Chancing the Frontiersman’s Heart (Wilderness Romance #1)

Chapter 1

The moon and the stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Raccoon Springs, Kentucky

Jacob stared into the black abyss above, speckled by a multitude of tiny white dots.

The full moon off to the right cut through the dark, illuminating the leaves on the trees at the periphery of his vision as they danced in the breeze.

As he laid on the hard ground, their rustle filled his ears, along with the chirp of crickets and the croak of a bullfrog.

It was an enchanting cacophony…but one that set his nerves on edge.

His brain would not quiet on this night.

Over a month on the trail with fifteen other families making the move west, and every day seemed to be the same—breaking camp in the morning and remaking it come afternoon, riding all day in the saddle with only his brothers and mother to converse with and the same few meals over and over.

It was growing mundane. And he still had no idea what lay at the end of the trail for him, besides helping his brothers as usual.

It seemed all he was born for. As the youngest male in the family, Jacob constantly followed in the footsteps of his three elder brothers.

As a child, it had provided great excitement to tag along on tasks he might not have been allowed to do otherwise.

But as they grew older, the choices they made were larger—life-changing, even.

First, they all went off to fight in the Revolution.

Now, they ventured westward into the wilderness of Kentucky.

While both held their own thrills and challenges, at some point, he had to break free and become a man of his own. Jacob frowned at the dappled sky. There was a time when he had thought to strike off and pursue the life of his dreams with the most enchanting woman he had ever known.

But he was young and na?ve. Neither had been old enough to start a life together. Still, that had not stopped him from dreaming of someday. But someday never came. Only the day when she disappeared from his life forever.

Now, Jacob could only pray that when they reached the land granted them for their service, he would finally find a path and purpose. He rolled over onto his side with a huff.

A movement near the trees caught his attention. Jacob rose onto his elbow. Was that a person? The moonlight caught on light-blond hair and slid down the back of a long black garment. The caped woman…

She disappeared into the trees. Jacob’s brows pulled together. Why would she go into the woods at night? Perhaps to relieve herself. But after several moments, the woman still had not returned.

Jacob glanced around, but no others stirred.

Could she be attempting to run away? It was peculiar that she bore the black cloak at all times, despite the growing heat of summer.

The woman kept to herself, never associating with anyone but the family she journeyed with.

And the only indication that she was a woman were the navy petticoats that peeked out from under the outer garment and the straw hat with purple ribbon that hid her features.

But no matter her circumstances, the forest could not hold the solution. Far too many dangers lurked in waiting.

Jacob slipped from under his cover. He could not leave her to her potential demise, no matter how curious her situation.

After quickly strapping on his pistol and collecting his shot pouch, Jacob strode toward the place where he had lost sight of the woman.

A few steps into the underbrush, he paused to allow his eyes time to adjust to the darker surroundings.

He examined the ground, but it was nearly impossible to tell which direction she had gone.

Still, he searched for each broken twig and ripped leaf, following them into the void while keeping his own direction in mind.

As slowly as he moved, gaining ground on the woman would prove difficult.

Jacob stood up straight and closed his eyes.

The night chorus continued, but now it was accompanied by the hushed tones of the spring for which the area was so aptly named.

Based on the direction he had already traveled, that was where the caped woman was likely headed.

Without looking for more tracks, Jacob moved through the trees to Raccoon Spring.

There, in the soft dirt at the water’s edge, was a faint set of tracks. Jacob quickened his stride. The trail led back the way the travel party had come from, and he followed it like a hound locked onto a scent.

A shrill squeal split the night air. Jacob stopped in his tracks.

When no other noise followed, he took off in the direction of the sound. His hand went to his side. Jacob released his flintlock pistol from its holster while his mind ran through the potential reasons for such a cry. Besides multiple tribes of Indians, bears and mountain lions roamed the area.

Jacob slowed. That had been a woman’s cry, had it not? Not the scream of one of the massive cats that stalked the area? He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran the sound through his mind again. It most definitely belonged to a woman, one who had been surprised.

Still, Jacob moved ahead at a slower pace. He had best keep his wits about him.

In front of him, the shadows moved. Jacob froze.

Slowly, a furry creature took shape as it lumbered through the trees.

Moonlight caught on its eyes—flashing green circles on a pointed face.

The animal, a raccoon with its ringed tail, meandered by, completely unaware of Jacob’s presence.

A smile tugged at his mouth. Until he remembered the woman.

Had the raccoon been what surprised her so?

It had certainly caught him off guard until he could see it better. Still, he had better investigate.

He cut through the next layer of trees and stepped into an open meadow, his shoe breaking a twig. Despite the night noises, it might as well have been a gunshot for how well it rent the air.

Several yards away from Jacob, the woman spun to face him. Moonlight revealed eyes widened with fear, set in a pale face, but he could distinguish no other features before she was moving, running. Into the trees to their right.

“Wait,” Jacob called, but she was gone. Leaves danced in her wake, but their sway was the only indication that a person had stood before him.

She was not a figment of imagination, though.

She was real. With eyes wide like a scared doe.

And something…something so familiar. Was it her hair, which had shone as golden as sunshine even in the pale moonlight?

