A Hero's Heart

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Becky’s glance could have started a fire. “Out.”

  Like a proud warrior, Mary announced, “I’m going home.” She started across the encampment, her head held high, her eyes brimming with tears.

  “Wait, Mary,” Rachel cried. She couldn’t let her friend suffer any more indignity. “There’s something I need to say.”

  Mary turned around, and Rachel could feel all eyes focused on her. Secrets and suppressed desires hummed about them like insects, making the air thick with tension. She twisted the dish towel in her hands and glanced at Ethan and Becky. Ethan appeared to hold his breath, while Becky glared at her.

  Mary stood patiently waiting, her face taut and drawn.

  “You know, don’t you?” Rachel’s hands shook. “You know that my sister is committing adultery with your husband.”

  “Yes, Rachel, I know,” Mary said, her voice dull.

  “Rachel!” Becky cried, rushing toward her sister.

  Blocking her path, Mary pushed Becky down into the rocker. “You’re not the first one. But you are the last.”

  Stunned, Becky remained seated, her mouth gapping.

  Ethan hurried over to his wife’s side. “You know I love you, Mary. How can you believe such lies?”

  Like burning coals, Mary’s eyes raked him. “Ethan, I’m not going to listen to your foolishness anymore. I’ve overlooked your women in the past. I’ve listened to your promises for the last time. No more.”

  “But, Mary—”

  “Stop!” The woman’s voice shook with anger. “From the day we were married, you’ve been unfaithful. Tonight, the two of you come back into camp with your clothes rumpled, and the smell of Becky clinging to you; then you expect me to believe lies?”

  “I’m your husband, Mary. We’ll always be together.”

  “Wait a minute!” Becky declared. “What about our plans?”

  Mary clasped her arms. “Get your things out of my wagon. You’re not welcome in my bed any longer.”

  Ethan didn’t even look at Becky. “I’ll make it up to you, Mary. I’ll never do it again.”

  “Save your speeches for Becky. You’ll cheat on her, too. You’ve fooled me for the last time.”

  Mary turned and proudly walked from the campfire. Rachel ached to go after her, check on her, make sure she was really all right. But somehow she knew her friend needed time alone to clear her thoughts and deal with the idea that she and Ethan would no longer live as husband and wife.

  Ethan didn’t follow his wife. Neither did he take a seat next to Becky. They sat worlds apart, staring into the fire.

  “You shouldn’t have told her, Rachel.” His voice held a menacing tone that Rachel had never heard before.

  “I think you’re confused, Ethan. You shouldn’t be cheating on your wife with my sister. Not only have you sullied your name, but my sister’s as well.”

  Becky jumped up, hands on her hips. “Oh, Rachel. It’s always been Ethan and me. Papa sent Ethan away when he caught Ethan kissing me. Not you. Me!”

  Rachel glanced at the two of them, stunned. “All this time I thought Papa sent Ethan away because he caught him kissing me, and it was really because of you?”

  “Papa warned me not to tell you. He wanted to protect you.”

  Silence filled the camp as Rachel realized just what a fool she’d been. As the information slowly penetrated, she asked, “If you loved Becky, then why did you marry Mary, Ethan?”

  “I didn’t plan on finding Becky again. It just happened. In the meantime, I’d met Mary. Things were working just fine until you managed to louse it up. But I’ll get Mary back.”

  Barely able to look at her sister, Rachel asked, “How can you think he loves you when he just said he’s going to get Mary back? Do you really think he can be faithful to you?”

  “He would have stayed with Mary until we reached Oregon. There our life would begin. I know how to make him happy, and she doesn’t,” Becky smugly replied.

  Rachel’s heart ached over Becky’s irresponsible behavior. “You deserve one another. And it’s obvious Mary deserves better.”

  Ethan stood, his face turning red. “I think you’re forgetting something. I know all about you and Wade.”

  A look of confusion crossed Becky’s face. “Know what?”

  The truth was coming out about herself and Wade, and though she dreaded the scandal, it would be a relief to be rid of the lies. “The wagon train wouldn’t accept us unless one of us was married. So I persuaded Wade to pretend to be my husband for the length of the trip.”

