Kathleen's Dream (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 1)

by Maggie McCloud

  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that on your own,” he said closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Since you’ve been here, they’ve gotten so much better. I hoped they had gotten past the things that were bothering them.”

  Kathleen looked questioningly at Daniel but decided not to press him about it.

  The kids were overjoyed to see their pa the next morning. They were none the worse for wear and seemingly had forgotten all about the storm. They insisted he try one of the sugar cookies they’d made, which of course he found delicious. He thanked them for the cards they’d made him and handed over the peppermint sticks he’d promised them.

  Kathleen had packed him a sack of sandwiches for lunch since he was again working in the farthest section of his land.

  “Say bye to your pa now kids. He’s got to go,” she said.

  Daniel did a lot of thinking that day while working in the fields. After the way the kids had reacted during the storm, Daniel knew it was time to tell Kathleen how Patsy had died.

  After supper he said, “Awhile back you wanted to know why Melissa had nightmares. I think it’s time you heard the whole story. I’ll tell you once the kids go to bed.”

  Later, after the kids fell asleep, they went to sit out on the porch. It wasn’t an easy thing to talk about, but it was easier to say out in the dark.

  “It’s not always safe being way out here on your own. I wanted Patsy to learn how to fire a gun, in case I wasn’t around. She really didn’t want to but I kept insisting. One morning I left a gun on the kitchen table and told her I wanted her to start practicing every day. Then I left to go and do some work in the barn.”

  Daniel was quiet for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said in a ragged voice, “I heard a gunshot come from inside the house and came running. The first thing I saw was Melissa standing in the doorway. She looked over at me and I swear I’ll never forget the look in her eyes.”

  Kathleen leaned over and took his hand in hers. “What happened Daniel?” she asked quietly.

  His hand tightened on hers as he continued. “Michael had got his hands on that gun I put on the table and was waving it around. He thought it was just a toy. When Patsy saw him with the gun, she ran over to take it away from him. Somehow the gun went off and …and Patsy was lying on the floor in a pool of blood when I found her. She was already dead. I found Michael crouched in a corner rocking back and forth, his arms over his head.”

  For the first time he looked at Kathleen. “I blame myself, but Michael thinks it’s his fault. Melissa was watching her mama and Michael when the gun went off. She told me how it happened. So now Michael stutters and Melissa has nightmares. And as you found out the other day they are both mighty jumpy whenever they heard thunder. I think it reminds them of the sound of gunfire.”

  “Oh Daniel, I am so, so sorry. How awful for all of you!” said Kathleen. After a moment, she squeezed his hand and said, “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I’ll do my best to help them get through this.”

  There was nothing more to say. They just sat there together in the dark for a long time, Daniel still gripping her hand tightly.

  As the weeks went on, Kathleen was starting to feel more and more comfortable in her role as mother to Daniel’s children. Although still quiet and not quite ready to give Kathleen their total seal of approval, as time went on the children really started warming up to her. The day Michael let her ruffle his hair without flinching, Kathleen felt as if she’d taken a big step in earning his trust. And she could have cried tears of joy the day Melissa climbed up on her lap for the first time, while she read the two of them a story.

  The previous Saturday the whole family had gone into town to stock up on needed goods for the farm. While there, Kathleen had paid a visit Mrs. Gregson. They spent an enjoyable hour sipping tea and catching up.

  “Married life must agree with you, Kathleen. You’re positively glowing!” exclaimed Mrs. Gregson.

  “Things are going very well. I think the children like me. At least there have been no tricks or tantrums lately.” Kathleen went on to describe what had happened on her first day looking after the youngsters.

  After a good laugh, Mrs. Gregson asked about Daniel. “And how are things going with Mr. McCann?”

  “Well, we have had a few differences of opinions along the way but I think we are becoming friends. And for now that will have to be enough. I know he still misses Patsy.”

  Mrs. Gregson nodded and said, “Give him some time. He’ll come around. You’ll see.”

