The further I get from the fire, the colder the air around me gets. It also gets much darker, which makes my pace quicken.
Relieved when my wagon comes into sight, I feel my feet move a little faster. I can hear the quiet whinnying from the horses. Climbing into the wagon, I feel my body shiver. It's really starting to cool off at nights, which I guess I should expect in mid-September.
Nestling myself back under the layers of blankets, I lift them over my shoulders and let the warmth wrap around me. There is not a sound to be heard other than the sounds of crickets off in the distance and the faint sound of a crackling fire. It sounds almost like I am at home in my own bed, the fire crackling as I fall asleep. All that is missing is the click- click of Ma's knitting needles.
Chapter 8
"Ms. Carter... Hello, Ms. Carter?" I sit up to the loud rapping on the back of my wagon. I sigh, not ready to get up.
What did he want?
I stand up and try to smooth my matted hair down. I clear my throat. "Um, yes Mr. Thompson?"
I pull the canvas aside to see Robert standing there holding Old Red's rope.
"I believe this horse belongs to you." His head is tilted to the side and he has a smirk on his face. His hair sticks out from his cowboy hat.
Nodding, I hop down from the wagon, landing gracefully on the soft moss covered ground. I walk calmly over to him and take the rope from his hand.
"This horse is sure doing a great job protecting you from my camp."
I take a deep breath and smile. "I'm very sorry for my horse being an inconvenience to you. Thank you for returning him to me. I hope to see you again some time."
I hope he catches the insincerity in my voice. He's the most arrogant man alive and I most definitely did not want to see him again.
"Actually, you said you were heading to Willowcreek last night. Lucky for us, that's where I'm heading too. Maybe we could travel together. It gets awful lonely by myself, and I would welcome the company." Robert smiles.
Clenching my teeth to stop whatever words were going to come out, I remember something my Ma had said to me when I was thirteen.
"Always be kind Darlene and don't judge someone by who they seem to be when you first meet them — they could have a hidden story that you know nothing about."
I can hear her saying that in my head, so I smile, imagining the stern look she would be giving me if I was rude to him.
I jump as Robert waves his hand in front of my face. "Hello, did you hear a word I said?"
"Oh, yes of course. It would be my pleasure to have you accompany me to town." I say quickly through clenched teeth, forcing a smile to my face.
He smiles. "Great, I'll meet you out there." Robert points toward the area I saw him last night. As he walks back to his camp, it almost looks like he is bouncing with each step he takes.
I can imagine what Adeline would say to me right now. She is so untrusting of people. Then I wonder, what if he takes advantage of me? I'm a woman on my own out here, and could be vulnerable to anyone who wants to hurt me.
I shake the thought from my head.
There's no way a man like him would have the brains to do that. Plus, I remember the shotgun I tucked in under the seat to keep me safe on my way.
I ease the horses to a stop near Robert's wagon. His wagon is nowhere near as great as mine. Pa built this wagon out of old barn wood and it is the strongest wood around. Robert's wagon on the other hand looks like it could collapse at any minute.
"Would you like to lead? You seem quite confident in yourself." Robert climbs onto the seat of his wagon and takes the reins in his hands.
"I suppose." I smile at him. Finally, he wasn't treating me like I'm a helpless girl.
Winnie and Old Red start off and the wagon pulls after them, bumping on the uneven ground.
Back on the worn dirt trail, I relax my tense shoulders and look up at the sky. It's a beautiful shade of blue without any clouds at all. There's no wind, only stillness in the air. It's early in the morning, but already the sun beats down on the top of my head. Ignoring it, I focus back on my horses and the empty trail ahead.
Sighing, I wonder if we're almost to Willowcreek yet. When I used to go with Ma, Pa and my sisters, it only seemed like a short trip. This one seemed to be taking forever. I guess the worry of leaving my sisters alone was weighing me down.
Knowing how upset Adeline is since finding out the truth about the farm, I wonder how she's holding up. She'll be in charge of caring for the other others while I'm gone.
