Mona Hodgson - [Hearts Seeking Home 01] (34 page)

“They’re fine too. Le Doc’s wife, daughter, and the children are with the Pembertons for supper.” Caleb pointed to the Pemberton camp. “Otto Goben helped Arven Beck pull what was left of the hub off the wagon. The rest of the men are retying his load while they wait for Tom Brenner to bring a new wheel. He should be able to get one at a small settlement up the road.”

“They’ll have it ready to roll by morning?”

“That’s what they said.”

Garrett watched his stallion pass, tethered to the back of the supply wagon. “There’s more I need to know.”

Caleb’s brow creased. “Boss?” He had yet to look Garrett in the eye.

“Looked to me like somebody was throwin’ kerosene on their fire. What do you know about that?”

The trail hand looked away.

Garrett gripped Caleb’s elbow. “I have my suspicions, but you need to tell me what you know.” He let go. “For all our sakes, including Anna’s.”

“It was liquor. Anna found some bottles in her mother’s things and tossed them into the fire.”

“Wilma Goben had been drinking before she boarded the paddle wheeler, hadn’t she?”

Caleb nodded. “After Anna tossed the bottles, her mother ran away. I followed her into the draw. We had a good conversation.”

“You told her you know about her drinking?”

“I did. Yes. And I think, at least, I hope the frightening events of the day were enough to scare her into temperance.”

“I’m afraid you may be a little naive when it comes to drunks.”

A shadow darkened Caleb’s eyes. “I know more than I should, sir.”

Garrett was more curious than ever about his trail hand’s family history, but he couldn’t get into it right now. Too much to tend to before twilight left them with only moonlight and candles to work with.

“So much as a hint of her hittin’ the bottle again, and the Gobens are headed back to Missouri with the first go-backers we see.”

Caleb set his jaw. Ready to admit it or not, everyone knew he was sweet on Anna Goben.

It made no difference to Garrett how Caleb felt about Anna. It couldn’t matter. Not to a leader who had close to four dozen folks to look out for. “You know what her mother did. She put everyone and everything on that ferry in harm’s way. And you know as well as I do that because of her drinking, her daughter, you, and Boney could have lost your lives.”

Caleb rolled the lead rope around his hand. “But we didn’t.”

“This time.”

“They’ll be all right, Boss. Anna saw to it her mother doesn’t have any liquor left in the wagon.”

“Until she talks someone else out of theirs or we reach an outpost.”

“We need to keep a closer watch on her, is all.”

“Well, it won’t be you or Boney doin’ it. You two are heading out to do some scouting. Thursday or Friday. I’ll let you know when I decide which it is.”

His jaw tight, Caleb nodded and then walked his horse toward the pasture where the others grazed their animals.

Caleb and Boney both had too much emotion invested in the Goben family to be objective. Garrett needed to be the one to keep watch after the Gobens, starting first thing in the morning. In the meantime, he’d check the progress on the wheel.

Tuesday evening, Caroline sat on the floorboard, wedged between her trunk and a barrel. The friendship album quilt from the Saint Charles quilting circle warmed her legs. Her bent knees held the journal that supported a sheet of stationery.

Davonna Kamden, having grown tired of her knitting, lay on her horsehair mattress repeating the Twenty-third Psalm.

“The L
ORD
is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Maisie’s peaceful face glowed in the lamplight. Lyall and Duff had finally drifted off to sleep too.

“He leadeth me beside the still waters …”

The verse brought to mind the day’s events. The water was anything but still when Anna and her mother disappeared into its depths.

Oliver had been helping her and Rhoda set the wagon when shouts from the bank summoned those who had already crossed back to the river’s edge. Caroline had watched in breathless dread as they’d lost sight of Wilma Goben. Then Anna. And watched in relief as Caleb and Boney reached Anna and her mother and brought them to safety. She’d celebrated with the others as all four boarded the ferry, dripping wet and chilled but alive. Safe.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death …”

Caroline had heard the talk on the riverbank. It was no surprise to hear the proclamations that Wilma Goben liked her drink. Caroline had lived in her brother-in-law’s house for too long not to recognize the signs. She’d piggybacked on her sister’s sorrow, trying to protect the family secret. Time after time, she’d heard Jewell make excuses for Jack. Before long, she’d started doing the same thing. To protect the family. But from what? Secrecy didn’t change the truth, and shrouding it in darkness only added loneliness and fear to the hiding.

Poor Anna.

“Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me …”

Caroline smoothed the stationery and dipped the quill.

