Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) (73 page)

“You’re right,” he conceded, and stood. “As you suggested yesterday, we do need to get to Helena, and see about getting this marriage dissolved. I think an annulment would be better than a divorce. That way you won’t have to live with the social stigma of being a divorced woman.”

Danica snorted. “You don’t think an unwed mother carries a social stigma? Trust me, I’m past caring what others think of me.”

 Josh cleared his throat. What she’d said implied she hadn’t been married to the baby’s father. “Well, there’s just one problem,” he said slowly. “The direct route from here to Helena is still under heavy snow.”

“And you don’t think I can make it, do you?” She glared at him.

Josh’s lips widened in a grin. She hadn’t lost her fire after all.  He chuckled. “That’s right, Dani. I don’t think you can make a trip like that, not in your condition.”

“Then tell me your brilliant plan, by all means.” She strode up to him, her eyes shooting daggers his way. Her fisted hands rested near the vicinity of her hips, and she boldly faced him.

“Don’t get all riled up again, Dani. Remember what happened last night when you got your feathers ruffled. You’ll just upset little junior in there.” He involuntarily touched her stomach. Cursing silently, he quickly pulled his hand back.

She looked down at his hand, then loudly expelled a puff of air. “I can’t stay here, if that’s what you’re about to suggest. There’s nothing for me in this town anymore.”

Josh waited for her to look at him again.  His eyes roamed her face.  “I’m heading home. Come with me to the Madison Valley.”

Chapter 8

Standing by the kitchen table, Danica’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes grew wide. “What?” She couldn’t believe Josh had offered to take her to his home. It was the last thing she expected him to say. He couldn’t have decided he wanted to be married to her all of a sudden, could he? The very thought made her heart beat faster.

“Don’t worry,” Josh said quickly, chuckling. He ran his hand through his hair, and moved around the table, stopping right in front of her. He waved his arm in a casual gesture of dismissal. “I haven’t changed my mind to get us both out of this marriage. Instead of heading east, we can avoid the pass if we come from the south. I know it’s a delay, but it’ll be safer. And we can get fresh horses.”

His lips curved into an almost smile. His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows drew together, and he leaned toward her. Danica knew he was expecting a reply. She focused on a spot of dried blood on his shirt rather than look him in the eye. She didn’t want him to see her disappointment.
Stop your fantasizing, Dani
. He’d obviously come up with the best plausible solution to disassociate himself from her. She wondered how long he’d lain awake, plotting his idea to be rid of her the quickest. Danica swallowed her frustration.
What did you expect, Dani?
If you
feed him, he’ll realize he can’t live without you?

She forced a smile. “It sounds like a good idea,” she said louder than she had intended. Stepping away from him, she leaned over the table and lifted one of the skillets to carry to the washbasin.

“I’ll get that.” Josh came up beside her. His arm brushed against hers, and Danica sucked in a breath, raking her teeth over her lower lip. Her head turned, and she stared up at him. She’d only seen his facial features relaxed when he’d been asleep. He didn’t look so intimidating, so unapproachable, at this moment. The corners of his mouth rose slightly. Her eyes settled on his lips for a brief moment. For once, they weren’t drawn in a tight line, or raised in a sneer like some predator about to make a kill. What would it feel like to be kissed by him? Danica balled her hand into a fist at her side. The urge to put her palm against his stubbled cheek was overwhelming. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead.

“It’s okay, Dani.” His deep voice right next to her broke her train of thought. “Don’t worry. It’ll take three days to get to my cabin, and another four to Helena from there. Your baby can be born there safely. I’m sure my aunt will help you get settled. Do you have any relatives? Anyone you could contact, who you could stay with?” The questions seemed more of an afterthought.

“Back east, somewhere.” Danica shrugged, and cleared her throat. “I have an aunt. I’ve never met her.” She swiped at some invisible dirt on the front of her buckskin dress, keeping her eyes focused on her belly, afraid of what he might see written on her face if she continued to look at him. Her baby’s birth was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of her thoughts.
You’re as round as a whiskey barrel, Dani. No man in his right mind is going to see you as a desirable woman. Especially not the man standing next to you.
She hastily wiped a few strands of hair from her flushed face.

