The Heart Answers (Wyoming Series Book 3)

by Colleen Coble

  Jessica’s face grew hot, and she dropped her eyes. She thought the child hadn’t heard the whistle. She shuffled her feet, realizing she’d exposed little Franny to something like that. And she’d done it deliberately, now that she thought of it; she’d batted her lashes at the officers and smiled her best smile. Why did she feel such a need for approval from men? She bit her lip and forced the thoughts away.

  The little girl preened. “Jessie fixed my hair just like hers.”

  “I see that. You look like twins.” Her mother’s lips twitched with suppressed amusement as she turned to Jessica. “Thanks so much for spending the day with Franny. She already loves you.”

  A lump came to Jessica’s throat. “I’ll pick her up in the morning again. I enjoy having her around.” She stayed and chatted a few moments, but Ellen seemed distracted by the laundry still piled beside her tub. With a final promise to call for Franny tomorrow, she waved good-bye and set off for home.

  Jessica felt like skipping as she walked away from the little cabin. She actually had a friend. It felt so strange. Why had she never had a friend before? Trust was hard for her, but for some reason, Ellen made it easy. Jessica had always thought if she had a friend it would be someone beautiful, but Ellen was plain and plump; her beauty was all on the inside.

  Jessica rounded the corner of the sutler’s store and was almost knocked over by Clay.

  “Whoa!” He reached out a hand to steady her.

  When his hand touched her, a peculiar tingle went up her arm. Her mouth went dry, and her heart skipped a beat. She’d never felt anything like it. Was she getting sick? She drew back from Clay a bit and looked up at him.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t look where I was going.” He settled his Stetson on his head a bit more securely and turned in the direction she was heading. “I’ll walk you to your quarters.”

  Jessica looked at him surreptitiously from under her lashes. Was he beginning to be interested? Why else would he offer to walk her home? “I’d like that,” she said with the smile that usually fetched men from miles away.

  He showed no sign of being fetched. He casually took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm as he escorted her across the parade ground. Her hand felt warm, and she flushed. What on earth was wrong with her?

  “Did Franny give you any trouble?”

  “Hardly. She was a perfect little angel all day.” She could feel the muscles in his arm move as they strolled toward Officer’s Row. Why was her mouth so dry? Her heart pounded like a Sioux drum, too. Was she flushed with a fever maybe?

  “I really appreciate your taking time with her. It’s been so hard for her to lose her daddy. They were very close.”

  “She doesn’t talk about him very much. What was he like?” She didn’t really want to know; she just wanted to keep him with her a bit longer. They were almost to the porch of the DuBois quarters.

  “Martin was a great guy. He would give his last dime to you if you needed it. He and I were more like brothers than cousins. When we were kids, I was always the daredevil, and he was the levelheaded one. He kept me out of more trouble. When we came west, he told my mama that he’d take care of me. I never expected that he would be called home before me.”

  Jessica felt uncomfortable at the vague mention of religion. She could hardly believe that the strong, virile man beside her was a preacher. Personally, she avoided the thought of God as much as she could. In her mind, God was just a vague Being out there in the heavens somewhere, waiting to smash you like a bug if you got out of line. And she’d never been one for being told what to do. Orders just made her defiant.

  They reached the steps to the porch, and Clay paused. Jessica slipped her hand from his elbow and started up the steps. She turned back a moment and gave him her best smile. “Thank you for escorting me. I’m taking Franny on a picnic tomorrow. Would you like to come?”

  Clay hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I haven’t seen Franny much in the last few days. What time?”

  “About eleven.”

  “Why don’t you invite your cousins? I haven’t gotten a chance to get to know them very well yet.”

  Jessica’s complacent smile faltered, and she could feel the mortified heat rise in her cheeks. “Are you interested in Miriam?” She might as well learn what her obstacles were right now.

  Clay chuckled. “I don’t even know her. I just thought it would be a good time to get acquainted with all of them. Your mama, too.”

