Wild Storm (The Unbridled Series Book 2)

by Sandra E Sinclair

  “It was simply a question, which didn’t require an attitude with the answer.” Cole pushed past her. With long purposeful strides, he left Emma standing in the same spot. It took her a while to get over the fact Cole had just pushed her. Regardless of its subtlety, he’d used his hand to move her out of his way. Temper firing, Emma raced after him.

  When she caught up to Cole, he was as white as snow, rooted to the spot, his hand clasped across his open mouth. His gaze never wavered from Colt and Storm pressed tightly together, Storm wrapped in Colt’s arms.

  Emma humped and slid Cole out of her way. “Put some wood on the fire—it’s going out. We need to wake them.”

  “No don’t wake them yet. I don’t want Colt to know I have borne witness to his peculiarities.”

  “Relax, the only thing peculiar around here is you. If your brother is all over Storm, he must already know she’s really a woman.”

  “She’s what?”

  “Female! Storm...is female, now get the wood on the fire before they freeze to death, and put some coffee on.” Emma shook off her furs and loosened the bundle she’d carried. “We have to get them warmed up. Their color looks good, and they are still shivering—all good signs. What are you waiting for? Do what I’ve asked.”

  “But how? What? When?" Cole stuttered as he removed the canvas holding the logs they’d brought from his back, and added more wood to the smoldering pile.

  “Has anyone ever told you, you ask too many questions and at the most inopportune times? We’ll tell you everything you need to know later, just get that fire roaring.”

  She laid one of the fur covers over them and gently called their names. Colt rose first.

  “You found us? Storm said you would.” Colt whispered, gazing at Storm.

  “Yes, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. Storm gave me some of her hemp medicine. She said your Chinese housekeeper had given it to her.”

  “She gave you hemp?” Emma asked. To have given him hemp, Storm must have thought they weren’t getting out of this. They only took it during the curse, for pain relief, and used the seeds during time of ill health.

  “Yeah, she only gave me the seeds. She said it would relax us, and make the cold not feel so bad—she was right. Storm drank the tea leaves for the pain in her arm,” he said, separating himself from Storm and sitting upright.

  “Storm’s hurt?”

  “I’m right here, and I’m fine. Just a little dry mouthed and hungry. Nothing that coffee can’t fix.”

  “Oh, Storm, I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

  “Show me how sorry you are by feeding me. I said I was hungry.”

  “Hemp? Isn’t that grown out this way in the place of cotton?” Cole asked, handing mugs to Colt and Storm.

  “That’s a different strain of the same plant family,” Storm said, and drank her coffee.

  Emma made breakfast, while Cole questioned Storm about her reasons for pretending to be a man. Simply listening to them going on and on about Storm and her disguise made Emma both happy and sad for Storm. Her secret was out, and it would be hard to continue with so many people knowing the truth.

  Looking at Storm as she answered their questions, she could see the toll it had on her sister, and this was just Colt and Cole. How would Storm be with everyone knowing and questioning her on the matter insistently? Emma’s heart broke as she foresaw Storm’s future from this day on, and it was all her fault. It was going to be a nightmare. Maybe it would be a good thing for Storm, if their father sent Storm away. She could start afresh as a woman where no one knew her history.

  “Storm, do you remember Esme?” Emma asked to change the topic and take the pressure off Storm.

  “Yeah, she used to live with me and Ma, for almost ten years. Her husband asked Ma to care for her until he could come back for her. Esme said her husband was a furrier and he couldn’t keep her, on account she was so young, and my Ma was to teach her everything she knew. Then he’d be ready to come for her. At least that’s what she told me. Why do you ask?”

  "Because Red-Ken is her husband. She’s the one that gave us these furs and an idea of where to look for you. She asked after you,” Emma said.

  “Well, I’ll be...” Storm sighed in amazement.

  Throughout the day, endless discussions were had as to whether they should go up or downhill. It was soon decided they couldn’t risk themselves and the horses along the cliff’s edge—not with those harrowing winds. They’d go uphill back to the cabin, but it would mean leaving the horses, who would not survive without the minimum of shelter from the freezing wind.

