Echoes of Dark and Light

by Chris Shanley-Dillman

  “Bobbi!”

  A pair of skinny arms flung around my middle, clutching so hard that I couldn’t breathe.

  “Robby!” I threw my arms around my little brother, never wanting to let go. I looked down into his bespectacled blue eyes, sparking with unshed tears, which instantly misted up my own. “I missed you so much! And you’ve grown taller!”

  “Welcome home, dear!”

  “Gran!” I pulled her in close with one arm, keeping the other tight around Robby.

  “You wouldn’t believe our joy when we received your wire that you were finally coming home,” Gran murmured, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes with a white hanky.

  Robby pulled away, yet continued to cling to my hand. “You said you had a surprise.”

  “Robby, just getting your sister home safe is all the surprise we need,” Gran gently scolded.

  “What does it take to get a hug around here?” Robert’s voice drifted down from behind us.

  “Robert!”

  Instantly, my welcome home party deserted me and threw their arms around Robert as he stepped down on the platform. Grinning, I stepped to the side to avoid getting shoved onto the tracks.

  “Bobbi! Welcome home!”

  I turned to see Emma grinning at me. After more hugging, I pulled back to study her. “You look different,” I commented, not unkindly.

  “I just about said the same thing to you. I guess we’ve both changed.” She paused, blushing bright red to the roots of her dark hair. “Alex asked me to marry him.”

  “Wow, that’s exciting news!”

  “So is finding your brother! You were right all along, Bobbi. Thanks to you, Robert is finally home.”

  I brushed aside her compliments with a wave of my hand. “Come on, I want you to meet some people.”

  A few days passed in happy bliss, being home and surrounded by all of my favorite people. Robert and I dragged Cora and Toby everywhere, introducing them to the U.P. The beauty and quiet peacefulness surrounded me, helped me, soothed the nightmares from the past year. Somewhere inside of me, I knew the nightmares would never completely disappear, but I also knew that I would be okay.

  After a wonderful home-cooked meal from Gran, flavored with lots of love, I caught Robert and Cora exchanging a glance and some unspoken words that sent a warning chill down my spine. Then Robert suggested a stroll along the lake. Something big brewed, and I had a feeling I didn’t want to know, but I reluctantly agreed to join them.

  I stopped at the edge of the beach to remove my shoes, and then trotted to catch up with Robert, Toby and Cora. The U.P. had offered another beautiful day, and I dug my toes down into the sun-warmed sand. A few cold nights had already frosted the region, effectively eliminating the summer’s aggressive mosquitoes and black flies, so we strolled slowly along the shore, soaking up the view, unimpeded by the annoying, blood-thirsty scavengers. Lake Superior showed off her beauty for the newcomers, reflecting the sky’s baby blues and quietly rolling onto the shoreline with gentle swells. Canada geese honked overhead, calling out their goodbyes as they migrated south for warmer waters.

  I sensed an underlying tension radiating out of Robert and Cora. And it must have been a tension of the contagious kind, as my own stomach cramped up in anticipation. I noticed Toby limping along out in front of us, as if he tried to offer some privacy, as if he felt he intruded uninvited. But Robert had specifically invited him along. I could only guess at the storm building inside of Robert and Cora, obviously something big, something important, something they felt reluctant to share for fear of upsetting me.

  I stopped abruptly and demanded the truth. “Okay, spill it, you two. I can’t take anymore.”

  “Spill what?” Robert asked, avoiding my eyes.

  “Don’t play games with me, Robert Rivers. What’s going on?”

  Robert sighed, exchanged loaded glances with Cora again, and then motioned toward the driftwood log perfectly positioned to offer a comfortable rest with a spectacular view.

  The three of them took a seat on the log, both guys exhaling a sigh of relief, not yet fully recovered from their injuries. I refused to budge.

  Robert patted the space next to him. “Sit down, Bobbi; we need to talk.”

  “I prefer to stand, thank you,” I growled between clenched teeth. The better to aim a good kick to your nether regions when you finally announce your stupid, pigheaded intentions!

  Robert shared yet another annoying glance with Cora, took a deep breath and then began. He kept his eyes pinned to the horizon where a ship caught the breezes in her sails.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately,” he began, “while marching those endless miles, while trying to find sleep in the wet mud, and especially while imprisoned at Belle Isle. Not much else to do at Belle Isle besides think and starve…and scratch at the vermin. Anyway, all that thinking led me to a conclusion, or a dream of sorts.”

  I didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue.

  “For a while there, I began to believe I wouldn’t make it out of Belle Isle alive. And some part of me knew I never would make it out alive with that attitude, so I focused on my dream. It kept me alive until you came.” Robert finally shifted his gaze, locking eyes with me. “And thanks to you, I’m still here to pursue my dream.”

  “Yeah, sure. Just get to the point, please.”

  “I’ve decided to become a farmer.”

  Silence descended on the group, drowning out the sounds of the surf and migrating geese.

  Cora nudged Robert with her elbow.

  “Oh, and I’ve decided to do so out west. This spring, I’m catching a wagon train to Oregon.”

  The sun’s light seemed to dwindle out and disappear, while a cold chill rose up and settled on my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around me and turned to look out at the lake.

