Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Waking up
Ford woke with a start. The images lingering in his mind were startling.

He shuddered slightly, trying to banish what he’d seen. Mia was dead, and her blood was on his hands! Her family was after him, and the echoes of their voices haunted him as he ran, tripping over and over again.

“Why didn’t you bring her home?” He could hear still ringing in the back of his mind.

Dreams, just dreams.

He blinked in suspicion. Trace?

A gentle sigh suddenly commanded every bit of his attention. At some point in the night he’d scooted or fallen over and now lay on his side, one arm up in use as a pillow, the other wrapped around Mia, who lay curled against his chest as naturally as if she were made to fit there.

His heart pounded as his dreams reverberated in his mind.

If her family found them like this, he would certainly be thrown into the river without a moment’s hesitation.

And yet, he didn’t pull away immediately. Mia’s even breathing indicated she was still asleep, and he hated to wake her.

For purely utilitarian reasons. To guide them to the cave, she should be well rested so that her magic would be at its most reliable.

Still, the scent of her hair made him tilt his head towards her to enjoy it more thoroughly. A second later she murmured in her sleep and pressed closer to him. His heart thundered so loudly he thought it might wake her.

But she slumbered on. It gave his mind time to wander a bit. Wonder what his old bunkhouse-mates would say if they could see him now with this warm, perfect girl laying contentedly in his arms.

That made him smile.

Why, even walking back into the mining camp with her on his arm would give them all a stir; few miners ever got wives, and none so beautiful as Mia by a long stretch.

Ford’s smile grew as he imagined their faces, slack with shock at poor little orphan Ford doing better in life than any of them had done. With the riches of the cave, he would surpass them all in every way!

Except that none of it was real. His smile faded. Mia wasn’t his, and would never consider being with someone like him. Even if she would consider it, her family would never allow it.

His dreams, which he strongly suspected were manipulated, had shown him that.

At last, Mia inhaled more deeply, indicating she was on her way back to consciousness. Ford, in contrast, closed his eyes and slowed his breaths.

He was curious to see how she would behave if she thought she’d woken first.

The moment she became aware of her surroundings was obvious; she stiffened in his arms, a sharp contrast from the relaxed posture she’d had immediately prior.

“Oh,” He heard her whisper softly, and worked hard to keep his face slack and expressionless in case she looked up at it.

Mia rolled slightly away, and seemed about to try to sneak out of his arms without being caught, when she paused. He wondered what the cause was of her hesitation.

He almost flinched as he felt the gentle touch of her fingers on his cheek. She stroked it tentatively, clearly not trying to wake him, as if she just wanted to see what his skin felt like.

Ford opened his eyes slowly, and her hand froze. Her face was closer to his than it had ever been before. All it would take was a slight dip of his head to–

“I’m sorry!” She cried, scrambling away from him. Mia got tangled in the blankets as she tried to stand, and he watched her silently. Her face became almost enraged as she battled with the fabric before freeing herself, snatching up the canteens, and running for the river.

“Sorry! I’m so, so sorry!” She squeaked again as she ran from his sight. “Sorry!”

Harper snorted and cast a hard-to-interpret glance at Ford. He slowly sat up and tested his leg. It seemed none the worse for wear despite the difficult night on the floor of a narrow canyon.

Ford chuckled at Mia’s strange apology. She’d slept in his arms and then felt the need to apologize for touching his face?

He brought up his fingers to trace where hers had been. It felt different, almost ticklish there. His lips curled into a smile, but he quickly masked it with a frown.

How could he let this woman affect his mood? She had her objective, which happened to coincide with his for the moment. After that, surely she would want him to leave her alone. He was nobody at all.

Even if he became rich, he still came from nothing. Or was she counting on him becoming rich? Was it his imagination that she seemed friendlier since she’d found out he was seeking treasure?

At the start, it had been pity that motivated her to help him. Was it still pity now? Why did he care?

No… she’d thought he was asleep. She touched his cheek with no aim in mind except whatever pleasure it brought her to do so. Satisfying her curiosity, or whatever her goal was. He glanced at where she’d gone, wondering if she achieved what she wanted.

Should he go after her? She’d been terribly flustered, which amused him tremendously, but it might alienate or confuse her while she continued to focus on searching for the cave. He couldn’t have that.

His future depended on her doing a good job.

He should apologize for making her uncomfortable. That seemed the best course of action. Let her think she felt as awkward about the circumstances as she obviously did, and they could move forward knowing they had shared a night of warmth in a storm–nothing more.

Ford thought of several different ways to word the apology, and had yet to fully form his strategy when Mia came back with a bewildered look on her face. Had he disoriented her so completely? Her voice shook slightly as she spoke.

“The river’s gone.”