Soon breakfast was ready, and Susanna sat on the ground picking at her biscuit, bacon, and mush. Katie knew exactly how she felt.
Dad stuffed his last bite of biscuit in his mouth and stood. “Katie, your mama needs some help. You best be getting the dishes clean for her.”
Katie bristled at his command. “I do help Mama. Who do you think washed the dishes last night?”
“Of course you help.” Mama defended her.
Dad shook his head. “I know you help, but Mama needs more help now than ever. She’s not able to do it all herself. You see that you pitch in every chance you get, and Susanna can help you.”
Katie didn’t answer. Dad had changed. This move was his fault, yet he never said he was sorry that she’d heard.
He left with Tommy and Karl to get the oxen.
She watched Mama kick a stick of wood away from the fire. Had Dad changed so much from the kind, gentle father she knew, or was something more wrong? Something her father knew but didn’t want to say.
Mama hadn’t been sick other than an occasional headache for a long time. Not since before Susanna was born. Surely it couldn’t be another baby. She and Tommy were grown. Mama should be too old to have babies. The blood drained from her head with the thought. What else could it be? Dad had to have known before they left home. Even when he was at the saloon gambling away their farm.
Anger surged, bringing blood to pound in her temples. How Mama put up with him, she’d never understand. No man should be so irresponsible to gamble away their farm with his wife in the family way. Didn’t he understand the risk of a woman giving birth on a journey such as this? In her condition, she could die even before the birthing and likely would. Six months on the trail, and if Mama and Dad already knew, that meant the baby would be born before they reached Oregon.
She stood and grabbed the water bucket. Fueled by an anger that continued to boil in her heart, she stomped off toward the creek scarcely aware of Susanna running along behind.
Chapter 3
Light from a campfire someone had built near the bank of the water guided Katie’s steps. She met several already heading back to camp, but others were still there. So many feet had stirred up the bank until it was soft with mud, which didn’t improve Katie’s mood.
“Can I wash dishes, too?”
Katie barely glanced at her sister. “I don’t care. Let me get some water first. We’ll have to take it back and heat it.”
After scooping water from the creek into her bucket, she started back the way they’d come. Although no glow yet lit the sky, the sun would soon be up. She stepped out with long strides, trying to hold the bucket level so it wouldn’t splash out on her skirt. Susanna ran along beside her, but she couldn’t slow down. If she didn’t get the dishes done, Dad would think she’d been dawdling.
“Good morning.” A woman near her own age spoke as they met on the path.
Katie glanced at the other girl and nodded. “Hello.”
She and Susanna hurried on. By the time they warmed the water and had the dishes done, a rosy glow touched the eastern horizon, chasing the darkness of night away. Katie hurried to put everything in its place so her mother would have as little to do as possible.
She bent to stow the last dish in the storage space under the bed of the wagon when a hard bump from behind sent her sprawling on the ground.
“Katie, are you hurt?” Her mother’s exclamation and Susanna’s giggles came from the wagon.
The bleat of her mother’s goat told her what had happened.
“Nanny doesn’t like it when you bend over, Katie.” Susanna giggled even more.
“I’m fine. Why is that goat loose, anyway? I’m dirty now.” Katie started to push herself off the ground when she heard a male voice that belonged to neither Tommy nor her father.
“Whoa there.”
She hesitated, still on her hands and knees, as she recognized not only the voice, but also the expression. Her heart sank. Jason Barnett. What did he do? Go around looking for people to help? Or torment.
“Miss, I think it might be a good idea to go ahead and get up. I’m having a hard time holding your goat back.” He coughed. “She’s wanting to . . .”
Katie’s face burned as she finished pulling herself to her feet. She’d never felt so awkward. When she glanced at Jason, he had his back to her as he talked to her mother. She puffed out the breath she’d been holding.
“This is a nanny goat, isn’t it? I didn’t know nannies were inclined to butt.”
Mama smiled. “I don’t think they usually do. Our Nanny is an unusual goat, but she gives a lot of milk. Enough to share if you would like some?”
