Rustlers and Ribbons

by Kirsten Osbourne

  When she finally had both of her feet firmly on the ground, she rubbed at her backside with both hands and stretched her back before reaching into the wagon and lifting the last of Mary Shepherd’s daughters down. The little girl seemed to have latched onto Sherri from the first day. That was another surprise about Miss Stucki. She wasn’t uppity around children, and seemed to really enjoy their company.

  His horse snorted next to him, and gave him a firm nudge in the back with his nose, nearly pushing him over.

  “All right, I hear you.”

  Reluctantly, Alexander turned back to the animal. His horse had the right idea, and made sure to remind him that he needed to get his head on straight, and remember he wasn’t interested in Sherri Stucki or any other woman. Her mannerisms were simply strange enough that he was fascinated with observing her, nothing else.

  He led the gelding away from camp and to the creek to get a drink and splash some cold water on his face to clear his head. He caught sight of Mary Shepherd and several of the other women by the creek, filling buckets and jugs, but Sherri hadn’t joined them to do her share of the work. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to her and remind her she needed to pull her own weight.

  Before heading back to camp, Alexander hobbled his gelding’s legs to let the animal graze before it was time to head out. It would be a while before the group was ready to leave. He liked to get an early start each morning, but he wasn’t going to push these people. Most of them had young children in tow, and it would take a few days for everyone to get used to the trail.

  The slight breeze that had started earlier was picking up a bit, making the trees and shrubs around the area rustle. Alexander climbed the rise that led from the creek to the camp, heading for the Shepherd wagon, when he stopped in his tracks. Sherri was bent over some logs on the ground that she’d stacked in the middle of a ring of rocks that had served as the campfire the night before.

  She studied the pile of wood as if there was some great mystery to be gathered from it. She leaned over, and blew on it, then fanned her skirt. Clearly, she wasn’t having much luck getting the fire re-lit from the night before. It wasn’t hard to see why. She’d choked out any heat in the coals with all that wood she’d piled on top of them.

  Alexander crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby tree to watch. If he had a shred of decency in him, he’d go and help her, but she needed to learn for herself. It was quite apparent that she’d never had to start her own campfire, and probably had never lit a flame in the hearth of her home, either.

  Straightening, she held her hands to her hips and studied the pile of wood. The stance gave her a decidedly unladylike appearance. Come to think of it, she did a lot of things that any woman, regardless of her social standing, wouldn’t do. Alexander shook his head. The woman was amusing to watch, as much as she was perplexing and difficult to figure out.

  She looked up at that moment, glancing around camp. Her eyes fell to one of the other campfires that had already been lit. Most of the women had breakfast cooking by now.

  Sherri reached for a stick on the ground and walked over to the nearest fire. She conversed with the woman tending to a pot over the flames. She nodded, and Sherri stuck her stick in the fire, then hurried back to her own camp. She gathered a few dried leaves, then held the stick to the wood. Alexander nodded in silent approval. There was still too much wood on that fire, and the flames climbed up in the air, but at least she’d been resourceful and managed to get it lit.

  Alexander pushed away from the tree. He’d seen enough to his satisfaction. He’d thought she wasn’t pulling her weight, but he’d been wrong. A jab of pride poked his insides. A different woman might have given up and gone somewhere to pout. Sherri, despite her ignorance on how to light a fire, had managed to figure it out on her own.

  A gust of wind rattled the leaves above him, making the hair whip around his face. He glanced one final time toward the Shepherd camp, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest. A curse escaped his lips as he sprinted forward. Not a second later, he tackled Sherri and pushed her to the ground, landing on top of her and rolling her in the dirt.

  “What are you doing?” she screeched in his ear when he finally stopped. He rolled off her and glanced at the charred fabric of her skirts.

  “You could have been hurt bad just now, or even killed!” he growled, leaning over her and panting. His heart rate hadn’t returned to normal, yet.

