Millie sat down on a rock under a large oak tree. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. What did it all mean? I love him. The words whispered through her mind.
She spoke the words tentatively as if testing the idea. “I love Levi.” Millie could no longer deny that she loved him. It felt good; it felt right. Being in his arms and feeling his heart beat under her cheek had brought the truth of her feelings for him to the surface. If only she could tell him how she felt.
In her heart, Millie recognized the truth and knew he’d never be controlling like their mothers. But even so, because of the issue of her being an arsonist, she couldn’t let him know her true feelings.
Even if he could accept that she had burned down another woman’s house and then run away, Levi had vowed never to give another woman his heart. So where did that leave them? She fought hard against the tears she refused to let fall.
She opened her sketch pad and began drawing the outline of the river. Millie wanted Levi’s love, not just friendship. She wanted it all. The happy home, children, a husband who adored her and one she could please.
“Stop it, Millie.” She spit out the words impatiently. What good was it doing her to focus on those things? She couldn’t tell him about her past, and he couldn’t bring himself to love again. They were definitely at an impasse.
Millie pushed thoughts of Levi to the back of her mind. It was time to focus on something else, like making things right with Eliza Kelly. Thanks to the sales of her drawings and Levi’s pictures, plus the money she’d made working with Beth, Millie felt sure she had enough saved to give Eliza at least a little money to help replace her home and business.
How much would Eliza demand from her? Millie didn’t know, but she knew, whatever the price, she’d pay it. She raised her head and looked out across the small stream.
Momentary panic swept through her heart as she thought about returning to Cottonwood Springs. She’d have to tell the U.S. marshal everything.
Would he throw her into jail? What was the punishment for what she’d done? Her thoughts began to torment her. She forced herself to settle down and ignored the fact that her hand shook as she attempted to shade in the drawing of the stream.
Millie closed her eyes and prayed. Lord, I’m real scared. I know I have to face up to what I’ve done, but I can’t do it alone. If I am to go to prison, like Peter and Paul, I ask that You be with me. She realized comparing herself to the disciples was a little farfetched but also knew God would understand what she meant. She opened her eyes.
A deep purring sounded over her head. Millie looked up into the tree branches and saw the biggest cat she’d ever seen. Its yellow eyes watched her every move, much like a barn cat would watch a mouse. Icy fear twisted around her heart. Her entire body began to shake.
* * *
Levi entered the woods determined to talk to Millie.
His chest tightened when he arrived at the log where she normally sketched. As he’d feared, Millie wasn’t there. Where could she be? He searched his memory for something, anything, that might give him a clue to her whereabouts. Nothing came to mind.
Levi started to sit down when he heard the mountain lion’s scream. It sounded like a cross between a cat’s purr and a deep growling sound.
His blood ran cold. Fear and anger knotted inside him. Why hadn’t she listened to him? Fearful images built in his mind. Panic forced him into a run.
Where was Millie? He followed the sound. Each step that brought him closer to the mountain lion caused his heart to pound and his stomach to churn.
What if Millie wasn’t even in the woods? He would be walking into a lion’s snare for no good reason. Unarmed and with no other means of protection. Still, Levi pressed on.
The big cat sounded off the loudest purring roar that he’d ever heard. Levi noted that the birds were no longer singing in the trees. His breath came in short gasps, and his chest felt like a volcano that might erupt at any moment.
He crouched closer to the ground as he neared the sound. He recognized the sound of a hunting cat. The mountain lion continued growling deep in its throat and hissed as if warning something or someone to stay away from her, all the while giving Levi the impression that the lion was on the hunt.
That meant the cat would not easily give up its prey. How he hoped it had found another animal for its supper and not Millie.
He heard water trickling and knew he was close to the stream. Levi wanted to call out for Millie but didn’t dare. If the mountain lion wasn’t aware of either of them, he didn’t want to draw her attention.
Just when he’d decided Millie wasn’t around and he should turn back, Levi’s felt a chill race down his spine.
Millie crouched beside a large rock, her large eyes focused fearfully up in the tree above her head. His gaze followed hers and his heart stopped beating.
The cat was one of the biggest he’d ever seen in these parts. Tawny in color, she looked to be about six feet long and if he was to guess, she weighed somewhere between seventy and one hundred pounds.
His knowledge of the animal scrolled through his mind, and he tried to plan a strategic defense. His dad had taught Levi and Daniel early in their lives that mountain lions use their claws as hooks to hold their prey till they could administer a lethal bite. If he could somehow avoid those claws, they might stand a chance, but he knew it would be a slim chance by far.
He looked around for a tree limb or big rock, anything he could use as a weapon. The mountain lion jumped from the limb and landed a few feet away from Millie.
Levi gave no thought to his own safety. He ran forward and placed himself between Millie and the cat. He hunched down ready to come under her belly should she leap toward them. God, please keep us alive, he silently pleaded.
Millie whimpered behind him. It broke his heart that he couldn’t turn around to offer her comfort, but to do so would mean his death for sure. In a soothing voice, he said, “Millie, don’t panic. Just stay put.”
