by Linda Ford
He grasped her shoulders. “Donna Grace, you are my wife. I will take care of you.”
“Wife in name only.”
Always it came back to that. “Do you care to tell Buck that?”
She looked past him to the wagon train that continued its steady journey. “No, I do not. But—”
He touched her lips to silence her. Her gaze returned to his.
“When I married you, I promised myself I would take care of you as you deserved. I also promised your father I would. So please, no more arguing about this.” He watched her mental struggle to accept his request.
Her eyelids flicked. “Very well. I suppose we must keep up appearances.” She dashed toward the wagon.
He caught her arm. “Slow down unless you want to fall again.”
“I just want to catch up.” But her pace slowed considerably.
They reached the wagon. “Do you want to ride on the seat or in the back?”
He guessed it was a measure of her fatigue or the heat, or a combination of both, that she said she’d ride in the back and he helped her in.
It didn’t take long for the mules to catch up to the slow moving freight wagons and they were soon back in their place.
Mary Mae hurried over to speak to him. “Is she okay?”
“I’m fine,” Donna Grace’s voice answered from the back.
“Glad to hear it.” Mary Mae rejoined the other ladies.
A short time later, Luke glanced to the back. Donna Grace was sound asleep. He smiled. He’d never suggest she should take it easy, but it seems her body demanded it.
At they traveled onward, he hummed the song he’s sung for Donna Grace
Buck rode by. “Stopping at Lone Elm.”
Luke nodded. He knew the spot and had expected it would be their destination.
Donna Grace poked her head from behind. “You shouldn’t have let me sleep.” She sounded peevish.
He hid his smile. “Why, did you have something important to do?”
“I’m not usually this lazy.”
“I’m sure you’re not, but perhaps it will take a few days to get used to being on the go all day.”
“I suppose.”
He pulled his wagon in behind Reverend Shepton’s and soon the entire train circled. Besides the Russell freight wagons, there were four other traders with wagons, bringing the total, including the smaller wagons, to thirty. A smallish train, but less people would hopefully mean fewer problems and a quicker journey.
He jumped down to take care of the mules, but first helped Donna Grace from the wagon. She glanced around.
“I remember this place and the little lone soldier-elm keeping watch on that mound. Somehow I thought it would have changed more.”
“You can tell me about your earlier trip, but first I have to take care of the animals.” He wanted to check the oxen and the freight wagons as well.
“I need to help with supper.”
They went their separate ways. He returned some time later to find the ladies had boiled a ham and potatoes.
Warren brought his friend, Sam Braddock, to the campfire. “I told Sam he could join us. It’s better for his little girl if he eats with us.”
“Fine by me.” Luke knew he answered for the others as well.
Warren introduced Sam and his ten-year-old niece, Polly, to everyone.
“You’re welcome to share our meals,” Judith said.
Polly and Donna Grace eyed each other with interest.
Finally the child spoke. “You’re going to have a baby, aren’t you?”
Donna Grace nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“My mama was going to have a baby.”
Sam took a step toward his niece and then stopped, waiting to see what the child had in mind.
Luke also watched with interest. Perhaps Donna Grace would reveal something to Polly that she hadn’t told him.
“And did she?” Donna Grace asked.
Polly shook her head. “She died before she did. Her and papa died in an as’kedent.”
Warren and Luke knew the circumstances of her parents, but the others didn’t and the news shocked them into silence.
Donna Grace recovered first. “I’m so sorry to hear that. You must be very sad.”
Polly hung her head to one side. “I am when I think of them.” She brightened. “But it’s fun being with Uncle Sammy.”
Sam chuckled, perhaps more relieved than the others to see her smile. He held out his arms and Polly threw herself into them and was tossed into the air.
Sam set her down again.
“I’m really too big for that.” Polly did her best to sound grown up.
Her uncle laughed. “Perhaps I should stop doing it.”
“Oh no. I wouldn’t like that.”
Donna Grace chuckled. She turned to Luke and as their eyes connected, her smile faltered.
What was she thinking to grow so sober?
“I have something to add to the meal.” Sam hurried back to his wagon and returned with a pie.
All four ladies looked at his offering.
“You bake pies?” Donna Grace asked. The look she gave Luke seemed to say she might have chosen the wrong man to marry, when there was one who could bake pies.
Sam laughed. “Wouldn’t know how. I bought a half a dozen at the restaurant in Independence. Figured they might add a bit of variety to the beans, bacon and biscuits we usually eat on the trail.” He sniffed appreciatively. “Didn’t know we’d be so fortunate as to have so many ladies along to cook a decent meal.”
Donna Grace gave a tight smile. “Not that you’ve tasted our food to know if it’s any better.”
Luke, Warren and Sam all laughed. “No need to taste it,” Luke assured her.
Their plates full, they all sat on the ground around the fire. Luke made sure he sat next to Donna Grace. Polly chose to sit on Donna Grace’s other side and continually glanced her direction. Luke wondered if it was the expected baby that held her attention.
“The pie is delicious,” Luke said. “Apple pie is my favorite.”