I can only hope she's okay, and that she's managing all right on her own.
Chapter 9
I lead Old Red and Winnie to the creek where Robert and I have pulled over to stop for the night. My horses are panting and moving slowly. Beside me, Robert is leading his two beautiful white mares that he says he hasn't named yet.
"Why haven't you named them?" I peek over at him, unsure why someone wouldn't want to name their horses.
He simply shrugged. "I don't like to get attached."
I have no clue what that means, so I just nod and keep walking beside him, leading my own horses behind me.
It's hard for me not knowing this area very well. I've never had to worry about taking the horses for water on our trips in the past. At least Robert knows where the water sources are, and where the good stop points are located, otherwise I would be lost.
"Tie them up here."
Robert finishes tying his horse to a fallen tree close to the water. Once I tie Winnie and Old Red, I turn to face Robert. He's sitting on a large grey rock with his feet dipped into the water, his hat sitting on the ground beside his boots.
For the first time, I notice his worn face. His eyes are dull and he has dark stubble under his chin. I can imagine my eyes are as tired as his.
Robert looks up at me and raises his eyebrow. I look away quickly and tuck a loose hair behind my ear.
I hear Robert clear his throat. "You like raspberries?"
"I love them. Why?"
I watch him jump off the rock and land gracefully on the mossy ground. He walks over to the bushes on the far side and comes back out with a handful of raspberries.
Robert holds out his hand so I take a raspberry from his hand and put it into my mouth. The sweet juice spreads into the back of my throat and I smile. The last time I'd had raspberries was when Ma took all of us on a picnic and we found a bush there.
Robert sets the rest on the rock he'd been sitting on and I look up at him. "You've been here before?"
Robert looks away and mumbles. "Um... yes." He sits down on the rock and puts a berry in his mouth.
"It's lovely here. How did you find it? I mean it's so hidden in all of these bushes." I sit down on the rock beside him and take another raspberry.
I jump as Robert's voice lifts. "Does it matter?"
"Oh my, no. I was just making conversation." I look down at my hands and rub my thumb nervously.
Out of the corner of my eye I see him pull his hands through his hair. "Gee Darlene, I shouldn't have snapped like that at you. I'm sorry."
I turn my head and see his throat move as he swallows hard, looking down at the ground. "It's just hard for me to talk about, that's all."
I give him a shy smile. "It's okay."
"I haven't told many people about this place. I used to share it with someone special to me. Her name was Alice. She was my twin sister, but she died a year ago from a stable fire. Before she died, we lived real close to here and we often came over here in the evening. We'd swim in the creek, and jump from the rocks, and eat raspberries until we almost threw up."
I watch as a soft smile spreads across his face at the memory.
"Alice and I were always laughing here, but sometimes when we'd have a bad day, we'd come here to talk about it. This was our escape place." Robert keeps his eyes down and I can see him blink quickly.
I set my hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Robert. I'm so sorry about your sister. She sounds like a remarkable person.
If I ever lost any of my sisters, I don't know how I'd go on."
Robert clears his throat quietly and looks up at me. "Those sisters of yours sound pretty special to you, Darlene. Tell me about them."
Taking my hand off of his shoulder, I smile as I think about my sisters.
"Well, I'm the oldest child in our family. Adeline is the second oldest. She's beautiful, with lovely blonde hair and green eyes, the kind of face everyone falls in love with the moment they see her. Then there's Genevieve. She's the third oldest, and she's one of a kind all right." I laugh to myself, the memory of Genevieve running around with a pail on her head screaming it was too dark coming to my mind.
I glance at Robert, hoping he isn't bored. He's listening intently, and gives a faint smile as he nods for me to continue.
"Lydia is the fourth oldest, and she is really quiet. Then Hazel. She's the youngest, and I would do anything for her. She got hurt badly not so long ago, and it tore my heart out. She got kicked badly in the ribs by one of our bulls." I can feel my chest clench as I remember.
