The Lumberjack's Bride

by Jean Kincaid

  Julianne’s mouth went dry, and her head began to swim. Then a quick and disturbing thought shook her to the core. What if the snake bit Caleb? The thought tore at her insides. Her heart contracted.

  The snake’s coils slithered around on the floor. Its tail whirred a warning, and its head came up to strike. Only this time, Caleb was its target.

  Julianne jerked the tied corners of the sheet that held Jonathan from around her neck. She quickly laid the screaming baby on the kitchen table and turned to see what Caleb and the snake were doing.

  The snake’s head waved in the air.

  “Don’t move.” Caleb instructed.

  Movement had caused the snake to turn on Caleb and movement would distract it from Caleb, too. Julianne prayed she was right. She grabbed the chair behind her and shoved it across the floor toward the snake.

  The snake turned and struck at the chair.

  Caleb drove the pitchfork through the creature’s head.

  Julianne gasped.

  The snake’s body twitched on the kitchen floor. Julianne felt Caleb’s gaze skim over her.

  “Are you and Jonathan okay?”

  Suddenly no sound would come from her throat. She nodded.

  Tears tumbled down her face. She ran to Caleb and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “There, there.” He enveloped her in his arms and rubbed her back. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything hurt you, Julianne.”

  She sobbed into his chest and held on to him. Safety. That’s what she craved. And with Caleb’s strong arms around her, Julianne felt more secure than she’d ever felt in her life.

  Her tears were ruining his shirt, but she couldn’t stop their flow. She tightened her grip around him. If only she could stay here forever. If only all her fears could be dispensed with as easily as the snake he’d just killed.

  Jonathan’s protests at being left alone intensified. Julianne sighed. She had to care for the baby, but oh, how she longed to stay right where she was.

  She moved to pull from his arms. “The baby needs me,” she offered, when he didn’t release her.

  “The baby is safe.” He paused then added, “I need you, too.”

  She felt him rest his chin on her head. A deep sigh eased from his lungs. Had he held his breath the whole time he faced down the snake? Julianne felt sure he

  had.

  His body trembled around her. Julianne inched her hands up his back and rubbed his shoulders, and for the first time, they took comfort from each other.

  Jonathan seemed to realize the danger was over and quieted. He’d cried so hard he had the snubs.

  Julianne relaxed in the safety and warmth of Caleb’s arms. She replayed the last few minutes through her mind and shuddered. What if Caleb hadn’t been home? Or God forbid, if the snake had bitten him, what would she have done without him?

  He slowly released her. “I’ll get the snake out of here, and then we’ll head to the stream. I could use the fresh air.”

  She watched him move to the snake and pull the pitchfork out of its head. Nausea rose in her throat. Julianne forced herself to really look at the snake now that it no longer moved.

  From the tip of its nose to its tail it was almost four feet long Julianne guessed. It was tan with dark brown zigzags marking its length. The head was a diamond shape, and her stomach turned at the memory of the evil in its yellow eyes.

  Julianne stored the information away for future use. Caleb carried the snake outside. She hurried to the table. It was her job to protect the baby, and for the second time in two days she’d almost let him come to harm. She silently prayed and asked the Lord to help her be a better mother to her adopted son.

  Her gaze moved to the basket that the clothes and snake had been in. She slipped the sheet containing Jonathan back over her head and took a deep breath. Still, her feet refused to move toward the discarded items.

  Caleb stood in the doorway. “Let me get that for you.”

  She watched him flip over the basket and pick up each individual piece of clothing and place it inside.

  “I don’t think there are any more snakes.” He lifted the basket and turned toward her.

  Julianne stared at him. Caleb Hanson, her husband, had saved her from the snake. He hadn’t been worried about his own safety.

  Wonder filled her. He had put her needs above his. No man had ever done that for her. Her insides quivered with the knowledge that he cared for her.

  “Ready?”

  She saw the concern still expressed in his face. What a ninny she must look like standing here staring at him as if he’d sprouted two horns. Julianne picked up the bag she had prepared earlier for Jonathan and agreed. “Ready.”

