Come Back Page 5

  “No.”

  “I’m sorry for striking you.” Seth raked his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I don’t remember any of this.”

  “You hit your head. You were in and out of consciousness for the better part of a day. Don’t blame yourself. I don’t.”

  He blew out a breath and nodded a reluctant acceptance, then rose to his feet and offered Angel his hand.

  She stood and brushed the leaves from her skirt. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Who’s Rachel?”

  Guilt grabbed his heart and squeezed until a wave of icy detachment pried it loose and shut it down. “No one important.” He frowned and walked away, hoping The Almighty wouldn’t strike him dead for uttering the lie of the century.

  “Seth.”

  He kept walking.

  Footsteps hurried after him. “Seth, wait.”

  Fisting his hands, he spun around and glared. “I said she’s no one important!”

  Angel took a step back.

  He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. What was wrong with him? This woman had helped him. Been nothing but kind. She, of all people, didn’t deserve his wrath.

  He looked at her again and relaxed his frame. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I’d rather not talk about it.”

  She fiddled with the end of her braid hanging over her shoulder. “I wasn’t going to ask you about that. I was going to show you something. A surprise.” She dropped her arm to her side and shrugged. “That is, if you’ll let me.”

  Guilt gripped his heart a second time. “Of course I will.”

  A smile lit her face like the noontime sun. “Good. Follow me.”

  She led him out of the thicket surrounding the hut, to a nearby stand of trees almost as dense as the place they’d left.

  “I don’t get it,” he said, looking around at the nondescript grove of vegetation. “What’s the surprise?”

  Angel held up a finger. “Wait right here.” With a glance over her shoulder that was as delighted as it was mischievous, she pushed aside some limbs and disappeared into the trees.

  Seth waited, staring at the wilderness around him. Women. What could Angel possibly be so excited about? If it wasn’t September, he’d bet a whole dollar she’d found nothing more than a cache of wild berries or some other frivolous thing. Well, probably not frivolous to her. He still wondered how she found enough to eat.

  A rustling noise to his left caught his attention. And the sight of what had made it stole his breath.

  There was Angel, walking around the edge of the trees toward him and holding the lead line to a big brown horse.

  “You found Cyrus!” Seth practically ran to them. He exchanged a nuzzle with his prodigal companion, and then looked him over from head to hoof. The animal was likely beyond weary of his saddle, and he’d picked up a scratch or two, but he seemed unharmed.

  Seth turned to Angel, who was beaming like a parent on Christmas. “Where? How?”

  “I went for a walk early this morning and found him wandering near the place you were thrown. He seemed all right, so I watered him, tied him here to graze, and decided to wait till you woke up.” She let out a laugh. “Good thing the wind cooperated. One whiff of you, and he might have spoiled my surprise.”

  Seth grinned and shook his head. “I’m surprised all right. And surprised he let you get that close. Cyrus is a good horse—don’t get me wrong—but he doesn’t always take too well to strangers.”

  Angel smiled at the horse. “You didn’t give me any trouble at all, did ya, Cyrus?” She stroked his neck and gave him a nuzzle of her own.

  Seth took the lead from her, and they began walking back toward the hut. “I still can’t believe it. When he didn’t show up after a day or two, I figured he was gone for good. I thought I was going to be stuck out here forever.”

  Angel wasn’t beaming anymore.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  She looked up with a reluctant curve of her lips. “It’s okay. I know what you mean.”

  She didn’t say much more the rest of the way. And could he blame her? She’d rescued him and seen to his every need for the last three days—happily—and he’d up and spouted off like he wasn’t the least bit grateful. Like he couldn’t escape her presence fast enough.

  Well, he’d fix that. In return for her kindness, he’d take her from her godforsaken home and bring her with him. A woman had no business living out here on her own anyway.

  Seth resettled the game bag strap biting into his shoulder as he hiked back to the thicket hiding the lean-to. He’d spent most of the afternoon hunting and enjoying the solitude. He’d been on his own quite a while. The time alone felt familiar.

