On Tall Pine Lake

by Dorothy Garlock

Simon made no movement and remained silent. He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You’re a cool customer, Wright,” Russ remarked.

  “And you’re a fool if you think you can get away with this.”

  “And who’s going to stop me?”

  A voice came from the doorway. “You made a pretty good call when you said this wily old con would come out sooner or later.”

  A look of surprise came over Russ’s face when he heard Jack’s voice. His eyes darted from side to side as he tried to size up the situation. He kept the gun pointed steadily at Simon’s chest.

  “Put it down, Russ,” Jack prodded. “There’s no point in getting hurt.”

  “I ain’t thinking about hurting the bastard. I’m thinking about killing him.”

  “It’s you I was thinking about,” Jack said softly. “I’ve got this gun pointed right at your spine.”

  For the briefest of moments, Simon actually thought that Russ would take his advice. Instead, he whirled around and tried to squeeze off a shot at Jack. However, before he could shoot, the cabin was filled with the thunderous blast from Jack’s gun. The bullet caught Russ in his side, and his own gun flew out of his hand and clattered to the wooden floor. The handyman sank to his knees, his free hand trying to staunch the flow of blood from his side.

  “Goddammit, you son of a bitch!”

  “You’re not quite as smart as you thought you were,” Simon said.

  “Why didn’t he shoot you when he first came in?” Jack asked.

  Shaking his head, Simon answered, “He’s after the money like I told you he was. If he could have disarmed you, he would have killed both of us and maybe Nona and Maggie, too.”

  Russ lay groaning on the floor.

  “Shut up your moaning. You got better than what you gave Ernie,” Simon said.

  “Maybe I’m not through yet, Simon. I could still mash his face in with the butt of this gun,” Jack threatened softly in his Oklahoma drawl.

  “He’s an old man, Jack. Would you do that to an old man?” Simon looked contemptuously at the man on the floor.

  “Damn right I would. I learned a long time ago that a rattlesnake is more poisonous the older he gets.”

  “I don’t know about a rattler, but this old man is a vicious son of a bitch.” Simon picked up Russ’s gun and looked down at the wounded man. “Be glad it was Jack who shot you. He’s a better shot than I am, and I would have aimed for your ugly head.”

  The screen door slammed, and Nona and Maggie burst into the room.

  “What’s happened?” Frantic, Nona ran to Simon. Her hands moved over his chest. “Are you hurt?” she asked, the sobs in her throat choking her.

  “I’m all right. So is Jack. The only casualty is lying on the floor.”

  “Why’d you shoot Mr. Story?” Maggie demanded, hands on her hips, glaring at Simon.

  “He didn’t shoot him. I did,” Jack said.

  “Well, why’d you shoot him? He’s bleeding.” Maggie took steps to reach the man on the floor. “He needs help.”

  “Stay away from him, Maggie,” Simon said curtly. “You don’t get near a rattlesnake until you’re sure it’s dead.”

  “Why did you shoot him?” Maggie said to Jack. “Look how he’s bleeding.”

  “I shot him because he was going to shoot Simon. He can bleed a bucketful for all I care.”

  “Russ was going to shoot you? Why, Simon?” Nona stayed close to Simon and looked into his face anxiously.

  “He was after the same thing Webb and Frank were after. When he first came here, I thought he was a harmless old con, but I kept my eye on him.”

  “I liked him,” Maggie blurted. “Can’t we help him?”

  “The sheriff’s on his way. He’ll call an ambulance.”

  “I’ve got to go tell Mabel. She won’t believe this one. She liked Russ, too.” Maggie ran out the door.

  Simon put his arm around Nona and led her from the room. From the porch they looked out onto the lake. It was calm. The trees and shrubs were shiny green after being washed by the rain. It was a beautiful day.

  “I never dreamed that Mr. Story was partner to Frank and Webb.”

  “He wasn’t their partner; he always worked alone. He found out why they were here and decided to get the money for himself.”

  “Oh, gosh, it scares me to think of all the times that Maggie spent with him down on the dock.”

  “Yeah, I started wondering about him when he went to the outhouse and left Maggie out on the lake in the boat.”

  “But he was always so nice to Maggie.”

