She’d learn to do it all on her own. Clancy had been a means to get on the wagon train. He’d served his purpose. Bart Bigalow could send her all the snide looks he wanted. His threat of Clancy trading her to him for whiskey was just an empty threat. No one they were traveling with would stand for it.
Pushing to her feet, she stretched her neck one way then the next then raised her arms over head trying to lessen her tight muscles. Hard work never scared her and she was up for the challenge. She wondered if the banker, Mr. Benton had found Sunshine yet. When he’d given her the eviction notice, he had warned her to not take one single thing from the property—only her clothes.
Her heart squeezed painfully. Losing her Pa had been so unexpected. Dang that Mr. Benton. He’d driven his buggy out to her land the same day as the funeral and told her to vacate. She left that very night taking her horse Sunshine and her ma’s silver candlesticks. She’d even left all the stall doors open, and the barn door. He’d have a time finding the horses and cow.
She’d been tempted for a moment to burn down the house but in the end her conscience wouldn’t allow it. Her pa had taken out a loan against the farm. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, leaving the farm, but she couldn’t stay. Her father’s body wasn’t even cold before she’d had one offer to be a man’s mistress. She’d rather die than go against the teachings of her family.
“You look lost in thought.” She jumped at Mike’s deep voice.
“You caught me.” She smiled at him. “What’s your horse’s name?” She’d admired the big bay horse.
“His name is Arrow. We’ve traveled many miles together.” He raised his left brow. “Is everything fine here?”
She blushed and glanced away for a moment. He knew. “Never better.” She hoped her smile looked genuine. Looking into his blue eyes, she realized she’d failed. There was a hint of anger in them.
“Where’s your husband?” Mike’s voice sounded almost harsh.
“He’s not feeling well. He’s lying down.” She wanted to look away again but he held her gaze. His anger turned into concern and it warmed her a bit. She wasn’t completely alone after all. “I can handle things.”
“I know you can. I’ll check back later.” He touched the brim of his hat and rode to the wagon behind her.
She grinned. He had no idea how handsome he was. He’d make someone a fine husband one day.
Chapter Three
The Blue River lay ahead and Mike gave the signal for them to stop early. The first crossing was always a bit difficult. The animals and their owners were all inexperienced and nervous. He’d need to go over with each driver what needed to be done. They’d have to ford the river if it wasn’t too high. He’d sent Eli ahead to check, and when he spotted his brother heading their way, he spurred Arrow on to meet him.
“It’s the lowest I’ve seen it this time of year. We’ll make it across no problem.” Eli smiled. “I haven’t seen other wagons either.”
“It’s a gamble leaving early in the year. We still have plenty of time for bad conditions. Let’s get this first set of wagons going, and we’ll have Jed explain to the rest what they are to do.” Mike smiled, encouraged by the good news. Plenty of times they’d had to wait days for the river to go down enough to cross.
Just as he predicted, there was an air of unease during the crossing. Compared to many, this one was going to be easy. He and Eli rode their horses back and forth helping each wagon across. When it was Susan’s turn, he swallowed hard. Her face was so very white and her eyes appeared bigger than usual. He bet her knuckles were white under her gloves.
“I’ll drive it across for you,” he offered.
She shook her head. “You haven’t had to drive anyone else’s, and you won’t need to start with mine. I can do this.” She pursed her lips in a particularly stubborn way. Even with her lips drawn up so tight, she was beautiful.
“Fine, we'll go straight across. Do not stop for any reason. I’ll be on one side of the wagon and Eli will be on the other side.” He waited for her to nod. “Let’s get you across.”
She drove the wagon into the river and straight to the other side. Mike was proud of her gumption. She did what she had to. He gave her a smile and went back across to help the next wagon.
They’d been at it all afternoon and were close to finishing when a mother frantically screamed. Her child had fallen into the river. Mike also heard the child yell and he tried to pinpoint where she was. He spotted the tiny form being carried away in the rushing water.
