LEATHER AND LACE
Chapter 25-Companions
Traveling westward through Kentucky, July/August 1818
July 23, '18 Settin out t'ward K'tucky t'day.
The crow of a rooster woke Sam and Quinn. She pulled herself out of bed and put her dress back on. Sam watched her from the bed, still in awe of her beauty. She braided her hair quickly, put on her boots, and kissed Sam quickly. She climbed down the ladder as he was pulling himself out of bed. She was making biscuits that morning and needed to get started. Abby was already in the kitchen; Alex was sitting at the table there, drinking strong coffee. Quinn could smell the coffee before entering the kitchen.
"G'mornin' young lass!" Alex said, smiling.
"Good morning," Quinn answered. "Thank you again for the accommodations. It was very restful to sleep in an actual bed last evening."
"We've done our share of traveling, haven't we Mother?" Alex said to Abby.
"That we have..."
"Sam will be down right away," Quinn told them, tying an apron on and putting together the ingredients for biscuits that Abby had set out. She had always found making biscuits calming to her. She could collect her thoughts as she mixed the ingredients, then kneaded the dough, rolled the dough, then cut the round shapes. Making biscuits was second nature to her now. That morning, as she worked with the biscuit dough, she recalled her dream from the night before, laughing it off, thinking it was because of Sam's half-sister saying she appeared to be with child again.
Sam made his way to the kitchen, telling the Breckenridge's that he had slept well and thanked them again. He drank a cup of coffee quickly and went to the stables with Alex to inspect the wagon before he and Quinn left. They were planning on leaving right after breakfast.
Once Quinn put the biscuits over the fire to bake, she sat at the kitchen table to add the last sentences to her letter home.
Sam and I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Breckenridge before starting on the Trail westward. They live in Abington, VA, a tidy bustling town. Sam and I are in good health and good spirits. We've asked God to watch over us on our continued travel. I'll write more as soon as I can.
With all my love,
Quinn Amelia Evans
xxxxx
July 25, 1818
It took five days of excruciatingly boring travel but they finally made it to the Cumberland Gap that Alex had told them about. As they drew nearer to the Cumberland Gap, a natural gap in the Appalachian Mountains to pass through into Kentucky, they noticed the landscape becoming hillier. The heat was still a bother but luckily they were traveling near a river that was rushing with cool water. They took advantage of the river every night they could when it wasn't storming.
Quinn was handling her gun better, shooting some game so they were never hungry. Sam still had to skin whatever she shot, though.
Sam and Quinn noticed more and more travelers heading west with them. Sam heard Thomas Fabray and Aaron Evans telling him to join up with other travelers and thought it might be a good idea. Quinn was quiet most days, either reading while the wagon lumbered on or writing to her family when they stopped. Sam was quiet also, keeping an eye open for the red man or other undesireable men on the trail, that he had been warned about by Alexander Breckenridge. He hoped to join up with another husband and wife or family with women to keep Quinn company.
They reached the Cumberland Gap at sunset and decided to set up camp before going through the mountains. Alex had told them the Gap was about 12 miles long so they should be able to traverse it in a day, barring anything unforeseen. Others were making camp at the foot of the gap also. Sam had come through the gap when he returned from Kentucky but remembered little about it, then just a trail wide enough for one wagon and not hardly any travelers. As darkness fell, Quinn looked up at the giant mountains surrounding them, hearing far-off coyotes howl.
Sitting next to their small fire, eating supper, Sam asked Quinn, "Well, we're about to leave Virginia and go into Kentucky. How do you feel about that?"
"A bit nervous, I'll admit. But excited too. What do you think?" she asked, looking at him in the firelight.
"I feel adventurous!" he exclaimed. Then, more quietly, "and a little scared."
Quinn often wondered how she had been the one lucky enough to meet this kind-hearted man after his first wife died. She had never known a man could be so sensitive and caring. She moved over to the log he was sitting upon and sat down next to him, as close as she could. "An adventure together, Samuel."
