A Lifetime to Share

by Kathleen Ball

  A Lifetime to Share

  Oregon Trail Dreamin’ Book Two

  Kathleen Ball

  Copyright © 2018 by Kathleen Ball

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  I dedicate this book to all the readers and authors in the Facebook Group Pioneer Hearts. I appreciate y’all. A big thank you to Steven, Manda and Emery; you brighten my life.

  And to Bruce, Steven, Colt, Clara and Emery because I love them

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  The End

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  Chapter One

  Eli spurred his horse and leaned down to the left as far as he could reach. His gut clenched as he raced toward the girl. Reaching out, he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out of the way of two oxen. The top of her head slammed his jaw shut as he placed her in front of him. The racing of his heart took forever to slow. He let out a big sigh as he rode Roman toward the girl’s wagon.

  “Didn’t you hear the oxen bearing down on you?” he asked the quaking girl. “You could have been killed.” His voice was sharper than he would have liked, but she needed to understand the danger of the trail. The Oregon Trail was fraught with mortality, and stupid mistakes made him angry.

  She didn’t answer, and that made him angrier. He’d seen her around the last two weeks. She reminded him of a mouse, always scurrying about, and all she wore was brown clothing. It was a big contrast compared to her mother who wore what looked to be finely made clothing. The girl always appeared busy but he’d heard her parents both yell at her for her laziness a time or two. Perhaps she was a bit addle-brained.

  “Hey, Eli, what’s Amelia doing on your horse?” Benjamin Cruthers asked while glaring at his daughter.

  Amelia shifted in front of Eli and her body shook all the more.

  “She was just about to be trampled by Rex’s oxen before I scooped her up. You really need to keep a better eye on her.”

  “Don’t you worry, I will. Just set her back on the ground. She’ll keep up with our wagon. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Perhaps she could walk with your wife.”

  “No, the missus is taking a nap. This trip has been hard on her. I’ll keep good track of Amelia, and I’m as sorry as can be that she was a bother.”

  Amelia stopped shaking and hung her head. Eli felt bad for her, but she needed to be supervised. Carefully, he set her on her feet, and then he rode off.

  There was always a big period of adjustment on the travelers’ part during the first few weeks on the trail. Some folks were seasoned pioneers while others were city dwellers who decided to take their chances at a new life out west. He seemed to have more city dwellers than usual this trip. They’d be stopping for the nooning soon, and hopefully, with full bellies they’d all be fine until evening.

  Usually Mike, Eli’s older brother led the party, but he had married an amazing woman he’d met their last trip west and had stayed behind in Oregon to build their life and the family ranch. It’d been a lot of responsibility on Eli’s shoulders to lead this trip, but he had both his brother Jed and their longtime friend Smitty to help. Eli hadn’t had a clue just how much responsibility Mike had carried for them as leader.

  Somehow, Mike had always made leading a party of wagons across from Independence, Missouri to Oregon seem easy enough. It was anything but. When tempers heated, neighbor went against neighbor, and it had only been two weeks. What would the group be like in a few months? He shook his head. He didn’t want to know.

  Dread filled Amelia as the wagons came to a stop. She was sure to get it now. Why did that Eli Todd go and “rescue” her anyway? Surely, she hadn’t been in that much danger. Wouldn’t she have noticed if she was right in front of oxen? He just wanted to act the hero and he’d ended up making her look foolish.

  “Amelia! Get to work. Your father is hungry, and you’re just standing around,” her mother shouted. She crossed her arms over her ample breasts and glared. “You don’t want to make your father mad.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Amelia replied automatically. Any other response would have been the wrong one, and there were consequences for wrong answers. Her hip hurt something fierce from all the walking, but there was no help for it. She grabbed some firewood that she’d gathered that morning and laid a fire. After she got it started, she ground the coffee beans, added a pinch of salt, and put the grounds in the coffee pot to boil. Next, she sliced pieces of ham and set them to frying. She then cut up potatoes from last night’s supper and heated them in the pan. It wasn’t long before the meal was ready.

  Her mother took a bite of the dinner. “You should have put the potatoes on before the ham, Amelia. Now the ham is dried out,” her mother said as she shook her head.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Amelia left to water and rub down the oxen her father had unharnessed. She’d eat when all the chores were done. The hard work she was used to, it was all the walking that stretched her to her limit. But she’d have to bear it.

  Her parents had been so excited to go to Oregon that she’d hoped they’d be happier people and in turn, kinder people. It wasn’t working out that way. If anything, they were harsher with her than usual. She was their embarrassment and out here, they couldn’t hide her away from other folks.

