“I don’t think they mean us any harm.”
He didn’t feel good about this. Things could get ugly...and fast. But Penelope looked determined, so he knew this was going to happen whether he liked it or not. He nodded and stood up. “Fine. But I’m going with you.”
He followed her as she approached the three men on horseback who had stern looks on their faces. He forced aside the urge to shove her back behind the wagon when he saw that she had lowered her rifle. What was she doing? He decided that one of them needed to show common sense, so he held his gun at eye level. Never mind that his knees were shaking and he had a hard time holding the gun steady. The important thing was that he looked like he knew what he was doing.
She stopped in front of the Indian in the middle of the group and slowly said something. It sounded like a question.
The man who she directed the question to pointed to the south and spoke to her. Then he waved his arm through the air, said “Woape”, and made a sweeping motion with his hand before he beat his chest and let out a long howl.
This was worse than watching a movie in a foreign language, Cole decided. At least in movies, they had subtitles...and he’d be safe in the theater instead of out here.
Penelope set her gun down.
“What the-” Cole began.
She shook her head at him. Before he could protest, she directed her attention to the man, said, “Woape,” and made a cradling motion.
The man’s eyes widened and asked a question.
She nodded.
He pointed to Cole.
Cole’s jaw dropped. Was the Indian suggesting that he got Woape pregnant?
Penelope nodded and said two words.
“Are you kidding me? I didn’t do anything to her,” he replied.
She glanced at him. “Not you. We’re talking about a white man. You represent white men.”
He relaxed, but only slightly. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not exactly sure but it sounds like their village was raided after Woape was kidnapped. The Indians here have been searching all over for her. They didn’t know she got with child until I told them. I don’t think they want to hurt her. I heard him say ‘daughter’. He must be her father.”
As soon as Penelope headed back for the wagon, Cole joined her. “What are you doing?”
“I need to talk to Woape.”
Cole was torn between keeping the gun aimed at the Indians and going with her to find out what was going on, but he finally decided to stay where he was. If one of the men put an arrow in his bow, he’d need to shoot.
He glanced at Penelope as she talked to Martha, also known as Woape. Cole wasn’t sure what to call her anymore. The young woman handed Penelope the baby and slowly got out of the wagon. Cole directed his attention back to the men and noticed that the man in the middle, her father, had a caring look in his eyes. That was when Cole realized he could relax. The man wasn’t there to harm her. If what Penelope said was true, then he was happy to see his daughter again.
Woape lumbered toward the men, her head bowed and seeming unusually small. That was when Cole realized that she couldn’t be older than seventeen. In his time, she’d be in high school, not out on the prairie with a newborn. She was much too young to have gone through everything she had—whatever the details of her life were. He knew he’d never know the full story.
As he listened to her father talk to her in a soothing tone and her hesitant reply, he understood that everything was going to be alright for her. He relaxed and let the gun rest at his side.
Woape turned to Penelope and said, “I go.”
Penelope nodded and handed the baby to her mother.
“Penelope,” Woape said, looking down at the baby. “Name of baby. Penelope.”
Penelope smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Woape. Friend.”
“Friend.”
Penelope hugged her before they walked over to the men. Penelope helped her on the horse. The father wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulder. Woape held onto her child and settled her head on his chest.
“Friend,” her father told Penelope.
“Friend,” Penelope replied.
The three men nodded to Cole and turned their horses. Cole watched as they trotted off. If it had been a movie, he couldn’t think of a better ending. He gave himself permission to relax.
“Do you usually have run-ins with Indians?” Cole asked as they strolled back to the wagon.
“No. That was the first time that’s ever happened.”
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. “I’m glad it’s not an everyday thing. I don’t need that much drama in my life.”
She laughed and kissed him. “I’m looking forward to being your wife, Cole.” She frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“It just occurred to me that I don’t know your last name.”
He smiled. “I guess you’re right. I never told you. Hunter.”
“Penelope Hunter. I like it.”
“Then we’d better get to town and make that official.” He gave her one more kiss before she climbed into the wagon and he hopped on the horse.
Chapter Thirteen
“And now I pronounce you man and wife,” the preacher said. “You may kiss the bride.”
Penelope turned to Cole and caught his proud smile before he leaned down to kiss her. She closed her eyes and savored the moment that solidified the rest of their lives together. Mrs. Penelope Hunter. She swore she could repeat that name forever without getting tired of it. When the kiss ended, they faced the preacher and thanked him for performing the small ceremony on short notice.
“It was my pleasure,” the preacher said, shaking Cole’s hand.
“Thank you for the flowers,” Penelope told the preacher’s wife.
“Oh, it was nothing,” the preacher’s wife said. “It’s nice to see you get a second chance, Penelope. I remember the day of Randy’s funeral. He grew up here, you know. We all felt a great loss, but you more so than us.” She reached out and patted Penelope on the arm. “You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you.” Penelope wiped the tears from her eyes at the woman’s kind words and hugged her. “You’ve always been a source of comfort and encouragement to me.”
