Grace swallowed back her growing dread, and stepped fully into the added-on room of the cabin. She shivered, both from nerves and cold. The lack of sleep over the past five days was definitely catching up with her. After waking from a few hours of rest, she’d been on edge throughout the night and again all day, wondering about the owner of this cabin. Her hands trembled, and her heart raced in anticipation of his return.
After her initial shock had worn off when the man barged in, pointing a rifle into the room, she’d recognized him as the man she’d seen in town. Although the thought had briefly crossed her mind that this cabin might belong to him when she saw the mule in the corral yesterday, she hadn’t given it any further thought. Or, she hadn’t wanted to give it any further thought.
She’d literally fallen at his feet in front of his horse. Despite his rough-looking exterior, he’d eyed her with worry when she was sprawled out in the dirt. He’d been soft-spoken and full of concern then, which had left her confused.
Men had never looked at her with tender eyes. They’d only ever cared about one thing. Grace hadn’t been able to get his eyes or face out of her mind while sitting by the creek that day, waiting for her sister. Even during the last few days, while struggling through the mountains, or huddling with Rose and Andy to stay warm at night, he’d crept into her thoughts. She’d shaken it off each time, chastising herself for her wayward thoughts.
She had no business or inclination to think about a man, for many reasons. The hard look of his features when he’d barged into the cabin had given him a feral, almost dangerous appearance, reinforcing her mistrust in men.
Grace’s heart rate accelerated where she stood now, facing him in the small room. Her hands trembled slightly, and her mouth had gone dry. She’d told Rose to stay in the main room, and not to follow her, no matter what she heard. The man’s meaning, when he’d said he’d be in the back room, had been crystal clear. She’d heard similar words and their insinuations plenty of times. He wanted payment for the food she’d taken, and for staying in his cabin, and he’d wanted to settle now. She scoffed silently. Men were all the same.
She might as well get it over with, no matter how much the thought repulsed her. He’d already proven that he could easily overpower her. If she gave in to his demands without a fight or an argument, and kept his attention on her, he’d leave Rose alone. She’d sworn to protect her sister no matter what.
The man stared at her, the spark of interest growing in his eyes. She’d seen that look too often. She’d escaped that life, and she’d never go back to it, but right now, there were no other options. She could take Rose and Andy, and leave the cabin, but they wouldn’t last the night in this weather.
The lump in her throat grew steadily. The man straightened to his full height before her. He’d already removed his shirt before she walked in, and Grace fought to keep her eyes on his face. She glimpsed the solid planes of his chest, and his broad shoulders and corded arms. He was a man in his prime, and since he appeared to live in the mountains alone, he’d immediately seen his opportunity for female company. She swallowed again, her throat dry and painful, and her pulse throbbed at her temples.
“Beg your pardon, ma’am?”
He leaned forward, apparently having scrutinized her enough. His eyes narrowed.
Grace cleared her throat. “I said I’ll pay your price, on the condition that you leave the girl alone. We’ll be gone from here in the morning, once the storm passes, if you’ll let her and Andy sleep on the other bunk one more night. As you’ve no doubt seen, I’ve also prepared some food. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
He took a slow step toward her, and Grace curled her toes in her boots to keep from turning away. She closed her eyes for a quick second. She’d run away from this kind of life. Could she really go through with it again? A man’s touch repulsed her.
It’s to keep Rose safe.
Her eyes darted to the revolver he’d carelessly tossed onto the bunk. She’d already collected all the bullets he’d dropped from the chamber, and stuffed them in the pocket of her britches. If she could only get her hands on her gun, she’d do what she’d done before, when . . .
“I haven’t named a price,” he drawled, and his forehead scrunched.
Grace looked up into his eyes again. The lewd, hungry stare she’d seen from so many men in the past wasn’t there. She’d looked into his eyes before, when they were filled with genuine concern. Right now, they harbored annoyance.
