“Go and see if there’s water somewhere to rinse out the Dutch oven while I check those sacks.”
She handed the boy the canteens from the peg on the wall. He struggled with the heavy cast iron pot, but carried it outside without further complaint. Grace closed the door behind him when a gust of wind entered the cabin. Guilt nagged her for sending the boy out in the weather, but if they wanted to eat, she’d need some water and a clean pot.
She reached for the belt hanging on the wall, and pulled the big knife from its leather sheath. To her delight, the sacks contained what she needed to make biscuits – flour, salt, and even some corn meal. Others contained coffee, beans, and sugar.
Andy returned, the canteens dripping with water. “There’s a small spring a little ways behind the cabin.” He beamed. “And I also found this.” He held up a large chunk of smoked meat.
A wave of dread and more guilt rushed through Grace. They were in someone’s home, stealing their food. It couldn’t be helped. She’d somehow find a way to repay the person who lived here. Time would tell how angry the owner would be to return to his cabin and find three people here, making themselves at home.
Who would live so far from town? Although there were two rooms, and two bunks, there was no evidence that more than one person occupied the cabin. This would be the perfect place for someone who might be hiding from the law. Grace’s heart sped up. If a wanted man lived here, she might be putting her sister and Andy in more danger than she could deal with. She’d never considered moving far away from a town as a means to escape the law herself.
Grace couldn’t dwell on these thoughts. She mentally shook her head. The last few years had been all about survival. She didn’t think about the next day, or even the next hour. She could only focus on what was in front of her now; and right now, her sister and Andy needed food, and a warm place to spend the night. If the man who called this cabin home was dangerous, she’d deal with him when he showed up.
The wind continued to howl, and snow fell, making visibility outside nearly impossible. Grace prepared a batch of biscuits, glancing out the dirty window every now and then. She softened beans in water, and her stomach growled by the time she fried the meat. She added it to the beans, swatting Andy’s hand away for the fifth time in as many minutes. She smiled at the boy.
“We’re all eager to eat. You’ll have to be patient just a few minutes longer.”
It was dark outside by the time everyone’s stomachs were filled, and Andy no longer complained about being hungry. The snow still fell, but the wind had let up a little. Grace settled the boy and her sister in the bunk, and covered them with the furs. She wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders, and took a seat at the table. With a full belly for the first time in weeks, along with knowing that they would all be in a warm shelter for the night, Grace’s eyes grew heavy.
She settled into one of the chairs, and rested her arms on the table. The fire crackled, and the scent of leather and wood smoke surrounded her, lulling her into a content state of mind. She’d rest for a few minutes, and then she’d have to remain awake, in case the owner of the cabin returned tonight. Grace lowered her head onto her arm, and closed her eyes.
Chapter Five
Levi rested his palm on the horn of his saddle, and allowed his horse to pick its own way through the slush. After a miserable night in the relentless rain and sleet, he’d continued on as far as the creek. The clear water had turned into a muddy runoff, twice as wide as usual. He’d ridden along the banks for a while, but it had been a futile exercise. Any tracks had long washed away. At this point, if those kids had fled into the mountains, they were dead. Without adequate clothes and shelter, it was highly unlikely that a couple of children had survived a night like last night.
Making a difficult decision by mid-day, he’d headed back up the mountain. The terrain had turned treacherous overnight, and it was still snowing. His horse had lost its footing, and slid down a steep embankment once already, and had barely made it back to safety.
At least the wind had let up, but it was freezing cold. Levi pulled the buffalo robe more firmly around himself, even if it and the rest of his clothes were soaked through. A shiver passed through him. He wouldn’t last another night out in this weather without adequate shelter and a fire. His warm hearth beckoned to him. First thing he’d do when he got back to his cabin would be to strip out of his clothes and thaw out by a roaring fire.
