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The distance turned out to be much more than short. By the time they rounded a corner where a grassy plateau stretched out before them, Maddie was not only thankful to be off the tedious trial, she’d regained a goodly amount of strength.
“Let’s stop over there,” Lucky said, “near that clump of trees.”
Maddie led the way, seeing to her two mules while Lucky saw to his. Her animals didn’t appear affected at all by Maddie’s recent suspension from the edge of the cliff. Not even the rope was frayed. Her insides were, and might never be the same. She glanced toward Lucky as he dug in a pack, and her heart skipped a beat. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he’d kissed her, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d liked it.
Joining her on the rock, he handed over a napkin full of raisins, a chunk of bread and a strip of jerky. “How’re you doing?”
“Fine,” she answered, nibbling on a few raisins. She’d never tasted them until this trip and was glad he hadn’t sold them all to Truman. They were sweet and moist and she could understand why the miners liked them so much. Yet the raisins didn’t distract her from thoughts of his kisses for too long. She needed to stop thinking about it, though. “How much farther do you think it is?”
“Not exactly sure,” he answered. “There should be a large outcropping of rocks soon, and we’re to turn left shortly before reaching them, then there’ll be a creek to follow until we come to the river.”
“That’s where Whiskey Jack is?”
He shook his head and finished chewing his bread before answering, “Nope, we have to go someway upriver until we come to his camp.” After a swallow from the canteen, which he then handed to her, he said, “We can make camp here. Rest for a while if you’re too tired.”
“No.” She glanced at the sky, but hadn’t been able to figure out the time of day up here, not by the sun anyway. Walking though would give her time to think. “I’d rather keep going. We can still make his camp today, don’t you think?”
“I suspect so, but I don’t want you going on if you’re hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.” Gesturing toward her coat and skirt, which were now dry, but dirtier than anything she’d ever worn since growing old enough to wash her own clothes, she said, “I may look a mess, but I’m fine. Really, I am.”
Lucky eyed her critically for several moments before he nodded. “All right, after the mules have rested we’ll take off again.”
They ate the rest of their meal in silence, other than the noise of the mules munching and stomping now and again. Once Maddie was done, she folded her napkin into a small square. She was contemplating the kiss again. What had he meant when he’d said she’d know a real kiss when it happened? That had been a real kiss.
He shook out his napkin before folding it, as well. “So,” he asked, “besides buying the biggest bed possible, what are you going to do with your gold?”
The breath she drew in was as wistful as the dreams that filled her head. “I’m going to build a big house and fill it with furniture, including a bathtub. It’ll have a big kitchen, too, with a never-ending supply of food, and I’ll hire someone to cook all sorts of things.”
The smile had slipped from Lucky’s face, and Maddie held her breath, wondering why.
“Where are you going to build this house?” he asked.
Surprised by his question, she shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll return to Colorado, to put a marker on Smitty’s grave, but I don’t know if I’d want to live there.” If she went south again, Mad Dog might find her, and she wasn’t ready to contemplate that. “Will you go sailing again? After you find your gold?”
Chapter Six
“No,” Cole said. He’d head straight to New Orleans. Not to live, but to turn over a goodly sum of money. Show his mother leaving had been a good thing. For him and the family. For Rachel, too. Robbie had said she’d married James Hinz two years ago. Other than feeling a bit sorry for James, the news had been of little interest.
It was hard to say what he’d do after visiting his family. He might return to sailing with Trig, but that had lost some of its appeal. Yet living in one place wasn’t for him. Unlike Maddie. The fear from seeing her hanging over the edge of that cliff was still as fresh in his mind as the taste of her lips on his mouth. Not even the sweetness of the raisins had diminished that. Cole sprang to his feet. “We better get moving before the mules decide to take a nap.”
