Page 71 of Wagon Train Honor
“Let me finish.” She pressed her fingers to his lips. “At first, I was devastated. A year’s work. Some of it I can never reproduce.”
He tried to tell her his news, but the pressure from her fingers increased. A smile grew under her touch, and he settled back to let her have her say.
“With it gone, do I have anything to offer The Society? Can I do enough drawings to make it worth their while? I asked myself all sorts of questions, but the most important one—” Her blue eyes brimmed with sunshine. “Why did I think it was more important to me than you are? It’s not. Robert, I believe my heart belongs to you if you’ll have it?”
“Have it?” He caught her hand and brought her fingers from his lips. “All I want is you. You have my heart. But you don’t have to give up your dream of going to Banff. I’ll go with you.”
“But—”
Holding her hands in one of his, he reached into his saddlebag and brandished her sketchbook. “Look what I found.” His wide grin was accompanied by soft laughter at her surprise.
“Where? How?” She turned the book over in her hand and opened the pages with trembling fingers.
“A wild animal took it. Probably a coyote.” He told her how he’d discovered it. “So you see, you don’t have to give up your dream of going to Banff.”
“But—” Wisps of her hair flipped back and forth as she shook her head. “What about your dream?”
“‘To give up something in order to gain something better is perhaps not such a great sacrifice.’ My ma told me that once. I had forgotten it until now. But it’s true. When you’re done in Banff, we’ll settle down in a forever home.”
“Please don’t look at it as giving up your plans. It’s only a delay because I won’t stay in Banff long.”
He pulled her back into his arms. “Ruby Woods, I love you with a forever love, and that’s more important than anything else.”
“Oh, Robert, those words are sweet.” She cupped her hands to his cheeks. “I love you too. More than anything.”
“I’d like to kiss you.” His quiet words brought a smile from the depths of her heart.
“I’d like that.”
Her lips were sweet and claiming as she gave him her heart.
Ruby heldthe sketchbook to her chest, but she held Robert close to her heart as they hurried after the wagons. Carson saw them and waved, but the dust of the horses hid them from the others until they stopped for the noon meal.
When Robert strode into their midst, everyone talked at once, welcoming him and asking questions.
Ma was the first one to notice Ruby clutched her sketchbook. “Where did that come from?”
Laughing and sharing the story, Ruby and Robert told what happened.
Angela moved closer and whispered to Ruby, “It looks to me like you’ve found something besides your book.”
Ruby grinned and nodded. “Something far more important.”
Angela smiled her approval.
Robert and Ruby turned to each other. She knew he was asking if he could say something about their decision, but before she could nod, Carson spoke.
“Robert, I should tell you something.”
At the warning note in her brother’s voice, Ruby sucked in air and held it.
“A man’s been looking around. He told me he’d found the perfect land to file on.” He drew back his lips, then went on. “I think he means the same land you picked out. I spoke to the sergeant, and he said he’d release you early from your contract with the Mounties so you could file on it while you have the chance.”
Ruby was sitting close enough to feel the shock race through Robert. This was his dream. He might think he was willing to give it up to accompany her to Banff, but she couldn’t ask that of him. Couldn’t accept it. But she couldn’t tell him in front of everyone. It would have to wait until they were alone. She’d walk behind the horses again.
Although the conversation flowed around them as Carson relayed story after story, sometimes helped by Allard or Jones, Robert contributed little. Keenly aware of his troubled thoughts, Ruby listened with half her attention.
The others rested after their cold meal, but Ruby was far too unsettled. She looked for Robert, but he was deep in conversation with the other Mounties.