  “That’s not an answer.” Jessica could hear the outrage in her voice, and she softened her tone. She didn’t want him to think his answer was actually important to her. “You won’t think much of Miriam when you get to know her. She’s a spoiled child.”

  “Kind of like her cousin?” Clay’s voice was amused.

  Jessica gave him a slow smile. “A little judgmental for a preacher, aren’t we? Maybe I’ll change your opinion of me.” She smiled again, showing her dimple deliberately, then opened the door.

  “You can begin by making an effort to be part of your new family,” he called after her. “They’d probably love a picnic.”

  She didn’t answer but shrugged and shut the door behind her. She didn’t want him to see how his words had wounded her. How dare he sit in judgment on her? He didn’t know what it was like to be thrust into a family with no warning, to be made to feel like an unwelcome guest. She sniffed back tears of outrage and stalked down the hall to her bedroom.

  Thankfully, her cousins weren’t in the room. She flung herself across her bed and buried her hot face in her down pillow. Clay deserved every bit of the humiliation coming his way. She’d show him he wasn’t immune to beauty.

  After supper, her cousins began to clear the table while she enjoyed a final cup of coffee. Uncle Samuel frowned when he saw her still seated at the table. She ignored his scowl and took another sip of coffee. She didn’t know what was bothering him now, but she didn’t care.

  He cleared his throat. “I’ve tried to give you some space, Jessica, but I think it’s time we laid down some rules around here.”

  “Rules?” Jessica didn’t like the sound of that. She’d never had any rules, and she wasn’t about to let this red-faced man in front of her give her any now.

  “It has been pointed out to me that you never help with the dishes or the housework around here. You need to carry your share of the load and not leave it all for your mother and sisters. From now on, you three girls will take turns clearing and washing the supper dishes while your mother rests.”

  Jessica clenched her hands in her lap. “I think not, dear uncle! If you want to spare my mother some work, you can hire a striker like most caring husbands. You may have managed to get my mother as a drudge, but I will not be one for you or any man!” She stood regally to her feet. “You are not my father; your daughters are not my sisters, and I will not be told what to do.” She gathered her skirts in one hand and started from the room.

  “Stop!” he thundered. “I will not be spoken to this way in my own house! You will do as you are told, or you will leave my home and protection.”

  Beyond his angry glare Jessica could see the pale oval of her mother’s distressed face, but nothing could stop her white-hot rage now. “Nothing would please me more!” she spat. “I didn’t want to come here in the first place. Feel free to send me back to Boston.” She gave him a final contemptuous look, then went to her room.

  Even with the door shut, she could hear his raised voice in the kitchen and her mother’s soft pleading tones. The nerve of the man! Did he think he could order her around when her own father had never so much as raised his voice to her? She paced the room and thought about all the other things she should have said.

  After a few minutes, she sighed and sat down on the faded quilt that covered the bed. Truth be told, she really wasn’t all that eager to go back to Boston just yet. She was enjoying her friendship with Ellen and her pursuit of Clay. Not that she was making much headway with Clay, but the chase was enjoy
able. She couldn’t let her uncle tell her what to do, though. The angry voices had stilled in the kitchen, but she could still hear soft murmurs.

  She picked up a book of Miriam’s and leafed through it carelessly. It was a wild tale about Indians—did her father know she read trashy dime novels?—but at least if someone came in the room, they would see she was so unconcerned about the confrontation in the kitchen that she was reading instead of worrying. She didn’t want to appear to care what her uncle had to say.

  After a few moments, she heard a soft knock at the door.

  “Jessica, may I come in?” Her mother’s voice was fraught with tension.

  “Of course, Mama.” Jessica put the book down beside her and folded her hands in her lap.

  Her mother stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She stood looking at Jessica, then cleared her throat. “Darling, surely you must see that everyone must help out just a bit. Couldn’t you agree to at least help clear away the supper dishes twice a week? It would only take you a few minutes. I told Samuel that I really couldn’t condone forcing you to do dishes, but he insists you must do something.”

