Blake hid a grin at the girl’s oath. He was almost positive Fannie wouldn’t be able to keep her promise not to disobey his orders. But for now he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. Besides, something wasn’t quite right. Fannie’s mouth was swollen as though she’d been knocked around. Her cheek was bruised, and, unless Blake was mistaken, she seemed to be moving slowly and with deliberate moves. There! Another wince.
“What happened to you?” he asked, surprising himself with the gruffness of his question.
Fannie looked up, surprise parting her bruised lips. “Are you speaking to me?”
“Who else?” He peered more closely. “You’ve been knocked around pretty good, if I had to guess.”
Her face grew stormy, and she sniffed, but turned away. “Then don’t guess,” she said flatly. “I appreciate your letting us into your train. For the twins’ sake, but how I got these bruises is my business.”
Blake had always figured people had the right to keep their own affairs private. But something about this young woman drew his curiosity; more than that, his blood pumped with outrage that anyone could bruise such a beautiful face, or in any way try to break this young woman’s indomitable spirit. Sure, she was probably one to provoke a man to frustration, but to lay a hand on her? He’d like to get his hands on the fella who did this.
“All right. Keep it to yourself. But the safety of all these people, including you, rests with me. So if you’re in any trouble that might follow you here, tell me now.”
Her hesitation was all Blake needed. “Yes?”
“I simply don’t know, Mr. Tanner. The man I’m running away from might come after me. And Toni is running from the man who owns the saloon.” She gave him a fierce frown. “We have a right to leave. It’s just that some people want to keep us against our will.”
Call him a fool, but he believed her. “Then let’s hope they let you leave in peace.”
Two Feathers gave him a nod of approval as he escorted the newest members of his wagon train back to the long line of travelers. It only took a few minutes to reposition the wagons to tuck Fannie and her little group into a good spot directly in the middle. As Blake rode away, he noted that her face had relaxed for the first time since he’d made her acquaintance the day before.
His own muscles let go of the tension between his shoulder blades. He had a feeling that whoever had knocked Fannie around wasn’t going to just lie down and allow her to walk out of his life. As much as he dreaded the inevitable trouble to come on account of that girl, he didn’t have to worry about her anymore. Now he knew exactly where she was, and he would be close by if she needed him. Fannie Caldwell needed looking after whether she knew it or not.
“Stop that crazy cow before she causes a stampede.”
Blake’s command shot through the air, and he galloped by without a glance in Fannie’s direction. After one full day and night on the trail, Blake still hadn’t bothered to speak a word to her, so she averted her gaze just to prove she didn’t care if he had forgotten her existence.
“Now that is one fine-looking man.”
Toni’s words slammed into her gut like the butt of a rifle. Fannie clamped her lips together and refused to acknowledge the swift shot of jealousy.
“Don’t you think?”
“No.”
“Oh, come now.” Toni’s voice chimed with knowing amusement. “Every female from ten to a hundred is watching that man ride down the line.”
“Not me.” Fannie had to force her eyes forward as the urge to gawk nearly won in her inward battle of wills.
“Fine, have it your way, Fannie-girl.” Toni laughed. “But you aren’t fooling me one bit.”
Fannie couldn’t help but allow herself the memory of Blake riding by. She admired the way he sat on a horse. Confident, commanding, able. If he’d ever crack a smile, he would have reminded her of her pa, but of course, Pa was a gentleman given to laughter and fun. Fannie couldn’t imagine Blake tossing back his head in laughter. Well, maybe she could imagine it for a second. A swift image of his lips curved in a smile, his throat moving in laughter caused a leap in her stomach.
Stop it! she told herself in no uncertain terms. Thoughts of Blake Tanner were strictly prohibited. Strictly. She would not be one of those swooning fools like that Edna Cooper who Fannie had noticed walking beside her wagon up ahead. The young woman seemed to find every excuse to call to Blake. To draw attention to herself. And Fannie had noticed the young woman leaving her campfire with two plates of food this morning at breakfast. Later, she’d watched Mr. Two Feathers return the tin plates empty. It didn’t take too much to figure out that Mrs. Cooper had set her cap for the handsome wagon master. And she was more than welcome to him as far as Fannie was concerned.
“Get her for the love of…”
The whole wagon train howled with laughter as a wayward heifer broke loose and evaded the men trying to rope her.
Toni snickered. “Not wranglers are they? I hope these men plan on farming in Oregon.”
The thunder of hooves came their way. Straight toward the wagon. Fannie’s head already spinning from the pain of sitting all day driving the oxen, she couldn’t even imagine trying to jump out of the way of a scared cow on the run.
“Yee haw!” Fannie swung around just in time to see Kip jump from the wagon right in front of the animal.
