American Frontier - Chapter 2

Parker James Eddington was walking through the woods to clear his head. He had decided yesterday that he needed some time alone to contemplate his future and talk with the Lord. He had closed the apothecary shop an hour early and headed off into the lovely woods surrounding Landerville for some peace.

Parker had been in Landerville for almost three years. When he moved to the small town out in the "wilds of the west", as his mother had so eloquently put it, he had expected only to stop for a bit and set up a small shop that he could leave in the hands of another.

But the town had quickly captured his heart. The people were simple folk, mostly farmers and miners, but they were kind, good people. He had never felt as welcome in New York as he did here in Landerville. He did not at all miss the high society life his parents thrived in. He did not have the head for business that Father had, nor the interest.

No, he was quite satisfied with his work here. Though there was a doctor in the next town over, Parker's basic medical training allowed him to fill in for minor injuries and illnesses. His work as the apothecary filled a great need here and he enjoyed tending the sick and helping improve the health of this small community.

He had worried at first that there would not be enough business to support him, but being the only apothecary in the area, he had patrons from many of the surrounding towns as well.

Now he was well settled into his business. He was, simply put, thriving. And he felt the time had come to look to other aspects of his future. It was, as his sweet landlady reminded him at least weekly, time that he moved out of the boarding house and took a wife.

He was currently considering the main candidate. Isabella Worthing was a lovely young lady from a fine family. He had become friends with her shortly after moving to Landerville. She had made her romantic interest in him quite plain lately, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He liked her as a friend, enjoyed her company, but something was holding him back from a deeper relationship.

He just wished he knew why he hesitated to pursue Isabella. He didn't love her, not in that way, but certainly he could in time. Right?

He sighed and shook his head. It would be easier if he had any other strong candidates for a bride in mind, but many of the young ladies in town were spoken for. Certainly there were still quite a few who flirted shamelessly with him at every opportunity. But he didn't just want a pretty flirt. And many of the women who pursued him so relentlessly were often unkind to others. He could not tolerate a lack of charity in a wife.

"Oh Lord, there must be someone I can truly love somewhere," he said, looking up to the sky. "God, please help me out. I want a happy marriage. A woman I can respect and talk to and love. A woman of faith who will stand by me in the hard times as well as the easy."

Pouring his heart out to the Lord, as always, calmed him. Everything would be alright. He would ask Isabella to spend more time with him and see what came of it.

And, he promised himself, if nothing blossomed, he would not jump into a marriage without love simply to be married or to appease others. He would not settle for anything less than someone he truly loved. That settled, he strode forward confidently, ready to return to the boarding house and enjoy the lovely dinner Mrs. Gardiner was probably preparing right at that moment.

His walk was interrupted when he entered a small clearing. A young woman stood from the fallen log she had been sitting on and threw herself into his arms. A very lovely young woman, he noted, wrapping his arms around a soft, womanly figure and looking down at her beautiful dark hair and delicate features.

The way she said she missed him made him feel warm inside, though he was quite sure they had never met. Then, when she looked up at him with those lovely blue eyes and said his name, he couldn't let her go. He had no idea how she knew him when he didn't recognize her at all, but she felt so right in his arms. She was small, nearly a foot shorter than his own 6'2" frame, but she seemed to fit against him like matching pieces of a puzzle.

When she looked away from him, he leaned down, hoping to recapture her gaze. But when she looked back up and licked her plump lips, he couldn't seem to keep himself from taking a taste. He hadn't kissed anyone since he snuck kisses in the schoolyard as a boy, and he only meant it to be a quick kiss, but when she melted against him and responded enthusiastically, he found himself deepening the embrace.

All thoughts fled except that this was right. This was exactly where he wanted to be forever, in the embrace of this beautiful, entrancing, soft woman with the sweet voice and the bluest eyes. His fingers tangled in her hair and he found it just as soft as he could have hoped.

He might have kept kissing her forever, but the sound of someone whistling in the distance grew louder, breaking through the haze. He pulled back with a groan, feeling incredibly satisfied when she seemed as dazed as he felt.

Finally, her eyes slowly blinked open and a smile bloomed on her face. "Parker," she said softly.

He groaned again. "My dear, you shouldn't say my name like that. You're already quite difficult to resist." The sounds of someone approaching grew louder. "But someone is coming and I don't want to compromise your reputation. We should go."

She blinked in surprise and the haze cleared. "Oh! Thomas! I almost forgot- of course, you should go. He's expecting to meet me here."

Expecting to. . . ? Then his lovely miss was here for a tryst with another man? Parker clenched his jaw. Over his dead body.