“I thought it was peach,” Judith said.
Her innocent voice didn’t fool Luke. He knew she teased him.
“I thought it was rhubarb,” Warren added.
“Nope. We’re both wrong. It’s raisin. No wait, its lemon.” Judith lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender. “I give up. Truth is, Luke loves pie in every flavor.”
Luke wasn’t about to be bettered by his siblings. “Tonight’s pie is apple. So today, apple is my favorite.”
Donna Grace nudged him in the side. “I just learned something new about you.”
He caught her elbow and pressed it closer. He leaned over to whisper. “I have lots more secrets for you to discover.” He chuckled as she ducked her head, suddenly shy.
Warren cleaned his plate and pushed to his feet. “Time to check on the animals.”
He waited for Sam and Luke to join him.
First, Luke again whispered to Donna Grace. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t go away.” Then feeling just a tad pleased with himself, he fell in beside his brother.
They walked around the wagons, checked axles, spoke to the freighters. But only half Luke’s attention dwelled on the tasks. He couldn’t wait to get back to Donna Grace.
“Are we done?” he asked, after a bit.
Warren gave him a little shove. “Go see your wife. We can manage without you.”
Luke didn’t argue. He sauntered back to the wagon. The ladies had cleaned up the dishes and Donna Grace was baking more biscuits for the morrow. She watched him approach, part curious, part guarded.
He’d like to change that to all welcoming. “Judith, can you watch the biscuits? I want to take Donna Grace for a walk.”
“Of course. Mary Mae and Polly have gone for a walk, too. You might see them.”
“I don’t—” Donna Grace began to protest.
“There are things we need to discuss.”
“Judith?” His
sister seemed lost in thought and Luke followed the direction of her gaze. She stared at the fire of Reverend Shepton and his wife. Buck hunkered down, visiting with them and another man.
“Who is that?” Judith asked.
“That’s Gil Trapper. He’s the scout for the wagon. An old friend of Buck’s.”
“I see.” She blinked, and turned toward the fire. “I’ll watch the biscuits.”
Luke shook his head in confusion over his sister then dismissed it, knowing she was going through a rough time of her own.
Donna Grace looked from one to the other. Opened her mouth as if to protest, then seemed to think better of it.
Good. He preferred her to come without argument. He took her hand and led her to the area beyond the wagons. Pete, one of the freighters, played his harmonica. Flickering light from the campfires gave them some guidance on their walk, but he pulled her hand around his elbow and held her close. “Wouldn’t want you to stumble and fall again.”
“How nice of you to think about me.”
He couldn’t tell if she spoke with gratitude or resignation, or perhaps a bit of both, and then she quickly changed the subject. “What goods are your wagons carrying?”
“Mostly manufactured items from the east.”
“Such as?”
Her father was a trader. Surely she knew the things they carried, but still, it pleased him to have her show this bit of interest in what he did.
“I have bolts and bolts of fabric—ginghams, linens, muslins, percales, silk—sewing materials such as needles, threads, buttons. Stockings, shoes, ready-made items of clothing. There are hats, axes, jewelry, inkwells, glass bottles, tobacco and trade beads.”
“Enough to fill five freight wagons?”
“How do you know how many wagons we have?”
“I saw you and Warren checking them.” She watched him.
He grinned in the gathering darkness.
“And you bring back gold, silver and furs?”
“Mostly we do.”
She slowed. “How long have you been doing this?”
“Three years and a bit.” He found it hard to believe it was that long. The days and months and years had slipped away, consumed with the challenges of everyday living.
“Since the woman you loved was murdered?”
“Yes, but how did you know that?”
“Judith mentioned it. You must have loved her very much for her loss to still hurt so much.”
He contemplated her remark a moment. “I did, but I see now that it was the way she died that hurt the most.”
“Murder is so senseless.”
They had stopped walking and she faced him. He could make out her features in the half dark but not read her eyes.
“Tell me what happened.”
He held her shoulders, finding a strange kind of strength in doing so. He’d never spoken of Ellen’s death since the day it happened, but now the words came easily. “We were to be married. I’d saved up enough money to buy a little farm. I always wanted to raise horses and train them.” He smiled. It had been years since he’d admitted his dream to anyone. Thought it was dead, but surprisingly, it still tugged at his thoughts. “I had taken Ellen—that was my girl—to see our place. Three men rode up. I recognized them as ne’er-do-wells that hung around town. They said the farm was theirs and we’d have to leave. I told them I had bought it from the bank and had the papers to prove it. The oldest spat on the ground. Said the bank had cheated them out of it. I told them to take it up with the bank and if it truly belonged to them, we would move out. I knew it didn’t. They’d lost it by mortgaging it and then not paying what they owed.
