Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story)

by Peggy L Henderson

  A young woman, the most stunning woman he’d ever laid eyes on, stood just inside the room. Her big brown eyes rested on him. Her head tilted slightly, then her gaze shifted to Yancey before moving to the artifacts hanging over the fireplace. After a few seconds, she stared back at him.

  Acutely self-conscious that he looked as out of place in this room as the items she apparently already associated with him, Joseph sucked in a deep breath. There was no question as to who she was. Her raven black hair was swept up behind her head in some intricate fashion, coifed and curled like he’d seen on women the further east he traveled. Several thick locks spilled down her back, caressing her slender neck. Her dark olive, almost bronzed complexion was accentuated by the dark blue dress she wore. The gown hung off her slight shoulders, emphasizing her neck and the swell of her breasts. The wide skirt that fanned outward from her hips swayed, and all that material hanging from her waist rustled as she stepped into the room.

  Dear God, she was stunning. And she looked nothing as he had imagined. Two Bears had often boasted of his daughter’s beauty. His granddaughter apparently had inherited her mother’s good looks. She dressed like a high society white woman, but her heritage was undeniable.

  Joseph tore his eyes away from her. Rather than slowing down, his heart rate had accelerated over the last few seconds, and he clenched his jaw. A tingling sensation passed through him from head to toe, and he fought to remain composed. For fear of making a mule’s ass out of himself, he turned slightly toward Yancey, and forced his attention on the older man. Yancey’s eyes rested on him, searching.

  “Daddy?” the girl spoke again.

  “I’m just finishing with my appointment, sweetheart,” Yancey said with forced cheer. “Tell everyone I’ll be right there.”

  “They’re waiting on you to give a toast,” she said. Joseph strained his ears. Her soft melodious voice was like a glacial mountain spring gurgling on a hot summer’s day through a lush meadow.

  What the hell? He’d seen plenty of pretty girls before, but no one had ever affected him like this one did. He didn’t even have to look at her and she had his heart jumping out of his chest.

  “Give me just one more moment.” Yancey smiled.

  “All right. Don’t be too long,” she said, and her skirts rustled again. The latch to the door clicked, then silence.

  Joseph met Yancey’s stare. “My daughter, Sophia, as I’m sure you’ve guessed.”

  “She’s not your daughter,” Joseph said, his voice hoarse. “Anyone can see that.”

  “She has been my daughter for twenty years. Tonight, she is getting engaged to a young man from an upstanding family. This is where her life is, not in some teepee in the middle of the wilderness.”

  Something slammed into Joseph’s gut. Engaged! He shook off the unsettling feeling. How would he ever get her to Two Bears now? He clenched his jaw in frustration. The irrational need to lash out in anger consumed him. He had not come this far for nothing.

  “I’ll be going, Mr. Yancey,” Joseph said, hoping his voice sounded steady. It might be best to get some sleep, and come back in the morning.

  “Do you have accommodations for the night?” Yancey stepped around his desk. His features had returned to normal.

  “I’m bunking down at the livery. The owner offered me the hayloft.”

  “Sleep with the horses?”

  Joseph shrugged. At least he had a roof over his head. Most nights during the journey to Boston he’d slept out in the open.

  Yancey shook his head and frowned. “Nonsense. You’re staying here as my guest.” His eyes rested on Joseph’s dusty cotton shirt and traveled lower to his buckskins. “Would you care to join me as I officially announce my daughter’s engagement?”

  Joseph stared, his brows raised. Then he chuckled. “I don’t think I’m dressed for the occasion,” he said. “It’s probably better that I make myself scarce.” Judging by the servant’s reaction to him earlier, he could only imagine what the elite people of Boston would think of him, a man dressed in dirty buckskins and smelling like a horse.

  Admit it. You don’t want to see Raven with another man, either.

  Why the hell should it matter to him? Just because she was beautiful was no cause to get all knotted up inside. The only reason the idea of her engagement bothered him was because it would be much harder convincing her to come with him and meet her grandfather.

