Charles reached out his hand to Sam. “Thanks for saving her worthless hide.”
Sam wrapped the blanket Ellen gave him around his chilled body before shaking Warren’s hand. He glanced from Marie to her husband. How could the man not know he had no choice in rescuing her? “Keeping her alive is my job.” He saw the slight look of surprise on Marie’s face and wondered why she didn’t catch his underlying meaning. “Mrs. Warren, you might consider putting on dry clothes and getting warm before catching your death.”
She nodded. “I will, and I appreciate you saving me tonight. It might have been the Pacific before I could reach shore without your help.”
He shook his head, disagreeing with how far she’d get before he’d find her. Her sudden smile let him know she’d seen the thought from his expression. His transparency worried him, more so since the crowd still stood around them. Not wanting to broadcast his feelings through body language, he said, “If you all will excuse me, I’m exhausted and am going to bed.”
As he walked away, Sam heard a few of his men fall into step behind him. He knew without looking that Joe and Lefty had first watch tonight. Seeing the fire, Sam began shivering. The excitement had kept him warm, he figured.
Arnold waited for them at the campfire, all their beds laid out for them. Looking up from his journal, he said, “Leaned too far over for a drink, sir?”
Sam grinned. “Something like that.” He headed to the wagon for some dry clothes. “Lucky, you can fill him in on my heroics. I’m far too modest to go bragging.” After climbing up and pulling the canvas opening closed, he heard his men talking about the rescue. Concealed inside the wagon, he sagged like an airless balloon. Sighing, the energizing fear left him as he exhaled. Tonight might have gone much differently if Marie had been less of a swimmer or inadvertently breathed in the water. He shook his head, not wanting to entertain any other thought besides the current outcome.
He gritted his teeth to keep them from chattering in the night air. The heavy, wet clothes clung to him as he tried peeling them off his arms and legs. His fresh clothes in a trunk still kept the day’s heat, and he held them close. The warmth lulled him into sleepiness, so he made quick work of getting them on. He exchanged one pair of soaked wool socks for a much dryer pair his sister in law had made him last year.
Now comfortable, Sam hopped down and went to his bedroll. He’d listened with half an ear to Lucky’s recounting of the night’s adventure. “Thank you for turning out our beds tonight, Arnie.”
“It’s my job, sir.”
He gave a slight smile to the young man, but snug in his blankets, Sam struggled to keep his eyes open. He tried to talk to the other two, but couldn’t stay conscious long enough to say anything.
The day began bright, and Sam rubbed his eyes. What had happened to him being on the second watch? Seeing Uncle Joe getting a cup of coffee, Sam asked, “Who took second last night?”
“Lucky and Arnold volunteered. Figured it was the least they could do for a bona fide hero.” Handing him a cup, Joe went on to say, “It was that or carry you around on our shoulders, and no one wanted that.”
Sam laughed at the idea. The coffee tasted rich, hot and thawing him from the chilly morning air. A few more drinks and he smiled at Joe. “You have that look on your face, so go ahead and tell me.”
With a wide grin, Joe nodded. “Very well. One of the Winslow boys is sick, probably mosquitoes. Everyone’s been having problems with them.”
As Arnold and Lucky passed between Joe and him, Sam waited for a second before saying, “To be expected. Go on.”
Joe dished out bacon and biscuits to the two new arrivals. “The mother seems ill, but I think that’s her usual constitution.” Lefty came over, sitting next to Joe. Without a word, the older man gave the boy his breakfast.
When seeing everyone had food, Sam asked, “Has Del been hanging around them still, trying to help?”
“Yes, he has,” said Del.
Sam laughed, a little startled by his friend answering from behind him. “You know better.”
“No, I don’t.” Del settled in, reaching for some food. “I’m in love and know nothing for sure.”
A questioning look in Joe’s expression led Sam to nod, “Yes, do go on.”
“The Normans and Allens are good, as are everyone else.”
Sam held out his cup for more coffee. As Joe filled it for him, he saw a look pass between Joe and Del. He took a drink then asked, “What about the Warrens? I assume Mrs. Warren is doing well after last night’s swim.”
