If Daniel had managed to get outside, he could be anywhere. He’d definitely not been in the barn or in the yard. He would have greeted her, and she would have at least seen or heard him. Molly rushed out the door. She held her hand against her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun reflecting off the snow.
“Daniel,” she called, racing down the porch steps. She nearly slipped on a patch of ice, flailing her arms to keep her balance. Calling the goose’s name over and over again, she headed toward the back of the house. Maybe he was at the creek and all her worries were for nothing.
A slight trickle of water flowed as she reached the creek. Most of it was frozen over with ice. She followed the water upstream, repeatedly calling the goose’s name. Each time, she was met with silence. There wasn’t even a slight breeze to break up the stillness in the frigid air. A raven made his presence known in a nearby tree, but his clicks and caws only served to amplify the surrounding quiet.
Molly trudged on through the snow, heading further away from the ranch. Staying near the water was the logical thing to do. Daniel would have sought out a place to swim.
After a short while, the terrain evened out as she came closer to the edge of the forest. Molly blinked away the tears as she continued to call to the goose. He seemed to have vanished into thin air. Had he finally learned how to fly? Her insides churned with dread and despair, and her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. If Daniel had left, she’d be truly on her own.
Another raven fluttered by, then a goose honked.
“Daniel?” Molly squinted into the sun the best she could, but the brightness reflecting off the snow nearly blinded her.
The honk came again, followed quickly by several others. Off in the distance, a flock of geese waddling through the snow was barely visible, but their distinct dark heads against the whiteness of the landscape gave them away.
Molly redoubled her efforts to reach them. After trudging through a rather deep snowdrift, she stumbled and fell. Her hands were already numb from the cold, but the snow bit into her skin like little knife pricks. She scrambled to stand, surprised that the snow wasn’t as deep a few steps onward, but the ground was slick.
She glanced down. Her mouth opened in surprise as her brain realized where she was. Before she could move, a loud crack echoed through the stillness and the ground shifted beneath her. Molly screamed not a second before the ice underneath her gave way, plunging her into deathly cold water.
Chapter 9
The Third Day of Christmas, December 27, 1876
Storm frowned as he pulled his horse to a stop in front of Cobb’s Penn. Where was Molly’s horse? He peered down the street. Perhaps she’d made her purchases and had gone to visit some of the other ladies who still resided at La Maison. His saddle creaked as he dismounted.
Storm cast a look at Wolf, who wagged his tail expectantly beside him.
“Stay. I’ll be right back.” He looped the reins around the hitching rail, then entered the mercantile.
Liam stood by the counter, talking to a raven-haired woman. They both glanced his way. Liam smiled and strode toward him, holding out his hand.
“Storm. Didn’t expect to see you in town again so quick. You usually don’t show yourself more than once or twice a month.”
Storm smiled. “The visit on Christmas Eve was a bit unplanned, but as you know, it was my grandfather’s doing that I was in town that day.
Liam chuckled. “Yes, being told you’re about to get married - without knowing about it beforehand - would be rather surprising for any man. I met your lovely bride a short while ago.” He glanced at the woman standing next to him. “This is Avis Smith, by the way. She’s been, ah, helping me out in the store since she arrived with the rest of the brides.”
Storm glanced at the woman. Her slightly tanned complexion was unusual for winter, along with her dark hair, made her stand apart from some other women, but only added to her beauty. He studied her some more. Was she –?
“Your Molly and Avis were getting caught up with news a little while ago.” Liam’s forehead scrunched. “We introduced ourselves, and then she said she had to go. She seemed to be in a sudden hurry.”
“She was fine when she came into the store. I was glad to see her, and she was happy and cheerful one moment, then upset the next,” Avis Smith added.
“Yes, right after I congratulated her,” Liam chimed in. “I said I was surprised that you’d decided to go through with the wedding. You seemed rather out of sorts on Christmas Eve about what your grandfather did.”
Storm stared at Liam, then frowned. “You congratulated her?”
