Romancing the Wilderness: American Wilderness Series Boxed Bundle Books 1 - 3

by Dorothy Wiley

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Stephen asked William.

  “For the first time in my life, I know where my future is,” William said. He glanced at Kelly. “Kelly, I stopped by Mr. Wolf’s office. He says if you are interested, he has a job for you as a governess and tutor for his children. His wife died last year and his mother, who lives with him, has been helping out, but she is getting on in years and is not able to keep up with the four children. You can live in his home for as long as you need to.”

  Kelly ran to William and hugged him, seemingly unable to stop herself. Then, no doubt realizing how forward she appeared, she stood aside, her face flushing.

  He chuckled as he watched William, who was uncharacteristically flustered and smiling awkwardly. Interesting, Sam mused. Maybe William’s future really was here in Boonesborough. Perhaps his brother could help Kelly overcome her fears and her emotional wounds.

  Both Martha and Polly, who had spent much of the day crying, now giggled and clapped their hands together at the sight of William and Kelly standing next to each other. Jane tried half-heartedly to hush them, but it pleased him to see cheerful smiles on his nieces’ faces. Sam suspected that the girls hoped, for some time, that their Uncle Will would start courting their friend Kelly. Sam hoped he would too.

  William seemed thankful when Catherine spoke up.

  “Kelly, you’ll need a horse in Boonesborough. I’d be pleased if you would take my extra horse as my gift,” Catherine said.

  Tears of gratitude filled Kelly’s eyes. “Thank you.”

  The young woman bent down and gently hugged Catherine’s uninjured side.

  Sam could tell that it pleased Catherine, as much as it did him, that Kelly might, at last, have a chance at real happiness. Tears of fresh joy and lingering sorrow fell from both women’s eyes as they embraced.

  “Mr. Wyllie, you’ve traveled so far. Why don’t you and Jane stay here with us?” Kelly asked, wiping her eyes and looking at Stephen.

  “I’m not stopping until I know for a certainty I’ve found where we’re supposed to be,” Stephen said, looking over at Jane. “I don’t know that yet.”

  “Well then, I’ll be comin’ along to watch yer back,” Bear said.

  Stephen and Jane both appeared pleased.

  “What about me?” Little John asked, his pensive eyes searching Sam’s face.

  Like his father, and Sam, Little John would be very tall, already at least a head taller than other boys his age. He had his mother’s strawberry blonde hair and it hung as straight as a ruler on a loveable face. But an undisguised hurt and longing replaced his normal sweet expression.

  The bereft boy sat on the ground next to him. The child had stayed there all afternoon, his little hands wiping away the big tears that regularly sprang up. With his head bowed and his body slumped, Little John also toyed with the small knife Sam had given him. It broke Sam’s heart when Little John had said he missed his father and then clung to him, weeping.

  He gently patted his nephew’s leg before he answered. “Little John, I want you to be my son. I’ll never be as good a man as your father, but I’ll try to be as good a father,” Sam promised.

  Little John looked at him with wide glistening eyes. “And I’ll be a good son.” The boy stood, flung out his arms, and hugged Sam around his neck.

  He had to admit, it felt good. He hauled Little John against his chest, embracing the boy who was now his son. He choked back his rising emotions, hoping he could provide a good home for the boy. It was time he took the first step.

  He winked at Little John, smiled conspiratorially, and then edged the two of them closer to Catherine. Little John grinned back at him as though the boy suspected what Sam was about to do. This was one smart boy.

  She gave Sam a weak smile and blinked with bafflement. Then she looked away, her face a mask of uncertainty.

  Catherine didn’t know how much he had changed. He was no longer just a protective brother chasing a secret revenge. Now he would be looking for his own land, his own home, and his own future. A future he wanted to share with Little John and hopefully Catherine. She had given him back his heart. Now he could not only live, but he could also love.

  If she would still have him.