  She’d watched how other families interacted, and she was surprised at how kind and gentle parents could be toward their children. Somehow, she’d always assumed all children worked as hard as she did. A few people had tried to befriend the Cruthers but her parents weren’t the friendly type. They said it was because of her, but somehow she didn’t think it was the whole truth. Though she was an object of pity and she hated it.

  She led the oxen to water and waited for them to drink their fill. The wind ruffled the strands of her hair that had escaped her braid. The incessant wind had blown so hard, much of her hair had come loose. There were rules about her hair being neat and bound, and she didn’t want to get clocked in the head for untidy hair. No one was around and it would be a perfect time to take out the braid and fix it.

  Quickly she separated her hair into three long sections and then braided it nice and tight. She had just finished when she glanced up and caught Eli watching. Her face heated when he nodded to her. She turned and led the oxen away from the water. Eli seemed nice enough, and she didn’t want to see pity in his eyes too.

  “Amelia! Where are you?” her father called.

  “Coming, Papa,” she called out as she hurried the oxen along. Her limp was always more pronounced when she’d done a lot of walking and shame flooded through her.

  Eli stared after her. She was older than he’d thought. And her hair… He shook his head trying to get the picture of her beautiful, long, blond hair blowing in the wind out of his mind. H
e’d thought her more of a child, but she was definitely a woman and a pretty one at that. He never did like the fear he often saw in her eyes but he just assumed her parents were strict.

  He shrugged his shoulders and went in search of Smitty. He could use some coffee and some hot grub. The temperature was dropping fast, and he didn’t like the look of the clouds rolling in. If they were lucky, they’d get just a light snow, but somehow he didn’t think they’d be so lucky.

  “This will warm ya,” Smitty said as he handed Eli a cup of coffee. “We’re in for it tonight. You’d best tell Jed to find us some cover to camp under.”

  Eli smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing.” He took a sip of his coffee and then took the plate of food Smitty handed him. Smitty had been with them as long as Eli could remember. He was a good man to have on your side. He handled all the supplies and supervised the drivers of the two extra wagons they brought. There was always enough work to go around. “Jed will know. Somehow he always knows.”

  Smitty laughed. “He does have an uncanny knack for predicting the weather.”

  “That’s why I refuse to wager with him. He’s suckered me one time too many with his bets. Last time we bet on how long the rain would last. He was right, too right. I can’t afford to be a betting man.”

  “Just like an old woman with nothing better to gripe about,” Jed said before he chuckled. “Just stopping for some grub. You’re right about the snow. You’ll want to stop in about two hours’ time. There’s that big grove of trees to block some of the wind. It’ll give everyone time to get ready to ride out the storm.”

  Smitty took off his hat and ran his hand through his graying hair. “How long will it last?”

  Jed squinted at the sky. “The snow will stop by morning but it’ll be a good foot or so deep. Enough to give us trouble getting the wagons going.”

  Eli nodded. His younger brother seemed so grown up these days. One day Jed had been a bit of a pest and then it seemed as though overnight he’d become Eli’s best council.

  “We’d best get the wagons going.” Eli handed his cup and plate back to Smitty.

  “Surely you have time to eat?” Smitty protested.

  “Wrap me up some of the biscuits you have from this morning will you? I’ll pick them up from you on the trail.” Eli hurried off.

  They traveled for a few hours, and it was almost time to stop when Eli spotted Amelia trying to keep up with her wagon. She hobbled something awful, and it pained him to watch. He’d seen her limp but this was the worst he’d observed. Without much thought, he rode his horse, Roman toward her, leaned down, and scooped her up once again.

  The hard punch he received from her made him wince. “What’s that for?” If he had a free hand, he would have rubbed his shoulder.

  “For thinking you have the right to pluck me up whenever you want. You need to learn some manners, Mr. Todd. Now kindly put me back down.”

  “I’m just trying to help.” He furrowed his brow.

  Amelia sighed. “It’ll be more hurting if my Papa sees you. He’ll think it my fault and I have enough to deal with already. Please just do as I ask.”

  He wished he could see her face but she looked at the ground. “Of course. I didn’t mean to interfere.” He stopped his horse, dismounted and reached up for Amelia. Her face was a bright shade of red and her gaze still refused to meet his. Gently he set her down.

  She gave him a quick nod and hobbled off again.

  What kind of parents made a girl like Amelia walk? He shook his head as he swung up into the saddle. She wasn’t a child. This time when he’d held her on his horse, he noticed her female curves. It felt nice to be near her, go figure. Eli shrugged and rode on down the line of wagons letting each driver know they’d be stopping for the day.

  By the time he got to the end, the first few wagons had already started the circle. They were all learning fast, and he felt like a proud mama duck with her babies all in a row.

  Eli spent the next few hours helping people make sure their wagon covers were secure and tied down tight. He advised that as many people as possible sleep inside the wagons instead of under them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t room for everyone, but he hoped that some who slept on the ground just to be outside took his words to heart.

