Authors: Callie Hutton
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma yawned and stretched, then scooped three-month-old Caroline from her cradle. They’d had three months of broken sleep, new parent’s panic when they didn’t hear her breathing, and joy over her first smile. Emma was thrilled to be back in her old dresses, and had established a routine for herself and the baby that worked well.
Her biggest surprise had been her husband. Davis stopped in several times a day to check on his daughter, taking him away from his job of building a barn and putting up fences to corral the horses soon to arrive. The minute he’d washed up for the day, he’d gather Caroline into his arms and sit at the table, talking to the baby as Emma prepared supper.
“You do realize she doesn’t understand what you’re saying.” Emma stood with one hand on her hip, the other clutching a stirring spoon.
“Yes, she does. Look at how her eyes light up at the sound of my voice.” He held the baby in front of him, his large hands supporting her back and neck as he continued his dialogue.
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?”
“Fine. Good. Ah, the reason I came was I wanted to show you this.” He extended his hand, revealing the paper that now was wrinkled and wet from his damp hands.
“What’s that?” Emma considered going out the back door and fetching Davis. The look on Nate’s face was making her more nervous by the minute.
“It’s a paper from a Judge in Oregon City. It says you can be granted an annulment, all you have to do is appear in court and sign some papers.”
Emma shot up from the sofa, her fury erasing any previous trepidation. ”Nate, we’ve been friends a long time, but now I’m really getting annoyed with you. I’ve told you before to let this drop. I have no intention of making my daughter a bastard by claiming my marriage never happened.” She started toward the door, and spoke over her shoulder. “I think it’s time you left.”
“No, Emma, I don’t think so.”
She spun on her heel to face him, and was met with a white handkerchief placed over her nose and mouth. She sucked in a breath to scream and everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davis spent more time in the barn than he had expected. The sun had gone down, and dusk was rapidly turning into inky blackness. He washed up at the well outside the partially finished barn, shook his hands to get the water off, then started toward the house. He was surprised Emma hadn’t come out to the barn before now. Usually if he was this late, she would come out to coax him into the house.
A warm feeling of satisfaction washed over him. Despite a rocky beginning, their marriage grew stronger every day. Even after he’d given her the letter from her parents, she’d made no mention of returning to Indiana.
They’d resumed lovemaking, and if things kept up the way they were going, little Caroline would have brother or sister on the way sometime soon.
Caroline.
How he loved that little bundle of joy. He did not mistake how her eyes glowed when he picked her up. For the first time since he’d lost his mother and sister in the fire, he felt like he belonged to someone. Someone who loved him.
He smiled. And someone he loved in return. In fact, tonight he’d tell his wife how happy she made him, how much he loved her. With the glow that caused, he hurried to the house, anxious to spent time with his girls.
His stomach clenched at the darkness and silence surrounding the house. The last time that had happened was the night Caroline was born, and that wasn’t a good connection to make. He hoped nothing was wrong with the baby, but didn’t hear any crying as he got closer to the house. Anxious now, he ran up the steps and flinging the door open, called for Emma.
Silence greeted him. No supper simmered on the stove, and no fire burned brightly in the fireplace. Frantic now, he raced up the stairs and called for Emma, again to no avail. He checked the cradle in the bedroom, and it was empty.
Slowly he went downstairs and lit the lamp in the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was the basket that held Caroline during the day was missing. So wherever Emma was, she had the baby with her. But if something happened to the baby, she would have gone to the barn to get him first, he was sure.
Confused, he hurried down the front steps and called all around the outside, and then went back into the barn to check there. He combed the cellar and the entire house once more. Both Emma and Caroline were missing. Not knowing what else to do, he saddled his horse and headed to town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emma’s eyes flitted open, and she was immediately aware of a pounding in her head. Her body swayed with the familiar feeling of riding in a wagon. Flat on her back, her gaze roamed the area. Yes. Despite the darkness she recognized the inside of a covered wagon, and it was plodding along much like the wagon she had traveled in all those months. A soft whimper caught her attention, and she shot a glance across the space and saw the basket with Caroline in it. Where in heaven’s name was she?
She sat up, grasping her head. Her mouth felt like a used up wash cloth, a bitter taste on her tongue. A quick glance in the basket assured her the baby slept peacefully. Still confused and feeling unusually groggy, she crawled over boxes to the front of the wagon.
Emma peered through the opening and gasped. “Nate, what are you doing?” Her voice rose in horror when she saw the driver of the wagon.
