Probably when he had awakened the other morning and found her gone, it was the last time he’d ever thought of her.
He had surely accepted that if she had fled from him in such a way, she wanted nothing more to do with him.
As she rode through another stand of aspens, Nicole welcomed the glimmer of their yellow leaves in the night as the moon fell upon them. There was a peace that came with the rustling of their leaves.
The breeze picked up, and then she could scarcely see them because dark clouds suddenly covered the moon.
But she could still hear the leaves rustling, and suddenly did not feel so alone as she rode in the company of the trees and their lovely murmuring.
She closed her eyes for a moment and thought of times back home when she and her mother had walked hand in hand in a forest of cottonwood trees in the autumn. They, too, made the same sound, like a whisper of music.
Thinking of her sweet, precious mother brought a horrible ache to Nicole’s heart. She was missing her mother so much at this moment, she could hardly stand it.
If only she could see her one more time.
If only she could hear her soft laughter.
She opened her eyes and felt suddenly faint when a horse came out of the shadows at her. The moon was still hidden, so she could not see who was on the horse.
But the man’s voice, so deep and masculine, and oh, so wonderfully friendly and caring, revealed who the man was.
“Eagle Wolf!” she cried as the clouds slid away from the moon and suddenly revealed his sculpted, handsome face to her.
Never in her life had she been so relieved, so happy, to see anyone as she was to see Eagle Wolf.
Eagle Wolf, however, was not at all surprised to see her there on her horse. As soon as she had got free of the Mormon compound, he had trailed her, separating himself from his warriors and giving them the freedom to return to their homes and families tonight.
He no longer needed anyone to help him save the woman he loved.
He had waited to approach her because he was not certain how to come upon her in the night without giving her a terrible fright. But now that they were together, and he saw the relief on her face, he knew that he had done the right thing to search out this white woman, whose heart belonged to him, even though she might not yet realize it.
“How did you know where I was?” Nicole asked, searching his eyes.
“I saw you leaving the Mormon village,” Eagle Wolf said, stopping his horse directly beside hers so that he could reach out and touch her.
But he waited to be sure she would accept such a touch. He must remember that she had chosen to flee him as he lay asleep beside the campfire.
“You…saw…me?” Nicole asked.
With his horse right next to her own, she found it hard to concentrate, much less carry on a normal conversation.
If he knew the effect that he had on her, he would understand how glad she was to see him. He would know that she loved him although they had not yet even shared a kiss.
“When I discovered that you had left while I slept, I was not certain what I should do,” he explained. “I did not know why you had left. I wrestled with my feelings about whether or not to go after you. I decided to let you do what your heart had led you to do. I went to my home and tried to forget you. But…”
What he was actually confessing to Nicole made her almost melt in her saddle, for she now knew just how much this man loved her.
Oh, Lord, he felt the same way she did about him!
She wanted to reach out and plead with him to take her on his lap and embrace and kiss her. It took all of her willpower not to blurt out to him that she needed no more explanation, that she now understood his feelings.
“But…?” she prompted at his awkward silence. “You were saying…?”
“I was saying that I did not want to live without you,” Eagle Wolf said, his voice drawn. “I am saying that I want you to go with me to my home and allow me to love and protect you, forever.”
Nicole’s face turned hot with a blush, for her inner excitement was almost too much to bear.
It was a sweet sort of pain that came from loving him and knowing that he loved her, too.
This man with the voice that stirred all of her inner emotions, this man with the boldest of dark eyes that made her almost swoon, truly did love her and want her.
“Why did you leave the safe shelter of the Mormon settlement?” he asked next. “Did you not know the danger of traveling alone?”
“There are all sorts of dangers to avoid and I just left one of the worst kind behind me,” Nicole said, a sudden shiver going through her body at the thought of Jeremiah forcing her into his bed with him.
“What do you mean by that?” Eagle Wolf asked, leaning closer to her, yet still not taking her hand in his as he so badly wished to do. He never wanted her to be afraid of him.
“The danger that I avoided by leaving the Mormon community came from one man,” Nicole said, her voice full of emotion.
“How so?” Eagle Wolf asked.
“Jeremiah Schrock found me and took me back to his community for only one reason,” Nicole said. “He wanted to make me his third wife. Yet there is more than that. He…he…wanted me to bear him sons, something his other two wives had not been able to give him.”
Eagle Wolf had heard about how Mormon men took more than one wife, so he was not surprised at this news, but it still angered him. This white man had tricked Nicole into believing that he was rescuing her, while all along, he had an ulterior motive for taking her to his home.
Eagle Wolf also wanted to marry Nicole, but he would never entice her to his home with tricks. He never wanted anything but truth between them, for he knew that she was the sort of woman who hated tricks and lies as much as he.
Yet he still had to ask her, for he had learned many lessons in life, and one was never to take anyone, or anything, for granted.
