by West, Everly
"Don't worry, I will," Jennie promised. "You be careful."
Tears clogged her throat and yet anger roiled through her.
"Cora, you write us and tell us where you are," her mother said in her strict tone. No longer did she have the right to use that attitude with Cora.
Turning her back, she ignored her mother. If only her parents and August’s father had not forced them to marry.
"It's time to go. Three days of traveling is before us," August said and Cora felt her heart slam in her chest. Fear overwhelmed her.
When she went to New York, she would be leaving her family, but not today. Not traveling across the state in the wrong direction.
"Son, you had no choice, but to marry the girl," his father said softly to August, which caused her husband's face to tighten and his hands gripped the reins tighter.
"Goodbye, Father," August said as he snapped the reins and urged the horses forward.
"Jennie, I love you," Cora said. "And Hattie too."
"I'll tell her," her sister promised. "Write."
"I will," she said.
"Cora," her mother called, but she refused to look at her. Last night, her mother had gotten her way. Cora was a married woman, but everyone realized she didn't want August.
As they rolled through town, tears splashed down her cheeks. Unable to stop them as she left everything behind with a man she knew so little about.
"Please don't cry," he said, glancing at her. "We'll get the marriage annulled as soon as possible."
"What if I can't go back." What if she never saw her sisters again? What if she never forgave her parents?
A snicker came from him. "Well, I'm certainly not returning to Cheyenne and my father."
Even with all the built up anger toward her mother and father, no matter, she still loved her silly family. Now she didn't know when she would see them again and they parted on such angry terms. Sniffing, she thought they had gotten their way. Would she ever return to Laramie?
Glancing out at the snow-covered road, she sighed. "Why do I feel like we're two lost souls heading out on a journey that isn't where we want to go."
"Maybe because we are," he said, gazing at her as he urged the team on. "No matter what, I give you my word that as long as we're married, I'll protect you."
Reaching up, she dabbed her eyes. "How long do we have to get the marriage annulled?"
Why did it seem like with the morning sun and their departure that ending this union seemed a slim chance if any? Would she have to come to terms with the wedding and accept August as her husband? Married strangers starting out on a journey.
"This is my first annulment. I have no idea. I've written to my friend James and asked him to mail me at my grandparents’," he said.
"Sadly, no one is going to believe that we haven't slept together. Especially if we spend the night out on the trail," she said.
"Then we'll file for a divorce, if that's what you want," he said.
Pulling the wagon through the snow, the horse led them out of town. Away from her family, her dreams, and everything she'd ever known. A pain gripped her chest at the hurt that filled her. More tears threatened to fall, but she took a deep breath.
Life had dealt her a husband and now she needed to learn to cope. But she refused to give up yet.
With a sigh, she gazed out at the last of her hometown countryside. "Right now, I don't know what I want. This wasn't supposed to happen." As she stared at him, her heart swelled with hurt. "Everything has changed."
He snorted. "Now we're going to my grandparents as a married couple. There we can decide what to do next."
"Yes," she said. "We need a plan."
* * *
As the sun sank lower, the temperature began to drop, and August realized they would not reach the next town before darkness fell. He'd been optimistic they could spend the night in a hotel, but they weren't going to make it.
They would need to pitch a tent and sleep on the hard ground. He came prepared just in case, but his bride would prefer they slept inside.
"When will we arrive in Centennial," she asked.
The small mining community was merely a spot in the road, not even halfway. Gazing at the sky, he prayed the snow would hold off until they reached his grandparents. Traveling this time of year was often dangerous, but he needed distance from his father. For his sanity, it was worth the risk and yet he was also risking Cora's life.
"I don't think we're going to make the town before dark," he said. "There's a tent in the back of the wagon and a basket of food your mother insisted I bring and some canned goods. What if we just spend the night on the trail?"
Already he could see her mind working and knew her response.
"We'll never be able to prove we didn't sleep together," she said with a sigh. "How can we get an annulment if people think we've consummated our marriage?"
Somehow August didn't think they had a chance of ending this marriage, but he had to keep her hopes alive. So far, she had been a good traveling companion, never complaining, but he didn't want that to change.
"Don't give up hope," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. Her fingers were icy. "Are you cold?"
"A little," she said.
"Sit closer to me and wrap the lap blanket around both of us. Together, our body heat should help keep you warm."
The road was clear of snow, but most of the ground was covered in the white fluff. If you lived in Wyoming, you learned the basics of winter survival. "Look for a place to camp for the night. We need to start a fire and pitch the tent before dark."
The feel of her hip was snug against his own as she tucked the blanket around the two of them. A tingle of awareness spiraled up his spine.
Today she wore a bonnet over her hair that blocked the sun and kept the wind from blowing her waves of curls. The woman had gorgeous hair that he wanted to run his hands through. The thick richness of her curls and the way she smelled. Of course, he also liked the hint of lavender that emanated from her closeness.
