Kody waited until the woman hurried on before he murmured, “You got your letter?” Seems she should have been a little more relieved to hear from her brother.
Slowly, as if it took all her mental energy, she pulled her gaze to him. She swallowed hard, her eyes seemed to focus and she shuddered again. “Harry says he’s sorry, but they’re still looking for a place. I’m to wait for further word from him. He suggested I stay with the Hendersons, but they’re full with his parents there.” Her eyes glazed. “I have no place to go.”
The sound of someone on the sidewalk forced Kody to hold his tongue, though what could he tell her? Certainly she couldn’t go back to the farm and no food or water, but she must have friends she could stay with for a few days.
A man stopped in front of Charlotte. “Well, if it isn’t my neighbor. Haven’t seen you in a few days, Charlotte. How are you doing?”
Charlotte folded the letter and tucked it into her bag. “I’m doing just fine, Lother. How about you?”
“A little lonely, my dear. But seeing you has fixed that right up.”
Kody settled back, lowering his head and acting for all the world like he’d fallen asleep in the saddle. He didn’t like the tone of proprietorship he heard in this Lother’s voice, but it was none of his business and maybe the man would offer Charlotte the protection she needed.
Charlotte shuffled back, tucking her feet under the bench.
“What’s this?” The man indicated the bedroll and carpetbag on the bench. “Planning a trip, are you?”
The storekeeper had moseyed out to take part in the conversation. “Harry and his wife moved out. Miss Charlotte’s waiting for word to join them. That what your letter says?” he asked. “Harry sending for you?”
Charlotte shrank even farther back. She stared past Lother.
Kody lifted his chin just enough that their gazes connected. At the trapped look in her eyes he squeezed his hands into fists.
“No need for you to leave the country.” Lother’s words were low, his voice soft, yet Kody heard something he didn’t like. The sort of noise a rattler made before it struck. “I’m willing to share my name and my home with you.”
Charlotte’s chin jutted out. “I have other plans.”
“Joining your brother?” the storekeeper asked.
Charlotte flashed the man a defiant look. “That’s my business, isn’t it?”
“Mighty important business, too.” The man snorted and returned inside.
Lother rocked back on his heels. “You’re a strong young woman. ’Spect you could produce a whole lot of sons. Man needs sons to help on the farm. That brother of yours might be willing to sell me his land real cheap. Or I could wait a bit and get it for back taxes. With sons to help I could expand.”
Kody wondered how soon he expected his sons to be big enough to help. Ma had taken in several babies while Kody lived at home, and he seemed to remember they were nothing but work for a couple of years and then they only ran around getting into mischief. Not much help, in his estimation. But this man had other plans for his babies. Plans including Charlotte as a broodmare. Kody twisted the reins until his hands hurt.
Lother touched Charlotte’s cheek. “You’ll do just fine,” he said, his voice was as oily as the matted hair poking out from under the blackened edges of his hat. Kody could never understand a man who didn’t wash up and comb his hair occasionally.
Charlotte twitched away from the man’s touch, her eyes wide, dark with fear and something more, something Kody could only guess was loathing. It was plain she didn’t much like this man.
Kody didn’t like him at all.
Lother shoved Charlotte’s belongings aside and sat very close, pushing his thigh against hers.
The man went too far. Kody leaned forward, preparing to spring to Charlotte’s defense.
But Charlotte leaped to her feet. “Excuse me, I have to get to the train station.” She grabbed her belongings and hurried down the street.
Lother called after her, “You best be changing your mind soon and stop playing Miss High-and-Mighty. Ain’t like you got other beaux.” The man turned, saw Kody watching him. “What are you staring at, Injun? Move along.”
Kody didn’t need the man’s permission, nor did he swing Sam into the street because he’d been ordered to. He had to see what Charlotte had up her sleeve. She’d said her brother had told her to wait. Did she have somewhere to go? Someplace safe from this Lother man?
He rode slowly to the end of the block and circled around by a back street to the train station. He dismounted and shuffled slowly to the platform, acting as if he had no reason in the world to be there other than aimless boredom. He didn’t want to attract attention, nor have anyone suspect he had any interest in Charlotte.
She sat on a bench in the shade, slumped over her knees as if in pain.
He controlled the urge to hurry to her side and, instead, sauntered along the platform to stand near the edge, facing the tracks. His back to her, he said, “You figure out a place to go?”
She sniffed, a dry, determined sound that brought a slight smile to his lips. He’d expected tears, not this attitude of defiance. “I have no money. No family apart from Harry. No one here has room or ability to keep me. But I’m not stuck, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m not alone. God is with me. He’s promised to provide all I need. I’m sitting here praying.”
“Waiting for a miracle?” Far as he could see, God had not smiled any more favorably on this woman than on himself. For his part, he’d given up waiting for miracles or, for that matter, evidence of God’s love.
“I guess you don’t believe in miracles or God’s provision.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down the empty tracks. “Can’t say one way or the other. Might be God sends them both your way.”
“I’m counting on it.”
There seemed nothing more to say after that. He could, having done his duty, ride away and leave her to God’s care. Yet he didn’t move. How often had he heard Ma say, “Son, what kind of people are we if we see a soul in need and turn our backs? Whatever the color of your skin, that uncaring attitude is savage.” He wished he could shut off her voice, but it spoke softly in the back of his mind. She practiced what she preached, always helping those in need often without so much as a word of thanks. “I don’t do it for the praise of men,” she’d say. “I do it for God. He sees and knows my heart.”
Kody had not one doubt what his mother would do in this situation. And what she would expect him to do. But she saw it in terms of black and white. He saw it in shades of red. He smiled, knowing Ma would appreciate the irony of his thoughts.
He uncurled his arms and let his fists hang at his sides. He could not walk away from his training. Again, he smiled, seeing the incongruity of his reasoning—unable to walk away from his training, yet determinedly riding away from his parents who had provided the training. His smile flattened. Best for those back home that he headed north, far, far from them all.
Except if he was to do what Ma expected, that might change. “I know someplace where you can stay safely until you get word from your brother.”
“You do?”
“With my mother and father.” It totally fouled his plans, but he could not leave Charlotte here.
He heard her huff. Knew she would refuse.
“You got a better idea?”
“Yes. I’ll wait back at the farm.”
He spun around to face her. “You can’t mean that. You have no water. No