Come Home to Me (23 page)

“I’ll go check on the boys,” she said softly, and stood from her seat on the overturned bucket. Jake folded the map, and reached for her before she had a chance to walk away, and pulled her onto his lap. A soft squeal escaped her lips, and Jake quickly covered her mouth with his. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, he drew back.

“What will the rest of the camp think if they hear you making those noises?” he asked, his breath hot against her neck.

“They’ll think I have a husband who loves me well,” Rachel answered huskily. “As I recall you telling me, everyone already knows.” She pressed her lips to his, and a ripple of desire swept through her. A quiet growl escaped Jake’s throat, and his hands traveled the length of her torso. Then he pulled his head back and lifted his hands from her waist.

“Better check on the kids, Rachel, because in another ten seconds I’m dragging you under that wagon.”

Chapter 23

Jake dismounted his mare, and stood before the great fork in the road. To the left, the trail led south to Fort Bridger. To the right, he could shave nearly sixty miles from their trip. It also meant very little food or water for the animals for almost three days. Standing in the crossroads, he stared at the vast expanse of dusty prairie, warily eyeing the mountains in the distance.

For days, he and a few of the other men had been forced to drive the livestock several miles from camp each night to find suitable grazing for the hungry and weakened animals. More than a few showed the strain of the journey. Jake’s mare was still in good flesh, as were Rachel’s team of mules. He attributed it to the fact that Rachel’s wagon was probably lighter than most others.

Elijah Edwards had lost one of his mules, and had finally put his foot down with his wife and daughter. At their camp one night, he’d emptied out their wagon to the point that only the barest necessities remained. Annabelle had pitched a fit like a two-year-old having a tantrum in a toy store. Jake thought the girl might snap completely.

Thankfully he hadn’t had any more problems with Annabelle. Harriet Edwards kept her distance, although she glared at him sometimes with disdain in her eyes. Jake usually countered it with a wide smile, making the woman scuffle off in a huff.  To this day, Jake had his suspicions that Marcus Powell and Annabelle had gotten a little too cozy, and maybe things had gotten out of hand. That coward had decided to join up with another wagon train, now that his buddy Frank Wilson wasn’t around anymore to cover his back.

“What do you think?” Jeb Miller came up beside Jake, who stood staring at the two sets of wagon ruts that disappeared in a V-shape into the distance.

“We’ve made good time so far. I don’t see what the advantage will be to risk our lives and that of the animals. I say we go the south way. I’m not putting Rachel or the kids at risk to save a few days.”

Jeb’s lips rose in a smile. “You’re a changed man, Jake. I bet a month ago you would have thought differently.” He slapped Jake’s back. “Nothing like a good woman to put you on the straight and narrow, eh?”

“Yeah.”

Jake glanced over his shoulder towards camp. Just watching Rachel perform everyday tasks like baking batches of bread each evening, or playing with the boys before bedtime, brought an inner peace to him unlike anything he’d ever felt. She would quietly sit with him after supper, and he enjoyed just holding her in his arms most nights. She was still too shy and modest to come right out and tell him she wanted him to make love to her, but she didn’t need to say the words. Her innocent actions, the way she clung to him and kissed him, made him wonder what he ever saw in the modern women he used to be with. That chapter in his life was over.

Jake marveled at her resilience during the times when water was scarce, and the heat beat down on them relentlessly. She always gave most of her share to the children and even the livestock. She drove the wagon with a fierce determination, whether through a sandstorm or torrential rains. And he loved her more every day.

Negotiating the Snake River Valley had to be the most frustrating part of the journey to date. They’d been on the trail for nearly three months, and tempers were running short. Two men had gotten into an argument over a camping spot, which had resulted in one man accidentally shooting himself in the foot.

 The Snake River Plains had taken a heavy toll on the animals, some looking like walking skeletons. Jake relied heavily on his map, looking for the best places to ford the treacherous river. He finally chose a spot where the river was about six hundred yards wide, and broken up by several islands. The water appeared to be no deeper than four or five feet. Or so he hoped. 

