He was right after her. Why had he scared her like that?
She went into her room, and he heard the lock click. He stood on the outside, trying to get his breathing back to normal. “You don’t have to lock the door, Prudie. I won’t bother you.”
With an emptiness he’d never experienced before, he left to finish preparations for the journey ahead.
Maybe he’d scared her, but he didn’t regret that kiss. It would stay with him a long time.
Chapter 19
Prudie leaned against the door until she heard Erich’s footsteps move on.
A woman really did go weak in the knees when she was kissed.
Weak in the knees? Her legs were still like jelly. She made it to the bed and flopped on the mattress. This was ridiculous. She was a twenty-three-year-old woman, not a silly schoolgirl. And that was her husband.
She’d always been told a wife’s duty to take care of her husband’s needs didn’t mean she’d enjoy it. More often, it was to be endured, not enjoyed. Did these strange feelings mean she was a loose woman?
A kiss was far different from…taking care of his needs. Yes, she’d have to become Erich’s wife in more than name soon, but she needed some more time to sort it all out. Didn’t she? Her lips still throbbed, and the desire to feel him holding her made her think maybe she’d had enough time. The urge to go to him gripped her. She’d listen for his bedroom door to close. All she had to do was tap on it.
No, he’d probably gone to work on the furniture. He’d be tired when he came in. She’d wait until tomorrow night. Tomorrow was Sunday. They’d both be rested up, and she’d have all day to prepare herself. The anticipation itself would have her panting.
She got up early the next day. Determined to give Erich a good breakfast, Prudie lit the stove and gathered the ingredients for a four-egg omelet filled with ham and cheese and scallions. She’d toast slices of bread and serve them with blackberry jam, Erich’s favorite.
“Good morning,” Erich said from the doorway.
She looked up from the eggs she was beating to a froth. “Good morning. Don’t be late. Breakfast will be done in ten minutes.”
“Smells good. I don’t want to miss it.” He went past her on his way outside to take care of the horses.
Prudie poured the egg mixture into the hot pan and added her fillings. Holding her breath, she folded and slid the omelet onto the plate. It was perfect. She put it in the warm oven and set about making a smaller omelet for herself.
She heard Erich washing up at the pump outside the backdoor and scurried about to set the table. Never had she been more pleased with how a meal turned out.
Erich came in and stood behind his chair until she’d poured their coffee and taken her seat.
After he said the grace, he tore into his food, and she took a few minutes just enjoying the sight of her husband enjoying a meal she’d prepared. His hair, still damp from a washing he’d given himself at the pump, glistened. His beard had grown enough to cover the ugly scar. Why had she never noticed how handsome he was?
He didn’t mention what had transpired last night, and neither did she. They exchanged pleasantries with him commenting over and over about how good the breakfast was. Poor man, this was the first decent meal he’d had at his own table. She resolved to ask Sibbie to help her learn some new dishes.
When he’d declared he couldn’t eat another bite, Prudie rose. “You’d better get dressed for church. I’ll do the dishes. I’ve already dressed, so all I have to do is get my hat.” She took the stack of plates and cups to the sink.
“I’m not going to church today, Prudie.” When she swung around to make sure she understood him, he added, “I’m leaving.”
She dumped the dishes with a clatter and returned to the table, holding onto the back of the chair she’d just vacated. “What do you mean?”
Erich ran his fingers through his hair. “I meant to tell you last night, but…well…got distracted. I’ve come up with a way to get the money we need without you peddling or me borrowing.”
“How?”
“When Pa and I first went to our place on the mountain, we trapped for awhile. There was a good-sized beaver colony up there, and beaver pelts bring in a lot. Then we got into making furniture, and that was more satisfying. But trapping’s faster. I’m sure I could get enough pelts before winter sets in to make up for those robberies and then some.”
“You’re going back to the mountain?” she asked stupidly. Without her? “Now?” Suddenly it occurred to her he’d kissed her last night because it was good-bye.
