The Heart's Frontier

FIVE





Emma sat in one of the rockers on the porch of the boardinghouse and watched Papa pace in the dusty street. Beside her, Maummi and Rebecca rocked in silence, their gazes also fixed on Papa. The fourth rocker sat empty. A brilliant sun peeked above the general store at the far end of the settlement, and she squinted against the dazzling rays.

“We must move on to Troyer,” Rebecca said for the fourth time. “Aunt Gerda is expecting us. She’ll worry.”

Frowning, Emma gave her a sideways look. Her sister’s enthusiasm for the journey had more to do with getting out of Apple Grove and into the excitement of a bigger community than concern for Aunt Gerda. Troyer offered far more in the way of frolics and singings and, of course, men, than little Apple Grove could hope to match. From the time Papa had first announced his decision to send Emma to Aunt Gerda, Rebecca had wanted to join her, and not necessarily due to sibling affection.

“‘Hard it is to wait on the Lord,’” Maummi quoted from her immense store of Amish proverbs. “‘But worse to wish you had.’”

They rocked in silence for a moment.

“’Tis the Lord’s judgment, to my mind.” Maummi gave a decisive nod. “He never wanted us in Troyer to begin with.”

Rebecca responded with a pout and an increase in the speed of her rocking. Emma hid a smile. Maummi had not been in agreement with the move to Troyer since the beginning. If it weren’t for the loss of her precious hutch, Emma would almost suspect her of arranging the disaster in hopes that Papa would forget the plan and return home.

Her gaze still fixed on Papa, Emma tried to comfort her sister. “If we go home now, Rebecca, maybe that will give you time to convince Papa to let you live with Aunt Gerda instead of me.”

“If you’re set on returning home, Emma, have you decided in favor of Amos Beiler, then?” Maummi’s voice, though carefully even, held a barely concealed laugh.

“No!” Emma replied, too quickly.

The laughter came out, and Rebecca joined in. Emma refused to respond. They would forever tease her about Amos. She sank further into the soft wolly covering of her chair and rocked in silence. It would serve Maummi right if she married Amos and filled the house with cross-eyed children for her to tend.

A movement down the street drew their attention. The doors of the saloon opened, and a woman stepped into the street. The morning sunshine caught in an untidy tangle of curls that hung down her back and brightened the abundant lace around the hem of her dress. Emma drew in a gasp when she realized the woman wore nothing but a thin chemise on top, right out in the open for the whole town to see. She raised bare arms and stretched in the sun, and then she called a cheery greeting to a man across the way, standing in the doorway of the general store.

Emma turned to see Maummi’s shocked eyes wide, her lips parted. On her left, Rebecca stared with undisguised delight.

“Look at the color of her hair,” the girl whispered. “It’s like a field of yellow buttercups.”

“Don’t stare.” Maummi accompanied her sharp retort by snapping her fingers in front of Rebecca’s eyes. “Where the eyes go, the mind follows.”

After a moment of standing in the sun, the woman disappeared into the saloon again. With growing dismay, Emma saw that Rebecca watched the doors for another glimpse. Though it was natural to be curious about different lifestyles, Emma worried that her sister’s interest in the Englisch they had encountered bordered on fascination. The sooner they left Gorham, the better.

The odor of freshly baked bread from the morning’s breakfast clung to the air wafting through the boardinghouse’s open window. From down the street, the metallic ring of a blacksmith’s hammer echoed off the buildings. Papa paced away from them to the end of the street, leaned an arm against the sign that had welcomed them to Gorham, and bowed his head. From the porch, Emma watched him pray, and she formed an unspoken prayer of her own. Lord, guide Papa in this decision.

Though Maummi and Rebecca both held their own hopes for their destination, Emma wasn’t sure what she thought anymore. She’d much rather stay in Apple Grove forever, but if Papa said the move to Troyer was God’s will, then how could she disagree? In Troyer she might find love and her future. What girl didn’t want to find a godly husband and start the process of building a home?

But what if Maummi was right? Was this disaster the Lord’s way of changing their plans? Returning to the comfort and familiarity of home would be wonderful, and if the Lord wanted, He could send a husband to Apple Grove. God had a plan, she knew that for sure. All she must do was surrender to His will and submit to the authority He had placed over her. At the moment that authority was her father, and the decision on where she would go rested with him.

