By the time she finished washing and laying out the clothes, the men had a fire going and a small tent set up. Coffee was set near the fire, and from the smell it was just about done. Willis was slicing up a big piece of ham, and Sandler was making cornbread. She’d go back with them. She didn’t want them to be fired.
But it wasn’t because she secretly wanted to go home. No, sir.
“Did that husband of mine say why he wanted me?” She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
Sandler tipped his hat back. “He said something about you getting lost.”
“He also has a concern for your safety. There are plenty of Comanche, Yankees, and the like swarming Texas.” Willis took the pot of coffee off the fire. “Would you like some?”
“Yes. I’ll get my cup.” Was Parker being highhanded or was he really concerned for her safety? She found her cup in her saddlebag and handed it to Willis. She could imagine her sister wanting to flirt with the shy blond.
“Are you all right ma’am?” Willis asked as he handed her cup back to her.
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“You sighed rather loudly.”
Sandler’s lips twitched. “Willis, you never mention noises a woman makes.”
Willis’ head tilted and his brow furrowed. “Really? I never remember my mama teaching me that.” He sipped his coffee. “In fact, I know she never mentioned it.”
Sandler sat down on a fallen log. “That’s because she knew not to mention it.” Sandler laughed so hard he almost doubled over.
She tried to keep a straight face, but the laughter was infectious and soon she joined in. Willis frowned for a moment before he too laughed.
Georgie sat next to Sandler on the log as Willis took a spot on the ground. It had felt so good to laugh. When was the last time she laughed or smiled even? “So we return to the ranch tomorrow?”
Sandler nodded. “The sooner we get you home the better for everyone. The captain can be a bear when he’s mad. It shouldn’t take more than two days.”
“Two days? It took me forever to get here, and when Parker drove the wagon it took almost a week.”
“We know the shortcuts. We got here in a day and a half. Maybe you got lost.” Willis turned the ham steaks over.
“Yes, I ended up in some really dense woods. I saw a trapper, but I hid well enough.”
Sandler stood with his rifle as did Willis. They slowly turned searching the area. They looked again and moved to different places scanning the area again.
“When did you see the trapper?” Sandler asked never taking his eyes off their surroundings.
“A couple hours at least. It might have been longer. Why?”
“No reason. I was just wondering.”
“Ma’am, can you check on the ham?”
“And the cornbread?”
What in the world was going on? “I’d be happy to.” The ham she pulled off the fire but when she checked the cornbread it wasn’t quite done, and she left it cooking.
“He’s dangerous?” She inquired as she took up her rifle. All she got from the two men was silence. That was answer enough. She took the cornbread and let it cool. Suddenly their little camp was eerie.
Sandler walked backward toward her. “I’m sorry, but we can’t wait for your clothes to dry. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. He probably plans to come back for you later after he’s done checking all his traps.”
“You think he was already here?”
“Yes, I do. We’ll leave the tent, a few items of your clothes, and the fire burning as we make our escape. If he checks on you, he’ll think you’re in the tent. It’ll buy us time. Pack what you need to take and stand guard while I saddle the horses and pack whatever else we need.”
She hurried to her clothes and left her chemise and pantalets. What woman would leave those behind? After shoving her cup in the saddlebag and her wet dress and cloak into her carpet bag, she carried them near Yours.
“I’m set.” She held her rifle and scanned the tall grass and woods nearby. In no time at all Sandler brought her horse to her and helped her mount. He and Willis both mounted in one clean movement.
“Follow me,” Willis whispered.
Her nerves were taut and she was going crazy at the slow pace Willis was setting. He was doing the right thing, but everything inside her screamed run. They went in a completely different direction. Sandler rode behind her, and she felt guilty for putting them in such a position.
After an hour, Willis stopped, held up his hand, and turned his horse into the woods. He didn’t stop until he found a spot with enough cover for all three of them. He dismounted and quickly helped her off her horse. “Grab your rifle,” he whispered.
Fear combined with her frayed nerves was a lot to overcome. She sat with her back against the massive boulder they were behind concentrating on all the sounds. The Wilsons had taught her how to listen to her surroundings so she’d know if something changed.
The birds in the woods across the road became silent, and then suddenly they rapidly flew away causing her to flinch. Her body began to quiver, and it took all her inner strength to be still. Her firm grip on her rifle turned her knuckles white. She stood ready for battle.
“Get behind us,” Sandler whispered.
Georgie took a step back. Willis and Sandler exuded complete confidence as they watched. There was silence again and it frightened her. She’d rather see the danger than know it was coming.
A bear of a man wearing worn buckskins waved his arm over his head. “Howdy! I know you’re there. I lost my horse, and I’ve been without food for a few days now.”
Her stomach clenched. “That’s him.”
“We know.” Willis’ voice was so soft she hardly heard him.
The trapper approached very slowly smiling as he walked. “I’m so hungry. Perhaps you have some hardtack? I won’t be no trouble.”
Sandler ducked down, pulling her along with him. He put his finger to his nose, and she bit her lip.
