“I need to go saddle Star. We’ve got cattle to move.” He turned away from Ma.
As he walked away, she called out. “Don’t give up too easily, Jason. Sometimes what’s hardest to win is the most worthwhile.”
He tried to ignore her, but the thought she planted in his mind stayed with him all through the long day as he rode Star and kept the Donovan’s cattle in line. By the time camp was made that night, he welcomed the chance to rest.
After seeing that the animals were taken care of for the night, Jason walked back to camp and ate supper with Ma and Pa. He set his plate aside and stood. “Do you need water?”
“No.” Ma shook her head while a faint smiled played around her lips. “I’ve got some already heating. Of course, if you want to do the dishes for me . . .”
“Sure, I can do that.” He turned and picked up his plate.
Ma laughed. “No, you don’t. I’ll take care of the dishes. You go on and check on the Donovans. Let me know if there’s anything they need.”
“All right. I forgot to tell you Tommy wants to continue the Bible readings his mother started. They’ll be doing that here in a few minutes if you want to join in.”
Ma and Pa shared a look. Jason watched them communicate without words and envied them the closeness they shared. That’s what he wanted. Love and companionship with a special woman who shared his beliefs and dreams. If Ma and Pa Taylor ever fought he didn’t know about it. Yet their love for each other was evident in each look and touch they shared. He wasn’t surprised when Pa turned to him and nodded.
“Sure, we’d like to join the group tonight. Mrs. Donovan was a good woman. In her quiet way, she touched more lives than she realized. Looks like her kids are following in her footsteps now.”
~*~
Jason sat on the ground with his arm resting across his bent knee. Susanna sat on his other leg, leaning against his chest. He liked having her there, although Katie had protested. She should know by now how much he enjoyed little Suzy’s attention. Tonight, the little girl needed to be held. She hadn’t said much, but he could tell she missed her mother. In fact, her quiet spoke of her grief louder than words would have. His heart broke for her and for her big sister and brother. They were all hurting. Still, they wanted to have the Bible reading tonight.
Tommy sat on a wooden barrel he’d pulled from the wagon. He held his mother’s Bible in his hands. “Mama loved the Psalms.” His voice broke. He swallowed before going on. “When anything happened, good or bad, she read the 23rd Psalm. I’d like to read Mama’s favorite scripture tonight. Maybe, as she sings praise to the Lord, she’ll stop for a few minutes to listen and be assured that we’re all right.”
Jason’s heart felt heavy for his friends. He glanced at Katie sitting beside him with the baby cradled in her arms. She looked so maternal. The image of her and Davy sank deep into his mind and heart. His arm tightened around Susanna. What would happen to them? To Katie, Susanna, and Davy? Tommy would be all right. He’d take care of himself, but what could Katie do with two small children? She’d have to marry or expect Tommy to support them. Clay wasn’t there tonight and hadn’t been evident for some time. If he wanted to marry Katie, now would be the best time to step forward. Maybe he didn’t. Some men became scarce when the good times stopped. Clay might be one of those men.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Tommy’s voice rang out loud and clear.
Jason concentrated on his friend’s voice and let the ancient words of David ring true for his life.
“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.” Jason let that thought sink deep into his soul. Lord, lead me in Your paths, in the paths of righteousness. For Your name’s sake. Amen.
~*~
Katie bowed her head for Tommy’s closing prayer. Mama had always prayed after she finished a Bible reading. Tommy wanted to continue the tradition she’d started. How strange to think of the changes that had occurred in the last few months. When they started on the trail, she and Tommy found every excuse they could to avoid Mama’s Bible readings. Now look at them. Not only willing participants, but eager to continue and even lead. Mama would be happy to see how many came tonight to listen to God’s word. Unless she’d missed someone, there were seventeen present.
Katie stood with Davy on one arm while she shook hands with those who had joined them. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett and their children left first.
“Time to get these kids to bed.” Mrs. Bartlett laughed and nudged her sleepy daughter forward.
