Love Inspired Historical November 2014 (75 page)

She supposed she should have been grateful for his compliment. But his words about misjudging each other grated on her conscience like the squealing wheels of the train pulling in to the station.

Joseph knew nothing of Annabelle's life, or her situation, least of all her capabilities. Yet here he was, admitting that. Trying to do what she supposed was the right thing. Which made her own thoughts on him even worse. She should be trying harder, but something in her fought it and wouldn't let her.

So she let his comment pass and walked toward the creek, where hopefully enough fish would be biting that they could have a decent supper. Walking back to town tomorrow would take considerable energy, and with a little girl to protect, things could get even more difficult.

“Annabelle!” Joseph called out to her again.

She stopped, but didn't turn in his direction. “I need to catch supper before it's too dark to see.”

“I don't want you out there alone. That man could come back. We're safer if we stick together. Let me get Nugget, then we'll all go.”

His logic made sense. And she shouldn't resent him taking charge. Her mother would tell her she shouldn't resent anything, but there was so much to resent these days.

“All right,” Annabelle said, then sighed. At least with Nugget present, Joseph wouldn't be as likely to ask the kind of questions that made her brain whirl and her heart hurt.

Chapter Eight

T
hey found another patch of flowers near the stream. This part of the mountains seemed relatively untouched by the mining operations. A few trees remained, and the stream wasn't clogged with the tailings from the mines. If you looked in just the right direction, you couldn't see the town or any of the mining operations. Beautiful.

It was a shame that the cabin wasn't bigger. Joseph could bring his family here to live. Unfortunately, the cabin was too small, too rough, and he couldn't ask his siblings to witness the evidence of their pa's foul deeds. Nugget would be hard enough to accept, but he was confident that once they got to know her, the rest of the family would love her just as much as he did.

Joseph smiled at his sister, who seemed to have completely recovered from nearly being kidnapped. If anything positive could come of such a disastrous day, it would have to be that surely this confirmed the existence of silver. Then, he could save his siblings from the clutches of his aunt Ina.
Please, God, let me find the silver soon.

He wasn't asking for much, not really. Just for a place to live and a way to support everyone. He'd thought five sisters and a brother hard enough, but now that he had Nugget to think of, well, he supposed one more mouth wasn't too much more to consider.

Still, it'd sure be nice to buy Mary a pretty dress like the one he'd seen her admiring in the mercantile. He was closer to Mary than to anyone else, and when Ma had gotten sick, she'd taken over the mothering while he'd gone to work. Between the two of them, they'd kept things together, and he hoped to someday treat Mary to something nice for a change.

He glanced over at Annabelle, who'd taken off her shoes and stockings, then tied up her skirts funny so she could fish from the edge of the bank. It would probably offend her sensibilities for him to notice, but with the breeze blowing golden tendrils of her hair about her face, she looked almost peaceful. Back to the pretty girl he'd been admiring.

It was a shame he had nothing to offer her. Nugget was barely six years old, and though Mary was old enough to marry and start her own household, the others still needed his guidance. A woman wanted her own home, and her own family. Not a ragtag bunch of kids who'd lost their parents. Six. Hard enough to ask a woman to take on a child or two, but six, or even seven if you counted Mary, that was a lot. No, he didn't harbor any illusions of marrying and starting a family of his own.

But when Annabelle grinned and sent a splash of water in Nugget's direction, he was tempted.

The cool reception Nugget had been given by the women in town made Annabelle's kindness toward his sister all the more remarkable. She didn't see Nugget as being the child of a sinful woman, but as a child worthy of love.

“Got one!” Annabelle's clear voice interrupted his thoughts. “Joseph, help! It's a big one!”

He hurried over to the bank, where she struggled to reel in the fish. It was a big one, all right, and he wrapped his arms around her to help her pull it in.

Together, they reeled in the fish, water soaking them both as the fish fought for its life. Finally, they were able to get the fish on the bank, where it flipped and slipped, to the clapping of Nugget's little hands.

“Nice catch!” Joseph whirled Annabelle around, grinning.

She smiled, but released his hands. “You think you can do better?”

He glanced at the fish, still wiggling on the bank. “Probably not. But if you give me a chance, I just might.”

She blushed when he winked at her, and he was reminded again of how charming she could be.

“I should tend to the fish,” she said as she scurried past him.

