High Country Bride

by Jillian Hart

  Maybe bringing Joanna and these kids to you is God’s doing, too. If only he could get Thad’s words out of his head. Aiden stared off at the river rushing below, churning, tumultuously, and realized that was just how he felt. As if he were in that dangerous current, being pulled under against his will. Life was like that river; a man had little control over it. He had to accept that the current was stronger, and let it take him where it would.

  How do I do it, Lord? He truly had to know. Living hurt, and he couldn’t remember the sky being so blue that it stung his eyes, or the sun a tangible heat on his skin. And the colors—they were everywhere, vibrant and shimmering. The thunder of the waterfall had never been louder, and a rainbow reaching from the cliff to the river below never brighter.

  He was alive and whole and unable to trust. Lord, how can I believe in love again?

  He couldn’t; it was as simple as that. He could still feel the scars within him, wounds that could never heal. How could he take another chance on love? His entire being froze at the thought. Pain slammed through him. No, he could not lose like that again. He just couldn’t. Love could be gone in a blink of an eye. Love was too risky. Love could take all a man was when it died. He did not want to risk like that again. He was simply not strong enough.

  He hung his head, unable to believe, after all.

  He jammed his hands in his pockets. He could not go back to the house, couldn’t face the family he’d let come so close to his heart.

  “Aiden!” Joanna’s shout pierced his thoughts, high and shrill with panic. “Aiden!”

  Instantly alert, he whipped around and there she was, racing through the field as fast as she could toward him. That’s when he saw the mustangs running, too, and the stallion leading the pack, focused on something hidden in the grass. The top of a little Stetson. James.

  Aiden was already moving. He climbed over the fence in one quick motion and hit the ground running. That stallion was closing in, ears laid back flat to his head. A sharp neigh of fury shattered the silence, but that animal’s fury was nothing, nothing at all compared to Aiden’s. All he could think about was James. There he was, just ahead, frozen in place, stiff with fear.

  Aiden saw it in an instant: the stallion was going to get there first. He was vaguely aware of Joanna’s cries, of Thad shouting, but he knew they were all too far away to do anything. Aiden had to protect James. It was up to him. He changed direction, running toward the horse, pushing himself with all his might. His legs ate up the ground, but it didn’t seem fast enough. The distance between them was closing, and there was James, standing stock-still and whimpering.

  Aiden launched himself at the horse and hit it, shoulder to shoulder. Pain shot up his arm, but it was distant, nothing at all. His feet went out from under him and he hit the ground. Pain slammed into his ribs and side; must have been a hoof that struck him. The air was driven out of his lungs, leaving him gasping.

  Time slowed down. He squinted up to see the stallion, knocked off stride, recover and rear up against the brilliant blue sky. Aiden didn’t like seeing the underside of those hooves flailing in the air, because they were going to come down upon him. Sadness filled him, because he was not ready to leave this earth. But at least James was safe.

  James. He could see the boy at the corner of his vision, standing with his jaw open, still frozen in fear. Regret filled Aiden at how he’d treated the lad, his stepson, and at the way he had spent his time here. But at least he’d accounted for something. James was unharmed, and he would stay that way. Thad was coming, and Joanna, too. That was a relief. As Aiden watched the horse rear above him, he felt at peace. At peace, because God had led him back to life. To what mattered most.

  Something snaked across the blazing sky. A rope. Its noosed end sailed around the stallion’s neck and pulled tight. Time snapped back, and Aiden heard the furious neigh, heard the rapid cadence of James’s breathing and felt the pounding of footsteps beside him. The horse came crashing down, pulled a few feet away by Thad’s strength. A shadow cut across the sun and fell over him like grace.

  Joanna. His heart stopped when he saw at the stark concern on her face. His spirit stilled as she knelt over him, touching his cheek and then his chest with her fingertips.

  “Aiden? Aiden, where are you hurt? I saw you go down, and I…” Tears pooled in her eyes, precious silvery tears just for him. “You’ve hurt yourself something bad, I can see it.”

  He gasped in air, but none of it seemed to reach his lungs. He couldn’t rightly say she was wrong, but he didn’t mind so much. Looking at her and drinking in her beauty and her goodness was enough to sustain him for this moment and for the rest of his life.

  A tear plopped onto his chin. Her tear. His heart broke all over again with a great crash of love for her. It was a tide he could not hold back. A greatness he could not control. So he didn’t even bother. God had put this love in his heart for a reason. It wasn’t a matter of not being strong enough; all he had to do was trust God, come what may.

