Her Believing Heart Page 7

  Nellie spun around. “Oh! You startled me!”

  Evan, wearing a red flannel shirt that accented his rugged looks, walked toward her with an armload of firewood. His grin caused warmth to flood her cheeks. “Skunks don’t spray you unless they feel threatened,” he said. “That little guy was just looking for food.”

  Evan dropped the armload of firewood by the fire pit. He got the fire going while Nellie hurried back to the wagon for the coffee pot.

  “Hey you missed seeing a skunk,” Nellie said cheerfully as Alice scampered down from the wagon.

  Alice huffed. “I like animals except for skunks,” she said.

  Within minutes, Nellie stalked away from the chuck wagon and found Mr. Gardner stepping out of his tent. The color had left her face and tears filled her eyes. “I forgot the coffee pot!” she whimpered.

  She had been so excited to cook for the survey crew, and up until this very moment, she had felt confident in her ability to please everyone. But what group of hard-working men would be happy without their coffee?

  Mr. Gardner closed the flap to the tent. He didn’t look the least bit upset. “Then we’ll have cowboy coffee.”

  “Cowboy coffee?”

  “Yes, I’ve had cowboy coffee many a time on survey jobs. It’s not bad. It’s where you dump ground coffee into a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Just before the water boils, take a stick or a tree branch and give the pot a good smack against the side. That knocks the grounds to the bottom of the pot.” Mr. Gardner grinned at his anxious daughter. “A little spitting here and there takes care of any grounds that don’t sink to the bottom.”

  “Disgusting,” Alice said.

  “Well, it’s not like we’re sitting around Ma’s dining room table,” Charlie said. He had just stepped out of the tent and was rubbing his hand through his hair.

  Nellie shook her head. “At least I didn’t forget the coffee grinder,” she said meekly.

  “Of course you didn’t forget the grinder.” Charlie smirked. “It’s mounted to the chuck wagon.”

  Nellie narrowed her eyes at her twin. After making such a huge blunder, she didn’t feel like being teased. She turned back to the wagon, climbed in and looked for a pot to make the coffee in. After she found it, she sat on the makeshift bed for a few moments. She had been in such a hurry to get breakfast going for the men that she had forgotten her morning prayer. She bowed her head and prayed now, asking that she be given more insight and help to organize and cook for the men.

  She didn’t want to disappoint her father.

  And she didn’t want to look foolish in front of Evan.

  When Nellie finished her prayer, she climbed back down from the wagon and filled the pot with water from one of the water barrels on the side of the wagon. Then she called to Alice to start grinding the coffee beans. Nellie started to place the pot of water on the fire, but remembered just in time to wait for the ground coffee beans first. Starting coffee in water that was already hot would be another big blunder. She didn’t understand why she felt so flustered about cooking for the survey crew. She had cooked for her father’s crew for the past few years without anything upsetting her or going wrong. Of course, Evan hadn’t been working with the crew until this year.

  Nellie pulled down the table at the back of the chuck wagon, making a work space for preparing breakfast. While Alice ground the beans, Nellie took a good-sized pinch of sourdough from a crock and made biscuit dough. Once she had the dough rising in the Dutch oven, she cooked bacon in a cast iron skillet and had Alice crack eggs into a bowl.

  Evan and Charlie had gone back into the trees for more firewood, and when they reemerged with their arms full, Nellie turned her back to them. She didn’t want any more teasing from Charlie, and she didn’t want to look at Evan. Evan had to be the reason she was so unsettled about her cooking abilities.

  And as Alice had said, Evan was the reason she cared about her hair.

  The coffee turned out strong and full of floating grounds, but the rest of the meal came together smoothly. Everyone ate silently until Charlie spoke up. “What’s with this coffee?” he asked as though he didn’t know.

  “This coffee’s made to toughen you up,” Evan said. “To see if you’re a real man.”

  “Coffee tastes great to me,” Nelson said, chiming in. He had been getting the tables set up for Mr. Gardner while Nellie and Alice prepared breakfast. He had one table set up in the tent and another set up just outside the tent. “It’s strong and hot, just like I like it. You can’t get it this good at home.” He grinned, and then spit a few grounds toward the fire.

