Josie's Valor

by Peggy L Henderson

  Josie frowned. Stubborn woman. She was as bad as Harley when it came to accepting help. There would be no persuading Mrs. Hammond, so she grabbed her own, much smaller bundle of dirty clothes that she’d wrapped in her bedroll.

  Salita glanced her way and waved as they passed by. Josie smiled, but continued following Mrs. Hammond through camp without stopping. She would visit the girl later, after she’d taken advantage of the warm sun to get her laundry done.

  Several women already knelt at the shores of the small lake, scrubbing various articles of clothing, while a group of children splashed and laughed in the water.

  “Stop blaming yourself over what happened yesterday, Mrs. Hammond.” Josie placed a hand on the old woman’s shoulder once they’d both found a good spot to work. “It could have happened to any of us. Everyone in camp is busy and tired, and it’s a chore watching over a young and curious child.”

  Ada Hammond shook her head and sighed. “I know, but it doesn’t ease the guilt. I’m so grateful to Mr. Wilder and his quick mind. He saved that child’s life.”

  Josie unwrapped the blanket that held her clothes and picked up a dirt-stained shirt. Mrs. Hammond handed her a cake of soap and continued talking as she dipped a pair of Anthony’s trousers into the water. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

  “It’s a good thing you already called for a rest day today. Anthony was more than happy to gather everyone for a morning worship service.”

  Josie dunked her shirt in the water, then lathered it with soap. She’d listened to Anthony preach about overcoming adversity and staying strong even when life dealt out hardships. She hadn’t been to church since leaving Ohio.

  “Anthony’s sermon should give us all the strength we need to keep going,” Mrs. Hammond continued.

  Pride for her son was evident in her voice, and she was probably right. Anthony always spoke with such positive conviction, and he had delivered his message in a way that lifted everyone’s spirits.

  “It’ll get easier, now that we’ve crossed the pass and are heading onto the plains. We might even be able to make up some of the time we’ve lost.”

  Josie smiled at Mrs. Hammond. While the group of women, men, and children could use words of encouragement, she couldn’t help but wonder what she’d done to deserve what had happened to her as a young girl. How had the ordeal made her stronger? All it had done was leave her scared and feeling vulnerable, even after all the years that had passed.

  She scrubbed her shirt with exaggerated vigor. The sounds of the other women’s chatter and the laughter from the children became muted as she worked. Even Mrs. Hammond’s words seemed to be far away. Her mind wandered to Travis and how he’d saved little Salita.

  Her panic had risen as she’d watched helplessly, not knowing what to do for the child, but Travis had kept a level head and had been quick to think on his feet. It hadn’t occurred to her to make Salita vomit, and she hadn’t remembered the puke weed that had made Ethan so sick many years ago. It was the perfect remedy to get the child to expel the laudanum she’d consumed.

  After the child was out of danger, Josie had been preoccupied with tending to the sick girl, while Travis had finished setting up Mrs. Colby’s camp. He’d taken care of the woman’s livestock, then returned with a hot plate of food for Josie. He’d sat in camp with her, neither one saying a word to the other, until Mrs. Colby returned and insisted they all get some rest.

  Before returning to the Hammond wagon to roll out her blanket for the night near the fire, she’d called to Travis as he walked away.

  “I know you’ve been up nearly every night, keeping watch while everyone else is asleep. I’d like to take a turn at night watch from now on.”

  Her words had stopped him. He’d turned and stared at her for the longest time. With each second that had passed, her heart had sped up and her mouth gone dry. She’d looked at him, even though his features had been obscured in the shadows of the evening. Even so, it was as if she was seeing him clearly for the first time.

  His genuine concern for the little girl had roused a sudden awareness of the man she’d only seen as self-centered and unfeeling all these years. She’d never noticed that he had a caring side, and it had left her feeling perplexed and tossing in her bedroll all night.

