New Frontier of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 2) Read online

  He thought about Bear sharpening Catherine’s knife. Was she, as Stephen had suggested, just trying to make him jealous? If so, he had fallen for it, like a lovesick schoolboy. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  William sat near him, his blonde head bowed over a makeshift writing desk, making careful notes. His brother wanted to record everything the townspeople told him about Frank Foley and the other hunters and outline a defense strategy with Sam.

  From what Sam had heard, the Judge was fair but impatient, and they both knew William would need to be both accurate and concise.

  While William scribbled his notes, Sam worried about John. Like a sore tooth, his apprehension kept niggling at him. “I think I should go after John,” he finally told William. “We were beyond foolish to send him out on his own.” He sheathed his knife and stood, then grabbed his rifle and powder, preparing to leave.

  “You can’t leave. You gave that constable your word,” William said adamantly. “Neither can Stephen. The trial will start as soon as the judge arrives, which could be anytime. You’d both better be there or you will be presumed guilty, and you’ll forfeit the bond money we gave the constable.”

  Sam sat down reluctantly. “Then Bear should go. Where the hell is he anyway?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already on John’s tail. I saw him leave earlier.”

  “I hope you’re right. What were we thinking sending John on that errand alone?” Sam stood again and paced.

  “He wanted to do his part, remember? He will be fine. He’s not as green as you think.”

  He wanted to disagree with William about that, but it would serve no purpose. They needed to concentrate on preparing for the trial. He sat down once more.

  What concerned him the most was what William had learned from reading the statutes in the constable’s office. Kentucky law allowed liberal financial compensation to those unjustly injured in a fight. Lawmakers designed the new law to discourage the frequent fights commonplace among frontiersmen. There just were not enough lawmen or judges to discourage fighting, and many situations here fostered intense disagreements. So, they wrote the law to make a man think twice before he seriously injured someone.

  He and William had visited with the constable several times, trying to get the young man to tell them everything he knew about Frank Foley and his companions. Mitchell was not much help. In fact, he seemed to be protecting the man for some reason. Sam felt sure Foley had blackmailed the constable or threatened him in some way. And William suspected that Foley and his followers deliberately picked a fight with them, intending to fake some serious injury, and then file a lawsuit to claim compensation for the damages. When William had asked the constable if this had happened before, the young man had clammed up, refusing to say any more.

  The rest of the townspeople also seemed more than a little afraid of Foley. They acted as though they all knew something, but they would not give voice to it.

  “I can’t believe we have to defend against these beastly men,” William said. “It’s absurd enough to be laughable.”

  The sound of steel scraping against stone stopped as he glanced over at William from his nearby seat. “Boone wrote that Kentucky is a paradise, but he also said it was a howling wilderness, the habitation of savages and wild beasts.”

  “Indeed.”

  “What are you working on?” Kelly asked as she strode up. She dried her hands, wet from washing clothes, on her apron and then tossed a log onto the waning cook fire before sitting down beside them.

  Sam watched as the log sent sparks and bits of ash flying all around them. One evil man can send trouble out in many directions, he mused. How many lives had Foley hurt and how many more would he hurt if they could not find a way to stop the loathsome man?

  “Preparing for the trial,” William answered. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Perhaps. Have you ever been somebody’s lawyer?”

  “No, technically not. However, I studied the law of the colonies for several years and would have started to apprentice with a law firm in Durham next year if we had not left New Hampshire. However, I have sat in on more trials than I can remember.”

  “Are you worried?”

  “Maybe somewhat. I want to be competent enough to ensure my brothers receive a fair hearing and, of course, a dismissal of all these trumped up allegations.”

  “Once the Judge hears the facts he’ll see how preposterous these charges are,” Sam said, trying to sound more confident that he felt.

  “Here’s what I think. I bet those buffalo hunters made that constable come out here. He didn’t seem to want to be here and he didn’t act as if he believed what he was saying. He was just following somebody’s orders is all,” Kelly offered.