  His stomach rolled at the possibility that she would not. But he could understand why she might not.

  He had foolishly turned away from her, just before Foley shot her, and before he could tell her he loved her. Did he reject her love one too many times? What a fool he’d been.

  He also got himself embroiled in a deadly feud that resulted in her nearly losing her life. Was she rethinking her choice to stay? Would she still have the courage to remain in Kentucky? With him?

  Catherine learned, as they all had, that securing good land in Kentucky was likely going to be problematic and a lengthy process. Would she be willing to wait months, even years, for a new home?

  She also now knew that he had used her dagger to slice a man’s throat. Without saying a word, she had gulped back tears when he returned the dagger to her. Did she consider him a brutal killer? It was a brutal act, but, by God, the man deserved it.

  They were all reasons she might reconsider staying. Couple any one of them with the fact that her affluent family would expect her to return and Sam realized there was a very good possibility that she would want to leave Kentucky. It would kill him if she wanted to return to Boston. Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

  Moreover, would she accept him now that he was responsible for his brother’s son? She would have to take Little John too. He would never abandon the boy.

  She had to want both of them.

  He wished he could steal her away—somewhere private and picturesque—because what he had to say was important and personal. But with their injuries and his concern for Little John, he would have to make do. He would not leave the boy now, even for an hour. Little John needed him. This would just have to do.

  He took a deep steadying breath and reached for her hand. Then he smiled at her, perhaps the first genuinely happy smile he had ever given her.

  Her face lit up, her grin broader this time, and it gave him the courage he needed.

  “Catherine, you’re the only one who has ever looked at me and seen the man I was meant to be. The man I am with you is the man I want to be. And that man is in love with you.”

  Happiness spread across her pale beautiful face and a cry of joy broke from her lips.

  “Will you consent to be my bride, now and forever, and will you accept Little John as our child?”

  Catherine’s eyes, full of life and warmth, stared back at him. Then she slowly studied everyone else, including Little John. She seemed to be asking for their blessing before she answered. It was a big decision. Not only would she become a wife, she would also become a mother.

  He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

  Then her blue eyes turned to him, sparkling with joy, as she said, “I will Sam.” Turning to Little John, she said, “I will Little John.”

  Her answer thrilled him to his bones. He managed to lean down enough to kiss her, feeling Little John’s hands patting his back enthusiastically, while the others exploded in cheers and clapping. With difficulty, he made himself stop kissing her and look up at Stephen. “The three of us will be going along with you too, but first Catherine and I will see that circuit preacher when she’s well enough, so we can be a real family.”

  He bent his lips to hers again. Pulling away was even more difficult this time.

  He turned to his new son. “And Little John, I want you to be my best man.”

  “A fine choice,” Stephen said, “on both counts.”

  “What’s a best man?’ Little John asked.

  “A best man is a lot of things,” he said, “it’s someone you are very close to, someone you respect and admire, someone you can trust, but most of all, he is a man who will always stand at your side, no matter the challenges you both face.”

&n
bsp; “I can do that,” Little John said, grinning.

  “I know, that’s why I asked you,” Sam said, deliberately keeping his face serious.

  “Congratulations to ye both,” Bear said vigorously shaking Sam’s hand. “And as soon as Catherine’s healed up some, I’ll be giving her a congratulatory kiss too.” Bear winked at Catherine.

  “As long as it’s only a brotherly peck on the cheek,” Sam threatened, with a half-smile.

  “When you’re both healed up, I’ll play my fiddle and we can have a real dance,” William said. Laughing, he tugged Kelly into his arms and danced playfully with her as he hummed loudly to the music in his head. Bear picked up Martha and Polly, one in each arm, and did the same. Then Jane grabbed Little John and whirled him around while he giggled the entire time.

  When they all finally stopped, Kelly, Jane, and the girls knelt down and surrounded Catherine.

