This Freedom Journey by Misty M. Beller

Author:Misty M. Beller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian historical fiction, Christian Western, Christian historical romance, christian novel, rocky mountain story, rocky mountains western and frontier, inspirational western, western and frontier, clean and inspirational western romance
Publisher: Misty M. Beller Books, Inc.
Published: 2018-07-16T16:00:00+00:00

THE WEATHER WAS BETTER than Adrien expected as they both trudged out on snowshoes. No sun peeked through the grayish cloud covering, but the wind didn’t buffet them either.

With a knife and a hatchet tucked in the belt that wrapped around her buckskin tunic and a satchel slung over her shoulder, Madame Standish looked just like a wilderness voyageur. A rather comely one, at that. He’d not seen her without her heavy fur coat until he stepped into the cabin earlier. That was a sight that wouldn’t be leaving his mind any time soon.

Now, she did have her coat tucked around her and a look of steel determination marking her face. No sign of her grief from before. It was almost as if he’d seen a different woman hours ago. A woman so broken that her mind and heart and body had fought to come to terms with her loss. A woman fragile.

Not this mountain warrior who trekked beside him.

She led him around the lake that stretched across one end of the valley. Snow covered the ice so it was almost hard to tell where the land ended and the water began.

A cluster of branches sat at the edge of the bank, and Madame Standish approached them. She stepped out onto the snow-covered ice with only a slight hesitation.

He almost reached to grab her, but he stilled the urge. She must know what she was doing. He did keep his hand ready, though.

She stepped out a few strides to a pole that rose up from the ice. She grabbed it and wiggled, but the base appeared secure in the frozen mass beneath. Dropping to her knees, she pushed the snow away from the pole, then pulled out the hatchet and started hacking at the ice surrounding the wood.

Enough watching. He stepped onto the snow-covered lake, easing his weight into that first step. The ice held without a problem, so he moved forward until he reached her. “Let me do that.”

She didn’t cease her pounding but seemed to hit harder, whacking at the ice with an intense attack. Her face pinched in a tight grimace, her lips pressed flat and her nose flared. As though the ice were the source of all her pain.

“Madame Standish.” He dropped to his haunches behind her, out of swinging range of that hatchet.

She didn’t cease her effort until the blade broke through some of the ice, catching on the slush underneath. She heaved the tool upward, grunting like a lumberjack at work. Her effort released the stuck blade and jerked her arm back with painful force.

“Please let me help.” He reached out to touch her shoulder.

Still, she didn’t acknowledge his presence, just went back to hacking at a new section of ice. Maybe she couldn’t feel his touch through her coat and the tension that rose off her like steam from boiling water.

Her blows grew almost frantic now, strike after strike. Her breathing fogged the air, turning to a wheeze that couldn’t be healthy. He had to stop her before she injured herself.

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