  Rachel watched as her sister’s eyes grew large and Becky’s hand flew to her mouth. “You’re not really married?”

  “No,” Rachel admitted, her chin rising.

  Becky laughed, her voice loud in the still night air. “My angelic sister is fornicating with a man who is not her husband, after all the times she warned me about the sins of the flesh.”

  “At least my man isn’t married to someone else,” Rachel replied quietly.

  “You told Mary about Becky and me, I think it only fair I tell Frank about you and Wade.”

  Ethan’s smile revealed just how wicked the man really was. Not for the first time that day, Rachel wondered how she had ever thought she loved this man.

  “You do and you’ll answer to me,” Wade said from the shadows.

  Ethan laughed. “I’m not worried. But if I were you, I’d be concerned about Rachel’s good name, about Frank forcing you to marry her. It’d be a shame if you were trapped in your own game. Forced to go spend the rest of your days together.

  In two steps, Wade reached Ethan. He grabbed a handful of Ethan’s shirt, yanking him off the bench. His fist cracked against the side of the preacher’s jaw sending him sprawling onto the ground. “I’ve wanted to do that for the last five hundred miles.”

  Becky screeched and flew to Ethan. She brushed her hand tenderly across his cheek, glaring at Wade.

  “Are you crazy?” she exclaimed. “Why did you hit him?”

  “For trying to blackmail me,” Wade said, as Ethan stared up at him from the ground, a trickle of blood trailing from his lip. “And for threatening Rachel.”

  Reaching into her pocket, Becky withdrew her handkerchief. She blotted the blood on Ethan’s rapidly swelling lip.

  Wade growled in warning, “Tell anyone you like about me and Rachel, but just remember one thing. After everyone finds out about the two of you, who do you think they’re going to believe. Rachel and me or Becky and you?”

  Rachel touched Wade’s sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’ve had my fill of this. Let’s go to bed.”

  Wade turned toward her and offered her his hand. She looked at it without expression, but put her fingers on his.

  Leading her to the wagon, he helped Rachel up the wheel and over the seat. Quickly, he climbed up after her.

  Inside, Rachel lit the lantern and sank down on the cedar chest, her face showing she was wracked with grief.

  He didn’t know who he wanted to hurt the most, Becky or Ethan. “I guess by tomorrow we’ll be the gossip in camp.

  Rachel bowed her head, her body sagging. A tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another. “Why is this happening? First Grace, now Becky and Ethan. What will happen next?”

  Bent over like an old man to keep his head from rubbing the top of the wagon, Wade crept to Rachel’s side, then sat on the chest and pulled her onto his lap. He held her in his arms while her tears cleansed her tired spirit.

  “It’s been a tough couple of days,” he said. “But the important thing is, Grace is okay, and Mary will be, too.

  “But how could Becky do this?” Rachel sobbed. “Mary’s my friend. And they hurt her so badly.”

  “You’re not responsible for what Becky did.” Wade brushed his hand across her back in a comforting gesture.

  “But Mary will never be able to look at me without thinking of what my sister and Ethan did to her.”

  Rachel shivered. “I want to believe
you, for she has no one, Wade. No one but us. We have to help her.”

  “And we will,” Wade promised.

  “How could my own sister do such a terrible deed?” Rachel’s tears were accompanied by little hiccup sounds.

  “What makes your family any different from everyone else’s?” Wherever people are, you find good and evil. And we never know when evil will reach out and touch us.”

  Swiping at the tears with her fingers, Rachel gazed at him quizzically. “I’m surprised to hear you say such a thing, Wade Ketchum. The next thing I know you’ll be quoting scripture.”

  “Don’t count on it, honey, though being raised in a whorehouse, you see people do all kinds of strange things.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “How could I have been such a fool, Wade? To trust Ethan, to believe in him.”

  “You’re a trusting person, Rachel. Sometimes you’ll get burned.” Wade rubbed the back of her head, her hair soft to the touch. “When Ethan was courting you, do you remember how he treated Becky?”

