Chapter Two
To Sally’s surprise, Tom didn’t erect a tent for them to sleep in, instead, he spread two blankets on the ground six feet apart.Then he added two more blankets, one for each of them.
“Don’t you want to consummate?”Sally asked, simply blurting out what was on her mind instead of thinking first.It had always been a problem for her.She was much too blunt.
“I thought you’d want some time to get to know me first,” Tom replied.
Sally frowned.“Am I not pretty enough for you?”
“You’re very pretty.I know you’re exhausted from your trip, and I’m confident we’ll enjoy ourselves more once we’re both rested from this journey.”
“My mother told me that a man has needs, and I need to plan to fulfill his needs on our wedding night and every night thereafter whether I like it or not.I don’t want you to divorce me for denying you your rights.”
Tom sighed.“You’re not denying me.We’re taking time to get to know one another.That’s all.”
Sally wanted to pout because she’d been looking forward to being close to him, but she didn’t.It wasn’t becoming for a woman to pout at her new husband.She was certain her mother would tell her that if she were there.Besides, he hadn’t even kissed her properly yet.She wanted to know what kissing a man felt like.Why didn’t he want to kiss her?Perhaps she had gotten too thin from being so sick on the ships.Perhaps he didn’t like her for some reason.Maybe she talked too much.She didn’t know.
Instead of complaining, she sat down on one of the blankets, wishing she’d put them down, because then she could have put them closer.“Goodnight, Tom,” she said after a moment.
“Goodnight, Sally,” he replied, lying down on his own blanket and turning on his side away from her.
Sally was exhausted, and she closed her eyes and prayed for her husband to like her better before falling into a deep slumber.
*****
TOM LET SALLY SLEEPfor as long as he could the following morning, but finally, he nudged her awake.They needed to be on their way.
Sally sat straight up in her “bed” and looked around her.She’d woken up in so many different places in the past couple of weeks, it took her a moment to know where she was.Then her gaze landed on Tom.The man was nothing like she’d imagined, but she was certain he could learn to be romantic.It was just a matter of teaching him.
She got to her feet, smoothed the skirt she’d slept in, and stepped toward him, tilting her face up for his kiss.Tom stared at her bewilderedly and finally kissed her cheek.
“I thought we’d eat our breakfast while we walked.We’re getting a late start,” Tom told her.
“You should have woken me sooner!”
“No, you needed that sleep.But now we must leave.”He’d already rolled up his blankets and tied them to the mule—he refused to think of the animal as Elmer.
She glanced at the mule and quickly followed his lead, rolling her own blankets so they could be on their way.“Will we always eat while we walk?”she asked.
“Only on days when we oversleep,” he said.Already, they were moving much more slowly than he had on his way to her.They had time to make up for.
To his surprise, she started out walking more quickly than she had the day before.He thought she’d be more tired on their second day, but she had color in her cheeks that hadn’t been there the day before.Perhaps the trip had made her sicker than she let on.
She happily munched on the hardtack and jerky as they walked.“It’s nice to be able to keep something in my stomach,” she said as she finished.
“Was the journey really that bad for you?”
She nodded.“But I knew it would be better once I got to you, and it is.I’m pleased.”
He kept mostly silent as they walked again, and it was halfway through the day before it occurred to her why he was so quiet.He was shy!She was used to the obnoxious men who came to the restaurant at the hotel and the way they ogled her.Tom was...polite.It felt strange.
“I’m surprised we’re not traveling with a group,” she said, well past the noon hour.They’d eaten their lunch as they walked, just as they had breakfast.
“I prefer to travel alone.The first time I traveled this path, it was with a group, and it was chaotic.It’s much simpler this way, and we can set our own pace, rather than moving slowly with the group.”
“I’m happy to have the time alone to get to know one another,” she said softly.
He didn’t look at her as he swallowed hard and nodded.Perhaps she was his wife, but he was having a hard time getting used to the idea that they were allowed to be alone together.His parents had been strict, and they had watched his every move.