  “And what will he do if I don’t?”

  Her mother fluttered her hands helplessly. “He will turn you out.”

  “Oh, really?” Jessica gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Just turn me out into the street? I think the commanding officer would have something to say about that.” She knew that would terrify her uncle. He knew the colonel was enamored with her.

  Her mother’s white face paled even more. “You wouldn’t speak to Colonel Edwards? Samuel wouldn’t like that at all.”

  “Well, then you tell dear Uncle Samuel that I will do no more than help you set the table for supper. Otherwise, I will have to speak to Colonel Edwards about this situation.” She felt sorry for her mother when she saw the way her mother gulped and swallowed, but she would hold to her guns now. Maybe, though, she could help her mother in small ways without Uncle Samuel finding out.

  “Of course, dear. You’ve been doing that anyway. I’ll tell your uncle.” She fluttered her hands again and hurried from the room.

  Jessica let out a sigh of relief. She’d won that skirmish. For now. But if she knew her uncle, and she felt she was beginning to, it wasn’t the end of the war. With Miriam keeping him stirred up, the next battle wouldn’t be far away.

  She thought again about Clay’s request for her to invite her cousins on their picnic tomorrow. Maybe she could work out some kind of truce with Miriam if she made the effort. The very thought made her grit her teeth, but she had to do something. She sighed and went to find her cousins.

  At least she wasn’t going back to Boston just yet. She pushed away the image of Clay’s face. Her desire to stay at Fort Bridger had nothing to do with him, not really.

  four

  By the time morning Boots and Saddles, the bugle call for the cavalry to mount their horses, rang out, Clay was already dressed and striding toward the mess hall. He wanted to stop in and see how Ellen’s first day had gone. The lantern glowed softly from her quarters, and he bounded up the steps to the door.

  She opened the door and smiled when she saw his anxious face. “I’m fine. You worry too much.”

  “Someone has to worry about you. You don’t worry about yourself.” Clay shut the door behind him and followed her to the kitchen table. The laundress quarters were modest by any standards: a tiny, one-room cabin furnished with a crude wooden table, a small bed she shared with Franny, and a battered bench. A small fire burned in the fireplace, scenting the air with pine. He noticed a tuft of Franny’s blond hair peeking out of the bedcovers, and he felt a pang of remorse that he hadn’t been able to do better for them. The position of post laundress wasn’t held in much esteem by most people, and these quarters were much more sparse than those they had been used to as the dependents of an army officer. When he’d asked the post commander for the job for Ellen, the senior officer had been astonished that anyone would request such a menial job for a relative.

  “Coffee?” she asked him.

  “Sure.” He watched her pour the coffee into a cracked cup.

  “You had breakfast?”

  “Probably before you were out of bed.” He took a gulp of hot coffee. “You ready to quit yet? There’ll be a stage through here tomorrow heading east.”

  Ellen smiled gently. “You know better than that. It’s hard work, but I’ll get used to it. And once I get enough money put by for a small ranch somewhere, we’ll move on.”

  “I hear Jessica is taking Franny on a picnic today.”

  She nodded. “I don’t know how I’d ever do this job without Jessica. It is such a blessing to not have to look after Franny or worry about her being scorched by the water. I think you’ve misjudged our friend. She really is a sweetheart.”

  Clay snorted. “Sweet is not how I would describe her. I would choose words more like hard and calculating.”

  Ellen lifted her eyebrows at his tone. “I’ve never known you to take such a dislike to someone before. Her uncaring attitude is just a wall of protection. You should get to know her better.”

  Clay flushed at the gentle reprimand. What was it about Jessica? Ellen was right; it was odd for him to be so antagonistic to someone. Where were all of his lofty intentions from yesterday? How could he show her God’s love when he couldn’t even bring himself to say a nice word about the woman? “I’m going on the picnic with them today.”

  Ellen brightened. “Wonderful! Franny will have her two favorite people in the world dancing attendance on her.”

