by Paty Jager
Kelda cleared her throat. “Forget about the comment. If it makes you feel better, I’ll try to keep control.” She pouted and glanced at him from lowered lashes. “But it will be hard to stay focused when my body and heart wishes to have all of you.”
Hank took a step toward her then fisted his hands at his sides as his eyes danced with desire. “That kind of talk and flirtation makes it hard to stand by my rule.”
She stood and took a step, placing her body toe to toe with him. “Then maybe it’s a rule that should be broken now and then.”
“Woman…” Hank yanked her against him and kissed her open-mouthed and hungry, just the way she liked it.
Before she could sneak her hands under his shirt, he stepped back.
“Good night, Kelda.” He backed to the door, took down his coat, and opened the door swishing cold air all around her, but it didn’t cool the fever he’d lit.
“Good night, Hank. I hope you toss and turn as much as I’m going to.” She smiled sweetly, and he closed the door, leaving her wishing they were married and could forget about proprieties.
Chapter 28
The week passed quickly with the days filled with falling trees and the evenings spent pushing each other over the brink of sanity and parting before their bodies were sated. Kelda decided rule or no rule tonight she wasn’t letting Hank leave the cabin until he’d put out the fire that smoldered in her day and night. His kisses and groping hands had her up half the night and sleeping fitfully the rest. Even Mor had commented on her agitation.
Today, the group was spread farther apart. She didn’t mind, it was easier to concentrate on her work when she didn’t get glimpses of Hank swinging an axe or working a saw.
Peder was also becoming more of a nuisance, using excuses to touch her inappropriately and she’d caught him ogling her more than once the past week. It made her wish she was back in the cookhouse. She’d never had this problem before. If a new logger made advances, she set him straight and that was that. But Peder didn’t seem to understand. She’d told him every day that she wasn’t interested in him. He’d just laugh and moments later touch her.
Mid-day Kelda couldn’t take any more of Peder’s actions. “I’m going to find Far and talk with him,” she said and picked up her knapsack with her mid-day meal, her axe, and her coat. The spring days had grown warm enough she shed her coat mid-morning and worked the rest of the day without it. She didn’t tell Peder why she wished to talk with Far, but from the scowl on his face he probably had a clue.
She crossed through the area where Hank and Dag worked. They both stopped sawing a huge tree. Hank walked toward her.
“Is something wrong?” He touched her cheek with the back of his gloved hand.
“I’m going to visit with Far while I eat my lunch.” She tried to keep her tone light and not get him guessing the reason. The last couple of nights she’d almost told him about Peder, but to keep Hank from getting into trouble she refrained. She could tell he knew something wasn’t right.
“You’re sure?” His compassion welled tears in her eyes.
“Ja. But if you’d make love to me it would help.”
He pulled her into his arms, hugging her. “Sweetie, we’ll tell them we’re going to see my family in Sumpter on Sunday and we’ll spend the whole day at my cabin.”
“Really?” Her heart slammed into her chest, and her hopes sprung to life like bouncing on a springboard.
“Yes. I promise.” He released her. “Go talk with your father. Dag’s in a grouch today, so I better not dally any longer.”
Kelda’s steps were bouncier as she made her way to Far’s area. He and Butch were working on a large tree. Far spotted her and shouted at Butch to stop.
“What brings you here, Kelda?” Far asked, taking a drink from his water flask.
She glanced at Butch and back at Far. “I need to speak with you in private.”
Far turned to Butch. “Take a break. I’ll be back as soon as Kelda and I finish our conversation.” He led her thirty yards away from Butch. “What’s on your mind?”
Kelda sat on a downed log and pulled out a slice of bread. “I can’t work with Peder.” She stared at Far. “He makes it a point to touch me where he shouldn’t. He stares at me. At areas of my body that makes me uneasy. And he’s listening less and less to my advice and doing what he wants.”
Far sat down beside her. “I thought maybe by working with you he’d understand you didn’t have feelings for him.”
“That’s the problem. I’ve told him every day that I only think of him as another logger and nothing more, yet he treats me like a-a woman who sells her body. Far, I can’t take the stress of working with him.”
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been sleeping. I thought maybe Hank was keeping you up.” He studied her.
She bowed her head as her cheeks flamed. “Hank does keep me up but in a good way. Between the two I’ve not been sleeping well.”
Far laughed. “I’m glad Hank keeps you awake in a good way. Finish today with Peder and tomorrow I’ll pair you with someone else.”