“They fussed about a bit until I said they should go speak to the banker. Finally they informed me it wasn’t over and rode away. I thought I’d seen the last of them.” He filled his lungs with the warm evening air and held it for several seconds, then let it out. “Turns out I was wrong. Ellen wanted to explore the house and see what needed to be done. I wanted to look at the barn and corrals and outbuildings so I left her. I don’t know how long I was gone, but the sound of a gunshot jerked me from my planning and I raced to the house, my heart in my mouth. I saw three men ride away as I rushed inside. I found Ellen on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. She died in my arms.” He swallowed hard and couldn’t go on.
“You poor man. How dreadful.” Donna Grace pressed her head to his shoulder and made comforting noises.
He rested his cheek against her hair and let her soothe away the horror of that day. “That wasn’t the worst of it,” he murmured, surprised that he wanted to tell the rest. “I took her to her parents. Her father took her from me and said, ‘She deserved better than you. You let your plans take precedence over caring for her.’ He was right. I shouldn’t have challenged those men. I should have known better than to leave her there alone, knowing they were in the area. I didn’t pull the trigger that ended her life, but I was responsible nonetheless. It’s a burden I will carry to my grave.”
Donna Grace turned her face upward. “You can’t blame yourself for the actions of evil men. It’s too great a load for any man.”
“Your words are easy to say. But I learned a lesson I won’t ever repeat. I will never again put my interests above someone else’s safety and well-being.”
She nodded. “Now I understand why you insisted on marrying me.”
“I learned another lesson.” He eased away from her. “I will never again care deeply for anyone. It can hurt too much.”
“On that we are agreed.”
Why did he want to try and persuade her to change her mind about allowing love into her life when he would not do so himself?
5
Donna Grace walked away from Luke. His story made her insides ache, but even worse was his assertion he would never again allow love into his life. What a waste. He was a young man with so much to offer. A gentle, kind, caring man. She would try and convince him to change his mind, but how could she offer advice in love, when she had vowed to never trust a man again? It wasn’t quite the same, but without trust, there couldn’t be love, so they were effectively living the same life.
The baby kicked as if in protest. The kicks were so hard, they started a cramp and she fell to her knees, groaning.
Luke was by her side instantly. “Are you hurt?”
She gasped against the pain and ground out the words, “Another Charlie horse.”
He knelt beside her and rubbed her back.
Slowly the pain eased and she sat back on her heels and drew in a long breath.
The nearest campfire flared, lighting Luke’s features. His brows scuttled together. His mouth drew in, a hard line in his face.
She had to reassure him. “Don’t look so worried. It’s nothing.”
He took her by the shoulders and looked her squarely in the face. “Donna Grace, when is this baby due?”
She held his gaze, proud of herself for not blinking before his demanding stare. She swallowed once, twice.
He gave her a tiny shake. “You keep saying not until we get to Santa Fe, but I wonder if that’s really the case.”
“The truth is, I simply don’t know.”
“You must have some idea.”
She gave a sound of derision. “One would think so, but I have never had regular monthlies.” Her cheeks burned at the intimate details they were discussing. “And then I began to worry because Melvin grew more and more distant, and so I didn’t pay it much mind. Turns out his wife had located him and started writing him. I suppose he found it difficult to be living a double life.”
Luke snorted. “The man should have been locked up in jail for what he did to you.”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything. By the time I realized I had a baby inside me, I was too confused to think about dates. And then three months ago, the real Mrs. Brunt showed up and shooed me from the house.” Her voice caught and as she had a few minutes earlier offered him comfort, he did the same for her, sitting on the grou
nd and pulling her close.
She nestled into his embrace, clinging to his arm, feeling the strength and security it offered.
He held her for a moment then spoke against her hair. “Donna Grace, how big were you when you left that house?”
She didn’t want to tell him that she’d already begun to show. She knew she was too far along to hope to make it to Santa Fe unless the baby decided to wait. Hadn’t Mrs. Shepton said babies come in their own time? “I want the baby born in Santa Fe.”
He rubbed her back again, the touch so soothing, she leaned into his chest. “I think we might have to consider the possibility that your little one could be born before we get there.”
“You mean on the trail?”
“Other women have done it.”
“Oh, I can do it. Not a problem. But what kind of home is that for a baby? A covered wagon, full of dust and insects. I want my baby to have a safe, secure home.”
He took her arms and formed them into a cradle. “Donna Grace, this is where you will give the baby safety, security, love and everything he needs.”
She hugged her arms close to her chest. “You make it sound like I can be enough.”
“You are enough.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He chuckled a little. “How can you doubt it? You are a strong, independent, stubborn-as-a-mule woman. Any baby of yours will be well take care of.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “You are a very nice man.”
“How can you be so sure?” He perfectly imitated her tone as he repeated her question.
She eased back so she could look into his face. She carefully repeated his words. “How can you doubt it? You are protective, strong, and encouraging. Any woman would be—” She broke off. She did not have the right to say any woman would be safe and secure in his care. Instead, she tried to rise.
He caught her and pulled her back to his arms. “Donna Grace, will you go see Mrs. Shepton and talk to her about your Charlie horses?”
It seemed a little thing to do for a man who had done so much for her. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” He scrambled to his feet and pulled her up beside him, holding her arm in his as they made their way back to the camp.
