Love Inspired Historical November 2015

by Linda Ford

  All eight people sat motionless at the table, staring at the door where the noise continued.

  Chapter Eleven

  Louise grabbed Nate’s hand and squeezed it so hard she knew she had to be hurting him, but no amount of telling herself to ease up on her grip persuaded her to do so.

  Dusty was not a man to mess with. She’d seen the wild look in his eyes last night when he went out into the storm.

  In fact, holding Nate’s hand did not provide near as much comfort as she needed and she edged closer until he had little choice but to put his arm around her shoulders.

  All of them stared at the door. No one made any sign of answering the continued thumping and scratching. Dusty must surely have lost his mind to stand out there making such strange noises.

  Louise forgot how to breathe. She tried to disappear into Nate’s side but was far too large to hide behind anyone.

  Dutch was the first to move. “Best see who it is. Or what.”

  “Don’t open the door,” Rowena begged, giving voice to the fear Louise shared. “You might regret it.”

  Dutch detoured to the stove and grabbed a hunk of firewood, then reached for the door handle.

  Sam and Gabe likewise grabbed pieces of wood and stood at his back, ready to defend the place. Archie stood behind the other three, holding the poker.

  When Nate tried to join them, Louise held on to him so tightly he couldn’t get to his feet.

  “Guess I’ll stay here,” he said, settling back down, but she felt his muscles coiled and knew he would spring up at the first sign of crisis.

  Slowly Dutch reached for the door.

  Louise sucked in air and held it. Her eyes were riveted to the door.

  Dutch turned the knob and cracked the door open, but it flung from his hands and a huge, shaggy dog with an overly large head burst in. He half dragged, half led Dusty behind him. Both were snow covered.

  “Weasel.” Dutch dropped his piece of wood. “And Dusty. Where have you two been?”

  Dutch and Sam grabbed Dusty and helped him to his feet and half carried him to the stove. As if relieved of his duty, the dog shook himself, spraying snow across the room.

  Archie continued to stand guard with the poker.

  Louise, too, maintained her alertness. She continued to stare at the man as they took off his snow-covered coat. He certainly didn’t appear to be any threat. No ax dangled from his trembling hands. But she couldn’t relax. No normal man went out in a storm. But then, she’d known from the beginning that Dusty wasn’t normal. She tried to stop squeezing Nate’s hand so hard, but contact with him was the only thing that helped her stay halfway calm.

  Dutch seemed to be the only one who knew what to do.

  “Let me see your hands.” Dutch didn’t wait for Dusty to obey but eased off the man’s mittens and examined his fingers. “Looks like they’re okay. How about your feet?”

  With no chair to sit on, Dutch pulled a log close to the stove and had Dusty sit. He unlaced the boots and eased them off the man’s feet, along with the dirtiest socks she’d ever seen.

  Dutch sat back on his heels. “Dusty, I think the layers of dirt on your feet saved them.”

  “No,” Dusty croaked. “’Twas Weasel.”

  Dutch filled a cup with coffee and handed it to the near-frozen man. “Now take it easy.”

  Dusty cradled his hands about the cup and leaned over it, as if he’d been longing for the aroma. Then he lifted the cup to his lips and drank back several swallows. “Ah, that hits the spot.”

  Dutch stood over him. “You gonna tell us what happened?”

  Dusty sighed. His expression calmed and he looked less likely to turn into a raving madman.

  Louise’s nerves stopped twanging and she relaxed her grip on Nate’s hand. He pulled away from her grasp and curled and uncurled his fingers as if restoring circulation.

  She quirked one eyebrow at him. “Did I hurt you?” She couldn’t keep the teasing tone from her voice.

  “The feeling is starting to return. Lady, you could maim someone with that grip of yours.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind should I ever need to do so.”

  He laughed, too, and pulled her a little closer. “Let’s hope you never have such an occasion.” Both of them were teasing, yet his gaze was not one of amusement. He looked deep into her eyes, saying things she could only dream of hearing and likely only imagined now. I’m glad you’re safe. I want to take care of you.

