“Dani?” Josh grabbed her by the shoulders, his hands warm and steady. Danica looked up. His face was so close. The cold animosity in his eyes clouded over with concern and something she could only define as fear.
Danica straightened her back when the intense pain slowly subsided. Josh still held her shoulders to steady her. The baby kicked and squirmed, and she gripped her stomach. Would she have to endure another month of this?
“I’m fine,” she said, releasing her breath slowly. To her shock and surprise, Josh lowered his hands, placing one at the small of her back, the other on her abdomen. With firm yet gentle fingers, he massaged the soreness in her spine, while his other hand rubbed soothing circles over the tight spots where her baby’s limbs pushed against her from the inside. To her amazement, the baby seemed to relax, and her pain became less intense.
Danica couldn’t tear her eyes from him. Josh held her gaze, while continuing his wonderful ministrations. “How do you know to do this?” she whispered.
“My aunt is a midwife, and she taught this to my cousin Kyle when his wife was with child a couple of years ago. I remember him doing that to Kate, and she always said it helped.”
Danica fought back the renewed threat of tears. This man, her husband, surprised her with a gentle, caring side.
“Where do you plan to go, Josh?” she asked quietly. “You’re not well enough to ride out of town. I have money for a hotel. At least you could get a good night’s rest.”
Josh studied her face. His silence and unwavering stare left her dizzy. She straightened her back fully, and stepped away from him, forcing him to drop his hands.
“I was planning to head over to my pa’s store, and bunk down there for the night. I know it’s unoccupied, and he and my uncle still own the building.” He paused, then added, “there’s a couple of spare bedrooms. It may not be as comfortable as a hotel, and there ain’t no room service, but you wouldn’t have to pay for a bed tonight.” With a groan, he bent and picked up her bag.
Danica found herself without words. The realization that she had just fallen in love with the real Josh Osborne, not the one from her imagination, hit her as hard as if her baby kicked a limb into her heart.
“I accept your offer,” she said softly. Josh nodded, and turned to lead his horse up the street, away from her former home. She followed in silence.
Danica swore that, if it was the last thing she ever did, she would earn this man’s respect. That he might someday love her back was too much to hope for.
Chapter 7
Josh stared up at the ceiling into the darkness. He desperately needed some sleep, but the events of the day kept his mind from shutting down. Just lying in a bed on a soft mattress soothed his feverish and aching body, and he was able to focus more clearly. Some emotion he couldn’t define had engulfed him earlier when Dani nearly collapsed from pain during her tirade. For a moment he’d feared she’d gone into labor. He knew nothing about women and childbirth. What he’d done, rubbing at her back and stomach, had seemed the right thing to do. He’d seen Kyle do the same to Kate when she was in the family way.
Apparently his ministrations had worked. Her tense body had relaxed under his touch, and to his amazement, so had the child inside her. The firm bulge pushing out against her belly had receded, and he imagined an infant cradled contently in the confines of its mother’s arms. He envisioned a fair skinned baby, with soft yellow hair, just like its mother.
Making a hasty decision, Josh had decided to offer Dani a bed for the night at his uncle’s old place. He knew she had nowhere to go, other than the Whiskey Bend Hotel, and that was no place for a lone woman in her condition, so he’d lied and told her he was staying at the old mercantile. He’d actually planned to ride out of town, and put a few miles between himself and this crazy situation he somehow got entangled in. He chuckled, causing a rippling pain in his side. Hasty decisions seemed to be all he’d been capable of making since meeting Danica Jensen. When he led his horse away from the house, and walked through the nearly deserted town, Danica had following closely behind him. She seemed relieved at his offer.
His father and uncle’s former business was one of the last buildings at the far end of the main street. He’d picked the lock to the side door with his knife, and stood aside to allow Danica to enter the kitchen ahead of him. She’d been surprisingly quiet since he offered her a place to stay for the night. Josh wasn’t sure what to expect inside the home. Most of the large furniture was still as he remembered it. He breathed a sigh of relief when the beds were still there, although they lacked fresh linens. His family had traveled light when they left town to relocate in Helena. New furniture was probably part of their plan at a fresh start in a different city.
