“I’m going to lock this thing from the outside, Elizabeth. I’ll use the key when I come back and I’ll knock first.” The door closed again and she was left alone with the promise of a clean body and a good meal to follow, one she did not have to cook, one that would not come from over a campfire. Life was almost perfect.
The sheriff was a fount of information, Cameron found. “I know who you’re looking for,” the tall, husky man said. “George Travis came into town with a couple of fellas from a ranch east of here. He’d walked as far as he could, and as luck would have it, those two cowhands found him under a tree, all tuckered out.”
“Is he all right?” Cameron asked anxiously. “Where can I find him?”
“He’s fine, far as I know,” the sheriff said. “And he’s staying at Ma Brown’s boardinghouse, down the street.” He opened the door of his office and motioned Cameron to step out onto the sidewalk with him. Lifting one hand, he pointed his index finger to the north a ways. “See that sign, past the hotel and post office? It says Boardinghouse on it, and that’s where he’s living. Might not be there now, but it’s likely he’ll show up there by suppertime.”
Cameron thanked the lawman and set off on foot to where he’d been directed. The house was large, set back from the road with a large porch across the front. The door was open and Cameron leaned inside, seeking the proprietor of the business. A large lady bustled down the hall from the back, where he assumed the kitchen was, her hands buried in her apron, wiping them dry.
“Yes, sir, can I help you?” she asked. “If you’re looking for a room, I’m full up, but I can offer a meal in about an hour.”
“I have a room already,” Cameron said, removing his hat and holding it at his side, “but I’m looking for a gentleman named George Travis. Have you heard of him?”
The lady grinned widely. “I sure have. He came in here a couple of days ago and took a room and he’s been all over town ever since, trying to find trace of his girl. They were on a wagon train that was attacked and burned. He got away, but when he managed to get back there the next day, there wasn’t no trace of his daughter, not hide nor hair.”
The fact that George Travis had sought his Elizabeth’s presence gave a boost of pleasure to Cameron. The man obviously was concerned for the girl, and would be happy to see her. “I know where Elizabeth Travis is,” he told the landlady. “Where can I find her father?”
“He’s out scouting around, like I said. But he’ll be back about any time now. He don’t miss a meal, George don’t. Will you join us?”
“We had planned on eating in the hotel restaurant, but this sounds like a good idea to me. I know Elizabeth will be happy when I tell her we’ve had success in finding her father. Just don’t spill the beans, all right?”
As the woman nodded in understanding, he slapped his hat in place and left the house, his good humor abundant as he imagined Elizabeth’s reaction when he gave her the news. The hotel was only ten minutes away, and Cameron’s long legs carried him there quickly. He gave a quick salute to the desk clerk as he headed for the stairs, and got his key out of his pocket, anxious to open the door where Elizabeth was waiting for him.
His quick rap announced his arrival and Elizabeth turned from the dresser with a smile. “I feel like a new woman,” she said. “I’m clean as a whistle, and hungry as a bear.”
“I’ve found your father.” All his plans for a gradual explanation of George’s arrival in town and the finding of his lodging place flew to the four winds, and Cam was delighted to clearly read the stunned expression of pure joy on Elizabeth’s face. She seemed paralyzed for a moment, and then flew across the room, her feet barely touching the floor, so quickly did she arrive in his arms. Her head tilted back and her eyes shimmered with tears as she gripped his neck, her hands sliding into his hair, her fingers tugging on his head, lowering it to hers, their lips meeting with an enthusiasm he cherished.
“I can’t thank you enough,” she whispered between sobs of joy.
“You just did, sweetheart,” he told her, his voice husky with an emotion he could not name, only knew that the woman in his arms was the source of his happiness at this moment.
“Oh, Cameron, I can’t believe it. You’ve found him.” she cried, her tears falling even though her smile was wide and her expression joyous. “Where is he?”
