Chapter Fourteen
Rachel felt safe and comfortable with Nate’s arm around her shoulders.
She was still reeling from what happened, shocked that Vane had not only followed her, but grabbed her arm.
She was jumpy. Every sound squeezed her heart.
It didn’t matter how she busied herself; her mind returned to that moment.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, focusing on her feet sinking into the snow.
“For what?”
“For all of this. Being here. Talking with Vane. Inserting myself into your life.”
Nate gave a wry chuckle. “I’m not upset. You can do whatever you want.”
“Oh,” Rachel said, rubbing her arm.
Nate stopped and turned to her. “I’m annoyed that you wandered around Mercy Creek on your own, especially when you barely know anyone or the area, but I’m not upset.
” I’d rather you raise your voice and fight back if something’s wrong.
” He looked bemused. “Did you think I would be angry over you speaking to another man?”
“Well…?” Rachel bit her lip. “Aren’t most men upset by that?”
Nate stared at her for a moment. Then he turned away. “It’s going to get even colder. We should get inside.”
She wasn’t about to argue with that. She hurried after him, nearly slipping in her haste. After what had just happened, she just wanted to get inside and away from prying eyes. Even as they hurried along, she felt as if someone was watching them from the dark.”
When they finally made it to the house, her feet were sodden and frozen. She shivered on the mat as she stamped her feet.
“I don’t think I can feel my toes.”
“In front of the fire,” Nate ordered, pointing at the hearth. “I’ll get it set up. Just strip off your boots.”
“But…”
“Just do as you’re told. It’s not negotiable.”
Managing to get off her coat, she trudged with squelches over to the settee and sat down. Nate worked quickly, setting up the fire and then reaching for her boots.
“Will you let me do this?” he asked, glancing up at her. “Or do you want to do it yourself?”
Rachel wanted to, but her fingers were too stiff to work. She gave Nate a tiny smile.
“Sorry, but would you mind?”
He didn’t say anything for a second, his expression unreadable.
Then he pulled off her boots and placed them by the fire.
Her stockings followed not long after, Nate moving so quickly and efficiently that Rachel barely noticed he’d done it.
They were then draped over the mantel, dangling toward the flames.
The way he moved showed a gentleness that she didn’t think he possessed.
It was soothing her nerves, and Rachel found she wasn’t shaking as much.
“They should dry soon,” he said, pulling off his own boots and socks. “We need to get our toes warm.”
“It’s working already.” Rachel wiggled her toes, feeling the heat licking at them as she stuck her feet toward the flames. “I thought I knew cold where I grew up, but this is something else. I didn’t think it could be like this.”
“We’re in the mountains, so we get the worst of the weather.
If it’s coming from behind the mountains, it’s not as bad, but if it’s traveling the opposite direction…
” Nate slumped back in his chair. “We could get snowed in for a long time. We’ve learned to adapt, and the cold is something you get used to. ”
He regarded her thoughtfully. “You’ll love it here in the summer, although the spring is the best. The blossoms come up on the trees, and the animals come out of the woods when you go for a walk.”
“Animals?” Rachel squeaked.
“Usually, deer or maybe a boar or two. Nothing too dangerous.”
Her voice lowered. “He frightened me, Nate. I don’t think he meant to let me leave on my own.”
Nate looked just as confused, though the expression quickly hardened.
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. He said he was trying to be a gentleman.”
“A gentleman does not follow a woman after she tells him no.” Nate’s voice was low and controlled in a way that made Rachel’s stomach tighten. “And he followed you from the main part of town?”
Rachel nodded, the unease returning as she thought back on it. “Yes. I thought if I kept walking, he would leave me be, but he didn’t. He stayed close… too close…”
Nate’s jaw worked. For a moment, he said nothing.
“That was not politeness, Rachel.”
“I know that now.”
“Nate drew a breath, as if forcing himself not to frighten her more than she already was. “I’m not trying to scare you, but I need you to be careful. Until I find out who he is and what he wants, I don’t want you going out alone after dark.
If you need to go somewhere, I’ll take you. If I can’t, I’ll be sure Jack will.”
Rachel sat a little straighter. “You really think he might come after me again?”
“I think he already showed he was willing to.” Nate’s expression darkened. “And I’m not giving him a second chance.”
