At least his words would serve to kill the hero worship that shone in Jasper’s voice when he spoke of Will. He wasn’t deserving of such high praise, so maybe now, all of Jasper’s exaggerated stories would cease.
Only Jasper didn’t see it that way. “You’re not perfect. Doesn’t mean that you deserve to be punished for what happened. In fact, it makes me even more determined to help clear your name.”
The earnestness in Jasper’s voice eased the ache in Will’s gut that had plagued him for so long.
Since pursuing Mary had been nothing but a dead end, maybe Jasper would be able to give him a new perspective that would finally break the case open.
Will took a deep breath, then spilled the details of the case to his friend. From meeting Daisy and believing her to be in danger from Ben’s abuse and trying to help her, to that fateful day when he acted on the information she fed him about wanting to meet him outside town to escape Ben—only to be shot by her as she fled the scene of the bank robbery.
He left no detail out, even the humiliating part about believing himself in love with the girl. The hardest part, though, was telling him about Mary and the letters he’d found in Ben’s things. Maybe Jasper, whose heart wasn’t getting entangled, would be able to sift through the information to be able to tell him whether Mary was lying or not.
As soon as he finished relaying his tale, the distant rumble of thunder and a few stray raindrops prevented him from gaining the benefit of Jasper’s opinion.
“We need to make haste,” Jasper said, scurrying toward the base of the hill. “The ladies aren’t going to like getting caught in the storm.”
As wordlessly as they had made their way to the top of the hill, they made it back down, and in half the time. Below, the women were carrying on and dithering about the rain.
Except Mary.
Even before his feet touched the bottom of the mountainside, he could see her standing about, giving directions to the others for gathering their belongings and loading the wagons. By the time Will and Jasper arrived back at the wagons, almost everything was loaded and ready to go, save for a crate that Mary and a couple of the other girls were struggling with.
“Let me help,” he said, grabbing one of the ends of the crate. Together, they lifted the heavy wood into the wagon.
The rest of the party filed into their respective wagons, just as the sky opened up completely, sending a deluge of water over them all. Will glanced at Mary, her chest heaving from the exertion, water pouring down her ruined bonnet and dress.
Was it wrong of him to think her the absolute most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes upon?
As he helped her into the wagon, Jasper passed by and tossed a blanket at them.
“You’re a goner,” he whispered.
If it weren’t for the rain and the now-shivering woman beside him, Will would have thrown the blanket right back at his friend. So much for getting sage advice.
Chapter Seven
The finale of the picnic was, without question, an unmitigated disaster. Mary huddled in the blanket Will had wrapped around her as the wagon lumbered back toward town. Though the trip to the spring had taken less than an hour, as the rain poured down, they made significantly slower progress toward home.
Despite the men working to get canvas to cover the wagon, rain poured in from all sides. They’d likely not be dry again until they reached home.
Polly squeezed in next to her, and Mary released a corner of her blanket to let her friend in.
“Some outing, huh?” Polly snuggled in with Mary. “At least you got to know some of the others better.”
“Yes. Rachel and Beth are as nice as you said they were, and it was good to get to know everyone else. Sarah Crowley has one of those lace-making machines, and she promised to teach me how to use it. Nugget’s dresses could use some lace at the edges.”
It seemed odd to be talking so casually of such things while some of the other ladies wailed around them. Emma Jane Logan, one of the girls she hadn’t gotten to know well, was sobbing over the condition of her hat.
Such a silly thing to be trifling over when there was nothing to be done about it.
Polly sighed. “Back to responsibilities, are we? Well, have at it, then. I suppose I should accept it, since you at least looked like you were enjoying yourself today.”
“Oh, I did enjoy myself.” Mary gave her friend a smile. “I actually liked the water, and I’m so glad to have made the acquaintance of so many nice girls.”
Polly appeared to be relieved by the statement. A gust of wind broke loose a corner of the canvas, sending a flood of water at them.
“Ack! Are we ever going to be out of this misery?” Polly jumped up and vainly tried brushing the water off her. “I don’t think a one of us will be able to salvage anything we’ve got on.”
As they turned a corner in the road, the horses stopped suddenly. Everyone murmured around them, wondering what was going on. Will rejoined them.
“The road’s washed out. Flash flood. We’re going to have to wait out the storm.”
The cries of the girls around them were so loud, Mary thought she might have to cover her ears. Will looked at her. “No tears for you?”
“What good will that do, other than make me wetter than I already am? Since we can’t go forward, what other options are there?”
Rivulets of rain ran down Will’s face. “I think we passed a turnoff for a ranch a ways back. I’ll talk to Jasper and see if we can unhitch one of the horses so I can ride for help.”
She shouldn’t have been surprised by Will’s gallant offer. It seemed such a
