Read Online New Frontier of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 2) by Dorothy Wiley - Free Book Online
Authors: Dorothy Wiley
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that living alone in this rough and uncivilized town would be impossible. As much as she enjoyed the company of the Wyllies, she couldn’t stay with them forever. They would each be building their own homes and she would notimpose on their hospitality or take advantage of their kindness by doing so.
And if the taciturn Captain was going to remain a cold fish, that left no reason to stay.
“Catherine, you seem to be struggling with something. May we help?” Jane asked.
“I’m not staying in Boonesborough. Or in Kentucky. I’m going back to Boston. I gave myself time to resolve what I should do, and now that we’re here, I know I must return home.” She could not hide the regret she heard in her voice.
“Why?” Jane asked, aghast. “I thought you decided to stay with us.”
“I just don’t think I should,” she said, not wanting to explain. “I’ll find a family that will be traveling the Ohio River route back to the East coast to escort me. I won’t have the benefit of my wagon, but that route will be faster. At least on the riverboat I’ll have a smooth ride.”
“Why go back when a whole new beautiful frontier awaits us? The opportunities aren’t just for men. They’re for women too,” Jane said.
“I have no one here. What good will opportunities do me if I have no one with whom to share them? And my father would expect me to return. It isn’t proper for me to stay. I’ll send him word that I’m on my way home because of my husband’s murder. The Captain encouraged me to decide my own future. Well I’ve decided. There’s no rational reason for me to stay.”
“Sometimes we must do irrational things to do what’s right for us,” Jane said.
“Going back is right for me,” Catherine said adamantly.
“We all want you to stay, especially Bear. I’ve never seen him this way. He’s acting like a boy in love for the first time. And in my opinion, you will never find a finer man, except Stephen of course, and I’ve already claimed him,” Jane said, smiling.
Stunned, her brows collided with confusion. “Bear?”
With a sly grin Kelly said, “Jane, it’s not Bear.”
“What do mean?” Catherine asked tersely.
“Bear isn’t the one who catches your eye, it’s the Captain,” Kelly said.
“Kelly, you’re as wrong as you can be,” Jane said, her voice mocking the idea. “Sam will never marry. If ever there was a man intent on being a bachelor, it’s the Captain. I’ve known Sam half my life and he’s the type of man that sees marriage as something for others. A person could sooner tame a wild deer than Sam. Catherine knows that. Don’t you?”
Flabbergasted, she glanced back and forth between Jane and Kelly, turned abruptly and marched away, her fists clenched at her sides.
Shock ripped through her. She couldn’t believe Kelly figured it out. How did the young woman know when she didn’t even understand what she felt herself? What business was it of Kelly’s or Jane’s anyway? She didn’t want to think about this and they were forcing her to do just that. Her decision was made and she wasn’t going to change her mind.
Then her heart beat faster as thoughts of Sam sprung into her head, wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a cold day. She pictured his rare smile and heard his deep kind voice in her head. She had no idea a voice could even be sensuous. But his definitely was. Resonant and rich, the sound of it stirred something withinher the very first time she heard it. Perhaps it was the quiet strength she perceived in the tone of it. His voice was both gentle and strong at once. Much like he was.
Why was she so strangely drawn to the man? She shared nothing in common with him. If Jane is right, she could never hope to marry a man like the Captain Wyllie. She had promised herself that she would only marry for love. And Sam showed no indication that she even appealed to him. He’d only been cold and standoffish.
Maybe he sensed something from her and it
And if the taciturn Captain was going to remain a cold fish, that left no reason to stay.
“Catherine, you seem to be struggling with something. May we help?” Jane asked.
“I’m not staying in Boonesborough. Or in Kentucky. I’m going back to Boston. I gave myself time to resolve what I should do, and now that we’re here, I know I must return home.” She could not hide the regret she heard in her voice.
“Why?” Jane asked, aghast. “I thought you decided to stay with us.”
“I just don’t think I should,” she said, not wanting to explain. “I’ll find a family that will be traveling the Ohio River route back to the East coast to escort me. I won’t have the benefit of my wagon, but that route will be faster. At least on the riverboat I’ll have a smooth ride.”
“Why go back when a whole new beautiful frontier awaits us? The opportunities aren’t just for men. They’re for women too,” Jane said.
“I have no one here. What good will opportunities do me if I have no one with whom to share them? And my father would expect me to return. It isn’t proper for me to stay. I’ll send him word that I’m on my way home because of my husband’s murder. The Captain encouraged me to decide my own future. Well I’ve decided. There’s no rational reason for me to stay.”
“Sometimes we must do irrational things to do what’s right for us,” Jane said.
“Going back is right for me,” Catherine said adamantly.
“We all want you to stay, especially Bear. I’ve never seen him this way. He’s acting like a boy in love for the first time. And in my opinion, you will never find a finer man, except Stephen of course, and I’ve already claimed him,” Jane said, smiling.
Stunned, her brows collided with confusion. “Bear?”
With a sly grin Kelly said, “Jane, it’s not Bear.”
“What do mean?” Catherine asked tersely.
“Bear isn’t the one who catches your eye, it’s the Captain,” Kelly said.
“Kelly, you’re as wrong as you can be,” Jane said, her voice mocking the idea. “Sam will never marry. If ever there was a man intent on being a bachelor, it’s the Captain. I’ve known Sam half my life and he’s the type of man that sees marriage as something for others. A person could sooner tame a wild deer than Sam. Catherine knows that. Don’t you?”
Flabbergasted, she glanced back and forth between Jane and Kelly, turned abruptly and marched away, her fists clenched at her sides.
Shock ripped through her. She couldn’t believe Kelly figured it out. How did the young woman know when she didn’t even understand what she felt herself? What business was it of Kelly’s or Jane’s anyway? She didn’t want to think about this and they were forcing her to do just that. Her decision was made and she wasn’t going to change her mind.
Then her heart beat faster as thoughts of Sam sprung into her head, wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a cold day. She pictured his rare smile and heard his deep kind voice in her head. She had no idea a voice could even be sensuous. But his definitely was. Resonant and rich, the sound of it stirred something withinher the very first time she heard it. Perhaps it was the quiet strength she perceived in the tone of it. His voice was both gentle and strong at once. Much like he was.
Why was she so strangely drawn to the man? She shared nothing in common with him. If Jane is right, she could never hope to marry a man like the Captain Wyllie. She had promised herself that she would only marry for love. And Sam showed no indication that she even appealed to him. He’d only been cold and standoffish.
Maybe he sensed something from her and it
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