Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2) (2 page)

O
nce he’d unbuckled
his hunting belt, Ethan yanked the ends of his cotton shirt free from his britches. In his haste to strip the wet material from his body, he all but tore the buttons off. He’d endured worse pranks from his brothers over the years, but getting a bucket of muddy water tossed at him by a woman was a first. He stood in the dark barn, a cold blast of air hitting him. Although the days had definitely warmed and spring had fully arrived in the valley, a soaked shirt against his skin sent a shiver through him.

He hadn’t planned on a dip in the creek today, but he might as well wash off more than just the grime on his face. The cold water might be exactly what he needed to douse his foul mood.

Ethan’s eyes darted to the barn door in the direction of the cabin. Why had he let that female scare him away? His change of clothes was under his bunk, not in the barn. If he went to the creek now, he’d have nothing clean and dry to put on.

Blast that woman!

The muscles along his jaw tightened to the point of making his teeth hurt. He’d had to get away from her. For months, he hadn’t had a moment’s peace. Not since his brother, Nathaniel, had brought a wife and her horde of siblings with her. And Anna Porter.

As much as he’d tried not to notice, her soft smile and warm eyes had haunted him relentlessly over the long winter months, even when she wasn’t around. The cabin he shared with his twin brothers and old Harley had become something more than simply a place to get out of the weather or a warm place to sleep at night.

Anna Porter had transformed the shabby lodge into a home through her unwavering persistence to keep it clean and tidy, and her resolve to make sure everyone was well-fed with her good cooking. His hand unintentionally went to rub at his stomach. He hadn’t eaten better since . . .

Ethan yanked his hand away and bunched up the shirt he clutched. He scraped it across the whiskers on his face while cursing the woman’s name. Her subtle feminine touches were everywhere, from the curtain that separated his sleeping area from the rest of the cabin to her work apron she always left hanging on the peg on the wall.

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. His eyes wandered down his wet britches, then to the rim of mud around his boots. Anna Porter’s scolding had rung true. He wouldn’t have removed his boots before entering the cabin. Before she’d come along and disrupted his orderly life, no one had cared about mud on the floor or grease and dust building up on the mantel. She brought back too many old memories that he’d tried to forget.

The barn door creaked on its hinges. Ethan tensed. He squinted toward the golden stream of light interrupted by a man’s silhouette.

“Did your horse drop you in the mud?”

Travis, one of the twins, wore a bright smile as he scrutinized Ethan’s appearance.

“Something like that,” Ethan growled.

Trevor, the other twin, appeared behind his brother, wearing the same perplexed look.

“Thought you was headed to the cabin. Patrick told me he saw you going that way.” Trevor exchanged a look with his brother.

“Changed my mind and thought I’d get cleaned up first.”

Travis snorted. “Cleaned up for what? A visit from the Osbornes never gave you cause to get gussied up before. I’m already bracing myself for Aimee taking us to task for our appearance, but I never thought you’d toe the line before she’s even here. Besides, the horse trough is empty. We ain’t filled it, yet.” He pointed to the old dug-out log lining the back wall of the barn that served as a watering trough for the horses during the coldest days in winter.

Ethan’s eyes went from one brother to the next. The Osbornes were coming to visit? Finally, someone he actually looked forward to seeing. Lucas Walker’s social call earlier had been as annoying as having the women folk here in the valley. He respected Lucas’ father, Alex Walker, as much as he did Harley and Daniel Osborne, but Alex’s youngest son was worse than Travis and Trevor combined when it came to causing mischief or doing something foolish. At least he hadn’t stayed long this time. The Osbornes would be a welcome change of pace.

Even for her advanced age, Aimee Osborne was a force to be reckoned with, just like her trapper husband. Her name throughout the mountains was as well-known as Daniel’s. The legendary mountain man was respected by his peers and feared by his enemies, yet loved and revered by the native people as well as white men. As a healer with extraordinary knowledge, Aimee wasn’t like other women who didn’t belong in the wilderness. Ethan worked his jaw muscles. Women like Anna Porter, for instance.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d go to the cabin and fetch my clean shirt from under my bunk, Trev.” Ethan nodded toward the barn door. “And some soap and a towel.”

