That got him. Laine stared at him.
Ed could see he wanted to talk back. But he held his peace and instead glared at him.
“I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“No, not yet. But you’re headed there. Was that your brother you were with?”
“Stepbrother. Cal. He never does anything wrong. My pa died. He left me to his brother. They don’t want me.” Laine stared at him as if he challenged Ed to question him.
“My brother, Dan, was the good one. I left home when I was fifteen. Stole the family horse. Later felt bad and got a job on a ranch and sent my pa the money for the animal. He sent it back with a note telling me I’d been disowned and banned from home.”
Laine stared at him. But it was more out of curiosity than a dare. “So, what did you do?”
Ed shrugged. “Roamed around. Place to place. Fit in nowhere. Got a job with the Texas Rangers. I was good with a gun and became a deputy. Got myself shot. Took a month to heal. Then I heard my brother was going to Oregon, and I thought he might let me come along.”
Laine gave him a lopsided grin. “Yeah, that’s how Cal is. No matter what I do, he welcomes me back. So, you and your brother get along now?”
“Dan is dead. Killed the day before I rode into town.”
Laine’s lips set in a firm hard line. After a few minutes, he shook his head. “That’s how it is, isn’t it? You try to do right, and life hits you. Hard. Life ain’t worth the bother trying to do right.”
“That’s how I lived. But there was no good in it. Left me raw and hard. Hated by most. Friend of no one. Alone. Is that what you want?”
“I’m already alone.” Laine yanked his horse’s reins and rode down the hill away from the wagons.
Ed watched him go. No sense following him. The boy wanted to be alone. Maybe needed time to think. Anyway, Ed didn’t see any trouble below. Soon enough, the valley below would be full of wagons.
With a look to the bright white clouds dotting the blue skies, Ed threw up a prayer to the hidden God and asked him to watch over Laine and keep the boy from following on the crooked path Ed had traveled.
If he could get Laine to stop, Ed figured his life would have accomplished at least one good thing.
Chapter 6
Susan put away the breakfast dishes while Anna cleaned up the campfire. She was a good friend, and Susan had no idea what she would have done without her. She knew Sam would have forbidden her to come on the wagon train if it hadn’t been for Anna’s insistence.
Susan blew a curl from her face and stood. “So, where do you think we are today?”
Anna put hands on her hips. “Nick said we’d be coming to the Blue River, and we’ll cross it by ferry. He said it could take two days. He said he heard the river was high and fast.” She looked worried. “Nick said it could be kind of dangerous.”
With a shiver, Susan nodded. “I can swim. I had a sister who couldn’t. She drowned in a creek that was running fast and hard. After that, I learned how to swim. My parents wouldn’t teach me, but a boy from another farm did.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Anna paused and then smiled. “A boy. Did you like him?”
Susan nodded. “Yes, I did. Even dreamed of marrying him.”
“What happened?”
“The fever came through our valley and took so many with it. His whole family died. My father and brothers.” Susan leaned against the wagon as the burden of the memories were too heavy for her to stand.
“How long ago was that?”
“Two years ago. My mother died from all the grief last year. I couldn’t bear to be alone. I was all alone. No money. No prospects. The bank took the farm. Not that I could inherit it anyway. Sometimes, I wonder if life is worth the hard work to stay alive.”
Anna went to her and gave her a hug. “It is. My grandmother, who saw a lot of heartache, always told me to keep the faith. Don’t give up. That’s what I do. Nick and I lost our parents to a fire. Wiped out the house and barn. We’d been out gathering berries when we saw the smoke. There was never a chance of saving them. We sold the land, bought the wagon, and here we are.”
Susan stared at her. “I’m sorry. Is there a chance for a new life?”
“Yes, don’t up, Susan. You’ve got a lot to live for. You’re young. Pretty. And have two men looking to marry you.”
