tipped his hat and said “ma’am,” startling her awake.
Now that the woman’s husband was seated, Calum rode up to the lead wagon. A tall, handsome man with a worn expression was working the lead team, watching the commotion behind him.
“Hello there, can you give me a hand, Mister Wimberley, I presume?”
“Yes. What’s going on, what happened to Bonnie?”
Calum smiled, at least there was one decent human being. “She was stung by a bee, seems to have had a bit of a bad reaction. Is there somewhere I can lay her down?”
Of course,” he said as he yelled “whoa” to his team and the two McKinney’s boys moved to grab a horn of the leader on either side. He clambered into the center of the joined wagons and held out his arms as Calum reluctantly surrendered his burden. Calum stared into the shadowed stillness, not surprised when a little girl climbed over the bench of the wagon with a rag and a gourd of water in her hands.
“You must be their beautiful little sister, Mary Anne.” The child looked at him shyly but nodded her head, obviously used to the accurate compliment.
Again he tilted his hat to the woman looking back through the wagon at him. “Mrs. Wimberley?”
“Yes, but how did you know our names?” she asked.
Calum smiled. “The boys did a lot of talking on the ride home, I feel like I know everyone pretty well.”
Mrs. Wimberley nodded, confused that he knew her name and she didn’t know him. “She’ll be fine?” she asked.
He backed his horse, then rode up beside her. “Make her some willow bark tea and give her the rest of the day to rest. She should be good as new by morning.”
“Of course, but, who are you?”
Calum doffed his hat and bowed over the hand she offered. “Lieutenant Calum Douglas. I’m in charge of the company of new recruits that includes the Magee boys, Shawn and Ian. Bonnie came to visit them, but I guess you knew that.”
“Yes, we’ve worried about her and the lads all day. We almost stopped at noon to wait for them, but my husband argued she might come across to intercept our train and we would miss her and the boys. I’ve been angry at him, afraid he just didn’t want to waste the day and not make his blasted miles. Are you sure she’s all right?”
“He made the right choice. Yes, she’ll be fine. I’m going to leave her in your good hands. I’ve got a lot of men to keep in line, so I can’t stay much longer. I’ll probably have to ride home in the dark.”
Claire stood looking over the tail of the wagon at her friend. “Are you sure she’s all right?”
Again Calum rode back and had to smile. They were all handsome women, even this tiny one. He knew a lot of men would faint at her blonde hair, blue eyes, and dainty features. But he preferred a woman of substance.
“With you three ladies to see to her chores and this little lady to nurse her, I’m sure she’ll be fine.” He stared into blue eyes in a flawless face and understood why the boys had described Claire as pretty as a China doll. Too bad they had added that she had about as much sense. He untied the deer and turned Champ and let him rear. “She shot the deer before she got the bee sting collecting these.” He unlooped the knapsack full of blueberries and handed them to Claire.
The girl had wasted no time in running to check on Bonnie. Maybe she was worthy of all the love Bonnie had for this friend and for the mail-order bride, Lynne McKinney.
“Okay lads, your turn to shoot. Have you picked your target?”
Mr. Wimberley rushed up and stood with his hand on the tailgate of the wagon. “Hey, I don’t hold with shooting.”
Calum sat with an elbow on the pommel of his saddle and stared at the solemn face. He motioned away from the others and was relieved when Mr. Wimberley followed. Quietly, pitching his voice so only this man could hear, he told him all he had been thinking as he carried a helpless Bonnie back. No reason he should be the only one losing sleep
Now that the woman’s husband was seated, Calum rode up to the lead wagon. A tall, handsome man with a worn expression was working the lead team, watching the commotion behind him.
“Hello there, can you give me a hand, Mister Wimberley, I presume?”
“Yes. What’s going on, what happened to Bonnie?”
Calum smiled, at least there was one decent human being. “She was stung by a bee, seems to have had a bit of a bad reaction. Is there somewhere I can lay her down?”
Of course,” he said as he yelled “whoa” to his team and the two McKinney’s boys moved to grab a horn of the leader on either side. He clambered into the center of the joined wagons and held out his arms as Calum reluctantly surrendered his burden. Calum stared into the shadowed stillness, not surprised when a little girl climbed over the bench of the wagon with a rag and a gourd of water in her hands.
“You must be their beautiful little sister, Mary Anne.” The child looked at him shyly but nodded her head, obviously used to the accurate compliment.
Again he tilted his hat to the woman looking back through the wagon at him. “Mrs. Wimberley?”
“Yes, but how did you know our names?” she asked.
Calum smiled. “The boys did a lot of talking on the ride home, I feel like I know everyone pretty well.”
Mrs. Wimberley nodded, confused that he knew her name and she didn’t know him. “She’ll be fine?” she asked.
He backed his horse, then rode up beside her. “Make her some willow bark tea and give her the rest of the day to rest. She should be good as new by morning.”
“Of course, but, who are you?”
Calum doffed his hat and bowed over the hand she offered. “Lieutenant Calum Douglas. I’m in charge of the company of new recruits that includes the Magee boys, Shawn and Ian. Bonnie came to visit them, but I guess you knew that.”
“Yes, we’ve worried about her and the lads all day. We almost stopped at noon to wait for them, but my husband argued she might come across to intercept our train and we would miss her and the boys. I’ve been angry at him, afraid he just didn’t want to waste the day and not make his blasted miles. Are you sure she’s all right?”
“He made the right choice. Yes, she’ll be fine. I’m going to leave her in your good hands. I’ve got a lot of men to keep in line, so I can’t stay much longer. I’ll probably have to ride home in the dark.”
Claire stood looking over the tail of the wagon at her friend. “Are you sure she’s all right?”
Again Calum rode back and had to smile. They were all handsome women, even this tiny one. He knew a lot of men would faint at her blonde hair, blue eyes, and dainty features. But he preferred a woman of substance.
“With you three ladies to see to her chores and this little lady to nurse her, I’m sure she’ll be fine.” He stared into blue eyes in a flawless face and understood why the boys had described Claire as pretty as a China doll. Too bad they had added that she had about as much sense. He untied the deer and turned Champ and let him rear. “She shot the deer before she got the bee sting collecting these.” He unlooped the knapsack full of blueberries and handed them to Claire.
The girl had wasted no time in running to check on Bonnie. Maybe she was worthy of all the love Bonnie had for this friend and for the mail-order bride, Lynne McKinney.
“Okay lads, your turn to shoot. Have you picked your target?”
Mr. Wimberley rushed up and stood with his hand on the tailgate of the wagon. “Hey, I don’t hold with shooting.”
Calum sat with an elbow on the pommel of his saddle and stared at the solemn face. He motioned away from the others and was relieved when Mr. Wimberley followed. Quietly, pitching his voice so only this man could hear, he told him all he had been thinking as he carried a helpless Bonnie back. No reason he should be the only one losing sleep
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