Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story)

by Peggy L Henderson

  Lucas wrinkled his forehead. Who had brought him here? The last vague memories he had were of . . . Black Sparrow. Lucas smirked. Had it all been a dream? Were the muddled images forming in his mind real, or just figments of his imagination while he teetered on the brink of death? Hell, if his thoughts were of Black Sparrow, and that they’d called each other friend, he had to have been dreaming, or more likely, having a nightmare.

  A hinge squeaked slowly, and feet shuffled on a wooden floor. Someone gasped. “He’s awake. Lucas is awake.”

  Lucas groaned as the shrill voice of a child ricocheted in his skull.

  “Caleb, cut out all the racket,” he called, and flinched when his own weak and raspy voice made his head pound even more, as if it would split in two at any moment.

  Voices murmured excitedly from the front of the cabin, followed by hurried footsteps on a wooden floor. His mother appeared through the door first, followed by Sophie, Joseph, and his father.

  “Lucas, oh my goodness.” His mother sat at the edge of the bed, her hand coming to rest on his forehead. Lucas smiled weakly.

  “Hey, Mama. How are things up on the Yellowstone?” he rasped.

  His mother glared at him in a disapproving frown. “Much better than they are here, I’m afraid. You had us all scared out of our minds.”

  Lucas chuckled, then flinched as a sharp pain rippled through his insides. He clenched his jaw, and cursed silently for being such an invalid. He braced his left hand against the mattress, and pushed through the discomfort along his sides while he heaved himself into a sitting position, leaning against the bed’s headboard. Dizziness swept through him from the simple move, and he blinked to keep from passing out again. His mother stood, and quickly shoved a pillow behind his back.

  “You know me, Mama. Nothing’s gonna slow me down.”

  His mother turned her head to look up at the people hovered around his bed.

  “Well this time you got stopped cold in your tracks, little brother,” Joseph scoffed. “You had a close call.”

  “Too close,” his mother said firmly.

  Lucas glanced from one person to the next. Everyone looked at him as if he’d come back from the dead. A sudden fear sent an icy chill down his spine. The one person he longed to see, needed to see above all others, wasn’t here. Had she safely made it back to the edge of the canyon? Had she found her way out of the mountains?

  “Where’s Tori?” His chest tightened again, this time with dread at the answer.

  Sophie smiled first. She stepped up to him and patted his hand. “She’ll be here in no time, I suspect, after Caleb tells her you’re awake.”

  A warm sensation of relief washed over him. “Is she all right?” His eyes lingered on his sister-in-law. Joseph chuckled.

  “That woman hasn’t stopped fussing over you since the army patrol brought you here four days ago. It’s a small miracle she’s left the cabin today to help her mother dish out supper for the soldiers. We urged Tori to spend a little time with Molly, since she will be heading back to St. Louis with the rest of the expedition in a few days. She’s mothered you worse than a grizzly bear with triplets. Hell, worse than Mama.”

  Sophie elbowed her husband in the side, and shot him a disapproving look. Joseph grinned sheepishly, and smiled at their mother.

  “You’re lucky you came away with only a few cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder, son.” Lucas’ father stepped up to the bed, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “The army surgeon said you probably have a concussion. He’s most likely right, judging by the looks of you with all them bumps and bruises on your head and face. He was worried because you didn’t come around the first day, and the few times you’ve been awake since, you weren’t quite with us most of the time.”

  Their eyes met and held. Silent understanding passed between them before his father spoke again. “But that was one brave and selfless thing you did up on that mountain, Lucas.”

  “I’d do it again if I had to,” Lucas said firmly. Tori’s lifeless face, the look of death in her eyes while she hung helplessly from that tree as she slipped away haunted his memory. He clenched his jaw. He’d been seconds away from losing her.

  The horror of watching her tumble to her death, then seeing the strap wrapped around her neck and her arm pinned to the tree would stay with him forever. He hadn’t hesitated when he tested the hold of the tree roots in the fragile soil. He’d known instantly that he would only have seconds to free her, and what he would have to do to ensure that she reached the edge of the canyon safely.

  The door creaked open again, and everyone moved aside as Tori came rushing into the room. Lucas’ heart sprang to life instantly. Exhilaration surged through him when her face lit up in a wide smile.

