All Roads Lead Home

by Christine Johnson

  “Not interested in romance?” Anna wrinkled her nose. “Why not? Everyone wants romance. Marriage can wait, but romance?” She hugged her knees and sighed. “Everyone loves romance.”

  This was not what Mariah wanted to talk about, even in general. She’d nip the conversation off with a little taste of reality. “When you’re a bit older you’ll realize that romance is fleeting. Marriage requires much deeper love.” She wrestled with the knot on one of the bedrolls. The sooner they fell asleep, the better.

  Anna didn’t touch the other bedroll. Instead, she propped her head on her knees. “What is love?”

  The knot began to give a little, and Mariah worked a finger into the center and pulled. “Thinking only of the other person.”

  “It would be wonderful to have a man think only of me.”

  The loop widened but didn’t release the knot. “Love is mutual, Anna. You must think only of him, too.”

  “I know, but that’s the easy part.”

  Mariah stared at the girl. “It is?”

  “Of course. If he’s handsome and kind, I wouldn’t be able to get him out of my mind.”

  Ah, the passions of youth. Mariah stifled a smile as the knot gave way. “That’s not exactly what I meant. Love requires sacrifice.” She unfurled the bedroll and laid out one set of blankets.

  “Sacrifice?” Anna wrinkled her nose. “I thought love was all about giving.”

  “So it is. You must be willing to give up everything.” Mariah tackled the second bedroll, and Anna scooted on top of the first set of blankets.

  “Everything?” She shrugged. “I don’t have much, so it’d be easy, but you have a lot. Who would you give up everything for?”

  “For whom,” Mariah began, but when Anna groaned, she realized the girl didn’t need a schoolteacher. She truly wanted to know. It was also an opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about Mariah and Hendrick. “If I ever married, and I do mean if, I’d choose a widower with children.”

  “A widower? Who would want an old man?”

  “An old woman, perhaps.” Mariah laughed as she spread out the second bedroll. “Thirty-one is pretty old for marriage.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  But Mariah had talked enough. “Time for bed. We need to save the dry cells in case we need the light for an emergency.”

  Anna sighed and turned off the flashlight.

  That left Mariah in blackness. The night air was still warm, so she lay on her side on top of the blankets and closed her eyes to listen. Leaves rustled, insects chirped and Hendrick coughed.

  With a sick feeling, she realized that he’d heard every word.

  Chapter Six

  Marry a widower!

  Mariah’s words irritated Hendrick more and more as they passed through Iowa and into South Dakota. Two flat tires and a nagging problem with blown fuses only made things worse.

  He should be pleased. Getting involved with her again was like putting a bad battery back into a car. It was bound to fail. Still, he couldn’t forget that moment on the beach, when she’d curled into his arms and he’d felt her heart beating against his. That moment should have meant something. Obviously, it didn’t.

  He groaned and shifted his weight behind the wheel. The tedium left too much time to notice the way she smelled, the curve of her neck and the way her curls just brushed her cheek.

  “Are you all right?” Mariah asked.

  “Fine,” he snapped. “Just wish we’d pass another car.”

  The plains and rolling hills yielded few travelers. In fact, on this day, they hadn’t seen a single other automobile.

  “You’d think we’d see someone,” Anna complained. “It’s so boring, all the same. Grass, grass and more grass. At least yesterday we met the old couple in that Mash.”

  “Nash. A Nash 681.” Hendrick had tired of his sister’s whining days ago. “And they weren’t old. They couldn’t be more than forty.”

  “As I said, old.”

  Mariah laughed. “I guess that makes me middle-aged.”

  He liked to hear her laugh. Most of the time, a frown creased her brow. Probably thinking about how to thwart Luke’s father. Whatever she came up with, she’d have a tough time making it work.

  “You aren’t old,” Anna said.

  “Older than your brother, I think.”

  Was that what bothered her? Age didn’t have anything to do with how a person felt about someone. Besides, they weren’t that many years apart.