The driver started to turn the wagon and almost knocked Mike off his horse. Thankfully, Eli grabbed the lines and pulled the oxen and wagon out of Mike’s way. Mike spurred Arrow up the riverbank and he rode like the very devil was after him trying to spot the girl. He’d lost sight of her.
He rode up and down the bank until he could see the girl’s head bobbing up and down. He rode back into the cold river and reached down into the water. Damn he missed. He reached out again and this time he caught hold of her arm. He lifted her up in front of him when he saw the driver wash by with his face covered in blood. Eli raced to them and took the girl from Mike.
“Her pa dove in and a log slammed into his head,” Eli yelled.
Mike rode farther down the river but couldn’t quite catch up with the fast current? The last glimpse he saw of the man’s sightless eyes and limp body confirmed what he’d already thought. The man was dead. It was a bitter pill to swallow. These people were in his care, and he knew they’d lose a few—they always did—but it always felt like a huge blow. Now the horrible task of telling the poor man’s family there was no body to bury.
Someone had made a big fire, and the shivering girl and her mother were huddled in front of it. The hope in their eyes quickly dimmed as he shook his head. His heart squeezed as Mrs. Lewis threw back her head and wailed. Poor Lily sat silently beside her all soaking wet. He watched as Jed placed a blanket around the girl.
There was nothing worse than feeling helpless, nothing at all. It ate at him when senseless things like this happened. Ever since he’d had to take responsibility for his brothers, his gut twisted and his heart raced when he wasn’t in control. Mike took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was well aware that the whole company was looking to him to lead them.
“Can someone help Lily into some dry clothes?” he asked and was pleased when Mrs. Mott helped Lily up and led her to the Lewis’ wagon. “We’ll camp here for the night. It’s been an exhausting day.” He wished he had words of wisdom to bestow but there was nothing he could say to comfort Mrs. Lewis.
As he walked through the crowd, plenty of people patted him on the back for saving Lily, but it didn’t make him feel any better. It was times like this he wished he could pour himself some whiskey, but he needed a clear head at all times.
Susan had already done most of the chores and she had dinner simmering in a cast iron pot. She couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the Lewis wagon. Many of the group surrounded it, lending support to the family. She wished she could go too, but she wasn’t sure if it was her place. Clancy might object. Her heart hurt, and loneliness engulfed her. She still mourned the loss of her parents, and she knew the hell of being told a loved one was no longer.
Sitting on an empty crate, she stirred her stew and despite the warmth of the fire, she shivered.
“Are you alright?” Mike’s voice startled her.
“You’re always sneaking up on me.” She tried to smile but stopped. Now wasn’t the time for smiles.
“It’s hard losing one of our party. Have no illusions there will be more, I just wish…” He shook his head and swallowed hard. She watched his Adam’s apple move up and down.
She tilted her head and met his gaze. “You did what you could at considerable risk to yourself. You managed to save Lily. You’re right, it is hard to lose someone. But none of us is immune to the ways of the world. We never seem to know what might happen.” She sighed. “Will we be continuing on
tomorrow?”
“We’ll have to. It looks like it may rain tonight, and we want to make sure we aren’t stuck in the mud. It makes for some hard going, but it’s better to keep moving when we can. Tell Clancy he’ll be expected to help move the wagons tomorrow. We’ll need everyone’s strong backs.”
Clancy climbed out of the wagon. He gave them both thunderous looks while he scratched his belly. “I have oxen for that. Don’t count me in.” He walked past Susan and practically upended her. If she hadn’t been quick on her feet, she’d have been charred.
“Is dinner ready? I’m starved. What’s all that caterwauling about?” He turned to Mike. “You’re in charge. Can’t you do something about that noise?”
Susan cringed at her husband’s words. “Mr. Lewis died today as we crossed the river.”
“We all got to go sometime. This isn’t going to hold us up, is it? We have a long ways to go, and we need to push on.” He frowned as he shook his head.