  He hadn’t made a move to come closer after she’d called out to him. Josie had almost repeated her words when he’d finally said, “Get some rest, Josie. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

  Without another word, he’d walked away. Josie had stared after him until he disappeared into the shadows. In the morning, he’d already been gone from camp by the time she’d left her blanket to stoke Ada Hammond’s campfire so she could make coffee. She’d been genuinely surprised when she’d noticed him leaning against one of the wagons, away from everyone else, listening to Anthony’s sermon.

  When he’d caught her looking his way, their eyes had met across the distance. Josie had quickly turned her attention back to Anthony, but she’d had a difficult time concentrating on the rest of his words as her heart had pounded in her head. Travis’ piercing stare had been more than unsettling. There had been something different in the way he’d looked at her the night before, too, while she’d tended to Salita Jane, and it rattled her insides in an unexpected way.

  “What’s the matter, dear?”

  Josie startled when Ada’s face appeared in front of her out of nowhere. The woman wore a concerned frown.

  Josie blinked and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

  Ada leaned back, studying her with renewed interest. “You got so quiet all of a sudden, I thought something was ailing you.” She pointed at the soaking wet shirt Josie clutched in her fist. “And you were pounding that shirt as if it was going to strangle you.” The old woman chuckled.

  “I suppose I’m a bit tired,” she stammered. Her face began to flush. Would Ada Hammond be able to read her mind and know she’d been pondering her confused thoughts about Travis Wilder?

  Josie shook her head to clear it. Nonsense. There was nothing there to read. Travis might have aided a child in need, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the same person she’d known all these years. She frowned. Did she really know him?

  The Travis Wilder she’d known was loud and opinionated, and cared about nothing but himself. Josie squeezed her eyes shut for a second. He also enjoyed taunting her every chance he got about her lack of skills with her rifle, even if Harley or one of the Wilder brothers had to set him straight. He’d never conceded that she was as good with her rifle as he.

  Next to her, Ada Hammond let out a grunt. “Are you sure that’s all that’s troubling you? There’s no question you could surely use a good night’s sleep. I know you must be tired. I heard you tossing under your blankets into the wee hours of the morning.”

  Josie stared at the woman. Had she really been that loud in her sleep? Mrs. Hammond slept in her wagon, and Anthony slept under it. Usually, Josie bedded down near their campfire, but perhaps she needed to move further away.

  “I’m sorry if I kept you awake. I must have had a bad dream.”

  Mrs. Hammond’s head tilted and her brows furrowed with worry. “Seems bad dreams afflict you a lot. I hear you sometimes, moaning and crying in your sleep.” The woman hesitated, then placed a hand on Josie’s arm and smiled warmly. “I don’t mean to pry, but is there something bothering you, dear?”

  Josie stared. Her mouth went dry. She wrung out her wet shirt and reached for the next piece of clothing.

  “Must just be the excitement of this journey,” she uttered. She’d had nightmares years ago, but they had come less frequently as time passed. She only had them occasionally now, but apparently, they must have returned without her being able to remember.

  Loretta Colby arrived at that moment and joined Josie and Mrs. Hammond at the river. Josie silently thanked the woman for her timely arrival. It would prevent any further discussion about her dreams. Ada Hammond had a keen eye, and she
would have continued to pry in her grandmotherly way if not for the interruption. Josie had no intention of telling the woman about her past.

  Loretta held her hand to her back after dropping a full basket of laundry at her feet.

  “The baby’s asleep, and Salita is with her brother and sister,” Loretta announced. “Gives me time to get this wash done.”

  “I’m almost finished with my wash. I can help you with yours,” Josie offered.

  Loretta looked at her with eyes rimmed with dark circles. “I appreciate everything you and Mr. Wilder have done for me and my kids. I don’t know what I would do without the two of you.”

  Next to Josie, Ada Hammond nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. At least I have my son to help me, but the rest of you have no one. Mr. Wilder has been pitching in and doing the work of ten men.”

  Loretta chuckled, her eyes on Josie. “Some of the ladies and I have been talking about fixing the two of you something special for supper tonight.”

