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“You…buried…them?” Nicole asked, stunned by the kindness of these men. She regretted her ugly thoughts about Jeremiah. “You…actually buried my parents?
“Thank you,” she added, humbly lowering her eyes.
“It was my duty to bury them,” Jeremiah said thickly.
Jeremiah’s eyebrows lifted. “How have you survived since?” he asked softly. “You are all alone…”
She didn’t want to tell him about Eagle Wolf. She knew that it was best not to draw any undue attention his way.
He was a man who lived in hiding, and did so for a reason. He would not want anyone to have cause to seek him out.
She had fled so that he would be safe and could return to his people.
“I’m not sure, myself, how I’ve done it,” Nicole said, her voice breaking. She lowered her eyes again. “I wasn’t certain how much longer I could go on.”
“Well, young lady, that is no longer a problem you have to think about,” Jeremiah said, smiling broadly as Nicole looked quickly up at him. “I have come to offer you shelter, safety, and a place to use your teaching skills. Come with me and my friends and you will have a home, and a teaching position. You can teach our Mormon children. Soon we were going to look for a teacher. Seems our prayers have been answered by your coming into our lives. Will you join us in Hope, Nicole?”
Nicole could not shake off the feeling of mistrust she’d had while riding with Jeremiah in the stagecoach. But learning that he had buried the dead in Tyler City caused her to see this man in a different light.
And she was so happy that she would not have to spend another minute alone in the wilderness, hiding from the madmen who were searching for her.
She smiled and thrust out a hand toward Jeremiah for a handshake. Her father had taught her that even though she was a lady, a firm handshake showed she was a woman of strength.
“It’s a deal,” she said, smiling broadly at Jeremiah, wanting to laugh when she saw how stunned he was at her outthrust hand.
“I’d love to be your town’s schoolmarm,” she quickly added. “Let’s shake on it.”
Jeremiah smiled crookedly, not knowing whether or not to be amused at this strange behavior.
He had to remember that this woman was different in many ways. She was better educated than most of the men of Hope, and had far more education than the women, who for the most part, had none at all.
Yes, he had himself a special woman in Nicole. She would make life a mite interesting, now, wouldn’t she?
He reached out and gripped Nicole’s hand. “A deal,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at the men, who were gawking at what was transpiring between him and the beautiful lady.
He held her hand a moment longer, then helped her gather up her things as Jacob threw handfuls of dirt on the fire.
Jeremiah walked Nicole to her horse and helped her into the saddle, then mounted his own steed.
Soon they were headed back in the direction of Hope and Nicole had a chance to consider this latest turn of events.
She had been rescued just as she had hoped. She only wished that Eagle Wolf hadn’t accepted her having left him.
She couldn’t help being disappointed that he hadn’t came for her after seeing that she had left the campsite. Had he found her, she would have gone with him to his stronghold in an instant, for she knew that she truly loved him.
Feeling foolish to be thinking about Eagle Wolf, and what might have been, Nicole concentrated on her future.
Thanks to Jeremiah, she now had a future, even if it would be without the man she loved.
Chapter Seventeen
As the early morning sun swept down through the smoke hole above Eagle Wolf, he tossed fitfully in his blankets, then awakened and sat up quickly.
It was a dream
that had awakened him with such a start. Even now there were pearls of sweat on his brow as he thought of it and how real it had seemed.
This dream had been like no other he had ever had. He had dreamed of a woman he could not forget.
