A Bride For Obadiah Read online

  “Not well. That’s how he got hurt.”

  “I’m not sure many of us would have handled it well.”

  Esther closed her eyes, remembering how she shook at stick at the beast. One of the many mistakes she made today. It had not mattered very much before if she erred, but now, her actions always mattered. She had almost gotten someone killed. She would never been able to live with herself if this happened. Never. “I should have listened. He told me not to move.”

  Lenna wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. “You were lucky he was with you. He’s had experience with bears. You did a good job on the stitching too.”

  Esther turned to the other woman. “I hope it was enough. What did you give him?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, closing her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. “An herbal mixture our people use to fight off infection. Tastes bad. Works. Keep an eye on him for the next few days and I’ll make sure to stay close by in case he needs any more medicine from Mother Earth.”

  Jealousy stabbed her chest. She didn’t know these tricks of health. How would she help him?

  “Don’t worry. He’s had worse wounds when he was in trouble with the law.”

  Esther blinked fast. Her head swam as she tried to take in what she had heard. Outlaw. He was an outlaw. Blast it all! This wasn’t the type of man she wanted or needed in her life. He lived his life on the edge. That was no way to bring up a family. Pain and heartache are what this life would bring.

  “He what?” Her voice rose. Her hands shook as she pulled them away from Bev whose eyes were cast down. Even she knew the bad deeds of her husband but Esther did not. Great. Marry to get away from one bad man to find herself married to another.

  The men in the camp turned to look at them. Her husband, hand pressed to his chest, raised a brow in her direction. She didn’t turn back when the ladies tried to warn her to let this be for now. No. He’d answer her questions now. She held the front of her dress up in order not to step on it. The last thing she needed was to fall on her face in front of everyone.

  ***

  Obadiah ran his hand over his arm, trying not to cuss from the pain settling in his chest. His wife’s voice carrying across the field. Crazy woman. What riled her up this time? She marched over to him as if she would knock him down. He caught Lenna’s attention over the top of Esther’s head. Her nose scrunched up as she mouthed the word “sorry”.

  Great. Lenna had something to do with why his wife was mad. He wished Lenna had not came on the expedition with her husband, but who would have made him the herbs to drink? The herbs were important to healing he knew. He narrowed his eyes to small slits as he tried to control his emotions.

  “Outlaw! How come you didn’t tell me?” She shouted the words for everyone to hear. The men laughed as they held up their hands and backed away from the two of them. Everyone in town knew. It wasn’t a secret. He’d not had a big bounty on his head or anything. Why it mattered to her Obadiah couldn’t understand. It had nothing to do with her in any way. Her hands were on her hips and all he could think was that she looked so cute when she was mad. Cheeks red and freckles standing out.

  He rolled his eyes, and leaned against the tree. Pressure…too much pressure from the pain. As he put his weight against the tree, the pain lessened and he wished he still had the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

  “It was before you. Let it go.”

  Her eyes widened at his words. The corners of her lips pressed harder into one another. She threw her hands in the air before she put them back on her hips. The movement made him watch her carefully with hooded eyes. Get her away in private, kiss her senseless until she listened to him seemed best, but then she might hit him if he tried.

  “No. I won’t.”

  Obadiah let out a low growl. This woman might be the second thing to get him down today. He closed his eyes and tried hard to take a breath in. He didn’t want to talk about what he’d done before. Not many knew the actual crimes, just that he was an outlaw and had spent time in the local jail.

  “Don’t make that noise at me.”

  James ran up to them, coming between the both of them. He wanted him to kill him in front of everyone. Obadiah clenched his fist together, ready to put a fist in the side of this man’s face. He seemed to always try to come between he and his wife, like he was a good man. Far from it. Obadiah was a saint compared to this man.

  Don’t allow your anger to come out. Choose peace like the Good Word says. Words his Ma told him more than once popped in his mind and he tried hard to shove them away. Doing right wasn’t what drove him. He wasn’t like his brother.

  “You have to speak calmly to her.”

  Obadiah turned his full attention to his enemy. He had the nerve to try and tell him how to act with his wife after the way everyone knew he treated his and other women was rich! A right hook to the face might send James a message. Every word the other man spoke made Obadiah want to drive a fist into him.

  “This has nothing to do with you.” He bit the words at James. Esther’s eyes grew wider. James tugged on her hand and turned his attention to her and his back to Obadiah. Mistake number two from James today. She jerked her hand away from him. He didn’t miss the frightened look on her face. She rubbed her hand. Redness showed around her fingers. Stepping forward, Obadiah shoved him backward. “If you ever touch my wife again…it will be the last thing you do.”

  James got his balance just before he fell on the ground. He charged forward, and pushed Obadiah but not before Obadiah shot a right hook into his enemy's face. Obadiah relished the shocked look on his face. He’d been waiting a while to hurt this man. Every pent-up frustration from his Ma’s death boiled to the surface, like hot water on a stove.

  Lenna tugged at his arm, but he pulled away from her. She needed to get away before she got hurt. She always wanted to be in the middle of men’s issues. The woman had no clue why he wanted to end this man. Heck, neither did he really. This man stayed liquored up most of the time, and when he hurt women he either didn’t know or didn’t care.

