“Ran away from someone named George. She wants to travel with the one named Fannie. They’re going to meet up later when the girl can get away.”
“Thunderation.” Blake slapped at his thigh. “I told Fannie she couldn’t come with us.”
Sam shrugged. “I reckon she’s not the kind to take no for an answer.” He looked up and grinned. “Has her a wagon hid away somewhere. The fancy woman’s hiding out there. I think they’re coming whether you say they can or not.”
Blake gave a huff of frustration. What was he going to do if she insisted on following the train?
As if reading his thoughts, Sam swallowed down a bite. “Might not be a bad idea to let her join us. She knew the woman was following her. Even picked up on my tracking. She has some real good instincts. Better than most men, I’d say.”
“You know the rule. Even if I was inclined to bend it a little for the girl and her brother and sister, I’m not letting a saloon girl anywhere near this wagon train. Who knows what kind of trouble having a woman like that could cause.”
“Maybe none.”
“I’m not willing to take that chance. There are too many impressionable men and jealous women in the group. A fancy woman, even one trying to change her ways, can only cause trouble. I just don’t need someone like that dirtying up my wagon train.”
“Now, Blake, you know what the Good Book says.”
Blake blinked. Sam knew he didn’t have a notion what he was getting at.
He scowled and Sam smiled. “All right you don’t know. It says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Sam’s sharp hazel eyes glowed like the sea in the firelight. “The woman is trying to find a new start. You would keep her from accomplishing that?”
“I’m not keeping her from anything but making trouble on my wagon train. You know as well as I do that it would only be a matter of weeks, maybe days, before she’d be practicing her profession.”
By the light of the fire, Blake noted Sam’s jaw clench. He knew the conversation was over. Sam wasn’t much of one to push his thoughts off on another man. And no matter how strongly he might feel Blake was wrong, he wouldn’t bring it up again. Blake knew that.
Relief washed over Fannie as she stepped breathlessly through the private entrance into the one room at the back of the store that served as Tom’s living quarters. Katie stood over the stove. Kip sat at the table. She rushed into the room. “Tom’s not home yet?”
Fear shot to Katie’s eyes and, too late, Fannie realized her mistake. From the corner of her eye she saw Tom’s meaty arm before she felt the blow. “Think yer gonna steal from me and run away?” She looked up from the ground, and despair washed over her. He held the bag of money. Her money. Escape money. New start money.
His heavy boot landed on her back, preventing her from rolling away. Tom grabbed her hair, reared back, and slammed her face into the ground. She heard Tom’s roar of uncontrolled rage just before welcome blackness invaded her senses.
Fannie woke with a start to the unpleasant splash of ice-cold water on her face. She could taste blood and knew her lip was busted. And that wasn’t all. Every inch of her body screamed in pain. A groan rose from her throat. With great effort, she opened her eyes.
“That did it.” Kip’s voice broke through the pain and cold, bringing Fannie fully conscious. “Come on, Fannie. You have to get up. Them ropes ain’t going to hold Tom for long.”
Ropes? “What happened?”
“Kip knocked him out cold,” Katie said, her sweet voice filled with pride. “Got him all tied up.” She clutched the money bag.
Struggling to sit up, Fannie took note of the cast-iron frying pan slung on the floor and looked around until she spied Tom, sprawled on the floor. “Is he alive?”
Kip gave her a scowl. “Yeah. But I shoulda done him in after what he did to you.”
Fannie followed her brother’s gaze to the fat storekeeper. Her tormentor. His shirt had slid up, revealing a hairy, bloated stomach. Revulsion shook her.
“Does it hurt much, Fannie?”
“Yeah. Real bad.” Her head, her back, her ribs. There was no point in lying about it. Katie and Kip had each been on the receiving end of Tom’s fury, so they knew the pain that accompanied the blows.
Tom groaned and shifted.
