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“We went over there to dig up the last of Albert’s garden,” she said. “I was done with the cleanouts and asked Albert if there was anything I could help him do. When he suggested the garden, Tim insisted on going along with me.”
Cole shook off the last of his frustration. That of thinking Tim hadn’t followed orders, at least. Another thought occurred to him then. “A moose?”
She nodded. “It was huge.”
“They are,” he said. If moose were moving already, it meant winter was on its way, too. Possibly sooner rather than later. Men had gathered around the campfire, those who would soon take over the night shift, and Cole’s thoughts once again shifted.
For the most part, he was satisfied with the men he’d hired to help them. The better part of them he’d already considered friends or acquaintances. In all, there were only two he hadn’t met before. They’d approached the camp two days ago, saying they’d heard he was looking for men. Upon questioning them more scrupulously, he’d learned Truman had sent them up this way when they’d arrived in Bittersweet, after the creek they’d set claims on had proved void of any color. He confirmed the shopkeeper had given Elwood Reins and Butch Grimes directions to the mine while in town today.
The day’s cleanout dominated the conversation while they ate. Cole kept a smile on his face and portrayed all the enthusiasm a mine owner should, even though he didn’t feel it in his heart. He’d never been in such a place before. Normally when an investment paid off he was overly zealous and often started contemplating how he could repeat the action. This time, he couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Night had completely fallen by the time the meal ended. The second crew had lit torches before taking over from the day crew, and all of them had moseyed over and eaten their fill of moose meat. Anticipation was high. The men were being paid percentages of each cleanout. Cole knew that would give them more of an incentive to mine the maximum amount than a daily wage would. It also meant he and Maddie wouldn’t make as much, but he figured they’d already mined enough to be very rich when they sailed south.
That, too, was on his mind. Not going south, but what would happen once they got to Seattle. They’d have to wait for Trig’s arrival—the port city was a frequent stop for the Mary Jane—and that was where his mind kept venturing. To what would happen after Trig arrived. Maddie would want to start building her big house, and Cole still couldn’t accept living in one place for the rest of his life.
When Jack borrowed a lantern to light the trail home for him and Homer, Cole took Maddie’s elbow and helped her to her feet. “Time for you to call it a day, too.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m going to stay out here for a while yet,” he answered. “I want to make sure they shut down and swap out the blankets on the main sluice before the nuggets build up so high on those ripple boards that gold starts flowing into the river.”
Disappointment flashed over her face, and though regret flowed in his veins, he was surprised by her reaction. She enjoyed their nights together, he didn’t question that, but gold was her first and true love. There was no doubt in that.
“You won’t be long, will you?” she asked.
Telling her he wouldn’t retire until she was well asleep felt practically impossible, but he was back to where he’d been before—working himself until he was too tired to do anything except sleep once he crawled into bed beside her. This time was harder. He wasn’t doing it because he thought it right, he was doing it because they lived amongst a pack of men and the walls of their tent were too thin.
“Will you?” she repeated.
Her tone was almost pleading and tugged at everything inside him. “I’ll try to not be too late,” he said. Pulling up a teasing grin, he added, “And I’ll try not to disturb your dreams of that big house you’re going to build.”
Bowing her head, she nodded. “Night.”
“Good night,” he said, kissing her cheek.
He held the door for her to enter, and stood in the exact same spot after closing it behind her. His gaze roamed the camp. The tents, the sluice, the men working. If this, finding more gold than most men dreamed of, couldn’t keep him in one spot, nothing would. Yet that was exactly what Maddie wanted. One spot. A big house. Since finding the gold under the outhouse, her determination to gather every ounce had tripled. So much she rarely slept.
“Cole! Come take a look at this!”
