The Wilderness Bride (Oregon #1)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

W hen the preacher finally let Lisa and Ashley go, there was a group of about twenty people gathered around the schoolhouse. They weren’t all gathered in one place. No, they were making an effort—albeit a poor one—to pretend like they weren’t curious about what was happening. But as soon as the preacher and the McCormicks left the schoolhouse, they assembled together to talk to them.

“There’s a downside to being in a small town,” Ashley whispered to her. “Everyone gets curious, and then they gossip. Before the end of the day, everyone will know about us.” He let out a sigh. “Do you know any of them?”

She shoved her hands in the pockets of her cloak and scanned the people. They all looked away from her as if doing so made them invisible. She didn’t see Corinne, Henry, or their mother in the group.

“No, I don’t know any of them,” she replied, afraid of what was coming next.

“Where is the relative you came here for?”

Yes, that was the question she was afraid he’d ask. She couldn’t put this off any longer. If she didn’t find out where those three had gone, he would ask more questions, and those were questions she didn’t want to answer. After a moment, she settled on an answer that was the truth. “I don’t have a relative out here, but I know a family.” She cleared her throat. “I came here on the stagecoach with them. I wanted to see the ocean, and they stayed in town.” She grew quiet so he could fill in the rest of whatever pieces he wanted. The less she said, the better.

“Since they’re new here, it’ll be easy to find them.” He started down the steps. He stopped when he realized she hadn’t joined him. “Don’t you want to see them?”

No. No, she didn’t. The last thing she wanted to do was get those poor people involved with her lie. “Can’t we just go back to the cabin? I don’t feel up to all of this activity.”

“We need to let them know you’re alright. They have to be worried about you.” He paused. “I’m surprised the preacher didn’t mention anything. That man has his nose in everyone’s business around here.”

Her pulse quickened. He was right. The preacher would have mentioned the Paxtons if they were expecting her to stay with them. Before Ashley could spend too much time thinking about it, she said, “Where would we go to find them?”

Ashley gestured to a path that would take them to the heart of the small town. “The mercantile. It also serves as a post office. It’s the best place to find anyone.”

She had no choice but to go with him. Bracing herself for whatever came next, she pushed herself forward. What was she going to say to them? What would they say to her? How was she going to prevent Ashley from finding out they had only met her on the stagecoach? She needed to be careful. She had to be mindful of the way the conversation went. If things started to veer in a certain direction, she’d have to rein them back to where she wanted them to be.

The one thing the people she’d loved and cared about in Vermont had taught her was how quickly others could turn on you. Yes, she’d known her parents would be upset. Yes, she’d known Preston didn’t want to hear that their activities had resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. She’d thought she and Preston would quietly, and quickly, marry. Both of their parents, while not happy, could have sent them away for a year. Then it would be safe to return and tell everyone the child had been conceived in wedlock. But none of that had played out the way she’d expected.

She must not let Ashley find out she didn’t know the Paxtons. This time, she wasn’t in the family way. There would be no one to take pity on her and help her. While not desirable, an unmarried woman carrying a child did evoke sympathy, and that sympathy had led others to help her.

Since she couldn’t gather up the courage to step off the cliff, she had to do everything possible to make sure Ashley didn’t kick her out of the cabin. She would die if she was left to figure things out on her own. The irony wasn’t lost on her. For all the plans she’d made to kill herself, she was now struggling to live.

She put her hand up to her head. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up with a horrible headache.

Ashley stopped and turned to her. “Are you feeling alright?”

She put her hand back into her pocket. “I’m fine. Just tired.” And that was the truth. All of the running she’d been doing had worn her out.

“I worried that all of this was going to take its toll on you. You aren’t in full health yet.” He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her to his side. “Lean on me. Once we’re done assuring your relative that you’re fine, we’ll go home.”

“You shouldn’t be so close in public,” the preacher called out from behind them.

They jerked, and Lisa glanced over at him. He wasn’t too far behind them. She tensed. He wasn’t going to follow them to the Paxtons, was he? A rush of adrenaline shot through her. She might get away with lying if she only had to worry about Ashley, but she didn’t think she could get away with it if she had to contend with both men.

“What are you going to do about it?” Ashley asked the preacher, his tone laced with irritation. “We’re already married.”