He frowned. He’d failed those kids. A twinge of irritation passed through him, and he shook his head. There was nothing to do now but wait out the storm before heading out again to at least try and recover the bodies. Once the weather cleared, he might ride into the valley to see if Cade had heard any news. Perhaps the kids had been found.
Buck found you, when you were nearly frozen to death.
He gritted his teeth. Guilt nagged him that he wasn’t making a bigger effort to try and find the kids, but hell, the mountains were vast. They could be anywhere. Buck had found him by chance, not because he’d been out looking for him. And, it hadn’t been snowing then, either. He’d simply been out in the elements too long, a stupid kid who didn’t have a plan of where to go or what to do, and with only the clothes on his back. Those two kids probably hadn’t thought any further ahead than he had at the time.
The gelding picked up its pace late into the afternoon. The closer they came to the cabin, the more the temperature dropped, and the snowfall increased. The horse labored through the drifts, but it was eager to get home, too, no doubt thinking about some feed and shelter. Levi leaned low over the animal’s neck, and gave it a pat for encouragement.
“Just around the bend, and we’ll be home,” he muttered.
The horse snorted, as if answering, just before its ears pricked forward, and its muscles tensed beneath the saddle. Levi’s eyes narrowed. He glanced into the trees, his hand going to the rifle in his saddle’s scabbard. Had a predator taken advantage of the empty cabin to try and get to the mule? The ornery beast would have put up quite a fight.
The scent of wood smoke drifted to his nose. Levi’s forehead wrinkled. It was too wet and cold for a fire to have broken out somewhere. Even a campfire would be nearly impossible to start in this weather. He pulled his right leg over the saddle, and dismounted. His moccasins sank into the snow up to his ankles. Scanning into the trees, he held his rifle ready. If someone was nearby, he wasn’t going to get caught unaware. Buck had taught him to always be cautious, and listen to his gut when something didn’t feel right.
Leading his horse, he made his way toward his cabin. The smell of smoke grew more intense. He’d banked the fire in his hearth before leaving yesterday, he was sure of it.
Using the trees for cover, he glanced into the clearing where his cabin stood. Even through the snow and fog, the smoke rising from the chimney was clearly visible. A light flickered through the window. Someone was making himself at home in his cabin.
“What the hell?” he mumbled under his breath. His heart rate accelerated slightly. Even while Buck was alive, no one had ever intruded on their cabin while they weren’t home. He could count on one hand how many times they’d had visitors. Not that he would have turned anyone away, but it paid to be cautious. It was an unwritten rule in the mountains that a person open their cabin to strangers in times of need, but who would be up in the high country in this weather?
A quick glance toward the corral showed his mule was still there. Levi gritted his teeth. All he needed was for the ornery beast to start braying if it caught wind that he was there with the horse. If someone had helped himself to his cabin uninvited, it was best to find out whom he was dealing with before he made his presence known.
Levi tethered his horse to a tree, and circled downwind around the cabin from the back. Whoever the trespasser was, he’d apparently come on foot, but the snow had obscured any tracks, so he couldn’t be sure. There were no horses in the pen with the mule. Levi leaned his back against the cabin, and listened. All was quiet
inside. He flexed his right hand to bring some life back into his frozen fingers, and wrapped them more firmly around his rifle. He scurried around to the front of the cabin, raised his weapon, and pushed the door open. He stepped inside, and froze.
A young girl sat at his table, opposite an even smaller boy. A woman wearing tattered britches, her long, dark hair cascading down her back, dropped a bowl she’d held in her hands. The contents splattered on the wood floor. All three of them gasped. The woman recovered first from the surprise, and yanked a revolver from the waistband of her britches. She wheeled to face him, pointing the weapon at his chest.
Levi’s eyes darted from one child to the other, then lingered on the woman. Her wide doe eyes betrayed her fear, even if she held her weapon steady. Levi lowered his rifle. She looked oddly familiar. He blinked to clear his head. Of all the thoughts that had crossed his mind as to who could have made himself at home at his cabin, it certainly hadn’t been the orphans he’d been trying to find. More surprising was that they were with this young woman.