“We’ll chain the wagons together in groups of five or six, and use every available animal to pull,” he told Jeb Miller. It would be an all-day undertaking to cross this river, but there was no way around it. Once across, it would be a long uphill climb. Jake wondered silently how many animals they would lose. He hated seeing the mules and oxen in such bad shape. There was nothing he could have done. He knew that, but it didn’t make looking at the emaciated critters any easier. He only hoped that they would find better foraging once they were out of the floodplain, or they might all be walking the rest of the way to Oregon.

By midafternoon, ten wagons had made it safely across the river. The final group had just entered the water when one of the lead mules slid and lost its footing. Thrashing wildly in the water, several of the other mules balked in their harnesses. Jake guided his horse into the water as people on both sides of the river shouted loudly. The voice his ears honed in on was Rachel’s. Thank God she’d already crossed safely.

Jake reached the panicked mule, and leaned over his saddle. He grabbed for the animal’s bridle. Damn! He should have thrown his lasso over the mule’s head instead, but hearing Rachel call his name had temporarily distracted him. The fearful animal lunged forward as it finally regained a foothold on the slippery rocks in the river, and yanked Jake from the saddle. He hit the icy water and went under, right between the thrashing hooves of the mule. Jake surfaced, gulping for air. Before he could get out of the way, the mule kicked out and caught him in the ribs. Blinding pain shot through him, and he fought to keep his head above water. Over the rushing sound of the river, he could hear people yelling at him, and he caught a glimpse of Rachel running along the shore. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he let the river’s current sweep him away from the frightened animal. The water wasn’t deep in most places, and he was able to drag himself through the river, half walking and half swimming. Reaching the rocky shore, he collapsed to the ground.

“Jake,” Rachel called to him, her voice sounding frantic and far away. “You can’t leave me, Jake. Please. I love you.” She knelt beside him, panic in her voice. Jake opened his eyes and clutched at his side. He forced a grin.

“It’s gonna take more than a mule and water to keep me away from you,” he whispered, despite the pain it caused him to speak. Her hands cradled his head in her lap, and she bent over him and kissed him.

“I’m all right,” he groaned, and tried to sit up. “I just got the wind knocked out of me.”

Jeb Miller and Ben Holland appeared and helped him to his feet. Keeping him between them, they slung his arms across their shoulders, and walked him to his wagon.

“Might want to have Rachel bind those ribs,” Jeb said, poking at his sides. “Don’t feel like anything’s broke, but it’s gonna hurt like hell for a few days.”

“Yeah,” Jake grumbled, sitting on the wagon’s tailgate. His eyes met Rachel’s. He held out his hand to her, which she grabbed eagerly.

“You could have died,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering with the tears she tried to hold back.

“But I didn’t,” he said, his gaze locked on hers. “I’m okay, sweetheart.” He rubbed her palm with his thumb. Smiling brightly, he added, “Now help me out of these clothes so I don’t catch cold.”

Jake’s bruise healed slowly over the next few weeks. He tried to hide the pain he was in from Rachel, but he knew that she was aware of his discomfort. She doted on him worse than a mother hen, and he enjoyed every minute of it. But he couldn’t afford to slow down, or allow the wagon train to slow down. Summer would be giving way to winter soon, and it was that knowledge that kept them going over the rigorous Blue Mountains. They lost several more cows and mules over the weeks, and tempers flared worse than before among the people.

The weeks dragged on. Jake led them through the irregular rocky terrain of the Blue Mountains covered in spruce and pine trees, sometimes so thick, they had to cut trees to get wagons through. Several in their company suffered from what Jeb Miller called mountain fever, and they buried several of their members along the way.

Jake once again had a choice to make when they reached the Cascade Range: either take the Columbia River heading south, or the more formidable Barlow Road over the range. Put to a vote, the company chose to head toward a trading post along the Columbia for some much-needed supplies.

“There’s already snow in them mountains,” one trader told Jake. “I wouldn’t advise taking your families over. I got some dependable Injuns that’ll float you down the river. They know the course of the water and how to navigate it. A few others’ll take your stock over the mountains to Oregon City.”

