In His Arms: Blemished Brides Book 3

by Peggy L Henderson

  “Care to come inside?” Levi offered. Not that he was prepared for visitors, but standing out in this wind didn’t make for pleasant conversation. Cade shook his head.

  “We’re heading back down the mountain,” he said over the noise of the wind. “I’ve been gone too long as it is. My wife’s due to deliver soon, and I need to get back home. I wouldn’t have even come out here, but Laura insisted I join the search party. Trace is anxious to get home to his wife, too.” He stared straight at Levi, before continuing. “We were wondering if you might be able to help with the search.”

  Levi’s brows shot up. “Me?”

  “You’re the best tracker in the mountains, from what Cade tells me,” Trace Hawley chimed in. “There’s an anxious family who wanted to adopt the girl who’s gone missing, and they’ve put up a reward to whoever finds her.”

  Levi looked from one man to the other. Trace Hawley didn’t know him, so he didn’t point out that the mention of a reward wasn’t going to entice him one way or the other. What did catch his attention was that one of the missing kids was a girl.

  He hadn’t heard of many girls running away before. It was usually the boys. And this girl was supposed to have been adopted? The young girl who’d reminded him of Maggie came to mind. Why would one of the kids run off when they’d found someone to take them and give them a home?

  “You said you were looking for a couple of kids, not just one,” he said slowly. “Were they siblings?” It might make sense for siblings to run away together, if one of them had been adopted but the other one hadn’t. His muscles tensed. It’s what he should have done with his sister.

  Cade shook his head. “No, there’s no relation between the two. Father Aldren, who’s in charge of the orphans, is at a complete loss. The two children who went missing hardly knew each other.”

  “A couple of men rode north, and a few headed south. Cade and I decided to come this way. We found some footprints along the creek at the outskirts of town, and they led in the direction of the mountains. We lost them again a half day’s ride out. Most folks thought that the kids would have stayed near town or headed for the next town, but what if they came this way instead?”

  Levi nodded. It’s what he’d done when he ran away – headed into the hills. The kids who followed the train tracks or roads usually got caught within a day, if anyone even bothered to go looking for them. The notion that the people who wanted to adopt the girl were putting up a reward struck him as odd. Most folks would have simply moved on to the next orphan to adopt. Not that it mattered to him, but why put up money for a child they didn’t even know?

  He sucked in a deep breath, and mentally shook his head. “All right. I’ll ride out and take a look around.” He glanced up at the sky again. “The weather’s not going to hold much longer. Any tracks are going to be gone by morning.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Trace Hawley offered.

  Levi shook his head. “I can move faster on my own.” He met Trace’s stare. The other man held his gaze, then nodded in understanding.

  “The chances of finding them aren’t good, and as much as I want to keep looking, I have to get home to my wife,” Cade said, and took up his horse’s reins. “If they’re not found in the next day or so, especially with the storm that’s brewing, the chances of finding them alive will be slim. I thought you’d be our best shot, Levi.”

  Cade and Trace mounted up.

  “I’ll do what I can. Regardless of what I find out, I’ll head to your place once the weather clears.”

  Cade leaned over his horse and held out his hand. “Much obliged. I know you’d rather not mingle with folks, but we’re grateful for your help.”

  The two men turned their horses. Levi waited until they were out of sight, then headed back to his cabin. He rolled up a couple of blankets, packed some provisions to last him two days, and banked the fire. Slipping into his buffalo-hide robe, he left to saddle his horse.

  He shook his head. So much for spending a couple of quiet days holed-up in his cabin while the storm passed. He could have easily told Cade and Hawley that looking for kids in the high country after this many days wasn't worth the time or risk with the storm coming.

  A little voice inside his head nagged at him. After he’d run away all those years ago, it had been more than ten days before Buck had found him. He’d been nearly dead at the time.