“Yeah. I was going to wait until tomorrow, but the weather’s fine, and I should take advantage of it. I’ll leave the saddle horse for you.” He glanced at Rusty standing at the ready, wagging his tail. “I’ll be taking Rusty with me. I’ll need him.”
He needed Rusty but not her. “But I don’t even have…any food prepared for you to take.”
“No need. I got Sibbie to pack me a basket yesterday evening, and I have provisions in the wagon and my tools. I’ll have more time to work on the furniture up at the cabin, so you can keep getting orders.”
His hand was on the door handle. She had to think of something to say. “Can’t you think of some better way than to…run off?”
Scowl lines creased his forehead. “I’m not running off, Prudie. I’ve been studying this for a while, and I think you can handle the store by yourself fine. You know more about it than I do. I’ve arranged for Harold to come by and help you with the heavy lifting. I’d appreciate it if you’d pay him in a sack of food every day. Hire someone to help clerk if you need to, but I want you to promise me you won’t go out peddling goods.”
She shrugged. “How could I? You’re taking the wagon.”
“Yeah, but you’re very resourceful. I want your promise.”
She drew in a deep breath. “All right. I promise.”
He smiled and the worry lines relaxed. “Good, and this time apart may be good for us. Give us time to think about…things, and what we want in the future.” The door creaked as he opened it. “I better be getting on. That was a fine breakfast. Guess I’m going to miss that.”
They stared at each other for a long moment. Nothing broke the silence except Rusty’s tail thumping the floor. Without another word, Erich slipped out the doorway. He pulled the door to as soon as the dog cleared the threshold.
Prudie kept staring at the place where he’d been. She was stunned and more than a little frightened. How could he just go off like that? A flicker of anger took over, sending her toward the closed door. She was ready to catch him and haul him back inside.
Pride stopped her. If that’s what he wanted—some time apart, she did too. She could handle things fine without him. Better. And if he thought she’d be mooing over him and waiting for his return, he had another think coming.
Chapter 20
Prudie didn’t go to church. She was in no mood to explain the absence of her husband. To keep her mind off the whole thing, she poured herself into plans for marketing Little Doe’s elixir. She’d received twenty-one orders already which would almost deplete the two dozen bottles Little Doe had brought last.
With cardboard, brown paper and paste, she fashioned mailing containers. She’d ruin her sewing scissors clipping old newspaper to cushion the glass bottles, but there’d be no need for sewing anyway.
She ought to have stopped him, and the reason she didn’t kept nipping at her like a small, vicious dog. That horrible man who’d taken advantage of her so many years ago stood between her and Erich. Carianne and Erich were right. She’d never be able to put that memory to rest if she didn’t forgive the cad. But how could she?
Erich had told her how. Without giving herself time to mull over her decision, she pulled out several sheets of stationery. The letter to her abuser was short and to the point, the letter to Carianne, long and detailed. Prudie blotted the last line and stuffed the pages, along with the first missive into the addressed envelope. She�
�d post it tomorrow and be done with it.
Already the air seemed lighter. Dare she hope the burden was lifting?
The next week took off at a trot. It was the time of year when people were setting in supplies for the winter, and customers steadily increased. Every time someone new came in, she’d have to explain where Erich was, and each time it grated on her nerves.
But she welcomed the increase in sales, though she feared she’d run out of goods before shipments came in. True to his word, Erich had arranged for Harold to come by and do the heavy lifting for her.
That was all the help she got. She had to open the store, set out the items, manage the counter, help the customers, and keep the books.
Prudie was so tired when she got home at night, all she had the energy to do was eat, bathe, and fall into bed. Only then did her thoughts turn to Erich. Lying there in the dark, she could remember the feel of his kiss all over again. What was he doing? Was he lonely? Did he miss her? These questions flittered through her brain as sleep overtook her.
It was near the end of the week when Mrs. Hunley came into the store like a woman on a mission. She certainly hadn’t come to shop. “Is it true what I hear? Mr. Stafford left?”
Prudie went through her explanation, and it came out in a rehearsed tone since she’d repeated it so often.