  “I’ve been thinking something similar,” Sam said. “You’re quite shrewd for your age.”

  “I’m not so young.” She got up and started pacing around the revived cook fire.

  Sam noticed William watching the way Kelly moved, looking nearly spellbound. The young woman’s long tresses draped against her slender body as she stepped with a natural gracefulness.

  “Jane and Catherine and I were talking. One thing that worries the three of us is even if you are able to get the charges dismissed, what will keep those men from coming after us again? They will be boiling mad if the Judge does not find the Captain and Stephen guilty and they’ll be apt to find their own justice. We’ve made them our enemies.”

  Sam could hear the fear in her voice. “They were already our enemies,” he replied. “That sort is the enemy of all decent people. We were bound to tangle with them sooner or later. It’s probably a good thing it was sooner. Somebody must stop them from hurting more people. It needed to be us.”

  “Why?” Kelly asked.

  Sam chewed on the thought before answering. “Some men were made to defend the weak or the wronged. The Almighty made us strong men of principle and honor. He did that for a reason. This is one of those reasons.”

  “Like when William and Stephen helped me?” She stared at Sam. Her violet eyes sparkled with moisture in the firelight, but she didn’t let the tears come.

  William peered up at her and answered. “Yes,” he said softly.

  She did not say anything, but Sam could see her struggling to regain control of her emotions. He admired how brave she was trying to be.

  “I’m glad we were able to help you Kelly. I’m glad God sent us there that day,” William said.

  “If you hadn’t come, then…,” Kelly started to say.

  William finished the sentence for her. “I would have never met you.”

  Kelly smiled sweetly. A smile directed purely at William.

  Sam decided he should go check on his horse.

  “I need to get back to washing,” she said.

  “I need to get to work as well,” William said, looking back at his notes.

  Kelly suddenly seemed reluctant to leave. She started pacing around the fire again. “Is there any chance they’ll give this up? After all, you men beat them in the fight.”

  “They did take a beating, but that won’t stop them,” Sam said. “They’re not intelligent men ruled by logic and morality. Wielding power over others and insatiable greed control them. They prey on the weak to get that power.”

  “Then why did they challenge the group of you?” Kelly asked. “Heaven knows, you sure don’t look weak.”

  William answered this time. “Men like Foley spend their lives climbing the ladder of evil. Every time they get comfortable with one crime, they try another even worse, especially if no one ever challenges them. Evil feeds on evil. It makes them cocky. Makes them think they are bigger and stronger than they really are. I think their leader has done enough bad things to enough people to make him think he could get away with even more.”

  “And they had numbers in their favor,” Sam added, “six to three.”

  “What will they do to us next?” Kelly asked, sounding worried.

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sp; “They’re cunning. They will try to catch us off guard. Maybe an ambush,” Sam said. “But don’t worry. We’re not prone to be caught unawares. In fact, Stephen is on guard right now. And William is skilled at dealing with villains of this sort. You’re safe with us.”

  “What do you think of Boonesborough?” William asked, changing the subject.

  Sam understood how the bustling town would be a stark contrast to her old remote cabin in the woods. He wondered if she would be able to adjust.

  Kelly appeared surprised by William’s question. “I think it’s noisier than chickens worrying about a fox and more crowded than a bee hive, but at the same time it’s exciting. People starting new lives in a new place—just like me. I suppose I ought to try to find work here soon, but I haven’t the vaguest notion of where to begin looking.” She twirled her long blonde hair between her slender fingers.

  “Perhaps that Mr. Wolf could introduce you to some folks around town. I’ll speak to him about it if you like,” William offered.

  “That would be very kind of you.” Kelly stared directly at William’s eyes.

  Sam rubbed his beard with his fingers and looked away. It was definitely time to check on his horse, he decided.

