by Danni Roan
“If it is going to work, we’ll know soon,” Daliah said, lifting a silent prayer to heaven that she had done the right thing.
“I’m going after the rest of the stock,” Spencer said, handing a blanket down to Daliah. “We can’t do anything without those oxen. Will you be all right?”
“I’ll be fine,” Daliah said. “Go with God.”
Spencer threw himself into the saddle then trotted toward Ben’s horse that was nibbling grass near the wagon. Grabbing the other mounts reins he headed for the wagons calling for young Trey.
“How is he dear?” Mrs. Hampton startled Daliah as she walked up to her a few minutes later. “Mr. Gaines mentioned what happened and asked if I’d check in on you. I brought you a cup of tea,” the old woman finished handing the steaming mug to Daliah.
“He seems to be breathing easier,” Daliah said. “Isn’t it strange that we’ve been on the trail for nearly two months, and I barely know this man?” she asked.
“I believe Mr. Ben usually does the scouting and hunting,” Olive said. “He keeps himself to himself.”
Daliah nodded, looking off toward the blackened plain on the other side of the stream. The fire had raced on hopefully dying when it hit the spring, they had camped at the night before but leaving behind a charred desolate landscape in its wake.
“Do you think anything is left?” she asked looking up at Mrs. Hampton.
“I don’t know dear,” the older woman replied. “The fire was moving fast and if the wind shifted perhaps the wagons won’t be gone. All we can do now is pray and plan for what comes next.”
***
An hour’s rest for the stock and everyone loaded back into the wagons turning back to see what could be salvaged from the wagon’s that had been left behind. Placing old Ben into the Hampton’s wagon Spencer looked at Daliah, nodding as he met her dark gaze.
“Thank you for looking after him,” he said simply, before swinging up onto his horse and turning back across the stream.
They were heading back to where the other wagons had been abandoned with hopes and prayers in their hearts that something would be left of the life so many were trying to build.
Chapter 15
Daliah lifted her head; her mouth and nose covered with a damp bandana, and gazed out across the blackened prairie. In the distance, the canvas covers of the abandoned wagons rippled in the wind giving her heart hope.
The closer they came the more they could see of the damage the wild fire had caused. Charred wheels and fire black wagon tongues blended with the stark bareness of the earth, filling them all with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
“It don’t look too bad,” Trey said, as he drove his nervous team of oxen back toward the wagons. “We might not have no real trouble,” the young man’s optimism was contagious and others quickened there steps.
“Don’t look like any of the rigs is burned up,” Mr. Jostens said. “The wood’s a mite blackened but not burnt. The wind must have took the fire across too fast to get a bite,” he added with a grin, squeezing his wife’s hand.
“I hear some folks blacken wood on their wagons and homes to make ‘em more water proof anyhow,” another of the single drivers called taking a turn around his own rig.
“Check your trees and collars carefully,” Spencer called handing Chad down to Daliah without even asking. “If it’s in good knick get hitched up and we’ll head out to a good spot to let the stock graze.”
Men, women, and boys all scrabbled to get the nervy stock hooked up and test the soundness of their wagons. It was a miracle in itself that none of the precious animals had been lost, if the wagons were sound, this would be a day to thank the good Lord for His mercies.
“Ma, you go check the canvas and our supplies,” Trey called as he led the four oxen to the wagon and set them into the long tree with their yokes. The boy had somehow had the presence of mind to raise his wagon tongue saving it from the worst of the flame.
“I think everything is all right,” Mrs. Script called. “I’ll be glad to be away from this blasted earth though,” she added. “It gives me the shakes, even if it is a miracle that all of our earthly possessions were spared.”
“Can I ride in the wagon with you?” Chad asked Daliah as he walked along with her once the wagons were moving again.
“You can ride with the Hamptons,” Daliah replied. “I’ll walk and look after Mr. Ben.”
“You’re gonna walk through this?” the boy asked his bright eyes wide.
“I am,” Daliah replied. “The wagon is already heavy enough and the horses are tired.”
Chad scratched at his ear for a moment thinking. “Maybe I’ll walk a bit too,” he finally said, making Daliah smile. Perhaps the boy was learning something in all of this.
Everyone was nervous as the snorting and stomping oxen leaned into their yokes and started the damaged wagons along the trail. Each creak of wood, each roll of an iron ringed wheel was watched with bated breath as the travelers set out on the trail. With minutes rolling into an hour the troupe began to breathe more easily especially as they finally made their way out of charred ground and onto the green prairie once more.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” Spencer called waving his hand in a circle to indicate they were stopping for the night.
Wearily, the wagons were turned in on themselves and the stock let loose into the makeshift corral made by linked wagons.
