Uncharted Journey (The Uncharted Series Book 6)

by Keely Brooke Keith

  “Well—”

  “I wanted to come here. I was delighted when I learned I had family somewhere in the world, and I prayed I’d be able to make it here to meet all of you and live in this beautiful place. It’s just that…” She watched the tall grass along either side of the road ripple as the breeze blew across it. It bent in waves reminding her of the ocean. “It’s just that with everything that happened at the beach when we got here and losing Tim… it all sort of soured my arrival.”

  She didn’t know what she expected Lydia to say, but she let silence float between them. The road’s sandy gravel crackled under her hiking shoes. The thick foliage of the gray leaf trees rustled, and birds sang to each other in the limbs overhead. The lack of traffic and trains and unnatural noise made her want conversation.

  After a long moment, Lydia said, “What happened that night soured your arrival for us too.” A faint but sweet smile warmed Lydia’s face. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

  Bailey’s heart lifted. The joy bubble grew. “You are?”

  “Yes, and so are my father and Connor.”

  John had made her feel welcome from the beginning, but she had assumed most of that was his profession. He was the pastor of the village church. He had to be kind to strangers. And even though Connor’s suspicion had cooled once they had found Tim’s possessions and he’d finally believed Bailey’s story, it was hard to imagine the Land’s first outsider was glad another had made it here.

  Still, Lydia wouldn’t have said it if it weren’t true. If they could be glad Bailey was here, she could be too. “Thanks. That makes me feel better.”

  “We don’t expect anything from you, but since you seem to enjoy work, we can arrange it.”

  “I do. It’s kind of essential for me.”

  “I understand. We will have to find you something other than gardening though. Sophia is preparing the vegetable garden for a late crop.”

  “Oh.” Bailey tried to hide her disappointment by looking away.

  The road turned from gravel to smooth cobblestones as it descended a short incline through a tunnel of trees. The thick foliage cast speckled shadows onto the picturesque road. She deeply inhaled the gray leaf trees’ scent. It reminded her of why she wanted to come to the Land the first place. “Do you need help with the gray leaf?”

  A horse-drawn buggy passed. Lydia greeted the man driving it. Her smile faded when she looked back at Bailey. “I already have an assistant.”

  “Right, Sophia. She’s awesome. I meant I could help you with your gray leaf research. I’m a plant biologist. That’s how Justin found out about me; he wanted someone to analyze the gray leaf tree saplings and saw my name on a list of professional researchers.” She stopped herself from telling the whole story, wanting to focus on the present. “I could look over your research notes, if you like.”

  Lydia stopped walking, her eyes wide. “You could?”

  “Sure. I’d love to.”

  “That would be wonderful! Sophia recently discovered a baffling phenomenon with the gray leaf vapor. I’d be most appreciative if you would lend your expertise.” After a quick tuck of her loose strands of hair, Lydia smiled and started walking again, still hugging the dresses. “Oh, Bailey, you might be the answer to my prayers.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  The sun was still asleep below the horizon, making Eva wish she could have stayed beneath her comfortable quilt. If she crawled back into bed and a hard enough sleep smothered her, she could skip this day completely and not have to watch Solo leave Falls Creek. But her son would soon wake up and need her care, and an inn full of guests would need her too.

  Her hand slid along the dull wooden rail as she descended the stairs to the dark lower level of the inn. The light of a single lantern flowed from the kitchen, but Sybil wasn’t in there. A large mixing bowl and several utensils waited on the counter for their ingredients, and the freshly stoked oven warmed the room. Eva scanned the countertop on the far side of the long room. Sybil’s egg basket was gone.

  Eva carefully closed the side door as not to make noise and wake anyone before dawn. Then she walked across the dew-covered lawn to the chicken coop where Sybil’s lantern illuminated a fraction of the property, hovering like a firefly over the laying box.

  “Sybil,” Eva called to her sister as she approached so she wouldn’t startle her.

