Teton Sunrise (Teton Romance Trilogy) (23 page)

“What if I refuse to let you go?” He cupped the back of her head and brought her face down toward him. His mouth covered hers, and Evelyn parted her lips in an unspoken answer to his question. The ceremony wasn’t until later in the day. Perhaps a few more minutes with Alex couldn’t hurt.

****

Alex pushed the carcass of the buck he’d shot off of his horse’s withers, and it fell to the ground with a loud thud. He swung his leg over the gelding’s neck and landed lightly beside the deer. Spotting Laurent standing near the chief’s tent, talking to his future father-in-law, Alex led his mount toward them.

“
Mon
ami
, you have returned in time to witness the wedding.” Laurent rushed toward him, his arms spread wide to match the smile on his face.

Alex grinned and clasped his friend’s shoulders.
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
He turned his head to study the Frenchman. “It appears we both require a woman in our lives to remind us to get cleaned up.”

Laurent’s shoulder-length brown hair, which he normally
kept
tied back with a leather thong, shone in the afternoon sun. His beard looked freshly trimmed, and he wore a clean wool shirt.

“I had no choice, Walker,” Laurent said, combing his fingers through his mustache. “The shaman came with a bowl of water, and insisted he wash my hair. It is tradition for the ceremony.”

“So I’ve heard.” Alex sniggered. “I brought meat for a feast after the ceremony.” He pointed behind him to the deer on the ground.

Laurent’s smile widened even more. “My bride and I may not stay for a feast. We have our own celebrating to do. I do not plan to wait as long as you did
  to
claim my bride.” He straightened and puffed out his chest. A wide, unabashed grin spread across his face.

Alex laughed, and slapped Laurent on the back. “I understand,” he said. How well he understood. He could have saved himself and Evelyn weeks of misery if he had only known how to communicate with her. Laurent certainly didn’t suffer from that particular deficiency.

His eyes scoured the camp. He hadn’t seen
Evie
since she left their tent this morning, insisting on helping Whispering Waters with her wedding preparations. His insides warmed just thinking about his own bride. Not an hour went by in a day that he didn’t think about her. In fact, she was constantly on his mind. He was slowly making progress in reading her thoughts and moods by watching for subtle clues in her body language.

When the corners of her eyes twitched, it was a sure sign she was about to speak her mind, just like when her pert little nose rose higher in the air. Often, these subtleties were accompanied by a more obvious sign of annoyance when she fisted her hands at her hips. Luckily, he hadn’t been the recipient of those gestures lately. Hopefully it meant that he was doing something right.

Alex’s mouth curved in a slow smile. Thoughts of her soft sighs when he held her in his arms, and the way her green eyes shimmered with love and need sent his heart galloping in his chest. How well he’d learned those signs. She was probably not even aware of how
much
her coy glances in his direction, the way she licked her lips, or her discreet smiles affected him and made him forget the world around him.

 
Evie’s
most difficult mood to interpret was when something upset her enough to cry. Wide and round eyes most often preceded her tears, and she fidgeted with her hands in front of her. He’d failed to recognize this particular warning sign a few days ago when he’d finished for the day at the site of the cabin. Tired and hungry, he’d walked into their camp, eager for a hardy meal followed by his wife in his arms. When he’d casually mentioned that he was famished, her eyes had pooled with tears. 

“What’s wrong?” He’d pulled her into his arms, alarmed by her behavior. He wondered silently what he had done to cause her distress.

Evie
lowered her chin. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she sobbed. “I . . . I burned supper.” She pulled away from him, and buried her face in her hands. He could barely understand her muffled words. “Time slipped away from me while I was sewing my dress, and I forgot that I had the biscuits in the fire. The meat is charred as well. I know how hard you work on the cabin all day, and you must be hungry.”

Alex had stood there silently. When she raised her head slightly and peered at him from between her fingers, he burst out laughing.

“You’re crying because you burned some biscuits?” he asked, and scooped to lift her into his arms. “I have another hunger that needs to be satisfied, wife,” he murmured against her neck. “The burnt biscuits can wait.”

Alex sucked in a deep breath, and his gut clenched, remembering the pleasant incident.

Another memory crept into his mind, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He recalled an incident when his mother had prepared a supper that angered his father. Alex couldn’t have been more than eight years old at the time, when the bread pudding she’d prepared was a bit too dark on the bottom for his father’s liking.  She’d received a beating that left her eye swollen shut for days.

Alex pushed the memory from his mind. Not even for a second had he thought to react in anger when
Evie
told him about the ruined meal. He smiled softly. After he thoroughly put her mind at ease that he wasn’t upset with her about the food, he’d eaten every last
biscuit,
and the charred meat as well. The look on
Evie’s
face, the pure love that sparkled in her eyes for him, made every distasteful bite worth it.

He couldn’t imagine a life without her anymore. She made him happy no matter what she did. He took pleasure in simply watching her perform even the most mundane tasks throughout the day, and the tension he’d felt in his body for most of his life melted away in her arms.

“It is time, my friend,” Laurent said excitedly, and rubbed his hands together.  Alex blinked. He hadn’t even realized he’d been deeply absorbed in thought. Looking up, Whispering Waters stood outside her parents’ lodge, a red blanket draped around her shoulders. The clan’s shaman stood next to her, and beckoned Laurent to him.

“Go on, Laurent.
Go wed up with your bride.” Alex gave him a hasty shove, but his attention was on the woman who emerged from the lodge behind Whispering Waters.
Evie
looked around until her gaze met his. A wide smile spread across her face, and she rushed to him. Alex pulled her into his arms, and kissed her like he’d wanted to do all day.

