Page 15 of Heart of the Storm (Hearts Over Wyoming #1)

Fifteen

The unmistakable ribbons of campfire smoke rose in the air about a mile ahead. The sun was slowly fading on the horizon, and Tessa gripped Old Billy’s saddle horn to keep from falling off. What a long and exhausting day it had been, but she looked forward to a rest among friends very soon. According to the Gros Ventre warriors who accompanied her and Adrian, the trappers who were camped nearby were most likely men she knew.

Adrian had told her the warriors had been following the trappers and had planned to attack them once the sun went down. They had told him that the leader of the camp was an old mountain man with a limp.

“That sounds like Josiah Butler,” she’d said. Her heart lightened with the thought of meeting up with honorable men she knew from rendezvous.

If Josiah Butler was the leader, then Todd Baronette would be among them. Even Adrian had met him before on friendly terms. Thankfully, the warriors had decided to follow Adrian after their leader, Ahan had conceded. He was among the group riding with them, but since he’d been defeated in the knife fight, he was no longer in charge.

The steady sounds of tools clinking, the low murmur of voices that carried in the woods, and the smell of meat cooking over campfires grew more intense as they approached. Adrian signaled for the warriors to hang back when the first tents came into view.

“Hello the camp,” Tessa called as loud as she could muster. It was better to announce their arrival in the custom of the mountain men than to simply show up.

Men immediately raised their heads from whatever task they were doing. Some froze, others looked on with curiosity, and several readied their rifles. They’d seen the warriors and looked ready to defend their camp.

“Indians,” someone shouted, and men scrambled for cover, their rifles pointed in Tessa’s direction.

“Let me handle this.” She smiled at Adrian, who sat unmoving on his horse next to her.

She raised both her arms in a gesture of greeting and to show she had no weapons, then called, “Stand down. We’re not the enemy.”

A gruff voice could be heard yelling, “Stand down, ya good fer nothin’ greenhorns. Ya can’t go shootin’ the minute ya see an Indian. Not all of’em are Blackfoot.”

Tessa smiled and nudged Old Billy forward. “Josiah Butler,” she called. “It’s Tessa Beckett. May we approach your camp?”

The old man limped forward, leaning toward her as if he was trying to see better. “Tessa Beckett?” he roared. “Well, I’ll be. Thought ya was dead.”

Tessa rode into camp to loud murmurs and stares from the trappers. She smiled at Josiah and caught a glimpse of Todd Baronette, who came rushing forward. Right beside him, moving faster, was–

“Ike? Oh my goodness, Ike!”

Tessa slid from the saddle, gritting her teeth at the pain in her side, then turned and rushed to the man she’d thought was dead. Without hesitating, she fell into his arms and hugged him close. The trapper stiffened slightly at the unexpected gesture, and tentatively put his arms around her.

Tessa drew back and stepped away, smiling up at him. “I thought you were dead,” she cried. “I saw what happened…”

“We thought you were dead, too, Miss Tessa.” Ike grinned. “Five of us got away.” His face sobered. “The others weren’t so lucky.”

Tessa’s smile faded, too. She glanced around and greeted the four other trappers who’d formed a circle around her – her faithful men who had survived. She wiped away tears that rolled freely down her cheeks.

“When we found Shaky and Zeke, but not you, we thought that Rattler’s men had taken you,” Ike said. He lowered his gaze. “We buried them. A day later, we met up with Butler and his men. Been with them since, and trying to make sense of it all and where to go from here. I was getting ready to head to St. Louis to tell your father you were dead.” He shook his head. “That bastard, Rattler. He’s going to pay for what he did.”

“Yes, he is, and we’re going to get our wagons back, too,” Tessa said. Cheers erupted around her.

“But, what happened to you?” Ike asked, frowning.

Tessa glanced over her shoulder. She had to stretch to see over the heads of many of the trappers. Adrian still waited at the outskirts of camp, and the warriors hung back even further. The men surrounding her parted to look in the direction she faced.

“That’s that war chief who’s been causing all kinds of trouble,” someone called out. Others huffed in agreement. It was obvious they were wary, unsure of how to react.

“His name is Adrian Storm, or rather, Baa’koa. He saved my life,” Tessa said in a firm, loud voice to keep the situation under control and diffuse the tension. She moved away from the men and signaled for Adrian to come closer. He did so without hesitation. His bow was draped casually over his thighs in front of him, but there was no doubt he’d use it in a second if he felt threatened.

“Lay your weapons down,” Tessa called out. “The men from the Gros Ventre tribe and their chief aren’t here to fight or cause trouble. Mr. Butler, please welcome them into camp.”