  Sherri stared up at him, as her hair spilled around her face in a disheveled heap. Her hands pushed against his chest.

  “What happened? Oh my goodness, Sherri. Your skirt caught fire.”

  Nearby, Mary Shepherd sounded horrified. Alexander moved off her and stood, then held out his hand to Sherri. She took it, scrambling to her feet. Alexander pulled her up, the momentum sending her against his chest. Her body trembled as he swung his arm around her to steady her.

  “You could have been badly hurt,” he said, his voice much calmer than what his insides were feeling. “Don’t ever stand upwind of a fire, and don’t build it so high.”

  “I nearly got burned?” she croaked, her voice weak and devoid of her usual spunk.

  Mary came up beside her. Reluctantly, Alexander released Sherri and took a step back. The thought that she could have been injured, or worse, if he hadn’t been there and seen her dress catch fire, left him with an odd sense of loss in his gut. His arms still trembled, and the stirring in his chest when he’d held her lingered. By now, most of the people in camp had arrived and offered sympathetic words of wisdom.

  “Good thing Mr. Walker was close by,” Mary said. “And you don’t appear to be hurt, but I’ll have to check to make sure. Your dress, on the other hand, doesn’t look to be salvageable. Let’s get you to the wagon and see what we can do.”

  Still looking shaken to the core, Sherri simply nodded. She stared at Alexander with a mixture of fear and something she couldn’t seem to comprehend in her eyes.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, her gaze meeting his before she followed Mary, who led her toward the wagon.

  Alexander smiled, although there was nothing to smile about. Sherri could have died. Abner and one of the other men came up to him and slapped him on the back.

  “That could have ended badly,” he said.

  Alexander nodded, running his fingers through his hair. He inhaled a long breath, still staring after Sherri as she and Mary climbed into the back of the wagon. He curled his toes in his moccasins to remain in this spot. The overwhelming urge to go after her and make sure she was all right slammed him with a force that left him confused and unsettled.

  Chapter 6

  The dress was a little wide at the waist, but it felt so much better than the fancy garb she’d been wearing since she’d arrived in this century. She could have died today. The thought of it left her feeling weak all over. To shake off the horrible thought, Sherri inhaled a deep breath, and smiled at Mary Shepherd.

  The only good thing to come from this ordeal was that at least now she was finally rid of that uncomfortable corset she’d been wearing. She’d tried before to leave it off, but her fancy dress was too tight without it. In the cotton dress Mary gave her, she had plenty of room and didn’t need to strap her waist so tight that she nearly passed out.

  “I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you for all you’re doing for me.” Sherri leaned forward and gave the other woman a hug.

  Mary Shepherd stood stiffly for a moment, then relaxed and hesitantly returned the gesture.

  “I wasn’t quite sure about you when I first saw you, when Maude was clinging to your dress.” She laughed. “You’re not at all what I expected from a well-to-do, fancy lady from the east.”

  Sherri stepped out of the woman’s embrace. She forced her smile to remain plastered on her face. Hopefully, Mary’s words meant that she was doing something right. For the first time in her life, someone was completely sincere and honest with her. There was no pretense among these people. They had so li
ttle in material possessions, yet they gave freely and were always ready to help. Even though they assumed she had money, they didn’t try to manipulate her to give them anything.

  A warm feeling flowed through her, despite the turmoil and fear about what had almost happened to her. Since her arrival in the nineteenth century, everything had been a struggle, and now she’d nearly been badly burned. She might have even died.

  As much as she tried, that thought wouldn’t leave her alone. She didn’t belong here, yet there was no way she could go back home. She had to stick it out until she got to Laramie, and even then it might be a while before the reverend would come to get her.

  Trying to fit in with the way people talked and behaved had been a challenge on the train, but even more so now that she was in the constant presence of the Shepherds and the other families. Nothing about living in the nineteenth century was easy, from getting dressed in the morning to brushing her hair or even her teeth. When was the last time she’d done that?