Jake studied the man, wondering if he could be trusted. His map did indicate that the river was the preferable choice than the long way around Mount Hood.

“We’re gonna travel by boat?” Tommy asked excitedly.

“Looks like it,” Jake told the eager boy.

For the next three days, the men busied themselves building rafts, and removing the wheels of the wagons, which would be floated down the river. This would be the last hurdle. Within days, they would be in Oregon City. Jake’s heart sped up. The river should be relatively easy compared to all the trials they endured traveling the trail. He quickly discovered this wasn’t the case.

The wind turned out to be their biggest challenge. In places, the river was almost a lake, and the strong gusts through the Columbia Gorge made forward movement nearly impossible. There was no natural current to aid in floating them down river. Everyone helped out with long poles, pushing the crafts forward. Sometimes Jake wondered if the overland mountainous trail wouldn’t have been the better choice. Rachel rubbed at his sore and aching shoulders each evening, despite being worn out herself.

“You sure know how to spoil a man,” he told her, pulling her up against him with her back turned to him. “Only fair I return the favor.” Her muscles relaxed under the steady kneading of his hands.  Jake bent forward and kissed her neck. “A few more days, and it’ll be over,” he whispered in her ear.

Four days later, after more than five months of travel, the weary company saw the first signs of civilization as Oregon City came into view along the banks of the Multnomah River. Loud cheers arose from the people. After months of windswept plains, treacherous river crossings, and seemingly impossible mountain ascends and descends, they’d reached the end of the trail. Jake felt the excitement along with everyone else. These people were about to embark on a new life, having survived hardships unimaginable in modern times. Whether he would return to the twenty-first century or stay in this time remained to be seen.

Chapter 24

Jeb Miller shook Jake’s hand heartily when they disembarked from the raft. Town folks flocked to the dock to greet the new arrivals, some cheering and waving in welcome.

“Without you, we wouldn’t have made it, Jake. You’re a good man to have around.” Jeb Miller slapped his back, then glanced around.  “Well, best unpack and find a place to settle for the night. In the morning, we’ll most likely head out and look for a permanent place to call home.” His eyes narrowed on Jake. “You thinkin’ of stayin’ put with your family? Would be mighty proud to have you for a neighbor.”

“Not sure yet,” Jake said, scanning the people for any sign of Reverend Johnson. Was he even supposed to meet him here in Oregon City? He couldn’t think of any other place where he would meet up with him. This was the end of the trail. “I’m actually thinking of taking Rachel and the boys home to where I’m from.”

Miller smiled. “Well, at least you’ve given up your wanderin’ ways now.” He raised a questioning eyebrow.

Jake chuckled. “You bet.”

Jake turned back to the raft. Rachel lifted David onto the dock, then stepped onto shore. Jake rushed to her side and held her arm.

“We made it,” she said, a radiant smile on her face. Jake squeezed her hand.

“Yeah, we made it.”
But we’re not home yet
. His pulse quickened. The time was drawing near when he would have to make a decision. Apprehension suddenly flooded him. If Johnson agreed to send them both to the future, how would Rachel react? He pushed the thought out of his mind. He would cross that bridge later.

“Ready to see your first bit of real civilization in months, Mrs. Owens?” Jake asked brightly. He sat David on his shoulders.

“I must look a sight,” she said, and absently swept some loose tendrils of hair from her face.

“We all look like we just spent five months in the wilderness.” Jake grinned. “But you’re still the most beautiful woman I know.”

Rachel rolled her eyes, then hooked her arm through Jake’s as they headed for the main street of town. Billy and Tommy skipped up the street ahead of them. They passed a store with a large sign painted on the front that read
General Merchandise
.

“Let’s go have a look,” Jake said, pulling Rachel toward the store. Several people milled around outside, looking on with curiosity. No doubt many of them had made the same journey in previous years. Jake ushered her through the door in front of him. He pulled David from his shoulder, but held him in the crook of his arm.

“What are we doing in here?” Rachel whispered, and pulled Tommy away from a shelf piled high with knives of all shapes and sizes. He and Billy oohed and aahed.

