Gabriel's Atonement (33 page)

He snatched up something wrapped in brown paper and ripped it open. His mouth watered at the yeasty aroma of bread. He ripped off a corner and shoved it into his mouth, delighting in the still soft texture of the white middle. The only bread he'd eaten in the jail had been rock-hard biscuits or moldy two-day-old leftovers.

When his mouth became too dry to eat any more, he grabbed his canteen and guzzled the lukewarm water. Then he went in search of a knife or something to open the cans with. Half an hour later, with his belly filled with sweetened peaches, beets, and green beans, all he wanted was to curl up and take a nap, but the settler could return anytime. This would be a nice place to live if it weren't part of the Cherokee Outlet and still closed to white settlers. Besides, his heart was set on one specific piece of land. The place where his brother was buried.

He stuffed what cans he could into his saddlebags, along with a supply of jerky and the wool blanket, then mounted and rode away. He yawned and patted his sated belly. Maybe he could ride a mile or two then rest for a while. At this pace, it would take him a week to get back to his land.

But he would get there, and heaven help the man who'd thought to make that land his.

Excitement sizzled through Lara as she and Gabe crossed the last creek before reaching her family. Three days had passed since she'd last seen them. She prayed Grandpa had recovered from his last bout of malaria, because they wouldn't be able to travel far if not. Her gaze scanned the land that looked almost bare with most of the people gone.

“Is that them over there?” Gabe pointed to her left.

Lara pushed back her hat and narrowed her eyes as she searched in the distance. “Yes! It is.” She reined Sunny to the west and nudged him into a trot. She tried to take in everything as she rode up. The camp looked much the same, although it was no longer surrounded by other wagons. Grandpa sat on the tailgate with Michael at his side, working on a fishing pole. Jo was nowhere to be seen, and Betty Robinson's wagon was gone. Lara felt a bit of sadness about never seeing the friendly lady again. Grandpa looked her way and waved. Michael jumped up and down in the wagon, squealing and waving.

“Mama! Mama! Did you get some land?”

Lara's heart warmed, and she couldn't keep the grin from her face in spite of the fact that she'd failed to get a claim, was exhausted from the long ride, and her head ached. She reined Sunny to a stop, slid down, then ran to her son, snatching him up in a big hug. “I missed you so much.”

“Me, too. I was good, Mama. I'm taking care of Grandpa.”

Lara's gaze raked over the older man.

“I'm fine. The spell wasn't too bad'a one.” Grandpa's gaze shifted past her, and she knew he was curious about why a man had accompanied her.

“I'm glad. So where's Jo?”

He nudged his head to the side and back. “She walked over to the creek to wash off.”

Lara scanned the area he indicated but didn't see her sister. “Is it safe to allow her to wander off now?”

He shrugged. “There ain't been many folks around, so I reckon it's as safe now as it was when there was hunnerds of people. Who's your friend?”

Gabe dismounted, grabbed Sunny's reins, and walked toward them with the two horses. He nodded at Grandpa then held out his hand. “I'm Gabe Coulter.”

Grandpa slid off the end of the wagon and shook Gabe's hand. “Daniel Jensen. I'm Lara's grandfather, but I reckon she's told you that already. How do you two know each other?”

Glancing at Lara, Gabe grinned. “Your granddaughter rescued my horse when I first arrived in Caldwell. The train and crowd had spooked him, and she walked through the group of men, straight up to Tempest and calmed him. I was quite impressed.”

Grandpa lifted a brow and eyed the bandage on her head. “That girl always was good with horses.”

She kissed Michael. “Could you run over near the creek and let Jo know I'm back?”

“Yes, Mama.”

She set her son down and watched him race off. “Stay where you can see us.”

He swatted his hand in the air but didn't slow.

Now she had to explain Gabe's presence. “Gabe came to my rescue the day I hurt my hand. He took me to the doctor and insisted I get it checked out. Then he graciously replaced the food that was lost when that boy ran into me. Gabe even rented a buggy and brought me home. We saw one another in town several other times”—she sucked in a breath—“and he helped me when I took a fall off Sunny.” She ducked her head. “Because of that, I didn't get a claim, but Gabe did, and now he's my boss.”

Grandpa blew out a loud breath as if he were the one who'd told her tale. He studied Gabe as if taking his measure then nodded. “Looks like I owe you a big debt of gratitude.”

Gabe pursed his lips, shaking his head. “You don't owe me anything, sir. I was glad to assist Lara. And to be honest, I need help on my claim to make a go of it. I'm hoping you'll be willing to work for me, too, as you're able, of course.”

Grandpa straightened. “I'll have you know I was a sergeant in the War Between the States.”

Gabe looked as if he were stifling a smile. “I don't doubt it for a minute, sir.”

Lara turned to him. “My grandfather is an amazing horse trainer. He used to raise them.”

“Well, that's providential since I plan on raising horses, too. How many head do you figure I can support on a quarter section?”

Grandpa glanced down at the ground. Most of the grass that had been there the day they arrived was crushed and had turned yellow. “If the ground is anything like up near Caldwell, you might be able to raise forty to fifty head on one hundred and sixty acres, although that might be pushing things if you have a rough summer with little rain.”

Rubbing his thumb and index finger on his chin, Gabe nodded. “I don't think I'll own that many for several years, and by then, I hope to have bought out one of my neighbors and have a bigger spread.”

