My Capricious Cowgirl (Willamette Wives Book 4)

by Maggie Ryan

  Davy plopped down in front of him but when Matthew pulled something from his pocket, he curled his hands into fists, his eyes on the jar.

  "Easy," Matthew said, uncapping the jar and dipping his fingers inside. "This won't hurt but will help with those blisters." Smearing the emollient on his own hand to demonstrate, he then held the open jar out to the boy.

  "Go ahead, honey," Sally said. "I… um used some myself, and it really takes the ache away." Smiling, she dipped a fingertip in the jar and rubbed it on her palm, then took her son's hand, turning it up. "Oh, honey, didn't those gloves help?"

  "That's my fault," Matthew said. "I should have thought of them days ago, and the ones Roger brought are good but too large." He watched as Sally pressed her hand palm to palm with Davy's.

  "I have some gloves that will fit better but…" she began.

  Matthew had to grin at the look on Davy's face. "Let me guess, they are like your hankie? Fancy?"

  "What does that matter?" Sally said. "Do you think the horses would care? It's more important that Davy's hands are protected and those blisters…"

  Any hesitancy Davy had before disappeared as he shoved two fingers into the jar, scooping out a huge dollop of the emollient, rubbing it on his hands. When he'd covered both rather generously, he lifted them and sniffed, his head cocking to one side before turning to look towards the corral. Grinning, he stood, bobbed his head up and down, pawed the ground with his boots and then took off, prancing like a horse, King following.

  Sally's face was absolutely priceless when she deciphered the pantomime. "Matthew Stone, tell me you did not use horse liniment on my… my…"

  "Sore arse?" Matthew offered softly, reaching for her hand and pulling her down onto his lap. Though she squealed and wiggled, he easily kept her in place, nuzzling her neck.

  "Stop that! I can't believe you did that! You said it was safe!"

  "It is perfectly safe. I've been using it for years and I don't think I've grown hooves or a mane yet, have I?"

  She huffed, her cheeks pink, her eyes showing her disbelief. Chuckling, he tightened his arms and spoke softly. "Of course, I admit I've not ever applied it to the softer flesh of a female. Perhaps I need to make a close inspection of the area of application to make sure you aren't suffering any equine effects." She stilled as he bent down, her arms going around his as their lips met. When King decided it was just a game and practically knocked them over, his tongue repeatedly lapping at their faces, Matthew pulled up and wiped his cheek as Sally sputtered her indignation and Davy collapsed into giggles beside them, bringing the day to a perfect end… well, not exactly perfect as it was time to say his goodbyes, something Matthew was getting extremely tired of doing.

  ***

  The next morning, Sally pulled out her crate of provisions, taking inventory. Though the women had said she didn't need to bring something to share for that night's supper, she wasn't about to go empty handed. Sighing, she shook her head. "Why didn't I think of this before I used the last eggs for breakfast?" she said aloud. "I could have made a cake." Putting the bag of flour back into the box, she straightened. Davy was moping a bit. She couldn't blame him; she was missing Matthew as well. Having her dreams full of him, his hands stroking down her body, had been lovely but nowhere near enough to satisfy her. God, he did have such wonderful hands, hard and yet capable of turning into the softest velvet as he trailed his fingers up her thigh towards her… all right, this was accomplishing absolutely nothing except to make her body thrum with unfulfilled desire.

  "Davy, what do you think about a hike? If we can find some wild mushrooms, I can make a casserole with rice. Maybe we can find some wild onions, as well."

  Her son's face lit up as he nodded, accepting the small trowel she pulled from the wagon but shaking his head when she offered him a pair of gloves she seldom wore. "Honey, I promise, no one is going to see or care…"

  Davy set the trowel aside and pulled the gloves he'd been given from his pocket.

  "All right," she conceded, tucking her gloves into the gathering basket she'd fill and handing him another. "Ready?"

