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”One thing yet remains...”
~ Samuel
A WEEK PASSED BEFORE Samuel could catch his breath. Moriah seemed to settle in a little more each day, and the way the women doted on little Cherry, he rarely had a moment alone with the little cherub.
Not that he’d been sitting around pining, since Seth was pushing to get his house finished. He and the other men had spent much of their daylight hours working on the cabin. In another day or two, it’d be ready for furniture.
Then the wedding.
His chest pinched at the thought. He and Seth had been together for everything throughout their entire lives. Now Seth was branching out on his own. Moving in a direction they couldn’t travel together, and the loss cut a raw edge somewhere in the vicinity of his heart.
Not that he begrudged his brother. Seth and Rachel were good together. They balanced one another, each making the other better. She’d accomplished something Samuel had never been able to.
But still, he would miss his brother. The one who’d been connected to him since before they were born.
He ambled across the yard outside Simeon’s cabin, heading toward the barn. Emma had said Moriah might be out checking her horses. Since this was the Sabbath, Seth had given them a reprieve from building, and he ached to spend it with the woman and child he loved.
Now, if only he could find them.
He pushed open the door enough to slide through, then slowed to let his eyes accustom to the dim lighting. He was still sensitive to changes in lighting, especially harsh sunlight. But thank the Lord his vision had fully returned.
A soft rustling sounded from one of the stalls, and he ambled forward to see if Moriah was the source. She was there, inside the pen with her mare and yearling. The colt stood tied to a wall as she ran a soft brush over his wooly winter coat.
The animal raised his head and nickered as Samuel approached the gate, and Moriah turned to look. A smile settled over her sweet face when she saw him, the kind of smile that warmed him from the inside out.
He leaned on the rail. “Porcupine wounds finally healed?”
She turned back to brush the colt’s neck. “Looks like it. I’m trying to spend more time with him so he’ll be gentle like his mama.” She reached to pat the mare, but a sadness seemed to slip over her face.
He swallowed. “I’m sorry we never found your other mare.” Daniel had searched the area before coming back with these two, but the tracks had no longer been visible. Who knew how far the horse had wandered and what it might have fallen prey to.
Her mouth pulled into a smile, but there was no joy in the look. “So am I. But at least we didn’t lose Matisse.”
Matisse would be a good change of topic. “I just left his room. He said he’s feeling good enough to get up and walk around, but you won’t allow it.”
She rolled her eyes. “He talks big, but he still has a lot of healing to do.” She reached for the colt’s halter and untied the strap, releasing the horse to walk around the stall. “I guess I’m done here.”
He opened the gate for her to slip out, then latched it behind her. “Where’s my Little Bit? I thought I’d find her strapped to your back.” He held out a hand, and she slipped hers into his. He wove their fingers together. The perfect fit.
“Sleeping. Emma promised to call when she wakes.”
The way Moriah tucked herself close to him made him wonder why he’d spent all week notching logs and framing doors instead of by this woman’s side.
“Does that mean you have time for a walk? There’s not much wind right now.” As much as he dreaded the thought, there was a conversation they needed to have. His conscience wouldn’t let him put if off much longer.
She studied his face for a moment, maybe hearing something in his tone that gave her pause. He tried to offer a casual smile as they stepped out of the barn.
“All right.” Her voice sounded unsure, but at least she’d agreed.
They walked for a few minutes in silence, the warm sun taking away a little of winter’s bite. Thankfully, the rays weren’t bright enough to make his eyes sting.
Moriah was the first to break the quiet. “Rachel said Seth plans to ask Father Bergeron to come next Sunday to marry them.”
That pang touched his chest again, but not so sharp as before. “That’s what I hear.” He could feel her gaze on him, but knew if he looked at her, she’d be able to read his thoughts.
“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Her gloved thumb stoked the back of his hand.
Apparently she could read his thoughts without seeing them in his eyes. He inhaled, then released a sigh. “Seth and I have always done things together. I guess I feel like I’m losing him.”
She was quiet for another few strides, then her voice seemed hesitant as she spoke. “Do you plan to build your own cabin here?”
His gut squeezed. Now was the time to make good on his promise. He inhaled a breath and looked at her. “I didn’t really have plans before, but I made you a promise I’ll still keep.”
She stopped walking and turned to meet his gaze, a glimpse of her old emotionless expression hovering on her face. “Which is?”