“In a boardinghouse at the north end of town. At least he’s going to be there for supper in a few minutes. I told the landlady we’d join them for the meal if it was all right with you.”
She laughed aloud then. “What do you think? Did she say he was all right? You didn’t see him, did you?”
“No, I didn’t see him, but he’ll be there when we get there. You get ready and I’ll take you to him.”
Her hair was damp, her face shiny, and yet he thought she was the prettiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. And she would be his. One way or another, he’d lay claim to this woman and make her his own.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth had never dressed so quickly, never worked so rapidly at drying her hair, and then forming it into a knot at the back of her neck. It made her feel older, more like a full-grown woman, and it seemed that the days of girlhood were long behind her. Those long-ago memories she could now recall, when her hair flowed free, waving and curling halfway down her back.
Yet the look on Cameron’s face when he took her measure was one she cherished. He smiled, and the movement of his mouth promised pleasure to come. He reached for her, his hands careful as he held her waist and inspected her with interest.
“You’ve never looked so much like a woman as you do right now. Your eyes are glowing and your skin is flushed. And your mouth is tempting me, sweetheart. I want to claim your lips, and then take off your pretty dress to see what lies beneath it.”
She felt heat rush over her body, a satisfying flush of triumph. This man wanted her, needed her, if she was any judge of matters. His hands trembled as they rounded her waist, his big body offered safety and comfort and above all, promised pleasures she had only dreamed of. Even if he didn’t marry her, she would surrender to him, and that knowledge made the heat rise within her once more.
“We’re going to have to find us a preacher before nightfall,” he said quietly, his hands tightening their grip on her. “I don’t think I can last another night without you in my bed, Elizabeth.”
“I’ll do whatever you ask of me,” she said, the words offering him her very soul, should he demand it. “I’ll do whatever will please you, Cameron. I only ask that I be allowed to see my father first. I need to know why he and Ben left me behind during the attack.”
“That bothers you more than you want to admit, doesn’t it?”
“I think I suspected Ben was a coward.” She shuddered at an errant thought. “I couldn’t have let him touch me, Cameron. Marriage to him would have been a living nightmare. But I need to understand why my father left me there unprotected.”
“Get your shoes on, sweetheart, and we’ll take a walk. You may have all your answers within the hour.” He settled her on the chair and sought out her low shoes from beneath the edge of the bed. “Here. Lift your foot and slide this on,” he told her, holding the shoe as she put it on. The second one slipped easily against her white silk stockings and the leather wrapped around her narrow foot.
“I think I’m ready,” she said breathlessly.
“A kiss for courage,” he told her, kneeling before her and wrapping his arms around her once more. His strong hand cupped the back of her head and he brought her closer, his mouth offering the gentle touch of warm lips against her own.
“Thank you, Cameron,” she said, rising as he tugged at her hands. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for my life. For taking care of me and bringing me here.”
“I had selfish motives, sweetheart,” he confessed. “I wanted you in my life, not just for days or weeks, but for all the years to come. And now I have you. You’re mine, Elizabeth.”
He esc
orted her to the door, locked it behind them, and then held her close as they descended the stairway to the lobby. “Are you up to taking a long walk?” he asked, bending to speak next to her ear.
“Of course,” she told him with a wry glance. “I’m young and strong and anxious to find my father.”
It seemed a shorter walk to Cameron, with Elizabeth by his side. She matched her steps to his, and he slowed his own to accommodate her shorter stride. They passed the shops that were closed now for the day, waved at the barber who swept his floor, the newspaper man who carried a stack of fresh newsprint, and slowed their pace as they looked into the windows of the Emporium.
“We’ll need to come back here tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll get supplies before we look for a rig to buy, to take us to my land.”
“Tomorrow?” she asked, her voice shaking. “We’ll leave town tomorrow?”
“Unless we have to wait to find a minister to marry us. I’d like to honeymoon with you tonight,” he told her, and felt the trembling that signified her fears. “Don’t worry about it, Elizabeth. I’ll be happy to hold you in my arms. I won’t make any demands of you.”