  With delight, he watched the women and girls, also appearing lighthearted and jaunty, talking excitedly. A wedding had to be about the most exciting occasion the women and girls could imagine, and after a day like yesterday, it was nice for all of them to think about a joyful event.

  He felt a grin spread across his face, his mood unexpectedly buoyant, his soul fully alive. But what made him smile the most was his own happy heart. He was in love! And he was going to be married. He had trouble believing it.

  “Well now, Catherine, from now on we’ll both be watching Sam’s back,” Bear said. “And the lad’s too.”

  Catherine turned to face Bear and Sam again. “Agreed,” she said, her face radiant with joy. “We’ll all take good care of Little John.” She squeezed the boy’s hand affectionately.

  “May I call you mother?” Little John asked sweetly.

  Catherine laughed merrily. “Of course you can. May I call you John? I think a boy who is going to be a best man is too big to be called ‘Little’ anymore.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  Catherine’s face lit up like a perfect sunny day.

  Surprising himself, Sam wanted to dance too, and he would have if his leg wasn’t injured. It had been far too long since he had known this kind of unbridled joy. Actually, he had never known this much happiness.

  He was happy for Catherine too. When she smiled at him, he saw love flowing from her eyes. It made them look like priceless sparkling sapphires. What a treasure she was.

  And how rich their future together would be. Catherine had made the long journey from Boston to the Kentucky wilderness and found his heart at the end of it and a son she could love—her own destiny—a new life in a new world.

  Chapter 34

  Sam never minded being alone. He even relished solitude. Until now. Now, he could barely stand to part from Catherine for even a few minutes, and all he wanted to do was relish every inch of her. At the moment, his whole being seemed consumed with an overwhelming need to be close to her. He was tired of waiting for this moment to arrive.

  They had both spent a couple weeks healing before their wedding day. Catherine had kept her arm in a sling for a week and then gradually started using it again. She recovered quickly and now had only a slight soreness and some stiffness in the shoulder muscle. She spent most of her recuperation time designing her own wedding dress and the gowns for the other women and girls to wear to the ceremony. Then she spent another week and a half with the town seamstress having the woman and her helpers execute her designs. The millenary recently received a shipment of fine fabrics and Catherine seemed pleased with their selection, especially considering their remote location.

  Catherine also insisted on having the tailor prepare a new set of buckskins for Sam, and a matching set for Little John, with room to grow. Relieved that she didn’t expect him to wear traditional clothing, Sam had gladly complied, although someday soon he would buy another white linen shirt just to see that look on her face again when he’d worn one the first time.

  He had whooped with delight when he helped Little John—no John, he reminded himself—into the boy’s new buckskins and attached his little knife to the belt. John looked like a miniature version of himself.

  It wouldn’t be long now. He hadn’t seen her since the noon meal, after which the women and girls had made some pastries and then left to bathe in the river. After the giggling bunch returned, all but Jane disappeared into Catherine’s wagon. Before she joined the rest of the women, Jane sent all the men and Little John to the river to bathe with some of her strong lye soap. She told them to dress on the other side of the camp and to stay away, or she would be sure their next meal was scorched black as tar. No one doubted she would do it and that it would taste like tar as well.

  Sam had heard that some women thought it unlucky for the groom to see his bride before the wedding. He guessed Jane wasn’t taking any chances.

  At last, much to Sam’s relief, the circuit preacher arrived and it was time for the wedding. As he shook the reverend’s hand, there was a distinct tingling in the pit of his stomach and he felt ripples of excitement race through him. Several of the townspeople joined them for the happy event, including Judge Webb, Lucky McGintey, Doc McDowell, Tom Wolf, and the owner of the Bear Trap Tavern, Charles O’Hara, already a close friend of William’s.

  Along with the other men, all gussied up, he waited with the preacher in a shady spot by the river, his heart as thunderous as a summer storm.

