ROMANCE: Mail Order Bride: A Sheriff's Bride (A Clean Christian Inspirational Historical Western Romance) (New Adult Short Stories) (89 page)

Chapter Five

Anne was adjusting to life on the trail, though it wasn’t easy. The men told her that it would be several months before they reached Wyoming. It seemed like such a long way, and as the days passed Anne grew even sadder and more depressed. She found it difficult to do even the most mundane things like get water or cook a meal.

Everything was harder on the trail. They would ride for hours at a time, only stopping if they happened to come to a stream or lake. But then they’d go days without seeing any water, and panic would set in Anne’s mind. What if they died of thirst? What if someone stole their cattle. There was so much that could go wrong out and so much to fear.

The people around her didn’t seem to be the type for prayer, and Anne often found herself doing her best to create her own little church in her mind. She kept track of the days so that when Sunday morning came around, she would retreat into her mind. She imagined the pillars of her church and the preachers booming voice. She wanted to remember every detail and hold it as close as possible. She needed it to stay sane. God was all she had now.

The days were getting hotter, and it was harder than ever to be hopeful. The other women all but shunned her, clearly not happy with her youthfulness and pretty face. It didn’t really help that all the men in camp seemed to be somewhat enthralled by her beautiful hair and clear blue eyes. Their gazes were lecherous, and it took every ounce of self-control to not yell at them. She didn’t like that they looked at her as if she were a piece of meat.

The wagon train stopped at a nearby river, and Anne smiled softly, pleased to see fresh water. Many days passed since they’d last seen water, and she knew their supplies were running low. She gathered up a clean dress and walked along the bank of the river, making sure that she was far enough away that no one might see her. Even in this brutish landscape she was committed to remaining modest. The last thing she wanted was any of the men seeing her in a state of undress.

Once she was a mile or so down the river, she stripped down to her white underdress and waded into the water up to her knees, pulling her dress up just slightly to keep it dry. She tied it with a piece of string and began to wash herself, enjoying the feeling of the cool water against her skin. She was lost in her own little world and didn’t hear the soft giggling of the other women as they snatched up all of her clothes. They would have gotten away with their little prank, too, if one of the other women hadn’t hollered. “Hey, what do you witches think you’re doing?” the older woman grumbled.

Anne gasped and spun around at the sound of Maggie’s voice. Maggie was the oldest woman in the caravan. She was a rough woman with tanned skin and gray hair that sat atop her head in a graceful braid. She wore men’s clothing and cursed just as much as her male counterparts. She was tough and unapologetic, but she was a fair woman and the only person in the wagon train that hadn’t hassled Anne.

“Maggie, you scared us,” the youngest woman said..

“Good. You deserve it for trying to strand this poor girl in the river with nothing but a slip!”

“We were just playing a game,” one of the other woman said.

“I’ve seen how you treat that girl,” Maggie said, motioning a crooked finger toward Anne. “This wasn’t no game to you,” she snapped, stealing the clothes back from the girl who held them.

The women grumbled and walked away, casting glowering looks at Maggie and Anne. After she was sure they were gone, Anne stepped out of the water and walked over to Maggie. “Thank you,” she said, blushing and taking the clothes out of the old woman’s hands.

“You need to watch your back, Anne. Those girls have it out for you,” she grumbled, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between her lips.
“I know, I’m just not used to having to watch my back,” she said, tucking some hair behind her ear.              

“You need to get used to it,” Maggie said, her thick Midwestern accent coming out.

Anne looked down and nodded. “Of course. Thank you for stopping them,” Anne said.

“Now, now. Don’t hang your head like that,” she said, putting a hand on Anne’s shoulder. “I’m not a soft woman. You should know that by now.”

“I’ve caught on to it,” Anne said.

Maggie chuckled and nodded. “Good, good.” She stubbed her cigarette out. “I don’t have many friends in this wagon train, either. Maybe you and I can partner up and watch each other’s backs. How does that sound?”

Hope fluttered in Anne’s chest for the first time in a long time. “That sounds perfect,” she said.

“Good. Now, let’s head back. You don’t want to get left behind in this head. You would last a minute.”