Kip was right. Those bindings wouldn’t hold for long. She had two choices. Run now, taking the chance that he’d be loose in moments and come after them before they could get away. Or take some time to tighten the ropes, despite her distaste at the thought of getting any closer to Tom than absolutely necessary. She made a quick decision. “Kip, go into the store and bring some more rope. Katie, bring me a square of cloth to tie around his mouth. We need to make sure he doesn’t get away for at least a day.” Hopefully the lazy drunk would decide they weren’t worth the trouble of running after. The twins went their separate ways, and Fannie rose painfully to her feet.
“It ain’t gonna do you no good to do this, gal.”
She jumped, expecting the blows to begin again. But when she whipped around, she found Tom still tied up, struggling against his bindings. Yet panic bolted through her. Ignoring the stabbing pain in her sides, she grabbed the skillet and raised it over her head, ready to bring it down. “Fannie, NO!” Toni rushed across the room and reached for the skillet.
The opening door, accompanied by Toni’s shout, brought Tom’s head up. He noted the skillet, and terror shot to his eyes. With a screech, he shrank back like the coward he was. “Dear God in Heaven, make her stop!”
Fannie clutched the skillet tighter as Toni tried to muscle it from her fingers. This was her chance to be rid of him forever. But even now, staring into his mean, nasty face, she knew she couldn’t do it. Not with Mama watching from Heaven.
Slowly, she relinquished her grip. Toni breathed out loudly. “Goodness, Fannie. Have you taken leave of your senses? You would have killed him.”
“Killing is too good for him.”
“Maybe so, but he’s not dying tonight.”
Fannie clutched her ribs as she came to her senses, and the pain returned. “I thought I told you to hide…” She eyed Tom and lowered her voice, “You know where.”
“I’m sorry, Fannie. I couldn’t find the place.”
A snort from Tom brought Fannie’s attention back around to the disgusting man. “George has been looking for you, gal. Where ya been?”
Toni gave a haughty toss of her blond ringlets, refusing to answer.
“Cat got your tongue?” Tom baited.
Katie returned with a strip of cloth. She carefully avoided looking at Tom, but that didn’t stop him from trying to lower her defenses.
“Katie-gal,” he said. “You best git over here and let me loose. Now, I know a sweet little girl like you didn’t have nothin’ to do with this. I won’t be takin’ nothin’ out on you. Alls you gotta do is untie my hands.”
Everything inside Fannie screamed to yell at him to just shut up—or else—but her stomach churned, and fear kept her silent. It wouldn’t take much for him to get loose anyway. With or without Katie’s help. Terror licked her insides at the very thought of what he might do if he were to break free from his bindings before they got away.
Where was Kip with that rope?
Unable to get a response from Katie, Tom turned his attention back to Toni. “Now, why do you want to run away, sweetheart? You know George counts on you.”
Toni’s chest rose and fell, and Fannie could tell she was this close to letting tears spill down her cheeks. Fannie wished Kip had thought to gag the man as well as tie him up. But she didn’t want to chance getting too close until the bindings were tighter.
“Say hello to Arnold for me while you can still talk, because once he gets hold of you, I’m thinkin’ you ain’t going to be talkin’ to no one for a coon’s age. Probably won’t be workin’ for a while, neither.” Tom’s dark gaze took in Toni’s scanty attire.
Toni drew the shawl more tightly about her.
The exchange brought another concern. “Don’t you have any real clothes?” Fannie asked.
The woman’s cheeks bloomed, and she shook her head. “George wouldn’t allow it. I guess he doesn’t figure any of his girls will run away if we’re wearing undergarments.”
“Sounds like a right smart idea,” Tom blurted. “Soon as I get outta these ropes, I’m gonna make you and Katie, here, do that very thing.”
Katie’s body began to shake. Anger burned Fannie. It was one thing for Tom to bully her. Quite another for him to try to intimidate poor Katie. She tamped down her own fear and swung around to face Tom. “You shut up!” Before he could recover from the shock of her backtalk, she turned to her little sister. “Don’t worry, Katie,” she said softly. “We’re getting out of here just as soon as Kip gets back with that rope.”
