The Wilderness Bride (Oregon #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

May 1894

T he rain came down hard as the stagecoach made its way to the small coastal Oregon town. Several times, the driver thought he was going to get stuck on the muddy trail. Three of the four occupants within the stagecoach were anxious they wouldn’t make their destination by nightfall, but the fourth occupant, Lisa Foxhorn, didn’t care. Whether she reached the Pacific Ocean today or tomorrow, it didn’t matter. But then, nothing mattered when one had nothing to live for.

“Will the rain never relent?” the twenty-year-old woman sitting next to her older brother asked as she held a handkerchief to her nose and mouth. “I swear it’s making my nausea worse.”

Her brother put a reassuring hand on her knee. “Hang on, Corrine. The town has to be close now.”

She gulped and clenched the bag holding the contents that she’d already thrown up. “It doesn’t help that the stagecoach isn’t steady.”

He shushed her and patted her knee again. “Maybe it’ll help if you count the trees. That worked last time.”

She closed her eyes for a moment then turned her gaze to the window where raindrops pelted the glass.

Their mother, who sat next to Lisa, offered her daughter an encouraging smile as she worked on her knitting. “I’m sure Henry is right. We must be close now.”

If the mother was so confident, why didn’t she put her knitting away? Instead of asking the question, Lisa turned her attention to the many trees lining their path. It wasn’t her business. She didn’t know these people. And besides, she had more than enough to occupy her mind. Too much, in fact. What she most needed was to forget.

She would be able to forget soon enough. Then, at long last, she would have peace.

The stagecoach stalled for several seconds while the driver cursed so loud that they could hear him. “I never should have taken this route on a rainy day,” he rambled as the stagecoach swayed.

Corrine opened her bag and released what little remained in her stomach.

Henry winced and rubbed her back. The mother offered her daughter an apologetic smile. Lisa just watched. She didn’t feel anything for Corrine. She should feel sympathy for her. The woman was suffering, but she couldn’t bring herself to offer any words of encouragement. Her own pain was too deep. It was all she could do to avoid falling apart right in front of them.

“I think she needs fresh air,” the mother said.

With a nod, Henry opened the window.

Rain splattered into the stagecoach.

“I hope you don’t mind, Lisa,” the mother added with a glance in her direction.

Lisa shook her head. “No, I don’t mind.” Whether she was dry or wet or hot or cold, it made no difference. Those things didn’t change her circumstances.

She rested her head against the back of the seat then closed her eyes. Life was a vapor. She was certain she’d heard a preacher far back in her past say that. Not that she had cared. All she wanted was to be done with the pain. Tears welled up behind her eyelids. She kept her eyes closed so the tears wouldn’t trickle down her cheeks. When would they finally get to town?

“Do you feel better?” Lisa heard Henry ask his sister.

“A little,” she replied, sounding weak. “Do you see any sign of the town through the trees?”

A moment of silence passed before he said, “I think I see something.”

Without thinking, Lisa opened her eyes. She hurried to brush away the tears before the others noticed. She followed Henry’s gaze and saw a belfry peeking out among the trees.

“Yes, it’s a schoolhouse,” Henry told his sister. “We’ll be in town in ten or fifteen minutes.”

A collective sigh of relief escaped the group, and it was then that Lisa realized that even she was anxious to get this trip over with. She straightened up in her seat and pulled her cloak tighter around her.

“We can’t expect it to be easy out here,” the mother told her children. “I heard the territory out here can be hard. But,” she added after a moment, “we’ll make the best of it.”

Henry was the first to agree. Corrine came in second then pulled the strings of the bag shut to block out the odor of her vomit.

Lisa didn’t know what had brought these three to Oregon. They hadn’t told her, and she hadn’t asked. She’d just been glad they hadn’t pried into her business.

They hadn’t been together that long. They’d left the train station in this stagecoach five hours ago. Lisa figured the three were visiting someone. They hadn’t brought much with them. Just a few pieces of luggage. But then, what did it matter? After today, she’d never see these people again.

The rest of the ride seemed considerably better for the three. The mother and Henry started talking about how nice it would be to walk the beach in the summer. “I can’t wait to swim in the water,” Henry added at one point.

Considering it was early May and cool, Lisa doubted they would be swimming. They were probably too far north for that. But who knew? Maybe July and August would get hot enough to allow them swimming weather. For their sakes, she hoped so. Henry and Corrine looked excited by the prospect of swimming. And swimming was fun on a hot, summer day. She had done it herself.

Lisa quickly retreated to the recesses of her mind where she didn’t have to think about the past. She chose, instead, to focus on the drops of rain that landed on her hands. The cold water helped to numb her.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

The stagecoach pulled up to a mercantile and came to an abrupt stop. Lisa bumped into the mother, and Henry had to stop Corrine from lurching forward.

“Sorry,” Lisa mumbled as she pushed herself away from the older woman.

“Don’t worry about it, dear,” the mother replied. “The whole trip has been rough. I wish we could have taken the train all the way here.”

“At least it’s over,” Henry said and gave Corrine a comforting hug before he retrieved the bag from her. “I’ll dispose of this for you.”

A flicker of envy came over Lisa. This family didn’t seem to be well off financially, but it was obvious they loved each other.

The door opened, and the driver poked his head into the stagecoach. “I apologize for stopping the way I did. A dog ran out in the road, and I didn’t want to hit him.”

“We’re fine,” Henry assured him then stepped out. He bent under the umbrella the driver was holding. “Corrine, why don’t you come out first?”

Corrine extended her hand and let her brother help her out.