  His sister’s face, and then the girl he’d seen in town who reminded him of her, flashed before his eyes. He hadn’t been able to find his sister when he’d searched for her after Buck had brought him back from the brink of death. Years later, he’d finally located the family who had taken her in, and he’d been told that she’d died of a fever. Overcome with guilt and pain, he’d run back to Buck, and a solitary life in the mountains.

  Levi mounted his horse. The mule brayed loudly when he rode away from the cabin. The ornery beast was going to have to fend for itself over the next few days. There was plenty of grass and water in the large corral Buck had built years ago. Securing the animal shelter would have to wait until he returned.

  Levi guided his horse along the trail down the mountain, heading west and toward town. Those kids could be anywhere, and the mountains were vast. Men had been known to get lost, and never found again. The chances of a couple of kids surviving here were pretty much zero, even in good weather.

  First, he had to find some sort of starting point. That meant heading back in the direction of Elk Lodge. The creek Cade had mentioned originated a half-day’s ride due north of his cabin, and flowed west toward the valley from there. Heading in the general direction of that creek to see if he could pick up any tracks was his best option at this point.

  Levi made his way down the mountain toward the sprawling valley. He’d come upon the creek somewhere in the lower foothills, rather than in the high country. The terrain was steep and rocky in places at this elevation, and inaccessible on horseback. Hopefully he could pick up some sort of sign that the kids had remained near the water.

  By late afternoon, the temperature had dropped enough to where his breath swirled in a gray mist in front of him. His nose and fingers tingled from the cold, and he pulled his buffalo robe more firmly around himself.

  The valley below became invisible through the thick fog and moist air, and dark clouds had covered up any remnants of sunlight. The first drops of rain began to fall by the time Levi guided his horse under a thick stand of pines and evergreens to call it quits for the day. It would be too dark to continue on safely in another few minutes.

  A shiver passed through him. Levi cursed silently. It was going to be a cold night. In this weather, starting and maintaining a fire would be near impossible. A rocky outcropping would have to provide adequate shelter.

  Rain pelted him from all sides, and he pulled the buffalo robe around him more firmly. He hobbled his horse so it wouldn’t run off in the dark, and hunkered down to a cold and wet camp for the night. Somewhere, a young girl and a little boy were out in this weather. If the cold didn’t kill them, the rain surely would. Without shelter, they’d be dead of exposure by morning.

  If the temperature dropped even more, he’d be waking to snow come daylight. Further up the mountain, where his cabin stood, it would, no doubt, be snowing right now.

  Levi chewed on some dried venison, and closed his eyes, tucking his head under his fur robe. At least it would keep him somewhat dry and warm. The chances of picking up a trail in the morning would be slim to none. He cursed silently. He could be sitting in his cabin, warm and with a full belly right now. His sister’s face flashed before him, and he cursed again.

  Chapter Four

  Grace limped toward the cabin, leaning heavily on her crutch. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering, as well as to stifle the pain in her leg. Whenever the weather turned cold, her leg hurt worse than usual. She glanced over her shoulder, gripping tightly to the hat on her head. The wind had already knocked it off several times, and Andy had given chase.

/>   Rose and the little boy stood behind a tree a short distance away, where Grace had told them to stay and wait while she investigated. She’d seen the cabin through the trees, but didn’t want to approach without caution. They desperately needed shelter. The skies had already turned an ominous gray, and the snow flurries had begun.

  Since fleeing Elk Lodge, she’d led her sister and the little boy high into the mountains, and the last few days had taken their toll. They were all hungry, chilled to the bone, and dead-tired. Andy had held up a little better than Rose, whose face was pale, and her eyes listless. Finding this cabin was a blessing. It would be even better if it was unoccupied, but she’d seen an animal moving in the corral.

  There was no light coming through the one small window of the cabin, and no smoke rose from the chimney. Perhaps no one was home, but Grace wasn’t going to chance bringing her sister and Andy along until she was absolutely sure that there would be no danger. The revolver she kept tucked away in the pocket of her coat contained three bullets. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use it.

