A trail so lonesome, p.1
A Trail So Lonesome, page 1
A Trail So Lonesome
WAGON TRAIN MATCHES
BOOK ONE
LACY WILLIAMS
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Exclusive invitation
Acknowledgments
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Also by Lacy Williams
One
It was crowded and overwarm in the dance hall in Independence, Missouri, when Evangeline stepped inside.
But tonight there was no dancing, no music. The cavernous room was packed with bodies. Many of them unwashed, judging by the overwhelming scents that attacked her nose.
Several heads turned in her direction, eyes fixed on her, and she felt a tremble of nervousness.
Every person in this room was just like her. At least that’s what she told herself.
This meeting was for travelers who had paid and been approved to travel on Hollis Tremblay’s wagon train, leaving Independence tomorrow morning.
And Evangeline was going with them. Starting a new life.
“Sissy?”
Evangeline looked down into the face of the young girl clinging to her hand. Worried brown eyes looked up at her. Sara clutched a faded rag doll in her other hand, while Evangeline clutched a thick tome to her midsection.
Evangeline squeezed Sara’s hand in reassurance. She wasn’t used to being in this press of bodies. Neither was Evangeline, but they’d make do. They had to.
“Our seats are right over there,” she murmured with a nod forward and to the left, right in the middle of the room. Near the front, so they could see. The wooden chairs had been theirs when they’d left. Evangeline preferred to be punctual and had, in fact, been a half-hour early for this meeting. She and Sara had been nearly alone in the dance hall. Everything had been going just as Evangeline planned.
Until Sara had whispered that she needed the washroom.
After a trek back to their hotel, they’d returned minutes late—though the meeting didn’t seem to have started—to find the dance hall packed.
Families of all shapes and sizes filled the room. A mother bent over several young children clustered at her feet, scolding them. A father stood against the wall, his arms folded. Two teenaged boys stood in an identical stance and the uncanny resemblance to the man so obviously their father made Evangeline want to smile. Rough-looking men were scattered among the crowd, too. One man with dark hair and an unkempt beard let his eyes linger on Evangeline for far too long as she scooted past him. She averted her eyes quickly but felt his unsavory gaze linger.
When she and Sara reached the seats they’d vacated minutes ago, they found them occupied. There had been no one around to ask to save her seat when she’d left for Sara’s sake. What now?
A shrill whistle rang out over the noise of the crowd. “Good evening,” a deep male voice followed.
The murmur of voices faded. Some people hissed, “Shh!”
Heat rushed into Evangeline’s cheeks as she realized she had no seat, and she was awkwardly blocking several folks from being able to see the man who was speaking. She’d considered leaving her book on the chair, but it was too valuable to be left behind.
Now she tugged Sara by the hand as she hurried toward the back of the hall, embarrassed as she felt the gazes of nearly everyone she passed. Several people were standing at the back of the room. She would have to do that, too.
Emotion knotted in her throat. She’d wanted—she’d planned—to be closer. What if she missed something important because she couldn’t hear?
Her gaze caught on a woman who must be only a little older than Evangeline’s twenty years. She sat on the second row from the back wall. She nudged the man beside her—her husband?—who scowled at her. The woman nodded to Evangeline, still side-stepping toward the back, and whispered something to him.
He looked up, his blue eyes locking on Evangeline. She felt his gaze almost like a touch and nearly stepped on the foot of the man right in front of her who had scooted his chair into the rough aisle, forcing Evangeline to step around him.
The blue-eyed man’s scowl grew bigger. He said something to the woman and abruptly stood up.
Evangeline was close now. Before she could look away, he nodded to the empty seat and strode to the back of the room.
“…wagons packed.”
Grateful and embarrassed at the same time, Evangeline slipped into the seat. She placed her book at her feet and pulled Sara onto her lap.
“Thank you,” she whispered to her neighbor.
The woman gave her a sunny smile. “Certainly.”
“You’ve been given a list of required food items,” the wagon master said. “I’ve already inspected some of your wagons to see that your supplies are ready.”
Evangeline had checked and double-checked the supplies in the wagon. She knew they’d purchased and packed everything on the wagon master’s list, but her hands itched to check the list folded inside her book at her feet. She kept her arms loosely around Sara. She could re-check in a moment. No need to jostle the girl when they’d just gotten settled.
Father was supposed to have attended this meeting with her, but he’d received a wire at their hotel and waved her on, declaring that he had to send an answer to his business partner back in Boston. Mrs. Fletcher, their long-time cook had opted to stay at the hotel. They were a long way from home. Everything was different. Evangeline was trying to make the best of things, but Mrs. Fletcher had been quietly complaining since they’d boarded the westbound train.