  Nellie wanted to hide her face. She didn’t think she was being complimented on her coffee by either Evan or Nelson. They were trying to be nice, but it was going to be a long few weeks without properly brewed coffee.

  After breakfast, everyone worked close to camp for most of the day. Mr. Gardner figured out the approximate location of the base marker the state had laid out eight years ago, and the men spread out in the sage brush and dirt looking for it.

  Nelson found the metal marker buried under a thick layer of sandy soil.

  “How do you know where to go with the road, Pa?” Alice asked after Mr. Gardner cleared all the dirt away from the marker.

  Mr. Gardner chuckled. “Well, now that we have the base marker located, it will be easier.” He showed the girls a rough map of the area and his notebook with the measurements and notes he had taken so far. “This is just a rough sketch,” he said. “The first thing we have to do is cover the area on foot, and then I make my assumptions.”

  “Assumptions?” Nellie said.

  “Yes.” Mr. Gardner pointed off in the distance. “Look at that low spot of land where the grass and weeds are growing south of those aspen trees. I assume that is the best way to go because it’s almost in a straight line from where we descended into the valley. There are no hills or rock outcroppings that I can see. But perhaps there’s a bog or a swampy area. The soil might be too sandy. I can make assumptions about where to take the road, but then we have to traverse the land and measure all the angles and curves with the compass and chain. I’m sure we’ll end up changing directions several times.”

  “Sounds complicated,” Alice said.

  “Sounds fascinating,” Evan said.

  “It is fascinating,” Mr. Gardner said. He took a small compass and asked Evan to traverse his assumed route with him. They rode horses out into the brush for most of their search, stopping frequently to dismount and look closer at certain areas. Nelson and Charlie road off on another possible route according to Mr. Gardner’s directions. Both teams measured distance and identified points by pacing the land and recording their findings.

  Within a few hours, Mr. Gardner and Nelson had eliminated two obviously unsuitable areas for the route due to lava rock outcroppings and low marshy land. They had also identified a promising route that bypassed those areas. At the end of the day, the men all trudged into camp, tired and dirty from walking the hills. Everyone ate Nellie’s potato cakes and beef jerky, followed by another apple pie. By the time the sun set, the whole crew was bedded down for the night.

  The following morning, after breakfast, Mr. Gardner and Nelson took the transit out of its wooden box and attached it to the three-legged tripod. They started taking measurements on their most preferred route. Nellie watched Evan whacking bushes and chopping down scrubby tress. He ran back and forth in the hot sun helping her father with whatever he needed. Watching him work brought a smile to her face. It was absurd for anyone to think that Evan wasn’t a hard-working man.

  Nellie and Alice had fixed a good breakfast for the men without any problems or difficulties. Thinking about that brought another smile to Nellie’s face. She reflected on the coffee fiasco of the day before and felt embarrassed all over again. No one complained about today’s coffee, not even Charlie. In fact, Charlie had commented on how the strong brew was just what they needed to get them going for the day.

  Evan
hadn’t really been making fun of Nellie with his comment about the coffee the day before. She realized now that he had been trying to make light of the situation so she wouldn’t feel badly. And somehow, with this little stretch of time behind her, his good-natured humor worked. She chuckled now, knowing that in the future, even she would laugh about so many coffee grounds floating in everyone’s coffee.

  Nellie wished the people who were critical of Evan’s family could see how hard he worked, instead of saying he would turn out like his father. She wanted the townsfolk to respect him. Then she remembered Mrs. Stribling’s advice about finding a man who loved the Lord. Did Evan love the Lord? That same old feeling that nagged her about his absence from church cropped up. Truly, what kind of man was Evan deep inside?