  She forced herself to turn from his look. They knew this was a temporary arrangement. He had plans. He didn’t have time for a wife and child.

  That was okay. She had plans, too. Plans that involved making a life for herself, her child and Missy, and staying as far away from Vic Hector as was humanly possible.

  Dusty grunted. “Weasel, you crazy dog.”

  Louise’s attention returned to their host, though he really didn’t fill the bill of host. She could see him more readily in the role of dungeon keeper. The thought made her shiver.

  “I found him in that old soddy. Kind of figured I would. He likes to hunt vermin in there.” He drained his cup and held it out for Dutch to refill. He savored several more mouthfuls, then held it to the dog who lapped the liquid eagerly.

  When it appeared he’d forgotten his story, Dutch prodded him. “Did you stay there till now?”

  Dusty scowled at his dog who lay before the stove, his eyes never leaving Dusty’s face. “Do you think I could persuade that crazy dog to come back with me to the house? No sirree. He blocked the door and growled at me. I have a good mind to teach him to obey me.”

  Louise gasped before she could think better of it.

  Nate pressed his hand to her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I don’t think he’d ever lay a finger on the dog and would likely not look kindly on anyone else doing so.” His breath warmed her cheek. “That’s poor old Dusty’s way of showing affection.”

  She turned to put her mouth to Nate’s ear. “Then small wonder he’s not married.”

  Their gazes caught and held. What she saw in his blue eyes made her heart swoop and soar in a way she’d never felt before. She tried to pull away but couldn’t find the strength, as if she’d exerted the last of her store in squeezing his hand so hard.

  “Then all of a sudden—” Dusty’s voice ended the moment between them, making her jerk her attention in his direction.

  It had only been her vivid imagination that made her so foolish. Nate was kind and thoughtful and everything she might want in a husband, but that wasn’t part of their agreement.

  She had to admit, however, she was finding it harder and harder to remember the specifics of their pretend-marriage agreement.

  “Weasel barked to get out of the soddy. I said, ‘I’m not going,’ but he wouldn’t shut up. Only way I could get any peace was to follow him.” Dusty lowered his head and his voice fell. “Guess I was in worse shape than I realized. Couldn’t hardly stand up. Weasel guided me here.” He nudged the dog with his bare foot. “I suppose I should thank him for taking care of me before I froze to death.”

  Louise understood the rough tone hid his true feelings.

  Dusty reached for his socks and worn boots. “Guess I’ll see what I can build for supper.”

  Louise vowed she would not eat a thing that man prepared. She suspected a person could die from contact with those dirty socks. Even indirect contact.

  “Listen.” Dutch held up his hand to signal quiet.

  Louise strained for a sound at the door but didn’t hear a thing.

  Not even the wind?

  Nate dropped his arm from around her shoulders and rushed to the window. He scraped away enough frost to see outside. “The storm has stopped. The road is about blown bare. The snow is heaped up around the buildings.”

  Louise hurried over to his side. “It’s so white and beautiful.”

  The others crowded around, and she stepped back to give them space, as did Nate. She smiled at him. “N
ow we can resume our journey.” Hopefully, the delay had not been long enough to make him miss his meeting.

  Dutch turned to face his passengers. “If this is the end of the storm, we’ll leave at dawn tomorrow and try and make up some time.”

  The baby kicked in happy delight and Louise’s stomach muscles responded with a squeeze.

  The next morning, she wakened to Dutch calling, “Let’s get ready, folks.”

  The men were already up and dressed.

  “We’ll give you some privacy.” Nate smiled down at Louise. “So you can make yourselves presentable.”

  She pulled the covers to her chin until he strode from the door, then sat up and turned to Missy. “Am I a mess?”

  Missy grinned. “Your hair is all tangled up. Didn’t you braid it before you went to bed?”

