Journey of Honor A love story Read Online Free PDF Page B

this. I’ll have my justice. You wait „n see.”
    “You’re wrong, Filson! This is the end of this! If I see you anywhere near her again, I’ll assume that you mean my wife harm and shoot on sight. You and I both know that Sheriff Toblin would know exactly what had happened if your body showed back up in town tied to your horse’s saddle. He’d know that you got what you deserved. Don’t tempt me, Filson. I’ve been wishing for a chance at you for years now. Save your sorry carcass and go back to cheating people in St. Louis.”
    Filson glared at him, but turned his horse and left. Trace and Mose immediately went after their horses, followed by John and the others. As Trace rode out, he looked up to see Giselle watching him with big eyes. “Don’t worry, he’ll go. We just want to make good and sure. We’ll be back.” He turned to his dog and said, “Dog, stay.” He pointed to Giselle and the huge, grizzled, gray shepherd walked over to her and turned back to look at him. “Good boy, stay.” With that, he spun his horse and headed out into the dark with a small cavalcade of men in his wake.
    As he rode, he tried to calm the anger that had risen in him so fast. That was a side of him that was completely at odds with the physician in him. The physician in him wanted to heal the human body. This warrior side of him wanted to destroy one human body in particular.
    He thought back to the night he had talked to his father of these things before leaving Georgia for good. His father had spoken of good men standing for something and he had been right. It was important for honorable men to be strong. Much as he disliked the anger, it was good to feel passionate in order to protect those less able to protect themselves. Nothing had ever felt as right as protecting Giselle just now. They rode on into the night, knowing that it was men like Filson who must be defeated in order for decent society to flourish. They drove him several miles back down the road toward St. Joe before turning for camp.
    Back at the wagons, the anger long gone, he did a few odds and ends and then began to spread his bedroll under the wagon he had been driving. It was pitch black out, so at first he didn’t see Giselle until she was right there with her bedroll, spreading it next to his.
    Wondering what in the world was going on, he finally asked her in a whisper, “What are you doing?”
    She turned to him and acted like she was surprised that he asked, when she whispered back with her sweet accent, “I am getting ready for bed.”
    He tried to keep his voice calm when he asked, “Here? With me?”
    Continuing to spread things out, she quietly asked, “Where would you like me to sleep, Trace?”
    He was a little confused at that. “I thought you would be sleeping in the wagon with your grandmother.”
    She whispered back again. “All of their things are in the wagon now. There’s not room now to sleep there. And my grandparents have been married for almost forty years. They’ve never slept apart. The last few days in the wagon I’ve been…How is it said? A fifth wheel? Is there a problem with me sleeping here? I promise not to bother you.”
    He shook his head hesitantly. “No… It’s not a problem. I’m just surprised. But you’re welcome. Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable with more privacy? Mose could come sleep here with me if you wanted a wagon to yourself.”
    She sat down on her bedding and looked at him. “Trace, if you don’t want me here, I will go, but truly, I would be afraid to sleep by myself under a wagon. I’ve never slept outside before in my life. And you’re my only option unless I sleep near my grandparents’ wagon, but then I would have to sleep beside the wagon instead of under it. Tonight that would be okay, but when it rains I would have to find someplace else anyway. I thought, since you’re the one I’m married to, you would be the best choice. No?”
    It all sounded perfectly logical.