The Unexpected Bride

by Griggs, Winnie

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Elthia wrinkled her nose. “Just uncomfortable. Wet skirts are not only extremely unpleasant, they’re heavy as well.”

  Harm’s brow creased. “I really am sorry, Elly. Look, why don’t I take you to the cabin. We can light a fire, and you can slip out of that soggy skirt till it dries.”

  He turned to Caleb. “The cabin’s just beyond that stand of trees. While I make Elly comfortable, you go back down to the boat. There’s a blanket stored—”

  “Hold on.” Caleb placed a possessive arm around Elthia’s shoulder. “Since you’re more familiar with the island and the boat, I think it makes more sense for you to fetch the blanket and for me to escort Elthia to this cabin of yours.”

  Harm waved impatiently. “You don’t know the way to the cabin.”

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Elthia’s hands fisted on her hips. “Harm, I’m sure there’s something in the cabin I can use.”

  But her brother shook his head. “I don’t know. We haven’t been up there in a while. Better get the one from the boat, just to be safe.”

  “Well you just go ahead and fetch it.” Caleb squeezed Elthia’s arm. “And don’t worry, Elthia can show me the way.”

  Harm frowned suspiciously. “What do you think, Elly? Should I entrust you to his keeping for a few minutes?”

  Elthia rolled her eyes. “Oh for pity’s sake, Harm, stop baiting him. You know I’ll be okay with Caleb. Just hurry with that blanket so I can change out of these sopping clothes.”

  Harm held up his hands in surrender. “All right. I guess, since I caused this little disaster, I should pay the forfeit.” He glared at Caleb. “Make sure you watch your step, woodcarver.”

  “Your concern is touching.” Caleb flashed him a toothy grin.

  With a sour look, Harm headed back down the path they’d just climbed.

  Caleb grinned. It felt good to get the better of his brother-in-law for once. Then he caught sight of Elthia, shaking her skirts and studiously avoiding his gaze. His grin faded.

  Blast! He’d just maneuvered himself into spending time alone with her, the very thing he’d sworn to avoid at all costs. Well, there was nothing for it now. He’d just have to keep them both too busy to dwell on memories. That shouldn’t be any more difficult than, say, sprouting wings and flying to the moon.

  “So,” he said heartily, “which way to this cabin of yours?”

  Elthia met his gaze for a moment, then pointed to her left. “The path through that stand of firs takes you right to it.”

  He tucked her arm in his, trying not to think about the more intimate contact he wanted. “Let’s go then.”

  They walked in silence, keeping their eyes focused on the trail. Here beneath the trees, they were out of the glare of the sun. The insect drone and occasional small-animal-skittering noises were almost drowned out by the squishing of waterlogged shoes and the leaf-rustling drag of Elthia’s soggy skirts.

  Caleb’s respect for Elthia climbed as she marched on without complaint. He knew how uncomfortable her wet clothes must be.

  The warm touch of her hand on his arm, however, engendered a totally different kind of emotion. When she preceded him on a narrow part of the trail, he drank in the sight of her regal carriage and swaying hips. When she hiked her skirts up to step over a log, he swallowed hard, forcing his hands to stay at his sides. But the toughest test of his control was her repeated brushing and bumping against him. Her feet seemed determined to catch on every vine or root that dared encroach on the trail.

  By the time they reached the cabin, Caleb was in dire need of a long dip in a snow-fed pond. Too bad it was still summer.

  “Here it is,” she announced unnecessarily.

  The cabin was a small, snugly built log structure with a cedar shingle roof and a stone chimney protruding from the back. Because Harm had mentioned they hadn’t been here in a while, Caleb had expected it to show signs of neglect.

  He should have known better. Apparently the Sinclares had servants enough to take care of even this place. Everything looked well maintained and neat as a pin, even to the expertly pruned bushes flanking the south wall.

