They rode along without talking after that. He didn’t want to tell her all he’d lost and he guessed she felt the same. Now and then he did glance at her hands. Her fingers were tightly laced on her lap. Nothing about her seemed relaxed. The band of gold on her left hand reminded him of what she had lost. A husband. The safety of a home, maybe. Any chance of having children.

At sunset they camped by a little stream. The day was warm for December. The girls took off their jackets and ran around, playing a game of tag. Trapper dropped a few fishing poles in the water, hoping to get lucky. Number Two, the shyest one of the girls, said she’d watch them.

By the time Mrs. Adams and Trapper set up camp and got a fire going, Two had caught three fish. The widow cooked a simple supper of fish and potatoes with biscuits.

“Tomorrow we’ll be heading into open country.” Trapper talked while they ate. “You all have to stay close to the wagon.” He looked at Four.

All the girls nodded.

When he came back from taking care of the team and Midnight, he found all the girls asleep in the wagon. Mrs. Adams was wrapping biscuits to save for breakfast.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

“You are welcome. I enjoyed today more than I’ve enjoyed any day in a long time. It was good to see the farms.”

“Me too.” He thought it might just be the best day he’d had in years. “I know it’s probably not proper for me to ask, but I’d like to know your first name.”

She turned away for a moment, and he thought she might not answer. “My mother named me after her family, Emery, but people call me Em.”

“What do you like to be called?”

“Emery.” She smiled. “No one has ever called me by my full name.”

“You think I could, Emery?”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

“How old were you when you married?”

She looked away again. “Can we not talk about the past?”

Trapper watched her carefully, wondering what hardships she’d faced. “Of course.” She stood, and so did he. He offered his hand to help her into the wagon. “Good night, Emery.”

To his surprise, when she stepped up equal to his height, she leaned and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. You don’t know it, but you saved my life today.”

Then she disappeared into the crowded wagon.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5