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Then the noisy goodbyes started. Sarah, Abigail, Elizabeth, and Emma all clung to each other in a circle, crying and hugging. Even some of the men looked a little forlorn, perhaps not anxious to lose the camaraderie of the last many months. Everyone appeared weary, but glad the journey had ended.
Davis shook hands with the men. Ezra slapped him on the back. “I’m sorry to lose you, son, but I think you’ll do well here in Oregon. That pretty little wife of yours will be a big help. It appears she’s a different woman than the one who joined the wagon back in Independence. See you take good care of her, and that youngun’ in her belly.” With a final slap, he nodded at Davis, and turned away.
Davis finally tore Emma away from the group of women. With promises of writing, visiting, and keeping in touch, the women were claimed by their menfolk and started back to their wagons. Emma dabbed her eyes with the edge of her apron. Davis hugged her, rubbing her back as she attempted to compose herself.
“We need to head to the Federal Land Office to claim some land. I prefer to do it right away, and then we can try that hotel over there, see if they have a room with a real bed in it for the night.” He smiled down at her, then wiped a lone tear from her cheek with his thumb.
“A real bed? Oh, that sounds wonderful. And do you suppose they may have a genuine bath, with hot water?”
“I’ll certainly look into that for you, darlin’. I reckon you’re a tad tired of cold water baths by now.” He hustled her away from the dispersing crowd, as she took in the sights and sounds of the bustling town.
The visit to the Federal Land Office took the rest of the afternoon. Emigrants crowded into the small office, which encouraged the clerk to give them all numbers, so the claims could be done over a few days. Davis and Emma had one of the lower numbers, so they stayed, waiting for their turn.
The small man who served as clerk was thin, almost bald, and wore spectacles. He was sweating profusely, and kept wiping his forehead with his handkerchief. Obviously frazzled when Emma and Davis stepped up to the counter, he showed them several plats of land they could claim. After advising them to take a ride out the next day to see what they wanted, he handed them the hand-drawn map, and sent them on their way.
Breathing the cool air after they left the stuffy office, Davis and Emma proceeded to the hotel.
“I can pay for our room at the hotel.” Emma slanted him a look.
“No.”
She sighed. “Don’t be stubborn.” She came to an abrupt stop and fisted her hands on her hips. “Didn’t you tell me Oregon was forward thinking enough to allow my one hundred sixty acres to be registered in my own name?”
“Yes. So what?”
“So, that means we’re partners. Why can’t I pay my share?”
Davis pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “Honey, I told you before, as your husband I will feed and clothe you.” He raised his palms when she started to interrupt him. “And I will also provide for your housing.”
“What about all the money Peter left me?”
“I don’t know. Buy some things for yourself. Dresses and such.”
Emma’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Do you think I would use as much money as we had for a horse farm to buy dresses?”
Davis crossed his arms over his chest. “All right. I see your point.”
Emma’s brain scrambled for a solution. His pride was getting in the way of the comfortable relationship they’d established. If they didn’t get past this, the money would always be between them. Fleetingly, she thought of using the money to return to Indiana. As if a reminder, the baby fluttered deep in her body, and she pushed the thought away
“I will give you the money, and you can do what you wish with it.”
When he began to shake his head, she stomped her foot. “Please. Buy some more horses, or build us a bigger house.” She swiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Or something for the baby.”
Davis’s shoulders slumped and pulled her to him. “All right. I hate to see you cry. We’ll use it for a better house for you and the baby.” He leaned back and chucked her under the chin. “Partners?”
She
nodded, then relaxed that they’d resolved the issue. As they continued on to the hotel, Emma excitedly thought about the garden she would plant in the spring. She and Mama had put up fruits and vegetables for years, so she could do a large garden. She paused when she realized she’d planned beyond the baby’s birth.
It hit her that she’d just given away all her money, and visualized a life here in Oregon City. With Davis.
The desk clerk at the hotel handed them a key, and directed them up the stairs to their room. The worn staircase led to a narrow and dark hallway that hadn’t seen a paint brush in years. They passed doors on both sides of the hall. If two people tried to move down the hall in opposite directions, one would probably have to back all the way up so the other one could pass.
It didn’t take long to find their room, but Davis had a problem getting the door open. After shoving his shoulder against the worn wood, they entered a pale green room with a bed so small they’d have to take turns sleeping. A tiny dresser with a mirror, and what passed for a desk completed the furnishings. A pitcher and bowl sat on the desk right next to a long slim window with white lace curtains that had seen better days, providing a breeze in the room.
The sounds and smells of the town drifted through the window. Emma sat on the bed and bounced up and down. “It’s not exactly comfy, but it sure beats the pallet in the wagon.”
After Davis dropped his saddlebags on the floor, he stretched and gave Emma a quick kiss. “I need to get the wagon over to the livery for the night.” He headed for the door. “Ezra returned my horse, so I need to see to his care, also. I saw a bathhouse next to the saloon as we rode in, so I’ll be taking my bath there. You enjoy your bath, and I’ll see you later so we can go down for supper.”