“Molly said she was your intended. Since she was living at your ranch, I assumed you’d changed your mind and went through with the wedding.”
A kick to the gut by a horse couldn’t have been more agonizing. Storm cursed under his breath. Molly’s abrupt departure and why she’d seemed upset made perfect sense now. She didn’t know - or at least, she hadn’t known until a short while ago - that Storm hadn’t sent for her.
All this time, she’d been under the assumption that he’d been the one to ask for a bride, not Ezra. Damn. After leaving the livery, he’d been all set to talk to her about it, tell her everything, and then ask her if she was agreeable to give this marriage thing a try with him.
She’d asked him about his Indian heritage on the ride into town, a subject he steered clear of. She hadn’t judged, hadn’t frowned on him, hadn’t looked at him any differently because of his mixed blood. It was time to let her know he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since he’d first seen her at the saloon.
The ride back to the ranch would have been the perfect opportunity. They would have had privacy from Ezra as well as the goose. He could have even told her that he’d come up with a possible solution for Daniel. It was time to get home and make things right with her and let her know that he wanted to take the chance if she was willing to marry him.
He nodded to Liam. “I need to get home and talk to my future wife.”
“I hope I didn’t say anything to upset her,” he called after Storm.
“Nothing I don’t plan to set right as soon as I talk to Molly.”
Storm left the mercantile. He pulled his gelding’s reins from the hitching post and leapt into the saddle without even putting his foot in the stirrup. The horse kicked up snow and slush behind him as Storm nudged him into a lope heading down the street and out of town.
Wolf bounced along in front, barking as he ran down the street as if sensing an urgency to get home. Someone who had most likely gotten sprayed with the slush from the horse’s hooves cursed and yelled at him from behind, but it didn’t matter. He needed to get home to Molly and tell her everything. No doubt she was mad as a wet hen. Before taking the road out of town, he rode past La Maison to make sure Molly hadn’t stopped there, but her horse wasn’t in front of the building or anywhere else. It was safe to assume she’d gone straight to the ranch.
Sure enough, when he led his horse into the barn, Molly’s gelding was in one of the stalls. He breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t be all that upset since she’d put her horse up in the stall. Then again, Molly cared deeply for animals. It was one of the things he’d come to appreciate about her. Who else would take in a goose as a pet and treat it like a child?
Storm grinned as feelings of warmth and contentment flowed through him. The only other times he was this at peace was when he was alone in the mountains or working with one of his horses. Thinking of Molly gave him the same sense of serenity.
He peeled the saddle off his gelding’s back and led the horse into his stall. After making sure both horses had hay to eat to keep warm, he headed for the cabin.
“Molly?” he called as he opened the door. A quick sweep through the room confirmed she wasn’t there. Kunu shifted in his rocking chair. The old man groaned and sat up, sputtering and clearing his throat.
“What are ya making all that racket for? Can’t an old man get a few
minutes of sleep around here?”
Storm ignored Kunu’s grumbling.
“Is Molly here?” He didn’t wait for a reply, but headed for her bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. His heart beat fast in his chest as nerves took over as if he were about to face a predator. How was he going to start this conversation?
He held up his hand and hesitated. Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath for acting like a coward. Inhaling a deep breath, he knocked. The door creaked open further. The expected honking and charging of an irate goose never came. Storm frowned.
“Molly?”
Hesitating, he pushed the door open all the way and glanced into the room. It was empty. He stepped into the room. Everything looked neat and tidy. The bed was made, a pitcher of water stood on the dresser, and a nightdress was draped over the chair in the corner. Molly’s bag sat at the foot of the bed.
Everything appeared normal. Everything except that Molly wasn’t there, and neither was Daniel. A sudden emptiness inside him brought a shiver up his spine. Where was she?
Storm turned and left the room. Kunu was pouring a cup of coffee at the stove. “Have you seen Molly?”
The old man faced him and slurped from his cup.
