Wagon Train Wedding

by Rhonda Gibson

  It had been the best thing he’d eaten in a long time. He happened to glance up and saw Doc heading away from the wagon train. Doc skulked about as if on a secret mission. Flynn’s instincts told him something wasn’t right.

  He followed at a distance and stayed within the shadows of the wagons.

  Come to think of it, Doc had acted strange all day. He seemed to be edgy and even more quick-tempered than usual. The doctor stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Flynn pressed his body into the shadows.

  His thoughts went to all the conversations he and the doctor had shared while on the trail. Doc had actually mentioned his own visits to the towns where two of the women had been killed. The coincidence hadn’t struck Flynn before, but it was hitting him hard right now. He felt a suddenly sinking certainty that Doc was the murderer he’d been trailing for over two years. This doctor who had befriended him was the same man who had killed his fiancée. What he didn’t know was why. And why kill the other ladies, too? Had he just enjoyed the act of killing so much that he’d continued to do so?

  Leaving the safety of the wagons, Doc ventured off toward the woods. Flynn melted into the darkness as he continued to follow the doctor. The moon lit their paths as they wove through the trees, moving farther from the wagon train.

  Flynn watched Doc closely but suddenly he seemed to disappear. Using caution, Flynn continued forward, looking for the older man. Then he saw it, a small cave in the side of the hill.

  Darkness enveloped him as he quietly entered the small opening. He detected a light ahead of him and moved toward it.

  Doc must have left a torch at the opening of the cave to use later. Flynn’s heart sank as he realized Doc had been here earlier and had explored the cavern, prepared it. But for what? What was he hiding in the cave?

  He stopped when he heard Doc talking to someone. “I’m back. Harold has finally decided to start looking for you.”

  Flynn slipped deeper into the shadows and inched toward the light and Doc’s voice. A woman’s whimper reached his ears and Flynn’s pulse kicked up. The sound of ripping reached his ears.

  “Doc, why are you doing this to me?”

  “Because you are no better than her.”

  Flynn moved forward until he could see Doc and Annie on the cave floor. Tape and a rag lay beside her. He could only guess that Doc had gagged her and used a bandanna to hold the rag over her mouth. Thankfully, Doc had his back to Flynn.

  Annie cried, “No better than who? I don’t know who you are talking about.” She sat on the ground with her feet and hands tied. Her hair had fallen down about her shoulders in red, curly waves.

  “You know who.” Doc walked around her like a buzzard circling a dead animal. “You are all just alike.”

  Her head swiveled about as she tried to follow his every move. Her voice pleaded with him, “Doc, I don’t know who you think I am like. I don’t even know how we are alike.”

  “Yes, you do! You sell your bodies and don’t care who you hurt in the process.” Doc stopped in front of her and pulled a knife from his boot.

  Annie pushed backward on her bottom. She shook her head. “I don’t do that anymore.”

  “You will. When the going gets tough, you’ll go right back to the nearest saloon. You all do. It’s in your blood.” He stared off into the distance, as if seeing something in his past.

  She shook her head. “No. I love Harold and he loves me. I’ll never go back.”

  Doc forced a harsh laugh. “Yes, you will. God only knows why, but you will.”

  Her voice took on a more confident sound. “I gave my life to Jesus. Cora says I’m a new person. I left that old life behind and I’m saved from it.”

  Flynn inched closer to them. He prayed she could stall long enough for him to be able to jump Doc and keep him from killing her like he’d killed Miriam.

  “Do you really believe that?” Doc squatted in front of her.

  She nodded. “I do.”

  He stood. “Then you are a fool. If you’re saved, why hasn’t Jesus rescued you from this?” Doc indicated the cave and himself. “You know, I planned to take my time with you, but soon Harold will have the whole wagon train out looking for you, like they did Cora’s brat. And they’ll find you. I can’t have that. I have to keep you from hurting others.”

  “What others? I’m not going to hurt anyone.” Tears filled her voice. “Please, Doctor. You know Harold and I are going to have a baby.”