  And later, after the evening meal, maybe he would give himself a shave and a haircut too, followed by a long swim in the river.

  Catherine gaped in stunned disbelief as her fingers touched her parted lips.

  She glanced over at Jane who had stopped mid-stride with a stack of just washed plates in her hands. Her face frozen in an incredulous dazed look, Jane slowly sat the plates away.

  She felt Kelly gripping her arm, as the young woman said, “Oh my.”

  Looking back, she took a deep breath, trying to slow her galloping heartbeat.

  Jane came over to the two of them and grabbed her other arm. “Do you see what I see?” she whispered. “Or are my eyes deceiving me?”

  Catherine felt a sudden fluttering in her stomach. “And I thought he was handsome before.” Her tentative smile was quickly followed by a little giggle, as she realized what she had said aloud.

  Then Jane let out a bark of laughter and asked, “Is that our Sam?”

  “Hush you two, or he’ll hear you,” Kelly said quietly.

  Catherine spread her fingers out in a fan against her chest, as if to hold in the sudden tingling she felt through her breasts.

  Sam stood on the other side of camp, talking to William.

  Her gaze locked on his profile. His full beard was gone and his shorter shining wet hair hung just above his shoulders. His face, bronzed by wind and sun, appeared completely different. His jawline was even stronger, and as he stood there, she could see the smooth skin under his high cheekbones for the first time. His lips, now revealed completely, were full and sensual. A sudden longing to kiss them surprised her.

  He also wore what appeared to be a new shirt. The crisp linen stretched across his broad shoulders, revealing his muscles far more than the fringed buckskin had allowed. The shirt had an open V-neck with laces on either side, which he had left hanging loose. She could see a few dark curly hairs poking out and she yearned to run her fingers over his muscled chest.

  She sensed an awakening within her.

  Her eyes roamed over his entire tall form—now he was even more innately captivating and boldly handsome. As always, he exuded an air of authority, but now, you could more clearly see the power coiled within him.

  Then, all of a sudden, he turned and smiled at…was it her….or all three of them?

  He gave her a subtle look of amusement and she looked back at him for a long moment. For an instant, his eyes sharpened and then he turned his attention back to William.

  “Did you see that smile?” Kelly asked.

  “Yes,” she breathed. She still felt its affects, all the way to her toes. Unable to stop herself, she stared with longing at this positively mesmerizing man.

  “You know he did that for you don’t you,” Kelly said.

  “Did what? Smile?” she asked.

  Kelly grinned. “No silly, the shave and haircut. And the new shirt.”

  Jane’s big green eyes grew even bigger. “I think you may be right, Kelly,” Jane said. “I have never seen him in a shirt like that.”

  Catherine made herself stop staring and tried to throttle the dizzying desire racing through her. Her dormant body had come to life.

  With a ripple of excitement, she took the other two by the arm, and turned them all around, before walking them swiftly away. “Come with me ladies. Jane grab some of your rose soap. There’s just enough daylight left for us to go to the river and bathe and then you can help me into one of my special gowns,” she said, unable to hide her high spirits from her voice, or to stop the butterflies from flittering through her insides.

  Just before sunset, anxious to try the new fresh tobacco he purchased in town, Sam found a quiet place by the river’s edge to smoke his pipe. He studied the untamed splendor before him. The spectacular sandstone cliffs on the opposite bank awed him. He admired their natural stone formations and the lush shoreline, covered with tall hardwoods. The shelter provided by the high banks and the river’s winding course, ensured that the wind had little impact on the water’s surface.

  On his side of the river, the ancient trees cast dark shadows on the blue-green water, so smooth it looked like glass. On the opposite side, the water’s surface reflected a perfect upside-down image of the timber lining that bank. The images festooned the river’s edge like garlands of ribbons and lace. He decided this would be his favorite spot while they remained in Boonesborough.

  Would Catherine remain in Boonesborough or would she continue on? He hoped she would not decide to return to Boston. He had to admit, he didn’t want her to leave.

