by Maggie Ryan
"Did you put even one berry in your basket?" he teased, making a show of smacking his lips. "You taste like you've eaten a hundred."
Huffing, she slowly lifted the basket she'd been holding. His eyes widened to see it was not only full, a few berries threatened to spill over the wicker rim. Plucking one from the top, he broke off the little leaf and held it up to her lips.
"A beautiful red berry for a beautiful red-haired gal." She kept her eyes on his as she slowly opened her lips and accepted the plump berry. He traced her bottom lip with his fingertip and she felt goose bumps break out on her arms. When he fed her another, she drew his fingers inside her mouth and suckled. She didn't have to be an experienced gem to see that her daring affected him. All she had to do was watch his eyes and hear his soft groan.
"Careful, Red," he said, "or you'll discover that Cappy is far more of a gentleman than his owner." He pulled free though she thought he looked reluctant to do so. "How about you help me fill my basket and then we'll have our picnic?" She nodded and between the two of them, they not only filled the two baskets, they knew they'd be able to replace the items they ate from the picnic baskets with more of the delicious fruit.
Chapter Nine
After they'd had their fill of cold fried chicken and biscuits slathered with butter, Jeb held the cup beneath the rushing stream of water as it poured over a rock. It was crystal clear and ice cold. He also dampened one of the cloths Nettie had included to use as napkins before walking back to the quilt. The sight of Rebekah, laying flat on her back, her bonnet discarded and her eyes closed had his breath hitching. He could see the child she'd been in his youth in the braid she'd fastened with yellow ribbons as well as the freckles that popped out to become more evident the longer she was out in the sun. However, he could also see the woman she'd become in the roundness of her breasts filling out the bodice of her dress. Her waist was small and he knew her bottom was full and round. His cock hardened at the thought of slowly peeling her clothing from her to unveil what he knew he'd worship for the rest of his life. At his chuckle when her nose crinkled and her hand lifted to wave away an insect, her eyelids lifted to reveal the emerald green color of her eyes.
"Gentlemen don't laugh at their companions," she softly chided.
"I wasn't laughing at you," he denied. "I was laughing at that dragonfly. Even the insects think you are the prettiest blossom in the meadow," he said, moving to lower himself beside her. "Or perhaps it's the residue of all the berries you managed to eat. Come here, little one. Sit on my lap while I wash your face."
"Ah, my own bathing attendant," she said, pushing up and moving onto his lap. She lifted her face to him and then squealed and attempted to roll off when he covered her entire face with the wet cloth. "That's freezing!" she complained as he easily held her in place.
"Oops," he said, chuckling again as she stuck out her tongue. "Oh, does that need washing as well?" Before she could answer, he bent and kissed her. Her struggles ceased as she pressed into him. He pulled back with great reluctance.
"It's getting late. If we want to pick any more berries, we'd better get to it." He adored the fact that she looked torn but he bent and kissed the top of her head before pulling her sunbonnet on to cover her hair. "You're getting a little burned, Red."
"I am feeling a bit hot," she said, batting her eyelashes.
He chuckled and passed her the cup of water. "This should cool the fire." She drank half of the cup, handing it back so he could drain it. After she shook out the napkins that Nettie had used to wrap the fried chicken and biscuits in, he poured the contents of the smaller baskets into the picnic basket. Hand in hand, they walked back to the bushes and spent a half-hour plucking berries, their fingers occasionally brushing as they reached for the same cluster and pausing to offer a ripe fruit to one another.
Jeb poured the bounty into the larger basket. "Nettie is going to be thrilled," Rebekah said at the sight of the picnic basket almost filled to the brim. "I can already taste those pies and syrup."
"Though I know they will be great, I have to admit, I'd much rather taste your lips after you've eaten your fill." God, he hoped she never stopped blushing as it warmed his heart every time he watched her cheeks color. They rode back and shared another kiss after he left her on the porch. "Remember to save me a big slice."
"I will," she promised and as he tipped his hat and mounted Cappy, she waved and moved inside with a smile on her face.
***
"I'm back," she said as she came upon Jewel and Mr. Gabe where they were sitting on one of the small settees in the parlor.
