A Shadow on the Plains

God's Grace

It was late afternoon when at last the wagon drew up before the Carter house in North Platte and the station master helped Eliana down.

"Ya'd better get yerself cleaned up," he chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Ya look like ya've just fought a war."

"I feel it," Eliana frowned at her stained and crumpled dress. "Thank you... so much... for the ride."

"Glad t' do it. An' glad t' have met th' Sunshine Girl at last." Declining her invitation to come in and eat something, he clambered back into the wagon and drove out. "Gotta git back t' th' station afore the next rider gits there." and he was gone.

Her heart beating wildly with fear, Eliana hurried to enter the house and stopped short in the doorway on seeing her mother and Dr. Buchanan talking quietly in the hall. Both seemed concerned. On her entrance, her mother turned and ran to take her daughter in her arms.

"Are you all right, Ellie, my girl? You've no idea how frightened I've been... Didn't even go to bed at all last night."

"I'm... I'm just fine," Eliana forced a weak smile. "But... is..." her voice trembled and she stopped short.

"He's doing fine," the doctor smiled at her unspoken question. "He's over the worst of it, but still not quite coherent. Keeps muttering about the mail, though I've explained a hundred times that you took it through. And he's been asking for the Sunshine Girl... though who on earth that is, I have no idea. He just keeps asking for her, over and over."

"The Sunshine Girl?" Eliana's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yep. Do you know who he's talking about?"

Eliana smiled slowly.

"Yes. I know her," she answered.

"Who is she? Where is she? I have a feeling that if we can find her, he'll rest better..."

"I am the Sunshine Girl." Eliana stated simply. Margaret gasped and the doctor looked rather taken aback.

"How... is this possible?" Margaret frowned. "You never said anything... what does he mean by that?"

"I'm not really sure," Eliana shrugged. "He called me that... when he stopped to get his pony's shoe repaired. And when he gave me this," she gestured to the little horse she wore around her neck at all times. "He wrote 'For the Sunshine Girl' on the package."

"Well, you'd better get up there and see him," Margaret laughed. "He's in Jacob's room. Gracious, what would John think?"

But her question went unanswered.

oOo

Eliana entered the room tentatively, hanging back in the doorway. Now that the ordeal... and the danger... were over, she felt suddenly awkward and shy. But he was sleeping and she knelt by the bed in silence. She was surprised to find that his face was not even familiar to her... though she had seen him nearly a hundred times. He had always gone by too fast. And that first time she met him... she had only noticed his eyes. He had strong features, tanned by the sun, and she noticed a thin scar running down his cheek. She wondered if that had happened on one of his rides. She had never even begun to guess, until she had actually ridden it, how difficult the route actually was. And she had ridden only half of it, at that. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed the dark hair back from his forehead. The little gesture woke him and he looked up at her in surprise, then recognition flooded his eyes and he smiled.

"How are you feelin'?" she asked, wondering what exactly she should be saying. He laughed quietly and, reaching out, took her hand in his. In spite of the fact that, as the doctor had said, he was weak from blood loss, he had a strong grip and Eliana couldn't help but notice how different his hands were from John's... so strong and brown and roughened by hard work.

"Sunshine Girl," he murmured. "Can't tell ya how much I've wanted t' actually meet ya, instead o' just always ridin' past... Never mind 'bout me... just got in a tussle with th' wrong group, that's all. What's your real name?"

"Eliana... Carter."

"Eliana. Is it really?" At her nod, he grinned and continued. "Eliana was my mother's name. She told me it meant "God has answered." I think... that He has..." but the last words were spoken so quietly that she scarce heard them.

"I've told you my name, now you must tell yours," Eliana said firmly. "I've wondered many a time... it gets a little old always referring to someone as "the express rider" instead of a real name."

"My name is Jesse." he answered. "Jesse Fraser."

"Jesse Fraser, eh?" Eliana smiled. "I happen to know that the name "Jesse" means "God's gift"."

"Guess that doesn't fit well, does it?" Jesse grinned ruefully.

"A friend is a gift," Eliana felt his grip on her hand tighten. "A priceless gift. And I'm certainly glad to know your name at last. Fraser... that's Scotch, isn't it?"

"As Scotch as it gets. My grandfather came over from Scotland an' my father moved out here from Conneticut, 'fore I was born. Grandda still spoke Gaelic to his dyin' day... even though he knew English anyway. Dia maille ribh." Eliana's head shot up in surprise.

"That... that sounds like... is that what you were saying when you rode past?"

"Yup." Jesse laughed. "I use it a lot. Feasgar math. Toilichte d'fhaicinn. All those crazy phrases that Grandda taught me... dunno why I use it. It's purty out o' place here." Suddenly a look of alarm swept over his features and he struggled to rise.

"I forgot... the mail... I've got to get the mail through!"

"Don't you worry about it," Eliana pushed him back firmly. "I've already taken it. Just got back."

"You... you did? You took it?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at her in surprise.

"Why did you think I was such a mess?" she gestured toward her rumpled and ruined dress.

"I didn't even notice," he laughed. "All I saw was that necklace of yours... and... your eyes..." but he stopped then. Eloquence didn't exactly come easy to Jesse Fraser. But he meant a lot more than he said and Eliana sensed it.

"You really took the mail on to Rock Creek? I can't believe it... across Bridger Valley too? How did ya make it?"

"God's grace," Eliana returned simply and he nodded in understanding.