The preacher paused then let out a sigh. “I can see I have my work cut out for me in this town. You two better show up at church on Sunday.”

“What will you do if we don’t? Call on God to send a plague on us like He did with the Egyptians when Pharoah wouldn’t let the Israelites go?”

The preacher didn’t hide his surprise. “I didn’t realize you were familiar with the Bible.”

“Yes, I’m aware of what you think about me, Preacher.” Ashley gestured to Lisa. “She’s still recovering from being lost, cold, and hungry near the cliff. I know you think I’m displaying a sign of affection to her, but I’m supporting her so she doesn’t collapse. Now, leave us alone, or I’ll never darken the doorway of a church ever again.”

The preacher relented and left them alone.

Lisa relaxed. Thank goodness Ashley could stand up to opposition when it came. Too bad Preston hadn’t been that brave when his parents confronted him. She still couldn’t believe she thought he would stand up to them. Yes, she had expected him to admit they should have waited until they were married, but she honestly thought he had loved her enough to stay with her.

“I swear, if he bothers us one more time, I’m going to tie him to a tree and stuff his mouth so he’ll stop yapping at us,” Ashley muttered under his breath.

Despite the ache in her head, Lisa chuckled.

Ashley arched an eyebrow and gave a slight grin. “Don’t think I won’t do it. Not only would I be doing us a favor, but everyone in this town would be better off.” He gave her shoulders a light squeeze. “Let’s find the people you came with on that stagecoach.”

* * *

Ashley knocked on the door of the small home that had been crudely built. Lisa’s gaze swept across the other houses in the area and saw that they all looked as if they’d been quickly constructed. They were larger than Ashley’s cabin, but not by much. They had an extra room, maybe an extra two rooms. Ashley only had that one living area that also served as a bedroom and a kitchen. If her parents could see her now, they would tell her she was only getting what she deserved. She shivered and pulled the cloak closer around her. She had to focus. Once that door opened, she had to be quick to react to the things that would happen.

Her attention went to the door just as Henry answered it. “Lisa, I’m so glad to see you’re alright. We were worried about you.”

She couldn’t have asked for a better opening. “I’m sorry I worried you, Henry. I took a walk up the cliff to take a look at the Pacific Ocean. I got lost and couldn’t find my way back to town. As you know, it was raining when we arrived in town. I’m afraid that left me weak. I went unconscious.” She gestured to Ashley. “This kind man found me and took care of me.” By now, the mother had come to the door. Before the mother could get a word in, Lisa hurried to add, “The preacher saw me at his cabin and assumed the worst. He just made us marry. Ashley wanted to come here so you’d know I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and waited for what they would say next. Whatever it was, she had to be ready for it.

“Why don’t you two come in?” Mrs. Paxton encouraged them. “I have a pot of coffee on the stove.”

With a nod, Henry stepped aside and waved them in. “Yes, come in.”

Lisa supposed this couldn’t have ended with a quick good-bye. The Paxtons had been courteous the entire time they were on the stagecoach. Manners would dictate that they offer her and Ashley something to drink.

Ashley let her go in first. When Mrs. Paxton gestured to a small couch, Lisa sat on it. As anticipated, Ashley sat next to her. Despite the awkward situation she was in, she found some comfort in the fact that he was sitting next to her.

“Your prayers have been answered, Ma,” Henry said as he shut the door. “Lisa is alive and well.”

Mrs. Paxton put her hand over her heart. “I’ll have to give the Good Lord an extra thank you tonight when I do my bedtime prayers. I did worry about you with the rain and the chill in the air. I thought for sure you were going to die if you didn’t find shelter.”

Lisa had to smile in order to hide her disappointment. Every time she thought of how close she came to an easy, painless death, she wished she could go back to that day and find another spot to hide so Ashley wouldn’t have found her. Next time she made an attempt to get rid of all the pain that tormented her, it would likely hurt. She pushed the thought aside. She had to focus on what was happening around her.

“Do you think Corrine is up to receiving visitors?” Mrs. Paxton asked her son.

“I’m not sure. Let me check.” Henry turned to Lisa and Ashley. “If you’ll excuse me, I won’t be but a minute.”

“And I’ll get the coffee,” Mrs. Paxton added.