Travis’ eyes shot up, then darted to his twin. “He wants you to fetch him some clean clothes, Trev.” A wide smile passed over his face before his gaze went back to Ethan. Travis cocked his head to the side, squinting as he peered at him. “Ethan don’t want to go to the cabin for some reason. It wasn’t your horse that tossed you in the mud, was it?”

“Get out of here, Travis, and mind your own business before I knock some sense into your fool head. Don’t you have wood to chop or something?” He’d always ignored his brothers and their goading, but he’d never hear the end of it if the twins found out he’d had a bucket of mud tossed at him. No doubt they’d find out soon enough, but he was in no mood to deal with his brothers at the moment.

“I’ll get your clothes, Ethan.” Trevor eyed him with a searching look. He was always the more sensible one, unlike Travis, who liked to stir up trouble. Trevor stared at him for another moment, then headed out of the barn.

“And make sure you take your boots off before you walk in, so you don’t track mud into the cabin.” Ethan called after him, then cursed the instant the words were out.

Travis stared at him, his eyes wider than a barn owl’s. He stepped closer, and leaned forward. “Are you feverish? Since when have you cared if the floors were clean or dirty?”

Ethan scowled. “I’ve always cared. And you two should care a little more about the roof over your heads, too. It’s time you acted a bit more grown up, don’t you think? Especially you, Travis.”

Travis laughed. “You’ve been telling us that since we was six years old, after Mama and Pop died.”

Ethan’s jaw clenched. He advanced on his brother. Travis held his hands out in front of him and backed up as if he was warding off an attack.

“Well then it’s about time you listened,” Ethan growled. “You might not remember, but Mama wouldn’t have tolerated a dirty house.”

“All right, all right. I’ll be sure and take my boots off before I set foot in the cabin.”

Ethan stared after his brothers as Travis high-tailed it out of the barn after Trevor. He faced the wall when they were out of sight and raked a hand through his hair. Cold air seeped through the half-open door, meeting his bare skin and sending a shiver up his spine. He tensed. Hell, he hadn’t relaxed all winter, and it was grating on him worse each day.

The solitary life in the mountains, save for the company of his brothers and Old Harley, had suited him well over the years since they’d come to live with the mountain hermit. His secluded life had come to an abrupt halt when his brother had brought his new family home to the valley at the end of last summer. One woman would have been enough, but three more plus a young boy had worn on Ethan’s nerves.

Cora, Nathaniel’s wife, was a feisty woman, and tough enough to live here. She was the only one in the bunch who went out of her way to talk to him. His lips twitched. She’d even gotten a smile out of him a time or two. She was bossy and strong-minded, and just what his younger brother needed.

Her younger sibling, Caroline, wasn’t as hardy as her older sister, but the youngest, Josie, was tough as nails for her quiet demeanor. She kept to herself and didn’t talk to any of the men other than Harley and sometimes Nathaniel. She’d even taken to wearing britches, and Harley seemed to like her even more for it. The old codger doted on her and taught her to shoot a rifle or throw a knife every chance he got.

Then there was Anna Porter. While the other girls seemed to be making a home for themselves here in the valley, there was something about Miss Porter’s demeanor that signaled she was often far away in her head. He’d caught her staring off into the distant mountains or with her eyes clouded over with sadness even when she tried to smile. Although she worked as hard as, if not harder, than any of the other women, she wasn’t happy here.

Ethan ground his teeth. Why did those things even catch his eye? Nathaniel had told him that he’d promised to take Anna Porter to Oregon once the weather was good enough to travel. While it meant that there would be one less woman in the valley, which was fine by him, it also meant that his brother would be absent for many months. What about Nathaniel’s wife and the other women? Did he plan to leave them behind?

Ethan shrugged. It was really none of his business. The twins were often gone for weeks on end, too, and life went on as usual in the valley.

“Here are your clothes.”

Ethan spun around at Trevor’s words. His brother held out a fresh shirt, a towel, and even a bar of soap. He took the items from Trevor and grunted his thanks.

“What really happened to you, Ethan? There’s mud in the cabin.”

