Caroline's Passion, page 1
part #3 of Wilderness Brides Series
Caroline’s Passion
Wilderness Brides, Book 3
Peggy L Henderson
Copyright © 2017 by Peggy L Henderson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editor: Barbara Ouradnik
Cover: Collin Henderson
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Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
About the Author
Introduction
Caroline Hudson has always gone after what she wants. Leaving the wilderness to pursue a medical degree in Boston would seem unfathomable to most. Being taken seriously as a woman doctor may be her biggest obstacle to overcome. An unexpected offer appears to provide every opportunity for which she had hoped, until a face appears from the shadows to remind her of what she truly wants.
From the moment they first met, Trevor Wilder has had a special connection with the intelligent girl who shared his mountain valley. Their common interests and close friendship create a bond not easily broken. He is stunned and hurt when she decides to leave, but her happiness outweighs his desire to direct her future.
Wanting to see her family again before settling into a life in Boston, Caroline couldn’t ask for a better guide than Trevor. As they journey westward, childhood perceptions fall away, and true character comes to light. Love sometimes means letting go, but will they be able to tell each other how they feel before they lose what has been in front of them all along?
Chapter 1
Harley’s Hole (near the Teton Valley) January, 1858
“He’s back! Look who’s come back!”
The youth on long, gangly legs came running from the cabin that sat nestled between a grove of pines. Smoke rose in a thick column from the chimney, promising a warm fire. An icy wind blew off the mountains to the east, making the tops of the evergreens sway and drop a dusting of snow from their branches.
Trampling through snowdrifts, the boy came running. He’d sure grown a lot in the last year. Had it been a full year? Probably longer. The familiar mountains rose into the sky, their tips disappearing beneath thick clouds that promised more stormy weather. They appeared as timeless sentinels, only changing slightly with the seasons. It was winter, and by now everyone would be eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring.
The youth’s breath swirled in front of him as he drew closer, the tip of his uncovered nose already red from the cold. Ice crystals floated in the frigid air, sparkling and shimmering like diamond dust in front of him.
“I knew you’d be back,” the boy panted, wearing a wide smile on his rosy face. “You always come back, even if you’re gone for a year.”
“What’s Cora been feeding you, Patrick? You’ve sprouted like a weed.”
“I’m thirteen this year. I should hope I’ve grown some, or you and Travis won’t ever stop making fun of me.” Even his boyish voice had gotten deeper.
“I’ll be making fun of you when your nose falls off. It’s a bit cold to be running around without a coat on.”
The boy made a face, then swiped his hand across his nose. “I’ve gotten used to the cold. I’ve been in Harley’s Hole through six winters. I can handle it.”
“Only a fool talks like that. It just might be your last winter if you don’t respect the mountains. Your body will still freeze in this weather, no matter how much you think you’re used to it.”
The boy visibly shivered. He glanced over his shoulder toward the cabin. “I s’pose you’re right, Trevor. Cora will have my hide if she sees me out here without my coat.”
Trevor Wilder reached his hand out. “Hop on. I’ll give you a ride. Maybe you can be back to the cabin before she notices.”
The boy grabbed hold of Trevor’s wrist, and he pulled Patrick up behind him onto his horse. Trevor nudged the gelding forward. At that moment, someone emerged from the cabin – a woman with golden hair that flowed behind her back. Trevor tensed and squinted, his heart jumping in his chest. He shook his head and tightened the muscles along his jaw and neck.
“Looks like you’ve been found out after all,” he called over his shoulder.
“It’s all right. Cora won’t say anything. She hasn’t been as bossy with me since she now has Noah and Nellie to chase after, and she’s got another baby on the way.”
The woman squinted her eyes against the wind that howled down from the mountain. She hugged her arms around her waist, which was noticeably wider than it had been the last time Trevor had seen her.
She stepped from the cabin with a look of surprise.
“Trevor. You’ve come home.”
Cora stared up at him with a wide smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes before glaring at the boy.
“Patrick Hudson, why are you out here without a coat on?”
Patrick jumped from the back of the saddle, and scurried past his oldest sister into the house.
Trevor nodded down at his sister-in-law.
“Cora.”
The moment he set both feet on the ground after dismounting his horse, Cora came up to him and threw her arms around his neck. Trevor embraced her, but his bulky buffalo robe, and her slightly bulging abdomen, kept him from hugging her too close.
“It’s so good to have you home,” she whispered before releasing him and drawing back. “Travis didn’t have any news from you the last time he went to Fort Hall last autumn. Harley wonders about you all the time, and even Ethan and Nathaniel have been worried.”
“No need to worry about me.” Trevor forced a smile.
Patrick came from the cabin wearing a coat, followed closely by a little girl with the same blonde curls as her mother.
“Patrick, don’t let her out of the house in her bare feet.” Cora rushed to her daughter and scooped her in her arms. The last time Trevor had seen the child, she’d been a baby.