“I ain’t got nothin’ neither. No vittles, no sir. I’m just a poor man trying to find his family. Lost them in the war, I did.” Willis barely showed his head, just enough to watch the trapper.
“Well, I’m not all that hungry after all. I’ll just take the woman and go. I’ll even let you live.” His voice sounded closer.
Sandler crawled to the farthest end of the boulder and slowly raised his head.
Georgie’s heart pounded. What if both men got shot? She put her hand over her mouth to keep quiet.
“You and the girl might as well come on out. Is she your wife? Are you pleased with her?”
Willis stood straighter. “She’s my sister. He cocked his rifle and aimed it. “I’m telling you to leave.”
“You best put that away. You might hurt yourself. You ain’t never been a soldier.” It sounded as though the trapper was trying to goad Willis.
“Don’t make no never mind. I can shoot. In fact—” Willis ducked as a knife flew where his head had been. As it dropped, Georgie’s eyes widened. It was right next to her.
“Missed, did I? Well I’ll be going now.”
Willis put his hat on the end of his rifle and raised it. Two quick shots came from nearby. She needed to run, but Willis grabbed her and held her.
“Got him!” Sandler kept his rifle trained in the direction of the trapper as he walked out from behind their hiding place.
“Yep, he’s dead all right.”
Willis let go of her and she ran out to see it with her own eyes. Her breathing was labored as if she’d just run for an hour.
Sandler unwrapped her whitened fingers from her rifle. “It’s fine. Why don’t you go stand yonder with the horses? Willis and I are going to drag the body behind the rock. Hopefully, no one will be looking for him.”
Willis stood next to her. “He’s a big one. Why do we always end up dragging the big ones?”
She gasped.
Willis gave her a contrite frown. “S
orry, ma’am.”
“I understand, and call me Georgie. I never did like ma’am.” She tilted her head to them both before going to the horses. It wasn’t long before they joined her. Sandler helped her up onto Yours and handed her the rifle.
“We’ll be making tracks from here on out. We need to get you back home and out of danger. Be sure to tell us if you’re too tired to go on.”
“Thank you, Sandler.” She was already too tired to go on, being emotionally spent. Sandler was right, though; they needed to be far away from this place in case someone else came. These days, people shot first and asked questions later. She fell into line behind Willis.
As they rode, she tried to put the whole incident out of her mind, but it was near impossible. They stopped once for a quick rest and some stale biscuits. What a shame they’d had to leave most of their food at the false campsite. Now it was almost night, but they still continued. It grew darker and darker but as soon as the full moon appeared, they had more than enough light to keep on.
Her back and legs and her backside all hurt tremendously. But she’d continue all night and into the morning.
Willis dropped back to ride at her side. “Georgie, we can either stop now or continue on. It’s two more hours at the most. Sandler and I are used riding like this, but I know you’re not. Frankly I’m surprised you’ve made it this far.”
“I wouldn’t have but for being on a wagon train. Long days of walking. If I got off Yours now, I’ll never be able to get back on. Let’s continue and get it over with.
Chapter Nine
Parker raced off the porch and ran toward his wife. As he got closer, her pallor and weariness concerned him.
“What happened?” he asked Willis.
They reined in the horses. “That trapper we tangled with once a few weeks back caught sight of your wife and planned to have her. Don’t worry, he won’t be bothering anyone again. We decided to get as far away as possible. We rode part of the day yesterday, thought the night, and kept ridin’ until we got here.”
“Didn’t you take Mrs. Eastman into consideration?” Parker demanded.
“Parker,” Georgie interrupted. “They asked me several times if I wanted to stop, and I did not. It was my decision. They saved me from a fate worse than death. Willis and Sandler are heroes. I’m so tired, but if I try to get off my horse my legs won’t hold me.”
Noting the pleading in her eyes, he immediately whisked her off the horse and into his arms. He kissed her cheek. “Welcome home.” Without another word, he turned and carried her into the house and up to their bedroom.
When he set her on the bed, she cried out in pain.
“Saddle sore are you?” He couldn’t help his curtness.
Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks, leaving streaks on her dusty face. “I’m sorry.”
Sorry for what? Leaving? Disobeying him? Breaking his heart? He stared at her.
“If you could ask Sondra to help me into my nightgown, I’d appreciate it.” She didn’t look at him. She kept her gaze on her hands, which she kept wringing.
“Don’t move. I’ll return in a minute.”
He went down the stairs and put water on to heat. Georgie needed to relax her muscles in warm water. Part of him was relieved, and part of him was livid. He wanted to pamper her and hold her but he also wanted to walk away from her.
Finally, he thanked God she was back. Then he grabbed the tub and carried it up the stairs and into her old room. He lit a fire and found a towel and a female bar of soap his mother had loved.
When he was finished, he stood at the doorway watching her. She had her hands over her face. Her body jerked as she sobbed. She gazed at him for a moment and then tried to get up. She ended up plopping back down on the bed.
“I know you really don’t want me here. I heard you getting my old room ready.”
He’d never seen her so sad. “No, what you heard was me setting up the tub and lighting a warm fire for you.” He went to his window and opened it. Leaning out he yelled to his men. “I need hot water brought upstairs and poured into the tub.” He pulled himself back in and closed the window.