She raised the revolver higher, both hands on the handle, her finger on the trigger. She hopped to the side on one foot, as if she’d lost her balance, but she recovered quickly. Levi tensed, ready to duck in case she shot off that firearm by accident.
“You can put that gun down, ma’am.”
“Not before you put that rifle away.”
Levi’s lips twitched at the hitch in her voice, even though she spoke in a loud tone. It was the same voice she’d used to boldly proclaim that she was fine, while lying in the middle of the road back in Elk Lodge.
His eyes connected with hers. His pulse increased, just as it had the day in town, when he’d looked into the same soft, brown eyes of this young woman who’d been knocked to the ground by his horse. It had taken him hours to get her out of his mind that day, and he’d even thought about her that night as he sat by the fire of his camp.
He’d chided himself before going to sleep that he had no business thinking about a woman, and he’d certainly never expected to see her again, least of all at his cabin. She’d been pretty then, but she was breathtaking now, with her hair unbound, and a rosy glow to her cheeks from the warmth in the cabin.
“All right.” Levi turned slowly, and propped his rifle against the wall behind him. He didn’t need a gun to defend himself, least while not against these three intruders. The only thing he might have to worry about was the revolver in the woman’s hand going off accidentally. Hopefully he could get it away from her before she pulled the trigger. He closed the cabin door to keep any remaining heat from escaping, and faced his uninvited guests.
“You live here?” the woman asked. By the look in her eyes, she’d recognized him, too. She took a step to the side, blocking his view of the girl sitting behind her. One of her hands darted out to brace against the table. She clearly favored her left leg.
“Yes, ma’am.” Levi removed his hat, and shook the snow from it. He ran a hand through his damp hair, then peeled his heavy, water-logged buffalo robe off his shoulders. He still needed to tend to his horse, but the soaked robe had to come off.
“Don’t make another move,” the woman commanded. She raised her weapon higher, and her eyes widened.
“Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am, but this is my cabin, and I’m soaked and chilled through to the bone. Mind if I warm up by the fire?” He glared at her.
Indecision whirled through her eyes. Slowly, she lowered her pistol slightly, but she didn’t un-cock the hammer. She motioned with her chin toward the hearth. Levi nodded. He kept his gaze on her for another moment, then turned his back and hung his robe on the peg by the door.
“I’ve got my horse tethered off in the trees.” He turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder, his back to his visitors. The woman studied him with suspicious eyes. “I need to bring him to the corral and get him bedded down once my fingers thaw out for a bit. I trust you’ll let me in my cabin when I get back.”
She looked to be thinking for a moment, then she darted a quick glance to the boy at the table. “Andy, take my coat and go and get the horse, and put it in the corral. Take care of him like I showed you earlier with the mule.”
The boy nodded, pulling a wool coat from where it hung draped over one of the chairs. The thin material wouldn’t keep him warm for long. He shot an unsure look toward Levi, and skirted around him to get to the front door. Levi stepped to the side to let the kid pass. Their eyes connected for an instant. The boy didn’t look as scared as the two females. Levi suppressed a smile. This kid reminded him a lot of himself at that age.
“Make sure you rub him down with some straw.”
The boy nodded wordlessly. Levi turned fully to face the woman once the boy left the cabin.
“Step away from the door and your rifle, mister.”
Levi did as she asked. One throw of his knife, and he’d have her unarmed and taken control of the situation, but he’d let her think she had the upper hand for now. She was scared to death, and he had no intention of provoking a cornered cat.
He moved in front of the hearth, and held his hands to the fire. Warmth seeped into his frozen fingers, making them tingle back to life, almost painfully. He rubbed his palms together. A delicious smell came from the Dutch oven sitting by the coals. Levi’s mouth watered, and his stomach growled as a reminder that he’d had nothing but dried venison since leaving the cabin yesterday morning.