  Sybil craned her neck around the coop. “Eva? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I got up a few minutes early and thought I’d see if you needed help.”

  Disbelief laced her sister’s voice. “Help gathering eggs?”

  “Sure. Why not?” She held the laying box’s lid open while Sybil drew out the fresh eggs.

  “You haven’t come to the coop since I was little and Mother made gathering eggs my chore permanently.”

  Eva remembered their childhood chores well. “Yes, and I always wished she had given me the coop and given you the mopping.”

  A sly smile curved Sybil’s mouth. “It’s too late to trade chores now.”

  Sybil was quiet as she filled the egg basket. When she was done, she stepped back. Eva lowered the lid and removed Sybil’s lantern from a hook on the side of the coop. As they walked away, Sybil asked, “Why are you really up so early?”

  Eva wasn’t able to think of an answer. A faint gray glow in the eastern sky made the stable block’s silhouette visible. The slight ability to see everything made it seem like she couldn’t see anything. Her feelings for Solo were just as murky. She tightened the shawl around her cold neck. “Solo’s forty-night stay is over. He’s leaving today.”

  Sybil slowly walked with her toward the inn. “I know. I packed him a sack of food for the road. He came into the kitchen after dinner last night to thank me for all the delicious meals over the past few weeks. He said my venison roast is the best in the Land.” She took one hand off the basket handle and put it over her heart as if swearing. “His words, not mine.”

  “He is right about that.”

  “Thank you.” Sybil’s tone softened. “Are you up early to say goodbye to him?”

  “Hardly.”

  “What then?”

  Eva held the lantern out to light their path across the damp grass. “I’m preparing for a busy day, that’s all.”

  “You are a terrible liar.”

  “You sound like Mother.” She meant it as a joke, but Sybil went silent.

  Eva stopped walking and faced her sister. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… everything feels wrong. It’s like I’m fighting against something I can’t see or name.”

  Sybil’s caring eyes narrowed. “Because of Solo?”

  She could no longer hold back the truth—from her sister or herself. “I care about him… very much. At least I did. I felt something for him too. I know it’s wrong but—”

  “Why is it wrong?”

  “Because of Ezekiel.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized how illogical it probably sounded to a person who hadn’t lost a spouse. “I know it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, but it’s how I feel.”

  Sybil tilted her chin. “You are allowed to love again, Eva.”

  She almost dismissed her sister’s words, but they echoed deep in her soul. Sybil was right: she was free to love again. Their father had said as much too, and she hadn’t listened to him. There was nothing biblically wrong with a widow marrying again, in fact, there were verses encouraging young widows to marry. She stared down at the lantern’s warm flame. “You’re right, but I have spent so many years convincing myself it would be wrong. Still, with Solo… there is more to the matter than allowing myself to love, especially with his behavior last week.”

  “His behavior?”

  “Father told me a trader gave Solo a message for us from Revel, but Solo kept it back for a couple of days.”

  “What was the message?”

  “Nothing new. Just that Revel and Connor are coming through Falls Creek on their way to Riverside soon. It was the
same message he wrote us last month. Anyway, he—”

  Sybil raised a finger. “Why would a trader give Revel’s message to Solo instead of to you or Father?”

  “I don’t know. But when I found out, I marched right over to the stable block to ask Solo about it, and low and behold, he had just chased off a man I was thinking of hiring.”

  Sybil’s skin lightened as the first hint of morning light crested the earth. “The traders usually give messages to you as soon as they arrive or once they settle in. They wouldn’t give a message for the family to another guest.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “And if a trader did deliver a message to Solo, why wouldn’t Solo tell you immediately?”

  “Because he didn’t want me to know Revel was coming through so I would hire him for the stable manager job.”

  Sybil’s eyebrows drew into a tight crease. “But Father gave you authority to hire. No message from Revel would matter if you wanted to hire Solo.”

  “Right, but…” As Sybil’s dissection of the situation sank in, Eva lost faith in her original judgement. “What are you getting at?”