“Now, Emma, this is for the best, and once you settle down, you’ll realize that you belong with me, and our home in Indiana.”
She shook her head, still trying to clear the fuzziness. “Are you crazy? What home in Indiana? Has it escaped your notice that I have a perfectly good home in Oregon? And I demand you return me to it immediately!”
All the shouting woke up Caroline who wailed her objection. Using some interesting words she heard Davis utter when he wacked his thumb with a hammer, Emma scooted back over the boxes and retrieved her daughter from the basket. Turning her back to Nate, she opened her dress and put the baby to her breast.
She talked to herself while she fed the baby, attempting to keep calm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t believe the sweet, quiet man she’d known all her life had actually kidnapped her and her baby. Apparently, she’d underestimated his fixation on her. She sighed. Poor Nate. This was so out of character for him, she could only suppose he’d suffered some kind of brain fever.
Her gaze roamed the area, and then stopped at a trunk that looked suspiciously like one of hers. Switching the baby from one breast to the other, she tried to think. She remembered Nate coming to her house, and holding a paper that would grant her an annulment.
Annulment. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of never seeing Davis again. Never feeling his strong arms around her, his playful smile. One lone tear tracked down her cheek when she pictured him searching the house, and finding both of them gone. Oh, God. Would he think she’d left on purpose?
She swiped at her cheeks. A plan. She needed a plan.
When the baby’s soft lips released her nipple, and closed her eyes in slumber, Emma buttoned up her dress, then changed the baby’s diaper—from a stack that Nate had also brought along, and steeled herself for a confrontation. Not anxious to surrender the warmth from the baby’s body, she held Caroline in her arms as she climbed onto the seat next to Nate.
“Nate, this is foolish. You know Davis will come after us when he finds me and the baby missing.”
Nate’s stuck out his stubborn chin. “It will be a while before he figures out where we went, and by then we should reach the wagon train we’re heading to. They started out a few days ahead of us, so we need to drive through the night to meet up with them.”
Her heart pounded at how rational he sounded, and realized Davis would not have any idea where she and the baby had gone. He must be terrified by now, and how could he even begin to figure out what this crazy man had done?
Please God, help my husband find us.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Davis tugged on the horse’s reins and slid off the animal’s back before it had completely stopped. Throwing the straps around the post, he raced up to the door of the mercantile and banged on the glass. In a few minutes the bobbing light of a lantern appeared from behind the curtain.
Hans opened the door, and broke into a big smile “Davis, come in, come in. Mae’s in the back, she’ll be glad to see you.” He raised the lantern above his head and frowned. “Is something wrong, my friend? You look like the hounds from hell are after you.”
“Emma and the baby are missing.” His gut clenched as his sharp words rang out, making it seem real for the first time.
Just then Mae came through the curtain. “Missing? What does that mean? Missing, how?”
Davis followed the couple into the kitchen area and paced back and forth, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. We had dinner as usual this afternoon, and then when I came back to the house after finishing up in the barn tonight, Emma and the baby weren’t there. I checked everywhere.” His dry mouth barely got the words out.
“Could she have gone to see Elizabeth? Maybe she had an emergency and needed Elizabeth’s help.” Hans’s brows furrowed in concern.
“No, even if she did, she wouldn’t have gone off without telling me. And the wagon is still here. She just wouldn’t do that. Especially with the baby.” Hanging his head, he stopped and put both hands on his hips, “God, I don’t know what to do.”
Hans placed his hand on Davis’s shoulder. “My friend, did you and your lovely wife have a misunderstanding? Could she have gone off to think things over?”
Davis shook his head. “No. No argument, no disagreements. Everything was fine when I left her after dinner.”
Mae handed Hans his coat. “First you’ll check with Elizabeth just to make sure that’s not where she is, and then I think you need to talk to the sheriff.”
Hans headed for the door, Davis right behind him, leaving Mae chewing on her lip.
The trip to the Preston house didn’t produce any information. Next, they checked with a few other friends, including Dr. Quigley, none of whom had seen Emma. Finally, fearing the worst, Hans and Davis made their way to the sheriff’s office. The deputy greeted them, the sheriff having gone home for the night.
They reported their story to the deputy who told them he would notify the sheriff and get back to Davis. Losing control, Davis grabbed the young lawman by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.
“What the hell do you mean, you’ll get back to me? My wife and daughter are missing, and all you’re going to do is report it to the sheriff in the morning?”
The deputy’s eyes bulged as he tried to catch his breath. Hans grabbed Davis by the shoulders and pulled him away. “Come, let’s go back to the store and we’ll see the sheriff ourselves in the morning.”