Butler ran a hand over his grizzled face and down his beard, then motioned the rest of the warriors into camp. Tessa reached Adrian’s side. He dismounted his colt and stared at the trappers who’d assembled. They undoubtedly wanted a better look at the man so many had feared for months.

He stood still beside her, his eyes sharp and hands tense at his sides. He had indefinable characteristics that made him stand out among all the mountain men. Even if he had been dressed as a trapper, he held something unique in his presence. He didn’t belong here – not fully – and if he was uneasy about being in a camp full of white men, he didn’t show it.

Todd Baronette stepped forward and held out his hand. “Baa’koa,” Todd said in the way of a greeting. “It’s good to see you again.”

Adrian hesitated, then clasped his wrist. “Todd Baronette. You didn’t keep my secret,” Adrian said in a low tone, but then smiled.

Todd shot a hasty look at Tessa. He shrugged unapologetically, and his grin was once again reminiscent of a sly fox. “No, I guess I didn’t,” he said. “She wanted to know all about you, and probably wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, so I had to tell her.”

When Adrian glanced at her, his normally hard, tense features softened. Tessa’s heart melted at the unexpected smile he cast her before as he addressed Todd. “She can be a formidable opponent.”

Todd laughed and pointed his finger at her then at Adrian. “Somehow I figured you two might get along.”

Behind her, Josiah Butler cleared his throat. “What’er ya all standin’ around fer, jes gawkin’. Git back ta what ya was doin’. I’m thinkin’ Miss Tessa’s return calls fer a celebration. Git some more meat on the fires.”

The trappers dispersed, talking loudly as they went about following Josiah’s orders. His companion, Will Parker, welcomed the warriors of the A’aninin and asked them to join the trappers by the fires. Ahan hung back, still suspicious and probably still bitter about his defeat by Adrian.

Tessa cast a quick smile at Adrian, then tugged on his arm and followed Ike to one of the fires. Behind them, Todd chuckled.

She settled on a tree stump by one of the campfires and pressed her hand against her throbbing injury. Darkness was starting to descend upon them as men passed around large chunks of meat and poured coffee. By Butler’s orders, the liquor bottles were to be kept firmly corked tonight.

She longed for a blanket and some sleep, but the joy and relief that Ike and several of her men were alive kept her sitting with them by the fire.

“We’re going to find Rattler.” Tessa looked at Ike, her tone serious, then her gaze shifted to Adrian. “Adr…Baa’koa and his warriors are with us. Rattler killed the chief of the Gros Ventre and his son earlier this season. They want justice as much as I do. He’s going to pay for what he did.” She straightened and looked at each of her men who seemed to hang on every word she spoke. She raised her voice slightly. “And, we’re going to get our wagons back. Rattler and his gang of thieves aren’t going to profit from our hard work.”

The men erupted in cheers. Tessa smiled then turned to look at Adrian, who’d been sitting quietly beside her. He still looked uncomfortable being among these men and probably would have rather sat with his warriors. She offered a smile, and his eyes raked over her as if they were once again alone. There was no simple answer to explain the pull between them, but her heart responded with a quiet flutter. The soft ache that seemed to stir with the promise of something more remained unspoken.

Much later, after the evening storytelling had ended and the camp grew quiet as the men crawled into their bedrolls, Tessa sat by the low-burning fire, staring into the flames. She needed sleep, but the excitement of the day kept her awake.

The camp was a refuge, a temporary haven from the constant weight of the past days. There was comfort in the familiar sounds of men snoring. Some time ago, Adrian had joined his warriors. They’d bedded down a short distance from the main camp to ease the slight tension between the trappers and the Gros Ventre. For months, the trappers had been on alert for attacks, and the Gros Ventre had seen every mountain man as an enemy. Now, they were being asked to work together in harmony. Only Adrian could make sure that peace prevailed.

Although she felt safe in this camp and the familiarity of being with these men, something wasn’t right. For the past five days and nights, she’d been alone with Adrian. He’d made her feel safe, too, even when he’d looked at her with almost hate-filled eyes. In a way, she now missed being alone with him.

She missed the way they’d opened up to each other around the campfire the night before, and how he’d protected her and held her during her time of deep sorrow when she believed all her men were dead.

Adrian stirred tender feelings in her she’d never experienced. They made her heart flutter, and made her think about the future. She’d certainly never expected to find a man on her journey into the wilderness who would awaken those kinds of emotions in her.

What was it about him? He was a man with a painful past, and he’d lived such a different life than the one in which he was born. What would he have been like if his father was still alive…if he hadn’t been murdered by…her father? A part of her was still denying the possibility that her father was a murderer. That would make him no better than that vile man, Victor Rattler. Deep down, however, she knew Adrian was telling the truth.

