Free Bright Morning Star by J. R. Biery

goodness you’re back with us. Yesterday was a nightmare.” Mother Wimberley stepped up and finished frying cakes and serving, scolding Bonnie to sit down and take it easy. The men were soon yoking oxen and saddling horses for the boys to take down to the stream for water.
    Claire came down from her wagon when the area was clear, stood in her gown and wrapper and whined. Bonnie was back, washing the dirty dishes and doing the cleanup as she was supposed to do. Claire watched while her mother walked over to fuss over Bonnie again.
    Mother turned and looked her way, “The men will be moving the wagons out in a few minutes, hurry darling, get dressed.”
    Claire shook her head, her untamed curls like a soft yellow cloud around her head. “No, I can’t do this today. My feet and legs are killing me,” she looked past her mother to where Bonnie hummed and worked.
    Whispering, she continued to complain, but leaned closer to her mother. “Why can’t we just take one day and rest? I’m not tough like some people, I wasn’t built for walking along like a cow day in and day out.”
    Bonnie’s eyes flashed, or Claire would have thought she hadn’t heard her. Instead of yelling at her, the tall woman finished the last plate and quickly turned to preparing the food for their lunch. Claire watched, already wanting to eat again, as Bonnie rolled pieces of cooked venison inside hoecakes. She stacked them all inside one metal plate and secured another overtop of it. She made a second package as Claire hobbled up to the cold fire pit.
    In all the years they had been friends, Bonnie had only seen the girl this worked up once before. It was when Tarn Michaels turned all of his attention onto Bonnie.
    “Can I see your big bite?” Claire demanded.
    Bonnie stared at her, wondered why Claire was complaining about her. She turned so the swollen, red, muddy spot on her neck was visible.
    “Oh. My goodness. Does it feel better, do you feel okay? The way everyone and your toy soldier were fussing over you, I expected it to be bigger.”
    Bonnie loaded the prepared food, stood the coffee pot in the corner and wedged everything in place with the bag of fruit. Finally, she turned and answered the angry girl.
    “He’s not my soldier, and he’s certainly not a toy. He escorted us back for our safety. Why, don’t you like Lieutenant Douglas?”
    Claire considered her next words carefully. She wanted to just blurt it out. ‘He made me feel invisible.’ Instead, she said, “He wouldn’t look at me, couldn’t see me. He was so wrapped up in paying attention to you that he never even spoke to me at dinner.”
    Bonnie laughed and reached out to point at Claire’s open robe and bring her finger up to thump the tiny chin and give it a tweak. “You dear, are a little too visible.”
    Claire heard the men, saw Bella holding Barney’s little hand as she walked him back from the bushes. Claire wondered if Bella had heard the two friends quarreling. No, it wasn’t a quarrel when one friend just kept smiling like a bear in honey while the other went on scolding and complaining.
    In horror, she saw Henry and the twins staring and grinning. ‘Getting an eyeful,’ as Bonnie would say. Embarrassed, Claire tried to run back to the wagons, but her legs and feet refused to cooperate. The most she could manage was an ungraceful waddle.
     
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    Claire watched as Bonnie walked alongside the wagon and Mr. Wimberley and the twins led the first team out of the circle. Claire fumbled around inside getting dressed.
    “Don’t worry goose, no need to be jealous. I told him I’m married and not interested. Today you just take it easy. This dumb ox is back on duty,” Bonnie called.
    Dressed except for her shoes, Claire climbed out onto the bench to apologize to her friend, her best friend in the world save for Lynne. What had gotten into her? She hadn’t meant to be cruel, but she had been.
    Finally, she managed to get the shoe onto her sore foot,