“But we have to search for them.” His voice rose frantically.
“Search where? It’s dark, and we have no idea where to look. In the light of day, things may not appear so bleak. Emma’s a sensible girl, she wouldn’t go off without a good reason.”
“That’s exactly my point. She’s obviously been taken.” He drew his palm down his face. “Kidnapped. My wife and daughter have been kidnapped.”
Hans clamped his hand on Davis’s shoulder. “There could be a very reasonable explanation, but you are not thinking clearly. Come.”
They left the sheriff’s office and returned to the store.
And so, Davis began the longest night of his life. He kept going over in his mind the past day, how Emma looked, what she said, how the baby was. The only unusual thing that happened outside of the ordinary was the letter from her parents. He hadn’t been there when she read it, but couldn’t see what connection that would have to her disappearance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emma squinted as the sun peaking over the horizon caused blinding light to hit her smack in the eyes. She and Nate had been arguing for hours, it seemed. He couldn’t get it through his head that this plan of his was ridiculous. She had cried, fought, threatened and cajoled all to no avail. He wasn’t budging.
“Nate, if you don’t turn this wagon around right now, I swear I’ll have you arrested when we join that wagon train. I’ll tell the wagon master I was kidnapped, and he’ll call the local sheriff.”
“No, Emma,” Nate said, “I have a paper here that says we’re husband and wife.” He patted the pocket of his coat.
“That’s impossible,” she sputtered. “We are not husband and wife, so whatever paper you have is a fake.” Her jaw ached from holding it so tight for hours.
“I have to feed the baby.” Dejected, she crawled back into the wagon, then lifted the Caroline from the basket. After changing her diaper, she started unbuttoning her dress when her gaze drifted around the wagon and spotted a shotgun Nate had brought. Glancing back at her captor, she finished opening her dress, and placing the baby to her breast, inched down toward the weapon. She picked it up, checked that it was loaded and put it against her dress, hiding it in the folds.
After feeding Caroline, she placed her in the basket and with the shotgun securely tucked along her side, she climbed up onto the front seat. Nate glanced over and smiled. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the shotgun out, and placed it squarely in Nate’s chest. “Turn this wagon around. Now.”
Nate’s surprised look was very satisfying. After his initial reaction, however, he reached out to push it aside. “Now, Emma, you need to be careful with that thing. You might hurt someone.”
“I intend to hurt you if you don’t turn this wagon around.” She narrowed her eyes and regarded him over the top of the gun. All her fear had turned to anger, and now she was determined to protect her daughter and get them back where they belonged. Now and forever.
“You don’t know the first thing about guns. Now put it down before you get hurt.”
She moved the gun away from his chest, aimed at a passing tree, eased the trigger back as Davis had taught her, and cleanly picked off a small branch.
A startled Nate pulled up on the reins and looked at her with a slackened jaw. “What has happened to you? You used to be such a sweet little girl.”
“Life happened to me, Nate.” She leaned back against the side of the wagon, and turned the gun back on him. “I’m not longer a ‘girl.’ I’m a grown woman with a husband whom I love and who loves me. We have a life, and a beautiful daughter. Now turn this wagon around. I want to go back to my home. I have no intention of going to Indiana with you. This shotgun has one more shot in it, and I will use it if I have to.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davis had spent hours on the main street, talking to all the storekeepers, trying to get a hint of what could have happened to his family. Meanwhile, the sheriff was questioning anyone he did not personally know.
Davis glanced up at the sun, high in the sky, causing shadows to disappear, and encouraging most people to head home for noon time dinner. He hadn’t turned up anything yet, and was left frustrated and discouraged.
“Hey, Abe,” Davis addressed the livery owner, “I have a missing wife and daughter and so far I’m coming up empty. The sheriff and I have been questioning everyone with no luck. Have you seen Emma yesterday or today?”
“Oh, sorry, no I haven’t seen your wife in weeks. How long have they been missing?”
“She was home yesterday at dinner time, but when I got back to the house for supper, she and the baby were gone. I’ve talked to all her friends, but no one knows anything.”
Abe scratched his almost bald head and shook it. “Gee, I sure wish I could help you out. Too bad you hadn’t asked me yesterday, because that man who comes from Emma’s town has been in and out of here, regular-like. He might have been able to help, but he just left Oregon City, heading back to Indiana, I think he said.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davis’s ears immediately picked up, and his heart thudded. “Who? You mean Nate? Nate Hale?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy. He’s been bugging me for weeks to find a wagon for him. He was planning on going back east, and said he needed one big enough for him and a couple passengers. He was anxious to join the wagon train leaving down near the Columbia River, but I only found the wagon for him a couple of days ago. I’m pretty sure he’s gone by now.”