  He shook his head and gestured to the rifle that was tucked under the wagon seat. "No, we won't need it, honey." He shook his head again. "Davy, we're not hunting, we're just picking mushrooms. We'll be fine." Taking his hand, she was glad when he didn't pull it free. Her son was growing up way too fast, and she'd cherish every moment he allowed her to cuddle and spoil him. Whistling brought King from beneath the wagon and the three headed towards the river. A smile tugged at her lips as she looked down at Davy. "How about we cross the river? I think I saw some mushrooms in this pretty little glade."

  He nodded eagerly and as they reached the river's submerged sidewalk, they both removed their shoes and stockings, tucking them into the baskets before stepping into the water. Though she gasped a bit, she was surprised at how fast the water was losing its icy temperature. "I bet we'll be swimming soon," she said, looking towards the overhanging tree, remembering Matthew telling her that one day he'd make love to her right over there. What would that be like, having him fill her while in the water, the sun beaming down on their naked bodies? A bark had her looking up to see that Davy was already on the other side, his head cocked as if to ask what had her frozen in the middle of the river. She shook her head; she really needed to stop thinking about Matthew… at least for a little bit.

  Davy would stop occasionally, crouching down to examine some track, pantomiming what sort of animal left the impression in the earth. It was obvious that he had learned quite a bit on his hunt with Matthew.

  "Very good, son, now how about finding me some mushrooms?" She'd hadn't been able to teach him about hunting, but she'd taught him about foraging for what could be turned into delicious dishes. He stood and sniffed the air and she smiled. Wild onions put out a faint odor and it was only moments before he found the source. They worked together, Davy digging up the stalks, Sally brushing the dirt from the bulbs before adding them to the basket. King provided entertainment as he chased a squirrel around a tree until the animal raced up the trunk, turning to scold the labrador from the safety of a higher branch.

  "Oh, Davy, these are apple trees," she said, lifting a hand to a tiny bud. "Think of all the good things we can make. We can core them and fill with cinnamon and raisins, slice them and add them to pancakes, make applesauce and jam, even apple spice cake. Can you think of anything else we can use them for?"

  When he squatted and used his trowel to draw a circle in the dirt and then added two lines making a triangular cut, she laughed. "Pie?" He grinned and rubbed his stomach, and she tousled his hair. "Yeah, I miss Matthew too, but we'll see him tonight. For now, onward. We have mushrooms to find."

  They walked through the glade where Matthew had brought her that day. Memories of hanging over his lap getting her bottom spanked had her cheeks clenching, but reliving every second from the moment he'd draped her across that limb had her breathing hard. Though she'd enjoyed intimacy with her husband, he'd never given her specific instructions, never been as demanding or… taken her any way except face to face, in their bed, in the dark. She'd never imagined being taken from behind, shocked when Matthew had dropped to his knees to tug her legs…

  Realizing she actually felt something tugging on her leg, she looked down to see her son, his head cocked yet again. "Sorry, honey, it seems Mama is daydreaming today." Accepting her statement, he pointed towards the exact same tree she'd been revisiting in her daydream.

  "I know, it's a great climbing tree, isn't it?"

  He nodded but when he moved away, he didn't climb the tree, only over the branch, hopping down on the other side. She followed, grinning as she sat on the limb before swinging her legs over, patting the bark as if thanking it for her experience. Davy was crouching in a field of flowers, sweeping his hand over a ring of mushrooms.

  "Oh, Davy, aren't they pretty? Do you see any fairies?"

  He grinned but shook his head, plucking the first at its
stem, wrapping it about his finger as she'd taught him. When the stem bent easily but didn't break, she nodded. "These are perfect!" They picked the fairy ring mushrooms and Davy soon found another ring. Spying another a few feet further into the woods, Sally said, "I think I see some morels, as well." He nodded, moving to yet another ring as she moved to check on the plants she saw at the base of some trees. Bending down, she picked one, making sure it was completely hollow inside, knowing that if it was solid, it was not edible. These didn't grow in convenient rings but she could see several trees had the mushrooms at their bases. Composing the casserole in her head, she moved, bent, picked and tucked them into her basket. Finding a huge tree with several, she dropped to her knees and had added a half dozen to her basket when suddenly a sound had her hand stilling and the hair at the nape of her neck lifting.

