Page 54 of A Wanderer's Redemption
“They really were like two pieces of a puzzle perfectly locked together. No matter how hard I looked, I could not find the crack. But I always felt like there was just something odd aboutthem that I was not seeing clearly, even though it was right in front of me.”
“Me too, it was like they were not really from here, and I don’t mean locally. I mean something else altogether. Tyberius would say the oddest things, and he really has an old-world way about him.”
Jessica stops peeling potatoes and crosses her legs, looking up at me, her long hair flowing lightly in the wind under the large straw hat that has become a permanent fixture for her on this trip. The sun is shining behind her, and she looks like a dirty little angel sitting on a wooden throne, peering up at me.
“Tyberius’ eyes seemed old to me, and he held himself in a way that he never really made contact with others. Victoria appeared fragile, like a strong wind would scatter her into a million pieces, but I will be forever grateful for having them in my life, no matter how short it was.”
“You will see them again, Jess. As much as those two love to travel, it’s inevitable. I’d better head back up. That wheel on Colby’s wagon is still not right, and I think we may have a bad axle, so we are keeping a watch on it before we get to the mountain range. These last two days will be the hardest for all of us. How are our supplies doing?”
“We are fine this evening, but a few things are getting low, so tomorrow we might need to get a few rabbits, maybe a couple of pheasants, or a fat turkey for dinner.”
“I don’t recall seeing any turkeys in the area when I was here before, but I am sure we can find something to help make the meals stretch. You have done a wonderful job keeping all of us fed and, for the most part, clean.”
“I’ve only been able to do that because there are so few of us. I can’t imagine traveling like this all the way to California. The mountains here are huge, but they say most of them are small compared to those closer to the coast.”
“Yeah, this is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. It’s been hard on the body, and every night I feel for the animals pulling these heavy loads.”
“What are you going to do with the wagons and oxen when we get to Mr. Hayes’ property?”
“I am hoping to hire someone to drive them back, but I will deal with that problem when we get there.”
We both turn when we hear a sharp whistle coming from the lead wagon. “I’d better go see what Deven is trying to tell me. I will see you this evening when we stop.”
CHAPTER 22
JESSICA
I watch Reggie ride off with my heart in my throat. The closer we get to our final destination, the more worried I get, as I know this fairy tale is getting ready to end. I fight the tears that are forming in my eyes, only to laugh when Zeus bumps my knee. That big animal misses nothing. I rub his nose gently, as my thoughts drift off to the last few days and nights we have spent together. I can still feel Reggie’s hand grasping my breast when we woke up this morning. And the weight of his arm around my waist, where he has held me close all night. The nights have become a place where I struggle with my own morals.
Physically, my desires tell me to turn and be held by him, without thinking about the outcome. I know he wants me physically, as the proof is normally always visible or lying hard against my lower back, but I know I simply can’t … won’t allow myself to take that next step. No matter how I wish otherwise, I want it all and if I can’t have it, then I need to be able to walk away with my head held high, even if I do leave my heart behind with him. I’ve had a taste of what being his is like, and I know I could never be pushed to the side watching as he loved another.
Zeus stomping has me looking up, and I can see he is getting uneasy. So, I reach out and grab his bridle, so he doesn’t take off on me, and look to see what’s upset him. Several wagons lay in pieces down the sharp embankment we’re basically crawling through, and suddenly, I feel Jacob slowing the wagon down. Once it’s stopped, I jump off the back, but tie Zeus to the back railing so that he doesn’t follow me. Jacob sets the brake on the wagon and climbs off the seat, both of us walking over toward the edge of this steep hill. I watch nervously as Reggie maneuvers Bells down the long embankment, and I know he is looking for survivors.
“Jacob, do you think they got too close to the edge?”
“No, Miss Jessie, something fierce picked them up and threw them down there, and by the discoloration on those tarps, it doesn’t look recent either. More than likely a spring twister; they can come out of nowhere, and if someone got stuck in a valley like this … well, there wouldn’t be anywhere to escape it.”
“Should we make our way down? What if someone needs help?”
“You don’t need worry yourself with such matters, Miss Jessie. If Mr. Kerns finds anything, he’ll let us know. Maybe you should make a midday snack for the men; it’s been a long morning.”
“You’re simply trying to get me to go back to the wagon, aren’t you, Jacob?”
“Yes, ma’am, but I am feeling a bit peckish, so I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind a little something either.”
“Fine, I’ll go throw something together. I really don’t want to see what I believe is down there. My heart is already breaking simply thinking about the loved ones lost.”
I walk back to the wagon, lost in my own thoughts as I gather up the last of the ham and the extra bacon I’d fixed this morning, and placing several pieces on the leftover biscuits before setting everything in a basket to pass out to the men. Just as I am putting a few things away, it seems like the woods and everything around me get eerily quiet, and before I can react, I see a huge animal rearing up behind me, with large hooves so close to my face I feel the air off them as I push myself hard against the wagon’s gate.
The wagon is literally being pulled backward as Zeus fights the knot I’d tied to the railing, while Coco is trying to stomp a mountain lion to death. Somehow, I manage to scramble up onto the back of the wagon and grab my rifle out of Zeus’ saddle, only to fire it into the air when I realize I can’t get a clear shot around Coco.
A high-pitched squeal is the only sound I hear before the mountain lion runs off limping, suggesting Coco managed to land some effective kicks. She stands there, stomping, snorting, and pawing at the ground, agitated. My heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest as I realize she probably just saved my life. I was so wrapped up in everything going on and getting the food for the guys that I wasn’t paying attention to anything else around me.
I am just getting ready to jump down off the back when a strong set of hands grabs me. Instantly, I wrap myself around the familiar body, allowing myself a minute to fall apart as I know I am finally safe. Holding me with one arm, Reggie’s other hand is tracing my body.
“Dear God, Jessica, are you okay? What the hell happened? Thank God those horses are as protective as they are.”
With tears flowing down my cheeks, I lean back, pushing on him to let me go. “Is Coco alright? Did it hurt her?”
