Yellowstone Dawn (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 4)

by Peggy L Henderson

  He held the baby in the crook of his arm when Dani made no move to take her. He gently swayed her back and forth in an attempt to calm her. There was nothing he could do to ease the infant’s distress. His other hand reached for Dani’s arm. She pulled away and darted around him. Josh turned to follow. What had gotten into her? Why was she acting so irrationally? She seemed normal not ten minutes ago.

  Josh grabbed Dani’s arm from behind and wheeled her around. She stiffened, and he stepped closer. Not knowing what else to do, he leaned forward and gently pressed his mouth to hers.

  “You are not a cow,” he whispered, hoping she could hear him over the baby’s wails. He released her arm, and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. “Now will you please feed Dawn before we all go deaf?”

  Dani stared up at him, then nodded slowly. She half-sobbed, half-laughed, and finally reached for the baby. Dawn whimpered, and began to root at Dani’s chest. Josh led his wife to the rocking chair in the corner of the room. “Sit here,” he said. Quietly, she obeyed. Josh turned away when Dani fumbled with the buttons on her shirt. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he knew it wasn’t from the flames in the hearth. A completely different fire roared within him, and for a fleeting moment jealously of a little infant consumed him. Frustrated with his own irrational thoughts, Josh wiped the sweat from his forehead, and added more wood to the fire.

  “The biscuits should be done,” Dani called from behind him. She sounded normal again. Before he had time to think, his head turned to look in her direction. He sighed in relief. Dani had used Dawn’s blanket to conceal herself from view. On impulse, he strode across the room to stand over her. Since that first kiss earlier, he couldn’t stay away from her. He knelt beside the chair, and his hand reached up to caress her cheek.

  “I’m sorry I called you a cow,” he said. He almost regretted his words when her eyes began to pool with moisture again.

  She sniffed, and expelled a short laugh. “I don’t know what’s come over me lately. I just want to cry all the time.”

  Josh leaned forward and kissed her. Dani’s soft moan spurred him on. His lips parted, and he fully claimed her willing mouth. Dani’s free arm reached up and around his neck, pulling him closer. Abruptly, he ended the kiss. He had to stop. Her passionate response was going to drive him mad. Breathless, he ran his hand through his hair, and stood.

  “You’d better get those biscuits out of the fire before they burn,” Dani said softly, her emerald eyes shimmering with love as she gazed up at him. Josh clenched his jaw. At that moment, he knew he would do anything for her.

  *****

  Days turned into weeks. Danica couldn’t explain her bouts of sadness. She cried at the most mundane things. Shouldn’t she be the happiest woman on earth? She had a beautiful baby girl, and the man of her dreams was her husband. Each time Josh referred to Dawn as their daughter, fresh tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She concealed her melancholy mood from Josh as best as she could. He might change his mind about staying married to her if she appeared weak and weepy.

  They had both avoided the subject of making their forced marriage permanent. Josh was apparently content to wait the full month for her answer. Danica already knew what she would tell him. His eyes filled with admiration and even raw hunger at times when she caught him staring at her from across the room. The way he held her in his arms, and kissed her with such undeniable passion made her go weak in the knees. Could all of that translate into love at some point? His gentle ways with the baby made her heart swell with love for him more than anything else. A woman would have to be a fool to let a man like him go.

  The weather had turned for the better since the day of Dawn’s birth. Although still cold, the sun shone brightly over the valley, and the snow began to melt. Large chunks of ice broke free from the edges of the Madison River on a daily basis, and the Firehole River roared loudly as its waters tumbled from the gorge in the distance.

  Josh had resumed his patrols of the nearby hills and valleys, keeping a lookout for any poachers. Danica knew he wanted to travel further, but she suspected he stayed close to the cabin because of her. During his absence, she cleaned the cabin, took naps while Dawn slept, and prepared meals for when Josh returned. She sat for hours, sewing clothes for the baby from the materials she had brought with her, and altered her own dresses. Her waist had not returned to its previous circumference before her pregnancy. She also had to let out a considerable amount of material in the chest area.

