Cole's Montana Bride (Sweet,clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series Book 7) (7 page)

"Looks like it might rain," Cole observed. Just as he said those words Victoria heard the distant hiss of a bank of rain further back in the direction of the house. They were a long way from the ranch house. It would probably take nearly a half hour to make it back to the house.

"What are we going to do?" Victoria asked.

Cole frowned and glanced toward the forest. "There might be a chance to take shelter over there," he said gesturing to the trees.

"There?" Victoria asked. She glanced back and saw the thick sheet of rain heading in their direction.

Cole moved his horse on. "Follow me," he said. Victoria guided her mount behind Cole.

After a few moments she started to feel the first heavy drops of rain falling onto her bonnet. They moved on quicker and finally made it under the temporary protection of the overhanging trees.

The rain was getting heavier by the minute and the horses were starting get restless, their ears twisting back and forth.

Victoria knew she and Cole would have to make it to shelter soon or they were both going to end up drenched. Victoria could see that Cole was getting concerned. He looked like he was trying to figure out how they could get out of the rain. Victoria held onto her bonnet as a gust of wind shifted it momentarily out of place. Drops of rain soaked the back of her gloves.

"Can't we get out of this rain?" she asked Cole above the sound of the slowly shifting branches.

Cole peered through the trees and a flash of recognition lit his eyes. He drew his horse closer to Victoria's and reached over, grasping the reins, holding the animal tight. "I think there's a cabin through these trees," he called out to her.

Victoria frowned. "Cabin?" Her voice felt suddenly strained, uncertain.

Cole nodded. "It'll give us shelter until this stops," he said looking up at the dark clouds, squinting at the tumbling raindrops. Victoria followed his gaze. It looked like the rain was going to get worse before it got better.

Both horses started to shift nervously from side to side. Cole kept a firm hold on Victoria's horse.

Cole seemed to sense Victoria's alarm and reached out a hand, placing it gently on her arm. "Let's go. I think we can get to the cabin in a few minutes. It'll be warm and dry. We can wait out the storm," he said peering at her through the rain. She felt so unsure. Could she trust Cole enough to take shelter in a cabin in the woods? Victoria felt herself stiffen and hesitate.

"You want to go?" he asked finally.

With one last look up at the heavens and a visible and very impatient roll of her eyes, Victoria nodded.

Cole quickly removed his jacket and threw it around Victoria's shoulders, lifting it so that her head was covered. She tried to voice some resistance to his gesture but he would have none of it. Underneath the heavy jacket Victoria felt momentarily safe from the thudding raindrops. She could smell Cole's scent from the inside of the jacket as it wrapped around her already rain soaked head.

Feeling a brief sensation of reassurance she glanced at Cole in a gesture of appreciation. He nodded and she saw the flicker of a smile of satisfaction crease the corners of his mouth.

Cole let go of her mount and moved his own horse on, keeping a close eye on Victoria by his side.

They made their way through the trees. Cole made sure that the branches were moved aside, allowing Victoria a clear way through. Under the trees the rain wasn't so heavy, but the foliage offered scant protection.

After a short while they came to a clearing. There in the middle was a squat cabin constructed of thick logs. It had a flat roof and was clearly made for temporary use for anyone working on this part of the ranch. There were no horses tied up out front.

"It's empty," Cole said sounding relieved.

They drew up the horses, dismounted and tied them to the hitching post. Victoria's feet sank softly into a damp pool of water. She lifted her booted foot with a groan of impatience. Cole glanced at her and shook his head.

The rain was heavier as Victoria paused waiting for Cole to test the door and see if it would open. Cole grabbed his saddle bag, heaved it over his shoulder and clutched Victoria's elbow firmly.

Victoria followed Cole to the door of the cabin. Cole twisted the round metal handle, but it didn't budge.

"Darned thing," Cole cursed.

He wrenched the handle a couple more times and then took a step back. Victoria was shocked when Cole lifted a booted foot and slammed it hard against the resisting wood of the door. It didn't budge. Cole kicked at it again and finally the door swung quickly back inside the cabin and slammed against the inside wall with a thud.