“I’m not afraid,” she said, and rued the trembling of her voice. “I’m really not.”
“Look. Just up ahead.” He pointed his index finger to a small house, nestled next to a simple, white chapel. “I’ll bet you that’s the parsonage. Let’s stop for a minute.”
Before she could offer an objection, he turned her through the open gate and up onto the porch. A quick rap of his knuckles on the door brought a young woman into view, a dish towel in her hands, a smile of welcome on her lips.
“Hello, there,” she said brightly. “I’m Pastor Timothy’s wife. Won’t you come in?”
“Just for a moment,” Cameron said, ushering Elizabeth before him into the small foyer. “We want to be married later on this evening. Does that seem like a possibility?”
Eagerness brightened the features of the small woman before them. “Timothy will be back in an hour, and we have no plans for the evening. When will you return?”
“Let’s say two hours’ time,” Cameron told her. “We’re going to have supper with Elizabeth’s father, and all three of us will be back.”
So easily it was plotted, and the wheels set in motion, Elizabeth thought. She held Cameron’s arm, her grip tight as they walked down the steps and back to the street.
“You said you wanted to talk to my father first,” she reminded him.
“I will. Just as soon as we see him,” Cam said firmly. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you? You told me in the hotel that you’re still willing to marry me and live here, even when your father goes on to Oregon.”
She only nodded, but her warm gaze told him what he wanted to know. She would not be an unwilling bride, of that there was no doubt. He stepped up the pace a bit, anxious to reach their destination, and discovered in the next few moments that he was not the only man who awaited this meeting anxiously. For coming toward them was a tall, broad-shouldered gentleman of perhaps middle age, his dark hair touched by gray at the temples, his eyes so like Elizabeth’s that there could be no doubt of her heritage at this moment.
His gaze fastened on the woman by Cameron’s side. His hands clenched as he walked, his mouth worked as he met Elizabeth’s gaze and his eyes filled with a glaze that could only be tears as he reached for his daughter, and held her closely to his chest.
“Elizabeth.” George Travis spoke her name as if he’d never thought to address his daughter again in this life. “Ah, Bethy, I’ve been so worried about you. I’ve tried to find you and had almost given up hope. Now this gentleman has brought you to me. I can’t thank you enough,” he finished, looking up at Cameron.
“I’ve brought her to you for two reasons, sir. First, because she was so worried about you, and needed to find you. Second, in order to ask your blessing on our marriage,” he finished.
“You’re married?” George seemed stunned, but rallied quickly. He set Elizabeth away from him, the better to look down into her eyes.
“Not yet,” Cam said, “but before nightfall. That’s if we eat quickly and get back to the parsonage in a couple of hours. The preacher is expecting us. All three of us.”
His words were careful, letting George Travis know his presence was needed for the ceremony to come. He heard Elizabeth’s soft sigh. Surely her father would…
“I’ll be honored to give my daughter to you in marriage,” George said quietly, looking into Elizabeth’s face. “If marrying you is her desire, I’ll gladly give you my blessing. But first I think you’d better introduce yourself, and tell me how you came to be my daughter’s future husband.”
Elizabeth spoke quickly, her words breathless. “He rescued me, Father. Brought me to his wagon train, kept me with him and took care of my wounds. Actually, the doctor who was traveling with the train sewed up my face, but Cameron was there through it all. He kept me safe, gave me his feather tick and his pillow and his wagon to sleep in.”
“Do you want to marry him, Bethy?” her father asked, his smile sad yet filled with a tenderness he made no attempt to hide. “Does he make you happy?”
“I could live without him, Daddy, but I’d mourn forever if I lost him. Finding a life with Cameron seems to be a fine goal for my future. Here, where he has property and wants to build me a house.”
“Where is your property?” George asked his future son-in-law.