“When I see you, I think of my daughter. It comes naturally.” Glancing at Cole, she continued, “Now, you two kids go on and start your new life together.”
“Yep, don’t let us old folk stop you,” the preacher added, laughing.
After Penelope and Cole said their farewells, they left the small house and stepped into the bright sunlight. He looked at her and smiled.
“You are a beautiful bride,” he said, brushing her wavy hair off her shoulder. “Being with you almost seems like a dream.”
“It doesn’t seem quite real to me either.” She’d rarely known such moments of happiness where her heart felt as if it might burst at any moment, but this was such a moment now and she loved it.
“We should get something to eat before we find a hotel. There’s no sense in getting hungry during the night.”
Her face flushed. She was no longer an untried woman, and knowing what would happen in the hotel room caused her pulse to quicken with excitement. It’d been a long time since she experienced the intimate touch of a man, and there was no denying how she missed it. But for now, her stomach rumbled, and she’d have to tend to more important matters first.
She slipped her arm around the crook of his arm and strolled with him down the dirt road in the direction of the businesses that marked the center of town.
“It’s getting too late today,” he began, “but tomorrow, I’d like to pick up more lumber, a better bed, some pots and pans, and clothes. At least, it’ll get us started on our life together.”
“What do you want lumber for?”
“I plan to build you a bigger house.”
“A bigger house?”
“Didn’t expect that, huh?�
�
“Well…no.”
He gave her a wry grin as they reached the restaurant. “I can build houses. I’m also going to expand the barn and acquire some more animals.” He opened the door for her. “Things are going to be better for you.”
“You’re right. It will be because you’ll be with me.”
With a smile, he followed her into the restaurant.
As they ate their meal, they discussed the young Indian woman. She knew Woape would be safe with her people. There was no denying the love in her father’s eyes. Penelope prayed many good things would find Woape in the future.
“Maybe one day, we’ll see her again,” Cole said as they finished their meal.
“Maybe,” she replied.
What a good feeling it was, Penelope thought, to know that Cole wouldn’t be leaving her this time. Now he was going to be with her for the rest of her life. She glanced at her simple gold band and smiled. No amount of money had given her the love she craved. The man her father had picked for her would have made her miserable. Randy had made her happy during their short time together, and he’d wanted her to move on and love again. She turned her gaze to Cole, somehow knowing that their time together would be a true lifetime instead of a short year together.
Cole stood up and pulled out her chair before he paid for their supper. Then they left the restaurant and went to the hotel. Once he set the travel bag down on the wood floor of their small room, his expression turned serious.
“I need to tell you why I left last time we came to this town,” he said as he lit the kerosene lamp.
She took off her hat and placed it on the small table by the door. “I already said I don’t care.”
“But I need to tell you. Maybe I need to do it for myself—so that I know we started this marriage off with a clean slate.”
With a nod, she took his hand and sat next to him on the bed. “What is it, Cole?”
“Well…I…” He chuckled. “It’s funny how, now that I can, I don’t know the right words to say.”
Stroking the top of his hand with her thumb, she asked, “What brought you onto my land?”
“Yes. That’s a good place to start.” He cleared his throat. “You see, I come from the future, a little over a hundred years to be exact.”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
“I know. It sounds like fiction, but it’s true. I told you I was an inventor, and one of the projects I worked on with two people was a time machine. At the time, I was in a financial mess and thought if I took the device, I could go back in time to the California Gold Rush and get some money. You saw it. It was in my pocket when you found me.”
She nodded. She hadn’t given that strange thing anymore thought. Her main concern had been whether or not he’d live and stay with her.
“Anyway,” he continued, wiping his free hand on his pants, “the plan was to get the gold and return to my time before anyone knew I was gone. Only, one of my partners, Blake, figured out what I was up to and tracked me down. Through an accident on the train, I pushed some buttons on the device and came to this time. I spent a long time running from him, and I spent most of it walking on foot. The last thing I remembered before you found me was wishing for some water.”
He cleared his throat. “Anyway, you asked if I had a wife. I did have one, but then I caught her having an affair with my brother and got a divorce. So no, I didn’t have a wife to go back to. But I didn’t think I deserved you, Penelope. My life was a mess before I met you. I was barely getting by, and I stole the time travel device that belonged to my employer. I thought I’d leave so you didn’t have to get involved with a liar and a thief. I was going to get some gold and bring some back for you so you would have some money to fix up your place. I was going to hide the gold and let you discover it by the well. You know, an ounce of gold goes a whole lot further in this time than it does in mine.”
Shaking her head, she said, “But I don’t need gold.”
“Sure you do. That place you got is going to fall apart unless it’s tended to. I might have fixed up the barn, but you have other things that need tending.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I meant that I already have some gold jewelry. Cole, money isn’t what I need or even want. I left my family to marry Randy because my rich father wanted me to marry a man who didn’t love me. I wasn’t sure Randy would love me either, but I knew Randy didn’t believe in having a mistress on the side. There are things more important than money.”
