Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2)

by Peggy L Henderson

  “That woman is a piece of work. I don’t know how any man, or the rest of her family puts up with her.”

  Ethan stood, pouring the rest of his coffee into the fire, dousing the flames and drowning them in a dark shadow. The hot coals hissed and smoked. He offered Anna his hand to help her to her feet. As she took a step away from the fire, her dress snagged on the crate on which she sat. She tugged, then lurched forward when it released. Ethan caught her around the waist. Anna’s hands braced against his chest.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  Rather than letting her go after she’d found her balance, his hold on her tightened. “I’m not,” he murmured.

  Her face was faint and difficult to make out. Ethan’s hand searched for her cheek. His fingers ran up along her jaw to touch her lips, until his palm cupped the side of her face. Anna’s breathing increased, judging by the rise and fall of her chest.

  “Anna, I can’t go on pretending to be your brother. I made a mistake. I can’t keep fighting what my heart is telling me.”

  Ethan lowered his head, his lips against her cheek. He breathed in the faint scent of the soap she used to wash with each evening. The flowery fragrance on her skin was distinctly hers.

  “I don’t want you to pretend any longer that you’re my brother, Ethan.” Her soft whisper in the darkness was like a lightning strike to his heart, fully igniting the fire that had simmered inside him for her.

  Ethan murmured her name right before his lips found hers. His right arm wrapped more fully around her waist, drawing her closer, while the other hand weaved into her hair, holding her to him.

  Anna moaned softly, her lips parting beneath his. This time, he wasn’t going to stop at a quick taste. He covered her mouth, fully savoring the softness of hers as she leaned into him. Her arms came around his neck, bringing him even closer. The world swirled into oblivion around him. There was nothing but the woman in his arms. Anna, whose gentle heart healed his damaged soul. Not even the loud screech coming from somewhere out of the darkness tore him out of her embrace.

  “Oh, my Lord, what in heaven’s name is going on here?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I knew right from the start that something wasn’t as it should be between you two. I have a sense for these sort of things, you know.”

  Marybeth’s screeching voice rang through the stillness of the evening air. Anna shrank away from Ethan, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest and in her head. She dropped her arms from around Ethan’s neck, gulping in several breaths to steady her nerves, both from Marybeth’s unexpected interruption as well as her reaction to Ethan’s kiss. She tried to take a step back, but strong arms held her tight.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered against Ethan’s solid chest, unsure if he could even hear over Marybeth’s continued ranting. What was she sorry for? Certainly not Ethan’s kiss, but definitely for the interruption to their private moment.

  The woman must have eagle eyes if she was able to see them in the dark. Clearly, she’d come to their camp for a different reason. Anna wouldn’t put it past her to want to eavesdrop. It was too dark to see much of anything, and only some orange coals glowed in the fire pit.

  Faint light from lanterns that had been lit among the other wagons came toward them. Jeremy shouted in the distance for his wife.

  “What’s all the ruckus about?” Albert Howell wondered.

  “I told you already, I ain’t sorry.” Ethan’s deep voice came close to her ear.

  He eased his hold on her when more people arrived in camp – Jeremy, Pastor Albert, Ed Howell, as well as Millicent and Maude’s husbands along with Mildred.

  “I came to give Anna my peach pie recipe, and to my great shock, I find Mr. Wilder overtaking and kissing his sister!” Marybeth didn’t sound surprised, but rather triumphant at her juicy discovery. “I say it again. I’ve never seen a brother look at his sister the way Mr. Wilder looks at Anna. It’s downright unnatural.”

  “What’s going on here, Ethan?” Jeremy Howell stepped closer, holding up his lantern. Anna squinted when the light hit her eyes.

  “Let me do the talking,” Ethan said in a low tone. He stepped away from Anna to face Mr. Howell.

  Anna caught the reassuring smile he had for her before his face faded into the shadows. He let go of her completely. Rather than answering, he bent to rekindle the campfire, instantly creating a circle of light around everyone.