  “Bobbi, say something.”

  “But you just got home!” I tried to keep the wail out of my voice, but didn’t succeed.

  “I told you before, Marquette just doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

  “Well, give it a chance. Think about it for a few—”

  “I’ve already thought about it, again and again. The past couple of years in those battlefields have taught me that I want to nurture life, not take it away, not anymore.”

  “Why can’t you do your farming thing right here?” I fought against the tears threatening to spill.

  “Bobbi, you know the growing season is too short around here to grow much of anything besides trees, mosquitoes and iron ore. And I refuse to step foot in a mine and spend my life deep underground in the darkness. I need light, and I need life. Besides, I’ve heard great things about the climate in Oregon. One can grow almost anything out there!”

  I couldn’t help hearing the excitement in his voice, though tried to ignore it. In desperation, I spun around, spitting out, “But you’ve been sick! You don’t have the strength to travel that far!” I turned to Cora, hoping for some support.

  She smiled gently as if trying to ease my pain. “Yes, right now, Robert is weak and still recovering. But by springtime, he should be back to his usual healthy self. Besides,” she paused for a moment, and then continued, “if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be there to keep an eye on him.”

  “No,” I retorted, “It doesn’t make me feel any…Wait! What do you mean you’ll keep an eye on him?”

  “I’ve decided to go with him.”

  I flung glares back and forth between them, too stunned, too upset for words.

  Cora shrugged. “I’ve been feeling out of place, too, and Boston doesn’t hold anything for me. In fact, the entire eastern part of this country is scarred with horrific battle wounds. I truly didn’t know what to do and felt rather lost. But back in Manchester, hiding in my uncle’s cellar, Robert started sharing his dreams with me. After that, it all fell together. Bobbi, this feels right.”

  Robert jumped in to fill up the silence. “We’ve decided to travel west as brother and sister.
Funny how even in this modern age of 1864, society frowns upon unrelated men and women traveling together.”

  “Besides,” Cora added, smiling, “we sort of feel like siblings anyway, through you, Bobbi. We desperately hope that you’ll approve.”

  I continued staring out at Lake Superior, failing the battle against my tears. I am going to lose my brother all over again.

  Robert climbed to his feet and came up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He leaned his head against mine. “This is important to me, please understand. I don’t want to do this without your blessing, Bobbi.”

  I turned my head to look into his eyes. I must admit it felt good to see a sparkle there again. I sighed. If there were one person in the world more stubborn than me, Robert took the prize. Heck, I learned it from him. Besides, it would kill me to rob his eyes of that sparkle.

  I sighed again, reaching up to wipe away my tears. “I’m not okay with it just yet, but give me some time. I’m sure by spring I’ll even help you load up your wagon.”

  Robert let out a whoop, lifted me up and swung me around and around.

  “Robert, put me down before you hurt yourself,” I yelped.

  He did put me down, but didn’t let go right away. “Thanks, sis,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Come on, Robert,” Cora said, smiling bright and nodding back the way we came. “You should probably get some rest after all of that exertion.”

  “Yes, ma’am, Nurse Cora!” He saluted and then grinned. “Besides, I want to start reading that guide book to the Oregon trail.”

  “Hey,” I said, stopping Cora as she walked past. “It does make me feel better that you two will be together.”

  Cora smiles. “I’ll keep an eye on him,” she promised.

  “And he’ll take care of you, too.”

  I watched as Robert and Cora slowly made their way back through our footprints in the sand, then wiped away my remaining tears and plopped down on the log next to Toby. He’d remained silent through their entire announcement, and remained silent for awhile longer. Grateful for the quiet, I absently ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the log, its rougher edges filed down from years of wind, waves and weather.

  After awhile, Toby spoke. “You know, I think I like it here. This northern stuff isn’t so bad. In fact, with the lake and the trees, I could get used to this.”

  “Yeah, maybe you should wait until February when the snow piles up four feet deep, when the temperature barely peaks at zero, and the wind blows so strong as to make even a trip to the outhouse near impossible.”

  Toby slowly turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief. “You’ve really got to be kidding about that.”

  “Nope,” I answered, surprised by my own returning cheeriness. “The U.P. winters keep away everyone but us crazies.”

  “You’re supposed to try and talk me into staying, not chase me away.”

  “You might as well know the truth up front,” I said, grinning at him, enjoying myself despite Robert and Cora’s announcement.

  “Like you’re real good at sharing the entire truth right up front, instead of making a fellow squirm for months while he attempts to treat you like one of the guys.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “Thanks about that, for keeping my secret and for helping me find Robert. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Well, maybe you can show your gratitude by trying to reassure this old southern boy in his decision to stay up here in this northern freezer.”

  “You’ve decided to stay then?” I tried to keep the hope out of my voice.

  “I don’t have anywhere better to go.”

  “Good, ‘cause I’ve been doing a lot of thinking of my own. There’s a cute cabin down the road from Gran’s I’d like to show you. It’s for sale, and I thought it’d be perfect for after the wedding—”

  “Wedding? What wedding?” His eyes twinkled with mirth, while his face reflected innocence.

