Trail of Redemption (Hot on the Trail Book 6)

by Merry Farmer

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Hello, Tim,” Graham said, careful to keep his voice smooth and calm. No need to let the boy think he was angry, though they’d have to have a stern talk about running away at some point. “You gave me and Estelle quite a scare, you know. What are you doing hiding all the way back in here?”

  Tim froze for a few seconds, then let out a breath and scrambled out from behind the stack of bales. Estelle rushed across the stable to join them, scooping Tim into a hug, then sitting on the bales, positioning Tim between them.

  “Sweetheart, don’t ever run away from me again,” she burst out, along with a tear which she wiped away as soon as it appeared. “I was so worried.”

  Tim glanced between the two of them, shoulders drooping, lowering his head. “You’re going to let them take me away,” he said.

  Graham caught his breath. He knew the boy could talk. Whatever had kept Tim silent, he’d known it couldn’t last forever. Graham exchanged a glance with Estelle. She didn’t wipe her tears away this time. They painted two trails down her beautiful, soft cheeks that spoke for his emotion as well as hers.

  “Now what makes you think that?” he asked, resting a hand on Tim’s shoulders.

  Tim shrank further. “No one ever wants me,” he whispered. “Not my ma, not the folks at the orphanage, not you. That man and lady don’t want me neither.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” Estelle brushed Tim’s hair back from his forehead, picking out a piece of straw as she did. “We want you so much we’re ready to fight for you.”

  “But that fancy man said folks like you weren’t good for a boy like me,” Tim insisted. Nonetheless, he peeked up at Estelle, then Graham, with his innocent blue eyes.

  “Son, don’t you listen to a single fool thing people like that tell you,” Graham said, squeezing Tim’s shoulder. “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you everything will be easy all the time and we’ll never have any problems. It might be hard for a wounded soldier and a beautiful, half-slave woman and an orphan boy to make a life for themselves. It might take a lot of work and a lot of searching until we find just the right place where folks won’t mind a family that’s a little different. But it might just be worth the effort.”

  Tim sat a little straighter, his brow lifting as he took in a breath.

  “Do you think you’re ready to do that kind of hard work?” Graham asked him.

  All at once, Tim sat straight and tall. He nodded fast, a smile spreading across his face. Estelle sniffed and wiped her tears.

  “Do you think you’re ready to settle down with just the three of us—me as your pa and Estelle here as your ma?” Graham asked on.

  Tim nodded vigorously, a short giggle bursting out of him.

  “Even though it means helping me get around or doing more chores for your new ma or having people ask you strange questions?”

  “Yes,” Tim burst out on a heavy breath. “Yes, I can. I know I can.”

  Estelle pressed a hand to her mouth, then let out a happy cry and hugged Tim tight to her chest. Tim giggled and hugged her back.

  “All right,” Graham said, his heart full to overflowing. He couldn’t help but add a little teasing. “If you’re willing to help me and do extra chores, then I’ve got something you can help me with right now.”

  “What?” Tim whispered. He wriggled out of Estelle’s embrace, suddenly serious.

  Graham nodded to Estelle. “We’ve got to make this all right and official first, don’t we?”

  Tim nodded.

  “Which means I need you to help me get down on one knee.”

  Tim beamed and jumped down off the bale, offering his shoulder to Graham as a balance when he scooted off his seat and figured out the best way to kneel on the dusty stable floor.

  “Oh, Graham, you don’t have to,” Estelle told him, breathless with emotion, wiping her face only to have more tears flow. “You already proposed, and I already said yes.”

  Graham turned to Tim. “What do you think? Do I have to do this again to make it right?”

  Tim tilted his head to the side to consider, then nodded sagely.

  Graham smiled. “See. The boy has spoken.”

  Estelle laughed. As soon as Graham was balanced, Tim helping him to stay upright, he reached for Estelle’s hands. She wiped her eyes one last time, then clasped his hands tightly.

