Yellowstone Awakening (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 3)

by Peggy L Henderson

  Josh was busy adjusting the cinch on Rosie’s saddle when they approached. His eyes darted from Kyle to Kate, his gaze lingering on their hands clasped together. One eyebrow rose, and a grin formed on his face. Kate tried to pull her hand from Kyle’s, but he tightened his grip. He was not about to let go of her now.

  “Where are you headed?” Josh asked casually.

  “A few miles downstream. Not very far,” Kyle answered, giving Josh a warning look not to offer to tag along. He still didn’t know why Kate had asked Josh to her room the night she’d passed out, and Josh had steadfastly remained secretive about their conversation.

  Kyle remembered the surge of jealousy that had taken hold in him when Kate had asked for Josh. It’s what had prompted him to stay away from her for the duration of the week. Kyle knew with certainty now that there was no reason to be jealous. Kate made it clear she had feelings for him, not his cousin, and she was definitely not the type of woman Josh would be attracted to.

  Why are you so smitten with her, Kyle? Kate was unlike any woman he’d ever met. To survive the harshness of this land, the people inhabiting it needed to be tough and prepared for whatever nature tossed at them. Kate was everything he’d scoffed at when dealing with escorting adventurers from the east through the wilderness. None of them would survive a week in these mountains without a reliable guide. Didn’t he have a firm rule about not allowing women along on expeditions he led?

  Kate was as soft and vulnerable as a newborn elk calf that required constant protection. He guessed her big city upbringing had created that. Kyle was sure he could bring out a side in her that showed she could survive extreme situations. If she’d let him. She’d already survived two days wandering the wilderness on her own after her guardian died, or so she’d said. She hadn’t turned hysterical in the Indian camp, and taken most everything in stride since he brought her here.

  He firmly believed that, with his guidance, she’d learn all the skills required to live in the mountains. Have you even asked her if she wants to stay here? She mentioned she was going home to Boston. She’d also told him on numerous occasions how much she loved the valley and her surroundings. What would it take to persuade her to remain here, with him? It was too soon, he decided. Too soon to ask her the question foremost in his thoughts. Self doubt lingered in his mind. What good reason would a rich lady from back east have to choose a simple life with him? He had nothing to offer her.

  Kyle released Kate’s hand, and assisted her in mounting Rosie. His hands slid from her waist to her thighs after she sat in the saddle, and she glanced down at him, a tentative smile on her face.

  “Here, Kyle. Take these with you. You might as well make this a productive outing.” Josh’s voice brought him back to his senses. Kyle tore his eyes away from Kate, and shot his cousin an annoyed glare. Josh held out a couple of fishing poles. Kyle walked around to Blackjack’s other side, leading the horse a short distance away.

  “You want me to take Kate fishing?” he asked with some disbelief, his voice hushed.

  “Why not?” Josh shrugged. “Nothing wrong with fishing. Trout sounds pretty good for supper.”

  Kyle frowned, but tied the poles to his saddle. Perhaps Josh was right. Fishing might be just what Kate needed. He gathered his horse’s reins, stepped lightly into the left stirrup and swung his leg over the saddle. He guided Blackjack next to Rosie.

  “Ready?” he asked, seeking Kate’s eyes. She nodded and offered a shy smile. He led the way across the meadow, following an easy course along the banks of the Madison.

  He nudged Blackjack up close beside Rosie, and reached for Kate’s hand. She stiffened briefly, but then allowed her hand to rest in his. She glanced at him, and adrenaline flooded his veins at the look of uncertainty in her eyes. Why couldn’t she just let herself be free and give in to her feelings? She had to know he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Kyle cursed inwardly. It had to be because of that guardian of hers. He was sure that bastard had done something to her, perhaps abused her in more ways than just knocking her around to give her bruises. Anger consumed him. If the man wasn’t dead already, Kyle was overcome with the urge to do him bodily harm, just as her guardian had done to Kate. What sort of man mistreated a woman? Kate gasped suddenly, and Kyle realized he was squeezing her hand.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, and rubbed her palm with his thumb. He didn’t dare ask her what was on his mind. If he questioned her about being abused by her guardian, he would lose everything he’d accomplished today. She’d been elusive and not forthcoming with any information from the beginning, and he knew she wouldn’t offer any now. In time, he hoped to uncover all her secrets.