  So why did he miss Angel so much?

  She had saved his hide—he’d give her that—but he barely knew her. And, as people went, she could be plenty annoying. Most mules he knew had less of a stubborn streak.

  Looking around, he had to admire her for one thing. The girl knew how to stay out of sight. If she hadn’t shown him the hut where she lived, he would never have known it was there.

  Still, he didn’t like the idea of her being here all alone. As he’d trudged through the woods hunting supper, he’d concocted a plan to talk her into leaving with him. He’d learned how to spot when she was being untruthful. It wasn’t foolproof, but a little muscle near her mouth tugged at her lips when she was about to tell a lie.

  Seth smiled. His Angel was stubborn. Little did she know, she’d met her match.

  When he slipped through the opening into the clearing, he found her stoking the fire and preparing to cook.

  “If you don’t mind,” she called over her shoulder without looking, “could you wash up and help me clean some fish?”

  “I will.” He walked closer. “After I clean these.”

  Angel’s eyes went wide at the wild turkey and rabbits he laid at her feet. He could’ve given her a melon-sized nugget of gold and she wouldn’t have looked more surprised.

  “I’d have brought you back a deer, but this was the best I could do with my sidearm.” Warmed by the wealth of gratitude in her eyes, he wished now he’d taken his rifle.

  “Oh, Seth. This is wonderful! I so wanted to make you a special supper for your last night here, but I don’t have a lot to offer in the way of food.”

  Truer words were never spoken. If he had to eat one more meal of potatoes, fish and dried fruit, he’d go insane. But she shared it gladly, and he couldn’t fault her for that. In fact, he worried she was using up her winter stores to feed him.

  Angel glanced at four small trout she’d caught while he was gone. “Should we even bother with the fish?”

  “Sure. Cook it all. We can have a feast tonight, then eat whatever’s left for breakfast in the morning. And,” he added, “I have flour and saleratus in my bag. Think you could whip us up some biscuits?”

  Angel nodded, and he swore he saw her drool.

  Her infectious smile spread to his face. “Good. Between the two of us, we’ll have one heck of a supper.”

  Seth prepared the game, then crafted a spit out of wood. He cleaned smaller branches to spear the rabbit and fish, and a larger one to hold the turkey. By the time the meat was done roasting over the fire, Angel had cooked the potatoes and biscuits. She’d even used a little of the dough along with some of his sugar and her berries to make a small cobbler.

  Seth retrieved a pair of tin plates and forks from his bag. They served themselves and settled on pieces of felled logs opposite the pile of flickering coals from each other.

  “Mmm,” Angel hummed as she chewed her first bite—the turkey—her eyes rolling back in her head. “Thmis ms gmood.” She blushed. “Sorry,” she said once she’d swallowed. “I haven’t had meat in a long time.”

  Seth lifted his canteen and washed down a tasty bite of rabbit. “What do you eat?”

  “Fish, mostly. I manage to snare a rabbit now and then, but I don�
�t try very hard.”

  “Why not?”

  Her gaze cut to the side, then back. “I don’t like what I have to do to them when I catch them.”

  “There’s no shame in killing animals for food.”

  “I know. But it’s not as easy when you have to do it up close.”

  “You don’t have a gun?”

  She shook her head. “Just a hunting knife. And some string and hooks for fishing.”

  Seth’s mouth fell open. “What else do you eat besides fish and the occasional rabbit?”

  “Well, potatoes and berries, as you’ve seen.”

  He nodded and tried not to grimace.

  “In the spring and summer, things are better. I gather wild greens, onions, dandelions—that kind of thing. I also plant my own lettuce and greens, then collect the seeds when the plants bolt. And, of course, I eat fresh berries instead of dried.” She bit into a biscuit with a more ecstatic look than the one from the turkey.

