“A challenge?” Tori gasped, staring up at him. Her lips pulsed in tune with her heart beating in her chest.
“Yeah.” He nodded. He brought a hand up to her mouth, his fingers sliding along her lips like a feather caressing her, as if in apology to his assault from a moment ago. The gentle touch aroused another need deep inside her.
“I love you, Tori, and someday soon I’ll show you how it’s meant to be between a man and his wife.” He pulled her into his arms, holding her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, while his hand stroked her back.
“Promise me you won’t run off after I leave in the morning. Better yet, say you’ll marry me.”
Tori squeezed her eyes shut. Her body shuddered when she sucked a painful breath into her tight chest. A tear ran down her cheek.
“I promise,” she whispered against the warmth of his skin, then raised her head. She stared up into the expectant eyes of the man who’d completely claimed her heart.
Chapter 23
Lucas stuffed the remainder of the morning’s breakfast venison into his saddlebags, and checked the cinch around the gelding’s girth for tightness. He patted the animal’s neck.
“Soon we’ll be home,” he murmured to the horse. The word home had never held the kind of meaning for him as it did lately. He smiled. “Tori will be pleased to know that you’re as ornery as you were the day we left the valley, Lucas.” He chuckled, shaking his head at the notion that Tori had named this cantankerous beast after him.
The gelding swished his tail and pinned his ears in response, then dropped his head to continue cropping at the meadow grasses that grew tall and lush along the banks of the Gros Ventre River, which meandered toward the Snake. Two nights ago, Lucas had chosen this area for the expedition’s camp.
Today, he would ride ahead with Captain Raynolds and a handful of soldiers to scout out an area further along the river. The army captain, who was also an expert engineer and cartographer, was eager to map out the area. They were within a day’s ride of the valley that descended to the Snake River. The high peaks of the Tetons were visible in the distance, calling him home.
All these long weeks he’d spent in the company of the soldiers, he longed for solitude. After three months in the company of all these men, he looked forward to the peacefulness of his mountains. He’d successfully avoided the rest of the expedition members for the most part. Along with Captain Raynolds and his army detail, the group included an artist, a photographer, a surveyor, a geologist, a journalist, and even a couple of women.
Lucas had no desire to mingle with any of them. They were nothing but greenhorns, and he was surprised that all of them had made it this far without any mishaps. He’d adamantly warned the captain to make sure these people knew what they were in for, and that they followed the safety rules he’d imposed at the beginning of this journey, but it wasn’t his job to watch over them constantly.
They’d mostly left him alone as well, except for Dr. Ferdinand Hayden, who’d been full of questions about the land. Lucas had found talking with him to be quite pleasant. The man seemed rather interested in the area of the Yellowstone further to the north, and proclaimed that he would be organizing an expedition into that part of the country one day.
The only other men he had direct contact with were the soldiers and the two hunters who had been hired back at Fort Pierre. When one of them returned one day from an unsuccessful elk hunt with buckshot in his foot, Lucas had taken over not only as scout, but also as the main supplier of meat for the outfit. He welcomed the added duty. It gave him more time to go off by himself.
Lucas gazed into the distance, staring toward his mountains. He longed to get home.
Tori. Not a day had passed since he’d ridden away from his folks’ homestead in the Jackson Valley more than three months ago that he didn’t think about her. His nights had been filled with longing and an ache in his empty arms and chest, imagining her beautiful face smiling down on him.
Several times over the course of the last few months, irrational jealousy had overtaken him. She’d been with another man, had loved someone else enough to give up her innocence. What kind of man had he been that he would gain favor with her, a man she’d agreed to marry? They both had must been very young at the time. Unless Timothy had been a lot older than Tori, he couldn’t have been more than a mere youth when he died.
