“There’s no need to apologize,” he said, his voice a little deeper than it had been before. His brown eyes appeared a little darker, and his countenance had changed. But as hard as Jolie tried, she couldn’t read it. He cleared his throat and tugged at the edges of his coat.
She took another step backward and looked around at a landscape that was equal parts beautiful and foreboding. The sun looked due to set within half an hour. There was no way she’d make it back to town before dark, and the thought of riding through this valley at night made her shudder. Nighttime at home was different, more familiar, safer. But this valley looked as if it hid all sorts of dangerous secrets.
“I should leave now,” she said. Somehow her voice didn’t shake when she spoke even though her heart felt as if it would burst from her chest.
“To ride back to town?” Mr. Harris straightened, his eyes sharper.
“Yes.” She didn’t know what she would do once she arrived. She had a bit of money, not much, and she could only hope it was enough for a night or two of lodging. What she’d do after that, she didn’t know. She couldn’t afford the train fare back East, and Mr. Harris—the one she’d meant to marry—had paid for the fare to come here.
“You won’t make it back before dark,” he said, standing taller now.
“I know.” Jolie straightened too, trying to make herself look braver than she was.
“No, absolutely not.”
She stared at him a moment, incensed. “Are you forbidding me from riding back to town?”
He frowned at her. “I am. You’d be foolish to go riding through this valley alone at night. You’ll stay here, and you can return in the morning.”
Jolie would have laughed if she wasn’t so irritated by this man telling her what she could and could not do. “Where exactly do you propose I stay?” She swept her hand out toward the partially constructed buildings.
Mr. Harris tapped the toe of his boot on the ground. “I’ll build a fire.”
She stared at him. Most men she’d known would never propose to have a woman sleep on the ground outside. Just the two of them, alone. Jolie swallowed, considering her options.
“It’s trust me and sleep on the ground, or take your chances with the bears and wildcats and bandits. Not to mention the miners who come down from their camp once in a while looking for amusement.” Mr. Harris crossed his arms, as if he couldn’t care one way or the other about her decision.
There was no real choice, and Jolie finally gave a short nod. “All right, I’ll stay here.” After all, she’d meant to marry his brother, who by all appearances was an upstanding gentleman. Surely this Mr. Harris was the same.
She hoped.
Pressing her shoulders back, she reached for the reins of the horse she’d spent precious coin on to rent in town when she’d finally figured out her intended wasn’t coming to get her. “I’ll turn out my horse and work on building a fire. I don’t suppose you have anything we can eat?”
Mr. Harris appeared stunned for a moment. Then he laughed and held out a hand. “I’ll take the horse and fetch some water. And yes, I have a some meat and cornmeal I purchased in town. I’ll retrieve it for you.”
She followed him toward where he’d set his saddlebags and what looked like a bunch of blankets all rolled up. Looping the horse’s reins over his arm, he opened one of the saddlebags and stood, handing her a bit of flint and a pocketknife. “I’m interested to see this fire you intend to start.”
Jolie raised her eyes. It was a challenge. He didn’t believe she had the knowledge to start a fire. In fact, he likely assumed she was some kind of dainty flower from back East who didn’t know much at all. She smiled at his back as he rode off toward what she assumed was a water source on her horse.
Mr. Harris didn’t know much about her at all—and she couldn’t wait to show him how very wrong he was.
Chapter Four
Theridetoandfrom the lazy Silver Creek was an easy one, and Cade didn’t rush it. Even though he was itching to return and see how much trouble Miss Taylor had gotten herself into. After all, he ought to give her extra time to try to suss out how to get that fire started. He wondered if she even knew how to cook, although he hoped she did because he was awfully hungry.
How Lucas had chosen this woman—and how she’d agreed to marry him—was something beyond that which Cade could imagine. He hoped she had family she could return to back in Massachusetts. Although considering she’d agreed to travel so far to marry a man she’d never met made him feel more uneasy in that regard.
Because what sort of woman in a comfortable situation would agree to such an arrangement?
Cade continued to ponder Miss Taylor’s circumstances as the horse took its sweet time returning. It was certainly better than thinking about why Lucas had agreed to the arrangement, which would only make him think about the gaping loss in his life.
The scent of cooking meat tinged the air, making his stomach rumble before he realized the cause. He urged the horse along a little faster.
He laughed out loud as the orange light of the fire came into view against the dusky sky. Miss Taylor had succeeded. Somehow, beyond his wildest hopes, she’d made a fire and started cooking. And, he remembered as he dismounted, she’d ridden this horse all the way out here from town.
Miss Jolie Taylor was no shrinking violet.
“I do hope you’re hungry,” she said when he returned from corralling her horse.
