“Cameron?” From the rear of the wagon, another voice called his name and a woman poked her head into the interior of his wagon. Jennie Sloan smiled at Elizabeth and held out another plate of food. “I didn’t know if you would be fond of the rabbit meat Dora cooked for dinner, so I brought over some johnnycake and bacon. My father likes it for his noon meal, and it’s pretty tasty.”
“It sounds wonderful right now,” Elizabeth said beneath her breath, her nose twitching at the scent of the plate in Cameron’s hand.
“Miss Elizabeth seems to take kindly to corn bread and bacon, Jennie,” Cameron said with a smile. “And you’re right, she can’t handle heavy food yet, as thoughtful as Dora was to bring it over.”
He switched plates with Jennie, and she looked about her, scanning the area, probably for one of the dogs that traveled with the train, Cameron thought. He was proved right when she leaned over the tailboard and murmured softly for Elizabeth’s benefit. “I’ll get rid of this when I spot one of the mutts looking for a meal,” she said quietly. “You can keep my plate and I’ll pick it up at suppertime. I’ll be by to visit later on, Miss Elizabeth.”
The corn bread was still steaming, the bacon looked more than appetizing, and Cameron made a makeshift sandwich from the two ingredients. He offered it to Elizabeth and she took it from his hands, then bit into it without delay. Another piece of the corn bread was broken in half and two more strips of bacon enclosed between the yellow pone, finding its way to Cameron’s mouth.
“This is good,” Elizabeth said, her fingers agile as she picked several crumbs from her bodice. “I never ate it this way before, but I appreciate Jennie bringing it over.” She took another bite, and chewed the crisp bacon before she spoke again. “Is Jennie married? Does she have a family?”
“No,” Cameron said. “You have something in common with her. She’s traveling with her father, and several of the young fellas on the train are mighty interested in her.”
“Including you?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes flashing as if she teased him.
Cameron shook his head. “Jennie Sloan is a nice lady, and pretty to boot, but I haven’t been inclined in that direction. In fact, you’re the first woman I’ve had much to do with for the past couple of years. My wife died almost five years ago, and other women haven’t appealed to me. Not thataway at least.”
He thought Elizabeth might cry at that, her eyes filling, her mouth trembling.
“It’s been a long time, Elizabeth, and I’ve pretty well adjusted to it. We weren’t traveling the same road in life from the very first. She couldn’t understand my yearning to go West with the first wagon train I scouted for. Wouldn’t go with me, and was unhappy when I got back. Marriage wasn’t suiting her, I suspect. I’d thought to tempt her with the promise of a nice place west of Denver to settle, and suggested we could settle down, raise a family there, but she dragged her feet at that. Said she couldn’t abide the thought of living beyond civilization.”
“Was she a city girl, born and bred?” Elizabeth asked.
Cameron nodded. “Yeah. She enjoyed the theater and concerts and parties, and we never could come to an understanding about how our life together should be. I married her because she was pretty and a lot of fun, and I was old enough to begin raising a family.”
“I’d think Jennie was the sort of woman you’d be interested in,” Elizabeth said idly, her eyes touching his gaze and then shifting to the limited view she had of the outdoors.
“She’s wanting to teach school in Oregon, and I’ll bet once she settles in there, she’ll find someone who suits her to a tee.” He offered Elizabeth the plate he held, three slices of bacon and two more squares of pone still left.
“Thanks,” she said, reaching for the bacon. “I haven’t had any of this for a month or so.” Her eyes widened as she spoke. “Now, how did I know that?” And as if she recognized he would not attempt a reply, she laughed softly. “Maybe my memory is coming back.” Her gaze met his. “I hope so, Cameron. I feel like a nobody, with no past and no future.”
“You have both, sweetheart. One of these days your past will reveal itself to you, and by that time, you’ll be living in your future.”
