The Wilderness Bride (Oregon #1)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

A shley questioned the wisdom of inquiring about the preacher while at the mercantile, but he figured he ought to prepare himself for the man’s arrival. He had no doubt that as soon as the preacher came here to live on a permanent basis, he would be pestering him and Lisa about attending church. It wasn’t church itself that bothered Ashley. He now had Lisa with him, and after five very long years, he had something solid and real to hold onto. But he didn’t exactly relish the idea of sitting in a chair and listening to a man preach on and on about how people like him weren’t deserving of second chances. He would much rather stay at his cabin where, every day, Lisa reminded him that second chances were possible, even for men like him.

The owner of the mercantile checked his book in the backroom then came back out to tell him, “Preacher Ryder is due to work here in October.”

“That far out?” Ashely asked in shock.

“He said it’ll take time to finish up all of his business with the bishop who oversees his route. It sounds like he will be helping appoint someone to step in his place.” The man shrugged. “I don’t pretend to understand all that goes into being a preacher. What I know is selling and buying merchandise.”

Well, Ashley had a reprieve until October, and that was longer than he expected. So really, this was good news.

He turned from the counter then went to Lisa. She was taking more time sorting through fabrics than he expected. The mercantile didn’t offer that much of a variety. He would have thought picking out what she wanted would have taken five minutes or less.

“These are all dull colors,” Lisa said as she sorted through them. “Tan, brown, black, gray, a red that is more like brown than actual red, and white. There’s not even anything pretty on them like dots.” She selected one of the brown fabrics. “This one has white stripes on it, but I still don’t like it.”

“They’re drab because they won’t show dirt.”

She frowned, and he couldn’t help thinking that this just might possibly be the worst news he could have given her.

“You don’t need to fret,” he assured her with a pat on her lower back. “I have some dye in my workshop. You can buy a white fabric and color it green, yellow, or blue.”

She glanced down at the white cotton fabric. “The dye will make it a different color?”

He nodded. “All you have to do is mix it in some hot water and salt. It’s easy. I’ve done it for the fabrics I give to Nona when she’s in the mood to make me a shirt. She tends to do that during the winter when it’s too cold to go outside. She gets bored otherwise.” He offered her a wry grin. “She’ll probably even make you a dress.”

“But she already gave me dresses.”

“Yes, but they’re worn. I’m sure she’ll want to see you in something new. She doesn’t have her children around to mother anymore. I think it makes her happy to take care of us as if we were her children. Boone’s the same way. Ever since I came out here, they’ve made it a point to check on me from time to time.”

“That’s nice.”

“Yes, it is, and it’s why I bring them wood and meat.” However, he had noticed that he wasn’t keeping a distance from them like he used to. Until Lisa came along, he hadn’t allowed anyone to get close. He didn’t realize how one person could come into his life and change so much.

“Do their children ever come for a visit?” Lisa asked.

“I’ve met the son one time, but Nona and Boone will go visit them in Portland once a year. Their children have their own families out there. I think it’s easier for Nona and Boone to go out to see them rather than have everyone come out here.” He shrugged. “Their children moved to Portland because there was nothing to do out here. They got bored.”

“They must not have chopped enough wood. You never get bored.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I ever heard you tell a joke before.”

Her lips curled up in the cutest way. He tapped her nose in a playful gesture. “You have an impish side in you, I bet.” With a glance at the fabrics, he said, “Just take the white ones. You can make them as colorful as you want.”

With a nod, she collected a few of them. As she gathered some thread, he retrieved the things he needed for the things he planned to make with the elk hide. While he was at it, he also picked up some jarred fruits and vegetables, along with a couple of fresh ones the local people grew.

The trade between the wood and the supplies went as he hoped, and he even had a little money left over for future purchases. He had a feeling since he now had someone to take care of, he would need the extra money. It was nice to have someone to need money for, and there was no grief in spending money when one earned it through honest means.

After he secured the items to the travois, he helped Lisa up on the horse then got up behind her. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

She gave a nod, and he urged the horse into a leisurely pace. He kissed the side of her neck and drew her up against him. Judging by the wistful expression she’d had on her face when she’d looked out at the ocean on the preacher and Corrine’s wedding day, he thought she was going to enjoy being on the beach. Once he picked a spot close to the beach, he tied the steed to a post.

“We’ll have to walk the rest of the way,” he told her.

“Are you taking me to the beach? Is that the surprise?”

“Yep.” He put his hands on her hips and helped her down. “What do you think? Is it a good surprise?”

Her gaze swept the length of the beach that was nearby. It was narrow, and there were some cliffs that were close by, but they had ample room to walk on the sand and explore. She smiled. “It is a good surprise.”