“I’ll find your people, Moriah. Just like I said I would. But there’s something I need to ask of you.”
“Yes?” Still no expression on her face. That couldn’t be good.
He squeezed her hand, gentling his voice and adding a note of pleading. “Stay here with my family until I come back. Don’t bring her on the trail again. Please. I promise I’ll search until I find them. I won’t give up. But I couldn’t stand it if something happened to either of you. I can’t protect you in the wilderness like I need to.” His chest ached as he waited for her response.
She looked away, into the distance, her mind somewhere far distant. Her throat worked, and he searched for some idea of her thoughts.
At last, she turned to face him, and something in her eyes looked almost like the glimmer of tears. “And after you find my people, what will you do? Come back and take Cherry and me to live with them?”
What was she asking? Hadn’t that been her goal from the very beginning? He certainly didn’t want to send her and the baby away. In fact, if that’s where she wanted to live, he’d take up residence with her people, too.
A desperation welled up inside him, a feeling he’d been tamping down for a week now. Longer, really.
He took her other hand and faced her fully. It was time to tell everything, whether she was ready to hear it or not.
“Moriah, I haven’t said anything because I know it’s too soon. You’re probably still—I mean, I know you’re still grieving Henry. But I can’t keep this from you any longer. I don’t want there to be secrets or things unsaid between us.”
He kept on before he lost his nerve. “I love you, Moriah. And I can’t let you and Cherry ride away. I’ll find your people, and if that’s where you want to live, that’s where I want to be, too. By your side as your husband. Loving you both.” He raised one of her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss as he searched her eyes for some kind of response.
Her expression was unreadable for a long moment, and his heart felt like it might beat out of his chest. Then her eyes turned glassy. Tears? Maybe he should have waited to say all this until she’d had more time to grow accustomed to this place, to him. More time to grieve. Seven months couldn’t be nearly long enough.
When she finally opened her mouth to speak, her lips parted for a long moment before words actually came out. He steeled himself, prepared his response. He would tell her they didn’t have to talk about this now. In a few months, when she was ready, they could discuss the future.
In the meantime, he could keep himself occupied riding the countryside searching for a missing band of Piegan.
“Are you certain?”
Her words brought a flash of confusion, as quickly as his thoughts were spinning.
He replayed his declaration through his mind. She was asking if he was sure he loved her and wanted to marry her? He raised her other hand and kissed the fingers as he caught her gaze and held it. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I’ll wait as long as you need. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
Her chin trembled, and the sight pressed hard on his chest. Lord, please don’t let her cry. I’m not trying to push too hard. Should I have kept this all to myself?
She squeezed his hands, and with a shaky breath, she nodded. “I love you, too. I never thought I could, but you’re not like any person I’ve ever known—white or Indian.”
Her words slipped inside him like a breath of clean, crisp air, clearing away all his worries. “Really?” His chest felt like it might inflate right out of his body.
A tear leaked from one of her eyes even as a radiant smile took over her face. She nodded. “Really.”
He couldn’t stand it a second longer. He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her as tight as he dared. Yet it didn’t come close to expressing the pure joy sluicing through him. “Moriah.” Her name felt like heaven on his lips.
She held him tightly, too, and for a long moment they stood like that. He breathed in her sweet scent, resting his cheek on her silky hair.
Then she pulled back enough to look up into his face. “Don’t leave us this winter. Now that I have you, it’s not so urgent to find my people.”
He studied her face for signs of longing. She’d been so hurt when they’d found that empty valley, as though she’d been abandoned. Was it really only the safety of the group she’d longed for? He couldn’t let her give this up if she really wanted it. “Shall I go when the weather warms then?”
She reached up to press a hand to his chest. “One day I’d like to see them again. I miss my mother and grandfather. Even my half-brothers and sisters. But we’ll find them when the time comes. For now, we have a life to make here.”
Could it be possible she really felt that way? He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and break out in a psalm of praise. Thank you, Father. Your grace overflows so much more than I deserve.
He moved his hands up and cupped her face in both his palms, then lowered his mouth to brush a kiss on her lips. He kept it to a single caress, then raised his head to look in her eyes again. “Moriah Clark, you’re so much more than I ever dreamed of. I love you.”
She reached a hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth back down to hers. And this time, he let his kiss say all that was in his heart.