“We’re pushing on all right, and that’s why we need your help. We’ll be mired in mud come morning, and everyone will have to help push the wagons. Have a nice night.” Mike touched the brim of his hat and nodded to her and then he frowned at Clancy before walking away.
“He needs to show me a little more respect,” Clancy huffed.
“He has a lot on his mind, I suppose.” She hurried and ladled out the stew to keep Clancy quiet. It would only be a momentary silence, but she’d take what she could get. Once seated again, she glanced up at the sky. Angry dark clouds were indeed rolling in. The scent of impending rain swept through the camp.
It wasn’t very dark yet, but she needed to secure her bed under the wagon before the ground became too wet. She left her seat at the fire and grabbed her bedroll along with an extra oil cloth. She’d need the usual one under her and the additional one on top of her. The last few mornings she’d woken up to her blanket damp from the morning dew. It hadn’t bothered her but the storm might. Lightning scared her something awful. What a predicament but no matter what she refused to sleep in the wagon with her so-called husband.
Mrs. Mott hurried over to her. “Dear, you can’t sleep on the ground tonight. You’ll make yourself sick.” Her motherly smile and snow-white hair brought a sense of peace.
“Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Mott—”
“Call me Savanna. It’s not my place to speak ill of anyone but if you need to take cover we’re right here. Oh, and Susan, you might want to make extra food tonight. It may be too wet to start a fire in the morning. I always set aside extra biscuits, and my Clarke will drink coffee cold.”
“You’re so very thoughtful. I think I’ll take your advice about the food. I hadn’t thought about it. Thank you.” Susan smiled. She’d made a friend.
The wind kicked up, and Mike, Jed, and Eli went from wagon to wagon, helping the settlers to secure their canvases onto their wagons. He’d advised them earlier to do it, but almost half of the wagons needed retying. It was part of the job. He glanced at the Willis wagon and was glad to see it secured. The rain poured down in sheets, and instantly it became difficult to see. The thunder boomed loudly, and the lightning lit up the sky. Fortunately, the lightning wasn’t striking anywhere near them.
He yelled for Jed and Eli to get back to the wagon and out of the torrential weather. Meanwhile, he made one more slow sweep of the circle. He’d hear a scream here and there in reaction to the lightning and thunder. There was weeping in the Lewis wagon, but that was understandable. The ground had soaked up all that it could and the rain began to form big puddles. It was going to be a mess in the morning.
As he walked by the Mott wagon, Clarke Mott stuck his head out and asked him to check on Susan. Mike’s stomach dropped. Certainly, she wasn’t under the wagon. He only had to take a few steps to see that she was indeed huddled on the ground. Her attempts to keep dry looked to be futile.
He squatted down and tried to talk to her, but the storm raged on, making hearing hard. He made a quick decision and crawled under the wagon with her. Her body shook, and she cringed with each boom. “What are you doing out here?” He asked right into her ear. He was so close he could smell the lavender scent she wore.
She turned and stared at him. They lay face to face, and he could feel her breath on his cheek. Glancing at her lips was a mistake. They were ripe and somehow enticing, and he needed to keep his distance.
“I’m trying to sleep!” she yelled over the wind.
“Come with me before you drown.” He didn’t wait for an answer, just scooted out from under the wagon and pulled her with him. Next, he scooped her up into his arms. Even wet, she hardly weighed much. He walked toward the back of her wagon, but she started to fight him. He quickly turned in the other direction and deposited her just inside of the Mott’s wagon.
“Hope this is fine with you!” He yelled to Clarke.
Savanna already had Susan wrapped in a quilt before Clarke could answer. Seeing she was safe, Mike left. Foolish woman. His lips tugged upwards. She sure had grit, though. She made him feel… He frowned as he thought of her husband. She was Clancy’s responsibility, and he had no right to interfere.
