Wasn’t it the same with men back east? Hadn’t Andrew’s father suggested that he keep a mistress, or several? If all men thought it was all right to have a wife but keep a mistress, then she’d rather never marry.
Wife! He’s never given any indication that he wants to marry you.
Sophia sucked in a deep breath. Joseph would never find out how deeply he had hurt her. She’d almost told him she loved him if Caleb hadn’t interrupted earlier. She was thankful for that now. It saved her the humiliation of spilling her heart to him.
“You’re back,” she said without emotion, for lack of something better to say. In no mood to listen to his excuses and explanations, she wouldn’t bring up his wife.
Joseph’s eyes roamed her face as if searching for something. He stepped closer.
“I hope Caleb caught some fish. I’m rather hungry and tired,” she said, stepping to the side to move past him. Joseph reached for her hand. She pulled away, and tensed.
“You wanted to tell me something before I left.” Joseph’s eyes drew together.
Sophia raised her chin, and forced a smile.
I love you, that’s what I was going to tell you. I’m glad now that I didn’t get the chance.
Bearing her heart to him, only to find out he loved another woman would have been worse than learning the true reason Andrew asked her to marry him. He was only after her father’s money. What did Joseph want from her?
She cleared her throat. “Yes, I wanted to tell you that I’m glad to finally meet my grandfather, and . . . and ask if there is a chance we can return to Boston before winter. I miss my father.”
Joseph’s face hardened. The warmth in his eyes extinguished slowly like a flame deprived of air.
“Afraid not. You’re stuck here until spring,” he said, his voice clipped and unusually harsh. His jaw muscles tensed, then he stepped away from her. “I didn’t see any evidence that the shooter is nearby. We should be safe here tonight, but Lucas and I will keep watch. I’ll go check on those fish.” He turned abruptly and headed back toward camp.
Sophia stared after him, the tears rolling freely down her face.
*****
When the large cabin came into view, Sophia’s heart thumped nervously in her chest. For the better part of the morning, they had followed the course of the Snake River running parallel with the Teton mountain range. Tall reeds and willow bushes interspersed with colorful aspen trees that displayed their glorious fall colors. Shades of yellow, orange, and red mixed with some deeper browns to create a spectacular palette of color against a clear blue sky and the white peaks of the mountains. The marshlands soon gave way to an ever-widening valley. The knee-high grasses had turned a fall yellow, and the stillness in the air was marred only by the constant chirping of crickets. Nestled along a slow flowing creek stood a cabin and several barns and outbuildings.
“I hope Mama is fixing a good supper, ‘cause I could eat my horse,” Lucas nearly shouted as they approached the home. He kneed his horse into a gallop and raced across the meadow toward the cabin. Caleb shot a hopeful glance toward Joseph, who nodded silently. With a triumphant whoop, the boy gave his horse a nudge, and raced after Lucas.
Joseph remained silent. He hadn’t spoken much with anyone since the night before, and had set a fast pace all morning. Apparently, he was in a hurry to reach his home. Sophia mulled over what she had said that would cause him to be so upset with her. He should be glad to reach the end of the journey. He’d seemed eager to pursue the man who threatened their lives. Perhaps that was what was on his mind.
“I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been, growing up here,” she said in an attempt to make conversation with him. Her eyes swept the valley. Horses and cattle grazed off in the distance. She guided her mount closer to his, and glanced at him.
Joseph stared ahead for a moment, then directed his gaze at her. “It sure isn’t Boston.” The icy tone in his voice startled her.
“No, I can see that it isn’t.” Her brows drew together.
“I hope the accommodations will be acceptable.”
Sophia frowned. What had gotten into him? He’d been difficult to figure out on this journey, but never had he reacted with open hostility toward her before. Fighting the urge to reach over and touch his arm, she gripped the horn of her saddle instead.
