Groom For Hire (Pioneer Series #3)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I’m good when it comes to noticing something that shouldn’t be there, and I can see well in the dark.”

  “But you’re a woman. Women don’t keep watch. That’s a man’s job.”

  “I’d just be sitting and watching our surroundings. I don’t see how hard that is.”

  “It’s not hard. It’s just that the man’s job is to protect the women and children. Women have enough to do as it is, what with the cooking and tending to the children.”

  “Well, yes. I suppose so.”

  Good. At least she understood how things worked along the trail. He hadn’t thought he’d have to explain the duties of men who kept watch during the night, but how was he to know she’d express an interest in it?

  Again, it was another distinction between her and Amanda. Amanda had no desire for the task. In fact, she hadn’t been all that interested in anything to do with the outdoors.

  “I need to make sure everyone gets settled for the night,” Joe told her. “You should return to Henrietta’s family. I’ll see you tomorrow morning before we head out.”

  “But,” she stopped him before he could go to his horse, “aren’t we going to eat together? We are married, and there’s no reason why we can’t spend some time together. I’ll make us something, and when we’re done, I’ll return to Henrietta and her family.”

  It’d been hard enough to share a dinner with her and her father. There was no way he could do it here. Not when it was just the two of them. “I’m leading the train. People will understand that I don’t have time to talk and eat with you. Besides, I won’t eat anything until later tonight.”

  She was disappointed. He didn’t know why. Her father had made it clear this was a marriage of convenience. It wasn’t even permanent. The less time they spent together, the easier it’d be to end things when the time came.

  “You do understand that this arrangement is temporary, don’t you?” he asked her, just to make sure.

  After a long moment, she nodded.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. For a minute there, he thought she might argue. “If you need anything, I’ll help you out. But we’re just doing this so you can get to California.” That should put an end to any notions she might have about pretending their marriage was something it wasn’t. “I’ll check on you in the morning to make sure you’re alright before we head out for the day.”

  He waited until she returned to Henrietta before he did his rounds through the wagon train, shoving aside the still voice that called him a fool for casting her away so soon. She wasn’t Amanda. She wasn’t necessarily going to hurt him. But she was the daughter of a wealthy man. She’d been pampered her entire life. She didn’t know the first thing about living outdoors. When she got to California, she’d meet a refined man who could continue to give her the kind of life she’d been accustomed to.

  Joe had nothing to offer. He never had anything to offer any woman, and he never would. His lot in life was set. The best thing he could do was let Michelle be with the man she could be happy with.

  Chapter 6

  “What are you doing back here?” Henrietta asked as Michelle reached the wagon.

  “Joe said he needs to check on everyone,” Michelle said. “He doesn’t have time to eat with me. I think you’re stuck with me through the entire trip.” She glanced at Henrietta’s mother. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “We don’t mind at all,” her mother assured her. “You’re more than welcome to stay with us.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor.”

  “You’re welcome,” the woman said. “Why don’t you two wash up in the stream, and I’ll start with supper.”

  “Good idea, Ma,” Henrietta said and grabbed Michelle’s hand. “We’ll be back soon.”

  Surprised that her new friend was so eager to get to the stream, Michelle picked up her steps. “You sure are in a hurry.”

  “Oh, I just wanted to get you alone so we could talk.” Henrietta waited until they were out of hearing from anyone else before she continued, “You aren’t going to accept that from Joe, are you?”

  “I don’t have a choice,” Michelle said. “He made it very clear that we won’t have anything to do with each other during the entire trip.”

  “And you’re going to let him get away with that?”

  “What else can I do?”

  “You’re attracted to him, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. He’s a good-looking man, and he is thoughtful and considerate to others.”

  “Well, if you like him, you ought to fight for him. Just because something isn’t easy, it doesn’t mean it’s not meant to be. It just means you got to work for it.”

  They reached the stream, and Michelle knelt beside her. “So what do you suggest?”

  “We need to find a way to get you two alone. You need to have a chance to talk without anyone else around.”

  “There are people around us all the time. There won’t be a chance to be alone.”

  “Look at us. We’re alone.”

  Michelle glanced around them, and sure enough, they were the only two currently at the stream.

  “We need to look for opportunities,” Henrietta said.

  “Well…” Michelle dipped her hands in the stream then brought water up to wash her face. “He only has one person with him when he keeps watch during the night.”

  “That’s perfect! You can keep watch with him.”

  “I volunteered to do that, but he said the person has to be a man. Women are supposed to stay with the children.”

  “That’s all well and fine if you have children to stay with, but, in your case, you don’t. You only have yourself, and you know what’s going on with you at all times.”

  Something in the comment made Michelle laugh. Yes, it was true. There was no escaping from herself, no matter how much she tried.

  “Did he say who’s going to help him keep watch?” Henrietta asked.

  “Young men who are able to do it.”

  “Danny’s a young man who could help him.” Henrietta turned to face her, excitement lighting up her eyes. “What if we get Danny to volunteer to go with him and have Danny feign an illness in the middle of the night? Then you could take over. Since all the men in the camp will be asleep, it’d be silly to wake any of them.”