  Cole and Colt had gone out and cleared the entrance a few times for the horses. When the winds picked up, whistling through the cave, the horses had traveled down the cave and closer to them and the fire.

  The first time the boys went off to clear the entrance, Emma cozied up to Storm, pulling a heavy fur cover around them, and took the opportunity to tell Storm how sorry she was. She told Storm what Red had said about her mother, and that their father delayed looking for her. Emma believed the delay cost her mother her life.

  “I just wanted to see if he would do the same to me. I needed to know if he cares so little for me as well.”

  “I understand. It’s been the same way for me, and has kept me from telling our father I’m a girl. However, I can see I have no option.”

  Tears filled both their eyes as they sat cuddling in silence, each sister going through her own personal torment.

  Chapter 24

  The weather outside remained choppy and the wind was still high. Colt, Cole, Storm, and Emma had been living in the cave for three nights waiting for it to clear, so they could come up with a workable plan.

  “What in the world is going on here?”

  The bellowing in the air, echoed around the cave, and had the two couples awake and on their feet, rubbing at their eyes. Storm was the first to react.

  “It’s not what you’re thinking, Pa.”

  “I’d say it’s exactly what I’m thinking. I’ve found my daughter and my son, cavorting with the marshals I sent you here with to rescue your sister.” Peckham rounded on his men, standing behind him snickering. “You men wait outside, and if you want to keep your jobs you will say nothing of what you’ve seen here.”

  “Pa, if you just let us explain...” Storm said.

  Peckham cut her off mid flow. “There’s no explanation for what I’ve seen. I want to pluck out my eyes, but it wouldn’t do any good. The sight is firmly engraved in my mind, forever. Storm, how could you? I’ll see to it you boys are fired.”

  “If you would just allow us to speak, sir, I think you’ll find it’s not at all what you’re surmising. My brother and I are very aware of the improprieties of the situation and offer our hand in marriage to your daughters.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I only have one daughter and you can’t both marry Emma.”

  “If I might clear things up a little—I don’t wish to marry Emma. I’m asking for Storm’s hand,” Colt said.

  “Storm’s hand—you say?" Peckham shook his head, his face grew red, and his hand reached up to clasp his chest as he slithered to the ground. “Storm?" he gasped, coughed, and choked on the name. Tears ran down his cheeks as he fought for breath. Emma was at his side in an instant holding her canteen to his lips. Peckham gulped down the water like a man dying of thirst.

  Colt tapped the flask of whiskey on Emma’s shoulders. “I think he’s going to need this for what we’re about to tell him next.”

  Realization dawned on Pa’s face. “I don’t believe it, but I can see how it rings true. I’ve always wondered why any son of mine would look so darn puny. Always put it down to the Indian in you.” Peckham couldn’t take his eyes off Storm. “Well, if that don’t beat all. A girl, eh.”

  He shook his head and drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around them. “Your ma sure fooled me good. I guess I don’t wrong her for doing what she did. I gave away her other two children
. Did you girls know that?” He didn’t pause like he expected a response to his question.

  Storm looked to Emma but they said nothing.

  “I guess it’s my comeuppance.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking sir, how did you know where to find us?” Cole asked.

  “An Indian messenger came by the ranch around four days ago with a note from Storm, saying if I wanted Emma back and alive, I was to bring two hundred and fifty and deliver it myself.”

  “Four days ago? That would mean you knew before... Ouch.” Storm stopped Colt’s verbiage with a kick to the shin, and shook her head at him.

  Emma moved closer to Storm and leaned in. “How could you know?”

  “I saw the disappointment on your face when you saw he hadn’t come for you himself on the afternoon we met up. That’s when I knew what I had to do to end this. I wasn’t going to help you extort money out of our pa. But it couldn’t hurt if he already had the money with him to use it to make amends with Red-Ken if he had a mind to. But, Emma, it had to be Pa’s choice, not yours and not mine.”