  “Lucas,” she cried, and rushed to the side of the bed. His good arm reached for her, and she sank gingerly to the edge of the mattress.

  “Come here,” Lucas breathed. “I ain’t gonna break.” He tugged on her arm, urging her closer.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Tori raised her hand to his face. Lucas leaned into her palm. The warmth of her touch was like a new life force, flowing through her fingers into him, flooding him with renewed vigor and determination to make his sore and battered body heal as quickly as possible.

  His eyes roamed over her face, then lower to her neck. He frowned. His hand reached out and traced the raw red line around her throat.

  “I almost lost you,” he whispered.

  Tori laughed nervously. “I almost lost you, you crazy fool.” She sniffled, and wiped at her face.

  He didn’t take his eyes off of her, his gaze settling on her lips.

  “Kiss me.”

  Tori didn’t hesitate. She leaned forward, and brushed her lips against his. Lucas brought his arm around her back, and pulled her fully up against him, not satisfied with her light kiss. His mouth closed over hers, his lips taking hers in a hungry clash.

  “Well now I’ve seen everything,” a voice called from the door. The small room was getting much too crowded as three men in uniform filed in.

  Tori pulled out of his one-armed embrace, and Lucas reluctantly let her go. He nodded toward David Matherson and Captain Raynolds, who looked rather uncomfortable as witnesses to what they had just seen.

  The man who had spoken moved to the side of the bed. He perused Lucas with a critical eye, then looked at Tori.

  “Your husband seems to have a constitution made of iron, Mrs. Walker. How he didn’t break his neck in that fall defies my comprehension. In all my years tending to the sick and injured, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “We grow them a bit hardier here than in the lowlands, Doctor.” It was his father who spoke with pride in his voice. Lucas shot a grateful glance his way. His mother, on the other hand, glowered at her husband. If she had her way, he would be coddled like a newborn kitten.

  “It’s best not to tell him that he’s made of iron, Doc,” Joseph chimed in. “Who knows what recklessness he’ll want to try next? You did say he might have a concussion?” He raised his eyebrows at the doctor, a hopeful look on his face.

  The army surgeon nodded. “More than likely.”

  Joseph nodded. “Well, maybe it will have knocked some sense into him.”

  Sophie’s mouth dropped open, and she glared at her husband, then everyone in the room chuckled. Lucas tuned them all out. He ran his hand up and down Tori’s arm, his eyes only on her, then brought her hand to his lips.

  “Let’s give these two some privacy,” his father’s voice came from the back of the room.

  “Yeah, this really isn’t a spectator activity,” Joseph chimed in. Everyone shuffled out, Caleb protesting loudly that he hadn’t had the chance to ask Lucas about his latest adventure.

  “Later, Caleb,” Sophie chided, and their voices drifted away down the hall.

  “I think we did real good, Evie,” his father said. His parents were the last to leave the room. Lucas’ eyes connected with his father’s just before h
e closed the door on his way out.

  The room fell silent. Tori lifted her eyes to meet Lucas’ gaze.

  “I love you, Lucas Walker, and if you ever do something crazy like that again, I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Come here. I said I ain’t gonna break. I need you close to me.”

  Tori eased herself fully onto the bed, scooting up next to him. He tugged her down beside him, urging her head to rest in the crook of his arm. She smiled up at him, pure love pouring from her eyes. Lucas kissed the top of her head.

  “Maybe it’s time we start down the path of a new adventure together, Mrs. Walker.”

  “Oh? And what adventure would that be? I’m not letting you out of this bed to go off on some foolish excursion any time soon.”

  “Suits me just fine.” He grinned. “In fact, that’ll go right along with my plans.”

  “What plans?” Tori glared up at him suspiciously. His arm tightened around her waist, and he ignored the ache in his ribs.

  “I think I’m up for something I ain’t never done before, and I have a feeling it might be my greatest challenge into uncharted territory yet.”

  “Lucas Walker, if you think I’m going to go riding off on some fool’s errand with you so soon after you-”

  Lucas dipped his head and silenced her with a kiss. The feel of her molded to him, her sweet lips on his, her fingers caressing his chest, took all his pain away.

