The Wilderness Bride (Oregon #1)

Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

L isa woke early as morning sunlight streamed through the small window. Reluctant to get up for the day, she rolled onto her side, fully expecting Ashley to be next to her. But the space next to her was empty.

Surprised, she opened her eyes and scanned the cabin. He had left, and she hadn’t even heard him get up. Ever since they started being intimate, he’d made it a habit of staying in bed with her until she woke up. He would greet her with a couple of kisses and discuss what he planned to do for the day. Sometimes he would even make love to her. So it wasn’t like him to be gone.

She frowned and sat up in the bed. She was ready to grab her nightgown when the door opened. She brought the thin blanket up to her neck, just in case it wasn’t Ashley coming into the cabin. But it turned out to be him. She relaxed.

“I thought I was going to make it back here before you woke up,” he said, not hiding his disappointment.

Her gaze went to the wildflowers in his hands. “Are those for me?”

He shut the door then offered a shy smile as he went to retrieve a jar from the shelf. “I thought you might like something to pretty up the place. Someone made a comment about the bouquet Corrine had at the wedding. If the preacher can give her flowers, I can give you some, too.”

“Thank you. They’re lovely. And I’m not just saying that because you’re the one giving them to me. No amount of flowers is worth a lifetime with the preacher.”

He gave a relieved sigh and glanced her way. “It’s a good thing my name isn’t Forrest Ryder.”

She chuckled at his joke.

“I thought I heard the bells on one of my traps going off, so I went out to investigate.” He poured water into the jar and then placed the flowers into it.

When he didn’t continue, she realized he enjoyed keeping her in suspense. “You’re a wicked man, Ashley. Did you get an animal or not?”

“I did.”

She noted his excitement as he placed the flowers in the center of the small table where they ate.

He turned to her. “Guess what I got.”

She groaned. “I’m not any good at guessing things. You might as well just tell me.”

He approached the bed and sat in front of her. “It’s not fun if you don’t guess. I’ll give you a hint. This is a really good catch.”

Being that she wasn’t a hunter, that wasn’t much of a hint. “I don’t know. Was it another wolf?”

His smile widened. “Better than a wolf.”

“How would I know what’s better than a wolf?”

“This is bigger. It’ll make more meat.”

“Is it a bear?” she ventured.

“No, but a bear would have been just as good.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, Ashley. Why don’t you just tell me?”

“Because this is fun.” He gave her leg a playful shake. “I’ll give you a kiss when you get it right.”

She thought over the animals she could ever recall learning about that lurked in forests. Besides the small ones like squirrels and birds, her mind was blank. But during the wedding, one of the townsfolk did mention seeing a whale while out on his boat. Though she knew those were out in the ocean, she said, “A whale.”

Ashley didn’t hide his shock at her ridiculous guess. “A whale?”

“A whale is a big animal.”

“You know my traps aren’t in the ocean.”

“I don’t know what to guess, Ashley. You need to come out and just tell me. If you don’t, I’ll guess another absurd animal, and that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?”

Though he moaned, he was still smiling. “Alright, but you’re going to owe me something for not taking this game more seriously. I caught an elk!” He patted the mattress in excitement. “Do you know how hard it is to get something like that? I had to restrain it with some rope so I could kill it. It wasn’t easy to do that, but I did it. Not only are we set for food for the next few months, but I can make some good leather items from it. Winter will be here before you know it, and you’re going to need something to keep your feet warmer than the boots you have now. I can also make you some gloves.” He took one of her hands and studied it. “Imagine this delicate hand protected by good leather. The winters can be brutal here. It’d be nice if your hands didn’t end up rough and dry.”

It was funny how she’d never taken the time to notice what her hands were like. As she did, she realized that her hand was a strong contrast to his. Though his weren’t dry, they were rough. He even had a callus on it. He was so gentle with her in bed that she hadn’t even noticed it.

He squeezed her hand. “You’ll stay nice and warm this winter and through the winters to come.”

He started to get up, but she tugged on his hand to stop him. Inspired by his good mood, she said, “You promised me a kiss if I guessed what you caught.”