Papa lifted his head and strode toward the porch, his feet kicking up dust around the bottom of his trousers with every step. Had he reached a decision? Emma sat straight in her chair, her feet on the wooden planks beneath her, waiting for his approach. Beside her, Rebecca and Maummi did the same.

“Well?” Maummi demanded when he stood before them. “From which direction will we send for help?”

Papa straightened his shoulders and replied, “The decision is not yet made.”

Emma clamped her teeth together and gripped the arms of the rocker. A whole night and part of a morning, and still he didn’t know the Lord’s direction? Was the Lord silent, or were Papa’s ears stuffed too full of indecision to hear? He had ever been overly cautious and slow moving, like the time he took two weeks before deciding whether to hang her swing on the tree in front of the house or the one nearer the barn. Many times during those weeks of waiting she’d wanted to stomp her foot and shout that if he didn’t decide, she would. She fought the same desire now.

Guilt flooded her mind at the uncharitable thought. She folded her hands in her lap and lowered her gaze to them so he couldn’t see the irritation on her face. Papa was a good provider and she loved him. He did his best to follow the Lord’s leading. Obviously she had not yet mastered the lesson she needed most to learn—patience.

Judging by Maummi’s tightly pressed lips, Emma wasn’t the only one who hadn’t learned tolerance. The old woman’s jaws bulged with the effort of keeping her mouth closed as Papa mounted the two wooden stairs and sat in the unoccupied fourth rocker.

“We will continue to pray,” he announced. “Soon we will have an answer.”

Silence returned to the porch, broken only by the quiet squeak of the chairs as they rocked back and forth on the wooden planks. Emma sent a new request heavenward.

Lord, we can’t stay here forever, so please send Your answer soon. You know how Papa is. You might need to do something obvious in order to get his attention.

She opened her eyes to see a horse and rider enter the settlement on the far side of the street. The cowboy’s lean body sat tall in the saddle, his shoulders broad beneath a leather vest. Though he was still too far away to be seen clearly, Emma’s heart flipped inside her chest. Could this be the Lord’s answer already?

When he neared enough to be recognized, her rocking chair came to an abrupt halt. What was that cowboy doing here again?

Lord, surely You didn’t send him again. What makes You think he’ll be any more help this time than before?





Luke nodded a greeting at the storekeeper as he passed. Though the morning was half over, there was very little activity on the street. A movement through the blacksmith’s open doors caught his eye. Somebody was working, anyway. He spared a longing glance at the bath house. No time for that. At least he’d only have to make do with streams and rivers until they got the herd safely to Hays. That was just three days away.

He glanced ahead, toward the boardinghouse, and almost lost his grip on the reins. In the shade of the porch the Switzers were all in a row. What were they doing just sitting there? Four pairs of eyes fixed on him as he rode up the street.

“Mr. Switzer?”

“Good morning, Mr. Carson.” Jonas rose from his chair and stepped to the edge of the railing. “Your sleep was good, I hope?”

Luke didn’t answer at first. The man didn’t even sound surprised to see him. It kind of spooked him, the way they sat there, as though they had been waiting for him. From the look on Emma’s face, she wasn’t thrilled at his arrival. Not surprised, but not happy about it either.

Well, she’d change her attitude in a minute.

“I did, thanks.” He dismounted and lashed Bo’s reins over the post. “I have some good news for you folks. Jesse found your wagon this morning.”

The women jumped out of their chairs and ran to the edge of the porch.

“My hutch is still there, yes?” Mrs. Switzer’s eyes pleaded for him to agree.

“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t see it myself, so I don’t know what shape it’s in, but Jesse said it was there.” He glanced at Emma. Her rosy cheeks shone with health after a good night’s sleep. “Said a chest was in there too.”

Hope flared in her round eyes. She raised clasped hands beneath her chin. “Are our belongings inside?”

