"Return to Paradise Trail" PART EIGHT
Day fifty-six: Ten more days have passed since we arrived in St. Louis. Very few of them have been without rain, making travelling in the near future virtually impossible. Sam has investigated both day and night to find any possible solution to our problem. There seems to be no answer. Travel by ferry across the river is the safest route and would connect us to another trail already traveled numerous times with few disturbances. And while many in our wagon train have expressed moments of mutiny rising within them to forge out on the other unsafe trail, they all have come to realize the wisdom in John and Sam's leadership. I have too. I am becoming accustomed to this city after one week's stay. It no longer feels like a foreign country although I still have my wariness about certain elements. Like the stores here, for example. So many choices! Even with the few selections I had back home, at least my decisions were not so strenuous to make. Speaking of, I have agreed to meet Sam downstairs in half an hour. He won't tell me what he's up to. But part of me enjoys a surprise. Until tomorrow…
Charlotte quickly stood and set to work making herself look presentable for whatever outing Sam may have planned for them both. Sam wasn't the sentimental type. But in his own way he could be the most endearing fellow with the right gesture in his mind. She waited for five minutes in the hotel's lobby before becoming restless. Watching numerous folks enter and exit the place was wearing on her. She could feel a small throb forming at her temples from the mere stress of squinting to see who was entering, each time eagerly hoping it would be Sam. Finally surrendering to the urge to be seated, she let her weight settle into the plush couch nearby. Its fancy frills and tucks almost made her uncomfortable as she patted the arm and then the cushion with a wrinkled nose as if she was having to convince herself that it was a real object. Feeling a few stares from around the room, Charlotte let the matter drop and settled her hands on her skirts, folded neatly in a ball while her gaze returned to the entrance.
Again, many faces passed her by. Few offered a how-do-you-do in return for Charlotte's cordial greeting. That was another thing that bothered her about these bigger cities. The lack of hospitality. She was just about to give in to the urge to smother her forced smile with a begrudging sigh when a man entered the hotel, keeping her smiles in place. She stood, waiting patiently as Sam scanned the lobby to find Charlotte.
Sam quickly removed his hat once catching a disdainful glare and throat-clearing from the suited man behind the hotel desk and moved closer to the other side of the room where Charlotte waited for him. "Sorry I'm late."
"That's okay." Charlotte kept her eyes on his as she spoke. "What kept you so long?"
"Had to help a family move their wagon out of small sinkhole. The muddy field out there is awful. And," he cleared his throat, briefly looking away. "I had to speak with John about something."
"Oh?" Charlotte saw a bit of an emotion in Sam's eyes that she had never seen before. It concerned her to say the least.
Sam saw her concern and raised his hand gently with a bit of a smile twisting at his lips. "Nothing to get concerned over. Trust me."
"Okay." Charlotte surrendered with a smile and started forward with Sam to leave the hotel. "Any word on the river?"
Sam shook his head. Charlotte noticed that his expression told her more than his words could ever say. Stopping suddenly as they neared the door, she gently put her hand on his arm. Sam glanced upward, unsure of her intentions, and followed her to the side.
"Sam," she searched for his eyes, letting her hand ease down to grip the man's strong hand. "I just wanted to tell you that you are a wonderful man. Maybe I haven't said it like I should have before. But I believe it. And no matter what the others say, you haven't failed them. Not once. I—I just wanted you to know that's how I see things. You're not a failure in my eyes." Charlotte quickly looked away, a bit startled at how brave her words had sounded. She was concerned she had said too much.
But as she looked away, she had not seen the barely detectable smile that Sam had answered with before he slipped his finger beneath her chin and raised her gaze back to him. "You're wonderful too. You know that?"
Charlotte only listened, not able to move as she looked into his eyes. Yet she willed herself to nod…just a bit, despite the fact that almost no one had ever complimented her like that since Mr. Wooster passed away.
Darkness quickly settled over the outside, the sun ducking behind a brief portion of clouds as a clap of thunder startled the young woman. Charlotte jerked a glance to the curtained windows but turned back just as fast, noticing that it didn't seem to have bothered Sam any. No man had ever dared to consider her more important than the things that was happening around her. Somehow that was how she really knew Sam's heart concerning her. To her surprise, a bit of sunlight peeked through the gathering clouds to highlight the street below.
"Are you ready to go?"
It wasn't what Charlotte had expected to hear from Sam next, but she nodded with a smile, slipping her arm through his as Sam nodded to the hotel clerk who seemed to still have his eyes peeled on the young couple even as they took their leave.
##
Conniving Sam Brazos had successfully tricked Charlotte that evening, convincing her that a night alone, just the two of them, awaited them just beyond the Masons' wagon in a distant cluster of trees outside of the city. He had vaguely spoken of needing to stop by and pick up a dinner basket from Molly before they were on their way to spend a bit of time together. Yet as the twosome rounded the first wagon into the middle of camp, Charlotte's eyes scanned the faces before her, a broad smile accompanying her instant spell of surprise while Molly, John, Tommy, and the Grishams stood before her next to the Mason's campfire.
"Happy birthday, Charlotte." Molly was the first to step from the crowd and embrace her dear friend.
Tears stung at Charlotte's eyes as she inwardly wanted to scold Sam for being so secretive. Yet there was no time for that as she hugged Molly tightly and let a few happy tears fall to her best friend's shoulder. Seperating from the embrace, Charlotte was clearly befuddled yet immensely thankful and appreciative. "How—how did you know?"
