The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances (45 page)

Chapter 23

They meandered along at a slow pace due to the horses being overloaded. Amelia sat behind Warren, her hands awkwardly holding his side. She was very worried about Riley; he seemed to be getting weaker by the minute. His once flushed face was now pale with pain. Each lurch of the horses step was more unbearable than the next.

She turned her head not wanting to see him suffering. Her eyes met Sally’s who was staring at Warren. Her friend looked away and Amelia found a bit of joy for the first time that day. Hopefully they could patch things up; Warren was not a monster—he just had made poor choices.

She was torn from her thoughts as Warren pulled the horse to a stop. She looked up noticing that Chase had stopped ahead of them.

“What’s wrong?”

“
There’s a storm coming. We should stop soon and seek shelter,” Chase said pointing to the west.

Amelia had noticed the wind picking up but she had not even thought about it being from a storm.
“Is there any shelter nearby?” She asked concerned for Riley’s well-being more so than her own.

“
There are no caves around here. We passed some houses further back but I’d hate to lose that much ground,” Warren stated grimly. Amelia agreed with him. The sooner they got home, the better.

“
We still have time. Jaelyn, ride ahead and see if you can find anything,” Chase ordered and Jaelyn moved to obey without question.

“
Wait! Isn’t that dangerous?” Thomas asked in concern for her safety.

Jaelyn grinned.
“I’m Comanche, I’ll be just fine.” And off she was like a light moving as graceful as a doe. Thomas frowned moving up in the line to try to keep a look out for his bride-to-be.

Time seemed to be moving in slow motion. The
horses, sensing the coming rain, were more skittish than usual testing everyone’s skill. A heavy mist began to fall, the droplets so tiny you could barely see them. They all were relieved when Jaelyn appeared on the horizon, her horse breathing hard from the exertion.

“
There’s an abandoned barn not too far from here. It’s damaged but better than nothing.”

They eagerly followed
her, wincing as the rain grew heavier and the roar of thunder drew closer. Amelia was greatly disappointed when they reached the barn, if you could call it that. The barn was the only thing left standing from the storm last fall and only half of it at that. Thomas eyed it skeptically since two walls were missing. This left the roof slopped at an angle touching the floor like a bizarre teepee.

Warren slid off his
horse, handing the reins to a panicked Amelia. He and Chase moved to check the strength of the building as they debated on the safety of it. Being doused by rain was better than having a roof collapse on you. Finding it surprising solid, they decided to risk it.

Amelia gasped as Warren
’s horse reared up as thunder crashed nearby. She slid down landing on her butt. Jaelyn, still on her mount, moved forward to capture the reins before the horse could run off. Sally slid off of Thomas’s horse to go to her friend’s aid.

“
I’m fine,” she grumbled, climbing to her feet and trying to wipe off the mud on her bum. She turned to find Chase’s dark eyes watching her with concern before she waved him off. He turned and organized the care of the horses and supplies while Thomas and Warren grabbed Riley and helped him limp under the shelter. She bent double to enter and looked around fearing spiders or snakes. Sally joined them as they waited for the others to return. Amelia sat down next to her brother, still unsure of their safety but grateful that it was blocking the wind.

Leaving the women and Riley
inside, the men carried in the saddles, blankets, and supplies. Amelia felt a presence next to her and was happy to see it was Chase. His dark hair was wet and clinging to his chiseled face. She looked up into his dark eyes and she so wanted to kiss him. He always made her feel safe even if she wasn’t. He offered her a piece of pemmican he had acquired in town before they left. She took it gratefully as he passed it out to the rest of the group. Sally looked at hers a bit hesitantly before she nibbled at it.

Chase moved away and pulled out a flint. Amelia watched amazed as he set to building a fire with some pinecones and dried leaves that Jaelyn had the sense to collect. Amelia watched in awe as he struck it with a rock and sparks appeared. Once the leaves caught, he gently nurtured the flame until it grew stronger and brighter. He then added pinecones and bits of bark and twigs.

The wind howled around them and Amelia shivered from the sound. She hated storms and hoped that this one would pass quickly. She turned her attention back to Riley who was lounged back using a saddle as a pillow. Thomas had covered the ground with a horse blanket and covered him with another from a sleeping roll.

“
Lovely day,” Riley greeted her as thunder crashed nearby.

“
I’m glad you’re feeling good enough to joke.”

“
I’m right as rain,” Riley retorted as Amelia swatted him halfheartedly. The glow from the firelight lit his features and his eyes twinkled brightly at her. Gone was the feverish pall from the night before.

Chase sat next to her again and she leaned into his warmth as the wind howled
through the cracks between the boards.

“
When will this be over?”

“
Shouldn’t last terribly long. The clouds are moving quickly, and it should be over soon. It’s good rest for the horses.”

“
Horses. Is that all you think about?”

His eyes seemed to darken as he turned to
her. “No, I do think about other things.”

A chill stole down her spine from his deep timbre. He lifted his hand to trace her smooth
cheek. “You should rest,” he advised as he moved to the door to keep watch.

***

Amelia’s eyes fluttered open and it took her a couple of seconds to realize where she was. Sitting up as she looked around she became fully awake and realized she was in the dilapidated barn. The sun was shining once again, and a patch of light shone through the crack and landed on Riley’s face next to her, who was still asleep. She placed her hand on his forehead and was relieved to find there was no fever. She could hear the others outside readying for the journey and turned to shake Sally awake.