“I’m glad you came.” Katie smiled at the little girl’s droopy eyes.
“Let us know when you do this again. We’ll be back if we’re still welcome.”
“Oh, you certainly are.” Katie glanced toward Tommy who was talking to Mr. Taylor. “I think Tommy wants to have a reading at least twice a week. We’ll let you know.”
“Katie,” Rachel called to her. “We’re going on, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Katie waved at Rachel, her parents, and her brother, Daniel.
As they left, she turned to Mrs. Taylor who gave her a warm hug. “This is wonderful what you kids are doing.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad you came.” Katie sensed Jason standing just behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw he held Susanna. She appeared to be asleep. He’d latched onto her as if she were his little sister instead of a nuisance.
“Well, I see Mr. Taylor’s ready to go now. I hope you continue the readings. Your mother would approve. She was a wonderful woman.” Mrs. Taylor started away.
Katie called after her, “Thank you.”
Mrs. Taylor waved, so Katie turned to Jason. “Are you ready to put that burden down?”
Jason grinned. “She isn’t a burden, but yeah, she probably needs to be in bed. Do you have a place ready for her?”
“Oh, yes, I knew this would happen so her bed’s ready. Can you carry her inside?”
“Sure.”
Katie headed toward the wagon and climbed up the ramp with Davy held close to her. He was sleeping, too, but she didn’t want to lay him down. Somehow, holding him tonight while Tommy read from the Bible brought Mama closer. She wasn’t ready to give up that comfort.
Jason lay Susanna down and pulled her shoes off as if he took care of children every day. “Where do you put these?”
Katie took the shoes from his hand. “You never cease to amaze me.”
She shook her head and set them on a box then moved to the back and stepped out onto the ramp. Jason took her arm to help her down then followed. He stood and looked down at her, searching her face as if he expected to find something that wasn’t there. She didn’t know what he looked for, but his gaze sent shivers down her back that was not at all unpleasant. She felt drawn toward him in a way becoming too familiar. Probably because of his willingness to help. Who wouldn’t appreciate that?
“Will you be all right, Katie?” His voice sounded low and caressing.
She nodded. “Yes, we’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us. You’re doing so much more than you should to help us now.”
“Not too much.” Jason frowned.
“But enough.” Tommy stepped up beside Katie. “We owe you a lot, but with God’s help, we’ll get to Oregon.”
Jason shifted to look at Tommy. “I know that’s true. If there’s anything you need, though, let me know.”
“We will.” Tommy leaned against the wagon. “The same goes for you. If you folks need our help, just let us know.”
“Fair enough.” Jason stepped back. “I’ll get out of your way now. Good service, Tommy. I enjoyed being here.”
“Thanks.”
Jason turned and walked away. Katie watched until he went past the next wagon out of her sight.
“Tommy.” Mr. Colton strode toward them with a young couple following close behind. Katie recognized the Parkers, whose baby son lay in an unmarked grave several hundred miles behind. What could they want?
Tommy pushed a
way from the wagon and faced the wagon master.
Mr. Colton cleared his throat and gave a brisk nod. “Tommy, Katie, we want to say how sorry we are about the loss of your mother. She was a fine lady. I’m sure everyone who met her would say so.”
“Thank you, sir.” Tommy nodded. “We appreciate that.”
Mr. Colton glanced toward the Parkers. “You know Mr. and Mrs. Parker.”
Again Tommy nodded.
“Well, there’s no reason to beat around the bush.” Mr. Colton coughed. “If you’ll remember, the Parkers here lost their little boy, and they’ve come with the offer to take your baby brother so he can be cared for properly. They’d like to take him and raise him as their own son.”
Chapter 15
Katie gasped and clutched Davy close. Her knees buckled and she sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn’t hear the man’s voice for the pounding of her heart. Why wouldn’t her legs let her take Davy and run away from these people? She stared at the two men and woman who smiled as if their outrageous statement made sense. They expected her to gladly hand over part of her family—part of her heart.
