Chapter Twenty-Two
Daniel shifted awkwardly in the small kitchen, his heart pounding in his chest, though he did his best to ignore it. The memory of the kiss lingered in his mind like a flame that refused to die out, flaring up when he least expected it.
He had tried to stay away, to lose himself in the woods, but the more he tried to distance himself, the more he found himself thinking about her—about the way her lips had felt against his, about how natural it had been, and how terrifying it was now.
He wasn’t the kind of man who knew how to hold on to things, especially not something as fragile as this.
He cleared his throat, feeling like he should say something—anything—to break the tension. “You’ve, uh, been doing a good job here,” he said, his voice gruff.
Edith stopped what she was doing and looked at him, her brow furrowed. “Thank you,” she said softly, her cheeks turning pink.
Daniel shifted his weight, feeling the urge to fill the quiet again. “Stew’s always good when you make it,” he added, realizing too late how awkward he sounded.
She smiled faintly, but there was something in her eyes—something uncertain, almost searching. “I’m glad you think so,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
The tension lingered, unspoken but palpable. Daniel could sense her gaze on him, but whenever their eyes met, he quickly looked away. It was as though holding her gaze brought too much to the surface—things he wasn’t ready to confront.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Edith ventured, her voice cautious, as she set the knife down. “Have I… have I upset you somehow? You’ve been… different since—” She hesitated, her face flushing.
Daniel’s heart raced. He opened his mouth to answer, but the words stuck in his throat.
He could see the confusion in her eyes, and it made him feel like a coward.
He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault—that it was him, that he was too broken, too scared of getting too close.
But he couldn’t find the words, not without unraveling completely.
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “You didn’t do anything. It’s just…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the weight of everything he wasn’t saying.
Edith looked at him, clearly waiting for him to finish. “Just what?” she asked, her voice hesitant, almost afraid of the answer.
Daniel sighed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
He wanted to explain, to tell her what was going on in his head, but the words stuck in his throat.
The truth was, he didn’t know how to let her in—not without risking everything.
But before he could get too deep into it, he felt the urge to pull back, to keep things light.
“I’ve got a catch out back. I need to clean,” he said suddenly, the excuse coming out of nowhere. “Shouldn’t let it sit too long.”
Edith blinked, clearly taken aback by the abrupt change in subject, but she nodded. “Oh, of course. I didn’t realize.”
Daniel gave her a tight smile, relieved the conversation was over. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he said, turning toward the door. “You finish up in here, and we’ll have that stew.”
As he walked out of the cabin, he could feel the weight of her gaze on him, her confusion lingering in the air. He knew he had avoided the conversation, but for now, it was all he could manage. He needed time—time to figure out what he was doing before he made things worse.
Daniel stood by the edge of the cabin, his knife working methodically as he cleaned the fresh catch.
His mind wandered back to the awkward exchange with Edith inside.
Every word she said—every look she gave him—only deepened the pit in his stomach.
The kiss had stirred something in him, something he wasn’t ready to face.
But the more he tried to push it away, the more it gnawed at him.
The rhythmic scraping of the knife against the skin of the animal gave him some relief from the chaos. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind, when the sound of footsteps approaching the cabin pulled him from his thoughts.
Daniel’s ears perked up as he heard the unmistakable crunch of heavy boots approaching outside.
The rhythm was off—staggered, uneven. His hand froze mid-motion, the blade still in his grasp as he listened intently.
He knew those steps. It was the sound of trouble, of someone not in control of themselves.
Slowly, Daniel set the knife down and stood, peering out into the fading light. His jaw clenched as a familiar figure stumbled out of the trees, his silhouette swaying like a drunkard in a storm.
Daniel’s jaw tightened as he looked up and saw the slouched figure of William Carter, Edith’s father, stumbling toward him.
His face was red and blotchy, his eyes wild and bloodshot, and even from a distance, Daniel could smell the sour stench of alcohol on him.
He wiped his hands on a cloth and stood, ready for whatever confrontation this would bring.
Part of him wondered how William had found them, on foot, in his state.
