Trail of Golden Dreams

by Coverstone, Stacey

  At a low spot, Grey shoved her onto a flat rock then she pulled on his arms, helping him crawl onto it, too. They sprawled there for a while catching their breath. As quick as the flood rose, it receded just as fast. When her boot floated by, Grey stuck his hand in the water and retrieved it.

  “I’ll be damned.” He checked it over before handing it to her. “You’ll need new laces, but at least you won’t have to ride to Santa Fe in your stockings.”

  Josie smiled, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips. “That’s the second time you’ve saved my life today. What would I do without you?”

  “Maybe you won’t have to find out,” he panted.

  Her eyebrow arched, and she tossed him a puzzled look, but he had no more to say. He inhaled and exhaled deep breaths while watching her face transform to reveal a myriad of emotions. Finally, she ripped her gaze from him and eased her sore foot into the waterlogged boot. “What do you think happened to Marshal Kendall? I thought they were gonna kill us,” she said, blankly.

  Grey slicked back his wet hair. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him and that tracker anymore.” She nodded. It was clear she understood what he meant.

  “Look, Grey! It’s your hat!” She pointed to the black Stetson floating toward them. He leaned over and snatched it out of the water and plopped it on his head.

  “I guess you lost yours,” he said.

  “I don’t know why, but I flung it over the saddle horn when I tied up Traveler and Lightning. Guess I wasn’t thinking clear.” Her face suddenly paled. “Oh, Grey. The animals!”

  He helped her stand and then wrung water out of the tail of his shirt. “Maybe they got loose and made it to higher ground.” He wanted to sound hopeful, but didn’t have the energy to try. The last thing he wanted right now was for her to feel bad, but it’d always been difficult for him to pretend things were good when they weren’t. When the shooting had started, he’d told her to go. Even in the heat of the action, he’d assumed she’d known that meant for her to stay with their mounts. Now the animals were probably drowned, and everything each of them owned was gone. But at least Josie was alive.

  She closed her eyes, and her lip quivered.

  “Don’t start fretting yet,” he sighed. “We don’t know they’re gone. How good are you at tying knots?”

  “Not good,” she admitted, sniffling.

  “Well, there you go. Hopefully they broke free and ran for high ground, where they’re probably waiting for us. We’ll walk up and see if we can find them. The main thing is you’re safe.” He could tell that made her feel somewhat better. She slipped her hand into his and they started climbing.

  “Grey,” she began. “I need to tell you something.” Their wet boots squeaked as they tramped.

  “What is it?” She acted nervous, biting her lower lip. “Tell it straight out, Josie. Whatever it is.”

  “When Molly gave me her mirror, she gave me something else, too.”

  He stopped, still breathing heavy. The weight of the world bore down on him. “What? What’d she give you?”

  She gulped. “One hundred dollars cash money. It was hidden in my saddlebags. It’s probably gone now, too.”

  Seeing she was on the brink of crying, he put his hands on her shivering shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me before, Josie? Were you afraid I’d steal it from you?”

  “No,” she answered quickly. Her head dropped. “I…I just wanted some money of my own in case you backed out on our deal once we found the gold. I’m sorry, Grey. I should have trusted you enough to tell you. I do trust you now. I hope you believe me.”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute, and then gave her a weary smile. “I believe you, Josie. And I don’t blame you for wanting to keep it a secret. The money was yours. It’s a hard life out here. We all have to do what we can to survive.”

  She stared intently, like she expected him to say more. He was grateful when she let it be and started walking again.

  When they reached the top, the horse and mule were nowhere in sight. When her eyes began to swell again, he reminded her, “Animals can be replaced, but not people. If you hadn’t disobeyed me, you might have drowned with them. For once, I’m thankful for your stubbornness.”

  “What do we do now?” she asked somberly.

  “Walk down the mountain and hope to God they show up.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  He shook his head and started the trek down ahead of her. Sometimes silence was the best answer.

