The sun barely topped the rise as the women stood knee-deep in the stream, manning scrub boards. Restless with pain, Copper struggled with resentment. One day each week the wagons rested, always near water so the women could catch up on the laundry while men mended harnesses and did various other repair chores. If this was intended to be a day of rest, it looked to her like a lot of work was going on, and her pain wasn’t getting any better.
This morning she sat at water’s edge watching the work. The women scrubbed and wrung garments to later hang on lines fashioned between the wagons. Though last night’s harmless excursion with Mike hadn’t been mentioned, Copper knew the subject was uppermost in the women’s minds. At first she wanted to deny that she’d acted improperly, but then she decided she had done nothing wrong and bringing it up would only suggest that she had. Redlin might think she was “cavorting,” but nothing could be further from the truth. Yet very few women spoke to her this morning. They called back and forth, apparently enjoying their work, but giving her the silent treatment. Even Sadie had not been her usual cordial self.
“Hey, if you’ll hand me some garments I’ll be glad to wring them for you.” She couldn’t get into the water; she should help in some fashion.
Nodding, the women wordlessly began hurling wet shirts and pants at her. She ducked, surprised by the almost mean-spirited barrage, but she wasn’t going to mention the velocity of that last petticoat.
She wrung a shirt and tossed it into a bucket. “That rain bank looks to be moving closer.”
Adele paused, putting her wet hands on her hips. She scanned the approaching front. “Won’t be here before evening. We’ll have plenty of time to dry laundry.” The women returned to their conversation on a particular stew recipe some swore by and others avoided.
After a while of the continuing snub Copper blurted, “I merely accompanied Mike when he took the mail to the post. If I’d known it would cause such a fuss I’d never have gone.” She pitched a pair of denims in the container.
Scrubbing ceased. Eyes turned to center on her.
Copper felt heat creep up her neck. Why had she opened her big mouth? She didn’t owe these people an apology. The world would not cease to spin on its axis because she accepted a simple moonlight excursion with a single young man.
Adele broke the strained silence. “Why, honey, why would you defend a moonlight walk with Mike? He’s a fine boy—”
“He isn’t courting me, Adele.” How vain did they take her for? They didn’t know her well enough to accuse her of chasing a man. The heat in her cheeks blazed. “Redlin said that some of you thought my actions objectionable.”
“Hogwash.” Adele picked up a pair of unmentionables and proceeded to scrub. “Sounds to me like the only objections come from him.”
Sadie paused, wiping soap off her elbows. She focused on Copper. “Now wait a minute. I thought you weren’t interested in Redlin.”
“I’m not!” Copper denied.
“Leave her alone, Sadie.” Nellie Fisher threw a man’s shirt into her basket. “You know you have about as much chance of attracting Redlin as a snowball in you-know-where. That man’s not going to suddenly wake up one morning and propose marriage to you.”
“Nellie,” Adele scolded, “that’s a right uncharitable thing to say. You can’t speak of Redlin’s feelings.”
“I don’t know anything about the man other than he tends his own business, reads his Bible nightly, and I’ve never caught him mooning over Sadie or any other woman. You know the Nelsons have that young pretty daughter, and I’ve never seen Redlin say more than good morning or evening to her.”
Sadie’s crestfallen expression tugged at Copper’s heartstrings. It was plain mean for Nellie to say such a thing. Sadie might not be every man’s cup of tea, but she was good-hearted and she would give you the blouse off her back if she thought you needed it. Copper sprang to spare the woman’s feelings. “Actually, I believe Mr. Redlin is already spoken for.”
She immediately regretted the outburst. Work ceased. Women stood in the stream, wet garments dripping soapy water.
Sadie cocked her head. “What makes you say that?”
“Because I accidentally saw a letter he mailed last night.” Accidentally, her foot. She’d nearly broken her neck trying to read the postmark, but the women didn’t need to know everything. Gossip was the devil’s work, but Copper was never sure where the line parted between gossip and fact, and the fact was she’d seen a letter addressed to “Susan” in Dallas.
Gossip, she supposed, was passing along such information, but she was in too deep to back down now.
Sadie half waded to the bank. “So? All of us mail letters.”
“But this letter was addressed to a woman in Dallas, and granted I have no idea who the woman is, but it could mean that he has someone waiting for him when he completes his job.”
Sadie fatalistically shook her head. “A wife.”
“No—at least the last name wasn’t the same.”
Sadie’s face screwed in concentration. “Sister?”