“Wow.” He exhaled and laughed. “And here I thought you were destitute.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I could sell the jewelry if I wanted, but it’s the only part of my past I have left. I don’t want gold. I’d rather have you. Surely, you knew that?”
“I did, but like I said, I didn’t feel I deserved you. That kiss we shared before I got on the train was the best kiss I ever had. Well, besides the one that made us husband and wife. My first wife never kissed me that way. You really do care for me.” He stroked her cheek his with his fingers and then traced her lower lip. “After I got to Fargo, I realized I’d be stupid to give up a chance to be with you. I gave the device to Blake so I could return to you. I had to see if you’d forgive me and take me back. I know I don’t deserve you, Penelope, but I’ll do everything I can to be the kind of husband you can be proud of. I love you.”
She edged closer to him. “And I love you.”
Reaching up, she cupped the side of his face and brought his face to hers so she could kiss him. He returned her kiss, and pulled her into his arms. She missed this. Being held by a man who promised himself only to her—a man who wouldn’t run off to another woman.
Once they removed their clothes, he pulled back the sheets and waited until she settled onto the bed before joining her. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again, this time tracing his tongue along her lower lip until she opened to him. She caressed the back of his neck and deepened the kiss, relishing the thrill of tingles that traveled up and down her spine as their tongues met.
It’d been a long time since she felt the intimate caress of a man as he ran his hand along her skin, and every part of her relished this moment. Cole cupped one breast in his hand while he slid his thigh between her legs. She shivered with delight and shifted so that the area between her legs was rubbing against him. Having been so long since that part of her body had been stimulated, she rocked her hips in gentle rhythm, slowly building the tension in her core. His fingers teased her nipple, first rubbing it and then giving a gentle pinch so that it hardened beneath his touch. The whole thing felt heavenly, and she groaned her pleasure.
His lips left hers and went down to her neck, his breath hot on her flesh. She wrapped him tightly in her arms and willed their lovemaking to last as much as her body ached to be satisfied. She hadn’t expected every nerve ending in her body to tingle, nor did she expect the growing need between her legs to intensify as suddenly as it had.
He rolled her fully onto her back and lowered his head until he was kissing her breasts. His hand descended from her breasts to the patch of dark blond curls that marked her entrance. Her legs fell apart for him, inviting him to explore all of her. While his tongue caressed her nipple in lazy circular motions, two of his fingers slid into her body.
She grasped his arms and moaned. She was afraid she wouldn’t last long. The wonderful torment of his thumb as it worked over her sensitive nub was going to be her undoing. And she was encouraging him further by moving her hips and begging him to continue.
Reaching down between them, she wrapped her hand around his erection and ran her thumb along his tip. He let out a slight groan, making her smile from the simple action of arousing him further. As he continued to stroke her core, she slid her hand up and down his erection, loving the give and take of pleasure that was happening between them.
Her breathing came faster as her body got closer to the moment of her climax. “Yes, faster,” she rasped, forgetting to keep stroking him while her
focus came solely on the mounting tension between her legs.
He obeyed and sped up his rubbing until she cried out. Her release came hard and fast over her, surprising her in an all consuming force of pleasure that had her riding wave after wave of bliss. She had no idea it could be this demanding, this intense, and all she could do was lay there and absorb every sensation as it crashed into her.
When she could finally form a coherent thought, he moved so that he was over her. Still lightheaded, she received him into her body, her hands gripping his butt to pull him deeper into her. He moaned and began thrusting into her, filling her core and making her feel complete. If it was up to her, this would go on forever, and she noted he must have felt the same way for he slowed and stopped, his body straining as he held off on the inevitable.
He lowered his head and kissed her. She eagerly responded to him and moved with him as his thrusting resumed in a slow, purposeful pace. Then he gained momentum and she encouraged him along, working with him. When he stilled and gave a muffled groan, she pressed him deeper into her. She enjoyed the way he throbbed inside her as he spilled his seed. She opened her eyes in time to see his expression of pleasure at finally reaching his climax.
After he was done, he fell on top of her. She wrapped him in her arms and inhaled the musky scent of him. It spoke of masculine strength, and she loved it. But it wasn’t just any man who held her after making love to her; it was Cole.
They remained entangled in each other’s arms for a long time, neither wishing to let the moment end. When he lifted himself on his elbows, he smiled and kissed her, this time taking it slow. Then, once their bodies became fully aroused, they proceeded to make love again.
Chapter Fourteen
A year later
“It was nice seeing you,” Penelope told Sandra as she gave her a big hug.
Cole stood in the parlor and waited for the two women to stop gushing over each other. He’d already said his good-bye to Sandra’s family. It still felt awkward to be with Randy’s family, but they had welcomed him, and he figured that they were Penelope’s family. At least, that is how she talked about them.
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