Читать книгу Honor Before Heart - Heather McCorkle - Страница 12

Chills raced through Ashlinn regardless of the warm, damp July night. She knew Cliste’s signs all too well. Someone was coming. The rain began to let up, the misty gray created by it slowly dissipating. For once, she actually wanted the constant drizzle of the last few days to come back. Thankfully, their dark blue uniforms would help hide them in the coming night. But it would still be a while yet before full dark fell.

Legs bent to keep low, she crept along beside Sean, one hand buried in Cliste’s fur. She had learned that by having direct contact with the hound, it not only calmed them both, but she could feel when Cliste tensed at something. Though he had to be in immense pain, Sean moved with the ease of a seasoned soldier, head scanning, hands ready on his rifle. The gun should have put her at ease, but instead it made her blood pump so fast she became light-headed. If he fired it and there was more than one enemy soldier out there, they’d all know exactly where they were.

The desire to reach for Sean made her muscles ache. Not only did she want to warn him, she wanted the comfort of touching him. But she knew she had to trust him, and that distracting him was a bad idea. Instead she stayed as close to his side as she dared, just out of the reach of the rifle barrel. They moved carefully through the underbrush, sticking to it and using it to hide them. Darkness spread with each moment, helping to cloak them even more.

“I’m telling you I heard something,” came a gruff voice from far too close.

Ashlinn exchanged a wide-eyed look with Sean. He grabbed ahold of her, pulled her behind a tree, and pressed her against it. Wrapped in his arms, his warm body against hers, a false sense of safety drifted over her. She’d never been so close to a man she wasn’t related to before, and certainly never like this. Sean was all hard planes of muscle against her soft curves. A wonderful rush made her head swim from the contact. His breath warmed her forehead, sending a completely different kind of heat coursing through her.

So distracted was she that she barely noticed the sound of footsteps approaching and passing by the tree they hid behind. Several moments after they had gone, Sean took her hand and started through the forest at a brisk walk. Soon he led them out of the bushes where they could move faster and still remain relatively quiet. They all but jogged through the trees. Even in the fading light, Ashlinn could see the pinched look on Sean’s face and knew he had to be in terrible pain.

Again she heard voices, but this time they were too far away to make out any words. Sean kept up their hurried pace until her breath came in gasps that burned her throat. Finally, she reached out and touched his arm. Her other hand hovered over her heaving chest. Sean took one look at her and slowed to a walk. Though full dark had fallen, her eyes had adjusted well enough that she could see the pain etched on his face. Despite what it cost him, he hadn’t once made any sound that would indicate the agony he was in. He had slowed for her, not himself.

Almost of its own accord, Ashlinn’s hand took hold of his. Inappropriate as it was, she didn’t care. Her mother could seethe down at her from heaven all she wanted. Their lives were on the line and if they were going to die, she was bloody well going to do it helping a handsome man stay on his feet. Hard as she listened, she didn’t hear another voice. Either they had lost them, or the Reb scouts had decided to pursue them quietly. Still, she wasn’t about to let go of his hand, not with the way his fingers tightened possessively around hers. How much she liked it should have bothered her more than it did, but she’d worry about that if they survived the night.

Near her other hand Cliste trotted along, tail wagging. The hound’s relaxed demeanor soothed Ashlinn’s nerves until finally she was able to stop shaking. Each ragged breath Sean took made her concern for him grow. She moved in close to him so her mouth was next to his ear.

“We should stop and rest,” she whispered.

“Do you need to?”

“No, but your wound.”

He lifted his chin, pace never slowing. “I will be fine. If we are caught, they will kill me and do worse to you. I will not let that happen.”

Though his words were quiet, the emotion behind them made them so powerful chills raced up her arms. From the conviction in his tone, she could tell that arguing would be a waste of time. Besides, how could she when he sounded so gallant? Then there was the scathing memory of the Reb soldier knocking her to the ground, unbuckling his belt…

“All right, but promise to tell me if it gets too much. No need to be overly manly,” she whispered.

“I promise.” His feather-light breath upon her cheek was just enough to make her wish it were a caress.

Silently chiding herself, she marched on beside him through the dark forest. Every now and then, they came close enough to see the beaten down road the Union army had left in its wake while returning to Harrison’s Landing. The hours ticked by and Sean never slowed his brisk walk. Ashlinn’s calves and back soon burned from stepping over fallen branches and ducking beneath low-hanging ones. Her breeches and coat had snagged on bushes more times than she could count. That road was so tempting the sight of it made her ache.

