Now, he stared up at the sky, an endless blue not marked by puffy white clouds. God was up there, looking down even now.
And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. The words came to him as though spoken out loud. That was from the Bible, a passage he’d memorized long ago.
He raised his face to the warmth of the morning sun, letting his eyes drift closed. “I know, God. I see it now. I’m going to need help, though.” He’d been so submerged in his misery these past months, he had a feeling it would take a lot of leaning on God to carry him forward.
Opening his eyes, he breathed in as a breeze ruffled his hair. Peace. He’d not known it in so long, yet he could feel it now. Sweet relief.
He glanced around, taking in the snowbirds hopping through the cluster of dormant vines near him. “What now, God?” Should he carry on with his plans to ask Monti?
One of the birds bounced up beside another, twittering and cocking its head. The other animal waddled forward to close the distance between the two, then rubbed its head against the shoulder of the first bird.
He didn’t move as the animals seemed to almost embrace in an intimacy he’d never seen before from birds. Hadn’t God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone? Not good for animals, nor for people.
He raised his face to the heavens again. “All right. I’ll ask, but you’ll have to make her say yes.”
As he walked back toward the cabin, he almost let himself imagine what it would be like if Monti accepted his marriage proposal. Soon. He would ask her very soon.
MONTI EYED JOSEPH OUT of the corner of her eye as they rode side-by-side.
When he’d returned from his walk, he seemed different. Lighter, somehow, and determined. As though he’d settled something in his mind and was ready to get on with it.
And now, he wouldn’t tell her exactly where they were riding to. He’d just said he wanted to show her something.
He caught her look and smiled the kind of grin she hadn’t seen on his face very often. The look that said he had a secret and was bursting to tell her.
Maybe...perhaps she could use the womanly wiles she’d been blessed with to get it out of him. Or maybe she’d just sit back and enjoy the outing with him.
They didn’t ride far, just about a quarter hour before Joseph reined to a stop at the opening to a small valley. It was flanked by a cliff on one side and a low hill on the other. Near the hill sat a line of trees that probably contained a creek, if she were to guess based on what she knew about the landscape in this area.
The whole valley seemed a natural enclave, a haven of peace.
Joseph sat at the entrance staring out over the land with a wistful expression on his face.
“This is nice, isn’t it?” She raised her chin as a gentle breeze brushed her face.
He looked over at her. “You think so?”
“I do.” She met his gaze with a smile.
He nodded, as though her words had settled something in his mind. Then he nudged his horse forward. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
As she followed him into the valley, the sun seemed to warm the place more than it had outside the shelter of the mountains. He rode toward the trees, then dismounted when they reached the edge of them.
He came forward to help her down, but she slid off her horse before he could reach her. As they tied the horses to branches, she peered through the dimness of the trees. “Is there a stream in there?”
“There is. It might be frozen, though. I haven’t been here in a couple months.”
She started to step into the woods, but he grabbed her hand as she walked by him. “Wait a minute. I want to ask you something first.”
The edge in his voice made her pause and search his face. Lines had formed under his eyes as if he’d not slept well.
“What is it, Joseph?” She stepped forward and pressed both of her palms to his chest. If only she could slip her arms around him and take away all his worries.
He rested his hands on her elbows, then stroked his palms up her arms and around her back, leaving a warm heat everywhere he touched, even through the layers of her coat and clothing.
She kept her focus on his face, waiting for him to explain. His brow had puckered, and he seemed to be preparing his words. Or maybe thinking through whatever had him so uptight. “What is it?” She knew better than to press, but surely they could solve the problem better together.
He met her gaze then, his eyes a clear amber that seemed to look through to her very soul. “Will you marry me, Monti?”
The question hung in the air as she tried to absorb it.
“I know I—” He stopped short. “I—” Again he stalled, as though biting down on his words. His face scrunched as if the taste of them were sour.
She wanted to jump in, to laugh and say, yes, a thousand times yes! But something inside made her keep silent. He needed to speak whatever made him hesitate.
At last, he let out a long breath and met her gaze again. “You’re so extraordinary. It’s hard to imagine you’d say yes, but I’m asking. I still have so much work to do on myself, but with God’s help, I’ll get there. And I can promise you, I’ll work ’til my dying breath to be the man you deserve.”
His words tightened an ache in her chest, and she raised one hand up to cup his cheek. “You only need be the man God made you. That’s enough for me.” She’d said those words before, but she’d never meant them as much as she did now. And she’d say them a thousand times again if they helped. “And, yes. I can’t think of a greater honor than to become your wife.”
His gaze turned hopeful. Earnest. But he still had those worry creases under his eyes. “Are you sure? You can say no.”
She gave him a dramatic sigh and stretched up on her toes. “You’re impossible.” She pressed her gloved hands to each of his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “I didn’t plan to marry. Didn’t want to, until I met you. You make me see that there’s more to life than what I can do myself. Sometimes, I have to let others in.” She pulled his forehead down to hers, and she breathed him in. “I want to let you in.”