Lucas had shaken off his crazy thoughts. Why the hell should he be jealous of a dead man? Besides, Tori had said she hadn’t enjoyed the encounter. He’d make damn sure it would be a pleasurable experience with him. She was a passionate woman. She’d responded to him in a way that drove him nearly mad with want that day at the cabin, and it had taken all his restraint not to do something that would dishonor her. He loved her too much for that.
“How long will you be gone?”
Tori’s question the day he left echoed in his mind. Her soft voice, her emerald eyes shimmering with tears she shed for him, brought a warm sensation to his chest. They’d returned to the homestead late in the evening of the day he had taken her to see his folks’ old cabin. The next time he brought here there, it would be as his wife.
If only they’d had more time together than the one day when they both confessed their love for each other. He couldn’t remain any longer, however. He had to push hard to reach Fort Pierre on the upper Missouri if he wanted to get there in time for the expedition to leave. He’d given the captain his word, something he couldn’t go back on.
“I should be back in three, no more than four months. Once I show Captain Raynolds and his outfit how to get through the pass to this valley, my obligation will be over, and they’ll be able to find their own way home.”
Lucas had held her, kissed her, and asked again if she would accompany him.
“Tori, no one will know about your past. You have nothing to worry about.”
Quietly, she’d wrapped her arms around him, her soft body pressed to his. Regret shone in her eyes.
“You don’t understand, Lucas. The man who killed Timothy, he’ll kill again if he finds me. Fort Pierre is too close to St. Louis for me to risk it.”
Leaving her behind had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever done in his life, but if he wanted to prove to Tori that he loved her, he had to respect her wishes. Once his assignment was over, he’d go back to St. Louis by himself if he had to, and clear her name somehow. It was only too clear that she was terrified of the man who had been the cause of her troubles, and he couldn’t blame her for being scared.
Cupping her face between his hands, he’d said, “Promise me again that you won’t run off the moment I’m gone. Stay at the homestead for the summer. You’ll be safe here. The day I get back, we’re gonna get married.”
He smiled at the memory of the astonished look on her face. She still hadn’t given him a clear answer as to whether she consented to marry him. Her reasons for not wanting to marry him held no water, in his opinion.
“And how will you do that, Lucas Walker?” She’d glared up at him, but there had been a hint of a smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled with love and hope.
“I’ll drag the chaplain through the mountains with me if I have to.”
“You’d do that in order to marry me?”
He’d grinned, then bent down and kissed her soundly on the mouth. In a low tone, he’d whispered against her ear. “What I really want to do is toss you over my shoulder and bring you with me, but since you’re adamant about staying here, I’ll respect your wishes.”
They’d stood outside the door to the cabin for many more minutes, simply holding on to each other, kissing and touching. Joseph had finally reminded him that it was getting late and he’d best be on his way if he wanted to cover any ground that day.
“Just stay out of trouble, and away from Black Sparrow this time,” his brother had warned.
Lucas had kissed Tori one last time, then mounted his horse, staring longingly at the woman he loved and wouldn’t see again
for many months.
He’d finally broken eye contact with her when Sophie had stepped out of the cabin and handed him a bundle of food wrapped in cloth.
“Watch over her, Joseph.” Lucas had reached for his brother’s hand in a parting shake. “Don’t let her do anything foolish, and don’t let her run off.”
“What would you have me do, little brother? Tie her up and lock her in her room for the next three months?” Joseph had laughed.
“If that’s what it’ll take to keep her here.”
He’d smiled and winked at Tori, then reined his horse away from the cabin and nudged him in the sides. With a swish of his tail, the gelding had loped off, and Lucas had fought the urge to turn his head and glance back one last time.
He hadn’t reached the first outbuilding, when Tori had called his name. He reined in his mount, and turned in the saddle. She had run after him, and for a moment he’d thought she’d changed her mind and wanted to go with him.
“Lucas, I love you,” she’d called when she reached him. He’d leapt from the saddle and pulled her into a fierce embrace, his own arms trembling when she melted against him.