If anyone had cause to be angry, it was her. She wasn’t the one who had kept secrets from him. He’d led her to believe he cared for her while married to another woman. Inside, her heart was breaking, but she would not allow him to see it. Sophia bit her lower lip, then squared her shoulders.
“I’ve slept on nothing but hard ground for weeks, Joseph. You haven’t heard me complain. I’m sure wherever I sleep from hereon will be just fine.”
“Well, since you’re so eager to return to the comforts of Boston, I thought that . . .” Joseph’s voice trailed off.
Sophia turned in the saddle. She maneuvered her horse to block his mount, and glared at him. “Thought what?” she demanded. “What cause do you have to be angry with me, Joseph Walker? I said I missed my father, not that I missed Boston.” She swept her hand toward the mountains. “I love it here. I can feel these mountains calling to me, as if something deep inside me knows that this is where I am meant to be, where I came from.”
Sophia inhaled a deep breath, trying to keep from shouting at him. Damn the man for making her fall in love with him.
“And,” she continued, her voice shrill no matter how much she tried to remain composed, “I’m not the one keeping secrets. I will not share your affection with another woman, especially a woman you are married to.”
With an exaggerated jerk of her arm, she yanked the reins across her horse’s neck and kicked him into a run.
Damn him! She swiped her hand across her face, even as the wind blew the tears off her cheeks. This was not how she pictured meeting his parents.
Pull yourself together, Sophia. A lady does not show her feelings. She must act and remain composed at all times. Lucy’s words rang in her ears. Her maid never told her what to do about a broken heart.
Approaching the cabin, Sophia pulled back on the reins to slow her horse. Caleb and Lucas had already dismounted. A woman emerged from the house, a wide smile on her face. Her auburn hair was pulled back and braided in one long rope down her back, just as she’d seen Kara wear her hair. Sophia had preferred to keep her tresses unbound since leaving St. Louis, liberated from the confines of pins and nets.
The woman embraced Lucas, who flinched. She stepped back and assessed him critically. “Lucas Walker, what trouble have you gotten into this time?” she asked loudly, glaring at him. She had to raise her head to look up into his face. Despite her harsh words, concern was written in her eyes.
“Took a bullet for Joseph,” Lucas said, grinning. “It’s nothing, Mama.”
“A bullet? What on earth?” The woman glanced at Caleb, then toward her. Her hands flew to her mouth. Sophia reined her horse to a stop beside Caleb’s gelding, and dismounted.
“Mrs. Walker?” she asked tentatively. She held out her hand, and forced a smile on her face. Behind her, a horse had come to a stop.
The woman grabbed for Sophia’s hand, then pulled her into a fierce hug. Sophia stood stiffly in her arms, and tentatively returned the gesture. The warm, loving embrace of a motherly figure was not something to which she was accustomed.
“Joseph, so good to have you back. Your mother’s been worried that you wouldn’t return before the first snow,” a deep male voice said from behind them.
“Hello, Papa,” Joseph answered. “Yeah, we finally made it home.” His voice sounded strained.
“Alex, look at her,” Joseph’s mother released her. Her eyes pooled with tears. She looked at Sophia and grabbed for her hands again, clasping them between her own. “Forgive me. I’m Evelyn Walker, and there’s no doubt who you are. Your mother gave you the name Little Raven, but your father called you his la petit Sophia.” She took a step bac
k. One of her hands trembled, and she held it to her mouth. The tears flowed from her eyes. The older man appeared at her side, and placed his arm around her shoulder, drawing her to him. Broad-shouldered, with midnight black hair streaked with gray, the man’s eyes were of a startling blue. The resemblance with his sons was unmistakable.
“How do you do, Mr. Walker.” Sophia bowed her head when no one spoke. Her eyes darted from him to Evelyn.
“You look just like your mother,” Evelyn whispered, still staring at her in disbelief. Her head turned to look up at her husband. “Doesn’t she look just like Whispering Waters, Alex?”
“She does,” the man said quietly. His eyes left her to glance at someone behind her. “You had a safe journey, I take it?”
