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Noelle bit her lip. She stood motionless, her arms clasped over her midriff as she watched him work. His large, steady hands drew the timbers into place. He then began lashing the log to each axle. A few minutes later, Luke tested the log by applying his weight to it between the wagon and where it touched the ground some ten feet behind the wagon bed.
Luke Savage was a genius. Self-consciously, she straightened the folds of her apron. Her gaze met his. “Please forgive my earlier bad manners. I was quite rude. I hope you accept my sincere thanks.”
He lifted a dark brow. “You’re not under your uncle’s roof, yet, miss. Best hold your thanks until we get there.”
A flash of her earlier pique ignited. Why couldn’t he say, you’re welcome, instead of adding another dose of his cynicism?
“You should be more optimistic, Mr. Savage. Those who dwell on the misfortunes of the world often receive what they expect.”
“That’s because the pessimists are so busy helping the optimists out of one fix after another.” His dark eyes glittered with amusement. “You’re just lucky this pessimist happened along when I did.”
She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the teasing light in his eyes. “I don’t believe you’re as cynical as you pretend, Mr. Savage. After all, you’ve fixed the wagon wheel, my load is intact, and we’ll be in Crooked Creek by tomorrow night.”
He strode to the oxen. “We’ve got to be there by tomorrow noon. Night will be too late if I’m going to catch Blackjack.”
“But we can’t travel that fast—”
“It’s a fifteen-mile walk to town from here, Miss. If we leave now, we’ll have ample time before the afternoon stage leaves Crooked Creek.” A muscle in his cheek twitched.
“I won’t have my oxen driven into the ground because you have to meet a stagecoach.” Noelle straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin. “You said yourself, without a fourth wheel, the animals will have to pull harder. They can’t plod that far without resting.”
“You’re forgetting the Indians. The sooner we get to town, the safer we are.”
Her eyes glittered with disbelief. “I’ve heard that Indians don’t attack at night.”
“Some do.”
She said nothing while she ran her fingers along the curly foreheads of the oxen. By the way they closed their eyes and stretched their necks in pleasure, Luke guessed the beasts were used to the attention.
“Miss Bellencourt, if you care so much for the animals, remember that they’re food on the hoof to anybody who decides to shoot them.” He felt guilty as the horrifying reaction reflected on her face.
“We’ll get a few miles behind us before dark. After we rest a few hours, we’ll start up before dawn. It won’t be too much for the beasts, I promise.” Luke felt relieved when the tight mask of worry faded from her face.
Luke’s spurs jangled as he walked to his horse, but before he put his boot in the stirrup, he paused. “What the hell is this?” He yanked out the white linen cloth from under the buckskin’s saddle and held it at arm’s length like it might bite.
“That’s a tallow cloth.” Noelle bustled around the wagon. “It’s prevents animals’ hides from chafing during long rides.”
Luke frowned. “Tallow cloth?” He scratched his beard.
“Yes, Mr. Savage. I wrap them around my oxen’s necks under their yoke. Once your horse becomes accustomed to it, you’ll never want to be without one. It’s very simple to make. Just a linen square dipped in melted tallow.”
He took a deep breath. “Miss, I hardly think...” He paused, as though considering. He muttered under his breath and tucked the cloth back under the saddle blanket where he found it. He remained silent while he mounted the horse, then cut out for the expanse of prairie grass outside the wagon’s circle.
Noelle watched him leave, then quickly scanned the low rise of sand and mesquite for any sign of movement. Despite the early evening beauty, she knew that wolves, coyotes, snakes and scorpions were there along with Paiutes and desperadoes.
Luke was right. The sooner they left here, the better.
Chapter Three
Darkness came suddenly, along with a driving rain. By the time Luke had finished gathering grass for the oxen, he couldn’t see one boot-length in front of him. Exhausted, hungry and soaked to the skin, he unsaddled his horse, untied his bedroll, then ran to shelter beneath the wagon.
Luke spread the buffalo hide in the dry space under the wagon when Noelle appeared. She grabbed the coal oil lantern, hooked on the trail box and carried the lamp inside the wagon. A few minutes later, a flickering glow slanted through the floorboards above his head.