“I’ve been asleep. Finally had a little peace and quiet around here and took advantage of it. I ain’t seen her since before she went into town with you.”
“Molly locked Daniel in her room before we left.”
Kunu chuckled. “That thing was makin’ such a racket in there, I let him out. Seems he don’t like being cooped up. He made himself comfortable on Wolf’s blanket by the fire, and we both took a nap.”
“They’re both gone.” Storm gritted his teeth.
“Whataya mean, they’re both gone? Molly went with you into town, didn’t she?”
Storm shook his head. “She came back without me.” He hesitated, then grumbled, “She found out from Liam Fulton that I’m not the one who drew straws for a bride.”
His glare at Kunu was short-lived. The anger over what his grandfather had done was gone. He should be thanking the old man for being right. What if he’d lost Molly before he even had a chance to tell her he wanted a future with her?
“Ya think she left?” Kunu set his cup on the table and headed for his old room to peer inside. “All her things are still here. She couldn’t have gone far.”
The old man turned to face him. “If she decides to leave, it ain’t nobody’s fault but your own. That gal has been a ray of sunshine around here, and ya ain’t got the sense to see it. Even her goose ain’t so bad.”
Storm smiled. He stepped in front of his grandfather, who continued to grumble. “I agree with you, Kunu.”
Ezra stopped and stared up at him. He raised his brows in surprise. “Ya do?”
“Yes, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. You’re right about Molly, and I wanted to tell her today that I think we ought to get married.”
Kunu’s face brightened. He laughed and slapped Storm on the back. “It’s about time ya come around. Almost thought I’d raised a mule for a grandson.” He glanced at the front door. “Ya’d best go find her and tell her. She couldn’t have gone far. Probably went and took her goose for a walk.”
“I hope she’s not too upset at what we both did.” Storm sought eye contact with Kunu. Neither one of them had been truthful with her. The old man nodded.
“Guess we both oughta apologize. Go fetch her back.”
Storm left the cabin. He scanned the yard and the area beyond the first corrals. Where had she gone? The goose was nowhere to be seen or heard, either, which was a first. He looked toward the back of the cabin where the creek flowed.
Wolf barked, dancing around in front of him. The dog ran and disappeared around the corner of the cabin.
“I know you don’t like that gander, either, but we’re all going to have to figure out a way to get along,” Storm called after his dog. He followed the exuberant canine, who bounced through the snow ahead of him, heading for the creek.
Molly had definitely come this way. Her prints followed the path to the creek, then veered off toward the forest. The only thing missing were goose tracks. Several ravens fluttered about. Their cawing noises sounded eerie in the stillness of the afternoon. The sun was already low on the horizon, making the shadows long and the lighting dim.
“Molly,” he called. The only response was a loud protest from the ravens. Seconds later, Wolf barked. The dog was a good distance ahead of him. It sounded as if he was near the pond.
The loud honking of a goose quickly joined the barks. Storm smiled. Clearly, Wolf had found Daniel, which meant that Molly couldn’t be far away. He trudged through the snow, quickening his strides. His breath swirled in gray wisps in front of his face. With the sun disappearing behind the mountains, the temperature was dropping quickly.
Storm came over the rise that led to the meadow and the pond. On the far side near the tree line that marked the beginning of the forest, a flock of geese rested on the icy banks. They didn’t hold his attention for long, however.
Closer to him, Wolf danced around the edge of the pond, and Daniel flapped his wings, honking loudly. The two weren’t in a scuffle for once, but the gander reached his neck out to bite at Wolf whenever the dog came too close. The shape of a person on the ground, partly submerged in broken ice, froze his heart.
“Molly!” Storm ran through the snow as fast as his legs allowed. His heart pounded at his temples. She’d clearly been unaware of where the snow ended and the pond began, and she’d fallen through the ice. She wasn’t in deep enough water to make her sink, but her skirts would have weighed her down enough to keep her trapped. With temperatures this cold, it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to . . .