“I understand why you fled the Mormon settlement,” Eagle Wolf said, a note of caution in his voice. “If you accept my invitation to return to my stronghold, would you flee again as you have twice before? The first time, you ran away from a man who had your best interests at heart; the second time from one with selfish needs. Could you be happy in my home? I left the safety of my stronghold to search for you in the Mormon settlement. I was waiting for darkness, and then I was going to enter the settlement without anyone knowing that I was there. You are the only reason I would take such a risk.”
“How did you know that I was there in the first place?” Nicole asked.
“I spotted the Mormon town from the mountain. While I was watching, I saw you leave the schoolhouse after many children,” Eagle Wolf said.
“And you waited until it was dark to come to me,” Nicole said.
She then blurted out, “Eagle Wolf, did you not know the dangers in doing that? There are many men standing guard all around the town. Had you been caught, I cannot say what they would have done to you.”
She lowered her eyes, then quickly raised them again and gazed intently into his. “You risked everything for me,” she murmured. “You care that much for me?”
“I care that much for you,” he affirmed. “I see in your eyes that you also care for me. I am right, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are right,” Nicole said, again feeling as though her insides were melting. He took one of her hands in his and kissed it, then released it again and grabbed his reins.
“I know that you are puzzling over how quickly we have fallen in love, but in life, it is best not to question such things. Just accept our good fortune and be happy for what your God and my Great Spirit have given us,” Eagle Wolf said, his heart soaring to know that he had been right about Nicole, that she did care for him.
She had surely fled him out of fear of what his people might feel about their chief bringing a white woman home with him.
“My mother read the Bible often,” Nicole murmured. “One thing Mother taught me was that th
e good Lord sometimes takes away, but He also gives back. My parents were taken from me, but now God has blessed me with knowing you.”
“Will you go with me to my home?” Eagle Wolf asked, searching her eyes, which were suddenly wet with tears. “I owe you a debt because you cared for me when I was ill. I would like to repay this debt by taking you where you will always be safe.”
Nicole wiped the happy tears from her eyes, then smiled and nodded.
“Yes,” she said softly. “Oh, yes, Eagle Wolf, please take me to your home.”
For a moment, she thought about his people, and how they might react when they saw her enter their stronghold. But she quickly cast that concern aside.
Eagle Wolf was their chief. He had the right to do whatever he pleased.
Eagle Wolf badly wanted to reach for her and kiss her, but he did not want to rush into anything that might cause her to doubt the sincerity of his offer of sanctuary. He did not want her to think that he had any other motive for taking her home and offering to protect her.
Of course, he hoped in time that she would agree to become his wife. He believed that, deep down inside herself, she understood his desire and accepted it.
He believed she was willing to share her life with him, for had she not as much as told him so?
He did not want her to compare his kindness toward her to Jeremiah Schrock’s, and perhaps think he wanted her only to bear him a son.
He did want a son, but he wanted Nicole even more than any child that might be born of their love!
Chapter Twenty-five
The morning sun wafted through the windows of the large dining hall at the Mormon settlement. Oatmeal was being ladled into bowls along the children’s table, where they sat waiting for everyone to start eating. Meanwhile, Jeremiah fidgeted nervously on his seat between his two wives, his gaze moving often now to the door that led into the building.
Nicole was the only one who had not yet arrived for breakfast.
Jeremiah saw that even the children had begun to notice her empty chair, casting quick glances over their shoulders toward it. He could hear how quiet the children had become in their uneasiness at her absence.
He knew how eager they were to attend school again today. They not only loved learning things, but also had grown quickly to love their pretty, young teacher whose smile would brighten any room.
Tired of wondering about Nicole, and why she had not arrived for breakfast, Jeremiah shoved his chair back and stood quickly. Although he saw the frown both his wives gave him, he strode from the building.
As he stepped outside, he found himself surrounded by many horsemen, who had arrived quietly without anyone being the wiser.
Jeremiah recognized one of them. It was none other than the man who had come questioning about Nicole.
Jeremiah swallowed hard and took a slow step backward, yet he knew that trying to escape inside the building would be both cowardly and futile. His heart pounded inside his chest.
He could not help trembling when the man he recognized from his long blond hair and devilish eyes dismounted his steed and came to stand directly in front of Jeremiah. His eyes were no more friendly than Jeremiah remembered their being the last time they had come face-to-face.
Then Jeremiah thought of something that made him grow cold inside.
The sentries! What had happened to them? Why had they sounded no alarm?
He looked past Sam Partain and fought back the urge to vomit. Thomas Hayden lay dead on the ground, blood spattered across his chest.
It was apparent that he had not been shot there, or the report of the gun would have been heard. He had surely been shot at his sentry post, and been brought from there. The body had been dropped on the ground, as though it were worthless.
Jeremiah looked quickly at Sam again and shivered when he saw a slow, mocking smile lift the corners of his mouth.
“You killed them all, didn’t you?” Jeremiah asked, anger now taking the place of shock and despair at seeing such a God-fearing family man downed heartlessly while trying to protect his community.
“I’m the one who’ll be askin’ the questions,” Sam said tightly. “Not you. You’ll be the one answering them. Now tell me, Mormon, where is Nicole Tyler? You’d best tell me, or you’re the next one to get a bullet in the gut.”