  “Very well,” Yancey conceded. “I’ll have James show you to the guest room, and he’ll bring food and a bath up for you, if you’d like.”

  Joseph opened his mouth to decline, then thought twice. At least if he stayed here he could talk to Yancey again first thing in the morning. And you’ll see Raven again, too. The thought of food and a bath seemed secondary.

  “Please,” Yancey coaxed when Joseph didn’t respond. “It’s the least I can do for you after everything your parents did for me.”

  “All right, Mr. Yancey. I’ll stay. But I want you to think about what I’m asking. Raven’s grandfather wants to meet her. That’s all she has to do. Then she can come back here and live as a white woman.” Why hadn’t he thought to present it to him in this way, rather than insist she return to her people permanently?

  Yancey inhaled a deep breath. “We’ll discuss it more in the morning.” He turned and headed for the double doors. “James will be here in just a moment.” Without a backwards glance, he left the room.

  Joseph stared at the closed door. He cursed under his breath. He hadn’t foreseen any of these complications. All this time, he’d thought of Raven as a little girl. That she was a grown woman hadn’t even entered his mind all these months. His sole focus had been on finding her and bringing her back to Two Bears. He might be able to deal with Yancey’s stubbornness, but how the hell was he going to fight the powerful attraction racing through him for Two Bears’ granddaughter?

  Chapter Two

  Sophia smiled at her father, who stood in front of the small orchestra he had hired, and faced his guests. He held up a tall glass of champagne, and gently tapped it with a silver spoon. The soft chime drew everyone’s attention, and the noise from many laughing and chattering people died down. A warm hand wrapped around hers, and she glanced up at the man standing next to her.

  Andrew Preston met her gaze, a look of nervous anticipation hardening his features. He squeezed her hand, and she inhaled a deep breath. Two weeks ago, he had asked her to marry him. Andrew Preston! Son of one of the most influential businessmen in New York. It still seemed unreal.

  Six months ago, she’d met him at the Preston Christmas Ball in New York. A week later, he had come to call on her in Boston. No man had ever gone out of his way before to court her. She’d had plenty of beaus since her sixteenth birthday, but her relationships usually ended quickly once a young man’s family met her. They disapproved of the color of her skin and her questionable bloodlines, just because her father had married an Indian woman during his years spent in the wild mountains out west.

  She’d heard all the talk. He’d been forgiven by polite society for his indiscretion for having a – what they called – period of sewing his wild oats. She was considered an unfortunate by-product of that. Never mind that he had loved her native mother, or so he’d often told her. Sophia had no reason to doubt him. Her father loved his daughter above everything else. He’d never even married after spending time in the wilderness.

  Most of her so-called friends had gossiped behind her back at one time or another, and in all of her twenty-two years, she’d always felt to be somewhat of an outsider. She was accepted, but just barely, and Sophia suspected it was mostly due to her father’s wealth and social influence.

  Andrew Preston and his family had looked beyond her mixed heritage. His father, Lloyd Preston, had accepted her without reservation. She couldn’t wait to see the looks on her friends’ faces when her father made the announcement of their engagement. One of the most eligible and desirable bachelors in New York had asked for her hand!
He was handsome, witty, smart, and wealthy; all the things that were most important in New England’s high society. And she, Sophia Yancey, would finally be accepted fully among their ranks. They would have to see beyond the darker color of her skin, and simply see her as a woman of good upbringing, if not breeding.

  “My friends, thank you for coming tonight. Not only did I invite you to share in some food and company, but I have an announcement to make.”

  Sophia’s father spoke with the quiet confidence she was accustomed to, and her back straightened as she faced him. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. He smiled affectionately in her direction. He was the only person who loved her unconditionally. He had doted on her all her life, making sure she had the best of everything and wanted for nothing. The one thing he hadn’t been able to give her was complete acceptance in society. Sophia suspected that her father knew of her struggles, although she kept her thoughts to herself. She didn’t want to burden him with other people’s gossip about her.

