Beth. The thought that he cared more for this white woman than he had ever cared for Clarai filled him with guilt, yet he couldn’t deny what he felt any more than he could explain it.

  Gently, he cupped her face in his hands. “What do you want of me, Beth?”

  “Everything!”

  “Tell me.”

  “I want you to love me the way I love you. I want to be able to tell you my deepest fears, my innermost thoughts. I want you to share my laughter and my tears. I want you to be the father of my children and grow old beside me.”

  “You are talking marriage.”

  Beth nodded. “Yes.”

  “Have you thought this through? Your parents will never accept me.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “I do not want you to be hurt.”

  “Do you love me?”

  “Yes.”

  She smiled, and it was like the sun bursting forth from a cloud, bright, beautiful.

  “Will love be enough for you when your parents turn their backs on you? When people shun you because of me? I do not want your love to turn to hate, Beth. I do not want to look at you a year from now and see regret in your eyes.”

  “You won’t,” she whispered. Leaning toward him, she brushed his lips with hers.

  “Then I will be your husband from this day on.”

  “I wish you could, but there’s no one to marry us.”

  “Marriage takes place here,” Chase said, placing one finger over her heart. “We need no one to speak for us.”

  “No witnesses?”

  “The Great Spirit will be our witness. I ask you again, are you certain this is what you want?”

  She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her heart. “Yes.”

  “Then I pledge you my love this day,” Chase said solemnly. “I will protect you and provide for you and love no one but you until the day I die.”

  Beth blinked up at him, her heart swelling with tenderness and love for the sincerity of his words, for the devotion shining in the depths of his eyes.

  “And I pledge you my love in return,” she said, her voice soft yet strong. “I will cherish you and comfort you and stand beside you in sickness and in health, and I will love you, and only you, all the days of my life.”

  “From this day you will be my woman,” Chase said.

  “And you will be my husband.”

  “I will want no other.”

  “Nor I.”

  “It is done then,” he said, his voice exultant.

  Beth gazed into his eyes, her heart pounding with joy. The silence around them seemed like a benediction. Her eyelids fluttered down as Chase kissed her, deeply, reverently.

  Beth wrapped her arms around him. My husband, she thought, and knew she would not have felt any more married if she had spoken her vows in church.

  She felt her cheeks grow warm as Chase drew back and looked at her. Married
. The full implication hit her as his gaze met hers. Married. She suddenly remembered her mother telling her what a husband expected of a wife: Sharing the marriage bed is something no real lady enjoys, but you must endure it for the sake of children. In time, you will learn to close your eyes and think of other things.

  She licked her lips nervously. Would he expect to claim his husbandly rights now, in the full light of day?

  “Have you changed your mind already?” Chase asked.

  “No. No, it’s just…I mean, I’ve never…”

  “I will not touch you if you do not wish it,” Chase said. “I may be Apache, but I am not a savage.” Rising, he offered her his hand.

  She was doing this all wrong, Beth thought desperately. She took his hand, let him pull her to her feet. “Chase…”

  “I will come to you when you are ready.” Gently, he brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “Do not make me wait too long.”

  “I don’t want to wait,” Beth said tremulously. “I love you. It’s just that…” She looked away, embarrassed.

  “You said you wanted to tell me your deepest fears,” Chase reminded her. “I am listening.”

  “My mother told me it was painful, the joining between a man and a woman. She said it was something I would have to endure.”

  “She did not like lying with her husband?”

  “I don’t think so. They don’t even sleep in the same room anymore.”

  “We will never sleep apart, Beth. And I promise I will never hurt you.”

  There was such love in his eyes, she knew she had no cause to doubt him. “Do you want to…to…” Mercy, but it was hard to say some things out loud.

  “I want you,” he said, and taking her hand, he pressed it to his chest. “Feel how my heart beats with love for you.” He drew her up against him, pressing her length to his. “Do you doubt how much I want you?”

  Beth shook her head, gasped with delight as he swung her into his arms. “Where are we going?”

  “I know a place,” he said.

  “I can walk, you know.”

  “Not today.”

  With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She had wanted an adventure, she mused happily, and she had found one.