The tremble in Mrs. Hollyhock’s voice, the glare in her eyes…If he didn’t think of something—and quick—he would find himself the groom at a shotgun wedding.
Seeing the frightened look on Sarah’s face, Chase dismissed his resolve to keep his distance, and picked her up. “It’s all right, honeybunch, everything is fine,” he said, stroking her hair. Sarah put her fingers into her mouth and laid her head down on his shoulder, never taking her eyes off the imposing little woman.
Gabe had been conspicuously quiet through the whole discussion. Chase figured after the boy’s useful details about Jessie doctoring him up, he might be feeling a little sheepish about facing him. Or maybe he was just waiting for the right moment to drive the last nails into his coffin. If he let slip how he’d spent the night in Jessie’s bedroom, pretending to be Nathan…
“Virgil, ya better head back ta town before dark,” Mrs. Hollyhock said. “I’m stayin’ here ta make sure the snake don’t crawl back to the henhouse while I’m gone, so to speak.” She gave Chase a cold stare.
“And you, Mr. Logan, can just saddle up and head on out.” As she said this, she seemed to be holding her breath.
Here was his chance. He could make thirty miles tonight if he pushed Cody hard. No one would be able to find him if he decided to get lost.
Just go! a part of him urged. But…he’d promised Jessie he wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye.
This was one promise he wasn’t going to break.
“I’m not leaving until I talk with Jessie.” Chase had gone up against countless men in his life. He wasn’t about to let this half-pint female, more wrinkled than last year’s apple, throw him out like yesterday’s slop.
“Iffen your mind’s made up, so be it, but you ain’t wakin’ her tonight. Get your gear and head out to the barn. You can sleep with the other animals, where ya belong.”
Mrs. Hollyhock held out her arms for the little girl. Chase hesitated a moment, then reluctantly handed Sarah to the woman. Instantly, he missed the sweet feel of her, and the tenderness she brought to his heart. His arms felt empty.
Exiting the cabin, Chase glanced at Gabe, who shrugged his shoulders and gave him a bewildered look. But pretend as he may, the boy couldn’t hide the smile that was curving the corners of his mouth.
As soon as the door closed behind Chase, Mrs. Hollyhock took on a whole new demeanor. Her scowl vanished, and she went about humming cheerfully, as if she’d just received an invitation to tea with the queen of England. She sent Virgil off, telling him to rush someone to Clancy in the morning for the preacher.
“Bring him out as soon as you’re able, and don’t let the grass grow under your feet. Be quick about it.”
After Virgil departed, Mrs. Hollyhock set three bowls on the table and dished up the corn soup she’d made shortly after she’d arrived. Thick and creamy, it tasted mighty good on slices of bread. For several minutes, the room was quiet while everyone concentrated on the meal.
Gabe looked into his bowl. He was doing more pushing than eating, and feeling more than a little guilty about the trouble he’d started. “What about Mr. Logan?” he said finally. “Do you want me to take some supper out to him?”
“No, I’ll do that myself,” Mrs. Hollyhock replied. “You get this little gal ready for bed,” she added, nodding at Sarah. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Taking the largest container Jessie had, a blue mixing bowl, she filled it to the brim with soup. She placed the bowl and four thick slices of the bread on an old tray she found behind the cupboard and headed out to the barn.
“Well, Sarah, she sure is a funny old woman,” Gabe said, helping the girl on with her night rail. “One moment she wants to string him up, and the next she’s fussing over him like he’s the town mayor.”
Chase was mending the chin strap of his bridle by rigging the worn leather together with a strip of hide and hoping it would hold together until he could buy a new one. Working with his hands helped him to sort things out. It kept him busy. One more knot and he’d be done. He was past frustration, worry. Anger enveloped him.
He heard Mrs. Hollyhock’s footsteps outside the barn door as she approached. She walked with the same fullskirted shuffle that had so reminded him of a chicken, but now it didn’t seem quite so endearing.
“Mr. Logan, you still here?” she called. “Mr. Logan?”