  Moving as quickly as her lame leg allowed, Grace reached the cabin. She glanced through the small window, but the glass panes were too dirty to see inside. There was no light shining anywhere. At least that much was obvious. If anyone was home, they’d most likely be asleep.

  Slowly, she made her way toward the back of the cabin. There was some sort of shelter, or lean-to for animals, surrounded by a crude wooden fence made from felled trees. A mule stood a short distance away between a couple of bushes, seemingly unaffected by the biting cold. It appeared to be content with its back to the wind, cropping at some grasses.

  Grace returned to the front of the cabin. She sucked in a quick breath, and reached for the revolver in her pocket. Her heart pounded in her chest, making breathing difficult. The wind already sucked the air right out of her lungs. At least the cold steel from her gun gave her some sense of comfort that she had a weapon to defend herself, if needed.

  She limped to the front door. Glancing over her shoulder to where Rose and Andy waited, she raised her hand to knock, in case someone was home. Relief swept through her when no one answered. Grace shot another quick look over her shoulder. She swallowed back her apprehension, and pushed down on the latch. The heavy door opened with a loud creak.

  Grace waited, gripping the door latch to keep from shaking. The only sound came from the wind. Dust swirled into the cabin. She stepped inside, her eyes wide in order to adjust to the darkness.

  Her gaze shifted to a small table in the center of the room. She blinked to focus better in the dim light. Her mouth fell open slightly. The table wasn’t some crude construction, as she would expect from seeing the outside of this cabin. Someone had taken the time to carve intricate patterns in each leg. The top looked smooth as glass, and Grace ran her hand across it. The flat boards from which it had been constructed fit together perfectly.

  Grace slowly turned to take in the rest of the cabin. A hearth along the right wall beckoned to her, promising some much-needed warmth. The mantle that hung over the fireplace had also been expertly carved. The wood was satiny to the touch. There was a bunk along the far wall, framed by smoothly carved logs. A small door led to another room, separated by a burlap sack that hung from the narrow doorframe.

  Grace’s heart hammered in her chest. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her weapon, and leaned on her crutch with her other hand. She had to investigate to see if anyone occupied the other room. This cabin was definitely not abandoned. Someone with great skill as a woodworker lived here.

  “Is anyone home?” she called out.

  All remained quiet, amplifying the sound of her crutch on the wooden floor. The burlap curtain in the doorway fluttered, and Grace pushed it aside. It was too dark to see anything in the little room except for the faint outlines of another bunk and perhaps a small dresser. Other than that, the room appeared to be bare.

  Grace expelled a relieved breath. She turned, and limped back toward the front door. She waved toward the trees. Not a second later, Andy and Rose came rushing toward her. Their weary eyes shimmered with hope.

  “We have shelter for tonight,” Grace said, hugging her sister. Rose’s face was as cold as an icicle, and she shivered violently.

  “We’ll get a fire started, Rosie,” Grace whispered. She pushed her sister toward the bunk, which was piled high with what looked to be animal furs and skins. “Andy, check the wood box.”

  “Not much wood there, but there’s still some coals that are glowing,” the boy said.

  Grace frowned. It would be easy to start a fire, but the fact that there were still glowing coals meant that the owner of this cabin hadn’t been gone for long. She brushed the thought aside. It didn’t matter. She’d have to deal with whoever lived here when they returned. A shiver of dread ran down her spine at the thought that it might be two or more men. Could she fend them off, if needed? She shot a hasty glance at her sister. Her lips tightened in a firm line. She’d do whatever it took to protect Rose.

  “I know it’s cold, Andy, but run outside and see if there’s more wood on the woodpile. I thought I saw some a minute ago. Best to bring it inside, before it really starts to snow.”

  The eager boy did as she told him. He’d been such a help to her since fleeing town. With her lame leg, moving up the steep hills and into the mountains had been slow going. Andy had helped her and Rose whenever they had to navigate a particularly difficult area of terrain. He’d helped pick the berries that had sustained them since they’d fled Elk Lodge.