The two left the room.

The knot in Lisa’s stomach eased a little. She wondered how long they would have to stay here. Her head was hurting, and the day’s events had left her feeling tired. Maybe she could leave as soon as she finished her cup of coffee.

“They seem like nice people,” Ashley whispered.

“They are,” Lisa whispered back.

“How long have you known them?”

What could she say that wouldn’t get her in trouble? “Honestly, not long. But we all decided to come to Oregon.” She clasped her hands in her lap and hoped that would be enough.

“I hope I didn’t ruin the plans you had when you came here.”

There was only one way to respond to that. “This place can hardly fit three people. It’s better that I’m not staying with them.”

He examined the room with its modest furnishings. “It looks like they are having trouble making ends meet. Maybe you ending up with me turned out for the best.”

She was sure he was only saying that for her sake. There was no way he benefited from being forced to marry her.

Mrs. Paxton came in with a tray of cups and placed it on the wooden table. “I’ll be back with the pot.”

Lisa closed her eyes for a moment. The ache in her head had dimmed, but if she wasn’t careful, it would get worse again. So far, things were going well. All she had to do was keep it up. She also had to figure out how to make sure that she and Ashley wouldn’t stay here longer than ten minutes. That ought to be long enough to finish one cup of coffee. She opened her eyes. “My head hurts. I can’t stay long.”

“The only thing we need to do today is let them know you’re fine. I’m glad we came. That poor woman was worried about you.”

Lisa felt a stab of guilt prick at her. The last thing these people needed was to get involved in the mess that had become her life. It was bad enough Ashley was now involved in it.

Mrs. Paxton returned with the pot. “Is it still chilly outside?”

“A little,” Lisa replied.

“There’s not as much sun in this territory as I thought there would be. I suppose that would make for chillier days, even in May.” She started pouring coffee into their cups.

“You’ll get used to it,” Ashley spoke up. “And you’ll get used to the rain. We don’t have it all the time, but we get it enough.”

Lisa hid her disappointment. If she had thought she would be too scared to jump off the cliff, she would have picked a warmer climate to spend the rest of her life in. Maybe somewhere like southern California. She heard the weather there was pleasant all year long.

“Well, we’ll make the best of it.” Done filling the cups, Mrs. Paxton placed the coffee pot on the table and sat in a chair. Then she gave them their cups. “The view of the ocean nearby makes up for the chill, though we were hoping we could swim.”

“I wouldn’t recommend swimming here, but if your son likes to fish, he’ll get some good ones,” Ashley said.

“Oh, where are my manners?” Mrs. Paxton gestured to herself. “I am Myrtle Paxton. My son is Henry, and my daughter is Corrine.”

“I’m Ashley Carver,” he replied. “Of course, you know Lisa.”

Myrtle nodded and smiled.

Before the conversation could take an unpleasant turn, Lisa inserted, “I was explaining to Ashley that we came out here on the stagecoach together. Poor Corrine didn’t have an easy time of it. I heard some people get sick while traveling. Their stomachs don’t handle all that bouncing around very well. Corrine was worse off than I had expected, though. Is she doing better?”

“Yes, she’s a lot better,” Myrtle said. “Like you mentioned, the stagecoach was too much for her.”

Lisa couldn’t be sure, but she thought she caught a flicker of relief cross the woman’s face. That was odd. Did these people have something to hide like she did? She took a tentative sip of the coffee. It was too hot to drink fast. She was going to have to keep sipping it. That was too bad.

Henry and Corrine emerged from another room. His arm was around her shoulders, as if he needed to support her or she’d lose her strength. “She was napping.”

“You didn’t have to wake her,” Ashley said.

“Don’t be silly,” Corrine assured him and sat next to her mother. “I worried about Lisa.” Her gaze went to Lisa. “Henry knew I’d want to make sure you’re alright. When no one in town knew where you were, we feared the worst. The mercantile owner thought a bear might have gotten to you.”

Lisa inwardly shivered. There were bears out here?

Henry went to the kitchen.

“As it turned out, Ashley found her before any harm came to her,” Myrtle told her daughter. “Would you like some coffee?”

Corrine shook her head. “I’ll have some water later.”