Joseph grabbed the rod and started preparing it for another fish. Although Annabelle had caught a large fish, it wouldn't hurt to have more. They could take it with them on the walk home tomorrow.

“I'll do it,” he said, holding the fishing pole in her direction. “Since you like fishing, I'll handle the messy work and leave you to the fun.”

Her eyes flashed. “I can clean a fish.”

“I don't doubt it.” He smiled, hoping to disarm her once again. “But since you love fishing, I'd hate to spoil your fun.”

Annabelle took the pole. “Oh. If you don't mind...”

“Not at all. I hate fishing. Too much standing around and waiting for the fish to bite. I prefer things that are more direct.”

“If you're sure. Father and I loved going fishing together, but Mother said...” She turned her head away and started back for the water.

“Why do you do that?” he said to her back.

“What?” She looked at him, her brow furrowed like she was trying to decipher a puzzle.

“Hide.” He bent down and grabbed the fish, but kept his eyes on her. “Just when you start to reveal a bit of the real Annabelle, you retreat into a place where no one can see you.”

He couldn't read the expression on her face, but then, that was exactly what he was accusing her of doing. Hiding. Pretending. Who was the real Annabelle Lassiter?

“This is the real Annabelle. I like to fish. Some women would say that's not proper. So I only fish when I'm with my father.”

A wistful tone filled her voice, and he wondered when she'd last gone fishing with her pa.

“You can fish with me.”

Annabelle shook her head. “That really wouldn't be proper now, would it? I'm already going to have to be careful to avoid a scandal for being here, so the more we can avoid the appearance of impropriety, the better.”

Annabelle was right. He hadn't thought of the consequences of them spending the night unchaperoned. They shouldn't have come at all. But he hadn't thought twice about it when her father had suggested the idea. Still...Annabelle was a lady, and...

If word got out about them spending the night alone in the cabin together, Annabelle would be unfit for decent company. She'd done nothing other than offer him and his sister her kindness—at the expense of her own grief. And now, because she'd agreed to bring them here, she'd suffer once more.

“I should marry you. To avoid scandal.”

He'd never imagined himself saying those words, least of all to someone like Annabelle, but they slipped out. A man of honor, he'd spare Annabelle's reputation.

“But I won't marry you.” Annabelle stalked the rest of the way to the water, fishing rod clenched in her hand, stating clearly that the conversation was over.

Nugget tugged at his hand. “That wasn't very romantical.”

“Romantical?” He stared down at her. “What do you know of romantical?”

The little girl's face brightened. “When Papa got romantical for Mama, he went to the bathhouse and took a bath. Then he picked some pretty flowers and gave them to her. Mama said it was the most romantical thing ever, and she couldn't wait until he was free to marry her.”

She stared at him with a knowing look. “If you're not romantical to Annabelle, she's never going to marry you.”

Words from a child shouldn't sting. The comparison to his snake father was the lowest insult he could think of. Especially as they related to marrying a woman he had no business thinking he could marry. The honorable thing was to propose marriage. He had, and she'd said no. End of discussion.

Right?

* * *

Annabelle fought with the line that had somehow been tangled. Imagine! Telling her that he'd marry her, as if it were some kind of chore, like gutting a fish. Was she so unlovable that he wouldn't want to marry her?

Not that she wanted to marry him, of course.

But oh...the nerve of the man. Her finger slid along the line, and the string cut into her skin. Blood oozed out, and she stuck her finger in her mouth.

She glanced over her shoulder. Joseph had squatted by Nugget and together, they were gutting the fish. Her heart wasn't supposed to melt at the sight. She should have been completely unaffected by the way he smiled at the little girl. So tender. Gentle. And Nugget's giggle...

There was so much to like about them. Annabelle recast her line, this time being careful of her injured finger. If only things were different. If she hadn't been abandoned by another miner whose lust for riches outweighed his feelings for her. Mining fever blinded people to what was right. Though Joseph was beginning his quest with what sounded like good intentions, they'd fade once he held that first glimmer of metal in his hand.

But even if Joseph were a blacksmith or a barber, or anything else, Annabelle's heart was too irrevocably damaged that she had nothing left to give anyone. And why should she? She'd lost too much to risk it again.

Another giggle rent the air. Another pang in Annabelle's heart. For all her attempts not to care for the little girl, she couldn't help but wish...