“I can take your horse to the barn, Trevor.” Patrick glanced up at him with eager eyes. “I’ll feed him and make sure he has water.”
Trevor handed over the reins. “I’d appreciate that.”
He pulled his rifle from the saddle as his eyes roamed the clearing. Three more cabins stood a short distance away, and beyond them was the barn that housed the horses in winter. The valley sure had changed over the last five years from what it had looked like when he was growing up.
He’d been only eight years old when Harley had found him and his brothers stranded along the Missouri River. They’d just buried their parents and little sister. It was becoming more difficult each year to remember his mother’s face, or that of his father. They’d both laughed and smiled a lot, but other than that, he had vague recollections of his life before coming to the wilderness.
Harley had raised them all as best as he could, and all of the brothers looked up to him as a father figure. He’d taught them how to survive in the wilds, track, hunt, and fight to defend themselves if need be. Those skills had come in handy over the last few years since he’d left the valley to set out on his own. While he came back once a year or so, too many things had happened to keep him in Harley’s Hole for very long.
“Come inside and warm up,” Cora said, motioning with her hand to the cabin. “I’ve got supper cooking. You must be cold and hungry from a long ride.”
The mention of food elicited a low grumble in his stomach. Trevor nodded, and followed her into the dwelling. The rich aroma of home-cooked stew assaulted his nose, making his mouth water. The crackling of a fire in the hearth, and the inviting glow from several lanterns added to the welcoming warmth.
An odd sensation of peace flushed through him. Trevor shook it off. Harley’s Hole hadn’t been his home in almost five years, but something about this valley always brought a sense of comfort and belonging, even though he’d chosen to leave.
A little boy sat at the table near the far end of the room, holding a pencil in his hand. He glanced up, staring at Trevor with wide eyes.
“Noah, say hello to your Uncle Trevor. It’s been a while since you last saw him, and I’m sure he looks a bit different to you now.” She glanced at Trevor and smiled. “But if he shaves off his beard, he’ll look just like Uncle Travis.”
Cora set the little girl she carried on the ground before her eyes scrutinized him. Trevor ran a self-conscious hand through the coarse hair covering much of his face. No doubt he looked wild and unkempt to Cora’s children. He hadn’t given much thought to his appearance lately. He smiled, but the boy continued to simply stare at him.
Trevor cleared his throat.
“I should probably get over to the other cabin and see Harley and Travis. Where are Nathaniel and Ethan?”
“They went hunting early this morning. Travis will show up soon, no doubt, when he smells supper cooking. He was o ut running traps earlier. Harley is probably in his cabin.”
Cora stepped up to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. There was a look of concern in her eyes as she scrutinized him.
“Why don’t you take your coat off? I’ll get you some coffee, and I’ll tell Patrick to let Harley know you’re back.”
The door to the cabin opened wide at that moment, bringing with it a blast of cold air. Trevor spun around, his rifle ready out of habit. He relaxed again instantly, slowly expelling the breath that had caught in his throat at the unexpected intrusion. His gaze traveled up the long, slender legs wrapped in buckskin to a torso hidden underneath thick furs. Long, blonde curls poked out from underneath a beaver-skin cap, and soft blue eyes widened at the sight of him.
“Hello, Josie.”
Trevor didn’t approach Cora’s youngest sister. While she didn’t hide the surprise on her face, she met his stare head-on. She’d obviously gained some confidence since the last time he’d seen her, and no longer averted her eyes when someone looked directly at her.
“Trevor,” she answered with a slight nod and a hint of a smile. Her eyes remained on him for a moment longer, then she abruptly directed her gaze to Cora.
“You need to come. He’s really in bad shape.”
Cora frowned. “Travis told me he was doing better.”
Josie shook her head. “He’s in a lot of pain.”
A dark shadow appeared behind the girl, preventing her from closing the door. Much of the warmth in the cabin had already drifted outside. Travis, wearing only a homespun shirt and buckskins, pushed past Josie and tossed her an annoyed look as he strode into the room.
“He just needs some more whiskey and he’ll be fine. Told me so himself.”
Travis’ eyes widened and he grinned broadly when his eyes fell on Trevor. He rushed forward with a laugh, and held out his hand. Trevor grasped his twin’s arm, then pulled him closer for an embrace.
“Didn’t think you’d ever be back.” Travis slapped him on his back, the wide grin still on his face. “The army must really treat you special if they keep you from coming home.”
Trevor shrugged. “Can’t complain, but I have missed Cora’s and Anna’s cooking.”
Behind them, someone huffed. “Cora, can you please come and talk to Harley? See if there’s anything you can do for him?”
Travis glared at the girl again, then turned to Trevor. “Trev’s back. He can take a look at him if you’re so concerned.”
Trevor frowned. “What’s going on?”