“You changed your mind?” he’d asked hopefully.
She’d shaken her head. “No, but I wanted you to have this.”
She’d removed a small leather pouch from her belt, opened it, and shook a silver chain with a pendant of a cross into her opened palm. She glanced up at him.
“This belonged to my mother. I’ve kept it with me all these years, something my pa brought with him. He wanted me to have it to remember her.” Her hand reached to touch the side of his face. “I’d like you to have it, to remember me.”
“Tori, I don’t need a charm to remember you. You’re right here. Always.” He’d taken her hand and pressed her palm to his heart.
“It would mean a lot to me if you had it with you,” she whispered. He nodded, and bent down for her to slip the chain over his head.
“I’ll take good care of it.” He’d pulled her back into his arms. “I have to go,” he’d breathed against her ear, his voice laced with regret. “I love you.”
Tori pulled out of his embrace, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him softly. He’d tasted the tears that ran down her face, then let go, and leapt onto his horse.
“I love you,” she’d called, and those three words echoed in his mind as he rode away. Three words that he heard over and over again, every day since he’d left.
“Mr. Walker, sir.” A young soldier jolted Lucas from his thoughts. He blinked, and stared at the expectant look on the enlisted man’s face. He stood ramrod straight, waiting silently to be acknowledged. Lucas suppressed a grin. He’d never get used to being addressed as Mr. Walker, and especially not as sir.
“Yeah,” Lucas said, and ran his hand through his hair, trying to focus on the present.
“Captain Raynolds wanted me to tell you he will be ready to leave in half an hour.”
“All right.”
The captain had sent this soldier just to tell him that? Lucas shook his head.
“I’ll be waiting over by the riverbank.” He motioned to a sandy beach where he’d planned to ford this river.
“Very good, sir.” The private nodded, then turned to leave. Another soldier headed their way. Lieutenant David Matherson strode toward Lucas with a wide smile on his face. Lucas walked up to meet him, holding out his hand. The young lieutenant was only a few years older than he, and about a head shorter, with sandy-colored hair and a well-trimmed mustache.
Since their departure from the fort, Lucas had struck up a friendship with the lieutenant. The day he arrived at Fort Pierre, he’d immediately made inquiries about where to find the post’s chaplain, ready to insist that the clergyman accompany them into the wilderness. To his surprise and relief, Lucas didn’t need to drag the chaplain through the mountains after all, as he’d told Tori he would. Lieutenant Matherson had been newly commissioned to Fort Pierre, and was already part of the expedition.
“Not much longer until you see your intended bride again,” Matherson said cheerfully. “I’ve never conducted a wedding in such a remote location.” His eyes swept across the meadow. “But I can’t imagine a more beautiful place.”
Lucas rubbed at the back of his neck. All these months, he’d given Matherson the impression that Tori was waiting eagerly for him at the homestead, ready to marry him. The truth was, he still didn’t know. She hadn’t given him a clear answer the day he left.
“Yeah, I’ll be glad to be home again,” he said lamely.
“Raynolds said we should reach the Teton Valley within the week. I’m eager to see the mountains you’ve talked about so fondly at a closer distance. That’s why I’ve asked to accompany him on this excursion. We’ll reach the valley a couple of days before the rest of the main company.”
“Glad to have you along.”
Matherson nodded. “Doctor Hayden and the surveyor still have some studies to conclude, and I believe the ladies are grateful for a few extra days of rest.”
It wasn’t the first time a small group had split from the main expedition to conduct their own studies, or finish up what they’d been working on. Lucas nodded.
“Well, I’ve got a few things to tend to before we head out. I’ll see you in a while, Walker.” The lieutenant headed back in the direction of camp.
Lucas led his horse closer to the water’s edge, staring at the way the current shimmered in the morning light. Less than a week, and he’d be home. Even though a chill hung in the early morning air, perspiration beaded his forehead, and his shirt clung to him. On impulse, he removed his shirt, knelt at the water’s edge, and splashed the cool liquid onto his face and chest. His horse dropped its head to the water next to him and drank.