  “Estelle, I knew almost from the first moment I saw you that I could never give my heart to anyone else. I’m sorry I spent so long being so bull-headed and not accepting the truth. I’m not perfect, but you have always treated me like I’m just the same as other men. And I will only ever see you as the most beautiful, kind, and strong woman in the world. And I’m asking for more than just your hand, I’m asking that you’ll take Tim with me. I’m asking that you’ll accept all three of us together as one.”

  “My sweet Graham,” Estelle said, breathless and shaking. “I should have trusted you with the truth much sooner. I knew you were brave and bold from the start. Of course I’ll marry you, and adopt Tim too. We belong together, all three of us. And I swear, I’ll make you both happy, no matter what anyone else has to say about the subject. They’ll never break us apart.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him, closing her eyes. Graham could have burst for joy at that kiss, at the passion that hid behind it, and at the promise of a long and happy life together that it foretold. In no way could he have guessed that this journey west across the prairie in the hot sun could be the beginning of a better life than any man deserved.

  At length, she broke the kiss and leaned back, letting go of one of his hands to embrace Tim along with him. “I swear I’ll be a good ma to you and make you happy too.”

  “I am happy,” he said, and threw open his arms to hug both Estelle and Graham close.

  “We’re a family now,” Graham added. “So let’s go tell those fools who think they can decide otherwise just how wrong they are.”

  By the time the three of them walked out of the stable, hand-in-hand, the sky was alight with sunset and early stars. Ft. Laramie was crowded, and it turned out that more than a few of the people packed into its walls had been searching for them.

  “There they are,” one of the men from their wagon train called out as they came to stand in the center of the fort’s main yard.

  Across the way, Nelson and Ruth burst out of the commandant’s office. A tall man in a sharp militia uniform followed them.

  “Ah, see?” Nelson said, pointing to Graham, Estelle, and Tim while addressing the man in uniform over his shoulder. “There they are, Col. Feiser, and there’s the boy. Seize him at once.”

  Tim gasped and pressed himself into Estelle’s skirts. Estelle put a protective arm around him from one side as Graham leaned in closer from the other.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” Graham addressed the colonel as he, Nelson, and Ruth strode to meet them. “I’m not giving up Tim. He’s mine and Estelle’s, and I won’t listen to anything different.”

  “Do you see how belligerent he is?” Nelson appealed to Col. Feiser. “I’ve tried to reason with him, tried to tell him the council’s decision was final, but he became violent.”

  Slowly but surely, the yard was filling up with curious onlookers. Faces that Graham had been seeing for weeks now stared back at them. Even some of the folks who had been sick had come out of their wagons and were now watching the drama unfold. Charlie and Olivia stood to the side, a well-dressed, dark-haired man who Graham didn’t know with them.

  Col. Feiser planted his hands on his hips and stared from Nelson to Graham and on to Estelle and Tim. “Would somebody explain what’s going on here?”

  “I’ve already told you,” Nelson rushed on, clearly upset. “This child needs to be taken into safer custody. The trail council feels he’s in danger with these two. The man is a violent ex-soldier and the woman is a lying mulatto, an ex-slave.”

  “And who is the boy?” Col. Feiser asked.

  “He’s an orphan.”

&
nbsp; All eyes turned to Josephine as she shouted the answer. She and Pete, Lucy and Gideon, rushed into the yard from the fort’s gate.

  “His caretaker died and Estelle stepped up to care for him,” Josephine went on. “She’s the best mother any boy could ask for.”

  “Don’t listen to them, sir,” Nelson said, turning his brightest politician’s smile on Col. Feiser. “They’re biased. And a little touched in the head. The boy is in danger.”

  “He is not,” Pete interjected. “He’s—”

  Col. Feiser held up a hand. Pete reined himself in enough to hold his piece, though to Graham’s eyes, he looked as though he would burst again at any moment.

  “Let me get this straight,” Col. Feiser said. “This boy, Tim, is an orphan. That woman, Estelle, took him in.”

  “Correct, sir,” Estelle said.

  “And who are you?” the colonel asked Graham.

  Graham put his arm around Estelle. “I’m her fiancé, sir.”

  Col. Feiser nodded.