Her leaning up against him felt so right, as if that's how it had always been. He squeezed her shoulders and kissed her temple.
They finished their supper and prepared the wagon for the next day's travel. Sam checked on the horses. He could hear others nearby who had made camp there also. He found Quinn inside the wagon, sorting through clothes.
"Would you like to take a walk?" he asked her.
"Sure," she replied. Anything would be more interesting than folding and refolding their few articles of clothing. She climbed out of the back of the wagon; he helped her jump down.
Before leaving their campsite, he said to her quietly, "There are people around; I hear them. Maybe we can say hello and travel a'ways with them?"
She knew her father and even his father had told him to find traveling partners as they entered into more uninhabited wilderness. Mr. Breckenridge had warned Sam also of thieves and miscreants on the trail westward.
They walked up around a bend and came upon two covered wagons and a group of four young people, laughing next to their campfire. Sam and Quinn hid behind a couple trees, watching the foursome.
"I told you, Noah Puckerman, me and Britts' wagon is off limits!" one of the girls said loudly. She stood up and waggled a finger in the face of a dark-skinned boy.
Sam and Quinn stopped just out of view of the others and looked at each other. Britts? Quinn mouthed. In her mind, she saw the dreaded redcoats. But, these four people were approximately their age, not speaking with a British accent, seemingly a little drunk.
"Awww, Santana, Noah is just a normal red-blooded American man...what else would you expect?" the other boy said, slurring his speech. He was pale and wore glasses.
"I would expect a little privacy, Arthur Abrams!"
"She likes to use everyone's full names!" Sam whispered to Quinn, making her snort.
"Who's there?" The group of four suddenly stopped laughing and turned in Sam and Quinn's direction. Sam heard the sound of a rifle being loaded.
He took Quinn's hand. "Just me and my wife, folks!" They emerged from behind their trees, walking slowly toward the group. The tall dark boy and the slight pale boy both held rifles; the two girls were now standing together behind them. "We're traveling west, then north, to Indiana. The name's Sam Evans."
The group of four eyed them warily.
"Why you spyin' on us?" the tall dark boy asked, the one who had been called Noah.
"My wife and I were just stretching our legs before settin' out through the gap t'morrow; we're just around the bend," Sam said, looking back over his shoulder.
"Indiana, eh?" the pale boy, Arthur, asked, lowering his rifle. "We're headed that way too."
Sam and Quinn moved in a little closer. "This is my wife, Quinn. We're from Franklin County, Virginia."
"That's a pretty name," the blonde girl said quietly.
"Thank you," Quinn answered. "And you are?"
"Brittany...my parents missed Britain so they named me something close to remind them of the old country," Brittany explained.
"I'm Santana," the dark girl said, stepping forward, protectively. "I'm Britts'...friend."
"Both your names are pretty and unique," Quinn said, smiling. "Are you both from Virginia too?"
Santana nodded. "Galax in Grayson County. We met these two," she thumbed toward Noah and Arthur. "...when our wagon broke down."
"So, you and Brittany are traveling together?" Quinn asked them.
They looked at one another, then back to Quinn. "Yes, we are...to explore these new lands. What about you and baby lips?"
Quinn glanced at Sam who was talking with the two men. "Um, Sam and I are going to Indiana, to farm there."
"Does he have a land grant from fighting in the war? Artie does too," Brittany said.
"Yes...we have some family in Indiana now too," Quinn told them. "Are the four of you traveling together now?"
Santana crossed her arms in front of her. "Yes," she muttered grudgingly. "After they helped fix our wagon, they insisted they travel with us, damsels they called us!"
"Oh my!" Quinn giggled.
On the other side of the campfire, Sam was talking with Noah and Arthur, who told Sam to just call him 'Artie'.
"So, you're going to Indiana also?" Sam asked them.
"Ayuh...I got a land grant from the gov'ment and Noah is just taggin' along," Artie said. "I was traveling alone and figured I might need him for protection in the wild."