“I don’t have any money or anywhere to live. And empty as my mind is, I know that I can’t survive without—”
His hand touched her lips, shushing her words. “I don’t want you worrying about that today, Elizabeth. You’ve barely survived an Indian raid, and our main concern right now is to find you something to wear.”
She looked down at herself. “I’m pretty tattered looking, aren’t I?”
“You’ll clean up just fine,” he said firmly. “Once we get you another dress, you can wash this one and hang it to dry. Not fancy, but clean, and two dresses will get you by for a while.”
“Where… Who…” The query was obvious.
He knew what she asked. “We’ll see if Jennie has anything she can spare, or maybe she’ll know one of the ladies who would be willing to sell some of her clothing.”
“If we can even get a sheet from someone, I could sew something up,” she said, and then her face froze, as if she’d had a glimpse into days gone by. “I’ve made my dresses in the past,” she said slowly. “I know how to use a needle and thread.”
“Well, that solves that. I’ve got a couple of sheets I’ve never used, and my sewing kit is pretty complete. Even a pair of scissors.”
“You sew?” she asked disbelievingly.
“I’m a bachelor these days. I don’t have anyone to sew on my buttons or mend my ripped seams. So I do the best I can.”
“I can do all of that,” Elizabeth said impulsively, and then blushed vividly as if she’d somehow intruded on his privacy. “I didn’t mean anything by that,” she told him.
“I’d more than appreciate your help, ma’am,” he said, then rose to his feet and stood over her. He had to bend a considerable distance, the frame that supported the canvas overhead being less than six feet from the floorboards.
“I’ll get the wagon ready to travel now. I need to water my oxen first and then check out the harness.”
“Can I help?” she asked, stirring as if she would rise from the feather tick.
“You just stay here and keep warm.”
“I’m all right now. Maybe eating warmed me up. Whatever, I don’t think I need the quilt any longer.” She hesitated and then shot him a wary smile. “Will it be all right if I sit with you on the wagon seat while you drive?”
“You can have the whole seat to yourself. I’ll walk this afternoon with my team. Most of the folks leave their wagons after noontime and walk for a few hours.”
“Can I join you?” He thought she looked hopeful and could not deny her.
“Of course. But I don’t want you to overdo any. Walk awhile and then rest on the seat. All right?” In fact, he looked forward to pacing his oxen with her at his side, and was aware for the first time in years that he was missing the companionship of a woman in his life. For the woman he had rescued just hours ago was well on her way to becoming important to him.
He searched her face. She was pretty, blue-eyed and with clear skin that was blessed by a scattering of freckles across her nose and somewhat marred by the bandages Doc had put in place. And yet, it was an appealing display, he decided. Her freckles made her somehow more approachable, causing her to look young and innocent. But if the ring she wore around her neck on the gold chain fit her finger, she was either married, or had been some man’s wife in the past. And he prayed it wasn’t so.
Chapter Three
Walking was preferable to sitting on the wagon seat Elizabeth decided before the afternoon was over. But the heat was debilitating, and she found herself lagging behind as the sun began its downward plunge.
“How about resting awhile before we circle for the night?” Cameron asked, his sharp gaze obviously noting her lack of stamina.
“It seems as though I’ve been sleeping all day as it is,” Elizabeth said. “I thought
if I got good and tired I’d be able to close my eyes and not lie awake tonight.”
“You’re tired,” Cameron said, “and I feel as if I should be taking better care of you. I want you to eat well tonight, Elizabeth. And if you can’t sleep, you can rap on the bottom of the wagon and I’ll hear you.”
“And then what?” she asked, knowing already that he would not be far from her during the nighttime hours.
“I’ll roll out from beneath the wagon and sit with you. I don’t want you to have bad dreams all alone. And you probably will, you know.”
“If I could learn anything about myself in a dream, I’d welcome it, good dreams or bad. But I’m not counting on it.” She trudged in his wake, one hand on the side of the wagon, balancing herself so that her weary legs would not give out.