“You just keep on a-dreamin’, gal.” Tom’s voice lifted with anger, and his breath left his body in huffs as he strained against his ropes. He glared at Fannie, shooting darts of hatred from his eyes. “I’m gonna kill you, ya know.”
Katie gasped.
Toni stepped forward and placed an arm around the petrified girl. “Don’t listen to him, honey. He’s not getting out of those ropes.”
“And you ain’t gettin’ out of this town dressed like a whore,” Tom shot back.
As much as she hated to admit it, Tom had a point. The wagon train folk would rather take a burning arrow through the heart than welcome a fancy woman to their sacred circle. Of course there was no guarantee that bullheaded wagon master would ever change his mind anyway. But with Toni dressed like that, there was no chance at all. And Fannie couldn’t risk that this woman, or anyone else, might keep her and the twins from being as safe as possible in the middle of the vast wagon train. Fannie moved slowly across the dirt floor and entered the store just as Kip came back carrying a rope. “About time,” Fannie growled, as her head spun with dizzy blackness. She took a few deep gulps of air to gain control.
“Sorry,” Kip muttered. “The dadburn thing was on the top shelf. I had to climb to reach it.” He frowned and searched Fannie’s face. “You okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Where’re you going?”
She jerked her thumb toward the saloon girl. “She can’t come along dressed like that. You and Toni get him tied up tight and stuff Katie’s cloth into that fat mouth of his. I’ll just be a minute.”
In the back of the room hung four plain dresses, where they’d been hanging for over two years. Tom was convinced that he needed to carry ready-made items for the travelers—although Fannie had tried to warn him these pioneer women might buy ribbons, but they weren’t likely to plunk down good money for a ready-made dress to get ruined on the trail. She’d received a hard smack for her trouble. It had been the last time she’d offered her opinion on business matters. Now, however, she was glad for his poor business decision. She yanked two from their pegs and slung them over her arm; then, on a whim, grabbed two pairs of trousers and two men’s shirts for herself. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her. She wasn’t going to be encumbered in heavy skirts over the next few months. Carefully, she undressed and slid on the new clothes. Then she walked back into the living quarters just as Toni gave Tom a smug grin and stuffed a piece of flannel into his mouth. The muffled sound of his angry curses filled the room as he struggled against the newly secured bindings.
“Fannie, you’re wearing britches!” Kip’s scandalized voice filled the small room. “That ain’t right.”
“Mind your own business, Kip. I don’t care if it isn’t right. My dress wouldn’t hold up on the trail. And none of these are going to fit me.”
“I think you look kind of pretty in those clothes,” Katie said. “Could I have some too?”
Fannie gave the girl an affectionate smile. “I’m afraid there aren’t any trousers even close to your size, sweetie. Mine are the smallest pair and even they’re too big. See?” She pulled up her shirt and showed her sister the rope with which she’d belted the britches.
“What if my dress doesn’t last?”
It wasn’t the first time Fannie had thought of that. “I packed some dress goods in the wagon, so we can make you a couple of sturdy dresses. Don’t worry.”
“Are those for me?” Toni asked.
Nodding, Fannie carefully handed the gowns to Toni, mindful of the sharp pain in her sides. That stinking Tom had broken some ribs again. “Maybe one of these will fit you. Unless you’d rather wear the trousers.”
A smile spread across Toni’s face. “It’s been a long time since I wore lady’s clothing. I believe I’ll stick with these. And thank you for being so thoughtful.” She dropped her shawl, then took note of Kip’s stare.
“Kip, get your eyes back in your head,” Fannie commanded. “Gather your things together.”
“I’ll just go into the store to change,” Toni said.
She returned momentarily, looking more woman than prostitute in the dark blue cotton dress that was a bit too snug but eminently more suitable than the undergarments she had been wearing. She held out her hand. “May I have my money back? There’s no chance of me stealing your wagon now, is there?”
“I guess not.” Fannie handed it over.
Toni peeled off a couple of bills and tossed them on the floor in front of Tom. “For the gowns. Even though they’re not worth that much.”
“Why’d you do that? He wasn’t ever going to sell them anyway,” Fannie said.