  * * * *

  The wind howled like wolves as they stumbled across the desert. Josie was used to wind storms, especially in the springtime, but this fierce cyclone was like nothing she’d experienced before. If they’d not been wearing scarves to keep the sun from blistering their necks, sand would be filling their ears, noses and mouths right now and suffocating them alive. Her bandana was stretched tight across her face, leaving only her eyes peeking out. The brim of Grey’s hat was on her head and tipped down to keep the blowing dirt from stinging her. He’d let her wear the Stetson once the wind had started, and wrapped one of his extra shirts around his own head for protection from the flying dirt.

  There was no way to communicate with him except for hand gestures, and even those were difficult to see through the column of dust that whirled before them as thick as an adobe wall. At times it was hard to see two feet in front of her, so she kept latched onto Grey’s arm, afraid of falling behind and getting lost. The only good thing about the wind was that it had dried their wet clothes from the inside out.

  She sensed Grey’s melancholia over the loss of the animals. She suspected he was upset with her for not staying with them and setting them free when the flood came. She didn’t blame him if he was, but was thankful he’d held his tongue and hadn’t rubbed her stupidity in her face. Every time she thought about Traveler drowning, tears threatened to erupt. Her dear, faithful companion! How could she have left him to fend for himself up on that mountain? She’d grown fond of Lightning, too. He was Grey’s best friend, just as the mule was hers. Though Grey had tried to make her feel better, she knew it would be impossible to replace either of them. Now they were dead, because she hadn’t done as he’d told her and stayed with them.

  In that moment, though, all Josie had thought about was helping Grey defend what was rightfully theirs. She’d grown sick and tired of Marshal Kendall trailing them—looking over her shoulder, afraid to sleep—all because the crooked lawman wanted to get his filthy, greedy hands on their gold. She’d only wanted to help Grey end it once and for all. But that decision had cost her dearly. His horse was gone, as was her mule, and everything they owned in the world, including fine leather saddles and Molly’s one hundred dollars.

  Would Grey ever forgive her? They’d just learned to trust each other, having been through so much together already. Had she ruined in one moment what had taken days to build? She loved him, but did he feel the same way? Could he love her, when she’d lost everything that meant anything to him? She clung to his arm and struggled to breathe. Her heart pounded with worry over what the future held for her, and for them.

  A tug came on her sleeve. Her eyes had been closed, and she’d been staggering beside him like a blind man. When Grey grabbed her hand, she forced her eyes open and squinted at something big looming in front of them. At first, she thought it was a mirage. But when Grey pounded on the door with his fist, she knew her imagination wasn’t running wild. Her ears did not betray her. By some miracle, they’d found a building where they could get out of the wind and hole up. She gazed into the sky, and for a second, the dust separated, and she glimpsed a large white cross shining like a beacon on the roof.

  The door squeaked when Grey pushed it open. They tumbled inside. When he slammed the door shut, the thunderous roar of the wind was silenced. She yanked down the bandana, sprinkling dirt to the floor. She stared at Grey. With the shirt unwound and his scarf off, a ring of dust rimmed his eyes like a raccoon. He rubbed h
is knuckles across them and then sneezed.

  Josie gazed around. Her ears still rang with the howls of the wind. They stood at the back of a small sanctuary. Wooden benches six rows deep on two sides were flanked by rough adobe walls, which were covered with wood-framed paintings of saints. Spanning the ceiling were peeled log vigas embellished with intricately carved decorative ends. Reverently, she strolled to the front and stood at the wood railings where parishioners knelt and prayed.

  Candles in brass holders about five feet tall were lined up like soldiers behind the rails, and a large communion cup sat on a small table covered with a woven cloth. Beyond on the far wall was the altar, tucked into a niche. That wall was covered, top to bottom, in patterned fabrics of gold, green and red. Surrounding the niche was a wide band of what looked like real gold. Inside the niche hung the carved figure of Jesus on the cross with his arms outstretched and his hands and feet nailed.