  Josie averted her gaze from the two women as they sang their praises for Travis. Had she been too busy with her own responsibilities to see all the things Travis had been doing to help out? Yet she’d accused him of being selfish and inconsiderate.

  “What do you think, Josie?”

  Josie glanced up to see Ada watching her with expectant eyes.

  “What do I think?” she stammered. She’d lost track of what Mrs. Hammond and Loretta were talking about.

  “You’ve known Mr. Wilder for many years, right? He must be absolutely indispensable to everyone at your homestead.”

  Josie stared. How was she supposed to answer that? She shrugged. “He does his share of the work, just like everyone else in the valley.”

  “Does Mr. Wilder have a particular favorite dessert? If at all possible, we’d like to make him some of his favorites.”

  Josie laughed. “I don’t think there’s anything Travis Wilder doesn’t like to eat. I’ve never known him to be fussy about food.”

  Mrs. Hammond studied her for a moment with inquisitive eyes, then she chuckled. “It’s remarkable that his brothers are all married to your sisters.”

  Josie wrung out the last of her wash. “Ethan, the eldest Wilder brother, is married to my sister’s best friend,” she corrected.

  “So, you’re the only woman in your family who isn’t married, and Mr. Wilder is the last of his brothers.”

  Josie’s head snapped up to stare at Loretta for her implied remark. Her heart seemed to have leapt up into her throat, which closed off. She shook her head.

  “I have no plans to ever marry.”

  The words came out harsh, but they were the truth. There wasn’t a single circumstance that came to mind that would ever get her to change her mind about marriage. Any young girl’s fantasies of finding Prince Charming and living happily ever after had been shattered a long time ago. She wanted nothing to do with men, and certainly not marriage.

  “Surely someone will come along to change your mind,” Ada said with a wide smile. Her eyes grew round all of a sudden, and her hand reached out to touch Josie’s arm. “Did you have your heart broken by a sweetheart, dear?”

  Josie couldn’t hold back a scornful laugh. “No, most definitely not. I’ve never had a sweetheart, and like I’ve said, I never plan to marry. I have no use for a man.”

  Loretta and Ada exchanged looks of confusion. Why did it seem so unbelievable that a woman didn’t want or need a husband? Perhaps if she told them the reason, they’d stop asking questions, but her past was not something she was going to discuss with these ladies.

  Ada Hammond patted Josie’s hand and smiled indulgently. “You’re still young, my dear. There is plenty of time for you to change your mind.” She glanced up and across the lake, as if her mind had wandered to another time. Her bosom heaved as she drew in a long breath.

  “Sometimes, love can come unexpectedly and out of nowhere.” The old woman turned back to Josie. “And when it does, you have to seize it with all your might and not let go, or you might regret it for the rest of your life.”

  Josie simply nodded, keeping her mouth shut tight. This topic was leading nowhere, and it was rather uncomfortable. She forced a smile.

  “Well, I’ll tell you what.” Loretta leaned in, a mischievous smile on her face. “You and Mr. Wilder would make a striking couple. You two practically grew up together, and you have so much in common.”

  Josie’s heart pounded in her chest. This conversation had gone from mildly uncomfortable to downright unbearable. She stood so fast, she tripped over Mrs. Hammond’s laundry. She flailed her arms to remain on her feet. To regain her balance, she took several steps back and collided with something solid. A strong hand clamped around her arm to steady her, but released her again almost immediately.

  “Whoa. Watch your step. What’s got you so ruffled?”

  Josie raised her head to stare into the smiling face of Travis Wilder. Her wide eyes locked with his. Travis usually smirked, so why was he smiling? How long had he been standing there, and how much had he heard? She backed up again, this time slower and with more care.

  Ada heaved herself off the ground, her eyes going from him to Josie. “You have impeccable timing, Mr. Wilder. We were just talking about you.”

  Travis’ brows rose. “That so? I’m sure whatever Josie’s told you about me is absolutely true.” His eyes found hers as she clutched her wet bundle of laundry to her chest. The sparkle in his gaze didn’t match the intensity of his stare.