  Sybil glanced at the door then lowered her volume. “I doubt there was a message at all. Not a new one anyway, and not given to Solo. Father probably mixed up a few memories and… you believed him.”

  Eva recalled the confusion Solo claimed when she had confronted him at the stable block that day. She looked up at the window of the corner room where Solo would be sleeping. Regret made her stomach lurch. “If you are right, I behaved cruelly toward Solo.”

  Sybil cocked her head. “Is that why you told me the kiss you and Solo shared meant nothing and that you were looking forward to him leaving here? Because of Father’s story?”

  “That and him chasing off Sam.”

  “Sam?”

  “From Woodland. I planned to ask him to stay and work as stable manager for a trial period, but Solo told him to leave.”

  “Surely, Solo had a good reason.”

  Eva had been so furious with him that afternoon, she didn’t remember what his excuse had been or if he had offered any. “I don’t remember what he said. I assumed he was angling for the job.”

  Sybil gently squeezed her forearm. “Oh Eva, you have to talk to him. Hear his side of the story.”

  Could she have believed one of her father’s wrong memories and been so angry with Solo that she didn’t give him a chance to defend himself? He had said his only wrong was in causing her to feel something she didn’t want to feel. The more she thought about it, the more she realized he was right. How was everyone right about her life and her heart but her?

  The eastern sky lightened. She raised the lantern to put out its flame. “I’ve been such a fool, Syb. So heartless. And after the way he helped us too…”

  “Do you love him?”

  Eva paused to ponder the feelings in her heart. If Solo had done nothing against her or against her family, she had no reason for any ill feelings toward him. With that murkiness skimmed from her heart, all that was left was admiration, gratitude, attraction… affection. “I believe I do.” She stared up at the last star clinging to the sky. “But I need more time.”

  “Then tell him you’re sorry and ask him to stay. He’s a reasonable man; he will forgive you.”

  Her sister made it sound simple. “I will try. When he comes down for breakfast, I’ll invite him into my office to talk.”

  Sybil smiled. “Close the door so you can have privacy. I’ll keep Zeke busy if he gets curious.”

  “Syb, you truly are the best sister I could imagine.”

  “I would do anything to help you find love again.”

  As they walked into the house, Eva remembered the way Sybil had looked at Isaac Owens. She held the door open for her sister. “Maybe someday, I’ll be able to return the favor.”

  * * *

  Solo rubbed his tired eyes then waited for his vision to adjust to the dim light in his room so he could pack his satchel. Missing half a night’s sleep stifled his usual early morning verve. At least he’d had the foresight to load the wagon last night. All that was left to do this morning was clear his room and hitch up the horses.

  He emptied the desk drawer and slid his papers into the satchel, save for two trifolded pages. On the outside of one he wrote Zeke and on the other Eva. He folded the letters once more and slipped them into his shirt pocket. With a long breath he paused and imagined delivering those letters. His empty stomach churned.

  One lonely star still shone above the trees outside his window. It would be brighter out by the time he hitched the wagon to the two horses—King and the horse he’d borrowed from the ranch in Riverside when he’d fetched the doctor for Leonard. The older man had shown tremendous strength in his recovery during the past few weeks and had been generous with advice when Solo said goodbye last night. His wise words didn’t seem applicable, but Solo was still grateful.

  All that mattered now was leaving here at peace with Eva so he would be welcome to stay the night at the inn whenever he passed through in the future.

  If he passed through.

  With only a year left to work at the ranch before he earned his own land, he might not travel anymore. That suited him just fine. Maybe he would ride to the mountains when he needed to get away from Riverside. If the aching abyss of his bachelorhood grew too painful, he could ride past the foothills into the supposedly deadly mountain terrain. Either he would have a grand adventure with whatever was out there or he would be put out of his misery by whatever had stopped past explorers.