“Molly.” There was no time to go back to the ranch to get a rope. Molly wasn’t moving.
Storm splashed through the frigid water, ignoring the barking of the dog and the wild flapping of wings and startled honks of the goose. The cold instantly seeped through his boots and clothes. He gasped, but continued on. The water wouldn’t reach past his waist.
He reached for her, grabbing a limp arm and pulling her toward him. His legs were already numb from the cold water. Another minute, and he wouldn’t be able to feel his lower extremities anymore.
“I’ve got you, Molly. I’ve got you.” He pulled her close, lifting her as far out of the pond as possible. Her waterlogged skirts made her as heavy as lead.
Storm pushed his way back to the banks of the pond. He stumbled, but kept his footing. Laying her down in the snow, he touched his fingers to her neck, then let out a sigh of relief. He peeled his jacket off and wrapped her in it, not that it would do much good. He had to get her back to the ranch.
Lifting her fully into his arms, Storm carried her back toward the cabin. He wasn’t going to lose her now, not after he’d decided he wanted to marry her. Wolf panted as he bounced through the snow, and Daniel honked and flapped his wings as he tried to keep up.
“Hold on, Molly. I’m going to get you warmed up in just a minute. You hold on, you hear?” he whispered against her icy cheek. Her skin was as pale as the snow and her lips were the color of the dusky blue sky.
A soft moan escaped her mouth, and what sounded like his name.
“Yes, it’s me. You’re going to be all right. We’re almost back to the cabin, then I’ll get you warmed up.”
He held her closer, shivering as he hurried along. Molly still hadn’t moved, and she wasn’t shivering, which was a bad sign. Storm redoubled his efforts to get to the cabin. Had they been further away, he would have built a fire and removed her clothes to warm her up, but as close as they were to the warmth of the cabin, he’d risked taking her there instead. What if his decision had been a mistake?
He mentally shook his head. He wasn’t going to think about that now.
“Kunu,” he called as soon as he was within earshot of the cabin. The door pulled open almost instantly. “Get the fire going.”
Storm stumbled up the porch steps and into the cabin. Each breath was agony, but he ignored his own exhaustion.
“What happened?” Kunu tossed some logs on the fire.
“She fell through the ice in the pond.” Storm didn’t stop and carried Molly to her room. “Get the fire going, and I’ll need hot water, so get some heating on the stove.”
Storm placed Molly on her bed while he barked orders at his grandfather. He peeled off his boots, stripped out of his shirt and wet britches, then fumbled to remove Molly’s drenched clothes. He stripped her of everything but her thin chemise, averting his eyes as best as he could. Kunu appeared seconds before Storm tucked Molly under the covers and joined her, pulling her into his arms and holding her head against his chest.
“Is she gonna be all right?” Kunu’s eyes swept over the bed, but he didn’t say anything. The old man was well aware that sharing body heat was the quickest and best way to warm someone up who was suffering from exposure. He tossed a couple more blankets over the bed.
“Can I do anything else for ya?”
“Keep the fire going to warm the place up, and take care of Wolf and Daniel.”
Kunu nodded. The satisfied smirk on his face didn’t go unnoticed before the old man left the room, closing the door behind him.
Molly stirred, and a low moan escaped her throat.
“Storm?”
“Shhh, it’s all right. I’ve got you. You’re going to be all right.”
Whether he spoke the words for her sake or to reassure himself didn’t matter. She was going to be all right. She had to be. Storm held her tightly against him, molding her to him so she could absorb his body heat. She was still as cold as the frozen pond.
Minutes passed as he lay there, holding and stroking her, murmuring words of comfort and encouragement to her.
“I think I love you, Molly Norris. Don’t you dare die on me now.”
He kissed the top of her head when she shifted again. A shiver rippled through her body, then another, until she trembled uncontrollably in his arms. Storm smiled, holding her even tighter. Her body was warming up. She was going to be all right.
The Goose_The Sixth Day Page 9