  Caleb led the way down to the stream, his footsteps sure and strong.

  With Caleb to protect her, she could enjoy the beauty around her. Little yellow birds sang overhead in the tree branches, and insects fluttered from flower to flower. Julianne took her time and admired the beautiful surroundings.

  In her earlier trip, she had raced through, seeing all kinds of dangerous animals and missing the pink flowers and yellow birds. She sighed and inhaled the sweet fragrance of the flowers. Caleb set the basket beside the stream and sorted the clothes. She watched him sink to the bank and begin washing one of her dresses. Julianne hurried and knelt by his side.

  “I’ll do this.” She removed the blue calico from his hands.

  She dunked the material into the water expecting Caleb to walk off and occupy his time elsewhere. He didn’t move and a splashing sound met her ears just before water droplets landed on her arms. This time he vigorously washed one of his shirts. She sat back on her heels.

  “Caleb, you don’t have to help me.”

  He continued to scrub and Julianne frowned. Men didn’t scrub clothes. So what was he doing?

  Caleb rinsed the soap out of the red shirt and stood to hang it on a nearby bush. Julianne admired his easy movements as he knelt beside her again. Did he think that because she had been afraid of the snake that she couldn’t do the wash?

  “Really, Caleb,” she huffed. “I am capable of doing the laundry.” She bent back to the task of rubbing the soil from the dress.

  She heard, more than saw, him sit back. “Julianne.” His voice held steel even though he called her name softly.

  “What?” Julianne didn’t look up.

  He pulled on the sheet that held Jonathan to her. “Julianne, look at me.”

  She did as he said with reluctance. “What, Caleb? I don’t have time for games. I have to finish the wash, cook two meals and get a bath today.” Julianne dared him to deny what she said.

  A warm smile caught her off guard. “I know you have to do those things, and I’m going to help you.” He reached up and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear.

  “Why? Don’t you have something else to do?” She hated the way her voice came out in a whisper. Caleb would think she was weak and unable to take care of the chores.

  Laughter filled the air around them. “Nope, I’m here to protect my family and to be a helpmeet to my beautiful wife.”

  Julianne stared at him. He thought she was beautiful? The man had to be half blind. Her hair fell from the neat bun she’d created this morning, she knew her skin was freckled from being out in the sun without a bonnet, and her dress was wet and muddy at the knees. And besides, wasn’t it her job to be the helpmeet to him? He puzzled her, this man she’d married. But he also drew her in ways she couldn’t deny. Julianne ducked her head, sure he was teasing her.

  The more she was around Caleb the more Julianne knew she was falling in love with this gentle man who was her husband. Her husband.

  He startled Julianne by cupping her lowered chin in his strong, callused hand and gently raising her head. Her confused gaze met his warm eyes. She could hardly believe that was truly attraction she saw, and heard in his voice, as he announced, “Julianne, God brought us together to help each other. I’m glad He did.”

  Julianne
was glad, too. Caleb began to talk. As they scrubbed clothes together by the water’s edge he told her of his dreams of owning an apple orchard.

  “But where would you put an apple orchard? The only cleared space is around the cabin and the garden.”

  “I’ll keep cutting timber as I get time. I want to build more onto the house behind the rooms we have now. That’s why I left the roof so high on the back. It will take me several years to clear the acreage but I’m young and strong, and by the time I get the trees removed I’ll have the money to buy the seedlings.”

  “Won’t you need help? I mean, I can help out a lot, but I’m not sure I know how to cut down trees.” She looked at him anxiously. “I love to plant, though, so I can help when you are ready to do that.”

  “I’m thinking of asking the boss if he’d like to cut the timber off my property. He can bring the men and they will have several acres cleared in a week. He can keep the money from the sale of the wood.”

  The excitement in his voice as he described the trees and different kinds of apples he would sell was contagious. Julianne began thinking she and Caleb would make a great team.