Jason shrugged. “Sure, if you have extra. I think Mr. Taylor likes it.”
Katie frowned at his back. There he went again, doing good. He couldn’t take the milk for himself. Might as well make two good deeds out of one. He wouldn’t want to stop with rescuing her. No, he had to get milk for someone else. While she fumed, he tied Nanny to the side of the wagon and left with a jar of milk.
Why’d Mama have to bring her nanny goat with them, anyway? The rest of the family would have preferred leaving her behind. Katie brushed at the dirt on her skirt and glowered at the goat. Maybe Nanny would come up missing somewhere along the trail. But no, Mama would be heartbroken. For some reason she seemed quite fond of her contrary goat.
~*~
With the sun still low in the sky, the bugle sent forth clear notes signaling another day of travel. Katie helped Susanna climb in the back of the wagon and took her place beside her sister where they could watch out the opening.
The Donovan wagon occupied space in an outer column near the end of the line, which meant it would be several days before their turn came to ride in the lead. In the meantime, they would be traveling through the billowing clouds of dust kicked up from those in front. Before long, Susanna would tire of sitting still and fighting the dust for a breath of clean air. When she did, Katie would walk with her.
Today, the wagons fell into line with less confusion than the day before. Dad’s whip cracked in the air and he yelled at the oxen. “Get on there. Haw!”
Katie held to the edge of the tailgate as the wagon creaked and jolted into place. Before long, the wagon became warm and stuffy with dust settling over everything. Katie glanced toward the front of the wagon where Mama sat beside Dad. They might have more air, but it was probably even harder to breathe up there. Susanna lay back with her head on Katie’s lap and played with her rag doll. She hadn’t mentioned walking and Katie soon became cramped and bored. She tried stretching her legs out one at a time, but that helped very little.
Tommy and Karl were lucky. They got to ride herd on the cattle, using their two riding horses, Star and Midnight. It might be a hard, dirty job, but their freedom should more than make up for it. She looked out at the wagon following theirs.
A boy a few years younger than her sat on the driver’s seat alone. He grinned and waved, his blond hair flying out in the breeze.
Katie waved at him as a girl climbed out through the front opening of his wagon and settled on the seat beside him. Katie squinted for a better look. She’d seen that girl someplace else. Yes. Just this morning on the way back from the creek. It was the girl who spoke to her. She’d seemed friendly, as if she’d like to be friends. Katie straightened and leaned out, extending her arm above her head to wave in large sweeping motions.
The girl smiled and returned Katie’s wave. She called something, but the noise of the wagons and oxen whipped it away with the wind before Katie could hear. She cupped her hand around her ear and leaned forward. The girl pointed to the side of the trail and walked her two fingers along her arm.
Katie laughed. That she understood. She nodded and turned to Susanna. “Come on, Suzy. We’re going to walk again.”
“Okay.” Susanna sat up and hugged her doll close. “Are we going to jump out the back again?”
“Yes, but we’re going to be very careful doing it
, because we don’t want to get run over by those big oxen behind us. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Susanna looked at Katie with complete trust.
Katie shook her head. She didn’t deserve such a sweet, little sister. She lifted her skirts just enough to climb over the tailgate. The vision of Mr. Barnett holding Nanny back from butting her almost made her lose her grip. She giggled. It’d be just her luck if he stood behind her now with her hanging half-in and half-out of the wagon.
She shoved the thought aside and concentrated on her feet. Certain they were free, she jumped backward to the ground. As she got her balance, she took a couple of running steps to keep up with the moving wagon and lifted her hands. “Okay, Suzy. Come on.” Katie caught her sister under the arms and pulled her from the wagon then swung her around and set her down out of the way.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Susanna gave a little skip, causing her long blond curls to bounce on her back. “Oh, this is lots better than that bumpy, old wagon, isn’t it, Katie?”
Katie grabbed her hand and ran with her through the grass to the side. “Yes, it is. Look, Suzy, the grass is already tall enough to hide our shoes.”