He laughed. “No, I promised you a kiss if you guessed right. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed. You didn’t even put any effort into it.”

“I made a couple of guesses.”

“The one about the wolf and bear were good guesses. But the whale…?” He shook his head. “You didn’t even try on that one.”

“Well, I don’t know what’s out there. I told you I wasn’t good at this game.”

He paused for a long moment then relented. “That is true. You did warn me. However, I did mention all of the animals I was hoping to catch while we were coming back from town yesterday.”

He had? She thought over their conversation on the way back. She supposed there was some talk about his traps, but the topic hadn’t been all that interesting to her, so she’d let her mind wander. Was it best to come out and admit it or feign ignorance?

“I don’t blame you for not listening to me ramble on about it,” he said, saving her from having to confess. “However, this only proves how much you do not deserve a kiss. Shame on you for not being so captivated with me that you want to hear everything I have to say. I ought to go through this entire day without kissing you.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I have a mind to.”

For a moment, she worried he might be serious, but then his face broke into a grin, and he leaned forward to kiss her. Then he brought her into his arms and pressed her right up against him. When they were together like this, she found that it was easy to forget her main motivation for wanting to be intimate with him was to have a child. There was something so sweet about him.

Upon first meeting him, he seemed so serious. He’d been kind and gentle, but there had been a solemness that hovered over him, too. She was sure he had detected that she’d harbored grief, though he’d never once mentioned it. Being with him made up for all the heartache Preston had given her. The only thing that could make things complete was having a baby.

She started to move on top of him when he said, “I want to. Really, Lisa, I do. But that elk needs to be cut up and preserved before the end of the day.” He squeezed her hips. “Can we continue this tonight?”

Despite her disappointment, she realized he was right. Considering how much time it’d taken him to take care of the wolf, he needed all the time he could get today. She pulled away from him and smiled. “Of course.”

His gaze traveled down her body before he let out a sigh. “I came in here thinking that an elk was impressive, but nothing compares to how lovely you are. It’s going to be a long day.”

“Well, you’re the one who had to set out the traps,” she teased. “It’s your fault that you have to wait.”

“You’ll thank me when your soft hands are protected this winter.” He took one of her hands and kissed it. “Will you think about me while I’m spending all of my day in the workshop?”

She paused for a moment as if she had to consider whether or not such a thing was worth her time then said, “I might have an occasion to think of you.”

With a chuckle, he kissed her then rose to his feet. “I promise to wash up before I come back in here so I don’t make a mess, and I’ll wash my clothes so you don’t have to worry about that, either.”

She was glad to hear it because she didn’t want to wash elk blood and guts off of his clothes. Yes, he had that apron, but it didn’t cover all of him.

As he left the cabin, she tried to decide what she would do for the day. Ashley was a simple man. He didn’t require a lot of work. In fact, he took care of most things himself, which she supposed, was a result of the years he’d spent out here on his own. Maybe she should do something that would give her a reason to look forward to the future.

She could sew a simple pattern. Nona had taught her enough so she could make something small from the fabrics Nona no longer needed. Babies needed a burping cloth. That would be easy. If she could make sanitary napkins, she could make a burping cloth. Just the thought of making something for a baby made her leap out of the bed with excitement. She hurried to get dressed so she could start on the burping cloth.

* * *

“That’s a lot of meat,” Boone said the next day.

Lisa stood to the side so as not to get in Boone or Nona’s way as Ashley showed them the elk meat he had brought in the wagon. She had been shocked when she noted how much Ashley had left over after filling up their cellar. It was no wonder Ashley had been excited about catching such a big animal.

“This all came from an elk,” Ashley replied, not hiding the pleasure in his voice.

“An elk, huh?” Boone’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I can’t think of game better than that.”

Shooting Lisa a teasing grin, Ashley said, “Lisa thought it’d be more impressive if I brought over whale meat, but I told her elk meat is good enough.”

Boone laughed. “It would be more impressive if you could get a whale. Imagine lugging that thing all the way up here.” He rubbed his chin and feigned disappointment. “Come to think of it, nothing is better than roasted whale meat.”

