“You might be right,” she purred while her hands found the ties that held his britches to his hips.
Freeing herself from the rest of her clothing, Cora molded herself to Nathaniel’s hard body, skin to skin. Her fingers traced the contours of his muscles along his arms and back. His skin was smooth and warm to the touch, lean and hard, sending tingles of awareness through her fingers and to the rest of her. Soon, there would be no bandage in the way to explore him fully, and no worries about his injury.
Nathaniel shuddered beneath her touch. He brought his mouth down on hers, his lips exploring and tasting. His hand brought her thigh across his hip and Cora rolled to the side so that his weight rested on his good shoulder. She straddled him as their bodies joined together. Love exploded in her for this man as he slowly, tenderly and truly claimed her as his wife.
Nathaniel’s mouth found hers as they moved as one. “Don’t ever lose your fire,” he murmured against her lips. “I won’t have you any other way.”
* * *
The trail they’d followed for two days led along a meandering river. Lush meadows and green foothills stretched as far as the eye could see. A snow-peaked, jagged mountain range rose majestically into the heavens to the east. Nathaniel had called the mountains the Tetons.
“Joseph and Lucas Walker live on the other side of those mountains,” Nathaniel had told her earlier that day. “They insist they have the better view.”
Cora sat next to Anna on the wagon as it lumbered along, taking in the scenery, while her thoughts drifted to Nathaniel. She’d given up trying to conceal the smile she’d worn the last two days. With each passing hour, her love for her husband grew and her good mood had certainly not gone unnoticed by Anna or her sisters.
“I guess this means you’ll want to remain at Harley’s Hole and not continue on to Oregon,” Anna teased and glanced at her with a knowing smile. She snapped the leathers against the mules’ backs, urging them up a grassy incline.
Cora hadn’t brought up the conversation about what would happen come next spring and the plans they’d made. She’d only told her friend that she loved Nathaniel and would remain married to him. Lying in his arms at night, the thought of going to Oregon had been the furthest thing from her mind.
“You’re going to stay with us, aren’t you?” Cora closed her fingers around Anna’s hand.
Anna turned her head and smiled. “I’ll make up my mind when we get there. I’m happy for you, Cora. I’m glad you and Nathaniel have finally realized that you belong with each other. You deserve a good man and a good life. I’m not sure yet what I want to do, but at least I have time to think about it.”
“We’ve been together so long, Anna, I never thought we’d be apart. If you truly want to continue on to Oregon, I’ll make sure you get there. I have no doubts that Nathaniel will agree to take you if that’s truly what you wish to do.”
“I’ll have to wait and see.” She looked straight ahead again and clucked to the mules. “I’ve told you before, Cora. I don’t think I’m cut out to live a life in the wilderness.”
Cora fell silent. She had Nathaniel, but could she lose her best friend? Hopefully Anna would love where they were going and would want to stay. Her eyes roamed the vast distance. She’d never seen country this beautiful before, and it was exhilarating. Over the last couple of days, they’d seen moose and elk in abundance, as well as several bears in the distance. The land was as rugged as Nathaniel and his brothers, and they fit into the land as if they were born to it.
Trevor and Travis were constantly riding ahead to scout the area. She rarely even saw them. The only times they came near the wagon was during meals and at night. Cora had kept a close eye on Caroline, who seemed to have formed quite an attachment to Trevor. The young man sat with her at every opportunity during meals.
“We’re just talking about the books we’ve read,” Caroline had assured her when Cora had asked what she found appealing about Trevor. At least it hadn’t been Travis she’d latched onto.
“Trevor has a collection of books by the Grimm brothers, as well as Hans Christian Andersen. He’s also going to let me read The Hunchback of Notre Dame when we get to the valley.”
Cora had frowned. “I don’t think those are books you should be reading.”
Caroline had smiled. “Why not? Have you read them?”
Cora cleared her throat. “Well, no. I’ve just heard that they’re violent and provocative.”
