Wagon Train Cinderella. Shirley KennedyЧитать онлайн книгу.
at top speed, cracking the whip the whole way. Not her stepfather. He seemed to be letting the oxen cross at their own measured pace. Long ago, she’d learned that questioning Pa’s actions brought abuse piled upon her head, but she couldn’t resist. “Why are we going so slow? Shouldn’t we race across so we don’t get stuck in the quicksand?”
“Hogwash.” Pa’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t pay attention to fools who shoot their mouths off. Now shut up and let me drive.”
She did as she was told, even though Len was waving his hat on the far bank, yelling, “Don’t slow down!” They reached the middle of the river without incident. Maybe Pa was right. Maybe…
The wagon came to an abrupt halt. “Getup!” Pa yelled, cracking the whip again and again over the oxen’s heads. Despite their struggles, the wagon didn’t move. Pa continued to yell, but the animals were stuck where they were. Gripped by sheer fear, Callie clasped Tommy tight. The wagon tipped sharply. Next thing she knew, she wasn’t on the seat anymore. She’d been thrown into the icy cold water, Tommy still clasped in her arms. She sank clear under and up again. Sputtering, gasping from the shock of the frigid water, she grabbed a large branch floating by. She held tight to Tommy with her other arm as the current caught them and swept them away.
Callie had no idea how far she traveled. What with her heavy boots, it was all she could do to keep her head above water, and Tommy’s, too, but there was no way she could kick them off. They were drifting closer to the far shore. She kept reaching her feet down, trying to reach bottom. For a long time she couldn’t, then all of a sudden her boot touched something hard. She could walk! She let go of the branch and staggered from the water, carrying Tommy in her arms. Thank God, she wasn’t alone. Part of the Ferguson party must have already crossed over because people came running. Gently, she laid Tommy on his back in the grass at the water’s edge where he lay unmoving, lips blue, skin deadly white. “Tommy, Tommy!” He couldn’t be dead, not this dear little boy who so depended on her. What could she do? Never had she felt so helpless.
She had a vague impression of a horse riding up, someone leaping off.
Luke knelt beside her. “He’s swallowed a lot of water. Come on, we’ll roll him over.” With Callie’s help, he rolled the boy over so Tommy lay on his stomach. “Got to get the water out.” Luke grasped the boy around his middle and lifted him up. As he did, a gush of water flowed from Tommy’s mouth. He lifted again and another gush of water followed the first. Finally Tommy coughed. It was an ugly, hacking cough, but the sound of it brought a cry of joy to Callie’s lips.
“Ah, he’s breathing.”
Luke repeated the process until Tommy’s eyelids fluttered open and he weakly gasped, “I fell in the water.”
Callie stroked Tommy’s forehead. “Yes, you fell in the water, sweetheart, but you’re going to be fine.”
Ma arrived, completely breathless. She must have run along the bank after them. When she caught her breath, she took a quick look at her son, then gazed at Luke. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine. Just a little cold and wet.”
Ma glared at Callie. “You were supposed to watch him.”
While Callie stared at her stepmother in amazement, unable to think what to answer, Luke spoke up. “You’ve got it wrong, ma’am. Callie saved the boy’s life.”
Ma appeared not to hear. “He shouldn’t just lie there. Come on, Tommy.” She yanked her son to his feet. He sagged, but she pulled him up straight.
Callie called, “He needs to rest. He—”
“Nonsense.” Ma glared at Tommy. “You got your clothes wet.” With a firm grip on his shoulder, she started to lead him away. He wobbled but managed to stay on his feet.
“What about Pa?” Callie called after them.
“He’s fine.” Ma threw the words casually over her shoulder. “So are the oxen and wagon. Andy and Len got them out. Come on, don’t just sit there. We need you.” She continued on her way, leaving Callie sitting cold and shivering on the ground.
Luke removed his buckskin jacket and placed it around her shoulders. “Are you all right?”
“I’m ju-ju-just fine.” She pulled the jacket close as a wave of shivering engulfed her. She’d never been so cold in all her life, but even so, Ma’s lack of sympathy and wounding words were all she could think of. Her teeth chattered. “How could she think such a thing?”
“We’ve got to get you dry. You can worry about your ma later.” Luke lifted her effortlessly in his arms.
Florida waved from her wagon nearby. “Bring her over here!” When they arrived, she declared, “Put her in the back. She’s got to get those wet clothes off or she’ll freeze to death.” Luke lifted Callie into the back of the wagon. Florida climbed in. With little help from Callie, who was too numb to move, she stripped off her boots and wet clothes, rubbed her vigorously with a towel, and wrapped her in a blessedly warm blanket. “You’re a brave girl. You saved the little boy’s life. Where did you learn to swim?”
Hugging the blanket close around her, Callie slowly stopped shivering. “I never learned to swim.” It was hard to talk through lips still numb from the cold. “There was a branch I hung on to. I did what came naturally, I guess.”
“That makes you all the braver. I’m going to get you something to wear.”
Florida had barely climbed from the wagon when Luke stuck his head in. “How are you doing?”
Startled, Callie grabbed for the blanket and pulled it higher over her chest. “I’m fine.” She wished she hadn’t acted so flustered.
Luke laughed softly. “You’re worried about modesty after you nearly drowned? Don’t worry, I didn’t see a thing.”
Perhaps it was the amused arch of his eyebrow that made her see the humor of it all, or perhaps it was the easy smile that played at the corners of his mouth, but whatever it was, she forgot her embarrassment and laughed. “You’re right. I should be thinking how lucky I am to be alive.”
Luke climbed into the wagon and squatted beside her. “I talked to your folks.”
“You did? What about?”
“Let’s just say I wanted to correct any wrong notions they might have as to how Tommy ended up in the river. The blame lies solely with your stepfather. He should never have stopped in the middle of a patch of quicksand. Matter of fact, he was a fool to make that crossing in the first place.”
“I hope you didn’t tell him that.”
“Only the part about you. I made it clear it was no fault of yours. Instead of being blamed, you should be praised and thanked for your bravery. If it hadn’t been for you, Tommy would have drowned.”
No one had ever stood up for her before. “You actually told them that?”
“I did.”
“Did they believe you?”
“I got my point across.” His gaze roamed over her. “You look like a drowned rat.”
What a hurtful thing to say, although, of course, it must be true. But was it? Detecting a faint light twinkling in the depths of his dark eyes, she realized he meant his words in a playful, affectionate sort of way. “If I look so horrible, maybe you shouldn’t look.”
“Did I say you looked horrible?”
His eyes fell to her bosom, well-covered by the blanket. She grew acutely aware of her nakedness beneath and could hardly force herself to meet his gaze. No man had ever seen her this way before, with her arms bare and her hair hanging loose and tangled about her shoulders. Could he like her? Could he possibly think she was pretty?
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Callie Whitaker.” His voice held a trace of laughter. He parted the