Their Frontier Family

by Lyn Cote

  Noah rested his head against hers. “I wish I could feel that.”

  She still had trouble believing in forgiveness herself. “It’s trusting God. Maybe it just takes time.”

  “What did Old Saul say about this...I mean, me being chosen?” Noah’s heart thudded with dread.

  “He says he’s praying about it and wants to talk to you.” She gently stroked his face.

  Then Dawn called out from her hammock below, “No-No!”

  Noah chuckled low in his throat. “Somebody’s awake.”

  Sunny loved how Dawn’s waking up amused him. She stirred, feeling languid, loved, complete.

  “Take your time, Sunny. I’ll get her up.”

  She listened to him, rustling down the ladder and over the half-log floor. She stretched and sighed with satisfaction. Oh, Lord, please let this continue, this new harmony.

  She rose and got herself together. She hoped she’d added enough water and salt to keep the stew from drying out completely. Noah must be hungry. She, however, was filled to the brim.

  * * *

  The next afternoon Noah rode into the clearing at Old Saul’s place to face this thing. This thing that had shaken him to his core yesterday. He and Sunny had agreed they would not leave Pepin. They’d put too much into their home and their community. So Noah must find a way to do this thing—or bow out gracefully.

  Contrasting with his despair just twenty-four hours ago, Noah could not recall feeling as good as he did today. The final barrier between his wife and him had been breached and he couldn’t stop the joy inside him. And last night with Sunny snuggled against him, he’d slept without one nightmare. With this thought he called out, “Hello, the house!”

  Lavina opened the door and stepped outside. She smiled. “My father-in-law said he thought you’d stop by today. Come right in.”

  Noah dismounted, hitching his horse to a low branch. Inside the door he doffed his hat and let his eyes adjust to the dim interior, preparing himself.

  “I’ll leave you two alone to talk. I have a garden that needs weeding.” Lavina left them, shutting the door after her.

  Noah gazed at the old preacher as if seeing him for the first time.

  “I’m glad you’re here. Come sit beside me, son.”

  In that startling moment Noah felt as if he’d come home from the war—at last. This proved to be the welcome he’d been longing for, the one his own father had not been able to give him.

  Noah swallowed down the emotion this sparked and went to sit beside the narrow bed. “Old Saul, I’m grateful you treated Sunny so kindly.”

  “You have been blessed with a special, very sweet woman. Hearing what she went through hurt me for her.”

  “It’s not right, the way she was treated before.” Noah’s voice sounded low in his throat.

  Old Saul reached out.

  Noah accepted his hand.

  “Have you come to start learning from me?” Old Saul asked, searching his eyes.

  Noah had come to try to get out of this new responsibility. But with these words his heart leaped.

  His name had been the one chosen. Did God know what he was doing? Noah’s uncertainty didn’t disappear, but he could approach this now. “Yes, I’ve come to start learning, but...”

  Old Saul raised his eyebrows in question.

  “I think there should have been two of us. More like the apostles—they picked two.”

  “In a way. But you’re right. We will hold a second drawing. Better to have a deacon to help you. Did you bring your Bible, son?”

  “It’s in my saddlebag.” Noah realized that this revealed that on some level he must have decided to accept his new responsibility even though he hadn’t thought that true. This added to the strength growing inside him.

  “Bring it in. We’ll pray and read some passages about pastors.”

  So began Noah’s education to become the next pastor.

  God, You chose me. Now get me ready.

  * * *

  A triumphant shout rose in Noah’s throat and joined those around him. The last piece had been set in place on the roof of his barn. Though panting and perspiring, the men around him beamed. Old Saul sat on his rocking chair in the shade, his feet propped high on a footstool Noah had crafted for him.

  The old preacher clapped his hands momentarily and then let them fall. This show of the older man’s weakness saddened Noah. Not long ago Noah had unloaded much of his feelings about the war to Old Saul. Just getting them said aloud to a man who understood had been healing.

  Gordy clapped Noah on the back. “Well, one barn down and seven to go!”

  Noah grinned. “You’re always such a cheerful cuss.”

  Much to his surprise Gordy had been chosen by lot as the first deacon for the Sunday meeting. Now Gordy and Noah met weekly with Old Saul, learning about the Bible and how to pastor. Noah looked forward to these sessions.

  The women came forward to admire the new barn. The structure only needed a door and bar to latch it, both of which Noah would craft himself. He looked around for his wife, but didn’t see her. “Where’s Sunny?”

  “She’s with Neechee,” Nan said with a smile as big as the sky. “Neechee’s already birthed one pup.”

  “Why didn’t somebody tell me?” Noah squawked. He turned and pelted toward his cabin. Hoots of laughter followed him.

  He stopped at the open cabin door and doffed his hat and wiped away his sweat with his pocket handkerchief. “Sunny,” he asked as he entered, “how’s our Neechee doing?”

