JosieuncoveredNathan’sfaceand felt his cheeks while Marcus’s horse trudged through the piles of snow. Nathan was still warm, unlike her own numb body. She wished she could have grabbed more layers, perhaps one of Travis’s buffalo coats.
Nathan squirmed. It wasn’t right for this journey to be taken so early in the winter. There were too many risks—blizzards, lack of warmth, and resources.Did Marcus bring anything with him other than this horse?She knew he was evil, but he wouldn’t be foolish enough to bring them home during this time of year.
The sun set ahead, and judging from the two hours, they couldn’t have traveled over ten miles. The wind seemed to grow stronger by the second. They couldn’t go on like this. It was over three hundred miles to Cheyenne, where they would be safe enough to travel by railway. They’d have to camp eventually. Surely they wouldn’t ride all night without a fire.
Nathan wailed, and Josie bounced him up and down, whispering shushing noises in his ear.
“Hush him up. My ears are bleeding here,” Marcus growled.
Looking ahead, praying he wouldn’t lose his temper, she spoke soft and meekly, just as she had been trained to do those seven years, “Marcus, the baby hasn’t eaten in hours.”
Marcus pulled the reins back to a sudden stop and huffed. He dismounted, and when Josie looked down, her veins went cold just looking in those eyes. She swallowed hard, lifting her chin. He took her by the waist and pulled her down. Just his touch brought her back in time to her weakest point. Gone was Josie Blythe, the strong, hardworking farmer’s wife. She was living her nightmare again, and this time, he was standing before her.
“Well, get on with it,” Marcus hissed.
Josie’s face grew hot, pulling the fussing baby close. Surely Marcus wouldn’t ask her to nurse in front of him. Nathan needed to relax, and he couldn’t if he sensed his mother’s discomfort. Josie’s stomach knotted. The last few times she managed to argue with Marcus, she suffered painful consequences.
“Can you build a fire, please? Nursing will take half an hour or less. Yoursonneeds to be in excellent health.” The wordsonsickened Josie, but it was the only way to turn him away.
Marcus groaned. “Fine.”
Josie brushed the snow off a rock beside a tree and began feeding Nathan. Marcus disappeared to gather firewood. Josie spent each moment relishing her time with her son, not knowing how much longer she'd have with him. Of course, Marcus knew nothing about caring for infants, he’d have to keep her alive until they arrived back in Statesville. What really concerned her was his plan. He mentioned more than once that he had another purpose for her. What would that be? A wet nurse? Wasn’t that why he was letting her live now?
Josie peered down at Nathan. She wished there was some way they could be saved, but it didn’t seem likely. All Josie knew was that she had to survive and fight for her son. But what wouldhappen once they returned home? Just the thought sent a shiver down her spine.
When Marcus returned, she quickly pulled Nathan’s bear-fur blanket to her neck. Marcus’s eyes bore into hers, making her skin crawl.
“Don’t get too comfortable there,” Marcus scoffed. “This fire is a foolish idea. We’ll leave soon as you finish feeding that boy.”
“B-But what about camp? It’ll be dark soon. Going now won’t be good for Nathan’s health.”
“Nathan?” Marcus snorted in disgust. “A weak name.”
A small flame flickered on top of the gathered wood, and Marcus stood.
“It’s from the Bible.”
Marcus turned, his abominable green eyes tight in the corners as he glared at Josie. He stepped forward, jabbing a finger inches from her face. “Don’t you correct me, woman. Nathan was an adviser to a king, a mere pauper if you ask me. He wasn’t anything more than a servant.” Marcus straightened his posture like a soldier, his chest poking out. “His name shall be Abner, the name of my great-grandfather and a great commander in the Bible. My son won’t be a pathetic, weak boy.”
Josie cradled Nathan tighter against her chest as he continued to nurse. She tucked the blanket snugly around his small form, shielding his face not just from the cold, but from the gaze of the man who had no claim to him. This child was Nathan Travis Blythe, and no matter what Marcus said or did, he would never be his father. She didn’t know how yet, but she’d see to it. Marcus was a blasphemer, a demon clothed in human form, and he would pay for his sins in time. God’s judgment would see to that.
“And don’t think you’ll brainwash him with thatmeekful kindnessgarbage,” Marcus sneered. “You’ll have your punishment as soon as we get back. The only reason I haven’tkilled you yet is because Abner needs a wet nurse. Before I know it, he’ll be a mommy’s boy, delicate and pathetic, just like my first sons were.”
His eyes darkened as he continued, bitterness creeping into every word. “Martha was nothing more than a mind poisoner, taking them for walks through the garden and reading them bedtime stories. None of that makes a man. But the military does, and that’s where he’ll be—a military school. He doesn’t need a mother. Mothers make their sons weak.”
Josie wanted to fight back, to tell him she wouldn’t dare let her son become anything like him, but she had to be smart; he’d kill her in an instant, and she knew that better than anyone. Josie’s stomach churned as she held Nathan closer. She wouldn’t let him break her child.
“And don’t forget,” Marcus leaned in, his voice low and venomous, “we’re not too far from that so-called husband of yours. You know, I don’t have to just kill him. No, I can turn him over to the authorities. Let him hang for bigamy.”
Josie’s jaw ticked, her temples throbbing. “No. You leave him out of this. We were led to believe you were dead.”
“So you decided to run from the law? My, my Miss Josephine, some outlaw you are.” His lips curved. “You may have left me for dead, but I was very much alive. The doctors called me a miracle. Just before they could bury me, I took a breath, frightened them all.”
Marcus grabbed Josie’s chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. Josie’s teeth clenched. She wanted to spit on his face, wanted to hurt him just like he hurt her.
“It takes more than a flower vase to kill me.You’rethe weak one. Remember, Josephine? I’m invincible.”
Travis gripped his rifle, ready to shoot the monster who held Josie’s face in his hands. Travis hid behind a large pine tree at least thirty feet back, but he could sense Josie’s fear. Nathan let out a small whimper, and the man stepped back. Travis wanted to shoot this man, but he knew any mistake could get Nathan and Josie killed. He needed a plan, one that would save them both, not put them at more risk than they already were. He couldn’t bear losing them, not when they meant the world to him.
