It was a silent group that trudged ahead toward Sweetbriar, Kentucky.
On the fourth day after Sadie, Hank, and their children had left, two men came galloping toward them. One was Oliver Stark, Justin’s nineteen-year-old brother who worked for Wesley. The other was John Hammond, a tall, handsome man in his thirties with prematurely gray hair.
“The farm’s doin’ just fine,” Oliver said, grinning at Wesley and his brother. “It sure took you a long time gettin’ here.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here, John,” Wesley said, extending his hand.
“The man you sent ahead said you had two of the prettiest women he’d ever seen with you. It looks like he was right,” he said, looking Leah and Kim over.
Kim looked down at the ground. As usual, her eyes were red from crying.
“I’d like to introduce the ladies,” Wes said, but Kim put her hand on his arm, her eyes pleading.
“Let me speak to Leah, please,” Kim half whispered.
Wesley’s jaw flexed, but he nodded and looked back at the men and began to ask questions about his farm.
Puzzled, Leah followed Kim to the back of the wagon. Something was upsetting her greatly. “Are you all right, Kim?” she asked, concerned.
“Wesley is being beastly,” she spat out. “Once he makes up his mind to something, nothing will change it.”
Leah couldn’t believe she was being asked to comfort the woman who was to marry her husband. “I would think you’d be glad of that. He decided to marry you and nothing will change his mind, not even his marriage to someone else.”
Kim gave her a hard look. “Sometimes he changes his mind. It takes him awhile to decide to do it but when he does, nothing will make him change.”
“What in the world are you talking about? Oh!” Leah gasped as she slipped and nearly fell. The wagons were stopped on a narrow road on the side of a steep hill. Below them ran a stream with no trees in between.
“Watch out!” Kim said. “You nearly fell!”
Leah smiled. “It’s not steep enough to be a danger. Unless the wagon fell on top of me, I guess.”
Kim didn’t reply to this. “Leah,” she said slowly. “I need my pink hat. It’s in that little brown trunk on the far side of the wagon. I’d get it but you’re so much more agile than I am. Would you get it for me? Please?”
When Leah hesitated, Kim persisted. “You’ll get rid of me soon and you won’t have to help me out anymore.”
Sighing, Leah agreed. Kim had been so upset lately that Leah couldn’t refuse her request. Besides, anything thing that would postpone their arrival into Kentucky was good for her. She climbed into the back of the wagon and began looking for Kim’s trunk.
When Kim returned to the men at the front of the wagon she was frowning. They were deep in conversation, not even aware of Kim as she stood by the horses on the side away from the steep drop. With one glance upward to be sure the men were busy, she slowly removed her bonnet, pulled out a four-inch-long hatpin, and with great deliberation stuck it into the horse’s rump.
“Hey!” John Hammond shouted.
Kim turned frightened eyes toward the man, knowing he’d seen what she’d done.
But no one reacted to John’s shout because instantly the horse reared, frightened the other horses, and the wagon began tumbling down the side of the hill.
“Oh damn!” Wes cursed, watching the wagon. Then he stiffened. “Leah! Where’s Leah?”
Kim’s eyes were locked onto John Hammond’s and she couldn’t speak.
Wesley didn’t bother to wait for an answer as he ran down the hill after the wagon, Justin on his heels. Oliver and John followed quickly. Kim stood where she was in the road, not moving.
When the wagon stopped, leaving a trail of goods behind it, the horses screaming in pain, Leah was nowhere to be found. Wesley was throwing trunks and bags of food everywhere while Oliver cut the horses loose.
“Where is she?” Wesley demanded while Justin scanned the hillside, looking for her body.
“Kim is up there,” came a voice beside Wesley.
Wesley turned to see Leah standing calmly behind him.