“Mercy, we’re going to need more proof,” Greg said. “He’s going to shoot you, and you’ll never have your revenge.”
She finally turned her head and looked at him. She looked angry and distraught. His heart went out to her, but he resolved to stay firm for her sake and his. “Let’s go see if the timber has been delivered yet. We have mining to do.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Let’s go. Nothing is getting accomplished here.”
Carl smiled. “Don’t forget to take your snake.”
Greg wanted to haul off and punch Carl, but he had to get Mercy home. “Keep it.” He had plenty of insults he could have said, but that would only have made things worse.
They walked out of the tent and Mercy looked as though she was waiting to be yelled at. He didn’t say a word. He just walked up to the claim. “The wood is here. You might as well show me what to do.”
Mercy’s eyes widened, but she quickly looked the wood over and grabbed a few pieces. “Come on, let me show you how to shore up the mine.”
He took the wood from her and followed her into the mine. Her hips swayed as she walked, and he enjoyed how her pants showed the outline of her figure. A smile pulled at his lips. What would she say if he told her not to wear pants anymore? He suppressed a chuckle; he wasn’t feeling lucky enough to win that fight.
They stopped midway along the shaft they’d been working in, and she showed him how to brace the mine. “We’ll be doing this more and more as we dig.”
“I’m impressed with your knowledge, Mercy. I shouldn’t be though seeing as how you’ve been mining for years but I look at you and see how beautiful you are and I don’t know. I guess I expect you to know more about dressmaking and recipes than mining.”
It seemed interminable until she tilted her head and gazed at him. He’d said something wrong, dang it.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m not empty headed with nothing but recipes stored in my brain. I can cook but I can do a lot of things. Now I’ll start here, and why don’t you go in the direction of your mine? Maybe you were lucky after all picking a spot.”
It was hard work lifting the pickaxe time after time and Mercy was faster at it then he was. Bending down, he picked up a large rock to examine it, ready to toss it aside when he saw gold.
“Mercy, I found—”
Before he could finish speaking, she had her lips on his. She pressed so hard it was uncomfortable. He drew his head back a bit and then he moved his mouth over hers. Her lips were sweet and supple against his. She moved with him for a second then she punched him in the arm.
“What?”
“Are all men alike? Look, first of all you never say what you found. People are always listening, and I’m not burying another so soon. Second, don’t kiss me like you enjoy it. I’m not really sure you even like me. And third… Well I’m sure there is a third, but I want to see that rock first.”
She took it and brought it closer to the lamp. Her eyes widened and she sat down hard staring at it. “Too bad Pa is gone. Or maybe it’s just as well. He’d probably have given the mine to Carl for his debts sooner or later.” A lone tear spilled down her face. She hastily wiped it away. “Come here. I won’t hit you again.”
He sat down next to her, and though his instinct was to put his arm around her, he didn’t think it would be appreciated. “So?” he whispered.
“This whole hunk is it. No one can know about it. We will just call it…it. We, my friend, are in the most danger of our lives, and it’s up to us to keep ourselves safe. We can’t get Glad or Mac to stand guard again. We can’t disrupt our routine. And for heaven’s sake, don’t go spending any of the money.”
It was serious business, but she made it sound downright scary. He nodded. “I’ll do what it takes to protect you. And Mercy? I do like you.” He stood and held his hand out to help her up.
***
She hid the lump of gold at the bottom of a pail and put regular rocks on top of it. She handed it to Greg and had him carry it out of the mine to their living quarters in the front. He cocked his brow at her. “One small step at a time. While I fish it out of the pail why don’t you yell at me for confronting Carl about the snake? Make it loud.”
Hiding her smile behind her hand she watched him furrow his brow.
“Well? What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want you getting mad.”
“Just say the snake could have just crawled in there or something.”
He nodded. “How do you know that snake was put there by Carl?”
“Louder,” she whispered as she took the rocks out.
“It could have crawled into the mine. That’s what snakes do, and throwing down at Carl was not a bright thing to do. What if he took offense? What if he decided to shoot you and then me?”
“Stop yelling at me!” She winked as she examined the gold.
“We just got married. I don’t want to be a widower before I’ve had my wedding night!”
She jerked her head up and she dropped her jaw. “That is no one’s business, Greg Settler!!”
He smiled and nodded. “A man has his rights, you know!”
“Halleluiah!” Someone from outside shouted.
“Stop it,” she hissed.
Greg frowned at her and shrugged. “What’s wrong?”
“The fight idea was a bad one, so let’s just stop.” Her face heated. How could he yell about something so personal to the whole camp? They all knew now she hadn’t done whatever it is that wives do.
He studied her until she told him to stop looking at her. Then he sat next to her on her bunk.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about how it sounded to others. Mercy, I’d never purposely embarrass you. I don’t think more than a handful of miners heard you.”
“Are you loco? People always thought I was a bit off for being a woman working the mines but now…” Her shoulders slumped. “It’s not your fault. I’m just not wife material. I don’t know how to act like a woman. I’m a great miner, and I was a wonderful daughter, but I’m not anything else.”
