Hannah's Hanky (Clover Creek Caravan Book 1) Read online

  As she lay on the grass, she shivered a little, and Jed raised his head. “Are you cold?”

  She nodded. “I know we’re close to the fire, but it’s freezing.”

  He lifted one side of his blanket. “Keep your covers, but lay them over mine. Then we can share body heat. I think we’ll be too cold otherwise.” It was nice during the days, but at night, the weather got below freezing. He’d been dealing with it alone, but having someone to share body heat with sounded downright wonderful.

  Hannah did as he asked, and moved toward him, covering him with the blankets she had brought as well as sliding under his with him. She had her arms clutched in front of her, trying to preserve her body heat as she shivered.

  “Move your arms,” he said, “down to your sides. If we lie with your back to me, we can share heat and be nice and warm.”

  She nodded, doing as she was told and rolling toward him. It felt strange to be held that way by a man she barely knew—or by anyone for that matter—but he was her husband, and she was cold. She wasn’t going to worry about what they should be doing. No, she was going to be as warm as she could be.

  Hannah’s body warmed quickly, and she began to drift off to sleep, the feel of his arms around her making her feel protected. She could sleep that way for the rest of her life without complaint, and she just might do that.

  Jed lay awake for a long while after her breathing had grown steady and she’d fallen asleep. He was surprised by how she’d acted that day. She seemed very different than she had the previous evening, but she seemed better. He didn’t like that she hadn’t obeyed his every command, but she was obviously very strong-willed, and he didn’t see that as a bad thing.

  He finally closed his eyes with a silent prayer to his Maker. “Thank you for sending this woman into my life. I already feel like everything I do is more meaningful with her beside me.”

  He buried his face in her hair and finally drifted off to sleep. His new wife was something special, and he would work hard to treat her as such.

  Hannah woke up to the sound of gunshots the following morning and quickly became aware of the chill in the air around her. She must have fallen asleep with her window open again. As she stretched, she became very aware of a body behind hers—a very masculine body. Then it came to her. She was married, and she’d be sleeping outside for the next six months or so. It was going to be a very long journey.

  She slipped out from under the cover and walked to the wagon, pulling a shawl over her shoulders for comfort. It was still cold in the mornings and at night, which would be part of the difficulty of this journey.

  She took the stew she’d made for supper the previous night and carried it over to the campfire to heat it up. As she was looking for matches, she heard a voice from behind her, “What are you trying to find?”

  Hannah turned and smiled at Jed, who was now propped up on one elbow under the blankets. “I’m looking for a match. I know I can’t make a new meal every morning, but I thought it would be good to heat up what I made last night.” She had thought hard about the best way to conserve her energy with cooking.

  “We can do that today, but no one is going to wait for us on the trail as we heat up supper for breakfast. We’ll have time to eat quickly and make a pot of coffee for us to drink on all day.”

  She sighed. “Cold stew?”

  He grinned at her. “It could be worse. It could be cold beans.”

  She made a face. “I’ll stop complaining.”

  He stood up and his body pressed against hers as he reached in and took the matches out, placing them in her hand. “There you go. I always put them back right there.”

  Hannah flushed as he pressed against her. He’d only kissed her the once, but she was starting to like feeling his body against hers. Probably more than she should. “Thank you. I’ll start the fire and put the coffee on.”

  As she turned to head back to the fire, he stopped her, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. “Good morning.”

  She blushed, and mentally berated herself for it. Everyone knew a red head was not pretty when she blushed. “Good morning.” With her head down, she hurried to the fire, and set about her morning chores. She couldn’t believe it, but she was actually anxious to be on their way. She could already tell how romantic the trail would be, with her and Jed sitting side by side in the evenings, holding hands and talking about their days.

  As soon as they finished breakfast, he hitched up the wagon. “We’re going to go have your first driving lesson,” he said with a smile. “Are you ready?”