  Caleb opened the door and ushered Elthia inside. When he followed her, he found himself in a comfortably furnished, one-room abode. There was a kitchen area on one end, a sleeping area on the other, and a fireplace and comfortable seating in the middle. This little cabin, set aside for the occasional Sinclare outing, was better than some homes he’d visited.

  That reminder effectively cooled his ardor.

  Elthia moved toward the sleeping alcove. “Looks like Harm’s hiking back to the boat for nothing. There are lots of clean sheets and blankets here, same as always.”

  Served Rich Boy right.

  Then Caleb saw her hand move to the buttons of her bodice, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe normally. Abruptly he turned toward the hearth. “I’ll get a fire started.”

  But it was no use. Even with his back turned, his imagination fed him pictures of what was going on in that alcove.

  Elthia stared in frustration at Caleb’s back. Nothing she’d tried had had any effect on him, not even when she’d shamelessly flashed a bit of leg. She knew she wasn’t the kind of woman who captured men’s fancies, but she’d hoped Caleb’s affections had been engaged enough to lend a certain allure to her actions.

  She might as well face facts. He just wasn’t interested. Had he ever been?

  Elthia stepped out of her dress and petticoats. With a hand on the ties of her undergarments, she glanced self-consciously toward Caleb. But he was still bent over the fireplace. From the sounds of his muffled mutterings, she deduced that he was having trouble getting the fire started.

  She shed the rest of her clothes and reached for a sheet. Before she wound the cloth around her, though, she rubbed her stomach. Don’t worry, she silently assured her unborn child, your daddy and I will work this out, one way or the other.

  With deft movements, she wrapped the sheet around her body, leaving her arms and shoulders free but covering everything from that point down. After checking to make sure the drape of the makeshift gown hid the slight but telling bulge in her tummy, Elthia tilted her chin and crossed the room.

  Caleb’s back stiffened as soon as she stepped from the alcove. So, he wasn’t as unaware as he’d pretended. With a smile, Elthia lifted a loop of rope from a peg on the wall. She turned to find Caleb, still on one knee, watching her. Ogling might be more accurate. She suddenly felt a surge of hope.

  When he saw what she held, his gaze quickly flew up to meet hers. “What’s that for?” he asked warily.

  “I was hoping you could rig a line near the hearth to hang my clothes on. If you’re finished fiddling with the fire, that is?”

  Caleb nodded and stood. “Of course.” He crossed the room and took the rope from her outstretched hands.

  Her sheet threatened to slip, and she hitched it back up. Caleb’s gaze shifted to the exposed part of her chest, but with visible effort, he focused back on her face.

  “Thanks,” she said with a bright smile. “Do you need help?”

  “Help?”

  She tried not to grin at the blank look on his face. “Stringing the line,” she explained patiently.

  “No.” He cleared his throat. “No, I can handle it. You just get your clothes gathered up.”

  “All right.”

  Elthia collected her wet garments and then watched as Caleb stood on a chair and tied the rope to a couple of rafters. Then she handed the articles up to him, one at a time, to arrange over the line. When she handed up the first of her lacy undergarments, he stiffened and hesitated as if she were handing him a snake.

  “Is something the matter?” she asked sweetly.

  He met her gaze, and a touch of red crept into his cheeks. “Uh, no, I was just wondering what was keeping your brother.” He snatched the garment from her and slapped it on the line.

  “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”


  “Yes, well.” Caleb looked around the cabin, then back at her. “In the meantime, I think I’ll bring in some extra firewood.”

  Elthia nodded toward the back door. “There should be some already cut and stacked right out there.”

  “Mind if I take a little look around while I’m outside?”

  Elthia shrugged. “Help yourself.”

  Once he left, she began to pace. If the past few minutes were any indication, Caleb still felt at least some physical attraction to her. But was that all he felt?

  Enough with the games, the teasing. She had to know if there was something more, something worth fighting to hold on to. As soon as Harm showed up, she’d ask him to go away again for thirty minutes or so. Of course, getting Harm to leave wasn’t going to be her problem. Getting Caleb to stay was.