  The next week Kathleen decided it was time for her to take the youngsters on an outing to celebrate.

  Knowing she had an open invitation to go to Emily’s house, right after breakfast one morning towards the end of the week, Kathleen got the horse and wagon ready to go. She brought along a loaf of freshly baked bread and some cookies as a thank you for Emily. Once the kids were settled in the wagon, Kathleen took hold of the reins and waited for the horse to start moving.

  Giggling from the wagon alerted her to the fact that she was doing something wrong.

  “You have to m..move the reins and say giddy up if you w..w..want Bucky to move,” Michael called out.

  Kathleen was glad they were sitting behind her and couldn’t see how red her face was turning. She hadn’t practiced much more than guiding Bucky around the yard with Daniel in attendance.

  “I knew that,” she lied. “I was just getting ready,” she added.

  Taking a deep breath she managed to get Bucky moving. She hoped he wouldn’t go any faster because she wasn’t sure she remembered what she was supposed to do when she wanted him to stop. Bucky kept going at a steady pace. He seemed to know what he was doing, so Kathleen started to relax.

  They got to Emily’s without incident and Bucky stopped on his own when he reached the house. Emily was watching, grinning from ear to ear in the doorway.

  “Well, look at you, driving that wagon like you know what you’re doing.”

  “Come on in, kids,” said Emily. “I’ve got some of your favorite cookies all ready for you.”

  “How was the ride?” she asked Kathleen.

  “I’m not sure if I was driving or if Bucky was ignoring me and driving himself, but we made it,” said Kathleen smiling proudly.

  The two women visited for a few hours and then it was time to head back home. As the children and Kathleen climbed into the wagon, Emily looked up at the sky.

  “You’re leaving just in time. Looks like a storm is fixing to come through later on.”

  Chapter 6

  Kathleen and the two children waved to Emily and started for home. The sky was darkening and Kathleen was getting nervous. She wasn’t sure how far away from home they were, but she sure didn’t want to get caught in a storm, especially knowing how the children reacted. So she urged Bucky to go faster. A more experienced driver might have realized that was not the right thing to do, but Kathleen was not an experienced driver. Her action combined with a sudden deluge of rain spooked Bucky. He bucked slightly and then took off running at full speed.

  It was all Kathleen could do to hang onto the reins. She had no hope of stopping the wagon.

  “Hang on tight kids,” Kathleen called just before one of the wheels caught a rut and she was thrown from her seat. With the kids huddled in the wagon, Bucky just kept going, not stopping until he was back home.

  Daniel had returned home early, knowing there was rain coming. With Bucky and the wagon gone, he thought that Kathleen had probably taken the kids and gone to visit Emily. He figured they would wait out the storm there, so he added a few sticks of wood to the stove and got ready to warm himself up a cup of coffee.

  He was out of his chair with the sound of pounding hoofs approaching fast, and out the door in a flash. He grabbed the reins and calmed the distressed horse down. But where was the wagon?

  As the rain continued to pelt down, he led Bucky to the barn, quickly re-saddled Sugar, his own horse, climbed back on and galloped off i
n the direction Bucky had come from. He hadn’t gone far when he came across the wagon. It didn’t seem any the worse for wear. It looked as if Bucky had just slipped out of the harness and run away.

  “Kathleen, Melissa, Michael,” he called frantically as he leaped off Sugar and ran toward the wagon.

  He was so relieved when he heard Melissa say, “Pa, is that you? We’re in here.”

  Reaching out his arms he helped first Melissa and then Michael out of the wagon. They were drenched and scared, but okay. They told him that Bucky had gotten spooked and had taken off. When he did, they had been thrown to the back of the wagon and couldn’t get up because it was moving around so much. All they could do was hang onto each other. Then all of a sudden, the wagon had come to a stop and Bucky had run off. And no they didn’t know where Kathleen was.