Noah snickered.
"I fought in the war too, the North Carolina militia," Sam said.
"I was in the Virginia militia," Artie said.
"I make love, not war," Noah said, smirking. "I actually just hid out in the mountains to avoid it."
Both Sam and Artie gave him a dirty look.
"Someone had to stay behind to satisfy the womenfolk!"
"Yeah, well, Noah was getting bored of the womenfolk on his side of the mountain and when he saw me traveling alone he made himself welcome to travel along with me," Artie said.
"That I did and look at the two lovely ladies I met and talked into traveling with us," Noah said, glancing over at the three girls. "Your wife sure is pretty."
"Yes, she is...my wife is very pretty," Sam said, stressing certain words.
Artie snickered. "Ol' Noah is pretty hard up, Sam...he thought those two would take care of all his needs but neither one of 'em will."
"They insist on sleeping in their wagon together every night," Noah sighed. "They're nice girls, though."
That kind of talk made Sam uncomfortable so he chose to ignore it.
"So where do you two hale from?" Sam asked.
"I lived in Williamsburg..." Artie said.
"I met up with Artie in Bristol..." Noah added.
"So, you've been on the road for quite awhile then Artie," Sam said.
"A couple weeks now...how 'bout you?"
"We went to Stokes County in North Carolina first to visit my father...we've been gone almost a month now," Sam told them. "We're heading through the gap t'morrow...are you four going then too?"
"Ayuh, we plan on it...you and your wife are welcome to go with us...safety in numbers, you know," Artie said.
"So I've been told," Sam replied, smiling. "We'd be much obliged. I think Quinn needed some ladyfolk to talk to anyway."
"Well, then, you've met the right people...those two will keep her so busy you'll forget you're married," Noah laughed.
Sam looked over at Quinn. I doubt that, he thought, smiling.
xxxxx
"They seem like agreeable traveling partners, don't you think so Sam?" Quinn asked him later that night as they cuddled close together under the stars.
"They'll do...Noah seems like he'll do anything to avoid work and Artie puts up with it. And the two girls? They're traveling together...alone?" he asked.
"They said they are from Galax and were just ready for a change of scenery and wanted to explore," Quinn told him.
"What a curious arrangement..." he said, distantly. "But, yes, they'll make fine traveling companions." He rolled toward her. "You realize that by traveling with them we won't be alone that much anymore..."
He started nuzzling her neck, feeling her grin and hearing her soft moan. She rolled toward him, running her hands through his hair.
"You speak the truth, husband," she said quietly, her lips meeting his.
They made love quietly before falling asleep.
xxxxx
July 26, 1818
At daybreak, the three wagons were lined up on the trail, at the opening of the Cumberland Gap...the natural break in the Appalachian Mountains that would deliver them to Kentucky hopefully in short order. Sam and Quinn led the trio of wagons since Sam had passed through there before, then Santana and Brittany's wagon, then Noah and Artie bringing up the rear.
As their wagon moved slowly down the trail, the mountains hugging them close on both sides, Quinn said, "I hope that Artie and Noah find a couple nice ladies...they deserve good women."
"Well, Artie anyway..." Sam said. He wasn't too thrilled with the way Noah had been eyeing Quinn that morning as they arranged the wagons, even offering to help her up on Sam's wagon. He overheard Quinn say no, thank you politely and Noah had walked off. Noah had then wandered off to "help" Santana and Brittany in any way he could.
Sam sidled up to Quinn who was brushing the horse's manes. "Don't let yourself be caught alone with Noah..."
She looked at him, shocked. "I would never, Samuel..."
"I just don't trust him, Quinn," Sam said.
"I understand," she said, but she really didn't. She just thought Noah was being nice to her.
The morning was hot and humid already. Sam was thankful for the crossing in the mountains even though it seemed that the heat got trapped in there. It felt like they were making no progress whatsoever, just trudging along.
