Jodi's Journey (23 page)

The boys gathered around the wagon before
heading to the herd. “We sure would like to know who did this,”
Josh said.

Jodi nodded. “Yeah, I know. So would I. The
men who brought him back didn't really say much. All I know for
sure is that he went ahead to hurry the herd in front so we
wouldn't be getting our cattle mixed. Something had to have
happened there in that camp. Hopefully, he'll tell us when he comes
to. They sure didn't tell us anything.”

“We'd feel better if we could sort of even
the score,” Josh said, mashing the toe of his boot into the ground
as he spoke. “We know he wouldn't want us to, but he's done a good
job with our herd and we all know he was trying to help those
fellas ahead of us. You'd think they would be grateful.”

Jodi considered what they were saying, but
shook her head. “Getting even won't solve anything. No, I think
Hunt would want us to push on, no matter what. There'll be time for
that when we get to Abilene. They are going the same direction so
we're bound to come across them again.”

“Si.” Concho nodded. “She is right. There
will be another day for that.”

“What's the next creek? Anyone know?” Jodi
asked, trying to change the subject and get the men back on
track.

“It's called Panther Creek,” Cole spoke up.
“Not the best place to bed down cattle, but we might not have much
choice since we're sort of skirting the other herd as it is.”

Jodi eyed him a moment. Cole was sort of a
loner, but since he'd joined them, he’d managed to get to know
everyone pretty well. There was a steel edged quietness about the
man. He was a lot like Hunt. “Any special reason it's called that,
Cole?”

Cole grinned and nodded. “Yes, ma'am…another
reason to have your guns ready.”

Jodi shrugged wearily, but she understood.
“You heard the man, keep your eyes peeled. And I want lots of
singing, men. Hunt always kept the cattle lulled with the singing.
Maybe we best get better at it now,” she said, glancing over her
shoulder at Hunt who was still out cold. “No loud noises though,
boys. We don't need another stampede. Just sing and keep your eyes
open.”

“Si, Señora, perhaps me and Jose should use
our knives if there is trouble. It is much quieter.” Concho flashed
his big knife as Jose rode up. The other man took out his knife and
showed her, as well.

“Not a bad idea. Jose, you take one lead,
Concho, the other. Any sign of those yellow-eyed cats, try to take
them with your knives. But don't hesitate to use your gun if you
need it. I don't want anyone else hurt.”

The men nodded and took off. She was herding
the chuck wagon alone. She needed every man out there. They were
getting closer to their destination, and she didn't want anything
going wrong. She put Matt on drag.

Jodi swallowed hard. Could she do it?

She pulled the chuck wagon out in front of
the herd, determined to scout the area ahead.

The prairie was a lonely place, and there
wasn't anything a human could look forward to. No beautiful, lush
trees, no lovely carpets of blue bonnets. Just miles and miles of
gently sloping prairie with an occasional greening around the creek
bottoms and oddly formed cottonwoods that jutted against a sky of
storms. The land was full of sagebrush and tumbleweeds, and they
seemed to gather against the wind for protection. The weather, too,
was most uncooperative. Jodi wished for warmer clothes, but the
grasses were good feed for the cows, so she couldn't complain.

She was alone out here and Hunt was still
sleeping. Looking at him, she realized that the feelings she had
for the man had magnified. She hadn't meant them to, didn't want
them to, but it had happened. She cared more than she wanted to
say. But as long as she had this problem, was in a way, she
couldn't act upon her own feelings.

Preparing to make camp, she took out the
tansy. She examined it closely, smelled it. It smelled like
rosemary and camphor. Not a bad odor, but what in the world was she
to do with it?

After putting a meal together for the men,
she went to the small creek ahead. She sat down and looked at the
steeping tea she'd made out of it. Tears were streaming down her
face, but she knew what she had to do. Had she mixed it correctly?
Should she drink it all? Could she remember what the book said
about it? She couldn't remember the measurement. And if she hurt
herself, would the cattle get through? All these things rushed
through her mind like a cyclone. Perhaps this wasn't the right time
either. With Hunt in bad shape, she was the boss again. If
something happened to her, what would happen to the herd? Or was
she merely making excuses for not taking it?