Greg reached out and caressed her cheek. “Some things just don’t come naturally. I’m not sure who’d you learn from out here. I like you just the way you are. You don’t try to hide who you are. Heck, if I was a girl out here I’d have disguised myself as a boy.”
She nodded and gave him a brief smile. “My dad wanted me to, but I refused. I can’t be something I’m not.”
“See that’s what I’m talking about. You are true to yourself. Don’t worry about those yahoo’s out there. They have no couth. Outside the mine, we’ll hold hands and smile at each other. That should dispel any rumors I started. So? What about it?”
“It is huge. I’d like to go back to the mine, but first I need a place to hide this.” She lifted the empty chamber pot and dug a hole, put the gold in it and covered it back up with the pot. “Look away.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to make use of the chamber pot, and then probably no one will move it.”
He nodded and turned his back.
“How did you and Hugo work out meals and such? I know you went together while I guarded, but what did you do before that? Did you go to the cook tent alone?”
He heard her finish up and then the rustling of clothes.
“You can turn back around. Ima always fixed a plate for me. You just bring the extra tin plate and all is good. She’s good people.”
“Yes she is.”
Sighing, Mercy opened the flaps and allowed people to catch a glimpse of them. “We need to act like we’re happy.”
“Easy enough,” Greg whispered as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He then kissed her neck while she laughed.
“We just have to show our affection for each other,” he said.
“I didn’t know you felt anything for me,” she whispered as she smiled.
Greg turned her in his arms and gazed into her
eyes. “I like you, and that is much more than many marriages start with. I admire you, your courage, your knowledge; I like your cheerfulness and your stubbornness. Plus, you are a very attractive woman.”
“I’m stubborn?”
Greg laughed and pulled her close. Close enough he could feel the heat of her body without actually touching. “I give you all kinds of compliments, and the only thing you remember is the stubborn part?”
Feeling unbalanced wasn’t something she was used to. “I heard you, but I thought it was for show.”
“No one can hear me now.” He gave her a big grin that set her stomach to feeling as though butterflies were flying around in it.
“I like you too.”
He still grinned. “That’s all? I’m not brave or a manly man? How about handsome as sin?” He laughed and people began to stare. Leaning in he kissed her cheek. “I’ll work on it.”
“Work on what?” She felt as though she was on fire.
“The way you see me. You’ll find me irresistible eventually.”
This time she laughed loud and clear. He was right. People would forget she hadn’t done her duty soon enough. She liked him. A shiver rippled through her. He seemed to really like her too. She frowned. Was he pretending?
“Hey, what’s the frown for?”
“Greg is this all for show? Or…”
“I think we’ll get on just fine, and we’ll have a good marriage. I’m going to the cook tent and I’ll bring food back. Keep your sidearm near you.”
She nodded, feeling warm all over. She sat back down on her bunk and watched her husband. He certainly was fine of form. His shoulders were nice and wide and his legs looked to be well muscled. He washed daily and there was an air of confidence about him that she liked.
Leaning back against the wooden wall, she smiled. She’d just had her first kiss. Did it count if it was meant to keep someone’s mouth shut? Taking a deep breath, she sighed happily. The kiss certainly ended much better than it had started. Warmth spread through her. He’d moved his mouth over hers until she’d liked it and wanted more. There was more to this marriage thing than doing women’s work. Perhaps he would kiss her again soon.
Movement in the distance drew her attention. Shelly was walking toward her, and she groaned.
“Howdy,” Shelly said with a great big smile that wasn’t reflected in her eyes.
“Hey, Shelly. Who—I mean what brings you here?”
“I was just stretching my legs a bit. I see you and your scrumptious husband are getting along. I guess I won’t have the pleasure of seeing him again.”
Mercy shrugged. “He’s around. I’m sure you’ll see him.”
“I meant, well you know. He’s quite the eager one in bed. You two are probably very comfortable sharing a bunk. You’re lucky, you know.”
Shelly wanted to get her mad. “He is, we’re comfortable, and yes I’m very lucky. I’d hate to ask you to leave but he should be here soon and I’d like to spend time with him outside of the mine.”
Shelly didn’t seem to know what to do next. She certainly wasn’t well practiced in being catty. “Just tell him I stopped by.”
“I certainly will. Thanks for visiting!”
Shelly’s eyes widened. “Yes, well good bye.” She turned and hurried away.
That darn Carl probably sent her up here to cause trouble. That could easily have been her own fate. Women didn’t have many choices especially in the boomtowns. But Shelly acted comfortable in her revealing clothes. Mercy shook her head. She’d feel ashamed prancing around that way. Then again she didn’t have Shelly’s tiny figure. Greg probably didn’t know how Mercy looked. She always wore an oversized shirt over her pants to hide what she could. Tiny, she wasn’t.
Chapter Five
Later that night, Greg brought Mercy down into the mine to see where he’d found the gold. She held the lamp up high and her intake of breath was loud. She turned toward him with wide eyes. “Oh, my.”
