by Bobbi Smith
“Thank you, Jack,” Eileen told him, giving him a gentle smile.
They slipped back inside their room.
Jack returned to his own cabin, wondering as he went if Amanda could manage to keep herself out of trouble for the rest of the night.
Jack lay back on his bed and turned out the lamp. As he stared sightlessly into the darkness, an image of Amanda, her hair down around her shoulders, wearing only her silken robe, drifted before him. He gave a growl of irritation and rolled over, seeking sleep. He wanted nothing to do with that hellion.
She was walking trouble.
She was Dan’s daughter.
Sleep was long in coming.
Jack could have used a drink.
Jack was up early. Actually, if he wanted to be honest about it, he never got to sleep. Not that it mattered. He was used to going without sleep when he was sober. He shaved, washed and dressed, then went up on deck to watch the sunrise. The ocean was calm, and the day would be clear and bright. Breakfast was to be served at eight, so he went below to check on Amanda and Eileen. He met Amanda in the passageway on her way up to find him.
“I knocked at your cabin, but when you didn’t answer, I figured you were already up on deck.”
“How’s Miss Hammond feeling this morning?” he asked, almost sorry that she wasn’t joining them. The feeling puzzled him.
“She’s a little better, but I doubt she’ll leave the cabin today.”
Jack led the way to the dining room, and they ate in relative silence. During the meal, Amanda noticed a couple who came in and sat at the far end of the table away from everyone. The woman seemed intent on keeping one side of her face averted from everyone’s view, and she wondered if this was the woman she’d heard crying last night.
Jack noticed Amanda’s interest in the couple and hoped that she wouldn’t say anything. The lady was wearing a wedding band, so even if she was the woman who’d been beaten, she was the man’s wife. Legally, he could do with her as he pleased.
They started to go up on deck after eating, and Amanda deliberately slipped away from Jack, so she could get a good look at the woman’s face. She was horrified when she saw the bruises and swelling there. Jack had continued on up the companionway, unaware that Amanda was lagging behind. She waited until the man had left the other woman for a moment, then went to her, wanting to help.
“Ma’am?” Amanda said softly. She wasn’t surprised when the woman jumped nervously.
“What do you want?” Her tone was sharp and suspicious.
“My name’s Amanda. I believe I’m staying in the cabin next to yours. I’m the one who heard you crying last night.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said firmly.
“If your husband is beating you, you don’t have to put up with it.”
“Go away. . . . Mind your own business.” She was panicking.
“You can leave him. Save yourself. I’ll help you if you want me to.”
“Who are you?” interrupted a harsh male voice. “And what the hell are you doing talking to my wife?”
Amanda tensed and turned to look at the man she hated already. “I was trying to help her,” she announced with dignity and moral superiority.
“My wife doesn’t need your help. Becky’s just fine. Why don’t you shut up and go on your way?”
He was a small, wiry man with a meanness in his eyes that told Amanda all she needed to know.
“I happen to think that she does need my help,” Amanda replied.
“No, I don’t. Micah, I didn’t say nothing to her. She just came butting in and started talking to me like she knew me or something. I told her I didn’t want anything to do with her, but she wouldn’t go away. She wouldn’t leave me alone.”
The look in Micah’s eyes grew even more ugly. He grabbed his wife by the arm and pulled her away from Amanda. “Let’s go on back to our cabin.”
“Wait! Becky—” Amanda felt helpless and enraged at how easily the other woman gave in to him. “Don’t go with him. Life can be better than this.”
“What do you know about my life?” Becky challenged. “Leave me alone. You don’t know nothing about me. I don’t want your help. I don’t need it!”
Amanda took her other arm, wanting to stop the bully from dragging her off. Micah turned on her, and for the first time in her life, she saw true evil mirrored in someone’s eyes.
“You’re tempting me to give you a taste of what she got last night, bitch.”
“Stay away from her!” Jack’s commanding voice cut across the distance between them.
Micah looked up to see a tall, powerful-looking man coming toward them. He tensed and squared off. “You should control your woman better, mister. She’s got no business messing with what’s mine.”
Jack gave Amanda a look that sent her rushing to his side. “I can control my woman without brute force. An intelligent man doesn’t need to use violence.”
Micah was seething and look as if he was tempted to fight, but he backed down. “Let’s go, Becky.” He shoved her ahead of him, and they quickly disappeared down the passageway.
Amanda looked up at Jack, her expression furious. “Aren’t you going to do anything?”
“Don’t you think you did enough?”
“What are you talking about? I was trying to help her!” She was frustrated.
“The only thing you did was set her up for another beating. Who do you think he’s going to take his anger out on? Men like him beat women because it makes them feel powerful. The only way it will stop is if she leaves him, but she’s got to do that herself. You can’t do it for her, and neither can I.”
“There has to be something I can do—”
“You’re a bleeding heart. You have no idea what harm you may have caused by interfering. What do you know about being beaten by a drunk? What do you know about suffering? Let me give you a piece of advice, Amanda. Be careful, because a lot of things in life are not what they appear to be.”