Glad she thought so, he led her through the rocky part of the beach. Once they were on the sand, he noted the difficulty she was having with walking. He took a closer look at her boots and saw she had narrow heels. Well, it was no wonder this wasn’t easy for her.

He knelt in front of her. “Hold onto me, and I’ll take your boots off.”

“Is that necessary?” she asked.

“It’s either that or I can carry you. I assume you’d rather walk.”

“Yes, I would rather walk.” She put her hand on his shoulder then lifted her foot.

He untied the laces of her boot and slipped it off. He hesitated to take her stocking off, but he thought she ought to get the full experience of today’s walk. He’d had the pleasure of feeling the sand and water on his bare feet. He thought she would enjoy it, too. He set her boot aside then slid his hands under her dress and up her leg.

She gasped. “What are you doing? People can see us.”

He checked the area around them. “No one is here at the moment. But don’t worry. I’m only taking off your stocking. My intentions are honorable.” He gave her a wink as he let his hands linger on her thigh. He gave it a caress before he lowered her stocking.

She let out a sigh that bordered on a moan.

He chuckled. She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or excited. Deciding not to push his luck, since someone could arrive and watch what he was doing, he hurried to take off the stocking. Then he took her other boot and stocking off. He slipped the stockings into her boots before he tucked them under his arm. With her hand in his, they headed for the water.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“The sand is colder than I thought it’d be,” she replied. “I knew the water was going to be chilly, but I didn’t expect the sand to be.”

“The clouds don’t help to warm things up, but it’s easier to see everything out here when the sun isn’t reflecting off the water.” He kissed her. “You have to admit the sand between your toes feels good.”

After they took a few more steps, she said, “Yes, it does.” She looked out at the ocean for a few seconds then turned her gaze to the nearby cliff.

“I found you close to the top of that thing. Our cabin isn’t too far from there.”

“That cliff is higher up than I thought,” she whispered. “And it juts out more in places than I realized.”

“It’s easier to see things from this angle. Down here, you can do more than see the water; you can touch it.” He gave her hand a playful squeeze. “Do you want to feel the water?”

Her attention went back to him. “I don’t know. The sand is cold enough. The water’s worse.”

“It’s not too bad. I was able to swim in it.”

She didn’t seem convinced by his argument, and he supposed he couldn’t blame her. But he thought she ought to feel the water, at least once. Doing so would enhance the experience. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to his side.

“There we are. Now you’re nice and warm,” he said. “I’ll walk into the water with you. We won’t go far. Just enough to get your feet wet.”

She hesitated then finally agreed to do it. She gave another look around them to make sure no one was nearby before she lifted the hem of her dress. They stepped into the water, and she shivered. He tightened his hold on her.

“You swam in this?” she asked in disbelief.

“I wasn’t in here for long.”

“I can’t believe you went in here at all.” She shook her head. “I would never go for a swim in this water.”

“In that case, I promise not to pick you up and toss you into the ocean,” he teased. Before she could respond, he gave her the boots. “I see something poking out in the sand.”

He dug into the sand once the wave receded back into the ocean. A second later, he pulled out a copper clamshell that spanned four inches in length. He turned the shell over in his hand. It was in good condition. He thought about the things Lisa gathered at the mercantile, and an idea came to him. He washed the sand out of the shell the best he could then wiped it dry on his pants.

He showed it to her. “What do you think? I can make it into a necklace for you to wear.” He put it up to her heart and smiled. “The color goes well with your hair. This will enhance your beauty.”

A shy blush crept up her cheeks, making her even more beautiful. “Can you really make a necklace from that thing?”

“I sure can.” He tucked the shell into his pocket. After taking her boots back, he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her against his side. They began to walk, but because the water was cold, he opted to take her back to the dry sand. “All I have to do is make a small hole into the shell and put a string through the hole. It won’t be anything fancy like what you’d find in a catalogue at the mercantile, but this is a unique piece of jewelry. You won’t find anything like it anywhere else. And, best of all, when you look at it, you’ll remember this day.”

“That sounds nice.”

On impulse, he gave her another kiss and allowed his lips to linger on hers. He loved her. He’d known he was getting close to her, but he’d never felt just how close he’d gotten to her until this moment. He considered telling her. Now might be a good time. Maybe it was even a perfect time. But after restricting his feelings for five years, it was difficult to give voice to them. It was easier to demonstrate them. So that was why he let his lips linger on hers, and it was why he was in no hurry to let her go. When he was done, he kept her close by his side as they continued walking on the beach in silence.