“They are.”
The two-word answer frustrated Sam. He refrained from asking anything more pointedly about Marie. The men suspecting something between them didn’t bother him as much as them knowing he and Marie were involved. “Very well. Might as well get started.”
At that, the men began their usual morning duties. Lucky made quick work of cleaning dishes. Uncle Joe and Arnold hitched up the horses and gathered their few head of cattle. Sam and Lefty rolled up the bedding, placing everything in the wagon. Lucky came in behind them with the dishes and gave Sam a questioning look. At his nod, the younger man took out his bugle and sounded the call to move.
This morning, he let himself fall back to the rear, keeping an eye on any stragglers. The fresh new day seemed extra bright. The sunlight glimmered off the nearby Bear River. He took every opportunity of its closeness to let Scamp eat and drink to his heart’s content. Memories of how Marie’s lips felt against his, the warmth of her body, and how she sighed as he kissed her neck wouldn’t leave his mind. He stared up at the clear blue sky as he and Scamp ambled along. As the sun climbed higher over the horizon, the air warmed with the breezes staying crisp. He smiled at the thought of how the weather here blew hot and cold like he and Marie. She’d been distant and polite with him around anyone else. Last night, her skin’s warmth rivaled any hot springs.
He spent the next few hours ambling along, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. As much as he’d prefer to swell on Marie. The run in they’d had with the chief’s son kept him unnerved. The young man’s vow to take Ellen as his wife nagged at Sam. Del and all his men pledged to keep her and the others safe. He scanned along the mountain ridge. A few more days might need to pass before he felt comfortable again.
“Noon?” Sam asked when Del came over to him.
“Yes.” They rode on for a while. “They all think of you as a hero after last night.”
Sam laughed. “They think wrong. Mrs. Warren is an excellent swimmer. Good enough to have saved me, instead.” The signal to stop rippled its way to them. “She didn’t need my help after all.”
The other man gave him a sly glance. “I’d disagree.”
“I would argue, but would rather eat.” He nudged Scamp into a trot and went to his wagon for grub. He and his men each grabbed their own biscuit and hunk of meat. Seeing Lefty, Sam said, “Left, let me take the flank this afternoon.”
Lefty nodded and hitched up the wagon’s tailgate. “Sure thing, sir. Don’t mind keeping an eye out for the stragglers today.”
He patted him on the back, saying, “Good man.” They all went in their own direction, ready to start the day’s second half of traveling. Uncle Joe went to the front of the wagon and clicked for the oxen to move as Lucky sounded the bugle.
Sam rode over to the right middle of the group, easing Scamp into a walk. He smiled when spotting Marie. After cantering over to her, he said, “Hello, ma’am.” He slid off of Scamp and fell into step beside her. “Lovely day for a walk.”
“It is. I appreciate you joining me.”
“My pleasure.” He glanced over at her. A small smile played around her lips, and she looked up at him through her lashes. The slightest of gasps escaped him when seeing the warm dark brown of her eyes. While staring at each other, she stumbled over a rock. He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Whoa there, little lady.”
“Oh dear!” She found her footing, placing a hand over his. “
I saved your life last night, and you kept my dignity just now.”
“Pardon me? I saved you, remember?” He grinned when she laughed. “Or maybe not. You are an excellent swimmer, surprisingly strong.”
“How very kind of you to say so, sir.”
They walked for a while, neither saying anything. Sam’s thoughts ran at a hundred miles an hour, wanting to talk about their closeness last night. He tried to find the words to say that kept her with him for the rest of their lives. “Fort Hall is closer with every step.”
“It is. Do you think we could walk backward instead?”
He laughed at the idea. “If I knew it’d work, I’d walk backward all the way to Independence.” He glanced at her and saw her cheeks redden. “And then to California to fetch you for myself.”
“Sam, I don’t know…”
“That’s fine. I do know.” Touching her shoulder, he added, “I would do whatever you needed of me.”
She chuckled. “I learned exactly what you’d do last night after you jumped into that icy cold river. You could have caught your death.”
