The Golden Rules of Love: Western Romance (12 page)

After a long evening, Annie was ready to collapse. She hadn’t slept much the night before and it had been a wild day. She laid her sleeping roll down but noticed Mary Beth was nowhere in sight. Annie sighed. It looked like she would be sleeping alone.

With no wagon, she felt exposed. She could see the other members of the group settling down. Mack and his men were clustered together, discussing their plans. Annie rolled over, turning away from them, as loneliness filled her heart.

Mary Beth didn’t come back for another hour. Annie finally fell asleep, but her sleep was restless and strange dreams plagued her.

A strange sound permeated her slumber and she rolled over to settle herself when she ran into a solid form. Her eyes jerked open and she opened her mouth to scream.

“Hush,” Mack whispered in her ear.

She immediately wrapped her arms around him and clamped her mouth closed. If there was one person she trusted to keep her safe, it was Mack.

As she came more fully awake, she heard men’s voices in the woods. “This way, no over here.”

“Them Injuns camp down in the valley. This way.”

“Quiet down, would ya or they’ll know we’re comin’.”

Annie tensed but kept still and stayed quiet while Mack’s arms held her close.

The voices moved further off and Annie took a shallow breath. “What was that?” her voice quivered as she whispered.

“The miners are tired of the Indian raids. The Indians are desperate because the miners are using all of their resources. I’m glad we are getting on that boat tomorrow.” He gave her a squeeze and then started to roll away.

“Mack,” desperation laced her voice as she spoke.

He stopped and turned back. “Yes?”

“Will you stay next to me? I know you’re right across the fire but I…”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I’m just, I’m…” her voice caught. She couldn’t tell him her fears, the ones about herself.

“I’ll be right back.” He rolled away but was back in a few seconds. She watched as he set his roll down next to hers and then laid on top of it. Annie waited until he was still, then she rolled to curl up next to him.

Placing his arm around her, he pulled her closer. A tear slipped down her cheek. Somehow, the intimacy earlier that day had chipped away at her walls and she felt vulnerable and softer. “Thank you. I didn’t want to be alone.”

He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes. Now that she was close to him, his strength made her feel stronger. She breathed in his smell and she laid her hand on his chest. Rock hard muscles met her touch.

She rubbed her cheek ever so slightly on his shoulder. “Annie,” his voice was so soft, it could barely be heard. “We can’t.”

“I know. I just want to touch you. I…” She didn’t know how to say all the things that were crowding in her mind. Something in her shifted today. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted to love again and Annie didn’t want just anyone, she wanted him.

He let out a low chuckle. “I didn’t have the release you did today. Every touch…” he sucked in his breath as her hand slid down his torso.

“I asked you earlier, why didn’t we―”

“The shortest answer is that you can’t get pregnant.” Every muscle in Mack was tense against her body.

She sucked in her breath. “Ohh.”

“Go back to sleep, Annie.” He didn’t remove his arm but he did grab her hand from his waist and put it back on his chest.

Annie closed her eyes. While Mack gave her support and aid, he was moving them very slowly into a physical relationship. All at once it occurred to Annie that he was giving her the time she needed to trust him. If they hadn’t been together on the trail, she would never have trusted him the way she did now.

Did he trust her? Rake had accused her of acting like Garrett. If she was doing that then he most certainly did not trust her.

“Mack, thank you for being my friend. I don’t know how I will repay you for all that you have done but I know that I am going to try.” Giving him one last squeeze and she snuggled into him and fell sleep.

She woke the next morning alone. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked around. Mack wasn’t there but almost everyone else was still asleep. Swallowing her disappointment, she got up and stoked the fire, then headed for the river.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes to find Mack down by the water. Annie’s heart twisted. Why hadn’t he stayed next to her? Why did he leave so early? She took a deep breath.

“Mornin’,” she said as she leaned over to wash her face.

“Mornin’,” Mack replied.

“My stuff is all packed. Can we head to the boat early and then I can load my stuff and still make it to work?”

“That should be fine.” He rubbed his hands through his hair.

She took a deep breath. “Collin, thank you for yesterday. It was a beautiful gift. I know it isn’t new for you and it wouldn’t mean the same thing but I,” she took a deep breath and then rushed through the next part. “I would return the favor.” A blush stained her cheeks.

Mack stared at her with his mouth open for a full three seconds. Annie started to squirm under his gaze. “Can you tell me why it was a beautiful gift?” he finally asked.

“Oh.” She paused collecting her thoughts. It was difficult to share her feelings that way but something in his eyes told her this was important. And if she wanted any future with Mack she had to answer honestly. She took a deep breath. “I didn’t know it could be like that for a woman. And I know you gave to me without taking for yourself because you care and…” she paused again. “I didn’t know this before but I know now that I can trust you to do what’s best for me.”

“Annie,” his voice was a husky whisper.