  There was a lot of work to do to prepare for the next meal, so Nellie tried to push thoughts of Evan from her mind. It was hard to do, though, when all she had to do was look up to see him out working in the brush with the other men. No matter how far from camp he worked, Nellie could easily spot his red shirt. Once she and Alice had breakfast cleaned up, stew baking in the Dutch oven, and beans soaking for the next day, they hiked out to where Mr. Gardner and the rest of the crew were working.

  Nelson had walked to the crest of a small rise and was holding the long red and white rod upright so Mr. Gardner could determine the elevation and angle of that location. Charlie was dragging the steel chain toward Nelson from where he had pounded a stake in the ground and tied a strip of red cloth to it. The heavy chain reminded Nellie of a long metal snake slinking through the sagebrush.

  The only part of Evan she could see was the back of his red shirt as he chopped through a bunch of brush and flung the brush out of the way. Nellie saw him take his gloves off more than once. It looked like he might be examining his fingers.

  Every few days, the survey crew broke camp and moved to a new location further into the small valley. By the end of three weeks, they were nearing the far end of the valley where the terrain was about to change from small rolling hills and flat sagebrush plains to steeper hills. The hills were lined with patches of dark green cedar trees, and rugged mountains loomed in the distance. Nellie had watched small hummingbirds, mountain bluebirds, and majestic bald eagles during the past few weeks. Black-backed woodpeckers sometimes interrupted her quiet days with their chirps, cackles, and drumming noises.

  One morning, Mr. Gardner informed the crew that they only had a couple of more weeks and they’d be done with the survey. Nellie was happy to think of going home in some ways, though she felt a great sense of accomplishment for her part of the survey. Each day, the men had returned to camp dirty, sunburned, footsore, and utterly exhausted. Nellie and Alice always had a good meal ready for them when they came trudging into camp.

  The days had been hot and grueling. The work exhausting, but Nellie would miss the wildlife and the pure mountain breezes when they left for home. Mostly she would miss working with Evan every day, looking forward to his endearing smile each time he returned to camp. It saddened her to think there would be days in the near future when she might not see him or his smile at all.

  One of the tasks Nellie wouldn’t miss was washing everyone’s clothes in the nearby stream and hanging them out on bushes or trees to dry. Bending over the stream and scrubbing clothes was backbreaking. Listening to Alice whine while she scrubbed clothes in the in the stream was annoying.

  One evening after supper, Nellie offered to rub salve into Evan’s sore fingers where the holes in his gloves had allowed thorns and thistles to penetrate and scratch him. Evan, Alice, and Nellie sat on some big rocks in the creek, dangling their bare feet in the cold water. The temperature had cooled, but a steady breeze flitted through the trees, keeping the mosquitos away. The rest of the crew was back at camp, which was up an embankment, and through a cluster of trees.

  Nellie turned to Alice. “Will you go find that salve that’s in the first aid box? It’s in our wagon. It’s not in that big wooden box that’s full of medical supplies. It’s in the little box Ma packed for us. I want the salve she made.”

  “Sure,” Alice said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Evan bent over and swished his sore hands in the creek. “You don’t have to worry about my hands,” he said. “They’ll heal up on their own.”

  “Not with the type of work you’re doing.” Nellie took one of his hands in hers and rubbed her fingers lightly over some of the irritated spots. She didn’t know if the salve her mother had sent would help or not, but she thought she should try. Besides, applying the salve was a good excuse to touch his hands. She loved the feel of his hand, even though it was rough and had blisters in addition to the scratches where the thorns had scraped it.

  “I wanted to thank you for helping me get away from George at that last dance,” Nellie said. She kept her head down and released his hand as she spoke. She had been wanting to express her appreciation to him, but was nervous and embarrassed about even bringing the subject up.

  “I should have slugged the scoundrel,” Evan said.

  Nellie kept looking down. “No, I’m glad you didn’t. This way, no one knows what he did except the three of us. George has apologized and said he won’t try anything like that again, and he won’t tell anyone what he did if I don’t.”

  “I’ve not told a soul,” Evan said, tenderly, “and I won’t.” He took her hand in his, and their fingers intertwined, causing her breath to come faster and her whole body to tremble. “I hope you didn’t accept his apology,” he said.