Shrugging off her concern, he said, “I’m tougher than that. It’ll take a little more than a cold bath to kill me.”
“Good.”
He looked over at her, the one-word spreading joy through him. After a quick scan to see who might overhear, he leaned a little closer to her. “I wonder if last night’s kiss was a dream? If I didn’t need to find a place to camp, I’d lure you to the nearest copse.”
“If I weren't sure sunlight kisses with you would lead to moonlight kisses, I’d let you take me anywhere.”
Sam climbed on Scamp and grinned down at her. Tipping his hat, he said, “Such big talk for a little woman.”
She laughed. “You know it’s true.”
“Until later, ma’am.” He waited until she nodded before trotting to the head of the line. Her letting him take her anywhere sentence still rung in his ears. Sam shook his head at her boldness. He’d like to think she wasn’t joking with him. Accidental kisses were one thing, intentional lovemaking quite another. He kept an eye open for an ideal camp.
Resisting the urge to see what lay beyond the next bend in the river, Sam tallied up the current location’s benefits. Good water, plenty of grass, and several groves made for a good place to stop. He looked back at the wagons far behind him. The others would reach here by late afternoon. Scanning ahead, he saw no significant trees ahead of them. Soda Springs would have to wait until tomorrow.
He turned Scamp back to the others, nudging him into a gallop. In no time, he reached Arnold out in front. “I’ve found a camp for the night.”
“So soon?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Arnold shrugged. “Just as well, some of the animals have turned up lame from the larger rocks.”
He nodded. “We’re a little ahead of schedule.” Sam guided his horse to fall in step next to Arnold’s. “Even allowing for future trouble, we’ll be home by September.”
“I won’t know what to do with that much time in one space.”
Not wanting to admit what he’d most want to happen, Sam replied, “Me neither.” He stared ahead at the horizon. The valley curved enough to make it seem as if they’d have to climb mountains to continue. He grinned to himself, wondering whether any of the others had noticed and despaired. Sam made a mental note to tell everyone about the bend in the Bear River. “Anywhere along here should be good, Arnie. What do you think?”
“I reckon a little past the tree thicket. Makes me feel like we’re getting somewhere today.”
“I agree. Scout ahead for the exact place, and I’ll ride back to tell the others.” At Arnold’s nod, Sam urged Scamp into a gallop. Seeing Uncle Joe, he rode over to him. “Arnie’s found our camp for tonight, tell Lucky.”
“Will do.” With that, Joe cut across to the other flank.
Sam continued on to the back of the party, resisting the urge to slow down and catch a glimpse of Marie. Lefty brought up the very rear and grinned as Sam approached. “Hey, Lefty. We’re stopping early this afternoon.” He pulled his horse in line with the younger man’s.
“Just as well, sir. Several have fallen back ‘cause one ox or another’s come up lame.” He pointed to one of the families. “The Normans wanted to stop sooner. Had to remind them policy is we don’t leave anyone behind.”
“Good.” Sam looked behind them, scanning the hilltops for signs of Indian ponies. Maybe he could breathe easier now with no sign of the chief’s son in the past couple of days. Up ahead, the families pulled their wagons in a semicircle around the oxbow bend of the river. With the Bear being a couple dozen feet or so wide, he hoped the depth deterred any curious livestock.
The next couple of hours passed in a hurry as he and his men settled themselves and everyone else in for the night. Animals received their care, campfires burned, and the few dirty clothes they washed hung out in the sun. Fresh meat sounded good, and with an hour or so until dinner, Sam decided to try hunting in the area. Before leaving camp, he hollered at Lucky, “Mr. Lucky, I’m heading out to hunt. I’ll be back in a couple of hours or so.”
The young man nodded and went back to building a fire. “I’ll be ready to cook whatever you bring back.”
Sam laughed, “You might want to be ready for salt pork.”
“I’m not worried. If you don’t get something, Joe or Larry will.”
His other men were hunting as well. “What directions did they go?”
“Both went south; a few went north.”
