She leaned into him. It helped knowing Jeremy and Jordan were behind her—sort of, anyway.
“Thanks. Want to tell James that?”
Jeremy straightened in mock horror. “Hey, you crazy? He gets plenty mad at me as it is.”
She tried to force a grin. “Only when you pull some stupid stunt.” Her lips trembled and her eyes stung with unshed tears. She couldn’t stand being at odds with any of her brothers, especially James, yet there was no way she could back down. “He’s never been this mad at me before,” she whispered, staring off after James into the dark interior of the barn.
Jeremy ruffled her curls and led the way into the house. “What’d ya expect, Jess? You defied him and involved him—us—in a lie.”
At her moan of anguish, Jeremy took pity on her. “Aw, come on, sis. He’ll get over it. He’s just worried, you know. Wolf ain’t gonna like it when he finds out he’s been duped.”
At the mention of the wagon master’s name, Jessica stopped short of the kitchen. This bad air between her and James was all his fault. “If it hadn’t been for his stupid rule against women, none of this would have happened,” she snapped.
“That’s beside the point,” Jeremy said. “Don’t worry. James’ll come around soon enough. Now, come on, we’ve got lots to do before sunset.”
Jessie shook her head. “I’m going to talk to James first.” She stalked out of the house, determined to clear the air between them. When she reached the open doorway of the barn, she paused to inhale the familiar odors of oiled leather, sweet hay and horseflesh. James sat on the ground, sorting through farming implements. He’d set aside several hammers, a chopping ax, broadax, froe, auger and plane in one neat pile on the hay-strewn ground. Those items would go with them to Oregon.
She watched him untangle an old length of rope. After what seemed like hours, he turned and acknowledged her presence. Deep grooves of displeasure were etched across his forehead. Jessie swallowed past the lump in her throat. She’d never meant to hurt him or put him in an awkward position. Honor was important to James, and she’d compromised it. She sighed. He took everything so seriously. Being left in charge of three siblings while still a boy himself had matured him early. But that didn’t mean he was always right. Moisture gathered in the inner corners of her eyes. “Please don’t be angry, James,” she begged. She wanted her loving brother back, the one who’d nursed her through her childhood illnesses and comforted her through the nightmares brought on by the fear of being taken from her brothers.
It had fallen to James to wash and bandage her skinned knees and apply the paddle when she’d deserved it, though he’d never hurt her. In fact, she recalled fondly, those lessons in discipline had bothered him more than her. But when James turned his back on her and added the neatly coiled rope and a length of chain to the growing pile, another stab of pain went through her. Never could she recall him staying mad overnight at her—not until now. Defeated, she brushed the tears from her cheeks and turned away. Her feet dragged with each step as she went to the wooden pen where she’d slung her saddlebags.
Retrieving the brown paper-wrapped packet she’d purchased in town nearly a week ago, Jessie returned to James. “Happy birthday, James,” she whispered, handing him his gift. She walked away, tears streaming down her cheeks. His voice stopped her.
“Shouldn’t have done what you did, Jess.”
Jessie stopped in the open barn door. A sob of relief escaped. She turned and retraced her steps slowly. “You should’ve told me that Jordan was going to ask Coralie to marry him. Do you have any idea how I felt knowing that she was going but not me?”
James stood and stared up into the wooden beams crisscrossing above him. After several long seconds, he turned and gripped her shoulders with his large, callused hands.
“Thanks. Want to tell James that?”
Jeremy straightened in mock horror. “Hey, you crazy? He gets plenty mad at me as it is.”
She tried to force a grin. “Only when you pull some stupid stunt.” Her lips trembled and her eyes stung with unshed tears. She couldn’t stand being at odds with any of her brothers, especially James, yet there was no way she could back down. “He’s never been this mad at me before,” she whispered, staring off after James into the dark interior of the barn.
Jeremy ruffled her curls and led the way into the house. “What’d ya expect, Jess? You defied him and involved him—us—in a lie.”
At her moan of anguish, Jeremy took pity on her. “Aw, come on, sis. He’ll get over it. He’s just worried, you know. Wolf ain’t gonna like it when he finds out he’s been duped.”
At the mention of the wagon master’s name, Jessica stopped short of the kitchen. This bad air between her and James was all his fault. “If it hadn’t been for his stupid rule against women, none of this would have happened,” she snapped.
“That’s beside the point,” Jeremy said. “Don’t worry. James’ll come around soon enough. Now, come on, we’ve got lots to do before sunset.”
Jessie shook her head. “I’m going to talk to James first.” She stalked out of the house, determined to clear the air between them. When she reached the open doorway of the barn, she paused to inhale the familiar odors of oiled leather, sweet hay and horseflesh. James sat on the ground, sorting through farming implements. He’d set aside several hammers, a chopping ax, broadax, froe, auger and plane in one neat pile on the hay-strewn ground. Those items would go with them to Oregon.
She watched him untangle an old length of rope. After what seemed like hours, he turned and acknowledged her presence. Deep grooves of displeasure were etched across his forehead. Jessie swallowed past the lump in her throat. She’d never meant to hurt him or put him in an awkward position. Honor was important to James, and she’d compromised it. She sighed. He took everything so seriously. Being left in charge of three siblings while still a boy himself had matured him early. But that didn’t mean he was always right. Moisture gathered in the inner corners of her eyes. “Please don’t be angry, James,” she begged. She wanted her loving brother back, the one who’d nursed her through her childhood illnesses and comforted her through the nightmares brought on by the fear of being taken from her brothers.
It had fallen to James to wash and bandage her skinned knees and apply the paddle when she’d deserved it, though he’d never hurt her. In fact, she recalled fondly, those lessons in discipline had bothered him more than her. But when James turned his back on her and added the neatly coiled rope and a length of chain to the growing pile, another stab of pain went through her. Never could she recall him staying mad overnight at her—not until now. Defeated, she brushed the tears from her cheeks and turned away. Her feet dragged with each step as she went to the wooden pen where she’d slung her saddlebags.
Retrieving the brown paper-wrapped packet she’d purchased in town nearly a week ago, Jessie returned to James. “Happy birthday, James,” she whispered, handing him his gift. She walked away, tears streaming down her cheeks. His voice stopped her.
“Shouldn’t have done what you did, Jess.”
Jessie stopped in the open barn door. A sob of relief escaped. She turned and retraced her steps slowly. “You should’ve told me that Jordan was going to ask Coralie to marry him. Do you have any idea how I felt knowing that she was going but not me?”
James stood and stared up into the wooden beams crisscrossing above him. After several long seconds, he turned and gripped her shoulders with his large, callused hands.
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