  “Don’t listen to them.” Isaiah stepped forward, striding out of the crowd to stand with his arms crossed in front of Graham and Estelle. “Sir, I’ve known this woman my whole life. She’s a slave, or was one, just like me. Her father was the plantation owner, and I know, sure as sunrise, that he wouldn’t permit these two to marry.”

  “You know no such thing, Isaiah,” Estelle said.

  Isaiah turned to her with a toothy grin. “Oh, but I do. I also know that if you marry your soldier here, I’ll follow you wherever you go to make sure everyone knows just who you used to be.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Graham seethed.

  Isaiah’s grin widened. He stole a glance to the side, to Nelson. Nelson nodded. “Just watch me,” Isaiah finished, crossing his arms to gloat.

  “You’re in cahoots with Nelson,” Estelle whispered. “Why would you do that?”

  Isaiah twisted to lean closer to her. “No one turns my offer of marriage down, especially not a jumped up little tart who thinks she’s better than the rest of us.”

  Something within Graham snapped. Balance or no balance, he wheeled back and punched Isaiah across the jaw for all he was worth. His fist instantly radiated pain, but Isaiah whipped to the side, thrown so off-kilter that he spilled to the dirt, blinking in surprise.

  “No one threatens my family,” he barked at Isaiah’s writhing form. Graham snapped his eyes up to Nelson. “No one hide behind cronies in their attempts to split us apart.”

  Nelson wasn’t deterred. “You see? Violent and unpredictable.”

  “You would be too.” Graham addressed Col. Feiser. “Do you have children, sir? A wife?”

  The colonel was slow to answer. “I do,” he said, drawing out the words. He rubbed his chin, frowning as he tried to make out what was happening. “That’s why I need to do what’s best for the boy. Mr. Nelson here says that he and his wife are willing to adopt Tim.”

  Estelle sucked in a breath at Graham’s side, and Tim threw his arms around her waist.

  “No one could care for that boy better than Estelle.”

  The statement was made in a soft voice, one that was hard to hear, by none other than the blanket-wrapped form of Mrs. McGovern. All eyes turned to her, more than a few filled with shock. Graham’s heart began to pump hard with hope.

  “That boy loves Estelle,” Mrs. McGovern went on, “and so he should. She’s so good to him.”

  “Hattie, you hush up,” Ruth shouted at her.

  Mrs. McGovern flinched in offense. “I’ll say what I believe.”

  “And who are you?” Col. Feiser asked.

  “Don’t listen to her,” Ruth said. “She’s sick.”

  “I was sick,” Mrs. McGovern agreed. “Estelle cured me. She cured me when she didn’t have to, after I… after I was right mean to her.”

  A few murmurs of surprise and agreement came from the crowd that had gathered to watch the scene.

  “She fixed me up too,” Mrs. Carlton spoke up. She’d recovered faster than Mrs. McGovern and was able to speak in a louder voice. “I turned my back on her when I found out who she was, but she didn’t turn her back on me. I’ll never forget that kindness. It likely saved my life.”

  More murmurs of agreement rang through the watchers.

  “She’s always been a hard worker and a good companion on the trail,” Hank piped up. “I wasn’t sure what to make of things when I heard she used to be a slave. She don’t look like one. But I figure, none of that matters much when a heart is so big.”

  A larger wave of agreement and a few calls of “That’s right” and “Hear, hear” rose around them. Nelson grew twitchy with worry.

  “It would be a crime to take that boy away from Miss Estelle,” a farmer whose name Graham didn’t even know spoke up. “She’s a gem, that one.”

  “No, no,” Nelson protested. “She’s a former slave. She’s a darkie.”

  This time the rumbles that rose up from the onlookers were negative, scolding.

  “If you don’t let Estelle and Graham keep Tim,” Lucy said, stepping forward, her hands balled into fists at her sides, “then I’ll tell my papa, Mr. Howard Haskell of Wyoming, that you said so, and he’ll have a thing or two to say about that.” She nodded for good measure.

  Col. Feiser’s brow flew up. Whether it was at the mention of Howard Haskell or the sheer volume of support that was flowing in from all sides, it was hard to tell.

  At last, Pete stepped forward. “Col. Feiser, we’ve had dealings with each other before.”