“That was the longest day of my life,” Olive Hampton said. “I hope we don’t have any more drama before we get to our new home.”
Daliah wrapped the older woman in her arms, “I couldn’t agree more,” she said, hugging her tight. “I’m just going to check on Mr. Ben then I’ll help with supper.”
“Oh, I didn’t see you ride up,” Daliah said, stepping around to the back of the wagon to find Mr. Gaines already there.
“I thought I’d stop and look in on Ben before I checked the camp,” Spencer said, twirling the tip of his reins as his horse stood cow-hipped behind him.
“Spence, that you?” Ben called his voice craggy.
“I’m here Ben,” Spencer called. “How you feelin’ old man?”
“Like I have one of those fine horses of Mr. Hampton’s sitting on my chest,” the man replied with a ragged chuckle.
“I’ll fetch you some water,” Daliah said, hurrying to get a mug.
“What happened Spence,” Ben asked.
“Miss Owens thinks your heart gave out on ya,” Spencer replied, not holding anything back.
“Can’t say I’m surprised,” the other man said. “Doctor a few towns back told me about the same. Said I needed to settle down and take it easy if I expected to see another winter.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Spencer said.
“What for,” Ben said, his dark eyes boring into his partner. “You got enough to worry about with that boy of yours, and I’ve been pullin’ my own weight haven’t I?”
“I’m just glad you ain’t dead,” Spencer said. With Ben’s help, he had moved three wagon trains to various states across the United States over the years and counted the quiet man a friend.
“Everyone make it?” Ben asked.
“Yes, and not much damage to the wagons we had to leave behind.”
Ben smiled, coughing slightly. “I’m glad this is our last trail together,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a quiet town and a comfortable rocking chair. As for you, you should get at and marry that girl that’s been helping you with Chad. I see the way you look at her so don’t sass,” he finished just as Daliah returned with a cool cup of water.
Climbing into the wagon and propping the older man up on a flour sack Daliah helped him drink then rummaged for the medicine with one hand as she took his wrist between her fingers. It was obvious that something had passed between the two men by the way that Mr. Gaines was looking at her, but she didn’t speak.
“I’ll get my horse put up and take a turn around the camp,” Spencer said, his eyes ling
ering on Daliah a moment longer before he turned disappearing into the circle of wagons.
“That’s a good man there,” Ben said.
“Yes sir,” Daliah agreed, giving him the medicine she had.
“I got pills,” he said, after taking what she offered. “Doc a few towns back gave ‘em to me.”
“You still need to rest,” Daliah chided.
“I’ll slow down I reckon. Maybe take over driving me and Spence’s wagon and let that boy ride ahead a bit.”
Daliah smiled. “That sounds like a good plan.”
“Does doesn’t it?” Ben said. “I hope you have plans too,” he continued. “Like settling down and maybe helping Spence figure out how he belongs in this new place.”
“Mr. Gaines?” Daliah said. “What do I have to do with him?”
“He needs help with that boy of his and you got no one but the Hampton’s to see to you,” Ben said. “You two would do all right together.”
“I don’t think Mr. Gaines is interested in anything like that,” Daliah tried, dropping her eyes and hoping he didn’t see the spark of hope in them.
“Spencer has some silly notions in his head yet. That don’t mean any of them amount to a hill of beans,” Ben continued, with a slight cough.
Daliah smiled. “You should rest before supper,” she said, changing the subject. “I’ll come back and fetch you if you’re up to it then.”
Ben chuckled, as the young woman climbed back out of the wagon. He’d given both parties something to think about and that was good enough for now.
***
“Pa is Ben gonna be all right?” Chad asked as they sat down to dinner around a small camp fire, closely watched by all.
“Miss Owens thinks he has a good chance,” Spencer replied. “He needs to rest a bit, so don’t you go bothering him.”
“I thought she was kinda mean when I first met her,” Chad said. “She didn’t give me that hat ya know.”
“And now?” Spencer asked.
“I like her, and I really like her brown sugar dumplings.”
Spencer’s bark of laughter made several of the people around the fire look at him oddly, but for once, he didn’t care. His son’s words had broken the tension that had wound around his middle like steel bands since the fire had caught them, and for the first time that day, he felt like he could breathe again.
Tonight Spencer Gaines was grateful that everyone had survived one of the terrors of the wide-open prairie, and when he made it to Texas, he was determined to settle somewhere that had good water.
Daliah looked across the fire at Mr. Gaines, Ben’s words still echoing in her brain as she fixed the older man a plate. She hadn’t even thought of the possibility of marriage and family. For far too long life had been nothing more than going to work and getting through each day on her own.
The Hamptons had been the biggest blessing in her life, and she would always be grateful for their kindness, but she couldn’t count on them forever.
