Where The Four Winds Collide

by Hildie McQueen

  Jackson climbed back on his horse and whistled for the dogs. "Come on, boys; let's get these doggies out to greener pastures."

  The cattle's mooing and the familiar yelps from the dogs blended into a familiar song, and Jackson urged his steed forward. The herd began its short trek over a hill to grazing land. Several lazy animals stalled and began to graze; Jackson slapped them on the rump with his rope and got them moving again.

  A patch of dark clouds slid across the sky, if it brought with it a light shower, the land would welcome it with greed. An explosion of thunder not only grabbed Jackson's attention, but it startled the herd.

  "Damn it." Jackson went after several of the herd straying from where he guided them. The dogs, sensing the anxiousness of the cattle, began to run in circles, barking and nipping at the animals to bring them under control.

  From behind him, a loud yowl sounded and Jackson swung his horse around. Something had gone terribly wrong.

  Chapter Eight

  Housework kept Adeline busy that day. Although Jackson was a tidy man, there were still many things that he'd missed. Dust abounded on surfaces and spider webs flourished in most corners. Outside the kitchen door, she shook a rug and tossed it over the porch bannister before stopping to take in the scene before her. The land surrounding Jackson's cabin was beautiful; the expanse of pastures along with low rolling hills made for a beautiful view from the porch. To the side of the cabin, just a short distance away, there was a small pond surrounded by trees. It beckoned her to come for a swim or have a picnic on the soft grass.

  She'd awakened to find herself in Jackson's bed. The sun already high in the sky, she realized she'd slept in longer than was her custom. Alarmed at the thought that perhaps he'd slept in the bed with her, Adeline shot up and went over to check the pallet. It was mussed and unmade; it became clear that he'd slept there after he'd moved her to the bed.

  How much of her dream had been real?

  After the way he'd taken care of her the night before, Adeline didn't know what to think of the man she was married to. All her life, she'd been expected to serve and was instantly banished from any room her father was in. She was treated like more of a possession than a true person.

  The current situation was so very different.

  Unsure of the lightness in her chest, she wasn't sure how she felt about the way the Pruitts treated her, being valued and made to feel special was completely foreign to her. Even the way Jackson watched her the night before had shown her his genuine care. Adeline had to admit it; she would love to live this way, if only it was possible. But she knew such a good life was not in her future.

  In the distance, Adeline noticed a horse-drawn cart headed toward the cabin at a steady clip. The petite brunette driver waved to Adeline as she pulled up in the yard.

  Adeline smoothed her apron and tucked a few stray locks of hair back into place, not sure how she'd introduce herself.

  The woman climbed down and retrieved a basket and a well-sized pumpkin from the cart. The brightness of her smile reassured Adeline enough that she returned the gesture.

  "Hello, I'm Peggy Ann." She was breathless upon reaching the porch, and she handed the basket to Adeline. Before Adeline could introduce herself, Peggy Ann put the pumpkin down and hugged her tight. "Lucas told me to give you a couple of days before I came to introduce myself, but I'm too excited about Jackson getting married to wait," she rolled her large brown eyes and bent to pick up the pumpkin. "Can you believe I grew this myself?" She held it out to Adeline.

  "It's big, "Adeline told her. She tried to take the proffered fruit while holding the basket, only for Peggy Ann to grab it back.

  "Oh goodness, I'm so rude. I'll carry it inside for you," Peggy Ann laughed, and Adeline giggled. Peggy Ann followed her inside and into the kitchen. "This house is nice isn't it? Heath and Jack built it all by themselves. "

  Adeline placed the basket on the table and peeked inside. "You shouldn't have brought all... this."

  "It's pumpkin bread," Peggy Ann told her cheerfully. "Oh, and some peas and tomatoes. My garden is bursting; I'm so proud of it."

  They sat at the table, and Adeline poured her visitor a cup of coffee. She immediately took to the spunky lady and was glad to have someone to talk to. Peggy Ann had a way about her that immediately made her comfortable.

  "Are you beginning to get settled in?" Peggy Ann asked.