  They’d ridden for almost an hour along the blue waters of the Madison. The river flowed wide and meandered snake-like through the valley. Occasionally it veered south toward the tall mountains that jutted out from the valley floor, only to return and bisect the flat meadow again. Lodgepole pines grew in groves here, rather than one large forest. Kyle studied the riverbank, trying to decide on a good location to stop, and where he’d last seen the family of river otters. Finally, he reined in his horse, deciding on a sunny location where the river flowed straight. The banks had been washed away in such a manner that they weren’t steep, but provided easy access for wading in the water.

  “This is where I last saw those otters,” Kyle said, pointing along the shoreline. “There’s a mother and her three pups. We can sit by the river here for a while and see if they show up.”

  He dismounted his horse, and came around to the left of Rosie, reaching up to assist Kate off the mare’s back. She didn’t hesitate this time, and put her arms on his shoulders as he lifted her down. Kyle pulled her to him, and she held her breath. Her eyes widened, and Kyle recognized a spark of panic in her blue depths.

  “One of these days you’ll trust me completely, Kate,” he whispered, and kissed her lightly on the lips. He stepped away from her. Patience. If only he had more time. In two weeks they were headed to Virginia City. Two short weeks to convince her she wanted to be with him.

  “I trust you already, Kyle,” she said. He blinked, trying to focus on her words rather than his inner thoughts.

  “Then help me understand your reluctance to relax whenever I touch you.” His hand reached up to brush some loose strands of hair from her face.

  Kate pulled out of his embrace, and turned to pat Rosie’s neck. “I’m frightened of my feelings, Kyle, not of you.” She’d kept her back turned as she spoke the words.

  He stared at her backside and slumped shoulders for several moments. He smiled. At least she did admit she had feelings for him. Patience.

  “Come on, let’s go see if those otters are around,” he coaxed light-heartedly. He stepped around the horses, and untied the fishing poles from his saddle, then removed the horses’ bridles so they could graze.

  “What are those?” Kate asked, staring at the poles.

  “You’re gonna catch some supper for tonight.” He grinned widely at her.

  Kate shook her head, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

  “Have you ever been fishing, Katelyn? The river has an abundance of trout. We might as well catch some while we sit here. I’ll even dig for worms and hook them for you.”

  Kate’s mouth fell open, and he had to laugh. “I don’t know how to fish,” she protested.

  “Then it’s about time you learned. Come on, Kate. It’ll be fun.” He took hold of her hand, and pulled her toward the river. The banks of the Madison were carpeted with lush deep green grasses, and Kyle settled himself on the ground, pulling his hunting knife from his belt.

  Kate stood and gazed out across the waters, and he smiled inwardly at the content look on her face. She closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, as the breeze caressed her face. Her hair flowed behind her like strands of spun gold. She seemed completely relaxed for the moment, and Kyle drank in her beauty. His gut clenched, and the blood pooled in his loins. To ignore his body’s heated reaction to
her, he pried his eyes away, and used his knife to dig into the soft dirt for some worms to use as bait for their fishing poles.

  Kate settled herself on the ground next to him, watching his every move. A few inches underground, the first wriggling worm made its appearance in the moist earth, and Kyle pulled it out with his thumb and forefinger.

  “Oh, this one’s fat and juicy,” he said, holding it up in front of Kate’s face for her inspection. She pulled her head back, a look of horror and disgust on her face.

  “What are you going to do with that?” she asked with some apprehension.

  “This is fish bait. You hook it to the fishing line. The fish’ll love it.” He studied her. She looked at the worm writhing between his fingers in wonder. “You’ve really never been outdoors much, have you?” he asked with a smirk.