  Marybeth looked at her with wide eyes. “Well, it’s clear what’s going on, isn’t it?” she said. “I’ve heard stories of men wanting to have their way with the women in their families. It’s not talked about much, but I have eyes and ears, and I know these things. Why, back in Virginia –”

  “Anna’s not my sister,” Ethan spoke loudly. He glared at the outspoken woman, then turned to Jeremy. Several of the men murmured.

  “Well . . . well, of course I could have told you that,” Marybeth stuttered. For once, she seemed to have run out of more words. “What do you mean, she’s not your sister?” She stepped up to Anna. “What does he mean by that, Anna?”

  “He means that he’s not my brother,” Anna stammered. “We’re not related.”

  She looked to Ethan. He’d said to let him do the talking, but what was he going to say to these people? Regardless, they’d been caught in a most compromising situation.

  Ethan returned to her and took her hand. He gave it a squeeze. His eyes silently pleaded with her to trust him. She nodded. He faced the men.

  “Anna . . . Porter and I have known each other for the better part of a year. I met her as the close friend of my brother’s wife. Although there is no familial relation between us, I, along with the rest of my brothers, regarded her as a sister.”

  He paused and glanced from one man to the next. Everyone stood and stared, waiting for him to continue.

  “Well that doesn’t explain what you were doing with her a few minutes ago. First you say she’s your sister, then she’s not, and now she’s your sister again. Which one is it, Mr. Wilder?”

  “Shush, for once, Marybeth,” Jeremy spoke up.

  Marybeth’s hand shot to her hip. “I will not shush, Jeremy Howell. I have every right to know what’s going on here. Anna’s reputation is at stake, and I do believe –”

  “Anna wanted to come to Oregon,” Ethan said over Marybeth’s protests. He stood tall in front of the men, looking as if he was ready to fight any one of them. He spoke loud enough to drown out Marybeth, but his voice remained steady.

  “I agreed to bring her to Fort Hall. From there, I told her I’d accompany her to Oregon, to make sure she was safe.”

  “Well, of course she was safe. Are you insinuating that she wouldn’t be safe with my family? This is the safest place she could be.” Marybeth stood at Anna’s side, offering her a sympathetic look. “If only we’d known from the beginning. I’ve been saying all along that she should marry Cousin Ed, then she’d have a man to take care of her. No need to try to deceive us. We don’t take kindly to people lying to –”

  “What I didn’t want to admit at the time, to myself and – more importantly –to Anna Porter, is that over the course of several weeks prior to our leaving to come to Fort Hall, and during the journey there, she’s earned my deepest respect.”

  Ethan looked at her, the light from the fire flickering in his eyes, which seemed to pierce right into her. He took a step closer, his fingers still wrapped tightly around hers. Anna locked her gaze on his. He’d never looked more serious, or more vulnerable at the same time as he did in that moment. When he spoke again, it was to her, and only her.

  “Anna, I know I’m not the ideal man for you. I’ve been nothing but a surly old bear, but I do work hard, and I value my family. I’m willing to make a fresh start if you’ll give me a chance.”

  Anna’s eyes widened. A painful lump formed in her throat, preventing her from swallowing. Her head moved slowly from side to side.

  “Ethan, what are you saying?” she whispe
red.

  His voice grew louder, for everyone to hear. “What I didn’t tell you before, was that I’ve come to care for you deeply, Anna.” He took another small step toward her until their bodies nearly touched. “I’ve been a coward to admit it, but I can’t deny it any longer. I’ve told myself countless times that I can’t be drawn to you and then risk losing you. I’m starting to realize that it’s a risk I want to take. I love you.”

  Anna blinked to dispel the moisture in her eyes. Lost for words, all she could do was stare, but Ethan’s face became a blur. He’d just admitted he had feelings for her, words she’d wished he’d say to her. Murmurs erupted again from the men.

  “I knew it!”

  Anna shrank away from Marybeth’s triumphant screech.

  “We can’t stand by and let these two continue to live in sin. What would people think? There’s only one thing to do about it, isn’t there?” Marybeth carried on. “What kind of man puts a sweet woman like Anna in such a scandalous position? Ed certainly would never have done that. He’s far too honorable. In fact, I bet he would still marry her, even after this, this . . . disgrace.”