"The mountains are beautiful," Quinn said at one point, fanning herself. Sam looked over at her, a shiny layer of sweat covering her face. "God is wonderful."
Sam felt like cursing the God-awful heat but bit his tongue and agreed with Quinn.
"We'll stop soon to eat and stretch. How do you feel?" he asked her.
"Fine...just hot," she said, smiling.
Sam finally heard the rush of a creek and pulled over at a clearing.
"I don't think we're the first to hear that water," he told Quinn. The trail itself was widened at this point for stopping travelers.
They hopped out of the wagon and met the other four. The men wandered off to pee while the girls got buckets from the wagons. Once they sent the men off to fetch water, they wandered off the trail to also relieve themselves.
"I'd give anything for an outhouse right now," Santana mumbled, squatting against a tree.
Quinn and Brittany mumbled in agreement.
Quinn groaned upon seeing her pantalettes, stained red.
"What's wrong Quinn?" Brittany asked her.
"It's that time...I should've know it'd be happening sooner or later," she sighed. Back at the wagon, she found clean rags in their clothes and shoved them in her pantalettes.
Sam, Artie, and Noah had returned hauling the buckets of water and Quinn told him quietly she'd return shortly...she needed to go find that creek and cool off.
He pointed her in the right direction and she wandered off in the quiet of the forest to the brook. Looking over her shoulder and not seeing anyone following her, she stripped out of her dress and shift and pulled the pantalettes off to clean them in the cold water. She stepped into the cool water, which felt heavenly against her hot skin. She rubbed the small blood stain from the white muslin, noting the rag was not soiled at all. The creek cooled her down nicely. She put the pantalettes back on, wet; she figured they'd keep her cool for awhile that way, then put on her other clothing and returned to the wagons.
"Where'd you wander off to, missy?" Santana asked Quinn upon her return. "Your husband was just singing your praises."
Quinn looked at Sam; he smiled sheepishly at her. "I only speak the truth."
"He told us about your biscuits…hopefully, we'll get to try them. I could show you some of my family's best dishes, too," Santana told her.
"I'd like that," Quinn said, sitting down next to Sam to eat her lunch.
"It feels like rain," Brittany said to the group.
Artie laughed. "There is not a cloud in the sky, woman!"
Brittany shrugged. "I feel it."
"So, what is the town on the other side of this gap? I need to mail a letter," Quinn asked.
"Middleboro," Noah answered. "My pa told me."
"Thank you, Noah. I hope to write to them about traveling through the mountains," Quinn said.
"If this heat would break, it'd be perfect," Sam added. "How did the creek feel?"
"Very nice," she said quietly to him.
After lunch, they urged the horses forward, closer to Kentucky. The trail was curvy, winding to the left and to the right. At one point, they stopped at an overlook, to gaze down at the valley below. They also noticed the clouds building to the south and west, turning gray and black. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped.
"You were right, Britts," Santana said at the overlook. Quinn watched the glance they exchanged, one of pure love she was sure.
The men talked it over and decided to keep moving forward until it began to rain. They were able to get about fifteen more minutes of travel in before the deluge of rain. Sam pulled their wagon over, and he and Quinn rushed to the back. He held her through the fierce thunderstorm, worried himself that the wagon might blow over.
When the worst of the storm had passed, Sam went to check on the others. He found Santana and Brittany in Artie's wagon, huddled together and shaking, with Noah and Artie watching over them.
"Well, that was a doozy of a storm, I'd say," Artie said to Sam.
"Quinn and I were worried," Sam replied. "Um, well the trailway is muddied now…should we just camp here for the night?"
They had only traveled halfway through the gap at that point.
"I think that's a splendid idea," Noah said, stretching his legs.
"You are one of the laziest men I've ever known, Noah Puckerman!" Santana squawked.
He sat up quickly. "I most certainly am not!"
With that, Sam returned to his wagon, still hearing those two argue.
"We're staying here for the night…the road is too muddy to go farther today…and we're losing sunlight. I imagine this trail is pretty dark at night," Sam told Quinn.