Then she slipped her hand behind his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss.
His mouth was warm on hers, his kiss a gentle caress that sent warm tingles all the way through her. But then he came back for a second, then another. Each one infused with a passion that awakened her senses, pulling her closer, lighting her on fire.
He stopped long before she was ready, pulling back only a little until his forehead rested on hers. Their breath mingled, warming her already heated face. Making her want to pull him close again.
But instead, she let herself relish the feel of him. The nearness of him. Oh, Lord. You’ve been good to me, indeed.
“I never dreamed God would be so good to me.” His voice was a husky murmur, and his words brought a smile to her face that stretched her cheeks.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” And she snuggled in closer.
Chapter Twenty-Three
This gift I never thought I wanted...I now can’t imagine life without.
~ Monti’s Journal
TWO MONTHS LATER
Joseph straightened, clasping his hands in front of him as his sister stepped from the cabin. His chest thumped loud enough he could hear it in his ears. But when she closed the door behind her, the knot that had formed in his midsection over this last half hour of waiting pulled tighter. Had Monti changed her mind?
Emma walked toward him with purposeful steps, and if it weren’t for the slight tipping up of her lips, he might have charged forward to take her by the shoulders and shake her. Where was Monti?
His sister didn’t speak as she marched across the expanse of grass and through the cluster of Indians who’d become friends over the past two months. Hollow Oak reached out to her, and Emma stopped to tweak one of the girl’s braids, receiving a beaming smile in return. Thank God, the remedy Simeon had put together seemed to be helping the girl. Although she still
grew short of breath easily, she’d not been ill enough to stay abed since she recovered from her fall on the ice. And the swelling seemed greatly reduced in her limbs.
The girl’s mother stood behind her, hands resting on her little shoulders. Fighting Elk seemed like a sentry beside his little family, and a short distance away, Thunder Rumbles stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His feet spread in the stance of a warrior.
As Joseph met the man’s gaze, he had to swallow down the lump in his throat. This Indian brave had proved deserving of the word brave. The night he’d stepped in to help Joseph save Monti, the man had shown a courage and selfless valor few could boast. Thank God none of his Peigan comrades had been mortally wounded. They’d even recovered most of the stolen horses.
And over the weeks Thunder Rumbles had come to help Joseph build this cabin, Joseph had come to respect the man even more.
Thunder Rumbles now held his gaze, and the corners of his mouth slipped up a tiny bit.
Thank you, friend. Hopefully Joseph’s gaze spoke his thoughts.
The other man nodded.
Emma proceeded past the Indians and now stopped before him, less than a foot away. He searched her eyes, trying to read the truth in them. He’d always been able to read Emma’s mind, and usually her heart, too.
Now, what he saw reestablished that lump in his throat.
She reached up and cupped his cheek, then stretched up on her toes and kissed his freshly shaved jaw. “I’m proud of you, Joey.” Her words were a whisper, meant only for him. “I wouldn’t be able to give you up if I didn’t know you’d be happy.”
He wrapped his arms around her. His twin. Pressing his face in her hair, he breathed in the gift God had blessed him with. One of the many. One of the most special. “I know it.” His eyes burned, and he took in a breath to clear them.
Then he set Emma back so he could look into the eyes that matched his exactly. “You’re not losing me, though. In fact, I think I’ve finally been found.”
She smiled through glimmering eyes, then sniffed and stepped back.
And that was the exact moment the door to his cabin opened—his new cabin. The one tucked in the valley with the stream. The one he would share with Monti.
She stepped from the house and turned to face him. In her yellow gown with the flowers and lace, she was the image of a French princess. Soon to be his French princess.
She walked toward them, a bouquet of holly branches in her hands, the only flowers to be found in the northern winter. Yet nothing could dim her beauty. The way she glowed as she neared, her eyes shining. Her smile dazzling. Her face tilting up toward him.
He reached for her, taking her hand as they neared. Even as they turned to face the priest, his dear friend Antoine, Joseph couldn’t quite pull his eyes away from her.
Who would have thought a simple errand to fetch the priest’s cousin would bring him back to life? And this life, full of so many mercies from God, was better than anything he could have imagined.
Epilogue
Bone of my bone.
~ Joseph’s Journal
SIX MONTHS LATER
Joseph stared out over the valley, then to the snowcapped peaks stretching as far as he could see, rising into the heavens. He could never quite get enough of the view here. The wild beauty of this land still had the power to fascinate him.
Soft footsteps approached from behind, and he turned to see the face whose delicate features still made his heart leap every time he looked at her. His French princess. The sun shone on her russet-colored hair, framing her smile with its golden rays.
He reached for her, and she came to him, settling in front of him to look out over the majestic mountains she claimed to love as much as he did. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her hair as she leaned back against him. This...was perfect. Truly.
“I can’t imagine a moment more perfect.” Monti’s voice held a wistful tone that matched the longing in his chest.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “You read my thoughts again.”