John stepped forward this time to offer a hug. "Molly noticed a date on the inside cover of your Bible one morning and made me promise we would do something special when this day came around."
Charlotte held John's embrace for a moment before he was forced away by his son's gentle tug on his coat. As John stepped aside, Tommy stepped up and extended his arms, balancing a cake very carefully before the honored guest.
"It's plain ole white cake with white icing," Tommy confessed with a frown. "But I hope you like it." He grinned. "I kind of like chocolate myself. But mama said you'd like this one better, seeing as you're a young lady getting close to being married and all."
"Tommy Mason!" Molly's voice cut sharply into the jovial atmosphere, putting it on hold as the red color slowly dissipated from Charlotte's face.
Seeing the nervousness in Charlotte's eyes, John Mason quickly retreated to the edge of his wagon and took up a small package wrapped only in the brown paper one could find on the counter of a general store. He returned to Charlotte and smiled, extending the item to her. "Happy birthday, Charlotte. This is from all of us."
Charlotte's smile slowly came back undeniably as she reached for the item, a bit of laughter on her voice while she tried to keep the tears at bay. "You shouldn't have."
"Nonsense." John grasped his son's shoulders in his hands as he eased behind the youngster, inviting Molly to his side with a loving glance. "You're family now. And family purchases gifts for each other on such occasions."
Sam gently nudged Charlotte, grinning as he watched her silently stare at the item. "Go ahead. Open it up."
Charlotte turned a grin his way before conceding and starting into the brown paper after slipping the string of off it. Handing off the waste to Sam who set it in the wagon bed nearby, Charlotte took the item in her hands, stroking the glistening silver structure with another tear threatening her eyelashes.
Molly smiled as she watched her closest friend admire the gift. She could tell that it had touched her greatly. "I noticed you were eyeing it when we were in the store the other day. I knew you would love it."
Charlotte heard Molly but couldn't take her eyes off of the little shiny box, finally allowing herself to open its lid. "Beautiful Dreamer" chimed into the evening air as she lifted the lid, the soft notes cascading from the menial little opening and warming her heart like nothing had done since leaving Pennsylvania almost two months ago.
"I love it," Charlotte finally was able to speak as she close the box and handed it to Sam so that she could approach Molly with a sincere embrace of thanks.
"Can we eat some cake now?" Tommy looked up to his mother with a sigh.
Molly exhaled. "Yes, son. I think it's time to eat some cake."
Sam slipped his hand into Charlotte's and tightened the grasp softly as he looked to the Masons. "Um, if you folks don't mind, I'd like to steal Charlotte away for a few moments."
"Okay." Molly grinned, glancing to her husband with hope shining from her eyes.
"Just don't be too long," John teased. "Or we'll have to send a committee to find you both."
Sam half rolled his eyes as he turned around, guiding Charlotte by his side as they weaved past the opening in between two wagon for a walk into the grassy field before them. They walked for several moments in silence, the gap between them and the wagon train growing larger as the city of St. Louis seemed to wane closer.
Sam Brazos stride slowed as he kept his thumbs hanging at his jeans' pockets. His thoughts seemed far from the moment but as near as could be.
For a moment Charlotte caught a glimpse of what she assumed was an inward struggle, taking note and stopping her walk. She turned to face Brazos with concern in her eyes. "What's the matter, Sam?"
Finally coming to a complete stop after walk another step ahead of Charlotte, he turned all the way and paced the short distance back to the young woman, searching for her eyes while gathering words in his mind. They'll all seemed jumbled together. Elocution was never his forte. But words would be the only way he could relieve himself of the burden weighing him down just now.
"Charlotte," Sam cleared his throat. "I may have lied several weeks ago."
Charlotte's eyes widened some, but she urged him to go on through her silence.
"You see," Sam briefly let his gaze drift. "When I asked Mason if he could marry folk, there wasn't anyone else on the train that had wanted me to ask that. In fact, it was a rather selfish question." Sam paused and took Charlotte's hand in his. He felt clumsy. Although strong and manly in every area of his life, he felt inadequate and nervous. Feelings he had never been well-acquainted with…until now. "You see," he repeated. "I want to ask you, Charlotte Wilson, to be my wife."
Charlotte could feel tears surfacing as they looked into each other's eyes, unable to move or barely speak or even breathe. She could feel a lump forming in her throat hindering her ability to speak if she must.
"I wanted to ask back then. And even when we—when we kissed." Sam cleared his throat nervously. "But, um, I wasn't sure you'd really want to take up with the likes of me. After all, I can't ask you to travel with me all the time. It's a dangerous life. I've never really had a notion to settle down. At least not until we reach Utah with the Masons." He paused, glancing away and feeling as if he had already said too much.
Charlotte wished he had kept their gaze. To draw him back, she softly gripped his hand that still held hers before she forced a smile into her tears. She waited until he looked back at her before she spoke. "Sam, Lord knows I needed a family. A place to call home. But I'm learning that home is with the people I love and care about even if that means travelling across the country with you all. And…I love you, Sam Brazos, more than I think I should be allowed. So yes," she laughed softly. "I would be the happiest girl in the West if you'd let me be your wife."
With a returning smile, Sam slowly drew nearer to Charlotte, his eyes filled with more love for her than he had ever thought someone like him would ever be able to give someone else. He then gently pressed his lips against hers, slipping his hand around her neck gently as he drew her to himself. Somehow a lifetime would never seem like enough time to share that love with the girl who had entered his life just when he needed her the most and she had needed him.