Sally pushed herself up grumbling about how the humidity frizzes her hair. The two left Riley to rest as they joined the others. Stepping out, Amelia was taken away by the beauty of their surroundings. The earth seemed more lively
and greener, as if it had been cleansed by the rain.

“
We need to move.” Warren’s strained voice floated over to them. Neither of the girls was too thrilled by the thought of more hours in the saddle with their already bruised bottoms, but it was for Riley’s sake that they traveled at such a frenzied pace.

Thomas and Chase went to get Riley as Warren pretended to be busy checking the horses. Jaelyn joined the women.
“You want to ride with me?” she gracefully offered Sally.

“
Yes, thank you.”

“
I believe that Chase has room since Riley is to ride with Warren this go around,” Jaelyn added, not even trying to hide her mischievous smile.

Amelia felt her face getting warm
—from the heat of the day she was sure. “Yes, since he has room.”

There was a commotion as the men came out of the barn with Riley and they turned to watch.

“I don’t need to be babied. I’m feeling much stronger; I’ll ride my own damn horse!” Riley insisted as Thomas frowned at him in worry. He had never lost a patient before and he was worried he would use up all of his strength traveling.

“
He will do fine. If he falters, we will stop,” Chase said, ending the argument. He received a nod of thanks from Riley and a frown from Thomas. Riley was able to mount, needing just a little help as the rest followed suit. Chase practically leapt on the horse effortlessly as Amelia clambered on behind him. She would have preferred to ride in the front but Sally and Jaelyn were watching her closely for any reason to tease. Not to mention there were worse options than wrapping her arms around Chase’s rippled body.

She was relieved to know that they would arrive back to Montgomery tomorrow. She could not wait to climb into the feather bed waiting for her. She was not looking forward to another night in the rough.

With Chase’s larger frame blocking her view of most everything, she looked up at the sky. It was beautiful; the sky was a cornflower blue with large clumps of white clouds placed here and there. The only thing missing was a rainbow.

They rode mostly in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and worries. She kept a close eye on her brother who was not riding as straight and tall as he normally
did but was doing well. Amelia was exhausted and her back ached as much as her bum by the time the sun began to fall in the sky. It was nearly nightfall before Chase found a suitable spot to camp by a river. It looked much the same to her as other spots that he had discounted however, she was just grateful to be off the mighty Troy. Chase helped her down and she almost collapsed as her wobbly legs refused to hold her weight. Chase grabbed her quickly to support her.

“
Are you alright? Why didn’t you tell me you needed to rest?”

“
I will not be a burden.”

“
You are never a burden to me,” Chase whispered, taking a step closer and tasting her lips. He pulled away reluctantly to aid Riley as he dismounted.

Amelia was exhausted and skipped supper to rest. Chase
’s dark eyes followed her with concern. She awoke sometime in the night. She lay for a while unable to regain sleep as she listened to the crickets and the bullfrogs creating their nightly symphony. The sound of water melded into her thoughts and she was tempted by the promise of a cool bath.

Making sure everyone else was
asleep, she grabbed her toiletries and stole away down the path to the river. The moon was out and guided her steps as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was at the water’s edge when a hand closed around her wrist. She would have screamed except for another hand covering her mouth and Chase’s husky voice whispering her ear.

“
It is me.”

Amelia
’s heart was pounding as she leaned back against his chest. Whether it was from fright she was not sure. Taking a deep breath, she turned in his arms. She had to tilt her head back to look up at his face since he was so close. She was expecting one of his wonderful kisses but instead was met with words.

“
I need you.”

“
Then take me.”

She almost gasped as
his mouth crushed against hers, detailing his need as his tongue slipped between her lips and the warmth of her mouth. Her mind was in a whirl as she grasped his strong shoulders trying to support herself from the wondrous assault. She gasped for breath as he released her lips and started kissing her cheek and down her neck. She was grateful for the iron-like arm around her back supporting her. She felt his hand slide beneath the waist band of her riding skirt and then down beneath her bloomers to cup her mound.

Reactively,
she grabbed his arm in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“
I want to make sure you are ready.”

“
Ready for what?”

“
For me.”

Amelia was awfully glad it was
dark because she was sure her face was burning brighter than the sun right now. She was not ignorant about the mechanics of sex but she had never heard about
this!
A gasp stole from her mouth as he moved back to cover it with his own. He continued to kiss her while his fingers, which at first were gently rubbing her silky curls, suddenly pushed them aside and slid between her folds.

Amelia
’s knees collapsed from the shock of it and would have fallen if Chase had not been holding her tightly. He turned his head breaking the kiss, and she could have sworn that his chest was shaking from laughter.

Angry at his poking fun at her reaction, she moved to pull his hand out of her bloomers.
“Shh, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

Amelia,
who had been rendered speechless, released his arm but refused to look at him. He had been tracing slow circles inside of her and it felt really, really good. She was going to Hell for sure.

Unsure of what to do with her
hands, she put them on his shoulders as she buried her face in his chest in embarrassment. During one pass, his finger hit a spot that sent a shiver through her entire being. Sensing her reaction he zeroed in and kept repeating the motion until she dug her nails into his shoulders begging him to stop. Feeling her shudder and leaning all of her weight on him he pulled his hand free and lowered them onto the mossy embankment.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she was finally able to speak. She turned to Chase who was lying next to her trying to gauge her reaction.
“What was that?”