  Slowly lifting her head, she realized she'd walked much deeper into the trees than she'd intended. When a growl and snuffling sounded, she froze where she had been straightening. She'd forgotten that she wasn't the only lover of nature's bounty. Her heart leapt into her throat when a ball of black fur rolled from behind the tree, another pouncing on the first. Though the two were obviously playing, oblivious of her presence, Sally knew that no mama would let her babies roam too far from her.

  Oh God, Davy! She had to get to him, knew that he'd soon be looking for her. Taking a slow step backwards, she began to pray. "Dear God, please… please keep Davy safe." She'd taken another step and then another when her boot came down in a hole, twisting painfully. Her inadvertent cry was answered by a growl, the shaggy head of the cubs' mother coming around the tree, black eyes finding her. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other. Sally froze again, praying hard that the bear would simply gather her cubs and move back into the woods. The prayer went unanswered as one of the cubs bounded towards her and a barking sounded behind her. The mama bear growled again, her entire body coming into view as she rose up on her hind legs.

  "Davy, no! Run! Go back!" Sally screamed, leaping to her right, away from the cub who probably thought she was just a new playmate. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she ran for her life, desperate to pull the animal away from where she'd last seen her son, who had just appeared, his eyes huge as he spotted the bear, King racing to defend his mistress.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "Is that Sally?"

  Matthew's head turned at Roger's question, the lariat he'd been twirling dropping away from its target. Seeing the horse racing towards him, his first thought was that he'd be having a serious talk to the woman about her penchant for jumping fences, when he realized the horse wasn't carrying Sally.

  "That's Davy!" he said, running towards his horse, vaulting into the saddle, wheeling Ranger in the direction of the other horse. Galloping to intersect the rider, he reached Davy in seconds. "What's wrong? Where's—"

  "Ma!"

  The scream was strangled but Matthew instantly knew that whatever had happened to send this little boy down the ridge by himself was not only terrifying, it also involved Sally. It took him another second to realize that the boy had spoken.

  "It's all right, son," he said, praying to God that he wasn't lying. "Take it easy, breathe…"

  "No! Ma!" Davy screamed again, turning Buttercup around and breaking into a gallop back in the direction he'd come.

  "Shit!" Ranger caught up with Buttercup, the two racing towards the unknown, Matthew begging God that whatever had happened, it wouldn't take Davy's ma from either the boy or the man who loved her with every cell of his being.

  Once they cleared the ridge, Matthew's eyes scanned the camp, the wagon, the river, expecting Davy to stop but he didn't. Instead, he continued to ride hard, crossing the river above the falls. They entered the woods, having to slow due to the thick trees and yet they didn't stop until they broke through, the glade spreading out before them. Davy finally pulled up, leaping from Buttercup, falling to his knees but instantly rising.

  "Davy, stop!" Matthew said, having to repeat the words when the boy bolted for the woods on the opposite side of the glade. Dropping to the ground, Matthew ran after him. "Son, wait, I need to know what's happened."

  The little boy was gasping for breath, his entire body shaking. Matthew drew him into his arms. "Shh, calm down and tell me. You can do it, son. We'll find your ma, but I need to know what happened."

  "We were… pick… mushrooms," Davy managed between gulps for air. "Bear… Ma ran…"

  Matthew felt his blood go cold. Humans couldn't possibly outrun a bear. Though perhaps, realizing the woman didn't pose a danger, the bear had returned deeper into the woods. It hadn't been that long since they'd awakened from hibernation. They weren't known to simply attack humans, unless… oh, fuck. "Davy, did you see any cubs?"

  "Ye… yes, two…"

  Matthew closed his eyes a moment. A mama bear would definitely defend her babies, and Sally's scent anywhere near the cubs would keep the mother alert, and her running wouldn't help. "Where's King?"

  "Ran," Davy said. "After Ma."

  "All right, you stay here—"

  "No!" Davy yelled, fighting Matthew's hold for all he was worth.

