The less she could see the bouncing world around her, the better she felt. Her mind was too wild to comfortably sit in the back of the seat and let the landscape pass as it did. She saw a bear in every cave, a dangerous landslide on every pass, and wild Indians in every deserted camp.
Annie would sure be happy to see you now, all scared of the world around you. I can just hear her telling me that she told me to stay where it was safe, and to forget this Wyoming nonsense.
I’ll show her! I’ll show myself, too. I can do this, I just need to close my eyes and think of what it is going to be like to have my own house. My own husband. My own everything. Even my own kid.
Jessie opened her eyes at the thought of Olivia. She didn’t know much about the girl, except that she was an orphan, and under the care of Thomas. Jessie wondered what she would be like, and if she was doing well without her parents.
I wonder if she will want me to be her mom. Maybe she will think I’m not good enough, or maybe she won’t listen to me or mind what I say. What if she doesn’t like me? I wonder if that means Thomas wouldn’t like me either.
Stop it! You can’t keep letting your mind get the best of you. Kids love you, you took care of the Derby children for several months, and everyone knows they aren’t the easiest kids to get along with. Of course a large part of that may be because of their mother.
Jessie rolled her eyes at the thought of Madam Derby, and briefly wondered how they were getting along without her. She had been one of the few nannies that had been able to stay with the children for longer than a couple weeks, and replacements weren’t nearly as easy to come by as Madam Derby had said.
Jessie then laughed at herself, and chided herself for thinking of the Derbys when she had more important things to think about. Olivia was way more important than all of the Derby children now, and Olivia was going to be her responsibility.
The idea of it made her sick now, although she had been so eager to take control just a few days before. The thought of being a mother, and being on her way to becoming that mother were two very different things, and now that she was actually on the road, Jessie felt her mind cloud with doubts and fears.
She loosened the curtain she had pulled over the back of the wagon, and looked out. The dust slowly rose and settled alongside the road, and she sighed. Her thoughts were on Olivia more than Thomas, even though Thomas was the man she was to marry. Jessie didn’t know what was wrong with her, and tried to focus more on her husband.
She shook her head, unable to change her train of thought. It didn’t seem enough to just think about it, she had to say something. She had to talk to someone, but the driver wasn’t anyone she wanted to talk to. Finally, she whispered to herself.
“I just hope she likes me.”
Chapter 5 – Trails and Trials
SNAP!
Jessie was jolted awake by a loud cracking noise beneath the wagon, and suddenly felt the entire wagon shift downward. She screamed and held onto the upward facing side, but everything was still. It was total silence for a moment outside the canvas, then she heard the driver walk around to the side.
He exclaimed in dismay, then started grumbling under his breath. Jessie didn’t know what had happened, but it sounded as though he was the only one outside the wagon, so she carefully climbed out.
There, on the ground, lying on its side, was the wagon wheel. It was split right up from the bottom all the way to the center, which caused it to fall from its place on the wagon. Jessie stood and surveyed the situation for a moment, unsure of what to do.
There was a large pothole right behind them, with jagged rocks around the edges. The road in this part of the country was full of them, but the rocks in the holes were usually smooth, worn down by dozens of wagons that passed over them. This one was unique with its jagged rocks, indicating that few had passed over it.
“Do you think you can fix it?”
Jessie hadn’t spoken until the driver returned, but he gave her an odd look as she spoke.
“I can fix it, sure, but I’m going to need to do it in town. There’s no way I can get the tools and things out here, and the best I can hope for is to bring a temporary wheel back to get it in.”
“How far is the town?”
Jessie looked up and down the road. It had been quite some time since they had passed through one, but she had no idea how much further it was to the next. The sun was making its way up over the mountains in the east, making the entire landscape grey and difficult to see.
“About ten miles south. You can wait here and I’ll saddle a horse. I could probably make it there and some of the way back today if I hurry, and be back here to meet you sometime tomorrow.”
“I am not staying here alone!”
The words were out of Jessie’s mouth before she even realized what she was saying. Again, the driver looked at her in surprise, but he didn’t say anything. Jessie felt awkward with the silence, so she continued.
“There’s all kinds of wild animals out here. Not to mention the Indians! I wouldn’t last a night out here on my own. Take me with you!”
The wagon driver eyed her with a look of humor in his eyes, then he shrugged.
“I guess it won’t slow me down any if you come along. But we should get going, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back and on our way.”
The sun beat down on Jessie’s head. She had long since taken off her bonnet, letting it swing loosely on her shoulders. Her mother had always told her she would freckle if she took her bonnet off in the sun, but it was just too hot to wear it riding along the trail.
She didn’t know how far they’d come, or how far it was to town, but it felt like they weren’t ever going to reach it. Suddenly, a wagon appeared in the distance.
“What’s that?”
She pulled her horse to a sudden stop, unsure as to whether or not they should continue.
“Looks like a farm wagon. Probably travelers the same as us.”
They continued on, and slowed once again as the wagon drew near. Jessie could see that there was a man and a woman both sitting up on the wagon seat, and she felt better.