  “He’ll see right through that,” Michelle said.

  “Only if we did it tonight. But if we wait for a couple weeks, then Joe will let his guard down. And when he does, we’ll do it.”

  Michelle considered the plan. She supposed it had some promise to it. “Danny should probably keep watch with him at least twice all through the night. Then it won’t look like we planned it.”

  “I agree. Don’t worry. We’ll be smart about this.”

  They heard people approaching, so the two grew quiet. It wouldn’t do for anyone to hear about this. Michelle didn’t want Joe to find out what they were planning. Michelle glanced over her shoulder and saw Alice Woods and Sherry Fern with a ten-year-old girl. Henrietta shot Michelle a pointed look, and Michelle recalled her friend’s warning that Alice had a tendency to gossip. With a nod to assure her friend she understood, Michelle finished washing her hands.

  “Watch your dress,” Sherry told her daughter.

  Without meaning to, Michelle’s gaze went to the girl who lifted the hem of her dress before she tripped.

  “I know the dress is a little long,” Sherry told Alice, as if she felt the need to apologize for it, “but I figure she’ll grow into it.”

  “A smart choice,” Alice said. “Not everyone can afford a lot of clothes.”

  Alice glanced at Michelle, and Michelle frowned. Was that comment directed at her? It was impossible to tell since Alice’s gaze then went to Henrietta.

  “How are you and your friend doing, Henrietta?” Alice asked them, her tone pleasant.

  “Good,” Henrietta said. “And you?”

  “Better than we expected,” Alice replied and knelt by the water with her pail. “Thank yo
u for asking.”

  Sherry and her daughter knelt close by, and Sherry offered a greeting, which Michelle and Henrietta returned.

  “I notice you and your family didn’t attend the last church service before we left Omaha,” Alice told Henrietta.

  Henrietta cleared her throat and shifted so that she could better face Alice. “We had to get some things ready at the last minute. We were too busy.”

  “We were busy, too, but we made it to the service,” Alice replied. “We didn’t want to miss out on the preacher’s blessing. He dedicated an entire sermon to God’s protection for traveling folk. It was something greatly needed before this trip. I doubt Mr. Otto will be giving any sermons on Sunday mornings.”

  At this point, Michelle felt she had to say something, so she blurted out, “To be fair, that’s not his job. His job is to lead us to California.”

  “Leading is more than physical. It ought to be spiritual, too,” Alice said, her gaze once more going to Michelle.

  “I have an idea,” Sherry interrupted as Alice opened her mouth to continue with whatever else was on her mind. “Why don’t we plan Sunday sermons instead of looking to Mr. Otto to do them?”

  “I don’t know,” Alice replied. “It seems that should be a man’s responsibility.”

  “Maybe Stuart can lead it. All he’d have to do is read a passage out of the Bible and talk about it.” She smiled and looked at Henrietta and Michelle. “My husband loves to talk. He’s so longwinded that he’s put our children to sleep on occasion.”

  Michelle chuckled at the woman’s joke. She didn’t get the same unsettling feeling with Sherry that she got from Alice, and she was very glad for that.

  “I think that’s a nice idea,” Henrietta told Sherry. “My family will be happy to hear your husband speak.”

  “I’ll mention it to him and see if he’ll do it,” Sherry replied.

  “Pa will say yes,” the girl said.

  “I think so, too, but it’s not right to volunteer him for it.” Sherry rubbed her daughter’s back. “He has a lot to take care of, just like the rest of us. We should make sure he’s up to it.”

  “If Mr. Otto won’t take it upon himself to do it, then someone needs to,” Alice mumbled.

  Henrietta stood up, and Michelle hurried to follow suit. “Let us know what your husband says, Sherry,” Henrietta said.

  With a quick good-bye, Henrietta and Michelle hurried back to their wagon. It wasn’t until they returned to the wagon that Henrietta burst out laughing.

  “What did I tell you about Alice?” she asked Michelle. “The woman’s always like that. She’s not afraid to give her opinion about anything.”

  “I could say the same about you,” Henrietta’s mother said, coming up to them. “You’re not any better than she is when you talk about her that way.”

  “I’m only explaining why Michelle should watch what she says and does around her,” Henrietta argued.

  “Well, you’ve done it, so now you can talk about something else,” her mother replied.

  Though Henrietta sighed, she changed the topic. “What do you want for us to make for supper, Ma?”

  “Your brother says he’s in the mood for stew.”

  Henrietta grimaced. “Again? We had that last night.”

  “Yes, but we have leftover meat and enough vegetables to go with it. Joe made it clear we won’t be eating very well during most of the trip. We should enjoy a good meal while we can.”

  “Alright, alright. I’ll get the ingredients.” As she turned to go to the wagon, she told Michelle, “Danny will die if he can’t have some type of meat with his meals. All I can say is thank goodness for salt. It’s the only way to preserve it.”

  Mrs. Taylor chuckled as her daughter went into the wagon. “You have no idea how glad I am that you’re going to be with us during this trip. I love my children, but Henrietta and Danny can argue about the silliest things. With you around, it gives Henrietta someone else to talk to, and she won’t be arguing with you.”