  “I’d like to take on the challenge of being a family man, and raising us some kids in a little cabin I know along a string of lakes at the base of the mountains,” he murmured against her lips.

  Tori stiffened. She drew her head back and stared into his eyes as if he’d said something incomprehensible. He smiled, his eyebrows raised. Slowly, she relaxed, and her mouth widened.

  “And when would you like to start on that?” she whispered.

  Lucas glanced out the window at the sun dipping behind the mountains, then his gaze settled on the woman who was his future, his reason for living.

  “Just as soon as the sun sets behind the Tetons.”

  THE END

  Thank you for purchasing and reading The Teton Romance Trilogy. I hope you enjoyed the stories. Please consider letting other readers know about the books by leaving a quick review at the retailer of your choice.

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  Thank you again, and happy reading!

  Other Available Titles

  Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series

  Come Home to Me

  Ain’t No Angel

  Diamond in the Dust

  Yellowstone Romance Series (in recommended reading order):

  Yellowstone Heart Song

  A Yellowstone Christmas (novella)

  Yellowstone Redemption

  Yellowstone Awakening

  Yellowstone Dawn

  Yellowstone Deception

  A Yellowstone Promise (novella)

  A Yellowstone Season of Giving (short story)

  Teton Romance Trilogy:

  Teton Sunrise

  Teton Splendor

  Teton Sunset

  Find out more about me and my stories here:

  http://peggylhenderson.blogspot.com

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  I’m always happy to hear from my readers. Tell me what you liked, or didn’t like in the story. I can be reached via email here: ynpdreamer@gmail.com

  Dear Reader

  I hope you enjoyed the final installment in the Teton Romance Trilogy. The mountain range known as the Grand Tetons and their surrounding land became a national park in 1929.

  While I spend a great deal of time researching the locations and history I write about, and staying true to the descriptions of the land, I used actual dates and events loosely while writing this story. While Teton Sunset takes place in 1855, the Raynolds Expedition came to the Tetons in 1860, and Jackson Valley wasn’t actually inhabited by white settlers until 1887.

  The first white man to see the jagged peaks of the Tetons is believed to be John Colter, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. On their return trip down the Missouri River in 1807, Colter left the expedition with a couple of trappers and headed back into the wilderness. He spent several years trapping in the Rocky Mountains, eventually ending up in the valley at the base of the Tetons, which was later named Jackson’s Hole after trapper Davey Jackson. The name of the valley has been shortened to Jackson Hole. French-Canadian trappers soon found their way into the region, and they gave the Tetons the colorful name “le trois tetons”, meaning “the three breasts.” The Shoshone Indians who inhabited the area called the mountains Teewinots, which means “many pinnacles.”

  For several decades, trappers, Indians, traders, and outlaws passed through the valley, but the first permanent settlers didn’t arrive until 1887. The area, due to its high altitude, wasn’t suited for farming, but was ideal for grazing cattle.

  In 1859, Captain William Raynolds led an expedition into the Yellowstone Region of Montana and Wyoming to find out about the area’s potential for agricultural and mineral resources, and to map the region. The expedition included noted naturalist/geologist Ferdinand Hayden, and guided by legendary mountain man, Jim Bridger. Due to bad weather, the expedition never made it into the region that would later become Yellowstone National Park, but ended up further south in the Tetons. Due to the start of the Civil War, Captain Raynolds didn’t publish his report and research until 1867. Ferdinand Hayden would, in 1872, lead a government-funded expedition into Yellowstone, carving the way for the creation of the first national park.

  To find out more about Grand Teton National Park, and national parks in general, please visit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov

  Acknowledgment

  I want to thank all the people behind the scenes who helped make this trilogy a reality.

  My editor, Barbara Ouradnik – thank you for your countless hours of pouring over the manuscripts, offering your input and opinions on everything, and making sure the story shines.

  Carol Spradling, my critique partner, and my great team of beta readers: Heather Belleguelle, Lisa Bynum, Sonja Carroll, Shirl Deems, Becky Fetzer, and Hilarie Smith. Thank you for your opinions, your nagging, spotting typos, and your overall impressions of the story.

  Cover by: Collin Henderson