Shoving the reins in Toni’s hands, Fannie forgot her pain and shot up from the wagon seat. “Kip!” But it was too late. She watched in horror as he waved his arms just like he’d lost his mind.
Terror bolted through her, beginning at her head and traveling all the way down her body, weakening her knees. She knew the boy was good as dead. But in the beat of a heart, a miracle happened. The cow just stopped. Still. Nose to nose with Kip.
Fannie looked on in silence, her voice not catching up with the scream that had been rising to her throat just a split second earlier. Kip reached out and scratched the cow’s head between her eyes. The cow’s owner, Mr. Markus, ran forward and slipped a thick rope around her neck. He reached out and ruffled Kip’s hair. “You done good, boy.”
Blake rode up. He looked down from his mount like a king on a throne and gave Kip a stern frown. “That was rather foolish, don’t you think? What if she hadn’t stopped?”
Kicking at the dust, Kip shrugged. “I don’t know. I just figured she would.”
“Look at me, son.”
Kip did as he was told for once and bravely met Blake’s gaze.
“What you did was brave. I admire you for that. And I can’t deny that I’m relieved that stupid cow got caught before she did any real damage to anyone’s property. But do you realize how dangerous your stunt was?”
“I guess so,” Kip mumbled.
“You guess so? Look how worried your sister is.”
Fannie drew a sharp breath as the attention shifted to her. How could Blake do that? Tears she hadn’t even known she was shedding flowed down her face. She wiped them away with a quick swipe.
Kip swallowed hard, and remorse showed on his face. “I’m sorry, Fannie. I just wanted to stop that ol’ cow.”
Embarrassment combined with the rush of realizing he’d narrowly escaped death was too much for Fannie. She scowled at him. “That was the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, Kip Caldwell. Mama and Pa are likely turning over in their graves about now thinking how you almost joined them.”
Blake cleared his throat. “Well, let’s just be glad he’s all right. And, as punishment for this stunt, you’ll have extra duty for the next two weeks.” He turned to the half-Indian scout. “What do you think, Sam? Should he join you hunting and scouting?”
Fannie watched in outrage as Kip didn’t even try to hide his elation at his so-called punishment.
Sam nodded soberly. “I could use a strong young man to help.”
“That okay with you, Miss Caldwell?”
Fannie was on the verge of spouting her opinion of what sort of disciplinarian he was when she realized what he was doing. He was taking Kip under his wing. Giving him a chance to focus his impulsiveness in a positive direction. She blinked hard against a rush of fresh tears. For a second she could have happily thrown her arms around the infuriating wagon master and thanked him over and over. Instead, she sat abruptly and nodded. “That’s fine.”
Blake turned to Kip. “Can you ride?”
“I-I don’t have a horse, sir.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
He gave a short nod. “I used to ride, but haven’t since my ma died, and Silas sold the horses.”
“Kip,” Katie hissed, reminding him that they didn’t share their personal life.
Blake seemed to have the matter well in hand. “It’s all right. I have two extra horses. You can borrow one of mine.”
“Thank you, sir!”
“I hope you have a sore behind for a month,” Fannie muttered.
“What was that, Miss Caldwell?” Blake asked.
“Nothing.”
Four other wagons had joined the train in Hawkins, so they were over a hundred wagons—four hundred passengers and then some. Maybe closer to five hundred. An enormous undertaking for a wagon master. But he had several captains overseeing sections of wagons. Trusted men he felt would lead with fairness as well as a firm hand. Edna’s father-in-law, Vern Cooper, was in charge of the section of train Fannie had joined.
Thanks to Mr. Markus and his unruly heifer, they had reached the creek later than expected and thus were late making camp. But that didn’t seem to bother the travelers too much. Seemed like the first few days after a stopover, they were anxious to push on a few extra miles and eat a later supper. And Blake was happy to oblige. But he, too, fought against a thick layer of trail dust and an overabundance of fatigue. He was more than ready to stretch out on his bedroll for a few hours of sleep. But several more hours of work loomed ahead of him and everyone else in camp. Wood was scarce in this part of Kansas, so buffalo chips must be gathered to make fires. Details of women and children to assign for drawing water from the nearby river. Meals to prepare for that evening, animals to tend to. This time of day, the relief of stopping was soon outweighed by the backbreaking work that followed.
Blake rode Dusty, his brown stallion, down the line, watching as wagons were unhitched and oxen were set loose to graze freely within the large circle of wagons.
“Hello, Mr. Tanner,” Toni called, as he passed the new wagon, carefully keeping his gaze fixed with only cursory interest. The kind he reserved for 99 percent of his wagon train. Toni’s bold call sent a tremor of resentment through him. Lest she harbor the mistaken notion that he had changed his mind about her presence, he gave her the most curt of nods, then turned his focus to Fannie, who seemed to be struggling with the oxen. He frowned as he looked closer and noted her grimace.