  “I enjoy talking to her, Mrs. Taylor,” Michelle assured her.

  “I know. You two are already friends, and that’s a good thing.” She retrieved a pail. “I better get more water for the stew.”

  Michelle was about to ask if there was anything she could do when she heard Joe’s familiar voice. For a moment, she thought he was approaching her, and she turned to him in interest, her heartbeat picking up. But he was talking to the family in the wagon next to her. From what she could gather, he was asking them if they needed any help getting settled for the night.

  Since he wasn’t looking at her, she took a moment to study him. He was proficient at this job. He knew what he was doing, and more importantly, he enjoyed it. She’d grown up with a father who would much rather spend his time at his desk than on a wagon trail.

  It was only the lack of suitable husbands in Omaha that had compelled him to seek out her aunt and uncle’s help in California. And since this would be something different from what she’d grown up with, she’d thought of California as an adventure. She longed to see the ocean. Was it as blue as people said? What was it like to walk along the beach and feel sand slip between one’s toes?

  She hadn’t given any thought to the actual journey along the trail. It had seemed like a means to an end. But now, as she watched Joe, she realized he found joy in the process of going to the destination. For him, being out on the trail was the adventure.

  She glanced around her. The prairie spanned endlessly to the west. In the east, she could still see Omaha. She was still close to the safe and familiar world she’d grown up in, but it was already falling away from her, a signal that it was time to move onto something else. There was a new life waiting for her. All she had to do was embrace it.

  From looking at Joe, she realized this new life didn’t have to start in California. It could start right now. There was something to learn along the journey. She had no idea what she’d discover, but she had to admit there was a spark of excitement in knowing she was going to find something worth enjoying along the trail.

  * * *

  “I don’t know how you do this every year,” Danny said as he placed his bedroll on the ground.

  Joe finished pouring coffee into his tin cup. “I find it peaceful and relaxing.”

  “I would think it’d get boring.”

  “It’s not boring to me. No matter where I go, the scenery always changes.”

  Danny sat down and shook his head. “Maybe it seems like it’s changing to you, but when I look to the west, it’s all the same. Grass and more grass.”

  “Yes, but depending on where the sun is in the sky, the grass seems to be different shades of green or yellow. Then there are clouds in the sky during the day and stars at night. Nothing is the same from day to day.”

  Danny chuckled. “If you say so. It all looks the same to me.”

  That was because he didn’t take the time to really look at it. Joe couldn’t blame him. Few people ever took the time to stop and study what was around them. They were too busy going from one place to another, and for those on the trail, it was all about reaching their destination. Life for them was put on hold until they stopped traveling.

  Joe took a drink of his coffee then looked over at Brandon Herman, the other man hired to help lead the wagon train. He was at the opposite end of the camp with the man he’d selected to help with tonight’s lookout. Brandon was in his early thirties. From what Joe heard, Brandon used to work at a general store until his wife ran off with another man. Now he was working on this trail with Joe, and since it was his first time out on the prairie, Joe was the one in charge.

  It felt strange to be in charge of someone older than him, and for that reason alone, he didn’t say much to Brandon. But Brandon probably had other things on his mind. If losing his wife was half as painful to him as it was for Joe to lose Amanda, then Joe was more than happy to give the poor man his space. He hadn’t felt like talking to anyone for a long time after he foun
d out Amanda had married Richard.

  One of the reasons Joe enjoyed being outside so much was because it was a good reminder that the world was much larger than him. His own heartache seemed like a small thing in comparison to the expanse of the land and sky around him. Maybe the same would help Brandon.

  “Can I ask you something?” Danny asked.

  Joe turned his attention back to the man who was resting in his bedroll. “Alright, but remember you’re here to wake up in the middle of the night when it’s my turn to sleep. Don’t go on for too long with your questions.”

  “I just have one.” Danny’s gaze went from the sky to Joe. “Why did Michelle’s father choose you to marry her? I mean, I know it’s a temporary marriage, but why didn’t he pick Mr. Herman? Both of you are leading this wagon train, and he’s older. If I was a father, I’d feel safer having my daughter married to someone with more experience.”

  Joe finished the rest of his coffee and placed the tin cup by the small fire. “That’s just it. I’ve been doing these wagon trains for five years. This is Brandon’s first time.”

  “Really?”

  Joe nodded. “Really.”

  “Oh. Well, in that case, I would have picked you, too.” He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  They fell into a comfortable silence, and before long, Danny was asleep. Joe scanned the land around them. All was quiet. From the distance, he could see light posts in Omaha. Jesse and Laura were there. Amanda and Richard were there. They were all where they were supposed to be. While he… Well, he supposed he was like the wind, blowing from one place to another without any real purpose.

  Chapter 7

  Michelle shivered and wiggled deeper into the bedroll. She’d been on the trail for six days, and she kept forgetting how chilly it could get at night. She’d done a better job of dressing in warmer clothing during the night, but it seemed as soon as she woke up just before dawn, she couldn’t fight off the chill. It’d be easier to do if she had someone right next to her, which was why she slept so close to Henrietta.