  His voice went still. “Of course I know. I’m the one who told you. He and I have talked about the baby. The poor man thinks motherhood will settle you, but I know that’s not true.”

  Flynn had been wondering how Doc had known about Annie’s past. Now he knew that Harold had confided in the man whom he considered to be the family physician, never realizing that in doing so, he’d put his wife and unborn child in danger.

  He was close enough now he could run at Doc and knock him to the ground. He braced himself but stopped short when Annie asked Doc in a soft voice, “Who hurt you, Doc?”

  Doc’s wild eyes searched her face. “You really want to know?”

  She nodded.

  He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you. After all, you aren’t going to tell anyone.” Doc frowned. “My ma. She promised Pa she’d never leave us and go back there, but she did.”

  Annie tugged at the ropes on her hands. “I’m not your ma.”

  It was as if Doc hadn’t heard her as he continued, “Do you know what that does to a man? Not only was he heartbroken and shamed, but he became bitter. He went from a loving father to a man who beat the devil out of his only son. Pa said I’d never be good enough as long as I loved her. I’d be sinful just like her.”

  “Doc. Your pa was wrong. Her going back had nothing to do with you and didn’t make you evil.” Annie scooted farther from him. She was obviously searching for a way to get past him and out of the cave.

  Doc walked away from her. His back was to Flynn and Annie now. His voice sounded far away as he muttered, “No, Pa was the wisest man I knew. He told me to become a doctor and clean the world of the evil women in it.”

  Flynn frowned, trying to understand what this all meant. Miriam wasn’t a “soiled dove,” so why had Doc killed her?

  Doc toyed with the knife but seemed to be lost in his past. Flynn waited to see if Doc would confess to killing the other women. If he did, Flynn would be able to arrest him for murder and see that Miriam’s killer would never hurt anyone again.

  Annie continued to push herself farther away from her captor.

  While Doc was distracted, Flynn stepped from the shadows, revealing himself to Annie. He held his finger over his lips and cut the ropes from her feet and hands. Then he motioned for her to leave the cave.

  Annie sank into the darkness of the tunnel and disappeared.

  Flynn stepped out of the shadows and blocked the exit.

  Doc turned slowly. “How long have you been here, Flynn?”

  “Long enough to send Annie back to the wagon train.”

  The doctor sighed. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He flipped the knife so that the blade was facing down.

  Flynn placed his hand on his gun. “Tell me, Doc, why did you kill Miriam?”

  Doc looked down and shook his head. “She was a lady of the night, Flynn.”

  “No, she wasn’t.” Miriam was a sweet girl. The moment she entered his town, Flynn had been smitten. She’d opened her small dress shop, and everyone had loved her. Miriam attended church every Sunday and never even entered the red-light district. How could the doctor think ill of her?

  “Oh, but she was. I had a patient in Grapevine, and I saw her enter the town. She went to the saloon and worked all night. It was then that I saw her true colors.” He shook his head. “The night she died, I told her I’d seen her.” Doc lau
ghed harshly. “Can you believe she told me she was a new woman?”

  Flynn didn’t believe him, didn’t want to believe him.

  Still, Doc pressed on. “They all say that, you know?”

  “How many women have you killed, Doc?” Flynn pulled his gun from his holster.

  Doc shrugged. “I’ve lost count.” His gray eyes searched Flynn’s. “They all needed to die. I killed Miriam for you, Flynn. She would have hurt you and any children you might have had with her. So I did you a favor.”

  Flynn shook his head. “No, Doc. You killed her and the other women for yourself. Your mother hurt you and your father hurt you. You wanted to hurt others to stop your own hurting.”

  Doc laughed bitterly. “Did you know that the first one I killed was my mother? She tried to tell me that it was Pa’s fault that she had to go back to that life. I couldn’t let her go around telling such lies.”

  Flynn didn’t know what to say. He’d always thought that when he found Miriam’s killer, he’d feel better, but all he felt was sadness for this twisted, broken man. “You know I have to take you in, Doc.”