With a snicker, Susan nodded. “That is true. But look at them. John is nice, but he doesn’t have very much motivation. I have to constantly tell him what to do. Ed, well, he’s off on his horse half the time. I’m as alone as I was before I met them.”
Anna laughed. “You need a sight adjustment. That’s another thing Granny used to say. I’d come in and complain about something, and she’d grab my head and point it to something of beauty or value. Then she’d say, ‘Look at that. Girl, there is always something good. The Lord is our good shepherd, and His word says we shall not lack. So, if you’re lacking, you’re just not looking in the right place.’”
Susan stared at her. “Thanks. I like that, Anna. Your Granny must have been a wise woman.”
“She was. I miss her. But I know that I’ll see her again.” Anna pointed to the clouds. “Granny always said if there is a cloud, that means the Lord could come back. I know my Granny is safe with Jesus and my parents. I miss them all, but I know I’ll see them when my time comes. That will be some time, though, because I figure Jesus is building me one big mansion, and it will take some time for Him to get it ready for me.”
Susan laughed. “You make me feel light and full of hope. Thanks Anna.”
Anna handed the last of the cups to her. “So, what do you see? Name me something of value.”
Susan looked about and saw Ed riding toward them. “Ed Mitchum. A man who has lived on the wild his entire life but now is looking for a change. I think. Anyway, he’s allowed me and John to use the wagon and supplies. I’d say that is a change of his usual ways.”
Anna followed her gaze. “He’s an interesting one. Do you like him? Would you consider marrying him?”
“I don’t know. He scares me in some ways. In others, I feel that he could protect me.” She walked to the back of the wagon and secured the tailgate.
“What do you think about him, Anna?”
“Oh, same as you. Ed definitely has a wild, dark streak. But I agree that I think he wants to change and live a good life.” She leaned against the wheel. “I kind of like him.”
Susan smiled. “So, you, Anna. Are you looking for a husband?”
“I may have one in Oregon waiting for me. Zander Armor. Isn’t that a name?” She grinned. “He was a friend of the family and wrote to me. Told me he had a small farm already started and had been praying about a wife, and my name popped into his head and then heart.”
Anna twirled around. “I love him, Susan. I’ve only met the man a few times, and we’ve written maybe ten letters each, but I know he is the one for me. Zander is the reason Nick and I are going to Oregon.”
“And Nick. Does he have a wife to be in Oregon?”
She smiled. “Yes. A sister to Zander’s friend. They wrote several times and are anxious to meet and explore the idea of marriage. All we have to do is get to Oregon.”
Susan nodded and then looked up to see Ed ride to the wagon. He stepped off the horse as if he’d done it a thousand times. One fluid motion. He looked at her and nodded, opened the lid to the water barrel, and took a drink.
“Set an extra plate for dinner tonight,” Ed said it to her as if she was a hired hand.
“Why?” She questioned him. Not because it mattered, but because he needed to know she wasn’t his personal maid.
Ed looked at her. No hardness in his eyes. “I met a kid today. I think he needs a break.” He put the lid back on the water, mounted the horse in the same fluid motion, and rode out.
Susan stared at him. “That was totally unexpected.”
Anna came from behind the wagon. “Yes, I heard. He didn’t argue or order you around. Other than
to ask you to set another plate. I wonder who he’s talking about?”
“I don’t know. But he’s certainly made me see him in a different light. Ed Mitchum is about the last person to help someone.”
Anna brushed by her. “He’s a man of surprises. I think John better come up with something, or he’s going to be left out of the running.”
Susan swung her towel at her friend. “Oh, you know nothing. I have six months to decide. That gives John plenty of time to get himself ready. He’s the friendly one anyway.”
“Smooth talker, you mean. Nick doesn’t like John. Ed, he respects.”
Susan looked at her friend. “Are you two making bets on which man is the best? Which one I should choose?”
Laughing, Anna walked back toward her wagon. “I better go. I have to tell Nick about Ed trying to help someone.”
