footing.
Cooper sent Tim to gather firewood because he
needed privacy with Hallie to apologize, and hopefully, get them back on track.
After Tim left, he asked, "How are you feeling?"
"It's bearable," she said in a small
voice, gazing at the top of the canvas.
Gathering his courage, Cooper said, "Hallie,
please look at me."
He watched the swallowing motion of her throat
and his stomach knotted, but he continued anyway. "I want you to
understand something."
She turned green eyes on him and nodded almost
imperceptibly.
"First, I want to apologize for my behavior
earlier." When she didn't respond, he continued, "You know what I'm
talking about, don't you?"
She nodded slightly again.
"I…" He found it almost impossible to
continue. He tried again. "I haven't enjoyed a woman's company for a long
time and touching a woman is…pleasurable." God, Cooper, you sound like
an ass. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry, and it won't happen
again. You hired me to do a job and I intend to get you and Tim to Oregon and
settled. I don't want you to be afraid of me or avoid me. What happened…won't
happen again. Can we go back to the way things were?"
* * *
Two emotions bombarded Hallie: relief and
disappointment. Relief for obvious reasons, but her disappointment distressed
her. According to Cooper's confession, his reaction would have been the same
with any woman, and that was disappointing.
Sure, she understood that a man had lustful
desires at times. Even her soft-spoken, kindly Thomas, had occasionally been overcome
by it, and she had enjoyed that part of their lives, but never had she experienced
the all consuming fire ignited by Cooper's breathtakingly sensual touch.
Chapter
13: Crossing the Wakarusa
Tim ran to the back of the wagon and peeked his
head inside. "Ma, we've reached the Wakarusa."
"Goodness, let me look out the front."
It had been two hours since lunch and Hallie hobbled to the front of the wagon to
gaze at what appeared to be a gently flowing river, and her anxiety eased.
Walking beside the oxen, Cooper called "Gee,"
and cracked his whip in the air. Seeing Hallie peek out, he smiled and she
warmly returned his smile, forgetting for the moment her awkward feelings in
the face of this new adventure.
Cooper motioned ahead. "We'll follow the
river a short ways and then arrive at Blue Jacket's Ferry. We might get some of
the wagons crossed today, but probably not all."
Hallie said, "I had visions of a rushing
river, not this slow moving one."
"Don't let this river fool you; it's more
dangerous than it looks." He pointed to the banks. "In the early days
of the trail, wagons had to be dismantled and lowered down those limestone
banks with ropes before being towed across and then roped up on the other
side."
"Oh, those poor people; thank goodness we
have a ferry."
The wagons in front of them came to a halt and Cooper
called, "Whoa!"
Captain Jones trotted his horse the length of
the train, instructing everyone to secure their belongings.
With Tim's help, Hallie made sure everything was
firmly fastened inside their wagon, while Cooper took care of the outside.
After that, she sat on the wagon seat and gingerly tried to find a comfortable
position for her ankle while waiting their turn. If there was one thing she had
discovered since beginning her journey, it was that everything moved at a snail's
pace.
An hour later, they had advanced to the front of
the line and Hallie breathed a sigh of relief. Soon they would be on the other
side. She watched Cooper speaking with the Indians operating the ferry and was
surprised when he came back and said, "This ferry is smaller than I
expected so I'm not taking any chances. Even though it will cost two ferry
tolls, we're splitting our animals up to cross over. If something happens, it's
better to lose some of them, and not all."
Hallie considered his words and decided it was a
wise decision. She watched him unhitch two of the oxen and then load them,
along with the
Cooper sent Tim to gather firewood because he
needed privacy with Hallie to apologize, and hopefully, get them back on track.
After Tim left, he asked, "How are you feeling?"
"It's bearable," she said in a small
voice, gazing at the top of the canvas.
Gathering his courage, Cooper said, "Hallie,
please look at me."
He watched the swallowing motion of her throat
and his stomach knotted, but he continued anyway. "I want you to
understand something."
She turned green eyes on him and nodded almost
imperceptibly.
"First, I want to apologize for my behavior
earlier." When she didn't respond, he continued, "You know what I'm
talking about, don't you?"
She nodded slightly again.
"I…" He found it almost impossible to
continue. He tried again. "I haven't enjoyed a woman's company for a long
time and touching a woman is…pleasurable." God, Cooper, you sound like
an ass. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry, and it won't happen
again. You hired me to do a job and I intend to get you and Tim to Oregon and
settled. I don't want you to be afraid of me or avoid me. What happened…won't
happen again. Can we go back to the way things were?"
* * *
Two emotions bombarded Hallie: relief and
disappointment. Relief for obvious reasons, but her disappointment distressed
her. According to Cooper's confession, his reaction would have been the same
with any woman, and that was disappointing.
Sure, she understood that a man had lustful
desires at times. Even her soft-spoken, kindly Thomas, had occasionally been overcome
by it, and she had enjoyed that part of their lives, but never had she experienced
the all consuming fire ignited by Cooper's breathtakingly sensual touch.
Chapter
13: Crossing the Wakarusa
Tim ran to the back of the wagon and peeked his
head inside. "Ma, we've reached the Wakarusa."
"Goodness, let me look out the front."
It had been two hours since lunch and Hallie hobbled to the front of the wagon to
gaze at what appeared to be a gently flowing river, and her anxiety eased.
Walking beside the oxen, Cooper called "Gee,"
and cracked his whip in the air. Seeing Hallie peek out, he smiled and she
warmly returned his smile, forgetting for the moment her awkward feelings in
the face of this new adventure.
Cooper motioned ahead. "We'll follow the
river a short ways and then arrive at Blue Jacket's Ferry. We might get some of
the wagons crossed today, but probably not all."
Hallie said, "I had visions of a rushing
river, not this slow moving one."
"Don't let this river fool you; it's more
dangerous than it looks." He pointed to the banks. "In the early days
of the trail, wagons had to be dismantled and lowered down those limestone
banks with ropes before being towed across and then roped up on the other
side."
"Oh, those poor people; thank goodness we
have a ferry."
The wagons in front of them came to a halt and Cooper
called, "Whoa!"
Captain Jones trotted his horse the length of
the train, instructing everyone to secure their belongings.
With Tim's help, Hallie made sure everything was
firmly fastened inside their wagon, while Cooper took care of the outside.
After that, she sat on the wagon seat and gingerly tried to find a comfortable
position for her ankle while waiting their turn. If there was one thing she had
discovered since beginning her journey, it was that everything moved at a snail's
pace.
An hour later, they had advanced to the front of
the line and Hallie breathed a sigh of relief. Soon they would be on the other
side. She watched Cooper speaking with the Indians operating the ferry and was
surprised when he came back and said, "This ferry is smaller than I
expected so I'm not taking any chances. Even though it will cost two ferry
tolls, we're splitting our animals up to cross over. If something happens, it's
better to lose some of them, and not all."
Hallie considered his words and decided it was a
wise decision. She watched him unhitch two of the oxen and then load them,
along with the
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