  Louise reached over her shoulder and found no braid. “It must have come loose.” She fixed her clothes, then searched her bag for a brush.

  “Let me.” Missy took the brush and Louise turned around to let her tackle her hair. The brush caught on one tangle and then another.

  “I think I’m grateful old Dusty doesn’t have a mirror in his house.”

  “I’ll soon have you looking your best for Nate.”

  Louise opened her mouth to protest. But what could she say? Missy believed the marriage to be real. For both their sakes and the baby’s, it seemed best to keep up the pretense until they reached Eden Valley Ranch where Vic, if he should follow her, would not be allowed to bother either of them.

  Besides, for some silly reason, she wanted Nate to see her looking her best. Considering she was as huge as a circus tent and awkward, to boot, about all she could do to improve her looks was fashion her hair attractively.

  She sat as Missy brushed and braided, then wrapped the braid into a coronet.

  “That’s beautiful.” Rowena admired the hairdo.

  Louise touched the braid. “It’s a little fancy for stagecoach travel, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all,” Missy assured her. “It looks nice and will keep your hair out of the way.”

  A secret part of Louise wondered if Nate would notice at all.

  Again, a cramp gripped her stomach. It seemed to come every time she got excited. Good reason to remain calm, she told herself. She did not want to have this baby before they reached their destination.

  *

  The men waited outside what they deemed a suitable length before Nate headed for the house. Time to get on the road. They’d encounter some drifts that would slow them down, so the sooner they started, the better. He had almost reached the door when he saw the ladies through the window and stopped. His mouth went dry. His heart beat erratically. It was dusky out yet and the lamp glowed within the cabin, giving him a view of the occupants. Louise sat the table, her back to Missy as the young girl brushed Louise’s long, light brown hair. The brush rippled Louise’s hair, filling it with static so it fanned about her head.

  It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her hair many times before, especially when they were younger. He’d seen it streaming out behind her as she rode a horse, seen it tumbled about her head as she hung upside down from a tree branch, saw it curled up fancy at a church social. He’d even felt it blowing against his face as they rode double…before his ma forbid him to be so careless of her reputation. Ma should be proud of how he had done everything he could to protect her reputation as they made this journey north.

  But seeing her hair now had been different. Being her husband made it so.

  “Are they decent?” Archie called.

  Nate jerked as if he’d been stabbed. He scrambled to think what the man meant. Slowly his brain began to function and he realized Archie wanted to know if the men could return inside.

  “Yup.” He wondered if anyone would notice his hoarseness.

  He waited for the others to enter, needing the extra time to regain his composure. But when he entered, he saw Louise’s braid coiled about her head, catching the lamplight at various angles so her hair was shades of golden brown and coffee color.

  He had to force himself not to stare and fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching out to touch it.

  He was grateful for the distraction provided by Dusty banging about at the stove.

  Dutch shifted from one foot to the other. “This meal going to take long, Dusty?”

  In reply, Dusty slammed a steaming pot on the table. “Eat.”

  Nate’s wobbly legs took him to the table. Louise smiled up at him as he sat beside her. “Everything okay? You look a little strange.”

  “Everything is fine.” But it wasn’t. And he couldn’t figure out why. Nothing had changed.

  Yet everything was different.

  He filled his bowl with whatever the gruel was Dusty served and ate every bit. He didn’t taste a thing.

  He might not be able to concentrate on his own actions but knew every movement Louise made. She took only a mouthful of the food and seemed to have trouble eating even that.

  He’d ask if she was ill, but he knew what her response would be. He would simply keep a close eye on her throughout the day. Sam had already arranged to ride the horse again, so Nate would be in the coach beside her the whole time.

  After the meal, they departed, settling into the stagecoach with sighs of relief.

  “It’s good to be on the road again,” Archie said. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck there for the winter.”

  “None of us would,” Miss Rolfe said with such conviction, the others laughed. “He has to be the worst cook in the world.”