  The women finally appeared. First Polly, then Martha, followed by Kelly and Jane. They all looked lovely, but he strained to see past them to catch a glimpse of his bride. When he did, he thought he might be the luckiest man in the world. No, the most blessed man in the world. No, both.

  She glowed with a nearly surreal beauty. Like a princess from some romantic tale, she was both noble and exquisitely beautiful. Her ivory satin gown shimmered in the early afternoon sun and her shiny black hair was pinned on top of her head, with ringlets draping down her long neck. Sam chuckled to himself as he noticed that, as usual, she wore the dagger. They really were a matched pair. Soon, they would be a wedded pair. He couldn’t wait.

  Undoubtedly, she was the most beautiful bride ever seen in Boonesborough, or Kentucky for that matter. For as long as he lived, he would never forget how she looked now as she walked slowly toward him.

  When she was close enough, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. She smelled like a meadow of wildflowers. Her eyes held a glint of wonder. When he mouthed, “I love you,” they misted and filled with glimmering stars.

  The ceremony seemed to take no time at all, but the celebration lasted well into the afternoon and early evening. William played all their favorite tunes on his fiddle, including Sam’s favorite, ‘Soldier’s Joy,’ and Catherine’s pick, ‘Fisher’s Hornpipe.’ Sam’s recovering leg permitted dancing only to the slow songs, but with the help of his brothers, Catherine danced to nearly every song.

  Finally, she said she’d danced enough. “My feet are going to fall off,” she said, laughing, “and I might never be able to breathe right again.”

  Holding up a goblet of fine wine, from one of the bottles their brother Edward had given them when they left New Hampshire, Bear offered a toast in his booming voice. “May you each be able to provide what the other needs—comfort in times of sorrow, a glad heart on occasions of happiness, a clear vision through the darkness, and strength in moments of weakness. Be a mighty sword and unbreakable shield against the other’s enemies. But let grace and peace fill your home always. May you each be a warm sun, full moon, and shining star for the other. And, after your love of the Almighty, may your shared love be the foremost part of all your days.”

  Sam thought it was the most inspiring toast he had ever heard and a fitting moment to say their goodbyes.

  Before the wedding, he had packed a small bag. He quickly retrieved it and the considerably larger bag Catherine had packed. With dusk approaching, he started saddling their horses. He couldn’t wait to get her to himself. They could ride at least a couple of hours before they wou
ld find a place to spend the night. The thought made him work at an even faster pace.

  “Off so soon?” Stephen asked, walking up behind him.

  “What would you do in my boots?”

  “I’d already be gone,” Stephen replied.

  Sam chuckled. “All right then, finish saddling Catherine’s horse while I get this packhorse loaded with our supplies.”

  It wasn’t long before they headed, side by side, toward a crimson sunset.

  “Sam, wasn’t that the most wonderful wedding?” Catherine grinned as she stepped out of the saddle. In fact, her jaw was beginning to hurt from either laughing or smiling all day. She glanced around. Sam had selected a lovely spot near a brisk creek for the evening’s campsite. Their first night together. Imagining what would happen later, her pulse leapt with anticipation.

  “I admit our nuptials greatly exceeded my expectations. I actually found the entire affair quite enjoyable, especially every time I gawked at you in that stunning gown. Which, I admit was nearly every second. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You looked positively ravishing. I was completely entranced.” He tossed their bags down and reached for her hands.

  “And there was never a more handsome groom than you. I was completely charmed.”

  Sam laughed out loud. “Married only a few hours and you’re already lying to me?”

  “It wasn’t a lie. You were charming.” She couldn’t believe this good-looking, virile man was her husband. “And you are now, my Sam.”

  “For that flattery, I will be forced to kiss you. Keep it up and your punishment will grow even more severe.”

  He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her until her head spun and her knees went weak. When she finally pulled away to catch a much needed breath, her lips throbbed, branded with the imprint of his passion.

  “Your punishment is too lenient,” she said smiling, “I fear I deserve further chastisement.”