They’d been driving uphill for nearly an hour now, and the tall pines on either side had changed to shorter scrubby trees and boulders.
As the wagon swayed, she shifted her hand to rest on her middle. Now that her sickness had lessened, she’d started to relish cradling the babe like this. It felt like a connection—an acknowledgement—of the life growing inside her.
What would this child think of her? Would the child hate her for how he or she came to be? Her fingers tightened against the fabric of her dress, as if she could shield the babe from the truth. She hadn’t chosen this—not the widowhood, not the attack, not the man who’d sired her babe.
Her eyes stung, but she blinked the tears away.I didn’t ask for you. But you’re mine now, little one. I’ll be the very best mother I can.
She glanced over the side of the mountain they climbed. The landscape stretched beyond her vision, wild and untamed—a land of second chances, or so the stories claimed. Out here, she could start fresh.
She would meet Mr. Balfour, but take her time choosing whether to marry him or start a life alone with her child. She had plenty of finances to make that work.
She and the babe only needed a simple life—a little house with a cozy kitchen and hearth, a garden blooming in the spring, a child laughing in the yard.
And if she chose Mr. Balfour…what then? That picture came far less clear.
A ranch house? With pastures of cattle and horses? What if, when he learned about the baby, Mr. Balfour turned her away? What if he didn’t want the scandal? The burden of an unexpected baby? What then?
She drew in a steadying breath, then released it.
She couldn’t let fear win. She had choices in her life. And God wouldn’t bring her here just to abandon her. She lifted her eyes to the sky, blue and boundless, and let the thought settle over her like a prayer.You have a plan here, Lord. Don’t you?
Peace settled in her spirit, especially as her gaze caught on a hawk soaring over the trees. Maybe she didn’t have answers yet, but she had the God who created this majesty. And He’d promised to work this situation for her good. That would be enough.
A few minutes later, the first drops landed on her face. She and Heidi pulled open their oilcloths.
Those first patters moved quickly into heavy sheets, and the wind picked up, whipping the covering around Mandie’s face. She gripped tighter, trying to maintain her balance against the buffeting torrent.
Two Stones guided the wagon to the side of the road and pulled the horses to a halt. As he set the brake, a flash of lightning split the sky, sending her heart lurching. Thunder rumbled close behind.
He jumped to the ground and turned to help Heidi descend. Mandie climbed down on her side, gripping the wagon to keep from slipping on the wet step. Her damp skirts didn’t help matters, tangling around her legs. The oilcloth did little to keep the rain from soaking through her clothes.
“Come on this side, Mandie,” Heidi shouted to be heard over the downpour as she motioned Mandie around the wagon.
When she joined the others, they huddled beside the rig, using the boulders and the wagon itself as a windbreak.
The storm raged on, the wind howling through the trees and driving the rain in stinging sheets against their faces.
Mandie leaned closer to Heidi and said a silent prayer of thanks for the woman’s presence in the face of nature’s fury. TwoStones had positioned himself on Heidi’s other side, where he would receive the brunt of the wind’s force.
She had no idea how much time passed—maybe half an hour? Finally, the thunder’s rumble faded into the distance, and the rain slowed to a drizzle.
Mandie lifted her head, blinking away the water that clung to her lashes. The world around them looked so different, the once-dusty trail now a muddy ribbon winding down the slope.
“I guess it’s over.” Heidi stood and shook out her oilcloth before draping it over her arm. “We should be on our way if we hope to reach town by nightfall.”
Mandie nodded, but as she rose, a pressing need made itself known. “I’d best find a private spot first, if you don’t mind.” Her cheeks warmed at the admission, but after so many days on the trail together, they’d all become accustomed to the realities of travel.
“Of course.” Heidi gave an understanding smile. “We’ll wait here.”
Mandie picked her way up the muddy slope toward a patch of boulders and small trees. They should hide her from view of the wagon.
After finishing her task, she stepped back onto the wet stones to cross to the wagon.
Her foot slipped on the slick surface, sliding out from underneath her. She flailed her arms for balance, grabbing for a rock or branch—anything. But found only air.
Her rear landed on a stone at the same time her head thunked against a larger boulder behind her. Pain exploded through her skull.
Darkness swam at the edges of her vision.