  “What are you two scheming over there?” Peckham rose to his feet. “Okay, it’s settled. You two are getting married, and I don’t want any arguments from you, Emma. It’s decided.”

  “What makes you think I want to get married?”

  “Storm, you’ve been my daughter for five minutes, and from what I can tell, your virtue has been compromised too. I want no arguments from you either. As for you two boys, you don’t leave my sight until you’re all wed.”

  “That’s fine by me sir, but you’re forgetting the issue of Red-Ken. He’s still wanted and we have to bring him in,” Colt said.

  Emma crossed over to her father and slipped her hand through his arm. “How I see it, if you bring in Red you going to have to bring in your father-in-law to be. He was acting on my pa’s orders,” Emma said, stroking a hand down her father’s sleeve.

  “Is this true?” Cole asked.

  Storm caught the look that passed between Cole and Emma. This must have been Emma’s plan all along. If their father was implicated in Red-Ken’s crimes, then he was as guilty as Red. There was no way their father would want to be implicated, he stood to lose too much. His political friends would abandon him.

  Following Emma’s lead, she said, “Surely there’s a way around all this. Red is an old man. And I know none of us here, want to see him live out the rest of his life in prison.”

  “I do.”

  “No one was talking to you, Colt.” Storm shot Colt a silencing stare and took her father’s other arm. “I think if we give Red the money he needs, he could disappear. No one would be any the wiser for it. When we’re married to the marshals we’ll all be family. Not even Colt would want to see you behind bars.”

  She smiled at Colt, who stood with his hands in his pockets, working his jaw. “Isn’t that right, Colt—you wouldn’t send your father-in-law to prison, would you?”

  “No he wouldn’t,” Cole said. “Then it’s settled. Have your scout take the money up the mountain to Red. How are we getting home?”

  “There are horses down below. I’ll leave some men to grit the path and bring down your horses. I’m not sure about giving Red one cent. I don’t want him getting it into his head, he can abduct my kin again whenever the fancy takes him.”

  “I don’t think he will be so bold as to try that again. Besides, Pa, we’ll be married to US Marshals. Not even Red is crazy enough to want to take them on, and it will keep you out of jail too.” Emma said, using her daddy dearest voice, which got her almost anything from her father.

  “I don’t know...” Peckham said.

  “Me neither.” Colt piped in too. “Whatever happened to due process?”

  “Colt we will talk about that later,” said Cole. “Right now, what the girls are suggesting seems the only way forward to me, and you’ll think the same too, when you know the facts. The most important thing, is keeping Mr Peckham from going to jail too. It’s like Storm said. He’s going to be family soon.”

  “I reckon you’re all plum crazy. Get me off this mountain before my brain explodes. I don’t care what y’all do.”

  “Okay, what we’ve decided stays here, with the five of us?” Cole said.

  “Won’t the scout know when he delivers the money?” Peckham asked.

  “No, tell him to give the money to Esme,” Storm said.

  “Esme’s up there with him? I wondered where she went.”

  “She’s his wife. Tell the scout to say the money is from Emma with thanks,” Emma said.

  “What am I thanking her for?” Peckham asked.

  “For keeping us alive, and it’s a message Red will understand, telling him that it’s over,” Emma said.

  Eventually, Peckham agreed to do what the girls asked. He left some of his men behind to care for the horses, and they all made their way down the mountain. Storm rode side-saddle with Colt on his horse, all the way back to the Peckham ranch, so as not to aggravate her shoulder. When they got back to the ranch, Storm moved into the big house, occupying a room next to Emma’s, and the brothers stayed in Storm’s old house. They had all their meals together as a family and Storm had never been happier in her life. Even Colt seemed a little softer.

  Her father still shook his head over her every now and again. There was also a sadness in him when he looked at her and thought she couldn’t see him. But he hadn’t sent her away, and for that she was grateful.

  They’d been back on the ranch for two weeks. Storm and Emma spent a lot of time getting to know their future husbands, as they awaited their grandparents’ arrival from Minnesota, as well as the fancy guests their father had invited. The Peckham girls’ wedding would be an all-out affair.

