Sarah's Heart (11 page)

He shrugged. “Folks
say things happen for a reason, and although I’m hard pressed to understand why
a whole lot of innocent people had to die, fate must have sent me to find you.”
He held out a piece of stale bread.

She smiled and
accepted it, eyeing it with trepidation. “Hmm, maybe I’m not as hungry as I
thought.”

“You best eat it.
It’s all I have left. I hadn’t planned on needing anything after joining up
with the train, so I left everything here in the cave. Meager though it is
,
I’m glad I did.”

“How did you sign on
to scout for Mr. Simms?” Her brow rose in a sensual arch. Wolf disregarded the
extra beat inside his chest. Why did she have to be so pretty, even in the morning?

“I met him in Independence, when the
wagons were getting ready to depart. I’ve had some experience scouting for the
army, so it seemed like a good way to earn money.”

“You called this
your home.” She gestured to the stony shelter. “You were kidding, weren’t you?”

“No. This is the
only place where I feel welcome. I go into Independence now and again. There’s a nice
lady who owns a boarding house, and she hires me to do all her odd jobs, but I
need something that pays a little more regular.” He poured coffee into a tin
cup and handed it to Sarah, then poured one for himself.

Sarah bit into the
bread, her teeth grinding through the crusty outside and tearing off a piece.
She chewed and
swallowed,
the strain showing on her
face. “Now I know why this is called
hard
tack. I must say it isn’t very
tasty, but I’m certain it’s filling.”

He grinned.
“Hopefully, we can find some nice berries on our journey, but first you have to
tell me where it is you want to go.” The hand holding his coffee lowered to
rest on his thigh while he took a bite of his unappealing breakfast.

Her face sobered.
“Any where but Hannibal.
I never want to lay eyes on that place again. There’s nothing there for me.”
She chirped a small ‘humph’. “Actually, there’s nothing for me anywhere. Everything
I had, including hopes, ended when the wagon train was attacked. All I have is
what’s on my back and the few things in my valise. Thank you for bringing it
along.”

“You’re welcome, but
you don’t have to keep thanking me. I only did what was right.”

He puzzled over the
look on her face. Something about what he said bothered her, but she didn’t
respond, instead only hung her head.

“So, do you have a
destination in mind?” He said, certain her thoughts had drifted.

She looked up. “I’m
sorry. What?”

“I was asking if you
know where you want to go.”

Sarah shook her head
and shrugged.
“How about you?
What are you going to do
now?”

“Go back to where I
started, I reckon. I have to find a job to earn the remaining money owed on a
piece of land. It’s that or
forfeit
my dream. My aim
is to be a cattle rancher someday.”

“That makes two of
us… finding a job, I mean. Maybe I could travel with you to Independence and find something there. Would
that be all right?” A child-like anxiousness lit her eyes.

“It’s fine with me,
if you can stand the company. We have a few towns to pass through before we get
there, so don’t be alarmed if people don’t take too kindly to you being with a
breed.”

Sarah squared
herself and glared at him. “Don’t belittle yourself because people are
small-minded. Just pay them no never mind.” She took another bite of bread and
quickly washed it down with coffee, showing the effort it took to swallow.

Wolf sipped from his
own cup to hide his budding grin.

Guilt washed over
Sarah like pouring rain. How could she ever admit she left him for dead? And
stole his horse, to boot? She’d been a fool for even mentioning trying to mount
one. Surely, now that they prepared to travel, the question was going to arise
again—where was her horse? She took a deep breath and smiled nervously across
the campfire at him.

“We should probably
gather our things together and head out.” He announced. “If we leave before
noon, I know a place we can camp tonight that’s far enough off the trail to be
safe and private.”

“Packing won’t be a
problem. I travel light.” She chuckled. Her heart filled with dread. Surely
he’d ask about the animal any minute now. What in the world would she say?

“More coffee?” he
offered.

“No thanks. I’ve had
my fill.”

 
“Me, too,” he said, leaning forward and
dousing the fire with the remaining liquid. The flames sputtered and died,
sending a small spiral of white smoke upward. “It wasn’t much more than hot
water anyway.”

Her mind spun about
the absent horse. She cursed herself for bringing it up, but after all, she was
delirious at the time. Standing, she swept the dirt from her pants, and turned
toward the overhanging rock. “I’m going to get my bag.”

She scurried inside,
thankful for the break in conversation, but she’d just finished running a brush
through her hair and stowing it back in her valise when Wolf joined her.
Wordlessly, he hunkered down and tucked the bead-decorated pouches holding his
personal effects into his sleeping robes, rolled them into a bundle, and
secured all with a rawhide tie. He swiveled and faced her. “We best get
started. We can only ride double for so long before Scout gets tired. I’ll walk
for a while.”

She held her breath,
waiting for the obvious.

“I imagine your
horse must have bolted the moment it heard the snake rattling. No tellin’ where
the animal is now. Sure would be nice to have two mounts.”

The lump in her
throat slid down and she swallowed it—it and the truth. Praying that God
wouldn’t strike her dead, she nodded in agreement, feeling relief flow through
her body. “I’m sure you’re right…about having two horses, for sure.”

The words tasted
bitter on her tongue, but she refused to divulge the truth. Wolf might leave
her to fend for herself, and that scared her far more than being labeled a
liar.

* * *

Sarah’s behind was
numb, and her legs ached from hours riding bareback. She and Wolf had left the
camp right after breakfast, stopped at a small creek for cool water and a
handful of berries, then pushed onward. She dared not complain because he’d
been afoot most of the way, allowing her to ride to avoid walking on a sore
leg. She was just about to voice her need for nature’s call when Wolf halted
Scout. “We’ll stop here for the night. This is the place I told you about;
water close by, a shelter in case of a sudden rainstorm, and a place to tether
Scout and hide her from prying eyes. Horse thieving is big in these parts.”

