Westbound (Love Travels West, Book 1)

Chapter 12. A Lady With a Frying Pan

Though she be but little, she is fierce.

~ William Shakespeare

Chapter 12.

A Lady With a Frying Pan.

   Jake slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. The rays of the sun were beginning to pour in through the opening of the cave and it made him squint. Slowly he rose to a sitting position and looked around him. The coffee pot was standing by the fire and his cup was placed next to it. A blanket lay draped over him, though he couldn't quite remember covering himself with one. Dannie was sitting at the mouth of the cave, her back to him. Pushing back the blanket, Jake stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from sleeping with rocks as his pillow. Walking over to where Dannie sat, he looked over and saw a book in her hands.

   "Do you always get up this early?" He asked.

   She gave a bit of jump before turning to face him. "Good heavens, Jake, you gave me a fright. I never heard you coming."

   "Apologies."

   "And the answer to your question is yes. It's something Papa and I had in common. He was a big advocate of 'early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.' Though, come to think of it," Dannie realized, "I am not at all wealthy, and it seems the rest of the world doesn't think me very wise. I am healthy, however, so at least a third of that saying is true."

   Her words caused Jake to chuckle. "Whatcha readin'?"

   "The Book of Ruth. It's my favorite book in the whole Bible. I don't think I've ever read a more beautiful love story. Better than any novel, that is for sure."

   "Do you read the Bible every day?"

   "I do, indeed. I am, after all, the proper daughter of a minister of the Church of England."

   "I'll say," Jake had to laugh."

   "How about you, Jake, do you believe in God?"

   "I do, but I ain't big on the details. So if you want to engage in theological debates I'm afraid yer with the wrong person."

   She laughed at these words. "Why would I wish to debate with you? I'm not much of a debater at all."

   "Oh, yer not?" Jake raised an eyebrow. "I'd dare to say that it's yer favorite thing to do."

   "That is not true," Dannie protested, her face turning red.

   "No offence, Miss Danielle Preston, but I've ridden with you for three days, and if there is one thing you are good at it is debatin'. Come on, you don't mean to tell me you never had any debates on the subject of theology back home?"

   "Certainly not," poor Dannie sputtered out, her face flustered from embarrassment. "It is not a women's place to engage in theological debates, not in England at least. Such subjects belong to the world of men."

   "You never, ever once debated on theology?" Jake cocked his head a little, his voice challenging and persistent.

   "Well," Dannie relented. "Maybe once or twice, with Paul."

   Jake tensed at the name.  It seemed that every conversation somehow led to Paul and Jake was sorry he had pushed Dannie to confess. Luckily, Dannie didn't seem to care to pursue the subject either. She shut her Bible and stood up

   "Let's get about eating breakfast and set out. We should reach the town today, right?"

   "Reckon we ought to, providing we don't have any other surprises waitin' for us."