Read Love For Lenore Online

Authors: Regina Tittel

Tags: #romantic, #historical inspirational christian shortstory romance lovestory, #helpmeet

Love For Lenore (4 page)

BOOK: Love For Lenore
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Her father cleared his throat, seeming
uncertain of Heston's meaning. His gaze took in Lenore's clothing
as worry filled his eyes. Lenore broke the awkward air and asked
about her step-mother. "Where's Zoey, Father?"

"She might still be napping. This cold
has threatened her health. I've encouraged her to get more
rest."

Lenore took note of the concern in his
voice. He lost his first wife in a similar way. She couldn't bear
to think of him having to face that again.

Heston stepped back and opened a pouch
on the pack-mule. "I have something that might help."

Lenore widened her eyes in surprise.
He was offering to help her step-mother? Shame over her surprise
quickly followed. Of course he wanted to help. He wasn't a bad man,
just . . . just what, exactly? He had wanted to shoot the deer, not
for his own use, but for her family. He hadn't expected her to
fulfill any wifely duties, he'd packed their things and set out to,
again, help her family. Then what was it that aggravated her so
much about this man?

Clueless, Lenore accepted her
brother's hand and followed the men to the wagon. They waited
outside while her father woke his wife. Heston started a fire and
began to melt snow to mix with the tonic. Lenore stepped toward
him. "Can I help?"

Heston didn't look up. "You're
speaking to me again?"

Lenore's face heated with more shame.
She had ignored him the last hours of their trip.
God forgive my
immaturity.

"I admit I acted silly, and I'm
sorry."

Heston brought his head up in
surprise. "You're apologizing?"

Lenore couldn't swallow the giggle
that escaped. "Yes." She smiled. "Isn't that what one does when
they realize they're wrong?"

She stared at his riveting green eyes
as he rose to stand beside her. Would their intoxicating draw
always make it this hard to stay mad at him?

She watched his eyes swirl with the
thoughts he now juggled. Had he never learned to apologize? What
was he thinking? Would it be impossible to hope he wanted to take
back his rude retorts as well?

The flap of the wagon pulled back as
her father helped Zoey step down. Whatever Heston had been tempted
to share, the moment of truth was now over. She started toward her
step-mother at the same time Heston reached for her hand. The feel
of his rough fingers as they slid across her skin sent sparks
traveling up her arm. Lenore stopped and looked over her shoulder.
The side of his mouth pulled at the corner, giving him a sly look.
His darkened gaze attested he felt it too.

Lenore's stomach tightened. If her
guess was right, nature had set its course.

Chapter Seven

Heston watched as Lenore embraced her
fragile step-mother. The Lord had been looking over more than just
he and Lenore. It seemed as if his tonic had arrived just in time.
He concentrated his efforts back to the melting snow.

Castle left the women arguing over
Zoey being outside and strode to Heston's side. "Son, there's no
need to melt snow, I have plenty of water."

Son – Had Lenore already informed
her father?
Heston stole a quick glance in her direction. She
caught his gaze and shook her head. Heston cleared his throat and
turned back to Castle. "The water needs to boil for the tonic. Then
she'll have to drink it before it cools too much."

"I reckon you arrived just in time."
Castle looked him square in the eye.

Heston nodded. "Yes, sir."

Castle continued to eye him. "How'd
Lenore find you?"

He knew it was coming, he'd just hope
to be offered something warm to eat before anyone's anger forced
him and Lenore to leave. And he would leave
with
her–not
without.

"Actually, Sir, I found
her."

Before Castle's raised eyebrows could
be followed by his next question, Lenore called for his
assistance.

"Father, will you help Zoey back
inside, she's too weak to climb the steps."

"I'm coming." He started away then
called over his shoulder to Heston. "Come on in when you have that
finished. And plan on bunking with us for the night."

Castle hurried to Zoey's side. Heston
figured if it weren't for his bad hip, Castle would have picked her
up and carried her. Together, they entered the wagon with Lenore
and her brother following behind.

Heston finished the tonic and stopped
outside the wagon. "Castle, the tonic's ready."

The canvas flap opened and Castle
waved him inside. "Go ahead and get her started."

Heston stepped around the crowded
interior and knelt beside Zoey. "This is a trusted Indian remedy.
But I warn you, it doesn't taste good."

***

The night wore on as Heston lay awake
listening to Zoey's labored breathing return to normal. The tonic
had worked.

He rolled over on the thin mat,
realizing there wasn't a comfort to find. His thoughts flew to
Lenore, where they often were. Was she also still awake? Castle had
positioned his daughter as far away from the newcomer as he could.
Little did her father know that in another day they'd be sharing
the same bed.

He finally succumbed to sleep but only
until the first ray of sunlight hit the snow. He shivered from the
morning air as it crept in under the canvas then crawled out to
search his pack for coffee and dried venison. The fire started
easily in the pit with the help of the pine knot kindling he always
packed. Lenore emerged from the wagon, radiant as ever. Her smile
revealed her pleasure at finding him awake. She made her way to his
side and held her hands toward the flame.

"Did you sleep well?"

Heston sighed, he never was one for
small talk. "Does it matter?"

A sharp turn of Lenore's head revealed
her disapproval. "Do you always wake up nasty or is it too much to
hope it's from sleeping in a wagon?"

He crooked a grin and offered her a
sip of coffee.

"Thank you. And thank you for helping
Zoey. Her breathing improved so much throughout the
night."

Heston reached for his cup, trapping
her hand beneath his. "So you didn’t sleep much either. Care to
tell me why?"

Lenore blinked several times but
didn't speak. The desire to kiss her pouty lips grew until he knew
he had to distance himself. He couldn't start that type of intimacy
. . . not yet.