Caroline had giggled. “Don’t worry, Cora. My mind won’t suffer from it. I promise.”
“Cora, we’re here, we’re here.” Patrick’s excited voice reached her, pulling her from her thoughts. Gray galloped toward the wagon. Nathaniel had stopped his horse up ahead and waited.
Sloping, tree-covered hills, which steadily grew in height, had gradually closed in on them until a narrow passage opened to another valley. Cora’s eyes widened.
Mountains lined the small valley on the east side, the snow-capped peaks of the Tetons in the distance rising even higher into the sky. A wide stream meandered through the lush grasses. Nestled up along the foothills a short distance ahead were several structures and corrals. Smoke rose from one of the chimneys.
Josie and Caroline peeked out from inside the wagon.
“It’s so beautiful,” Josie said, her eyes round with awe. “And there are no other people here?”
Cora glanced over her shoulder and patted Josie’s hand. Her sister looked genuinely relieved. “No one except Nathaniel’s brothers and Mr. Buchanan.”
“You mean Harley?” Caroline asked.
Cora laughed. “Yes, but you should call him Mr. Buchanan, since that’s his given name.”
Anna drove the wagon toward the cabins, following Nathaniel. Trevor and Travis’ horses already stood in front of one of the dwellings. No doubt the twins had been eager to be the first ones to bring news of the arrivals.
Nathaniel brought his horse up alongside the wagon and offered a wide smile that made Cora’s insides melt. He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
“Welcome to Harley’s Hole.” His eyes rested on her. She nodded.
“It’s beautiful.”
The cabin door opened and the twins emerged, followed by another man who looked to be a few years older than Nathaniel. After him came a short, old man dressed in buckskins and a tattered fur coat that appeared to have seen better days. His head was covered in a cap that looked to have been the hide of a wolf or coyote. The ears were still attached. His long, bushy beard concealed most of his face.
“Well, I’ll be,” the old man croaked and rushed up to Nathaniel, who’d dismounted his horse. Despite the beard, his wide smile was easily noticeable. He hobbled past the younger man to come closer. His round eyes swept over the wagon with great appreciation, resting on the driver’s seat and darting between Anna and Cora.
“I’m tickled to death. Those boys weren’t pullin’ my leg after all. Which one of you is Cora?”
“That would be me.” Cora climbed down from the rig and held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Buchanan. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She walked up to the old man and held out her hand. He erupted into boisterous laughter.
“It’s Harley, girl. Just Harley.” He took her hand in his and gave it a hardy shake while appraising her with his bright eyes. Peering around her, he yelled. “Ya done good, Nate. Sure surprised this old man when I heard the news. Still can’t hardly believe it.”
For his grandfatherly appearance, Harley had a kind of energy about him that was much more fitting of a younger man. His warm eyes and delighted smile made him immediately likable. Not to mention that he’d been the sort of man to take in four young boys who’d lost their parents and raised them as his own.
Nathaniel strode up next to Cora. He held his hand to her waist and smiled. “She caught me by surprise, too, Harley, but I’d have been a fool if I had let her get away.”
Cora offered Nathaniel a warm smile at his words
.
The old man laughed again. “Right you are,” he said.
Nathaniel looked to the other man standing a few paces behind Harley. The family resemblance was there, but nothing on the other man’s face indicated that he was happy about the unexpected arrivals. Nathaniel and his brothers had often talked about Ethan’s bad moods. Apparently they hadn’t been exaggerating.
“Ethan,” Nathaniel greeted. “Meet my wife, Cora.” To her, he said, “This is my brother, Ethan. Don’t let his sullen attitude bother you.” He winked at her and smiled. Obviously he was used to his brother’s demeanor and took it with a grain of salt.
Cora held out her hand to Nathaniel’s brother. He shook it, but quickly released it again. “Cora,” he said, then nodded toward the wagon. His eyes rested briefly on Anna. “Looks like we’ll be figuring out sleeping arrangements. The other cabin will need to be cleared out.”