“I’ll try west, then.” The west face of the canyon was the steepest, but he didn’t mind. Sam enjoyed the challenge of a climb, especially now. Later, hiking a vertical surface wasn’t a necessity as it would be near Snake River. The effort rewarded him once he reached the canyon’s rim. His view of the wide green valley was beautiful. He could see the road they’d take tomorrow as it wound around, following the river. Sam took a deep breath and started descending on the west side. The land leveled some, becoming heavily wooded.
As he crept deeper into the forest, Sam was sure he heard a bear’s call from within the pines. He took quiet, easy steps. Any twigs underfoot kept quiet with his careful movements. There, he heard the call again, closer this time. He was closing the gap between him and the animal. He’d eaten bear once or twice. Others in his camp may not like it as much, but it was fresh meat. This early in the year meant the meat would keep some of its sweetness.
Hearing the call again, Sam stopped. He didn’t see a bear in the underbrush because that was no bear. Damn it all, he’d intruded on a couple making love. He grinned, a little embarrassed but also envious. Not wanting to interrupt, he backtracked almost as quietly as he’d arrived. Making a little noise in his retreat didn’t bother him. He felt sure the two wouldn’t notice anything, even though they should. Sam almost laughed, wondering what if he’d been the bear instead.
At a safe distance from the couple, he relaxed. It was too close to sunset to continue hunting, anyway. A lot of mistakes in shooting were made this time of day. He’d already lost a few to illness and accident, damned if he were going to accidentally kill others. Most of the berry pickers had gone east of the river, the hunters west.
He reached the camp, enjoying the smell. Someone else had been lucky in their hunt, judging by the aromas. His stomach growled. If not for the romantic two in the bushes, he’d be dressing an animal himself. At his wagon, the hands were already cooking up dinner.
“Hello, boss!” greeted Uncle Joe as he scooped another spoonful of stew into a bowl. “Has Mrs. Warren reached you?”
Lucky added, “She acted worried, asked if we’d seen the Warrens, then asked if we’d seen you.” He took the ladle from Joe. “I think the Warrens must not be back because why else would she be looking for them? She asked about you, too. But then I believe it was because we didn’t know where her family was. You might have seen them out hunting or picking berries or whatnot.”
He laughed,
“Lucky, calm down a little. I’ll go and make sure the Warrens are back. Save me some of that, would you?”
“Sure thing, boss, it’s good. Arnold shot a deer, a tender one, so this is going fast.”
Arnold just nodded, too busy chewing to be talking. Sam said, “Thank you, I look forward to having some later.”
He started for the Warrens’ wagon. From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Charles and Hester strolling in from the west, buckets in hand. He recognized the voices, now seeing the persons connected to the moans. “No,” he whispered, wanting to be sick. “Not them.” Sam had a live and let live attitude, but this? He stepped behind a wagon, not wanting to greet the duo. Questions raced through his mind. Was it really them he’d heard in the woods? Were they really twins? How long had the two been intimate? He held the back of his hand to his mouth, lastly wondering, did Marie know?
Ellen had warned him. She’d known all this time and said next to nothing. Sam went to find her at the Winslows’ wagon. As he approached, she looked up from her cooking at him. He nodded at her grim expression. “Yes, I know, and we’re going to talk.”
She glanced around for her parents, seeming nervous to be alone with him. “Pa is out hunting, and Lucy is washing Skeeter and Buster. Sit nearby and we can talk about what I’m assuming are the Warrens.”
He sat next to her. For once, the smell of food so late in the day turned his stomach. “How long have you known about the two?”
She didn’t look at him. “Since the Black Hills.”
Before thinking, he blurted, “That was two months ago, and you said nothing to Marie.”
“What would you have me tell her? What could I say that she’d believe without seeing with her own eyes?”
He swallowed, knowing she was right. Bile rose in his throat. Sam tried to imagine how a man might prefer his own sister to Marie. He shuddered.
“I know. It’s deplorable and against anything decent.” Ellen leaned forward to stir the pot of beans and rice. “As much as I’ve heard Mr. Warren call Del a savage, well, he has no room to talk.”
Undesirable Page 24