  “Honey, he’s a hard customer. He probably thought that Maggie didn’t know about the money or you’d have kept a tighter rein on her. When he saw Frank and Webb were on the lake, he went to the outhouse to allow Frank to have the sister who probably didn’t know anything.”

  “Is he really that vicious?”

  “Yes. Money will do strange things to people. He probably saw this as his golden opportunity.”

  Simon moved behind her, put his arms around her, clasped his hands together, and pulled her tightly back against him. “It’s over, honey.”

  “Not until we get rid of the money.”

  “We’ll go into town today, and I’ll ask the banker to put it in his vault until we find out who’s going to be in charge of it. Let’s forget about that and talk about us.”

  “What happens now?” Nona asked, then lifted her shoulder when Simon buried his face in the curve of her neck and bit her gently. “Simon! Stop that. Someone will see.”

  “They’d better get used to that if they’re going to be hanging around here, because I plan to kiss my wife whenever and wherever I want to.”

  “Your wife? Are you planning on getting married?” Nona’s heart raced so fast she could hardly breathe.

  “I am if a certain redhead I know will have me.”

  “I guess then you’d better ask her.” Her mind was whirling. He continued to nibble on her ear.

  “How about you and me getting hitched, Red?”

  “That’s not a very romantic way to ask a girl to marry you.”

  “I’ll get down on my knee if that’s what it takes.”

  “Why do you want to marry me? We don’t even like each other . . . sometimes.”

  “Number one: I’ll have to marry you to keep you out of trouble. Number two: I’m crazy about you. Number three: I’m crazy about you and I want to get you in my bed.”

  “You’ve had me there already.” Nona could feel the pounding of Simon’s heart against her back.

  “That was just a sample of what’s to come.”

  “I’ll not marry any man who doesn’t tell me he loves me.”

  “I said I was crazy about you.” He kissed her on the neck. She lifted her shoulder to squeeze his face. “I love you, Nona. I love you, Nona. I love you, Nona. How’s that?”

  “You know I’ve got Maggie?”

  “We’ve got Maggie.”

  “And Mabel . . .”

  “We’ve got a family already.”

  “Oh, Simon. I’m so glad we came here. I love you, you know.”

  “It’s about time you said it. Do you think our kids will have red hair?”

  “Heaven forbid!”

  “Kiss me, little redbird.”

  Epilogue

  Three years later

  NONA STARED OUT THE WINDOW of the lodge building.

  The lightest dusting of snow covered the ground and blanketed the evergreens, giving everything a crisp, clean appearance. A gentle wind set the snow whirling here and there as if it were strokes from a painter’s brush.

  “It looks like we’re going to have a white Christmas after all.” Simon slipped behind her and put his arms around her waist. Her body instinctively nestled against him, his strength and warmth filling her with happiness and love.

  The remodeling of the camp had been completed the year after Simon and Nona were married. It was modern and convenient, but still reta
ined a rustic atmosphere. Mabel was in her glory working in the gleaming kitchen. Nona took care of bookings and the ordering of supplies. Simon said she was his right hand.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Not as beautiful as you,” he said softly. “Thank you for my wonderful Christmas gift.”

  As she looked up into his deep yet tender gaze, she said, “I didn’t do it all by myself.”

  “It was a chore I’ll gladly repeat.”

  Nona thought about all that they had been through and how it had forever changed their lives. Even now, years later, she couldn’t believe that they’d all survived. Well . . . not everyone.

  Harold’s body had been found in a cheap hotel room in Kansas City, his throat cut and his belongings ransacked. When she’d spoken with the police, Nona hadn’t been surprised to learn that they hadn’t apprehended his killer. She doubted that they ever would. The jewelry and remaining cash had never been recovered.

  The money that Harold had sent to Nona had been turned over to the proper authorities. Simon’s grandfather, the owner of the bank Harold had robbed, had wanted to give Nona a reward, but she’d refused it.

  Russ Story recovered and would serve the rest of his life in prison for the murder of Ernie Leasure. He would never be able to indulge his love of fishing again.

  “Do you think Jack, LeAnn, and little Sophie will be able to get here?”

  “Of course. There isn’t that much snow. The Hathaways should be here soon.”