“We don’t want to impose,” Cora said quickly. It wouldn’t do to get on Ethan’s bad side, if it wasn’t too late already.
“You boys get to work, then,” Harley chimed in. “Let’s get these ladies settled and made to feel welcome. Trevor. Travis. Start moving your things from the other cabin to the barn. You can make yourselves comfortable there.”
The twins grumbled at the old man’s instructions, but did as he asked.
“We’d be more than happy to help,” Cora said. “Just tell us what to do, and we’ll get to work.” She motioned for Anna and her sisters to get down from the wagon.
“I’ll get your mules unhitched and settled,” Ethan grumbled. He walked past Nathaniel. “I trust you brought back our supplies?”
Nathaniel grinned at Cora. “Wouldn’t have come back without them.”
Cora waited until Ethan was out of earshot, staring after him as he went to her wagon and unhitched the mules. Nathaniel and the twins had often called their oldest brother surly. Somehow, he seemed sad.
“Why does he seem so unhappy?”
Nathaniel glanced toward the wagon. “He wasn’t like that before our parents died. Believe it or not, he was a lot like Travis, always butting heads with Pa and testing the boundaries, being irresponsible. On the day our parents were killed, he took off to go hunting after Pa told him not to. When he came back, our parents were dead. He hasn’t been the same since. Won’t bend a rule to save his life, and certainly won’t have any fun.”
Cora glanced to where Ethan unhitched the mules. What a shock it must have been for a boy to leave on bad terms with his father, then return to find his parents killed. Her gaze returned to Nathaniel. “The opposite of how the death of your folks affected you.”
Nathaniel tilted his head. His forehead wrinkled, then he nodded. “I suppose so.” He gave her waist a squeeze. “Come on. Let’s get everyone settled.”
The four brothers and Harley usually shared the main cabin for meals, and Ethan had his bunk there, as well. Nathaniel had apparently shared the smaller cabin that stood a short distance away with his younger brothers.
Nathaniel led her to the other cabin. The single room was sparsely furnished. Three bunks and a chair made up the furniture, and a mantle hung over the stone fireplace that was the main feature of the simple room.
“Anna and the girls can have this cabin,” Nathaniel said. “Patrick can bunk with Harley and Ethan, and the twins will sleep in the barn for now. You and I can sleep in the wagon until I get another cabin built for you. With my brothers’ help, it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks. I’ll build it however you want.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Somewhere near the other cabin, Harley chuckled heartily. Heat rose to Cora’s cheeks.
“This is a lot of rearranging and work for your brothers.” Cora looked up into Nathaniel’s eyes.
He shook his head. “If anyone complains, they’ll change their tune once they get a home-cooked meal from you and Anna.” He winked. “Trevor’s already glad about the good food he’s eaten lately. Travis just likes to make a fuss.”
Cora stood in front of the small cabin. Her eyes swept across the valley and a smile passed over her lips. She sighed. Wrapping her arms around Nathaniel’s waist, she said, “I think we’ll be very happy here.”
He gazed down at her, his eyes searching her face. “I’ll do my best to always make you happy, Cora.” He winked and a grin spread across his face. “And you already know that I’ll protect you with my life.”
Cora hugged him close. “I’m a changed person because of you, Nathaniel Wilder. Your parents would have been very proud of the man you’ve become.” She leaned up and kissed his lips. Her hand gingerly touched the area where a bandage still wrapped around his chest. “I don’t know about you, but I certainly hope that my life will be dull and uneventful from now on.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer. “With you, I can’t imagine anything being dull and uneventful. I don’t think I’ve changed you that much. Besides, you haven’t given me any reason yet to take that switch to you, but I’m sure I’ll find an excuse soon.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
T he next few weeks passed in a flurry of activity. Anna and the girls spent most of the day cleaning up the cabin they’d been given and decorating it to their liking. They’d all complained that it was filthy, and they’d already thoroughly scrubbed the floors and walls.
