Chapter 24
Midmorning light shone over the mountains as Faith rode beside Grant the next day, with Rosie, Ol’ Henry, and Dragoon trailing behind. Finally, they were headed toward the cabin where Will should be.
The forest canopy formed a tunnel of dappled sunlight around them, the trail through the trees wide enough through here that they could ride two abreast. To their left, the river flowed with a melody that soothed her. Beyond the water rose the peaks, their tops hidden by a wreath of clouds, adding a sense of grandeur to the scene.
Behind her, Ol’ Henry was telling a story about the time he’d helped another trapper friend cut trees to build a cabin one winter. The man had planned to go back to St. Louis for his wife and children once he had the home built, but Ol’ Henry never knew if he’d accomplished that dream. Once they had the final beams hoisted, Ol’ Henry set off to join up with Jim Bridger’s trapping party farther downriver.
Dragoon rode quietly in the rear of their group, probably as spellbound by the way Ol’ Henry told the tale as they all were. White Horse and Steps Right had stayed behind in the camp near the waterfall.
They’d spent yesterday recovering from the events of the night before. Burying the two braves, doing laundry in the river, cooking a hearty evening meal ... but mostly grieving the loss of two men who’d been crafted and loved by God but whose lives had ended in such a tragic way. With their passing, the threat to Steps Right was over, and the uncertainty of what to do with their prisoners had resolved itself. The combination of sadness and relief had left them all at ends yesterday.
They had to keep moving, though, so this morning, the five of them had set out on the one remaining mission, the final goal of the journey. They’d ridden three hours so far. Hopefully, having Rosie, Ol’ Henry, and Dragoon along helped distract Grant from his worries about how his brother would greet him. But his silent focus still showed in the hard line of his jaw and the wrinkle between his brows.
This should be a joyous occasion—the reuniting of brothers after so many years. She would do everything in her power to make it so, especially lifting their worries to the only One who could really make a difference. Please, God. Let Will be happy to see Grant.
An hour later, the trees opened into a clearing bathed in sunlight. The river lined one side of the open ground, and a small cabin sat at its center, a trail of smoke rising from the chimney. The worn logs bore the dark coloring of time and weather, which meant it must have been built long before last summer when Will came west.
She glanced at Grant, who’d slowed his horse but still rode toward the structure. He’d lost some of his coloring, and she had a feeling the sweat dripping down the side of his face wasn’t just from the sun. She eased Two Bit a little closer to Grant’s gelding. A reminder that they were in this together.
Ahead, there was no sign of movement or sound from the cabin. Did Will still live here? It was hard to tell from the uneven growth of grass. They halted a few steps in front of the cabin. Grant dismounted first, his boots crunching in the dry grass. “Wait here,” he said softly.
She reached for his reins, then sent up another prayer as he approached the cabin door.
“Will?” His voice rang louder, holding a tone both friendly and curious. It didn’t sound nervous, not that she could detect.
The door creaked open, revealing a man with sun-bronzed skin and a scruffy blond beard that matched his tousled curls. His eyes, the same deep blue as Grant’s, eyed him with confusion and uncertainty. As recognition dawned on his face, those eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.
“Will?” The hope in Grant’s voice was impossible to miss. “It’s me, Grant. Your ... brother.”
Will was already striding from the cabin, nearly tripping as he stepped into the grass, then bracing a hand against the cabin wall behind him. “Grant? Is it really...?”
“It is.” A bit of uncertainty crept into Grant’s voice, and it made Faith’s heart ache. But Grant continued, “You were young the last time I saw you. It’s all right if you don’t recog—”
Will straightened, pushing away from the wall. “Of course I do, Grant. I just ... It’s hard to believe...”
Relief eased Grant’s features, and he looked like he wasn’t sure whether he should give his brother a hug or shake his hand or ... He must have settled on a handshake, and Will took his outstretched grip with both of his, shaking heartily.
“I just can’t believe it.” He shook his head. “How did you get here?”
A smile was beginning to spread across Grant’s face, as though he was finally believing the reality himself. “I’ll tell you everything. But first, I want you to meet my friends.”
Will turned, and Grant stepped beside him for the introductions.
Faith slid to the ground and moved in front of the horses, and the others did the same. She couldn’t help a smile herself. Thank you, Lord.
Grant moved toward Faith, drawing her to his side. “Will, this is Faith Collins. I met her when I first started looking for you. We’ve had quite a journey since then.”