Cole tugged on Victoria with a force that took her by surprise. He drew her inside wrapping an arm around her waist. All thoughts of propriety had been left behind in the rain, but Victoria was glad that they'd made it to somewhere safe and dry.

Cole released Victoria and slammed the door shut behind him, twisting the rusted latch down to secure it against the gusting wind from outside.

Victoria removed Cole's jacket from around her head and gazed around their place of temporary sanctuary. The cabin was very basic, which was being kind, Victoria thought. It was a narrow rectangular space with a small, basic cast iron stove in the center of the room, one long table by the boarded up window, two rickety looking chairs that had definitely seen better days and one low single bed jammed into the far corner. There was a musty, damp smell which caught at the back of Victoria's throat. When she coughed she saw Cole look at her with concern.

"You okay, Victoria?" he asked quickly.

She swallowed. "I'm fine. Just glad to be out of the rain."

"We'll be fine here until it passes," Cole said laying his saddle bag on the table by the window. He looked at Victoria and his brows narrowed. "You got soaked," he stated.

Victoria glanced down at her dress and ran a hand through her damp hair. "It's nothing. It'll dry off quickly," she declared.

Cole shook his head. "I need to get a fire going. Otherwise you're going to get a chill," he said.

"Really, Cole. I'm fine. You needn't go to any trouble," she said.

Cole didn't respond, but immediately set about getting a fire going in the stove. After a short while there was a flame going inside the stove and Cole turned to Victoria. "I think it might be a good idea if you dry your hair right now."

Cole drew one of the chairs into position in front of the stove. Standing behind it he tapped on the back of the chair with both hands and looked at Victoria. "Sit here," he ordered.

Victoria hesitated. "Really Cole, I'm fine." Glancing down at her damp dress she shook her head. "This'll dry off quickly enough," she reiterated.

Cole frowned. "Victoria, I need you to come and sit here. No woman is going to get sick while on my ranch and in my safekeeping," he asserted.

"Who says I'm in your safekeeping?" she demanded.

Cole's mouth tightened and he gave Victoria a firm look. "I say. This is my land and you're my guest."

He ran his gaze up and down Victoria's defiant figure. "If you're not going to dry yourself off completely, then at least take your boots off and dry your feet," he said looking down at Victoria's feet.

Victoria shifted on her heels and felt the damp squelch of her soaking feet inside her boots.

Cole glanced over at the bed. He went across and lifted the blanket that covered the single bed. Coming back to the stove he looked up at the wooden beam which stretched above his head.

"If you insist on maintaining at least a semblance of decency I'll hang this blanket from the beam. That way you can dry your feet off in privacy. How does that sound?"

Victoria looked at the blanket draped over his arm and nodded. "That's a fine idea, Cole," she agreed.

Cole rose up on his toes and slung the blanket over the beam. The blanket was long enough so that it stretched down and created a narrow barrier alongside the stove.

Victoria went across and sat down on the wooden chair in front of the stove. The heat from the small fire made a surprisingly large difference to how she felt. She stretched out a hand and felt the warmth spread along her fingers and up into her arms.

She turned and saw Cole peer around the side of the drooping blanket. "How does that feel?" he asked.

Victoria smiled. "That's much better," she answered.

"See? I told you," Cole said with a grin. "Now lets get your boots off," he said moving around the blanket. Victoria felt herself stiffen.

Cole paused. "What? You want to take your boots of by yourself?"

Victoria reached down and tried to tug on her right boot. The damp leather slipped in her fingers. The boot refused to respond to even the strongest force that Victoria could muster.

"I thought so," Cole said kneeling down and grasping her booted foot.

Victoria tried to pull her foot away from Cole but he held on tight. "I can do it myself," she asserted.

"I don't think so," Cole stated, reaching over to take her foot in his hand.

"Really, Cole I can do it myself," Victoria tried to state again, but for the last time, and this time more insistently, Cole took her foot in both of his large, rugged hands and started to tug. Hard.

Victoria grasped onto the side of the chair and with a final wrench the boot slid off her foot. Cole staggered back and landed on his rear with a surprised thump.