“Yes, it’s a lot of work,” Cora agreed. Both of the cabins definitely lacked a woman’s touch. “But at least you now have an actual roof over your heads, and real beds to sleep in after being on the trail for months.”
Cora worked in the other cabin, cleaning and straightening as much as she could with Ethan’s scowl following her every move.
“You know, one of these days I’m going to get you to smile,” she’d told him while tossing out another bucket of dirty water. She'd spent several hours scrubbing years of accumulated dirt and grime off the mantle over the fireplace “You’d be a very handsome man if you simply smiled more, I’m convinced of it.”
Harley had chuckled gleefully at her words, prompting Ethan to leave the cabin while grumbling that he should help the twins cut down trees for her new home.
The thought of a cabin of her very own with Nathaniel brought a smile to her face. For now, Cora was content to spend nights in the bed of the wagon. Nathaniel kept her plenty warm, but winter would be upon them soon, and it would be nice to have four warm walls and a real roof over her head.
“I’d best go check on what those boys are doing,” Harley announced. He groaned as he got up out of his chair and reached for his fur hat that hung on a peg near the door.
Cora glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. “I wanted to tell you thank you for the way you’ve been teaching Josie how to handle a rifle and shoot. She doesn’t warm up easily to people. You’ve certainly made her smile a lot lately.”
Harley cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his beard. “She’s a spry little thing. Good shot, too. Got quite the knack for handling a rifle. Figure it’s a rough life out here, and even a girl’s gotta know how to handle a weapon and defend herself if need be.”
Cora nodded. “Well, I appreciate it. Thank you,” she said again, smiling at him.
The old man looked to be lost for words. He coughed and plopped the fur on his head. “I’d best go and help the boys.” He gave her a quick smile, nodded, then left the cabin.
Cora picked up a rag and dipped it into a clean bucket of water, then started scrubbing at some dirt on the wall next to the hearth. She hummed a melody her mother used to hum, but the words to the song escaped her.
Josie had truly taken a liking to the old mountain man, and he obviously liked her. He’d continued the lessons Nathaniel had started with the rifle, and she’d never looked happier. She talked to the old man and made sure he was the first to be served when they all sat down for supper. She’d even baked him some molasses cookies a few days ago. He was like the grandfather she’d never had.
Harley beamed a bright smile whenever she was around, and
although he’d probably never admit it, he seemed to love the attention. With Nathaniel’s brothers, Josie remained quiet and distant.
Caroline seemed to have formed a friendship with Trevor. They both liked to read, and she’d shared some of her books with him. In return, he’d let her borrow the books he owned. They sat together in the evenings after supper, discussing what they’d read in great detail.
Travis usually left the cabin as soon as he was done eating, and Ethan sat in a corner, quietly whittling on a stick or outside until everyone retired for the night. Patrick enjoyed everyone’s company. Although she hadn’t said anything about staying or leaving in the spring, Anna had been quiet since coming to the valley.
Just as Cora reached up and swatted at some cobwebs on the ceiling, the cabin door creaked open behind her. She caught a glimpse of Nathaniel out of the corner of her eye. He swept into the cabin and wrapped his arms around her before she had a chance to turn around. His lips against her neck sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
She turned in his embrace, smiling up at him just before he claimed her lips in a slow kiss that deepened as the seconds ticked away. Cora moaned softly and wound her arms around his neck, molding herself to him.
“I thought you were out in the woods cutting down logs for the cabin,” she purred against his shoulder when he ended the kiss. Her lips tingled and her legs had gone weak in his arms.
“Forgot something,” he mumbled before dipping his head to kiss her again.
Cora gave herself over to his embrace and his teasing of her lips. They’d found little time, other than at night after going to their bed in the wagon, to openly kiss and touch. Nathaniel had no qualms about holding her and kissing her in front of everyone else, but this was different. He kissed her with the same raw hunger he’d reserved for the darkness of night.
“Don’t work too hard,” she breathed once he ended the kiss. “Your wound is still on the mend.”
Cora's Pride (Wilderness Brides Book 1) Page 17