Distant Heart Page 9

  “Jesus came to give us not only salvation and the assurance of heaven, but also to heal our wounds, physical or emotional, and especially spiritual.”

  Ginger gave a snort. “He ain’t seen fit to do no healin’ on this leg of mine,” she muttered. She adjusted her body against the tree she sat in front of. For emphasis, she folded her arms across her chest.

  “Hush, Ginger,” Toni hissed.

  The young woman scowled. “So-rry. Maybe I should just leave.”

  Toni leaned over. “You shouldn’t leave. You should stop making a spectacle of yourself and extend Sam the courtesy of shutting your mouth.”

  Toni half expected the stubborn girl to struggle to her feet and haul herself back to the wagon. Instead, she shut her mouth, tightly, and glared ahead, refusing to so much as look in Sam’s direction, or Toni’s for that matter, but at least she stayed. And as far as Toni was concerned that showed real progress.

  The trail was even slower after Fort Laramie. The positive part of the experience was the ability to travel next to the river. But the weary band knew that as soon as they reached the Red Buttes, another water crossing was imminent. No more happy about the crossing than the rest of the travelers, Fannie’s thoughts returned to her near-drowning more than a month earlier. On the wagon next to her, Katie sat, tense, her face drained of all color.

  “Don’t worry, sweetie,” she tried to assure her sister. “Blake says we’re building rafts this time. We won’t have to swim the oxen across. And just look.” She pointed at the beautiful red buttes directly across the river, the red rock even more pronounced by the sun beating down as it signaled its slow departure. “Soon we start heading over the mountains and after that we’ll be in Oregon. But first we have to cross the river.” And travel another 1,000 miles. But there was no sense in bringing that up for now

  “Are we getting ready to cross now?” Katie’s voice shook with dread.

  “No. We’re going to make camp a little early and the men will get to work building some rafts. Then tomorrow we’ll start making our way across. And then we’ll either move right ahead the following day, or we’ll stop to fortify the wagons and make sure they’re strong enough to make it the rest of the way to Oregon.”

  Katie swallowed hard and attempted a nod but she didn’t look convinced.

  Fannie gave her a playful nudge. “Smile, sweetie. Has God let anything bad happen to us since we escaped from Tom?”

  She cleared her throat. “You almost drowned.”

  Well, there was that. The child had a point. Still…“But I didn’t, did I?”

  “Becca died in the twister.” Okay, maybe this wasn’t the best game to play to make Katie feel better.

  “Yes, but that wasn’t anything that happened to us.” Immediately Fannie regretted her words. That twister had definitely happened to her little sister. “I’m sorry, Katie. I know you miss Becca.”

  She nodded. “It’s okay.”

  “But for the most part, God has kept us safe. Right?”

  “What about Tom coming back for you, and Kip and me almost having to live with Mrs. Kane?”

  Unable to refrain from expelling a frustrated breath, Fannie shrugged in defeat.

  “I don’t know, Katie. All those bad things happened. But we made it through. Maybe we shouldn’t expect God to keep us from bad things, but pray that He gets us through them instead.”

  Fannie fell silent. She had so much to learn about God, who was she to try to talk to Katie about what God would or wouldn’t keep them safe from?

  Thankfully, she was spared the necessity of returning to the no-win conversation by the sound of a bark. More like a bark and a squawk…lots of barking, lots of squawking.

  Katie’s eyes opened wider. “Uh-oh. Mr. Kane’s puppy is going to be in big trouble this time.”

  “Oh, brother. Just what Blake needs right now.”

  Toni’s heart went out to Mrs. Kane as Blake laid down the sentence. The puppy had to go.

  Amanda Kane clutched her dog. “We can’t just kill him.” Unaware of his precarious position, the animal wiggled to get loose.

  Blake drew a slow breath and exhaled. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Kane. I know the dog means a lot to you, but the fact is, he’s a menace to this wagon train.”

  “But that’s the first time he’s gotten loose in two weeks.”

  Mrs. Kane had a point. The animal had been astonishingly well-behaved lately.

  “It don’t make no matter.” The other voice of the argument. Curtis Adams. “That dog done kilt another of my chickens. If you don’t shoot it, I’ll kill it myself.”