A shiver ran through her, and this time it had little to do with the cold.
Nate must’ve noticed at once because his expression softened before he stood up. “I’ll be right back. You’re shivering.”
He left the room without another word, Rachel frowning.
Nate returned from upstairs a moment later, carrying a couple of thick blankets. He wrapped two around her shoulders and then laid one across her lap.
“I’ll make you something hot to drink,” he said. “Will cocoa do?”
“There’s no need…”
He gave her a wry smile.
“You don’t need to worry. I know how to make cocoa. I’m not going to poison you.”
“That’s not…”
He disappeared before she could protest any further. Suddenly, Rachel remembered the mess in the kitchen and winced. She wondered what Nate was thinking. He was likely grumbling away as he carried on in there.
But there seemed to be no sign of any grumbling as he reappeared some time later, carrying two steaming mugs.
He carefully handed one to her before sitting down.
Rachel took a delicate sip, feeling the heat on the tip of her nose.
It was thicker than she normally made it, but the cocoa was still nice.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You just need to remember to keep warm when you’re out and about at this time of year. You’ll get used to it.”
“I thought I was used to it,” Rachel teased, surprised at the levity that came out of her.
Nate smiled.
“You’re going to have a bit of a shock coming to you. It feels like things are tougher up here, but it’s worth it in the end.”
“How so?”
“The sense of community, the people growing up around you who know you, the views and the many places to explore.”
“And the steep drops if you’re in the wrong place,” Rachel added. “Given how close this town is to the edge, I’m surprised nobody’s slipped off and fallen down the cliff.”
“They have, but we’ve been lucky nobody’s died.” Nate sipped his cocoa. “I almost went myself. Fractured my ankle. It took me almost a year to get back to how things were before I hurt myself.”
Rachel stared at him.
“What? How long ago was that?”
“Two years ago.”
“And what were you doing?”
Nate cleared his throat.
“I just wasn’t looking where I was going. I put my foot in a hole, and my whole body just went with it. I was lucky that I caught hold of some nettles at the top and it stopped me from sliding right over.” Nate shuddered.
Rachel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Nate had been hurt. She looked at his legs, but didn’t see anything wrong with them. It had been two years ago, but she had an image of his leg twisted and mangled, and she felt a cold knot form in her stomach.
“How did you manage as the town’s marshal if you were injured?” she asked. “Did they bring a replacement in for you?”
“I had Jack and a couple of our other friends standing in for the actual legwork, and I stayed in the office or my home with the paperwork.” Nate made a face.
“It wasn’t fun. But at least nobody actually did anything serious during that time.
It was almost like everyone was aware and they backed down. ”
Rachel couldn’t help but laugh at that.
“Now that I find hard to believe.”
“I know, but it’s true. It took months for me to learn how to walk again, and even longer to run properly.
I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not with the pain I went through.
” Nate held up his arm. “And my arm was stung all over with nettles. It burned for a couple of hours before it started tingling and eventually subsided. That was a horrible day, to say the least, until my foot was reset.”
“And how is it now?” Rachel asked. “Do you have any problems?”
Nate sipped his cocoa and wiggled his toes, stretching them toward the fire.
“I get stiffness in my leg when it’s cold, or the weather’s bad. I normally soldier through it, and I’ve gotten used to the discomfort to the point I barely notice it. But there are moments.”
“And you can feel it now?”
He nodded. Rachel felt a wave of sympathy for him. She couldn’t begin to imagine the pain he had gone through. She’d never broken any bones, so she could not truly know what that kind of pain felt like. It had to be torturous.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” Nate said quietly. “I can take care of myself.”
”I know you can,” Rachel said softly. “But you’re not alone in this house anymore. Surely a wife may be allowed some concern for her husband.”
“Even so…” he began, but Rachel cut him off.
“I know I’m limited on certain things, but I do want to try. I want to know that I’m doing what is right in this house. It’s going to be tough, but you and I can work together. I know it’ll be worth it if we can get along, at the very least. Don’t you agree?”
He stared at her for a long moment. Rachel tried not to squirm under his intense gaze. Then he nodded slowly.
“I do agree. But do you think we can do it? That we can get along.”
“If we put the effort in, yes.” She straightened up. “I’m willing to give it a try. How about you?”