Jeremiah knew that the only way he could possibly protect the rest of his people was to cooperate with the evil-eyed murderer. Yes, he must give Nicole up so that the rest of his friends might live. She would be the sacrificial lamb.
The only thing that worried him was the fact that she hadn’t arrived at the dining hall for breakfast. What had caused the delay?
Perhaps she had just awakened later than she had planned and was even now dressing as fast as she could.
“If Nicole Tyler is the reason that you and your men have returned to this community, then you can have her,” Jeremiah said stiffly, filled with guilt at what he was doing.
But his people and their safety must come first.
He could find another woman one of these days to take Nicole’s place in his life.
He doubted, though, that he would find a schoolmarm as talented as Nicole, especially one whom the children loved at once as they had loved Nicole.
“So I was right, huh?” Sam said. He grabbed Jeremiah quickly by his collar and yanked him closer so that their faces were only inches apart. “She was here all along, wasn’t she? I knew it. I don’t know why I let you bamboozle me when I was here the last time. Well, this time you’d best give ’er up to me, do you hear? Don’t try any pranks on me. Take me to that woman now, or I swear, I’ll plug a hole in your belly so quick you won’t know what happened.”
“Promise me first that you won’t harm anyone else in Hope,” Jeremiah choked out.
Jeremiah’s face was hot and he was having a hard time breathing because of Sam’s stranglehold on his throat. He breathed much more easily when Sam’s hand slipped away.
“I won’t promise you nothin’,” Sam growled out. “Jist take me to her. Then I’ll let you know what my plans are for you and the rest of these Mormons.”
“For God’s Sake, have mercy on the rest of these innocent people,” Jeremiah pleaded as Sam released him.
Jeremiah stumbled backward, yet his eyes were still locked in a silent war with Sam.
“If you must kill someone, let it be only me,” Jeremiah then said. “Leave everyone else alive. These people deserve to live. They are God’s chosen!”
“Hogwash,” Sam said, chuckling. He nodded to his men. “Stay here and keep an eye on things, but only shoot if you are threatened.”
He laughed mockingly. “Leave anyone who doesn’t cause you trouble,” he said. “We can’t harm God’s chosen, now, can we?”
Fear and anger overwhelmed Jeremiah as Sam gave him a hard shove, then followed along as Jeremiah headed for the house that had been assigned to Nicole.
When they reached Nicole’s house, Jeremiah stopped and gave Sam a pleading look in a last effort to change the evil man’s mind.
Nicole did not deserve what this man surely had planned for her. Jeremiah did not even want to think about it.
He felt responsible for the woman’s plight, and he did not see how even he could get out of this situation without dying.
“Go on in and be sure not to alert her that I’m here, comin’ in behind you,” Sam said. He motioned with his rifle toward the closed door. “If you try anything at all, just remember that I have my finger on the trigger, and believe me, it loves pullin’ triggers.”
“Please, please don’t do this,” Jeremiah pleaded one last time with the madman.
“You are one inch away from suckin’ in your last gulp of air,” Sam growled out. “Open that door. Step inside. I’ll be right behind you.”
Jeremiah swallowed hard, grabbed hold of the doorknob, then slowly turned it.
When he finally got the door open, he gasped when he saw that Nicole’s bed had not been slept in. Wit
h a quick look around him, he saw that all of Nicole’s belongings were gone.
“She’s gone,” he said, turning and gazing in terror at Sam as he came into the house. “Everything she had with her is gone. She must’ve left in the middle of the night. She must’ve not liked teaching the children.”
Sam shoved him aside so hard, Jeremiah fell to his knees on the floor. He crawled away from Sam as the gunman stood there, looking slowly around the room.
“Well, she is certainly gone,” Sam said, idly scratching his brow with his free hand.
He swung around and glared at Jeremiah.
He took a step closer and kicked him so that Jeremiah fell clumsily on his back, his eyes wild as he stared up at Sam.
“You’re skilled at lying, ain’t cha?” Sam growled out. “She wasn’t here at all, was she? What’s your game, Mormon? Are you really ready to die?”
“No, please don’t kill me,” Jeremiah begged. “She must have fled in the night. I guess she didn’t like what I offered her here at our community…a safe haven!”
“If she was here at all, I’d say it was probably you that she fled from,” Sam said, laughing mockingly. “What’d you do? Tell her that she was going to make one of your men another wife? Or…did you tell her that you wanted her all to yoreself?”
Jeremiah struggled to understand how Nicole could have left. There were sentries standing guard everywhere.
Surely someone had seen her leave…and allowed it. But if all the sentries had been killed, he might never know.
Sam shrugged. “Well, okay, she’s gone,” he said, walking past Jeremiah. He stopped before leaving the house. “But she can’t be far away if she left this place during the night. Mark my word, Mormon, I’ll find ’er.”
Sam laughed sardonically. “Do you know, I’m not sure which punishment would be worse for her?” he said. “Bringin’ her back here to live with the likes of you and your people, or takin’ her for myself to do with as I wish.”
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