  “I am. I like the idea of being able to drive the wagon and not have to walk along beside it.”

  He gave her a questioning look. “You know that driving will be hard work, right?”

  “Well, it can’t be nearly as hard as walking,” she said.

  “We’ll see.” He knew she was wrong, but he wasn’t ready to tell her so just yet. It would be better if she came to that conclusion herself. There was no doubt in his mind that she’d soon be walking with the other women and the children.

  Once the team was hitched up, he helped her onto the seat and drove a short way down the road that was the beginning of the trail. Finally, he stopped and handed her the leads, explaining how to drive. “If you let the leads go slack, the oxen will know they can go faster. If you make the leads tight, they’ll slow down. You want to drive slowly down the hills and over rivers.”

  She swallowed hard. “Rivers? Can’t we just build a bridge?”

  Jed chuckled softly. “It takes months and sometimes years to build a bridge. No, we’re going to have to drive across the shallower rivers, and even make canoes to go over some of them. I’ve heard that a lot of the pioneers will leave their canoes beside the trail, and whoever follows is free to use it. It hasn’t been a particularly bad winter, so the rivers aren’t very high. We should be able to just float across most of them.”

  “This is going to be a lot harder than I’m picturing, isn’t it?” Hannah asked, shaking her head. “I’m not sure if I’m up for this journey.”

  He put his arm around her, pulling her toward him. “Of course, you are. You’re going to learn a lot, and when you arrive, you’ll be much stronger, both mentally and physically. It’s not an easy trek, but it’s worthwhile.”

  “I’ll do my very best,” she said softly.

  “Now, give the leads a little slack and then start driving.” He waited as she did as she was told, ready to take the leads from her at any time. “Pull to the right to make them turn.”

  It took every bit of Hannah’s strength to be able to keep the oxen in line. By the time they stopped—after a one-hour lesson—she was aching. “I don’t think I can drive the wagon. Does that mean I have to walk?” She hated the idea of walking, but her arms would never be the same if she tried to drive the wagon.

  He shrugged. “I really don’t mind if you ride in the wagon, but I think you’ll find you prefer the camaraderie of walking with the other women. The wagon is very bouncy. From what I’ve been told, we can hang a bucket of milk on the bottom of the wagon, and we’ll have butter by noontime. I don’t care which you choose, but I think you want to walk.”

  She frowned. “I’ve never walked further than my church. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up.”

  Jed frowned. “Everyone is going to be sore on the trail. We’ll be walking between fifteen and twenty miles most days. You’ll find that you want to walk to be in good shape and to get used to the other women. You need to make friends.”

  Hannah was quiet for a moment as he drove back toward the campground. She’d had very few friends in her life. She was just odd enough that it was hard for her to make friends with other girls. “I’ll try.”

  “You’ll do more than try. I’m sure you’ll find someone in camp that will become your lifelong friend. Go to one of the other women at lunch time, and ask them how to make biscuits over a fire. They’ll be happy to teach you, and you’ll get to know them duri
ng the process.”

  She sighed. “I’m really not ready for this trip, am I?”

  Jed stopped the wagon in the same spot it had been in before. “I don’t think anyone is really ready for this trip. It’s long and difficult. People are being asked to do many things they’ve never done before, and that’s not easy. I think it’ll be a tad more difficult for you, because you weren’t raised on a farm, doing hard chores every day, but you are just stubborn enough, that I’m sure you’ll do great.”

  She frowned. “Did you really just call me stubborn? What kind of thing is that to say to a new wife?”

  “Truthful in this case. I think it’s one of my favorite things about you.” He got down and came around, catching her around the waist and lifting her down. “Go find someone who looks nice and ask her how to make biscuits. We’ll eat them a lot on the trail.”

  She nodded, wanting to complain. She’d been taught never to speak to anyone unless she’d been properly introduced, and he wanted her to walk around talking to strangers? Yes, circumstances were different, but it was still hard for her.