"Okay…I'll start setting up camp…do you think it's going to rain anymore?"
"Maybe we should ask Brittany?"
They both laughed at that and began arranging their camp items. Afterward, in the waning sunlight, Quinn sat on the wagon bench and added to her letter to send home.
We are now moving through the Cumberland Gap in the mtns. We didn't make much progress the first day due to a horrific storm that blew up. We are trav'ling now with a group of four others, two men and two ladies. This is a beautiful passageway to the west. I feel blessed to have witnessed it.
xxxxx
It rained little through the night, was only steamy. The storm and resultant rain had stirred up the insects so Sam and Quinn decided to sleep in their wagon, even though it trapped the heat inside. Sam closed the front and back flaps.
"We can strip off all our clothes...this heat is miserable," he said, pulling his shirt off.
"Oh, well...I should probably stay in my shift since others are nearby," Quinn said, not removing any clothing.
Sam was already out of his boots and pants, sitting on his knees naked in front of her. "I'll help you..."
He reached over to her to unfasten the few buttons on her dress, but she stopped his hands. "No, really, it's okay..."
"Is everything alright?"
"It's just...that time...so I should stay in my clothes..." she said, quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap, somewhat embarrassed.
He looked at her a moment then realization struck. "Oh, sure. You feel okay?" He reached over to her and brushed her arm with his fingertips.
"I feel fine, just the heat..." She did take her dress off and lay down on their makeshift bed in her shift. He took the thin piece of wood they used to fan each other off and lay down next to her, fanning her face. The slight breeze across her skin caused goosebumps to pop up. "Thank you, Samuel...that helps so much."
He fanned her for awhile longer until she was dozing. He then fell asleep next to her.
xxxxx
July 27, 1818
The heat woke them before the sun did the next day. They dressed and began their morning chores so they could start moving again before sunup. Their four traveling companions were awake, as well, and still arguing.
Quinn made her biscuits over the open fire and received compliments all around. Santana said she'd make rice and beans for lunch when they stopped for lunch or supper. When they had all finished breakfast, they grudgingly packed up their belongings, hitched the horses to the wagons, and set off westward again.
Even though it was hot, the scenery as they traveled was marvelous. For Sam, even though he had been through this area before, he was now seeing it with new eyes, especially with Quinn sitting next to him describing different trees, birds, and plants to him. He'd steal glances at her from time to time...her blonde hair longer now and always in a braid or bun, sitting primly next to him, her hands clasped together in her lap, taking in the scenery as it passed by slowly. He had hoped, prayed actually, that she was indeed pregnant again but it wasn't to be right now. He was fine with that since they were traveling, but the glow about her, that she attributed to sweating, was constant. Sometimes he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, captured by her natural beauty.
When the sun was high in the sky, Sam pulled into a shady clearing so they could break for lunch. It felt good to get up and move around and be busy. They were near the creek again so they took turns cooling off in the water. Quinn was not so concerned that her bleeding had stopped; she just praised the Lord and went on about her business.
Santana decided it was too hot to cook rice and beans so she said she'd do that for supper for them all. She and Brittany began singing a beautiful hymn; Quinn recognized the sound of it, she had heard it sung at church, but Santana and Brittany both were singing it in a different language. Quinn became transfixed, listening to their beautiful voices and how they melded together perfectly.
"What is the language in which you sing?" Quinn asked a few minutes after the girls had finished singing. Looking out over yet another valley, the mood was reverent.
"Spanish," Santana replied. "The hymn was Adeste Fidelis."
"It was beautiful," Quinn told them. "I literally feel closer to God now."
xxxxx
After traveling for an hour after lunch, they came upon a broken down wagon. The wagon itself was fancy, even painted, with a team of four horses pulling it. A man in equally as fancy clothes was laying on the ground on a quilt next to the busted wheel while a woman who appeared to be his wife, two young girls, and a little boy stood idly by, fanning themselves.