  “Certainly the worst I’ve ever encountered,” Archie agreed.

  Nate leaned back, content to have Louise at his side. But as the others compared bad-food stories, he felt her tense. She pressed her hands to her stomach. He was about to ask them to change the subject, when Miss Rolfe leaped to her feet and pushed aside the curtain on the window, just in time for her to be sick.

  “So sorry.” She wiped her mouth on her hankie.

  A few minutes later, Missy did the same.

  Nate’s own stomach rolled and twisted. “What did that man serve us?”

  Louise groaned. “Whatever it was, I don’t like it.”

  He gripped her hand and tried not to think how such an upset would affect her in her condition.

  Nate took slow, deep breaths, trying to settle his stomach as both Gabe and Archie got sick.

  By the time they reached the first stop to change horses, the passengers tumbled from the coach and raced for the well. They each rinsed their mouths and drank deeply.

  Louise had not been sick, but Nate could tell she was fighting it.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, daring her ire.

  “A little uncomfortable, but I doubt I’ll be sick. I didn’t eat a lot of Dusty’s food.”

  “You were wise.”

  She caught his arm as he prepared to return to the coach. “How about you? You feeling ill?”

  It would likely be more heroic to deny it, but his stomach continued to protest. He nodded.

  “Perhaps it would be best to rid yourself of the spoiled food.”

  “Maybe.” He hung back as she made her way to the stage. Then he made for the corrals and did as she suggested. She was right. It did help, as did the cold water.

  Everyone was on board by the time he climbed inside.

  “Better?” Louise whispered as he settled in beside her.

  “Better.”

  Under the buffalo robe she found his hand and squeezed it.

  He turned his palm to hers and intertwined his fingers with hers. Now he felt lots better.

  The others soon leaned back and slept. He, too, felt exhausted from the stomach upset. But Louise was not comfortable. Several times she moaned, the sound captured inside her mouth, yet he heard it. Felt it. Her hand squeezed his. He knew from experience she had the strength to numb his fingers. Just as he knew she tried to hide the cramps in her stomach that made her lean forward.


  “Maybe you should take your own advice.” He rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Maybe,” was all she said.

  By the time they stopped for the noon meal, he was really concerned.

  “I’ll be all right,” she insisted. “Just give me a little time alone. I’ll walk a bit.”

  He nodded and watched her walk around the barn out of sight. Missy started to follow her, but Nate called her back. “She needs her privacy.”

  “You’re sure she’s okay?”

  “I hope so.” They had a long way to go yet and being sick and uncomfortable would make the journey intolerable.

  Chapter Twelve

  Louise hurried out of sight around the barn, then bent over her knees and moaned. This could not be labor. Not now. Not here. She wanted the baby born on Christmas Day when it was due, and born at Eden Valley Ranch where they’d be safe and welcome. Not where his or her birth would cause a delay.

  Besides, it seemed significant that the baby be born where she meant to start anew.

  She would walk it out. It was the only thing she could think to do and she trod back and forth on the snowy trail. When no more cramps came, she let out a huge sigh. Maybe the pain was from the food, after all, and because she’d barely touched what Dusty served, she had not been as affected as the others.

  She stopped walking and waited. Nothing. She smiled skyward. “Thank You, God.”

  Feeling as if she could face whatever the rest of the day handed her, she went to the stopping house. Missy and Nate waited at the door.

  “Are you okay?” they asked in unison.

  “I’m quite fine.”

  They joined the others around the table where biscuits and syrup waited for them. She glanced around for their host, not sure she could eat if he was anything like Dusty, but he was a tall, thin man, neatly groomed.

  Dutch introduced him as John. “John used to be a lawyer.”

  “Indeed. Until I got weary of looking at criminals all day long. Out here I can enjoy my own company and a good book.”

  Louise decided the food was safe and took a biscuit. But she could barely get a mouthful down and, not wanting to start the cramps again, she wrapped the biscuit in her hankie and put it in her pocket to eat later.