  “He’s twenty-seven,” Anna chirped.

  “Almost twenty-eight.” He glanced briefly at Mariah, trying to judge her reaction.

  “Keep your eyes on the road,” she said. “We don’t want to have a wreck in this wilderness.”

  He bit back the urge to snap at her constant harping. Instead, he accelerated. A moment later, the car hit a bump, sending the women flying. She glared at him. He eased off the accelerator just a bit.

  “What’s that?” Anna screeched, and he slammed on the brakes. The car slid to a halt in a cloud of dust.

  “What?” He looked around once the dust cleared but didn’t see anything.

  Anna’s attention was riveted to their right. “Something popped out of the ground next to the road.”

  “Something?” He leaned around Mariah and peered at the dirt and grass.

  “A little head.” Anna hung out the side, pointing to the grass.

  “Good grief.” Hendrick settled back behind the wheel. He would kill his sister before this trip was over. “Little? I thought you saw a rock in the road or a huge animal, something dangerous.”

  Mariah relaxed, a faint smile on her lips.

  “It looked strange,” Anna said, indignantly, “like a muskrat.”

  “A muskrat?” Hendrick couldn’t believe his sister’s vivid imagination. “Muskrats live in lakes and rivers. There’s not a drop of water out here.”

  “There’s another one,” Anna cried, springing out of the car so fast she left the door hanging open. “And another and another. They’re everywhere.” She ran into the meadow to hunt down the creatures.

  Mariah followed at a much more leisurely pace. Since the ladies were already out, Hendrick decided to stretch his legs, too.

  It didn’t take long for him to spot one of the critters, like an overgrown weasel. “What is it? A gopher?”

  Mariah shaded her eyes. “I believe we’ve spotted a prairie dog. Soon there’ll be hundreds.” She fanned her face. “My, it’s hot. Let’s get going again so we’ll have some breeze to cool us.”

  Hendrick was all for that. He sweated just standing still. “Come back, Anna. Time to go.”

  At the sound of his voice, the prairie dogs shrieked and ducked back into the ground.

  “Do we have to? I want to see one up close, but you keep startling them, and they disappear.”

  “Yes, we must,” Mariah said firmly.

  Apparently, hers was the voice of authority, for Anna grudgingly obeyed. They all piled back into the car and headed down the road, but within a few hundred feet, a cloud of steam brought their progress to a halt.

  The engine had overheated.

  Hendrick hopped out, hoping he could solve the problem with a little water. As he unlatched the right-hand hood, Mariah started to get out. He did not need a supervisor right now.

  “How far to the next town?” he asked to occupy her.

  “Why? The car’s just a little low on water, isn’t it?”

  He grimaced at the scorched smell. They’d run it way down. “How much water do we have with us?”

  Instead of answering, she pulled out the map. One finger traced their route while she gnawed on her lip. He adored the way she could lose herself in thought. At those moments she didn’t try to control everything.

  After careful examination, she said, “Rapid City is sixty miles or so. Or we could go back to Kadoka.”

  “Is that the closest?”

  She puckered her lower lip. “There might be a hamlet or villag
e closer. This map doesn’t show every town.”

  Great. They were stuck in the wilderness, probably without water. He walked to the back of the vehicle and saw a trail of water that ended several paces before their current position. The cooling system was bone-dry.

  He crawled under the car to check the hoses. Sure enough, the lower hose had split where it clamped to the radiator. He cut off the damage and reclamped. That would get them to Kadoka, if they could refill the radiator. He scooted out from under the car.

  Mariah’s eyes met his. “What’s the verdict?”

  He wiped his hands on a rag. “We’re out of water.”

  “Out?” Something caught Mariah’s attention. “Anna, don’t go too far.”

  Hendrick spotted his sister running after the prairie dogs again. Good. At least she wouldn’t be within earshot. He closed the hood but didn’t latch it. “I don’t remember seeing any containers of water in the car.”

  Mariah’s cheeks flushed pink. Combined with her damp ringlets, the effect left him breathless.

