A Heart Lost on the Oregon Trail (Preview)

Chapter One

1865

The storm wasn’t the worst she had seen, but it was still far from being a gentle summer rain. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed through the trees around them; the sound of the latter being even louder than the rustling of the trees as the wind blew harshly through them.

Normally, she might have been able to hear the rushing Platte River nearby, but now it was completely drowned out by the sounds of the storm. She was certain she would have been able to hear her own heartbeat as well if it had been any quieter, but she could still feel it pounding in her chest, which was tight with apprehension.

The rain was pouring down so much that the scent of dampness was all she could smell, and she had to repeatedly reach up with her free hand to wipe away both the water and strands of her blonde hair from her hazel eyes, despite the fact that this really didn’t help her see much better.

It didn’t help that they were out riding at night – it would have been nice if the clouds weren’t covering the moon right now – but at least they knew the area well, and the flashes of lightning let her see glimpses of where they were going.

However, as she glanced back over her shoulder, tension and fear coiling in her stomach, she found herself grateful for the cover of the storm. Hopefully, it would help them get away safely without being noticed.

Sooner than she would have liked, her companion turned to her and said, “We should probably dismount here. I think we’re getting close to the river, and we don’t know if it’s been raining enough to make its edges slip in a mudslide under our weight.”

She pursed her lips, her paranoia telling her that staying on their horses would be faster and that they needed to get as far away as they could before daybreak. Still, she knew the wisdom of his words.

Besides, if they left the horses on this side of camp and then followed the riverbank in the other direction, it should help throw off the pursuers they both knew would eventually come for them.

So, they dismounted near a tree that was big enough to offer the horses some sort of shelter while having a branch that was low enough and small enough for them to tie the reins to it.

It was with a deep feeling of regret that she gave her horse one final pat on its slicked-wet neck. Her spirited mare had always been obedient, even carrying her out into this storm tonight with only a small amount of complaint, and she knew she’d miss the faithful creature.

Knowing they couldn’t linger, though, she resolutely turned her back on her horse and followed her companion closer to the river.

Her waterlogged dress hung heavily on her, making movement harder and catching on the dense foliage they deliberately went through in order to better hide their trail. At least the summer warmth ensured the rain didn’t freeze them; the wetness was cool, but not so much that it made them shiver, which would have made walking even harder.

She allowed herself a bitter smile at the fleeting feeling of gratitude that she wasn’t one of those soft town girls who couldn’t handle the harshness of life in the outdoor wilderness. One of them could never have gathered up the courage needed to…

No, she couldn’t let herself think about that; she needed to keep her thoughts focused on what lay ahead. It would take a lot of work, but she could handle that. The thing that worried her the most was if she would be able to live with always looking over her shoulder…

As though something in the universe heard her thoughts and decided to give her something more pressing to worry about, a brief lull in the storm brought the faint sound of hoofbeats to her ears.

Her heart caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in panic. No! It was too soon for their departure to have been noticed!

However, a glance at her companion as his head whipped around to look at her, his own hazel eyes just as wide, made it clear that the sound wasn’t just in her head or being caused by her anxiety.

They both stood there frozen, her mind whirling as it tried to come up with any logical reason why someone would be out riding in this storm other than someone looking for them. She couldn’t come up with anything.

“It’s too soon!” she whisper-yelled at her companion.

Her hands were shaking, and tears were adding to the wetness in her eyes, but she wasn’t seeing anything anyway as she frantically tried to figure out what their options were.

She couldn’t go back!

Warm hands on her shoulders pulled her out of her mental spiral as she was given a light shake. “You have to keep going. I’ll cover for you.”

She wouldn’t have thought it possible for her eyes to widen further, but they did. As soon as some of her wits came back to her, she instantly shook her head. “No, you can’t do that! If they catch you—”

“We don’t know for sure if it’s even them or not,” he cut her off by saying, but his tone didn’t sound like he actually believed any more than she did that there was anyone else it could be.

Her eyebrow arched for a moment before her expression twisted to fear as she placed her hands on his arms, his hands still on her shoulders. “We are in this together,” she reminded him, her tone desperate and pleading.

In all honesty, she didn’t know if she was strong enough to leave everything she’d ever known behind without someone with her to bolster her at least some of the time. She knew her own weakness and that there would be moments she would regret her choice.