“Can I go pick some flowers with those girls, Katie?”
Splashes of color dotted the growing grasses in all directions as far as Katie could see. She looked where Susanna pointed. A couple of young girls walked together picking wild flowers as they moved along near two women. Their laughter and delightful chatter filled the air with happy sounds.
“Of course you may join them. Just be sure to stay where you can see me.”
As Susanna ran off to play, Katie turned and found the other girl waiting.
Her face brightened with a sweet smile. “Hi, my name is Rachel Morgan. I’m glad you decided to walk with me.”
Katie warmed to Rachel’s friendly smile. “I’m Katie Donovan. I saw you at the creek this morning. I didn’t expect you to be in the wagon right behind ours. I think someone else had that position yesterday.”
Rachel laughed. “Probably my parents. My father decided to switch wagons today.”
Katie stared at her. “You mean you have two wagons?”
Rachel nodded. “Yes. The second was for Uncle Joseph, but he died before we reached Missouri.”
“I’m sorry.” Katie saw pain in the other girl’s eyes and felt uncomfortable.
Rachel’s steps matched Katie’s. “It’s all right. He was ready to go. He wasn’t really my uncle, but we lived on the same plantation.”
“I thought I detected a Southern accent in your voice.” Katie smiled. “Where are you from?”
“Mississippi. My father was the plantation overseer.”
If not for the manners Mama had drilled into her, Katie would ask why a man would leave a good job to traipse across two thousand miles of—well, she didn’t know what. She didn’t want to think about it, either. “I thought I’d seen everyone our age at the dance the night before we started, but I don’t remember seeing you there.”
Rachel’s smile caused tiny dimples to play beside each upward curve of her mouth in cheeks that were smooth and lightly tanned. Her olive complexion matched her dark brown hair and eyes, creating a lovely picture. Katie felt pale next to her.
“That’s because I wasn’t there.”
“You weren’t? Why not?”
Rachel shrugged. “I don’t dance.
“You mean you don’t know how? Or,” Katie’s eyes narrowed. Surely Rachel wasn’t as old-fashioned as Mama. “Or, you don’t believe in it?”
Rachel looked down before her eyes met Katie’s. “Both. Dancing is probably not wrong, but other things. . .”
When her voice trailed off, Katie laughed. “You sound like my mother.”
Rachel smiled, and Katie saw sincerity in her eyes. She shrugged. “Well, everyone to their own beliefs.” She glanced to the side. “Is that your brother driving the wagon?
Rachel nodded. “Yes, there’s just the two of us—and our parents, of course.”
“Four people and two wagons.” Katie turned to see both wagons following Dad’s and her stomach churned with longings she might as well forget.
Rachel laughed. “It still feels cramped sometimes.”
Katie had never forged a bond with another girl as quickly as she did Rachel. Their differences were many, as were their beliefs, but that didn’t seem to matter. She felt as if she’d known Rachel all her life by the time the sun crept high in the sky.
“Katie, I’m tired.” Susanna ran across the grass and caught Katie’s hand.
“I know. I am, too.” Katie looked down at their feet. “Look, Suzy, our shadows are really short. That means we will stop for nooning right away.”
Tommy rode Midnight past at a walk. He waved.
“See, Suzy, there’s Tommy.” She waved and so did Susanna. “Now I know it’s almost time to eat. The wagons will be stopping soon.”
“Tommy.”
Katie looked up at Rachel’s whisper and smiled.
Rachel didn’t seem to notice, but turned to watch Tommy ride to the wagon and dismount. “Is he your brother?”
Katie nodded, although her friend didn’t look her way. “Yes, he’s the oldest. We have a younger brother named Karl. He’s probably still with the cows.”
Rachel didn’t seem to hear, so Katie turned to Susanna. “The wagons are stopping now, Suzy. See if you can find Mama and tell her I’ll be along shortly to help with the work.”
As Susanna ran off, she called out to her, “Stay out of the way of the wagons.”
