Mister Quaid: 1800s: I Will Always Find You... (WLW)

Part One, 1873: Chapter Three

August 25th, 1873, Madison County, Montana

Alice watched as Jonathan and Pete lined the perimeter of their campsite with wire, tying off chimes every now and again. Pete would check the twine ever so often and listen as all the chimes along the line rang out. Jonathan appeared to be asking him several inquisitive questions and he answered them all with a hand on his back as if teaching a little brother knowledge of his days on the road. This type of traveling must have been quite different from the wagon train Jonathan had taken to Madison County several years back.

Alice felt herself staring at Pete from time to time, but each time he'd caught her, he said absolutely nothing and averted his gaze. It wasn't as though it was bothering him or that he didn't care, his blush told a different story, but Alice noticed he just didn't talk very much.

Hany had ridden at his side and not even left him when they occasionally stopped their horses to let them rest along the way. They'd carried conversations every now and again in the sign language Walt found so interesting, but those exchanges only ever lasted a few minutes at a time. Hany had taken up a conversation with Alice on her notepad, however, when she tried to get Pete to join in, he'd just shaken his head and moved along.

He really must not be one for talking. Although, he sure did not mind talking to me when we were alone. How strange...

When he turned around, Pete caught Alice staring at him and even through the relative darkness the evening held, she could see how wildly he blushed. She chuckled and went back to cutting the potatoes. Whatever Hany was cooking wafted through the camp and made Alice's mouth water. It didn't smell like anything the cook had prepared for their family at home and she realized she was leaning closer and closer toward the fire the more scrumptious the smell became.

"Careful, Miss Covington." Jonathan called as he arrived at the fire alongside Pete. Alice looked up at them and caught herself before she could fall forward. "Wouldn't want you hurt so early into our trip."

"Speaking of our trip," Alice straightened and cleared her throat, actively ignoring the deep chuckles both men sent her way. "I do not really understand one or two things."

"And what are those things?" Jonathan replied as he sat down and slipped off one of his boots. Pete walked over to Hany and sniffed the soup she was preparing, giving her a gentle rub on her back. Alice began to wonder what it would feel like to have him do that to her, yet was pulled from her thoughts by Jonathan once more. "Uh, Miss Covington?"

"Just Alice." She gave him a fond smile and stood with the potatoes she'd finished cutting. She handed them to Hany and returned to her seat. "Well, why are we stopping in Yellowstone when we brought an extra mare? Could we not just alternate the use of the horses down the line?"

Jonathan looked over at his second horse deep in thought, then peered back at her and rubbed his thumb and index finger over the curves of his mustache. "Well, we brought the mare along 'cause we need somethin' to carry...uh..."

"The Fredericks on top of when we go back home?" Alice shook her head. "Okay, but why do we need to purchase another horse? Couldn't they just travel by foot alongside us? And again, why are we stopping in Yellowstone? Should we not just keep moving?"

"Your brother said dead or alive." Pete's voice cut through the fire and halted Jonathan's answer, leaving him slack jawed. Alice whipped her head around, really feeling how stiff her body was after being on a horse most of the day. She tried to ignore the pain. "I prefer dead. Especially if we catch them before we get to Houston and retrieve your family's money. If we do, we can leave them at the next town over, show them the warrants since your brother said verification through a local sheriff is fine with you being with us, then head to Houston. And I ain't escortin' prisoners over a far distance with only one or two extra horses."