Mrs. Hunley’s lips drew into a thin line. “Oh, my dear, I was afraid this would happen. My first husband was a mountain man. Something happens to a man who lives off by himself like that for so long. Ralph just couldn’t get along with people.”
“Erich got along with people fine, Mrs. Hunley. As I told you, he went to do some trapping, to bring in some extra money. The store suffered through three robberies, as you know.”
“Oh, I do know, and that good-for-nothing Eustace got away with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you know? Mr. Stafford wouldn’t press charges. The sheriff let him out this morning. I heard he was going to St Louis to live with his mother.”
Prudie drew in a sharp breath. She’d been too busy to inquire, but she’d assumed there’d be a trial. How dare Erich let Eustace get away with stealing them blind.
Mrs. Hunley must have seen the rancor in her eyes. She laid a pudgy hand on Prudie’s arm. “The store will recover, dear. Mr. Stafford must have known that. It might have only been an excuse, but at least he left you the store. When my Ralph went back to the mountain, he took everything with him.”
“What did you do?”
“I went back to my family. Had no choice. Then I heard Ralph let an ax drop on his foot. Gangrene set up and he died—all alone out on that mountain. But that’s the way he wanted it. Something’s not quite right with men like that.” Mrs. Hunley touched her temple. It took Prudie several seconds to realize she referred to Erich as well as Ralph.
Erich definitely wasn’t crazy, and regardless of the fact that she was so angry with him at the moment she’d pound him to a pulp if he were here, she didn’t care for Mrs. Hunley deriding him. “Erich only went to earn some extra money. He’s coming back before winter.”
Mrs. Hunley patted her. “Of course he intends to. My Ralph said he was coming back, but the weeks turned into months. Then the months passed into years.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Mrs. Hunley, I’m very busy.” She saw Miriam Dickson enter the store and rushed to help her, whether she needed help or not.
The busy work continued into the next week, and the next, but in the quiet of the evenings, Prudie started cocking an ear for Erich’s footfall. How long would it take to gather beaver pelts? All he’d said was before winter. The days were growing chillier.
Mrs. Hunley’s words came back to worry her. Weeks turned into months. Months into years. Some mountain men can’t accommodate themselves to being around people or a wife.
Especially a wife like her, bossy and unyielding. He was inclined to extend help and credit to people, and she’d go behind him and demand payment. He didn’t like taking advantage of competitors, and she forced him into selling out from under them. If she had her way, Eustace would be under the jail, not set free.
Clearly she and Erich didn’t suit each other, and he’d seen that. He didn’t even have affection to make up the difference, because she refused to let him into her bed. No wonder he’d left.
Those worries hounded her the next day. When the last customer had cleared the store, she began counting receipts for the day. Sales were up. They didn’t even need those beaver pelts.
Why hadn’t he returned? Could he have been hurt? There were wild animals out there. He might have had an accident like Mrs. Hunley’s first husband. Was Erich lying out there alone, in pain? Dying? When they went looking for him, would they find nothing but bones? No, she couldn’t think of that, or she’d go crazy.
But the next time she saw Ben, she’d ask him to go up on that mountain and find out how Erich was. Tell him to come on home. If he would—
The bell over the door jarred her. She’d forgotten to lock the door, and Sibbie came down the aisle, holding a basket that smelled of good things to eat. Sibbie thought Prudie was losing weight and insisted on bringing her supper at least twice a week.
Prudie jotted down the totals and looked up with a smile. “You shouldn’t do this, but it smells heavenly.”
“I know how busy you are these days and running everything by yourself. Why don’t you get Milly to help?”
“I will. I was just hoping Erich would have returned by now.”
“I thought so too,” Sibbie said. “It’s been a month now, and it’s already snowed once. You know it was worse up there where he is.”
Prudie had hoped Sibbie would give her some comfort, but she’d only confirmed her fears. She grabbed onto the edge of the counter and stared into Sibbie’s concerned gray eyes.
“What’s wrong, sugarplum?” The motherly, kind face was Prudie’s undoing.