“We’ll tell you all about it. I’d like to get the horses taken care of, and perhaps eat some supper.”
Evelyn grabbed Sophia’s hand. “Where are my manners? Of course you must be tired and hungry. Come inside, and you can clean up a bit while I fix something to eat. We’ll put you up in Joseph’s room. He’ll have to bunk down with his brother.”
Sophia dared a glance over her shoulder. Joseph stood by his horse, watching her intently. A sudden pain jabbed at her heart. His expression was different than it had been all morning and the night before. The longing she’d seen in his eyes over the weeks was back. The intensity of his stare nearly took her breath away. More confused than ever, she followed Joseph’s mother into the cabin.
Chapter Seventeen
“Goddammit, Lucas!”
Joseph grabbed the back of his brother’s shirt and shoved him up against the barn wall. “Why’d you have to spew off your big mouth and tell her about Feather in the Wind?”
The reason for Sophie’s sudden desire to return to Boston had become clear to him when she mentioned his former wife. Why she would think that he was married baffled him, but there was only one person who could have told her about Feather in the Wind. If Lucas hadn’t opened his big mouth, this would have been an entirely different homecoming.
Lucas groaned and spun his body around, facing Joseph. His fist swung forward, and Joseph ducked before it connected with his jaw. Lucas lunged and rammed him in the chest with his good shoulder. Joseph stumbled backwards, and lost his footing. Lucas toppled over him and they both landed with a loud thud on the hard packed ground. A horse sidestepped, its hooves narrowly missing Joseph’s head.
“What the hell is going on here?” a loud voice boomed.
Lucas grimaced as he sprang to his feet, and clutched his injured shoulder. His chest heaved. Joseph rolled to his side and sat on his haunches. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced up at his father’s piercing stare.
“Your mother hasn’t seen you in six months,” Alex Walker glared at him, then shifted his gaze to Lucas. “Or you in over one month. You come home with a bullet hole in your arm, and now the two of you are in here fighting like a couple of tomcats? I thought all that nonsense stopped more than ten years ago.”
Joseph scrambled up from the ground and wiped at the dust on his britches. He sucked in a deep breath. What the hell had gotten into him? He’d never lost control of his emotions like this. When Sophie asked him the previous night if she could return to Boston this season, his worst fears had been realized. Anger and loss such as he never felt before consumed him like a raging forest fire. Before that, he’d almost convinced himself that Sophie wanted to stay here. He’d seen the joy in her eyes at seeing the mountains, and he was ready to declare his love to her.
Dammit! He hadn’t done anything right. Because of his carelessness, a killer was after them, and now the woman he loved above all else thought he was a two-timing cheat. And his father had to dress him down as if he was ten years old again.
Joseph glanced toward Lucas, then back to his father.
“We were just having a discussion, Pop,” Lucas said, still catching his breath. “I think we’ve worked it out. Ain’t that right, Joseph?”
Their father’s glare intensified. “This wouldn’t be over a certain young lady, would it?” His brows rose as he stared from Lucas to him.
Lucas chuckled. “No worries, Pop. We ain’t a couple of bulls fighting over the same cow. Joseph here is the one who’s got his eyes set on Raven, er . . . Sophie. We just had a slight misunderstanding.”
Their father’s lips twitched slightly. He assessed Joseph for several seconds.
“My friend Laurent Berard, Raven’s father, predicted you and she would end up married someday.” A haunting sadness clouded his eyes. “You probably don’t remember much about it. You were only five years old, and she was two, but she used to follow you around nonstop. You used to hide whenever Laurent and Whispering Waters came to visit, and made sure all your belongings were out of her reach. She loved digging in the dirt with your freshly carved wooden arrows.” A wide grin spread across his face. “You would get so angry, and call her a stupid girl. I think, even for a two-year-old, she found it amusing when she could rile you like that.”