  “We have a canteen.” She rummaged in the back and came up with the tin container. From the sound of the swishing liquid, there wasn’t much left.

  “Put it back. We’re not using our drinking water for the engine.”

  She blotted her brow with a plain cotton handkerchief, as unadorned as everything Mariah wore. “Then we need to find water.”

  Practical advice. The only trouble was he hadn’t seen a river in miles. Hendrick looked to the north, the south, the east, the west and all points in between. The land was dry, the grass yellow and odd craggy rocks loomed low in the distance. “Where exactly?”

  Mariah pulled out the map again. “I’ll find the nearest river.”

  “I don’t suppose your map shows creeks and ponds?”

  She bit her lip. “It’s not that detailed. In fact, there’s not supposed to be a road here.”

  “What?” Hendrick ripped the map from her hands. “Where are we?”

  She pointed to a blank spot beside an area marked Badlands. “But we’re on the correct road. That nice couple we met said to take the right fork to go to Montana.”

  Hendrick didn’t remember that. “Which fork? We passed a dozen.”

  “The first one, I assumed. That’s the one I took.”

  Hendrick scrubbed his damp hair. That meant they were lost in the wilderness with a dead car and insufficient water. Things couldn’t get much worse.

  She removed her hat and mopped her forehead. “This car is too hot with the roof up. What I wouldn’t give for a shade tree.”

  Shade would solve only part of the problem. He needed to find water. That small amount in the canteen wouldn’t last the three of them long in this heat, never mind the car. “How far to the nearest river on that map of yours?”

  For the tiniest instant, she looked panicky. “Too far. Oh, Hendrick, I’m sorry. I’ve gotten you and Anna into a mess.”

  Tears threatened to fall, something he hadn’t expected from Mariah Meeks. He fought the urge to console her and focused on finding a solution. While he thought, he watched Anna chase the critters from mound to mound. That was it. “Seems to me those prairie dogs must be getting water from somewhere. Those rocks over there might have some pools of water under them. I’ll check and be right back.”

  She lifted worried eyes. “Be careful. We don’t need you hurt or lost.”

  Her concern touched him. He smiled to assure her. “I’ll keep the car in view.”

  “I’ll go with you.” She started to get out of the car.

  He stopped her. “No. You stay here in case another car comes past.”

  Though she nodded agreement, she shoved the canteen at him. “At least take the water. It must be a hundred degrees.”

  “No, you keep it.” He couldn’t take the last ounce of water from her. “It’s equally hot here, and I’ll be moving.”

  “But what will you put the water in? Take it. We’ll make do in the shade of the car.” She held out the canteen again.

  Her argument made sense, but he wasn’t taking the last of the water. He climbed into the backseat and rummaged through their belongings until he found a tin drinking cup. He emptied the canteen into it. “You take this.” He handed her the cup and kept the canteen. “If I find water, I want to get as much as I can.”

  She nodded but held the cup toward him. “Take one sip before you go.”

  He knew she wouldn’t let him leave without taking that sip, so he pretended to drink and then set the cup on the floorboard, out of the sun. The heat was already sapping his energy, but he wouldn’t let her see how much it bothered him. “I won’t go far.”

  “Be careful. Please.” She grasped his hand for just an instant, but it was long enough to buoy his strength. With her support, he could do anything.

  When Anna left with Hendrick to search for water, Mariah wished she could tag along. That childhood feeling of being left behind reared up from the dark recesses of her memory. With five brothers, four of them older, she had always been the odd one out at playtime. No one wanted a girl around.

  Today, sitting in the shade of the automobile watching Hendrick and Anna head across the vast field, Mariah whispered, “I want to go, too,” to absolutely no one. She could see down the arrow-straight road for miles, and no other car or truck or buggy was in sight.

  After what seemed like hours, but was in reality only forty-five minutes according to her watch, she rose to stretch her legs. Hendrick and Anna’s distorted figures stood far in the distance. If she wasn’t mistaken, they appeared to be headed back.