“When did you want to leave?” she asked with as much cheer as she could muster. At least he wasn’t completely abandoning her. The idea of finding her own way to Helena if he hadn’t offered to take her wasn’t appealing. If Josh was willing to go out of his way to take her there, she certainly wouldn’t decline his offer. She knew spending time with him would be difficult. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to conceal her feelings for him. What would he do or say if he knew? He’d probably laugh in her face.

“As soon as you’re ready, we can go,” Josh replied, and picked up both empty skillets off the table. He carried them to the washbasin, and dropped them in with a loud clank.

Danica turned and watched his back for a moment, then left the kitchen and ambled down the hall to the bedroom. She needed to get away from him, put some distance between them for the moment. Closing the door, she leaned against it, and a sigh escaped from deep within her. She fanned her hand in front of her face. Despite the chill in the house, her body acted like an overheated stove. She guessed it had to do with her pregnancy. Why else would she feel all flushed in the dead of winter? As if the baby knew she’d been thinking about him, her child kicked her violently under her ribcage.

“I’m not blaming you,” she said, placing a hand over her stomach, and glancing at her abdomen. “You’re so feisty now, I wonder what you’ll be like when you’re born. You’ve been giving your mama nothing but trouble lately.”

Reluctantly, she pushed herself away from the door. The bed looked inviting. She’d woken before dawn to a full bladder and growling stomach, and set out to find someone in town who might sell her some food. The saloon had been the only open business, and Danica had hoped not to run into her father. She had no desire for another confrontation with him. Would he change his mind about her if she showed up on his doorstep with her baby months, or even years from now? She had no desire to find out. The way he’d treated her yesterday, he didn’t deserve to know his grandchild. His accusations had hurt deeply. He had no idea how wrong he was about her.

Her baby would grow up without knowing his family, she realized. She would make sure he didn’t want for love and attention. To her father, she was all but dead. He’d always doted on her brother. Danica scuffed. Perhaps if she’d been born a male, her father would love her, too. 

Danica opened her traveling bag, and pulled a brush and some ribbon from it. Systematically, she worked the knots and snarls out of her hair, and tied the ribbon around it at the base of her neck. Looking in her handheld mirror, she barely recognized the person staring back at her. Dirt smudged her face, or was she simply more tanned from all the months she’d spent in the harsh sun? The freckles that sprinkled her nose and cheeks that she’d always hated seemed more prominent. She would have to use some water from the kitchen pump to wash her face. Maybe it was just dirt that made them stand out more.

She yearned for a bath with warm water, a luxury she hadn’t had in months. Since her capture, she had to be content with quick dips in a frigid river. As her pregnancy became more pronounced, submersing herself in water felt good, if only the water had been warm. She chuckled. Now, she probably couldn’t even get in and out of a tub. 

Danica stuffed her brush and mirror back in the bag.  With a groan, she bent forward awkwardly, and lifted it off the ground, but only managed to set it on the bed. Pain shot through her back. Someone jabbing hot needles through the base of her spine couldn’t feel any worse. A sharp tingle radiated down the outside of her left thigh, making her go weak in the knee.

“Great,” she mumbled, rubbing at her spine. “I’m turning into a complete invalid.” The idea of traveling with Josh, completely useless and unable to pull her fair share didn’t sit well. He already thought so little of her, and now she’d just be like an anchor to him, slowing him down. Helena might be an eight day trip for him, but what if it took longer because of her? Had he figured that into his time line? She didn’t relish the idea of more days traveling through the wilderness. She’d done enough of that over the months, and the simple act of moving around became more difficult with each day that passed.

“Dani, you ‘bout ready?” Josh’s voice droned from outside the door. She parted her lips and blew air up into her flushed face. Time to get moving again. She eyed the bed longingly.