The thought of the two of them together in the small tent, trying to stay warm through the night had him dreading the evening.
After all, he was a man. A man who very much enjoyed women.
"Look over there," she said, pointing to a place where the snow had melted against tall rocks that faced the setting sun. "Those boulders would radiate heat and help keep us warm."
But it wouldn't keep him safe from her.
"You're probably right and the horse can stay in the circle with us." A quick glance at the sky told him the sun would soon be sinking. "Great eyes, I think that's where we'll stop for the night."
She bit her lip and he could tell she was nervous. It would take some time to put her at ease.
As he pulled the horse to a halt, he turned to her. "While I set up the tent, why don't you collect some firewood."
"All right," she said as he wrapped his hands around her and lifted her to the ground.
The woman had such a tiny waist and he loved the way her breasts were mere inches from his eyes. With a frown, he reminded himself they might be married for now, but it wouldn't be forever.
She wandered from the rocky side of the hill, and in a few moments, came back with her arms loaded with broken branches. "The wood feels damp."
Most of the debutantes he knew would never agree to sleeping in a tent or gathering firewood. So far, he liked the practicality of his wife.
Pounding the last stake into the ground, he lifted the center pole on their shelter for the night, pulling the tent upright. "Maybe it will light."
Just as he finished, he noticed she had piled the sticks up and then bunched a piece of material under the kindling. "All the grass and straw was wet, so I found this scrap in my bag."
Stunned, he watched as she set the spark causing a flame on the cotton, which in turn caused the broken sticks to begin to burn.
In a matter of minutes, she had a nice roaring blaze going. "Wow, my wife can build a fire."
A frown crossed her face. "Of course. My father made sure all of us were prepared if ever we were caught out in a blizzard." In the light of the crackling flames, her eyes darkened. "The more miles between us, the more his deception hurts."
What could he say? The man had promised to help her reach New York and let her attend fashion school, but it was all lies. There was no way to ease the pain of a parent's deceit. All too well, he experienced the hurt of what she was feeling.
"Why did you want to go to school instead of getting married and having children?"
The question had bothered him for the last twenty miles. Most women didn't want to go traipsing off to New York.
A laugh echoed in the rocks as she turned toward him. "Yes, women are eager to marry. But I wanted something different for my life. Designing and creating new dresses is something I love. My dream was for my designs to show up in a magazine."
Picking up a thicker piece of wood, she laid it on the blaze. "That doesn't mean I don't want a husband and family. First, I wanted the knowledge and experience of working in fashion."
Now he understood why she wanted to go to school. "After we get the annulment, is that what you're going to do?"
Like a lost soul staring into the fire, she seemed to disappear inside herself. Finally, she looked up and smiled.
"That's my plan," she said, looking up at him. "What about you? Why are we going to your grandparents and why was your father so angry?"
Since he graduated from college, nothing he did satisfied his father. From his choice of women, to his dislike of the terrible jobs he found him. Nothing.
Throwing another log on the fire, he waited until it took hold.
"Because I defied him by refusing to go back to Cheyenne with him and my stepmother. Believe me, you should be glad. Della would have made our lives a living hell with all the grand parties she would have held to announce our marriage."
With a sigh, he looked across the fire at her. "Plus, Papa would have insisted since I'm married, I should go back to work for the family law firm and run it until he retired from politics. Then I would step in his shoes and continue the tradition."
"That's not what you want?"
"No," he said as he sank down onto a log near the fire. "He's found me a number of different jobs and none of them I've enjoyed. Not one. And Della...you thought your mother was a social climber. That woman has more ladders and has scaled more walls to reach my father.
“The socialite snared him hook, line and wedding ring." A laugh escaped him. "The man jumps to do her bidding. I'm sorry, you probably enjoy balls."
The grimace on her face in the firelight surprised him.
"Not really, I enjoy making the dresses to wear, but parties--I don't know. Mother pushed events so much, I found I resisted them because of the way she stressed them."
A smile graced her face and it was one of the few times today she smiled. So Cora wasn't a social climber like her mother and his stepmother. That was good to know. Staring at her, he wondered what if they had met under different circumstances. What if before that moment in the library, they had been introduced and danced and flirted? Would he have pursued her?
Glancing at her, the reflection of the flames reflected from her emerald eyes making them shine in the firelight. Without a doubt, he would have chased his wife at the ball last night. Marriage had been on neither one of their minds that night. What would have happened if the scandal hadn't forced them to marry?
* * *
Cora woke during the night, a nightmare startling her wide awake, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing rapid. Sitting up, it took her a moment to remember where she was. With a sigh, she lay back on the hard ground and pulled the blanket around her.
The dream and being chilled had her teeth chattering.
"What's wrong," August asked.
"I had a bad dream," she said in the darkness. "I dreamed I married."
A chuckle resounded in the tent. "You are."