Sarah gratefully
slid to the ground, barely listening to what Wolf said. “Thank God,” she
mumbled, rubbing her behind. “Although I appreciate the use of your horse, I
never realized how hard it was to ride without a saddle. I’ve never been much
of a horsewoman, but give me leather between me and that abrasive hair any
day.”

Wolf laughed, as he
led Scout to the creek for a drink. He dropped the mare’s lead rope and walked
back, carrying the bedroll and coffee pot.

Sarah eyed the tin
container. “I thought we were out of coffee.”

“We are, but I
thought you might like some warm water to wash up. I’ll gather wood and dried
grass and get a fire started. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful. I feel
like I’m wearing half the trail on my face.” She picked up the bedroll. “Where
should I make the beds?”

“Over there,” he
pointed, “beneath the outcropping. I slept there a few months ago, so I’ve
already cleared most of the big rocks and pebbles. There’s no tall grass, so
you don’t have to worry about snakes.

She swallowed hard.
“That’s nice to know.”

“Oh, and if you need
some privacy, use the stand of oaks over there.” He pointed to the opposite
side of the creek.

Making a beeline for
the trees, she found it easy to ford the creek, using the flat stones Mother
Nature had conveniently placed across the shallow flow of water. Within a few
minutes Sarah returned, a smile on her face and feeling relieved. Wolf was busy
collecting fair-sized rocks to add to the partial circle that remained of a
fire pit.

In the time it took
Sarah to spread the buffalo robes and blanket where Wolf indicated, he’d
completed the ring of stones and had a healthy fire burning within its center. When
she realized the closeness of their bedding, she bent and pulled her pallet a
little farther from his. She straightened to find him watching her, and her
cheeks warmed beneath his gaze. His eyes held such depth and beauty—certainly a
mirror to a good soul. Still, his attention caused her continual guilt.

The coffee pot
already sat amid the flames, and Wolf squatted next to the fire. “Would you
mind if I use your valise to help catch dinner?”

“How in the world…”

“Easy. It’s going to
become a rabbit snare. First you tie a piece of string to it, then you turn it
upside down over a piece of bait, prop it on a stick, and wait for a rabbit to
get nosy enough to venture underneath. Can you bring me the tie from the
bedrolls, please?”

Sarah retrieved the
piece of rawhide and handed to him. “What do you plan to use as enticement?”

“The only thing I
have is a last piece of hard tack. I hope the rabbits around here aren’t
picky.”

Sarah moved back to
the bedroll and crouched down to empty her bag. Grabbing both sides, she turned
the case upside down and shook the contents onto her pallet. The gun fell with
a thud. She’d totally forgotten she had it. Did Wolf know? Did it matter? It
wasn’t unusual to carry a weapon, especially when traveling.

 
He was busy searching for a stick, so she
stowed the weapon beneath her bedding, feeling foolish for hiding it. Surely he
must have seen the weapon when he rifled through her bag in search of dressings
for her leg. Still, firearms made her nervous, and it was best to keep hers hidden.

She walked back over
to the fire in time to see Wolf removing the coffee pot. He pulled his sleeve
down to protect his hand from the heat, and set the utensil in the sandy soil.

“You might want to
let it cool a bit.” With a smile, he took the valise she held out to him and
ambled toward the trees she had visited earlier. “While you clean up, I’ll try
and catch dinner,” he called over his shoulder.

* * *

She finished her
toilette, enjoying the feel of clean skin. Wolf had disappeared from sight, and
Sarah felt a mite edgy being alone. She dared not call out and frighten her
supper away. Her mouth watered at the thought of something tasty, but she
didn’t hold out much hope that any animal would find a piece of stale bread
very appealing, unless perhaps a bird.

The sun began its
descent, setting lower in the sky, casting shadows of the tall trees across the
ground in front of Sarah. She sat next to the fire, waiting patiently for Wolf
to return, while trying to imagine what the future held for her. Without Wolf,
she wouldn’t be alive to plan one. Lifting her torn pant leg, she eyed the limb
that, only days ago, had been swollen twice its size. The bite was barely
visible, and normal coloring returned to replace the angry red. She sighed then
tried to stifle a yawn. It had been a very long day and she was bone tired.

A noise drew her
attention.

She looked up. Her
heart seized as her gaze locked on three Indians, standing less than six feet
from her. With faces painted in bright hues, feathers protruding from their
ebony braids, and dangerous weapons clasped tightly in their hands, they leered
at her. She opened her mouth to call for Wolf, but his name couldn’t get past
the lump of fear in her throat.

Chapter Eleven

Sarah’s heart raced
as the trio stood, unmoving and silent, glaring at her. Feeling the weight of
their stares, terror rooted her to the ground. She swallowed hard, trying to
rid her throat of the choking fear. Surely she didn’t survive the wagon train
massacre and
a snakebite
just to meet her death now.
Her eyes momentarily scanned the sky while her mind once again whispered a
silent prayer for deliverance.

The shortest of the
three Indians approached her. Holding her breath, her gaze followed him as he
circled her like an animal would its prey. He drew nearer, stopping near her
right shoulder. Sarah watched from the corner of her eye, shuddering as he
dared stroke her hair. Instinctively, she recoiled.

He spoke to his
friends in a strange tongue, this time lifting a long lock and letting it fall
back into place, then laughing. Horrible images of her scalped traveling
companions passed through her mind. Was that what he had planned for her?

 
When he reached for her again, she slapped his
hand away and scrambled to her feet. If she was going to die, she refused to go
easily. She squared her shoulders and locked gazes with him. “What do you
want?” She licked her lips, her mouth devoid of all moisture.