Cora's Pride (Wilderness Brides Book 1) (20 page)

Josie’s wide eyes stared at Cora with an intensity that belied her fearful outburst. Cora nodded.

“At least your sister has more sense than you,” Ted scoffed. “Get to the wagon.”

Cora broke eye contact with Josie, and headed for the wagon. She’d gone only a few paces when the loud thunder of hoofs hitting the ground reverberated through the air. Cora’s eyes widened and hope sprang to life in her. Were the Wilder men coming, or was it Ted’s accomplices? She shot a quick look at Ted, who dragged Josie to the wagon.

Three riders came charging out of the woods, racing across the valley toward the homestead. One of them leapt from the saddle when he reached the main cabin, while the other two remained on their horses.

“It’s over, Ted,” Cora called. “I don’t see your friends. I only see my husband and his brothers.” As much as she wanted to call out to them, she didn’t for fear that Ted would shoot Josie.

“Get in the wagon and give me the money,” he demanded. His eyes had gone wide, frantically darting between her and the men by the cabin. His hand that held the gun to Josie’s temple trembled.

Ted pushed Josie up against the tailgate of the wagon while Cora scrambled into the rig.

“Hurry up,” he hissed. He released his tight hold on Josie, but still held the gun to her head.

Cora fumbled through her trunk where she’d hidden the money that remained from the sale of the farm in Ohio. She grabbed for the purse and handed it to Ted. Josie stared at her, then her eyes widened and shifted to a spot in the wagon.

Cora looked to where Josie indicated with her insistent stare. She nearly cried out in relief when she glimpsed her rifle lying against the tailgate. As Ted grabbed for the money, Cora quickly reached for the rifle and swung as hard as she could. The butt connected with Ted’s shoulder. He yelled out in pain.

Cora scrambled to get out of the wagon and Josie ripped the rifle from her hands.

“Josie,” she called as her little sister pointed the weapon at the startled man. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with surprise and rage.

“Cora?” Nathaniel’s distant voice called from the direction of the cabin.

“You’re finished, Ted. You can kill us, but if you do, you’re not getting away alive,” Cora hissed.

Ted stared at her with cold fear in his eyes. His hand that held his gun trembled violently. In the blink of an eye, he turned and ran. A shot rang out, and the acrid smell of gunpowder drifted through the air. Ted fell to the ground and a muffled shot followed. He lay lifeless.

“Josie?” Cora scrambled from the wagon.

Her little sister stood motionless, holding up the rifle and staring where Ted lay. Trembling, Cora took hold of the rifle, removing it from her sister’s hands. She set it on the tailgate of the wagon, then pulled Josie into a tight embrace. Josie’s slight body shook and she cried into Cora’s shoulder.

“It’s over,” Cora whispered, holding her sister close. She stroked her fingers through Josie’s hair to bring what little comfort she could. “It’s over.”

“I didn’t mean to kill him,” Josie cried, repeating her words over and over. “I wasn’t aiming to kill him,” she sobbed. “I left the rifle in the wagon before I went to the creek. I only did it to protect us.”

“I know.” Cora murmured. “I know. You did what you had to.”

Strong arms reached for Cora in the next instant. Cora glanced up through tear-filled eyes to look at Nathaniel’s worried face. She eased away from her sister and fell against his chest. Nathaniel held her close while wrapping one arm around Josie, drawing them both into an embrace.

“Nice shooting,” someone called from behind them. Cora frowned at Travis’ dispassionate words.

Nathaniel eased away. He glanced to where his twin brothers hovered over Ted’s lifeless body. Travis looked up, looking their way.

“Who aimed for his leg?”

Josie sniffled and ran a hand over her face. Cora wiped at her own tears.

“Josie had the rifle,” Cora rasped and cleared her throat.

“I was aiming for his leg, to keep him from running away,” Josie whimpered. Her body shook again. “But I missed. A shot to the leg wouldn’t have killed him. I didn't want to kill him.” She looked as though she would crumple to the ground at any moment.

“It’s all right.” Cora pulled her sister close. Josie had been through so much in her life, and now she’d shot and killed a man. How would this affect her?

Travis stood, grinning. “You hit what you were aiming at.”

Cora frowned. Josie wore an equally bewildered look on her face.

