at Tom for bringing her a wagonload of trouble.
* * *
By the third day, the wind and sun had chapped and burned Katie’s lips and cheeks. Sitting on the hard wooden slats had given her a backache and a crick in her neck, but she hadn’t uttered a single complaint. The journey hadn’t been easy on any of them, especially Erin, even though she’d managed to sleep through most of it, thanks to the medication Dr. Hennessy had told them to give her.
An hour ago, they’d stopped long enough to eat hardtack, stale bread and apples for the noon meal, then they’d started out once again.
“How much farther until we reach Hannah’s place?” Katie asked Tom.
“Late this afternoon or early evening.”
Katie could hardly wait to be out of the wagon for good. She wondered if Tom was as eager to get there as she was. Most likely. He clearly cared about Hannah and undoubtedly missed her.
Again, she found herself curious about their relationship.
“I suppose Hannah will be happy to see you,” she said.
As Tom flicked the reins along the backside of the team, the wagon swayed, causing his arm to brush against hers again, a warm touch she’d grown used to, an intimacy she’d actually found rather nice and comforting.
“Hannah will welcome me with open arms,” he said.
Katie suspected as much and, if truth be told, she couldn’t help feeling a bit apprehensive at meeting Tom’s lady friend.
As the day wore on, her apprehension and discomfort grew steadily.
By the time the sun had lowered in the west, perspiration had dampened her collar and the fabric under her arms. Dust powdered her skin in spite of the long sleeves she wore, and the sun had no doubt burned her nose and cheeks.
She must be a sight. Yet, in spite of her reluctance to meet the woman herself, Katie looked forward to arriving at Hannah’s house if it meant that she could stretch her legs and, hopefully, soak in a warm, soapy tub.
“How are our passengers faring?” Tom asked.
Katie glanced over her shoulder and spotted the child holding a rag doll while watching over a drowsy Erin, who’d had another dose of medication after they’d had their midday meal.
Sarah Jane turned, smiled softly and gave a little wave. What a sweet child. She seemed to like Tom, which was a bit surprising. Katie would think she’d find him intimidating. Of course, a six-year-old was easily swayed by lemon drops, handcrafted moccasins and the easy smiles that lit his eyes.
“They’re both doing just fine,” Katie said, as she scanned her surroundings.
It would be dark soon, which meant they were drawing near the end of their journey.
Up ahead, just beyond a small orchard chock-full of peaches to tempt hungry travelers, a white clapboard house sat surrounded by a whitewashed picket fence. Bright red geraniums blossomed in a planter beneath a single window in the front.
The two-story structure was clearly a home to someone, and it warmed Katie’s heart to gaze upon it. She could easily imagine a loving wife, handsome husband and happy children living there. The vision was so clear, so strong, that she could almost feel it deep in her soul.
If she were to ever reconsider her decision never to marry, which she wouldn’t do, she could imagine living in a home like that.
“That’s a lovely little house and yard,” she said. “Do you know who lives there?”
“Yes, I do. Hannah.”
The woman’s name rolled off his tongue simply, yet affectionately, and Katie’s heart sank. She had to admit that she didn’t like the idea of Hannah living in that particular house, although she couldn’t say why.
Tom turned the team onto the property. When they reached the barn, he pulled the horses to a stop and surveyed the grounds, where a hen and several half-grown chicks pecked at a small patch of grass.
Four big pots of green plants and two flower boxes filled with pansies marked a walkway and graced the steps of a lovely little porch, where a roughly handcrafted bench and rocking chair beckoned anyone in need of peace and quiet. Yet in spite of the warm and colorful welcome of the house and yard, Katie felt uneasy about the type of reception they might receive.
Tom secured the reins and climbed down. Then he circled the wagon and reached up to help Katie. At one time she’d struggled with his assistance, but after traveling together the past few days, she found his help not only easier to accept but even comforting.
She took his arm and, as she lifted her foot to step over the side, he swung her to the ground, just as he’d done each day of their journey. But today, for some reason, her heart beat a little faster, her breath caught a little deeper.
As he released his hold on her, her legs wobbled a bit, and she reached for his forearm to steady herself, gripping the corded muscle, feeling his strength.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I will be.”
“Good.” He nodded toward the house. “If Hannah doesn’t answer the door, take Sarah Jane inside. I’ll get Erin out of the wagon and put her in the spare room. If you’re hungry, you’ll find cookies in a blue tin box in the kitchen.”
Katie balked at his suggestion to just make herself at home. “I could never enter someone’s house uninvited. If Hannah doesn’t answer, Sarah Jane and I will wait on the porch.”
“Suit yourself. Hannah usually keeps that tin full. I think Sarah Jane would like something sweet to eat.”
The girl nodded and grinned, regaining a wee bit of the spark she’d had before the assault. She seemed to be healing—inside, as well as out. In fact, the bruising along her right arm had begun to yellow and fade.
Of course, the child who’d once been clean and dressed to perfection now had dirty hands and a black smudge across her nose.
“She needs a bath first,” Katie said.
Tom chuckled, and his brown eyes sparked. “So do you.”
He was teasing, of course, and probably didn’t mean anything by it, but...
Katie ran her hands along the skirt of her soiled and wrinkled dress. She’d planned on bathing and changing into clean clothes, but to have Tom point it out left her uneasy and unbalanced.
As Tom untied the two horses from the back of the wagon and led them to the barn, she couldn’t help but watch him go. He was an intriguing man and a formidable opponent. Yet she had to admit that she’d felt safe riding with him and knowing that he’d been watching over them.
As Tom entered the barn with the two saddle horses, Katie felt a tug at her skirts and glanced down at Sarah Jane, who pointed to the small outhouse in back.
“Good idea,” Katie said with a smile. “And then we’ll find the well and wash up outside. We don’t want Hannah to think we’re