  On a few occasions, she’d bundled Dawn up and taken her outdoors. The baby seemed to enjoy the fresh air as much as she did. Danica wasn’t sure if Josh would approve of her taking Dawn outside. He had been rather adamant that the baby should remain in the cabin for the duration of the month. She wasn’t sure if he had meant that literally, or if he had referred to them remaining at the cabin. She saw no reason not to take the baby for short walks, rather than keep her cooped up indoors.

  One afternoon, Danica had just finished bundling Dawn up with the intent on walking to the river and back, when she heard the sounds of hoof beats. She lifted the baby to her shoulder, and looked out the window. A small patrol of soldiers rode into the yard near the front of the other cabin. Danica’s heart rate increased inexplicably. No sooner had they halted their horses, when Josh emerged on foot from the opposite direction. She watched him converse with the commanding officer, who dismounted his horse. They shook hands, and headed for the cabin.

  Danica moved away from the window. Why did the presence of soldiers give her such an uneasy feeling? Would she ever see a soldier without her chest tightening with apprehension? To calm her nerves, she patted Dawn’s back and paced the room. Perhaps she should put on a kettle of water for some coffee. She heard the men’s voices just outside the door. Seconds later, the hinges creaked. Her heart rate accelerated. She spun around to face the visitors. Josh walked in, followed by the officer.

  Josh’s eyes sought her when he walked in. “Sorry for the unexpected company, Dani. These soldiers have some news about poachers in the area. They’re only passing through. This is Lieutenant Jonathan Douglas.” Turning to the officer, he said, “My wife, Danica.”

  Lieutenant Douglas! Danica’s heart slammed against her chest, and her hands and arms trembled. Dawn squirmed in her embrace. A loud ringing in her ears drowned out all other sound. Her eyes widened in horror when she gazed at the man from her nightmares. No! It couldn’t be! He was dead. She shot him.

  If he was surprised to see her, he concealed it well. His leering smile from across the room went unnoticed by Josh. The lieutenant’s lips moved, but Danica didn’t hear a sound. Her mouth had gone dry, and she couldn’t move. Desperately, she tried to remember where Josh kept a loaded rifle. Dawn began to fuss, snapping Danica out of her catatonic state.

  “I . . . I have to feed Dawn,” she stammered. Her legs barely supported her as she darted quickly to her room. Closing the door firmly behind her, she leaned against it. Her throat and chest constricted, making it impossible to draw in a full breath. She looked down at her daughter. Those horrible memories from last summer came rushing back like an avalanche. Douglas forcing her, repeatedly, over the course of several days. How could he be alive? She’d shot him in the chest. She watched him fall.

  Danica’s hands trembled uncontrollably, and sweat beaded her forehead. She placed the baby in her crib for fear she might drop her. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for anything she might use as a weapon. All this time, she assumed the shot she had fired into him had been fatal. He’d fallen to the ground, lifeless. With a sinking feeling, she realized she never took the time to make sure he was truly dead before she ran from the place of her captivity.

  Chapter 18

  Danica paced the floor, listening to the men’s voices in the other room. Josh and Lieutenant Douglas apparently had much to discuss. Josh’s deep confident voice overshadowed the other man’s snappy, almost arrogant tone. She gnashed her teeth together while she paced, and her he
art rate increased with every step. The shock of seeing him alive, which had left her paralyzed with fear moments ago, vanished. In its stead, anger ignited within her. Anger at her own stupidity for not pulling the trigger until she unloaded every last bullet from the six-shooter’s chamber into the man who now stood just beyond her door. If she had access to a gun at the moment, she wouldn’t hesitate to walk into the next room, and finish what she thought she had done last summer.

  Jonathan Douglas would not haunt her for the rest of her life. She had been determined to put that ordeal behind her after she fled the cabin in the woods. Danica leaned over Dawn’s crib, watching her daughter sleep peacefully. With his face freshly renewed in her mind, there was no denying that the baby resembled him.