“Is there anything you need?” Jake asked. He didn’t know how long they’d be here in Oregon City before he met up with the reverend, and he knew most of their supplies were depleted. 

“We can come back after I make a list,” Rachel said.

A short woman with long black hair emerged through a door that led to a back room.  She wore a buckskin dress, and looked to be at least part Indian. Jake guessed she must be the storeowner’s wife.

“Is there something I can help you find?” she asked, a wide smile on her face. Her eyes traveled over him appreciatively, then rested on Rachel. “You must have just arrived. A bath perhaps, for your wife?”

Rachel’s head snapped around at the woman’s words. “A bath with hot water?” she asked eagerly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Rachel’s gaze shot to Jake, a look of longing on her face. Jake’s gut clenched unexpectedly. The idea of a hot water bath did sound mighty appealing.
Soon you can take hot showers again
. A new wave of desire swept over him, visions of Rachel in his arms under a steamy shower at the ranch.

“My wife would love to take a bath.” He grinned, and squeezed Rachel’s hand. The look of pure joy on her face at such a simple thing as a hot water bath melted his insides. He loved her more every day.

The woman nodded, a pleased look on her face. “It’ll be ready momentarily,” she said. There’s soap on the shelf over there.” She pointed to the far wall. “I’ll call you to the back when the water’s hot.”

Jake stepped up to Rachel when the woman disappeared again to the other room. “How did I get so lucky,” he said softly, and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Rachel’s forehead wrinkled.

“I’m the lucky one, Jake.” She reached up and kissed his cheek.

“The boys and I’ll clean up later. Take as long as you need.”

After the woman returned and beckoned Rachel to follow her, Jake lingered in the store with the kids, and handed them each a piece of licorice from the candy jar on the counter.

When the woman came back into the store, he said, “Please tell my wife to pick out some new underclothes and a dress.” He pointed to the rack of dresses hanging in the corner. He reached into the pocket of his shirt, and produced several coins, handing them to the eager merchant. “When she’s done, send her to the boarding house up the street. Tell her I’m getting us a room there.”

Jake left the store with the boys in tow. He headed for the boarding house he’d glimpsed before they entered the dry goods store. Tonight, Rachel would sleep in a real bed. He was looking forward to that himself. After securing a room for the night, he returned to the dock. Jeb Miller had taken charge of bringing the wagons to shore after finding the men who had herded the livestock to the city. Jake drove the wagon through town, and a short distance downriver. Finding Mary and Ben Holland camped along the shore where good grass for the animals grew in abundance, he asked if they would watch the boys for the night. The couple had both grinned at him and exchanged knowing glances. Jake merely shrugged sheepishly.

After a quick dip in the river and a shave, Jake headed back to town. Rachel would probably be finished with her bath by now, and might be waiting for him at the boarding house. This was the closest he could offer her to a day of pampering while they were still here in the nineteenth century. The owner of the boarding house had said that supper would be on the table at five o’clock sharp. Rachel wouldn’t have to cook for once, and she’d get to sleep on a real mattress.

Jake couldn’t help but grin, his steps light as he moved down the main street of Oregon City. He’d never felt happier. Rather than lose interest in Rachel, the way he’d done with so many girls in his past, he fell in love with her more each and every day.

“Jake Owens,” a man called loudly from behind him, and Jake wheeled around. He recognized that smooth voice instantly. His heart began to race inexplicable.

“Reverend Johnson,” he said, and held out his hand. He hoped his voice didn’t give away his sudden apprehension. The reverend shook his hand, a pleased look on his face. His icy blue eyes shimmered in the late afternoon sun. A sudden smile brightened his face even more.

“So, you’ve made it, I see,” the reverend said, and motioned with his hand for Jake to walk with him. “How was the journey?”

“Long.” Jake chuckled. “Dusty. Not much different than a cattle drive, really, in some ways.” He peered at the man walking beside him. The reverend’s hands were clasped behind his back. “No doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done, or will ever do, in my life,” he added.

“Did you find what has eluded you for so long?”

