It was midday, on their fourth day on the trail, when they had to stop to let the mules rest after a particularly steep section. She yawned while settling onto a rock to rest her own feet.
“Having a hard time sleeping at night?”
Surprised Lucky had spoken, she glanced up. They’d been civil to one another since leaving Dabbler, but since the day they’d docked they’d barely shared words, nothing like they had while on the boat. Not so sure she was ready to talk to him now, Maddie reached down and checked the laces of her boots.
“It’s easier when its dark, isn’t it?”
The urge to know if her voice still worked was too strong to ignore. “You must be used to it, considering you manned the helm at night and slept during the day.”
“That didn’t make it any easier. I can’t say I liked it, either.” He pointed toward the trail. “I’m going to scout up around the bend, see if there’s a place to set camp.”
“Why? It’s early yet.”
“I know,” he said. “But the mules are exhausted. We can’t chance losing one.”
Maddie didn’t say a word as he headed up the trail. Holding a grudge made her insides feel all dark and cloudy. Always had. She’d learned that years ago. Trouble was, when she’d let go of her grudges, mainly those against her father, he’d always reciprocated with another act that left her more vulnerable than the one before.
The deal she’d made with Trig already had her vulnerable enough. She’d attempted to bargain with the percentage, but he’d held strong. Her instincts said there was more behind Trig’s doggedness than he let on, for Lucky certainly could take care of himself, but nonetheless, she’d agreed. In part because she didn’t want to be alone. Serious gold mining took two people.
She was still in the midst of pondering things when Lucky reappeared. His solemn gaze had her rising to her feet.
“It doesn’t get any better around the bend,” he said. “But there is a small space someone else used as a camp. We’ll spend the night there, let the mules get a good rest and start off again tomorrow.”
The short reprieve had refueled her energy, but she respected his judgment, especially when it came to the animals. “Is there water?” she asked.
“Yes, and grass.”
She moved to check her packs, as Lucky did, making sure everything was still secure, and then gathered her lead mule’s rope.
“Ready?” Lucky asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s not far,” he assured her.
It wasn’t far, but the area was little more than an indention in the side of the hill with a tiny pool of water and small patch of grass. She was staking down her mules when Lucky walked over.
“There’s not enough room for two tents. We can share mine.”
“I don’t need a tent,” she said, focusing on driving the wooden stake farther into the hard ground.
Lucky took the hammer from her hand and finished the job. “It’s cold up here, Maddie. We need the shelter of a tent if we don’t want to freeze.”
“Sharing a tent wouldn’t be proper.”
“Proper? We’ve shared a cabin for months.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that wasn’t the same, but he was faster.
“Don’t you think it’s time we called a truce?” Lucky asked. “What’s done is done. There’s no sense dwelling on it.”
“I wasn’t the one dwelling on it,” she insisted.
“You weren’t?” he asked. “You’ve barely spoken since we left Dabbler.”
She took the hammer from his hand and tied it to the pack. “Because you’ve barely spoken.”
Lucky was right behind her and took her shoulders to spin her around to face him. “I know,” he said. “And I don’t like it. Can we call a truce?” A grin formed on his lips before he asked, “Please?”
Though she tried, the smile forming on her lips was too strong to hide. There was something about him that made her feel all light and airy, especially when he grinned. And no one had ever said please to her before, not like that. “All right.”
“Good.” His hands slid off her arms. “How about I get a fire going and then you can cook supper while I put up the tent?”
In an attempt to ignore all the silly things happening inside her, Maddie asked, “Is that the only reason you wanted a truce? So I’d cook for you?”
“No,” he said. “I’ll cook while you put up the tent if you want.”
The twinkle in his eyes tickled her, and that made staying mad impossible. “I smelled the beans you burned last night. I’ll cook.”
“That’s my girl,” he said while touching the tip of her nose with one finger. “I knew you were still in there.”
She frowned, wondering exactly what he meant. He certainly made her think a lot. About many things. He had her feeling things, too. Silly and odd things.
With the afternoon ahead of her, Maddie made a stew out of jerky and rice for supper, and after setting it to cook in the heavy lidded pot, she took advantage of the water trickling down the mountainside and pooling near the base before flowing out along a miniature stream. She heated several pots full and washed her clothes, as well as the spare shirt Lucky dug out of his bag when she asked. She laid everything out on the rocks to dry and couldn’t help but think of those women back on the Mary Jane.
They’d been washing clothes constantly, hanging them all over the decks, even their bloomers, for the wind to dry. Dull and plain, her dresses were nothing like theirs had been. Bright and colorful with bows and ribbons and fancy buttons, she could only dream of having such things.
She smiled then. Dream. Someday she’d have dresses as fancy and frilly as those women had. One of every color. Maybe two. Once she found her gold, all her dreams would come true.
“Sure smells good.”
The packsaddle he’d been working on now sat next to the other one. As he approached, Maddie gathered the tin pans and forks she’d unpacked earlier. “It should be done. I hope you like it,” she added. “I made enough for us to have tomorrow, too.”
“Like it or not,” he said, “I’ll eat it.”
Maddie removed the lid, but paused in dishing up the stew. “Why do you say that?”
“Because we aren’t here to worry about what we’re eating, darling. We’re here to find gold.”
She grinned then. “You’re right. We are.” As she handed him the plate, she added, “I still hope you like it.”
That night, long after everything was put away and they were both stretched out in his tent, the day was repeating itself inside Maddie’s mind. Lucky had said he liked the stew and considering he’d eaten two plates full, she figured he’d been telling the truth. He always did, though, tell the truth that was, which was what she was pondering now.
“Still having a hard time sleeping?” he asked.
“I guess so.” Shifting on the hard ground, she turned to look at him. There was barely enough room for the two of them to lie between the angled sides of the tent. “It’s different here than on the ship.”
He grinned. “Sleeping during the day is easy when you’ve been up all night.”
“Do