Over the past few weeks she could see changes in Mr. Gaines’ attitude toward her. He was less sharp, more willing to talk, and slower to hurry off with a harsh word. Still she couldn’t see the man being interested in a wife or family. Most days he was still terse, and distant. Of course dancing with him everything had been so different.
“What’s worryin’ you?” Ben asked as she carried him a plate. Mr. Hampton had helped the man out of the wagon earlier, letting him sit on a crate against the tailgate, but neither of them thought he should walk more than he had to.
“Excuse me?” Daliah asked handing him the plate where he sat on the lid of a barrel.
“You look like you got something worryin’ you.”
“No, I think everyone is just a little over tired and still frightened,” Daliah hedged.
“If you say so,” Ben smiled taking a bite of his dinner. “What do you plan on doing once we get to where we’re going?” he asked after finishing his first bite.
“I don’t know,” Daliah admitted.
“You can cook. Might be a need for that somewhere, or maybe one of them cowboys will take a fancy to you and marry ya.”
“Have you ever been married Mr. Ben?” Daliah asked turning the tables on the man.
“Me? No, no. I’ve got too much of the gypsy in my soul. No woman would want to have lived their life on the trail with me.”
Daliah smiled, thinking she’d turned the man away from the track his conversation had been heading. “You never know there might be a woman with an adventuresome soul.”
Ben chuckled. “I’m an old man now and looking forward to sitting on the front porch and watching others do for a bit. Them folks you’re with,” Ben continued waving his fork in the direction of the Hamptons, “they could start up another boarding house or such if you want to live as a spinster lookin’ after others.”
Daliah bristled at the words. Even if marriage had not been on her mind, no woman liked to be considered a spinster. She was only twenty now as it was. Not quiet on the shelf yet.
“I think it’s a good thing women like you and some of these families are making this trip,” Ben continued as if he hadn’t said anything offensive. “Young towns are wild, sometimes dangerous, when folks start making something of it that’s when it will grow up.”
“You think where we’re going will be dangerous?”
Daliah asked suddenly worried.
“Not if good folks are determined to make something of it,” Ben said tucking into his dinner with some energy.
Daliah walked back to the fire, thoughts racing through her mind. What would her future hold when she arrived in the no-name town of Texas?
Chapter 16
The next two weeks of travel brought the wagon train closer to its goal, but with changes along the way.
Trey Script took over the work that Ben had been doing while Ben’s hired driver took his team of oxen, and Ben took up the traces to the wagon he and Spencer had brought along that had been driven by their hired help.
The days grew warmer the further south they moved, and each stop at a spring was even more appreciated than before.
Spencer dropped Chad off with Daliah each day and ate at the Hampton’s each night. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the idea of what Ben had said out of his thoughts.
If he were honest, he rather liked the young woman. She didn’t seem to think about herself as much as others, a rare quality, and the quiet peacefulness that seemed to emanate around her was refreshing.
Perhaps once he got to town he might consider calling on Daliah Owens. He did need someone to look after Chad while he was on the range with his brother after all.
“You’re very quiet tonight,” Daliah commented as she helped serve dinner one night along the trail. “Are you worrying about the trail ahead?”
“Not so much,” Spencer admitted. “We’ve got one more river crossing, but the weather has been good so I don’t see any trouble with it. I imagine you’ll be glad to stop traveling soon.”
Daliah smiled appreciating his kind words. “I will,” she said. “It has been a long journey.” Her mind flashed back to all of the things that had happened over the past few years, and she prayed this would be the last time she would have to move.
Spencer looked up at the young woman and suddenly realized what he recognized in her. Loss had left her lonely, even among friends. She was a help and a blessing to the Hamptons as much as they were to her, but she had no real anchor on this earth, and something inside him turned recognizing his own lonely heart.
“It’s hard being on your own isn’t it?” he asked quietly leading her away from the fire to a seat.
Daliah looked up into the man’s blue eyes and simply nodded. “I’m afraid I don’t know where my place is,” she admitted something compelling her to speak honestly.
Spencer looked at Daliah fully for the first time since they had danced weeks ago. She was an attractive woman, kind, and hard working, but there was more to her
than that. She had somehow found an inner strength drawn from heaven that kept her moving forward day by day.
For several minutes Daliah sat with Mr. Gaines. They were both silent, but neither seemed to need to speak. Something had changed between them. Something that had been growing as they had connected on the drive. It wasn’t something she could put into words, but it was a quiet, solid bond that had sprung from mutual respect and need.
Daliah looked over at Spencer as he finished his meal and smiled. Could she venture to give her heart to Mr. Spencer Gaines? Could she risk loving someone who could be gone in an instant? Perhaps she had been moving toward this all along?