  Adeline shrugged. "The house is quite nice, much nicer than where I lived in Virginia. I'm still trying to get my bearings; I'm not even sure where exactly this house is compared to town. Is it far?"

  "It's a two- or three-hour ride due west to Four Winds," Peggy Ann told her. "We can go there later this week, if you like. Jack and Lucas are going to be pretty busy getting ready to go on the cattle drive and all."

  "Cattle drive?" Adeline was taken aback at the statement. "When?"

  "Oh goodness," Peggy Ann covered her mouth with both hands. "You and Jackson probably haven't had time to talk about anything, and here I am spouting about like this. I better let him tell you all about it."

  Although disappointed that Peggy Ann did not expound on the subject, Adeline changed the topic. "What can you tell me about my... husband?"

  Peggy Ann placed her hands over her heart and pretended to swoon. "My sister and I grew up here in Four Winds. We both had the biggest crush on him. But he's always been such a serious fellow, kept to himself. He practically raised Heath after their parents were gone."

  Adeline didn't interrupt, but poured more coffee and listened.

  "He's the most honorable man I've ever known. Even Lucas says he admires Jackson so much."

  "He has been quite kind to me in the few hours I've known him," Adeline admitted in a soft voice.

  "You can expect nothing but good things from Jackson," Peggy Ann told her. "He is a good, hard-working, and honest person. Not only did he raise Heath, but also grew this ranch and kept it running all by himself. He was only a boy when Jack Pruitt left, barely fifteen if a day. Towns folks rallied around them to help out, but after a few months, Jackson insisted on taking care of the land and his brother by himself."

  "What an amazing story," Adeline leaned forward. "Why did his father leave?"

  Peggy Ann shook her head sadly. "No one knows for sure. One day he rode toward town and never returned. Men formed search parties to hunt for him, but when they discovered he'd left a large amount of money at the bank for his sons, they figured out he'd left of his own free will."

  "So he used the money to make ends meet then?" Adeline asked.

  "No, according to Mrs. Busby, who knows everything about the goings on in town. Every single cent is still there."

  They continued talking for a few minutes until Peggy Ann got up with obvious reluctance. She hugged Adeline again. "I'm so excited to have you nearby, Adeline." Her lips curved into a wide smile. "Lucas and Jackson are good friends, so when Jackson married, I was hopeful I'd like his wife, and I like you already."

  Adeline nodded mutely, blinking away tears. Now she really wanted the picture-perfect life she'd woken up to.

  Later that day when the sun began its descent on the horizon, a myriad of colors painted a beautiful scene across the sky. At the water pump outside the kitchen door, Adeline stopped to admire the view after she filled the water pail for what seemed like the hundredth time. She caught sight of Jackson riding toward the house with a dog trotting alongside. The other dog lay across the saddle in front of him. Jackson didn't seem to see her. Shoulders hunched over the saddle, he turned the horse away from the house toward the stables.

  She realized something was amiss, and Adeline began to walk toward the stables to see what happened.

  A distance away to ensure he didn't see her, she stood behind a tree and watched as Jackson pulled the horse up to the stables, dismounted, and gently took the large dog in his arms. He'd barely taken two steps toward the building when the dog went completely limp.

  "Oh, no," Jackson called out and his
legs gave out from under him and he fell to his knees.

  Buck, the other collie, inched closer but remained at a distance, as if he, too, was afraid to accept what was happening.

  Jackson lifted the dog's body, and he buried his face into the animal's side. The man's entire body shook as sobs racked through him, and he held the dog's limp body tighter. Buck whined and Jackson screamed at him. "Go home -- go on, get out of here!"

  Buck did not obey. Instead he inched even nearer, his eyes locked on the dead dog and his master. Adeline's chest constricted as he motioned the dog to come closer. "Come on, boy. He was your friend, too. I'm sorry."

  The threesome remained on the ground for a long time, until finally Jackson got to his feet. "Come on, Buck. Let's lay Butch to rest over by his favorite sunny spot under the oak tree behind the house."