  “I’m so mad at you for getting hurt.” She sniffled and blinked hard, but those tears just kept coming, anyway.

  He heard, loud and clear, what those tears said. “Sorry,” he choked out.

  “You should be.” Fear, that’s what he saw. And hurt. “Aiden, I know you don’t want a real wife, but you are a real husband to me. I don’t know if I could stand to lose you.”

  He’d put that hurt there. He winced and did his best to cowboy up. Loving someone with all you had was a frightening thing, but he was no longer afraid. He felt strong. Courageous. Because life was hard enough. Love didn’t need to be, too.

  “Thank you for this.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “For saving my son.”

  Sweetness filled him right up. It sealed up every crack in his heart and every fissure in his soul. How about that? Air eked into his spasming lungs, and he hurt something fierce. But that was good, right? It let him know he was alive.

  “No problem,” he choked out, needing to correct her. “I saved our son.”

  “But…?” She shook her head, as if to tell him he was wrong, but then it must have struck her what he meant. Tears spilled from her eyes again, and the love in them, why, it was the loveliest sight he’d ever seen.

  Another shadow fell across him. Little James, his face screwed up in heartache. He gave a sniff, fighting a sob.

  Pain streaked through Aiden’s chest as he lifted his arm to catch the boy’s small hand in his. “Don’t cry, little buddy. I’m gonna be all right.”

  “But you l-left.”

  “Aw, I wasn’t going anywhere.” It hurt to see what James needed—and what Aiden hadn’t given him. He felt ashamed, and vowed on his life that he would move mountains for this child if he had to—for his child—to make this up to him. “I guess I was to teach you to rein this afternoon. We might have to postpone that for a bit.”

  James nodded, sniffling.

  There. That was one thing made right. Now, for his biggest offense. That hurt worse than all the broken ribs in his chest. “Joanna, I love you.”

  “What?” She was gazing at him in shock, as if she were the one with the broken ribs. “What did you say?”

  “I love you with all my heart and soul. I want you to know the whole truth I’ve been hiding from you and from myself. You are like the sun coming up in my life every day.”

  “I love you, too.” He loved her. She could see the measure of it right there in his heart. Joy overwhelmed her. She had never hoped for so much. Aiden’s love was a dream come true. She smiled through her tears. “But then you already know that.”

  “I do, but it never hurts to hear.” He smiled back, and there it was, the zing of a deeper, emotional connection between them. She could feel it in the hitch of her soul and the brightening of her spirit. It was love, abundant and abiding and true.

  “You are a great gift to my life, Joanna.” Aiden struggled up onto his elbows.

  She settled beside him, supporting him, taking him
gently into her arms, this man she loved more than her life. Because he could not save his son, he had saved hers. What a treasure he was.

  “I want a real marriage, Joanna. I want to cherish you the right way.” He coughed a little, gasping in pain, but that didn’t stop him. “I want to be the man you need in all ways. I won’t let you down again. I promise you.”

  “You never let me down, and you never will.”

  “Then that’s a yes?”

  “Absolutely, beyond all doubt.” It was in the happiness lighting her face and in the brush of her lips on his cheek.

  Footsteps drummed on the earth. Thad was coming; he must have gotten the stallion secured. “You’re looking a bit pale, big brother. I suppose I should go fetch the doc.”

  “Suppose so.”

  “Aiden?” It was Ma, bringing Noelle and little Daisy with her. Their little girl sidled up against Joanna’s skirts. Ma was all business. “Let me take a look at that wound. I can put a poultice on that until the doctor gets here. Thad, let’s get him in the house.”

  Aiden hardly noticed the pain. He was surrounded by family, the people he loved the most. He was in Joanna’s arms, his love, his bride, his everything. Elation left him dizzy.

  “Just a minute, Ma. There’s one thing I’ve failed to do. Joanna, are you ready?” He pulled her gently to him and kissed her for real this time, tender and sweet. Their first kiss as man and wife.

  Epilogue

  November, three months later

  Those were Aiden’s boots coming up behind her. Joanna let go of the scrub brush, leaned back on her heels at the foot of the stairs and swept her bangs out of her eyes. “I suppose you want something from our bedroom, don’t you? Too bad. I’m afraid the floors are still wet.”

  “And you’re not going to let me in with my boots?” He looked like a man who’d been working hard in the barn. Bits of hay and straw clung to his shirt and trousers, but that only seemed to make him more handsome. Perhaps it was because there were no more shadows. He was whole and alive and happy.