Daniel wiped his hands on a cloth but didn’t take his eyes off William. His pulse quickened as he saw the wild look in the older man’s eyes, the stench of alcohol filling the air between them. “You need to turn around and go back where you came from, William,” Daniel said, his voice low but firm.
William staggered closer, his boots dragging in the dirt. He swayed slightly, unsteady on his feet, but his eyes—bloodshot and narrowed—burned with drunken fury. “Where is she?” he slurred, his voice thick with malice. “Where’s my girl?”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, but he remained calm, his hands hanging loose at his sides. “Edith’s inside. She’s safe here,” he said, his voice steady, though every muscle in his body tensed up, preparing for a fight.
William’s eyes darted toward the cabin, his sneer deepening. “You think you can just take her from me? You think you can keep my daughter away?” He staggered a few steps closer, his breath reeking of whiskey. “She’s mine, not yours. You had no right to take her, you hear me?”
“You lost the right to call her your daughter the moment you tried to sell her off,” Daniel shot back, his voice sharp, though his tone remained steady. “She’s not yours to own, William.”
That word—own—made William bristle, his body trembling with the rage barely contained beneath his drunken bravado. “She’s my blood!” he bellowed, his voice booming. “You don’t get to kidnap her, drag her off into the woods like some kind of animal. You think you’re some kind of hero, huh? Maggie!”
The use of that word—“Maggie”—stirred a familiar anger in Daniel’s chest. It was an insult he had heard more than once, but now, hearing it from William, it cut deeper. Still, he forced himself to stay calm. This wasn’t about him. This was about Edith.
“You sold her,” Daniel said coldly, stepping forward. “To the highest bidder. And now you think you can come here and lay claim to her again? Not happening.”
William’s eyes widened with a dangerous glint. “That’s not how it works! She’s mine. She’s been mine her whole life, and she’ll come back with me!” He spat on the ground, his eyes darting toward the cabin door as if he expected Edith to walk out any second.
Daniel stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the cabin. His voice dropped low, dangerous. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“And you ain’t standin’ between me and my own daughter,” William sneered, swaying slightly but still fueled by his rage. “I’ll take her back, and there ain’t a thing you can do about it, trapper.”
“If you ever lay a hand on her again,” Daniel hissed, his voice a dangerous whisper, “I’ll end you, William. You come near her, you so much as look at her the wrong way, and I swear on everything I have—you won’t walk away from it.”
William’s face paled, but he didn’t back down. He shoved Daniel’s hands away, staggering backward as he tried to regain his footing. “You think you’re her savior, huh? You think she wants to be with you? You’re no better than me!” he spat, his voice laced with contempt.
Daniel’s fists remained clenched, his heart thundering in his chest. He could hear the venom in William’s voice, but it barely registered.
All that mattered was keeping him away from Edith.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but his voice came out in a growl.
“Get out of here, William. Don’t come back. ”
There was a moment of heavy silence, broken only by William’s ragged breathing. His eyes darted toward the cabin door, and for a moment, his lips curled into a smirk, as if he still had something left to say.
The door creaked open.
Daniel didn’t need to turn to know who it was—he could feel Edith’s presence, could hear her hesitant steps as she approached. His heart sank as he realized she had likely heard every word.
William’s eyes lit up with recognition as Edith stepped into the doorway. His sneer returned, a twisted smile spreading across his face. “Ah, there she is. Come to say goodbye, girl?”
Edith’s eyes widened, her breath catching as she looked between Daniel and her father. She didn’t speak, but Daniel could see the fear and uncertainty etched into her expression. Her gaze flicked briefly to Daniel, searching for reassurance.
Before William could say anything else, Daniel stepped forward again, his body blocking William’s path, his voice as hard as iron. “You’re done here, William. Get out.”
William stopped, his unsteady figure turning back toward them, his face twisted with rage. “Edith!” he shouted, his voice thick with malice. “You’ve got some nerve living here with this man, shacking up all unchristian-like. You think you’re above your own pa now?”
Edith flinched at his words, her hands tightening around the doorframe. She took a hesitant step back, her face pale as the venom in William’s voice struck her.
Before Daniel could respond, William stumbled forward toward the cabin, pointing a shaky finger in Edith’s direction. “You think this is all right? Livin’ here, alone with a man, and you ain’t even married? What kind of woman are you, Edith?”
