With Davis and Emma taking their turn as lead wagon, the rest fell into line behind them for their daily trek within an hour of the bugle call. They swayed in comfortable silence on the wagon seat as the animals plodded forward. The sound of hoof beats caught their attention, and they both glanced to the side to see Nathan Hale ride up alongside them.
“Mornin’, Emma, Cooper.” Nate nodded and pulled on his horse reins to keep pace with the wagon. “Looks like we’ll have good weather for a couple days.”
Davis continued to look forward as Emma spoke to Nate. “I’m glad to hear that. Have you done this trip before?”
“No, this is a first for me. But I gathered a lot of information from other soldiers who have. I think I’ll be able to help you all if you need it.”
Davis snorted and moved his neck around to loosen the muscles that had suddenly gotten very tight. Noticing Emma looking down at his hands, he released the reins he’d gripped so tightly his knuckles had turned white.
He was stunned by his reaction to this solider who sniffed around his wife. He’d never been the possessive, jealous type. Why the man’s mere appearance made his blood boil bothered him. In truth, he knew Emma still harbored the idea of returning to Indiana. And having a friend from home, who appeared ready to whisk her back at any moment, chafed at him.
Although they’d spoken their vows before God and man, he didn’t feel confident enough that Emma was committed to them staying together. Well, he would fight for her. She was his wife, and exactly what he wanted in a mate. He had no intention of allowing some spit-shiny challenger move in and sweep her away from him.
The uncomfortable silence continued, broken only by the sound of the wagon wheels turning and the animals plodding along. After a few minutes, Nate tipped his hat and reined his horse to ride back. “Oh, by the way, Emma, the fort clerk wanted me to let you know your letter to Indiana will be on its way this morning.”
Heat rushing to her face, Emma thanked him, and stared at her lap, busy attacking a lose thread on her apron. She could feel the anger radiating off Davis. Oh dear, why did Nate have to mention that dratted letter? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t intended to tell Davis about it. Just not yet.
“You sent a letter to Indiana?” Davis’s cool gaze assessed her.
“Yes, I wrote to my parents.” Emma spoke with as much dignity as her pounding heart would let her.
“Why?”
There were a whole lot of unasked questions in that one word. Emma cleared her throat a few times. “I just wanted to let my parents know about Peter.”
“And?” Davis turned to her. The look on his face startled her. Annoyance, but also mixed with confusion and fear.
“And nothing. I just told them Peter had died in an accident along the trail.”
“You told them nothing else?” His brows raised in surprise.
“Well, yes, I mentioned that I had married again. I told them your name. And things.”
“What things?”
“Things,” she said, her anxiety turning to anger. “What could I tell them?” Her eyes flashed, and she drew herself up on the seat. “That the son-in-law they knew and loved had been trampled by a horse, and their daughter was forced to marry a stranger in the middle of nowhere, and was now traveling to God knows where?” She tried to calm herself as she realized her voice quivered.
“As I wrote that letter I knew how upset my parents would be. I mean, they knew Peter so well, and we all lived so close together.”
Davis pulled her over against his chest. “I’m sorry, darlin’.”
Emma sniffed, fumbling in her pocket. Davis drew out a handkerchief and handed it to her. “We’ll talk about this later.” His voice had softened.
Wiping away the few tears that fell, Emma sighed. Men always did that. They got you all fired up, and then when you wanted to have it out, they retreated and decided to take it up later. Darn Nate for blurting that out.
There wasn’t really anything in the letter that Davis would object to. She told them about Peter, and about the wagon master strongly suggesting she marry Davis so she wouldn’t be alone for the rest of the trip.
She never actually mentioned she wanted to return home to Indiana, but most likely her parents would assume so. Before they’d left, she hadn’t made any effort to hide her dislike of the entire idea. Now that she thought it over, it probably wasn’t the best thing to send that letter. Her parents would most likely worry more now that she didn’t have Peter with her. She should have waited until she reached Oregon and told them of her plans to return.
Emma wiped her nose with the handkerchief. Sometimes she could really make a mess of things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days passed with the resumption of the routine they’d established in the weeks before the Fort stop. Each morning Emma cooked breakfast with extras for the noon meal. While she did that, Davis took care of the animals and checked the wagon over. After cleaning up and repacking, the wagons started to roll for the day. The noon break was only long enough to rest the animals and have a quick meal. Evenings were spent in gathering buffalo chips and small branches for a fire, cooking supper, then tending to the never ending small chores such as sewing and mending.
Several days had gone by since Nate had mentioned the letter in front of Davis. While Davis and Emma weren’t exactly mad at each other, the easy camaraderie they had established was missing. Davis still reached for her at night when they had settled in the wagon, but the closeness afterward was not there. This made Emma wish Davis would just explode and get it all out. She tried to bring it up a few times, but her husband was never ready to talk about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~