 ”Yes, coming,” she called. She hooked both hands through the bag’s carrying straps, and heaved if off the bed. Danica turned too quickly, offsetting her center of gravity. Sidestepping to regain her balance, her toe caught the heel of her right foot.  She screeched in surprise, and released her hold on the bag. Her hands shot out in front of her just in time to break her fall.  The bedroom door banged against the wall with a loud thud. Sprawled on the floor, her fall cushioned by her carpetbag, she raised her head. She groaned when Josh rushed through the door, a murderous look on his face. Instantly, he was at her side, leaning over her. His strong arms lifted her off the ground, and set her on her feet.

“Dani. Are you all right?” His voice sounded strained. Danica grabbed his shoulders to steady her feet. His arms reached around her wide girth, pinning her stomach snugly against his flat abdomen.

“I . . . I’m fine,” she stammered. Heat crept up her neck and into her face. When was the last time anyone had held her in a protective embrace? She’d had to rely on her own inner strength for so long, it felt like heaven to have Josh’s arms around her, even if it wasn’t a lover’s embrace. At least she could pretend, if only for a moment. The room spun around her, and bright dots of light danced before her eyes. She blinked to fight off the dizziness. Damn! He would probably reconsider his offer to take her with him now.

“Here, sit down.” A firm hand on her lower back guided her to the bed. He flinched when her hand came too close to his wound, and she slid her hand down his chest, away from his injury.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped. “You shouldn’t have picked me up. Your shoulder—”

“Will be fine,” he interrupted. “It’s you that needs to be more careful. Sit.”

Danica stared up into his face. Her hands rested on his chest, and she didn’t want to break the contact. The momentary dizziness disappeared as quickly as it had come on.  Concern was written in Josh’s eyes. With gentle pressure on her shoulders, he pushed her to sit on the bed, and settled himself next to her. Reluctantly, she lowered her hands to her sides.  His thigh brushed up against hers, and Danica thought she might faint after all. She couldn’t keep up this aloof pretense much longer if they continued to be so close. The feelings coursing through her whenever he touched her were more painful to bear than her baby kicking her insides to a pulp. Painful because she loved a man who would never return those feelings, someone who, even as he sat here next to her, couldn’t wait to be rid of her.

Josh placed a hand on her stomach, and she expelled the air from her lungs. “How’s the little one?” he asked.

The baby had been quiet throughout her fall. She laughed softly. “I think he likes living on the wild side. He must have enjoyed that little tumble, because he seems to be sound asleep.”

“You sure everything’s all right?” The pressure of his hand on her belly increased.

“I didn’t fall on my stomach,” Danica whispered, staring at the hand on her belly and savoring his touch, even though she knew it wasn’t for her.

Josh stood abruptly, leaving a cold and empty void in his wake. Danica watched his back. The way he stood with his shoulders back, she could tell that he was tense again. He ran his hand through his raven hair, then turned to face her. All softness had left his features, and his lips were drawn in a tight line. She definitely liked relaxed Josh better.

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

“What?” She asked in alarm. “You can’t leave me here.”

“You’re in no condition to travel for a week,” he scoffed. “What if something happens to you?”

Danica scoffed. “Then you’ll be rid of me all the sooner.”

Josh scowled, and paced the space in front of her, one hand holding the back of his head.

“Should I check your wounds before we leave?” she asked, and pushed herself off the mattress. She wasn’t about to give him any more time to think things over. Josh stopped moving, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at her. She was going with him, whether he wanted her to, or not. Determined not to allow him to intimidate her, she walked up to him. Something was different about him today than in the past few days since he found her hovering under that lodgepole tree. The fever that had ravaged him, and rendered him weak as a newborn baby was gone
.
Although his wounds still caused him pain, his eyes were sharp and clear. There was no doubt in her mind that, had the Josh Osborne who stood before her now met her father yesterday, she would not be Mrs. Danica Osborne at this time.
Or any other time, Dani.

Standing before him, as close as possible without her stomach touching him, she reached her hands up to loosen the strings on his shirt, intent on examining his shoulder.

“The bandage is fine,” he growled, his hands encircling her wrists to stop her actions. Raising her head, she lost herself in the depths of his dark eyes. Josh’s forehead wrinkled, confusion written all over his face. His jaw clenched, and he took a step back, releasing her hands.