  She walked slowly around the camp and spotted Mary Mitchell, whom Jed had pointed out the previous evening. She walked up to the other girl, noticing a musket leaning against one of the Mitchell’s wagons.

  “Miss Mitchell?” Hannah said hesitantly. “Could you teach me to make biscuits over the fire?”

  The girl nodded. “Call me Mary, please. You’re the preacher’s wife, right?” She looked over Hannah’s shoulder. “Ezra, I told you not to be climbing people’s wagons. You’re going to get hurt.” Turning her focus back to Hannah, she said, “Sorry. Ma and Pa wandered off to the general store in town, wanting to stock up on a few things. That means I’m in charge of all of my younger siblings except little Maisie, who is still nursing, so Ma took her along.”

  “I am the preacher’s wife,” Hannah said, feeling odd just saying the words. She’d never dreamed she’d be a preacher’s wife. “Do you want to go to Oregon? Or are you just going because your parents need help?”

  Mary smiled. “Oh, trust me. I want to go. I want to have my own homestead. I’m not allowed to own land anywhere in the east, but I can there. No one can stop me, because women are allowed to own property there, even though they can’t here.”

  Hannah smiled. “Well, aren’t you clever? Do your parents know what your plan is?”

  “Are you kidding?” Mary asked softly. “They’d tie me in a wagon to keep me from going to the deed office, but I just don’t care. I want to be able to go where I please, not be tied to a man who will decide my future. That’s not fair to anyone.” She kept her voice low, and Hannah knew it was so people wouldn’t hear what she was saying. A woman who thought like Mary did was not someone anyone wanted to be around.

  Hannah lowered her voice. “I agree. I didn’t want to marry at all, but my step-father decided I needed to marry Jed. If I have to be married to someone, he’s a nice man, and I enjoy being around him.”

  “Well, that’s good at least.” Mary was mixing up the dough for the biscuits, and Hannah watched. It seemed to be the same recipe she already had memorized for the treat. “My pa has tried to marry me off a few times, but I always remind Ma how unruly the little ones are, and she tells him she can’t do without me. Problem solved!”

  Hannah laughed softly. “You’re devious.”

  Mary grinned. “Just a little. Besides, no men back home really wanted to marry me, because I’m better with a musket than just about any man. I can’t wait to shoot a buffalo!”

  “Do you think we’ll really see buffalo?”

  “I’m sure we will. They’re still roaming everywhere out west.” Mary patted out the biscuits and put them into a cast iron skillet. “This isn’t half what I’d make for my family, but it’s about right for you and the pastor.” Within minutes, she was pulling the skillet off the fire. “There, a perfect biscuit made over a campfire.” She carefully removed one from the skillet and handed it to Hannah. “Try it!”

  “I will. Thank you so much, Mary! And you must call me Hannah. I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”

  “I think so, too.”

  Four

  That first day in camp, Hannah talked to many people, but she kept going back to Mary. There was something about the girl that fascinated her and made her want to get to know her better.

  Hannah shared the biscuit Mary had made with Jed when she got back to camp, and she made biscuits of her own that turned out just as good as Mary’s. “Maybe I can cook over a campfire after all,” Hannah told Jed.

  “I never doubted you for a minute.” They ate a meal of the biscuits with jam on them. Jed had purchased jam at the general store before realizing he would be marrying. He wasn’t disappointed to have the sweet treat, though.

  “What did you think of Miss Mitchell? I saw you over there with her and it seemed like you were enjoying yourself.”

  “I think I’ve found someone who will be a good friend in Mary. She thinks the same way I do in a lot of ways, but she was raised on a farm, so she knows how to do more things. She told me she can outshoot most men she knows.”

  Jed laughed. “I can see that the two of you would get along well if she can do that. Does she even want to go to Oregon?”

