What the Heart Wants by Marie Caron Read Free Book Online Page A

meadow with the oxen and other animals, everyone had turned in. I had just shut my eyes for possibly the hundredth time when Mr. O’Hara began to stir. I sprang to my knees next to him as he moved his arms and legs and moaned. Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes, pushed himself up on his elbows, and stared straight at me.
    “What happened?” he asked gruffly, and my heart leaped up into my throat. Just hearing that smooth, masculine voice made me feel jittery, like a calf heading to be branded.
    “You were attacked by a bear. You mustn’t get up; you’re hurt,” I told him as I pushed down on his bare shoulder with one shaking hand. He seemed to consider my statement as he lifted his head and broad shoulders, tilting his chin down to look at his bandaged chest. The blanket, which had covered him from neck to foot, fell to his waist, revealing the white bandages around his chest and upper arms.
    “How long?” he asked as he lowered his head and shut his eyes.
    “You’ve been unconscious about six hours,” I responded, guessing what he wished to know.
    “Did I kill it?” he asked through gritted teeth. It was obvious he was in a lot of pain.
    “No, but one of the men did. Captain Baker, I think,” I told him, and he grunted as if to say he was satisfied that at least the bear was dead.
    “My horse…”
    “One of the men brought it back to camp. Don’t worry, he’s being taken care of,” I assured him. “What’s his name?” I asked as I offered him a drink of water, holding a ladle to his lips as he quenched his thirst.
    “Thunder.” His reply was almost a whisper. He’d been able to hold his head up for a couple of minutes, but now it fell back to the bed, and his eyes closed again, as though the effort had been too much for him. His eyes remained closed, and soon his breathing became regular. I was sure he’d fallen asleep, so I sat back and tried to rest, although leaning against the wheel of Mrs. Young’s wagon was extremely uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I soon began to relax, and my mind began to wander.
    Except for the occasional hoot of an owl, it was deathly quiet, and my thoughts quickly turned to the conversation I’d had with my father as I was helping him into our wagon for the night.
    “He’s a wild one, that O’Hara. He’s not like other men, so don’t go getting attached to him, Samantha.”
    “Papa, I’m not going to marry him; I’m just going to nurse him,” I said smartly, earning a critical look from Papa.
    “I know that, daughter, but he’s a single man with two eyes in his head. He’s likely never seen a girl as pretty as you before.”
    “Oh, Papa, you say the sweetest things. But I must point out that you are very prejudiced.”
    “And for good reason. You look like your mother, God rest her soul, and she was a beauty…Everyone said so. Don’t go wasting yourself on some no-account fur trapper. Your future waits for you in Sacramento,” he said, reminding me of the man he intended for me to marry.
    I knew that Papa meant well, but I couldn’t help but wonder why Mr. Parker hadn’t found a wife in Sacramento. I also wondered what I would feel for him when I finally met him. It seemed my hopes of marrying for love just wouldn’t die.
    Now I found my eyes and my thoughts straying to the man on the ground in front of me. I had once again covered him with the wool blanket, but I could still see his bare chest and arms in my mind’s eye. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to see more, to know more about this enigmatic man. Where had he come from? Who were his parents? Was he married, and where did he live when he wasn’t working as a wagon-train scout? My mind was awhirl with questions, but just coming right out and asking him seemed rude. If I wanted to get to know him better, I needed to spend more time alone with him. But, as he healed, my nursing skills would be required less and less, and there wasn’t anything I could do about that.
    However, fate interceded