Susan laughed and made sure the wagon was secure. In minutes, she heard Sam bellow the now familiar, “Wagons Ho.”
***
John walked by the lead oxen. He’d named him Red, and they talked a lot during the day. There was nothing that ox didn’t know about him by now. He rubbed the animal’s head. “Let’s go, buddy. Maybe today, you’ll tell me about your family.”
He laughed, looked at the ox, and shook his head. “Maybe you better not. My story isn’t a happy one, but I bet yours is even worse. Yet, look at you. Never miss a step, pull the hardest, and keep those fellows behind you on track. Good job, Red.”
John glanced back and saw Susan walking with Anna. They were both nice to look at, and he wondered what they could talk about hours on end. Of course, he was talking to an ox all day. Who was the crazy one?
Whatever things Ed had done, at least he’d done them. John had done nothing. Nothing worthwhile. Oh, he could walk into any town and saloon and strike up a conversation and sooner than later have someone buy him a drink, but John couldn’t think of one time he’d really helped anyone.
Maybe because he never really had a family. From five on, he’d been a leftover. A child no one wanted. And eventually, that had carried over where he didn’t care about anyone else either.
Dan had been a good friend, though, and they’d enjoyed many a day together. Dan had told him of his plans to get to Oregon and start a farm. How he’d pick out his free land. Each homesteader was allowed three hundred and twenty acres.
But you had to work it and make it pay by the end of the term or lose it all. That’s what scared John. He’d never worked for anything in his life.
He glanced back at Susan. Was she worth it? At times, he got the feeling that she looked at him like the loser he was. A worthless shifter who drifted with the wind, but was that who he had to be?
Once, long ago, he was small, and his mother took him and put him on her knee. She’d talked to him as if he were twenty. Funny, he could still remember her words. “Johnny, look to the Lord and the North Star. They are constants. I think you’re going to need them more than my other children. And when you’re old enough, find a good woman who will bring out the goodness in you.”
That was all. She’d set him down and told him to go run and play. Somehow, he still remembered her words.
The North Star he knew. Someone had pointed it out to him, and he’d never forgotten how to find it. The Lord, well, he’d not done so well with the things of God. Most churches didn’t welcome his sort into the congregations. Not that he blamed a one of them.
And the woman. Well, he’d not known any but the soiled doves in the saloons he frequented. They were more like him than different. Not the type his mother had mentioned. Susan, now, she was exactly the kind his mother had meant.
He could tell by watching her. Susan was smart, worked hard without having to be told, and pretty. Yes, she was a looker with her blond hair and green eyes, and a sight better than he deserved.
Yet, when he thought back to the way his mother had talked to him, he wondered if she hadn’t seen Susan in a vision. The perfect woman for him. But he was far from the perfect man for her.
Yet, if Ed hadn’t come along, they’d have already been married. How would that have been? Perhaps, the Lord had plans and wanted him to earn the right to be her husband. Well, how was he going to do that with six big oxen at his side?
Maybe he should give up and let Ed have her. He was probably the better man and would be a capable farmer and rancher.
Then John remembered his mother’s words. “Find a woman worth living for.” Susan was that woman. He glanced back at her. Yes, she was the one.
Chapter 7
Susan and Anna had grown silent as each one had retreated into their own world. Susan glanced at Anna and pictured her thinking of Zander. What a joy that must be.
Then Susan thought of the two men that she was going to have to choose from. What had she gotten herself into? Not knowing the man had made it so much easier when she was going to Independence to marry Dan.
She didn’t know him and didn’t care because she had no choice. She was set on her future with him. Then everything had changed. Now, she had to choose. And she was further from choosing now than the other day when the two stood next to her looking as if they’d come to blows.
Although, she laughed to herself, that would have been a quick fight. Ed would surely have pounded John into the ground, and she’d have been stuck with him.
The wagons stopped.
She looked up to see why and saw the edge of the river. White water rolled over the banks, making her shiver. She could swim, but the river reminded her of the creek that had taken her sister.