  “Becky was only thirteen years old.”

  “Old enough, honey.”

  She grimaced. “Poor papa. No wonder he hated Ethan. And to think I grieved over the man for years. And Becky knew I grieved. I feel so deceived, by both Ethan and my sister.”

  “Do you still care for Ethan?” The question slipped from Wade’s lips.

  “Heavens, no!” She paused a moment, and then whispered, “You’re the only man I care about, Wade.”

  Moments ticked by, while Wade sat holding Rachel in his arms, neither one speaking. They simply held one another, giving and receiving comfort while he

  tried to think of anything other than the fact that Rachel was in his arms. He tried to deny the words she’d whispered.

  Finally, Rachel asked, “What will we say when Ethan and Becky tell everyone we’re not really married?”

  Wade sighed. “The truth. It seems to be the best place to start. Are you worried about it?”

  Tilting her head back, she gazed at him, probing. The lantern’s glow turned her eyes a warm amber, filled them with a heat that seeped through him and burned away the day’s evil.

  After what seemed like hours, she said, “I’m tired of worrying about what others think. I only know how I feel.”

  Holding her, Wade wanted to speak all the words she longed to hear. He knew she waited for his declaration of love, waited for him to ask her to be his wife, to protect her good name from the gossip. He wanted to defend Rachel.

  Deep in his heart, he knew he should tell her they were never meant to be. But the words wouldn’t come. A tug of war raged inside Wade. He wanted her for himself. He needed her tonight more than she needed him.

  He bent, drawing her to him as his lips sought hers in a thirsting quest.

  Like an accomplished seductress, Rachel kissed him back, wrapping her hands through his hair, pulling his lips closer to her own. Their mouths merged into a growing frenzy.

  Rachel put a hand between them and pushed away. Her breasts rose and fell with the raggedness of her breathing. “Make love to me, Wade.” Her voice deep and husky. “Take me in your arms and help me forget the terrible events of the last few days.

  His lips crushed hers in a desperate effort to silence the voice inside his mind that insisted he could never marry her. He feared this would be his last time in her arms, the last time before they were torn apart.

  He wanted only to think about the pleasure he received in Rachel’s embrace. He wanted every moment possible with her before she kicked him out of her bed and her life forever.

  She pushed away from him, and he was certain she meant to stop their lovemaking. Instead, she reached down and turned off the lamp, enshrouding them in darkness. His lips claimed hers once again, while his hands sought her breasts.

  The rough cotton against his hand sent his fingers to the buttons at the back of her dress. His lips never left hers as he unfastened the buttons, while she hastily did the same for him. His hands were steady, concealing the feverish tide racing through his body. Calmly he eased her dress down over her shoulders and breasts, abandoning it around her waist.

  Slipping the shirt down his back, she ran her fingers along his naked skin, sending shivers of delight rippling through his body. Craving her touch, he could not deny that need any more than he could refuse his need for water.

  The strings of her chemise beckoned him, the bow promising a gift-wrapped delight. He tugged on the drawstrings, untying the bow and pulling open the cloth, until her firm breasts lay exposed to his sight. The temptation to pluck each nipple gently with his lips was not to be resisted. Bending his head, he tasted the tender orb, rolling it around on his tongue. Rachel arched her back in heated response, and he pushed the chemise to her waist.

  He lifted her from his lap and laid her down on the blankets, pulling the dress and chemise down her sleek hips and legs. Only her petticoat remained, and he quickly dismissed the garment along with the others. Spread upon the pallet, she gazed up at him, her eyes dilated with heated passion.

  Quickly, he shucked his pants and boots, and joined her on their makeshift bed. Naked, flesh to flesh, they lay side by side, enjoying the touch of their bodies. She was smooth, he was rough. She was soft, he was hard. She was silk, he was stone.

  Her fingers traced down his spine to his buttocks and then pulled him closer to her. With feather light kisses, she touched his eyes, his nose, his lips and whispered, “Do what you did before. Chase away my fears, make me feel that tonight will never end.”

  The words stung him like a barbed arrow. “Tonight will always be with us,” he whispered against her silky hair.