  Doc turned sad eyes on Flynn. “I won’t hang for murder, Flynn.”

  “That’s not up to me to decide, Doc. A judge will determine your fate.” Flynn motioned at the knife in Doc’s hand. “Drop the knife, Doc, and let’s get out of here.”

  Doc sighed. He bent over at the waist.

  Flynn assumed he was going to lay the knife on the ground. Shock shook him when Doc thrust it into his own chest. He fell backward with a grunt.

  Flynn hurried to his side and helped him lie flat. “Doc, you didn’t have to do this.”

  Doc’s voice quivered. “I’m old, Flynn. I’d never make it in prison, and this is much better than the hangman’s noose.”

  “Doc, please—ask the Lord to forgive you before you die.” Flynn couldn’t believe he was reminding the man who had killed so many that God would forgive him for his sins. But it felt like the right thing to do. Like what Miriam would want.

  The older man gasped. “He won’t forgive me. I’ve done too much.”

  Flynn shook his head. “Doc, one sin is no greater than any other. He will forgive you. Ask before it’s too late.” He felt frantic. Flynn didn’t want Doc to die in sin. He wouldn’t wish hell on any man.

  Doc closed his eyes. His lips moved but no words came out. He took his last breath. His hand fell to his side.

  Flynn sat back on his heels. Had Doc been asking God to forgive him? Flynn prayed he had. He picked up the torch and started out of the cave. His two-year hunt was now over, and it left him feeling more hollow than he’d expected. But still, there was some closure in getting answers at last. He decided not to let Doc’s reveal of Miriam’s past distort his memories of the sweet woman that she had been to him. Instead, now that he’d found her killer, he felt ready to finally say goodbye.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cora loaded the last of the items into the wagon. The wagon train had not been allowed in the rancher’s pastures, nor near the house, but the road to pass through had several surprises along the way. For one, there was a shed filled with items former wagon trains had left behind. She was able to salvage a few chairs, some blankets, dishes, and boots for herself and Noah. A few utensils and a cast-iron frying pan.

  Within an hour after leaving the ranch, they began to climb the mountain, and the air became chilly. Cora walked a few miles beside Flynn as Joe drove, then rode beside him as Joe walked. Even though she loved watching the scenery, it wasn’t long before she knew she’d have to get in the wagon and close the flaps. If she kept Noah out in the cold air, he would get sick for sure.

  The higher they went, the rougher the road became, and Cora had to lay the chairs on their sides and wrap the dishes and other breakable things in the furs the Indian couple had left.

  When they pulled over for lunch, Flynn stuck his head through the flap. “Got room back here for one more?” At Cora’s nod, he joined them, to Noah’s delight.

  The baby immediately crawled on Flynn’s lap, demanding, “Up.”

  Flynn picked him up and twirled him around within the tight circle a few times, filling the air with Noah’s giggles and Flynn’s deep laughter. Finally satisfied, Noah commanded, “Down,” and crawled a few feet away to play.

  “It’s getting colder the higher up we climb.” He rubbed his hands together rapidly. “I hope it doesn’t get any worse.” His expression changed and became almost somber. “Will you and Noah be all right? About the only thing you can do till we get across is huddle under blankets.”

  Cora nodded as she made them a cold lunch in the wagon. She pulled out the leftover biscuits from breakfast and stuffed them with leftover ham. “How long will it take us to get across?”

  Flynn took the offered biscuit sandwich. “The wagon master said barring no accidents or delays, it’ll be around five days. That is if the weather holds up.” Flynn pulled one of the furs over his lap. “Lord willing, this is the last leg of the journey.”

  She watched him take a big bite from the biscuit. “Then Noah and I will be just fine. But with this chill in the air, I’ll keep him inside. I’d rather not have a sick baby when we arrive.”

  “I think that’s wise.” Flynn finished off the sandwich and then reached for her hand, then chuckled. “I figured I’d warm your hands between mine, but yours are warm and toasty.” He went to pull away. Cora held on to him. She placed her other hand on top of his.