Nona rolled her eyes and gave her husband a playful swat on the arm. “You hate the smell of fish, let alone the taste of it.” Turning to Ashley, she added, “Thank you. This is a wonderful gift. Now we’ll be set for the rest of the year. I hope you and Lisa will be staying for lunch.”

Ashley glanced Lisa’s way, and she nodded. She figured they would stay here for a while since they had the last time they were here.

“Alright, Nona, you talked us into it,” Ashley told her.

“Wonderful! Lisa and I will leave you two to carry the meat to the cellar.” Nona put her arm around Lisa’s arm then guided her to the cabin. “I don’t know about you, but I would rather do anything if it means not having to lug that meat down to the cellar.”

Lisa chuckled. Though she had helped Ashley, she wasn’t eager to do the chore again. “It’ll be nice to work on a meal instead.”

“I figured you’d agree with me. Ashley has been so good to us.” They stopped at the cabin, and she opened the door. “I’m glad you’re here. You make him happy.”

Lisa stepped into the cabin and waited for the woman to join her. “Catching that elk made him happy, too.”

“Yes, but you’re a better kind of happiness.”

Lisa wasn’t sure what to make of the woman’s comment, but Nona urged her to the work table and said, “I have a feeling Boone will bring in some of that elk for us to fry up on the cookstove. All we have to do is come up with something to go with steak.” She sorted through the containers on her shelf. “What do you think about biscuits and eggs? I know it’s close to noon, but I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to have eggs. Our hens produced some nice ones yesterday. We have enough for you and Ashley to take back with you.”

“You’re very kind, Nona.”

Nona chuckled. “Ashley brought over half a year’s worth of food. A few eggs from me is hardly kind. I could never repay him for everything he’s done for me and Boone over the years.”

Lisa didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t used to people competing for who was kinder. The people she’d known in Vermont had been concerned about themselves and what others could do to make them look good. She hadn’t realized it at the time, of course. It was only in being out here that she understood what her upbringing had really been about.

“Do you want me to show you another sewing pattern while you’re here?” Nona set down the containers she would need for the biscuits on the work table.

Lisa thought for a long moment then asked, “Can you teach me how to make a blanket?”

“I don’t know if you’re ready to make something for your bed yet. We should start with something small and simple. Why don’t I teach you how to make a washcloth?”

Lisa hadn’t meant a blanket for her bed. She’d meant a blanket for a baby, but she decided not to point that out. If she did, Nona would assume she was expecting. It was too soon to tell if she was. Her flow was due next week. She hoped she wouldn’t get it. She was still shocked she’d gotten it last month. She tried not to think about it because when she did, she had to come to terms with the realization that being intimate with a man didn’t always result in a pregnancy.

“If you don’t want to make a washcloth, we could work on a placemat for a hot skillet,” Nona continued. “I don’t know how many Ashley still has. I did make him a few when he first came out here.” She laughed. “He had so few things with him. Sometimes I wonder if he gave any thought to coming out here when he arrived here on his horse. It’s a good thing Boone and I happened to be in town that day. There’s no saying where the poor boy would have ended up. Though we are a small community, people are hesitant to take someone under their wing.” She opened the lid of the flour container. “Tell me, do you need a washcloth or a placemat more?”

Forcing her mind to the conversation, Lisa said, “We could use washcloths. The placemats are in good condition.”

Nona nodded. “He seems like the type who takes care of his things. It’s why I thought of a washcloth first. Those are thinner. You need to replace those more often. Once we get the biscuits into the oven, we’ll sort through my fabrics and find a pattern you like. Just because it’s a washcloth, it doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty.”

While not ideal, this was one step closer to making a baby blanket. Maybe she could use the technique she’d learned today to make a small blanket. A blanket was really just a large washcloth. She would just have to make it bigger, and she’d use a different type of fabric. Nona had some fabric, but she didn’t have the kind Lisa needed for a baby blanket. She was going to have to see if Ashley would take her to the mercantile. Settling for making a washcloth, Lisa helped Nona with the biscuits.