"Oh, thinking back to it makes me nearly sick. The screaming, the blood." Tears well in my eyes and one escapes down my cheek. I hadn't told anyone how much this memory haunted me. I don't know why I was even telling him.
Robert nods. "I believe we've all seen things that can't be forgotten." His voice is so quiet I almost can't hear him. It's silent for a minute as we both sit lost in our memories. Only the sound of the water moving in the creek can be heard.
"Well, enough of this sad stuff. Let's go back to camp and I'll play the fiddle for a bit." I jump as Robert suddenly leaps up off the rock. He turns around and takes my hand to help me up.
"Thank you." I smile at him as I untie my horses.
Back at camp, Robert lights a fire then pulls out his fiddle. I sit on the ground, leaning back to look up to the star filled sky. They're so bright tonight and I stare in awe of their beauty.
Robert plays a fast paced song on his fiddle as I tap my toe to the rhythm. The music stops and I smile.
"That was absolutely wonderful Robert!" I exclaim as he puts the fiddle back into its box.
Robert grins. "I wish I could play you some more music Darlene, but I can't even keep my eyes open. We'll need an early morning tomorrow if we want to get to town by afternoon."
"You're probably right. I'm awfully tired as well." I reply standing up and brushing the grass off my dress.
Robert walks over to his wagon and opens the back. "'Night."
"Goodnight."
I smile at him as he climbs into his wagon and shuts the canvas behind him.
Once I get into my own wagon, I brush my hair out and then lay down on my blankets. It's warm in here, so I lay on top of some of my blankets and pull one over my shoulder. As I shut my eyes, I find myself picturing the warm smiling face of Robert as he plays his fiddle. The sound of the wind rustling in the trees soothes me as I feel sleep start to take over.
Chapter 10
I recognize it instantly. Willowcreek.
Robert is leading because I can't remember where the mercantile is. My wagon bumps over the rough road as I pass people walking on the street. I see a group of young children playing in an alley off the dusty street.
Robert's wagon turns and I immediately read a sign that says, 'The General Store'. I smile to myself. I would've been able to find that.
Pulling my wagon in beside Robert's, he takes my horses leads and ties them to the hitch. He's already got his own horses secured to the post.
Robert comes around and holds his hand up to help me from the wagon. I take his hand, trying not to let him notice the nervous trembling I feel when he closes his fingers around mine.
I follow Robert inside, where he goes his own way while I search for the fabric. I know everyone, including myself, desperately needs a new dress. We're all growing too tall for our current dresses, but I know I won't have enough for the rest of the things we need if I buy that much fabric.
I decide to buy just enough for each of my sisters to get a new dress. They have been through so much, and I want to be able to give them something that will make them smile. I have a fair amount of money that I took from our money jar in the house. It'll be enough for some fabric, some flour and a few more basic necessities.
After I have chosen my fabric, and got the other necessary items, I look around the mercantile to see where Robert has ended up.
"Could I leave this here for a minute while I go talk to someone?" I ask the kind lady working behind the counter.
"Of course." She sets the fabric on a stool behind the counter and puts the flour on the ground.
I find Robert looking at ropes at the far side of the store. He has one in his hand as he turns and smiles at me. "Done?"
"Yes, I will wait until you're done though." I look and see a pile of things by his feet. There's a new cowboy hat, flour and a bunch of ropes he's already put there.
He picks up his things. "No, I'm done. I'll just go pay." He sets everything on the counter and pays the lady. She sets my stuff back up on the counter and I take them in my arms. We walk back outside where Robert helps me put my stuff in the wagon.
"Where's yours?" Robert asks putting his new hat on.
I look at him confused. "My what?"
"Fabric. You have only four different ones here. I'm assuming you're using them for your sisters. Why aren't you buying some for yourself?" He keeps his eyes on mine. His eyes are soft and he seems upset.