A soft rustling behind him brought Lucas to his feet. He spun around, only to come face to face with one of the women who were part of the expedition. He’d never found out their names. It hadn’t mattered to him, and he’d always assumed they must be the wives of a couple of the expedition members.
“Mr. Walker?” the woman asked tentatively, staring up at him with wide eyes. Her hands were clasped firmly in front of her, and she looked decidedly uncomfortable. Lucas’ forehead wrinkled. She was a petite woman, her once-blonde hair streaked with gray. Her eyes were what caught his attention, however. Emerald eyes, like Tori’s.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he said, and shook off the strange feeling that rushed through him, as if he should know this woman somehow.
“I’ve been wanting a word with you, but you’re always so busy or not in camp, it never seemed to be a good time.” The woman smiled tentatively. Her eyes traveled from his face to his chest, and the smile froze on her face. She instantly stepped closer to him. Her hand reached out as if she meant to touch the pendant Tori had given him, but her arm froze in midair. Her hand balled into a fist, and she lowered it back to her side.
“Where did you get that necklace?” she whispered. There was a note of fear in her eyes when she raised her head to look at him.
“Someone gave it to me,” Lucas replied slowly. A rush of adrenaline shot through him. No. It wasn’t possible. What were the odds?
“Who gave it to you?” Her voice cracked.
“Why do you want to know?” His eyes narrowed, and he took a step back.
Wide-eyed, the woman stared at him. “Mr. Walker, I’ve wanted to ask you, since you’re familiar with these mountains, if you know a man named Jasper Williams. He’s my husband, and I’ve been searching for him.”
Chapter 24
Tori stared off into the distance toward the ever-present view of the Teton Mountains. A slight afternoon breeze caressed her face. She closed her eyes and lifted her chin into the gentle wind, inhaling a deep breath. The sweet scent of summer buffalo grass mingled with the fragrant smells of sages and wildflowers that dotted the valley in hues of red, white, and yellow. It wouldn’t be long before the flowers would cease to display their colorful palette, only to re
juvenate again the following spring. Would she be here then?
The constant chirping of crickets in the tall grasses mixed with the soft bellowing of cattle in the nearby pasture. A hawk screeched overhead. Tori savored these sounds that had become so familiar to her over the last few months. She missed the rushing sounds of the wind through the pines in the high country, the chirping of birds and squirrels in the trees, and the pounding of woodpeckers against lodgepoles when they were looking for their next meal or building a nest. At the higher elevations, the air smelled cooler, fresher somehow.
Much like it does at the cabin Lucas showed me. It had felt more like the home she was used to in the mountains than here at the homestead in the valley. Despite Sophie’s protests, Tori had gone off to visit the cabin on her own on two separate occasions. She’d washed the windows, dusted off the sparse furnishings, and cleaned the hearth of soot and charcoal. It had given her a sense of purpose, knowing Lucas loved this place.
A silent tear spilled from her eye, and Tori hastily swiped it away. Not a day went by when her thoughts didn’t stray to Lucas. She missed him. Oh, how she missed him. She’d chastised herself many times over the weeks that she should have gone with him. Why had she allowed fear to rule her life? It was absurd to think that anyone at Fort Pierre would even recognize her, much less know her. She should have accepted his marriage proposal when he’d asked on their last day together. Instead, she’d been a coward.
Laughter carried on the breeze from the direction of the homestead. Tori turned her head, and smiled. Caleb, the adopted son of Joseph and Sophie, ran through the yard. Moments later, Evie Walker emerged from the cabin, waving a wooden spoon at him.
“If you steal one more cookie, young man, I’m going to take this spoon to your backside,” she called. Her hand flew to her hip, and even from this distance, Tori could see the wide smile on the older woman’s face.
Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story) Page 69