The Searching Hearts by Dorothy Garlock

Author:Dorothy Garlock [Garlock, Dorothy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780759522718
Publisher: Warner
Published: 1982-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

May 2.

We left Fort McKavett at daybreak. All the women, with the exception of those in the three wagons that joined us two days ago, are in britches as Mr. Steele ordered at the beginning of the trip. Captain Doyle and his company of men are escorting us as far as Fort Stockton. When we stopped for nooning, Sergeant Malone asked if one of his men could rest for a while in the back of our wagon. His back was injured, and he was having trouble staying in the saddle. He was a very young soldier and was grateful to be lying down. We crossed over a trail today that was mostly sandy and covered with wild sage. Tonight we are camped again beside the San Saba River.

* * *

Tucker sat with her feet toward the small fire she had built, not because the evening was cool, but because Billy had brought the firewood and she felt she needed the light to push back the darkness. It had not been an enjoyable day. They were traveling on the fringe of the rolling foothills, and at times they passed over naked rock or plains barren of any growth. The trail was sandy, and the wind, hot and constant, burned her face as her mind grappled with the events of two nights before.

In the light of day it had seemed as if none of it had happened. She and Laura had spent their free day with Lottie and Mrs. Shaffer. When the women went to the river to wash, Tucker had made sure she and Laura were in the midst of them. She had not seen Frank except from a distance, and today he had ridden beside the last wagon in line. She dreaded the day it would be their turn to take up position at the end of the train.

The puppy could not have come at a more opportune time. It kept Laura occupied for most of the day, so she didn’t intrude on Tucker’s reveries, which consisted of trying to figure out what to do about Frank Parcher. She considered telling Lucas, but immediately discarded the idea. She knew that if Lucas or Buck or anyone else began to act in the least bit suspiciously or tried to call Parcher out, Frank would follow up on his threats. He could get away at the first whiff of danger and strike at any time along the trail. And she was sure Frank would kill not only Lucas, but Laura and Billy, too. She couldn’t let that happen! It seemed hopeless. Unless. . . . New resolve began to glimmer in the back of Tucker’s mind. Perhaps she should start thinking about eliminating Parcher herself. . . .

“What should I name him, Tucker?”

With great effort, Tucker brought her mind back to the present, and to Laura sitting across the campfire from her with the dog in her lap.

“I thought you’d decided on Browny.”

“I don’t want to call him Browny just because he’s a brown dog.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.