For a while no one said a word and when someone did speak, it was about something else.
That night Leah stayed awake for a long time, and when she thought everyone else was asleep she threw back her blankets, crept silently to the wagon to get the bag of food she’d secretly prepared earlier, and made her way through the darkness toward the people camped nearby. They had four young children and nothing but a handcart of goods. Silently she set the bundle of food near the cart and started back toward her own wagon.
She’d gone only a few yards when a voice made her jump in surprise.
“Quiet or you’ll wake them,” Wes whispered, motioning for her to follow him further into the trees.
Leah swallowed hard, knowing he’d caught her stealing from his supplies. She prayed he wouldn’t return her to Virginia. She stopped when he did, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.
“What did you give them?” he asked.
“Bacon, flour, p…potatoes,” she stammered, then looked up at him beseechingly. “I’ll pay you back. I didn’t mean to steal the food. It’s just that the people looked so hungry and—.”
“Ssh,” he said, and she could see in the moonlight that he was smiling. “Look there.” He pointed.
Through the trees she could see the people’s banked fire. By the cart was her bundle and near it was another bundle just like hers. She looked up at him quickly. “Yours?” she asked, astonished.
He grinned. “Mine. I couldn’t stand to see them hungry either.”
They were silent a moment, sharing their secret. “How long have you been…?” Wes began.
Leah looked at her bare feet. “Since we started. That’s why I haven’t minded being in charge of the food. No one else looks at it but me so I know how much I can afford to give away and not be discovered. I didn’t mean to steal,” she began again, looking up at him.
“I can afford a few potatoes,” Wes said. “I’ll bet we’re pretty low on supplies.”
Leah looked guilty. “Very low. I was planning to tell you soon but…”
He chuckled. “As soon as you absolutely had to, no doubt. In the morning make me a list and I’ll get everything. Maybe you ought to double whatever you think we’ll need. Now let’s get back before we’re missed.”
Leah hesitated. “Wesley,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to write. How can I make a list?”
He turned and looked at her, and his look made her blush. Once she would have run into his arms. She wished she could forget how she’d once loved him.
“I guess you’ll have to go with me,” he said, so softly she barely heard him.
Together they went back to their own camp. Wesley walked Leah to where her bedroll lay and when they stopped, he smiled at her in conspiracy, gave her a wink, then turned toward his own bed on the far side of the camp.
Leah fell asleep with a smile on her face.
In the morning Leah didn’t want to look at Wesley because she was afraid she’d see hatred in his eyes and that the night before would turn out to be a dream.
“You’re sure you don’t mind us traveling with you?’ Mrs. Greenwood asked for the hundredth time.
Turning, Leah smiled at her. “Of course not. I’m looking forward to spending time with your children. Until this trip, I’ve always been surrounded by children, and I miss them.”
Sadie Greenwood laughed. “You may get more of them than you want. My three are a handful.”
At that moment the baby began to cry. “Let me,” Leah said, running toward the toddler, Asa, who’d just fallen. The boy was used to strangers; he clung to Leah and as she held him hot tears came to her eyes.
“Are you all right?” Wesley asked from behind her it was as if he’d been watching her and came when she needed him.
“My child would have been nearly his age,” Leah choked out, hugging the boy who was no longer crying. She turned back to the wagons.
“Our child,” Wes murmured, but she didn’t hear him.
The next few days were very pleasant. Leah rode with Mrs. Greenwood and they swapped recipes, Sadie’s of food, Leah’s of how to concoct beauty creams, and talked endlessly about children.
“And which one of those men are you going to choose?” Sadie asked.