  As he filled the bowl with the tender fragrant leaves, he thought about what Stephen had told him in town. Could his brother be right? Could it be that Catherine loved him? The thought made his heart pound faster in his chest. But whether it raced because he wanted her to love him, or because he didn’t, was still unclear to him.

  Before he could light the pipe, he heard a sound behind him. Instantly, he stood, unsheathing his knife, gripping it tightly in his hand.

  “It’s just me Captain,” Catherine said.

  Sam took a slow deep breath and sheathed his blade, then looked up. At the sight of her, he lost his breath again. His gaze roved as he appraised her, traveling first to her face and then to the creamy expanse of her neck and chest.

  He cleared his throat, pretending not to be affected by her. “Please, join me,” he said. He motioned to the large log that served as his perch.

  “Goodness Captain, you have quite a view,” she said, looking around them after she sat down.

  Her slender hands unconsciously twisted together. Was she nervous?

  “Yes, I do,” he said, his eyes never leaving her. He did not want to tear his attention away from her for even a moment. Her beauty was exquisite, almost ethereal in the dimming light.

  She wore an exceedingly becoming gown that he had never seen her wear. The burgundy satin nearly glowed in the evening light and the gown’s low neckline revealed the soft mounds of firm breasts. Her long black hair hung loose and curling around her shoulders and framed the flawless pale skin of her face and chest.

  As usual, her beautiful dagger hung from the sash tied about her small waist, yet she looked every inch a lady.

  “Don’t you think it’s time you called me Sam?”

  “Well, Sam, if you insist, it would be my pleasure.” She smiled at him with lips that were full and rounded over even white teeth, and if he wasn’t mistaken, he smelled fresh mint on her breath.

  “You’re looking particularly lovely this evening in that fetching gown.” She was slender, but the gown accentuated every enticing curve.

  “Thank you. It’s my favorite gown,” she said, stroking the rich fabric with her long fingers. “Frankly, I had had enough of feeling ugly and ill-ke
mpt. For this one evening at least, I wanted to feel like a gentlewoman again for some reason. And there’s nothing like wearing a fine dress to lift a lady’s spirits.”

  “You could never look ugly, even in dirty rags. As for being a gentlewoman, you will always be one, no matter your circumstances. Although I admit, the genteel are few and far between here on the frontier.”

  “Indeed. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up good manners and fashionable clothing. Sometimes, I miss feeling—well, like a lady.”

  “I’m sorry, if we haven’t…”

  “No,” she interrupted, “it’s not any of you. You’ve been most kind and gracious.”

  “Then?” He found his eyes trained on the distinct bow of her upper lip. It was perfect, and tempting. So tempting. His mouth nearly watered with an overwhelming urge to kiss her.

  They seemed to share an undeniable physical awareness of each other, as an intense, nearly palatable, attraction built between them.

  Pensively, she looked out into the near darkness. “I want to feel…,” she hesitated, “I want…”

  She turned her head back to him and gazed up and into his eyes with such need, he could only yield to it. He grabbed her waist, circled it with his arm, and tugged her against him. He could feel her soft breasts pressing against his chest and, within him, his heart, long cold and dormant, warmed and came fully alive.

  She opened her lips to his. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, drinking her in, tasting the sweet wine of her lips and mouth. His kiss was urgent and exploratory. So this is what it felt like. A delicious, intoxicating sensation. He had wondered hundreds of times, far more than he wanted to admit, how it would feel to kiss her. And now he wanted to kiss her a hundred times more.

  She quivered and he felt her body soften, yielding to the hunger growing between them. She gave herself freely to the passion in his kiss, demanding more with her own forceful domination of his lips.

  As he roused her desire, his own grew stronger. But he controlled his demanding lips, making them caress hers, become slow and gentle. Touching her like a whisper, his tongue traced the fullness of her lips, moist and warm.