“Ma left because of us. She didn’t want us to get sick,” Katie commented.
Clint thought Katie sounded too old for her age, much like Whitt’s boys. “Your mother did the right thing.” Clint remembered his mother’s letter mentioning that Amelia had lost her parents to yellow fever, but she hadn’t mentioned Amelia’s husband. “Did your husband come with you to Honey Creek?”
“My husband is deceased,” Amelia replied softly.
Clint assumed he must have died from yellow fever. He hadn’t expected Amelia to be a young widow with two children to care for. Staring at her, he thought again how beautiful she was, with her dark hair and pale skin. He imagined her husband fought that disease every step of the way so he could stay with her and their children. If she was his wife, and these beautiful little girls were his, it would take more than yellow fever to take his life.
Amelia sat down beside Clint. “Mr. Mitchum, I believe your mother is in La Grange, caring for the doctor. She was determined to stay alive to see you, and I can’t see the fever taking her life after what she had been through. She is a strong woman.”
Clint knew his mother was a determined woman of faith. He hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking on his part—he’d been disappointed too many times—but Amelia’s words rang true in his heart. He had to find out as soon as possible if his mother was in La Grange. “I’ll have to let my horses rest for a couple of days before I go back. They’ve been pushed to the limit.”
“Did Casey know you were Ingrid’s son?” Amelia asked.
“Who is Casey?”
“The man you saw at my ranch.”
“I introduced myself, but he didn’t seem to want to divulge much information,” Clint replied.
“That sounds like Casey,” Amelia retorted with a frown on her face.
Mrs. Nelson walked back to camp accompanied by her husband. After introductions were made, and Amelia explained the situation to Mr. Nelson, he told Clint he was welcome to stay at their camp.
“I’m sharing a campsite with Whitt Newcombe and his two boys. Our camp is less than a mile away.”
“Is he having any luck finding gold? I haven’t found a flake,” Tom Nelson said.
“Some. You folks should ride back with me and set up camp there.”
“I would rest a lot easier if there were others nearby,” Sophie Nelson admitted, looking at her husband.
Clint didn’t think Whitt would mind having them. He’d prefer that two men be on hand to protect the women and children while he was gone. “There’s a spot for your family. It would be a wise decision to stay close to one another.”
Tom Nelson readily agreed. “We’ll pack up and go with you.”
* * *
Bo and Boone ran to Clint when he returned to the camp with the newcomers. Whitt welcomed everyone, and told the Nelsons to set up camp right next to his. Clint had an opportunity to talk to Whitt alone while the Nelsons were getting settled.
Clint discussed with Whitt what Amelia told him about his mother. “I’ll be leaving in two days for La Grange. I didn’t think you would mind having another man around.”
“I’m glad you brought them here. I know they lost one grandson to the fever, and they lost both their son and daughter-in-law a few years ago to cholera. It’s been rough on them.” Whitt offered Clint a cup of fresh coffee. “I hope you find your ma alive and well. That would be a Christmas miracle indeed.”
Whitt voiced what Clint had been thinking. Having taken his family for granted for so many years, he didn’t think he was deserving of such a miracle, but he was asking anyway. “I can’t think of a greater blessing than to see her again.”
* * *
Later that day, Clint decided to try his hand at panning. It wasn’t an occupation he would have chosen; he preferred more active work from the back of a horse. He thought about what his mother had written in her letter about coming to love the ranch again. He did love the ranch; he always had. He should have recognized that a long time ago. He’d spent too much time thinking of himself instead of doing what was best for his family. Seeing Whitt’s and Amelia’s children made him realize how fortunate he had been as a young man. These children had either lost a parent or grandparents or siblings. He’d had a family he’d taken for granted. Yes, he’d seen his share of horrors during the war, but it was nothing he could change. If the last few weeks had taught him anything, he’d learned not to waste another minute on reliving a past he couldn’t change. He felt an overwhelming need to do something for these children who were much too young to face the harsh, cold realities of life.
Walking down the bank, Clint found a peaceful spot where the stream was slowing. It was a good area for him to keep an eye on the children, who were on the bank several yards away. Bo and Boone yelled at him and waved. The boys were teaching Katie and Annie how to pan for gold at the water’s edge. Clint could hear Bo explain to the girls how to tell if they had gold in their pans. He saw Amelia join the children, and Bo and Boone gave her the same instructions they’d given the girls. Bo demonstrated how to scoop some gravel and silt into her pan.
“You have to shake it like this,” Boone told her, demonstrating by vigorously shaking his pan.
“Like this?” Amelia asked, swirling her pan.
“Yeah, that’s pretty good for a girl,” Bo replied.
Clint grinned at Bo’s comment, thinking Whitt better teach that boy how to talk to a woman