  Memories of fishing with his grandpa when he was barely old enough to walk came back to him. Grandpa preferred to fish in the river, not along the banks. Kyle remembered balancing on the old man’s shoulders while grandpa waded waist deep in the water, casting his line.

  “No, I haven’t ever been fishing.” The wistful tone of sadness in her voice stirred him to the core.

  Kate moved in closer. “May I hold it?” she asked, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. His eyes met hers, and he couldn’t help but smile at her innocence.

  “Sure, just don’t make a pet out of it. This worm and a few of its closest friends will catch us some supper.”

  Kate held her palm out, and Kyle dropped the squirming worm in it. She held it as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

  “That’s how every man wants to die,” he mumbled.

  “I beg your pardon?” Kate looked up at him, a puzzled look on her face.

  Kyle grinned, and elaborated. “Held in the arms of a beautiful woman. That’s every man’s wish before meeting his maker. That is one lucky worm.”

  Kate blushed, and averted her eyes. An overwhelming urge to pull her to him and kiss her flooded his senses. He gripped his knife in his hand, and balled his other fist at his side.

  Ignoring his wayward thoughts, he asked, “Do you want to hang it on the hook, or should I?” He watched closely for her reaction, hoping she hadn’t formed an attachment to the invertebrate.

  “If you’ll tell me how, I’ll give it a try,” she said tentatively.

  Kyle’s eyebrows rose again. In mock outrage, he said, “Miss Devon, you are full of surprises. I didn’t think you had it in you to end the life of this precious worm.”

  “Perhaps I’m beginning to understand that there is more to living than sitting in a parlor, sipping tea,” she responded quietly. As if she had suddenly come to a decision, she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Her eyes held a certain sparkle when she looked at him. “Teach me how to catch a fish, Kyle,” she said in a heated voice. “I want to learn everything I can while I’m here, before you take me to Virginia City.” Kyle hadn’t heard her speak with such determination or confidence before. His heart sped up. Things were definitely moving in the right direction.

  Chapter 15

  Kate held the wriggling worm in the palm of her hand. It felt cold and a little wet. The creature squirmed and writhed as if it knew it was about to meet its end. She wasn’t about to let Kyle see her apprehension about holding it, much less ending its life by skewering it onto a hook. Something he had asked her when he tore down her wall of resistance earlier this morning stirred in her now.

  Haven’t you ever just allowed yourself to follow your feelings?

  The truth was, no she hadn’t. All her life, she had done what others told her to do. And she’d been miserable for it. Would she be married to Hiram Devereaux right now if she had been more outspoken on the matter, and not allowed her mother to dictate her life? She’d been weak and feeble-minded, and she suffered the consequences for it.

  Kyle had opened her eyes to an entirely new world. A place where her opinions and feelings mattered. He had encouraged her to speak her mind, and given her the freedom to make her own choices. It was as if she finally awoke from a deep sleep, to realize she didn’t have to be someone else’s puppet, but could set the course for her own life. Sadly, she’d made too many mistakes, and she was paying the price now. It was too late for her to go back on her marriage, but at least she could enjoy her freedom for the moment.

  She loved Kyle. The thought didn’t scare her anymore. Rather, it was exhilarating. Even if she could never fully act on her feelings for him, she would relish the time she had with him now. The real world might still catch up with her once she left the sanctuary of this beautiful valley. If the day came when her husband found her, she would at least have the memories of having lived each day to its fullest.

  Guilt nagged at her. Kyle had a right to know that she wasn’t a free woman. Fear overrode any thought of coming forth with the truth. He would be honor-bound to return her to Hiram if he found out. Bile threatened to rise in her throat at the thought of returning to her former life, and to the man who abused and mistreated her.

  She would tell Kyle the truth, but not before she reached Virginia City. She would find a way to move on, and explain everything to him in a letter, after he left on his assignment. She would let him know how sorry she was for the hurt she’d caused. To ask for his forgiveness would be too much. Her actions were unforgivable.

