“Kimberly,” Leah said evenly. “You wash the dishes.” With that she turned away.
That night Leah was awakened by a touch on her shoulder and looked up to see Wesley leaning over her.
He put his finger to his lips and motioned her to follow him. She slipped her dress over her head and went into the woods behind him. When they were far enough away, he turned to her.
“About a mile down the road is a family that needs help. I made up a package of goods and thought maybe you’d like to go with me to deliver it. Unless you’re too tired.”
He sounded like a little boy, afraid she’d turn him down. “I
’d love to,” she answered.
They walked for a while, not speaking.
“Pretty night, isn’t it?” Wes asked.
“Very.”
“You and Justin have a fight?” he asked bluntly.
She shot him a look of challenge. “You and Kimberly have a fight?”
He grinned at her, and she grinned back.
“You like him, don’t you?” Wes persisted.
“He’s one of my kind. We both grew up poor.”
“Oh,” Wes said. “I always had money but I also always had Travis. I’m not sure if I wouldn’t give up the money if I could have grown up without Travis.”
“Only a rich man would say such a thing. No brother is worse than poverty.”
“At least you were free to think your own thoughts. Travis always told me what to think and how to think it. That’s why Kim—.” He stopped.
“Why Kim what?” Leah asked quietly.
“Kim needs me,” he said, stubbornness in his voice.
“Kim needs something,” Leah answered. “But I wonder if anyone knows what it is. Is that the camp?”
“No, it’s farther away. For some reason they camped in a little canyon. If a rain came they’d never get out fast enough. You don’t mind a bit of a climb in the dark, do you?”
Leah shook her head, but later she wished she’d questioned his idea of a “bit of a climb.” They seemed almost to scale a rock wall in order to reach the bottom of the canyon. Wesley went first, then as Leah came down above, he took her ankles, moved his hands—quite unnecessarily, Leah thought—up her legs to her hips, then plucked her off the wall and set her on the ground. She meant to speak to him about his conduct, but he was grinning so winningly she laughed with him. He grabbed her hand and started down the canyon.
“There it is.” He pointed. “You stay here while I deliver the package, then we’re off again.”
Leah crouched down behind a rock and watched as Wes made his way toward the sleeping travelers. She almost felt like a thief, as if they were doing something wrong, skulking about in the middle of the night, intruding on sleeping people.
Wesley was just entering the camp when Leah saw a man coming from the opposite direction, a long-barreled fowling gun slung across his arm, a big dog at his feet. Instantly she knew there was going to be trouble.
She stood just as Wes saw the man and dog. Wes raised his hand to give greeting, but the dog set up a howl and ran toward Wes in attack and the man raised his gun. Wesley sensibly dropped his bundle, turned, and started running back toward Leah.
“Go!” he shouted over the growing din of voices and barking dogs.
“Come back here, you thievin’ varmint!” someone shouted, close behind Wes.
Leah grabbed her skirts and took off at a dead run, inches in front of Wesley.
The gun went off and the air exploded with bits of shot. Behind her Wes grunted, but when Leah looked back he shoved her shoulder. “Up the damned wall!” he said with a growl, and the next thing Leah knew she was grabbed by a big hand on her seat and shoved upwards, her cheek grazing rock.