Page 8 of Westbound Awakening

What the hell had he done? John paced back in forth in the now familiar guest bedroom. No sooner did he finish his breakfast than he'd returned to the room. All morning he'd remained secluded, needing some privacy before preparing for the long days on the trail. Sitting on the bed, he closed his eyes and ran his fingers through the thick, overgrown hair now past his neckline. Absently he considered that it had never before been this length.

He looked up to the ceiling. "Lord help me, but I'm in trouble."

The thought of weeks on the trail alone with a beautiful woman was not the only reason he paced. What would she dress like? If she dressed like she did every night, although not as scandalous compared to other women in the brothel, her manner of dress would not work well for travel. Would he have to put up with her attempting to earn money the only way she knew how along the way? He should have asked Miss Lady for some ground rules before giving his word to escort Mae to Texas.

Heck, anyone with half a brain would have backed out of the agreement. He couldn’t be blamed by anyone if he did. What was more important in this instance, though, was that he was a man of his word and Miss Lady trusted him, her intelligent eyes seeming to know more about him than even he hoped to. Her gentle and caring ways toward Mae made him wonder why the woman was so watchful over the Madam. From what he gathered, Mae's mother left Miss Lady to raise her. He wasn't sure if Mae's mother had died or just left. He admired Miss Lady. It seemed the poor older woman considered the prostitute like a daughter.

Well, no time to rethink things. He'd just make the best of the situation. Mae would just have to abide by his stipulations. He'd wait until they were on the road and then explain things to her. Surely she'd not be so stubborn as to disagree. And if she did, well she'd just have to find herself a new way to get to Texas. He slammed his fist into the bedding. No, he couldn't do it. There was no way would that he abandon her along the road. He'd given Miss Lady his word.

"Captain McClain?" The bartender James’ deep voice called from the other side of the closed door. "I'm about to load Miss Hawkins' things. Do you want to oversee where we put 'em?"

Oh yes, he'd oversee this. Mae had barely left her room the last two days. She would not be allowed to take more than a couple trunks, so whatever mountain she'd been packing would be left behind. "I'm coming," he replied, picking up his hat and heading toward the doorway. He took one last look around his living space of the last three weeks. The room, although simple, had been comfortable. Yet, if he never saw the inside of a brothel again, he wouldn't be bothered by it in the least.

The sun shone through the filter of the light clouds. John donned his hat and looked around. Other than a woman in dark dress and Miss Lady, the only person in sight was James, puffing as he dragged a bag of feed across to the wagon. John walked over and helped the man lift the bag onto back of the carriage. He peered inside to see only one additional trunk added to the items he'd already loaded. He looked to Miss Lady. "Where are the rest of her belongings? I know she packed more than this."

"I have the small truck and this one bag here, that's all."

He jerked to look at the woman standing next to Miss Lady. Wearing a dark serviceable dress with a matching hat, Mae's eyes met his from under the brim. She held a carpetbag in one hand and had a heavy cape draped over her arm. Her eyes narrowed at his risen eyebrows. "Well, Captain McClain, it seems you have a lot of preconceived notions about me."

Definitely an understatement.

"Captain McClain?" A masculine voice called.

When a young male appeared from the side of the house, John looked at the assembled group, but no one seemed to be expecting him. Jefferson, a Calvary soldier, although not one of his, removed his worn hat and nodded at the women upon approaching. “I was told you was headed west, and I’d be obliged if you’d allow me to tag along." Jefferson extended a fistful of money toward John. "I'm willing to pay and help with the driving so you can rest."

This development was the answer to his prayers. John waved the money away. "You'll have to ride in the back."

Jefferson's eyes slid toward Mae and widened slightly. Other than that, he kept his composure and nodded in agreement. "Yes sir, thank you sir." He ran back and returned with a small bundle, which he threw into the wagon before climbing in.

