Read Online Emma's Journey by Callie Hutton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Callie Hutton
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for evidence of laughter in his eyes. She couldn’t stand it if he laughed at her right now. Instead, she saw sympathy and something else she couldn’t identify, an intense regard that had her heart speeding up again.
The racing heart, combined with a lack of food, fatigue, and worry over the incline caused things to look fuzzy. Then there was a loud buzzing in her ears as she tumbled off the seat and toppled to the ground as Davis reached out and grabbed her.
When Emma awoke, she was lying flat on the ground with a wet cloth over her forehead. Davis was kneeling next to her, concern written on his face. Sarah and Ezra stood behind him.
“Oh, thank goodness, she’s awake.” Sarah exclaimed.
“What happened?” Emma asked as she struggled to sit up.
“Whoa, little lady,” Ezra said as Davis put his hand gently on Emma’s shoulder to keep her from getting up.
“Just give yourself a bit of time before you go hopping up,” Davis added.
“I’m fine, really,” Emma said, “I think skipping breakfast was not a good thing. I’ll be right as rain in no time.”
Davis accepted a cup of water from Sarah and held it to Emma’s lips. He put his hand behind her head to help her drink. She took a few sips. “Thank you.”
With Davis’s help, she sat, and then stood. Sarah’s husband Buck had joined the group. Feeling rather silly by this time, Emma assured everyone she was just fine and they could go back to their wagons. Everyone left except Davis.
“How long are you going to keep this up?”
“I’m fine, really, I’m fine. I just need a few minutes, and maybe while we take a break, I’ll get some of the breakfast I missed and sit for a while.” She attempted a smile, not sure she quite made it.
“All right, I’ll let you be.” Davis started back, then turned. “Oh, just one more thing, darlin’.”
“What?” Emma said, suspicious of the grin on his face.
“You might want to wipe the mud off your face.” He tipped his hat and walked away.
Chapter Seven
Davis did the best he could over the next few days to help Emma, but Ezra remained adamant that Davis could not spend time at her wagon.
“Boy, I told you to stay away from the Thorpe wagon. If that unreasonable woman wants to do everything herself, then so be it.” Ezra spat out a wad of tobacco from the side of his mouth.
Hands fisted at his hips, Davis glared at the wagon master. “This can’t continue. That woman is worn out.”
“ That woman is stubborn, is what she is.” Ezra’s face took on a red hue.
“So what are we going to do, let her kill herself trying to do it all?” Davis leaned in, his jaw clenching.
“She’s the one who decided she could do it all by herself. Let her stew a bit,” Ezra shouted back.
“Stewing is one thing, this is inhuman.”
“Why are you so all fired up about her? It’s you she’s refused to marry.”
“Did you ever think it was too soon after her husband’s death? Maybe she just needs a breather.”
“When we’re out here on the trail, there’s no time for breathers. She needs a man to help her with that wagon, and until it sinks in, you stay away from her.”
Davis smacked his hat against his thigh and stomped away before he hit someone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra called a meeting of the emigrants to discuss the crossing of the river the next day. Emma trudged to the meeting place, taking a seat next to Sarah and Buck. Jeb, Elizabeth and Abigail sat closer to the wagon master in the circle surrounding him.
Before the meeting started, Davis left Ezra’s side and came over to sit beside Emma. She was glad for his company, but still felt a little unsettled when he was near her. She smiled at him, then returning her gaze to her lap, picked at a loose thread in her apron. Davis put his warm hand over hers to stop the movement. Once she stopped, however, he kept his hand there.
“Well, folks, this is an important meeting for y’all.” Ezra began.
The racing heart, combined with a lack of food, fatigue, and worry over the incline caused things to look fuzzy. Then there was a loud buzzing in her ears as she tumbled off the seat and toppled to the ground as Davis reached out and grabbed her.
When Emma awoke, she was lying flat on the ground with a wet cloth over her forehead. Davis was kneeling next to her, concern written on his face. Sarah and Ezra stood behind him.
“Oh, thank goodness, she’s awake.” Sarah exclaimed.
“What happened?” Emma asked as she struggled to sit up.
“Whoa, little lady,” Ezra said as Davis put his hand gently on Emma’s shoulder to keep her from getting up.
“Just give yourself a bit of time before you go hopping up,” Davis added.
“I’m fine, really,” Emma said, “I think skipping breakfast was not a good thing. I’ll be right as rain in no time.”
Davis accepted a cup of water from Sarah and held it to Emma’s lips. He put his hand behind her head to help her drink. She took a few sips. “Thank you.”
With Davis’s help, she sat, and then stood. Sarah’s husband Buck had joined the group. Feeling rather silly by this time, Emma assured everyone she was just fine and they could go back to their wagons. Everyone left except Davis.
“How long are you going to keep this up?”
“I’m fine, really, I’m fine. I just need a few minutes, and maybe while we take a break, I’ll get some of the breakfast I missed and sit for a while.” She attempted a smile, not sure she quite made it.
“All right, I’ll let you be.” Davis started back, then turned. “Oh, just one more thing, darlin’.”
“What?” Emma said, suspicious of the grin on his face.
“You might want to wipe the mud off your face.” He tipped his hat and walked away.
Chapter Seven
Davis did the best he could over the next few days to help Emma, but Ezra remained adamant that Davis could not spend time at her wagon.
“Boy, I told you to stay away from the Thorpe wagon. If that unreasonable woman wants to do everything herself, then so be it.” Ezra spat out a wad of tobacco from the side of his mouth.
Hands fisted at his hips, Davis glared at the wagon master. “This can’t continue. That woman is worn out.”
“ That woman is stubborn, is what she is.” Ezra’s face took on a red hue.
“So what are we going to do, let her kill herself trying to do it all?” Davis leaned in, his jaw clenching.
“She’s the one who decided she could do it all by herself. Let her stew a bit,” Ezra shouted back.
“Stewing is one thing, this is inhuman.”
“Why are you so all fired up about her? It’s you she’s refused to marry.”
“Did you ever think it was too soon after her husband’s death? Maybe she just needs a breather.”
“When we’re out here on the trail, there’s no time for breathers. She needs a man to help her with that wagon, and until it sinks in, you stay away from her.”
Davis smacked his hat against his thigh and stomped away before he hit someone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ezra called a meeting of the emigrants to discuss the crossing of the river the next day. Emma trudged to the meeting place, taking a seat next to Sarah and Buck. Jeb, Elizabeth and Abigail sat closer to the wagon master in the circle surrounding him.
Before the meeting started, Davis left Ezra’s side and came over to sit beside Emma. She was glad for his company, but still felt a little unsettled when he was near her. She smiled at him, then returning her gaze to her lap, picked at a loose thread in her apron. Davis put his warm hand over hers to stop the movement. Once she stopped, however, he kept his hand there.
“Well, folks, this is an important meeting for y’all.” Ezra began.
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