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Sarah could barely move her aching body when they turned off the main road to Denver and onto another, less traveled one. A rocky mound caught her eye. Behind it stood two trees that had grown entangled and now grew tall and straight together. They traveled a half-hour or so more, then pulled into a small homestead.
Thorn had said they would spend the night there. She tried to swallow her groan as the wagon jerked to a halt. A man in worn clothing came over and welcomed them like old friends, which they probably were, since Thorn said he and some of the freighters made this trip quite often.
After Thorn jumped down from the wagon, he helped Sarah to the ground, then turned and shook hands with the homesteader. “Sarah Rose, this is a good friend, Jason Dunn. He raises some of the finest horses in the territory. Jase, I’d like you to meet my wife.”
“My honor to meet you, ma’am. My wife’s in there.” He pointed toward the wooden house. “Glad to see Mac finally got hitched.”
She pulled out the satchel that contained her nightclothes and headed to the main house.
“Just go on in, ma’am. My wife’s fixin’ supper for you all. She’ll be happy to see another woman.” With that said, he joined the men to care for the stock.
With the satchel bumping against her leg, Sarah made it to the cabin. She knocked on the door.
“Come on in.” A woman’s voice rang out.
The door screeched when Sarah opened it. The noise was loud enough to wake the scarecrows in the cornfield, as her mother used to say. Why didn’t the owner oil the hinges? As soon as that thought popped into Sarah’s head, she realized the value of the alarm. No one was going to sneak in through that door without the woman hearing him. And in the isolation of this homestead, that could be a blessing.
A blonde woman whose swollen middle was the biggest part of her pushed out of a large rocking chair and shuffled from the back of the room. Three young boys trailed behind her. The boys looked to be from two to five years old.
“We’re always glad to have Mac and his teamsters stop over, but it’s a rare and true blessing when they bring a woman with them.” She shooed the boys back to the rocking chair. “There’s water and a towel over in that room, if you want to freshen up a bit. Supper’ll be ready in just...” The woman stopped and stared. Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she snapped it closed. “Sarah?” She blinked and took a step closer. “Sarah Hollingsworth?”
Something floated around in Sarah’s memory. The voice. The sparkling green eyes. Then she saw the necklace hanging around the woman’s neck—silver with a small cross. Sarah had had a matching one years ago. Her pa had given her and her best friend each one on the day they were baptized when they were about thirteen. He’d said since they were best friends and now shared the same birthday, they should have something to remind them they were sisters in Christ, especially when they got upset with one another.
Sarah lifted her hand and touched her throat. She had worn her necklace from that day until the time her grandfather had ripped it off her neck, the day she’d told him she wouldn’t marry Alfred. Not that her defiance had done her any good. She had never seen the necklace since.
“Melody Hawkins?” After all this time and halfway across the country, Sara couldn’t believe it. She’d found her best friend. With arms uplifted and boots thumping the wooden floor, Sarah hurried across the cabin. She was met partway and wrapped in a warm hug that seemed to bridge the years.
“Sarah, I can’t believe it’s you. Where—how—who—oh, never mind.” Melody giggled and started over. “I’m just so happy you’re here right this moment.” Tears ran down Melody’s plump cheeks.
All at once there was the pattering of small feet on the floor. The boys surrounded them.
“Don’t cry, Ma.”
“Get Pa?”
Someone hit and pushed Sarah’s leg. “Don’t hurt Mama.”
Melody shushed the boys. “It’s all right, boys. This is my friend. I haven’t seen her for a long, long time. I’m fine, just very, very happy.” She gave each of the boys a hug and sent them back to where they had been playing.
“I want to sit and catch up on all the years right now, but the men’ll be here in a few minutes, and they’ll want something to eat.” Melody dried her cheeks with the corner of her apron, straightened, and rubbed the small of her back. “We can visit after I get supper on the table for you and the teamsters. We’ve already eaten, so why don’t you go freshen up?”
Sarah pushed her satchel out of the way. “I’ll help. That way we can start visiting right away.”
Melody smiled and nodded.
After washing her hands at the pump, Sarah grabbed the knife and the warm bread. She glanced over at Melody, who was stirring the stew.
Sarah turned her attention to the bread. “With three boys already, are you hoping for a girl this time?”
The smile on Melody’s face brightened as she rested her hand on her middle. “Well, this one’ll be the ninth.”
Sarah dropped the knife. “Nine? But I only saw those three little darlings over there. Where are you keeping the rest?”