Over the wind and rain, he heard her while she readied for bed. She must be near dead from exhaustion, he thought, remembering how she endured the storm without complaint.
After positioning the horse blanket on top of the buffalo skin, Luke laid down and rested his head on the horse’s saddle. “I’m right within a holler if you need something, miss.”
The bustling noise above his head stopped. “You can’t sleep beneath my wagon.” Her words barely carried above the storm. “It’s simply not... proper.”
“Just where do you expect me to sleep?”
Noelle climbed down from the back of the wagon and leaned toward him. The wind and rain plastered the loose hair from around her face, but she made no move to pull it back. “I-I would think you’d be gentlemanly and find a dry spot under a bush, or something.” She flicked her hand in a pointless gesture.
Luke angled the flat-crowned Stetson low on his head and squinted back at her. “Not this gentlemanly cowboy!”
“You must find other shelter. It’s simply not decent—”
“Decent?” Luke sat up. “Is it decent to ask me to spend the night out in the rain?” He shook his head. “Sorry, lady. I’m quite comfortable just where I am.” He leaned back and settled his hat over his face, again.
He heard an indignant sniff. In his mind, he could imagine those morning glory eyes sparkle with outrage. He knew the only thing that kept him from Noelle’s tongue-lashing was that proper Eastern upbringing of hers. And he’d bet a grubstake that she could really let loose, if she wanted.
Suddenly, he wondered what that volatile passion that flared beneath her Goody Two-shoes facade might be like in bed.
His bed.
Relieved that she couldn’t see how quickly she affected him, Luke rolled over on his back and pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes. Through the cracks between the floorboards, he could see her, if he was so low-down rotten as to take advantage of the situation. He grinned, wondering when she’d notice, and notice she would.
He heard the clatter of her boot steps above his head, then the wagon jarred as she jumped from the tailgate. He muttered to himself as he lifted his hat and saw her leaning down, staring at him.
“Get out from under there, or so help me, I’ll shoot you.”
Luke sat up and stared at her. A shawl covered her head, and she aimed that antique of a rifle on him.
“Is this how you thank me for fixing your wagon?” He scowled back at her. In the lantern’s glow, he noticed a wide black smudge extending from her left eyebrow to her chin. Noelle must have gotten soot on her hands when she touched the blackened campfire rods, then wiped her face.
As self-righteous as a new preacher in a town full of sinners, Noelle studied him, her one blackened eyebrow lifted with superiority. He couldn’t help but grin.
Noelle motioned with the rifle barrel. “And what’s so amusing?”
Luke forced his most practiced poker face. “Tell me, Miss Bellencourt. How does one tell a refined city lady like yourself that she has soot all over her face?”
Noelle relaxed the rifle. “I beg your pardon!” Luke smiled. “My my, little lady. The last time I saw a face like yours was at a minstrel show in Kansas City.”
She moved the weapon to one side and glanced at her hands. She gasped, and Luke knew that she finally realized that her face was covered with soot.
“You don’t look like a cactus blossom, yourself.” Noelle lifted her smudged chin in that defiant way that was becoming all too familiar.
Luke scratched his three-day growth of beard and shook his head. “Won’t argue with you there, Miss.” He shot her a side glance.
As serious as a preacher scrubbing away the devil’s footprints, Noelle furiously wiped her face with her drenched apron, all to no avail. The sight of her jaw clenched in steely pursuit as she wiped at the black circles, which now spread across her nose and cheeks, caused Luke to chuckle.
“You’re despicable!”
“I-I’m sorry, but—” A round of helpless laughter overtook him. “I’m not laughing at you, it’s just that I can’t remember when I’ve been so damned tired, so damned wet and so damned miserable.” He gasped before laughing again. “Go ahead, Sunshine. Shoot and put me out of my misery.” Another fit of hilarity overtook him.
Noelle’s mouth tilted with a hint of a smile. “I guess I do look rather... disheveled.”
“Rath-er.” He pronounced the word in two exaggerated syllables, then fell back, laughing.
Noelle’s smile deepened. “I’ve never been so utterly miserable, myself.” Her lips parted, revealing perfect, pearl white teeth. She laughed, and the light tinkling sound reminded him of his summers during the family picnics along the Delaware River. The image gave him a start. He hadn’t thought of his childhood since his brother, Chad, died.