  Added to that was the fact that she knew next-to-nothing about doing the most mundane daily chores. After watching Mary start the fire and make coffee the last couple of mornings, Sherri had decided to do it this morning. It hadn’t looked that difficult, but the simple task of starting a campfire without a lighter had been nearly impossible. Her ignorance had almost killed her.

  Things she’d taken for granted all her life were not available here. The absence of a toilet was difficult enough, but there wasn’t even clean drinking water available. Most of the creeks were slightly muddy, and water had to be strained through cloth to get all the grit and fine sand particles out. What she wouldn’t give for a shower. No doubt she smelled horrible by now, but at least the odor blended in with everyone else and no one seemed to notice.

  She’d learned to close her eyes when she drank water, in order to ignore thinking about what kinds of microscopic bugs she was consuming. Hopefully it wouldn’t leave her sick. That was the last thing she needed.

  Sherri looked at the blue dress on the ground. It was dirty and had a few rips in it, and the bottom of it was charred. It was as if she’d shed her old skin and had been transformed into a pioneer. Mary had even given her a bonnet to wear.

  “Maybe the girls can cut up the material of the old gown,” Sherri suggested. I could help them make doll dresses or something out of the parts that aren’t charred. My nanny taught me how to sew when I was little.”

  Mary looked at her, but didn’t say anything. Clearly, she was still unsure about her.

  “Oh, can we, Mama?” a little girl chirped close by. “My Sally doll would love to have a fancy new dress.”

  “Maude, you shouldn’t be eavesdropping when adults are talking.” Mary blew air from her lips in exasperation. Sherri laughed.

  “It’s all right. It’s hard to find a private place anywhere here, isn’t it?”

  Mary had hung sheets from several trees by the wagon to offer some privacy while Sherri changed clothes and inspected her legs for any burns. They were hardly enough to offer privacy, but it was the best they could do. The wagon was simply packed too full of bulky items to be able to stand. There was a straw-filled mattress in the wagon where Sherri slept with Maude and her sister, Millie. Mary and her husband slept under the wagon with their other two daughters.

  “Time to head out. We’re wasting precious daylight.”

  The call from one of the men startled Sherri. She cringed. It was her fault they were delayed. Mary folded the blankets that had served as a privacy barrier.

  “I’m so sorry I’m holding everyone up.” Sherri took one of the blankets from her new friend and placed it in the back of the wagon.

  “Nonsense.” Mary waved a hand in front of her in a dismissive gesture. “You could have died. I’m surprised you’re not more shook up about it.”

  Sherri let out a nervous laugh. If only Mary knew how many things she had to be shaken up over. Time traveling ranked right up there with having her clothes catch fire. “Believe me, I’m quite shook up over it. I’d rather not think about what almost happened, though. I’m sorry I messed up helping with breakfast this morning. I’ll try and do better tomorrow.”

  “Abner and the girls had breakfast at Betty and Herbert’s wagon. They’ll be fine until later. I’ve got a few biscuits saved from last night’s supper that you and I can share, and it won’t take more than a minute to soak beans for tonight.”

  Sherri placed the last of the blankets in the wagon. She laced up her shoes, which had become even more uncomfortable than before. The sturdy shoes Mary wore might not look pretty, just like her dress wasn’t anything nice, but the clothes were practical. Too bad Sherri’s shoes hadn’t burned or melted from the fire, but then she probably would be walking barefoot.

  Abner yelled to the oxen at that moment, and the wagon creaked and lurched forward. Mary managed to snatch the cloth she’d wrapped the biscuits in from the bed of the wagon, then stepped up alongside Sherri and offered her a couple. They were dry and tasteless without any butter, but it was food, and her stomach was growling.

  Maude and her sisters ran ahead of them, laughing and giggling. Where did all their energy come from? The day hadn’t even started yet, and Sherri glanced longingly at the back of the wagon. It didn’t matter that it was probably bouncy and uncomfortable, but just to sit for a while would be heaven.

