had fetched Bo and handed him the reins with a smile. “Thank you for the oxen and the candy and…everything. You will be in my prayers, Mr. Carson.”
In the back of the wagon, old Mrs. Switzer rose to tower over him. Was that disapproving stare of hers slightly less stern than before? Probably only because she was about to see the last of him. She straightened and lifted her chin as though about to impart a particularly important piece of wisdom.
“Danki.” That said, her lips snapped shut and she returned to her work.
“You’re most welcome. God go with you, ma’am.” Chuckling, Luke started to climb up into the saddle. A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he paused with his boot in the stirrup. Emma approached, her head downcast, her hands folded in front of her apron.
“I am sorry I almost drowned your cows.”
Her voice was so low he had to bend down to catch the words. Something inside him stirred with compassion, but he squashed it. This girl could have cost the lives of a dozen cattle, not to mention his men.
He kept his voice cool. “I accept your apology.”
A moment’s hesitation, and then a nod. She started to turn away.
Luke took his foot out of the stirrup. A wet slosh when he set it on the ground served as an unpleasant and unnecessary reminder of this afternoon’s near disaster. He stopped her with a question.
“What were you doing, anyway? Screaming and running as though you were chasing hens in a chicken yard?”
“I…” A blush stained the curved cheek half turned away from him. “I was worried about Maummi’s hutch.”
For some reason her answer whipped up his anger the way wind whips up a bonfire. Why, when that was exactly the explanation he’d expected? He set his teeth together to keep from snapping a response and swung up into the saddle. When he was looking down at the top of her kapp, which was no longer blindingly white and sat cockeyed on her head, words ground out between his teeth.
“Have a nice life, Miss Switzer.”
With a kick from soggy boots, he urged Bo into a gallop toward the herd, glad to have his duty over.
ELEVEN
The gathering around the campfire ended early. McCann usually kept the men entertained with stories and singing, but tonight they were too tired to do much more than shovel fried beef, beans, and molasses cakes into their mouths.
Those who had the first guard of the night retrieved their night horses from the remuda and rode off to stand watch over the sleeping herd. The others slipped away one by one to their bedrolls. Soon only Griff and Luke were left seated around the banked fire, while McCann banged around in the chuck wagon, lining up breakfast.
A log collapsed in the fire pit, and sparks shot upward to disappear into the dark sky. The wood snapped and crackled as fresh flame engulfed it. From the direction of the river, a chorus of tree frogs serenaded sleeping men and cattle.
“Sure was a full day in the saddle, eh?”
“Wasn’t much of it spent in the saddle.” Luke winced at the note of self-recrimination in his voice.
“Quit beating yourself up, son. Everything turned out okay. We did some folks a good turn and lost nothing but a few hours. We’ll make it up tomorrow.”
The man was being kind. Luke appreciated it, but he refused to accept the grace offered. “We lost more than a few hours, Griff. We lost a whole day, thanks to me.” He picked up a piece of dry bark off the ground and tossed it into the fire. “A day we can’t afford to lose.”
“We’ll get to Hays on time.” The firelight cast an orange glow over his creased features. “You got any idea what that little gal was running after?”
A humorless laugh rumbled from Luke’s chest. “Yeah. That monster of a hutch. Like she could have done anything to stop that wagon from tipping over.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” From the confidence in the man’s tone, it almost sounded as though Griff were goading him. “You’re sure that was her worry? To save that hutch?”
“She told me so herself.”
“Doesn’t matter what she told you.” He leaned back on one elbow and looked up at the night sky. “I know different.”
His manner was one of a man who knew something and was purposefully holding it back. Luke got hold of his temper before he spoke again “What do you know, Griff?