“Here let’s roll you onto your side. It’ll feel better while the bath is getting ready.”
“I’m sorry to be so much trouble. Really I am.” She wasn’t strong enough to be of any help moving.
He couldn’t help but smile at her tenderly. “You’ve been through a lot and you’re exhausted. We’ll talk about it in the morning. For now just let me take care of you.”
“But Sondra—” Her voice was so low.
“You’ll need to be lifted into the tub. I’ll help you. Let’s get these clothes off of you.”
Her body went still, and she frowned.
“Do you honestly think I’d take advantage of you after all you’ve been through? I’m not some type of monster who has no consideration for his wife. I know you feel vulnerable, and I’m nervous I’ll touch you and you’ll think it wrong. Right now almost anywhere I touch you is going to be a pit painful. Sitting in the tub will help your muscles relax. Then I’ll put some horse liniment on you.”
Her mouth formed an O while her nose wrinkled.
He chuckled and heard one of his men yell the bath was ready. “It’s time. Let’s get you undressed. I’ll be a gentleman.”
His gaze met hers, and she studied him as though trying to read his mind. She must have been satisfied with what she saw. She bobbed her head up and down slowly.
He sat her up and unbuttoned the front of her dress. He tried not to brush his fingers over her skin, but it was impossible not to. It was a good sign that she didn’t flinch or shy away from him. She just looked so sad. He framed her face with his hands and gave her a tender kiss on her lips. When he drew away, her smile was wobbly and tears were in her eyes. Parker finished getting her undressed. He’d handed her a sheet so she could cover herself as he exposed her skin.
“Whew! That’s done. I’m going to lift you. Cry out if you have to.”
She didn’t say anything, but she bit her lip.
He took a deep breath and lifted her into his arms as gently as he could. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, probably to take some of her weight off his arms so it would hurt less. Surprisingly she didn’t cry out as he made the short walk to her room.
Gently and slowly, he set her down into the steaming water. Her sign of relief eased him. He hated hurting her.
“You aren’t mad at Willis and Sandler for riding that long are you? It seemed quite necessary at the time. They did ask me if I wanted to stop, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit a horse again once I got off. They saved me. You have very smart and brave men.” She lowered her eyelids as she sank down into the water.
“I trust them with my life. That’s why I sent them after you. How’d you end up in that trapper’s part of the woods?”
Opening her eyes, she grimaced. “I got a bit lost. I don’t know who makes your maps, but they are near impossible to follow. I must have made a wrong turn and when I didn’t recognize anything, I decided to head west. The woods got denser, and I hid when I spotted the trapper.” She sighed again. “This bath feels so good. He didn’t act as though he saw me. I watched him leave and waited a while before going on my way. I finally found the right road and was washing my clothes when your men found me.”
“I take it the trapper saw you and followed you.”
She gave a weak nod. “He apparently was waiting for nightfall. My heart is in my throat when I think about what could have happened. Is your mother sleeping already? I haven’t heard her scream the whole time I’ve been back.”
For a moment, the words wouldn’t come. He swallowed over his emotions. “She was shot by the Union Army. They insisted on searching the house for any sign of Private Andrews. I told them not to open the door to her room and the next thing I knew, she was shot, murdered.” He didn’t try to hide the bitterness he felt. “We buried her today.”
“This
is my fault. I should have been here.” She covered her face with her hands.
“No, it wasn’t your fault. In fact, at the time I was relieved you weren’t here. They insisted that Andrews had come to see you and never returned. They would have taken you in for interrogation, and I don’t think I could have let them without killing a few of those Yankees.”
She made small splashes as she dropped her hands back into the water. “I’m so sorry, Parker. It’s always so hard to lose a part of your family. She was the only family you had left.”
He handed her the fancy soap, enjoying her smile as she held it to her nose and sniffed. “I do have family, I have you.” He watched for her reaction and was pleased when her smile grew wider. It felt wonderful when his shoulders relaxed. He was still upset she had left on her own, but now wasn’t the time to bring it up.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help bury her.” She handed the soap back to him. Maybe giving her Millicent’s soap wasn’t such a good idea. Now Georgie would smell like his mother.
“Ready to get out?”
“Yes.” She bit her bottom lip again before he even touched her.
Gently, he helped her stand up, wrapped her in a towel, and then carefully lifted her up into his arms. When he got to his room, he unwrapped the towel and laid her down on her stomach. How odd, the scent of the soap on her skin was not the same as it had been on his mother. He was thankful.
“I have to warn you. This ointment smells pretty bad. I’m used to it, so don’t worry about me.”
She turned her head in his direction. “How bad can it be?” He opened the jar and she began to cough. “That is powerful smelling. Are you sure you’re supposed to use it on people?”
It started as a deep rumble and the next thing he knew he was laughing. It was a great loud, long laugh. It pushed aside any lingering resentment he had toward her.
“Yes, my love, it’s for people too. I could ask one of them men to stand outside of the door and confirm it.”
Tattered Hearts: Mail Order Brides of Spring Water Book One Page 13
