Page 37 of Wagon Train Redemption
The smile on her face came from the depths of her heart.
“I’d like to get dressed now.”
“I’ll get your clothes.” Ruby trotted back to the wagon and returned with dry things while Hazel took the wet items and hung them. With the blankets again held high to give Angela privacy, she quickly dressed.
“Thank you, everyone.” Where was Carson? She needed to thank him properly. She explained her plan to the others before she hurried to where he stood by the floodwaters with Gabe and Joe.
Joe reached over and snagged something from the rushing water. He held it aloft.
Angela made out a man’s black shirt. “Looks like the wind blew someone else’s shirt away. They weren’t successful in catching it.”
“Let’s hope that’s all it is.” Carson took the shirt by the shoulders.
“What else would it be?”
Joe’s eyes were dark with a flicker ofwarning.
Carson’s were less dark, but no less hard. “I’ll have to investigate.”
“What—?”
“It’s my job as a Mountie to make sure this doesn’t indicate someone in trouble.”
“Of course. But first, thank you for rescuing me.” The words rushed from her mouth. Not at all the way she’d wanted to express her appreciation. But then, she truly didn’t have any plan, so what difference did it make?
Except for some inexplicable reason it did. Having one’s life saved justified more than that. A little walk at the very least.
“My pleasure.” His smile flashed and was gone. “I need to get ready.”
She hurried after him as he headed for the wagons. “I’ll pack food for you.”
“’Preciate that.” Saddling the horse took his attention. So much so, he didn’t even glance at her as he spoke.
Not that she minded. Of course, she didn’t. She had better things to do. Like putting together some food. She packaged the last of the biscuits and a fistful of cookies while Ma sliced off a chunk of cheese. They filled a saddlebag, and Ma handed it to him.
“This is enough for today. I hope you’ll be back tonight.”
Angela silently echoed the sentiment and stood by Ma and the other ladies as they waved at him. She caught her breath as he navigated his way across the raging waters. Heaved a relieved gust when he reached the other side.
When he got back, she would find a way to thank him properly.
Nine
Carson rode beside the rushing stream, watching for anything else of note in the water. His spine was rigid with caution. Could someone have fallen into the raging water? Been caught in the flash flood? Had a home been swept away?
Would he find bodies? A destroyed house? A mourning family?
There! He reined in. Something clung to exposed tree roots. Was there a body inside what looked like gray trousers? The fabric turned in the current. His breath whooshed out. It was only debris stuffing the garment. He might have tried to rescue it, but the water was still too violent. Nothing else at that spot warranted his attention, so he moved on. Something had happened for there to be clothing in the water, but until he found the reason, he’d do his best not to imagine the scene.
The walls of the draw rose higher and closed in until he had to squeeze against the dirt bank to proceed. Ahead of him stood a raw black cliff of dirt, denuded of plant life except for bare tree roots exposed toward the top. That explained the trees and clumps of dirt in the water.
He looked upward to see what stood above, but he saw only sky. Wait. Was that a board poking out near the top? He couldn’t dismiss it without checking. Mud and debris blocked his way. He turned around and returned the way he’d come until he reached a spot where he could climb from the narrow valley. At the top, the air held sunshine and a gentle breeze. He paused to fill his lungs. The effort did nothing to ease his thoughts.
It was hard to believe that such a short time ago, he was enjoying a pleasant morning with his family. That had come to a crashing end when he saw Angela nose-dive into the water. Shock had shuddered through him. A shiver snaked across his shoulders in memory. When she didn’t resurface, the shock had turned to panicked action. He dove into the water gasping at its iciness. A person could perish from the cold if they weren’t trapped by debris. After that, his only thought had been to find her and get them both to shore. Filling his lungs to the maximum, he dived deep. The murky waters allowed only a cloudy view, but he saw her and pulled her out in time.Thank You, God.She was soaking wet and shivering so badly her teeth chattered. If Ma hadn’t been there or one of his sisters or Louise, he would have taken her wet things off himself.
Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that. The idea froze his lungs as much as that first shock of hitting the water had. A man simply did not take that sort of liberty with a woman. Almost sister or not.
Time to focus on the demands of the moment. He rode along the crest of the hill. The grass had soaked up most of the moisture. Still, the ground was damp, and in places, there was mud. And evidence of a worn trail. He hadn’t been this way on any of his patrols, but it appeared someone lived in the area. Settlers most likely. People responsible for the sawn wood that tumbled in the floodwaters.