Josh sighed, and turned to his good side, pulling his blanket over his shoulder when his body shuddered involuntarily. He’d offered the downstairs bedroom to Dani, and he’d climbed the stairs to one of the smaller upstairs rooms after setting her heavy bag on the bed. He’d left the room silently, and wondered why she’d suddenly stopped talking. Oddly, her silence bothered him more than her incessant chatter.
What the hell was he going to do with her? That marriage certificate looked legitimate. He had no doubt that Jensen would get it filed properly. Josh wondered if the man might have killed his own daughter, had she shown up at his doorstep alone. Hell, the crazy bastard had no qualms when he threatened to kill her unborn child. A forced marriage seemed to be a convenient way to avoid a murder charge and be rid of her at the same time.
He strained his mind, trying to recall any of Dani’s heated arguments with her father. Only vague memories came back. Jensen had believed her to be dead. Then he accused her of coming in the family way by laying with an Indian. It hadn’t seemed to matter if Josh was the father or not. For some reason, Jensen hated Indians.
Josh rubbed his pounding temples. He closed his eyes. In the morning, he was sure he’d feel better. He needed to get home, and figure out how he was going to track those poachers again. Dani’s emerald green eyes materialized before him. And he needed to figure out what to do about her.
Legally, he now had a wife. A very pregnant wife. A quick trip to Helena and the territorial governor’s office would remedy his situation, but what about her? He could hardly drag a woman heavy with child through the mountains to reach the capitol of Montana Territory. The last he’d heard, the pass from Virginia City to Helena was still deep under snow. If they took a southern route, it might be possible.
Satisfied with the idea that formed in his mind, Josh settled himself into his blankets. In the morning, he’d have to talk with Dani and tell her of his plans. It had been her suggestion, after all, to go to the governor. If they acted quickly, they could get this marriage dissolved before her child was born, and then he’d be rid of her.
Josh wondered vaguely why Jensen had been so sure that an Indian had fathered Dani’s baby. If he believed her to be dead, he couldn’t have known that she’d been traveling with a family of Shoshone. Was the man simply jumping to conclusions based on her clothing, or merely by Josh’s presence? None of it made sense. He hadn’t even allowed for her to explain. He settled his head more deeply into the pillow, and punched his fist into the mattress. Why the hell was he even losing sleep over this?
****
Josh woke to the smells of coffee and fried meat. Startled, he bolted upright in bed, and quickly held his head as dizziness swept over him. Blinking away the shimmering bright spots before his eyes, he threw the covers back, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He set his feet on the ground, and rose slowly, testing his balance. He definitely felt better. His body was no longer ravaged by fever.
His shoulder throbbed hot and painful when he moved it, but glancing at the bandage Dani had applied yesterday, he saw no evidence of fresh bleeding. Josh pulled his shirt on over his head, and opened the door to the room. The food smells intensified, and his mouth watered. His stomach grumbled loudly in response, reminding him that
he’d barely eaten anything yesterday.
Heading down the stairs, he wondered where the food came from. He was sure his aunt wouldn’t have left anything perishable behind. It had been months since his relatives left. Walking through the living room to reach the kitchen, he heard Dani softly humming an unfamiliar tune. His mind honed in on the melody rather than the harsh sizzling sounds coming from the frying pan.
He swung the door open to the kitchen, and quickly scanned the room. Dani stood at the stove, pushing a spoon around a cast iron skillet. Her free hand rested protectively on her protruding belly. Josh stared. The peaceful vision of this soon-to-be mother caused an inexplicable flutter in his chest. Suddenly, her head turned in his direction. Their eyes met, and Dani’s face lit up in a bright smile. The flutter in his chest increased in intensity.