  She couldn’t resist teasing him, just a little. “Sorry. I’m not going to let you through. You’ll just have to wait.”

  “Wait, huh? It might take a long time to dry. And it’s not yet time for me to drive to town to pick up James and Daisy from school. I’m not sure what I ought to do with this free time.”

  She plopped the brush into the bucket of sudsy water and rose, wiping her hands on her apron. “You could go back outside and bring in more wood for our fires.”

  “I could, but it’s turning awfully cold out there. It might snow.”

  “That’s a handy excuse.” She let her fingertips run up the placket of his flannel shirt, thinking of those ribs he had broken that were now good and truly healed. “Am I supposed to believe that a big man like you doesn’t want to go outside in the cold?”

  “That’s right.” His baritone dipped warm and low.

  “Excuses, excuses, Mr. McKaslin.” Her fingertips reached the top button on his shirt and she couldn’t resist laying the flat of her hand there over the reliable beat of his heart. His devoted, faithful heart. “I can think of only one more chore that’s left on my list and this is an important one.”

  “Is that so?” His hand covered hers, affection alight in his eyes. “You can trust me. I won’t let you down.”

  “I know.” Happiness filled her as she went up on tiptoe. “You could kiss your wife.”

  “My wife?” His right hand cradled the side of her face. “I love calling you that. Almost as much as I love kissing you.”

  “Lucky me.” Joanna closed her eyes, breathless, waiting for the brush of his lips to hers.

  His kiss was sheer perfection. It was pure sweetness and complete tenderness. It was like floating on clear blue sky without a storm in sight.

  “So you only wanted one kiss?” he murmured against her lips.

  “I suppose I could endure a second one.”

  “It will be tough, but I think I can, too.” He brushed the tendrils out of her eyes. “I can endure anything as long as I am with you.”

  “Me, too.” His lips claimed hers again, this time as reverent as a promise kept. As miraculous as grace. She gave thanks for this man’s everlasting love. He loved her, honest and true, the way she loved him.

  “I love you, Joanna, with all of my soul,” he said, and kissed her forehead.

  “As I love you.” She was so happy, it was easy to see the future with her beloved. There would be more children filling this house one day, James graduating from school and taking over the ranch, and some day, far from now, Aiden would walk Daisy down the aisle. Joanna’s dreams for her children were coming true.

  But for her, there would always be Aiden, strong and true and loving. He was her shelter, her dream, her everything.

  Lace curtains framed a snowy view at the parlor window directly behind them, a reminder of the power of love and faith. And of their great love.

  “I have one more request.” She stepped back to look into his eyes. “Take me to town with you.”

  “Sure. Let’s go fetch our children home.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder and they went off into the world together.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for choosing HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE. I hope you enjoyed Joanna and Aiden’s journey toward love as much as I did writing it. I first met Aiden when I was writing his brother Thad’s story (HOMESPUN BRIDE), and my heart ached for this man so closed off from the world but so unshakable in his faith. I wanted him to find love again, and Joanna seemed the perfect wife for him. I hope their story to hope, faith and love touches you.

  Wishing you the best of blessings,

  Jillian Hart

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  At the beginning of the story, when Aiden finds Joanna and her children living out of their wagon on his land, what is his first reaction? What emotions are beneath his anger? What does this say about his character?

  Joanna is in difficult circumstances at the beginning of the book. How does she handle hardship throughout the story? What does this say about her character?

  What is Aiden’s initial behavior toward the children? What does this reveal about him?

  Joanna has been let down by love. How has that affected her? What does that reveal about her faith and her values?

  Joanna has lost track of her faith. She fears God has stopped listening to her. How does this change through the story? How does she come to an understanding? What role does Aiden play in this?

  How important is the theme of second chances in this story?

  Joanna believes she is not the kind of a woman to inspire true devotion in a man. How does this change through the book? How does she come to believe that Aiden can truly love her?

  How are the themes of compassion and duty developed throughout the story?

  How does Aiden turn to the Lord in times of need? What does he discover about God and faith?

  What do you think Joanna has learned about love?

  What role does James play in the story? What impact does he have on Aiden? How does that change through the story?

  What makes Aiden risk his heart again? What do you think he has learned about life?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-1975-9

  HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE

  Copyright © 2008 by Jill Strickler

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirel
y coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.

  ® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  www.SteepleHill.com

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  **A Tiny Blessings Tale

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan

  *The McKaslin Clan