  Marybeth reached for Anna’s arm, drawing her attention away from Ethan. He released her hand.

  “This isn’t what I would have done, Anna. I mean, if you would have married my cousin back home in Virginia, I would have arranged for a large wedding. I baked the grandest wedding cake once for my cousin Nellie. Of course, we can’t do that here. But . . . ”

  Anna stared at Marybeth and shook her head. “I don’t think getting married right now is –”

  “Nonsense. It’s the only solution. Someone needs to set things right. Your virtue has been compromised.” She spun around. “Albert, you’ll perform a wedding right now. It’s the only way.”

  Anna pulled away from the overbearing woman. “Ethan?”

  Ethan stepped in front of Marybeth. “I think, for once, Mrs. Howell is right.” He grinned.

  Anna’s heart dropped to her stomach. Ethan agreed with Marybeth that she should marry Ed? Her eyes widened in confusion. No, he couldn’t mean it. Not after the kiss they’d shared, and he’d just said he loved her.

  “Of course I’m right, Mr. Wilder,” Marybeth shot back. “Jeremy, go fetch Albert’s Bible, so we can get Anna married. Who’s it going to be? I’d like to get some sleep before the night’s over.”

  Thankfully, she didn’t wait for an answer, and moved away to take control of her husband and the other men, barking out orders on what everyone needed to do. She demanded they fetch their wives to be present at the wedding as witnesses.

  “Maude can stay in her bed. She needs her rest.”

  “Ethan, this is crazy. What am I supposed to do?” Anna grabbed for his hand.

  “I know what I’m going to do. I’m doing what’s right, Anna, for both of us. It might be impulsive and reckless . . . and I might be acting for selfish reasons, but it’s also the responsible thing to do.” His face broke out in a wide grin. “Unless, of course, you’d rather marry Cousin Ed.”

  Anna snorted. “No, I don’t want to marry Cousin Ed, but you –”

  Ethan leaned down and silenced her with a kiss. He brushed his lips against hers, lingered for a moment, then pulled back.

  “I’m not sure you heard me a minute ago over Marybeth’s chatter.” He held both her hands in his. “I love you, Anna Porter. I want to marry you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt stronger about anything in my life.”

  Anna blinked. She had heard him the first time, but with Marybeth’s incessant babbling, there had been no time to absorb his words. Ethan, who guarded his heart with the ferocity of a grizzly and feared getting attached to anyone, had just told her that he loved her. In front of a group of people, no less.

  “Ethan, I . . . I love you, too.”

  The words slipped from her mouth, and having said them out loud, they were true beyond a doubt. She hadn’t dared think them before, let alone say them, although her heart had already known weeks ago.

  Ethan swept her in a tight embrace that knocked the air from her lungs and lifted her off her feet. His arms trembled as he held her close to him. The smile on his face, even in the shadows from the flickering campfire and several lanterns, erased all the hardness of his features.

  “Will you marry me, Anna? I promise I’ll –”

  “Albert is ready to perform the ceremony,” Marybeth called loudly. She clapped her hands together. “Anna have you decided who you are going to – oh, I see. Well, I guess you two should step forward, then.”

  Ethan groaned. He reluctantly released his hold around Anna and set her fully on her feet.

  “Best do what she says,” he murmured. “Or this might turn into a shotgun wedding. Has she said whether she’s as good with a handgun as she claims to be with everything else?”

  Anna breathed in a lungful of air and chuckled. “I don’t know, and I’d rather not find out,” she whispered.

  Ethan led her to stand in front of Pastor Howell, who leafed through his Bible, then looked up, darting a glance from Anna to Ethan.

  “This is the right thing to do,” he said, shooting a stern look at Ethan.

  Ethan nodded, his hand tightening around Anna’s. “I agree.”

  She gazed up at him, staring at his profile. Ethan Wilder was going to be her husband. It seemed unreal. To think he had been the most unlikely person to bring her on this journey, and now she was taking a vow to be his wife. It seemed unthinkable that she could be this happy. She closed her eyes for a moment.