  “Actually, I did.” Nellie lifted her eyes to his for a moment. “But I also told him I wouldn’t dance with him again, or go anyplace with him. George said he understood and he didn’t blame me. He’s not a bad person deep down.”

  Evan huffed. “His pa’s a good man, so I guess George must have some redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, his ma thinks their family is better than most of the people in town. She gives George whatever he wants, so he’s not used to being told no.”

  Nellie lifted her eyes again. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. It meant so much to me. I didn’t want my first kiss to be like that.”

  Evan looked into her eyes, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “What did you want your first kiss to be like?”

  “Well, gentle, something I wanted, not something that was forced upon me.”

  “Something like this?” Evan slowly lowered his face to hers as though he was reading her eyes and asking for permission. She blinked, and placed her hand on his scruffy cheek. When she parted her lips slightly, he closed the distance between them.

  The kiss was light and soft with a tender and gradual ending. “Yes . . .” Nellie said, breathlessly. “Exactly like that.”

  Evan leaned toward her again, but Alice could be heard charging through the trees. “That salve wasn’t in either of those boxes!” she yelled as she broke through the trees. “It was in Pa’s bag.”

  Nellie and Evan sat up straight and untangled their fingers. Nellie’s eyes sparkled up at him mischievously. “I knew that,” she whispered.

  8

  Toward the end of their last week in the field, Evan noticed mountain lion tracks not far from the campsite. He mentioned his discovery to Mr. Gardner, but didn’t say anything to Nellie and Alice. “Do you think the girls are in any danger in camp?” Evan asked.

  “Typically, no,” Mr. Gardner said. “Mountain lions usually avoid people. You’re more likely to encounter a mountain lion because you’re the one who hikes so far from camp to cut the bushes or trees.”

  “I’m not afraid,” Evan said. “I have my knife.”

  “We should be watchful, though,” Mr. Gardner said. “I’ll talk to the girls so they’ll stay close to camp unless one of us is with them.”

  Evan worried about Nellie and Alice. Not necessarily that a mountain lion would attack them, but more that they would be frightened when left alone in camp. The men were working further and further from camp each day. Ever since Nellie let him k
iss her, his hopes had soared that there might be a chance for him in her life. He smiled when he thought about their kiss and the fact that Nellie had purposely sent her sister off on an errand so she and Evan could be alone. They had not had a chance to be alone since that night, but he hoped another opportunity would present itself soon. He was tempted to talk to Mr. Gardner about his feelings for Nellie right then and there, but he hesitated.

  Nellie might have feelings for him, but would her father approve? Evan found that doubtful. Mr. Gardner would probably prefer someone like George Jepson who had a good career ahead of him. If only Mr. Gardner knew what George was really like, Evan thought. But Evan would never tell him. Nellie had made it clear that she was embarrassed about what had taken place at the dance with George, and she didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

  One late afternoon toward the middle of the week, Evan trudged up an incline northeast of camp carrying the long red and white rod that enabled Mr. Gardner to determine elevations. He moved as quickly as possible, considering his feet ached and it was nearly supper time. His sunburned face was coated with a thick layer of dirt, and he couldn’t wait to clean up and sit down to one of Nellie’s suppers. Nelson, who usually hiked with the rod for elevation measurements, had sprained his ankle, and was out of commission for the duration of the survey. Fortunately, they had completed most of their work, and Mr. Gardner had already announced they would be going home in three or four days.

  After Mr. Gardner signaled that his measurements were complete and for Evan to come into camp, Evan stood on top of the rise, and looked out over the valley. He watched Mr. Gardner and Charlie straggle into camp. He knew they were as exhausted as he was. His heart swelled with satisfaction at the work they had accomplished. Someday, this valley would be populated with farms and people, good folks who would work the land and raise their children here. Someday, there might be a general store, a blacksmith’s shop, a school, and a church. Evan couldn’t help hoping that his family might be among the settlers. Once the road into the valley was completed, this community would be less than an hour’s wagon ride from Clover Creek.