She must have something important packed in that chest. He would have loved to assure her that the contents were safe, to see a smile break out. Instead, he had to shake his head. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Jesse mentioned some empty crates were scattered around.” He looked away from her disappointed expression and spoke to Jonas. “He also said the wagon is mired down in a river about a half mile beyond where my herd camped for the night. Looked like the thieves looted whatever they could and deserted the heavy stuff.”

“Ja, that makes sense.” The round straw hat bobbed up and down with a nod. He turned to address his family. “This is why the Lord did not give an answer earlier. He knew we did not yet have all the information we needed. We will get our wagon, and then our destination will be made clear.”

“We’ll go to Troyer,” Rebecca said.

Jonas cocked his head but didn’t commit. “Perhaps.”

A wide smile brightened the girl’s face, and she clapped her hands. Mrs. Switzer regarded her son with a scowl but remained silent. Luke couldn’t stop his eyes from straying to Emma. Her expression remained impassive, her lovely lips parted enough for him to glimpse a set of even white teeth. He found himself wondering what her hair looked like when she brushed it out at night.

With a jerk he realized he hadn’t delivered all the news. He looked at Jonas. “I don’t think that wagon is going anywhere unless you’re planning on pulling it yourself. Your oxen are gone, along with all your provisions, probably.”

Jonas seemed unconcerned. “We will buy more oxen.”

Luke glanced down the lonely street. “Gorham’s a pretty small settlement. There is a livery stable behind the blacksmith’s shop, though. If you’re lucky you might get ahold of a couple of mules.”

He shook his head. “I use oxen for my farm. The Lord knows my need. He will provide.”

The man seemed awfully confident. The chance of someone having a pair of oxen to sell in tiny little Gorham was slim, but Luke didn’t want to argue. Besides, he didn’t have time. “I expect you’re right. Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.” He nodded toward Mrs. Switzer and Rebecca, and touched a finger to his hat brim when his gaze slid to Emma. “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure.”

He started to turn away, but Jonas stepped in front of him. “The Lord will bless you for the help you have given already.” A flush rose on the man’s face, above the point where the untrimmed beard gave way to tanned skin. “May I ask for your help one more time? We have no money to pay for the oxen the Lord will send, or for provisions to replace those taken from us.”

Of course they didn’t. Everything they owned had been stolen. Luke held back a sigh. It was short-sighted of him not to see this coming. He did have some U.S. notes in his wallet and a stash of gold pieces in his satchel, expenses for the trail. McCann’s thriftiness when provisioning the chuck wagon along the way had left them in good shape. The men had each received advances when they camped near towns big enough to afford a man a decent time, but Luke had kept the advances small. Give a man a wad of money when there’s a saloon nearby and he’s been on the trail for a month, and the herd might not move for days. As a result of wise money management, he had some put aside. He could help the Switzers and replenish it from his own pocket when he got to Hays. Then he would pay a visit to that Amish bishop.

He eyed Jonas. “You’re good for it?”

The man straightened. “Ja.”

Luke believed him. What decided him, though, was the intent way Emma watched him, as though she wanted him to say yes but expected him to refuse. Something about the way that girl looked at him made him think she didn’t trust him. That wasn’t fair, because he’d gone out of his way to be nice since the moment he landed in the dirt at her feet. That expression on her face, the slightly narrowed eyes and the way she tilted her head a tad so her laces hung uneven from her kapp, stirred up a yearning in him to prove her wrong.

“I expect I can spare enough to buy a decent ox or two.” He twisted his lips in a crooked grin and directed it toward Emma. “That is, if the Lord can manage to round up a pair out here in the middle of nowhere.”

The corners of her lips softened in an almost smile, and she gave a nearly imperceptible nod that made Luke stand a little taller in his boots. Whether she shared his skepticism about the oxen or she was grateful for his help, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he’d never been more eager to hand over a stack of notes to a stranger.

When he extracted his leather wallet from his saddlebag and started to open it, Jonas put a hand out to stop him. “We are not worldly in the ways of bargaining with the Englisch. Best you come along to make sure we are good stewards of your generosity.”

Luke arched an eyebrow. “Your English sounds pretty good to me.”

Rebecca giggled and then rattled off something in another language to her grandmother, who clucked and shook her bonneted head.

