A Dream for Tomorrow Read Online Free

said as she climbed down from the wagon, helping Ruth to get down. “But now we have supper to fix.”
    “Can we have music again after supper?” Ruth asked hopefully.
    “I don’t see why not.” Elizabeth reached for a pair of water pails and the carrying yoke. “JT, you let Brady tend to the team while you gather firewood or buffalo chips. Grandma said we were running frightfully low on fuel.” She turned to Ruth. “And you go help Grandma get supper started while I run over to the creek to fetch us some water.”
    Ruth leaped over a rain puddle. “Looks like there’s plenty of water right here.”
    “If we’d had time to put up the awning, we might have collected some too.” She called out to JT. “Why don’t you and Brady get our awning up after your other chores are done, son.”
    “Sure, Ma.”
    As they all set out their various ways, Elizabeth felt surprisingly light and happy. Perhaps it was a result of their unexpected sing-along, or the passing of the bad weather, or simply knowing the arduous day of travel was done and that everyone, to her knowledge, was still alive and well. But she felt a bounce in her step as she headed down toward the creek.
    “Good evening.”
    She turned to see Will Bramford approaching with his own pair of water buckets in hand. “Oh, hello,” she called to him. “It looks like we’re after the same thing.”
    “Yes.” He sheepishly held up a pail. “If anyone had told me a year ago that I’d be out in the wilderness foraging for water like this, I never would have believed him. But alas, here I am.”
    “Don’t your girls usually fetch your water?”
    “Usually. But they’re trying out a special new recipe for supper…I believe it’s one your mother shared with them. And since Jeremiah is tending the animals…” He swung the buckets playfully. “The important task of carrying water was left to me.”
    She smiled. “It is an important task.”
    He nodded. “Yes, and from what I’ve heard it becomes more and more important as we journey westward. I’ve read some grim tales about places like Devil’s Backbone…” He made a slight shudder. “I don’t even like to think about it.”
    Elizabeth didn’t care to think about it either. “Wasn’t that a glorious storm we just had?” she said as they walked together toward the sound of the nearby creek.
    “Some of those last lightning strikes were awfully close to camp,” he said.
    “JT said he could feel his teeth rattling in his head.”
    Will laughed. “I think I felt the very same thing.”
    She knelt down by the creek, getting ready to dip a bucket when to her surprise, Will took it from her and filled it. “Here you go.” Then he stooped to fill the other.
    “Well.” She stood, suddenly feeling uneasy. “I’m not used to such chivalry.”
    He chuckled. “I wonder when filling a bucket with water became chivalry.”
    “Still…it wasn’t necessary.” Now she watched as he filled his own buckets. After his unexpected help, it seemed only polite to wait. Then once he was ready, she arranged her full buckets on the ends of her yoke. “Carrying water always makes me feel like a true pioneer,” she admitted as they made their way more slowly back toward camp. Now several others were walking their way, and as polite greetings and exchanges were made, she could tell that some of them were watching her closely, curious as to why she and Will Bramford were transporting water together.
    To her dismay, partly because it was unnecessary and partly because it was drawing even more attention, Will walked her all the way back to her wagon and even helped her to unload the heavy buckets. “Thank you,” she murmured meekly.
    “Not at all. My pleasure.” He grinned at her as if her discomfort amused him.
    “I should get to—”
    “I wondered if I might have a word with you.” He glanced around her camp now as if to see if anyone was near enough to overhear them.
    “A word?”
    “Actually