Jake stopped. He faced the reverend and stared into his expectant face. “I know I want to return to Montana,” he said. “I realize now where my true calling is. Experiencing life like this . . . it was eye opening. Running a cattle ranch and teaching folks about what life was like in this time is what I want to do. My folks were right all along. I don’t know why I thought I could find happiness in the city, living the fast life, with fast women.”

“Glad to hear that, Jake.” The reverend nodded in approval. “And I’m sure your folks will be happy about your decision as well.”

“Most folks got here safely,” Jake said hesitantly. “There were a few casualties.” He’d been held responsible for the safety of the people of the wagon train, and to get them to their destination. Now, Jake wondered if he had failed because not everyone made it.

“Sadly, that is to be expected. But you kept the people together, and did your best. You have nothing to worry about, Jake. You’ve succeeded here, and I promised you I’d make your problems in the future go away. Consider it done. You passed your test. With flying colors, I might add.” The reverend’s teeth gleamed when he smiled widely. “Rachel Parker is safely here in the city, I take it?” His eyebrows rose.

“She is.” Jake grinned. Now he could ask the question that burned in his mind.

“Did you learn anything from a woman who is so unlike any of your preferred female company?”

“I don’t know what I ever saw in all those women,” Jake confessed, shaking his head. “Rachel is the most wonderful girl I’ve ever met. The girls I used to go out with; none of them were real. They all pretended to be something they weren’t. Rachel is real. She’s honest, and beautiful, and natural. I want to thank you for her, reverend. Your plan couldn’t have played out better.”

“My plan?” Johnson’s eyebrows rose.

Jake laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Yeah, your plan. You wanted me to keep an eye out for her, remember? Your plan worked brilliantly.”

An uneasy look passed over the reverend’s face. “What plan, Jake?”

Jake chuckled. “You knew I’d fall for her. It’s what you wanted, ain’t it? Get us together?  I love Rachel. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The reverend’s distinctly stricken look brought a sinking feeling to Jake’s chest.

“You fell in love with Rachel Parker?” For the first time, the reverend didn’t project confidence and happiness. His perpetual smile had turned into a frown. “That can’t be possible.”

“Why not?” Jake’s voice rose, his eyebrows drawn together. “Why would you go through all that trouble to get me to her time, and tell me I had to protect her on this journey? From the first moment I saw her, I knew she was destined to be mine. It’s why you sent me here. We love each other.”

The reverend stared at him in silence. He looked as if someone had died.

“Say something, dammit!” Jake gritted his teeth. His hands started to shake, and every muscle in his arms tensed.

“In all my time, granting second chances, something like this has never happened before,” the reverend spoke softly. “This shouldn’t have happened. You and Rachel weren’t meant to be together. Your journey, it was not about finding Rachel. It was about finding yourself. Rachel was merely a prop to help you find your way.”

“A prop?” Jake boomed. “You consider Rachel a prop?” He ran a hand through his hair. Why was he getting all worked up over this? It didn’t matter if this wasn’t the reverend’s plan. “I’m taking her with me to the future. You have to arrange that.”

The reverend’s eyes widened. He slowly shook his head. “Do you remember when I told you that Rachel was where she belonged? She can’t go to the future. Her life is here. She will meet her future husband when the next wagon train arrives here in Oregon City.”

Jake laughed. “That’s where you’re mistaken, reverend. She’s already married. To me.” Jake stared directly into Johnson’s eyes. The warm and sympathetic man he’d met five months ago had vanished.

“You married Rachel?”

Jake’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought you knew. Don’t you know everything that happens already?” He was met with silence, so he continued. “I love her, reverend. She loves me. If you’re saying that she can’t travel to the future, then I’m staying here in the past.”

The reverend slowly shook his head. “You can’t stay in the past, Jake. This is not where you belong.”

Rage consumed him like a wildfire out of control. He grabbed the reverend by the shirt. “Like hell you’re gonna tell me I can’t stay here,” he growled, his face inches from the old man’s. “One way or the other, Rachel and I are staying together. Make it happen.” He unclenched his fist, and shoved himself away from Johnson. Panic engulfed him. His heart was being ripped from his chest strip by strip. It was unthinkable that he would lose her.