  Adeline waited until they walked away and quietly made her way back to the house.

  When Jackson stepped through the doorway, the room became smaller, his presence filing the space. "Hello, Adeline, how are you?" His deep voice fell over her like a warm blanket. She began serving steaming stew into a bowl while he went to the washbasin and splashed water on his face, hands, and forearms.

  Once he sat, she placed the food on the table and poured him some lemonade she'd made from lemons Peggy Ann had brought over earlier. She also fixed a bowl of stew and placed it on the floor for the dog lying next to Jackson's feet, his eyes glued to his master.

  While they ate, he told her of what happened at the Wilsons' farm. He'd speak and pause allowing her time to give an opinion. Their conversation flowed through dinner with only a moment's awkward silence when he told her about Buck and Butch rushing toward the penned animals at Wilson's farm. Adeline kept the conversation going afterwards. He even chuckled once when she told him he should have gotten more than one punch in when Heath distracted them with the gunshot.

  From a distance, she'd watched him mourn the loss of his dog and had wanted to go to him to offer comfort, but she didn't know him well enough. Not wanting to intrude, she wasn't sure if he'd want her to see him at such a private and emotional moment, so she'd hesitated. How different Jackson was from the men she'd known in Virginia. Her father would shoot a farm dog without a second thought at the first sign of an ailment.

  Unlike her father, a man like Jackson would not have stood stoned-faced during her mother's viewing and funeral, ignoring Adeline's cries of grief. In the days following her mother's funeral, if she cried, her father ordered the maid to remove her from his presence and forced her to stay in her bedroom "until she calmed".

  Adeline snapped back to the present when she became aware of her husband's attention. Jackson watched her with warmth in his gaze, which made her squirm in her seat. "Would you like more?" she asked, not sure what else to say.

  "No, thank you." He stood and carried his bowl and spoon to the sink. Adeline rushed over and took them from him.

  "I'll wash these while you take your bath," she told him. She quickly stepped back from him when she realized how close they stood. One side of his mouth curved up, reminding her of Heath. He didn't move. Instead, while she washed the dishes, he dried them and placed them in the cupboard. After all the dishes were done, he picked up a pail to fetch water for his bath.

  "I've already fetched water," Adeline told him, blushing at his wide smile. "I filled the tub with hot water... er, well, it may be tepid by now, but there's more heating over the fire."

  "Thank you, Adeline," he sighed and went to the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open, probably out of habit. He was used to living alone, after all. Yet as she sat and mended one of his shirts with a large rip in it, her eyes kept straying to the crack in the doorway at the sound of water splashing.

  With his bathing complete, he reappeared, shirtless, and made several trips to empty the dirty bath water, refusing her help. Not that she would have been much help. Her attention was held captive by his muscular chest and back as he paced back and forth.

  Jackson went into his room to prepare for bed, and Adeline waited a few minutes before going in. She hesitated at the doorway when she saw him. Shoulders rounded, he stood before the fireplace, his right hand resting on the small mantel while he stared into the flames.

  Not able to stand by when Jackson was in such obvious pain, Adeline went to him and placed her hand in the middle of his back. "I'm sorry about your dog," she whispered. "I saw you bury him." Her tears welled at the pain reflected in his eyes when they met hers. Without speaking, he put his arms around her and held her close resting his cheek on top of her head.

  Unfamiliar sensations assailed her. The tautness of his build against her was like a fortress, a security shield like she'd never known before. Jackson relaxed against her, his face against her hair. "I had Butch for twelve years. I should have left him behind today, but he hated being left. The cattle trampled him when lightning spooked them and he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way."

  "It was his life -- what he was born to do. Of course, he hated not doing what he loved."

  Jackson must have nodded because she felt his jaw touch her temple. At once, they both realized their closeness and the moment changed from one of comfort to something different. His muscles tensed, and Adeline attempted to take a step away, but his arms did not loosen. Instead he bent to kiss her.

  The softness of his lips when they pressed against hers caught Adeline by surprise. The tenderness of how he moved his mouth over hers with painstaking slowness drew her in, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. His mouth continued to explore hers, and his tongue pushed past her lips when she parted them in an invitation requiring no explanation.