"Did you have a good time?" Gabriel asked only to give an 'omph' when Jewel dug her elbow into his side.
"Do you need glasses, old man? Just look at that smile."
"Yup, that's quite a happy smile," Gabriel agreed and then pulled Jewel over his lap and gave her backside a swat. "I am not old, young lady!" Rebekah giggled and left them both laughing as she continued on to the kitchen.
"Are you sure you and your sheriff even tried to find those berries?" Nettie asked, shaking her head at the sight of the two empty berry baskets.
"Now, Miss Nettie, there are bears in the mountains and as Jeb reminded me, they do love berries." Nettie huffed and Rebekah giggled as she set the picnic basket onto the work table and flipped back the lid. "But, we did manage to find a few."
"Laws, child, I ought to deny you a piece of pie for teasing an old woman," Nettie said, peering into the basket.
"You wouldn't do that, would you?" Rebekah asked. "I promised Jeb a big slice."
Della who had already started gathering ingredients for pie crusts, smiled. "Seems you've conceded the race and let the sheriff catch you."
Rebekah nodded. "It's nice to be caught by the right man." At Della's roll of her eyes, Rebekah couldn't help but add. "Oh, and I promised two slices to Doctor Norwood."
"Then you'd better give us a hand," Nettie said, pouring half of the basket's contents into a large bowl. "You can pick off those leafy bits while I work up a big batch of dough."
The three women worked together, rolling out piecrusts and stirring the simmering berries. Rebekah shared her recipe for thimbleberry syrup and promised to help with making it as well.
"It smells so good in here," she said, pausing to give Nettie a hug before leaving to dress in her uniform. "You'll have some very happy customers tonight, Miss Nettie."
Her happiness with her day had her glowing, earning her compliment after compliment and a nice sum in tips. While that only contributed to her smile, as the evening progressed without Jeb's appearance, Rebekah began to fret. As Nettie cut into the fourth pie, she bit her bottom lip.
"I don't know what's keeping him. He's never been this late before." She expected Miss Nettie to instantly reassure her and the fact that she didn't had her fretting turning into something deeper. "You-you don't think anything happened to him do you?"
"I don't know, child," Nettie said, passing a plate of pie to her. "Let's not borrow trouble. He's got his duties to tend to…"
"That's right," Rebekah said, grabbing the statement as if it were a lifeline. "And, he took off most of the day. Perhaps he is just catching up on some work. Be sure to save him a piece of pie."
"I will, honey. I've got the first piece stashed away."
Rebekah took a calming breath and served her customer with a smile on her face though she felt it a bit forced. When she'd served the last table, she couldn't even manage to force her lips to turn up. Wiping down the table, she lifted her hand to wipe her cheek. Surely he wasn't angry with her? She thought they'd had a magical day and he had said he'd see her at supper. But, he hadn't made an appearance. Turning, she brightened instantly at the sight of a metal star but it wasn't the one pinned to Jeb's chest. Instead, it's wearer was Deputy Tanner.
"Where's Je—um, Sheriff Justice? He missed supper."
"He's at the jail. I came to pick up a plate for him."
"Oh, poor man. I shouldn't have taken up
so much of his time today. I'll fix it for him and go back with you." She stepped around the table, her smile returning until it slipped as he shook his head.
"Miss McTavish, I don't think that would be a good idea…"
"Why on earth not?" Seeing Gabriel and Jewel entering the room, she continued. "If you don't want to wait, I'm sure Mr. Gabe will walk over with me."
"Rebekah…"
"Mr. Gabe, Jeb helped pick those berries and Miss Nettie saved him the very first piece of pie. It wouldn’t be right…"
"Honey, you need to listen to Deputy Tanner," Jewel said, moving to her and slipping her arm around her waist.
"When I said the sheriff was at the jail, I meant he is in jail."
"Is there some rule that he can't eat in jail?" Rebekah asked and then shook her head. "No, you just said you came to get him a plate."
"Miss McTavish, Sheriff Justice has been arrested."
"Arrested? By who?"
"By me," Zeke said.
"Why would you do that? Is this his idea of a joke?" Rebekah asked. "You tell him that I don't find it the least bit funny!"