  “A day like today only comes once in a father’s life, and I’m very happy, but at the same time sad as well. It is with great pleasure, that I announce the engagement of my one and only daughter, Miss Sophia Yancey, to Mister Andrew Preston of New York. May their upcoming union be joyous and filled with love and happiness.”

  A collective murmur, and some gasps of astonishment rose from the crowd. Then they all clapped. Andrew raised his glass to her and took a long drink. The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes. Sophia sipped at her champagne, trying to keep her hand steady. Andrew leaned over, and gave her a quick peck on the lips, then turned to the well- wishers who all wanted to be first to congratulate him. She was about to reach for his arm, when a voice whispered in her ear.

  “My, my, Sophia. How much did your father have to pay the Prestons in order for Andrew to sacrifice himself up to marry you?”

  Sophia bit her lower lip and turned to the person whose voice dripped bittersweet like honey in her ear. She didn’t have to look to see who it was. Helen Sanders stepped back, a wicked gleam in her eyes. Her lips were pressed tightly together. She raised her champagne glass in front of her, then turned and walked away, the wide hoops of her skirts swaying like a pendulum at her sides.

  “Stupid ninny,” Sophia mumbled under her breath. She wasn’t going to let that pompous girl ruin her night. The only reason she had even been invited to this party was due to her father‘s business dealings. Helen had never hidden the fact that she considered Sophia beneath her station.

  Glancing around, she spotted Andrew with several of his friends, laughing loudly. A pang of disappointment jabbed her heart. Why hadn’t he stayed at her side? This was their party, their first public appearance as a couple. Unsure of what to do, she simply stood there. Several people congratulated her, then quickly moved on. Sophia took a large gulp of champagne, shuddering as the bitter liquid flowing down her throat. She blinked back the burning sensation in her eyes.

  “How are you, sweetheart?” Her father walked up to her, a huge smile on his face. She quickly swallowed back the lump in her throat. At least someone stood by her side.

  “Thank you for this wonderful party, Daddy,” she said, hoping she sounded cheerful enough. Her eyes darted to where Andrew stood with three other men. He glanced in her direction, and raised his glass to her, a wide smile on his face. Things were all right after all. It was common for the men to go off by themselves at social gatherings. She’d allowed all her old insecurities from growing up, and the comment from that spiteful Helen to put a damper on her happy mood from moments ago.

  “You’re not even married yet, and I feel as if I’ve lost you already,” her father said, and squeezed her arm. “You’re the most important person in my life, Sophia, and don’t you ever forget that.”

  She drew her eyebrows together. “You’re not going to lose me, Daddy. I might live in New York after Andrew and I are married, but that’s not too far away, is it? We’ll have plenty of opportunity to visit.”

  His smile seemed forced. “Of course we will,” he said.

  “Who was that man you were talking to earlier?” Sophia asked. A change in subject seemed in order, and curiosity had nagged at her since she stepped out of her father’s study. She hoped she hadn’t looked too surprised when she found her father with a man who looked and dressed as the men he often talked about when he reminisced about the past. Wearing buckskin pants and a dirty blue cotton shirt, with a knife and ax hanging from a belt at his hips, he appeared feral and dangerous. Her heart quickened. The way he’d looked at her with those intense dark eyes almost made her feel as if he’d touched her with his piercing stare alone.

  She’d never seen a man like him. Even in his worn and dirty clothes, and that long hair that he didn’t even bother to tie back in a queue, he was the most rugged and handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. Quickly, she stole another glance in Andrew’s direction. He stood out from the other men in his own right. Tall and impeccably groomed, his sandy blonde hair was neatly trimmed, as was his mustache. He was well-liked by his peers, and people naturally flocked to him, it seemed.

  The wild man in her father’s study, in comparison, had to be slightly shorter than Andrew, but his shoulders were wider, and his entire demeanor projected strength and confidence.

  “Daddy?” Sophia raised her brows at her father. He hadn’t answered her question. His mind seemed to be pre-occupied, and there was a faraway look in his eyes, the same look she’d seen earlier in his study, only more intensified.