A shiver rumbled through her. "And I'm shivering."
The sound of rustling echoed in the small space and then the feel of him, wrapping his arms and pulling her up against his hard male body. His chest, his legs, snug against her and yet warmth and security overwhelmed her and she sighed. "We shouldn't be doing this."
"You're cold. I'm cold, and we need our rest. I've wrapped both blankets around us and it feels warmer in here already."
What could she say? Her cold limbs were beginning to thaw. Encased in a warm cocoon, parts of her suddenly seemed to awaken from a long nap.
At the hardness of his body against hers, she tingled in places she'd never experienced feeling before, and she liked the way her husband's arms felt. A heat radiated against her back where he touched her and she enjoyed him holding her.
"What did you dream about?"
"Once again, I was a little girl running through the fields barefoot. Something chased me and I couldn't run away fast enough. If I reached my mother, I would be safe, but she couldn't be found. No matter where I looked for her, I couldn't find her, and the monster kept getting closer and closer."
August squeezed her tightly, a trickle of awareness cascading through her and she knew it should bother her that his arms were around her, but she didn't care. She had finally started to warm up.
"Trust me, I would never let anyone harm you," he said softly against her neck.
"Why?" she said.
"Because your father entrusted me with his daughter. Before we left, he gave me quite the lecture this morning. In fact, he was very upset you refused to see him. He made me promise to protect you."
While the thought of her father talking to her husband to make certain she would be cared for and protected made her a tiny bit less angry at him, the hurt remained. This was all so senseless.
"Did he apologize for lying to me," she said. "Liars are the worst. This world would be a much better place if we were all honest with one another."
A laugh came from behind her. "My father calls it business, but I think it’s shady."
"Who knew we would have a lot in common," she said. "Too bad you had to overhear my mother in the library."
The embarrassment of their argument still haunted her. All because of her reaction, she now found herself married.
"Your mother and my stepmother are alike in so many ways."
"And your father and my father seem to be alike."
"Yes," he said against her neck. A shudder rippled through her at the touch of his breath, sending tingles along her spine.
"Still cold?"
"A little," she said, knowing it wasn't true, but unable to tell him the touch of his breath made the most unusual feelings go through her.
"We better go back to sleep," he said. "We're not even halfway. Tomorrow will be a full day of traveling."
"Yes," she said as she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. But a burning question had bothered her all night. "August, what will we do if we can't get the marriage annulled."
Silence filled the tent. Finally when she thought he must have been asleep, he said, "Then we talk about what it's going to take to make the marriage work for both of us."
Chapter 5
Two days later, as the wagon swayed in the cold late afternoon, August began to worry about Cora. "You don't sound good," he said after listening to her cough.
"I'll be all right," she said as the sun descended on their fourth night as a married couple. For three long days, they traveled toward his grandparents’ home.
"Not much longer, we're almost there," he promised her, hoping he still remembered the roads, certain this was the way. "Are you cold?"
"Yes," she said. "I can't stay warm."
Pulling the horse to a stop, he took the blankets from the back. Carefully he wrapped one around his wife and the other he spread across their laps, tucking the end beneath her.
In the last few days, they had grown accustomed to touching one another. Once, he even walked up on her in the bus
hes. Was this the way it was between a man and his woman?
"Is that better?" he asked, climbing back into the wagon.
"Thank you," she said as she started coughing.
Like he learned from his mother, he laid his hand against her forehead. "You're running a fever. Move as close to me as you can, so my body will warm yours."
"All right," she said, and he noticed she no longer argued or disagreed with him, but rather accepted his decisions. The fact his wife's spunk seemed to have left her frightened him. The last few days had been difficult for her and women were delicate creatures.
"Next stop should be my grandparents’," he said flicking the reins. The horse pulled and once again they were on their way, the road rough as they bounced along. Darkness would soon be upon them and he so wanted to reach the ranch while he could still see the road.
In the ever-deepening twilight, she leaned her head on his shoulder and he could hear the rattle in her chest. Fear of pneumonia overwhelmed him and he feared for this woman he was starting to like.
While often she did not agree with him, she did not complain about sleeping in a tent or the endless hours riding in a wagon. The first two nights, she had gone along, helping him, but late yesterday she grew tired and went to bed early.
Every night, they cuddled together to remain warm. Curled up next to her womanly curves was a temptation he had not considered before now. Part of him longed to take her, and yet, he promised her she would be safe with him and he would keep that promise.
The lane in front of him looked like the one that led to his grandparents’ ranch and excitement caused his chest to tighten. Too many years had passed since he visited them. Too many years since the death of his mother. Turning the team down the road, it took them a while to reach the house.
The home appeared and a sense of homecoming overwhelmed him. A two-story house where his mother had lived and his grandparents still resided. A happy place where he spent so much time as a boy. Smoke curled from the chimney. His grandfather walked out, his rifle in his arms. "Who goes there?"