“Why, you . . .” She was seething.
“I leave you to your thoughts, my dear, but stay away from them. There’s no telling what a man like that will do.”
“But you said yourself that he might beat her again!” She couldn’t bear the thought of the other woman suffering.
“And maybe she damn well deserves it! Some women do, you know!” With that he walked away, leaving her staring after him, furious.
Amanda couldn’t believe that he really meant what he’d just said, and in that moment, she despised Jack Logan almost as much as she did the man named Micah.
It was going to be a long trip back to West Texas.
Chapter Four
Amanda’s mood was dark as she sat in her cabin later that day. Eileen was napping, so she finally had time alone to think.
The memory of Jack’s words returned, and she grew angry again. How dare he say that some women deserved what they got! No one ever deserved to be treated cruelly. Husbands were supposed to love and cherish their wives. Her father had certainly adored her mother. Though her mother had been dead for over eight years now, she could still remember the tender moments she’d witnessed between them. Her Uncle Asa treated women well, too. Some years back he had married a widow named Mona who had a son by her first marriage. He had always treated her with affection and good nature.
Thoughts of the abused Becky stayed with her, though, and Amanda realized that a part of what Jack had said was true. No one could help her if she didn’t do what was necessary to help herself. As long as she stayed with a man like Micah and then perversely defended him against righteous attacks, there would be no changing her life. It saddened Amanda to think of anyone being involved in such a relationship.
Still, Amanda wondered what had happened to Jack in his past to make him feel the way he did about women. As soon as she started thinking about him, she got mad at herself and pushed all thoughts of him aside. Jack Logan was an irritating man, and she didn’t like him. No, she didn�
��t like him at all. Since they’d been together, he’d manhandled her and outwitted her at every turn. Not that she had deliberately tried to put anything over on him, but he seemed to be one step ahead of her at all times.
Amanda couldn’t wait to get home so she would be rid of his annoying presence, but it was going to take a while to get to San Rafael. She was stuck, and if she was resenting his presence already, on board the ship, it was only going to get worse in the even closer confines of the train from Galveston to San Antonio and then the long days on the stage during the final leg to San Rafael.
Her grandmother had always tried to teach her that she could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. She supposed she could try to make friends with Jack, just so they could travel in peace, but somehow, she didn’t think he wanted to be friends. He seemed quite pleased with the idea of getting her home as fast as he could, so he could get away from her. She would have to settle for peaceful co-existence and hope he’d cooperate.
The knock came at the door, interrupting Amanda’s thoughts, and she realized it was time to brave Jack’s company again at dinner. Girding herself, determined to be agreeable, she quietly made her way to answer the door, leaving Eileen to her rest.
“How’s Miss Hammond?” he asked as she emerged from the stateroom alone.
“She fell asleep, so I thought it best to let her rest. She’s feeling somewhat better, but she still isn’t back to normal. I’ll bring her something to eat from dinner just in case she wakes up hungry later.”
He nodded and led the way toward the entrance of the dining room. He was not looking forward to the evening meal if the couple from that morning showed up. Jack knew the man had been ready to fight, and he was in no mood for further confrontation. When they entered the room, he was greatly relieved to see that the pair was not among the crowd at dinner. He requested a table in a more private area, and they were given one off to the side in one of the alcoves.
“There was no trouble in the cabin next to yours this afternoon?”
“No. It was quiet.”
“Good. Maybe he’ll control himself for the rest of the voyage.”
“I’d like to think so.”
“So would I,” he agreed.
Amanda was surprised by his remark. “The way you sounded earlier, I had the impression that what he was doing didn’t bother you a whole lot.”
“Your impression was wrong. It did bother me, but people have to help themselves. We could have helped her to get away, but if she went back to him in two or three hours, what would be the point? He’d only be angrier than he was before at her show of independence.”
“Have you had experience with this kind of thing? Your parents or someone else you knew?”
“No!” he answered a little too sharply. “My family was very loving. Idyllic really, at least until the war came and our whole way of life was destroyed. My father and brothers were perfect gentlemen.”
She was saved from asking what had happened to him by the waiter’s approach. She saved her outrage over being ignored again by the waiter for another time.
Tonight, she just wanted to relax and enjoy the meal. It had been a long three days, with all that had happened. She needed some peace and quiet. She needed to get ready to face her father.
“What? No fury over being a woman scorned?” Jack taunted after he’d placed their orders and the waiter had left them.
“As you said earlier, I’m not going to alter the way this ship is run overnight.”
“This certainly is a change of heart for you. I thought you made it a point to stand up against injustice to women, no matter what the odds.”
She cast him a sharp glance to see if he was mocking her. She was surprised to see a look of almost understanding in his eyes. She actually found herself smiling at him, and that bothered her. “Tonight, I just wanted to relax for a while. I could have made a scene, but as you said earlier, it wouldn’t make a difference.”