“Good night, Mr. Savage.” Noelle retreated inside the wagon.
Jarred for a moment, Luke muttered, “G’night.” After Noelle had washed and prepared for bed, she listened to the rain pounding the canvas ceiling above her head. She eyed the covering warily. This was the first rain she’d endured since Nebraska, while she and Mr. Douglas traveled with the main wagon train over six weeks ago. What would she do if the priceless objects she had brought all the way from New York became ruined with water?
As though to assure herself that her things were safe, Noelle opened the creaky lid and peeked inside the metal trunk. Cocooned in paper lay the blue satin gown and feathered bonnet that she planned to wear when she finally met her uncle. How she wanted him to be proud of her.
Despite all the upsetting events, ending with Mr. Douglas’s death, she knew that her troubles would be over once she found her uncle. Tomorrow. She would have a family again.
Noelle hummed softly as she covered the hat with paper and straightened the blue satin hair ribbons before closing the trunk lid.
If only she could wash her hair, but she knew better than to waste precious water with such frivolity.
Raindrops hammered a steady rhythm as she towel-dried her wet hair. Suddenly, she had an idea. Noelle rose, wrapped a blanket around herself and stepped from the shelter of the wagon into the storm.
Luke’s hat lifted from his face when he heard her steps on the tailgate. “Where are you headed?”
“I’m going to collect rainwater.”
He raised his head and watched her. “Why?”
She sniffed. “I need to wash my hair, if it’s any of your business.”
Luke shoved his hat over his face and laid back. “No need to gussy yourself up for me, miss. You look as pretty as a filly.”
She knew he was teasing, and she refused to take the bait. “I care nothing for what you think,” she huffed, but she knew that wasn’t true. As if to validate the lie, she added, “My uncle would expect a Bellencourt to arrive looking respectable, Mr. Savage. I shall not let these primitive surroundings affect my personal standards, but I wouldn’t expect someone with your sensibilities, or lack of them, to understand.”
Luke watched her unhook several enamel wash basins from the side of the tail box and place them along the ground. “We’ve got another hard day of travel ahead of us, lady. You’re going to get all dusty again. You can clean up at the public bathhouse in Crooked Creek. Only costs a nickel.”
“Good night, Mr. Savage.”
Luke knew he had been dismissed. Well, let her get gussied up for whomever she thought would be waiting for her in Crooked Creek. For once, she wasn’t bothering him.
He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the ping of the rain pelting the metal washbasins echoed above the storm like rifle shots.
“Jeezzo, woman! What other kind of torture will you think up next?”
Noelle chuckled as she slipped inside the thin bedroll and blew out the lantern. Outside, the wind and rain droned like a coyote howling at the moon. Despite the storm’s fury, she felt safe and protected, thanks to the disquieting man who slept beneath her wagon.
Noelle bolted up from her bedroll, wide awake. She glanced about. Thunder rolled. Lightning flashed, then another clap of thunder boomed. The wagon creaked against the wind. Brushing the loose tendrils from her face, she laid back against the makeshift pillow. Would the rain prevent them from reaching Crooked Creek by tomorrow? If so, would Luke go on ahead without her?
Another crack of lightning lit the sky, then earsplitting thunder. Suddenly, Noelle remembered the basins of rainwater. A gift from heaven.
Wrapping the shawl about her shoulders, Noelle braced for the storm. Wind tore at her as she wedged her way to the ground. As quietly as she could, Noelle crept to the enameled pans. Delighted to find them almost full, she lugged each container back inside the wagon.
Excitement rushed through her as she realized this was her first preparation for the most important event in her life since her father died. Of course, deciding to leave New York City had been the most important decision, but finally to meet her uncle—the only relative she had. Yes, it was decidedly the most important event.
Noelle carefully poured the precious essence of lilac into the cold water. The fragrance always restored her spirits with happy memories. She smiled as the sweet floral essence filled her lungs. She felt as if she were ten years old, hand in hand with her mother, strolling Central Park after attending Noelle’s father’s Saturday matinee performance at the Niboli Theater. How her mother had loved the hedge of blooming lilacs along the park.