  "Davy, stop. I need you to go back across the river. I know the others are coming. You need to tell them what happened, that I'm going after your ma."

  "No, no, no!"

  Matthew picked him up, hugging him tight. "Davy, I know you are scared but, God, you have been so very brave. I need you to be brave a bit longer, son. Please, can you do that for me? For your ma?"

  Davy finally nodded, tears streaming down his face.

  "Thank you. I swear to you, I'll find your ma. I'll bring her back." Matthew kissed him and then carried him to Buttercup, only now realizing that the boy had been riding bareback, using only his legs and his hands twisted in the horse's mane to keep his seat.

  Davy hesitated as he looked down. "Pro… promise?"

  "Yes, I promise," Matthew said, knowing he would rather die than break his word. "Go, bring the others." The moment Davy turned back, Matthew pulled his revolver from his holster at his hips, checked the cylinder, grabbed his rifle from its scabbard, and headed into the woods.

  It didn't take him long to find the first basket and then the second, mushrooms having spilled on the ground after Sally had evidently dropped it. Walking around the tree, Matthew knelt. The grass hid most of the track but he could see where the bear had stood. Pressing his hand into the slight imprint, he knew it wasn't the largest bear he'd ever tracked, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was pissed off. He stood still, listening hard, praying for some sort of guidance. Remembering what Sally had said about loving to climb trees, he looked up, praying he'd find her perched on some limb high off the ground. Though bears could climb, if the mama bear thought Sally was no longer a threat, the animal was most likely to do a bit of growling and posturing before leading her cubs to safety.

  He moved slowly, though he wanted to run. Squatting often, he looked for signs, trusting his instincts that the faint difference in the way the grass looked, in a stone recently overturned meant that Sally had passed through. Several minutes later, he heard evidence that he was going in the right direction. At King's barking, faint as it was, he began to hurry but kept alert, knowing that it would do no good if he injured himself or ran smack dab into the bear, her cubs or, God forbid, their father. A roar sounded much louder than the barking and when the next sound was a sharp yelp of pain, Matthew swore. If King was facing off with the animal, it meant the bear wasn't simply willing to walk away. Where in the hell was Sally?

  The river was to his right and growing louder. From what he understood, if he continued downstream a bit, he'd wind up in the same spot he'd first seen Davy, but he'd never really explored this side of the water. Moving even faster, he tried to block out the water, concentrating on King's barks and yelps. Finally, he broke from the tree line, a line of huge rocks before him. No way Sally would have been able to climb them, and with King still bark
ing, it was unlikely she'd gone into the water. Going left, he hugged the rocks, his eyes darting everywhere, and as he turned a bend, he saw the bear.

  She was on all fours, growling and swiping at King when the dog came close, snarling and barking, darting forward and back, attempting to drive the danger away. Matthew scanned the area for Sally but didn't see any sign of her. Neither did he see the cubs. Placing his feet silently, he moved forward slowly in order to get into range.

  "Fuck, Sally, where are you?" he muttered softly.

  "Here."

  Her voice startled him yet he didn't move, only slid his eyes to the right. Her voice had been close. A spot of color that didn't blend with the rocks caught his attention. Evidently Sally had somehow wedged herself between the boulders, King willing to give his life to keep the bear from attempting to reach in and claw her to pieces.

  "Don't shoot her… she has babies," Sally said. Not answering, just grateful that she was safe, Matthew lifted the rifle and pulled the trigger. The report of the blast hadn't yet died away before he pulled his revolver, shooting again and again until the chamber was empty. It took a moment for the echoes to die away, allowing him to hear Sally's sob and understand that some of the noise hadn't come from his direction.

  Looking up, he saw James standing on top of a rock, his rifle still pointing towards the woods. Richard stood several yards to his left, and when he gave Matthew a nod before moving into the trees, Matthew understood he was making sure the barrage had scared the bear, who'd hopefully gathered her cubs, leading them away… hopefully far away. Before he could ask where Davy was, the boy streaked by him, heading straight for King who had dropped to his haunches but gave a bark of greeting as his owner dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around him.