Without even thinking about whether it was a good idea or not, Blake pulled Dusty to a halt and swung down off the horse’s back. He stalked to Fannie’s side. “Need some help?” he asked.
“No,” she grunted, struggling with the yoke.
“Where’s Kip?” he asked. The boy would only be riding scout and hunting during the day. At camp he had other chores to do. “Shouldn’t he be helping with the heavy work?”
Immediately, Blake knew that was the wrong thing to ask. She jerked her chin up, shooting blue daggers through him with her eyes. “Mr. Cooper, your captain sent him out looking for buffalo chips.”
Blake nodded. “That’s what the children of the train do while the men take care of unhitching their teams.”
She gripped the bar, and Blake caught sight of her palms. He sucked in a breath as blood smeared onto the leather harness.
“Move aside, Fannie. Let me help you do this.”
“No thank you.”
Blake gave a frustrated grunt. “Suit yourself.” He stalked back to Dusty and rode away. That was the most stubborn…Only after he was more than ten wagon lengths from her did it occur to him that she had in fact disobeyed an order, thus breaking a promise that was less than ten hours old.
Toni set a pot of coffee on the fire to boil and scowled at Fannie. “Honestly, Fannie. Your hands are nothing more than raw meat, and no matter how tightly your ribs are bound, you have to be in terrible pain. I can see it all over your face. You should have let Mr. Tanner help.”
“How can you defend him after the way he snubbed you?”
It wasn’t easy. Toni had to admit it. No matter how many years had passed since she’d been received by decent folks, she still struggled with the humiliation of being treated as though she were no better than an alley rat. It hadn’t taken long on the trail to realize that enough people recognized her that she wouldn’t be able to hide who she was. A fresh start seemed out of her reach. Even the wagon master couldn’t bear the sight of her. Couldn’t acknowledge a friendly greeting without that suspicious, disgusted look she’d seen in so many eyes over the years. Still, her concern wasn’t for Mr. Tanner but for Fannie.
“I don’t care about his feelings, Fannie,” she said. “I care about your pain.”
Tears sprang to Fannie’s eyes. “It doesn’t hurt so much.”
Compassion shot to Toni’s heart, and she placed her arm around Fannie. “Katie brought a bucket of water from the river. Why don’t you go give those hands a soak in some salt water, and I’ll take care of the oxen.”
Fannie gave a snort. “What’s a saloon girl know about unhitching a wagon?”
Without taking offense, Toni took Fannie firmly by her slender shoulders and pulled her away from the oxen. “As much as you do, I’ll vow. I wasn’t always a saloon girl. Once upon a time, I was a simple farm girl from Missouri.”
Ashen-faced, Fannie placed a swollen hand on Toni’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Toni smiled what she knew was not a very convincing smile. “That part of my life is over forever. We’re going to the promised land.”
Sam Two Feathers hung back and watched the two new women. He had a gleeful feeling Blake Tanner might just have met his match in Miss Caldwell. But it was the other woman who caught Sam’s interest. No matter what Miss Toni might have been in the past, it was obvious she was ready and willing to work hard now. She struggled against the oxen, but eventually got the team unhitched. He smiled at her victory and wondered how anyone could be that beautiful.
“Why didn’t you go help her?” Sam turned at the sound of Blake’s irritated tone.
“She needs to learn to do it herself.”
“A woman like that only needs to know how to do one thing.”
Sam shook his head, pushing down his own irritation. “Not this woman. She is good. Wants a fresh start. She’s ripe for God’s picking.”
“Mark my words—no man will marry her, and she’ll be signing on with one of the brothels in Oregon before the new year.”
“I do not think so.” He couldn’t take her eyes off the white-blond hair flowing effortlessly in the breeze. “This woman is determined. She will starve before she sells her body again.”
Blake clapped Sam on the shoulder. “You just go on having faith in folks that don’t deserve it, Two Feathers. But I’ll not be fooled by a conniving woman. And you’d best not get any ideas about that one. She’s not good enough for you.”
In silent reflection, Sam watched his friend walk away. Blake stubbornly refused to suffer so much as a glance at Fannie’s wagon. But Sam couldn’t keep from turning back for one more lingering look at Toni. She pulled the oxen forward and slapped them each on the behind, sending them off to graze safely away from their fire.