She looked again, and this time she touched it and tapped here and there with a small pick. “We have work to do.”
“We need to get it out quickly,” he said, feeling an urgency take over.
“No. We need to cover it with wood. It’ll take a long while to get all that gold out. I’m both excited and sick to my stomach,” she whispered. “We’re rich as can be, and we’re in danger. We’ll need to take precautions and rig up signals so we know if someone is coming. Come on.”
Greg followed her out of the mine. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto one of the bunks with her. Her eyes were bright as she smiled at him.
“We’ll need to work out a few hand signals and we’ll need to whisper without appearing to whisper,” she said.
“I can always hug you to whisper in your ear. No one will find that strange.”
She nodded. “I like that idea. We’ll need to string cans together and put them at the entrance to the tunnel. Anyone coming will hit them with their leg and the noise will alert us. We’ll also need a way to move the gold out of here when we leave without anyone knowing we have it.”
“We do?” There was so much he didn’t know. He’d heard the stories of gold on the ground for the taking. Not that he believed that, but he hadn’t thought it would be such hard work. They had actually found something but it looked as though there were many poor miners out there.
“We can’t be obvious when we load up. People will be watching and if our load looks heavy, they’ll know we have a big strike here. We need them to think we’re leaving because we struck out.”
His jaw dropped. Mercy was practically giddy at the prospect of lying. Excitement coursed through him. Was there really that much gold on their claim? He understood her giddiness.
“Fine, first show me how to make an alarm from cans, then we’ll figure out how to move the gold,” he said as he took the lamp from her. He reached out and took her hand. “I think we can act happy. People will think we’re in love.”
The look she gave him was a wistful one. He wasn’t sure how much acting either of them would have to do. She was growing on him with every touch and every glance. He had the feeling if she didn’t want him around, he wouldn’t be. She could be as stubborn as all get out and he’d know not to touch her.
Not that they were ready to consummate the marriage, but he felt comfortable enough she wouldn’t be barring him from the mine. He led them up back up to their living quarters. She pulled her hand away and grabbed a crate of cans and a roll of twine.
“Are you sure you never did this before? I though all boys put these in front of their forts to keep girls out.”
“My childhood was a bit different.”
“You didn’t grow up in a house with two parents?”
“I’m pretty sure I did until I was five. Then my parents were killed, and I had to run with only the clothes on my back.” He closed his eyes and he could still see the bright red blood gushing from the gunshots both parent had. Someone had wanted their land was what he’d been told later.
“I hid in the woods all night and then somehow made it to my uncle’s farm. My aunt promised me a place to live but my uncle hated my father for some reason and refused to have me under his roof.” He sighed and gave her a sad smile.
“I was then sent to the local orphanage, which was really full. Lots of hardship I suppose is why there were so many kids there. I did get adopted by some folks who seemed really nice, and I was ever so grateful. But when I got to their farm, I was one of ten boys and there really wasn’t enough food to go around. I was a scrawny kid and wasn’t up to fighting the older boys. One day a wagon pulled up with the sheriff riding next to it, and they took me back to the orphanage. I was ten or eleven by this time. The orphanage didn’t seem so bad comparatively.”
“How’d you get this far west?” she asked.
“I was finally adopted along with four other boys by a real good couple, John and Lynn Downey. They were great people, and they didn’t want me for labor. T
hey wanted me for me. We all worked side by side for a few years, and then one day they sat us down and asked how’d we like to go to Oregon.” Greg rubbed his neck. The memories were bittersweet. “John died not too far into the trip, and then our brother Danny died too. I wasn’t sure our ma would be able to go on. She cried and cried. Smitty, he’s our pa now, and took good care of her and us, and we made it with two more brothers we found at a fort. Then Freddie and Aaron died. It was a bad time. I also have two sisters. Oh, and I have a three-year-old brother named Brian. Not long before I left, two new kids came. One we think was three or four named Oscar and a baby named Alex. Then Ma had a baby girl named Rose.”
“Wow, you’ve had what my pa would have called a colorful life. I’m surprised you left, but itchy feet are hard to keep still.” Mercy picked up a can and a knife. She poked a whole near the top of the can for the twine to fit through.
“I think I wanted to prove to myself I was capable. I plan to go back someday.” He picked up a can and fished his knife out. He then copied Mercy’s actions.
“Does someday mean in ten to twenty years?”
“No, I’m missing them already.”
She stiffened and turned her head away. “So, you’ll be leaving soon?”
“In a few weeks, I would think. How long would it take to get…it?”
“Not knowing how far back into the rock it goes, I’m not sure.” She continued to get the cans ready. She then threaded the cans through and made two long lines.
A frown pinched Greg’s brow. Maybe she didn’t want to leave the mines. He’d thought she’d be happy about it, but she was awfully quiet. Too bad he didn’t know her better. The silence wasn’t a comfortable one, and he wasn’t sure what to say.
“Once we have these strung, where do we put them?” he asked.
“One will go right inside the mine, low to the ground. The other I was thinking would be attached to one of the flaps. If someone tries to enter we’ll hear it.”
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