The friendly woman beside Evangeline leaned over to say something to the strapping man beside her. He patted her knee, something affectionate in the gesture. Was this her husband? Then who was the first man?
Evangeline couldn’t help herself. She looked over her shoulder. The man who’d given up his seat wore a faded blue-and-white checked shirt over dark trousers. His dark brown hair was a little too long, as if he hadn’t bothered to cut it. He stood with his arms loosely at his sides, but there was a leashed power about him.
His gaze flicked from the speaker to collide with hers. He glared at her, and it was so startling that she quickly turned back to face the front.
She couldn’t help the tremble that went through her. Sara didn’t register it as she fiddled with her doll.
The woman at her side noticed. “You all right?” she whispered.
“Fine,” Evangeline whispered back. “But I don’t think your husband is happy about me taking his seat.”
The woman glanced over her shoulder. Evangeline couldn’t read the face she made. She quickly turned back. “That’s my brother. Leo. Don’t mind him. That expression is near permanent. I’m Alice.”
Leo. It was a name for an artist or poet, but he didn’t look like either one. His muscular build was better suited for outdoor work.
“We’ll be pulling out as soon as it’s light,” Hollis Tremblay said. The man was tall and broad, dressed in a pale blue shirt and fawn pants that contrasted with his dark brown skin. The first time Evangeline had met him, she’d felt a sense of peace at his steady confidence. This was his fourth trip across the country leading a wagon train. He was experienced and had a no-nonsense manner that she appreciated. “There are two other large groups leaving town, and we want to be the first on the trail.”
That made sense. She’d studied every guidebook she could get her hands on—three of them—and understood that grass for the oxen could become scarce quickly.
“I’ll ask one man from each family to stay behind after we’re done here tonight. I’ve split the wagon train into three groups. We’ll call each group a company for the duration of our travels. Each company will elect a group of leaders and one captain. We’ll handle that and I’ll give some final instructions.”
The men.
Evangeline’s face flushed. She’d thought Father would be here by now. Had his business tied him up? Or had he simply elected not to come, knowing she’d bring him whatever information was shared?
Now their family would miss its chance to have a vote for the captain of their company. What if someone unsavory—like the man who’d ogled her—became the leader of their group? What if something important was discussed and neither she nor Father knew about it?
This wouldn’t do at all.
Leo Spencer was cataloging the tasks he needed to complete tonight as the wagon master spoke. Waterproof the seals on the wagon bed. Re-pack the dry goods they’d purchased late this afternoon.
Stop watching the woman.
He had noticed the dark-haired beauty as she had tried to find a seat in the packed dance hall. How could he not? The way her hair was pulled back from her face showed off her delicate features to their advantage. And that gown… it was too fancy to be called a dress. Completely impractical and wouldn’t last a day on the trail. But it sure was nice to look at, especially on a figure like hers.
He’d noticed the little g
He forced his mind from her, tried to pay attention to Hollis as he addressed the crowd. Leo had one mission, and he wouldn’t fail: get his family to Oregon, get them settled.
Only then could he go after his own adventure. Maybe he’d join up with a railroad crew. He’d read newspaper accounts of the money they were offering for line workers. He was a hard worker. He could save enough to buy a ticket to Europe. Travel and see the world.
A man standing near the door on the opposite side of the dance hall distracted him from his musings.
His half brothers, Owen and August Mason, standing side by side.
What were they doing here? Checking up on Leo?
Distaste curled in his stomach. He must’ve made some noise, or maybe she just sensed his flare of anger; either way, his sister turned to look over her shoulder.
He nodded to Owen.
“We’ll give the women and children five minutes to clear out.” Hollis dismissed the meeting and folks began standing up, spilling into the spaces between the chairs.
A mother with her wailing baby stepped in front of Leo. He looked over her head. Owen was still there, holding up the wall with his shoulder as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Seemed about right. Leo had inherited them all.
He started toward his half brother, the crowd preventing him from moving very fast. The young woman who’d taken his seat had already slipped away. No, there she was. Speaking animatedly to the wagon master, holding the little girl’s hand. She still had what looked like a heavy tome in her opposite hand. Who brought a big book like that to a meeting?
His mind snapped back to Owen.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Alice was right on his heels.
“Listen to Mother Hen,” came his brother Collin’s voice from right behind her.
It warmed him to know that his true family was right there to support him. Except— “Where’s Coop?” he demanded.
Collin’s twin had been in attendance. He’d sat next to Collin as the meeting started, looking bored to death. He must’ve slipped away when the meeting had been dismissed.
Collin sighed slightly as he must’ve come to the same realization.