  He moved down her throat, his lips trailing soft kisses and raising goose bumps on a path to her nipples. He swirled his tongue around each rising point, nipping them with his teeth. She tasted like honey, moist and sweet.

  Her hands explored his naked thighs until she reached his manhood. Wrapping her fingers around him, she gently stroked.

  Disbelief held Wade still; then he encouraged her by moving her hand up and down in a satisfying motion. All concentration fled as he reveled in her loving attention. Gradually, he regained control enough to return the similar satisfaction and placed his hands between Rachel’s thighs.

  Finding the nub between her legs, teased her until her moans filled the wagon. Honey flowed over his fingers like sweet nectar as she writhed against him.

  He kissed her mouth deeply, with the promise of sweet passion to come. Clutching his hips, she tried to pull him to her, but Wade resisted the quick satisfaction she sought.

  Rolling over onto his back, he pulled her along with him until she perched astride him. Grasping her hips, he raised her over his rigid manhood, groaning as she took him inside. She answered his thrusts, meeting his upward motion, riding him with eager need.

  He was lost. The past was forgotten, the future suspended. Nothing mattered but the pleasure this woman demanded and delivered with each stroke.

  Rachel consumed him. The smell of her, the taste of her, overpowered him, filling his lungs with her very breath of life until he wanted this moment to be suspended forever.

  Wade felt more alive than he had in all his twenty-nine years. She was heaven, she was earth and she absorbed him with a passion he had never experienced before.

  While he wanted to hold back forever, to suspend this moment as long as possible, his body overcame him, sending him crashing into a stunning climax. A Rush of tenderness flowed over Wade as he clutched Rachel to him. For a moment, they lay quietly, waiting for their breathing to return to normal.

  What had living been like before he’d found Rachel? Somehow it seemed she had always been in his life. She was as much a part of his yesterdays as she was of his tomorrows.

  But the realty was, she was never meant to be a part of his tomorrows.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Rachel, are you awake?” Mary called.

  Rachel turned over, her hand bum
ping into a wall of steel, male flesh, and muscle. Sunlight peeked through the pucker strings of the drawn canvas at the end of the wagon.

  “Yes, Mary, I am.”

  Opening fully, her eyes collided with the emerald green of Wade’s. The heat from his gaze made her sizzle with the memories of their lovemaking the night before.

  But Mary’s voice brought the vivid recollection of Becky and Ethan’s betrayal and of their threat to tell everyone the truth regarding her and Wade’s marriage.

  Mary spoke rapidly. “I hate to bother you, Rachel, but Toby is sick and Grace says she isn’t feeling well either.”

  Sitting up, Rachel wrapped the blanket around her. She crawled to the opening and stuck her head out the drawn canvas.

  “What’s wrong with Toby?” Concern smote Rachel along with the cool morning air. “That boy never gets sick.”

  Mary stood outside the tent, holding Daniel, her face drawn and tight. She appeared to have aged twenty years since the night before.

  “His head hurts, and he feels warm to the touch. He didn’t want to bother you since you weren’t up yet.”

  The sun peeked over the eastern horizon, and Rachel realized it must be after six. The long night of lovemaking had led her to oversleep in Wade’s arms.

  Rachel scanned the still camp. “Where’s Grace?”

  “In the tent. She has the same symptoms.” Mary frowned and shifted Daniel to the other arm. “At first, I thought they were playing ill, but they’re not. Something’s wrong.”

  “I’ll be right out, Mary. In the meantime, maybe you should keep Daniel away from them.” She searched for her underclothes in the strewn garments that lay about, discarded.

  Shifting through the mess, she turned to find Wade pulling on his pants. “What’s wrong with the children?”

  “I don’t know. But Mary seems concerned.” Rachel found her chemise half-hidden under Wade’s shirt. Feeling self-conscious, she pulled the garment on.

  A frown creased Wade’s forehead as he slipped on his shirt. “About ten days ago we passed a wagon that had a case of measles. You don’t remember them getting near it, do you?”

  “I don’t think so.” A splinter of fear threaded its way down Rachel’s spine.