  “We have,” the colonel agreed with a cautious nod.

  “Now, I’m not saying we’re friends, but I’ve never done you wrong.”

  “True.” The colonel continued to stroke his chin.

  Pete turned to Nelson. “This man’s a politician. He’s been giving me trouble for weeks now. And that man,” he pointed to Isaiah, who was still seated on the ground, rubbing his tender jaw, “has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. I fired him yesterday for it too. Don’t listen to a thing those two say. Listen to the rest of them.”

  “But, sir,” Nelson started.

  Or rather, he tried to start. Col. Feiser held up a hand to stop him. When there was silence, he turned to Tim.

  “Son,” he said, striding forward until he stood right before Estelle and Tim. Tim peeked up at him, eyes wide with awe and fear. “Who do you want to be with?”

  “Ha,” Nelson barked. “The boy doesn’t talk. He’s been too afraid, what with—”

  “I want Estelle and Graham to be my ma and pa,” Tim said, clear as day.

  A ripple of excitement spread through the onlookers. Lucy clapped and squealed in delight.

  Col. Feiser stood and smiled. “That settles it then. The boy stays with these two.” He nodded, then turned to head back to his office.

  “But—” Nelson chased after him, but anyone with eyes could see that there was nothing left to do.

  The crowd burst into applause, as though they had witnessed a real trial or a contest that now had a winner. All around them, men and women who had turned up their noses at Estelle less than a week before now rushed forward to congratulate her. A pair of soldiers from the fort scooped Isaiah up under his arms and hauled him off.

  “Oh, I just knew it would work out for the best,” Lucy said, still clapping her hands and bouncing as she and Gideon rushed in to hug them.

  “About time someone spoke some sense,” Pete said.

  “I knew it would turn out well,” Josephine added.

  “I’m so sorry I ever doubted you,” Mr. McGovern came forward with his wife. “Hattie and I’ve been thinking about it, and we’ve decided that if either of you needs a job, well, we’re just going to be starting a farm out in Oregon, but we’d love to have you come work for us.”

  “Only if you don’t come work for us,” Mr. Adams rushed in. “Not on a farm, though. I plan to get into the logging business.”

  “How do you fancy running a hotel?” another of their fell
ow pioneers, who Graham had only barely talked to, threw in his offer.

  Graham laughed. “Thank you all so much for the offers. It’s a lot to think about.”

  “Well, we’ve got plenty more time on the trail,” Pete said. “Folks, let’s give these three some room.”

  With a final round of congratulations that included kisses on the cheek for Estelle from Lucy and Olivia, and a big smack on his cheek from Josephine, the crowd of well-wishers dispersed, leaving them on their own.

  “What do you know?” Graham laughed. “Turns out we’ve got friends after all.”

  “Friends and a future,” Estelle replied. Her voice was tight with emotion, the light in her eyes overwhelmed. “Who would have imagined?”

  “I did,” Tim exclaimed.

  Graham and Estelle laughed. “I did too,” Graham said. He leaned forward to kiss Estelle with every bit of passion he had, regardless of Tim wedged between them. “The three of us were always meant to be a family. Now we can be. The future starts right here, with us.”

  Epilogue

  As desperately as Estelle wanted to marry Graham right then, at Ft. Laramie, as soon as a minister could be found, it turned out that there were far too many other things going on with her friends to arrange a wedding. The man she had seen standing with Charlie and Olivia turned out to be trouble. The older man who had seen Tim in the fort caused his own trouble for Gideon. There were too many plots in the air for Estelle and Graham to think about themselves at first.

  A little bit of planning and organization turned out to be a much better idea than rushing straight into something. Not only was it a relief to see the back of Isaiah and of Clarence and Ruth Nelson for good as they left the wagon train and set out on their own, the weeks between Ft. Laramie and Ft. Bridger gave Estelle ample time to sew a wedding dress and a new suit for Tim. It also gave her time to spruce up Graham’s Union uniform, which had grown worn and shabby.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Graham told her in the middle of the Wyoming wilderness as he worked currying the crew’s horses while she sewed.