“Hello there!”
The man in the seat lifted his hand as they pulled their horses to a stop next to the front of the wagon.
“Hello! We lost a wheel back a ways, and we’re headed to get another. Say, can you tell me how far it is to Warm Springs?”
The man scratched his beard, then shrugged.
“I would say another half day if you are riding on horseback. That river is pretty high near those parts.”
Jessie groaned.
“I need to get to Wyoming as quickly as possible. You see, I have a husband and child waiting for me out there, and this little incident has already cost me a lot of valuable time.”
She tried to keep her voice calm as she spoke, but she knew some of her frustration showed.
“Oh now Harold, we should take them along with us!”
The lady on the wagon seat spoke up, looking down at Jessie with compassion in her eyes.
“Oh you see, it would be just me. I was traveling as a companion to my friend here, but we were really just sharing the space.”
Jessie turned to her partner, who nodded.
Harold again scratched his beard, and looked to his wife then down to Jessie, then back at his wife again. Finally, he spoke.
“I don’t know, Ellie, we already have a lot on the wagon, and we need to keep up this pace. You never know when a setback is going to happen, and the longer it takes getting there the harder it’s going to be to get a spot in the mine.”
Jessie’s heart sank, but she felt better when Ellie spoke once again.
“She’s just a slight thing, Dear, it’s not like she’s going to add a lot of weight to the back, and she’d fit just fine with the children.”
Harold hesitated for another minute, and Jessie wondered if she should press her case further, but finally he agreed.
“All right, all right,
she can ride along. But let me tell you something, Miss, I don’t stop for every little thing. If you are going to ride with us, you need to ride with us. At our pace and with our rules.”
“Thank you! Oh thank you! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I promise I won’t slow you down one bit!”
Jessie paused and bid her other companion goodbye, then dismounted the horse. She moved to the back of the wagon quickly, not wanting to hold them up any longer than she already had.
When she opened the back of the wagon, there were three little children that stared back at her. Jessie hesitated for a moment, suddenly doubting her decision. Then, with a deep breath, she shrugged off the doubt and climbed in the wagon.
Chapter 6 – Night on the Prairie
The children laughed and chased each other, playing a rowdy game of tag around the wagon. Jessie jumped every now and then when they would run up behind her, but for the most part she kept herself busy helping Ellie make dinner.
They had stopped for the night next to a small stream. Jessie felt nervous traveling with the family. It was difficult to know what to say, but she felt at home when she was able to help with dinner. Making a meal came as second nature to her with all of the jobs she had worked back in New York.
“Harold and I met when we were quite young. Much younger than you are now, and well, it was just love at first sight. I knew right then and there I never wanted to be with anyone else.”
Ellie related how she and her husband met as she vigorously scrubbed the potatoes. Jessie tried to pay attention, but she was diligently trying to slice the onion with a large knife on a small rock. She didn’t want to cut herself or waste any of the onion.
“Where did you meet your husband, Dear?”
Ellie’s question caught Jessie off guard, and for a moment she didn’t know what to say.
“Well, I haven’t exactly met him yet. Not face to face anyway. You see, I am a mail order bride, and I am going to marry him as soon as we get to Wyoming.”
“Oh.”
Ellie didn’t say much, but the way she replied filled Jessie with doubt. She suddenly wasn’t sure if she was making a mistake or not. Part of her wanted to ask Ellie what she thought of it, and part of her wanted to drop the topic completely.
But Ellie continued.
“So your daughter… is she… did her mother…”
Ellie was having a hard time forming the question she wanted to ask, so Jessie just filled in the rest of the details for her.
“Olivia is Thomas’s niece. She is an orphan and he is her guardian, and as such he felt she needed a mother. As he also wants a wife, it just seemed like the perfect solution. I was in New York and unhappy with how my life was, so I decided to take a chance and go for it.”
Jessie didn’t look at Ellie as she spoke. She feared if she did make eye contact with Ellie, she would be filled with even more doubt and may abandon the idea completely.
She felt as though she needed to justify her decision to Ellie, though she wasn’t sure why. Harold had been sitting quietly during this entire conversation, but now he spoke up.
“Do you know anything about raising children, Jessie?”
Again, Jessie wasn’t prepared for the question, and she fumbled for an answer. She thought it rude that he would ask her such a thing, especially since she had told them she was going to be a mother in just a few days. She forced a smile and nodded.
“I have been a nanny for several households. Children love me, and their parents were more than happy to let me take care for extended periods.”
Harold laughed, and slapped his knee.
“Well then! I would say that practically makes you a parent already! You won’t have any issues knowing what to do and what not to do. Mark my words. That child is going to grow up as any child ought!”
“Now Harold, leave the girl alone. Can’t you see she’s going through a lot right now?”
Ellie chided her husband, and turned back to Jessie with a smile. Jessie felt her cheeks burning red. She wanted to argue. She wanted to thank them for their time and walk away. She also wanted to turn around and go home. Above all, she wanted to cry, but that was the one thing she wasn’t about to do.