  Another jolt of adrenaline hit her, making her knees go weak all over again. What would Jonathan do now, knowing her whereabouts? Surely he’d only meant to take advantage of a helpless woman alone in the wilderness all those months ago. The fact that she had a husband would hopefully deter him from coming after her again. But what if he guessed that he was Dawn’s father? Would he put two-and-two together? She mentally shook her head. He couldn’t have gotten a look at the baby. Dawn had been bundled up, concealed under her blanket, when Josh and he walked in. Men like Lieutenant Douglas certainly wouldn’t worry about the aftermath of their heinous deeds. She wondered what he might be thinking at this moment. Was he sweating bullets? Did he think she would reveal to everyone what he had done to her? It would be her word against his, but she had the living proof sleeping peacefully right here, in this room. He could simply say it had been a consensual act. No. She wouldn’t ever let him know that Dawn was his child.

  End it now, Dani. Open the door and kill the bastard. If only she had access to a pistol or Josh’s rifle. What if she walked into the other room right now and confronted him in front of Josh? There was no doubt in her mind Josh would kill the man for her. Danica thought of the soldiers waiting outside. If Josh killed their commanding officer, they would arrest him. They wouldn’t listen to the reason for the killing. For all she knew, if these were the same men who had been part of the lieutenant’s regiment last summer, they knew exactly what kind of man he was, and what he’d planned to do to her once he had her alone.

  Danica stood over her daughter’s crib, chewing her fingernails to the quick. Hiding in this room would only serve to show him that she was afraid. Admit it, you are afraid, Dani. Josh was there. No harm would come to her in his presence. Could she face her tormentor, without showing fear? Josh couldn’t find out. She would never forgive herself if he put himself in harm’s way because of her. There was no reason why he should find out. She’d go out into that room, and prove to the man who robbed her of her innocence that he didn’t matter, and that he held no power over her.

  Danica inhaled deeply several times, trying to call on all her inner strength. She tore her eyes away from her sleeping daughter, and headed for the door. Steadying her trembling hand, she pulled the handle, and raised her chin. Forcing her facial muscles to relax, she opened the door and walked into the adjoining room. Both men stood at the table, bent over a map spread out before them. They raised their heads in her direction. Danica swallowed, and softly closed the door behind her. She shot a fleeting glance at Lieutenant Douglas, whose eyes grew large in surprise.

  Bastard!

  Danica favored Josh with a wide smile, and boldly walked up to him. She slid her hand in his, and sidled up against him. His forehead wrinkled, and the corners of his lips twitched. She’d certainly surprised both men with her actions.

  “Are you almost done here?” she asked softly, turning slightly into him. She hugged his arm, and ran her free hand up his chest. Josh tightened his grip on her hand. His eyes darkened, and he favored her with a soft smile. She hated toying with him, but she wanted to be sure that Lieutenant Douglas would have no doubt in his mind that she was a happily married woman.

  “I think we’re done here,” Josh said, a slight pitch to his voice. He looked at the man Danica hated with every cell in her body.

  Danica dared a glance at Jonathan when he cleared his throat. His jaw visibly tensed, and the smile on his face looked forced.

  “We’ll be sure to keep you informed if we come across any more suspicious carcasses,” the lieutenant said, holding out his hand to Josh.

  “Much obliged,” Josh answered.

  The lieutenant moved toward the door. Abruptly, he wheeled around. “Would you mind describing the area where that heinous murder of that poor Indian family took place to my corporal? I’ll have him form a detail to investigate, and bury the remains, if there is anything left of them. I’ll go gather the map off the table and be right out.”

  Josh nodded. “I’ll be right back, Dani,” he looked at her, and released her hand. Danica almost pulled him back. To her dismay, she was now alone with the lieutenant. The moment Josh was out of earshot, he turned toward her, a wide sneer on his face.

  “Now isn’t this an unexpected surprise? I’m sure this caught you as off guard as it did me. I’m not as dead as you thought I was, am I?”

  Danica held her head high, and glanced quickly toward the hearth. The metal fire poker could serve as a weapon.

  “I searched for you, after I recovered from your little murder attempt.”

