honey,” Audrey whispered. “There’s blood all over your coat sleeve.”
“No!” Delta didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. “I’ll be fine. I have some more bandages in my bag. I only need to wrap it again. Please don’t alert the conductor. He might put me off the train.”
Audrey studied her closely for a long moment, then whispered, “Can you walk?”
Delta nodded slowly, mistrusting any quick offer of help. There was goodness in the woman’s eyes, but Delta had seen goodness turn cold more than once.
“Well, let’s go freshen up.” Audrey stood and pulled her up with little more effort than a child would use to carry a doll at her side. “If it’s just bandaging, I can do that with flying colors. Now, if you had locked bowels or some such, we’d be in a heap of trouble ‘cause I skipped that lecture in school. Figured it’d be something I’d face if the time ever come. Some things it don’t do any good worrying about in advance.”
Before Delta could argue, they were moving down the aisle and out the door. Audrey was stronger than Delta figured any two men would probably be. By the time they reached their destination, she was leaning on the redhead heavily.
While the self-appointed angel of mercy helped Delta off with her coat and set to work, she never stopped talking. She washed the wound and commented, “The cut’s not deep, but we probably need to have it seen about when we stop. A slip of a girl like yourself don’t have any extra blood to lose.”
Delta looked into honest brown eyes. “I’d rather no one knew about this, Audrey.” She decided to try honesty herself. “You see, there’s someone following me, and if we reported a wound, he might find me.”
Audrey put her fists on her hips. “You’re not wanted for a crime, are you? If you are, I heard a man near the front say he was a federal marshal.”
“No.” Delta smiled, thinking if her stepfather or his son ever crossed her gunsights, she would be. “There is no need to bother the marshal.”
“Then I’ll say nothing. And don’t you worry, honey. When we get to the Harvey House, you’ll be safe as a babe in her mother’s arms. I’ll keep an eye out for trouble, and there ain’t many men who can get past me.”
“Thanks.” Delta offered her hand. “I’m Delta … ah … Smith, from nowhere in particular.”
Audrey shook her hand. “Glad to meet you, Delta … ah … Smith. But you can’t be from nowhere. That makes folks too inquisitive. I tell you what, you can be from Flatwater, Missouri, too. Now that I think of it, you grew up not a mile down the road from me. By the time we get to Florence, Kansas, I’ll tell you everything that’s happened in Flatwater for twenty years. Living there might not have been so wonderful, but it’s a nice place to be from.”
Delta cradled her arm and agreed. Somehow the nightmares of her life didn’t flow as close to her mind with Audrey by her side. She’d never been offered friendship so readily, but something about the woman was so solid and good. Delta felt as if she’d finally met the very friend she’d been looking for all her life.
As the two women stepped onto the platform between the cars, gunfire suddenly shattered the rhythmic rattle of the train. Men on horseback galloped alongside the track shouting and shooting in the air.
Audrey shoved Delta inside and pushed her low in their seat. “Hell’s bells and buttermilk!” she shouted. “We’re goin’ to be robbed!”
Then, for the first time since Delta had met her, Audrey Gates had nothing else to say.
Chapter 3
T he clatter of the train’s wheels blended with the low rumble of horses’ hooves, rivaling the iron machine’s speed. Women screamed and ducked for cover while the few men on the train scrambled for the best defensive positions from which to fire. The whistle blew a long cry and was answered by gunfire.
Men on horseback galloped close to the windows, waving rifles
“No!” Delta didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. “I’ll be fine. I have some more bandages in my bag. I only need to wrap it again. Please don’t alert the conductor. He might put me off the train.”
Audrey studied her closely for a long moment, then whispered, “Can you walk?”
Delta nodded slowly, mistrusting any quick offer of help. There was goodness in the woman’s eyes, but Delta had seen goodness turn cold more than once.
“Well, let’s go freshen up.” Audrey stood and pulled her up with little more effort than a child would use to carry a doll at her side. “If it’s just bandaging, I can do that with flying colors. Now, if you had locked bowels or some such, we’d be in a heap of trouble ‘cause I skipped that lecture in school. Figured it’d be something I’d face if the time ever come. Some things it don’t do any good worrying about in advance.”
Before Delta could argue, they were moving down the aisle and out the door. Audrey was stronger than Delta figured any two men would probably be. By the time they reached their destination, she was leaning on the redhead heavily.
While the self-appointed angel of mercy helped Delta off with her coat and set to work, she never stopped talking. She washed the wound and commented, “The cut’s not deep, but we probably need to have it seen about when we stop. A slip of a girl like yourself don’t have any extra blood to lose.”
Delta looked into honest brown eyes. “I’d rather no one knew about this, Audrey.” She decided to try honesty herself. “You see, there’s someone following me, and if we reported a wound, he might find me.”
Audrey put her fists on her hips. “You’re not wanted for a crime, are you? If you are, I heard a man near the front say he was a federal marshal.”
“No.” Delta smiled, thinking if her stepfather or his son ever crossed her gunsights, she would be. “There is no need to bother the marshal.”
“Then I’ll say nothing. And don’t you worry, honey. When we get to the Harvey House, you’ll be safe as a babe in her mother’s arms. I’ll keep an eye out for trouble, and there ain’t many men who can get past me.”
“Thanks.” Delta offered her hand. “I’m Delta … ah … Smith, from nowhere in particular.”
Audrey shook her hand. “Glad to meet you, Delta … ah … Smith. But you can’t be from nowhere. That makes folks too inquisitive. I tell you what, you can be from Flatwater, Missouri, too. Now that I think of it, you grew up not a mile down the road from me. By the time we get to Florence, Kansas, I’ll tell you everything that’s happened in Flatwater for twenty years. Living there might not have been so wonderful, but it’s a nice place to be from.”
Delta cradled her arm and agreed. Somehow the nightmares of her life didn’t flow as close to her mind with Audrey by her side. She’d never been offered friendship so readily, but something about the woman was so solid and good. Delta felt as if she’d finally met the very friend she’d been looking for all her life.
As the two women stepped onto the platform between the cars, gunfire suddenly shattered the rhythmic rattle of the train. Men on horseback galloped alongside the track shouting and shooting in the air.
Audrey shoved Delta inside and pushed her low in their seat. “Hell’s bells and buttermilk!” she shouted. “We’re goin’ to be robbed!”
Then, for the first time since Delta had met her, Audrey Gates had nothing else to say.
Chapter 3
T he clatter of the train’s wheels blended with the low rumble of horses’ hooves, rivaling the iron machine’s speed. Women screamed and ducked for cover while the few men on the train scrambled for the best defensive positions from which to fire. The whistle blew a long cry and was answered by gunfire.
Men on horseback galloped close to the windows, waving rifles
Similar Books
Bird Watching
Larry Bird, Jackie Macmullan
Dreams for Stones
Ann Warner
Mysterium
Robert Charles Wilson
Cracking Up
Harry Crooks
The Angel
Uri Bar-Joseph
Forever Black
Sandi Lynn
Before the Rain
JoAnne Kenrick
