Anna's Heart (Wilderness Brides Book 2) Read Online Free

laced up her ankles nearly to her knees.
    Next to her stood a man with shoulder-length, dark hair intermixed with streaks of silver. While he looked large and imposing next to his small wife, Daniel Osborne was no taller than the average man. What made him stand out, however, was the confident way in which he carried himself, with his shoulders back and head held high. Even for a man well into his later years, he looked imposing. The butt-end of his single-shot, black-powder rifle was propped on the ground as he held it, while his other hand rested against the lower half of his wife’s back.
    Harley stood with the couple, talking in boisterous tones while his hands moved wildly in front of him. He glanced in Ethan’s direction at the same time Daniel turned his head. Aimee wore a wide smile when she saw him.
    Ethan lengthened his strides to reach them and held out his hand to shake Daniel’s, then Aimee’s. Her sure grip was surprising for a woman her size and age. Before he could let go of her hand, she stepped closer, leaned up, and wrapped her free arm around his neck. Ethan bent forward to return her friendly hug.
    “It’s so good to see you again, Ethan. It’s been a long time.”
    “Glad to see you’re both doing well.” Ethan straightened when she finally let him go, returning her smile and glancing at her husband. “What brings you this far south?”
    “Daniel was getting restless after all the snow we’ve had this winter.” Aimee laughed. “So he mentioned the idea of coming to Jackson’s Hole to visit Alex and Evie Walker.” Her eyes darted to her husband and her smile widened. “All it took was a comment from our son-in-law, Chase, that Daniel was getting too old to make the trip, and his mind was made up.”
    She stepped up to Daniel and hugged his arm. The old trapper scowled, but there was a definite twinkle and softness in his dark eyes when he returned his wife’s gaze.
    “We are on our way home from the other side of the Teewinots. Alex and Evie send their greetings.”
    “Well, next time tell that old coot Walker not ta be a stranger so long,” Harley chimed in. “Jes saw his son, Lucas, a few days ago. At least that boy ain’t shy about comin’ fer visits.”
    Daniel nodded. “We passed Lucas on our way here. I told him to get home if he wanted to see his brother before he sets out for Boston.”
    Harley’s eyes widened. “Boston? What does Joseph wanna go ta Boston fer?”
    “He made a promise to an old chief of a band of Bannock that he’d find his granddaughter and bring her home.”
    Harley shot Ethan a perplexed look, as if he was supposed to know what was going on. Ethan shrugged. Joseph Walker had been married to a Blackfoot woman and lived with the Bannock tribe for a time, but that wouldn’t explain why he’d go to Boston.
    “I remember ole Alex Walker’s friend, that French trapper, Laurent an’ his Injun wife, got kilt by some low-down varmint. Met both of ‘em once, an’ their little gal. Thought she got kilt, too.” Harley’s eyes volleyed between Daniel and his wife. “Plum shame what happened to ‘em.”
    “Everyone seems to think she’s dead, but Joseph is determined to find out for sure. He’ll be gone for most of the year,” Aimee said. Her eyes went to the new cabin nestled against several tall pines about fifty yards away. “Things have changed around here, I see.”
    Harley laughed. “Ya don’t know the half of it.” He swept his hand to the cabin door. “Let’s go inside and I’ll get ya sommat ta drink, and we’ll all catch up on news.”
    Ethan followed them into the cabin, bracing himself for the inevitable meeting with Anna Porter. He barely set foot across the threshold to see that the room was empty. Like Trevor had said, dried mud was smeared across the floor in front of the door, while the rest of the cabin was as neat and tidy as it had ever been.
    He stepped fully into the room. Several pheasants lay on the table. The fire