“Come in.”
“Thankee. I brought you some supper just in case you hadn’t run off with your tail ’tween your legs. Come get it, iffen you’re hungry.”
That stung. She’d expected him to sneak off. Well, she had another think coming.
“Yeah, I’m still here.” He hung the bridle over the pom- mel of his saddle and turned to acknowledge her, annoyance burgeoning inside. “Believe it or not, I’ll be here in the morning, too.” The warm aroma of soup vied for his attention, but his stomach was knotted like an old rawhide rope. Food was the last thing on his mind.
She sat the cloth-covered tray on a dusty milking stool long forgotten in the corner, and wiped her hands on her apron.
He fought the urge to intimidate the old bird, to use his size to extract some of that “I know your kind” from her eyes. Though it was tempting, Chase wasn’t the kind to bully a woman—and a little old one, at that.
“Is that all you wanted, to bring me some supper?”
She took her time to answer. “Like I expressed before, I was a-wantin’ ta see iffen you was still here. What your intentions were. I hope you understand I jist have Jessie’s best interests at heart, since now she don’t have no one ta look after her. And now she has the young’uns, too. I’m hoping you’ll do the honorable thing and marry the girl.” She clasped her hands behind her back and peered up at him. “Her destiny is in your hands,” she finished dramatically.
Chase mentally counted to five, then took a breath. “I intend to sleep in this barn until tomorrow, then talk with Jessie. I told you before, I won’t leave until I do,” he said evenly, barely containing his anger. “I have something that belongs to her.”
Standing her ground, Mrs. Hollyhock did her best to look him straight in the eye. “That so? Well…” She sniffed. “Good. The right thing would be ta marry her, make her yer wife. She needs you.”
She headed for the barn door but stopped with her hand on the wrought-iron handle. “Now, as you ponder on that, try ta get some shut-eye. Tomorrow’s promising to be a busy day.”
She pushed open the squeaky door and was off before he could get another word out.
“I’ll bet it is,” Chase said to himself. He had a sinking sensation tomorrow was going to be a lot more to him than just busy. If he wasn’t careful, it’d be his wedding day, too. Confound it, he wasn’t one to get bullied into anything he didn’t want to do. He should’ve given Jessie the bankroll days ago and been gone. As it was, things were getting pretty involved. He’d do it tomorrow morning and be on his way. She could marry up with the blacksmith, and everything would be fine.
Chase unbuckled the left side of his saddlebag, the one he used only for important papers, money, and such, and reached inside. He rummaged around for a few seconds before several alarm bells went off in his head. Where was the pouch with the money? And locket?
Turning the saddlebag upside down, he dumped its entire contents onto a bale of straw and stared at the odd and ends. The pouch was gone. Nowhere to be seen. When he’d been shot, he’d also been robbed.
Now Jessie really was in dire straits. Without the means to make it though the winter, she’d somehow have to find employment in that tiny town. What would she do with Sarah when she was working? Besides, that was if and only if someone would hire her after they found out she’d been living out here with him. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, and it was all his doing!
Of course he would repay her, but it would take some time to make a withdrawal of that size and get the money wired here. Tarnation! Besides, now all the good she thought of him would fly out the window
when she realized he’d never intended to be kind, to be thoughtful. He’d only come back to return her rightful belongings. And he hadn’t even done that yet!
Chapter Twenty-three
The sun peeked in through Jessie’s bedroom curtains, bringing with it soft, yellow light and the possibilities of a day without the usual clouds and bitter cold wind. Jessie stretched and smiled, rolling over to her side. She pillowed her cheek on her hands.
Thanks to Mrs. Hollyhock’s special brew, she felt much better this morning. She hadn’t slept so well in years. Maybe that was why she was feeling so giddy. Jessie rolled onto her back restless, excited. She couldn’t shake the feeling of anticipation, like something mystical hung in the air, teasing her with hope and happiness.
A light tap sounded, and Mrs. Hollyhock’s raspy voice whispered through the door.