“The two oldest are out in the barn helping their pa take care of the animals.” Her smile dimmed a bit. “Eliza, Katy, and Prudence are all resting up on the hill under a beautiful elm tree surrounded by sweet-smelling wildflowers. Their bodies are, anyway.” Her smile grew brighter again. “Their spirits are with Jesus, waiting for the time we’ll all be together again.”
Sarah stepped over to the stove and wrapped her arms around her friend. “I’m so sorry. I...I know that pain. I lost three precious babes, too. But I never knew if they were boys or girls.”
“I’m sorry you had to bear that pain.” Melody gave her a hug. Turning back to the stove, she started stirring again. “Do you have any other children?”
Sarah set the sliced bread in a napkin-lined basket. “Oh, yes. I adopted a little girl. She’s less than a year old. Her name’s Emma.”
“That’s wonderful. If this one’s a girl, maybe they’ll grow up to be best friends.” Melody ladled the stew into a large serving bowl. “And if it’s a boy, maybe they’ll have an even closer relationship. Then we would all be one big family.”
Sarah enjoyed her friend’s giggles, but there was one thing she knew. She would never, ever force her daughter into a marriage just to make others happy.
By the time the men entered the room, food was on the table and the young children had been put to bed in one of the two small rooms off the main room.
While Sarah and the men ate, Melody and her husband sipped coffee and shared the news that had come from Denver. All through the meal, Sarah snuck peeks at the way Melody and her husband held hands. She wondered what it must be like to live in a marriage like that, where love and friendship was so deep and strong that it was visible to those around them. Her parents had had a relationship like that, and a part of her mourned the fact that she hadn’t and never would.
As she swallowed the last bite of buttermilk pie, Sarah caught Thorn staring at her with a questioning look in his eyes.
She ducked her head. Grabbing her plate, she hurried over to the dry sink. She planned to wash the dishes and give Melody a break. As she reached out to lift the bucket of hot water off the stove where it had been heating, rough hands shooed her away.
“Now, Mrs. Mac, I know how my missus has been yearnin’ to be jawin’ with you. Why don’t you ladies go out and sit in the cool night breeze and let me and your big ol’ husband tend to this clean-up?” He looked over his shoulder. “O’course, any of you other men who want to help are welcome to stay.”
Thorn shrugged and stood. “Won’t be the first time I’ve helped in the kitchen.”
The rest of the other teamsters hurried out the door while Thorn stacked the dirty dishes.
Sarah wondered if he’d helped his wife, his first wife, with the dishes. But then she caught something in the corner of her eye that made her yearn for something she never had.
Melody kissed her husband as he rubbed her back, then she whispered something in his ear that made him turn red up to the tips of his ears. He hugged her and whispered something back in her ear. She giggled and swatted his arm before turning back around. She grabbed Sarah’s arm. “Let’s go while we can.”
The two of them hurried outside and settled in a couple of wooden chairs near the front door. Melody was the first to speak. “Mrs. Mac? The last I’d heard you were going to marry that horrible Mr. Greer. After that, I never got another letter, even though I sent you several more. Tell me everything that’s happened since the last time we saw each other in Iowa.”
Sarah gave a very brief account of her life while she was married to Alfred and how she and Drew came to be in Central City. When she finished, she noticed Melody wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron.
“Oh, Sarah, even with those few words, I could feel the pain you went through. I’m just thankful you had your faith to carry you through that terrible time. And now God has brought you out here, and we’ll be able to see each other again.” She rubbed her swollen middle. “I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to come to Central City to see you, but maybe you’ll be able to stay overnight sometimes when Mac goes to Denver to get supplies. Then he could pick you up on the way back.”
Sarah held back a sigh. Melody would never be able to understand the extent of the anguish and loss those years of marriage to Alfred Greer had brought her, and she hoped she never would. Some things were just too horrible to share. Best to get the conversation onto another track.
“I’m curious about something, if you don’t mind me asking. Eliza was your mother’s name, and I’m guessing Katy was your mother-in-law’s name, but who did you name your other little girl after?”
Melody giggled. “I wondered if you saw anything special about that name. Actually her name is Prudence Hill Dunn. Jase couldn’t understand why I insisted on it until I told him why that name meant so much to me. Remember?”
Memories marched through Sarah’s mind—the two of them getting into scrape after scrape and using the name as a code word for help. Knowing if that name was used either verbally or in a note, the other would come and be there for support.
“Of course, I remember. How many times did the teachers get confused when they snatched up a note from one of us signed with Prudence Hill, since there never was anyone in the school with that name?”