  Sherri shook her head. If she sat idle, she’d only think about all the things that had happened to her in the course of the last ten or so days since she’d woken up in Harriett Long’s home, and it would be too overwhelming.

  Maude turned and ran toward Sherri, then slammed into her at full speed and threw her arms around her legs. Sherri caught herself in time before falling on her rear, something she seemed to be prone to doing a lot lately.

  “Maude Shepherd, what on earth has gotten into you, child?” Mary reached for her daughter to pull her away.

  “It’s all right, Mary.” Sherri laughed and glanced down at Maude. “I think I’ll tackle her myself.” She raised her hands and opened her fingers to make it look like she was a bear ready to attack. She let out a roar, and the little girl screeched in delight and took off running. Sherri inhaled a deep breath, and despite the soreness and blisters on her feet, took off after the girl.

  “You are not going to outrun me,” she called, and scooped the little girl up in her arms. They both laughed as Sherri swung her around to mimic flying. “And now you can soar like an airplane.”

  Between fits of giggles that attracted the other kids from all the wagons, Sherri caught her breath. It felt good to laugh and act carefree like the children. It almost let her forget all that had happened.

  “Miss Sherri, what’s an airplane?” Maude stared up at her with adoring eyes when Sherri set her on the ground.

  Sherri’s heart slammed against her ribs. She’d done it now. She’d been so careful not to use modern words or phrases. She’d probably had several slip-ups without realizing it, but this was the first time she’d been called out on it.

  “Uh, it’s a fancy word for a bird that’s . . . airborne.”

  “Can you teach me more fancy words?”

  “Me, too.” Several of the other kids chimed in, looking at Sherri with awe.

  “Well, maybe, if it’s all right with your parents.” Sherri looked up at Mary. The chance to put her early-childhood education degree to some use seemed to materialize in the strangest way. She’d have to be careful what she actually taught these kids, and keep it to the basics.

  “Run along everyone. We’re all going to be tuckered out before the day’s half started.” Mary waved the kids away, and shoo’d her own daughters to join the others.

  “You should ride in the wagon for a while after that.” Mary shot her a searching look. “You’re going to use up all your energy, too.”

  Sherri laughed. “It was fun.” If she didn’t keep busy like this, her mind would get too caught up in what had happened earlier. She raised her head to glance
around, and her pulse caught in her throat.

  A short distance up ahead, Alexander Walker sat on his horse, facing her. His sharp eyes connected with hers as if he was drilling holes right through her. It was too far to see if he was angry with her or why he was staring like that. For a second, it was like living in a movie where the dashing hero rode up to the damsel in distress and swept her onto his horse and they rode off together into the sunset and lived happily ever after.

  Sherri shook her head at the romantic image in her mind. Alexander had saved her life. She hadn’t even had the chance to thank him. He’d left right after he’d rolled on top of her earlier to put out the flames on her dress, but the way he’d held her and looked at her afterwards sent a shiver of anticipation through her now that she had time to think about it.

  Other than this morning when he’d tackled her to the ground, he hadn’t had any contact with her whatsoever. He’d handed her over into the care of Mary Shepherd, and had kept his distance since. Why he’d even offered to bring her along was a mystery. From what she’d observed, he was quiet, and stayed mostly by himself after the wagons stopped for the night. During the day, he often rode away, and remained gone for hours at a time.

  Sherri blinked to focus her eyes. Alexander turned his horse away at that moment and continued to the front of the line of wagons. She stared after him.

  So much for the dashing hero fantasy.

  Thinking about Alexander Walker in that way was out of the question for many reasons, no matter how ruggedly handsome he was, or that he’d saved her life. First, he clearly didn’t think much of her. Second, she was here to marry some other guy. And third, she was going home as soon as she was done with her assignment of helping her temporary husband find his way back on the right path, whatever that meant.