Frontier Highlander Vow of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of joy.”
    Bear’s mouth twitched with mirth and then, unable to control himself, his laughter rippled through the room.
    Logan joined in, the sound of his laugh deep and jovial.
    “Tell me more about this party,” Bear said, still chuckling. “Will there be women there?”
    “Invitations to Mrs. Garrard’s ball were carried, along with the request from Governor Garrard for delegates, to all the interior forts. I believe fifteen men and six women will make the journey from St. Elspeth’s. The women will sport their finest clothes. Unfortunately, all the women going from here are married, but I’m certain some unmarried women will attend from other settlements.”
    Now Bear was intrigued.
    Logan continued, “Last time the Governor held one of these events, abundant toddies kept the party going for several days.”
    “Well, those two facts do sweeten the brew a wee bit. And I would enjoy visitin’ my brother William and his wife Kelly and their new wee bairn.”
    “He’s sheriff of Boonesborough, is he not?”
    “Aye, and a mighty fine one too!” Bear was proud of what William had already achieved.
    “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he wasn’t a delegate too,” Logan speculated. “Now, why don’t we discuss this further over dinner? My wife Ann has prepared a pork roast.”
    The delicious fragrance of the meat cooking, in the home adjoining Logan’s office, had teased Bear’s stomach for some time. Did he also smell pie wafting through the air now too? He loved pie. His stomach grumbled in earnest.
    Logan chuckled. “I can hear your stomach agreeing that it’s time we enjoyed something to eat.”
    “Aye. It’s time,” Bear agreed.
    It was time to enjoy many things.

Chapter 4
    T he size of Boonesborough surprised Artis. It seemed like a town that bloomed right out of the wilderness—for that was all she’d seen on their journey here. The day after she regained her freedom, she left Virginia with a group of settlers headed for Kentucky. The group soon passed through the Cumberland Gap and followed the Wilderness Trail north through miles and miles of pristine verdant forests and colorful rocky hills. The breathtaking scenery was the first she’d seen since arriving in the colonies that could compare to her beloved Highlands. The blue-green mountains reminded her of home.
    But the air smelled completely different here. In Scotland, she mostly remembered the distinct salty scent of the nearby ocean, the earthy aroma of peat, and the woody and mossy fragrance of heather. On the Kentucky frontier, the sharp smell of pine and other woods was most dominant, mixed with the fresh fragrance of a nearly blue grass.
    As they rode the wagons into the bustling town, the air’s fragrance slowly changed, becoming unpleasant. She wrinkled her nose at the pungent odor of hides piled high on carts, horse manure scattered everywhere on the street, unwashed men, and bones cast into the street for dogs. But, now and then, she also caught the pleasant scent of fresh lumber stacked on wagons, several gardens, pots of blooming flowers, and to her astonishment, a bakery.
    As soon as they reached what appeared to be the center of town, she bid the kind people she had traveled with goodbye. They all needed to find places for their families to camp and she was too impatient to wait for them.
    Straight away, she set out to find the Land Office. After getting directions from a stranger, she hurried toward it, carrying all she owned in her linen bag, the same one she’d carried from Scotland.
    Most of the people on the street seemed friendly enough, the men tipping their hats at her and the women smiling. Surprisingly, she wasn’t the least bit afraid. She belonged in Kentucky. Here, she would be a landowner once again.
    “Miss,” she heard a man say from behind her.
    Artis turned. A well-dressed, handsome, and tall blonde fellow smiled back at her.
    “Can I help you find something, Miss? I’ve never seen you in