“What kind of horses you plannin' on—”

A shrill scream broke the quiet afternoon, and Lara spun toward the river, searching for Michael.

G
o away! Leave!”

Lara recognized her sister's voice, and relief melted her tension as her gaze landed on her son's backside as he faced the river.

“But, Ma—”

“Michael! I'm not dressed. Go away!”

Lara snickered and glanced at the men. “I had better rescue my son.”

“Sounds like Jo's the one who needs rescuin'.” Grandpa chuckled.

“Lara, are you back? Come get your son. I'm not dressed.”

“Michael, come here.” She started for the creek.

The boy spun and trotted toward her, a frown marring his sweet face. “Aunt Jo yelled at me.”

She squatted down. “I know, sweetie, and I'm sorry. You surprised her. She's not angry with you, so don't fret.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “It's all my fault. I didn't realize she wasn't decent. Let's go back to camp and wait on her.”

He took her hand. “I'm hungry.”

“Me, too.” Lara glanced at Gabe as she strode back to camp, wondering what he thought about her family. At least they'd been able to talk to Grandpa without Michael overhearing.

While Gabe and Grandpa tended the horses and Michael ran around pretending to be one, she checked the food supplies. There wasn't much for her to work with. She could whip up a bunch of pancakes and some hot coffee, but that was about it. She longed for the stocks of food back at the claim site, but those didn't help her now. As she sifted through the mess Jo had made of their supplies, she thanked God for the job offer and that Gabe won a claim. She couldn't stand the thought of what would have happened to them without his generosity.

Footsteps pounded her way, and Lara looked up to see Jo storming toward her.

“Why did you send Michael for me if you knew I was bathing?”

“I didn't realize the extent of your bathing. Grandpa said you were washing off, so I didn't expect that you would be undressed.”

“I've never been so mortified in all my life.” She flounced her long hair, flicking water on Lara.

Suddenly, Jo looked past her, and her eyes widened. “Who is that?” Her face instantly paled. “Was he here when I shouted that I was indecent?”

Lara knew she was referring to Gabe and fought back a grin. Jo was so bold that she was rarely embarrassed, and for some reason, it hit her as humorous. “Um…possibly.”

Her sister's eyes narrowed. “I've seen him before.” She gasped. “Is he that dandy that was sniffing around your skirts in Caldwell?”

“Jo! What a crude thing to say.” She glanced over her shoulder, relieved that Gabe was probably too far away to overhear her sister. Then she realized what Jo said. “When did you see Gabe?”

“One day when he was talking to you. He was dressed all in black like a fancy undertaker or something.” Jo glanced up at Lara's head as she ran a brush through her hair. “What happened to your head? And how is it you know him well enough to call him by his given name?”

Lara shrugged. “He's helped me a couple of times, like the day my hand got injured. Then during the race, Sunny stumbled and fell down a hill, throwing me. I don't know if I'd be here now without Gabe's help.”

Jo's gaze zipped over to where the men had staked the horses. “Is Sunny all right? He must be if you rode him back.”

Lara didn't miss the fact that Jo was more concerned about the horse than her.

The hairbrush suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute. If you fell and were injured, I guess that means you didn't get land. What are we gonna do now?”

Lara had never been so glad to have an answer to that question. “Gabe has offered me a job. Grandpa, too, if he wants one. Gabe won a claim and needs help to make a go of it.”

Jo put a hand on her hip. “How convenient. He just happened to be right there when you hurt your hand and then again when you fell off Sunny. Why, a girl might think he was stalking you.”

“He's helping and trying to protect me, like a true gentleman. What harm is there in that?”

“Good question. Have you asked yourself why he's always around when you need help?”

Lara watched Gabe talking to Grandpa as they walked toward them. She could hear the buzz of their voices but not what they were saying. Could Gabe have some ulterior motive for helping her so often? She shook her head, unable to believe it. She didn't want to believe it. The man had stolen her heart with his kindness. Part of the reason she wanted to work for him was so she didn't have to say good-bye to him. She hoped that, given time, they might grow closer—that he might come to love her as she was afraid she loved him.

“It all seems mighty fishy to me. I'm just sayin'.”

Lara hated the niggling of suspicion that wormed through her at Jo's comments. Maybe her sister was jealous because Gabe hadn't offered her a job, but then he hadn't even met her yet. As he approached, he eyed her sister then turned his gaze on Lara and smiled, chasing away all doubts of whether he cared for her. A man didn't look at a woman like that—and totally ignore her beautiful sister—if he didn't.

Two days after meeting Lara's family, Gabe walked off the area for the house he planned to build. The view from the small hill would allow him to see a good part of his land from the second story. Lara knew about the house, but she had no idea of the size—or the fact that he hoped she'd share it with him as his wife once it was completed. Last time he was in town, he'd wired a carpenter he knew in Kansas City and made arrangements for the man to come to Oklahoma to build his house. In another week, Jerrold Parnell and his crew would arrive and the construction would begin.

He'd already ordered the lumber and needed to go into town to see if it had arrived and make arrangements for it to be delivered. Though he had some furniture, they would need much more. He had nothing for the kitchen or the spare bedrooms. Maybe Lara would ride with him and help pick out some furnishings from the catalogs at Mark Hillborne's store. What the man didn't have in stock, he seemed happy to order.