  “Just fine.” Sunny held up a chubby brown-and-white pup. “This is number one.” She nodded toward another pup, which the mama was grooming. “And I think there may be a number three.” Sunny had laid an old ragged shirt of his before the fire and that’s where Neechee lay.

  Noah knelt by Sunny’s side and stroked Neechee’s head. The dog whined her pleasure at seeing him, then went back to licking clean the second pup.

  Before long a third pup slid forth, and Neechee was done.

  “I guess this means that the little Ojibwa boy will get his pup,” Gordy said from just outside the open door.

  “And that means,” Noah said, as he turned, proudly holding one pup high, “that you and Martin will each get one, too.”

  “This is a big day,” Gordy pronounced. “The first barn done and three pups born.”

  From behind Gordy came the sound of cheerful congratulations from others who were resting from their labor on the benches and chairs outside.

  Dawn woke where she’d fallen asleep on her blanket on the floor near Sunny. The baby knuckled her sleepy eyes.

  “Look, Dawnie,” Noah said tenderly. “Puppies.”

  The little girl looked astounded and crawled quickly over to Neechee.

  Still kneeling, Noah laid the pup back by the mother and then drew Dawn to stand beside him. “These are our puppies. Pup-pies,” he repeated.

  Dawn looked puzzled but then bounced up and down, bending her knees. She clapped her hands.

  “That’s right,” Sunny said. “Today is a day for clapping hands.” She clapped her hands, too.

  Noah chuckled and clapped his, his heart lifted high and singing. He would never forget today, ever. God had been good to him. He knew that now. And he was immeasurably grateful.

  Epilogue

  With her shawl wrapped around her, Sunny stood in the chill autumn afternoon. Isaiah had come to say goodbye and to claim Miigwans’s puppy. Tomorrow at dawn, the young man would be heading north to help Sam White and see how Bid’a ban was faring. Sunny felt joyful and sad at the same time.

  Noah stood beside her with Dawn in his arms. “I wish I could go with you.”

  Sunny knew what he meant. She wished she could see her friend again. How c
ould she and Bid’a ban have bonded so deeply in such a short time? “Maybe someday we’ll go visit them.”

  Recognizing the longing in her tone, Noah brushed her cheek with his lips. Then he handed her Dawn and lifted the leather bag of gifts they and their friends had gathered for Bid’a ban—fabric and buttons and needles and thread and other little items that would travel light but be of use to her.

  Onto the young man’s shoulders Noah positioned the sling he’d fashioned for Isaiah to carry the pup. Then he went to Neechee and bent to pet her. “It’s time for your last pup to go to his owner, Neechee. You remember Miigwans. He’ll take good care of your little one.” He lifted the pup and stowed it in the sling. “You be a good traveler, okay, little pup?”

  Neechee rose to her feet and barked as if in farewell.

  Isaiah patted the pup in the sling and murmured to it. “He’ll be good company for me. Well, I best be off. Mom cooked a big dinner at noon and is baking me a cake for my last supper at home.”

  Sunny hugged Isaiah and petted the pup. “Be good, both of you,” she teased, lightening the mood.

  Noah shook hands with the young man and bid farewell to the pup. Then he stood with his arm around Sunny and watched the lad ride down the track and disappear around the bend of trees. From Sunny’s arms, Dawn waved bye-bye. Neechee barked but remained at her master’s side.

  “I’ll miss having the last pup here,” he said at last.

  Sunny turned to him and gave him a smile. Leaning close, she whispered, “I think we’ll have another little one around here come next summer.”

  At first he didn’t understand her. But when she placed his hand on her abdomen, he grasped the news. His heart skipped a beat.

  “You mean it?” This was too good to be true. A child?

  She nodded and then leaned her head on his chest. “Are you happy?”

  “There aren’t words,” he murmured as his heart exploded with joy. He kissed her fragrant hair and tucked her closer.

  Dawn objected loudly to being pressed against him so tightly. “Pa-pa!”

  He lifted the child from her mother’s arms. “Papa, is it? Now you know who I am?”

  Arms wide, Dawn threw herself against him in one of her impulsive hugs. “Pa-pa!”

  Noah drew Sunny under his arm and he stood with his family, bursting with love and gratitude. Never had he imagined such blessings.

  Thank You, God, a thousand times, thank You.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Handpicked Husband by Winnie Griggs!

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Sunny and Noah’s story. Sunny was a character in the book Her Healing Ways, the last in my GABRIEL SISTERS series. When I finished writing that book, Sunny’s character just wouldn’t let me fail to tell her story. And then in my mind I saw her in the meetinghouse and Noah stood up and proposed. And I was off—typing as fast as I could.

  I set this series, WILDERNESS BRIDES, in Wisconsin, now my home state. And I chose Pepin because someone very important was born there—do you know who?

  Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Pepin in 1867. Pepin is where Little House in the Big Woods took place. You may have noticed the Fitzhugh family—Charles, Caroline and their daughters, Mary and Laura. Yes, they are patterned after the Ingalls family. And yes, the Ingallses left for Kansas in 1869, the year this story takes place. But the Ingallses weren’t done with Wisconsin. Maybe you’ll see the Fitzhughs return in the next book...

  You’ve already met my next “Wilderness” bride, Miss Ellen Thurston from Galena, Illinois, the daughter of a wealthy family. Now, what drove her to leave home—and who will she fall in love with, I wonder?

  Lyn Cote

  Questions for Discussion

  Why do you think Noah decided to ask Sunny to marry him?

  Can you think of any reasons that Noah’s father and he didn’t get along?

  The Civil War was a bloody war, around 600,000 men died, more than any other in our history. The toll this took on the survivors—families and soldiers that returned home—is almost unimaginable. How did Noah show the aftereffects of the war

  How did Noah’s healing begin?

  What was Sunny’s worst fear?

  What caused her to face this fear?

  Had you ever heard of the Ojibwa tribe? Did you realize that Native Americans had served in the Union and Confederate Armies?

  Why did Sunny have trouble believing God had forgiven her sins?

  Have you heard of what used to be called the double standard? This is very evident in this story. Can you give me an example?

  What do you think of Ophelia’s mother? Why do you think she acted the way she did?

  Noah became a leader even though he didn’t want to. What qualities did he have that drew him to the forefront?

  Quakers or Friends are pacifists and were conscientious objectors in the twentieth century. Why do you think Noah decided he must go to war?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical story.

  You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

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  Chapter One

  Northeast Texas, 1894

  An ear-splitting shriek ricocheted through the forest, startling a raucous cloud of blackbirds from the roadside trees.

  “Easy, Trib.” Adam Barr patted the horse’s neck as the animal shied. What now?

  The buggy behind him slowed to a stop, but Adam ignored it, along with the uneasy questions from the three men seated inside. He’d promised to escort the men from Philadelphia to Texas, not be their nursemaid.

  The wailing continued and Adam fought the urge to tilt back his head and answer with a wild, full-throated howl. He’d gritted his teeth so often these past few days the muscles in his jaw hurt. Taking on this job when more important business waited for him in Philadelphia had him in a foul mood, as his companions could no doubt attest.

  After six years of biding his time—six years, two months and thirteen days to be exact—he’d thought he could finally pursue his goal without distraction.

  If this assignment had come from anyone but Judge Madison...

  Adam scanned the brush-skirted hardwoods lining the trail. Whatever the source of that eerie sound, it was headed their way.

  He eased his rifle from the scabbard. Anticipation stirred his blood. He might have to employ his “company manners” with his three charges, but this bellowing beast was another matter.

  No telling what manner of creature roamed this forsaken backwoods. The wail was too high-pitched to belong to a bear. A large cat maybe?

  He urged Trib closer to the trees. There seemed to be a pattern to the sound, a certain mangled cadence. Almost as if—

  Well, what do you know?

  He leaned back. Not a wild animal after all. Too bad.

  “Do you think it’s a wolf?”

  Adam glanced over his shoulder. Chance’s expression, like his tone, held more eagerness than worry. Did the kid think it would be some kind of lark to face down a wolf? Of course, from what Judge Madison had told Adam, the twenty-one-year-o
ld was on this expedition precisely because he was prone to seek out trouble.

  “Sounds more like an infernal wildcat.” Everett adjusted his shirt cuff with exaggerated care, doing a creditable job of appearing unconcerned. But his British accent was more pronounced now, something Adam noticed happened when anything rattled the dandified cynic.

  Mitchell, who controlled the skittish carriage horse with ease, refrained from comment. Nothing unusual in that. The loose-limbed bear of a man had spent most of the trip west with a sort of sleepy-eyed disinterest. What was different, however, was the subtle alertness that radiated from him now, as if he were a cavalryman waiting for the enemy to appear over the rise.

  Another strident note drew Adam’s focus back to the roadside. He didn’t bother to disabuse them of the notion that it might be a wild animal. It’d do the pampered trio good to have something to worry about besides the unorthodox plot they’d gotten themselves embroiled in.

  “Perhaps you should get the carriage moving,” Everett said. “I’m sure our escort can handle this better without us to distract him.”

  “We shouldn’t abandon Mr. Barr,” Chance shot back. “He might need—”

  “This is about common sense, Junior, not courage,” Everett interrupted. “Besides, I do believe Mr. Barr is more interested in getting rid of the lot of us than having us guard his back.”

  “I told you before—the name’s Chance, not Junior.”

  Adam’s jaw tightened. Everett was right. Even if it had been a grizzly headed this way, he’d rather face that than listen to more of this petty bickering. This assignment couldn’t be over soon enough to suit him.

  A heartbeat later, the source of the ear-grating racket stepped onto the roadside. As soon as the creature caught sight of them, the discordant warble ceased.