Her cheeks were probably turning pink as heat flushed her neck. “It’s an honor to meet you, Will.” Should she have called him Mr. Allen? Or did he go by the surname of the family who’d raised him? Will was probably safest, though not as polite. Hopefully he’d excuse her lack of formal manners.
“I’m pleased to meet you.” Will’s grin deepened, so genuine and so much like Grant’s, it made her chest ache. “Whatever you had to do to bring Grant here, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Thankfully, Grant saved her a response by motioning to the others. “This is Miss Rosemary Collins, Faith’s sister. And friends of the family, Ol’ Henry and Dragoon.”
Ol’ Henry was eyeing Will, and when she glanced back at the younger man, he was doing the same. The old trapper spoke first. “Was you trappin’ with Larkin’s group last fall? Headin’ toward the Snake River?”
Will’s head bobbed. “I was. You spent a few days with us, didn’t you?”
Ol’ Henry’s teeth flashed in a grin as he elbowed Dragoon. “That was when you went by the tradin’ post an’ I stayed with my lame horse.”
Will grinned at both trappers, then included Rosie. “I’m honored to meet you all. Overcome, really.” His gaze moved back to Grant and hovered for a moment. It almost looked like his eyes grew misty.
Then he stepped and waved for them to follow. “Come on in, everyone. The cabin’s not big, but I’ve had beaver stew cookin’ all morning.”
After they secured their horses, they followed Will into the small structure. The inside was dimly lit, with an open room that served as a kitchen, bedchamber, and living space. A small table and chair sat in one corner near the fireplace, and piles of furs and other belongings lay scattered around the edges of the room. The air was thick with the scent of woodsmoke and the musky scent of furs.
Will swiped a stack of pelts off a second chair and placed them on a crate. “Settle in. I’ll scoop up the stew.” He crossed to the fire, where a kettle hung from a tripod, and reached for two of the tin cups hooked on nails protruding from the wall. “It’s not much, but it’ll stave off hunger.”
As he stirred the stew in the pot, Faith spoke up. “We have cornmeal and grease. How about if I make johnnycakes to go with it? Coffee too.”
Will looked up, his entire face brightening as he took in her words. “Coffee? That sounds real good.”
She and Rosie headed out to retrieve the supplies she’d need. When they returned, the others were perched on mounds of furs. While the men talked, she and Rosie set to work by the fire. Rosie began the batter for johnnycakes, while Faith prepared the coffee.
Will was saying, “I’m makin’ do. I hunt and trap. There’s plenty of game on the river.”
“What made you come west?” Grant’s voice sounded calm and interested.
“Wanted to see what all those people comin’ through St. Louis were talkin’ about.” His grin lingered in his voice.
Did he like living so far away from the rest of the world? She wouldn’t mind settling in a cabin on the river with so many majestic mountain views, if only it weren’t quite so far from her family.
She positioned the coffeepot in the coals as Will spoke again. “Started off with trappin’, then kept movin’ until I found this place. Gives me a shelter from the weather. Plenty of food around. A good life.”
A slight pause lingered, and she worked to keep from turning to see what the men were doing.
Grant broke the quiet, his voice lower than before. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. I looked in St. Louis when I could. Never knew where you lived. Then when I was grown, well...”
Her heart ached for all he’d gone through, and she held her breath to see how much he would share.
“Things were busy for a while. But last winter, I finally had a chance to search in earnest. I found Mr. Sheldon. He told me you’d gone west in the spring. I’d missed you by less than a year.”
Silence settled between them, awkward and clumsy. As she held the frying pan for Rosie to pour circles of batter, she glanced back at them. The brothers were staring at each other. From this angle, she couldn’t read their expressions.
Let this be a time of healing for them both, Lord. Give Grant wisdom and strength.
Even with the warm reception they’d received, this might be hard on Will, having his brother show up out of the blue. Maybe he’d thought Grant dead. Or that Grant had given up searching for him. Or chosen not to find him. He might have thought he’d been utterly abandoned.
Tears burned her eyes as that possibility took hold.
Grant spoke again. “I’m glad I found you, finally. We have time to catch up.” Then his voice changed to a lighter tone. “Faith and her sisters own a ranch near the Green River. Have you seen it?”
Those words lightened the tone, and by the time the food was ready, Ol’ Henry and Dragoon had filled in the details about the ranch and Tanner’s trading post. As they ate, Will asked them questions about their journey and the men from Parson’s group he’d met before. Then came the news about Steps Right, and the concern in his gaze made her love this little brother of Grant’s even more than she’d hoped to.
Thank you, Lord.He’d answered her prayers even more abundantly than she’d allowed herself to hope.