Just when she feared she couldn’t take the temptation any longer, Sean guided them out onto the road. Moonlight bathed the swath cut through the countryside, making it look like a ghostly river. A glance up revealed clouds retreating. She tugged gently against his hand.

“Do you really think ’tis safe?” She didn’t want to doubt him, but she feared the pain might be getting the better of him since he had been denying it for the last few hours.

“Aye, ’tis just around the next bend. Besides, they have seen us, and we do not want to give them any reason to shoot.” He indicated the path before them with a lift of his chin.

Her feet were already upon the road by the time the second sentence left his mouth. She halted in midstride, alarm coursing through her. Sean straightened and pulled her close to his side. Next to them, Cliste began to growl low and quiet, not a menacing sound so much as a warning.

“That ’tis far enough. Yer name and rank, soldier,” boomed a voice from the trees on the other side of the road.

Sean stepped between her and the voice. “Corporal Sean MacBranain,” he announced in an equally loud voice.

“Who’s with you?” came the man’s voice from the trees again.

“The nurse who saved my life.” His hand tightened around hers as he said the words.

Quiet as a ghost, a shadow stepped out of the bushes, making her tense up. Another set of boots sounded behind them. Cliste’s growl grew louder, throaty with warning. She had never even known they were there.

Upon seeing the Union blue uniforms Ashlinn let out a breath. “’Tis all right, Cliste,” she said, one hand patting the hound’s head.

“MacBranain! Bloody hell man, we thought you were dead for sure,” came a different voice from behind them.

Ashlinn turned to see a tall, broad soldier approaching, musket lowered, a wide grin lifting his shortly trimmed mustache into cheeks that sported at least a week-long shadow. He paused, eyes going to Cliste. She continued to pet the hound’s head in a soothing motion. Slowly, the hair along Cliste’s back lay back down. Steering wide of her, the soldier approached Sean.

“Good lord, man. ’Tis that a bear or a dog?” the soldier asked in a deep voice, eyes on Cliste. His accent suggested he was Irish, but his height suggested something else.

Sean laughed. “’Tis an Irish wolfhound. She also helped save me life.”

A grunt of pain expelled from him as the man embraced him. The beginnings of a growl rumbled through Cliste again.

“I would have been dead for sure if it were not for this one here,” he said when the man let him go.

The tall man looked Ashlinn over, not in the leering way some soldiers did, but as if he was impressed with her. Then again, that could be due in part to her being clad in men’s clothing with her hair all done up beneath her cap. “Thank you, lass. You have saved a good man here, you have.”

The attention shifted back to Sean as the other two men exchanged greetings with him. Pushed to the side, Ashlinn had to fight back a pang of loss. She didn’t want to part ways with Sean. For the first time since this blasted war, she hadn’t felt so alone. The thought stirred the beginnings of panic within her. She didn’t want to allow herself to get close to anyone ever again, not after what happened to her brothers. As if sensing her thoughts, Cliste pressed against her side, her wet nose finding its way into Ashlinn’s palm.

“We best get you back to camp. The lieutenant will be thrilled to know there is another survivor,” the tall soldier said.

The man turned him toward the direction of Harrison’s Landing, leaving Ashlinn forgotten in the background. Even the second soldier, who began to melt back into the forest, didn’t spare her a glance. Such was the treatment of medical folk, especially a woman disguised as a male nurse. Despite being used to it, it stung this time. Part of her ached at watching Sean walk away, a part she very much wanted to deny. The logical part of her knew it was for the best, so she let him walk on ahead. Attachments were more dangerous than bullets in this war.

He stopped, turned, and reached back for her hand. “Ashlinn,” he called back to her.

At the sound of that gentle voice, she knew with a sinking certainty. There was no denying it. Already she had become attached to this soldier in a way she’d never allowed herself to become attached before. But she would resist it with everything she had in her. She had to. This man, like so many others, would likely end up just like her brothers. Dead or missing. Yes, she would resist. Tomorrow. Accepting his hand, she realized she would fight the most onerous of doctors to remain at his side and ensure his recovery. But that was all. Once he was better she would keep her distance.