  Hannah considered telling him Mary’s secret for a moment, but she couldn’t betray her new friend that way. She had no way of knowing if Jed was friendly with Mary’s father. “I don’t think she really had a choice. Her parents needed help with the children, and she came along to help.”

  “Yeah, I think that’s good of her, but I could see her not wanting to do it.” He took another sip of coffee. “These are restful days as we make sure we’re ready for the trail. Judging by the amount of jam you put on our biscuits, we may need to get a few more jars.”

  Hannah grinned. “I’ve never denied being fond of sweet things. I have a feeling jam may be the only sweet we get for a while.”

  “Then we’ll need to walk into town and get some more. It’s a long journey.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  He smiled, tracing her cheek with one finger. “I like the way you look when you have a genuine smile on your face. Your whole face lights up from within.”

  “That sounds positively ghastly. You don’t need to tell me you like how I look. I know that I’m not a beautiful girl.”

  He wasn’t sure how to respond to her without digging himself a hole for burial. “You’re not a traditional beauty, no, but you have aspects that make you prettier than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

  Hannah shook her head and quickly washed the dishes from their small lunch. “I don’t need you to lie to me.”

  “Of course, you don’t. And I never would.” Jed wasn’t going to take back what he’d said, because it was true. There was something awfully special about her. “Would you like to walk to the general store for that jam after you finish with the lunch dishes?”

  “I would like that a great deal.” She wouldn’t look at him though. Though his words were flattering, they made her doubt everything he’d said to her. She was anything but pretty.

  On their walk, she pointed out different sites along the way. Places she’d been and things she’d done. “I’ve lived in Independence my entire life. My father ran the general store before his death. He was shot by someone wanting the money from the cash register. I wish he’d just given it to them. I miss him every single day.”

  “I’m sure you do. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost my father. He’s the best man I’ve ever known in my life, and I so want to be like him.” Jed wasn’t exaggerating either. His father had a passion for both God and farming, and he had a way of combining the two so you didn’t know which he loved more.

  “You understand then. Another man bought the general store from Mother, and he still runs it. It was hard to find a buyer at first, because of the shooting. Someone actually thought Father was haunting the store. I think that’s ju
st plain silly, but it still made it hard to sell.” They walked into the store, and as she always did when she went in, Hannah looked all around, looking for the personal touches that had been there when her father was alive.

  “I think we might want another tin cup for the trail. It was odd having to share one this morning,” Jed suggested.

  Again, Hannah worried about money. “I don’t mind sharing.” She didn’t want to waste all their money before they even left for Oregon.

  “We can afford another cup, Hannah.” He walked to the shelf and pulled down a tin cup before walking over to the few jams they had on sale in one corner of the store. “Raspberry? Grape?” he asked.

  “Both! Do they have honey?” Hannah looked around for a jar of honey.

  “They do. I’ll get all three, but these will have to last us until we get to Oregon.”

  An older woman stopped at their words. “Hannah Moseby? Are you going to Oregon?”

  Hannah nodded. “Yes, I am, Mrs. Jenkins. This is my husband, Jed Scott. He’s a pastor, and he wants to minister to those out west.” She was glad she wasn’t alone as she faced the old harridan who gossiped about everyone she’d ever met and many she hadn’t.

  “I hadn’t heard you were getting married!” Mrs. Jenkins looked positively shocked that Hannah had found a husband. Hannah resisted the urge to kick the other woman as hard as she could in the shins, but she remembered how much it had embarrassed her mother the last time she’d done it.

  Jed stepped forward and shook the offered hand. “It was fast. I took one look at Hannah, and I knew I couldn’t go west without her.” He smiled down at Hannah, a goofy grin on his face.

  “Is that so?” Mrs. Jenkins looked skeptical. “I’ll have to hear all about it from your mother. Why, I haven’t called on her in ages. Not since…” Her voice trailed away as if she was afraid of upsetting Hannah, but Hannah knew the truth. She was trying to get a rise out of Hannah, and she refused to take the bait.