Another wave of annoyance made his muscles tense. On the other hand, Josie apparently had no objections to Anthony Hammond. The man was practically courting her already. What did she see in him to be so accepting of his company?
Travis had watched her from a distance while Hammond had preached to the group that morning. He’d needed to leave and clear his mind by cleaning his saddle and gear. Unfortunately, his thoughts weren’t as easy to scrub clean as the dust on his saddle. When he’d spotted Josie with Ada Hammond and Mrs. Colby by the lakeshore, he’d figured it would be a good time to talk to her about what she’d said to him the night before.
On the one hand, he didn’t want her to stand watch at night. She needed sleep. On the other, he needed sleep, too. He couldn’t continue staying awake most nights for the remainder of this journey. Other than Hammond, there was no one to rely on. The other two men had proven worthless for staying awake for more than an hour during their shift. If Josie wanted to take her turn watching over the camp at night, he’d be grateful for the help.
“Is Huckleberry Pie your favorite, Mr. Wilder?”
Travis blinked and tore his eyes away from the retreating form of Josie Hudson. He should go after her rather than standing around, daydreaming. He glanced at Loretta Colby, who stared up at him while sitting on the ground holding a wet shirt in her hand. Ada Hammond stood looking at him as if she was trying to figure something out. He smiled at both women.
“Josie knows me well, Mrs. Colby.”
Saying those words sent another punch through his gut. Josie did know an awful lot about him, which was more than surprising. She’d recited quite a list of accurate details about him. What did he know about her? What were some of the things she liked? His mind came up blank.
“What about Miss Hudson?” Loretta Colby pressed. “I didn’t get the chance to ask her what she prefers.”
Travis gritted his teeth. Perspiration began to bead on his forehead. How had it happened that he’d gotten himself cornered by a couple of nosy women?
“I imagine she likes pie,” he sputtered.
A twinge of irritation gripped Travis. How was he supposed to know Josie’s preferences? All these years, they’d barely paid attention to each other, or so he’d thought. She’d clearly paid more attention than he.
Ada Hammond laughed while her sharp eyes pierced him. “You shouldn’t ask Mr. Wilder such a question, Loretta. Men tend not to notice those kinds of details. Their minds don’t work in that way.”
Loretta glanced at her friend. “If a man’s in love with a woman, he’ll notice,” she argued. Her face clouded with sorrow. “My husband knew all of my preferences.”
Ada placed a hand on Loretta’s shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. This was his chance to get away.
“I’m sorry, ladies, but I’ve got something to discuss with Josie. I’ll be sure to ask her what kind of pie she prefers.”
Travis nodded to the women, forcing a smile, then rushed off after Josie. She’d already disappeared between some of the wagons.
“Don’t forget about supper this evening, Mr. Wilder,” Loretta called after him. Travis acknowledged her with a wave of his hand but kept walking.
His strides lengthened as he rushed away from the lake to escape Loretta Colby and Ada Hammond. He slowed when he was out of earshot. Thoughts swirled through his mind of Josie at Harley’s Hole through the years. She’d been a presence there for so long, it was difficult to think of the valley without her in it; but what, specifically, could he remember about her that stood out? It took several minutes before a few things came to him.
She was a hard worker, always helping Anna with keeping the cabins clean. She prepared food alongside Cora, often after she’d gone hunting in the woods to bring back meat. She doted on Harley, which the old trapper enjoyed.
A smile formed on his lips. While she shared a lot of traits with her sisters, she wasn’t like most women he’d met. Josie sure liked going out into the woods and hills with Harley to go hunting. Cora, Caroline, and Anna all wore dresses, yet Josie had switched to wearing britches soon after she and her sisters had arrived at Harley’s Hole.
While other women liked frilly things, Josie didn’t seem to care much about her appearance. Her hair was always in a braid. Not a single instance came to mind where Travis had seen her with her hair unbound. None of it mattered, though. Looking at her, she was the most attractive female on this wagon train.
His smile widened. He did know things about Josie Hudson, after all. Even if he couldn’t name her favorite pie, or recall if there was one kind of food she preferred over another. Maybe if he paid better attention from now on, he’d learn a lot more about her likes and dislikes.
One thing was for sure. She certainly didn’t like him, and it was time to remedy that, as well. First, he had to talk to her more, and he’d start right now by telling her she could take first watch tonight.
Travis headed for the Hammond wagon. Josie would be there, hanging her clothes. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of her when he stepped out from behind one of the other wagons. In the next instant, his good mood turned sour. Anthony Hammond was with her, standing much too close, and Josie didn’t seem to mind.
Travis stopped and stepped behind the nearby wagon to remain concealed. His skin prickled with irritation. Why did Hammond always have to be around? Didn’t he have something better to do with his time than constantly hover near Josie? And worse, she seemed to enjoy his attention.
She smiled at something Hammond said. Even from a distance, it was easy to see that her smile lit up her entire face. Travis gritted his teeth. He’d rarely seen her smile, and never like that in his presence.
She shook her head at something Hammond said, then held out her hand. Hammond clasped it in his for much longer than was necessary. Josie reached for her saddle that lay on the ground near the fire ring, hoisted it over her shoulder, and headed for her horse.
