Free Frontier Gift of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 5) by Dorothy Wiley Page A

those men are well on their way back to New Hampshire. They could hardly have mistaken your refusal to sell.”
    “Catherine, what about the ache in your side? Did she have any idea what was causing it?”
    “Well, he’s so big he’s putting pressure on my right ribs.” It was the truth, just not all of it.
    Sam put his strong arms around her and hugged her. He gently pulledher against his broad chest and kissed the top of her head.
    She listened to his heart pound in his chest and breathed in his soothing scent. He smelled of horses, wood, and a hint of the tobacco from the pipe he occasionally smoked. His arms tightened around her and, feeling wrapped in the cocoon of her husband’s love, she relaxed. His touch was so comforting it almost made her want to cry again. “I love you Sam.”
    “And I love you, Catherine. You’re my treasure.”
    Sam had first called her his treasure when she’d finally revealed that she was a wealthy woman—very wealthy in fact. She’d kept it a secret, wanting to be sure he was marrying her for the right reasons. After their wedding, and their first night together, his tenderness and passion for pleasing her convinced Catherine that he truly loved her. He was so unlike her cold first husband who had married her for prestige and gain, certainly not love. The way Sam made love to her on their honeymoon at Cumberland Falls, and ever since then, conveyed that he truly treasured her. As she did him.
    If only they could always be this happy together.
    He pressed his mouth to hers. The warmth of his lips and the feel of his strong arms removed the chill she’d buried within her heart and filled her with renewed hope.

    Little John swiped at the tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn’t let anyone see him like this, especially his Pa. He believed a man should strive to be strong and brave—always.
    But right now, he didn’t feel brave and he certainly didn’t feel like a man. Ashamed, he admitted to himself that he was merely a frightened boy.
    He was scared stiff that his mother would die.
    What did she say he should do when he was worried? Talk to God. He’d never talked to the Lord about anything important before. Just silly boy stuff and prayers at the table to say thanks for his food and family.
    He tried to decide what he should tell God. He never felt much for his first mother, except maybe sadness that he never got a chance to know her. He remembered her name—Diana—although he knew little else about her. And, while he felt affection whenever he thought about Diana, he never actually felt love for her.
    He loved Catherine. She was his mother now and always would be…unless she died. He wanted God to let her stay with him. He didn’t want her to go live in heaven. She needed to live here with him and Pa. His Pa loved her. A whole lot. He could tell. She couldn’t die. That’s what he would pray for!
    Please don’t let her die
. My
Pa and I need her. Please. Amen
.
    But would God listen? Would she die anyway? Angered, at the thought, he stopped abruptly, his heart pounding. “No!” he screamed into the forest. “Let her stay!”
    He leaned over and tried to catch his breath. His heaving chest felt as if it would burst. How long had he been running? He leaned his back and head against a big tree, breathing hard.
    He choked back more tears but his insides still churned with fear. In his chest, his heart trembled. He could
not
lose his new mother. He just couldn’t! He stomped his foot, crunching twigs and snow under his boots. Then he paced in a little circle, his face down, trying to think.
    He wished Bear were here to talk to. Bear always seemed to know what to say. He pictured Bear’s kind face and could almost see his uncle smiling back at him. That made him feel a little better.
    Little John looked up, wiped the tears from his eyes with his knuckle, and stared ahead. He recognized the area having hunted here with his Pa several times. But this was his first