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Chapter 14
The horses splashed cautiously through the water, picking their way slowly over the abundant rocks that lined the river bottom. Evelyn held tight to the horn of her saddle, keeping her focus on the mountains ahead. She tried to let their beauty sweep away the apprehension in her mind. Laurent had called this the Snake River, and it was the widest body of water they had to cross so far. The uneven, rocky footing gave her cause for alarm, even if the water level wasn’t all that high. All it took was one slip of a hoof, and one of the animals could take a fall.
The majestic mountain range of the Teewinots loomed ever closer. For three days, they had traveled toward the towering snow-capped peaks. Evelyn gazed in amazement at nature’s splendor before her. She was used to seeing mountains, but foothills and lower outlying hills usually preceded the taller ranges. These mountains rose abruptly out of the ground before them, as if some invisible force had lifted them in this location. No wonder the trappers chose to congregate here. It was the perfect landmark to draw men from hundreds of miles away.
Evelyn’s horse took an abrupt misstep, its head bobbing to catch its balance, which launched her forward in the saddle. An involuntary squeal escaped her mouth, and her hands tightened around the saddle horn as if it would prevent the animal from collapsing completely. Recovering its footing, the horse scrambled on. Up ahead of her, Alex’s upper body rotated in the saddle, and he shot a worried glance her way. He halted his mount mid-stream, and his two packhorses came to a stop beside him.
“You all right?” he called.
Evelyn nodded vigorously. Determined to prove herself capable of traveling with the men, she wasn’t about to show her apprehension. Laurent’s horse moved past her, and he offered a smile of encouragement. Yancey guided his own horse awkwardly behind the Frenchman’s set of mules, his upper body hanging stooped-over in the saddle. Evelyn wondered how much longer he could remain in the saddle before he dropped from his horse’s back. Laurent had built a travois for the injured easterner, on which Yancey had ridden since they left the camp where the bear had nearly mauled him to death. Today was the first time he was back in the saddle. Everyone had agreed that a travois could not be pulled through this wide river.
Alex waited for Evelyn’s horse to reach him, then he guided his own mount close to her.
“We’re almost across,” he said, concern etched on his face. “It’s not as far as it looks. I should have stayed beside you.” His eyes roamed her face.
Evelyn glanced up at him briefly, then forced a smile. “I know,” she said, and eased her tight grip on the saddle. “The horse stumbled and it was unexpected. I’m all right.”
Alex reached out and touched her arm, letting his hand slide from her shoulder to her elbow. Evelyn pressed her lips together, and tried to avoid the renewed jolt of adrenaline that rushed through her. This time it had nothing to do with fear of falling from her horse into the frigid water. It was a familiar reaction whenever Alex touched her. A sudden burst of annoyance swept over her, and she nudged her horse in the ribs with her heels, determined to reach the opposite riverbank on her own.
Since his declaration of love, Alex had been nothing but the perfect gentleman. Evelyn imagined that even a properly courting couple back in St. Louis would touch and kiss more than what she and the man who called himself her husband were doing. Every night, he sent her to their common sleeping area, bid her goodnight with a light kiss, and stood watch for hours before waking Laurent or Jasper to take a turn. He’d crawl under their blanket and roll to his side, facing away from her, leaving her to stare into the darkness until sleep finally claimed her.
True, he watched over her like a hawk, and saw to her every need, but he made no move to claim her as his wife in every sense of the word. The few times she caught him far enough away from camp to do more than hold casual conversations, he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed her with such tender restraint, Evelyn thought she would go mad with need. Once, she’d tried to prolong their kiss by wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, and just when she thought he would answer her unspoken request, Alex had pulled away abruptly and declared they needed to return to camp.
Evelyn’s horse finally reached the safety of dry land, and she inhaled a deep breath of relief. Her frustration with Alex grew, however, when he rode past her and resumed his position at the head of the group.
Jasper parted ways with them after crossing a wide open sedge-covered meadow several hours later. He tipped his furry hat at her, then slapped Alex on the back.