  He laughed. “When do you suppose her highness will wake up?”

  “Anytime now. I’m surprised she’s still sleeping. Probably all the excitement from yesterday. And she hasn’t been sleeping well since Martin died. She still cries out for him in the night.”

  Clay winced at the words. He had wanted to make up for the loss of her father, but he’d been foolish to think his presence could remove that pain.

  Ellen touched his hand. “Don’t worry, Clay. We’ll be fine eventually. We just have to get through one day at a time. God’s provision has been wonderful.” She dropped her hand and turned away. “Now why don’t you wake her up? I need to get her dressed anyway. I’ll have to get started on my work pretty soon.”

  Clay walked to the bed and gently peeled the covers off his young cousin. With her pink cheeks and tousled blond hair, she was a beautiful sight. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, remembering the day she was born. Martin had been so proud and happy, but now he would never watch his darling little girl grow to womanhood. Clay vowed in his heart to do all he could to help and protect her. After all, he doubted he would ever have any children of his own. What woman would ever want to take second place to his calling?

  By the time Ellen had dressed Franny, they heard Jessica calling from the front porch. When Ellen opened the front door, Clay caught his breath at Jessica’s beauty. Her blue gown emphasized her eyes, and the way she’d caught her curls back in a bow revealed the perfection of her face. Clay reminded himself he didn’t have any use for beautiful women. They never had any thoughts beyond their looks and what they wanted. This woman was certainly no exception.

  Jessica smiled. “Is Franny ready?”

  “I’ll get her,” Ellen said. “You’ll never know how much it means to me for you to take time with her.”

  Jessica smiled up at Clay while Ellen left to get Franny. “I’ve decided to take on Franny’s education,” she said.

  “Oh?” he said. “Bored?”

  She flushed. “Don’t you think Franny needs an education? When would Ellen have time with all the work she does?”

  “Sure, Franny needs an education, but so do the other children in camp. You could start a school for all of them.”

  Her color deepened. “Why do you persist in baiting me? I thought we were going to have a nice picnic and enjoy the day.”

  Clay shuffled uncomfortably. He had to watch his tongue
if he had any chance of winning her to the Lord. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  She lifted her eyebrows in surprise at his apology, then smiled sweetly. “You’re forgiven. Where would be a good place to go for lunch? I’m going to start lessons with Franny until eleven or so, then we can meet for our picnic.”

  “There’s a grassy knoll overlooking the river just a half mile from the fort. I’ll pick you up at eleven. Will you be at your house?”

  Jessica nodded, then tilted her head to look up at him. “I did what you asked.”

  Clay frowned. What had he asked her?

  She smiled at his puzzlement. “I invited my cousins on the picnic.”

  Clay was surprised but managed to hide it. “Now that wasn’t too painful, was it?”

  She tossed her red curls. “Of course not,” she said airily. “They were delighted to accept. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Miriam will probably spend the afternoon flirting outrageously with you; Bridie will have her nose stuck in a book, and Caleb will pester you with questions about Indians.”

  Clay grinned. “I think I can handle it.” He gave her a wave and went to make his visits with a couple of ill soldiers. He had to admit he was surprised she’d actually followed his suggestion. It must suit her schemes somehow. He judged her to be a woman who always knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.

  §

  By the time Jessica got back to her home, she had managed to stop seething. He really was a most infuriating man! Not even a word of appreciation that she’d done as he asked. But she was determined to get through that indifferent shell of his somehow.

  She took Franny to the bedroom and sat her down at a small table with a beginning primer she’d found in her mother’s trunk. The morning passed quickly, and Franny had begun to recognize some of her letters by eleven.

  Jessica closed the book and went to change her clothes. She dressed carefully in a sky-blue dress lavished with cream lace and tied her hair back with cream lace that matched the dress. She pinched her cheeks to redden them and wet her lips. Turning this way and that in the mirror, she didn’t see how Clay would be able to resist her. She turned at a knock on the door.