  Josie blinked, but forced her eyes to remain on him. It was time to stop being intimidated. The impulse to run back to the wagons was almost overpowering, but she needed to stay rooted to the spot, or there would be more questions from Ada Hammond and Loretta Colby about her behavior.

  Loretta came to her rescue. “We were talking about food, Mr. Wilder. I was just asking Miss Hudson about your favorite dessert.”

  Travis’ grin grew wider. He finally unlocked his gaze from Josie to look at the widow, but almost immediately sought her eyes again.

  “And what did you tell Mrs. Colby?”

  There was a definite note of challenge in his question. Josie unclenched her jaw. She straightened.

  “I told her that you’ll eat anything set in front of you, Travis Wilder.” She paused, then raised her chin. “I was about to tell them that you’re the first at the supper table most nights. You enjoy Cora’s and Anna’s cooking, and you’re quick to smile when they offer you the first piece of pie or freshly baked biscuit.”

  The smile froze on Travis’ face, and his brows furrowed. He continued to stare at her with complete surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t expected her to give such a long-winded account. Loretta Colby exchanged a quick look with Ada Hammond, who coughed.

  “But what is your favorite dessert, Mr. Wilder?” Loretta pressed.

  Travis apparently had lost his ability to speak, since he didn’t answer. He continued to stare at Josie as if he was trying to figure out the answer to a great mystery. She inhaled a deep breath, then answered for him, since she seemed to have the upper hand at the moment. He could always correct her if she was wrong.

  “I believe his favorite is Huckleberry Pie or any other fruit or berry pie. Travis has quite the sweet tooth.”

  The pounding in her heart increased. Discussing Travis’ favorite food was more uncomfortable than being challenged to a shooting match. Why did she have to say anything at all? She forced a smile at Ada and Loretta and stepped away from the lake shore.

  “If you’ll all excuse me, I have laundry to hang to dry.”

  Avoiding further eye contact with Travis, she walked back to camp on weak and trembling legs.

  Chapter 11

  Travis stared after Josie as she rushed toward the wagons. Each encounter with her lately had left him more and more confused. When he’d signed on to take these folks east, Josie had been nothing more than a burr under his saddle. A pesky fly to shoo away. Ever since he’d had that revelation about why she behave
d so aloof around people – especially men – the way he viewed her had changed.

  Truth was, he’d deserved her cold-shoulder treatment all these years. He’d certainly never said or done anything to make her be more trusting of him. Last night, when she was holding that little girl in her arms, she’d looked at him for the first time with something other than loathing in her eyes. Travis could have stood there all night, staring back at her. The warmth, friendliness, relief, and gratitude had been all too easy to read.

  After he’d left the circle of wagons to go crawl under his blanket, a sense of regret had haunted him. Sleep hadn’t come. For as long as he’d known her, he’d seen her as nothing but competition for Harley’s attention, but now . . . Travis frowned. What did he see in her now?

  From out of nowhere, Josie had transformed into a woman – a beautiful young woman – right in front of his eyes. Of course, she hadn’t really changed, but the way he’d started noticing her had been as sudden as a kick to the gut from Harley’s pack mule.

  She was a lot like her sister Cora, but there was a haunted look in her eyes that he’d failed to see – or perhaps ignored – for so long. It seemed to have kept her from fully emerging into her own. There was no doubt she would have been of even stronger character than her oldest sister, but some bastard had snuffed the light out of her when he’d attacked an innocent young girl.

  An indescribable sense of rage had engulfed him as he’d tossed under his blanket, thinking about what Josie must have endured at the hand of that faceless man who deserved worse than a bullet through his heart. Would she ever get over what had happened to her? Would she ever trust a man enough to allow him to be more than a brother or friend?

  Travis had scoffed as he’d lain awake, staring into the darkness. She might have referred to him as her brother-in-law on occasion, but they were far from friends. While there seemed to be an unspoken truce between them since the incident with the little girl the day before, her guard was still up whenever he was around. He might not ever be able to bridge the gap between them.