Were they trying to confuse him? They talked about not speaking English in English and then spoke in a foreign tongue. Luke took off his hat and scratched his head. “Pardon?”

Emma explained in the low, melodic voice that made him realize he’d been itching to hear her speak again. “‘Englisch’ is the name we use for all who are not Amish.”

Color crept up his neck as he smoothed his hair and put his hat back on. She must think he was a fool.

“I’m sorry, but I left my boys to handle a water crossing, and I need to get back to them.” From his wallet, he counted out a generous handful of notes and extended it to Jonas. The man made no move to take the money but simply stared at it.

Emma stepped up to stand beside her pa. “Mr. Carson, our people keep themselves separate from the world. This sometimes puts us at a disadvantage when dealing with the Englisch. If you could find it in yourself to help us once more, I know the Lord will bless you for it.”

The plea in the beautiful blue eyes gazing up at him put him at far more of a disadvantage than they. How could he refuse a pretty girl’s request, even if she was dressed in funny clothes?

Besides, she and Jonas were right. The Switzers would be suckers when it came to the ways in the world. The folks here in Gorham were decent people, but they would do whatever they could to strike a good deal, even at the expense of a family in trouble. That was the nature of a settlement like this, to make money off the few travelers who happened into town. He’d been dickering for deals in settlements like this for a dozen years, ever since his first trail ride at fourteen. Of course, it might take a while to convince Jonas to settle on a pair of mules when he had his heart set on oxen. Providing, of course, they were lucky enough to find even a mule for sale in this tiny, out-of-the-way settlement. More likely they would end up hiring a horse and cart. Still, how long could it take to inquire?

No need to mention it to Jesse, either. Everything will be fine as long as I get back in a decent time.

He slid the notes back in his wallet. “I guess I can spare a few more minutes.”

The Switzers expelled a collective breath. He caught his first sight of a dimple in Emma’s cheek when she tilted her head sideways and smiled her thanks up at him. Quite an improvement over the suspicious look she’d awarded him earlier. He couldn’t help smiling back.

“Shall we go?” He gestured down the street toward the blacksmith shop.

Jonas and Emma both fell into step beside him, and Rebecca practically skipped off the bottom porch step in her hurry to catch up.

Mrs. Switzer halted them with a stern voice. “The girls will stay here and leave the bargaining to the men.”

Both Emma and Rebecca came to a halt with a puff of dust at their feet. Rebecca let out a disappointed moan. “Papa, please,” she pleaded.

Emma reached out and gave her sister’s sleeve a warning shake. “If Maummi says to stay, here we will stay.” The stern note in her voice brooked no argument, though she cast a quick longing glance of her own down the street.

Luke turned to face the old lady, who stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest. “Ma’am, that shady porch is pretty inviting, I’ll give you that, but I’m thinking you might want to go into the store and start selecting some provisions while we check on transportation. That is, unless you’re planning on going without food until you get wherever you’re going.”

The scowl on her face deepened, but the grip of her hands on her arms loosened as she considered his suggestion.

“Oh, I’m sure Papa can arrange for our provisions,” Emma told him. “After all, whether we go on to Troyer or return to Apple Grove, we’ll arrive in another three days…at least, as long as the weather stays good and we don’t encounter even more trouble. Surely he can get everything we need for only three days.”

Though she spoke in a tone free of guile, Luke noticed her eyes went a little rounder with what might be feigned innocence. The effect of her words on her grandmother was obvious. The woman straightened and her hands dropped to her sides. Her eyebrows drew together as she studied Jonas with obvious mistrust. Apparently, she didn’t like the idea of leaving the responsibility of food shopping to her son.

After only a moment’s hesitation, she marched down the steps and into the street. As she passed, she hooked arms with both girls and dragged them with her.

“We’ll need two baskets,” she announced. “One for each of you to carry.”

If she knew she’d been manipulated by her eldest granddaughter, she didn’t deign to show it. Jonas nodded, a smile twitching the corners of his clean-shaven mouth. He exchanged an amused glance with Luke and then started after them.

Luke followed, watching the three black-clad women stride down the street, arm-in-arm. There was nothing dull-witted about that Emma. She knew how to get what she wanted.