After Mae and Miss Lady embraced and said tearful goodbyes, John assisted Mae to the front seat of the wagon. She sat with her face devoid of expression and looked straight ahead, not looking at anyone. He went to go around the wagon to climb up when Miss Lady placed a hand on his arm staying him. She pulled him away from the group, and she raised her tear-filled eyes to him. "Now Captain, my girl is very precious to me. You gave me your word you'd look after her, and I trust you will." He started to speak, except she continued. "Now, I know she can be prideful and stubborn, but there is a lot about Mae you don't know. She's not as tough as she puts on so please don't be too harsh with her."

"No harm will come to Mae while she's with me. I will keep my word to you Miss Lady. Don't you worry. She'll be back here with you before you know it." He leaned and gave her soft brown cheek a kiss. "You keep yourself well Miss Lady."

Her lips curved into a soft smile. "I will. You take care of your leg young man."

After he climbed onto the bench next to Mae, he looked to her and pulled a blanket from under the seat. He rolled it and pushed it behind her back. "If you're going to sit so stiff like, you’ll need some support for your back."

She huffed and refused to look to him. "Let's go please. The sooner I get there, the faster I can come home." The words were laced with something he couldn't quite discern. Could it be fear? Certainly the unflappable Mae Hawkins was not scared.

With a snap of the reins, he coaxed the horses onto the road. It surprised John that Lasitor seemed to not mind being harnessed to pull the wagon beside Mae's large farm horse. Soon they easily moved at a steady pace.

The day went by without incident John, who preferred silence didn't mind the lack of conversation between himself and his companion. Mae's head bobbed a few times as sleep threatened, but each time she bolted back to her stiff straight position. John ignored her, knowing sooner or later she would be too exhausted to maintain the posture. He pulled a long drink from his canteen and offered it to her only to be annoyed when she shook her head.

"I have my own water, thank you," she told him motioning to a basket under her seat. Miss Lady packed plenty of provisions for both of us. Although, now we have another one along, it may not go as far." Mae glanced over her shoulder. "Do you know him?"

John nodded. He knew about Jefferson, who'd been kicked out of the Calvary for misconduct. The boy had a nasty temper, and after the initial relief of having a third person along, John had been second-guessing his hasty decision since. "Yes I know of him. He was not one of my men. He's been discharged from the regiment."

The answer seemed to satisfy her. She studied him for a moment, and he wondered if she was about to ask another question. When he turned to face her, Mae looked forward again. It would be several hours before they would stop again since they'd taken a break not too long before, so he decided it was time to broach the subject of her behavior while on the road together.

He cleared his throat. "Mae, there is something we should discuss." Sharp eyes snapped to him for an instant before she promptly dropped them to her hands fingers entwined on her lap she listened. Why did he feel like a tongue-tied boy around this woman? For years he'd commanded hardened men, for Gods' sake. He swallowed and continued. "You see, what we need to get straight is although I don't agree with your lifestyle, I don't judge you either." If possible she sat up straighter and paled, and she did not speak. "However, during this trip I expect you will refrain from…"

"Stop the wagon at once!" Her hand flew to cover her mouth, and she leaned away over the side. For a minute he wasn't sure if she was about to become sick or jump from the wagon.

John pulled the horses to an abrupt stop, and Mae jumped to the ground. With her skirts pulled up, she dashed toward the tree line and out of sight. With no idea what happened, he decided to go after her in case she was ill. John looked to Jefferson who poked his head from the back of the wagon. "See about the horses. I'll be right back." The younger man climbed down and walked toward the horses.

He rushed toward the tree line only to see Mae returning. Her countenance composed, she straightened her hat and went to walk around him. "Are you unwell?"

Her flat eyes seemed to look through him. "I will ride in the back of the wagon. I need to sleep. Please tell Jefferson to ride up front." She pressed her lips together into a tight line. "And as for my behavior Captain McClain, I will endeavor to keep my skirt down and my legs together the entire time so as to not wound your sensibilities." She marched away from him and waited at the back of the wagon until he instructed the Jefferson to move any items he needed to the front.