Through the roaring in her head, she heard Tommy’s calm voice. “I know you mean well and we do appreciate your thoughtfulness, but we promised our mother we’d take care of him.”
Mrs. Parker smiled as if Tommy were a child. “Of course. And it would be taking care of him if you let me have him.”
Tommy shook his head. “No, she meant for us to stay together.”
Mr. Parker frowned. “You’re just kids. A baby needs a mother.”
The audacity of the Parkers and Mr. Colton stirred embers of fire in Katie’s heart and loosed her tongue. She stepped forward rather than back. Lord, help us. Her voice rang out with strength. “Mr. Colton, our mother’s dying request was that I become Davy’s mother. She trusted me, and with God’s help I will honor her trust. We are keeping our brother. Letting you take him would be like another death. Don’t you think we’ve had enough deaths in our family?”
She didn’t bother waiting for their answer. All three stood with their mouths open, probably shocked that she and Tommy dared defy them. She turned away and climbed the ramp into the wagon, Davy still held close. Inside, a tremble began and spread to her hands so much she feared she might drop her sweet baby. She felt her way carefully to his small bed and laid him in it then sat beside Susanna in the dark. With her head bowed, she covered her face with her hands while silent tears ran down her cheeks. Would the nightmare of this journey ever end?
“All right.” Mr. Parker’s voice came through the thin wall of canvas. “We’ll leave it at that for now, but if we find out that baby’s not getting proper care, we’ll be back to get him.”
There were footsteps and silence then Mr. Colton’s gruff voice. “You kids think you can make it?”
Tommy answered, “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“All right, but if it gets too hard, you let me know. There are plenty of women on this train that can help you with that baby.”
“I’ll help. They won’t need anyone else.” Katie’s head jerked up at the sound of Rachel’s gentle voice outside. Tears again filled her eyes. Rachel was not a do-gooder, but a true friend. Thank you, Lord.
After a short stretch of silence, Mr. Colton said, “That’s fine, but I’d be mighty careful if I were you and I wanted to keep that baby. The Parkers’ll be watching you like a hawk.”
“Yes, sir.” Tommy said. “We appreciate your advice, but like I said, I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”
Katie slipped to the end of the wagon and peeked out. Mr. Colton turned and walked away. The Parkers must have left earlier. “Rachel. Are you really going to ride with us and help?”
Rachel stepped closer to Katie. “I overheard what was going on, and I couldn’t stand by and not offer. Yes, I’d love to if you don’t mind.”
“I certainly don’t. Do you mind, Tommy?”
Tommy had turned away and now stopped to look at his sister. “Mind? Oh, you mean Rachel’s help.” He grinned at Rachel. “I can’t imagine anyone turning down an honest offer of help.”
Rachel’s face grew rosy as she met Tommy’s grin. She smiled. “In that case I’d better make sure my offer is honest by asking my parents if it’s all right with them.”
She spun away with a wave. “I’ll be back early in the morning. I know they’ll say yes.”
~*~
Rachel’s help had to have been ordered by God. Katie thanked God daily for sending her. How did one woman handle two children day in and day out? Yet most raised several more than that and made it look easy. She looked up at the overcast sky and sighed. The weather had been dismal and threatening for several days.
“Think it’ll rain?” Rachel carried the blanket-wrapped baby to Mama’s rocking chair and sat down with him. “I hope the dampness in the air doesn’t hurt little Davy.”
Tommy returned from staking the oxen with the other animals. He stopped by Rachel and touched the blanket, smoothing it away from Davy’s face. “It won’t hurt him. He’s never been in a house, so he’s used to the changes of the weather. If we keep him dry and warm, he’ll be fine.”
“How long are we staying here?” Katie looked toward Fort Boise. The high adobe walls protected an oasis in the harsh land they were traveling through. The gate was open, welcoming, as if inviting the weary travelers to come and take from the abundant supplies inside. Only, that wasn’t the case. They’d been able to purchase fish, a few beans, and very little flour and bacon.
