Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Fifty-five

"I wish it was deeper." Katherine lamented as she and the other women stood in the river which did not reach to any of their knees, not even Evangeline's.

"At least it's water." Charlotte reminded her as she took a sip and moaned. "Nice cool water." She added.

"It's cool because it's coming down off the mountains." Colt said as he walked by with an armload of wood he'd gathered. "We'll be reaching those mountains before you know it."

"Have you been this far west before?" Susette asked as she plopped herself down in the water and giggled as the water soaked through her clothes.

Charlotte smiled at the girl and then looked over at Colt who was watching Susette with an amused grin. "Yeah I have. I've been everywhere there is to be in this fine country. Been to parts of Canada and Mexico too."

"A well-traveled man." Evangeline winked.

"More like a man on the run." Jedidiah cut in with a laugh as he walked past them with green tinder.

"Are we going to make a fire out on these plains?" Charlotte asked with a frown.

"A small one." Colt replied. "You'd be surprised how much cooler it gets up here at night—that and there's wolves, mountain lions, coyotes and bears around. Mostly it's just gonna be smoke."

"What if those monsters come?" Susette whispered.

Colt crouched down and offered the girl a comforting smile. "Well then I'll kill 'em of course." Charlotte studied Colt as he stood back straight. He would be an amazing father. He had all the qualities that made a man one. She thought of the daughter he had lost, which made her heart fill with sadness as she remembered her own angel.

"You ladies enjoy your swim." Colt said with a tip of his hat.

"We can't swim." Evangeline sighed. "It's not deep enough."

Colt studied the river and the bank a moment and Charlotte wondered what he was thinking. "Hey Ox!" he called. The big man jogged over.

"What is it, Colt?"

"See them big ass rocks?" Colt asked. Ox nodded. "Move them into the river and dam it up a bit so they have a nice little wading pool here."

"Colt, y'all don't have to go through that kind of trouble—" Evangeline began but Colt shook his head to cut her off.

"Did I not vow to do everything I could to keep you happy?" he asked. A blush colored Evangeline's cheeks as she nodded. "And it'll make me happy too. You need a bath cuz you smell like a horse's rear."

Laughter erupted as Evangeline gasped and stooped low to throw water at Colt's retreating back. "Yeah you had better run." Evangeline called out with laughter.

"While Ox is busy why don't we go gather some berries, onions and anything else edible?" Rachel asked as she stepped out of the river.

"That's a wonderful idea." Charlotte agreed. "I'll go with Rachel and Katherine and Evangeline can go together. Who do you want to go with Susette?"

The girl instantly ran to Katherine's side.

"Where y'all going?" Colt called from beneath the patch of trees as Evangeline and Charlotte each grabbed empty burlap sacks from the back of one of the carts.

"To gather what we can to eat." Evangeline replied.

"Weapons?"

Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Of course."