“Going east?” Davis squeaked out.
“Sure. A lot of folks don’t like it once they get here. They find out it isn’t what they were expecting, and a couple times a year you’ll find a group heading back.” He chuckled, obviously unsure what wasn’t to like about Oregon.
“Do you happen to know which way he was headed to meet up with this group?” His heart raced, sure he’d hit on what had happened.
“Yeah, pretty much follow the road out of town, and you’ll hit the road you came in on. Eventually, it reaches the Columbia River.”
Davis backed away. “Thanks, Abe. You’ve been a big help.”
He strode outside and headed toward the mercantile before the man had finished speaking.
Davis’s mind was in a whirl. A wagon train going east? Could Emma have planned to go back to Indiana with Nate? Then his blood turned to ice when he remembered the letter from her parents. What was in that letter? Did they say something that made her want to go back?
After giving brief details to the Bergers, Davis picked up a few supplies, loaded them into his saddlebags and took off. If Emma was indeed leaving him, he had to hear it from her firsthand. He couldn’t believe she would go off and not even leave a note. Didn’t she realize how much he loved her?
Why would she? You’ve never told her.
About four hours later, Davis spotted a lone wagon in the distance. It seemed to be coming toward him, though. He squinted in the sunlight and tried to figure out who was driving. He could clearly see a man, but he seemed to be alone. Nudging his horse, he picked up speed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emma sat in the back of the wagon changing Caroline, the shotgun within reach. As long as Nate kept going in this direction, she felt comfortable taking care of the baby. As she buttoned up her dress, she heard shouting in front of them. Soon rapid hoof beats joined the shouting. Shock gripped her stomach as she heard Davis’s voice calling her.
“Davis, I’m here.” She yelled as she climbed up on the front of the wagon seat.
“Nate, stop the wagon,” she ordered. As soon as the wagon slowed, she gathered her skirts and jumped down the same time Davis vaulted off his horse. Emma ran to him and threw herself into his waiting arms.
“Davis, oh God, I’m so glad to see you.”
“Emma, what are you doing here? Why are you traveling with Nate?”
“Just hold me,” she gasped.
Davis held her so tight she found it hard to get a breath, but as long as she had him, there was no need for air.
After a few minutes, he put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back. He wiped the tears from her eyes. “Why, honey? Why are you here with him?”
“I want to go h-h-home.” Her voice shook as she sobbed.
All the blood seemed to leave his face. He licked his dry lips. “So you’re going back to Indiana?”
Emma regarded him with narrowed eyes. “Indiana?” She barely choked out the word. “No, you fool.” She elbowed him. “I want to go home with you. To our home that you built with your own hands. Where I gave birth to our daughter.”
His shoulders slumped and he pulled her against him, crushing her breasts to his rock hard chest. “Emma,” he said smiling down at her with shining eyes, “I love you so much.”
She cupped his beloved face. “And I love you, too.”
He glanced up and his jaw tightened. “Darlin’, I think you and I need to have a conversation about what went on here.” He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and moved her aside. “But right now you’ll have to excuse me. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”
He stalked over to Nate and grabbing him by the collar, dragged him from the wagon bench. One punch to the jaw, and Nate went down, landing on his bottom.
Holding his chin, he rubbed it and looked up at Davis. “I guess I deserved that. I’m really sorry. I thought I was doing what Emma wanted.” Slowly he got up, giving Davis a wide berth.
“This is the absolute last time I’m saying this, Hale. Keep the hell away from my wife. If I see you on our property, I’ll shoot first and ask why later.”
Davis, Emma and Caroline returned in the wagon. Davis wanted to leave Nate standing where he was, but Emma convinced him to give Nate one of the horses from the team so he could return to Oregon City.
Rocking gently on the front of the wagon seat, holding the baby close, Emma explained what had happened. Davis threw his head back and roared with laughter when she told him about holding the shotgun on Nate.
“Honey, you are truly a western gal now.” He put his arm around her, pulling her head down to his chest.
Caroline gurgled and waved her arms and legs as the Cooper family headed up the road. Hours later as the wagon crested the hill, Emma kissed the top of Caroline’s soft curls and gazed lovingly at the snug white house where her journey ended.