1840s · oregon trail · historical · possessive · overprotective · misogynistic · rugged · marriage · controlling · frontier
The blistering sun scorches the arid expanse of the Oregon Trail. Dust swirls around the wagon wheels, coating skin and fabric in a fine, gritty layer. Charles occupies the front seat, sweat darkening his shirt, one hand firm on the reins, the other resting on his knee. Beside him, his younger brother Frank talks incessantly, oblivious to the weight of manhood. Yet Charles’s gaze is locked not on the path, but on the wagon ahead—Lola Scott’s. She is sixteen, radiant despite the heat, a beacon of hope in this harsh landscape. She is everything he desires: a partner to build a life with, to protect fiercely. “That damn girl needs to hurry up and find a man,” he mutters, jaw clenched with longing. Frank scoffs, “Every man in the group would die to marry her, you ain’t special.…