“Dearie, you awake?”
“Yes. Come in.” She sat up in bed and pulled the warm covers up to her chin, not wanting any of the delicious warmth to escape.
“Ah, I’m seein’ you feel much better this mornin’. You look like the cat that ate the cream.”
“I do?” Jessie laughed. “Well, it’s all thanks to you. I can’t remember the last time I awakened feeling so good. Thank you so much, Mrs. Hollyhock.”
“It was nothin’, child. It’s an easy recipe I’ll teach ya before I leave. I used to have some problems with my woman times, but it’s been so long ago I can hardly remember. You know there are some benefits of growing old,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I jist can’t seem to recall any of the others. Now, bundle up and run outside to take care of your necessities, and get back here real quick. We got things that need discussing.”
Jessie didn’t argue. It was nice having someone else take charge. She wondered how Chase was taking this headstrong woman. No use worrying over it, though. Besides, he probably loved her, too.
After using the outhouse, Jessie hurried down to the creek and discreetly went about washing her rags and bundling up the clean ones she’d washed and left to dry the day before. She tucked the clean rags deep in her pocket. Pausing a moment, she turned her face to the sun, letting its warmth caress her skin and warm her.
Yes, it was true; she could feel it in her bones. Today was special. Smiling and humming a tune, she hurried back toward the cabin.
At the barn she paused. She could see a ray of light streaming from the dark interior. Was Chase in there? She hadn’t seen him since yesterday. And with a start, she realized she missed him. The attachment she felt toward him amazed her, especially considering how short a time she’d known him. She shook her head. Did she dare go in and say good morning?
No, better not. Mrs. Hollyhock had something she wanted to talk about. Turning back to the cabin, she hurried on her way.
In her bedroom, Jessie pondered what Mrs. Hollyhock was being so secretive about. The woman had fed Sarah and Gabe, then sent them out to collect firewood, telling Gabe to take some time before they were done. Whatever she had up her sleeve, it must be something important.
Mrs. Hollyhock handed Jessie a cup of tea and seated herself in the chair by the window. The sight of her there reminded Jessie of her time nursing Chase, which made her feel slightly breathless. After the danger of his dying had passed, those days had been the happiest of her life.
“What do you want to talk about that’s such a secret?” Jessie asked, smiling.
“Jessie,” Mrs. Hollyhock began. She’d switched to her don’t-argue-with-me, I’m-in-charge voice, alerting Jessie to the seriousness of the topic. “I know Mr. Logan has been staying here for quite some time, and that you nursed him back to health after he was shot.”
Jessie sat up straight. Slowly, she nodded. “Yes, that’s true.” She wasn’t sure what direction this conversation was headed. In the relatively short time she’d known Mrs. Hollyhock, the old woman had wormed her way into Jessie’s heart. She was the only grandmother she’d ever had.
“You know I’m only thinking of you when I say iffen this gets out—that he’s stayed here with you with Nathan gone and without no other chaperone—you will be ruint for sure.” Pausing, Mrs. Hollyhock took a sip of her tea. Placing her teacup delicately back into her saucer, she waited for Jessie’s response.
Jessie sat speechless on the edge of her bed.
“Virgil will be here this mornin’ with the preacher from Clancy,” Mrs. Hollyhock went on. “You and Mr. Logan will be getting hitched.”
“What!” Jessie sprang to her feet. Even her wildest imaginings hadn’t prepared her for what Mrs. Hollyhock had to say. “You can’t be serious! Is this some sort of joke you’re playing on me?”
Mrs. Hollyhock stood up in a puff of mothballs and mint. Fussing with Jessie, she attempted to compose her. “Calm down, child, you’ll make yourself sick again. After you think on it, you’ll see it’s for the best.”
Jessie’s worst fears were being realized. Somehow Mrs. Hollyhock had found out about Chase and would force her to trap him into marriage.