If Susannah had lived, she and Nugget could have been friends.

A tug at her line brought Annabelle's attention back to where it should have been. This fish wasn't as big as the other one, but it still took a good deal of strength to bring it in herself. But she wasn't afraid of the work. Work had never scared her. The strength required to perform such tasks was nothing in comparison to the strength of will it took to handle everything else in her life. If only the rest of her life was so simple as physical labor.

“I'm impressed,” Joseph said over her shoulder as she finished bringing it in. “You should have asked for help.”

“And spoil the fun?” Annabelle grabbed the fish and pulled it off the hook. “I told you that I love to fish.”

The fish wiggled in her hands, and she tossed it in Joseph's direction. “Want to take care of this one?”

“I'd be happy to. It's the least I can do, since you've been so good as to provide dinner.”

She watched as he brought the fish to Nugget for them to clean. One more thing she had to appreciate about him. He didn't coddle Nugget or treat her as less than capable because she was a girl.

“I'll head back to the cabin and get the stove ready so we can cook the fish.”

Before she could turn back up the trail, Joseph stopped her. “We need to stick together, remember?”

Annabelle sighed. “You're right.”

The look he gave her made her feel only marginally better. How, in all of this, had she forgotten that there was a man out there who wanted to harm Nugget? For a moment, she'd gotten lost in the joy of fishing and forgotten that they were all in very real danger.

A bird cried out, and Annabelle watched as it turned circles in the sky. As high up as they were, sheer cliffs still surrounded them from all directions. Trapped. And with night closing in, the only option they had was to remain united.

She gave another deep inhale before opening her eyes and looking back up at the cliffs.

Along the top of the ridge, something flashed. Like a light, only not so bright. Like a reflection. Was it the man who'd tried to take Nugget?

“Joseph?” She tried to keep her voice modulated, not betraying the worry and fear that would frighten a little girl.

He must've sensed the edge in her voice, because he murmured something to Nugget, then stepped right beside Annabelle before quietly saying, “Is something the matter?”

“Look up at the cliff to the north. Just past my right shoulder. There's a flash of...something.” She gazed at him, watching his face as he searched the spot.

“Is it silver?”

If he had been her brother, she'd have slugged him in the arm. Hard. Silver. Because that's all the people around here wanted to see. Joseph's sister was in danger, and all his mind could conjure was silver.

“If it were silver, dozens of miners would have found it by now. I'm worried that it might be someone watching us. Like the man who tried taking Nugget.”

At her words, he stilled. Hopefully realizing that chasing after silver was foolishness in comparison to Nugget's life.

“I'm going to take a closer look. We'll return to the cabin. Once you two are safely inside, I'll see what I can find.”

Annabelle's heart thudded against her chest. “I thought we were supposed to stay together. I can't protect Nugget by myself.”

He stared at her. Long and hard. Like he thought her words were more foolish than the thought of an inexperienced man going after a child-stealing bandit.

“Don't go acting soft and feminine on me now. I know better. You are way more capable than you let on. I have no doubt that if someone came to the cabin, you could absolutely handle it on your own.”

Annabelle swallowed. His stare bore into her as if once again he saw deeper into her soul than even God. He was right. No one would harm Nugget. She'd already lost a precious child on her watch. Disease was something she couldn't see coming, and she couldn't stop once it came. But a man... Annabelle straightened her back.

“I could,” she finally told him. “But I don't like it.”

Then, because she couldn't let his foolishness pass without a remark, she looked him up and down. “You, on the other hand, I have serious doubts about. You don't know this land. And the type of men you're liable to come across...”

“You think I'm weak.” The word came out as a slap in the face. No, no one could accuse this man of being weak.

“I think you're green, which is different from being weak. Out here, being green gets a man killed.”

A sly smile slid across his face. “Does this mean Miss Annabelle Lassiter is worried about me?”

Oh! He was insufferable! “Fine, then. Take your chances.” She spun and strode over to where Nugget was finishing with the fish.

Annabelle smiled at the little girl and pretended to inspect Nugget's handiwork while ignoring Joseph's soft chuckle. Had she said he was insufferable?

“You did a nice job, Nugget. We'll have a wonderful supper tonight.” Annabelle picked up the fish. “Let's go back to the cabin and see what kind of feast we can prepare.”