“It’s more important for you to get away than it is for me,” he replied. Then, as she opened her mouth to protest further, he barreled on, “I can… I can handle it, mentally.” There was a pause. “You can’t.”

Her lips formed a tight line, and she found she couldn’t look him in the eyes. He was right, and she hated it. It would destroy her emotionally to stay after…

Unable to bear the memory, she rushed forward and embraced him in a tight hug. “Promise me that you’ll do your best to stay safe and… and that you won’t… won’t…”

“I promise that I’ll do my best,” he replied with a tight smile as they separated.

At this point, another brief lull in the storm brought the sound of horses’ hooves even more clearly to their ears. The riders were closer.

He turned them around, pointed toward the river, and told her, “Go.”

“Be careful,” she told him, the rain washing away her tears.

Rather than replying to her concern this time, he nudged her to get moving, telling her with urgency in his voice, “You should try to run; we need as much distance as possible between us before they find me.”

Fighting past the sob in her throat, she nodded. Closing her lips tightly against all the other words that wanted to pour out of her – pleas to come up with some other way, more assurances that he’d be careful, or just words meant to prolong their parting – she fled toward the riverbank.

She hadn’t gone far at all before she could no longer see him behind her in the darkness. She already felt so alone, her soaking clothes feeling like an even heavier weight on her shoulders.

Knowing she had to be strong, she forced her legs to move quickly through the trees and her mind to focus on the problem at hand: How and where to hide from those looking for her.

The riverbank seemed like the most likely spot. She knew that the trees and underbrush grew right up to the edge in places, and the rushing of the water would hide any sounds she made, even if the storm died down.

It would be miserable if she ended up needing to spend the whole night in such a spot, but she’d manage.

As she finally reached the riverbank, she searched through the darkness for the sort of spot she had in mind. She stumbled over rocks and roots that the river had exposed as she rushed alongside the Platte River, which was dark with the mud it was gaining as the rain washed more dirt away and made its banks grow higher.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and a deafening crack as a bolt of lightning struck a tree not more than a hundred feet away from where she stood. It caused her to gasp, her feet tripping over something she couldn’t see as the nearness of it startled her.

This time, she couldn’t regain her balance.

Her arms flung out in search of something, anything, to grab onto as she tipped over right into the swollen current of water. Her heart, which had already been pounding in her chest, picked up its speed even more in alarm.

It was all she could do to stay calm and hold her breath as she kicked herself up to the surface, still reaching out with her arms as she was blinded with murky water and hair that had decided to cover her face.

When she was finally able to gasp for air at the surface, spitting out some of the awful muddy water from her mouth, she almost called out for help, but then she remembered she had to stay quiet.

She was determined to at least try to get herself out of the water. It wouldn’t be good if she needed to be rescued.

It was a struggle to stay above the surface while using one hand to wipe the water and hair from her eyes so she could attempt to see the riverbank.

Just as she was able to glimpse the outline of the steep bank rising beside her, her outstretched hand felt what seemed like roots under the water. Before she could do more than blink a couple of times and shift her weight in the water to reach for the roots that the river was carrying her away from, the current hit a stronger point, slamming her into the side of the riverbank where it was nothing but rock.

Everything went black as the Platte River carried her further downstream in the darkness.

Chapter Two

Samuel Thatcher’s piercing blue eyes were drawn to the storm clouds in the sky and the way the wind whipped the tops of the trees long before the first drops of rain fell. The sight made him grimace. It was going to be a long night; he already knew it.

He inwardly sighed at the thought of how short a distance they had managed to travel today. Still, he wouldn’t risk the safety of his wagon train by trying to get in another mile or two before dusk.

From where he stood by his grey gelding at the front of the line, he loudly called out over his shoulder, “We’re stopping here for the night! Form up!”

At his command, the first wagon turned to the right, starting to form the circle they’d had plenty of nights to practice making since they’d started on their journey to Oregon over a month ago.

Getting on his horse, he rode over to his friend and second-in-command, Jonathan Hayes, and reminded him, “We need to make sure everything is as secure as possible before the storm hits.”

Though Jonathan doubtless already knew this, his friend only replied by nodding and adding, “We don’t want the horses to be able to pull loose if they get spooked by the storm.”