"I'm going hunting." He strode toward
his horse, intent on retrieving his gun.

"I'll go too."

Heston stopped and turned around. "I
plan on shooting something, Lenore. Like a pretty, little
deer."

She threw her fist on her hip. "Don't
patronize me. It's not the shooting of the deer that upset me." She
stalked off toward the fire.

Heston sighed and ran a hand through
his hair. He should have been relieved he could hunt on his own,
but he wasn’t. That had been part of the appeal to having Lenore as
his wife. She could hunt with him. By his side. As his
help-meet.

He gave in to the urge to follow her.
"What bothered you then?"

Lenore gave a start at his presence
but kept her back to him. "Leave me alone."

He softened his voice and rested a
hand on her shoulder. "I'm your husband, Lenore. You're my wife. I
don't want to repeat whatever it is I've done wrong. Help me
understand."

Lenore turned, but kept her eyes cast
down. "You gave no thought to my feelings. And before you call me a
silly
woman, you need to understand there is a difference
between a man and a woman."

"You were enjoying the scene, and I
should have been more thoughtful."

Her eyes widened as she looked up.
"Yes. That's right."

Heston nodded his understanding. He'd
been wrong to not consider her feelings. She wasn't at all silly.
She was beautiful and smart and appreciated God's creation. "I'm
sorry. Will you still hunt with me?"

Chapter Eight

Lenore followed Heston through the
deep snow. Once she stumbled and would have fallen but caught
herself against his firm back. Her entire body tingled from the
contact. Her hand was now encased in his, at Heston's
request.

He stole a look in her direction. She
pretended not to notice. Holding hands caused enough emotion to
deal with. If he tried to kiss her . . . she paled at the
thought.

"Are you feeling okay? You're not
having second thoughts are you?"

Lenore met his concerned gaze. His
eyes said more than words could have. "No, not about hunting . . .
and not about you."

Relief flooded his eyes. Her heart
warmed that he cared what she thought of him. She smiled and felt
his thumb rake against the top of her hand. Before worry had time
to build, his lips were covering hers in a soft embrace. Lenore
felt herself give back equally as much. Kissing wasn't something to
be feared, it captured a beauty that up until now, she had never
known.

An hour later, Lenore carried Heston's
shotgun over her shoulder and followed behind as he drug the small
doe to the wagon. They didn't have to go far to find a herd. Castle
strode toward them from the fire pit. His face wore a mask of worry
and wonderment.

"Heston. Lenore." He scratched his
head. "I had wondered where you two had gone."

Lenore gave her father a kiss on the
cheek, making sure to rub her cold nose against him. "Heston helped
me shoot it, Father!"

Her father rubbed the chill she'd left
on his skin and looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?" His voice
took on a more serious tone as he turned to face Heston. "Why don't
you help me with this wheel, then you can be on your
way."

"Father, that's no way to be after
Heston brought you this meat."

"We have enough, Lenore, and it's time
we got back on the trail."

Lenore met Heston's gaze, and though
she spoke to her father, she kept her eyes on her husband. He would
steady her through what had to be said.

"Father, I won't be going with
you."

Castle stepped in front of her,
blocking Heston from view. "Don't talk foolishness, Lenore. Unless
something forbidden has happened, I suggest you not say another
word and climb into that wagon."

Lenore searched for the right words.
She didn't want to hurt her father, she loved him too much. But
something else was stirring her heart, and it wasn't her father.
God grant me wisdom.

"Castle, Lenore's now my wife. We
married before setting out to help you."

All color drained from Castle's face.
"No," he whispered, "no, Lenore wouldn't do that."

His eyes hardened as he looked from
his daughter to the man he now held with contempt. "Unless she was
coerced."

"Father–"

"Get in the wagon, Lenore." He held a
stern gaze on Heston. "The men need to talk."

Lenore dropped her head and nodded in
compliance. She stepped around her father and paused at Heston's
side. Her eyes trailed from his face up to his unruly crop of red
hair, bringing a smile to her lips.

She placed a hand on his arm and
whispered, "Remember, whoever guards his mouth and tongue, keeps
his soul from trouble."

Heston covered her hand with his and
gave a quick squeeze. The small gesture steeled her against her
father's disapproval and lent hope to her heart.

Grateful to warm herself inside the
wagon, Lenore didn't mind the order to go inside. Holding her hands
toward the pot-bellied stove, she feigned ignorance at her
step-mother's questioning stare and relished the heat as it brought
feeling back to her fingers.

Her brother asked through a mouthful
of cornbread, "Where were you this morning, Sis?"

"I shot my first deer with Heston."
She tried not to let pride seep through her voice, but the
excitement she experienced over her accomplishment still hadn't
calmed.

Raised voices from the men, reached
through the canvas.
Lord, please help Heston remember the verse
I quoted. Help him control his temper. And please comfort my
father
. She knew her family would have a hard time accepting
her marriage, though she no longer did. Life had just taken on a
new purpose.

"Lenore," Zoey's voice broke through
Lenore's thoughts, just as she began to picture what daily life
with Heston would entail. "Why don't you share with me what all the
fuss is over between the men?"

She swallowed and ran her tongue over
dry lips. Her step-mother's voice was much stronger than yesterday.
Although Lenore was thankful for Zoey's improved health, her tone
signaled more trouble. Looking from her brother to Zoey, Lenore
explained, "The sleeve of my coat got caught in an animal trap when
I went for help. Heston found me and brought me to his
cabin."

Lenore hadn't considered how hard it
would be to actually say good-bye to her loved ones. The thought
caused her eyes to pool with tears. Zoey took it for something else
and clamored to her side.

BOOK: Love For Lenore
13.36Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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