Copper shrugged, wishing she’d never mentioned the subject. She only did so to comfort Sadie but the woman looked anything but relieved about the speculation. “Sadie? Have you and Mr. Redlin courted?” Copper asked.
One or two women snickered and Copper shot them a stern look. Sadie might be a little rough around the edges, and she was anything but feminine by nature, but she was a hard worker and loyal to a fault. One man had found her worthy of marriage, and another would too. If not Redlin—Well, granted, she had to admit as much as the man annoyed her, he was a striking male with a smidgen of appeal and a good deal of empathy. She supposed that came from all the Bible reading he did. The man knew Scripture. He asked grace over the evening meals and talked to the Maker with such ease and familiarity that Copper could vow that somewhere in his past he had a history of religious service.
“I only mentioned the letter for all of our benefits.” She nearly choked, but she continued. “It would be difficult for any woman to deny that the wagon master has certain…undeniable appeal.” She glanced at Sadie. “So no one should feel badly if the man has a private life that he’s chosen not to reveal. And that life might well include a woman—a fiancée—a…” She wanted to say donkey with a similar personality but she refrained. She only wanted to dampen Sadie’s hopes, not to dash her dreams. “A Susan.”
“Copper’s right, you know.” Adele reached for a dishcloth. “Redlin keeps his private life to himself. His job is to get us to Colorado Springs, but otherwise I guess the man has a right to a personal life.”
Others agreed. Even Sadie nodded, and Copper sagged with relief. She had no idea about Josh Redlin’s personal life—and she didn’t want to know. But she hoped she had somewhat dashed Sadie’s unrealistic expectations for the man. Truthfully, as much as she liked Sadie, she couldn’t, in her wildest dreams, imagine Josh and her together. She had a feeling Josh was wanting a nice, submissive woman, and Sadie didn’t fit that description. Sadie was more like…her. Spirited. Able to hold her own with the opposite sex.
Shortly after noon, with the school lesson finished and laundry flapping on the line, Copper stretched out on a blanket to read a copy of A Fairy Tale by Louisa M. Alcott. Reading took her to new worlds, and today she felt in need of distraction.
A commotion caught her attention and she glanced up to see four braves ride into camp. Pulse quickening, she thought of the children.
Please God, let them remember our lesson on fear, and please let this be an “irrational one.”
Men with rifles in hands stood well back as Josh and Frank Richardson approached the small party. Copper figured the braves couldn’t be looking for trouble with the relay station and soldiers close by.
The men engaged in conversation. From her vantage point, Copper couldn’t hear the exchange but it appeared to be expressed in nonthreatening tones. Suddenly her heart hammered so forcefully she thought it would break through the chest wall. What if the redskins decided to turn on the two men?
In a second they could be dead with an arrow through the heart before others could fire.
She eased closer to the edge of the pallet, wishing for a gun. She could shoot. She was not an expert, but if one of those savages decided to go after Redlin she felt sure she could put a round within a few inches of the intended target.
The small party conversed another few minutes, and then the braves turned their ponies and rode toward the chuck wagon.
The camp guards dispersed, their concerns apparently eased.
Reaching for her crutches, Copper awkwardly got to her feet and approached Josh, who was coming back to camp with Frank Richardson.
Redlin acknowledged her with a nod of the head when she met him at the end of the wagon. “Something I can do for you, Miss Wilson?”
“Please stop with the Miss Wilson. I think we know each other well enough to speak our given names.”
“What’d you need, Copper?”
She inclined her head toward the prior meeting spot. “What was that about?”
He turned to look where she indicated, and then turned back. “The braves?”
She sighed. “No, the grass. Of course the braves! What did they want?”
“Think I’ll just leave you two to duke it out.” Frank Richardson tipped his brim and walked on, chuckling under his breath.
Removing his hat, Josh ran a hand through his hair. “They wanted to herd our stock tonight.”
“Herd our stock?”
“They say they know of good pasture up the road.”
“And you’d trust them to take our stock?”
“No. I would send Mike and Doug with them, but yes, I hired them to take the stock for the night. They’ll have it back by sunup.”
“Won’t they be armed? How can you believe them?”
His tolerant look was enough to bring color to her cheeks. “I give you my word, they won’t be armed, but Mike and Doug will be. The stock hasn’t had good pasture in a few days so I took them up on their offer. It’s common practice so don’t worry your pretty head about it.”
Copper’s eyes shifted to the chuck wagon where the braves were now off their ponies. “Are you going to feed them too?”
“Super and breakfast—that’s all they want.”
“There’s four of them. You’re going to send all four?”