  Mr. Kane stepped forward with menacing intention. “You lay one hand on my dog and I won’t be held responsible for what I do to ya.”

  Blake held up his hands and silence ensued. “Listen folks. The matter is easily resolved.” He turned to Mr. and Mrs. Kane. “You’ve been warned time and again. The dog has to go. If you don’t have the strength to take care of him, we’ll find someone who does. There’s no shame in it.”

  A pitiful sob escaped Mrs. Kane’s throat. “Haven’t I suffered enough?” She knelt beside her half-grown puppy and buried her face in the course fur. The animal gave a little whine and swiped her face with his tongue.

  “I like that dog.” All eyes turned to Alfred.

  “Be quiet boy,” Mr. Harrison snapped.

  “Sorry, Pa.”

  “It’s all right, Mr. Harrison. I like the dog too, Alfred,” Blake said. “But he got loose again and ate Mr. Adams’ chickens.”

  “It was my fault, Mr. Tanner.” Alfred shuffled and looked at the ground, then he cocked his eye toward his pa, clearly trying to decide whether he should risk speaking up again. Apparently, he decided the situation called for a little disobedience, because he squared his thick shoulders and looked at the pup. “I let him go. He don’t like being tied up.”

  Toni’s heart went out to the oversized child. He reminded her so much of her little brother, Jacob. Sweet, gentle with animals, kind to all. And really, she couldn’t understand why the Adams’ chickens couldn’t be penned up better. Before she could stop herself, she stepped forward. “Blake. Can I say something?”

  Irritation twisted Blake’s face. “You might as well.”

  Ignoring his sarcasm, Toni cleared her throat. “Alfred has a point.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” the boy said, though he obviously didn’t understand what was happening.

  “You’re welcome.” She smiled at him and received an enormous grin in return.

  “What are you getting at, Toni?” Blake asked, still failing to conceal his irritation.

  “Well, it’s just that. The puppy isn’t solely to blame here.”

  Curtis puffed up like a peacock, obviously believing her to be on his side and flattered by the attention. “I’d say not. That dimwit turned him loose.” He turned to Mr. Harrison. “You should keep that boy tied up.”

  Toni gasped. “Mr. Adams, you’re a cruel man to even suggest such a thing. Alfred is a sweet young man and he did nothing wrong.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Alfred said again, melting Toni’s heart.

  “You’re welcome, Alfred.”

  “You’re nice.”

  “So are you.”

  Blake cleared his throat. Loudly. “What is your point, Toni?”

  “Just that if Mr. Adams had kept those chickens penned up like the rules of the wagon train clearly state, the dog wouldn’t be running after them. There is nothing in the rules that say a dog has to be kept on a rope.” She smiled innocently. “Unless I missed that one somewhere?”

  Behind her, Ginger snickered. Toni tensed. Please God, don’t let Ginger make this worse by mocking Blake.

  Mr. Kane stood a little straighter. “Come to think of it, the whore’s right.”

  Toni’s cheeks burned and suddenly she felt the urge to slink away.

  Sam moved next to Toni just as she started to retreat. “Mr. Kane, considering this woman is trying to save y
our dog, I’d suggest using a little more respect.”

  “Respect…?”

  Ginger stepped forward. “Yeah. She already told you people she wasn’t taking that off you any more.”

  The girl jabbed Toni in the ribs. Toni winced, but she got the message. She couldn’t let this man get away with this treatment of her. She squared her shoulders to bolster her resolve. “Yes. I told you before that I will not stand by and be called vile names by you or anyone else. So kindly remember that in the future. Furthermore, Mr. Kane, I’m not reminding Blake of the rules for your sake, but rather your wife’s because as she said…she’s lost enough. She shouldn’t have to lose her dog because Mr. Adams is lazy and won’t fix his pen properly. Personally, I think we should butcher the rest of them and have fried chicken.”

  Laughter rose from the crowd. The sound was more welcome to Toni than if they had hired a symphony to play in her honor.