  Walking past the Cruthers’ wagon he saw an oilcloth and bedding laid out underneath. He knew Amelia usually slept outside, but surely not on a night like tonight.

  He stopped and walked to their fire. “Mr. Cruthers, Mrs. Cruthers,” he greeted. “Surely there is room in your wagon for your daughter to pass the night?”

  A flash of anger crossed Benjamin Cruthers’ face. “This is none of your business and I’ll brook no interference from you.”

  Cheryl Cruthers’ eyes widened a bit but she didn’t say a word.

  It was then he saw Amelia struggling with two pails filled with water, making her way toward them. Eli hurried over and took the buckets from her and filled the water barrel with one and put the other near the fire. “Are you alright?”

  She quickly glanced at her parents. “Of course I am. Just doing a few chores is all.” She brushed past him and started cutting up meat for dinner pot.

  Mr. Cruthers glared at her, and Eli didn’t want to make things worse. “Keep as warm and dry as you can. It’ll be a bad storm tonight.”

  Benjamin stepped forward. “Why is that? Did we leave too early? Other wagon parties were waiting a few more weeks before setting out. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “I’m sure.” Eli touched the brim of his hat before he walked away.

  Life was full of ups and downs. He’d just left the Otters. They were a nice couple but Reverend Stan and Bess hadn’t been blessed with children, and they hoped to adopt a few out west. And there were the Cruthers who had no love for their daughter. People continued to surprise him at every turn. For the most part, the bad surprises had outweighed the good.

  The wind howled, driving the snow sideways, hard and wet. Amelia pulled the quilts up over her head again. Every so often, she felt as though she couldn’t breathe so she poked her head out. Icicles had formed on her eyelashes and her body shook so badly it hurt. Was she such a burden that her parents didn’t care that she could die out here?

  Sighing, she curled up into a ball. Of course she was the bane of their existence. Hadn’t they told her that a hundred times over? She’d be a mouth to feed until the day they died? No man would ever love a cripple like her. She was too hideous to look upon. She’d known at an early age that dreams of a home and husband were not hers to dream.

  Her mother often lamented about what they could have done so wrong to be saddled with a daughter like her. They were right. The scarring on her hip was hard to look at and her limp screamed loud and clear that she was defective. She’d been teased enough to know she wasn’t wanted as a friend.

  People liked others that were whole. It didn’t matter that she could do as much work or that she was just as smart. Nothing mattered except for her limp.

  She’d asked Reverend Otter the other day why God had made such a mistake as her. The kindly reverend had taken both of her hands in his and told her, “God doesn’t make mistakes and you are just perfect the way you are.” They were the kindest words she’d ever heard even though she knew them to be untrue.

  Her quilt was getting heavy with wet, cold snow, and it no longer kept her warm. She wasn’t sure what to do next. There was no reason to bother her parents. They wouldn’t let her in the wagon. It would only disturb their sleep. But if she stayed where she was, she’d be dead come morning.

  Finally, she rolled out from under the wagon, pulled her quilts around her, and walked to the only fire she saw. It was like a beacon, and she followed it to its warmth. No one else was near so she sat on a crate, and tried to feel its heat through the sodden quilts.

  Perhaps she could add more wood. She didn’t want to make anyone angry, but in the end she figured she could always fetch more wood to replace
what she used. Finally, she added enough to feel the heat. Her body still shook but she no longer believed she was going to die.

  Maybe in Oregon there would be a man willing to take her on despite her ugliness. He’d have to know that there would be no children. In essence, she was nothing but half a woman but she could work hard. She stared into the fire and frowned. There was no sense hoping and dreaming. It only led to heartache. She’d already had a lifetime of that.

  Eli walked over to the Cruthers’ wagon on his way back to Smitty’s. Relief trickled through him when he noted the spot under the wagon appeared to be empty. He’d worried about Amelia all during guard duty. As Captain of the wagon train, he wasn’t required to pull guard duty, but he’d learned from his brother Mike that it was best never to ask another to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. He started to turn away from the wagon when he noticed an indentation in the snow underneath. So she had been there, and recently. Dang it!

  At least they took her inside. He stamped snow off his boots before he continued on. A huddled figure near Smitty’s fire stopped him in his tracks.

  His jaw dropped. “Well I’ll be a sonofa—,” he started to mumble. Her parents hadn’t taken her in after all.

  Fury filled him. What type of monsters were they? He slowly walked to the fire to get his anger under control. Then he sat down on a crate next to Amelia. She turned her head and gave him a sad smile.

  “I hope you don’t mind but I put more wood on the fire.” Her teeth chattered as she tried to talk.