  Seth narrowed his eyes as he picked up one of his own. “What about grain? Bread?”

  Twitch. “I have some now and then.” She was hedging.

  He started to pursue it, then changed his mind. He leaned back against the side of the hut, stretched out his legs, and crossed his boots at the ankles. “How long have you lived here?”

  Angel tossed the turkey bone into the fire and reached for a piece of rabbit. “A little over a year.”

  He gestured, indicating the general area. “Here?”

  She studied him, and then nodded... took a bite of rabbit.

  He wanted to barrage her with questions, but he kept it nonchalant. “Where are you from?”

  She swallowed, with some difficulty it seemed, and set down the rabbit. Her cheek twitched again, but then she looked him in the eye. “Missouri.”

  Probably truth, but if he went down that road any further, he might get a lie.

  Seth decided to let up. His questions could wait. This poor girl finally had a decent meal in front of her. It’d be cruel to put her off it now. “I’m from back east, too. Ohio, originally.”

  The line between her brows eased and she reached for the rabbit. Good.

  He took a sip from his canteen, and then took a bite of potatoes for Angel’s sake. Paired with the turkey and rabbit, it wasn’t bad. “I’m currently working with some men building an outpost about seventy miles southeast of here. That’s why I’m here. I was doing some scouting for them when I was thrown.”

  “An outpost?” Her brow creased again.

  Seth nodded, not sure what to make of her frown. “This seems to be about the spot where travelers get desperate, start dumping excess weight, and run low on supplies—especially those coming from Texas. The men I work for figure locating a store—a trading post of sorts—where the trails from Texas and Santa Fe meet will help the wagon trains and make the three of them rich at the same time.”

  She seemed to relax a little. “So you’re going to work there?”

  “No. I’m just making some money before moving on.”

  “Oh. Where are you headed?” Her inquisitive eyes searched his. Was that disappointment he’d heard in her tone?

  Seth spooned some of the cobbler onto his plate. “I’m not entirely sure,” he said, leaning back again. “I thought I might go to work for the railroad until I heard several cattle ranches in Texas are looking for hands.” He took a bite. Mmm. Plumped up and sweetened, the berries weren’t bad either. “This is really good.”

  Angel gave him one of her smiles. Even in the gathering dark, it lit up the night.

  Seth paused before taking another bite. He wanted more of those smiles.

  While they finished their supper and polished off the cobbler, he entertained Angel with stories about his travels and Cyrus’ antics. Her eyes twinkled, and her musical laughter rose with the tiny sparks floating up from the fire. As he glimpsed the real person behind the wall she’d put up, his plan became more than repayment for her kindness, more than a simple act of good will.

  She was no longer some random woman alone in the woods. She was real to him now. He’d never intended it to happen, but she’d found a place in his heart.

  Angel tossed the last of the bones into the fire. She rinsed and dried the plates and forks and gave them back to him, then placed what was left of the rabbit, turkey and potatoes in a metal tin.

  She pointed to the fish. “Think it’ll keep till morning?” Neither one of them had touched a single trout.

  Normally he would have said no, but a winter storm was coming. “I think it will. The temperature’s been dropping all day. It wouldn’t surprise me if we have a light frost.”

  “I’ll put it in a separate container just in case.” She disappeared into the hut and returned with a second tin, a cloth sack, and a generous length of rope. After sealing the food with the lids and placing the tins in the bag, they threw the rope over a limb of a tree and hoisted the bundle up high.

  Seth tied off the end of the rope and pulled the knot tight. “There. That should hold.” He turned back to Angel hugging herself and rubbing her arms through her tattered coat. “C’mon. Let’s get you back by the fire.”

  He threw another log on and poked the coals. Angel sat closer to him this time, but far enough away he could see her face.

  She held her hands out to the flames and flipped them back and forth.

  “Better?”

  She smiled at him and nodded, but as she looked back to the fire, that familiar line appeared between her brows. “Do you really think we might get a frost? I mean, it seems a little early for that yet.”