  During supper one evening, Mr Peckham asked, “I have yet to receive you boys’ invitation list. Do you mind telling me why that is?”

  “At first we were waiting to hear news of our folks, but we received a telegram from our brother Cal, who is also getting married this week. We figured it would be unseemly to give out our invites at the same time as his, considering our wedding is not for at least six weeks, judging by some of the names on the guest list. Colt and I decided we’ll just tell the others after Cal’s wedding, so as not to take anything away from him.”

  “When are you boys planning to leave?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “It’s a little short notice. I don’t suppose you’d mind if a couple of my boys ride alongside you, to make sure you don’t forget your way back.”

  “I don’t think I like what you’re implying.” Colt rose from the table. Storm pulled him back down by his sleeve. He glared at her, then returned to his seat.

  “It’s fine, Colt, they can come as long as your men are discreet.”

  “You won’t even know they’re there.”

  After supper Colt took Storm for a walk. “I hope you don’t hold the same notion as your father. You know I’m coming back for you?”

  “I don’t doubt for a second you’ll be back.”

  “Good, because I love you, Storm, I love you with everything that’s good and decent inside of me.”

  Colt pulled Storm into his arms. His lips found hers, searching and hungry. Storm melted into his arms. Her heart was fit to burst. She had everything she’d ever wanted. She was wearing a beautiful red velvet and white lace dress she’d chosen out of a catalog, not one of Emma’s old cast-offs. Her hair was up in a stylish updo with ringlets framing her face. Standing up close with the man who was soon to be her husband, she glanced over at Emma and Cole in the distance on the other side of the garden. Seems they had the same idea.

  Storm smiled and rested her head on Colt’s chest to listen to the sweet musical rhythm of his heart.

  She’d never felt more like a woman.

  Chapter 25

  Cole and Colt rode like the wind, as if the devil himself were at their heels. The news Cal was getting married was a shock to them both. She must be quite the wo
man to ensnare their brother, the so-called confirmed bachelor.

  As they strolled up to the address, Colt gazed over at Cole. “Do you think he’s marrying the mystery woman he lost?”

  “I’d bet money on it.”

  “Who do you think will turn up? It’s not like we’ve had much notice.”

  “I guess we’ll find out when we get inside.”

  “Do you think our parents got out? We didn’t hear back.”

  “I suppose we’ll find that out too.”

  Colt’s gaze wandered to the side of the great mansion, which led to the backyard, and scrunched his eyes. “Are those Union soldiers sitting out back?”

  “Looks like it to me.” They got down off their horses and let them go in the front garden and made their way to the main entrance.

  Peckham’s men got off their horses too, and collected the brother’s mounts, then said, “We’ll take the horses around back and use the service entrance.”

  “Sure, whatever.” Colt waved them off dismissively, his mind on the soldiers. “What would soldiers be doing at Cal’s wedding?”

  “I have no clue, now quit asking me questions I can’t answer. I’ve been with you the whole time remember. I know what you know, and we ain’t going to find any answers until you knock on that door.”

  The door was answered by Cassidy, the eldest of the Dalton brothers. “Well, as I live and breathe. Cass, how you doing? Didn’t figure you for a doorman, and what’s with the caterpillar crawling along your lip. Don’t you have any feelings?” Colt said throwing his arms around his older brother, who pushed him off, aided by Cole.

  “You’d better watch that smart mouth. You ain’t too old for a whipping.” Cass chuckled, as Cole dived in too.

  “Hey, move, make room for me.” Cole hugged Cass too.

  “Uncle Cole, Uncle Colt.” Their nephew ran and launched himself into Colt’s arms.

  “Whoa there, Junior, man you’ve grown.”

  “Shucks, thanks, Uncle Colt, Uncle Cal says I ain’t no bigger than a grasshopper, and I’ve already grown three inches. I don’t know what he wants from me. I’m just eight years old.” Junior shook his head, his shoulder slumped.