After a final glance through the rain revealed no obvious problems, Mike made his way to his wagon. As he climbed inside, he discovered Eli, Jed, and Smitty were all still awake. “We’d best get some shut eye,” he said as he shucked his wet clothes. “We’re going to be busy pushing wagons tomorrow.”
The next morning was just as Mike had predicted. The wagon wheels were sitting deep in mud. Most folks didn’t bother trying to make a morning fire. Smitty, however, did make one and invited people to use it to make coffee. He was a generous soul.
As people gathered by the Todd wagon, many opinions on how to proceed were made known. Almost all of them didn’t involve the men pushing the wagons.
“Some great ideas, but here’s what we are going to do. The woman or boy in your party will drive while the men get behind the wagon and push.”
“Now see here!” said a stocky man with blond hair and a fancy jacket he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “I don’t plan on pushing anyone else’s wagon. Just my own. I’ll not tire myself out.”
Elton Sugarton had been a thorn in Mike’s side from the beginning. He always complained and if he wasn’t doing so, then his wife Trudy was. Mike took his hat off and raked his fingers through his hair.
“Listen up everyone! We will help one another. Those who don’t will be left behind.”
Elton frowned. “The animals are supposed to pull the wagon. I don’t understand why we don’t just hitch a few extra oxen to each wagon and get it going.”
“I’m captain of this party, and what I say goes but I’ll explain it to you. Once a wagon is moving, it has to stay moving or it will become stuck again as soon as we stop and we’d have to start over again. We’ll be pushing wagons all day as it is. They will get stuck again, but I’m hoping we can get in as many miles as possible.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday,” Trudy said. Her blond hair was unbound and blowing in the wind. “We’ll have a day of rest of course.” She smiled. Mike couldn’t tell but it looked like a smug smile to him.
Mike held up his hand quieting the crowd. “I know a lot of you are used to church on Sunday, but out here if the weather is good we travel. We can stop an hour early tomorrow to give the folks who want to get together and worship time to do so.”
Most people nodded but not the Sugar Tons. They both glared at him. He shrugged. He was there to lead not to make friends. “I’m putting the Lewis wagon in the front today. He glanced at the Mott’s it had been their turn to be first, but they didn’t even blink. They just nodded. Susan stood with them. She wore something entirely too big on her. Probably something of Savanna Mott’s. He scanned the rest of the crowd, but there was no sign of Clancy.
Enough was enough, he was going to pour out his stash of whiskey if that was what it took for him to show up to meetings and for him to pull his weight. Perhap
s he’d be kinder to his wife, not that it was any of his business.
As he strode to the Willis wagon, he felt Susan’s wide eyed gaze on him. Clancy wasn’t going to get special treatment. He stopped at the tailgate and yelled for Clancy. It took a minute or so, but Clancy showed his head out the back of the wagon.
“What do you want?” Clancy’s eyes were bloodshot.
“I told you yesterday that you were needed to push wagons out of the mud.”
Clancy laughed. “I’m not feeling that well. Ask my wife. I’ve been poorly lately.”
“Drinking whiskey all day will do that to you. Did you even bother to check on your wife last night? That was a powerful storm we had.” Mike crossed his arms in front of him and stared right back at Clancy.
“She’s fine. No need for you to bother yourself with her.”
“Get up, and get out here. We have work to do. Yours is the third wagon, and we don’t need the extra weight of you in it.”
“You can’t—” Mike reached in and grabbed Clancy by the scruff of his neck and pulled him out of the wagon.
“Yes I can.” He glanced around, ignoring the onlookers, until he saw Susan. “You can get dressed now in peace. We’ll be pushing you out in a few minutes.”
Susan stepped forward and without looking at either him or Clancy, climbed into the back of the wagon.
“Come on, Clancy, we have the Lewis wagon to start with.” Mike didn’t wait. He walked on to the wagon, satisfied with the amount of men willing to help. “This will be dirty work, fellas, but we can do it and when they get stuck again, we’ll do it all over again.”
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