  “Oh,” I answered coyly, “didn’t I tell you? I finally met a fellow who doesn’t annoy me overly much, someone who can put up with my attitude.”

  Toby’s mouth slipped into a smile, but a second later, he forced a mock glare. “And just who is this fellow? Tell me and I’ll plow a few punches into his face!”

  “Very funny!” I shoved him off the end of the log and he tumbled down into the soft warm sand.

  “Hey! Is that any way to treat your fiancé?” he demanded, not able to keep the smile from his face any longer.

  I shrugged. “Just keeping you in your place.”

  “Yeah, right next to you!” With that he pulled me down into the sand next to him.

  I started laughing, at least until he wove his fingers into my hair, pulling my face close to his. As his lips softly brushed mine, explosions brighter than any wartime weapon burst in my heart.

  Eventually, he pulled back to study my face. I felt breathless and couldn’t find a single word to utter.

  “So,” Toby whispered, “think we should write to Cora’s uncle and have him ship us that pink dress for the wedding?”

  Words quickly flooded back in my mouth. “I’ll piss on the flames of hell before I ever don that monstrosity again—”

  Toby’s laughter cut off my ranting, and I joined him.

  “Bobbi,” he said, toying with the collar of my jacket, “you wear whatever makes you happy.”

  “You make me happy.”

  “Hey, what’s this,” he asked pulling a weight from my jacket pocket.

  “Hmm? Oh, my Colt. I mean Gran’s Colt. I keep meaning to return it. I don’t need it anymore.”

  Toby pulled me into a warm hug, making me feel safer than the Colt ever had.

  “I love you, Toby.”

  “I love you, too, Bobbi. So much.”

  We laid there in the sand, holding hands and watching the sun set over the lake. A peace had settled over me. I’d found someone I could trust, with my life and my heart.

  I would like to thank my family for their enduring encouragement and support. Also sincere thanks to my mom for her help with some religious questions, and to my dad for the tutorial on steam engines and theodolites, to my big brother for some tips on the Civil War, to my little brother for grammar and punctuation assistance, and to my sweet husband for information on guns and nature. And I must include a thank you to my great-great-great grandfather, Captain Nelson Truckey, and to my great-great grandmother, Emma Truckey Shanley; I so hope they approve of their fictional counterpoints.

  Thank you so much to everyone at Curiosity Quills for believing in me and my manuscript, especially my sharp-eyed proofreader, the talented cover artist, my incredibly helpful editor Vicki, and the awesome Jade.

  Thanks to all of the books, documentaries, and web sites I explored for inspiration and information; I tried to make this fictional story as realistic as possible. I’d also like to include a thank you to my 7th grade history teacher for introducing me to the role women played as soldiers in the Civil War; you planted a seed in my imagination way back when.

  And finally, thank you to all of the readers for taking a chance with Bobbi’s story.

  Now that you have completed this book, we hope you will leave a review so that other readers may benefit from your perspective. Authors like Chris Shanley-Dillman live and die by your reviews, after all!

  Please visit http://curiosityquills.com/reader-survey/ to share your reading experience with the author of this book!

  Chris Shanley-Dillman is a Hoosier, born and raised in Indiana. But she has also experienced the adventures of living in the wilds of Wyoming, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and coastal Oregon. Aside from writing, Chris also works as an assistant in a veterinary hospital. Past jobs include working in a greenhouse, a golf course and a graveyard, plus volunteering at an animal shelter. In her free time, Chris enjoys horseback riding, gardening, hiking with her husband and their three dogs, and curling up with a good book and their six cats.

  A Div
ision of Whampa, LLC

  P.O. Box 2540

  Dulles, VA 20101

  Tel/Fax: 800-998-2509

  http://curiosityquills.com

  © 2013 Chris Shanley-Dillman

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information about Subsidiary Rights, Bulk Purchases, Live Events, or any other questions - please contact Curiosity Quills Press at info@curiosityquills.com, or visit http://curiosityquills.com

  ISBN: 978-1-62007-258-5 (ebook)

  ISBN: 978-1-62007-259-2 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-62007-260-8 (hardcover)

  Nefertiti's Heart, by A.W. Exley

  (http://curiosityquills.com/nefertitis-heart/)

  Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.

  London, 1861. Impoverished noble Cara has a simple mission after the strange death of her father—sell off his damned collection of priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when aristocratic beauties start dying of broken hearts, an eight inch long brass key hammered through their chests. A killer hunts amongst the nobility, searching for a regal beauty and an ancient Egyptian relic rumored to hold the key to immortality.

  In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, Cara must figure out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.

  Automatic Woman, by Nathan L. Yocum

  (http://curiosityquills.com/automatic-woman/)

  There are no simple cases. Jacob “Jolly” Fellows knows this.

  The London of 1888, the London of steam engines, Victorian intrigue, and horseless carriages is not a safe place nor simple place… but it’s his place. Jolly is a thief catcher, a door-crashing thug for the prestigious Bow Street Firm, assigned to track down a life sized automatic ballerina. But when theft turns to murder and murder turns to conspiracy, can Jolly keep his head above water? Can a thief catcher catch a killer?