“I see you’ve found my food supplies,” he grumbled. A wave of annoyance shot through him. So much for rationing his food for winter.
“I’ll pay you back for the food. I’m not a thief.”
Levi turned his head. The woman met his eyes. She raised her chin in defiance. His lips twitched slightly, just before his gaze dropped to her tattered clothes.
“There are other ways to repay someone than with money.” Her voice rose in aggravation. Clearly, she’d misinterpreted what he’d been thinking. It was more than obvious that she had no money to repay him.
“I ain’t got much use for money,” he said slowly to calm her temper and put her mind at ease that he wasn’t about to demand monetary repayment for the supplies they’d used.
“Well, then I’m sure we can come to some sort of an agreement. I’m a decent cook, and fairly handy with a needle and thread. Looks like your shirt needs some mending.”
Levi stepped away from the fire. He faced the young woman fully. The girl at the table looked at him with wide, terrified eyes.
“My shirt suits me just fine,” he mumbled.
A new wave of irritation swept through him. Buck had taught him to always help out another man in need. Folks looked out for one another in the mountains, and a man who asked to join a campfire and share a meal was never turned away. Helping a woman and two runaway children shouldn’t be any different. Asking her for re-payment of some sort for using his cabin and eating his food didn’t sit well with him. He’d been trying to tell her that, but apparently he wasn’t communicating it in the right way.
Levi eyed the gun she still pointed at him. It was time to get that weapon out of her hand before she decided to take a shot at him. With practiced speed, his hand darted out, and he grabbed her arm. His fingers easily circled her wrist. Levi forced her hand to the side, pointing the gun to the ground. At the table, the girl sucked in a loud breath in fear.
“Let go of me,” the young woman snarled. She nearly fell when she tried to twist away from him. Levi reached out to steady her. His other arm encircled her waist to keep her on her feet, pulling her up against him in the process. She continued to struggle, surprising him with her determination. She was so small, pressed up next to him.
“I can’t be hospitable with you pointing that gun at me,” he grumbled against her cheek. “Let go of the weapon before you hurt yourself.”
He slid his hand down her wrist, and pried the gun from her hand. He un-cocked the hammer, and released the bullets from the chamber, counting three as they fell to the ground.
“I said I’d repay you for the food,” she hissed.
Levi released her, and she stumbled to the table. She turned to glare at him, clearly annoyed that he’d overpowered her so easily. He frowned. She’d been limping in town, too.
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” he tried again, holding her gaze. He stuck the revolver in his own belt. Right now, he had more important things to worry about than a few lost supplies. Getting out of his wet clothes, for starters. “I’ll be in the back room.”
The woman’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Levi didn’t give her a chance to speak. He retrieved his rifle by the door, moved around the table, and pushed the burlap aside that led to the added room. A small shiver ran down his spine. The temperature was markedly colder in here than in the main cabin.
Buck had built this room years ago, so they’d each have a private place to sleep. He’d been the best father-figure anyone could have. He’d taught him about survival, but he’d never mentioned how to communicate effectively with a female.
Fumbling in the dim light that drifted in from the main cabin, Levi lit the small oil lamp on the simple stool that sat next to the bunk. He tossed his rifle and hunting belt onto the furs, along with the revolver he’d taken from the woman, then pulled his damp shirt up and over his head.
He reached for the lid of the trunk that sat at the foot of the bed when a stick scraped against the wooden floor behind him. Levi spun around. The young woman stood under the doorframe, her face bathed in the warm glow from the lantern. She leaned on a wooden crutch, and looked so out of place here, in this crude cabin. Even in her britches and oversized shirt, she was feminine and pretty. Something jolted in Levi’s chest.
She raised her chin, and stood straighter. Her eyes were round as saucers, and filled with apprehension.
“I’ll pay your price, but I’ll kill you before I let you touch Rose.”
Chapter Six
In His Arms: Blemished Brides Book 3 Page 4
