To Belle’s surprise, he began the wedding ceremony right there in the middle of the bustling trading post.Within minutes, she was married.
When the Reverand invited Everett to kiss her, she was astonished that he leaned down and kissed her square on the lips, his hands pulling her body against his.She’d expected a brief kiss on the cheek, but no...this was a kiss meant to stir her desires, and to her surprise, it worked beautifully.All the dread she’d felt for her wedding night faded away.She was ready for a soft bed and this man over her.
He gave her a wolfish grin as he pulled away from her.“The next part of our journey will be by foot.I have a donkey, who will carry out belongings, but she’s not fit to ride.Are you ready?”
“We’re not staying here for the night?”she asked, surprised.
He laughed.“There’s nowhere to stay.This place is bustling because the ship just came in, but it will be mostly deserted within an hour.”
“So, where will we stay?”she asked, surprised.She’d known there was a portion of their trip where they’d be walking, but she’d imagined sleeping in shelters along the way.
“I have a tent on the back of Bessie.We’ll sleep under the stars, but we’ll use the tent if it rains.”
“But...”Belle didn’t know why she was surprised.The difficulty of the journey hadn’t been hidden from her, but she’d imagined a wedding night in a nice hotel somewhere.
“We should get going,” Everett said.“I’d like to cover at least the first three miles today.”
Belle wanted to protest, but she knew better.“Then let’s get going,” she said.He obviously knew how to survive in the wilderness, and she would have to rely on him to protect her...and to teach her along the way.
He took her hand in his and started walking toward a steep trail.She had a feeling that she would be much stronger by the time they reached his home.How could she not?Yes, she’d worked hard back in Beckham, but she’d never climbed mountains.But she would.