Hearing the approaching wagons, the man scrambled to his feet and shoved his top hat on, rushing up to Sam's wagon.
"My good sir! How fortunate of you to pass this way!" The entire time he was blustering at Sam he was wiping his puffy sweaty face with a handkerchief, then shoved his pudgy, sweaty, dirty hand out to Sam. Sam shook his hand reluctantly.
"Are you having some trouble?" Sam asked him.
"As a matter of fact I am, dear sir. Is there any way you might be of assistance?" The man's breathing was heavy, labored, in the heat.
"Sure…" Sam said.
"The name's Motta, Alfred Motta," the rotund man told Sam, pumping his hand. "My lovely wife Lucretia, my lovely daughter Shelley, my son Shane, and Rachel, our maid." Mr. Motta gestured toward his family, all looking bored or perturbed.
"Pleased to meet you," Sam replied, stepping down from his wagon. "I'm Sam Evans and this here's my wife, Quinn. We're traveling with the two wagons behind us. I'll get the other two men so we can see what needs to be repaired on your rig."
Quinn noticed that the Mottas seemed quite out of place there in the wilderness. They were dressed in clothing she would typically wear to a ball or her wedding; their footwear was inappropriate for the wild; and she picked up the gleam from different pieces of jewelry adorning Mrs. Motta and Shelley. She hopped down from the wagon and went to them, smiling.
"My name is Quinn, my husband is Sam." She gestured toward the two men talking at her wagon. Now up close to these people, she could sense their uneasiness; it was almost palpable. "It's so hot today...would you like some water?"
They all looked from one to the other and finally Mrs. Motta spoke. "Yes, please."
Quinn smiled at them, hoping ease the tension somewhat. "I'll come with you," the girl named Rachel said.
She followed Quinn to the back of Sam's wagon.
"Are we taking a break?" Santana called from her wagon.
"Yes, their wagon has broken down," Quinn answered. To Rachel, she said, "That's Santana and her friend Brittany."
Rachel looked scared to death to Quinn. "Is this your first time traveling?" Quinn asked, finding one of their jugs of water in the back of the wagon.
Rachel nodded. "It was all Mr. Motta's idea," she said quietly, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't within earshot. "Mrs. Motta did not want to do this."
"And you're their maid?" Quinn asked.
Rachel nodded again. "Actually, my mother was Mrs. Motta's lady-in-waiting and I was Sugar's lady-in-waiting but when my mother died I just became their maid."
Lady-in-waiting was a term unfamiliar to Quinn. "Who's Sugar?"
"Shelley...they all call her Sugar...she really is a sweet girl," Rachel said, her eyes wide.
Quinn chuckled. "So, why did Mr. Motta decide to migrate?"
"Why, land of course! He's got old money from his daddy and grandaddy and he wants to buy up land out west," Rachel told her.
"Oh...we're traveling to Indiana, for land also," Quinn said.
Santana and Brittany had joined Quinn and Rachel at this point.
"I'm pretty sure we're never going to make it to Kentucky at this rate," Santana sniffed, looking Rachel up and down, then turning her gaze on Sugar.
Mrs. Motta thanked Quinn for the water and tried to coral her young son into sitting down to take a sip. Sugar accepted a cup of water from Quinn without saying a word.
"Are you on your way to a ball?" Brittany asked Sugar.
Sugar just giggled. "No, silly, this is just my everyday couture!"
Brittany looked at Santana, confused.
"What?" Santana asked her bluntly.
"She means her everyday clothes...Sugar, please," Mrs. Motta said to her daughter who was now currently spinning around with Brittany, causing her skirts to billow upward.
"Mother, I'm pretending I'm at a ball as opposed to this God-forsaken land!" Sugar exclaimed, stopping and stomping her foot. Rachel snorted next to Quinn.
Sam and Mr. Motta returned, along with Artie and Noah, and made introductions all around again. Quinn watched Artie and Noah with interest as they nearly salivated over the two young unattached ladies standing before them.