  Daniel carried the two to his horse and set them on the saddle in front of him. He knew he had to search for Kathleen but he couldn’t do that until he dropped them off back home. The pounding rain was making the footing treacherous by then, so he had to go slowly. Once home he carried them inside and told them to change out of their wet clothes and then sit and wait by the window. He hated to leave them on their own, but he had no choice. There was no telling what had happened to Kathleen.

  “I’m going to go and get Kathleen now. You two stay together. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?”

  “Yes Pa,” they answered.

  As he stood up to leave, Melissa asked in a small voice, “Do you think Kathleen is okay, Pa?”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. Why, she’s probably getting soaking wet trying to walk back here right now. So I better go and get her,” he said in a comforting voice, hoping and praying that he was right.

  As much as he wanted to run Sugar, he knew that it was too slippery. It wouldn’t do any of them any good if Sugar slipped and broke a leg. So he carefully picked his way around the worst of the mud, calling out to Kathleen as soon as he was past the abandoned wagon.

  Daniel turned off the track and headed across the prairie in the direction of Emily’s farm, figuring that when Bucky panicked he probably picked the shortest route between Emily’s place and his own farm. His hat was keeping the rain out of his eyes, but it was coming down so hard, he couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of him.

  He called out as loudly as he could, but the wind swept his voice away. He was relieved when he saw broken tree branches. Somehow the wagon had hit one of the few trees on the plains, so he knew he was on the right track.

  He slowed down even more, looking left and right through the driving rain before moving ahead. Just when he was sure that he must have missed her, he thought he saw a flash of color in the distance, but he couldn’t be sure. Spurring Sugar on, he headed in that direction as quickly as he could.

  As they got closer, his heart started beating faster. It was Kathleen. She was lying facedown, nearly hidden by the tall grass. It was only by sheer luck that he’d seen her. He leaped off Sugar before she stopped and bent over Kathleen. Not knowing if she was even alive, he held his breath as he gently turned her over. The soft moan brought tears to his eyes.

  “Oh, thank God you’re alive. Kathleen, can you hear me?”

  She was out cold. The huge cut on her forehead was spilling blood despite the rain. He took off his bandanna and tied it around her head as best he could to slow the bleeding. Gathering her up in his arms, he managed to climb back into the saddle and started for home. All the way, he kept praying and talking to her.

  “Don’t you dare die on me now, Kathleen. Me and the kids need you too much,” he said. “Hang on Kathleen, we’re almost home.”

  He also had a word with the Good Lord, “Please Lord, I know you and I haven’t been on the best of terms since Patsy died, and I’m sorry for turning away from you. But Lord, me and the kids, we need Kathleen. She’s become a big part of our lives. Don’t take her away from us now. Please spare her life.”

  The trip home seemed endless. Besides the fact that Daniel was trying not to jostle Kathleen unnecessarily, the rain had not let up. Sugar was as sure-footed a horse as you could find, but it was slow going. When they finally arrived, Melissa and Michael ran outside to meet them. They held tight to the reins their pa passed down to them, while he carefully dismounted with a still unconscious Kathleen. Sugar didn’t waste any time in making a beeline for the open barn.

  Melissa ran ahead to hold the door open. Daniel carried Kathleen through the house and right to their bedroom where he gently deposited her on the bed.

  “Melissa, can you get some warm water? There should be a pot heating on the stove. You be careful now,” he warned. “And Michael, run and get some clean cloths so I can wash off Kathleen’s head.”

  When the children returned, they stood on one side of the bed, while Daniel worked on Kathleen on the other side.

  “Is, is she go..going to be all right, Pa?” Michael asked fearfully.

  “I hope so Michael. She’s got an awful bump on her head, which is probably why she’s not awake yet.”

  “You two go and wait in the other room for a minute. I need to get her out of these wet clothes and make her more comfortable. You can come right back in as soon as I finish.”

  After Kathleen was comfortable, Daniel called the youngsters in to keep an eye on her while he went to see to the horses.

  The rain continued all night, with the wind lashing the house from all directions. Thunder and lightning could be heard at times, but far off in the distance. Melissa and Michael insisted on sleeping on the floor in Kathleen’s room. They wanted to be there when she woke up. For once the storm did not seem to bother them as much as it usually did, since they were so worried about Kathleen.