  How could she help him make his dream come true?

  “I want to help so much. It makes me happy to see you so happy.”

  They had finished the washing and spread the clothes out on the bushes to dry. Julianne sat down on the log she and the Indian woman had shared. Caleb sat beside her and took her hand. “You know what makes me happier than my plans for an orchard?”

  She looked him in the eyes and saw the seriousness of his gaze. Her whole being seemed to be filled with waiting. Her voice came out in a weak and tremulous whisper. “What?”

  “Having you to talk to, to share my plans with.”

  “But that’s not helping.”

  He reached out, turning her to face him. “Let me assure you, you have already helped tremendously.” She shook her head and he grasped her chin and his left eyebrow raised a fraction. “I’m not funning at all. Do you know how long it takes me in the evening to fix a meal, to keep the clothes washed and the house cleaned?” He gave an impatient shrug. “You have it all done when I get home. The firewood has been carried in, the water. My meal is ready and the house is clean.” His hand pushed a damp curl off her cheek, lingering a moment on her neck.

  He leaned back on the log propping himself with his hands behind him. “The loneliness was hardest to bear.”

  “But you had Maggie and the men from the sawmill. Didn’t that help?”

  “Sure, when there was work. But it rains so much here and that stops the work. Sometimes a month at a time. Maggie would go into town and stay with friends and I have nothing in common with the men I work with so I’d stay at the house and try and find something to do. That’s when I started to whittle.”

  Julianne knew about loneliness. “Loneliness comes in different forms.” At his questioning gaze she continued. “I lived in a house full of people and I felt lonely.”

  He questioned her about her family and she told him of her parents’ death and moving in with her aunt and uncle, the four cousins, all under the age of ten, the twins being born five years later than the older girls. She told him of the work she’d done and the raising of the twins.

  “So that’s why you looked like you’d eaten unripe persimmons when Maggie handed you Jonathan on the day of the contest.” Seeing the amusement in his eyes, she laughed.

  “I had no intention of being tied to a baby again.”

  “And now?” There was an arrested expression on his face as he waited for her answer.

  “I could not love him more if I’d given birth to him myself.” Julianne spoke with quiet emphasis. “I cannot imagine my life without him.”

  As their eyes met, she felt a shock run through her. The heartrending tenderness of his gaze wrapped around her like a warm blanket. He felt the same as she did, she could tell, and the idea sent her spirits soaring.

  “And me? Could you imagine life without me?”

  “I don’t want to.” Her heart hammered in her ears. Despite his closed expression, she sensed his vulnerability. “The day only starts when you come home to me in the evening.”

  In one forward motion he wrapped her in his arms. She relaxed, sinking into his embrace. His kiss when it came was slow and thoughtful.

  One tiny, furious wail rent the air, pulling them apart. Caleb laughed. “I knew I couldn’t keep you to myself much longer.” In spite of herself, she chuckled.

  Chapter 10

  Julianne rocked Jonathan to sleep. Caleb would be home soon. Love for him and the baby swelled in her heart. They had settled into a daily routine without any major glitches to speak of. She marveled at the changes the last two weeks had brought into her life.

  Her husband cared for her. He’d shown it in many ways. She loved that Caleb made sure to spend time with her. Every evening they took long walks in the woods and by the river.

  Each morning they shared a warm breakfast before he went to work. She would straighten the cabin and then take the laundry down to the river.

  Her mind swept back over the events of this morning. As soon as Caleb had left for the sawmill, she’d carried the laundry to the river and before she could set the basket down, the Indian woman and her friend had shown up.

  “Hi.” Julianne swallowed nervously. She noticed there didn’t seem as much tension as at their first meeting.

  The woman pointed to Jonathan, then pointed to herself. Julianne thought for a moment before giving her consent. The woman had asked permission this time before holding Jonathan. That showed that she had no evil intent, surely. The brave was there, too, so he could easily demand that Julianne hand over the baby, but instead he waited quietly also. Julianne reached to take Jonathan out of the sling around her neck. She noticed the flicker of relief in the brave’s eyes and the soft smile of happiness on the woman’s face.