A sudden sadness wrenched her as she remembered her mother’s tearful surprise when Noelle purchased the essence of lilac for her mother’s birthday. Noelle had tutored students in Latin and mathematics to earn the extra money. She knew the perfume was extravagant, but that was why she bought the gift She knew her mother would never lavish something so expensive on herself.
Noelle blinked back the sting of tears. The smell of lilacs also reminded Noelle of her own wish. Someday, she’d have a house and garden, just like the one her mother had always wanted. But Noelle would have her dream, unlike her mother, who had no choice but to settle for the rented rooms above Harrison’s Saloon where Noelle and her parents lived.
Noelle put the thought from her mind as she poured the soft water over her head. Then, she soaped her long hair, enjoying the simple luxury. When she’d finished, she carefully squeezed the thick, white lather from her coils of hair before dipping her head into the rinse bucket. The rainwater felt silky to her fingers. Definitely a gift from heaven.
Soap stung her eyes. She muffled a cry as she squeezed her eyes shut while carefully feeling in the darkness for the towel she had carefully laid on top of the trunk. Suddenly, the water bucket tipped and a whoosh of water spilled into her lap. She forced her eyes open.
“What the hell!” Luke yelled, coughing and sputtering below the prairie schooner.
Oh, no! Noelle felt her way in the darkness for the lantern. She reached on the top shelf for the Mason jar filled with matches. “I-I’m so sorry, Mr. Savage,” she offered. Her eyes stung with soap as she forced herself to see. “I-I tried not to disturb you—”
“Disturb me? Jeez, woman! You just drowned me.” Her fingers shook as she lit the lantern. “I-I’m so sorry, Mr. Savage.” She winced at the thought of him beneath the wagon, jarred from sleep by the deluge of water between the floorboards of the wagon.
She crouched down beside the sputtering lantern, moving clothing and boxes out of the way of the spilled water.
Suddenly the curtain jerked back and Luke stood, glaring at her. Black hair streamed down his face, his shirt and vest were splotched with white suds, his leather pants and boots glistened with dampness, and essence of lilac permeated the air.
“Mercy!” Her hand shot to her mouth as she took in the sight of him.
“Where’d you think the water was going to go?” Luke’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. His anger vanished, replaced by a feeling like a boot kick to the stomach. In the soft yellow lantern light, Noelle bent over the spilled water bucket. The neckline of her gown dipped provocatively over one shoulder. He caught sight of the dark cleft between her breasts.
Cursing himself for the effect she had on him, Luke tried not to look at the wet-stained bosom where a long tangle of hair, the color of saltwater toffee, fell over one shoulder.
“I’m so sorry,” she repeated, jumping to her feet. Her nipples were hard beneath the thin, wet nightgown. Suddenly aware of her appearance, she grabbed her shawl and pulled it modestly around her. Unfortunately, the gesture did nothing to halt his imagination of how she would look, naked beneath him.
She rose to her feet, clutching a thick towel. Before he could say anything, she took a step toward him and daubed his wet shirt and vest with the cloth.
“I-I’ll do that,” Luke managed to growl, yanking the towel from her. Their fingers touched, and he felt as if he’d been struck by the lightning streaking outside the wagon.
Noelle released the towel as if it were a hot branding fork. She stepped back, suddenly self-conscious for touching him. “I-I didn’t mean—” Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. “I-I’m so sorry.” She stroked her wet hair, as though she didn’t know what to do with her hands. He wondered if she could possibly feel the same way as he did.
Of course she didn’t. She was a proper New York bluestocking, and she trusted him, damn his soul. She had no idea what low-down thoughts were going through his mind faster than a Nevada jackrabbit.
He forced his gaze away, but in his mind, he could still see the way her breasts strained against the drenched, sheer cotton nightgown. “I’ll dry myself off with the horse blanket.” He chanced a darting glance at her. “Here, you need this worse than I do,” he said, tossing the towel back at her.
Noelle shivered, catching the towel. For the first time, Luke realized that she might take a chill. He took off his jacket and dropped it over her shoulders.
“Dry your hair and change into warm clothes. I’ll bring you some whiskey to chase that chill.”