"Oh... Umm." I stutter, wondering how to avoid telling him that our family is broke and going to lose the farm, so I don't have enough eggs to trade for fabric.
"I don't need one." I finally lie.
Robert raises an eyebrow. "You're lying."
I swallow hard. "How do you know?" My voice sounds strained to my ears.
"You just admitted to it right now." He grins.
"Ugh... I hate you." I laugh smiling at him. We've formed a nice friendship over the time we spent getting to town, and I know I can tease without offending him.
He doesn't laugh like he normally does though. "Why aren't you buying yourself some fabric?"
I look down and rub my hands together nervously. "Well I just, don't laugh, but I don't have enough money. I have to save some for the... I mean, for other things but I know how much of a hard time my sisters are having right now with our Ma's death, so I want to cheer them up."
"Your Ma died?" Robert's voice is soft as he realizes I hadn't ever told him about my Ma. All I can do is nod as I feel a lump form in my throat as we talk about it.
"We aren't leaving here until you get yourself some fabric too. Come here." Robert takes my hand and my eyes widen. I don't know what to do at first, but eventually I awkwardly tighten my grip on his hands.
Laughing, he drags me back inside and goes over to the fabric section.
"Which is your favorite?" He asks rubbing his hand across some of the different bolts on the counter. He lets go of my hand and lifts a beautiful red flower fabric, holding it up in front of me.
"This looks nice with your hair." He's grinning as he looks up from the fabric, but when his eyes meet mine, his face falls. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. You don't have to buy me this fabric though. Once we have more money, I'll come back and get some for myself." I am feeling so embarrassed. I shouldn't have told him anything because now I look like some kind of desperate girl. I don't need help from anyone.
Robert shakes his head smiling. "Just let me get this for you. I'm not able to buy my sister any, and I know she would've loved this one, so please allow me the honor of buying you this."
Raising a confused eyebrow I tip my head to one side. "Are you feeling all right? The guy I first met didn't seem like the kind of man who would buy a strange woman fabric for a dress."
He just shrugs as he smiles at me. "There's a lot about me you don't know." He gives me a wink, then holds up the red flower fabric again.
"I love that one, but Robert I wan
t to repay you in some way." I stammer as he walks to the front counter to pay.
Robert laughs. "No need, Darlene. I am repaying you because you were kind enough to accompany me to town."
Finally, I give up arguing with him — it was clear he was more stubborn than a mule.
Chapter 11
"Darlene! Darlene, stop!" I can hear Robert yelling from his wagon behind me. His voice is loud with fear as he yells for me to stop, but I can't. I'm so close to home, and I know how scared my sisters are of storms.
Must get home. Must get home.
The rain pours down on my face, sticking my hair to my cheeks. A flash of lightning blinds me, but I have to keep going. A loud rumble of thunder makes me jump. The canvas covering the wagon is flapping in the wind.
It's getting worse by the second. I keep going, hearing Robert yelling for me to stop.
A few minutes later I shriek as a large piece of hail hits my hand. I see how much it's worsening as my horses begin to neigh in pain. The hail hurts me, but I keep going.
"Darlene, stop now!" Robert screams so loudly it startles me. I knew this was a bad storm, but by the fear and anger in his voice, I realize it must be worse. I take a minute to look around me, seeing the lightening flash as far as I can see, while the thunder continues to rumble.
I scream as I watch a tree fall over beside me.
I need to stop.
When I get my horses stopped, I jump out of the wagon. Robert rushes over and takes both of my hands in his.
His face is soaked and his brow is wrinkled. I look into his eyes.
"We can't bring the wagons or horses. Help me quickly tie them to a tree." Robert has to yell over the rain and wind, as he grabs his horse's ropes and unties them from the wagon. "Go!"
I wince as the hail hits me on the top of my head. I keep running and untie my horses from the wagon, my hands fumbling. Robert is standing behind me as I turn around, and he takes the ropes from my hands, leading the horses over to tie beside his.
The Wagon (Carter Sisters Series #1) Page 4