Henry returned with a chair, sat down, and picked up a cup of coffee. “Did I miss anything?”

“We were just telling Corrine that Ashley made sure no harm came to Lisa,” Myrtle said. Lisa worried that they would ask for more details, but then she continued, “You won’t believe this. Preacher Ryder just presided over their wedding.”

Corrine’s eyes grew wide, and her gaze went to Lisa. “I didn’t realize you were engaged.”

Lisa stopped sipping her coffee. “I wasn’t engaged. The preacher found me at Ashley’s cabin.” How much could she say without saying too much? She cleared her throat. “The whole thing was misconstrued. Ashley was nursing me back to health. He lives up along the cliff. No one else is around there.”

“I assure you that I was going to bring her here when she was well enough to come to town,” Ashley, to Lisa’s unease, jumped in.

“I was near death when he found me,” Lisa inserted. “I’m still not feeling up to my normal self, but the preacher was determined we marry because he assumed we were,” she hated to complete the sentence but had to, “being too friendly.”

“Preacher Ryder really seems intent on doing the right thing, doesn’t he?” Though Henry made the comment, he directed his gaze to his mother and sister.

“He stopped by here early this morning,” Myrtle told Lisa and Ashley. “He came to invite us to church.”

“That’s why he was at Ashley’s cabin, too,” Lisa replied.

“I suppose he makes his rounds when he comes to town,” Myrtle commented. “He mentioned that he travels from town to town.”

Henry took his cup. “Yes, he seems pretty excited to preach on Sunday.” He drank some coffee.

Lisa’s eyebrows furrowed. Did she detect a worry underlying his pleasant tone?

“What is your profession?” he asked Ashley.

Ashley shrugged but offered a wry grin. “I do a little of everything, but if I had to specify one thing in particular that earns me something, it’s chopping and collecting wood. I give that wood to others who need it, and they give me supplies or food in return. What about you?”

“I’m still looking,” Henry said. “The preacher mentioned putting in a good word for me around town.”

“It’s a smaller town than what we’re used to,” Myrtle explained. “I think people are wary of strangers.”

Really? Lisa was sure they’d said something about meeting a relative here. But maybe she wasn’t remembering that correctly. She had only paid half attention to what they told her on the stagecoach. She tested the coffee. Finally, it was cool enough to drink faster. While things were going along well so far, she didn’t want to press her luck.

“Is there anything you need to help you get by until you find a job?” Ashley offered Henry.

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re fine for now,” Henry replied.

Silence fell upon the group, and considering the hesitation that she sensed from Myrtle and Henry, she guessed that they were being as careful with their words as she was being with hers. Perhaps they might all breathe a sigh of relief when she could safely convince Ashley to leave.

“I notice it’s chilly for May,” Corrine spoke up. “Even with the sun out.”

“Ashley’s one of the town residents, and he said this is normal here,” Henry told his sister.

They were back to talking about the weather? Well, they really had run out of safe things to discuss. Lisa took that as her cue to get out of here. She finished the cup then placed it on the table. “I’m still mending after nearly dying.” She swallowed back the surge of regret that rose up within her. “I’m afraid I need to get back…” Was it too soon to call Ashley’s cabin her home? The preacher had forced them to marry, but that had just happened. Her head ached, and she winced.

“I better take her home,” Ashley said as he hurried to set his half-empty cup next to hers. “I hope you three don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Myrtle replied, though it was Henry who went over to Lisa.

Lisa didn’t know why the two men assumed she was going to have trouble standing up. She wasn’t that weak. But maybe she looked like she didn’t have the strength. If so, she could use that to her advantage. She leaned on them and let them help her up.

Myrtle and Corrine rose to their feet.

“Thank you for stopping by to let us know you’re fine,” Myrtle told Lisa. Then, directing her gaze to Ashley, she added, “And thank you for taking care of her.”

Ashley offered her a smile. “I’m just glad that you don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

Lisa was ready to groan and hold her head to convey she was in pain if Ashley asked them how long they had known her, or something equally alarming, but fortunately, they went on to say their good-byes. Then she and Ashley left.

Finally, it was over. She had successfully managed to avoid trapping herself into a situation she didn’t want to be in. She might not get this lucky next time, but for today, at least, she was safe. She would worry about the next time when it came.