  The people who had wanted to take Rose might be looking for her for a few days before they gave up. Once the orphan train had moved on to the next town, it would be safe to come out of hiding. They would go to the nearest settlement east of Elk Lodge, in the opposite direction. Somewhere, Grace would find work, and a place to settle, and she and Rose would always be together. And, now she had Andy to care for and worry about, as well.

  The light from an oil lamp on the table that Grace had found and lit, cast a warm glow throughout the sparse room. She wrinkled her nose at the bowl filled with some sort of stew that sat on the table. Next to it was a cup half-full of cold coffee. Whoever lived here must have left in a hurry.

  The door creaked, and Grace whirled around, nearly losing her balance. She breathed a sigh of relief when Andy walked in, his arms laden with wood.

  “Here, let me help you.” She limped toward the boy, and relieved him of part of his burden. Together, they stoked the coals back to life, and added wood until a glowing fire crackled in the hearth.

  Grace held her frozen hands to the flames, and sighed in contentment. A warm tingle spread through her fingers for the first time in days.

  “We’ll have this cabin warmed up in no time, Rosie.” She glanced over her shoulder to look toward the bunk where her sister had crawled under the furs. She didn’t stir.

  “She was cold,” Andy whispered quietly, a worried look on his face. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his face was as pale as Rose’s, but the little boy was much hardier than her sister.

  Grace smiled at the boy. “We’re all cold. I’m sorry I brought you and Rose this far. There’s nowhere else to hide, though.”

  Andy nodded. “I understand. It’s not so bad, now that we have this cabin. Do you suppose there’s some food here?” His eyes widened with hope.

  “I’ll take a look around.” Grace added another log to the fire. “There’s food in this kettle, but I don’t know how old it is. Might not be good anymore to eat.”

  She sniffed at the Dutch oven that sat in the hearth. Even as hungry as she was, the unpleasant odor made her stomach roil.

  “What if the people who live here come back?”

  Rose’s soft question from the corner of the room startled Grace. She limped toward her sister, and sat at the edge of the mattress. She touched her hand to her sister’s cheek. The iciness of Rose’s skin was alarming. Perhaps another blanket would help her warm up more quic
kly.

  “Then I’ll deal with them,” she said firmly. “Decent folk won’t turn us out in the cold,” she added.

  Grace cast a slow glance around the room. Snowshoes hung on one wall, along with several iron traps. The cabin wasn’t exactly dirty, but that seemed to be largely due to the fact that it was sparse and devoid of many personal items. Besides the Dutch oven in the hearth, there was also a coffee pot. A large skillet hung from the wall, and several tin cups, bowls, and plates were stacked on the beautiful mantle over the fireplace. Grace marveled at the furnishings. It seemed so out of place in this otherwise crude dwelling.

  In addition to the table, the room was furnished with equally well-constructed chairs. A leather belt with a knife hung from a peg near the door. Several water canteens hung next to it on another peg. Other than the furs on the bed, and the lamp on the table, there wasn’t much else in this cabin. Perhaps there were more personal items in the other room, but she didn’t care to find out right now.

  Several burlap sacks stacked in the corner held her interest. Perhaps there was food in them. She patted Rose’s arm, or what she assumed was her arm under all those covers, and limped to the sacks. They hadn’t been opened.

  “Can I please eat what’s in this pot?” Andy called from the hearth. He stuck his fingers in the Dutch oven, and pulled out a chunk of meat.

  “No.” Grace hurried to him. “It’s not worth getting sick. This meat is probably spoiled. We don’t know how long it’s been in here.”

  “I’m hungry,” the boy whined.

  “We all are.” Grace pulled Andy into a hug. “I think there’s food in those sacks. I’ll see what there is to fix, but first, you need to clean out this pot.” She took hold of the Dutch oven and dumped its contents into the fire. The meat hissed and sizzled when it hit the hot coals. Grace repeated her actions with the food from the bowl on the table.