A Disguise of Grace in the Trail of Love: A Christian Historical Romance Book by Olivia Haywood

Author:Olivia Haywood [Haywood, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rubedia
Published: 2024-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Bridgeport, Nebraska — 1,502 Miles to Sutter’s Fort, California

Clayton took off his hat and tilted his face to the sun as the group made camp for the evening. “Another day of riding and we’ll be in Chimney Rock.”

Fitzpatrick grunted and turned away from him.

Clayton watched the man walk away. It was unusual for Fitzpatrick not to stay and talk. It was hard to get the man to stop speaking most of the time.

Kenneth approached him and took down the water barrel from the wagon and moved it to the smaller cart. “There’s runnin’ water close. I’ll fill the barrel.”

“Thanks.” Clayton stared as yet another man cast a strange glance his way.

They weren’t even halfway through the trip and people were starting to act peculiar. There were stares and hushed whispers in the dark of night. Clayton didn’t know what prompted the unusual behavior, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

He shook his head and pulled a brush from his saddlebag to groom the dirt from Bronson until the horse’s fur shone beneath the sun.

Matthew passed him with a bowl of greens that had been picked the day before when they made camp for lunch.

“Matthew, come here.”

The young man scampered over, his toe catching on a root. “Blazes.”

“Watch your mouth.” Clayton nodded to the women and children sitting not too far from them. “There’re people around who will wash your mouth with soap.”

“Let them try,” Matthew said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “I’ve been known to be a slippery sort of fellow.”

Clayton smirked and patted Bronson’s flank. “Are the men and women acting weird around you?”

“A little.” Matthew’s shoulders dipped as he took one of the greens from the bowl and popped it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment. “They may be thinking that y’have somethin’ for Ab—Jeff.”

Clayton scowled at Matthew’s slip. “I doubt they think much of anything. Jeff is nothing more than a boy who needs help.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure ‘bout that.”

Clayton’s brow furrowed and his grip on the brush tightened. “What’re you talking about? Have people said anything?”

He angled his body away from Matthew, looking at the other travelers. While it felt like people watched his every move, none were now, and it only gave him more reason for suspicion.

Do they only watch me when I’m with Abbie?

Has my attraction to her become that obvious?

“Not much. Not that they say to me.” Matthew looked down at the bowl of greens. “I gotta bring this to Kate before she bites my head off.”

“Kate’s nothing to worry about. You let me know if you hear anything, all right?”

Matthew nodded before taking off toward the fire where Kate was slicing a few roots into bite-sized pieces.

Clayton looked around the rest of the camp and nobody seemed to pay him much mind. They were all busy with their own tasks. However, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that it didn’t mean they weren’t watching him.

He knew well enough that the ones who said the least were often those that noticed the most.

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