  “Toni is right,” Miss Sadie said. “That puppy is doing what comes natural to dogs. Mr. Adams should keep the chickens penned up properly and he might make it to Oregon with a few of them.” A few more folks spoke up and slowly, consensus shifted from killing the puppy to holding the Adamses responsible for their chickens. Even Mr. Harrison lost his surly expression and his face broke out in a grin.

  Alfred patted the pup’s head. “It’s okay, Wolf, I like chicken too.”’

  Once again laughter rose from the crowd.

  Blake eyed Mr. Adams. “Looks like you know what has to be done. If the puppy gets hold of them because they get loose, it’s your own fault. Keep them penned and in your wagon. Or we’ll be having us some fried chicken like Toni suggested.”

  Toni’s stomach turned over as she recognized the look of pure venom shooting from Mr. Adams’ eyes. “Never thought I’d see the day when a dirty whore called the shots around here. She ain’t been nothin’ but trouble since the day she and that little redheaded floozy joined.”

  Blake sprang into action and landed a blow to the man’s jaw. He would have joined him on the ground and finished the job, but Sam got to him in time to grab his arm. “Blake! This isn’t the way. The man is angry and humiliated. Let him cool off. He will apologize.”

  Blake pointed at Mr. Adams, who still hadn’t quite figured out what hit him. “Get that pen fixed and then join the detail making rafts. And don’t let me ever hear you refer to my wife as anything other than the good respectable woman she is. Is that clear?”

  The man sneered, but Sam gave him a swift nudge with his moccasin-bound foot. Mr. Adams visibly conceded. He nodded. “Clear.”

  Sam reached down to help the man to his feet. Mr. Adams spat into the dirt and ignored the hand. “The day I need a breed’s help is the day I put a bullet in my head.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  As Mr. Adams stomped toward his wagon, Toni expelled the breath she’d been holding throughout the entire exchange. Ginger stomped right up to Sam and frowned, her brows pushed together, causing a deep well between her eyes. “Why did you let him get by with talking to you that way?” she demanded.

  Sam smiled at her, and Toni wondered if he was thinking the same thing. That only a couple of weeks ago, Ginger, herself had referred to him as “breed.” “If we only forgive those who ask for forgiveness, we’re no better than those who don’t know Jesus.”

  Ginger rolled her eyes. “It’s always about God with you, isn’t it?”

  With a wink, he nodded. “Almost always, I must admit.”

  His gaze shifted from Ginger to Toni. She smiled at him. Sam, without his Bible talk just wouldn’t be right.

  Ginger gave a “hrmph.” “You two make me sick.” With that she stomped off.

  Sam shook his head as he stared after her. “She doesn’t much care for any talk about God, does she?”

  “Not much,” Toni murmured.

  Sam obviously thought Ginger’s huffy exit was a result of his unapologetic talk about God. But Toni had a feeling Ginger thought the smile Toni had shared with Sam meant more than friendship.

  If only she were right.

  Eleven

  The next day’s crossing of the Platte just before the Red Buttes went smoothly and without incident. Much to everyone’s relief, Toni’s included. At the end of a long day of crossing, it was a mercy to sit by a warm campfire and listen to the sounds of the night. Not only the sounds of nature. But Toni had grown accustomed to listening to families preparing for bed. Children being read Bible stories or told stories from the imaginations of their parents. The cattle lowed in the circle, the sound almost soothing her to sleep as she rested her back against a wagon wheel.

  Ginger had taken a group of women to the river for baths. Toni would go later. She still couldn’t bring herself to disrobe in front of “respectable” women. Ginger was as tough-talking and clear-shooting as any man, so she had become the protector when the men couldn’t be around. Which, in this case, they obviously couldn’t.

  The quiet filled her with contentment. After two weeks with no threat from the Indians, she was beginning to feel confident that maybe Swooping Eagle had decided she was more trouble than she was worth. Still, she didn’t take any chances these days. Not only did she pin her hair up; she also covered it with a loose shawl.

  “Mind a little company, Toni?”

  Toni looked into the still attractive face of Sadie Barnes. The wagon train matriarch had always been kind to Fannie and Toni and she couldn’t help but welcome her into the solitude.

  “Nothing would give me more pleasure, Miss Sadie.”