Her chin trembled, and she burst into tears. “Oh, Sibbie, he’s left me.”
“What do you mean?” Sibbie moved around the counter and took Prudie in her arms. “Who’s left you?”
“Erich.” Prudie gulped. “He’s not coming back, and it’s my fault.”
Sibbie pulled a ready handkerchief from her pocket and proceeded to mop up Prudie’s tears. “’Course he’s coming back. Why wouldn’t you think so?”
“I wasn’t a good wife. I fed him food not fit for the pigs. I coerced him into doing things he didn’t want to do. I…I never showed him any…affection.” She sobbed into the handkerchief.
Sibbie took her by the shoulders and shook none too gently. “Prudie, get ahold of yourself. Erich hasn’t left you. He’s a good man. He wouldn’t ever abandon his wife.”
Prudie’s sobs faded to sniffles. Of course Sibbie was right. Erich wouldn’t leave her on principle alone. He was a good man. “But he should have returned by now. What if he’s been injured? He’s all alone up there.”
The bell clanged, causing both women to turn. Little Doe came in, carrying a large box. Sibbie helped her lift it onto the counter. “I bring all elixir I made. Go for more tomorrow.”
Prudie looked into the box. It contained enough for two dozen more orders, but that didn’t excite her anymore. “Thank you, Little Doe. Where do you get more?”
“I go on your man’s mountain. Have people there. Gather herbs and bark.”
“That’s right,” Sibbie said. “There’s an Indian family living up there close to Erich’s cabin. He’s not all alone.”
Little Doe nodded. “I go early on pack mule. Take two moons.” She laughed and turned to leave.
Prudie stared at her. Two moons? Oh, it would take her two nights to get there. That wasn’t so far by western standards. She rushed around Sibbie in an attempt to catch up with Little Doe. “Wait. Can I go with you?”
Little Doe looked confused, and Prudie explained. “I have a saddle horse. Could you take me to Erich’s cabin? I’ll be ready if you come by here in the m
orning. I’ll pack us some…grub.”
“You go with me?”
“Yes, as far as Erich’s cabin. You know where it is, don’t you?” She heard Sibbie’s laughter.
“I know,” Little Doe said. “I come before sun gets up.”
Sibbie was on her way out with Little Doe. Prudie ran after her and grabbed her by the arm. “Would you ask Milly to keep the store until I…and Erich return? Tell her I’ll leave the key under the back steps, under the loose brick.”
Amusement flickered over Sibbie’s features, and she squeezed Prudie’s arm. “Don’t worry about nothing. Milly will be glad to help, and I’ll spell her as much as I can.”
Prudie hugged her thanks to Sibbie and locked the front door behind the ladies. After taking the cash receipts to the bank for deposit, she walked home at a fast clip. She had so much to do to get ready for the trip. And get to bed early, so she’d be sure to awake in time to saddle the horse. It would be a miracle if she could sleep at all. In two days’ time, she’d be with Erich and somehow find a way to convince him to come home.
Chapter 21
Night predators made their presence known as Erich settled down for the night in his run-down cabin. That was the only sound keeping him company. The owl’s beating wings, the wolf’s distant wail.
Rusty lay on the hearth, sleeping, but sleep wouldn’t come to Erich for some hours he knew. Loneliness crept in every night and demanded his attention until the small hours of the morning. He tried to stay busy, even at night, and he tried to concentrate on cleaning his rifle tonight.
He’d go out looking for large game tomorrow. The beaver colony hadn’t yielded as much as he’d hoped. The Indians living up here had taken most of them. He’d spoken to Red Hawk, the only one of them who could speak English, and knew they’d been hunting the area.
In spite of his attempts to keep his mind off home and Prudie, she dominated his thoughts. He might as well go home and admit defeat. At least he’d completed three thick, sturdy tables, the type settlers like, and one fancy bureau was almost finished, the type Prudie could sell to someone back east.
The Annex Mail-Order Brides: Preque (Intrigue Under Western Skies Book 0) Page 31