Was it too much to hope he was less crabby, kinder now that she was gone?

Mrs. Kamden paused before continuing her recitation.

“Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over …”

Caroline stilled her hand and moistened her lips. Oh, how she wished her sister were here for a chat over tea. She had so much to share with her. Trying to sort her thoughts, she dipped the quill again.

T
he memory of Anna’s face the night before, wrought with fear and pain and then relief drove Caleb up the line of wagons toward the Goben camp.

The past several days had passed in a swirl of early morning chats with Anna, reports of thefts, Sunday supper with Anna, countless interruptions, river rescues, and pep talks. All since he’d made the decision to tell Anna the truth and all since he and Anna kissed on Saturday. Truth was, he was long overdue for another kiss.

He cared deeply for Anna despite his resolve not to. He might even have loved her. The problem was Anna’s family depended on her for their well-being and there might not be a permanent place for him in her life. He admired her commitment to her mother and her grandfather, but it was wrong for them to expect so much of her.

Anna deserved a life of her own, of her choosing, regardless of what her mother decided to do with hers. Wilma Goben would either let yesterday’s frightening river incident and his frank talk with her in the draw help her change her course, or she wouldn’t.

Either way, he couldn’t stand by and let Anna end up like Billy and the others in his squad—victims of his disastrous choices. Anna needed to know the truth about him, so she could see what her mother’s bad habit could … would do to her.

The campfire at the Gobens’ wagon was abandoned. The yoke was empty. Anna’s hammock was down, and breakfast things were set out on the table, so the women had to be close by. Caleb stood still, listening. He didn’t hear any
voices on the other side of the canvas, so perhaps Anna had stepped away for a moment.

A sudden groan drew him closer to the wagon.

“Anna?” Wilma’s weak voice sounded a mile away. “Is that you, Anna?”

“No ma’am. It’s Caleb Reger.”

“Oh. I’m afraid I’m under the weather today.” Another groan. “Do you see Anna?”

“No ma’am. I thought maybe she was in with you.”

“I haven’t seen her yet this morning. I can’t blame her. I caused a lot of trouble yesterday.”

“I heard you groaning. Are you in pain?”

“My head is pounding something fierce.”

Caleb nodded as if she could see him through the canvas.

“What are you doing here?” Anna’s voice behind him sounded as if she’d run into Skins, not a man she’d kissed just days ago. “My mother is still in bed.”

Caleb turned. “Yes. I mean I knew she was still in the wagon.” He swallowed. “I came to check on her. To see you.”

Anna set a full bucket on the ground beneath the water barrel. “Now is not a good time.” She wasn’t looking at him.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Her shoulders squared; her lips pressed together.

“Anna, I understand you being upset.”

“You do?”

“Yes, of course I do.” He took a step toward her. “You had a very trying day. And night.”

“And now I have work to do.” She backed away, still avoiding his gaze.

“I can help. Let me help.”

“Not this time.” Anna wiped her hands on her apron. “Please go.”

“But—”

“Please.”

“Very well. If that’s what you truly want.”

“It is.”

His throat tightening, Caleb brushed the brim of his hat. “I’d ask the good
doctor if he has any catnip herbs in his apothecary. Catnip tea might help your mother with her sick headache.”

Her jaw set, Anna spun and walked to the box at the back of the wagon.

That was his answer. There was little chance he’d have a permanent place in Anna’s life. She’d chosen to take the weight of her mother’s bad habit on her shoulders. He couldn’t compete with Anna’s dogged determination to do what she deemed right by her family. He couldn’t argue with Anna’s need to fix her mother, to try to protect her. He’d watched his sister try to do the same for him.

But it wasn’t
his
past that had come between him and Anna, it was her present.

“Anna,” Mutter called.

Anna sighed. She wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Not with Caleb Reger. Not with Mutter.

“Anna. Come here, please.”

Against her will, if she had any, Anna climbed up the spokes of the wheel and knelt on the wagon seat. “What is it, Mutter?” She didn’t bother to whisper. “Großvater will be back soon with the oxen, and I need to get his breakfast.”

She looked through the puckered opening in the canvas. Mutter lay on her side in the hammock, holding her head. “Why were you so rude to Caleb? And after all the nice things he’s done for us.”

Tears stung Anna’s eyes. She couldn’t tell Mutter the truth—that she now wanted nothing to do with him because of his drinking. Why she still cared about Mutter’s feelings after all the pain she’d caused, Anna couldn’t say, but she did. Blinking back the tears, Anna stood. “I’m taking care of you and Großvater. Isn’t that enough?”