  Her pacing took her to the kitchen area. She halted as she spied a picnic basket. It had probably been left here from a previous outing. What caught her eye, though, was the neck of an unopened wine bottle protruding from the cover.

  Would it help to put Caleb in a more relaxed frame of mind? She pulled the basket toward her, frowning at the weight. There was more in here than a forgotten bottle of wine. Elthia lifted the lid to find it packed full with all manner of items, from cheese and bread to teacakes and cold ham, all of it quite fresh.

  Comprehension slowly dawned. She heard the door open behind her. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face Caleb.

  He set a load of firewood beside the hearth, then turned to her. “I didn’t see any sign of your brother yet. I wonder if—”

  Something in her expression must have caught his attention. “What’s wrong?”

  Elthia shoved her glasses up and quit worrying at her lower lip. “I have a very strong feeling that Harm’s not coming back.”

  CHAPTER 27

  “What do you mean, not coming back?”

  Elthia winced, and Caleb realized he’d spoken louder than he’d intended. But his gut clenched at the thought of having to stay here alone with her much longer without being able to touch her.

  “I just found this.” Elthia carried a picnic basket to the table and lifted the lid.

  He glanced at the wealth of food, then back at her. “So, your brother had a meal sent on ahead. That doesn’t mean—”

  “There are only two wineglasses.”

  Caleb poked around in the basket. She was right. And only two sets of dinnerware. But it didn’t have to mean what she thought it did, he rationalized desperately. “You’re jumping—”

  She stared at him with relentless assurance. “I know Harm.”

  Caleb clenched his jaw. There had to be another explanation. But his gut agreed he’d been outmaneuvered.

  With a sigh, Elthia waved toward the back door. “There are rungs on the north wall. You can use them to climb up to the roof. I used to like to do that when I was a child. It gives you a good view of the jetty where we tied the sailboat.”

  Without a word Caleb turned and stalked out the door. He climbed up to the roof already knowing what he would see. Gazing at the spot where the boat should have been, he bit back an oath. Elthia’s brother would be wise to keep his distance for a while if he wanted to retain all his teeth and mobility.

  Caleb raked a hand through his hair. What in thunder was he supposed to do now? There was no way he could spend a night alone with her in that cabin without going stark staring mad. Or begging her to come back to Texas with him.

  He turned and started down the ladder. Tempting as the idea was, he couldn’t spend the night up here. Reaching the ground, he shoved the door open. “Harm had this planned from the start.”

  Elthia had taken a seat at the table. “So it seems.”

  “Even to dunking you in the stream.” He shut the door behind him with a little more force than was necessary but much less than he’d use on Rich Boy next time he saw him.

  Elthia nodded again. “Now I know why he seemed to be both breaking my fall and tripping me up at the same time.”

  Caleb crossed the room with long angry strides and propped both fists on the table. What he wouldn’t give for something to pound on right now. “That brother of yours has a rotten sense of humor.”

  Elthia held up a hand. “I had nothing to do with this.” She lifted her chin. “But I’m not terribly upset that he did it.”

  Caleb’s irritation changed to wariness. Was she going to start in on him now? The last thing he needed was to point-blank face her recriminations and questions. He rubbed the back of his neck, searching his mind for something to deflect her obvious determination. “I don’t suppose there’s another boat?”

  “Not even a dinghy.”

  She didn’t seem bothered by the situation. And that glint of determination was still there. It didn’t bode well for his already nonexistent peace of mind.

  “How long do you figure it’ll be before he sends someone back for us?” he asked, trying not to sound desperate.

  Shrugging, Elthia waved to the hamper. “Judging by this and knowing my brother, I don’t expect to see anyone until morning.”

  She winced as he bit off a frustrated growl. Then she straightened and commandeered his gaze with her own. “Caleb, we need to talk.”

  He smothered a groan. Deciding he’d have to bluster his way through, he smiled. “I’ve sort of missed hearing you say that.”

  Actually, that much was true.

