CHARITY'S GOLD RUSH (A Strike It Rich in Montana novel) (44 page)

             
His heart stopped at the sight of a fiery-haired woman limping toward him. She lifted a hand, then fell to her knees. Gabe sprinted toward her.

             
“Charity.” He
pushed the excited dog away, then
gathered
Charity
in his arms and rushed to the house, bursting inside.

             
“Meg! Heat water for coffee.
”
He placed Charity on top of the quilt
,
then tugged the smelly buffalo robe off her. Indian garb. How had she gotten there?
A blood stain covered her right thigh.
“Down, Lady.” The dogs, ecstatic to see their mistress, kept poking their massive heads in his way. “Sam, control the dogs, please.”

             
Sam wrapped an arm around each of their necks and pulled them aside.

             
Modesty forgotten, he pulled the
deer skin
dress higher, and took in the sight of stitch
es
, dark against her pale skin
.
A
couple of them
had pulled
open
. It
was
her blood he had found in the snow.
His heart fell to his knees.

Who injured her? His hands formed into fists.

             
“Gabriel, I’m home,” she whispered hoarsely
, keeping her eyes closed
.
Her tongue flicked out across her chapped lips.
“I made it.”

             
He smoothed the hair away from her face. “Yes, you did. Rest, sweetheart. Coffee is coming. We’ll have you warm in no time.”

             
“Will she be all right?”
Sam
ordered the dogs to stay and
approached the bed with Meg at his side. Tears shimmered in their eyes.

             
“I think so.” Gabe took another quilt from the foot of his bed and laid it over Charity. “She’s exhausted and cold. Nothing we can’t fix.”

             
Meg rushed to make the coffee. Gabe propped pillows behind Charity and helped her sit up.

             
“Can you manage to drink
by yourself
?” he asked her.

             
“
I may need a little help, at first. Also,
I’m starving.
I’ve been walking since morning.
” Her eyes flicked open. “I’ll drink the coffee and try to stay awake.”

             
“I searched for you.” He took the cup from Meg
. “Thank you, Meg. Could you and Sam go to the barn for a few minutes
while Ma and I talk
?” He
couldn’t wait any longer to find out what happened to her. He
held
the mug
for Charity to sip from
while the children left
. “
I search u
ntil the avalanche
almost buried me
, then I headed home to care for the children.
I couldn’t leave them any longer than I already had.
”

             
She nodded.
“
I understand.
I was with Red Feather’s people. Amos thought he was trading me to them in exchange
for
forgiveness for the girl
’s death
. Red Feather played along
like he didn’t know me
. He
arranged for a woman to care for me
.” She took the cup from him. “Oh, that feels so good.

             
“Anyway, a young Indian brave went after Amos in retribution, but the avalanche took Amos before the brave could.”
She took a deep breath. “The morning I left, the soldiers arrived and started rounding the tribe together for the reservation. I escaped in the confusion.”

             
Gabe swallowed back his anger and forced his voice to remain calm.
He wanted to ask how Red Feather was, but
Amos’s
actions stayed
in the
forefront of his mind.
He would worry about Red Feather later.
“Did Amos hurt you?”

             
“I tried to escape
the night we camped
, so he gave me a flesh wound.” She tossed out the words like they meant nothing.
“Minor enough that I could still walk, serious enough I couldn’t run.”

             
“He shot you!” Gabe lunged to his feet. “If the man weren’t already dead…”

             
She place
d
a hand on his arm. “What Amos intended for evil, God turned for good.
I made my peace, Gabriel.
” Her eyes pleaded for him to understand.
“
God used this circumstance to open my eyes and show me what really mattered
; w
hat is really important.
You should be pleased
for me. For us
.
”

             
He knelt beside her and took her hand in his. “I could have lost you, Charity.” He rested his forehead in her lap. “I’ve been out of my head with grief and worry until Sam reminded me that God carried you in His hands.
It’s been a struggle every minute for me to leave you in the best place you could be
—G
od’s hands.

             
“
I don’t want you to leave come spring.” He lifted his head and stared into eyes the color of summer grass. “
I should be sorry that I wagered and tricked you into marrying me, but I’m not. If I hadn’t made that stupid bet with Amos, I would not have had a need for a wife. I owe him for giving me you.

“
I love you
more than I could
possibly
express in a lifetime
.
You mean everything to me.
Please say you’ll stay with me.
If not me, then the children. I’ll take whatever you want to give me.
”

###

             
The words she had waited for years to hear
from a man
pierced her heart.
Now, s
he was loved
b
y a wonderful,
g
odly man and by her Heavenly Father.
Together they could improve this land and raise a passel of children.

“I don’t want to leave. I’ve never wanted to leave.” She ran
the
fingers
of her free hand
through his hair.
“You are the sun that rises in the morning to me.
If I didn’t have but this moment, it would be enough.”

He took the cup from her and set it on the floor, then cradled her face in his hands. Slowly, he brushed his lips across hers before finally claiming them as a husband should claim his wife. When he had left her totally breathless, he pulled back an inch, his breath tickling her skin.
“You have made me the happiest man in Montana, Charity O’Connell Williams.”

Her heart leaped. “Knowing you love me has made me the happiest woman on earth. Kiss me again.”

He chuckled and
leaned down.