As the wagon train pulled into its circle, everything suddenly became a flurry of movement. Women and children didn’t wait for the wagons to come to a stop before dropping down out of them; the former to start looking for good spots to start fires for warmth and the evening meal, and the latter to run about and play while they could.

As the smoke from fires rose, the men tended to the horses and oxen, gathered wood, and often took a moment to stretch their fingers, which were prone to cramping after a long day of holding the reins as they sat at the front of their wagons.

Meanwhile, Samuel and Jonathan went around and ensured the canvas of the wagons were firmly attached, knowing the wind was already pulling on them, and double checked the men’s work in securing the animals.

Soon, the first drops could be felt on his face, prompting Samuel to look up pensively at the darkness of the sky as a faraway crack of thunder could be heard. The storm was here, and the blackness of the clouds made it clear that it was going to be a nasty one.

A few feet away, he caught a glimpse of five-year-old Charlotte Mercer, who was playing with her doll, a smile on her face, apparently completely oblivious to the weather. Almost none of her golden curls were in the braid they’d been put into this morning by her mother.

Getting her attention by going over to her, Samuel told her the moment she looked up at him, “Take your doll right now and go play with it in your wagon; it’s not safe to be outside any longer.”

As she scurried to her feet, he asked her, “Where’s your sister?”

This question had her pausing, her little head tilting in thought for a moment before she replied, “I think she might be helping Momma.”

Her tone didn’t sound the slightest bit confident. So, as he nudged her with a hand on her head to push her toward her family’s wagon, Samuel looked around for Jonathan. When he found his friend again, he shouted out, “Go around and make sure all the kids are safely in the wagons!”

Other than his friend Benjamin’s twin girls, Charlotte and Alice, there were plenty of children in their party, and he wanted each of them to be safe. Even so, he could admit to himself that his friend’s family was at the forefront of his thoughts, and he did not even try to resist the urge to head over to their wagon.

By now, it was raining in earnest, though the thunder was still in the distance. It was only his Stetson that prevented the rain from blocking his vision, and the fires that had been hastily built to make a quick meal were now only dying wisps of smoke.

He looked inside the end of the Mercer wagon as he walked past, letting out a light sigh of relief when he saw both girls inside with their mother, who was busily straightening out Charlotte’s hair with fond exasperation on her face as her daughter whined at having to sit still.

Samuel spotted an older boy darting around the corner of a wagon, causing him to call out commandingly, “Hey, unless you’re out here for a reason, go and get in your wagon.”

As he continued making his rounds of the wagons, he made his way over to the cook wagon, which held most of their supplies. There, he saw Elijah Garrison, the quartermaster for the journey.

He hadn’t traveled with the man before, so Samuel was pleased to see that everything was in order and secured against the storm. Elijah was finishing placing an extra layer of canvas over the crates of food, just in case the rain found a way inside the wagon.

“Good job,” he told his quartermaster, feeling satisfied with his decision to take the recommendation of an old acquaintance to hire the man.

“Just doin’ my job,” Elijah replied with a nod.

The storm soon hit with full force, forcing even Samuel to go inside his wagon, but he only went in when he felt reasonably sure that everyone under his care was safe.

He had no intention of sleeping, though. Instead, he simply lit the lamp and wrung out his shirt as he did his best to dry off a little despite knowing it would be pointless if he needed to head back out again.

The smell of rain and damp earth had now fully covered the scents of summer flowers, growing grass, and animals.

Closing his eyes, he tried to listen to any sounds besides the loud pattering of the rain. The wind whistled through the wagons, causing them to creak as they swayed with the stronger gusts. The crashing of thunder grew louder and closer by the minute.

If the wind succeeded in lifting the canvas off one of the wagons, there were sure to be screeches of surprise and dismay, and he also wanted to be awake to hear it if the horses neighed due to getting spooked.

As neither these nor any other sounds of problems reached his ears, Samuel found his mind drifting. His current fear of needing to protect those under his care ensured that his thoughts went back to old and painful memories.

This wasn’t surprising, considering he’d failed the people who were the most important in the world for him to protect… his wife and unborn child. Even after three years, the memories were still fresh and painful, causing his throat to close up on him.