  “Then I’ll warm yours.” The movement caused her to bump shoulders with him and he leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “You’re sweet.” A smile ruffled the corners of his mouth, but his eyes clung to hers, analyzing her reaction. Shyness swept over her, and instead of answering, she laid her head against his shoulder. They sat like that, together, sharing each other’s warmth until the signal was given to travel once more.

  Flynn jumped out of the wagon and returned a few minutes later with a dipper full of water. “I thought you might like a drink before we head out.”

  Cora found one of her glass jars, took a sip from the dipper and then poured the remainder of the water inside. “Thank you. That will hold us until we stop again.”

  He nodded and reclosed the flap.

  Once they started going again, Noah climbed into her lap. He yawned and curled against her body, much like he had when she’d first started using the sling.

  Cora picked up her novel and leaned against the wagon wall to read but found that she couldn’t focus on the words. Her mind wouldn’t shut down and concentrate long enough. After putting the book aside, she spent the next hour dreaming of her new life in Oregon.

  Sometime later, Flynn called to her to come open the flap and look out.

  She unzipped the flap enough that she could look through. They both laughed as a little body wriggled around in front of Cora and pulled the flap open even more. Flynn sat on the bench and pointed forward. Cora gasped at what she saw. Across the gorge was a huge waterfall that cascaded as far as the eye could see. It was absolutely breathtaking. Noah’s excited “Ohhhhhh. Wa...wa” had Cora reaching to pick him up, wanting to share this new sight with him.

  In a voice filled with awe, Flynn said, “Look, Noah, at what God made.” He pointed just as Noah pointed.

  Cora’s smile broadened in approval and a sweeping pull at her heart made her almost dizzy. She reached out to touch Flynn’s arm and kissed the side of Noah’s face. “Isn’t it beautiful, Noah?”

  “Boo’ful.” The boy clapped his hands together in delight.

  The closer they came to it, the louder the sound of water crashing down became, echoing in their ears. “Have you ever seen a waterfall before, Flynn?” Cora asked wonderingly.

  “Not one on this level. We used to dam up water in the creek just to watch it flow over, but I’ve never seen anything like t
his.” There was wonder in his voice that reflected in his expression. He spread his hand to take in the entire scene. The last of the yellow and gold leaves on the tall trees fell, giving notice that winter was just around the corner. A squirrel stared at them from one of the higher limbs and then swiftly disappeared behind the tree.

  Having always lived in the flatlands, Cora hadn’t seen such wild, untamed beauty. There was little sky to be seen, as the trees blocked it out. She felt closed in, a bit claustrophobic, but entranced by such a breathtaking creation. How could anyone not believe in a supreme God when they beheld such beauty?

  Noah puckered his little mouth as the waterfall disappeared from sight, but before he could pout or cry, he was distracted by Martha and her younger siblings running beside the wagon.

  “Mrs. Cora, Mrs. Cora, look!” They each held something in their hand.

  Flynn slowed their wagon to almost a complete stop. He pulled Noah through the flap and then allowed Cora to climb from the back of the wagon. She turned to see what they had. Their hands were full of little pink things that looked like thumb-sized vases.

  “What are those?” She took one from Martha and felt it. It was smooth.

  “Ma says these flowers are called piggies.” Martha held one up to Cora’s nose and Cora drew back. Martha laughed infectiously. “They smell good. You put them in a jar without the lid and they make your whole house smell good.”

  Cora sniffed at the one she had in her hand, and sure enough, it had a light tulip smell.

  “Here, you can have these, and we will gather more for Ma.” Martha and the rest of the kids dumped them into her hands before Cora could protest.

  Cora climbed back in the wagon. Already her hands and face felt frozen. The wagon had been reasonably warm but now held a very cold chill. She put the flowers in an empty tea tin and put the lid on it. She wasn’t sure if they were poisonous and didn’t want to take the chance with Noah. The baby now put everything he could get his hands on into his little mouth.