“What? But, he’s dead,” Josie stammered.

“Stupid fool shot himself. When he ran, he forgot to un-cock his gun. Must have gone off when he fell.”

An audible gasp escaped from Josie's mouth as Cora drew her sister into her arms. Relief washed over her. “Did you hear that? You didn’t kill him, Josie,” she murmured. Josie sobbed again and shuddered against Cora’s shoulder.

“Guess we got some graves to dig, Trev. Not that they deserve it.” Travis walked off, followed by his brother. Cora shot Travis a glare for his callous demeanor, as if this was nothing but a game to him.

“I’m so proud of you, Josie.” Cora wrapped her arm around her sister. “We make a great team, don’t we?” She glanced toward Nathaniel, who stared at her in silence. “Let’s get back to the cabin. I think I need some tea. How about you?”

The girl nodded silently. With one arm around Josie’s shoulder, Cora reached for Nathaniel’s hand. He took it and squeezed almost painfully. She raised her eyes to his, offering a smile and communicating silently that they’d talk when they were alone. It was obvious what was going through his mind. His greatest fear was that he wouldn’t be there for her when she needed him, and he no doubt was thinking about his folks again.

Caroline and Anna ran from the cabin when they approached. Cora filled them in on what had happened and they swept Josie into their arms, ushering her inside. Rather than following her sisters, Cora faced Nathaniel. He stared down at her, his eyes filled with regret and anguish. Before she had the chance to speak, he took her by the hand and led her away from the cabin.

Together, they walked in silence along the tree line to the site where their new cabin stood, nearly finished. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and sweet grass and Cora inhaled deeply of the tranquil fragrance. The valley was once again as peaceful as it had been the day she and her family had arrived.

When they reached the place where the front door to her new home would be in a few short weeks, Nathaniel pulled Cora into a fierce embrace. “I shouldn’t have been so careless regarding Ted.”

Cora wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her up against him, threatening to squeeze all the air from her lungs. His arms trembled. When he finally eased away to allow her to breathe, Cora touched her fingers to his cheek.

“What are you talking about?” Would he ever stop thinking about his folks and that he wasn’t doing enough to keep her safe?

“I should have insisted that someone stay behind at the cabin. I never thought Ted would be so bold and come to the valley. He must have gone back to Fort Hall after he shot me to bring along the other men.”

Cora offered a soft smile. “None of us realized what kind of man Ted really was. I didn’t see it, either, when I first met him in Independence.” She leaned up for a kiss. “You have always been there to protect me, even when I was too stubborn and outright refused your help, remember?” she continued. “You need to stop blaming yourself for things that happened in your past. Let go of the guilt, just like I’ve let go of my pride.”

“I will if you stop scaring the tar out of me, woman,” he mouthed against her ear. She raised her head and he claimed her mouth in a kiss that was both passionate and filled with relief.

Cora laughed. “Weren’t you the one who said life would never be dull with me around?” she teased. “You and I will always be there for each other, no matter what life throws at us. I’m so glad you wanted me for your wife.”

He eased back slightly and smiled down at her. “Mrs. Wilder, your pride alone makes you one heck of a wilderness bride.”

M
uch later that night
, Cora lay in Nathaniel’s arms while he held her as if he’d never let her go.

“I thought I’d lost you today,” he murmured into her hair and kissed her cheek.

Cora hugged him to her, hoping to put his mind at ease. “I think my sisters and I are a lot tougher than you give us credit for. We’re meant for this life.”

“That you are, Mrs. Wilder, but I would have felt better if I’d been there to protect you,” he grumbled.

“You didn’t know that Ted had accomplices that were trying to divert your attention while Ted came to find me. You couldn’t have known. They’re the same men he rode off with at Fort Laramie, when he said he was going gold mining.”

They lay in silence for several minutes. Cora stroked the length of his bare arm and Nathaniel combed his fingers through her hair.

“At least we don’t have to worry about them anymore,” Nathaniel said.

Ethan and Harley had taken Ted's body, along with the bodies of the other men, and buried them miles away from the cabins. Cora had insisted on a proper burial, even if she’d requested the graves be dug as far away from the homestead as possible. No one should come across them by accident and be needlessly reminded of that terrible event.

