In a Handful of Dust

Epilogue

Lynn waited until spring to go. It was close to a year since they’d left Ohio when Lynn stood on the outskirts of town, holding the reins of a horse that had been given to her by a rancher in thanks for having shot the mountain lion depleting his sheep. Her rifle was strapped to her back, a heavily penciled map in her pack, and enough bottles of fresh water to keep her on the road for a while before she would have to refill.

Lucy stood beside her with clear eyes but dried tear tracks on her face.

“You sure about this?” Lucy asked, even though every line of Lynn’s body ached with her need to go home.

“You know I am,” Lynn answered, giving Lucy a hug. “And don’t be so sad-faced about it. Dan planned a route for me that goes south before east. He said it’ll keep me as low as possible, so no worries on the nosebleeds.” She swung up into the saddle and cleared her throat. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m ready to go, but leaving you is tearing a Lucy-shaped hole in my heart. Don’t think anybody else can ever fill it.”

“I know it,” Lucy said, her hand reaching up for Lynn’s. “But I’ll be all right here. Stebbs and Vera need to know we made it. You tell…” Lucy swallowed hard, having promised herself she was done crying. “You tell my grandma I love her, and that I’m happy.”

Lynn sighed. “This caring about people is for the birds. ’Specially when they gotta live so far apart from each other.”

Lucy swiped at her eyes. “What do you want me to tell Fletcher, should he show up?”

Lynn shrugged. “He knows where Ohio is.”

“The way he was making eyes at you on the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if he accidentally crosses your path before you get there.”

“My luck I’ll find his wife instead.”

Lucy smiled, shaking her head. “You’re a hell of a woman, Lynn.”

Lynn reached down to touch the crown of her bright-yellow head. “You’re a hell of woman too, Lucy.”

She kicked her horse and was gone, a trail of dust marking the beginning of a long path she was willing to travel again, if her pond lay at the end. And the sun rose higher, warming Lucy’s face and reflecting off the ocean into a million points of light.