He slowed his pace until he was at her side and, with an amazing amount of strength, he picked her up and lifted her to the moving wagon, settling her on the seat.
“You’re lucky you didn’t strain your back, handling me that way,” she scolded. “I’m too heavy to be toted around.”
“You’re a little bit of a thing, and my back is strong. If you’d just given in to your tired body, I wouldn’t have had to be so pushy.”
He looked up at her and she met his gaze, seeking a message in the long, thorough examination he bestowed upon her. The darkness of night dwelt in his eyes and she felt a strange warmth exuded upon her. Narrowed and piercing, his gaze brought an unfamiliar heat to her body, and she thought for a moment that he gauged her very being and found her not wanting in any way. It was not a comfortable feeling, she decided, this notion that the man was measuring her, seeking out her secrets.
She squirmed on the seat and then swung her legs over into the wagon bed. “I think I’d better lie down,” she told him, unwilling to continue the silent confrontation she felt taking place between them. Her heart had begun to act of its own accord, delivering a rapid beat that resounded throughout her body. She knew a flush rode the crest of her cheeks, and for a long moment she was aware of her tenuous position, riding in Cameron’s wagon, dependent on him for her food and a place to sleep. It was not a comforting thought, she decided, to know that this man had pinned her in place with his dark eyes, had struck at the very heart of her, giving her the knowledge of his possession of her.
And yet, she would not have it any other way. He’d been kind, his touch had been gentle all the livelong day, even when he’d lifted her to the wagon seat. He’d been all that was protective of her and her welfare, and if she sensed an aura of ownership in his sharp features, she could not complain. His hair was ruffled by the breeze, his tanned forearms were muscled and bare to the sun, and he wore the look of a man who had his life in order.
All but for the woman he’d taken responsibility for, and perhaps even that had been slotted into a place in his mind. For unless she was mistaken, he was determined to lay claim to her.
“Are you frightened of me?” he asked, and Elizabeth shook her head.
“You’ve done nothing to alarm me thus far,” she said quietly. “It’s just that you look at me in a strange way, as if you’re plotting something that includes me and my future.”
“I am.” The words were spoken firmly, his lips thinning as he looked ahead of his team to the wagon they followed.
“I won’t let you plan my life for me. I know you rescued me and I appreciate the fact that you’ve been more than kind to me. But I’m a full-grown woman, Cameron, and I won’t be handled like a child.”
“Trust me,” he said with a long look of amusement, “handling you as I would a child is the farthest thing from my mind. I’m well aware that you’re a woman, Elizabeth. If I’m making plans that include you, it’s in your best interest, believe me.”
She felt a shiver at his words, a long chill that had her reaching for the quilt.
“You can’t be cold,” he said, frowning at her as she pulled the warmth of his bed covering over her shoulders. “It must be hotter than Hades in there, with the sun baking the canvas.” His mouth twisted, and he almost smiled. “You’re safe for now, sweetheart. It’s broad daylight and I’m not about to force myself on you anyway. I feel almost honored that the fates decreed your place in my life. I’ll tell you now, and hope the knowledge doesn’t scare you away from me, but it seems my guardian angel has brought you to me. You’ve already filled a place in my life that has been empty for too long.”
“I don’t understand,” she admitted, huddling on the wagon bed, looking out at the man who walked beside his oxen, just half a dozen feet from her place of safety. “You don’t even know me, Cameron. I don’t even know my surname, or where I came from or where I’m going.”
“I know where you’re going,” he said firmly. “With me. Wherever I decide to settle, you’ll be there with me.”
“You can’t just decide to move me in with you,” she protested. “I’ll not do such a thing.”
“I want to marry you, Elizabeth. And then it’ll be your duty to do as I say,” he said. A smile formed that belied his stern words. “But I’ve never been one to give a lot of orders to a woman. I’ve found other ways of persuasion work more effectively.”
“Marry you?” She paled, her face ashen with the shock of hearing the words that plotted her future.