  Daniel sat up all night in a chair at Kathleen’s bedside. A couple of times she moaned softly or moved restlessly. When that happened, he stroked her cheek and talked softly to her, but she didn’t awaken.

  Morning finally came. The storm had passed during the night, with no major damage. Daniel tiptoed out to check on the horses, giving them each some extra oats after their ordeal of the previous day. But he quickly made his way back to Kathleen’s side. She slept on; even when the children woke up and planted kisses on her cheeks. Daniel took them to the kitchen to feed them some breakfast, admonished them to play quietly and returned to Kathleen.

  By noon, he was becoming seriously concerned. The road to town was impassable as a result of the heavy downpour, so it wasn’t going to be possible to put Kathleen in the wagon and get her to town to see the doctor. And he wasn’t planning to leave her and the kids alone while he rode to town to fetch him either. It was in God’s hands. Daniel prayed as never before, realizing for the first time just how much Kathleen had come to mean to him.

  The youngsters joined his vigil in the afternoon. They refused to stay in the other room. They wanted to be near Kathleen.

  “Can we talk to her Pa?” asked Melissa.

  “I don’t see why not. Maybe she’ll hear you two and wake up. Just take turns though so she knows who’s talking.”

  Daniel didn’t really think talking would do much good, but at least it might make the children feel like they were helping. He was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed listening to the kids chatter away, when he heard a different voice. His eyes flew open.

  “Melissa, Michael, thank goodness you’re both okay,” Kathleen said in a weak voice.

  “Yay, you’re awake Kathleen,” said Melissa.

  “We th..thought you were never going to w..w..wake up,” added Michael.

  Kathleen tried to sit up, but groaned as the pain hit her.

  Daniel gently pushed her back down. “Take it easy. Don’t try to move.”

  Kathleen looked puzzled, “What happened? The last thing I remember is hitting a rut and getting thrown out of the wagon.”

  “You must have hit your head pretty hard. You’ve been out cold since yesterday when I found you,” said Daniel.

  Kathleen gr
oaned as she tried to shift her position in the bed, “How did I get back here? And how did Melissa and Michael get back home?”

  Daniel explained everything to her.

  “I don’t think anything is broken, but you probably have a whopper of a headache judging from that knot on your forehead,” Daniel said as he gently brushed the hair back off of Kathleen’s forehead. Even that hurt.

  But Kathleen was horrified that she’d been lying in bed for a whole day.

  “I’m sorry Daniel,” Kathleen whispered, as tears sprang to her eyes. “I put the kids in danger again. I am a walking disaster when it comes to those two.”

  “You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Daniel responded. “Accidents happen and that’s what this was. Bucky got spooked and then hit a rut and threw you off. You’re not at fault. Believe me, it could have happened to anyone.”

  As Kathleen tried to protest, he put a finger across her lips and said, “You need your rest. Sleep now. We can talk more later.”

  He looked at her and smiled, “We’re all mighty glad that you’re okay, aren’t we kids?”

  They nodded vigorously in agreement.

  “Enjoy this rest while you can. You’ve spoiled us with your cooking. I think the kids and I can just about force down one or two more of my dinners, but after that I think I’ll have mutiny on my hands.”

  “Yuck Pa. Your cooking is awful,” Melissa said with disgust.

  “See, you need to get your strength back real soon.”

  As Kathleen drifted off to sleep, she thanked God that the youngsters were all right and that Daniel had been able to find her with the storm raging.

  Kathleen woke the next morning before dawn. She slowly opened her eyes and gingerly sat up in bed. Everything hurt but she knew it could have been so much worse. She was a bit dizzy and still had a slight headache but she felt so much better than she had the day before.

  Looking around, her heart swelled with love as she saw Daniel asleep in a chair beside the bed. Melissa and Michael were snuggled up in quilts on the floor beside the bed.