  “Stop! Both of you!” Esther yelled. It was the one voice he heard through the fog in his head.

  The crazy woman jumped in between them. His eyes widened when he saw James throw back his arm to hit her. He jerked her behind him and made sure she didn’t get the punch meant for him. One hand held her to his back and his other blocked the punch. She wiggled away from him, and ducked under his arms and in between them again. She pressed her hand to his chest and it burned him to his core. He turned his attention to the blonde-haired beauty that was his wife. “Stop.” Esther pressed her hands to his face making him look at her and only her. It wasn’t hard to keep his eyes there. He found himself staring at her even when she was not aware of it. He loved the way she leaned against a tree as she closed her eyes while he drew. Her face soft, light, and with no worries. Or the way she pulled her dress a little higher than was acceptable for a woman as she walked in the water to cool off from the heat of the day.

  He took a deep breath in, trying hard not to let out the beast lying under the surface. The one who wanted to rip the other man apart in vengeance. Each time this man touched his wife, it tore at his chest and caused violent scenes to burst in his mind. The only man whose wife hadn’t come with them. He did not blame the poor woman but something wasn’t right about this, as it had been stated in the contract.

  “Look at me.”

  “Move. I don’t want to hurt you.” He was short with her. Let him handle this and they’d be on their way.

  “No.” Her hands tightened on his face. He picked her up to move her from harm. Didn’t get she understand that he was trying to protect her and the others here?

  Esther pressed her lips against his. He blinked in surprise. She’d done this in front of everyone. She had fought him so hard when he first kissed her. Now, Obadiah pressed her against him, loving the feel of her in his arms. The burn she stirred deep within in and how she calmed
his temper. Her hands on his chest caused him to break the kiss and pull away. Pain seared through him now that the adrenalin faded from the injury he had incurred.

  Her lips formed an O as she dropped her hands to her side. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. He kneaded the back of his neck and tried to get himself under control when all he wanted to do was to drag her away, to kiss her senseless, and finally consummate the marriage.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He nodded. The lump in his throat wouldn’t allow him to speak for mere seconds. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “But, I am worried. You’re upset and hurt.”

  “I promise I’m okay.” The others had already moved away to give them space including James. He leaned with his back against a tree, arms folded and stared at the couple. So far it didn’t seem James knew who he was and so at least Obadiah hadn’t blown his cover. The other man tipped a flask to his lips. Gotta hurry and get more booze inside.

  “I’m sorry for getting so upset.” Obadiah ran a hand through his hair, scrubbing his face. Not once had he ever felt bad for losing his temper before…one look at her and he wanted to change. He didn’t understand why and right now trying to figure out the answer wasn’t first on his list of things to do.

  “I forgive you. Please try and relax around him.”

  “I can’t”

  “Why?” She cupped his cheek. This one small gesture touched his heart deep and made him ache to know her more. To make their relationship work.

  “Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about.” Telling her about his Ma was too deep and personal. All she knew was she had passed. He turned away from his wife and started to get their belongings together so they all could head out again.

  Chapter Seven

  Esther went to the river to wash the dishes they’d used to eat that afternoon. She submerged them into the water scrubbing with a towel she’d ripped earlier from a bigger one. Each swipe of the rag became soothing for her. A time for her to reflect on the day and her life. Her husband still hadn’t shared why he had a problem with the one man in their crew. She didn’t press him…let it go. It had been weeks ago and she wanted to forget the whole incident.

  For a few days, he stayed clear of her, and but now she swore he was watching her. Like now...the hair on her arms stood on end. They were deep in the woods in Montana getting closer to completing the mapping out of the land and still she felt like he might be there watching around a tree. Slowly, Esther turned to her right. Nothing. She shook her head tried to get back to the task at hand.

  She swore that at one point in her life she’d seen James before and yet she couldn’t place where it had been. It had to be back in Pennsylvania as she had never traveled anywhere else. But it couldn’t have been. She looked heavenward and closed her eyes, letting the wind blow across her skin. The heat of the day beat down hard. Placing the last dish on the blanket, she stood, hiked up her skirt, and stepped into the water.

  The cool of the water felt so good against her skin! She walked a little way, and stepped on the many small rocks on the bottom of the stream. The sun reflected on the water, causing a rainbow to appear on the top. She smiled and felt carefree and happy for the first time in a long time. She kicked her feet in the water, making small splashes. She laughed as the trickles of water hit her legs. The feeling of eyes on her overwhelmed her once again.

  Esther whipped her head around. Nothing. Again. Someone was out there, and she knew it deep in her soul. One way or another. she’d prove this. No need to tell Obadiah until she had something to show him. He’d been trying to stay calm around James while his wound healed. The last thing she wanted was for him to get into a fight and make the healing process to be interrupted.

  Get back to your husband. Where the thought came from she had no idea. She didn’t hesitate as she usually tried not to go far from him with all the unknown animals in the woods. He reminded her of a tall oak tree. Strong. Protective. It was one of the reasons she admired him. The way he stood by his word. Trustworthy, which was seemed odd for a man who was an outlaw. Not that she knew anyone else who was, but it didn’t seem logical.

