Emma's Journey (Oregon Trail 1)

Shaking her head and grinning at the pair, Emma turned back to the stove.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the snowstorm the day Caroline was born, the Oregon weather reverted back to normal for that part of the country. Snow quickly melted off, leaving mud

everywhere. Days were cold, but not freezing. There was plenty of rain, but since Davis had the Campbell brothers’ help, they’d managed to erect the frame and roof for the barn quickly, so they could continue building stalls even when it rained.

Emma spent a great deal of time finishing the decorating she had put off before the baby came. Both were tired at the end of the day, but it was the good tired of knowing they were moving forward.

The sound of Davis knocking the mud off his boots against the back step caught her attention. She’d just set the table for their noontime dinner, after having fed Caroline. Davis entered the kitchen sniffing hungrily at the smells of beef stew and baking bread.

“Here, darlin’, I have a letter for you.” He waved the small envelope in her direction.

“A letter? It must be my parents.” She wiped her hands on her apron and plucked it from his fingers. “I wrote them after Caroline was born. I knew they would be excited to hear about their granddaughter.” She slid the letter into her apron pocket to read later.

“Come sit down, dinner’s ready.” She turned and lifted two bowls of the savory beef stew, and placed them on the table.

“Smells wonderful. I’m hungry enough to eat a cow.” Davis spoke over his shoulder as he washed his hands at the sink.

He scooped the baby up from her cradle next to the warm stove and plopped her on his lap as he took his seat.

“Davis, put her down. You won’t be able to eat.”

“Yes, I will.” Juggling Caroline in his arms, he tucked her securely against his side, then spooned the stew into his mouth. The baby’s eyes followed his movements.

“How’s the barn coming?” Emma asked between bites.

“Good. I think I’ll be able to accept those horses in another month instead of two.”

A comfortable silence filled the room as they finished their meal. Caroline had fallen asleep in her papa’s arms, a slight smile on her tiny lips.

Davis gave her a quick kiss on her head, and left her to her mother’s attentions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours later, Emma stood at the kitchen table, folding dried, sweet smelling clothes she had just taken in. The baby was asleep in the basket she kept in the kitchen while she worked. She hummed quietly and thought about the letter from her parents she had read after cleaning up from dinner. Both parents were thrilled with their new granddaughter and bemoaned the fact they couldn’t be there to share Emma’s joy.

Papa wrote that with the railroads being built so quickly, one day there would be a train line that would cross the whole country, and then he and Mama would sell the store and come out to Oregon. Even though she knew that would be a long time from now, she thrilled at those words.

Emma still missed her parents, but was happy and content with her life and home. She didn’t know when she’d realized Oregon felt more like ‘home’ than Indiana, but the longing she’d suffered at the beginning of her trip had faded somewhere along the way. As disloyal as it sounded, she wondered if that would have been the case if Peter had lived, and she’d never married Davis.

She patted the diaper she’d folded and gazed out the window. Even though the words hadn’t been spoken, she loved Davis, and was sure he loved her. And then, of course, there was Caroline. Emma had grown from someone’s daughter to someone’s mother. And the feeling was very good. In fact, quite adult.

A sharp knock at the front door interrupted her musings. Since it was rare to have visitors, she pushed the front room curtain aside to look out the window. To her amazement, Nate stood on the porch, clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

“Hi, Nate, what brings you out this way?” Emma opened the door to allow him to enter.

“Um, actually I came to talk to you. Is Davis home?” He tugged on the collar of his shirt and glanced around the room.

“No. Well, actually he is home, but out working in the barn. Did you want to speak with him?” A little uneasy at his nervousness, she moved to head to the back door.

Nate grabbed her hand to stop her. “No, I, ah, wanted to talk to you. Can we sit down?” He gestured to the sofa.

“Sure. Would you like some coffee or tea?” Emma perched on the edge of the sofa, her heart beginning to speed up. This was not a Nate she recognized. He’d lost weight, his cheeks almost sunken. He held himself stiffly, and kept glancing to the back door.

“No, no, nothing, thanks anyway. I heard you had a little girl a while back.” He sat next to her and fumbled with the paper in his hand.

“Yes, we named her Caroline. She’s asleep right now in her basket in the kitchen. You can see her later.” Smoothing her dress down with shaky hands, she said, “How have you been?”