  Though she rarely attended church, Josie had the overwhelming urge to drop to her knees and thank God for showing them to this place. She knelt at the railing, bowed her head, and folded her hands and whispered a prayer. “Thank you, Lord, for guiding us to your church. You must have known we’ve suffered greatly and we need the rest. Lord, please help Grey to forgive me for contributing to the death of our beloved animals. And, Lord, please watch over Traveler and Lightning as they trot through the pearly gates. They’re good boys, and they deserved better than drowning. Please show them kindness up there in Heaven. Amen.”

  When she felt Grey’s large hand on her shoulder, she wiped away a tear, turned and gazed up at him. He stuck his hands under her armpits and lifted her to her feet. His dark eyes showed the stress of weariness, but they were also soft and kind when he said, “Josie, I forgive you.”

  A dam of emotion broke inside her. Those four simple words meant more than anything she could have heard at that moment, and that included God talking to her himself. She threw herself onto Grey and buried her head in his chest. He wrapped her in his arms like a blanket, and her tears flowed freely. When there were no more tears left and her shoulders had stopped jiggling, he set her back and kissed the tip of her nose. He seemed too tired to do much else, but she was grateful for that much.

  “We can sleep here tonight,” he told her, moving toward a bench. “We’ll be warm and out of the wind. In the morning, we’ll start walking again.” He sank onto the bench, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

  Josie cuddled next to him. “Grey, I’m so sorry.”

  His eyes remained shut. “I told you, I forgive you. Let’s not speak of it again.”

  “Not just about Lightning,” she continued. “I’m sorry about everything. If my pa hadn’t stolen your gold in the first place, you wouldn’t have had to track me down. Then, if I’d of just let you keep the map instead of stealing it back from you that morning, you’d probably already have the nuggets. You wouldn’t be here right now, stuck in a windstorm with no horse and no possessions. You wouldn’t have been trailed by gunmen, forced to deliver lambs, killed two men, got shot at, risked getting the fever, fixed a broken wagon wheel, nearly drowned in a flash flood, or had to put up with that redheaded whore.” She added that last bit to see if he’d smile.

  He did.

  His eyes opened, and he took her chin in his hand. “Josie, if I hadn’t gone through all that, we wouldn’t have danced the waltz together. And I wouldn’t be the man I am today, sitting here with you in this pretty chapel.” With that, he slid his arm around her, and she grinned and snuggled into his shoulder.

  * * * *

  Sometime in the night, they woke to a sound outside. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and massaged the crick in her neck. Grey was no longer beside her. He was walking toward the back of the church with his revolver drawn. She crept up behind him and cocked her derringer. “What is it?” she asked.

  “Shhh.” He put a finger to his lips. “Someone’s out there. I heard knocking on the door.”

  “Maybe it’s some weary travelers, like us,” she whispered. “Or the wind.”

  “Stand off to the side.” He raised his gun, gently pushed her behind the door, and then flung it open. “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” he exclaimed, lowering the gun and jamming it into his holster. A deep laugh rumbled up from his chest.

  “Who’s there?” she asked, peeking around the door and noticing the wind had died down. When she saw Traveler and Lightning standing outside pawing at the ground, she screamed, ran through the doorway, and flung herself around her mule’s sturdy neck. “I don’t believe it! They’re alive, Grey! They’re alive!”

  “They surely are.” He grinned and stroked his horse’s nose. “Our saddles and saddlebags are still intact, but I don’t see your hat. It must be long gone.”

  Josie couldn’t care less about her hat. “God answered all my prayers,” she whispered, kissing Traveler on the nose. “I wonder where they’ve been.”

  “On an adventure, I guess. They both seem to be all in one piece,” Grey answered, checking their legs and hooves. “Let’s get them inside.”

  “Inside the church?” she questioned.