Anne couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to have someone looking out for her again. It was the first time since she’d left Pikeville that she felt hopeful.

Chapter Six

The nights were beginning to get cold. Winter was a few months away, but fall was just around the corner. Anne didn’t mind the cold so much. It was nice to be free of the stifling heat.

They made their way into Missouri and found themselves in hostile territory. They hadn’t come across any natives or outlaws yet,  and everyone kept their fingers crossed that it stayed that way.

When night fell, the wagon train was forced to stop. Traveling in the darkness was treacherous, and they avoided it whenever possible. Everyone started to turn in for the night, but Anne found it nearly impossible to sleep. She sat at the edge of the campfire, watching the last of the coals burn out. Her bare feet were as close as she dared, searching for some warmth.

The only other person still up was a man who seemed just as nervous and frightened as Anne. He was younger than she was by a few years, and she felt bad for the poor kid. He’d hardly started his life, and he was already being thrown into this vast wilderness.

Anne broke away from the circle of wagons. She knew it probably wasn’t the safest thing to do, but she needed to get away for a moment and breathe. The cool night air kissed her skin as she walked off into the darkness but paused when she heard a strange sound.

The wailing was a good 10 yards from the wagon train, but it was distinct and terrified. It sounded like a sick or injured animal. Anne’s heart was too big for her own good, and she knew she couldn’t leave some poor creature out in the woods to die. She made her way toward the sound. Her eyes adjusted to the dark as crossed the flat plains, following a path illuminated by the moonlight. As she came upon the creature making the sound her heart stopped.

Scattered around the flat plains was a small group of Native Americans. Their dark skin was stained with blood, and it became clear that some type of battle or massacre took place here. A mass wrapped in blankets squirmed in one of the women’s arms, and Anne ran forward and grabbed the sobbing child from its mother’s cold grip. She pulled the child to her chest, not bothering to unwrap it from its blankets just yet. Whatever happened here happened not too long ago, and it was the last place that Anne wanted to be.

She turned from the carnage and quickly walked back toward the wagon train. She didn’t want to wake any of the others and cause a stir. She wasn’t sure how they would react to the baby, either, given its origins. Anne stayed just outside of the circle of wagons while she looked down at the whimpering child in her arms. She gently uncovered its face to reveal a beautiful with wide, brown eyes. Its lips were trembling, and the little girl let out soft cry.

Anne’s heart swelled, and she brought the child to her chest, supporting the back of its head and bouncing it gently. “Shh” she whispered. “You’re safe now, child. I have you.”

It was impossible to tell exactly how old the child was, but Anne guessed about six months old. The child hiccupped and reached her tiny fingers into Anne’s hair. Anne smiled and stroked the girl’s reddened cheeks. The baby seemed to calm, and she smiled.

“That’s right, you’re safe now.” She settled into the dirt with the child. “I’m a long way from home, too, you know. I don’t think I’m ever going to see my family again. It’s not all bad, though, right? We can be each other’s family. But first, you need a name,” she said.

Anne thought for a long moment about what she was going to call her little miracle. A smile spread across her face. She leaned down, her golden locks falling in the little girl’s face and tickling her dark skin. “You know, it was by the grace of God that I found you, so how about Grace?”

The small child let out a happy giggle. Anne smiled and lifted Grace into her arms, bringing her close so their foreheads rested together. “Grace it is then.”

It occurred to Anne that she should be terrified of this child. She didn’t know what it was like to be a mother. She’d taken care of her younger sisters, but an infant was something entirely different. She wasn’t sure how to care for Grace, but she was going to do everything she could to help the baby grow big and strong.

As she cradled the baby close, Levi’s words echoed in her mind. “
God has a plan for everything.
” If this was God’s plan, then Anne would accept the responsibility with open arms.

Chapter Seven

Anne returned to the group with the baby in her arms and curled up on a blanket, tucking Grace between her own body and a satchel. She wanted the child hidden for now. She would have to think up a way to bring it up to the others.

When the sun rose, Anne opened her eyes. She felt awful, like she hadn’t slept at all. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, suddenly remembering what happened the night before: She’d found Grace.