  Jonathan began to fret as he was lifted into the other woman’s arms. She snuggled his tiny body close and breathed him in, then settled him at her breast. Julianne felt a moment of envy.

  “Morning. Star.”

  Julianne startled. The man gestured toward the woman. “Her name. Morning Star.”

  “You speak English.” Julianne stumbled in her excitement as she stepped toward them.

  “Little.” He shrugged and a tiny smile tipped up one corner of his mouth. “Name?” When she was slow to comprehend, he pointed at her and repeated, “Name?”

  “Oh. Julianne.” She kept her words to a minimum, copying him.

  “Julie. Anne.” He nodded at his wife and repeated Julianne’s name to her.

  Morning Star dragged her gaze from the baby and looked at Julianne with a smile as bright as the sun. She seemed to look into Julianne’s very soul, then she nodded as if coming to some decision and said, “Friend.” She lifted Jonathan to her shoulder and patted his little back. His head wobbled back and forth till he settled against her.

  The brave wandered slowly upstream leaving the two women alone. Julianne sorted the clothes into two piles, whites and darks. The woman continued to feed Jonathan, paying little attention to Julianne. Julianne wondered what the lady did with her own baby. Did she have so much milk she needed to feed two? And what caused the look of sadness on the faces of both her and her brave? As if she sensed Julianne’s questions she burped the baby and laid him in the sling Julianne had placed in the basket after she’d dumped the clothes on the ground.

  Julianne tied the clothes bag to her leg and stepped into the water. She looked up in surprise when a splash told her Morning Star had entered the creek with her. To her utter amazement Morning Star picked up a wooden tub that Julianne hadn’t noticed before, and dipped it in the stream till it filled. She pointed to Julianne’s leg. Julianne bent to untie the bag, fairly certain that’s what the Indian woman wanted. She couldn’t help the smile pulling at her lips when Morning Star began to shave tiny flecks of soap into the tub of water.

  S
he watched silently as Morning Star took a thick piece of smooth wood and began to joggle the clothes up and down, round and round, till the clothes couldn’t be seen for the soap suds. She handed the stick to Julianne and ran up the bank and returned with a second bucket. She filled it full of water then began to wring out the soapy clothes. She shook out each shirt and tossed it in the clean water.

  Julianne giggled and grabbed the next load of clothes and washed them while Morning Star rinsed. In barely more than an hour all the clothes were drying on bushes and the buckets were emptied and stashed between two logs back off the bank. Julianne placed her hands on her hips and surveyed all they had accomplished. It had taken her most of the day the last time she’d washed the men’s clothing.

  “I can’t believe we accomplished so much in so little time. And they smell wonderful.”

  Morning Star raised her eyebrows in question. She sat on the ground, her legs under her, back straight as a rod. Julianne sat down on the other side of the basket where Jonathan slept.

  “Work. Fast.”

  Morning Star smiled and shook her head. “Friends work. Much better.”

  Julianne leaned back on her hands and lifted her face to the morning sun, which was midway in the sky. Such a beautiful sight to see. Most often it rained or drizzled, but today the bright rays reflected off the water casting an almost blinding light. She felt her spirits rising. She had a friend. Her workload had been much easier today. Surely the Lord was smiling on her.

  Julianne had brought two biscuits with pork, and she held one out to Morning Star. Morning Star opened a pouch around her neck and handed a beef jerky strip and a small square of corn bread to Julianne.

  “Why you…fear…inside?” Morning Star struggled with her words but her question cut to the quick.

  Julianne’s hands shook as she sought for simple words her friend would understand. How did you explain to someone from such a different background that your own flesh and blood might do you harm? Before she could form the words Morning Star continued.

  “You hur, hurreee,” Morning Star stumbled over the new word, “through woods, looking behind and to side, fearful. Then hurreee to do wash and give small time to play. Why? To hide from your man, yes? I no understand.”