“No, two will ride ahead until they find another train and offer the same service—why all of the interest? Are you running this train now?” He grinned. “Didn’t I hear you explaining fear and irrational fear to the kids the other day?”
“Yes…” She bit down on her lower lip. “And I regret the lesson. I wanted to make an impression, and now I fear I might have made them lax. One asked how I could tell if their fears were rational or irrational, and I didn’t have an answer.”
He reached out and tweaked her nose. “If you find an arrow in your back, they’re rational.”
When she didn’t smile, he sobered. “There isn’t an answer. You use caution, but eventually you get to know their habits and you can pretty well figure out their sense of purpose. If you’re going to make a mistake, make it on the side of caution, if that helps.”
They turned and she kept pace with him.
“I also bought four sides of antelope from them,” he said. “Thought the folks might enjoy some fresh meat tonight.”
As much as she hated to admit it, the man could be pleasant when he wanted, and today he wanted. He treated his job with respect, and the folks in his party like family.
He nodded toward the crutch. “How’s the ankle?”
“Very painful.”
His gaze softened. “We’ll be in Fort Riceson soon.” She noticed he didn’t try to annoy her with anxious thoughts of flooded rivers and broken wheels. His answer was as close to real information as she’d come, and she was relieved to hear the journey would soon be over.
“I’m frightened.” For the first time, she felt herself opening to him. “If I allow myself to think about the possibility of—”
He interrupted. “Dyson is the best. I had heard of his work before you were injured. If the ankle can be fixed, he’ll do it. If not, then you live with what God gives you.”
Resentment built in the back of her mind. “That’s easy to say when you’re not the one with trouble. You’ve never had to experience anything like this.”
He chuckled but not with mirth.
She glanced over, perplexed. “What?”
“Do you think you’re the only person on earth with problems?”
“No, but—”
“You’re not.” He answered for her. “You’ve got a heavy load, I’ll grant you that, but whatever happens, you’ll make it through.”
“How can you be so certain? You hardly know me.”
“Because I know people, and I know you well enough to say you’ve got what it takes to make it through this world.”
She wished she felt as confident as he sounded.
“That was a compliment, Miss Wilson.”
She glanced over and grinned. “I know. Was that so hard?”
He shrugged. “Took all I had, but I got it out.”
By now they’d reached Adele’s wagon. They paused, and he removed his hat. “The thing I said about accepting whatever God sends your way? I still have to work on that one myself. It’s not easy, and it takes a powerful lot of thinking to not resent God during the hard times.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. The man who had once grated on her nerves beyond anything she’d experienced, was now talking to her seriously, and sharing some of the struggles he faced. She’d always imagined having these kinds of conversation with a man, but never thought it would be Josh.
“Thank you, and thank you for the vote of confidence.”
He turned to leave, and then slowly turned back. “Regretfully, I hate to ruin the mood, but I have something I need to say and I don’t want you flying off the handle. Agreed?”
She stiffened. And they were getting along so well. “What?”
“Agreed?”
“Agreed—within limits.”
“Don’t be spreading any more rumors or speculations about my correspondence.”
She was quite certain that if a face could physically hit the ground, hers would have at that moment. “Why…I…” She was sputtering and she knew it. Who’d told on her? Nellie? Well, woe to her if she ever mentioned another word around that nosy body.
“Look.” His tone gentled even more. “I’m not getting on you, I’m just asking that you don’t be speculating about things you know nothing about. Do we have an agreement?”
She nodded, embarrassed speechless. Mortified. He was right. She’d had no call to theorize about his personal life.
“Hey.” He tilted her chin to meet his gaze. “I’m not angry with you. I just happen to be a private man who doesn’t like speculation. Rumors can turn ugly and mean and innocent folks can get hurt.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “Of course you’re right, and I was out of place.” It would be of no value to explain her motive, though chances were Josh knew Sadie’s expectations and had decided long ago to ignore the matter.
Why hadn’t she been as wise?
That night the rain moved in. Copper lay on her pallet listening first to the thunder and lightning, and then the downpour as it lashed the canvas. For some reason the laudanum was not easing the pain much this time, and she prayed for the hazy spell the drug normally produced.
Her thoughts drifted to Josh Redlin. He wasn’t so bad—good conversationalist, knowledgeable, and he certainly knew his job. The antelope had made a wonderful supper, and later some men had taken the remains to the way station to share among the soldiers.
All in all, it had been a good day—maybe even a fine day. Soon she would know her fate, and as Josh had said, she was strong, strong enough to accept whatever God sent her way.
She only wished she was as certain of her inner strength as he seemed to be.