“God.” She looked into the azure sky. “I
don't talk to you very often, at least not as often as I should.
But please, forgive me for what I am about to do. I know it won't
set well with you…it doesn't set well with me either. I know I'll
carry the burden of my actions for the rest of my life. But this
child…is not of my making. You know that. Maybe you’re the only one
who knows that…”

“Wrong...” came a thunderous voice from
behind her.

Her stomach churned with unspent frustration
and anxiety as the silence lengthened between her and Hunt. He had
somehow gotten up and staggered toward her. She felt a momentary
panic as she realized her secret was laid bare. Already her
feelings for this man were confusing her beyond words. Somehow, her
hate for him had changed to admiration and fondness. He represented
things she thought were long gone.

She could feel his sharp gaze upon her.
Emotions raged a war inside her as he stood watching. She wasn't
proud of what she thought she needed to do.

Hunt's expression was tight with strain as
his face contorted from pain and disdain, but the smoldering flame
in his eyes called to her. His compassion was a shock, his caring a
surprise, but his desire to help her drove her near the edge of
reason. His gaze softened on her, and her heart lurched.

“It took me a while to figure it out,” he
ground out, as though he were mad at something…not her. “But now I
know. And you don't have anything to fear any longer. Hershel
Walker raped you, didn't he?” Hunt said about as bluntly as a man
could say it.

Jodi wiped at her eyes, unable to get a hold
of her emotions, not knowing what to say now. “What are you doing
out of the wagon? You aren't strong enough to be up…”

“Don't change the subject, Jodi. I asked you
a question.”

His voice was laced with a dangerous mixture
of anger and caring. He was only a few feet away and part of her
wanted to rush into his arms and cry because he was okay and was
mending. Another part of her wanted to cry on his shoulder because
he cared.

The look on his face was hard and unreadable,
and yet there was now some intangible bond between them that made
her heart race with hope. His eyes traveled slowly, thoroughly,
over her, as though looking at her for the first time.

Jodi clamored for something to say. How had
he known?

“I…I…” She couldn't go on; he stared so long
she thought he would never say another word. “You shouldn't be out
of the wagon.”

“Tell me, Jodi. For God's sake, tell me,” he
muttered thickly as they shared a moment of sheer awareness of each
other. It was so intimate, and yet they hadn't touched one
another.

“Yes…yes...he raped me!” she cried aloud. “Is
that what you wanted to hear me say? He raped me. He knocked me out
and raped me and beat me up and left me for dead. He came
uninvited, and left the same way.” She finished the statement so
quietly he could only stare at her.

When the silence lasted too long, she yelled
at him, “Well, say something!”

“Don't do this, Jodi, please. You'll regret
it…later. Think about it, please.”

“Don't do it? You don't know what you ask.
I've come this far, I can't turn back now.” She looked directly
into his eyes, wishing he wouldn’t go on with this subject. “Don't
try to stop me from doing what I have to do.”

“That's what I'm trying to tell you. You
don't have to do anything, Jodi. I'll help you.”

He took the steps to bring them closer and
leaned his head against hers, his lips grazing the top of her head.
Even though his pain had to outnumber her own, he held her to him
for a long moment. And for some unknown reason, she began to cry.
She wept for a long time in his arms. Never had she felt this
protected, this safe, in her life.

Then, as she was about to pull away, he took
her face into his big hands again and kissed her gently on the
lips, a tender, aching kiss that began to heal. “Every man isn't a
monster, Jodi,” he said breathlessly, then, suddenly, he
collapsed.

She sat there, crying and holding him,
loosely at first, then closer. She stared at the tea. The aroma
drifted up to her nose as she raised the cup to her lips. But as
she was about to sip it, he moaned against her and pulled her
closer. She set the tea down and held on. She needed his
strength.

She wouldn't be drinking it today. Maybe
another day, but not today. Today a man showed her compassion and
she wouldn't mar it with something so destructive. She brushed the
hair from his face as he moaned again.

The men rode up, saw them and came to stand
in front of her.