"So, Mr. Motta, do you happen to have a spare wheel?" Sam asked him.
Mr. Motta looked thoroughly bewildered by Sam's question. "Uh, I'm not sure if the man who sold me the rig stowed one away or not."
Sam tried to hide his sigh but smiled. "Let's check underneath then...they store them there sometimes."
The wagon itself was fancier than anything Sam had ever seen. It was more like an extended carriage. There was a bench for the driver up front, then a cabin for passengers, then an enclosed portion containing all their belongings. When Mr. Motta opened the back doors to the hind compartment Sam about fell over. No wonder he needs four horses! Sam thought, staring at trunk after trunk of luggage.
"Have you had any issue with getting up inclines?" Sam asked him.
"Not one problem! The horses are of the finest breed, strong workhorses," Mr. Motta said, puffing out his chest.
Sam squatted down and looked underneath the wagon, seeing a spare wheel. Sam thought it was probably futile to ask but he did anyway. "Do you have any tools up there?"
Mr. Motta just blinked down at him.
Sam scooted out from under the rig and went to the back of his wagon to retrieve his toolbox and wedges to use against the front wheels. He told Noah and Artie to go ahead and unhitch Mr. Motta's team of horses; he was going to have to jack up the rig. That in itself worried him because of the weight of the wagon.
Quinn had been entertained watching the interaction between Noah and Sugar and Artie and Rachel. Since she herself was married, she sat with Mrs. Motta talking about the weather and travel and lady type issues. The other four were free to interact with one another as they were all unattached to a significant other. Santana and Brittany had wandered off to the creek to cool off.
"I like your dress. I'd ask you to dance if we were at a ball," Quinn overheard Noah say to Sugar.
Sugar giggled. "Dance with me now, silly!" She grabbed his hands and made him twirl her around.
"Rachel is a nice name...biblical," Artie said to Rachel. "Do you have a last name?"
Rachel blushed a bit, kicked a pebble with the toe of her satin slipper. "It's not so pretty...Berry."
"Rachel...Berry?" Artie asked her.
"Mhmm..."
"I think that is a very nice name, Miss Rachel Berry," he said, getting her to smile warmly at him.
Quinn was amused at how the decorum of society that she had grown accustomed to while living with her parents was no longer in place in the wilderness.
Sam approached the group with Mr. Motta. "We're gonna need to unload Motta's wagon...the jack won't lift her."
Noah and Artie groaned but followed Sam back to begin unloading the multitude of trunks while Mr. Motta sat next to his wife and Quinn.
"I think I'm in love," Artie gushed once they were behind the massive wagon. Sam and Noah stopped and stared at him.
"You just met her!" Noah said finally.
"Well, I fell in love with Quinn when I was 8 years old, so I s'pose tis possible. Good for you, Arthur," Sam said, smiling.
Noah looked at both Sam and Artie as if they had lost their minds. "Well, I've got my sights set on that Sugar Motta. We need to keep traveling with them. Her pa doesn't have any idea what he's up against out here."
Noah was in the back of the wagon moving trunks to the edge for Sam and Artie. "I've never seen so many boxes of stuff in my life," he muttered mostly to himself.
Once the men had most of the trunks unloaded, they began working on the wagon's busted wheel. Mr. Motta and Artie hammered the wedges into the ground in front of the front wheels to stabilize the rig while Sam and Noah worked on jacking it up to exchange wheels.
By the time they were finished, all of the young men were shirtless and the sun was near to setting. They decided to walk to the creek to cool off and the girls followed them. Quinn and Rachel sat on the creek bank with their bare feet in the cool water. The boys, Sugar, Santana, and Brittany were laughing and splashing in the creek. Quinn couldn't pry her eyes off her husband's slim physique, his wet skin glistening in the sun. It was nice to watch him enjoy his spare time when he seemed to always be working. She kept noticing Artie glancing up at them.
"I think Artie is making eyes at you, Rachel," Quinn finally said, noticing Rachel blush.
