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“Heading there now. Didn’t see you at rendezvous this summer. Get off your horse and have some coffee.”
The trapper nodded, and dismounted. Holding firmly to his rifle, he pointed to the dead bear.
“That’ll make a nice meal,” he grunted. “Didn’t know ya was huntin’ bar.”
Alex laughed. “He didn’t give me much choice.”
“I remember when ya was just a green pup, tryin’ to get yerself kilt by Ole’ Ephraim up on the Madison.” He chuckled, and spit tobacco on the ground. “Yer green shore is weared off now. Heard ya was no longer a company man.”
“I’ve learned a thing or two over the years. And, yeah, I joined the free trappers.”
Laurent had left Yancey’s side and came walking up to them, a wide smile on his face. “Jasper Williams. I believed you to be dead.” He grabbed the trapper’s hand and pumped his arm up and down.
“I’s feelin’ right pert, ya crazy voyageur. Ain’t gone under yet.”
“Why did we not see you at rendezvous?” Laurent added coffee grounds to the pot in the fire, and headed for the creek with it without waiting for a reply. A low moan came from under the lean-to.
Jasper Williams’ eyes darted in the direction of the sound, his bushy brown eyebrows raised.
“A flatlander who Laurent insisted on bringing along,” Alex said in answer to the man’s unspoken question. “Thought he’d try and prove himself against the bear and lost.”
“Sounds summat like you, Walker,” Jasper chuckled, and slapped Alex on the back.
“Yeah, well, at least I was alone, and didn’t put someone else’s life in danger,” Alex argued, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder. He knew the loner was referring to Alex’s first year in the mountains, when he had tried to prove himself by foolishly shooting at a grizzly. He’d almost paid with his life that day. Lucky for him the incident had happened far to the north of here along the Madison River. Daniel Osborne, the man who would become his friend and mentor had saved his life that day. Anger seethed through him again, thinking about the danger Yancey had put Evelyn in by shooting at the grizzly.
Jasper Williams grunted, and scratched at the stubble on his jaw. He glanced around camp, and his eyes widened with a look of disbelief. There was only one reason for the man’s reaction. He must have directed his attention on Evie. That the trapper hadn’t noticed her before was a surprise. Alex turned to see her standing by the creek where he’d left her. Uncertainty was etched on her face. He couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t met many friendly trappers, and it was wise of her to be cautious.
“That ain’t no Injun squaw,” Williams proclaimed, his eyes volleying between her and Alex. A wide grin spread across his face. “I’ll be,” he said, and slapped Alex on the back again. “Ya got yerself a woman, Walker. And a fine lookin’ one at that. How’d ya get so fortunate’n get a white woman to come to the mountains with ya? I thought only Dan’l Osborne was that lucky.”
Jasper stepped around Alex before he had a chance to respond, the thick buffalo-hide robe he wore making him appear twice as wide as he really was. Without hesitation, he strode up to Evelyn and appraised her from top to bottom. Alex followed quickly on his heels. If he remembered Jasper Williams correctly, the man didn’t have the best manners, even though he was completely harmless.
“She shore shines, Walker. No question. She shore shines. Looks like she’s got a lot of pluck, too.”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, and Alex couldn’t help but grin. She probably had no idea that the trapper was complimenting her appearance. The look of annoyance she shot him and the other trapper grew with each second.
“Evie, this is a friend, Jasper Williams,” he said, and took hold of her hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. Evie remained stiff for a moment, then, to his utter surprise, the annoyance vanished and she flashed the other man a radiant smile.
“It’s a pleasure, Mr. Williams,” she said, extracting her hand from Alex’s, and reached to offer it to Jasper. The man’s bushy eyebrows widened, then his hand swallowed up Evelyn’s. He chuckled heartily.
“Ya shore is a purty little thing,” he said. “Walker got hisself a fine woman, an ya got yerself one fine man, there. Walker is brave as a buffler bull in spring, ya mark my words. He’ll do right by ya, no question.”
“Thank you, Mr. Williams,” Evie said sweetly, and slowly pulled her hand from the trapper’s grip. She turned to Alex and favored him with a smile that sent his pulse racing. She inched up next to him and slipped her hand back in his. What the hell was she doing? Alex gripped her hand and stared at her. The same warm glow shone in her eyes as what he’d seen that morning, before he left camp. Before he left Evie with that no-good greenhorn, which almost got her killed. It was the same look she favored him with while tending to his wounds. His gut clenched, and he tore his eyes away from her.