  I love you Franklin, I always will. You will forever hold a special place in my heart, but I have to go on with my life. I know you’d be happy for me that I’ve found a good man with whom to spend the rest of my days.

  “I’d understand, Miss Wilder, ah . . . Porter, if you’d prefer to marry Cousin Ed instead of Mr. Wilder. I could wed you to either one of these men this evening.”

  Anna’s eyes flew open. She stared at the pastor, shaking her head. Turning to look at Ed, she said, “I’m sorry, but I love Ethan.”

  He nodded and smiled in understanding.

  Ethan’s hand closed tightly around hers. She squeezed back.

  Pastor Howell cleared his throat. “Then I ask you, Anna Porter, do you take this man, Ethan Wilder, to be your husband? Do you –”

  From behind them, Marybeth’s loud whisper, no doubt intended for everyone to hear, drowned out what Pastor Howell said. “I would certainly have chosen a more reliable man, like Cousin Ed, but it’s Anna’s wedding, not mine.”

  Anna smiled into Ethan’s eyes. Marybeth couldn’t have been more wrong about his character.

  “I take Ethan as my husband,” she said when the pastor’s mouth stopped moving and his forehead wrinkled in an inquisitive stare. He nodded in apparent satisfaction.

  “Do you, Ethan Wilder, take this woman to be your wife? Do you –”

  “I hope Mr. Wilder knows how to farm and grow crops. How is he going to provide for Anna once they get to Oregon? You’ll have to teach him, Jeremy. We had the best farm in Virginia, and I know –”

  “Shush, Marybeth, and let them get married,” Jeremy warned.

  “I will shush when I want to shush, Jeremy Howell. Don’t you tell me –”

  Ethan pulled Anna close and murmured against her cheek so she could hear, “I take you, Anna, as my wife.”

  “You are now man and wife,” Pastor Howell proclaimed.

  Ethan’s eyes met hers, the usual hard lines of his features and the sullen look on his face were replaced with a satisfied smile. The rest of the people around them and Marybeth’s chatter faded away. Anna’s vision blurred as she stared up at him, love and contentment flowing through her. The hopes and dreams she’d had a year ago no longer mattered as she gazed into the eyes of her new husband, and the new direction her life would take from hereon.

  Ethan leaned forward to kiss her lightly as his fingers caressed her cheek. “I suppose we’re going to learn how to survive each
other, aren’t we?” he murmured against her lips.

  Anna raised her head. The light from the lanterns faded away, leaving only the glow from the campfire around them. The chirping of countless crickets became louder as the sounds of the people drifted away. Even Marybeth’s distinct voice faded away. They were alone.

  “I think I was telling you to get some rest when I kissed you and got us both in trouble.”

  Ethan’s voice filled the air around her. The orange light from the fire dimmed as the flames consumed the last of the wood, leaving behind glowing coals that flickered black one moment then erupted into red and orange light the next.

  “Who would’ve thought that one kiss would lead to us being wed?” Anna murmured, trying to disguise the uncertainty in her voice.

  Ethan chuckled. “With you, things seem to happen unexpectedly. I didn’t think a bucket of dirty water in my face would wake me up to take notice of you.”

  “You were so angry that day,” Anna giggled. “I thought for sure you were going to strangle me.”

  “My brothers always like to badger me, but no one’s ever dressed me down like you did that day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” Ethan pulled her into his arms. His chest heaved against hers. “You’ve pulled me out of my dark existence, Anna. I’m still not sure how you managed it, but you made me see that I’m ready to love someone.”

  Anna wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m ready to move on from the past and love someone, too.”

  “You were right about me when you said I’m afraid of letting people get close to me, but what scares me more is the thought of losing someone I care about. I failed my parents when I didn’t listen to my pa the day he died. It’s a guilt I’ve lived with my whole life, because I was reckless and selfish. It’s a pain I never want to feel again.”

  Anna touched his face, running her fingers against the roughness of his jaw. “We all worry about losing the ones we love, but you can’t go through life with those kinds of fears. You won’t be living if you do. You’ll simply be miserable. I know I’ve been unhappy all this time, thinking about what might have happened differently had I acted differently.”