"Oh, I think not! He's just a friendly young man," Rachel replied.
"You should go splash a little in the water…I think I shall," Quinn said, standing up. She waited for Rachel to stand, although reluctantly, and they stepped into the cool water.
Quinn immediately went to Sam. He was happy to see her in the water with them and picked her up, twirling them around. She laughed and clung to his neck and let him kiss her before he set her back down in the water. The group finally made their way to the bank and lay on their backs, basking in the hot sun to dry off. Sam and Quinn lay quietly next to one another, holding hands, listening to the others talk and laugh quietly.
Once mostly dry, they decided to head back to camp to help with supper.
"Carry me, Noah!" Sugar said, pouting. He lifted her and carried her the rest of the way to camp. Sam and Quinn held hands, as did Artie and Rachel and Santana and Brittany.
At camp, the others were shocked to see Mr. and Mrs. Motta's set-up. They had three tents erected, one large and two small, made of fine painted canvas material. There was a full-size table and five chairs present. Mrs. Motta was tending to supper over an open fire and a cookstove.
Sam and Quinn went to their wagon to pull out their chairs and things for supper.
"I feel like I should dress up for supper," she whispered to Sam who chuckled.
"Maybe I should don my suit?" he said, making her giggle.
They freshened up as much as they could and joined the others at the Mottas' table. Mr. Motta had offered to provide supper for the entire group since the men had fixed his wheel. Santana had prepared her rice and beans dish to share with the others, as well.
"I was pondering this idea and wondered if you all would like to travel along with us? We did fine until the busted wheel, and it opened my eyes to the fact that we might just need companions while on our journey," Mr. Motta said. Sugar immediately gasped in delight and clutched Noah's arm. Rachel shared a small smile with Artie.
"Would you be adverse to traveling with us?" Mr. Motta asked Sam and Quinn and the four they had met.
They looked among themselves, shrugged a little, and told Mr. Motta that they'd welcome their company.
Supper was delicious; it was pheasant, Mrs. Motta said. She said she used different herbs and spices. Quinn thought it was the most tasteful thing she'd ever eaten. Judging by the other's compliments, it was the same for them. Santana's rice and beans were well received also, something new to Sam and Quinn.
After supper, they all sat around the fire, sharing stories of their previous homes. Quinn enjoyed telling the others about her sister and brothers and parents and hearing the other's tales. Noah told of how he didn't want to marry the girl his family had arranged for him to marry, so he ran away. Artie told of how he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, as a lawyer, he wanted to work the land and when the land grant proposition arrived he was on the road. Santana and Brittany again said they just wanted to explore the new lands, but Quinn felt there was something more to their story, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Mr. Motta said he had heard great things about being a land prospector, so he closed up his shop in Baltimore and headed west.
The fire was slowly dying so they decided to call it a night and set out early the next morning. Noah and Sugar and Artie and Rachel went for a short walk, as did Santana and Brittany. Quinn could've sworn she saw Santana peck Brittany on the cheek as they wandered off into the shadows. Everyone in the whole camp could hear Sugar giggle. She and Sam retired to their wagon.
Rearranging their few boxes, they laid out their bedding and stripped off a few pieces of clothing to try to keep cool in the warmth of the night.
They lay on their sides, facing each other, kissing quietly in the darkness.
"It appeared that Noah and Artie are getting along nicely with those new girls," Sam said quietly, running his hand up and down along Quinn's side.
"Mhmm…so are Santana and Brittany," she replied, running a finger over his chest.
"What do you mean, Santana and Brittany?"
"I saw Santana kiss Brittany!"
Sam stopped and sat up halfway. "What?"
"I'm pretty sure I saw them kissing!"
He sat there silently for a moment. "How would that even work?"
Quinn giggled. "I have no idea…love is love, though."
Sam lay back down. "True enough…now, let me love you…"
She giggled again and let him push her gently onto her back, silencing her giggles with his kisses.