A smile fluttered across her lips, and she glanced down at the spot where she’d left the baby. A feeling of dread filled her entire being when she realized the spot she’d left Grace in was empty. The child was gone. Tears came to Anne’s eyes, and she jumped up, darting around camp. It was still early and most everyone was asleep.

Her breathing became erratic, and soft sobs escaped her lips. Who took her baby? Was it the women who’d so often played cruel jokes on her? She didn’t know but she needed to find her baby. She was in tears by the time she came around the side of one of the wagons and saw Maggie leaned against it, a dark-haired baby cradled in her arms. She held a makeshift bottle and was feeding little Grace.

“She started crying, and I figured you wouldn’t want the camp to find out that way,” Maggie said.

“No, thank you, Maggie,” Anne whispered softly.

Maggie smiled gently and looked down at the child. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“She is. I just couldn’t leave her out there alone. Her family was dead,” Anne explained.

“Don’t get yourself in a fit over this. It happens more often than you’d think. This isn’t the first Native baby this train has taken in.”

“It isn’t?”

“No, it happens from time to time. There seems to be this silent agreement that children are exempt from the horrors of war,” Maggie explained. “The Natives have been known to take in our children, too, you know.” She looked up at Anne. “This is a brutal world, but children don’t deserve to die.”

Anne nodded and walked over to Maggie. “You reckon they’ll say anything?”

“Most likely not, but I didn’t want you to wake in a panic.”

Anne was thankful for the reassurance. She was even more thankful that Maggie was right. She earned a few strange looks from the other mothers, but no one said anything about the child. Grace was welcomed and was immune to any kind of judgement or retaliation, which Anne was more than thankful for.

Days passed without incident, and Anne fell in love with the giggling child. Of course, Grace wasn’t her child by blood, but she could tell that she would easily come to love the child as if she were. The fact that Anne was now a mother seemed to change the other mothers’ opinion of her. The women were much more welcoming now and eager to help Anne adjust to being a mother. All she could think was that it was some kind of bond all mothers had.

Although having a baby in the group seemed to lift everyone’s mood, a silent fear crept into everyone’s minds. They were coming into enemy territory, though it wasn’t the Natives they were worried about.

The people of the last town they’d stopped in a few days before warned them of a roaming band of gunmen who often overran wagon trains and stole all their supplies. They would either kill the members of the wagon train or leave them for dead. It would be a lie to say the story didn’t scare Anne, though she was trying to keep a brave face.

As they settled in for the evening, however, that bravery began to fade and turn into a fear that gnawed at the back of her mind. It was hard to ignore the danger when it seemed so close. She sighed and curled up under a blanket, closing her eyes and holding Grace close to her body. She always slept with Grace tucked close, but tonight she kept the child even closer than normal.

She slept through most the night, though she awoke to see the moon high in the sky. She scooped Grace up and decided to feed the child. Anne fetched one of the makeshift bottles and settled behind one of the wagons. Grace was a very loud sucker, and Anne didn’t want to wake anyone up. There were going to push hard the next day and try to make it out of this wild, dangerous country. No one wanted to sleep with one eye open, but it was the only way to make it in a place like this.

Just as she settled down to feed Grace, she heard the sound of hoofs. She peaked around the wagon, wondering if the ox were getting antsy, but it wasn’t the ox at all. Instead she caught a glimpse of a group of men on horseback. None of the looked familiar or friendly.

Her heart jumped into her throat, and for a moment she considered calling out to the group. The longer she considered that the worse it sounded. If she alerted her group, the bandits might just kill them all, including her.

She pressed her back against the wagon and squeezed her eyes closed, praying for guidance. One word came to mind. It was as if someone was whispering in her ear.
“Run.”

It seemed so wrong to abandon her friends, but she knew she needed to listen. Staying here meant certain death. She pushed away from the wagon and took off into the darkness, disappearing before the bandits even caught wind of her.

She ran blindly trough the darkness, clutching Grace tightly to her chest. The little girl was silent, and that was a blessing all on its own. As they made their way through the darkness, Anne’s mind began to spin. What was she going to do now?

Before she could come up with an answer, a hand shot out of the darkness and clamped over her mouth, muffling the desperate scream that pushed its way out of her.