  He tugged on Lightning’s reins and led him through the door. “I don’t think God will mind. They’re His creatures, too,” he said with a crooked smile. “The sun will be up in a few hours. They need all the rest they can get, and so do we. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

  Josie shrugged and led Traveler across the threshold while whispering in his ear, “What can I say, boy? He’s the boss.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was hard to dismount; Josie’s thighs and bottom were so sore. They’d traveled thirty miles in twelve hours and, after nine long days, finally arrived in Santa Fe. Amazingly, they’d ridden the entire day without a mishap or natural disaster, or without someone shooting at them.

  Josie hitched Traveler to the post outside the two-story adobe inn and reached into her bag for the sweet grain. Nothing in her saddlebags or Grey’s had gotten wet, including Molly’s one hundred dollars, which had confirmed their belief that the animals had fled to higher ground before the canyon had flooded. She gazed at the inn’s triple arched entrances as the mule slurped from her hand.

  “Are you sure you want to stay here tonight?” Grey asked, as he fed Lightning some grain. “We could probably bunk in someone’s barn for free. I know a couple of fellas who might still be around these parts.”

  She pulled her saddlebags off the horn. “This is where we’re staying. It’s pretty, and I want a soft bed and a nice meal. I have one hundred dollars. Remember? Look out there.” She gazed through one of the entrances to an open courtyard where people sat in tables and chairs around a bubbling fountain. The delicious aroma of onions and chili peppers wafted through the air. “I’m so hungry I could eat a bear. I like it here.”

  Grey chuckled. “Alright. If you’re sure about spending your money this way.”

  “I’m sure,” she stated with a firm nod of her head. She had no intention of squandering her cash on frivolities, but they deserved some comfort. Two rooms and a couple of meals wouldn’t use up all the money. Besides, tomorrow they’d find the gold and both would have plenty of money.

  “Why don’t you take these animals around back?” she suggested. “I see stables back there. Buy some quality hay for them and see that they’re bedded down good.” She dug into the saddlebags and slipped some greenbacks into his hand. “I’ll go inside and get us some rooms.” Josie turned on her heel and then stopped and faced him again and reached into the bag and handed him another bill. “Get yourself a bath and change your clothes, and I’ll meet you in the courtyard for supper in an hour.”

  Grey narrowed his eyes, but she could tell he wasn’t angry or upset. “You’re getting bossy again,” he muttered, attempting to hide a grin.

  “You should be getting used to it by now,” she chuckled. “See you soon.”

  After passing through one of the archways, her boot heels clicked across the
terracotta tile floor on her way to the reception area. Slinging her saddlebags on the counter, she requested two rooms for the night. The Mexican clerk looked down his long nose. “We have only one room available, Señorita. Sign your name in the book, please.” A long fingernail tapped the guest book. Josie noticed he was missing his pinkie finger.

  “Only one? But, I need two rooms,” she protested.

  “Sorry, but we’re full. Only one room left. I could rent you a spot in the stables with the horses for one dollar if you’d like.” He waited while she thought it over.

  What would Grey think about them sharing a room? Perhaps she should let him sleep in the straw with his horse. It wouldn’t be right for them to stay together when they weren’t married. But he’d gone through an awful lot, and he’d saved her life twice. Three times, when she counted him having to kill the preacher and Mr. Bailey.

  “How many beds are in the room?” she asked the clerk.

  “Uno bed, Señorita. It’s mucho grande.”

  “Oh.” She considered the situation further. Would Grey sleep on the floor? Even if he agreed, how could she make him do that? She’d feel guilty sleeping in a mucho grande bed alone. Besides, he deserved a soft bed as much as she did. But she was the one paying for the room. She had the right to say who slept in the bed. Her head spun. Maybe they should go to another inn. Making this decision was too complicated.

  The clerk drummed his four fingers on the counter. The door opened behind them and a couple walked through. The man stepped up to the counter and said, “One room, mister, and be quick about it.” He slapped some greenbacks on the counter.

  “Señorita?” the clerk queried.