  For now, her behavior was purely selfish, and she despised herself for it. Kyle had awakened the woman in her, and the yearning for a man’s tender touch overruled all else. That he had feelings for her was obvious. Once he found out she had lied to him and been deceptive, he would hate her, and she deserved nothing less.

  “Are you paying attention, Katelyn?” Kyle’s warm hand on her arm jolted her out of her thoughts.

  She looked up, and a writhing worm hung skewered from a hook on a fishing line in front of her. She quickly glanced at her hand. Her worm still lay cradled in her palm. It had stopped squirming, lulled into a false sense of security. I’m sorry I’ve deceived you. You trusted me, and that trust will cost you your life.

  Kate squared her shoulders. “May I see the other hook?” she asked with a determination that surprised her.

  Kyle grinned, and handed her the other fishing pole. He held the hook and line out to her. “Just make sure you don’t stab yourself,” he warned.

  Kate inhaled deeply, and picked up the docile worm. It immediately began writhing again between her fingers, as if it knew it had been deceived. She closed her eyes briefly, and squeezed her lips together, then impaled the creature’s body through the sharp hook with a quick jab.

  Don’t think about what you’re doing. It was part of the natural order of things. The strong always preyed on the weak. Wasn’t she living proof of that? The worm twisted and turned with frenzied movements. Kate vowed never to be weak again.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she whispered frantically, one hand darting to cover her mouth. Kyle laughed.

  “Congratulations, Kate. You’ve made your first kill.” He continued to laugh, clutching his stomach as he sat in the grass, writhing much like the worm did in his obvious enjoyment of her committing murder.

  “It’s not funny,” she squealed. Her hand dashed out and she swatted at his arm.

  Kyle looked up at her, and he stopped his loud outburst. His eyes twitched in amusement, and the grin that remained on his face caused her heart to beat faster. “What are you going to do when you catch a fish?” he asked. “You have to kill it, too.”

  Kate gritted her teeth. “What do I have to do now?” She glared at him.

  “Cast your line in the water, like this.” With a quick snapping motion, the line of his fishing pole swooshed through the air, and the worm hit the water with a quiet plop. Mercifully, it sank instantly, and Kate no longer had to witness its demise.

  Unable to look at the worm on her hook, she tried to imitate Kyle’s motion. Too late, she realized she’d cast her line in his direction. His reflexes were lightning fa
st as he ducked out of the way of the flying worm. The line descended over him and landed in the water.

  “For God’s sakes, woman, warn me before you do that,” he called.

  Kate sat up straighter, and smiled. Kyle’s narrowed eyes and open-mouthed surprise as he glared at her didn’t intimidate her as it would have a mere week ago. Pure joy flooded throughout her body, and she began to laugh. Truly laugh out loud for the first time in her life.

  She barely perceived Kyle’s movement as he grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her to the ground. Leaning over her as she lay in the soft grass, he growled, “Is that how it’s gonna be? I think I need to teach you a lesson for your unlady-like behavior.”

  For a split second, Kate’s heart seemed to stop, and terror seared through her. Then her eyes focused on his face. This wasn’t Hiram. This was Kyle. He wouldn’t hurt her. One arm was firmly wrapped around her waist, his other hand cradled the back of her head, and his face lowered to hers. His dark eyes smoldered as they met and held hers, and Kate stopped breathing. The feel of his weight on her, and then his lips on her mouth sent adrenaline rushing through her body, settling in the pit of her stomach. Without thinking, her arms reached up and entwined around his neck, pulling him closer.

  Kyle moaned and adjusted his position to keep his full weight off her. His lips slid over hers, coaxing a gentle response from her. This was so wrong, but it felt so right. His hands caressed her back, and along her sides, sending chills down her spine with each stroke.

  Abruptly, he pulled back, panting. Her own breath came in short, quick gasps as she stared up at him. Her arms relaxed around his neck, even as she wanted to pull his head back down and beg him to kiss her again.

  “We’d better check on those lines,” he said hoarsely, and pushed himself to a sitting position. He reached for her hand, and she allowed him to pull her up.