  “That man, my dear, is the son of a good friend of mine. Someone I knew many years ago. His name is Joseph Walker. “

  So, her guess had been correct. “What is he doing here?”

  Her father cleared his throat. “He had some business in Boston, and thought to pay me a visit. I invited him to stay here as my guest.”

  A jolt of adrenaline shot through Sophia. Her head snapped around, and she scanned the crowd. To her relief, no one wearing buckskins stood out among the crowd of her fashionably dressed guests. The last person she needed tonight at her engagement party was a man who looked like Joseph Walker. She didn’t need any more wagging tongues.

  “Where is he now?” Sophia swallowed back her apprehension.

  Her father patted her hand. “He’s probably settling in to his room upstairs. He’s traveled a long way, and is no doubt very tired. He and I have some business to discuss in the morning, and then he will be on his way. You don’t need to concern yourself with him at all.”

  Sophia nodded absently. She expelled a breath of relief. The sooner he was gone, the better. She sipped the last of her champagne, ignoring her sudden light-headedness.

  “How about granting your old father a dance before I hand you over to the new man in your life?”

  Sophia half-smiled, and accepted her father’s hand. She hadn’t even noticed that the classical music had started up again, and couples were gliding around the large, marble dance floor. She allowed her father to lead the way, even as her mind lingered on the man in her father’s study. Passing smiling couples, and a few younger women who looked at her with disguised envy, Sophia held her chin high. Her father presented her with a white carnation that he plucked from one of several large vases set out as decorations. The fragrant scent of the flower filled her senses, and she pushed all negative thoughts from her mind. Her father led her in a lively waltz, love and pride evident in his eyes.

  When the music ended, Andrew stepped up and tapped her father’s shoulder.

  “Time for me to cut in, I’m afraid,” he said, and flashed a grin in her direction.

  “It’s about time, Andrew,” Sophia’s father said, wiping a handkerchief across the perspiration on his forehead.

  Sophia’s heart leapt with joy. She released her father’s shoulder, and glanced up at her fiancé. He reached for her gloved hand, bowed, and led her into the next minuet. Couples already dancing stopped and stepped aside, until it was only she and Andrew on the floor. S
taring up into his grey eyes, her hand firmly on his shoulder, Sophia was surely the happiest woman in the world at this moment.

  ****

  Sophia stood from the seat at her vanity. Lucy, her lady’s maid, had just finished pinning up her hair. Sophia reached up and adjusted a pin that poked her scalp. Some days, she wished she could simply leave her hair down, but that wasn’t acceptable in polite society. She pulled a few strands from their tight confines, letting them frame her face. Would Andrew approve? He’d never commented on her hair, or the clothes she wore.

  He had promised to call on her later today, and take her for a buggy ride in the country. She looked forward to spending some time alone with him. He planned to return to New York the following day with his family, and Sophia would most likely not see him again for a couple of months.

  She smoothed her hands over the floral pink cotton material of her dress. It was one of her simpler dresses, but also one of her favorites. Lucy ran a hand down the flounces, and adjusted the skirt over the crinoline one final time.

  “I think I’ll join my father in the dining room for some breakfast,” Sophia said, ignoring her maid’s fussing.

  “I believe your father is taking his morning coffee in his study, Miss Sophia,” Lucy said. Her expert hand ran down the back of the dress. “Did you forget a petticoat?” she asked, her eyebrows raised in mock accusation.

  Sophia groaned silently. Nothing escaped her trusted maid’s scrutiny. “I’m wearing four. It’s going to be a warm day, and I’ll be too hot. Why is my father in his study this early in the morning?” she quickly asked to change the subject.

  Lucy leaned forward. She glanced over her shoulder, as if someone else was in the room, eavesdropping. “He’s with that strange man who showed up last night,” she whispered.

  Sophia’s pulse quickened. She’d forgotten all about him this morning.

  “James told me they were arguing,” Lucy continued in a conspiratorial tone.