“When I saw the face of my third daughter at birth, that name came to me. I felt that she wouldn’t be with us long. I prayed and prayed to God.” Melody’s hands rested over her unborn child. “And God answered my prayer, just not the way I wanted. But He did bless me in letting me see the beauty of that child and the joy she brought to our family. I keep that in my heart.” She wiped another tear from her cheek. “And now He has blessed me with another life.”
Sarah swallowed back her angry reply. Would she ever be as accepting of what happened to her as her friend?
Melody yawned. “I still haven’t heard how you became married to Mac. As far as I’ve ever heard, he’s never been sweet on any woman in the time we’ve known him.”
Sarah decided to leave Melody to her imagination and stood. “I think it is time for you and that little one you’re carrying to get some sleep. We can talk some more in the morning.”
Melody nodded, and they entered the cabin. “You can have the boys’ room. The two oldest are already out in the barn, and the younger ones are asleep in our room.” She pointed to the door that was closed as she headed for the open one, where a man’s snores could be heard over childish giggles. “I hope you have a good night’s sleep.”
Sarah smiled at her childhood friend. Nothing had felt as good in a long time as the precious moments they’d shared. The door to Melody’s room closed. Sarah turned the door handle and entered the room where she would sleep.
She felt the smile drop from her face. If she looked down, she was sure she would see the broken pieces of it lying on the hard-packed dirt floor. Thorn stood by the bed, his bag sitting by the washstand, his hat on a hook near the window.
She opened her mouth to demand to know why he was in her bedroom.
He pressed his finger against his lips.
“Quiet.” He stepped around her and closed the door, his voice lower than a whisper. “I don’t mind sleeping in the barn with the boys, but I figured you might not want to explain to your friend about our marriage.”
Sarah couldn’t move. He was right, but where did that leave them?
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” Thorn remained by her side, his voice still low.
She couldn’t look at him but bowed her head. The dirt floor stared back at her. Her bones ached. If she spent the night on that hard floor, she wouldn’t be able to move in the morning. But to share a bed with a man, her legal husband...a shudder ripped through her. She clasped her hand over her mouth.
Thorn moved across the small room and pulled his slicker from his bag. With a flip of the wrist, he spread it out.
Her shoulders relaxed. Thorn wouldn’t hurt her or take advantage. “Stop.”
The word was a mere wisp of sound, but it rang out in the room and jerked Thorn’s head around. His eyebrows raised in question.
“You can’t sleep there. It’s too hard. We—we’ll share the bed.”
He left the slicker on the floor and stepped close to her. “I don’t mind the floor. I’ve slept under the stars lots of times. This is no different, except I don’t have to worry about rain falling on my head tonight.” He touched her cheek. “I’ll be fine.”
He moved to the door and rested his hand on the doorknob. “Think I’ll get a drink of water. Give you a chance to change and get into bed.”
He left the room.
Sarah grabbed the slicker and shoved it into his bag. All right, so he was being considerate, and she could be, too. She rushed to change into her nightgown and crawled onto the hay-stuffed cotton tick mattress, then pressed her body against the wall. That way Thorn could get in without having to crawl over her. She left his covers laid back.
Seconds passed as fast as a race between two old—two very old—snails bent on seeing who could come in last.
Sarah’s grip on the bedcovers grew tighter and tighter.
She gulped down a cry when the door opened at last. Thorn stepped into the room, then closed the door.
The lamp threw light on his face. His eyebrows pulled together. His eyes moved from the now-bare floor to the empty half of the bed to Sarah.
“I said we could share.” She turned and tucked her nose against the wall. “Good night.”
Thorn blew out the lamp and sat on the mattress. The rope-hung bed swayed a bit. One boot thudded on the floor.
Sarah’s stomach clenched.
The other boot thudded.
She covered her mouth with her hand. Not a word, not a sound would pass. She could do this. They both needed sleep in order to finish the trip tomorrow.
The bed shifted.
She peeked over her shoulder.
He stood and pulled the covers back over the mattress. When he lay back on the mattress it shifted again. He was going to sleep on top of the covers.
She let out the breath she had been holding.
“Sarah Rose, go to sleep. Have sweet dreams. No one’s going to bother you tonight.”
After shifting a couple times, she finally drifted off to sleep, only to fight an evil king who looked like her grandfather and his cruel knight who had the same face as Alfred. They threw her, the fair damsel, in the cold, dark dungeon with rats and bats and other horrible creatures. She fought them. She tried to outrun them, but they sunk their claws into her and pulled her back. A shining white knight appeared and slew the creatures. He set her on his trusty steed and took her off into the sunshine as he sang a song with a Scottish burr.