He was on the wagon seat in a moment, then turned, his feet inside the wagon bed. She backed from his touch as he would have reached for her, and his hands returned to rest on his thighs. “I didn’t mean to spring it on you that way,” he said quietly. “For now, let’s just put it aside and concentrate on your healing. There’s lots of time to look ahead and think about the days to come.”
From beside the wagon, Dallas Smith’s voice announced the circling of the wagons, surprising Cameron as he spoke of the presence of a small stream just ahead. Then he rode ahead to the front of the train, telling all and sundry that they would stop for the night beside a small grove of trees just a bit to the south, where the stream had brought life to the trees and bushes there.
Cameron turned from her and took up the reins, guiding his team with care. Within minutes, the first wagon had turned to the left and those following had begun the process of forming a tight circle.
When it seemed that he felt it was leaving them exposed to attack, Dallas instructed a dozen or so families to circle their teams inside the outer perimeter of the camp.
“This is a big train,” Cameron said, following the vehicle ahead of him. “The folks with children feel safer inside the circle, rather than stringing out on the outer edge.”
“I can understand that,” Elizabeth said, on her knees now, watching as Cameron’s wagon pulled up close to the one in front. “It seems that the train we traveled with was much smaller.”
“I’ll stake my oxen beneath the trees, and then come back and push the wagon a bit closer to the next one. We don’t want to leave gaps large enough for someone to sneak through.”
She knelt behind him, looking out across the prairie to where the sun was fast dropping from sight. “Are those mountains up ahead?” she asked, noting the sun’s disappearance. “Are we coming closer to Denver?”
“We’ve got a long way to go. The mountains are farther from us than it looks. We’ll be seeing them for several days before we reach them.”
“And then where will we go? All the way west to Oregon?”
“The train is scheduled to do that, but we won’t be traveling the last of the Oregon trail with them. I’ve got a plot of land just west and north of Fort Collins that has my name on it. If you like the area, we’ll stay there.”
“I don’t have anything to do with where you live, Cameron. I set out to go west, and that’s what I’ll do.”
“How far west were you going with your father?” he asked, already knowing she had no memory of their planned destination.
Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know. There was someone else with us, I remember, but I don’t know who he was.”
“He?” Cameron turned his head and shot her a quick glance. “You were traveling with two men?”
She was hesitant, searching the blank places in her mind for an answer. “I’m not sure. I just know there was someone else there.”
“Your husband, maybe? Maybe the wedding band on that chain is yours after all. It was one of the first things I noticed. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t on your finger.”
She touched the circle of gold with her index finger and lifted it from her skin. “I should try it on and see if it fits, shouldn’t I? I’d know then if it was mine.”
“I don’t want it to be. I don’t want to wait while you mourn a husband you can’t even remember. A man whose face is unknown to you.”
“You’re impatient,” she said softly.
“You’re right.” His words were harshly spoken, his jaw was set as though he’d determined on a course of action and would not be deterred from it.
Dallas came to the wagon, rapping on the wooden side and calling out for Cameron. “Supper is ready at Miss Jennie’s campsite,” he said. “She’s made enough for Joe and all of us.”
“Cameron is staking the oxen,” Elizabeth said, moving to the back of the wagon where Dallas stood. “He shouldn’t be long. He filled his buckets from the stream and carried water to the team a few minutes ago.”
“Well, tell him to bring you with him when he gets back. Miss Jennie’s a good cook. You’ll enjoy both her company and her food.”
“She brought us dinner at noon. I look forward to spending some time with her. She’s a lovely woman.”
“That she is. Pret’ near the prettiest girl on the train.”
“Not a chance. The prettiest one is in my wagon.” Cameron walked up to where Dallas stood and peered just inside to where Elizabeth knelt. “You ready to eat, ma’am?” he asked.
She was flustered, blushing at his words, and unable to think straight. “Dallas said we were to eat with Miss Jennie tonight.”
Wed Under Western Skies Page 4