She could hear the roar of the river now since the wagons were stopped. Sam would have a meeting and tell them how they’d go about crossing. She didn’t like the idea at all but figured she better get used to it because this was only the first.
From what she had heard, there would be plenty of crossings. Some on ferries, some on barges, and some where the horses and oxen pulled them across. All dangerous.
She waited to see what they were to do. John came around the side of the wagon and walked up to her.
“How are you holding up?”
“Good.” She smiled at him. “And you?”
“Me and Big Red are getting along just fine. Where’s Ed?”
“He said something about setting another place for dinner. Are we stopping now?”
John shrugged. “I would guess so. We can’t go any farther. Not by the looks of that river. She’s mighty swollen.” He grinned. “Did I tell you I spent some time on a riverboat?”
“No, I don’t think you did.” She knew precious little about him, but she settled in for one of John’s stories. He was an excellent storyteller.
“It was the Queen of Hearts. Captain Roger sailed her up and down the Mississippi. I worked as a gambler on the boat.” He blushed, shamed that he would have to tell Susan of one of his bad characteristics.
“Not that I gamble anymore. I soon learned that only the house makes money. I enjoyed the nights on the river, though.” He stopped short of telling her of his misfortune. She didn’t need to know that. His one love lost to him forever over a pair of deuces.
She pointed. “Here comes Sam. Let’s see what he has to say.”
The people from their group of wagons gathered around.
Sam sat on his big white horse in the middle of the wagons. “Folks, we’re camping here tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll be ferrying the wagons and livestock across. It will take us at least two days, maybe three depending on how things go. I encourage you to go through your wagons and leave whatever you don’t need. We’re at the start of the journey, but I can guarantee that most of you will leave things you never thought you could part with. Might as well do it sooner than later.”
A woman raised her hand. “Should we start dinner?”
Sam looked at her. “Only if you are going to ask me for some of your delicious pie.”
She laughed. “Yes, sir. You’re always welcome.”
Susan looked around for Ed but did
n’t see him. She wondered who he was bringing to dinner. And found herself wondering if it would be another woman. She knew of at least three eligible daughters on the train. The sudden surge of jealousy startled her.
She did not care about Ed in that way. Not yet, and she didn’t want to entertain such thoughts. She left the circle of pioneers and went to their wagon. In the distance on the other side of the train where the first group of wagons had stopped, she saw Ed talking to a young man. Boy really.
She snorted. What was he doing? Going to start a gang of his own and rob them all?” Well, she’d set a plate all right. She opened the tailgate and pulled out the box that held the dishes. She’d have to borrow some from Anna.
Susan turned to find her and nearly ran into her friend. “I need an extra plate. Better make it two, so one person doesn’t feel outcast.”
Anna nodded and grinned as she went back to her wagon.
Soon, Susan had a campfire going, biscuits started, and stew bubbling in the big pot. Anna was making a cake. The woman was a genius at baking with the crude pots and pans. Susan could bake but only with an oven.
Finally, dinner was about ready when Ed and the boy rode over to them. Ed stepped down, and the boy followed his lead. Ed led the horses to the back of the wagon and tied them to the wagon.
Ed came around the wagon with the boy in tow. “This is Laine Sterritt. He’s my guest tonight.”
John glared at Ed but smiled at the boy. “Welcome, Laine. You’ll like the cooking. Mostly because I didn’t do anything but set the table up.” John looked at Ed as if to say where were you.
Laine nodded. He was young. Maybe fifteen if Susan had to guess. He was clean, had on a new shirt, and his hands were washed. All good qualities. But something about the boy’s eyes caught her off guard.
Laine had the same wild look that Ed showed most of the time. Yet, tonight, Ed kept his attention on the kid. As if he was watching out for him. Protecting him.
Ed grabbed a pot to sit on and then part of a log and put them along one side of the table.
Susan Page 4