The big animal bared her stained teeth at him and growled lower in her throat. She swiped in his direction with her big paw. Thankfully, she was too far away to reach him.
Millie gasped.
Levi swallowed. If the mountain lion chose to move closer and swat at him, her claws would rip right through his flesh. He heard Millie’s skirts rustle behind him and prayed she wouldn’t do anything foolish.
In the distance the sound of another cat sounded off. Levi prayed it was calling to its mate. He continued to stare at the big cat as she answered the call. With one final hiss, the mountain lion turned and ran into the underbrush.
Levi backed up until he could feel Millie at his back. He kept his gaze glued to the spot where the big cat had disappeared. “Millie, we have to get out of here. Back up slowly.”
She kept her hand on his back but did as he requested. Levi’s heart felt as if it were going to burst through his shirt. The blood pumping through his veins echoed in his ears.
“Do you think we are safe yet?” Millie whispered. Her hand trembled against his shirt.
“We won’t be safe until we are out of these woods,” Levi responded. He turned around and pulled her against his side. Then with the speed of a threatened man, Levi rushed them through the woods.
The cat was probably long gone, but they weren’t out of the woods. Until they were, Levi wouldn’t drop his guard. Millie sobbed at his side. He could feel her pressing as close to him as she dared and yet all the while her wide eyes scanned the trees above their heads.
They burst through the trees and into the open meadow between the businesses and the woods. Millie collapsed against him, and sobs shook her whole being. She repeated over and over, “I’m sorry, Levi. So sorry.”
He thought she might be in shock but had no clue what to do about it. Following his instincts, Levi scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the boardinghouse. He felt her face press into his shoulder and her tears seep into his shirt. She breathed in shallow, quick gasps.
When he arrived at the boardinghouse, Beth and Mark sat on the porch swing. Beth took one look at them and came running out to meet them. She opened the gate and he slipped through. “Is Millie all right? What happened?”
Millie burrowed deeper into Levi’s shoulder. A fresh whimper issued from her throat. He wasn’t sure if she was still frightened or simply embarrassed.
Either way, Levi was worried. “Help me get her to her room. I’ll explain everything there.”
Beth nodded and raced ahead of him to open the door. “Mark, stay out here on the porch and play. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she instructed as she closed the door behind them.
Levi carried Millie up the stairs. He cuddled her close and whispered softly that everything was fine now, she was safe. With each step a sixth sense troubled his mind. How long had she faced the cat? His heart had all but stopped in his chest when he’d seen her. How had she managed to stay still and not run? Would she have nightmares about it?
Her body had not stopped trembling in his arms. At the top of the stairs, Beth hurried around them. She pulled a ring of keys from her apron pocket, found the one that matched Millie’s door and opened it. “Set her on the bed, Levi.”
Levi carried her to the bed but she wouldn’t release her hold around his neck. Millie raised her head and begged. “Please don’t leave me.” Her face was as white as any whitewash paint he’d ever seen. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Levi gulped hard, trying to keep his own emotions in check.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and cuddled her close as if she were a frightened child. Over her head he mouthed to Beth, Go get Doc.
Beth nodded and slipped out of the room. She closed the door behind her. The sound of her feet running down the short hall and stairs echoed in the silent room. Millie’s whimpering was the only sound left.
His arms tightened around her, and he gently started rocking her, like one would a child. Levi kissed the top of her head and murmured, “Shh, you’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Levi’s whole body suddenly felt engulfed with weariness and despair. He could have lost her. The very light of his life and she could have been snatched away in a brief moment of carelessness. He wanted to shake her for scaring him so, yet he found his arms tightening around her in hopes of offering comfort instead. It felt right to hold her in his arms, even if she had gone suddenly very still.
A few minutes later, Beth arrived with the doctor. “What happened?” the doctor demanded.
Levi spoke in a soft voice. “I found her in the woods with a mountain lion hanging above her on a tree limb. It didn’t attack her, but I think she’s in shock from the scare.”
The doctor nodded. “Beth, would you get me a glass of water and a spoon?”
Beth nodded and then hurried from the room once more.
Millie had calmed down but still clung to Levi like a frightened child.
The doctor knelt down in front of them and looked into Millie’s face. “How long has she been like this?”
“I don’t know how long the cat had her trapped, but she got hysterical once we were out of the woods. I picked her up and carried her here. It’s just been within the past few moments that she’s gotten this still.” Levi cradled her close against his chest, still unwilling to release her.
Beth arrived with the water. The doctor opened his bag and measured out some type of powder. He mixed it with the water.
Kneeling once more in front of them, the doctor ordered in a firm voice, “Millie, drink this.”
Slowly, she did as he said. Her hands shook so hard as she tried to take the glass that finally the doctor pushed her hands away and held the glass to her lips himself. Millie scrunched up her nose at the taste but did as he ordered and drank the whole glass.
“Now, Levi, lay her down on the bed. That will help her sleep.”
