stretch his legs a bit.”
The herd had nearly caught up with them. With a grin, they climbed back into their saddles.
“Jesse’s got lead,” Luke told Kirk when he rode past. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“Sure you will!” Jesse called. “Just like all the other times!”
“Ach, a dozen washes and this stink will never scrub from our clothes.”
Maummi’s complaint gave voice to the misery they all felt. Emma had tried breathing through her mouth to avoid the terrible smell, until her tongue dried out and her lips became chapped. Seated on the bench beside Papa, she’d dozed off once and dreamt that a herd of rotting skunks had taken up residence beneath her bed.
Rebecca lowered the scant protection of her apron from her face. “I worry that the stink won’t scrub from our bodies.”
She immediately clapped the fabric back over her mouth and nose, though what good it did to breathe through an apron Emma couldn’t imagine. Perhaps if they came across some lilacs or roses they could rub the blossoms into the fabric. Even that wouldn’t kill the stench, though surely rose-scented manure smelled better than the fresh variety.
“A few more hours only,” Papa said. “Then the cows will continue north, and we will point our wagon toward home.”
If his words were meant to be comforting, they missed the mark with Emma. By tomorrow morning Luke and his herd would be out of sight. No longer would she be able to strain her eyes ahead to catch a glimpse of him overtop this sea of cattle. Not that she could see many details from this distance, but she could easily pick him out far ahead in the lead. Her gaze was drawn there now, and she scanned the distance for a broad-shouldered figure wearing a familiar hat.
When she failed to locate him in his usual place, she sat upright on the bench. Had he gone on ahead? An unusual movement drew her attention to the east, where a cowboy on horseback traveled around the edge of the herd. Her pulse stuttered when she recognized Luke. He was heading this way.
“Papa, look.” She managed to keep her voice at a normal level. “Luke is coming here. I wonder why?”
Perhaps they had angered him by following too closely.
The wagon rolled to a halt as Luke approached. Emma watched his face, squinting, until his features came into view. When she realized his gaze was locked onto her and a smile curved his lips, her heartbeat fluttered. He drew near and halted his horse on her side of the wagon.
“You folks are making good time today.”
Though he spoke to all of them, he did not look away from her. Emma returned his gaze, stomach quivering as though she’d swallowed a bird.
“We are eager to get home, now we’ve decided to return.”
Papa sounded distracted, and Emma became aware that he was watching her closely. She tore her gaze away from Luke and lowered her eyes to the hands clasped in her lap. Though she didn’t turn her head, she felt Maummi’s scrutiny like a coal applied to the back of her prayer kapp.
“Well, I won’t keep you long,” Luke said. “We found more of your things up ahead, so I thought I’d return them before you turned away.”
Emma couldn’t help looking up then. Her hopes rose when she saw the smile Luke fixed on her. He pulled a bundle from the other side of his saddle and edged his horse close to the wagon to lay it on her lap. Tears sprang instantaneously into her eyes, and she didn’t try to stop them when she spotted the familiar, brightly colored pattern.
Mama’s quilt!
“Oh, Luke.” The words came out on a breath that placed them somewhere between a sigh and a sob. “You found it.”
“Kirk spotted it first.” His voice softened. “It’s so beautiful, I knew as soon as I saw it that it had to be yours.”
In a moment that pierced straight through to her heart, Emma knew he wasn’t only referring to the beauty of the quilt. His features blurred behind a veil of tears. She couldn’t see her fingers fumbling with the knot in the rope that secured the precious quilt around the other belongings inside. Maummi climbed out of her rocking chair and stepped forward to peer over her shoulder. On the other side of Papa, Rebecca rose and stood on the floorboard, one hand resting on Papa’s shoulder for balance while she watched Emma untie the knot.
“What else is there?” her sister asked.
Emma