"I wish it were a joke, but I'm afraid it's quite serious," the deputy said. "Mr. March was found in his office this afternoon. He was robbed…"
"Jeb warned him to put his money in the bank," Rebekah said. "You can't arrest him for trying to…"
"Honey," Gabriel said, taking her from Jewel's hold. "Mr. March was not only robbed, he was murdered."
"Mur… murdered? Ho-how?"
The deputy provided the answer. "He was stabbed to death. The knife was still… well, it was found at the scene."
Rebekah felt her legs buckle but Gabriel's hold kept her from falling to the floor. She felt the color draining from her face as the image of a knife filled her vision.
"You-you think that Jeb… how could you think he'd hurt anybody," she said, strength returning as rage filled her. "How dare you!"
"Honey, let's sit down and…"
"No!" Rebekah said, ignoring Gabriel's suggestion and twisting from his hold. "Jeb is no murderer! How could you even for a single second think that he could-could kill someone! He was with me the whole damn day!"
"Doctor Norwood believes Mr. March was killed last night," Deputy Tanner said, pausing for a moment before he continued. "Someone saw him…"
"Of course someone saw him," Rebekah said. "He worked part of your shift and was just making his rounds. God, how stupid can you be!"
"Ruby, there's no need to be rude," Gabriel said.
"It's all right, I understand that Miss McTavish is upset," Tanner said. "It wasn't the fact that Jeb was seen last night. His handkerchief was found in Mr. March's hand."
"Oh my God," Rebekah said, sinking into the chair she'd refused before.
"Rebekah, I'm sure there's been a mistake," Jewel said, kneeling beside the chair and taking her hands. "Deputy Tanner is just doing his job…"
"No," Rebekah said. "It's my fault… if I hadn't… if I just explained…" Pulling her hands free, she jumped from the chair and before anyone could stop her, she flew from the room, not aware of the people she pushed past as she ran out the batwing doors. Tears slid down her cheeks as she raced down the street. She sobbed loudly as the door to the jail refused to budge until she remembered she had to turn the knob. Once inside, she froze. The man she loved with all of her heart stood at her entry, his hands gripping the bars of the cell that kept her from flinging herself into his arms.
"Oh, Red," Jeb said. "I didn't want you to see me like this."
Despite the flood of tears filling her eyes, she made her way to the cell, lifting her hands to entwine her fingers with his, their foreheads pressed against the bars. They stood in silence as her tears fell to the floor at their feet.
"Hush, honey," Jeb said when she began to sob even louder. "Oh, Red, shh, sweetie. Please, it kills me to see you cry."
"You-you don't under-understand. You-you don't belong in there," she stammered, "It-it was me."
"What do you mean it was you?"
It took her a second to realize that the question hadn't come from Jeb. Turning her head, she saw Jewel and Gabriel standing in the doorway as Deputy Tanner took a step forward. "Are you saying that you killed Mr. March?"
"Of course she isn't," Jeb said.
Rebekah looked between the two and shook her head, releasing one of Jeb's hands to swipe her fingers across her cheeks.
"Here, darlin'."
At the sight of a handkerchief, fresh tears welled but she accepted the cloth from Jeb's fingers and wiped her face.
"No, I didn't kill him. The only reason Jeb would even be angry with Mr. March is if I told him…"
"Told me what?" When she hesitated, he said, "Red, this isn't a time to withhold information. I want you to tell me anything you know about what happened."
"I-I don't know what happened," she said. "I had no idea that anything had happened to Mr. March."
"But you do know something, don't you, Miss McTavish?" Deputy Tanner asked.
Rebekah wiped her face again. "You knew the handkerchief was Jeb's because of these letters, right?" She released Jeb's other hand and ran her fingertip over the embroidered initials on the white square. Though the thread of the monogram was also white, the twin 'Js' were visible.
Deputy Tanner nodded but Jewel shook her head. "That doesn’t mean Jeb left it at a murder scene. After all, Mr. March did own a laundry."
"I never used his services," Jeb said. "I'd been washing my own clothes for years and saw no use to pay money for his services when I needed funds to repair the cabin."
"But I know he didn't leave it there," Rebekah said.