Now was Travis’ chance to talk to her, but he didn’t move from his hiding place. She was clearly going somewhere, maybe to scout the area, so perhaps he should wait until she returned.
Then again, if he rode out after her, he could talk to her away from camp without the worry of someone interrupting them. He’d been all set to talk to her by the lake, but for some reason he’d lost his nerve after Mrs. Hammond and Mrs. Colby had interfered.
Josie pulled herself into the saddle and nudged her horse into a lope as she headed out of camp. Hammond stood by his wagon and waved to her before turning to give one of the wagon wheels his full attention.
Travis stepped out from behind his hiding place and stared after Josie, then strode toward Hammond.
“Did I just see Josie ride from camp?” he called before stopping near the campfire.
Hammond turned and smiled. “She said she wanted to take advantage of the quiet day and go hunting.”
Travis suppressed his own smile. Even better. Hunting was something they both enjoyed. It would be a good time to talk to her.
Hammond chuckled. “I asked her if she wanted some company, but she declined.” His eyes sparkled as he shook his head, and his smiled widened. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more independent and capable woman. Miss Hudson is quite a special lady.”
Travis clenched his jaw. The muscles along his neck and shoulders tensed. The irrational impulse to put his fist in Hammond’s face was almost overwhelming. These unreasonable thoughts that plagued him when he thought about Hammond courting Josie were getting worse by the day, and there was no good explanation for them.
“Yeah, she is that,” he grumbled. He took a step back and out of Hammond’s reach in case his willpower faltered. “And if you want some good advice, I’m telling you right now that–”
Travis clamped his mouth shut at the last second before finishing what he’d been about to say to Anthony Hammond. What right did he have to threaten the man to stay away from Josie? He mentally shook his head. He’d promised Harley he’d watch out for her. Di
dn’t that give him the right?
“Advice?” Hammond’s brows rose expectantly, waiting for Travis to finish.
Travis rubbed his hand against his unshaven chin. He shifted weight from one foot to the other, then blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I was gonna tell you not to go hunting with Josie. She’ll outshoot you every time.”
Hammond laughed. “I have no doubt about that. I know I could never beat her in a shooting match. I’m sure she has quite the competitive nature, judging by what I saw at Fort Hall.” He paused before adding, “But she is also very humble. Nevertheless, I’m sure the two of you are quite the pair when you are out on a hunt.”
Travis scrunched his forehead. Josie? Competitive? She hated drawing attention to herself. If they had ever crossed paths while out in the woods, he’d always been the one to try to out-track and out-shoot her. She usually beat him.
Rather than finding that admission annoying, as it always had in the past, it brought a smile to Travis’ face. Hammond was right when he’d said Josie was quite a lady. Not exactly the term he’d use to describe her, but the sentiment was the same. Travis sobered. Hammond had also thought they’d be a good hunting team?
“If that’s what you think, then maybe I’d best go after her and see if we can bring back some game together.”
Travis turned to leave and find his horse. The urge to find Josie and join her on a hunt was almost overpowering. For once, he had no desire to feed his pride or test his skills against hers to show her that he was a better shot.
“Godspeed,” Hammond called after him.
Travis shook his head. If he were the one courting Josie, he certainly wouldn’t like it if another man went riding after her.
He almost stopped in his tracks before he reached his horse, which grazed alongside some of the oxen outside the camp. Court Josie? Where had a crazy thought like that come from? What was going on with him lately? Ever since they’d left Harley’s Hole, his mind hadn’t been his own regarding her.
He shook his head and headed for his gelding. For the first time, it was his responsibility to look out for Josie. At Harley’s Hole, there had always been Harley, his brothers, and Josie’s sisters. Out here on the trail, they needed to rely on each other as leaders of this group. It only made sense that he was more aware of her for those reasons.
He caught and saddled his horse, then rode off in the direction Josie had gone. She’s headed out onto the plains rather than toward the low hills, so she must be looking for pronghorn. Having left in quite a hurry, she had a good head start on him.
After putting several miles between himself and the wagons, Travis scanned the horizon. There was no sign of Josie or her horse anywhere. The terrain flattened out even more toward the west but rose into foothills to the north. Had she gone into the hills, after all?
He leaned over his horse’s shoulder and kept the animal walking as he looked for tracks. A good hour must have passed before he finally spotted fresh hoof prints. His first hunch about her hunting pronghorn had been correct. The sun beat down on him, getting stronger as the day wore on, and making sweat break out on his forehead. At least the breeze in the air made the temperature more bearable.
Dust devils swirled around him with increased frequency. Travis squinted into the distance again. He held his hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun so he could get a better look at the darkening horizon.
“What the hell?” he mumbled under his breath. A large swath of horizon seemed to be getting swallowed up by a growing band of darkness.
He’d seen a stampede of bison before, which would be one reason to create such a huge, dark dust cloud, but it was too quiet for that. Travis dismounted his horse and knelt. He held his hand to the ground. For such a large cloud to be caused by bison, the earth would surely shake.