“You’re awake,” she said cheerfully, and set her spoon down. “Would you like some coffee? The biscuits should be ready in a minute, and I didn’t want to fry the eggs yet, not knowing how long you’d be asleep. They’ll only take a minute.” While she talked, she poured coffee from a pot, and picked up the cup, then set it on the table in the center of the room.
Josh blinked, and mentally shook his head. His brows furrowed. How long had she been awake to do all this? Dani gave him an expectant look.
“Are you going to stand there all day, gawking, or will you come sit? How are you feeling?” She walked up to him and raised her hand to his forehead. She smiled again. “Your fever’s gone.”
Josh stared into her eyes, and scanned her face. She looked different this morning. He couldn’t explain the change in her appearance, but he noticed things he hadn’t paid attention to since he met her. Her eyes were the greenest, most expressive eyes he’d ever seen. Her pert nose was sprinkled with tiny, almost imperceptible freckles. When she smiled with those full lips, dimples formed in her cheeks. Her hair framed her delicate face, begging him to reach out and run his fingers through it. He clenched his hands into fists to resist the sudden urge to sweep some strands from her flushed face.
“Are you okay?” Her eyebrows drew together, and she stepped back. Josh swallowed, and ran a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat.
“Yeah, I’m much better,” he said, and moved around her to the table. He reached for the steaming cup of coffee. “Where did all this food come from?” he asked, turning to face her. He leaned his hip against the table. He’d done enough sitting or lying down the last couple of days that he preferred to stand. He held the cup to his lips. The strong coffee was just what he needed.
“I headed over to the saloon this morning.” She shrugged. “Apparently, the owner is the only one left in town to sell food goods since your relatives left town. Along with his whiskey, he still gets shipments of food, and the town folks go to him if they need staples. Otherwise, this place is dying.”
She waddled to the stove, and Josh silently watched her every move. She scraped the meat to the sides of the skillet, and quickly and efficiently cracked eggs into it one-handed. With an old rag in her hand, she bent to pull the oven door open, and produced another skillet with biscuits. He noticed the buckskin dress she wore hugged her slender backside almost too tightly. Her expanding stomach was obviously outgrowing the material of the dress.
“Lucky for us, your aunt left these old skillets behind.” With a groan, Dani set the heavy cast iron in the middle of the table. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t find any plates, only some spoons and forks. We’ll have to eat right out of the skillets. Oh, and there’s no butter for the biscuits.”
Josh set his tin cup on the table, and rushed to her side. She was about to lift the skillet from the stovetop. “Here, let me carry that,” he said, reaching for the handle on the cast iron before she had a chance to object.
“Oh, but your shoulder,” she started to argue, and her small hands settled over his.
“I’m not an invalid, Dani,” Josh said quietly. He stared down at her. Had she always been this small? Her soft hands cooled the backs of his much warmer ones, sending an odd sensation up his arms. As if she felt it, too, she abruptly pulled away.
“The last time you lifted something you shouldn’t have, your shoulder began to bleed uncontrollably,” she reminded him in a stern voice.
Josh lifted the cast iron and swung it around away from her to set it on the table. “You’re a mite heavier than this skillet,” he said. With his back turned to her, she couldn’t see the smile on his face. His shoulder did ache from the simple task, but she didn’t need to know that.
He pulled a chair out for her to sit after setting the food on the table. Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and confusion registered in her eyes. With a groan, she eased herself onto the chair. “Thank you,” she said softly. He took a seat across from her, and stabbed a fork into the meat.
They ate in silence, and Josh wondered again at her quiet demeanor. In three days, she nearly talked his ears off, but this morning she seemed to have lost her voice. He should be thankful for the silence, he told himself, and enjoy the meal. He hadn’t tasted such good home-cooked biscuits since the last time he visited his aunt.
After eating his fill, he drained his coffee cup, then looked across the table at Dani. “We need to talk,” he said firmly when she met his stare.