Jessie returned Ellie’s smile, and scooped up the onions in her hand. She said nothing as she slid them into the pot that was over the fire, then she wiped her hands on her skirt.
“I’m sure between Thomas and myself we will do a fine job with Olivia. After all, she’s a little girl, how hard can it be?”
“Ma! Pa! Come quick! Come quick!”
Henry, the oldest of the three children, interrupted the adults as he came running into the camp.
“What’s wrong? Where are your sisters?”
Ellie spoke with a tension in her voice, and Jessie could see right away that she was terrified, though she tried to hide it.
“You have to come quickly! Sadie fell down into a hole, and I don’t think I can get her out!”
Ellie cried out to Harold, who snatched a rope from the side of the wagon. They both hurried after Henry, with Jessie bringing up the rear. Jessie had to hold her skirts up to her knees as she ran, trying not to trip on the underbrush. She had a sinking feeling inside of her with each step she took, and she was completely out of breath when the stopped in front of a small cave in the ground.
Hannah, the youngest of the three, was sitting outside the cave, crying.
“Hannah! Where is your sister?”
Harold frantically ran over to his daughter, and placed his hands on her shoulders. She didn’t stop crying, but pointed to the opening.
“Oh dear God! Save my baby! Please save my baby!”
Ellie fell to her knees and prayed, and Harold motioned to Jessie to follow him.
“I am going to need your help. This is a mine shaft. It’s what miners use to bring fresh air into the mine so they can work. You are the only one of us that can fit in there, so I want you to take this rope and tie it about your waist. I’ll hold onto this end, and you go in there and get her.”
Chapter 7 – The Mine
Jessie took the end of the rope, and looked back at Harold. All the color drained out of her face, and she felt dizzy.
“I… I can’t. There’s no way I can go in there after her.”
Jessie felt sick, but she knew she couldn’t go in there. There were too many things that could go wrong. The entire mine could collapse on top of them if she moved around too much.
“Jessie you have to go get my little girl!”
Ellie was crying, and both of her other children were pleading with Jessie to go in there, too.
“You can do it! Please, you have to get my sister back!”
Hannah was hanging onto her mother and crying, and Henry nodded. Jessie looked at the children and their distraught mother, then back at Harold. He looked at her with the same pleading look in his eyes that the rest of his family had, and Jessie pulled the rope around herself.
“I’ll do my best.”
It took Jessie a long time to get into the mine shaft. She was trying to keep everything as still as possible, but now that she was inside, it was so dark she couldn’t see anything. She slowly worked her way along, trying to feel for Sadie, but not disturb the soil.
Finally, she felt her feet touch solid ground.
“Sadie? Sadie are you in here?”
She felt around in the darkness, and tried to call for Sadie, but Jessie knew if she made too much noise she could cause the mine to collapse in on itself. The silence in the mine was so loud it was deafening, and Jessie felt herself begin to panic.
“You’re ok Jessie, you have to find Sadie. Please God, help me find this little girl and get her out of here.”
Jessie found that speaking out loud was the best way to get rid of panic attacks, and it did help her feel better now. Just the sound of a voice telling her it was going to be ok was enough for her to remain calm. Suddenly, Jessie thought she heard something.
“Sadie? Is tha
t you?”
She whispered hoarsely, trying to raise her voice loud enough for Sadie to hear, but still keep it low so she didn’t disturb the soil. There wasn’t an answer, so Jessie held her breath. As the silence ensued, she heard the sound again. It sounded like soft crying.
She couldn’t where she was going, but she could follow the sound.
“Don’t worry, I’m coming Sadie!”
Jessie fell to her knees and groped around the floor, following the sound of the soft whimpering. Finally, her hands felt a dress and a pair of small legs.
“It’s ok, Sadie, it’s me.”
Jessie gently pulled on the dress, and she could feel Sadie shift her weight and throw her arms around Jessie. As soon as she had a firm grip on the little girl, Jessie grabbed the rope and made her way back. It was so dark she couldn’t see anything, but she could feel the rope around her waist, and follow it back to the opening.
As soon as Jessie could see the slit of the night sky in the darkness, she gave the rope a hard yank. Nothing. Jessie yanked hard on the rope again. Still nothing. Sadie was crying against Jessie’s neck, but she still felt panic rising in her chest.
Where was Harold? Were they ok up there? How long had she been down here?
With a feeling of desperation, Jessie yanked on the rope as hard as she could, and she suddenly felt the rope grow taught. There was someone on the other end!
At the same time, Jessie heard a strange sound. It was a deep rumbling that started somewhere behind her, and grew steadily louder. It only took a moment for her to realize what it was.
“The mine’s caving in on us! Pull! Pull as hard as you can!”
Jessie yelled as loudly as she could, and she heard a muffled voice say something in reply. Though she couldn’t hear what was said, Jessie knew Harold had heard her, the rope was pulling on her intensely.
[2015] Cowboy for Christmas Page 5