"How do you know that?" Deputy asked.
"Because I did."
The room was silent until Jeb growled. "Red, lying is not going to help me…"
"I'm not lying, Jeb." Twisting the handkerchief in her hands, she told her story. "I had Jeb's handkerchief because Jeb had wrapped up my pay in it that night he and Mr. March caught me in the laundry, remember? Miss Jewel knows I never returned it because she went with me to the bank and I had to untie it to give the teller my money." She swallowed hard and looked at Jeb. "I-I also used it to-to cover the-the knife."
"What!"
For the first time, she was a little glad for the bars as it meant he couldn't grab her. "I didn't mean to take it. I used it to try to break the lock on the drawer but I couldn't see. I put it in my pocket without even thinking."
"Ruby, it might not even be the same knife…" Jewel said.
Rebekah didn't look at her, but turned her gaze on Tanner. "Was the knife used to… was it about six inches long with a wooden handle?"
At the deputy's nod, Jeb said, "That could describe a thousand knives…"
Interrupting him, Rebekah continued. "Did it have a hole in the handle and some twine with a knot?" The deputy nodded again. "Then, it's the same knife. It hung from the twine ball on the wall but I cut it off so I could use it. I swear to you, I totally forgot I had it until Mr. March had already left and I was trying to put my money in my pocket. I-I pricked my finger on it."
"Why didn't you tell us then?" Jeb asked.
"I-I didn't want any of you to think I was a thief after all. You understood that I wasn't trying to rob him but just to get back what he owed me. I-I felt just awful and knew he'd keep calling me a thief and demanding I be put behind bars. I-I should have been brave enough to tell you, Jeb. I am so, so sorry."
"That still doesn't explain how the handkerchief was found in Mr. March's hand," Tanner pointed out.
Glancing at Gabriel and Jewel, Rebekah continued to make her confession. "I'd been trying to sneak out to return the knife but the rain kept me from going out. I was going to try that night but you asked me to pick up the towels and I knew I wouldn't have a better chance. I-I knew that Miss Jewel wanted me to go with Della but I-I didn't want her to come with me. When I got to the laundry, there was this-this man and when he grabbed me, I dropped the knife. I
was going to confess to Mr. March but when he came inside, he called me a thief and-and a-a whore and I just couldn't."
"Oh, Ruby," Jewel said coming towards her but Rebekah held out her hands as if to ward her off.
"The men laughed and I-I ran out and stepped in the mud and then… then got scared because I heard something in the trees behind me. I ran back to the saloon. I-I almost told you," she said, once again looking to the cell. "The night you kissed me, and I almost told Mr. Gabe when he questioned me but I-I was afraid that you… or Mr. Gabe would be angry and feel like you had to defend my honor. I-I didn't want either of you to get into trouble."
"Red…" Jeb began but was interrupted by Gabriel.
"Damn it, I knew you were holding something back. No one in this room thinks you are a thief or a whore, Rebekah, but I don't think you are telling us everything. You said a man grabbed you and you dropped the knife. What else did he do?"
Unable to look at anyone as the memory flooded through her, she said, "He-he grabbed my hair and then kissed me." Jeb's growl had her finding the courage to look at him. "I turned my head, but he kissed my cheek. I-I used your handkerchief to wipe his-his spittle off and then dropped it over the knife and pushed it under the counter." She turned to the deputy. "Someone must have found the knife and used it to kill Mr. March. But, I know it wasn't Jeb. He didn't know about the men and he does his own wash so so he had no reason to even go to the laundry."
Tanner didn't immediately answer and she said, "You've got to believe me. Jeb would never kill anyone. It makes no sense and he would never steal either!"
"Red, honey, don't blame Zeke, he's only doing his job."
"His job? I don't give a damn about his job! He can't keep you behind bars when he knows you couldn't have done this."
"Calm down," Jeb said. "We'll get this straightened out, I promise."
"How do you plan to do that, Jeb? You are locked up and no one is even looking for the man who really did this!"
"Red, you need to stop yelling."
"Well, excuse me for caring!" she shouted. She burst into tears, leaning against the bars, her fingers once again entwining with his.