  She gathered their lunch items and headed back to where they were set up for the day for him to draw. He was gone. Where had he’d gone? Placing the dishes back in the bag, she saw his book laying on the ground. Open to the page he’d been on working on before he left. Esther glanced over her shoulder then the other to see if he was near. No. She knew she shouldn’t but she picked up the book and paged through it.

  A page showing the mountains that were on either side of them now came to life on the page. Even if she wasn’t there, she’d be able to hear the river roaring while she looked at the drawing. The charcoal smell came strong up from the white paper. She turned the page and a lump formed in her throat. She lost her grip on the book and let it fall to the ground. Her brows rose.

  Pressing a hand against her lips, she tried to keep the gasp in.

  A drawing of her stared back at her.

  Why?

  “Did you get the washing done?”

  Esther jumped. She turned to him, as she pointed a finger at the drawing, and tried to open her mouth. The shock rocked her body and made it hard to form words. So many questions ran through her mind. Why? How? When?

  “Are you alright?” Obadiah looked at her with confusion. His shirt was opened a little. Droplets of water sparked in the sunlight. He’d been to the river to cool off no doubt. He dragged his forearm across his forehead to stop the sweat from getting in his eyes.

  “Yes. No…I’m confused.” The last word she spoke was the most correct about her feelings. This man who was short with her in his words was drawing her and never said a thing to her about this. She knew when this had happened. Before the bear attack, when she leaned against a rock, in the relaxing moments before the attack.

  “Why?”

  “Why, what? You are not making any sense, woman.” Her husband grabbed a nearby flask, taking a swig of water, wiping the back of his hand across his lips. She saw the moment he realized what she’d been staring at. His cheeks brightened red and it didn’t have to do with the heat of the day. Quickly he snatched up his book and shoved it in his bag.

  “You weren’t supposed to see.”

  “Obadiah.” Her husband’s name coming from her lips felt odd to her and but she also felt another sensation she wasn’t sure how to explain. Her heart skipped when his brown eyes turned in her direction. Soft. Caring. “Why?”

  He dropped the bag from his hands. Close so close…she wanted so bad to reach out and touch him. Hug him. Tell him how much this meant to her. How this one small act made her feel special. She loved his drawings and the fact he took the time to do one of her touched her soul.

  “Forget it.” He went back to picking up their belongings to head back with the larger group, except she needed to know the answer.

  Esther walked to where he stood, and reached out, touching his forearm. Hard, rough and an all too familiar feeling bubbled up inside of her. The forward way she was reacting frightened her. A good woman doesn’t act this way with a man even if it is her husband. She shoved the thought away. “No. Tell me. Please.”

  “You are pretty and I wanted to draw you.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  The hard man before her thought that she was pretty. She had dreamed and wished one day a man would think this way about her, but her husband? The man she married without first seeing him. How?

  “You think I’m pretty.” She looked at the ground not willing to see what his eyes might tell her but be different from his lips. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Sweat snaked down her neck.

  Obadiah tilted her chin until she looked up at him. Soft and warm, inviting. She saw past his outlaw ways. Past the hardness that he showed everyone else. Pulling at her bottom lip, he ran his thumb over her lips and causing her to release it. Her breath caught.

  “Yes, my little dove. When you chew on your bo
ttom lip, you make me want to kiss you.” Leaning towards her, he pressed his lips against her forehead.

  If he kept this up, she might melt in front of him. She cherished the times they were alone and his sweetness came through. When they were with the group, he was focused on James and making sure they were safe. She loved his protection, but hated how that man got him riled up.

  ***

  Obadiah wanted to pull away from his wife. The fire had almost become too much, but he couldn’t. Something about her wouldn’t allow him to move. The trust in her eyes almost knocked him over. How she didn’t see the beauty that he saw made him want to try harder to show her. To make her see herself the way he saw her. Even though she’d had a rough start in life, she had a giving heart.

  At times she went to the other ladies in camp to help them cook or patch holes in their clothes. She might be lost on how to do some things and in others, her heart shone through. The deepest part of her soul wanted to help others and see the good in everyone. She should have married his brother, Jeremiah, and not him. The good boy. The one who followed the Good Word as their parents had taught them.

  He’d not given up everything they had instilled in him. Except it was hard for him to understand why God would allow his Ma to be murdered. If He was a good God like they said, then why? This thought played over and over in his mind and he’d do anything to make it stop. Spending time with Esther helped to ease the pain a little bit.

  “I wish you saw the beauty I saw.”

  Her cheeks flushed. A tress of hair fell against her cheek and he pushed it behind her ear gently.

  “Obadiah, don’t say such frank things.”

  If she said his name one more time, he thought he might not be able to hold back anymore. Each time they went to sleep, he wanted to roll over and take her in his arms. Kiss her. Make the marriage even more. Never before had he stopped himself from being with a woman and honoring her. She was different. He wanted to do better. Wanted to work hard not to be in trouble all the time. First, he had to take care of James, and then they’d be able to move on. His Ma could rest, finally.