“Thank you for giving me the time to figure that out. Mack, I will try to find a way to show you that I can put you first. I won’t be like Garrett. I will…” her voice choked.

“Annie, thank you for saying those things. It meant a lot. We’ve got all the time in the world to make this work.” He gave her a beautiful smile.

She nodded. They both stood and headed back for the camp. Mack grabbed her hand and held it tight. “Thanks,” she squeezed his hand as she spoke.

“You’re welcome. Besides, I think you’ve forgotten. We’re getting married, remember?”

“How can I forget our engagement? Rake is downright irritated by it. He thinks you’ve gone mad for me.”

“He’s probably right.”

Annie gave him a beautiful smile. She didn’t know what the future held for her and Mack but she knew she was going to try.

THE GOLDEN RULES OF LOVE

CHAPTER SEVEN

Annie’s first day
of work was a disaster. The only saving grace was that Mary Beth was there with her.

It was crowded and busy. The captain’s quarters had been turned into a dining room of sorts with mismatched tables and chairs. The stench of cigar smoke hung in the air. Men were drinking stale whisky and playing cards.

Annie tried to keep her face neutral but her nose kept wrinkling in distaste. When men weren’t barking orders, they were pinching her bottom or leering at her. She would have loved to disappear into the kitchen but Ed, the owner, insisted that she and Mary Beth wait on the tables. “Pretty women are good for business.”

Annie shook her head. “How could a restaurant on a boat be so crowded?” she mumbled to Mary Beth.

“The next boat over is an inn. If there is a stranger place in this country, I’d be surprised.” Mary Beth grimaced as she scanned the boats with her eyes. Giving her head a shake, she ran back down the galley for her next order.

“Hey Red, why don’t you join us? More than food, I could use some company.” A dirty miner smiled at her to show missing teeth.

Glowering at him, Annie moved to her next table. She wasn’t sure how long she could do this job. She might actually shoot one of the clientele.

Annie must have seen two hundred miners pass through and she asked a hundred of them if they knew a Fergal Mackinnon. She didn’t even bother to ask about Jasper. Apparently deciding to try to have a future with Mack had helped her to let go of her past. She didn’t care about the gold or about her questions. She knew why Garrett had left her. He was a selfish ass. Jasper was worse. She didn’t need to speak with Jasper to know the truth.

She didn’t turn up any leads on Fergal but she would try again tomorrow. By the end of the day, the till was stuffed full with gold and coins. Ed kept his promise and paid each of them five dollars and fed them a meal.

It was a handsome wage compared with many jobs but it was barely a pittance compared with what Ed had made that day. “Will you ladies be back tomorrow?”

Annie shoulders sagged but she nodded. When they returned out to the main deck, Mack was waiting for them.

A flood of pleasure washed through her at the sight of him. She gave him a brilliant smile and he blinked a couple of times. “How’d it go?”

“Lousy,” Mary Beth complained.

Annie shook her head in agreement. “I must have asked a hundred people if they knew Fergal. Nobody did, though.”

Mack’s eyes pierced into her. “Did you do any better with Jasper?” His voice was terribly quiet.

She shrugged. “Nope.”  She would tell him later that she was giving up the search.

They made their way into the skiff and Mack started rowing them to their new home. Annie was getting more used to the water but it still frightened her and when a wave rolled under them, she gripped the side of the boat and yelped in fear.

“You’re all right,” Mack soothed as he rowed.

Annie looked over her shoulder at him. The moonlight lit the features of his face. She wanted to reach out and touch him but she kept her hands on the side of the boat.

They finally pulled up to the side of the ship and Mack tied them off as Mary Beth began climbing up to the deck.

Mary Beth had already disappeared when Annie reached the deck.  Granted, she was slow but her friend had disappeared in a flash.

Annie’s shoulders slumped. She wasn’t keen on spending the first night on the boat alone. Mack stepped up behind her through the gap in the rail. She cleared her throat. She had said some pretty intimate things this morning and she was suddenly nervous to be alone with him. “Get all the wagons sold?”

“Yes.” He was just behind her.

“That’s good. What about the horses and the oxen?”

“Yep.” His breath tickled her ear.

“Get any supplies?”

His hand came up to trail down her arm. “Are you in a hurry to leave?”

She turned a little to see his face right next to hers. “Maybe I am.”

Mack stared at her for long time. “Do you mean that? What about your search?”

She shrugged, “I don’t feel the same drive to see it through. I…” Her voice trailed off as his hand slipped around her waist, pulling her against him. She turned back to look at him and his eyes glowed with warmth in the moonlight.

“Well then, I’ll start gathering supplies first thing tomorrow.” He murmured as his lips touched the back of her neck.

“You-you w-w-will have to show me to my room. I don’t know where―“ A gasp escaped her as his hand slid up her corset to her breast.

“I liked it better on the trail when you didn’t wear this thing.” He gave her rib cage a little squeeze.