Taking a deep breath, Grace moved toward him. She’d learned what to do to appease a man, even if it made bile rise to her throat. She moved as normally as possible, stepping down more fully on her left leg. She gritted her teeth at the pain.
No one’s going to notice your leg, Gracie. Your customers will only be interested in one thing, and a lame leg isn’t it. Your pretty face more than makes up for your deformity.
Harlan Randall’s words droned in her ear.
Reaching up, she let her hand slide along his chest. His skin was ice cold to the touch. He tensed.
Grace forced a smile, and leaned up toward him. “You told me we’d come to an agreement and that you’d be waiting in here.” Her voice dropped to a low purr.
She stepped closer to brush her body up against his. His hand snaked up, and he wrapped it around her wrist. He’d moved so fast, she hadn’t even seen the movement, just like when he’d overpowered her to take her revolver away.
Grace sucked in a startled breath. Her crutch fell from her grasp, clanking loudly on the wooden floor. He yanked her hand away from his bare skin as if she’d burned him, and glared down at her. His forehead wrinkled. Anger swept over his face.
“You think I want to have my way with you?” he growled.
Grace braced against his tight hold on her wrist. “You said you were coming to the back room,” she stammered. “What else could you have meant?”
The incredulous stare on his face might have been funny at any other time.
“I meant that I was coming to the back room, nothing more.”
She shook her head. He still hadn’t released her wrist.
“To get out of my wet clothes and put on something dry before I catch my death,” he continued. “In case it hasn’t occurred to you, while you’ve been holed up in my cabin, I’ve been out in that weather for the last two days, looking for those kids out there.” He pointed in the direction of the main room, and gestured with his chin.
His voice grew harsher with each word, and he released her with a slight shove. Grace stumbled backward. She cried out when she stepped down on her bad leg to keep from falling. Her knees buckled, and she flailed her arms in a futile attempt to keep her balance. Before she fell to the ground, strong arms wrapped around her waist, and pulled her against a solid body to steady her.
“You’re injured.” He spoke in a quiet tone again. A slight shiver ran down Grace’s spine at the concern in his voice.
“It’s nothing,” she stammered, and pulled away from him. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Almost reluctantly, his arm eased away from her. Grace darted a look up at him. Worry and incomprehension registered on his face. She bent to pick up her crutch, and backed away. Heat crept up her neck and into her face as shame engulfed her. Her chest tightened from the tension she’d bottled up, and breathing became painful.
Had she really misunderstood his meaning when he’d said he was going to the back room? He hadn’t meant for her to follow him?
She’d behaved like the woman she’d been forced to become four years ago, the woman she hated and thought she’d left behind when she fled from Harlan’s clutches. Inhaling as deeply as possible, she raised her chin, and glanced into the man’s face.
“I’m sorry for misunderstanding your intentions,” she mumbled. She ventured a look into his eyes, then quickly dropped her gaze when he met her with a dark stare. Perhaps he’d change his mind, after all, now that he knew that she would be so easily agreeable.
“I’d sti
ll like to get into some dry clothes, so if you intend to watch, be my guest, but I’m done standing around here, freezing my a . . . being cold.”
Grace’s eyes flew back to his face. There wasn’t a hint of humor in his gaze. She moved around him and the burlap covering the doorframe, her shaky legs barely keeping her standing, and breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the warm main room.
She’d made a complete fool of herself. He was absolutely right. She should have seen that he was cold and wet from a night out in the weather. Her mistrust of all men had blinded her to that. For all his gruffness and rough exterior, he seemed genuinely sincere.
Don’t let your guard down, Grace. You don’t know anything about him.
She glanced quickly to her sister huddled on the bunk, and a new wave of dread and apprehension slammed into her. This man had said that he was looking for Andy and Rose. How would he even know about them? Fear made her limbs go weak. What if he was somehow involved in Harlan’s schemes? This backwoodsman had been in town that day, when the orphans arrived, after all.
“Is everything all right, Grace?” Rose’s soft voice came from where she sat on the bunk. Her eyes shimmered with tears. “Is that man going to let us stay?”
