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Authors: When Lightning Strikes
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everyday shawl close against the biting wind. It was mid-May, yet with the overcast sky and the gusting wind it felt more like February. At least it wasn’t raining.
“There’s a new man on the train,” Sarah said after a while.
“We seem to have gained a few and lost a few at Fort Kearney.”
“Yes, but you’d remember this fellow if you saw him,” Sarah replied, an odd note in her voice.
Abby sent her a sidelong glance, then when she spied Sarah’s merry expression, began to redden.
“I knew it!” Sarah crowed. “It’s the fellow you’re so interested in.”
“I’m not interested in anyone,” Abby protested, albeit weakly.
“Not even a tall, dark, and handsome anybody?”
“You know, you’re getting almost as nosy as Martha.”
But Sarah only laughed. “Maybe if you knew what I know, you’d be nosy too.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing,” Sarah answered nonchalantly. She turned toward the group of children. “Come over this way, Estelle! And bring the rest of the little ones closer to us.”
“Sarah Lewis, don’t you be that way. What is it you know that I don’t?” Abby demanded, catching her friend by the sleeve. “Tell me right this minute.”
Sarah sent her a triumphant grin. “We might not even be speaking of the same man. Let me see, what was his name? Tom. Tommy … Tommy McNeal …”
“Tanner McKnight. His name is Tanner McKnight and you know that just as well as I do.”
“Oh, yes. Tanner McKnight. How could I forget?”
“Sarah, if you don’t get to the point—”
“My, my. How impatient you are. But all right, I’ll tell you.” She gave Abby a conspiratorial grin. “It seems he was at that saloon last night. You know, that noisy place right outside the fort?”
“Yes, yes. So?”
“Well, Victor was there too.”
“And?” Abby prodded. She was breathless with anticipation. Why was Sarah dragging it out so?
“And he asked Victor about you.”
Abby stopped in her tracks. They’d been walking along, keeping a steady pace with the slow-moving wagons. But at Sarah’s surprising words Abby was suddenly unable to do two things at once. She could not both walk and examine this astounding bit of news.
Sarah stopped also, turning to study her friend with a knowing smile. “Still not interested in anyone?”
“He … he inquired about me ?” Abby asked, ignoring Sarah’s friendly taunt.
“He did. He wanted to know how serious you and the Reverend Harrison were.”
“We’re not serious at all! I hope Victor told him that.”
“He did,” Sarah answered patiently.
After that the day passed in a bit of a blur. Abby positively brimmed with boundless energy. She could have flown all the way to Oregon on the sheer strength of her soaring emotions. Tanner McKnight was interested in her! Abigail Bliss, spinsterish schoolteacher, the object of such a man’s attentions. It was too good to be true.
Though Sarah laughed knowingly at her foolish antics, Abby could not restrain herself. She played with the children, singing them songs, teaching them their letters and their numbers with the clever tunes she led them in.
“A my name is Abigail; I’m gonna marry Abraham; we’re gonna raise apples and live in Alabama.”
“B my name is Betty; I’m gonna marry Bobby; we’re gonna raise
bumblebees and live in … in Babylonia.”
And so the day went. They stopped for the noon rest, and she prepared a substantial meal of biscuits and milk and leftover ham from last night’s meal. Then they picked up the interminable trail. The day alternately dragged on, then seemed to fly by. By the time the sun neared the horizon before them, she was a bundle of nerves.
Where was he? Would he bring them a portion from today’s hunt? Would it be too forward of her to invite him to sup with them?
She was still debating that subject when the call to make camp echoed down the line. Saying her good-byes to Sarah and the ragtag group of children,
“There’s a new man on the train,” Sarah said after a while.
“We seem to have gained a few and lost a few at Fort Kearney.”
“Yes, but you’d remember this fellow if you saw him,” Sarah replied, an odd note in her voice.
Abby sent her a sidelong glance, then when she spied Sarah’s merry expression, began to redden.
“I knew it!” Sarah crowed. “It’s the fellow you’re so interested in.”
“I’m not interested in anyone,” Abby protested, albeit weakly.
“Not even a tall, dark, and handsome anybody?”
“You know, you’re getting almost as nosy as Martha.”
But Sarah only laughed. “Maybe if you knew what I know, you’d be nosy too.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing,” Sarah answered nonchalantly. She turned toward the group of children. “Come over this way, Estelle! And bring the rest of the little ones closer to us.”
“Sarah Lewis, don’t you be that way. What is it you know that I don’t?” Abby demanded, catching her friend by the sleeve. “Tell me right this minute.”
Sarah sent her a triumphant grin. “We might not even be speaking of the same man. Let me see, what was his name? Tom. Tommy … Tommy McNeal …”
“Tanner McKnight. His name is Tanner McKnight and you know that just as well as I do.”
“Oh, yes. Tanner McKnight. How could I forget?”
“Sarah, if you don’t get to the point—”
“My, my. How impatient you are. But all right, I’ll tell you.” She gave Abby a conspiratorial grin. “It seems he was at that saloon last night. You know, that noisy place right outside the fort?”
“Yes, yes. So?”
“Well, Victor was there too.”
“And?” Abby prodded. She was breathless with anticipation. Why was Sarah dragging it out so?
“And he asked Victor about you.”
Abby stopped in her tracks. They’d been walking along, keeping a steady pace with the slow-moving wagons. But at Sarah’s surprising words Abby was suddenly unable to do two things at once. She could not both walk and examine this astounding bit of news.
Sarah stopped also, turning to study her friend with a knowing smile. “Still not interested in anyone?”
“He … he inquired about me ?” Abby asked, ignoring Sarah’s friendly taunt.
“He did. He wanted to know how serious you and the Reverend Harrison were.”
“We’re not serious at all! I hope Victor told him that.”
“He did,” Sarah answered patiently.
After that the day passed in a bit of a blur. Abby positively brimmed with boundless energy. She could have flown all the way to Oregon on the sheer strength of her soaring emotions. Tanner McKnight was interested in her! Abigail Bliss, spinsterish schoolteacher, the object of such a man’s attentions. It was too good to be true.
Though Sarah laughed knowingly at her foolish antics, Abby could not restrain herself. She played with the children, singing them songs, teaching them their letters and their numbers with the clever tunes she led them in.
“A my name is Abigail; I’m gonna marry Abraham; we’re gonna raise apples and live in Alabama.”
“B my name is Betty; I’m gonna marry Bobby; we’re gonna raise
bumblebees and live in … in Babylonia.”
And so the day went. They stopped for the noon rest, and she prepared a substantial meal of biscuits and milk and leftover ham from last night’s meal. Then they picked up the interminable trail. The day alternately dragged on, then seemed to fly by. By the time the sun neared the horizon before them, she was a bundle of nerves.
Where was he? Would he bring them a portion from today’s hunt? Would it be too forward of her to invite him to sup with them?
She was still debating that subject when the call to make camp echoed down the line. Saying her good-byes to Sarah and the ragtag group of children,
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