Joseph stared at his father, trying to conjure up any memories of his early childhood with Sophie in them. Hearing him talk of them as children convinced him even more that she was meant to be his. Her own father would have given his blessing.
“What are your intentions toward her, son?”
His father met his stare with unwavering eyes. Everyone seemed to know his intentions except Sophie. It was time to change that. His father gave him a knowing smile.
“This time, invite us to the wedding.” He patted Joseph on the back, and turned to Lucas. “I suggest you two shake hands and clean yourselves up, and don’t upset your mother with any more fighting.” His smile transformed into a stern look, then he left the barn.
“You’ve got it worse than I thought,” Lucas panted when their father was out of earshot. He glared at Joseph through narrow eyes. “How the hell was I supposed to know you haven’t told Sophie about your former wife. What’s the big secret, anyhow? Maybe you should stop acting like a coward and tell her that you love her. I think women like that sort of talk.”
Joseph reached his hand out to his brother, who stood staring at him warily.
“Sorry,” he mumbled when Lucas finally clasped his hand.
“Tell her you love her, then maybe you can be yourself again.” Lucas shook his head in disgust.
Joseph nodded. “Seems like it should be that easy.” He gave a short laugh.
“You had no problem with Feather in the Wind.”
Joseph contemplated his brother’s words. “That was different. I was younger. It wasn’t the same.”
It hadn’t been the same. Feather in the Wind had set his young mind and body on fire, but beyond a youthful infatuation, he couldn’t remember what had attracted him to her. She’d often displayed a bad temper, getting angry quickly and holding a grudge for days. Her decision to return to her own people had been the best thing that could have happened to him. He was free to love Sophie, even if she was under the mistaken impression that he was still bound to Feather in the Wind.
Lucas shook his head and laughed. “I ain’t never been in love, so I won’t judge you, but like hell is a woman gonna intimidate me enough to make me act like some bumbling fool. I’d just as soon square off with an angry wolverine.”
Joseph grinned. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t conjure up an image of the type of girl who would ever capture his brother’s heart enough to make him grow roots.
“Joseph. Lucas. Mrs. Walker says to wash up. Supper’s almost ready.” Caleb dashed into the barn, skidding to a stop in front of them. Joseph was pleased to see such happiness in the boy’s eyes. His mother was sure to spoil him rotten.
He had a lot of explaining to do to his folks about Caleb, but his first priority was to make things right with Sophie. He’d messed up. His fears of losing her had overruled his common sense, and he’d completely mishandled the situation.
All you had to do was tell her you love her and that you want her to stay
. Instead, he’d managed to cause her pain by concealing his feelings. He’d been blind to the hurt look in her eyes the previous evening and again today, but things were suddenly crystal clear.
“Well, I’d best get it over with,” Lucas grumbled. “Mama’s gonna want to know about that bullet hole in my shoulder. You comin’, Joseph, or should I tell her myself that there’s a killer after you?”
Joseph reached into the pouch tied to the back of his saddle, and pulled out a parcel wrapped in paper. Rummaging for the smaller parcel that smelled like lavender, he held it to his nose. Sophie didn’t get the chance to wash with the fragrant soap the last time he offered it to her. Luckily, he’d been able to return to the pool where they’d been shot at and retrieve it before they continued their journey. He handed both parcels to Caleb.
“Can you bring these to Miss Sophie?” he asked. “And tell everyone I’ll be along soon.”
Caleb nodded, and dashed like a little dust devil out of the barn. Lucas raised his brows.
“Great kid. Your family’s almost complete. All that’s missin’ is a wife.”
“I aim to fix that soon,” Joseph said with a grin on his face.
After Lucas left the barn, Joseph unbuckled his belt and pulled his dirty shirt off over his head. He found the lye soap he washed with and headed out the back of the barn toward the creek. Splashing cool water on his face and chest, he rinsed the trail dust from his body. He knelt in the grass and gazed up at the mountains. The sun slowly sank behind the tallest peak, leaving a golden glow across the valley.
Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story) Page 37