Lisa waited for the mother to go next, but the mother gestured that she would go after her. Lisa accepted Henry’s hand and joined Corrine on the boardwalk. After thanking Henry for his assistance, Lisa pulled the hood of her cloak up to protect her hair and face from the rain. Then she turned to go into the store.

“Don’t you want your baggage?” the mother called out.

Lisa gripped the edge of her hood. She worried someone might try to stop her before she was able to get away from the stagecoach. She also worried someone might point out that she hadn’t brought any luggage with her. And that might stir up all kinds of questions. What kind of person traveled without taking at least one bag with them?

She took a deep breath then faced Henry, Corrine, and their mother. Henry held the umbrella over them while the driver pulled back the tarp that had protected the luggage from getting wet during their trek out here. She had to come up with something. She couldn’t tell them the truth.

Forcing a smile, she walked toward them. “I forgot. You’re right.” She directed her gaze to the driver. “Do you see a bag with my name on it?”

The driver sorted through the baggage on top of the stagecoach for a few seconds. “There’s nothing here for Lisa Foxhorn.”

The mother glared at him. “How could you be so careless as to leave her baggage back with the train?”

“I didn’t do it,” the driver replied, not hiding his frustration. “The boy who manages the baggage is responsible for getting the right luggage to the right stagecoach.”

“How old is this boy?” the woman demanded.

“Fourteen.”

The woman frowned. “A boy that old should know enough to put the right luggage on the right stagecoach.” She paused. “Isn’t there something you can do?”

Lisa decided this had gone on long enough. There was no reason for this poor driver to be responsible for something he didn’t do. “I only brought a change of clothes. It was a small bag,” she lied. “I will get something when I reach my destination.”

“Do you want us to escort you there?” Henry offered. “It’s not wise for a young woman to travel alone.”

“No, I’m fine. My relative doesn’t live far from here. We’ll be heading out together on another day.”

Before they could ask her any more questions, she hurried into the store. Then she hid behind a stack of barrels so they wouldn’t see her. She released her breath and lowered the hood of her cloak. She hadn’t expected the family to take an interest in her once they arrived in town. She knew they were only being kind, but she wished they would worry about themselves.

With a glance around the store, she saw that about ten people were congregated inside. Since they were mostly talking, rather than looking for something to buy, she surmised the rain had brought them in. Their gazes kept going from her to the other occupants of the stagecoach. They were probably wondering what type of people had come all the way out here. She couldn’t blame them for being curious, but she wished they would stop stealing glances her way.

To avoid eye contact with them, she pretended to be interested in the bags of staple items nearby. She had hoped Henry, Corrine, and their mother would leave immediately. Unfortunately, they stepped into the store.

By now, Henry had disposed of the small bag. He was now juggling three traveling bags. Lisa went around a couple of women so her traveling companions wouldn’t notice her. The women glanced her way and smiled. She forced a greeting in return but took another look at Henry, Corrine, and their mother.

“Welcome to Ocean City,” the man at the counter called out to them. “May I help you?”

Henry approached him and set the bags down. “Good afternoon. I’m Henry Paxton. My mother, sister, and I are looking for a hotel. Do you have one in this town?”

As the man answered him, Lisa glanced at the doorway. The driver was taking the stagecoach to the livery stable. The people in the store were paying attention to Henry and his family. Good. This was the perfect time to leave without anyone seeing her. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and slipped out of the store.

* * *

Lisa reached the edge of a cliff. The rain was still coming down. It wasn’t as hard as it’d been when she left the store, but it was enough to soak through her cloak. Even her dress was wet. She supposed this should have bothered her, but it didn’t. In some strange way, it helped ease her pain. It gave her something to focus on. It was hard to tell the tears from the rain when both were running down her face.

She wished she had never been able to feel anything. She wished she could shut the door on her sins and forget them. But no matter how far she traveled out West, her past pursued her. There was only one way to be free.

She peered down the cliff. Portions of the large rock mass jutted out at odd angles. The ocean slammed into the side of the cliff beneath her. It wouldn’t be a clean fall. She would probably strike the side of the cliff on her way down to the ocean. That was bound to hurt.

But would it hurt any more than the turmoil within her?

She just had to do it. Jump. Close her eyes and jump. Soon, it would all be over. How long did it take to fall anyway? A few seconds? After everything she’d been through, a few seconds was nothing. It would be over before she realized what was happening. She gripped her cloak. She could do this. She could jump.

She inched closer to the edge. A pebble fell from the top of the ledge. It bounced off a jutting rock and disappeared into the water. She took a deep breath. There. The pebble was gone. That had been quick enough. It would be the same for her.

She looked forward. The gray sky spanned on in front of her until it met with the ocean. This was it. Her grip tightened on the cloak. She steadied her breathing.

“Do it,” she told herself. “Get it over with.”

She closed her eyes then lifted her foot. Her foot shook. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. This could have been done already if she could just move.

She tentatively pushed her foot out. Rain pelted against the boot. Everything was quiet, save the sound of the rain and the ocean. Wind swept over her face. Not a single strand of her drenched hair moved. The cloak squeezed around her as if trying to suffocate her. Now she was alone. She could let go of everything, and the world wouldn’t miss her.

She could do this. She could end it all. Be done with it. Finally put the past to rest. She moved her foot out a little more. Her body wobbled.

Then she quickly pulled her foot back under her cloak and stumbled back. Her eyes flew open. She couldn’t do it. Not now.

Without thinking, she ran for the trees. More tears came. She was a coward. She didn’t deserve to live, but she was too timid to die. She reached the trees and collapsed to the ground. And that was when the tears fell in earnest.