If it wasn’t bison, then the only other explanation was a large storm. Where was Josie? The thought had barely registered when his horse raised its head and its entire body tensed. Travis placed a calming hand on the gelding’s neck. He gathered up his reins and put his foot in the stirrup to mount up.
The gelding danced to the side, and Travis quickly swung his leg over the saddle. He looked in the direction his horse pointed and saw it. Another horse was galloping in his direction at a fast pace.
Travis cursed under his breath. There was no rider, and there was no doubt it was Josie’s horse. He nudged his gelding in the flank and headed for the ever-increasing dark cloud of dust.
Chapter 12
Josie inhaled slowly. Her head rested on one outstretched arm, while her other hand inched toward the knife at her hip in torturously slow motion. She was taking a huge risk, and the slightest movement might be her last, but it was her only chance.
The ever-thickening dust in the air tickled her nose and throat. Holding back the urge to cough was excruciating. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. There had only been one other time in her life when she’d been this scared.
Josie’s jaw clenched tightly, and she drew in another slow, deep breath as her hand continued to inch toward the hilt of her knife. Her eyes remained on the snake that was no more than a few feet away from her face. The reptile was coiled and ready to strike, its tail in the air and rattling an ominous warning.
If she managed to grip her knife, there would only be one chance. She’d have to be quicker than the serpent, and her aim had to be true.
Dust continued to kick up around her, and she blinked to remove the grit from her eyes. Josie swallowed, but her throat was parched and nearly closed off from the lump that seemed to grow larger by the second.
“No matter what situation ya find yerself in, always remember ta stay calm.”
Harley’s words echoed in her mind. How could she stay calm as she stared death in the eyes? A tear rolled down her face. Would she ever see Cora and Caroline, or anyone else at Harley’s Hole again? For years, her greatest fear had been another encounter with a man such as the one she’d endured as a young girl, yet here she was, facing death from a potential rattlesnake bite.
The tips of her fingers made contact with the hilt of her knife, just as the snake uncoiled and began to move. Every fiber in her demanded she grip the weapon and hurl it at the snake, but she remained immobile. Even the slightest move would cause the reptile to strike, and then it would be all over for her.
As she drew in another slow breath, the tickling in her nose from breathing in the dry dust became agonizing. Josie held her breath. She was about to sneeze.
To her horror, the snake slithered directly toward her. The urge to scream and jump out of the way became unbearable. Josie tensed even more when something moved across her leg. She didn’t dare glance down, but there was no doubt that the snake was crawling over her.
Her heart pounded up her throat, and the sound of it beating in her ears made it impossible to hear anything else. Seconds passed that seemed like a lifetime. Where had the creature gone? It had moved over her legs and could be anywhere behind her.
Josie couldn’t turn around to look. She couldn’t stay lying immobile for much longer, either. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sent silent words of love to her sisters.
Something moved along the back of her leg. Josie’s jaw clenched tightly or she would have screamed. It could only mean the snake was right there beside her. There was another slight movement by her lower back.
The unexpected sound of a gunshot echoed through the air, and something bounced off her back. Josie screamed and bolted to her feet, but her limbs were weak as pudding and she stumbled back to the ground.
She gasped for breath. Not a second later, strong arms caught her and held her close.
“It’s over, Josie. I killed it. You can relax.”
The male voice was soothing and reassuring, and had never sounded so good. Mentally spent, she collapsed fully into his arms.
“I’ve got you, Josie. Are you all right?”
For a moment, panic gripped her and she lost all reason,
as if her mind was disconnected from her body. She thrashed and struggled against the hands that gripped her arms. The familiar voice close to her ear startled her to regain her senses.
“Josie, I’m not here to hurt you.”
Opening her eyes, she blinked against the dust-filled air. Her chest heaved with each terrified breath she inhaled, until she recognized the shape in front of her. Travis.
She took a step back so as not to fall, but Travis held her up in a strong yet gentle grip on her arms. She stared up at him. Had she passed out? Not a second ago she’d been on the ground and a rattlesnake had slithered over her legs. She shuddered at the terrifying memory.
“Josie, we need to get away from here. The dust storm that’s brewing is only going to get worse, and it’s heading our way fast.”
Travis was standing in front of her, his eyes on her and with urgency in his voice. The cloud of dust that swirled around her became even denser, making her eyes tear up.
“Come on, Josie. We need to get going.”
His tone was almost gentle and soothing. He reached out as if to touch her face, but apparently thought better of it. A strong gust of wind picked up at that moment to confirm what he’d said. The hair that had come loose from her braid whipped around her face.
“Josie, let’s go.”
Travis’ voice was firmer this time as he called into the wind. He gripped her arm and nudged her forward. She had to squint now to see anything in front of her as the dust cloud grew even thicker. In the next instant, his hand enveloped hers, and he pulled her along behind him.
On legs that were still unsteady, Josie stumbled after him, ducking into the wind. She held her free hand over her nose and mouth. Breathing became more difficult with each second and her mouth filled with grit. She couldn’t even keep her eyes open any longer. She simply stumbled along blindly, gripping tighter to Travis’ hand for fear she might lose him.
Josie's Valor Page 10