She glanced up at him, and he took the opportunity to take her lips in a quick kiss. Just to remind her how much she was loved.
When she straightened, she settled her hands over his, then moved his right hand lower on her swelling middle. “The little one’s enjoying the moment, too. Do you feel that?”
He kept himself perfectly still, every nerve straining to sense movement under his hand. “I think... Was that a kick?” The touch was almost a flutter, like nothing he’d ever felt before. A thrill surged through him at the thought of the new life growing inside her. The life they’d both helped create. It all still seemed too much to fathom. Too wonderful.
She turned her face to him again, a smile spreading across her lovely face. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
He couldn’t help another kiss on that upturned mouth. “My thoughts exactly.”
HELLO FRIEND!
I pray you enjoyed Joseph and Monti’s story! Here’s a peek at the next book in the series, This Freedom Journey. This is a novella (meaning a half-length novel) that tells the story of Aunt Mary and Uncle Adrien—back when they first met.
Here’s a quick peek at the first chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter One
This journey I take seems foolish to others, yet I can’t help the yearning that fuels me.
~ Adrien’s Journal
JANUARY, 1833
Rupert’s Land, Canadian Territory
Adrien Lockman trudged through the snow, the frames of his snowshoes carrying him at least two feet higher than the weary mule tracking behind him. Mountains rose on either side, but this narrow gap between the rock cliffs kept the wind from badgering them. Much.
Maybe he should try to build a shelter between these mountains to spend the rest of the winter. Protection on two sides was better than nothing. And he’d have access to the hot springs he’d stumbled on the day before. Water any time he needed, even though the stuff smelled murky.
But something drove him onward. Maybe the fact that these winter months were the last chance he would allow himself to explore unfettered. When spring came, he’d be building a house in that wide valley he’d found a couple days before. That open land spread far enough to raise a host of cattle and horses. Live life on his own terms. He’d have responsibilities, but the kind of his own choosing.
Until then, he planned to cover as much ground as he could. Explore as far into these great rocky peaks as his snowshoes would take him.
Wind gusted against his face, blowing up a cloud of icy pellets covering the ground. At least only a little snow was falling from the sky today.
He pulled his fur cape higher over his face so only a slit for his eyes was open to the elements. As he pushed on, the wind battered more, blowing its cold fury to sting his eyelids.
The blinding white swirled around him, thick enough so the cliffs beside him vanished. How much fell from above and how much was blown up from below became impossible to decipher. The brutal icy air churned like a dense cloud restricting his ability to judge distance.
Should he stop and wait for the wind to die down? The biting cold had benumbed his limbs, giving him little choice. He wouldn’t last much longer in these fierce elements without shelter.
He continued forward and to the right, reaching out to feel the cliff side before he ran into it. Poor Domino trudged behind him, soldiering on. The reluctant mule must have resigned himself to freezing to death some time yesterday, when he’d stopped balking at the belly-high snow.
After a dozen strides, Adrien’s hand still hadn’t struck the wall of mountain that spanned them on the right. Perhaps the cliff had tapered to a low hill at this point. The snow swirled thick—so thick he could only make out objects a few feet ahead.
He stopped, then turned to his left toward the cliff that held court on that side of the narrow trail. He progressed a dozen strides that way. Where was the mountain?
The first solid stab of fear twisted in his
chest.
Oh, God. Have mercy on me.
He had to find one of those cliff walls. Or maybe the cliffs were gone now, and the land had opened into a valley. He might never find shelter. To this point, the snowy wilderness had been an adventure. But in this freezing blizzard, with no barriers around him to tame the torrent of wind and snow, he might very well freeze to death before nightfall.
His mother had predicted the territories would eat him alive. God, please don’t let her be right.
No sudden stillness split the howling wind in answer to his prayer. Nor did he feel a voice inside him giving direction on how to save himself.
But he had to do something. He couldn’t stand here wishing for sunshine while his body turned to an ice block.
He turned back to Domino, stroking under his ice-encrusted forelock. The mule blinked snowy lashes at him.
“We’d best keep walking. I’d rather die doing something than standing still.”
He adjusted his position to what should be straight forward on the trail between the mountains. Unless the blizzard had his senses more off-kilter than he’d thought—a deadly possibility.
Pushing off on his snowshoes, he tried to keep going in a straight line. A minute passed, but the going was slow with the wind beating against him and his spirits plunging.
He should start singing. The only song that came was that rowdy barroom tome that had played over and over from the building beside his hotel in Quebec. He’d hated the song then, but maybe today the tune could help him survive.
He forced out the lyrics to “A Lady of High Degree.” The effort to move his cracked lips caused them to ache, but at least pain meant he was still alive.
Halfway through the second verse, a wooden blur appeared ahead of him. Adrien squinted, trying to discern the shape. A building?
Dragging his snowshoe-laden feet forward, he moved close enough to touch the icy surface, his thick leather gloves meeting solid wood.
This Wilderness Journey Page 18