  The woman grunted as she lowered herself to the ground next to Toni. She settled against the other half of the wheel. “You might have to help me back up.” She chuckled.

  “I’d be happy to. If you can’t manage.”

  “You did a good thing with that puppy.”

  A flush of pleasure drifted across Toni’s face. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “That Harrison boy is sweet as he can be, isn’t he?”

  Toni smiled. “He is. I wish I could find a prairie chicken to kill and fry for him.”

  “His mother doted on him. He must be devastated without her.”

  “You’d never know it. He seems happy.”

  “People like that bury their pain. He’s simple, but he’s not stupid or without feelings. He’s confused and doesn’t know what to think of his ma being gone. He needs a good ma.”

  “Yes, I suppose he does.”

  “Mr. Harrison’s probably going to be looking for a wife soon.”

  A gasp left Toni’s throat. “Mrs. Harrison is barely cold in the grave.”

  Miss Sadie nodded. “Men rarely marry for love, Toni. He has a simple boy and a daughter on the verge of womanhood. He needs a real woman to help him make sense of everything.”

  “Well, best of luck to him.”

  “You could do worse, young lady.”

  Toni whipped around and stared into wizened old eyes. “Me? What do you mean?”

  Miss Sadie gave a shrug of plump but sturdy shoulders. “Mr. Harrison is a little rough around the edges, but he made his money back east in a string of hotels. Anyone who marries him will want for nothing.”

  Suddenly, the warm night felt chilled. Toni found her voice with difficulty. “Do you hear what you’re suggesting?” For the first time in the months she’d known Miss Sadie, Toni disliked the older woman immensely.

  “Merely that you stop being so picky and find yourself a decent man to marry. It’s not likely a woman such as yourself will have too many opportunities and at least you like the boy. Most women would have him institutionalized.”

  Toni straightened her shoulders, never feeling the weight of her former profession more strongly than she did this second. “You are suggesting I sell myself in marriage to a man I do not love because he has money and I will never find someone to love me.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend.” Miss Sadie patted Toni’s leg. “Maybe you are good enough for Sam after all.”

&n
bsp; “Good enough for Sam? What do you mean? What have you heard, Miss Sadie?”

  “Relax. I haven’t heard anything. I only know what I observe and unless I miss my guess, you are smitten with our wagon scout.”

  Grateful for the cover of darkness to hide her flaming cheeks, Toni cleared her throat. “You’re mistaken, ma’am. I don’t intend to marry. Not Mr. Harrison. Not Sam.”

  “Indeed? And what is a woman alone planning to do?”

  Toni’s lips lifted in a grin. “You should know, shouldn’t you? What are your plans?”

  “It’s not the same for you as it is for me. I’ve lived my life, borne and lost my sons and now I’m going west to die. I’ll hire myself a small log home built. I’ll raise chickens and a cow or two. I’ll fish in the river and plant a garden.”

  “That sounds lovely, Miss Sadie. I believe I’ll do the same thing.” And it did sound lovely.

  “No. That’s not a life for a woman like you.”

  Toni bristled. “What exactly do you mean?”

  “Simmer down. You surely do have a temper, don’t you?”

  “I didn’t know I did, but I guess maybe I do.”

  “What I meant was a woman with so much love to give shouldn’t be alone.”

  Still not completely mollified, Toni stared closer at the older woman. “And by having a lot of love to give, you mean…”

  “You should be a mother. Have half a dozen young’uns, dogs, goats, chickens, cows. All manner of cuddly things you can pour out that generous soul to.”

  Toni gave a short laugh. “You forgot one not-so-small detail, Miss Sadie.”

  “Oh?”

  “In order for me to have all those cuddly things in my life, wouldn’t I first need a husband?”

  “Now you’re seeing reason.” The woman’s eyes twinkled and Toni finally figured out that she’d been had.

  She laughed and slipped an arm around Miss Sadie. “Some of us are meant to be mothers. Some of us are meant to be kind to other women’s children. I think the second category is where I fit.”

  “If that’s where you fall, so be it. But don’t close your mind to the possibility of God bringing love your way. Sam, for instance.”