Harley had later praised Josie for her bravery and for hitting what she’d aimed at, even during a time when she’d been scared for her life. He’d pulled her into a grandfatherly embrace, and by the end of the evening, she’d even smiled at him for the proud way he carried on.

"That there was exactly the type of thing we was practicin' fer. Life can be hard here in the mountains. Ya gotta be ready fer whatever might sneak up on ya."

Anna had quietly prepared supper for everyone. When Cora had asked her what was troubling her, she’d confessed to being worried.

“I know I have to stay here until spring, but I don’t think I can make a life here, Cora. The wilderness is too harsh for me. I’ll probably head back to Ohio.”

Cora had nodded. She’d blinked away the tears in her eyes at the thought of her lifelong friend leaving. Her chest had tightened painfully, but she didn’t wish to impose her chosen lifestyle on Anna if she didn’t feel it was right for her.

“I understand. You’ve been my best friend for so long, I can’t imagine being without you, but I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to do or don’t feel comfortable with.” She'd paused and inhaled deeply to keep from crying. "I know we’ll all miss you terribly when the time comes.”

Anna had smiled. “We’ll have several more months together.”

“And we’ll make the best of them.” Cora had forced a smile. For the time being, she wouldn’t think about her friend leaving.

To everyone’s surprise, Ethan had walked up to Cora and Josie and told them they’d handled themselves very well.

A faint hint of a smile had formed on Ethan’s lips when he’d said it. Cora’s eyes had widened and she’d returned his smile. He’d quickly broken eye contact and found some dust on his shirt to wipe away.

Nathaniel pulled Cora closer, bringing her thoughts back to the present. “I’ll second what Ethan said earlier. I’m proud of how you handled yourself, Cora. And Josie, too.”

Cora giggled at the memory. Nathaniel raised his head. He shifted on the mattress and leaned over her. “What’s so funny?”

“I got Ethan to smile today.”

Nathaniel chuckled. “I don’t believe you.” He leaned down and kissed her.

“I did,” Cora insisted. “Pretty soon he’ll be laughing like the rest of us.”

Nathaniel dipped his head lower, nuzzling Cora’s neck. “Maybe my brother needs a wife like you,” he growled. “That might change his disagreeable disposition.”

“Perhaps,” Cora agreed. “She’ll have to be someone very special.”

“Special and one-of-a-kind, like you. Beautiful and proud.” Nathaniel’s lips worked their way along her neck and shoulders. Cora snuggled up close to him.

“Strong enough to stand up to him and make him see the error of his ways,” Cora breathed. “And pave the path for him to forgive himself for his past mistakes.”

Nathaniel paused. He raised his head, his face hovering above hers.

“Are we still talking about Ethan, or is this about you and me?”

Cora shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck. “This is about you and me,” she purred. She raised her head to meet his lips in a kiss that left no doubt in either of their minds.

T
hank
you for purchasing and reading CORA’S PRIDE. I hope you enjoyed it. The next book in the WILDERNESS BRIDES Series is tentatively titled ANNA’S HEART, and will be available soon.

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T
o find
out more about Joseph and Lucas Walker, who made cameo appearances in this book, check out the Teton Romance Trilogy. Joseph’s story is titled
Teton Splendor
(Book 2), and Lucas meets his match in
Teton Sunset
(Book 3). Book 1,
Teton Sunrise
is about their parents, Alex and Evie Walker.

To find out about the healer mentioned by Trevor Wilder, her story begins with
Yellowstone Heart Song.

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A
special thanks
to my editor, Barbara Ouradnik, and my team of beta readers: Heather Belleguelle,Lisa Bynum, Sonja Carroll, Shirl Deems,Becky Fetzer, Kathie Hamilton, Cissie Patterson, and Renee York.

P
eggy L Henderson
is an award-wining, best-selling western historical and time travel romance author of the Yellowstone Romance Series, Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, Teton Romance Trilogy, and the Blemished Brides Western Historical Romance Series. She was also a contributing author in the unprecedented 50-book American Mail Order Brides Series, contributing Book #15, Emma: Bride of Kentucky.

When she’s not writing about Yellowstone, the Tetons, or the old west, she’s out hiking the trails, spending time with her family and pets, or catching up on much-needed sleep. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart. Along with her husband and two sons, she makes her home in Southern California.

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