  With one hand holding the back of her head and the other one caressing her cheek, he held her in place while he continued his exploration. Yet he never pushed her too far. Adeline fought the overwhelming urge to run her arms around his broad shoulders and rake her fingers through his hair. For the first time in her life, Adeline wished for time to stand still, for his lips never to leave hers, for his body to remain close. If only the effects of his attentions could be everlasting.

  His breathing was now rapid, and his heart pounded against her breast. Then Jackson abruptly pulled away from her, and Adeline gasped from the shock of his quick withdrawal. Wide-eyed, she could only stare up into his eyes.

  "Please sleep in the bed, Adeline," Jackson must have misread her reaction, thinking her a scared virgin. The movement of his chest expanding with each rapid breath mesmerized her. "I won't push you to more than you're ready for, I promise."

  The ability to speak abandoned her, so all Adeline could do was nod. It wasn't him she was worried about. A few moments ago, she wouldn't have stopped him from moving things further -- not if her life had depended on it. His touch was too much like a soothing balm to stop him. Oh God, what if he touched her again? Could she make him stop? Yet she had to stop anything from happening between them. She couldn't let him make love to her, but how could she resist him in the same bed?

  He remained shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose pants. His muscles bunched when he placed a couple of large pieces of wood on the fire. He lay on the bed and turned toward the wall to give her privacy. Adeline undressed with haste and jerked her nightgown over her head.

  She slid under the blankets while Jackson lay on top of them. With the blankets up to her chin, Adeline lay stiffly on her back, not daring to move. Jackson turned to her and propped his head on his arm and smiled at her. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen and being this close would never work. She was about to tell him she preferred he slept on the pallet when he spoke.

  "Good night, Adeline." He bent and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips then rolled over and blew out the lantern.

  She blinked in the darkness, not sure what to think.

  He didn't try anything.

  He really was going to give her time to get to know him. From what he demonstrated so far, he was exactly as Peggy Ann described him. Jackson was a
n honorable man. A good man.

  And he'd never be hers.

  Chapter Nine

  Peggy Ann arrived around noon the next day, and Adeline waved at her from the porch. The petite woman's eyes twinkled at seeing a pitcher of lemonade waiting on a small table between two rockers.

  Although the fall colors were apparent on the leaves, the sun still kept the days warm enough to spend time outside.

  "I am downright thirsty seeing that," Peggy Ann exclaimed, reaching for the cup Adeline offered her. She gulped it down and put the glass on the table. "Come on now, Adeline, we have lots to do -- no time to sit and dawdle."

  Adeline smiled, nodding in agreement.

  The women walked around to the rear of the cabin, where Jackson had planted a small garden. The day before, Adeline had admitted to Peggy Ann that since they had hired help at her family's ranch in Virginia, she didn't know the first thing about gardening. Peggy Ann began explaining to Adeline how to pick the different items and can them or pickle them so they'd last out the winter. They worked together for a couple of hours, digging root vegetables out and lugging basketfuls to a bench under a roof overhang attached to the back of the house.

  "You do know how to cook, don't you?" Peggy Ann pulled a carrot from the ground.

  "Oh yes," Adeline replied, "the woman who worked at my home taught me how to cook and sew."

  Peggy Ann frowned. "Not your mother?"

  "My mother died when I was too young to learn those things."

  "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry." Her friend's eyes misted. "Just like Jackson, you, too, lost a parent at a young age."

  Adeline snapped a green bean off the plant and placed it in the basket they'd found behind the cabin. "I suppose you're right, we do have that in common."

  "You're a pretty girl, Adeline. Why didn't you get married at home?" Peggy Ann asked, studying her closely.

  Adeline bit her lip in thought before speaking. "My father is an angry man who keeps people at a distance. He can be very intimidating, especially when he drinks, which didn't help matters when it came to anyone who considered courting me." She hesitated, thankful when Peggy Ann spoke again interrupting her.