Daniel stepped forward, his body tense. “That’s enough,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “She’s not living with me. She’s working for me. She’s my maid.”
William let out a bitter laugh, his voice dripping with mockery.
“Your maid? Is that what you’re calling it now?
I see how it is. Trapper thinks he’s a gentleman now, takin’ in stray girls and callin’ them maids.
” He spat on the ground, his lip curling.
“You think I don’t know men like you, Daniel?
You’re all the same. Pretending to be honorable, pretending to be better than you are, while all you want is to take what ain’t yours.
Well, let me tell you somethin’, boy—she ain’t yours to take. ”
Daniel’s jaw tightened, the anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “She’s safe here, William. That’s all you need to know. Now get out of here before I make sure you don’t come back.”
But William wasn’t finished. His eyes darted back to Edith, narrowing with disdain.
“Safe?” he repeated, his voice rising with bitter amusement.
“Safe from what? Herself? She’s a fool, just like her mother.
Thought she could run off and live her own life, thought she could make her own decisions, and look where it got her.
Buried in the ground. And you’ll end up just like her, Edith. ”
Edith’s face crumpled, her hands trembling at her sides. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The pain in her eyes was unbearable, and Daniel’s anger surged again, hot and fierce.
“Leave her out of this,” Daniel growled, stepping forward. “She’s not your property anymore. She’s her own person, and she doesn’t owe you anything.”
William scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s where you’re wrong, boy.
Blood’s blood. She’ll always be mine. You think you can erase what’s in her veins?
She can’t run from who she is.” He turned his eyes back to Edith, his sneer deepening.
“You’ll never be rid of me, girl. You’ll come back one day, beggin’ for my help. Just like your ma did.”
Edith’s breath hitched, tears filling her eyes. She shook her head weakly, her voice trembling. “I won’t,” she whispered. “I won’t go back.”
But William’s voice grew louder, more commanding, as if he could will her into submission.
“You think you’re somethin’ now, huh? You’re nothin’, Edith.
You were born into nothin’ and you’ll die in it.
And this man—” he jerked his head toward Daniel—“he’ll see it too.
You think he’ll stay with you when he sees what you really are?
He’ll throw you out just like I should’ve. ”
Daniel took another step forward, his voice low and deadly. “I’m giving you one last chance. Walk away, or you’ll regret it.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Daniel growled, keeping his tone steady, but William’s bloodshot gaze stayed locked on Edith.
“You don’t have a choice, girl,” William slurred, his tone menacing as he staggered closer to her. “You’re coming with me. Now.”
Edith’s breath hitched, her face going pale as fear flickered in her eyes. She instinctively took a step back, her body trembling under the weight of her father’s presence. Daniel could see the panic rising in her, the way her chest tightened, and her breath came quicker.
Daniel looked between William and Edith. William stood between him and Edith, and Daniel worried that if he made too quick a move, William might get too defensive. However, Daniel could not stand the thought of William between him and Edith, unable to protect her.
He turned to Edith again, his eyes narrowing. “You come with me now, Edith, or you’ll regret it. You’ll regret it just like your mother did. She tried to run, and look what happened to her. You’ll end up just like her if you don’t do as I say.”
The mention of her mother again seemed to drain the color from Edith’s face. Her legs buckled slightly, and Daniel saw the cracks forming in her resolve. Panic surged through him. He had to end this now before William’s manipulations took hold.
Daniel took a small step forward, hoping William wouldn’t notice. “She’s not going anywhere, William.”
But William’s sneer only deepened. “You can’t stop me! You can’t protect her forever!” He laughed, a cruel, drunken sound that sent a shiver down Daniel’s spine.
Before Daniel could respond, William turned back to Edith, his face twisted with anger. “You belong with me, girl. Now, come on. I ain’t leavin’ without you.”
Daniel saw the terror flash in Edith’s eyes, the way she stiffened, frozen in place.
Even as he stepped forward, ready to intervene as panic surged through his veins.
He could already see the cracks forming in Edith’s resolve.
For a brief moment, panic surged through him, wondering if Edith was actually considering returning home with her father.