“Because, I’ve already told you, I’m not a thief.”
“Suit yourself.” Fannie sprang into action. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, Fannie.” Toni grabbed her arm. “If we go like this, someone may come along, tonight even, and let him go.”
Fannie considered her words for a second. She was right. “What do you think we should do?”
Toni planted her hands on rounded hips and pursed her lips in concentration. Then she nodded. “We’ll put a sign out front that Tom’s gone to Council Grove for supplies. That way no one will look for him for a few days.”
“What if he starves?”
Fannie gave a short laugh and motioned to his enormous stomach. “He could live for months on what’s already in there.”
“Fannie…”
“All right, fine.” She shook her head. “But we can’t say Council Grove. No one will look for him for at least a week if we do that.”
“Good!” Kip spit.
“No, Kip. It’s one thing to let him go without food, but if he doesn’t have water, he’ll die. And I don’t want to stand before Mama’s God and have to explain my part in that.”
At the reminder of their ma’s saintly ways, Kip nodded and dropped his defiant gaze. He kicked at the floor and shoved his fists into his pockets. “We’ll just say he went huntin’ for a few days.”
“No one’s going to believe that,” Fannie said. “Everyone knows Tom couldn’t shoot a dead deer at three feet, let alone bag a live animal.”
A shrug lifted Toni’s shoulders. “Kip’s suggestion is best. Maybe it’ll at least give us a day or so head start.”
“All right.” Ignoring the bruising pain in her shoulders and ribs and the excruciating ache in her head, Fannie grabbed a writing slate and pencil from the shelf below the counter and scratched out a note: Gone Hunting. Back in two days.
There. Anyone could live without food and water for a couple of days. Maybe when someone finally came looking for him, Tom would be too weak to come after her. That might buy them even more time.
Four
The sun peeked through wispy eastern clouds with brilliant streaks of red and blue promising a good day for the travelers to resume their journey. The camp was already beginning to stir as Blake returned from the creek after a cool, early-morning swim. They’d only been camped for one full day and one full night, but the pioneers had seen everything the town of Hawkins had to offer—such as it was—and most were anxious to move on, so even children were up and
helping to pack up supplies.
The smells of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee wafted to his nose, and his stomach juices began to flow, demanding his full attention.
By the time he reached his fire, Sam greeted him with a tin cup filled with steaming coffee. He tossed him some jerky. Blake took it with rueful thanks and dropped down for a minute to consume his breakfast. “One of us has to learn how to cook, Sam.” Usually it didn’t matter. Women were the same everywhere, and married women couldn’t bear the sight of an unfed bachelor. But on mornings such as this, when everyone was bustling about to get ready to move out, they were sometimes forgotten in the shuffle. Deer jerky had to serve as breakfast and right now he was grateful to have it.
Sam bowed his head and said a quick blessing. When they opened their eyes, Edna Cooper stood next to their fire holding two tin plates filled with bacon, eggs, and biscuits. “I thought you two might want a decent breakfast before we move out.”
“Ah,” Sam said with a grin as he accepted the proffered plate of food. “Something to truly give thanks for.”
A pretty blush tinged the young widow’s cheeks and rose to her blond hairline. She handed Blake his plate. The look she gave him could only be described as waiting. Searching. Blake smiled his thanks, careful not to brush her hand as he took the food. “That was thoughtful, Mrs. Cooper. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Mr. Tanner,” she said without a touch of coquettishness. “I couldn’t let you work a long day without a proper meal.”
Blake stared at the food, at a loss whether he should respond or if it was okay to start eating. One look at the slab of bacon, and the big orange yokes on those eggs, and it was all he could do not to dig in.
Did she intend to stand there watching them eat? Awkward silence thickened the air. “Well,” Edna finally said, “I suppose I should get back and see if Miles is finished.” She gave a pleasant laugh. “I declare, that boy can eat like a grown man.”
“Thanks again, ma’am,” Sam said around a bite. “We’ll bring back your plates in a few minutes.”
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