If his father had lived, would Adrian have returned to St. Louis, and would they have known each other growing up? He would have become a different man, not one consumed by vengeance and sorrow. He wouldn’t be so…feral.

The man he was now had been shaped by his life in the wilderness among the Gros Ventre people. He was a man trying to bury his pain beneath a hardened exterior, and yet she was drawn to him. She was captivated by the way his eyes followed her and the stillness that lingered whenever their gazes met. In the quiet moments when no one was around, she could feel the undeniable and heavy connection between them.

She sighed. It was time to try for sleep. Ike had left several blankets with her. Josiah Butler had offered her one of the tents, ordering the two occupants to vacate before he’d retired for the night. She’d slept out in the open for so long, a tent seemed like a great luxury. The faint flicker of flames gave her just enough light to see.

She picked up the blankets and moved to stand. She took one step away from the fire and collided with a solid figure.

A gasp escaped her lips, just before a hand covered her mouth.

“Shhhh…you’ll wake everyone if you scream.”

Her heart beat faster. Adrian. She shook her head slightly, and he removed his hand.

“I won’t scream,” she said. “But you startled me.”

She sensed rather than saw the smile on his face. He hadn’t moved away to put any distance between them, and the scent of his warm skin, so close, made her pulse quicken again.

"You should be asleep," he said, his voice low.

Tessa shrugged, trying to push away the emotions rising inside her. "There’s a lot on my mind," she replied. She raised her head and strained her eyes to make out his features. There was just enough light from the fire to see. His eyes were on her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The camp around them faded away, as if it had simply disappeared in the darkness. It felt as though they were once again alone, just like they had been the last four nights. Only something was different now. There was a new understanding between them…and an even greater pull.

His gaze lowered to her lips, then back to her eyes, and Tessa’s heart skipped a beat. She saw it then, the storm of emotions swirling in his eyes were the same as the ones churning in her heart.

Tessa swallowed. Her throat went dry and her pulse quickened as the distance between them seemed to shrink. She had always prided herself on her ability to stay strong and remain in control. But with him standing there, looking at her like that, she couldn’t help but feel something deeper that she hadn’t been willing to acknowledge before.

"Adrian," she whispered. Her voice trembled slightly despite her efforts to remain composed. She wanted to say more to completely push away the wall that remained between them, but the words didn’t come.

Adrian’s breath was steady. His hand brushed lightly against hers – just the faintest touch – but it was enough to send a jolt through her. The silence stretched between them, but he had to hear the racing in her heart.

Tessa’s breath caught in her throat as he leaned in, closing the final distance between them. His lips hovered just inches from hers. The warmth of his breath mingled with hers. For a heartbeat, time seemed to stand still, and all the fear, grief, and longing between them surged to the surface.

And then, with a soft, almost imperceptible movement, their lips met.

It was gentle at first; tentative, like a question being asked without words. The kiss was soft and lingering, but it carried with it the weight of everything they had shared; the pain, the loss, the moments of quiet understanding. It was a tearing down of the walls they had both carefully built around themselves.

Tessa’s heart raced faster, and her pulse pounded in her ears. She leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body against hers as his arms closed around her and pulled her to him.

For a brief moment, there was no past, no vengeance, no future. There was only this connection, an unspoken understanding that neither of them could deny any longer.

When they finally pulled apart, Tessa’s breath was shallow, and her lips tingled in the aftermath of the kiss. Adrian’s eyes were on her. She could feel them as much as if she was staring up at him in broad daylight. The flames from the fire caught a flicker of something raw in those eyes, yet so real.

"I..." Tessa started, but the words faltered. There were no words for the mass of emotions swirling inside her. She needed to say something, but all that came out was a soft exhale.

Adrian didn’t speak, either. Instead, he looked at her with an intensity that made her chest tighten. He didn’t step back or distance himself. He still held her carefully in his arms so as to not touch her injured side. They were so close she could feel his heartbeat and his breath mingling with hers.

Finally, Adrian broke the silence. “I won’t let Rattler harm you,” he declared, his voice low, almost a growl. The protectiveness was palpable.

Tessa nodded, and she swallowed. “I know,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. In his own way, had he just told her that he cared for her?

“Get some rest,” he added and finally stepped back to put some distance between them. “And…you can call me Adrian.” His eyes seemed to linger on her for several seconds longer, then he disappeared as quietly as he’d appeared moments ago.

Tessa stood alone, breathless and shaken. Her fingers trembled as she brought them to her lips that still tingled from his unexpected kiss that now seemed like a quiet promise of something more.