“Just north and a bit west of here,” Cameron said. “I have over a hundred acres, enough land to run a herd of horses, enough money to build a house and barn, and muscle enough to make a good home for your daughter. If you’ll give us your blessing.”
“You have it, son,” George said, a hitch in his voice that signified deep emotion.
“I hate to lose you again so soon, Daddy,” Elizabeth said softly. “I know you’re determined to go on to Oregon, but you can always come back here if you want to. To visit or even make your home with us.”
George looked down at her. “Somehow, Oregon doesn’t seem so inviting anymore,” he said with a smile. “I wanted us to find our future there, but it looks to me like you’ve found your own way without my help. Perhaps I’ll consider staying near Denver.”
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around the man who had fathered her, hugged him close and wept against his chest, her hands gripping tightly to the flannel shirt he wore.
“Don’t cry, Bethy,” he said, lifting her face with long fingers beneath her chin. “I want to know that you’re happy. And if marrying this man will make it so, I’m in favor of a wedding tonight.”
“Sir.” Cameron’s eyes darkened as he gained George’s attention. “I need to know about the man who traveled with you. I believe Elizabeth said his name was Ben.”
“It was,” George said harshly. “Now it’s the name on a bit of wood stuck in the ground at the head of his grave.”
“What happened?” Cameron’s eyes were dark with a fury he did not attempt to conceal.
“I shot him,” George said. “He ran off when the raiders began burning the wagons. I almost drowned before I caught up to him. All I could think of was my girl, left alone, and that rotten excuse for a man left Bethy behind without a second glance. I was almost out of my head, torn between taking my girl with me or chasing Ben down, hoping to bring him back to help me keep her safe. But he said he wasn’t going to lose his scalp for any woman, and I lost it. I killed him, and then buried him, and made up a board with his name carved on it. Even that seemed to be stretching my Christian duty, I fear. After that, my memory has an empty space, until the next day.”
“Your daughter almost died there,” Cameron told the man. “It was only through the mercy of an Indian brave that she survived. He could have taken her scalp or even carried her back with him to his camp. He did neither, just left her there to be found.”
“How was she injured?” George asked, his hand lifting to touch the scars on her chin and forehead. Rough, red
dened flesh that had not yet faded. He winced as he waited for a reply.
“The men who grabbed her from the wagon threw her to the ground, and at least one of them hit her. I could still see the marks of his fists when I found her the next morning.” Cameron closed his eyes as though he were recalling the event, those moments when he’d feared for her survival.
And then he took Elizabeth’s arm and motioned for George to join them, walking toward the boardinghouse where their supper awaited.
It was good, solid, nourishing food. Mrs. Brown was a talented lady, Cameron decided, able to feed over a dozen men and one very beautiful lady, with little trouble, it seemed. Elizabeth was scrutinized by the men who lived in the house, her natural loveliness a source of pleasure to the hardened men who seldom saw a real lady.
Cameron felt his protective instincts rise, and then realized that no harm would come to her here. His impatience for the meal to be over weighed heavily on him though, and when the last plate was cleared, the apple pie dished up and pronounced nectar from the gods, he was ready to leave. He drank his coffee hurriedly, his gaze fixed on the woman he wanted, and would soon claim as his own.
As if she didn’t notice his fretting, she spoke quietly with her father, told him of the past weeks, inquired about his own health and safety, and then when he whispered something that pleased her, she laughed, a silvery sound of joyful delight, wholesome and happy. Her head turned to Cameron as he inhaled sharply and rose to escort her from the table.
“You’re happy to see your father, aren’t you?” he asked quietly, so low that only she heard his words.
“Oh, yes,” she said, sighing a bit. “The best part is knowing he’ll be close by.”
“He can come with us, if he wants to, Elizabeth. We’ll build a house large enough for all of us to live together. Even extra rooms for the children we have.”
Wed Under Western Skies Page 10