Victoria tried to contain the smile that immediately leapt to her face, but she completely failed. Looking at Cole, and the expression on his face, she let out a loud peel of laughter. Cole ran a hand through his hair and smiled back at her. "Now the other one," he said reaching out both hands and kneeling once again at her feet. In a moment the other boot was removed, this time without Cole ending up on his rear.

Victoria saw her damp white cotton stockings cling to her feet. She reached down to start to remove them, but after a moment she paused and glanced at Cole. His gaze was fixed on her, his eyes narrow with appreciation and a pleased expression on his face.

Seeing Victoria looking at him Cole quickly pulled himself back to the moment. "I'll get behind the blanket. Give you some privacy," he said.

Victoria smiled. "I'll be fine, once I get these off," she said rubbing her stockings. Cole paused and she saw his face pale slightly. Then he quickly stood and, just as rapidly, made his way to the other side of the barrier he'd erected to ensure she had all the privacy she needed.

Victoria took off the stockings and laid them down on the wooden floor. She heard a gust of wind and the boarded window shook.

"Don't worry about that," Cole reassured her. "That window will hold. It's bolted down strong."

The heat from the stove was starting to really warm Victoria up. She heard Cole milling about behind the barrier. Victoria heard the saddle bag open. "Aren't you feeling the damp, Cole?" she asked.

There was a pause and then Cole replied. "I'm fine Victoria. Just a little bit a rain. Won't do me no harm," he said.

Victoria frowned. He didn't sound too sure. "I feel bad keeping you away from this warm stove," she said.

"No need to feel bad on my account," he answered. Once again there was a long, awkward pause. Victoria continued to rub her toes and she felt her feet begin to warm up nicely. It didn't feel right that he'd gone to so much trouble to make sure she was fine. She recalled the many occasions during their time together when nothing had seemed to be too much trouble for Cole, if it had meant that Victoria was safe and comfortable and secure. It looked like some things hadn't changed.

Victoria suddenly felt foolish about the fact that when they'd been out in the rain she'd even doubted Cole for one moment. She felt a mild shame that thoughts of whether she could trust him had even passed through her mind.

"I'd feel a whole lot better if you were to come around here and take a seat next to me, Cole," she said at last.

"I can't do that, Victoria," she heard him say.

"Why not, Cole. I'm only warming my bare feet."

There was another long pause and she wondered how he was going to respond to what she'd said. She was sure she could hear the sound of his breathing and she asked herself just where he was on the other side of the blanket.

"I'll let you warm yourself, Victoria. I'm fine on this side for the moment."

"But, aren't you cold?"

She heard Cole cough slightly and then she heard him try hard to contain the spasm brought on by the cough. That was enough for her to stand up and peer around the hanging blanket.

Cole was seated at the table, his hand over his mouth, and he was trying to stifle a cough. "Cole MacAllan. You get right on over here!" she exclaimed.

Cole's eyes brightened and he peered at Victoria with a querying intensity.

"I mean it," she said, raising her voice slightly.

Cole stiffened and reached into his saddle bag. "Are you hungry?"

"What?" she demanded, suddenly thrown off by his question.

"I've got some jerky and biscuits, if you're hungry," he offered, drawing out a small wrap of paper from inside.

"I'm not really hungry. Especially for jerky. I haven't had that in years," she explained.

"You've probably forgot how nice it tastes," he said with a sudden grin. He opened the paper and drew out some strips of the dried meat. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply, making a show of doing so.

"Smells delicious," he stated with a mischievous grin. "Got some biscuits too," he said pulling another wrap out from inside the saddle bag. She knew he was joking with her, trying to help her feel more comfortable.

It occurred to her that he seemed to be trying real hard to get her to put any thoughts of doubting his intentions well and truly aside. And she realized he was partly succeeding. That gave her pause and she smiled at him. "I might be tempted by a biscuit," she suggested.

Cole's eyes widened and he stood. "That's the nicest thing I've heard in a long while," he said brightly.

He came over to her, the two wraps containing the food in one hand, and the chair hooked over his other arm. He set the chair down next to her own.