  “How are things going in the kitchen?” Nona asked.

  “Beats the heck out of me.” Simon shrugged. “They’ve been in there for hours, laughing and carrying on, so I’d like to think that something is getting done. It better be, because I’m starving!”

  They crossed the room, passing the large Christmas tree in the corner. It was decorated with handmade ornaments and strings of lights. At the base of the tree was a pile of brightly wrapped Christmas gifts. Sam Houston slept soundly in front of the fireplace, one leg kicking as he dreamed. Cochise was outside romping in the snow.

  Pausing at the doorway to the kitchen, Nona and Simon watched as Maggie prepared a salad and Mabel pulled a pie from the oven and set it on the counter to cool. After all that had happened, life had turned out well for both of them.

  Mabel had taken to her position at the lodge. She enjoyed the guests who came to hunt and fish. This past year, one of the guests had tried to lure her away and move to Tulsa. He had offered her a substantial amount of money to manage his restaurant. Another man had wanted to marry her.

  After Simon finished remodeling all of the cabins, hunters had flocked to the grounds; the camp had been full for almost all of the hunting season. Mabel, with Mrs. Hogan’s help, did all of the cooking. Nona had never seen her so happy. To do Russ’s work, a handyman was hired and his wife did the cleaning.

  Maggie was now a lovely young woman of eighteen. Denise Hathaway had tutored her along with Dusty, and she had passed her college entrance exam. Both Dusty and Maggie were enrolled at the University of Arkansas. Dusty was majoring in astronomy and Maggie in environmental studies. Nona was not as upset about Maggie’s leaving for college as she would have been had Dusty not been going to the same school. Dusty and Maggie had been friends since they first met. Maggie’s affection for the boy who found her in the woods after she was kidnapped had increased over the years. Dusty was now a handsome young man of twenty years. He seemed to have his feet firmly on the ground and was still protective of Maggie. Nona and Simon would not be the least bit surprised if the two of them decided to spend their lives together.

  It had been discovered that Randall Weatherspoon, the hermit who had lived in the woods for years, was a very wealthy man. He donated enough money to build a school for the local children. Nona helped Denise at the school occasionally. The enrollment increased each year as families moved from the city. The Weatherspoon School would have to be enlarged soon to accommodate the growing enrollment.

  “Isn’t it ready yet?” Simon asked. “Can’t I at least have coffee and one of those hot rolls?”

  “Oh, you,” Mabel answered. “The way you act sometimes, you would think we mistreated you. I’m not going to let you nibble before dinner. Besides, Dusty and his parents aren’t here yet.”

  “Do you think they’ll make it in this weather?” Maggie asked anxiously.

  “I’m sure they’ll come,” Nona told her. “Simon says there isn’t all that much snow. It’s just enough to make things look nice and clean.”

  “Don’t worry about it, squirt.” Simon winked.

  Nona looked forward to their friends coming for Christmas. Jack and LeAnn had left for his ranch in Okla-homa a few days after they were married at the camp. Jack had insisted they stay long enough for LeAnn to recover from the birth of Sophie. The baby had not suffered any complications from being born a bit prematurely. She was a lively child and Jack doted on her like a proud father.

  “Are you excited about telling them our news tonight?” Simon whispered to her.

  “Of course,” she answered, careful that no one overheard her. “Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.” The lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled when he was teasing. “You’ll make a wonderful mother. If we have a girl, I hope she has red hair.”

  “That’s such a sweet thing to say. If it will make you happy, I hope he, or she, will have red hair, too.”

  Simon gave her a quick kiss. “Maggie will be thrilled to be an aunt.”

  There was a knock at the door. Mabel opened it to admit Dusty and his parents. They shook the snow off their coats and boots and, laughing, placed their Christmas gifts beneath the tree. Tonight Nona would tell everyone that she and Simon were going to have a baby and that Simon had decided to expand the camp with ten new cabins. Tall Pine Camp was truly a home for her and Maggie.

  She sidled over to her husband and cuddled up to his back. She had never dreamed that the tall man who had annoyed her so the first few weeks they were here would turn out to be the love of her life.

  Simon turned and wrapped his arms around his wife. “Are you all right?”

  “I couldn’t be better.”