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?”
Evie
beamed and turned to glance at Whispering Waters. Laurent now stood before her, and held her hands.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he whispered, and drew her fully up against him.
Evie
lowered her head and smiled coyly. She held up her hand, and revealed a leather-wrapped bundle.

“The shaman gave this to me,” she said. “I am supposed to bury it somewhere, and not tell anyone. It’s hair from Laurent and Whispering Waters that he tied together.”

Alex nodded. “It signifies their union,” he explained. “If they ever want to part ways, they can only do so if they find this bundle. So make sure you hide it well.” He grinned. “Laurent isn’t about to let go of his new wife easily.”

The shaman draped the blanket Whispering Waters wore around her and Laurent, and spoke a few words that Alex didn’t hear. He knew their union was now complete. He reached for
Evie’s
hand and waited for her to look at him.

“Well, I don’t think we’ll see them for a few days,” Alex said and chuckled. He nodded toward the happy newlyweds. Laurent held his bride’s hand, pulling her away from the small group of well-wishers and family members. Those who stood by to watch the informal ceremony dispersed to go about their daily business.

“I just hope Laurent remembers to visit and say goodbye when he leaves for St. Louis.”

Evelyn’s head snapped up. “Why is he going to St. Louis?” Her forehead wrinkled.

“He has business there. Remember that he is looking for information about the people behind the raids on the Rocky Mountain Fur Company’s supply boats. He has to meet Oliver Sabin and his men. We probably won’t see him again before spring.”

Evelyn tensed, and her eyes widened. Alex wrapped his arms firmly around her. He shouldn’t have mentioned Sabin’s name.

“And Whispering Waters?” she asked tentatively, leaning into him.

“She’ll remain with her people while he is gone, I believe.” He couldn’t imagine being away from
Evie
for any length of time.

“How awful,”
Evie
scoffed. “They just got married, and now they’re going to be apart all winter?”

Alex gazed down at her. “I’m sorry you didn’t have a real wedding,
Evie
. I want to give that to you.
Next spring.”
He caressed her soft cheek. She favored him with one of those smiles that left him breathless, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I know you think I’ve turned into a savage,” he said, grinning.  “But I still remember a few things about living among civilized people. Here in the mountains, you’re my wife because of the customs of the people, but when we go to St Louis, I want there to be no doubt that you are legally wed to me.”

“I love you, Alex,”
Evie
whispered against his lips. “I can’t imagine anything or anyone doubting our union. There isn’t a person on this earth who’s going to take me away from you.”

Warmth spread through him like the hot sun on a July afternoon. Alex lifted her into his arms and carried her to their own tent at the edge of the small village, intent on doing some celebrating of their own.

Chapter 18

“Close your eyes.”

Alex’s deep voice resonated behind her, and his warm breath against her ear sent shivers of anticipation rushing down Evelyn’s spine. She leaned into the warm hand at her waist, and glanced over her shoulder. They followed the well-worn path from their tent to where the newly finished cabin stood. Evelyn’s steps were light and bouncy. She felt giddy like a little girl on the morning of her birthday.

“Do I have to close my eyes?” she asked, feigning a pout. “You haven’t allowed me a single peek inside the cabin in almost a week.”

“If I did, it wouldn’t be a surprise. And since you’re being difficult, I suppose we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

Before Evelyn had a chance to react to what he’d said
,
Alex quickly wrapped a strip of cloth around her head, covering her eyes. Then he swept her up in his arms. She squealed in delight at the game he played, and instinctively, her arms flew around his neck.

“I’ve seen the inside of the cabin, Alex,” she reminded him, smiling. “I helped you build it, remember?”

For weeks, they’d worked side by side, laying the stones that now formed the large hearth and chimney that took up most of one wall in the main room. Yancey, who was almost recovered from his near-death encounter with the grizzly, came to help erect the roof more than a week ago. His deeper wounds still hadn’t healed completely. He walked with a noticeable limp, and he would always have a large scar that ran from the left side of his face up into his scalp. He had elected to stay the winter at Laurent’s unoccupied cabin, which was about an hour’s ride away.

“Do you miss your family back east?” Evelyn had asked Yancey one day when he stayed for supper.

The polite and refined easterner shook his head. “My father wants me to help run the family clothing and textile business back home. He is one of the major exporters of beaver fur to England. I thought it would be a good idea to learn all about the fur trade, and I told him I would be in the mountains for a few years, learning the ways of the trappers. I don’t see myself returning home anytime soon.”

An easy smile passed between Yancey and Alex. “Your husband plans to take me trapping, too, so that I can perhaps earn a few beaver pelts for Laurent over the winter while he’s gone.” Yancey beamed.

Evelyn had raised her brows at Alex. The change in him over the last few months astounded her nearly every day. He was no longer the dark and serious man who had bartered for her several months ago. He laughed easily now, and talked to her about most things that were on his mind. He’d even taken a liking to Yancey. She loved him more with each passing day, and couldn’t imagine ever returning to her life in St. Charles.

Never in her wildest dreams had she believed that someday she would be content to live an isolated life in uncharted wilderness. Or that her home would be a small cabin at the base of a spectacular mountain range. Most mornings, the new day greeted her with a beautiful display of gold and orange colors as the sun rose beyond the peaks of the
Teewinots
. Although she sometimes wished for female company, she was never lonely in Alex’s arms, and she knew that Whispering Waters would return by next spring.

The hinges creaked as Alex pushed the door open to their new home. The scent of fresh cut pine filled her senses, and she inhaled deeply of the rich aroma.

Alex carried her into the dark interior of the cabin. He set her on her feet, but didn’t remove the binding covering her eyes.

“When do I get to see the surprise?” she asked when he didn’t speak. She reached out her hand and grabbed hold of the first thing that she came in contact with. It happened to be Alex’s hand which he apparently held out for her to find.