Tommy looked at the fort and shook his head. “Only overnight. Mr. Colton wants to beat the rain to the Snake River crossing.”
Katie cringed at the thought of another river crossing. She knelt to add a stick to the fire.
Tommy turned and walked away, but Rachel must have noticed. “It’ll be all right, Katie. We’ve made it across enough rivers that the men are getting experienced. You’ll see we’ll soon be on the other side.”
Katie nodded and tried to smile. Her fear showed a lack of trust that she desperately wanted to overcome. She sighed. “I know. I’ve been hoping the fear would go away, but ever since Karl’s death, I’ve fought it.”
“Maybe we should make your fear a matter of prayer.” Rachel smoothed Susanna’s hair as the little girl snuggled close. “Would you like to sit on my lap with Davy?”
Susanna’s braid bounced with her nod, and Rachel pulled her up before turning back to Katie. “Tonight at Bible study, we can ask the others to pray if that’s all right with you.”
Katie shrugged and hung the kettle of beans she’d been soaking over the fire. “I don’t suppose it’s a secret so I might as well swallow my pride and ask for help. Do you think we’ll have a good crowd tonight?”
“Of course, we will.” Rachel laughed. “I counted fifty in attendance last week. Your brother is getting a reputation you know.”
“I think you’re right.” Katie stirred the ingredients for cornbread. She always tried to make extra so it would last through breakfast and lunch the next day. “Did you know Clay was there? Not taking part, but I saw him standing on the edge of the crowd listening.”
“Yes, I saw him. He left before the closing prayer. Still, I believe he gained from being there. I know I did.” Rachel shifted Susanna and turned to face Katie. “He’s stopped coming over here, hasn’t he? I mean isn’t pursuing your hand—oh, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business.”
A soft laugh rushed from Katie’s lips as she poured the batter into her iron skillet. “It’s all right, Rachel. He’s lost interest in me, and that’s fine. As far as I know, Clay isn’t a Christian. Even if he were, I don’t think he’d be happy with me. A man who thinks first of himself might get an earful after a while.”
Rachel laughed. “I have a feeling you’re right, you wouldn’t put up with that long, and you shouldn’t. It’s better you know what he’s like now than after it’s too late.”
“I agree, but that doesn
’t stop me from praying for him. He needs the Lord just as we all do.”
~*~
“Does anyone have something you’d like prayer for?” Tommy stood before another large group that night.
Katie sat next to Jason with Davy held close in her lap. Susanna, as usual, clung to Jason. Rachel stirred beside Katie and held up her hand. When Tommy nodded to her, she stood. “I’m sure most of us are frightened by the river crossings. We are facing another soon. Katie has asked that we pray for her and all who, like her, struggle with this fear. Let’s pray we can fully trust God to take us safely across.”
Many murmured their agreement. Other requests were given before Tommy bowed his head. “Father God, we come before You with humble hearts. The Snake River lies before us, and while it isn’t the roughest we’ve crossed, we have learned that all rivers pose danger and threat of loss. Be with us . . .”
The warmth of Jason’s touch on her hand drew Katie’s attention toward him although she didn’t turn his way. When the prayer ended, he gave her hand a quick squeeze then sat back as if he’d not touched her. But his warmth enveloped her heart. She turned just enough to let him see her smile and to receive one.
~*~
Jason couldn’t fully concentrate on Tommy’s comments with Katie sitting so close. He’d become used to seeing her with Davy in her arms. The baby was growing, thriving in her care as he’d expected. She made a wonderful mother.
Susanna squirmed on his lap, and he bent to whisper in her ear. “Let’s sit still so everyone can hear what Tommy has to say.”
The little girl twisted to look up into his face. A pout pushed out her lower lip. “I don’t want to.”
Her words were soft, but he heard the rebellion in them. He shook his head at her. “Don’t tell me that. You’ll sit still if you want me to play a game with you after the meeting.”
Her eyes grew large as she stared into his. “With my dolly?”
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