Grace darted a look over her shoulder toward the other room. The hinges of a trunk squeaked from within. She hobbled toward her sister, just as the front door burst open, and Andy rushed in.
“The horse is all taken care of,” he said, a wide smile on his face. He peeled Grace’s large coat off, and shook out the snow. Rubbing his hands together, he moved to the hearth. “Can we eat?”
“Let’s wait a moment,” Grace said in a hushed tone. “Perhaps our host will want some food first.”
She’d barely said the words, when the man emerged from behind the burlap. He’d dressed in dry buckskin britches, and a red homespun shirt that looked as much in need of repair as the other one he’d worn. His eyes roamed the small room like a predator. Grace’s heart jumped in her chest when they settled on her. Rose grabbed for her arm, and squeezed. Grace offered her sister a reassuring smile.
“It’s going to be all right,” she whispered.
“Thanks for tending to my horse.”
The man took his eyes off her, and glanced toward Andy. He looked as lost for words as she was. Grace hobbled to the hearth. She picked up the bowl she’d dropped earlier, and handed it to the boy.
“Come wipe the mess off the floor, Rosie,” she called over her shoulder to her sister. She reached for another bowl, and ladled stew into it. She met the man’s scrutinizing stare.
“Please, sit and eat.”
Experience had taught her that men were simple creatures. They wanted their bellies filled and their desires met, and if they weren’t all liquored up, they could be pleasant at times. Good thing there wasn’t any alcohol in this cabin, at least none that she’d found.
The man hesitated, then took a seat at his table. His face was impossible to read. He watched Rose clean up the food that had spilled from the bowl earlier, then looked at Andy, before turning his attention back to Grace.
“Ain’t you gonna eat? Looked like you were sitting down to supper when I walked in.”
“We can wait until you’re done,” Grace answered quickly. “There’s not room enough for all of us at your table.”
He frowned, then dipped his spoon into the bowl. A fleeting look of surprise and satisfaction passed over his face when he chewed.
“Fill your bowl, boy, and come sit,” he said between mouthfuls, and glanced at Andy. The boy’s face lit up, and he didn’t need to be told again. He ladled food into his bowl, and scrambled onto the only other chair at the table.
“There’s biscuits, if you’d care for some,” Rose said softly. “I helped Grace make them.”
The man’s gaze drifted to Grace when Rose said her name. She sucked in a quick breath. His eyes drew her in, just as they had in town. Midnight blue, and haunted, so unlike the men she’d known in the past.
Grace blinked, and mentally shook her head.
Don’t let your guard down. He’s been searching for Rose and Andy.
She forced a smile, and tore her eyes away from his stare. “Rose, why don’t you bring some biscuits to Mr. . . .” She broke off in mid-sentence, and looked at the man again, raising her brows. He studied her intently, and heat crept into Grace’s cheeks.
“Levi Colter, ma’am,” he said. He stood, and offered his chair. “Sit and eat some of the supper you cooked.”
Grace hesitated. “I can get my own,” she said quickly. “I’ll wait until the kids are done eating.”
The urge to run from the cabin struck her with as much force as if the icy wind from the storm had slammed into her. Her mind reeled with bewilderment. She’d embarrassed herself a few minutes ago when she’d misinterpreted his intentions, and openly offered herself up to him. Part of her remained suspicious that he wouldn’t demand that she come to his bed as payment for his hospitality. Another part of her looked into his eyes, inexplicably drawn to him. The kind, almost tender way he’d looked at her, and kept her from falling a short while ago, showed a sensitivity she wasn’t accustomed to from men.
A chill raced down her spine. Levi Colter had openly admitted that he’d been looking for Andy and Rose. His hospitality might simply be a ruse so she’d let her guard down. Grace glanced toward the window. If the storm let up, even slightly, she planned to be gone from here with her sister and the boy before daylight.