  “Helloooo,” she called out, waving one arm.

  If they heard her, they didn’t answer. A prairie dog stopped, head held high, to watch.

  She smiled at him. “Sorry I disturbed you.”

  The creature scolded her before popping back into its hole.

  She waited for it to reappear, but the spot remained empty. Nearby, another prairie dog appeared, considering her carefully.

  “See many strangers?” she asked it.

  The animal cocked its head. No wonder Anna had been enchanted. She looked up and noticed that Hendrick and his sister were much closer now.

  She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “Did you find water?”

  Hendrick shook his head. He loped toward her, his long legs erasing the distance quickly.

  Dry. Mariah’s spirits sank. Without water they’d die of thirst.

  “Nothing?” she asked when he reached the road.

  “A big gulch.”

  “No river at the bottom?”

  He shook his head. “You’d think there’d be one, but there wasn’t a drop in sight. Might as well be a desert.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Set up camp.” He walked to the car and pulled out the tent bag. “We’ll use it for shade. After dusk, when it’s cooler, we’ll walk to Kadoka.”

  “That’s ten miles.” If she was right about where they were located. “Can we make it?”

  “With God’s grace.” He glanced at Anna, who, feet dragging, had finally reached them.

  Mariah didn’t want to frighten her. “Of course He’ll see us through.” She forced a smile. “I’m sorry my car has been so much trouble.”

  Hendrick shrugged. “It’s a car. They break.”

  “Mariah, you should have seen that place,” Anna said breathlessly. “Gorges as far as you can see and big craggy rocks.”

  Mariah had clearly misinterpreted Anna’s expression.

  “They’re like little mountains,” Anna was saying, “as big as you’ve ever seen and in lots of colors. You’d be astonished. The ground just goes along and then all of sudden, it’s gone. If I wasn’t watching my step, I would have fallen right over the edge.”

  Mariah sighed, the most enthusiasm she could muster. “You make me wish I’d seen it. If only you’d found water. Maybe we’re not looking in the right places.”

  Hendrick’s jaw t
ightened. “It’s July.”

  Mariah surveyed the dry grasses and barren terrain. Of course. Any spring runoff would be long gone by now. Her speculation had been thoughtless. The best thing they could do for now was stay out of the sun. “Let’s set up the tent.”

  The rest of the afternoon, they sat in the shade of the canvas and swatted flies. At first Anna chattered about all she’d seen. Then they told humorous stories about growing up. Then even that felt like too much. Everyone knew the last precious cup of water sat in the car. They’d agreed to take one sip each just before sundown and then head toward town. With luck another car would pass before then.

  None did.

  By the time the sun hung low and the air cooled to a tolerable temperature, Mariah was so parched and tired that walking was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “I guess it’s time.” She sighed.

  Hendrick nodded. “One sip of water each, then we go.”

  Their situation was dire. If they didn’t reach town tonight, they’d succumb to thirst. As if to emphasize the point, lightning flashed across the darkening sky. A bank of purple clouds loomed to the southwest.

  “Heat lightning,” said Hendrick, following her gaze. “It’ll pass.”

  She wasn’t so sure. That looked more like a storm to her. “Maybe we’d better wait. No garage would be open by the time we arrive anyway. We’ll start out immediately after it passes and spend the night at a hotel.” She touched his arm without thinking, and the electricity crackled between them.

  He jerked away. “If you insist. After all, it’s your car and your mission.”

  She did not need an argument now. “I’m sorry. We’re all a bit cranky from the heat. If you think it’s safe, we’ll leave now.”

  The fight went out of him. “Sorry. You’re probably right.”

  Of course she was, but she had the sense not to point that out. “All right. Let’s unroll the side windows. We’ll wait out the storm in the car.”

  The storm swept over without one drop of rain or crack of thunder. Hendrick could have rubbed it in her face, but instead he suggested they get some sleep and rise early for the walk to town. That made more sense than anything she’d suggested.