She just couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t. Not after all he’d done for her. He’d come back to help her out of the goodness of his heart. All the time he’d spent trying to guarantee her and the children’s safety. He’d almost been killed because of them. He could’ve washed his hands of the burden his friend’s wife presented him, and rightly so. But he hadn’t. And this is how she would repay him—saddling him to a wife and family he didn’t want. Well, she wouldn’t do it! Besides, she’d already asked him to stay, and he’d made his feelings about that perfectly clear. No, he didn’t want her.
But…having Chase to lean on and love…
“I won’t!” she cried, her voice breaking. “You can’t make me. I’m a grown woman, and you can’t force me to marry him.” Jessie’s voice grew louder until she was practically shouting.
But…Chase my husband, father to my children…
“It was completely innocent, nothing happened.” Even as she said it, Jessie’s face heated. Unable to look Mrs. Hollyhock in the eyes, Jessie turned away.
“Even if I believed it, which I don’t, nobody in town would. You’d be branded a loose woman, and soon all the no-accounts would be out here hounding you night and day. What kind of a life would that be? Most likely the district judge would come and take the children away from here, too.”
“I’ll move away to where nobody knows me. Start fresh!” Jessie pleaded.
“Think, child. Can you be moving around with children to feed? Do you have money for that? No place to stay, no man to look out for ya? It’s a hard world. You and the boy might make it, but the little one, she don’t stand a chance.”
Jessie’s hopes were slipping away. It was true what the older woman said about Sarah—how could she have forgot- ten about her and Gabe? Well, there had to be a way. Surely Mrs. Hollyhock wouldn’t force her into a marriage if she thought she didn’t care for Chase.
“I don’t even like him. He’s a big bully, and”—she thought about Molly—“he probably already has a wife somewhere waiting for him to come home. Mrs. Hollyhock, please,” Jessie sobbed. “Don’t make me do this. I’ll do anything else. Anything. I don’t want to marry him.”
Mrs. Hollyhock studied Jessie as the girl beseeched her. Her face remained stern, but her eyes sparkled with a knowing glint.
“Well, my sweetie”—Mrs. Hollyhock put her arm gently around her shoulder—“I jist don’t believe what ya say about not likin’ him. I can see it in your eyes every time I mention his name. But it’s really your choice. Wed Mr. Logan and keep the children. Or start over, alone. The townspeople won’t let you keep the girl. Don’t you think she’d be branded for the rest of her life for the decision you’re making right now? The boy is old enough to go his own way, make decisions for hisself.”
Color drained from Jessie’s face as the old woman’s words sank in. She was trapped! One way she betrayed Chase, and the other she would lose Sarah. It felt as if her heart were being torn in two.
Untangling Jessie’s fingers, Chase peeled them from around his waist. He tried to ignore how good it felt to have her snuggled up to him. The next few minutes could change the direction of not only his life, but also Jessie’s and the children’s. He had to think with his head and not his heart.
Stepping around Jessie, Chase stared down into Mrs. Hollyhock’s wrinkled face. He’d almost swear the woman was enjoying herself. But did that make sense? If she loved Jessie as much as she claimed, she wouldn’t force her to marry someone she didn’t even like…would she?
“I’d like to talk with Jessie. Alone.” Chase drew up as tall as he could, embarrassed by his desire to intimidate this pintsized slip of calico with nerves of steel. “Go outside with the young’uns. I don’t want you listening through the door.”
Like a banty rooster, she drew up too, making her all but eye level with his waist. He would have laughed, but truly, she was proving to be a formidable adversary.
“All rightie, Mr. Logan, but don’t you try nothin’. Jist remember, I’m right outside. If I hear anything that sounds as if you’re mistreating Jessie, I’ll be back, packing my shotgun.”
She said it as if she really believed she could thrash him. The woman was unbelievable.
Unsteadily, Jessie followed Chase back into the bedroom. He closed the door.
The silence stretched between them.
Jessie stepped over to the bed and pulled up the covers. She patted and fluffed until Chase cleared his throat.
“I’ve been circling this thing for hours. All night, in fact,” Chase said with a sigh.
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