  He took a chair and leaned back, tilting it up on its two back legs. “So, what do we talk about this time?”

  “Do you love me?” she blurted.

  The front legs of his chair landed on the floor with a thud. She certainly didn’t intend to beat around the bush any. How the devil was he supposed to answer that?

  From the appalled look on her face, he guessed that wasn’t what she’d intended to say. “Now what sort of fool question is that?” he asked, hoping she’d back down.

  Seeing her shift in her chair, Caleb felt a spark of hope that she’d lost her nerve. He could not let her continue this line of discussion. It would only hurt both of them.

  But he wasn’t to be let off so lightly. That stubborn expression he knew so well returned.

  She hitched her wrap up a bit higher and tucked a stray tendril back behind her ear. “To be fair, I should tell you that I love you. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I no longer feel whole without you.”

  Caleb’s heart expanded until it threatened to cut off his breathing. She loved him! Her words carried him to the mountaintop of joy and the pit of despair at the same time. How could he take such a precious gift and use it to trap her in a life that would burden her?

  But she wasn’t through. She clasped her hands on the table in front of her and frowned at him. “I believe I have the right to know how you feel about me, about us. How you truly feel.”

  Caleb shoved his chair back and stood. He paced halfway across the room before he spoke. How could he make her see that he was acting in her best interests? It wasn’t what he wanted. If only… “Blast it all, Elthia, it’s not as simple as that.”

  “Yes, it is.” He heard the conviction in her voice, the driving need to hear his answer. “Either you feel the same way, or you don’t. I’m willing to fight everyone and everything, including you, to find a way to pull our family back together. But not if I thought I would be forcing something on you that you don’t really desire. Again, I need to know how you truly feel.”

  Did she know she was asking him to lay his soul bare, to open a door he could never step through? If he ever said the words, it would all be over.

  He turned to her, his face set, trying to find the words to make her quit pushing. “Elthia, it’s no good. I can’t offer you this kind of life, I can’t even offer you something close.”

  “Did I ever ask you to?”

  He clenched his fists at his side, steeling himself to say part of what he felt. “No, but what do you think it does to a man’s pride to know he’s forced someone he�
�� he cares about to give up so much?” Elthia moved to his side, and he commanded his arms not to reach for her as they longed to.

  She met his gaze, her expression earnest, searching. “Caleb, you have no need to feel any guilt. It’s not what I’m giving up that matters, it’s what I’m gaining. A sense of purpose, of making a difference, of belonging. The love of a husband and children. A home where I am the domestic center.”

  When she placed a hand on his arm, he almost flinched. He was that sensitive to her touch now.

  “I’ve never felt happier, more at home, than I did those last few weeks in Texas,” she continued. “That’s something you can’t put a price on. It means more to me than all my father’s money.”

  She was so sweet, so giving. He raised a hand to brush the side of her face. What she offered was so tempting he almost gave in. Then his fingers curled and he drew back. He had to stand firm! “You don’t understand. There’s more to it.”

  She looked ready to stomp her foot. “Then tell me so I’ll understand,” she commanded impatiently.

  She was forcing him to pull up the rest of his miserable failings and hang them out for her to see. Why couldn’t she just accept his words at face value? “That time we spent together proved that I’m not cut out to be a father.”

  She had a curious reaction to his words. Her hand flew to her waist, and a lost look crossed her face. But immediately her mood shifted. Dropping her hand, she raised her chin. “That’s ridiculous. You were a wonderful father to the children.”

  His determined champion—always so quick to jump to his defense. If only…

  Caleb sighed. “No, you were a wonderful mother. I completely missed the signals Peter and Zoe were sending. If not for you, they’d still be miserable.”

  Elthia placed both hands on her hips, then had to raise one quickly to catch her makeshift gown as it threatened to slip. But her glare held. “Caleb Tanner, that is the most self-centered, pitiful bit of drivel I’ve ever heard in my life.”

  Her attack caught him off guard. “What—”