  “I do. I’ve been watching the sky and the animals. I’d lay money it’ll be snowing soon. And not just a light snow either. Something tells me this area is in for a harsh winter.” He was laying it on thick, but if his prediction convinced her to come with him, it was worth the exaggeration.

  She nodded again—this time a slow, thoughtful movement, never breaking her gaze from the fire.

  Seth shifted his position on the log, angling himself toward her, and nudged back the brim of his hat. It was time to get down to business. “Angel, I’m gonna ask you a question, and this time I want the truth.”

  Her eyes cut to him immediately, amber flames reflected in their dove-gray depths.

  “Are you living out here alone?”

  She stared at him for a long moment, then averted her gaze. The slender arms that held her hands out for warmth crossed and wrapped around her waist.

  Seth waited, his question hanging like fog in the silence.

  She finally nodded, but he could see how much it cost her. He might as well have rubbed salt in a wound.

  “All alone—no one else?”

  Again, a solemn nod.

  “How old are you?”

  “Nineteen.”

  “Are you married?”

  Her eyes cut back to him—she hadn’t expected that, but apparently it hurt even more.

  Still, he repeated the question. He needed to know he wasn’t stepping on another man’s toes.

  She moistened her lips. “No.”

  “In that case, I have something else to ask you.” —if she didn’t up and run away before he could. The look on her face was one of pure fear. “Relax, Angel. I’m not going to propose.”

  She exhaled and gave him a hint of a smile.

  “I want to know if you’ll come with me tomorrow.” Her smile disappeared. “Before you say anything, hear me out.”

  Her eyes remained wary, but her shoulders relaxed a little.

  “I’m amazed you’ve managed to survive out here all by yourself—truly amazed—but you can’t keep living off fish and potatoes. What happens when you can’t find enough firewood or food? What happens when your clothes wear out?” She started to speak, but he held up a hand. “What happens when a bear or an Indian finds you? Or even another white man? Not all men treat women kindly.” He pointed to her knife. “You don’t even have a gun.”

  She hugged hersel
f tighter and stared at the ground.

  He hated scaring her, but she needed to see reason. “Look. All I have to do is go back to the outpost, give my report, and pick up my pay. Then I’ll be free to do as I please. I don’t have to go to Texas, not right away. I can take you just about anywhere. You said you were from Missouri. I could take you back there.”

  Something akin to hope glimmered in her expression, then it was gone.

  “Do you have family there?”

  “I don’t want to go to Missouri.”

  “Well...” He lifted his hat and settled it back on his head. “I could take you to Texas with me. I’m sure we could find a place for you to stay, maybe get you work as a caretaker for children or an elderly widow. Or even as a teacher. If you’re good with your studies, you could do that. I hear there are lots of towns in need of teachers for their schools.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “You’re not good with your studies?”

  “I do all right. I used to mind class when our teacher was ill. It’s just...”

  Shit, Seth. Back off. “You don’t have to decide all that right now. Just say you’ll come with me. We can make plans as we go.”

  She frowned again and chewed on her lip.

  “C’mon, Angel. Come with me tomorrow. Let me take you someplace safe.”

  She still didn’t respond.

  “Will you at least come with me to the outpost?”

  Twitch. “Yes.”

  She was lying and he knew it, but he’d done all he could tonight. He’d let her sleep on it and continue his convincing in the morning.

  Seth rose to his feet and offered Angel a hand. She followed him into the hut, and they prepared to bed down for the night.

  Once he’d removed his holster and hat, he lay down on his side with his bedroll underneath him, his saddle bags as a pillow, and one of her only two blankets as a generous cover while she huddled against the opposite wall.

  He couldn’t let her sleep like that, not tonight.

  She blew out the candle.

  “Angel.”

  “Yes?”

  “Come sleep over here.”

  “...Why?”

  “Because you’ll freeze if you don’t.”