The Oregon Trail Romance Collection by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781634092623
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2015-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

After watching Ellis and Molly blow soap bubbles for the remainder of the afternoon, Trudy’s heart was as soft and mushy as an overbaked apple. She had just been on the trail too long, worrying about Molly high on the wagon seat, exhausted from walking nearly twenty miles a day, and plum sick of being dirty.

But there was plenty of fresh water in the hollow. She bathed and washed her clothes and hair. She felt better than she had in weeks, since she left Missouri nearly two months ago.

She ran a brush through her unruly hair. The tresses were almost dry now. She had washed herself first then the clothes, which had given her hair plenty of time to dry as she hung up their clothes to dry. She had pinned up one of Ellis’s large shirts, only then realizing that she had never washed a man’s clothing. Not even her father’s. It was too intimate by far, but it was the nature of the situation she found herself in. Pretending to be a wife, twice over. Her prayers had grown so long she needed pert near an hour to complete them each night. But she knew in the end, she was doing the right thing. She needed to move on, to Oregon and her uncle’s house.

She had received no response to the last letter she sent him, but she wouldn’t let that worry her. She couldn’t believe that he, too—their last living relative—was dead and gone like their father. She wouldn’t believe that she and Molly were alone in the world.

She plaited her hair in one fat braid down her back and walked to the edge of the wagon. She looked out among the fertile valley where they found themselves. Fresh water, trees, grass for the livestock. She was happy here, content. Why couldn’t they just stay right there in Ash Hollow and live out their days, just the three of them? She pulled those thoughts to a quick halt. Ellis had his own plans, and they surely didn’t include a wife and daughter.

“Are you listening to me?” Molly tugged on her skirt.

“Of course,” Trudy said.

“Were you thinking about Pa?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Mr. Hardy then.”

Trudy whipped around and stared at her sister. Then she gave a nervous laugh. “Why would I be thinking of Mr. Hardy?”

“Because he’s handsome.” Molly shrugged. “And strong, and I see how he looks at you when he thinks you aren’t looking.”

He looks at me? “And how would that be?” she asked in the most disinterested voice she could muster.

“Like he wished things could be different.”

“Why would he—?” Because he thought she was married to another man. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He had his life planned out. He took great pride in telling her that he was going to California and he wasn’t ever coming back. And he was never getting married. Molly was mistaken.

“I know what I saw.”

“It was probably just gas.” She waved one hand in the air as if to dismiss the whole thing.

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