She nodded at a passerby, head high with the pride of a person who has just accomplished a feat. Sam’s own heart swelled, pleased for her. No matter what Blake thought, this woman was one of quality and substance. Sam knew he had no right having those sorts of thoughts about a woman like Toni. Not because she wasn’t good enough for him as Blake had said, but because the pairing of a white woman and a half-breed Sioux, wouldn’t be overlooked among decent folks, any more than would Toni’s previous occupation. But at least she could hide her occupation. His high forehead and hawklike nose, along with sleek black hair and a brown complexion, left no doubt in anyone’s mind as to his heritage. And Sam wasn’t ashamed of his Sioux blood, but he had to admit choosing to live in the white world had been a lonely choice. Blake was his only friend, and no white women would give him a second look.
But he knew God had a purpose for his life. Felt sure there was a woman out there handpicked by God just for him, and Sam was willing to wait for however long it took to find such a woman.
Fannie fought back tears as salt water penetrated the open blisters on her hands. “It hurts bad, Fannie?” Katie asked, her wide blue eyes liquid with compassion.
“Not too bad,” she lied. “Just stings a little.”
Kip stomped back into their camp. “I ain’t doing that again, Fannie.”
Fannie fought against pain, fatigue, and frustration. She had little compassion to spare for Kip just because he found his chore of gathering buffalo chips degrading. “Well, Kip. You heard what Mr. Tanner said about obeying orders,” she said matter-of-factly. “So you’ll either pick up buffalo chips like you’re told, or we’ll get kicked out of the wagon train.”
Kip scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot. “Aw, who needs these folks anyway? We can make it on our own.”
She removed her hands from the salt water and shoved her bloody palms at him. “Can we?”
The insolence left his face as soon as he saw the wounds. “I can take care of the wagon and oxen. You gather buffalo chips. Okay?”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Kip.” Katie’s face brightened into a smile of admiration at her twin.
The thought of not having to fight with the stubborn animals was awfully appealing to Fannie. And Blake had mentioned discussing the possibility with the captain charged with assigning chores in their section of the wagon train. But she had no intention of admitting she couldn’t handle a pair of dumb oxen. “Those aren’t the chores we were assigned.”
Kip shrugged, and his expression once again twisted into rebellion. “What difference does it make as long as the work gets done?”
The boy had a point. And the thought of not having to fight the pain and dizziness of pulling against the animals appealed to her a great deal. “All right. Maybe it won’t matter so much as long as the chores are done. Tomorrow evening, I’ll join your detail while you unhitch the oxen and start the fire.”
Relief softened his expression. Then another look Fannie couldn’t quite decipher.
“What?” Fannie asked. “Why the look?”
He shrugged. “How come you been acting so different?”
“Different. How?”
His eyes turned stormy, accusing. “You promised Mr. Tanner you’d obey his orders. And I’ve never seen you act like you can’t do hard work, but you’ve been favoring your sides. You hurt or something?”
Heat rose to Fannie’s cheeks. “I made that promise just so Mr. Tanner wouldn’t kick our behinds all the way back to Hawkins, Kip. We have to be smart, and if that means pretending to do as we’re told…then…”
“Just like with Ol’ Tom.”
“Exactly.” They had to do as they were told on the outside and do whatever they needed to do when no one was looking. They had survived that way for three years. They could do it for a few more months, until they reached their new home. “So you understand, now. Right? You have to do as you’re told. Don’t make trouble. Soon as we get to Oregon, we’ll be on our own, and no one will ever tell us what to do again. Okay?”
“Mr. Two Feathers is gonna teach me how to hunt and scout. That might come in handy for when we get to Oregon.”
Fannie’s strength was finally fading, and she smiled wearily. “That’s good, Kip. Real good.”
Kip’s freckled nose creased between his eyes. “You hurt, Fannie?”
“Yeah. Tom did a real number on me this time. Sometimes I can’t breathe.”
His eyes clouded with worry. “Think we ought to ask around and find out if there’s a doc in the train?”
Fannie shook her head with sudden vehemence. “No. Kip. Listen to me. We can’t make any trouble. If Mr. Tanner finds out I’m hurt, he’ll make us leave the train sure as anything.”
“I don’t know, Fannie. He seems a decent sort of man. It ain’t your fault you got the stuffing knocked out of you.”
“Isn’t. You know better than to speak improperly. What would Ma say?”
“What difference does it make?” he asked, his freckles popping out with defiance.
“I don’t know, Kip. But Ma always wanted us to speak properly. She said it set the quality folk apart from the ignoramuses. Do you want to be an ignoramus?”
“I guess not. But I still don’t think it matters where we’re going.”
“Well, just remember Ma and mind your grammar.”
Before he could answer, nausea suddenly hit Fannie, and panic rose as she looked around for someplace to retch. She barely made it behind the wagon before becoming sick.
Pain sliced through her ribs each time she heaved, and her breath came in raspy gasps. “Fannie?”
Fannie’s head swam, and she grabbed for the wagon wheel to keep from crashing to the dusty ground, as her throat closed, and she began to lose consciousness for the second time in as many days.