Fortunately, a nearby thunderclap broke him out of his morose thoughts, bringing him back to the present. He shook his head, running his hand through his dark hair; he couldn’t let his mind wander when he needed to watch over people in his care right now.

To keep his thoughts from straying again, he took out the maps of the area, studying these as much as he could, needing to be as prepared as possible for any scenario. He had no intention of sleeping tonight.

During a lull in the storm, he was surprised when the flap of his wagon opened. Samuel was crouched and ready to move quickly before he was even able to make out Jonathan’s face.

“What is it? Did something happen?” he rushed to ask, ears straining for any sounds he might have missed.

Jonathan grinned at him and shook his head. “I figured that you’d be staying awake tonight, so I thought I’d join you.”

Samuel let out a sigh of relief as his muscles lost their tension. As he sat back down to be more comfortable, Jonathan climbed up to sit with him. “So, what were you doing up in here by yourself?” his friend asked as he picked up a paper nearby.

He strongly suspected that Jonathan was there just to keep him occupied and to ensure that he didn’t get lost in his own thoughts, but neither of them brought this up, and Samuel was grateful.

They went over their thoughts on the journey so far, the progress they’d made, and the things they had learned on the trail. After this, they discussed the months of travel they had yet to make, which they were still talking about when the rain finally came to a stop.

Although it wasn’t dawn quite yet, they left the wagon anyway once it was clear that the rain was truly over and wasn’t going to start back up again. Taking different directions, they went around and checked the horses and the canvas covers of the wagons to ensure that everything was still secure.

The ground was soaked, and his boots made squishing sounds and small splashes with each step Samuel took. Some of the grasshoppers and frogs started to make noise, and it was close enough to dawn for even the birds to hesitantly start their early morning songs.

By the time he and Jonathan were done, there were rustling sounds in many of the wagons as people inside began to wake up for the day. The sky was noticeably lighter in the east as the sun peeked over the horizon, though it was still hidden by the trees at this point.

“Come on,” Samuel told his second in command. “Let’s mount up and check the trail ahead and find the best spot for water.”

Jonathan nodded, scrunching up his nose as he replied, “I hope that the river didn’t get too much mud washed into it and that we can find a spot where the water’s clear.”

“I’m more interested in checking the stability of the edge of the bank so that no one falls in when they go for water,” Samuel retorted.

As folks began to exit their wagons, the two men saddled their horses and rode over to the Platte River. The water was murky brown, clearly higher than it had been the previous day, and the rippling on the surface made it obvious that the current was faster as well.

It was a good thing they were checking for a solid place along the bank to get water from, as large limbs and smaller twigs had been pushed to the sides of the river, blocking easy access to the water. In a couple of places, tree roots poked high out of the water, showing that a few whole trees had been blown down.

Just as Samuel was about to suggest they split up to follow the bank in both directions in their search, Jonathan pointed to a spot further up the river and asked, “Do you see that?”

As his second didn’t even wait for a reply before riding closer to whatever it was he had pointed at, Samuel didn’t waste any time saying anything else. A glimpse of golden hair put all questions out of his mind.

The closer they got, the faster they moved. It was a woman lying partially on the bank but mostly in the water. Her hair was so tangled in debris and covered in mud that it was a miracle they had seen her, especially as her dark-colored dress blended into the brush.

Samuel was the first to dismount. His boots sunk into the mud nearly up to his ankles as he crouched down next to her form to check for any signs of life.

She was cold, but she had a pulse. Now that he was close enough, he could see that it wasn’t only mud that was on her face and dress; there was also a fair bit of dried blood on her and on her torn clothing.

“Is she alive?” Jonathan asked him, stepping closer to see for himself.

He nodded as he reached down, carefully lifting her into his arms, causing his shoes to sink even deeper into the mud. “Go tell Margaret to get ready to treat a new patient. We’re not leaving her here to die.”

As Jonathan went ahead with both the horses, Samuel stepped forward carefully to free his shoes from the mud without tipping over with his fragile cargo.

His eyes scanned the riverbanks once more, looking for anything or anyone else. There was nothing but the swollen river and debris.

Samuel’s gaze then went down to the woman in his arms as he carried her over to where the wagon train was camped. He wondered what her name was and how she had ended up in the river, seemingly all by herself.