Or a particularity of her expression? Jacob’s mouth twisted as he tried to force his mind back, to recall the details of that brief encounter.

With more questions than answers, he followed the woman back into the dark woods.

* * *

Dawn’s heart pounded as she broke through the tree line into the meadow where camp was set up. She stopped and took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow from its deafening pace. First, the raccoon, then the man. Was she not permitted to forage in peace?

She listened, but no sounds came from behind her.

She needed to return to her stepparents’ location at the far edge of camp before that man found her.

Dawn glanced behind her, into the dark forest as she stepped forward.

The timbre of the man’s voice had seemed so familiar, yet she could not place it.

After spending more than a month around the same fifty or so people, though, most everyone’s voice sounded vaguely familiar.

Still, whomever he was, she could not risk him raising a fuss.

Not only would his alert bring attention to her, but her stepfather would see to it that she received extra chores, even on the trail.

And, at least for a time, he would keep a closer eye on her, making her foraging more difficult.

But Dawn would not let Mary starve. She could not.

Mary, though her stepsister and no relation by blood, was her charge and the only person she could count as family in the world.

Neither of their stepparents wanted them.

Besides the free labor the two provided, they were seen as a burden.

Dawn scoffed under her breath as she moved through camp as quietly as possible.

How anyone could see sweet little Mary as a burden, with her bright blond curls and her big blue eyes, she would never understand.

The child was quite angelic, in disposition as well as appearance. So fair and innocent.

Dawn finally found their location in the darkness and knelt where the moonlight filtered over Mary’s face.

She reached toward the tiny shoulder of the four-year-old but hesitated, for her profile bore such a state of peace, her breaths coming slow and even.

They needed to eat their dandelions before anyone awoke, though.

Gently, she gave Mary’s little arm a nudge.

Then another. After a good shake, blue eyes blinked up at her.

Without a word, she offered three of the dandelions.

Mary moved into a sitting and accepted them.

Dawn held one of hers up before taking a bite.

Mary’s eyes widened, then she stuffed the whole bloom of the first plant into her mouth.

Together, they sat and consumed their practical feast in silence.

Though foraging prospects were minimal at this time of year, dandelions, or Taraxacum officinale, were a bounty in their own right.

Every inch from the bloom to the root was edible.

While it might not be the most delicious of foods, it would keep her and Mary from starving at the hands of their stepparents.

At least until they could reach Mary’s uncle at Bryan’s Station.

Surely, once the man became apprised of their situation, he would take pity on his flesh and blood and remove her from her stepmother’s cruel care.

Family was everything, and though Dawn had none left, Mary did.

The letter in Dawn’s pocket, addressed to Mary’s deceased father, said so.

And Dawn would do all in her power to see her to him.

No matter the consequences. Despite how dangerous life at a remote Kentucky station, a small fortified settlement, might prove to be, it was bound to be better than Mary’s current circumstances—a practical slave, having to scrounge to have enough to eat to live.

When the dandelions were gone, Dawn gave Mary a smile and ruffled her hair. Then she mouthed “good night” and placed her folded hands beside her head to mimic sleeping. The child nodded and tucked herself back under her cover.

A sound caught Dawn’s attention, and she whirled. The man who pursued her had stepped from the woods. Dawn dropped to the ground beside Mary, facing away from him.

Unless he had seen her move, seen her before she ducked down, there should be no way he could distinguish her from anyone else lying asleep. Still, Dawn held her breath and remained stock still. The man’s boots crunched across the grass as he drew nearer.

The sound stopped.

Perhaps he was looking around? The steps continued on after a moment, even and strong.

Had he put away his gun? Dawn shuddered. The stranger had appeared as a madman, with wide eyes and a pistol in hand. But then there was a tenderness, a familiarity in his voice when he called to her.

Why had he been so far from camp, though?

Had he risen to relieve himself in the night and seen her venturing into the woods?

She thought she had been more careful than that.

But it was the only sensible explanation.

Any other scenario resulted in a man with ill intentions toward her.

And despite the fear he had struck in her, it was because of her circumstances, not him.

In her mind’s eye, she attempted to paint an image of the man who walked away from her now, his footsteps growing quieter.

He was taller than her, though not overly so.

Thin but sturdy, with tender brown eyes and dark hair to match.

Much like the image she carried in her thoughts of a grown-up version of a boy she once knew.

Besides her parents, Jacob had been the one person in the world who accepted her as she was, missing left hand and all.

For two short years, they had shared endless adventures exploring the forests and meadows between their homes.

Together, they had created memories that sustained her through even the coldest and loneliest of nights.

Often, she dreamed of those sweet days as she fell asleep in order to escape the harsh realities of life.

But her and Jacob’s escapades had come to an abrupt end the day her father died—the day her life forever changed for the worst. A tear slipped from her eye as she flipped onto her back to stare at the stars above.

Why did God have to take so much from her?

He created such a beautiful, bountiful world, but why did it seem that death and destruction followed her every step of the way?

Dawn silently released her breath and pushed from the ground so she could return to her own cover. She could not allow herself to fall into that line of thinking again, for it held only heartache. Tomorrow would be a new day and would carry them closer to Bryan’s Station. Closer to hope.