  He gave the room one last scan, both looking for any forgotten items and bidding farewell to the place that had been home for the past forty nights. Then he tugged on his boots, slung the satchel’s strap over his shoulder, and closed the door quietly behind him.

  The moody house was dark and quiet while the other guests still slept. Downstairs, a solitary lantern burned in the kitchen. Solo poked his head into the long, stark room to say goodbye to Sybil, but she wasn’t at her usual post.

  The door to Eva’s office stood open. Such a shame she kept her door open but her heart closed. He drew the letter for Eva out of his shirt pocket and tucked the paper for Zeke into his back pocket. Stepping inside, he laid Eva’s letter in the middle of her messy desk. She might not even read his letter once she realized it was from him. Or maybe she would read it and decide not to believe him when he poured out his heart to her. She was good at that. His fingers burned to pick the letter back up, but his feet knew better. He swiftly left the office and hiked to the barn.

  Once the horses were hitched to the wagon, he led them out of the stable and checked the wheels as it rolled. He gave King a long pat. “It’s time to go, old boy.”

  King lifted his head, half with pride, half wanting to have his neck scratched. Solo indulged him, then checked the lines. As he walked around the wagon, something across the yard caught his eye.

  Zeke was dashing toward the stable block with his puppy running behind him. “Solo! Solo! Are you leaving before breakfast?”

  Solo met him in front of the horses. “Yes, but not without saying goodbye to you, partner.”

  Zeke’s round eyes searched him as if his mind was working to find its words. Finally, he blurted out, “I’ll miss you so much!”

  “I’ll miss you too.” He knelt to be eye-to-eye with the boy and drew the paper from his back pocket. “I wrote a special story just for you. Read it anytime you miss me.”

  Zeke accepted the paper with both hands, his small fingers seeming too delicate to belong to a boy who had helped him with farm work for the past forty days.

  Solo tousled his hair. “You’re a good kid, Zeke. Going to make a fine stable manager here someday.” His nose burned as emotion welled in his throat. “Be good for your mama.”

  Zeke smiled. “If I am will you bring me another puppy next time you come?”

  That got a chuckle out of him. Why did it always feel good to laugh when he was f
ighting back tears? He looked away. “Probably not a puppy, but I’ll be mighty proud of you.”

  Zeke’s smile dimmed slightly, the reality of their separation clear in his eyes. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

  Everything in Solo made him want to unhitch the horses and unpack the wagon and take Zeke by the hand and march into the house and demand Eva see how much he loved them and wanted to make a family with her. But he couldn’t. He loved her too much to make demands. She had commanded his respect since the first time he met her, and she would have his respect as he left here today, even if his guts ached like he had been trampled in a stampede.

  He stood and gave Zeke’s shoulder a squeeze. “Tell your grandpa I said goodbye. I talked to him last night, but he might not remember much. Keep an eye on him for me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Solo pointed at the puppy. “And keep training Joshua. He’ll be a good working dog.”

  Zeke’s nose turned pink. He started to say something but stopped and threw his arms around Solo’s waist, hugging him tightly. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I know. I don’t want to leave either.” He rubbed Zeke’s little back. “Sometimes we have to do hard things. This is one of those times, partner.” He pulled the boy away and held him at arm’s length. “We both have to be strong just like when you helped with the harvest. That was hard, wasn’t it? And when you learned how to sharpen the thresher blades. That was hard too, wasn’t it?”

  Zeke nodded, tears making a jagged line down his freckled cheeks.

  “Well, this is hard, but we are strong men, up for the challenge.” His pep talk was more for himself than the boy. “Give King one last pat then wave to us as we pull away, all right?”

  Again, the little boy nodded. He patted King while Solo climbed up to the wagon bench. Then he stepped back and crinkled his chin as he tried not to cry.

  Solo released the brake and shook the lines to make the horses go. His insides ached more every second. He tipped his hat to Zeke then fixed his gaze on the distant horizon and drove the wagon away from Falls Creek.