“Harley’s been complaining about a toothache for the last week,” Cora said before either Travis or Josie could speak. “He won’t eat anything. He says it hurts too much to chew. Nothing we’ve tried to give him has seemed to work.”
Travis chuckled. “Except his whiskey. Get him drunk enough, and he stops complaining.”
Cora’s eyes blazed as she directed a sharp look at him. “With as much as he’s drinking, I’m surprised there’s any whiskey left.” She walked past him to close the cabin door. Her little girl clung to her skirt.
“I’ve tried hot compresses against his face like you suggested, Cora, but nothing’s helping.” Josie stepped up to her sister, a pleading look in her eyes. She reached down and picked up little Nellie.
Cora sighed. “I’ve run out of ideas to ease his pain.”
The door behind her burst open again.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes, can we keep this door closed?” Cora snapped in annoyance as Patrick darted into the room.
“I told Harley that Trevor was back,” Patrick announced. “He wants him to come quick.”
Cora glanced at Trevor with a pleading look in her eye. Trevor’s jaw muscles tightened. He wanted to see Harley, but these were not the circumstances under which he’d expected to arrive home. He nodded his silent answer to Cora’s equally silent plea.
“Patrick, stay with Noah and Nellie.” She took the little girl from Josie and handed her to her brother.
Patrick let out a noise in protest, but was silenced quickly by Cora’s stern glare. She reached for her coat hanging on a wall peg and headed out the door. Travis and Josie were right behind her, and Trevor brought up the rear.
He trudged through the snow, following the path created by the others from countless treks between cabins. Perhaps he should have stayed away instead of coming home for the late winter. His eyes fell to one of the cabins sitting a short distance between Cora’s and Harley’s cabins. Too many memories here. Memories he’d purged when he’d left five years ago, but apparently not completely.
A deep moan came from Harley’s cabin long before Trevor reached the door. He stepped into the warm dwelling after the others. His eyes immediately fell to the bed against the far wall and the man lying on it. The figure raised himself to a sitting position.
Harley Buchanan’s pain-glazed eyes brightened the instant he met Trevor’s gaze across the room.
“Finally, someone here who knows what they’re doin’,” he grumbled, holding a hand to his left cheek. He reached out and grabbed for Trevor’s hand. A smile brightened his wrinkled face and warmed his dark eyes, but didn’t extinguish the pain in their depths. “I knowed ya’d be back, Trevor.”
Trevor shook the old man’s hand. “Couldn’t stay away from this place for too long,” he mumbled, returning the smile.
“Ya shoulda never left,” Harley grumbled, shaking his head. “Workin’ fer the army so far away from yer family ain’t right.”
Trevor inhaled slowly. They’d had this argument the last time he’d come home, and his answer had been the same as it would be now.
“The cavalry at Fort Laramie has their hands busy, what with more and more settlers heading west. They’re trying to keep the peace between the tribes and the wagons coming through Indian land. I’m just helping to keep the riff-raff from causing too much trouble for either side.”
Harley snorted. “Before ya know it, people’ll wanna come here and settle in our peaceful valley. Ya’d best make sure’n keep ‘em away from here, Trev.”
Trevor smiled. “I’ll do my best.”
His primary job with the army wasn’t to lead settlers. He found the bad seeds – the criminals who preyed on unsuspecting emigrants, or caused trouble with the Indians – and brought them in for the army to serve justice. It paid well, and it kept his mind away from why he’d left Harley’s Hole nearly five years ago.
Harley moaned and held his hand to his face. “Got any more of that tea ya made me the other day, Cora? And I know yer hidin’ a stash of whiskey around here somewhere, too.”
“I can make you some tea.” Cora stared at the old man. “Drinking whiskey isn’t going to make your toothache go away.”
“Now that Trev’s back, he’ll take care o’ me. If it weren’t fer all the snow, I woulda gone up ta the Yellerstone to see Aimee Osborne. She’da known what ta do fer my tooth right off. We need us a doctor in these parts.”
Trevor’s jaw tightened. “I’m not a doctor.”
“Course ya are. Ya learned from the best when Aimee taught ya.”
Trevor shook his head as the muscles along his neck tensed. “She taught me a few things and I thought it was enough, but it’s not. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
Travis stepped up to him with a searching look in his eyes.
“Are you still going on about Proud Elk’s nephew?”
Trevor cursed under his breath. He glared at his brother and spoke through gritted teeth. “I couldn’t save him because I didn’t know what to do for him. It was my fault he died.”
Travis shook his head. “You said yourself at the time that you couldn’t save him, that no one could. That bear mauled him beyond saving. Everyone knows that and nobody blamed you.”
“Damn right,” Harley added. “These things happen, and it ain’t no one’s fault. I bet not even Aimee coulda saved him. Proud Elk was grateful fer all ya done fer his nephew.”
