To Honor and Cherish (24 page)

Please enjoy a brief excerpt from the next book in the Western Vows trilogy, expected release early 2016.

For Richer

Or Poore

Koochiching, Minnesota 1900

Chapter 1

Elizabeth looked at the mess of a man who would be her husband and shuddered. He was not the malleable man she’d come hundreds of miles for. Dreading the prospect of completing her plan, she sucked in a deep breath to gain control of her nerves. She had to woo a husband and return to Kansas to take Whitte Ranch from her sister, Meg. Her hand clenched at her side. Could she really do this? Could she submit to this man even for a short while to get what she wanted?

Robert, who’d talked with and protected her for the whole trip from Kansas to Koochiching, MN stepped closer to her, concern etched his face. He was tall and strong, his bright red uniform coat adding to his imposing countenance.

“Robert, you stay away from my gal, y’hear?” Axel took a step back, but didn’t cower.

“Where is the preacher, Axel? You’ve never brought one of your girls home without them being properly wed. There is nowhere for her to stay at your place.”

Elizabeth got the feeling Robert was conveying important information, but she was too tired from the long journey to understand.

“The preacher was busy. We’ll come back in ta town tomorrow and make it all legal.” Axel growled, grabbing for Elizabeth’s hand.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She will be missed, Axel.” Robert crossed his arms over his wide lean frame. The action made him even more formidable.

“What do you know about my business? Keep out of it, lawman.” Axel sneered.

“I am sure everything will be fine, Robert.” Elizabeth’s voice held no such assurance and she couldn’t keep the tremble from her voice.

Axel shuffled Elizabeth closer to the wagon and before she could put up much of a protest, the wagon seat was beneath her. She opened her mouth to object. Robert would never see her again and she hadn’t been able to wish him well, or even really say goodbye. Turning, she lifted her hand to wave, but Axel reached over and grabbed her by the arm. His nails were hard and the grip of his fingers bit her even through her wool coat. She flinched and yanked her arm away.

“Don’t you dare make no move on no other man. You’re mine, and I won’t have it,” he yelled, spit flying from his mouth. Elizabeth pulled back to avoid the flying gobs.

The pit of her stomach rolled, fatigue and stress from the long trip caught up to her and made their home in her gut. The man sitting next to her smelled of unwashed body, tobacco, booze, and other filth she couldn’t name, and didn’t want to. If she jumped would it cause great injury? The horses were rather decrepit and they weren’t going quickly yet. She would miss her clothes, but they could be replaced. Axel shot a glance at her face and noticed where her eyes had rested, he grabbed her arm again and shook her.

“Don’t you get no ideas. You do anything without asking permission first and I will beat the life out of you.”

Elizabeth gripped the seat and wished she’d paid more attention when Jax, her sister’s foreman, had tried to teach her how to shoot. That seemed like so long ago, but really it had been only a few weeks. For the first time, Elizabeth hoped her family would figure out her scheme and come find her, fast. Her sister, Meg, was smart; she could do it. If Meg cared to do it.

Every tiny bridge she may have had with her family was probably in smoldering cinders at that moment. She’d made a fool of their father in front of his family and all his men and tried to seduce Jax, all in one day. Then, when Jax hadn’t fallen for her plan immediately, she’d left for the North, following a newspaper ad Meg had conveniently left in the sitting room.

Now she sat here, terrified, in the company of the man who’d placed that ad. Elizabeth wished not only that she’d never seen the ad, but practically wished she’d never learned to read.

She sat on the swaying seat for what seemed like forever, but couldn’t have been more than about twenty minutes. Huge evergreen trees spired to the sky in a long line about a half-mile from the trail they were on, the grass grew long, up to her knee if she had to guess. She could hear the gentle rushing of a river in the distance and realized that must be the Rainy River. Canada was just on the other side, and so was Robert. She didn’t want to think about Axel or what might lay at the end of this trip, so she set her mind on Robert. He was the exact opposite of the man sitting next to her. Clean, confident, strong, caring; Robert was a man to be proud of. If only it had been Robert that placed the ad. Of course, he wouldn’t need to. He’d never mentioned a wife, but it was likely he had one. It really didn’t matter now; she’d never see him again. Her pulse slowed and her chest ached at the thought.

Elizabeth had always had a father or driver to help her down from any type of conveyance, but she was pretty sure Axel wouldn’t help her. He yanked the horses to a stop. Carefully, she turned around and climbed down the wheel, surveying her surroundings once she was back on solid ground.

One very small house, a thick grove of trees, the sound of the river. No smoke in the sky from a nearby chimney or any sign of other life. She was all alone with this ogre of a man. Her feet felt leaden, her blood thick in her veins. Every ounce of her tiny frame screamed to stay put, but Axel wouldn’t allow that. He came around the wagon and grabbed her by the elbow.

He drug her toward the small shanty. She tripped and pulled back but he was much stronger than her. Opening the door, he shoved her in ahead of him.

A smell like no other assailed her nose. Instinctively, she backed up right into Axel. He propelled her forward into the house and shut the door behind him. Elizabeth fell to her knees, retching and coughing at the stench. He moved around her and sat at a small table in the middle of the room. Elizabeth got her stomach under control and got up, wheezing, using a chair as support.

“You need to clean this place up.” Axel pointed around the room then picked up a grimy knife from the table and wiped each side of it on the thigh of his pants. The stains on his clothing bespoke of the ritual of the action.

Elizabeth notched her chin high. “And you need to clean yourself up. When was the last time you had a bath? I have never cleaned a house in my life and I don’t intend to start now. I just came a long way and—.”

“Don’t argue with me, girl. You don’t want to make me mad.” He stuck the knife into the top of the table which was riddled with similar holes.

Elizabeth had never been told what to do and even though he’d threatened her, she fumed inside.

Clenching her fists at her sides, she screamed, “Now you listen here! I am not even your wife yet. I have no—.”

Axel jumped to his feet and slapped her face. “Now you listen here.” He poked her sternum and she had to hold in another coughing fit. “This is my house and you came here for me. You get to cleaning those dishes or I’ll make you wish you had.”

Elizabeth reeled from the slap and then the anger burned in her heart so fiercely, there was no stopping her tongue.

“How dare you?” She put her hands to her hips and thrust her head out at him. “I want to go back to town this instant. You can’t keep me here. I want to go.”

Axel got calm, dangerously so. He sat back down in his seat. “You see those three trunks behind the door at the end of the bed there?” He pointed the blade of his knife to them, though they were only a few feet away. “Open up the one on the end.”

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