Jack returned her smile. “One lesson my father taught me early in life was to pick my fights with care. He told me to make sure the battle was worth the effort, and once I decided that it was, then I should give everything I had to win.”
“A wise man, your father.”
“Yes, he was.” Jack tried not to think much about the old days. It made living now seem harder when he remembered how warm and loving his family had been.
“You know all about me and my father, but what about you? Where’s your family? You said ‘were’ when you referred to your father and brothers. Are they all dead?”
His jaw tightened as he answered, “Yes. The only family I have left is my sister and her family.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Things change. People die. It’s the way of the world.” He sounded hard and cold.
Amanda remembered the look she’d seen in his eyes the other day and began to understand. “But you survived.”
“Thanks to your father. He saved my life about a month before the war ended.”
“He did? What happened? That was so long ago, you must have been very young.”
“I was, but my father and brothers and all my friends had gone off to fight, so I was going, too—no matter what my mother and my sister said. I joined up with your father’s company. We were in the midst of a fierce battle and had almost been overrun when your father saw a soldier taking aim at me. He yelled a warning to me just in time and then shot the man before he could kill me. I owe him my life.”
“And that’s why you agreed to come after me?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I’m glad my father didn’t call in your debt on something more deadly and dangerous,” she said with a laugh.
“You think going into that bar didn’t take courage?” He grinned at her. “Given the choice again, I think I’d rather face a dozen Yankees than six axe-wielding women.”
“You handled yourself quite admirably considering the circumstances. I could have hurt you if I’d seen you coming.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” He tried not to smile.
Their meal came then, and they ate companionably. Their conversation turned to general topics, and the evening passed quietly.
Jack was relieved when he parted from Amanda at her cabin after they’d finished eating. It irritated him that he’d found her company almost enjoyable this night. Certainly, she was a beautiful woman, and she was intelligent, too. But he wanted nothing to do with females. Pleasant though having dinner with Amanda might have been, he would distance himself from her and keep that distance until he could leave her in her father’s capable hands. There would be no softening of his feelings toward her. She was trouble, and he would have to remember to treat her that way.
Jack lay in his bed later that night, tossing and turning and trying to sleep. He hadn’t been with a woman since Elizabeth, and that was fine with him. He liked it that way. He knew how deceitful women were, what liars and connivers, and he had no intention of allowing himself to fall into that trap ever again. He had thought himself in love once, and it had nearly cost him his life. It would never happen again. Love was a highly overrated emotion. Attractive though Amanda Taylor might be, he would not allow himself to feel anything for her other than a fleeting physical desire—one that he would make certain to keep under control.
Amanda entered the cabin to find Eileen still resting, and she was glad. Sleep would help the older woman get her strength back.
When Amanda retired herself, she fell asleep right away. Her night was fitful, filled with dreams of axes and whiskey bottles, Texas and her father—and Jack. She awakened after dreaming of Jack, and she lay there for some time, thinking about him. It was bad enough that she had to put up with him during the day. It was truly annoying that he was even taking over her dreams.
The following morning, Eileen awoke before Amanda. She was feeling much improved and actually was looking forward to having breakfast.
“The sea must be much calmer,” Eileen told Aman
da when the young woman joined her in the outer sitting room. “I almost feel like my old self again, and it’s about time, too. Your grandmother wanted me keeping watch over you, not you nursing me for the whole trip.”
Amanda smiled at her. “Well, at least we’ve learned that if you’re going to travel great distances, it’s better for you if you go by railroad, uncomfortable though it might be.”
“I’ve been wondering how I would get back home. Going this way on the return trip surely doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
They were dressed and ready to go to breakfast when Jack came for them.
“Good morning,” Eileen said as she answered the door, smiling happily up at him.
Jack was surprised to find her looking so well. “You’re better?”
“Much, and we’re both ready to eat.”
Jack was annoyed when he found himself looking past Miss Hammond into the cabin for some sign of Amanda. When Amanda did appear, wearing a pale blue daygown and her hair pinned up in a tumble of curls, he had to remind himself of his vow the night before. He would not allow himself to feel anything for her. He was her hired escort; that was all their relationship would ever be. Still, as she swept past him out the cabin door, the delicate scent of her perfume sent a shaft of awareness through him. It was a delicate scent of honeysuckle and other soft blossoms, and it reminded him of the serenity that was lost to him forever. He stiffened and carefully distanced himself from her.
After breakfast, Jack couldn’t wait to get away from them, even though the conversation had been entertaining and he’d found himself growing quite fond of Miss Hammond. As they made their way from the dining room, he asked, “Do you have plans for the day now that Miss Hammond is back among the living?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Shall we plan then to have dinner? I’ll come for you around six?”
“You aren’t going to have lunch?”
“No,” he answered. “I’ve a few things I need to do, but I’ll see you both later this evening.”
Amanda found that she was irritated by the thought that she wouldn’t see him all day, and that was ridiculous, because she didn’t even like him. It would be better if he was off doing whatever it was he was going to be doing.