She smiled sadly. “He tried to get up…” she
began before the tears rolled down her cheeks in one, long run. She
gathered her tea and took it to the wagon, storing it in a jar.

Josh and Concho picked him up and took him to
his bed in the wagon. Jodi swiped her eyes again and got back to
the business of feeding her crew. No one asked questions; no one
said a word. The whole meal was quiet. It was as though they had
all gained some new respect for Jodi and Hunt.

That evening, they gathered about Panther
Creek. Everyone was on guard. It grew increasingly quiet and Jodi
knew something was amiss.

“Something is wrong, Concho,” she whispered
as she cleaned the dishes and he stood gazing about. “It's too
still. The birds, they aren't singing. The frogs aren't
croaking.”

“Si, Señora, something is,” he said.

Then, they heard the screeching, and they
knew the cat was about. The cattle seemed to sense it first as they
milled and wouldn't bed down.

“They'll stampede unless we do something. We
have to get moving,” Concho said quietly to her, seeing her somber
face.

“Tell the men. No noise, Concho, it won't
take much to set them running.” Keep your slickers away from the
horses. Don't make any more noise than is necessary.”

“Si.” Concho nodded, going to each man in
camp and telling them that they would have to herd them all night.
Oddly enough, none of the boys balked. Everyone knew that a cat was
about and that it would only take a slicker slapping against a
horse to ignite their tension, or a stick breaking, or someone
coughing. Anything, and the cattle would run.

Slowly and quietly, they mounted and rode
out. It was Joe who started singing the loudest, trying to drown
out the cat's ugly screams. The cat could be heard for miles,
though.

They pushed the herd on, slowly. Each man
knew it would be a long ride. Again, all night in the saddle.

The next morning, Jodi prepared breakfast as
Matt and Josh rode in. “We got them bedded down now. Sparky and
Dutch are holding them. They seem much calmer, finally. Boy, I just
knew they were going to run last night. You could feel their
tension. And that cat…I thought he'd never shut up.”

Jodi nodded. “You boys did a great job. I'm
sure Hunt will be proud of the way you handled things.”

“How is he?” Matt asked, helping himself to
biscuits and gravy.

“He's been trying to stay awake, but he nods
right back off.” She smiled.

“He's a strong man,” Josh added with regal
certainty.

Jodi nodded abstractly. “Have you seen the
herd ahead?”

Jose and Joe rode into camp. “Yep, they're
only about a mile ahead now. They are movin' kinda slowly, but they
are movin'.” Joe chuckled as though he knew something they
didn't.

“Let's hope they keep moving. We don't want
to spend time culling theirs from ours,” Jodi said as she watched
them wash up.

“I'm almost certain they will.” Joe smiled at
Jose arrogantly.

“What do you mean?” Jodi asked, concerned
that they might have done something.

“They saw us movin' out last night and they
been movin' their herd right in front of us. We had a little talk
with them,” Joe said with oozing piety.

“I hope it was just talk?” Jodi eyed him
closely, her glance meeting his with question.

“It was, but we think they got our message
loud and clear,” Jose added. “It also seems a certain member of
their camp has been fired and is headed for Mexico, post
haste.”

Jodi gleamed their meaning and relaxed.
“Good.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“What do you think you are doing?” Jodi
yelled as she saw Hunt about to mount up and join the herd the next
morning. He looked strong, healthy and able, and remarkably
handsome.

“My job, ma'am,” he said and tipped his hat
to her.

“But…you aren't healed enough,” Jodi
protested vehemently.

“I'm fine,” he said reassuringly, then in a
sterner voice, “One question, did you drink that tea?”

Jodi turned away from him. “No…”

“Good, we'll talk later, and I'd love some
beans and cornbread for lunch.” He gave her a crooked smile.

Jodi nodded, staring after him as he rode out
of camp. There was a lot to admire about Hunt Johnson. A tall,
broad-shouldered, well built man in the saddle who handled things
his own way. Even though he was strangely appealing to her more and
more, she had to put space between them to keep her head.

Now that he knew, what was she going to do?
He couldn't change her plans. She had to carry them out. There was
no other way. Perhaps she should tend to it, now, before he could
change her mind again.