[Yukon Quest 01] - Treasures Of The North by Tracie Peterson Page B

without you!’’
    Leah smiled. She knew better, but the threat meant business nevertheless.
    ‘‘Amen,’’ she whispered, then with one last glance at her mother’s resting-place, she hurried down the slippery path to where Jacob stood.
    ‘‘I had to pray,’’ she explained.
    ‘‘I know,’’ he replied. ‘‘We’re going to need a lot of prayers before this adventure is through.’’
    Leah nodded solemnly, and she could tell by the look in Jacob’s eyes that he meant every word.
    ‘‘We’ll stay in Denver long enough to put some money together,’’ Bill explained to the children that night. ‘‘I’ve got a couple of folks who still owe me money, and who knows, maybe they’ve struck it rich while I’ve been away. Anyway, I know Granny Richards will put us up until we can get on our feet.’’
    Granny Richards wasn’t really their granny, but the kids knew her to be a kind old woman who had given them treats when they were young. Bill knew the old woman would be delighted to see them again. He could only hope that she was still alive.
    There hadn’t been much in the way of possessions to either bring with them or leave behind. Bill felt profound sorrow that in the end, his wife had no more than two dresses to her name and a wooden crate with a few odds and ends of memorabilia. Pots and pans, along with other kitchen goods, and the meager furnishings that had made the cabin a home were hardly a legacy to leave to her children. But, knowing Patience, she’d probably never considered it a problem. She’d left them the important things. She’d given them love and acceptance, hope and a basic understanding of God. Those were the legacies Patience Barringer would want to be known for.
    The mining company had owned the property, and because of that, Bill couldn’t even raise a traveling purse by selling off the cabin. Instead, he sold off his furniture and what household supplies he didn’t deem as necessary to take with them north to the Yukon.
    Yukon . Even the sound of it promised something exciting and different. With Patience gone, it left only Jacob and Leah to reason with him and keep him from making rash decisions, and neither one of them were in any mood to argue his choice. Not that it would have mattered. Bill knew he couldn’t have remained in the same town where he’d buried Patience and their baby. The very thought would have driven him mad. No, by leaving he could almost pretend that she was still alive—that circumstances had sent her elsewhere. Elsewhere, but not into the grave.
    When the trio finally managed to arrive in Denver, no one was prepared for the madhouse of activities. Denver had grown up considerably over the last few years and was now a rather impressive town. Sitting like a sentinel at the base of the Rockies, the town seemed to almost shimmer in the golden summer sun.
    Bill wiped sweat from his brow and headed the horse in the direction of the poorer district. Granny Richards, if she still lived, would not have moved. Of that, Bill was certain. She always joked that they would have to take her out feet first, and Bill had no doubt of the old woman’s stubborn determination to make that true.
    ‘‘When will we get there, Pa?’’ Jacob asked. ‘‘I’m so empty my ribs are touching my backbone.’’
    ‘‘We ought to be there in a short while. Traffic is pretty bad here. This city is a lot bigger than it used to be. More people and more activities.’’
    ‘‘More money, too?’’ Leah asked hopefully.
    Bill smiled. ‘‘You bet, princess. More people always means more money. People go where the money’s to be had. You’ll see. We’ll be on our way before you know it.’’
    They all sighed in relief when they finally found their way to Granny Richards’. The little run-down house wasn’t much to look at, but it beckoned them nevertheless. Bill spotted Granny first thing. She was working the rocky soil at the side of the house. She seemed to work