  “You needn’t have bothered,” Danica spat. “If I had a gun in my hand right now, you wouldn’t get so lucky a second time.”

  He laughed. “That’s what I liked about you from the beginning; your fire and spunk. I never would have guessed you’d jump from my bed straight into that of a filthy half-breed’s. Tell me, Danica, do you willingly spread your legs for him, or does he have to force you to put out like I did?”

  “You son of a bitch,” she hissed, her fear forgotten as anger consumed her. “You are the foulest, most disgusting being on the face of the earth. You’re nothing but a coward. I hope the next woman you violate will have better aim than I did.”

  Rage filled her. She balled her fists at her side, glad the table stood between her and the man she hated above everything. She wanted to lash out, hurt him the way he’d hurt her, then put that fatal bullet in him that she didn’t manage the first time. Dawn’s loud cry from her bedroom at that moment jolted her from her fury.

  “If I didn’t have a child to think about, I’d kill you right now,” she spat.

  Douglas laughed again. “Such a shame,” he cooed. “If I hadn’t been so careless leaving that gun lying around, I would have enjoyed more time with you. Breaking you to my will could have been so much fun. But you laying with a dirty savage kind of ruined my appetite now.” He rolled up the map spread on the table, and pinned it under his arm. Josh appeared at that moment. He shot Danica a questioning look, probably wondering why she was ignoring her daughter’s cries.

  “You are a lucky man, Mr. Osborne. Your wife is a true delight.” He held out his hand to Josh, who shook it without taking his eyes off her. She hoped he couldn’t read the anguish on her face.

  “It has been a pleasure, Mrs. Osborne,” Lieutenant Douglas placed his hat on his head, and tipped his fingers to the brim in salute, then walked out the door. He called out an order to his men.

  Danica tore her eyes away from Josh, and rushed to her room to ease her baby’s distress. Right now, the last thing she needed was for him to see right through her.

  *****

  Josh sat at the table, whittling away on a piece of firewood with his knife, slicing away thin slivers that curled around the blade. He’d use them for kindling later. His thoughts bounced between the unexpected visit from that cavalry troop, and Dani’s even more surprising actions in front of Lieutenant Douglas. Josh had met the man once before, right after that Nez Perce massacre - the same massacre that Dani had escaped from with her life. Douglas had been the commanding officer who arrogantly told him and Kyle to let the army handle the Indians. Josh couldn’t help but think that, had he and his cousin done their own investigating and trackin
g, Dani would not have met the fate that she’d been dealt.

  She wouldn’t be your wife right now if not for what happened. Josh turned in his chair and hurled the piece of wood into the fire, angry at his selfish thoughts. The burnt wood collapsed in a pile of charcoal, sending up orange glowing embers. Josh swore under his breath. He would make it up to her for the rest of his life what another man had done to her.

  Josh wondered vaguely if her attacker had been part of that same troop that stopped here today. He shook his head. It couldn’t have been. Dani said the man who attacked her was the commanding officer. She never did mention his name, and he hadn’t asked.

  His body warmed just thinking about Dani’s sudden display of affection, and his pulse increased. Heat pooled in his gut. She’d never approached him the way she did in front of Douglas, acting almost seductive. He’d sensed an unfamiliar nervousness in her. A man in an army uniform might have triggered some bad memories. Josh ran his hand through his hair. The way the lieutenant had looked at her, almost like a hungry predator, angered him all over again. Dani was his wife, and no other man had a right to look at her like that. With his hand firmly gripping the knife handle, he stabbed the blade into the polished wood of the table.

  She hasn’t consented to stay married to you, Running Wolf. Words he told himself every day. He’d hoped she would have given him an answer by now. Dawn would be one month old in a few days. Josh realized suddenly that perhaps Dani was waiting for him to bring it up. She’d told him she couldn’t be married to a man who didn’t love her. He hadn’t been able to say the words to her face. Why was it such a difficult thing to say? He’d tried to show her by his actions, holding her, taking care of the baby whenever possible so she could take care of her own needs, and making sure she was well provided for.