Leo changed course, heading back the way he’d come. He scanned the room but couldn’t see his brother in the melee. Frustration made him want to howl, but he didn’t dare release the emotion. He never did.
Coop attracted trouble like metal shavings to a magnet. And there was plenty of it to be found here in Independence.
“Leo, you’ve got to stay for the meeting.” Alice’s reminder stilled his feet, but his mind was already counting the number of saloons he’d seen along the street. Coop had given his promise back in New Jersey. But after years of breaking his word, it didn’t hold much.
“We’ll find him,” Collin said.
“Maybe he went back to the wagon.” Even Alice didn’t sound hopeful.
Leo gritted his teeth. He didn’t have any choice. Hollis had said each head of household needed to attend the meeting. But Coop could stir up an awful lot of trouble, real quick. What if Alice and Collin couldn’t find him?
“Something wrong?” The drawled question came in a voice that took Leo right back to his childhood. Why did Owen and August have to sound just like Leo’s father?
Leo nodded to Alice and Collin, who disappeared into the crowd. Alice threw one look over her shoulder. Probably worried Leo was going to lose his temper.
It was a near thing, but he managed to face his half brother. “None of your concern. What’re you doing here?”
Owen didn’t just sound like Leo’s father. He shared the same brown hair, same blue eyes, same hawk nose Leo saw every morning in the looking glass while he used his razor.
Seeing Owen now felt almost exactly like the invisible punch to the gut he’d received when Owen and August had shown up on his doorstep back in New Jersey. A sucker punch, one he hadn’t known to anticipate.
Owen seemed unruffled. “Same as you,” he answered Leo’s question.
No. “You’re not joining up with this wagon train.”
Owen’s eyes narrowed slightly at the command in Leo’s voice. “’Fraid so. August and I mean to go back to California. That way, we’ll be here when you and Alice need help.”
“We won’t need your help,” Leo burst out.
The wagon master called everyone left in the room to huddle up closer to the center of the expansive space.
Owen bared his teeth in a smile and nodded for Leo to move ahead of him between the now-empty chairs. “You and Alice and those boys have no idea how to survive an arduous journey like this.”
Leo shook his head. A months-long trip through the wilderness would be tough, but he’d never accept help from Owen or August. They were a reminder of the life his father had chosen—and the life he’d walked away from. One he’d started with Leo and Alice’s mother and then abandoned.
Bitterness rose in his throat to choke him. This wasn’t the time for it, though. He joined the circle of twenty or so men standing around Hollis, doing his level best to ignore the man on his heels.
A gray-haired man pointed to the young woman Leo had given up his seat for, addressing the wagon master. “What’s she doing here? You said men only.”
The young woman stood her ground, her chin at a stubborn angle. “My father wasn’t feeling well tonight. I’m here in his stead.”
Father. Not husband.
The older man continued to grumble, but it was Owen who called out, “Let her stay. She looks intelligent enough to me.”
The gray-haired man shot Owen a look, but it was the appreciative way the young woman glanced at him that made Leo’s stomach curdle.
“This isn’t a democracy,” Hollis said. He sounded unruffled and completely in charge. “What I say goes. We’ll be on the trail together for five months, give or take. If you question my orders while we’re out there, you and your family could end up dead.”
When they’d arrived in Independence, Leo had discovered there were many companies taking travelers across the country to Oregon and California. When he’d asked the locals, everyone had sung Hollis Tremblay’s praises. He was the most experienced wagon master on the trail. And he sounded it.
The men shuffled their feet, now looking uncomfortable. Leo watched the young woman. She wore a serious expression and didn’t seem like some fainting miss, even though she wore that fancy dress. The little girl on her lap didn’t make a peep, vacillating between looking around with wide eyes and playing silently with her dolly in her lap.
“You already know my rules,” Hollis said. “No thievin’, no fighting. Take care of each other. But I can’t watch over a hundred wagons and know what’s going on at all times. That’s part of the reason we’re here tonight. You’re my second company. Tonight we’re gonna elect a committee. Three leaders who are responsible for the folks in your company. Out of those three men, you’ll choose one captain. After four weeks on the trail, we’ll have another election. Choose a different captain.”
Now the men looked around at each other, taking each other’s measure.
“This is not a responsibility to take lightly,” Hollis continued. “Or one to be abused.”
Men started calling out the reasons they should be considered.
I’ve been the head of household for thirty years.
I’m good with a gun.
I can read a map.
Leo didn’t need any extra responsibility. He was perfectly content to vote for someone else to take on that role.
Until Owen spoke up from beside him.“My brother and I traveled East from California this past winter. We know what kind of terrain to expect. What kind of animals we’ll run across. What kind of men to avoid out there.”