Chapter Seven
Levi opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. His hand slid upward to the knife he kept under his pillow. Things were much too quiet in the cabin. The faint light coming from the window in the main room meant that it was morning, and he’d slept the entire night. He must have been more tired than he’d realized.
He remained motionless once his hand wrapped around the knife handle. All was quiet outside. The storm that had raged for two days had ended. Perhaps that’s what had the hair at the back of his neck standing on end. He raised his head. No. It was more than just the quiet outside. It was too quiet inside the cabin. Three people in the small space would make at least some noise, even if they were all asleep.
After a tense supper last evening with his uninvited guests, he’d offered the bunk in the back room to the boy, and told the woman that he’d sleep on the floor. That way, she could share the bunk in the main room with the young girl. Grace had refused his offer, telling him she and the kids weren’t going to impose on him and his bed. He’d been too tired to argue, even if he’d lain awake for hours, all his senses tuned in to the kids and young woman huddled in the front room. He’d been alone so long, the idea of someone else in his cabin was downright uncomfortable. Obviously, he’d fallen into a deep sleep sometime in the middle of the night.
Levi peeled the covers away, and bolted upright in his bunk. His eyes darted to the little table next to the bed.
“Sonofabitch.”
The pistol he’d taken away from the woman last night was gone. He ran a hand over his jaw, then through his hair, pushing it out of his face. A slow smile formed on his lips, and he laughed out loud. He should have known she’d try something like that. If he’d had any sense at all, he’d have put the gun in a safe place rather than leaving it out in the open. At least she didn’t shoot him in his sleep.
She’d acted flighty and mistrustful from the moment he’d entered his cabin yesterday. Her assumption that he’d wanted to bed her as payment for eating his food had taken him by complete surprise. She hadn’t struck him as a loose woman, like the ones he’d seen in town or who’d peddled their charms at the trading post on occasion. Grace might have offered herself up to him, but it had been clear in her eyes and body language that she’d resorted to that kind of behavior out of desperation.
Levi stood, and moved into the main room. The fire in the hearth was out, and the bunk was empty. He gnashed his teeth. How far did that fool woman think she’d get on an injured leg, with snow on th
e ground, and two kids in tow? Her fear of him would send her and those orphans into an early grave. He shook his head again. She was afraid of more than him. Why else would she have taken those kids away from the orphan train and run off with them?
He hadn’t pressed her for any information last night. He’d been too damn tired, and the surprise of having a woman and two kids in his cabin hadn’t worn off yet. Levi surveyed the room. Nothing had been taken, not even one of the blankets.
I’m not a thief.
“You little fool,” he mumbled.
Grace’s words rang in his ear. She’d been prepared to offer herself as payment for the supplies she’d taken from him in order to survive and provide for the kids, because she wasn’t a thief. Some unexplainable emotion rushed through him at the memory of her soft hand on his chest, and when he’d held her as she’d been about to fall. Except for the women who had chaperoned the orphan trains when he was little, and the occasional Indian woman, he had no experience interacting with females.
Buck had chosen to lead a solitary life in the mountains after his wife had run off on him after many years of marriage. The woman had broken his heart, and his bitterness had come through each time he spoke of her. He’d never missed an opportunity to warn Levi over the years not to fall for a woman’s wiles.
No female, Indian or white, had caught his eye enough to make him take a second glance, or even waste any time thinking about. Why had it been different from the moment he first glimpsed Grace, sprawled out in the street in Elk Lodge? Those odd stirrings he’d experienced in town had grown stronger last night, and her provocative touch had left him longing for something he’d best not be thinking about.
Levi pulled the front door open. A cold blast of air hit him, and he squinted against the bright snow on the ground. A clear trail made by three pairs of shoes led into the forest.
“What’s got you running scared, Grace?” he murmured. A surprising wave of anger rushed through him. A person didn’t do foolish things that endangered their life, and the lives of children, for no good reason. An almost urgent need consumed him to get to the bottom of why she was running, and from whom.
In His Arms: Blemished Brides Book 3 Page 5