Page 21 of Mail-Order Bride Runaway
“Only names I know are John and Lanigan. They was down there working. Might be trapped.” A sharp intake of breath. “Might be buried alive.”
The air grew stagnant, hard to breathe as Andy thought of being crushed by heavy rocks. “Can I go down and help?” Not only could he move rocks, but he could also see if Bart was one of those moving the fallen rocks… or had he been in the tunnel?
“Go on ahead. I’ll stay here to empty the wagon.”
Andy slipped and skidded into the pit. The flicker of head lamps revealed three men digging at the rocks. He recognized Bart by his size. The big man never looked at Andy’s direction but moved over to make room for him to work.
Andy adjusted his gloves. “Trudy’s worried about you.”
Bart paused. “Andy, isn’t it? Trudy’s friend.”
“Yup.” He grunted under the weight of a rock he pried from the pile and lifted it into the cart.
“I couldn’t leave when I could help.”
“I can’t either.” Nothing more was said as they moved rock after rock. How far back did the cave-in go?
One of the small boulders rolled to Andy’s feet. He bent to pick it up.
“It’s gonna fall,” one of the others assisting with rock removal called. “Back up. Back up.”
The urgency in the man’s voice informed Andy of danger and he scuttled backward as rocks thunder down, bouncing and rolling.
* * *
Della finally persuadedTrudy to have soup and a biscuit. Neither of them cared for cake and Della covered it and put it aside for when the men came home.
She could not… would not… entertain any other possibility. Even though her nerves twitched, and her eyes burned from staring down the empty road.
Darkness descended—heavy and unwelcome.
They lit a lantern and put it in the open doorway despite the hordes of insects who considered it a welcome sign.
“You should try and rest.” Della sensed Trudy shake her head. “I’ll keep watch and let you know if I see anything.” The woman was in danger of falling asleep in her chair and tumbling to the floor. “You have to think of your baby.”
Trudy cradled her stomach. “I suppose you’re right.” Her footsteps dragged as she went to her room.
Della was alone. Alone in a vast land with no neighbors, no one she could appeal to for help… the silence so deep it echoed in her ears. She grew aware of tiny sounds. The hum and buzz of the persistent insects. The startled call of a bird. The whisper of the wind in the grass.
Her head sagged and she jerked upright, scanning her surroundings for anything unusual. One of the horses snorted. Her heart constricted painfully. Did it mean anything? Was she as alone as she thought? She held her breath and listened, but she heard nothing more than she had before. And then the distant yap of a coyote. Nothing to be worried about. She readjusted her position, seeking comfort for her body. She gave up and leaned over her knees, pulling in a deep, unsatisfying gust of air.
What was keeping him? Them? She tried not to let her imagination run away on her, but she couldn’t stop pictures from flitting through her mind. A wagon overturned with a man trapped beneath it. Robbers… She jerked to her feet. What if Mr. Hartman discovered where she’d gone? Where was that axe?
Gasping, she hurried from the house, tripping on clumps of grass in the moonless night. She’d seen the wagon on her earlier outing and found it easily enough. Carefully, for fear of cutting herself on the sharp edge, she felt around until she located the axe on the floor in front of the seat. She held it before her and began the journey back to the house.
Intrusive sounds made her stop. The unmistakeable thumping of horse hooves.
A rider approached.
Her heart thundered in her ears. Blood rushed to her head, filling her brain with one thought—if Mr. Hartman found her, he would soon discover she wouldn’t go with him. She coiled her fingers around the axe handle, held it at chest level, ready for defense.
The horse rode directly to the open doorway and a man dismounted. The lantern light shone on his features.
“Andy!” Della raced toward him. “You’re safe.” She dropped the axe, grabbed his arm, squeezing hard, unable to let go. She might never let go again.
“We’re both safe.” He dipped his chin to the top of her head, releasing his breath in a long sigh that fluttered through her hair. “We’ve had quite the adventure.”
Della closed her eyes and for one short, glad moment thought of nothing but his nearness. The comfort of his arm. The relief of having him back. But she was being selfish.