He didn’t want to release her but knew it was for the best. Levi gave her a gentle hug and lightly kissed her forehead as he laid her down on the soft mattress.
The doctor stood by the door, holding it open. “If you two will excuse us, I’d like to examine my patient.” He shooed Beth and Levi from the room.
Chapter Twenty
Millie woke from her drug-induced sleep with fear, stark and vivid, shivering through her. One hand lashed out, the other covered her head as she rolled into a crouched position. As she came fully awake, instinct caused her to search the hidden areas of the darkness of her room. Pure relief slowed the pounding of her heart, but in a small defensive gesture she pulled the covers up to her chin and quietly waited as her mind and body became oriented to the fact that she was safe and in her room at the boardinghouse. It was silly, she knew, to be looking for the big cat to jump out at her, but she couldn’t help it.
Why hadn’t she listened to Levi? He’d warned her that mountain lions roamed those woods. After this experience, Millie felt certain she would never enter the woods alone again. She lay there, her mind congested with doubts and uncertainty, wearied by the choices she’d made.
She’d learned today while staring into the face of death that there was nothing like a good scare to help get your priorities in order. Just a few days ago she had settled it in her heart that she would return to Cottonwood Springs and make things right with Eliza. Now, that decision seemed urgent. She had to make things right as soon as possible. Millie knew she would soon be leaving Granite and returning to Cottonwood Springs.
Just the thought of leaving Levi caused disturbing quakes in her stomach, which chose that very moment to growl with hunger. The desire to get up and find food struck her, but so did fear that something was lurking in the shadows.
Millie was sick and tired of fear keeping her from living life. No more. Never again. She gritted her teeth and pushed back the covers. She pulled a light day dress over her nightgown.
Creeping down the stairs, Millie felt like a little girl sneaking down to the kitchen. She held a lantern out in front of her to light the way. What must Levi think of her after the way she’d behaved today? She felt her face flush in the semi-darkness. It was a humiliated, deflated feeling.
Levi had been there when she needed him most. Fear had held her captive, but Levi had faced the mountain lion head-on and protected her from its massive claws and teeth.
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She could still see his protective stance. If the cat had jumped him, he would be dead right now but instead, his strong arms and soothing words had penetrated that wall of fear and kept her from becoming totally lost in darkness. It was a selfless act. He had put her safety before his own. He had unlocked her heart and soul; how could that not affect her?
Millie cut two slices of bread from the loaf and then discovered a block of cheese in the icebox. She made herself a sandwich, filled a glass with water and then walked to the front porch.
At first she didn’t want to leave the safety of the house. What if a mountain lion rested on the porch, waiting to jump on her? Millie took a deep breath and faced that fear.
She stepped through the door and into the night air. The lantern filled the porch with light. She set it down, and then gently shut the door, not wanting to wake Beth or the other boarders.
The porch swing swayed in the evening breeze. Millie stopped. Her heart beat with fear within her chest. She closed her eyes and reminded herself that she was safe.
Was it her imagination or could she also detect a hint of earth and sawdust in the air? Millie felt his presence long before she actually saw him. Her gaze searched the porch for Levi.
He stepped from the shadows. His husky voice filled with warmth and concern. “Good evening, Millie. Are you feeling better?”
Immediate calm soothed her nerves at the sight of him. “Yes, much, thank you.” She walked to the swing, needing to sit down. Her legs had the consistency of pudding. At least it felt that way to her.
Levi picked up the lantern and set it on the porch railing. “I’m glad. I’ve been worried.”
His dimples and teeth flashed in the pale light.
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
He walked over and sat down beside her. “We’ve had quite the day, haven’t we?” Levi ran his hand through his tousled hair.
Millie nodded. She felt heat fill her face, knowing she’d been the cause of his stressful day. “I really am sorry, Levi. I promise never to go into the woods again.” She gave an involuntary shudder.
He reached across and took her hand. “Don’t be sorry. I hate that you were in danger, but something good came out of this.”
“It did? For the life of me, I can’t imagine what.” What good could have possibly come from her being trapped by a mountain lion and his having to rescue her?
He seemed to struggle inwardly, then arrive at a decision. When he next spoke it was in a determined voice. “Millie, I didn’t think I would ever love again after Lucille broke my heart. But seeing you and that mountain lion today, well, it made me realize just how much I love you.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you, Millicent Hamilton. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my whole life.”
* * *
Levi looked deeply into Millie’s eyes, praying she could see the love shining within his own and would be willing her to accept and return it. In frustrated concern, he watched her eyes fill with moisture. Great drops welled up within her blue depths and rolled slowly down her cheeks. She pulled her hand from his and stared down at the porch.
When she finally spoke, her voice held a strong suggestion of reproach and something close to desperation. “Why did you have to tell me that? You know I can’t return your love.”
“I don’t understand why not.” Levi sighed with exasperation. “I thought you knew by now that I am nothing like your mother, that I’d never hurt you.”
His Chosen Bride (Love Inspired Historical) Page 20