“Rachel?” Katie giggled when her new friend turned quickly. Two spots of pink appeared on her cheeks and she averted her eyes. So she found Tommy interesting, but she wouldn’t embarrass her by mentioning the obvious. “I was just wondering if you’d like to walk with me again this afternoon?”
Rachel nodded and smiled. “Yes, that would be fine. I’ll look forward to it.” With that she turned and walked back toward her family’s wagons.
Katie watched her go then headed toward Tommy and the wagon. What would he say if she told him he had an admirer?
Katie glanced over the company as drivers brought the wagons to a halt for the mid-day rest. With so many wagons blocking her sight and even more people milling about, she had no idea where Clay kept himself. For a young man determined to win her heart before they were halfway to Oregon, he needed to show his face once in a while. She’d seen Jason Barnett more than she’d seen Clay, and she felt certain Mr. Barnett had no such aspirations, although she doubted there was a Mrs. Barnett.
Chapter 4
The next morning as Katie walked back from the creek with a bucket of water, someone fell into step with her.
“Hello, Katie, my love.”
“Clay!” Her heart did a flip as she looked up at the handsome man. She hadn’t seen him since the dance two days ago.
He grinned and stuck out his fist, which clutched several yellow flowers glistening with early morning dew. “I saw these and thought of you.”
She took them and held them close for a sniff. A pleasant scent filled her senses. She smiled at him. “Thank you. Suzy has been picking flowers for the last two days, but she just throws them down when she gets tired of carrying them.”
“Oh.” He pouted like a little boy who came in last place. “I guess you’ve seen enough wild flowers to last you after walking in them for so long.”
Katie laughed. “You don’t know women very well, Clay Monroe. I never get tired of flowers. Besides, walking in them is nothing like being given a bouquet.”
“From me, you mean?” An irresistibly impish grin pulled the corners of his mouth upward.
Again, she laughed. “Now why would they be any better coming from you than from my little sister?” She started walking slowly toward her parents’ wagon.
He slipped the bucket from her hand and carried it. His voice lowered as he said, “If you don’t know the answer to that—”
“So what’s
been keeping you busy the last two days?” Katie cut in before he said something she might not want to hear.
“Training to be a scout.”
“A scout?” Katie stared at him. “What does that mean?”
“Jeb Larson asked me to ride with him. We go ahead of the train. He’s showing me what to look and listen for, so I can warn him of any danger before the train rides into it.”
“Oh.” Katie searched his face and was satisfied he told the truth. “Is he expecting anything to happen?”
Clay shook his head. “Not here. That’s why this is a perfect time to train. Your brother is going to start, too. He rode with us this morning.”
“Tommy rode with you, and you didn’t come to blows?” Katie laughed.
Clay grinned. “Nope. He really isn’t such a bad guy as long as you aren’t around.”
“Well, thanks so much.” She lifted her chin.
“Oh, don’t worry about Tommy. He’s just protective. I understand. I’ve got a little sister, too.” He stopped short of the wagons. “I’d better git before Tommy sees me talking to you. Maybe in a day or two things will settle into a routine, and I can come see you when we camp for the night. Would you like that?”
She nodded, and he smiled. “Good, then I’ll see you later.”
She walked with Rachel that day, but the next morning, the overcast sky darkened, and a spring rain fell throughout the day. Katie and Susanna rode in the wagon where Katie read one of the two books she’d brought with her while Susanna played with her rag doll.
Although the rain slowed to an occasional sprinkle by the time they stopped to make camp, the fires were hard to start and kept going out because of the damp wood. Katie stared at the uncooperative fire. Jason Barnett built their fire with shavings from a small stick. She shrugged. It wouldn’t hurt to try. She arranged the shavings and wood much like he’d done and struck a match. She laughed when it worked.
Jason had kept away since the day he rescued her from Nanny. In this big a company, his wagon could be anywhere. She set the water on to boil for beans and turned to search over the large circle of wagons as if she thought she might recognize his camp. Finally, she turned away, disgusted with her actions, and shoved Mr. Barnett from her mind. At least Clay was interested. He’s the one she should think about.
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