of smell and hearing, bats began their nightly pursuit of insects when they didn’t need to compete with birds.
She’d never been so tired in her whole life. After the wagons had stopped for the day, she’d unhitched the ox and brought them to the pasture with the other animals. Then she collected twigs and buffalo chips to make her fire. By then she was too tired to cook anything, so she made do with another meal of jerky and bread.
“Hello Emma.” A deep voice jerked her out of her trance. Davis stood over her holding two cups of steaming coffee. He handed her one and squatted down alongside her.
“How did you do today?” Even though his voice was sympathetic, the glint in his eyes told her he was finding the situation somewhat amusing.
“I’m worn out, all right? Isn’t that what you and Ezra had planned?” She leaned back against a log, and closed her eyes. “I’m covered with dried sweat, my feet hurt, I have sunburn on my face and my hands feel like someone is poking pins and needles into them. I would drink this lovely cup of coffee you just gave me, but I fear my arms won’t move.”
She opened her eyes and gazed at Davis. “And if you keep looking at me like that, I will embarrass you, and myself, by bursting into tears. Does that answer your question?” Despite her best intentions her voice quivered, and she barely got the last few words out.
“Let me ask you something.” Davis took a sip of his coffee. “Is the thought of marrying me so horrible that you’d rather suffer through all this?”
She inhaled deeply, fighting the tears rising in her eyes. “I have nothing against you personally. Truly I don’t. You seem like a nice enough man, but I really don’t know you. However, that aside, it is my intention to return to Indiana when we reach Oregon. So you see I can’t get married. Not to you, not to anyone.”
Davis put his cup down and reached toward Emma. He put his fingers gently under her chin, turning her head until he looked directly into her eyes. “What makes you think you’ll be able to get back to Indiana once you reach Oregon?”
“I’ll hire someone, sell my wagon, and do whatever I need to. I will go back to Indiana.” Her words were not as forceful as she intended. Looking directly into Davis’s eyes with the firelight dancing in front of them made it difficult to catch her breath. Her heart pounded, but she attributed it to her annoyance at having to explain herself.
“Ah, darlin’, you won’t be able to do that. Once you’ve finished this trip, believe me, there is no way you’ll want to set out again.” He began to slowly rub his thumb over her chin. “I hear Oregon is a fine place to settle.”
“I want to go back to Indiana.” Emma jerked away from his touch. “I was happy there.”
Davis stretched one leg out and drew the other one up, his wrist leaning on his bent knee. “You were a little girl in Indiana.”
“I was not. I was a married woman.” Emma wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Yes, darlin’, you were indeed a married woman. But you were still a little girl.” He drained the coffee, stood, and tipped his hat before disappearing into the darkness.
Emma stared back into the fire. She was not a little girl in Indiana. She’d had her own house that she took care of by herself. Meals were always on time, the laundry done, the garden tended to. Mr. Cooper didn’t know her, or what her life in Indiana had been like. If only Peter had been happier, she wouldn’t have had to leave her parents. She sighed and groaned as she rose. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.
Just as she kicked the last bit of dirt on the campfire, Sarah, lugging Stephen, wandered into her camp.
“Hi, honey, how are you doing?”
Emma blinked furiously, refusing to let the tears burning her eyes fall. “I don’t know what to do. Davis was just here and he still thinks we should marry. Besides the fact that we’re virtual strangers, I want to go back
She’d never been so tired in her whole life. After the wagons had stopped for the day, she’d unhitched the ox and brought them to the pasture with the other animals. Then she collected twigs and buffalo chips to make her fire. By then she was too tired to cook anything, so she made do with another meal of jerky and bread.
“Hello Emma.” A deep voice jerked her out of her trance. Davis stood over her holding two cups of steaming coffee. He handed her one and squatted down alongside her.
“How did you do today?” Even though his voice was sympathetic, the glint in his eyes told her he was finding the situation somewhat amusing.
“I’m worn out, all right? Isn’t that what you and Ezra had planned?” She leaned back against a log, and closed her eyes. “I’m covered with dried sweat, my feet hurt, I have sunburn on my face and my hands feel like someone is poking pins and needles into them. I would drink this lovely cup of coffee you just gave me, but I fear my arms won’t move.”
She opened her eyes and gazed at Davis. “And if you keep looking at me like that, I will embarrass you, and myself, by bursting into tears. Does that answer your question?” Despite her best intentions her voice quivered, and she barely got the last few words out.
“Let me ask you something.” Davis took a sip of his coffee. “Is the thought of marrying me so horrible that you’d rather suffer through all this?”
She inhaled deeply, fighting the tears rising in her eyes. “I have nothing against you personally. Truly I don’t. You seem like a nice enough man, but I really don’t know you. However, that aside, it is my intention to return to Indiana when we reach Oregon. So you see I can’t get married. Not to you, not to anyone.”
Davis put his cup down and reached toward Emma. He put his fingers gently under her chin, turning her head until he looked directly into her eyes. “What makes you think you’ll be able to get back to Indiana once you reach Oregon?”
“I’ll hire someone, sell my wagon, and do whatever I need to. I will go back to Indiana.” Her words were not as forceful as she intended. Looking directly into Davis’s eyes with the firelight dancing in front of them made it difficult to catch her breath. Her heart pounded, but she attributed it to her annoyance at having to explain herself.
“Ah, darlin’, you won’t be able to do that. Once you’ve finished this trip, believe me, there is no way you’ll want to set out again.” He began to slowly rub his thumb over her chin. “I hear Oregon is a fine place to settle.”
“I want to go back to Indiana.” Emma jerked away from his touch. “I was happy there.”
Davis stretched one leg out and drew the other one up, his wrist leaning on his bent knee. “You were a little girl in Indiana.”
“I was not. I was a married woman.” Emma wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Yes, darlin’, you were indeed a married woman. But you were still a little girl.” He drained the coffee, stood, and tipped his hat before disappearing into the darkness.
Emma stared back into the fire. She was not a little girl in Indiana. She’d had her own house that she took care of by herself. Meals were always on time, the laundry done, the garden tended to. Mr. Cooper didn’t know her, or what her life in Indiana had been like. If only Peter had been happier, she wouldn’t have had to leave her parents. She sighed and groaned as she rose. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.
Just as she kicked the last bit of dirt on the campfire, Sarah, lugging Stephen, wandered into her camp.
“Hi, honey, how are you doing?”
Emma blinked furiously, refusing to let the tears burning her eyes fall. “I don’t know what to do. Davis was just here and he still thinks we should marry. Besides the fact that we’re virtual strangers, I want to go back
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