Ethan studied his little brother. Trevor had a good head on his shoulders, even if he let his twin influence him too much. He was quiet and responsible, and reminded him a lot of Pa, before . . . His jaw clenched.

“I don’t know about any mud in the cabin,” he said and moved around his brother toward the barn door. The sooner he could get to the creek and clean up, the better. Then he could wash away thoughts of Anna Porter’s anguished look when he’d yelled at her.

Damn. He’d been gruff with her before when he’d told her to stay away from his personal belongings, but he’d sure put a scare in her this time. She was right. There was no reason he had to behave like such a mule, but whenever she was around, something indefinable made him act more out of sorts than with his brothers. He scoffed. Everyone called him bad-tempered, and he was fine with that. Why had it bothered him this time, when Miss Porter had called him out on it?

Ethan headed for the creek that flowed behind the barn. Dense willows and cottonwoods made this a secluded spot for bathing. He stripped out of the rest of his clothes, then stepped into the water. He sucked in a quick breath when the frigid liquid touched his skin, but gritted his teeth and lathered up his arms and chest. He shot a quick glance in the direction of the main cabin. Smoke rose in a thin line from the chimney, promising warmth and a good meal as soon as he was finished cleaning up.

Truth be told, he’d enjoyed some of the domesticity that had come over the valley since the women had arrived, even if they had upset his quiet life. Before, Harley had done most of the cooking, which usually consisted of some indescribable slop of a stew in the kettle over the fire. During warm months, they simply roasted whatever meat they’d shot that day over a fire pit outside. None of them were any good at making biscuits. His mouth began to water. He hadn’t tasted food as good as what Miss Porter cooked since his mother’s death.

The soap slipped from his hand when his fist tightened around the slippery cake, which quickly vanished. He reached into the frigid water with both hands, fishing for the sliver of soap. Closing his fingers around it before it sank completely, Ethan quickly rinsed and left the water. He slipped into his fresh clothes and mud-caked boots, stomping on the ground to shake off the bigger chunks of dirt as he made his way to the cabin.

His mother had never stood for a dirty home, either. Everything had always been neat and orderly. Over the winter months, the more he’d watched Miss Porter work to bring some feminine touches to the cabin, the more he thought of his youth and how life had been before . . .

He scowled while his eyes scanned the distant mountains. This remote land was no place for women, especially not a woman like Anna Porter. This country made a man hard and unfeeling. It was the only way to survive here . . . and forget the past.

Ethan cleared his throat. Cora may be adapting, and so were the younger girls, but Miss Porter was different from them. She was quiet, and polite, and had no business being here.

Travis led a couple of saddle horses and a pack horse toward the corral behind the barn. Apparently their company had arrived. A woman laughed from the direction of the cabin, followed quickly by old Harley’s hearty chuckle.

Aimee Osborne was easy to spot, despite her petite stature. Dressed in fringed britches and a brown cotton shirt that bunched around a wide belt at her waist, she wore her graying yellow hair in a long braid down her back. Moccasins were laced up her ankles nearly to her knees.

Next to her stood a man with shoulder-length, dark hair intermixed with streaks of silver. While he looked large and imposing next to his small wife, Daniel Osborne was no taller than the average man. What made him stand out, however, was the confident way in which he carried himself, with his shoulders back and head held high. Even for a man well into his later years, he looked imposing. The butt-end of his single-shot, black-powder rifle was propped on the ground as he held it, while his other hand rested against the lower half of his wife’s back.

Harley stood with the couple, talking in boisterous tones while his hands moved wildly in front of him. He glanced in Ethan’s direction at the same time Daniel turned his head. Aimee wore a wide smile when she saw him.

Ethan lengthened his strides to reach them and held out his hand to shake Daniel’s, then Aimee’s. Her sure grip was surprising for a woman her size and age. Before he could let go of her hand, she stepped closer, leaned up, and wrapped her free arm around his neck. Ethan bent forward to return her friendly hug.

“It’s so good to see you again, Ethan. It’s been a long time.”

“Glad to see you’re both doing well.” Ethan straightened when she finally let him go, returning her smile and glancing at her husband. “What brings you this far south?”