“I know,” she answered quickly. “What are we going to do?”
“How long until your baby will be born?” It was the first thing he needed to know.
Dani smiled. Her entire face glowed radiantly, and Josh had to blink to focus his eyes elsewhere. “He hasn’t told me when he would like to come and meet the world,” she said.
His eyebrows drew together, and he looked at her again. The smile left Danica’s face, and she cleared her throat. Then she added, “As near as I can guess, about another month.” She glanced at the table, running her fingers over the smooth wood in a circular pattern, avoiding his stare. It was another uncharacteristic behavior. Was she suddenly embarrassed at her condition?
Josh held back from asking the multitude of questions that came to mind. Had she been married? Was this child the result of a night of indiscretion with a lover? Had she told him the truth and really did kill the father of her child? And if so, why? Now was not the time for these types of questions. He wasn’t even sure he wanted the answers. It didn’t really matter to him one way or the other.
“Is your child Shoshone?” Now why the hell did I ask that? The question was out before he could stop himself.
Danica’s eyes widened. “No,” she whispered, and shook her head. She heaved her body out of the chair, and moved away from the table. Inhaling deeply, she said, “I’m sure my baby is not what you wanted to talk to me about.” She turned ungracefully to face him fully. The familiar sparkle in her eyes that told Josh she was ready for a confrontation was back.
“You’re right,” he conceded, and stood. “As you suggested yesterday, we do need to get to Helena, and see about getting this marriage dissolved. I think an annulment would be better than a divorce. That way you won’t have to live with the social stigma of being a divorced woman.”
Danica snorted. “You don’t think an unwed mother carries a social stigma? Trust me, I’m past caring what others think of me.”
Josh cleared his throat. What she’d said implied she hadn’t been married to the baby’s father. “Well, there’s just one problem,” he said slowly. “The direct route from here to Helena is still under heavy snow.”
“And you don’t think I can make it, do you?” She glared at him.
Josh’s lips widened in a grin. She hadn’t lost her fire after all. He chuckled. “That’s right, Dani. I don’t think you can make a trip like that, not in your condition.”
“Then tell me your brilliant plan, by all means.” She strode up to him, her eyes shooting daggers his way. Her fisted hands rested near the vicinity of her hips, and she boldly faced him.
“Don’t get all riled up again, Dani. Remember what happened last night when you got your feat
hers ruffled. You’ll just upset little junior in there.” He involuntarily touched her stomach. Cursing silently, he quickly pulled his hand back.
She looked down at his hand, then loudly expelled a puff of air. “I can’t stay here, if that’s what you’re about to suggest. There’s nothing for me in this town anymore.”
Josh waited for her to look at him again. His eyes roamed her face. “I’m heading home. Come with me to the Madison Valley.”
Chapter 8
Standing by the kitchen table, Danica’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes grew wide. “What?” She couldn’t believe Josh had offered to take her to his home. It was the last thing she expected him to say. He couldn’t have decided he wanted to be married to her all of a sudden, could he? The very thought made her heart beat faster.
“Don’t worry,” Josh said quickly, chuckling. He ran his hand through his hair, and moved around the table, stopping right in front of her. He waved his arm in a casual gesture of dismissal. “I haven’t changed my mind to get us both out of this marriage. Instead of heading east, we can avoid the pass if we come from the south. I know it’s a delay, but it’ll be safer. And we can get fresh horses.”
His lips curved into an almost smile. His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows drew together, and he leaned toward her. Danica knew he was expecting a reply. She focused on a spot of dried blood on his shirt rather than look him in the eye. She didn’t want him to see her disappointment. Stop your fantasizing, Dani. He’d obviously come up with the best plausible solution to disassociate himself from her. She wondered how long he’d lain awake, plotting his idea to be rid of her the quickest. Danica swallowed her frustration. What did you expect, Dani? If you feed him, he’ll realize he can’t live without you?
Yellowstone Dawn (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 4) Page 7