Kelda kissed Far’s cheek. “Mange takk, Far.”
He slipped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “I have to keep my good help happy.” He winked and stood. “Back to work. We have a daily quota to hit.”
She stood and walked back toward the area where she and Peder had downed six trees and worked on the seventh for the day. Passing Hank and Dag’s area she noted the big tree they were sawing as she went by lay on the ground, but she didn’t see either of the men. Perhaps they’d wandered off to relieve themselves.
An unusual sound floated on the gentle breeze. A human groan. Kelda walked slower, listening and following the sound. She noticed something colorful by the large end of the cut tree.
The plaid of the shirt registered in her mind, and her heart stopped as well as her steps. Hank had on a red and green shirt.
“Nei!” She shouted and raced to the spot. The log pinned Hank’s legs to the ground. He was breathing. His eyes popped open when her shaking hand touched his face.
“I don’t think they’re broke, but I can’t feel much below my waist.” His eyes closed and then popped back open. “I love you,” he whispered and his eyes closed again.
Agony ripped through her. She had to save him. It was her fault he was in the woods.
Fear for him froze her thoughts.
He moaned, shedding her of fear and pushing her to action. She needed help.
“Dag! Dag!” Kelda stood, shouting for her brother. Where was he? How did this happen? They had to get the log off, but to roll it would surely crush his legs and feet.
“Far! Far!” she shouted and ran back toward her father. He and several others came running.
“What?” he asked, grasping her shoulders.
Hot tears poured down her face. “Hank’s under a tree. Can’t find Dag.”
“Show us.” Far turned her, and she ran back to the log.
At the tree, she fell to her knees and cradled Hank’s head in her lap. Her tears dropped on his cheek, and she brushed them away. She couldn’t lose him, not now, not when they’d finally worked out their differences. Fear twisted her heart.
“We’ll have to make a spar tree, set guide lines, and use a pulley to lift the tree off him.” Far crouched beside her. “Kelda, you have to make the spar tree and set the guidelines and pulley. You’re the only one with the skill right here to get the tree ready by the time Butch returns with the cables and pulley.”
Kelda’s heart raced. Could she climb a tree when her heart and mind were with the man under a log? She peered at Hank. Love and fear twined together. Love won out. She had to do this for Hank. Easing his head to the ground, she rose to her feet.
“Which one?”
Far pointed to the only close tree.
She scanned the length of it. Not too many limbs to take off. Not the best tree to use for a spar, but they didn’t have much choice.
Kelda wat
ched Far check a length of rope before he handed it to her. “I’m not happy we don’t have the cable reinforced rope for you to use to climb, but we can’t wait for one to be brought up here.”
“I’ll be careful.” She glanced down at Hank. “Far, take care of him while I’m up there.”
“I will, child, I will.”
Feeling for her hatchet on her hip, she picked up her axe, hanging it from the other side of her belt. She stared down at her boots. She’d rather have cleats but those were at the camp.
“Wait, wait!” Sven ran up, a pair of cleats dangled from his hands. “I always carry my cleats with me. You never know when you need to dig in on a slope.”
Kelda hugged the man and sat down to strap them onto her boots.
Now she was prepared.
With one more glance at Hank, she strode over to the tree Far picked. Sven helped her loop one end of the rope around the trunk, and she began, one step at a time, walking up the tree. Digging in with her cleats, she leaned forward, swung the loop father up the tree and walked up two more steps. At the first low limbs, she pulled the axe out of her belt and lopped off the limbs with three strokes.
She stopped mid-way and looked down.
It was a mistake.
Seeing the small shape of Hank pressed under the large tree made her queasy and her sight blur. Fear, unlike any she’d ever had, rushed through her cold and icy as a winter storm.
Her hands shook and her legs weakened.
The rope slacked, and she slid down several feet before catching herself.
“Don’t look down. Stay focused!” Far shouted up to her.
Kelda swallowed, forced her gaze to the bark scraping her shirt and on up to the limbs she still had to knock off to reach the height needed for good leverage.
Hank couldn’t feel his legs. Musty ground, pine, and pitch scents filled his nostrils. Hushed voices caught his attention, and he opened his eyes. Looking straight up, he caught sight of someone climbing a tree, knocking off the limbs as they climbed.
“Who’s that?” he asked as loud as his voice would go.
Arvid stood over him, blocking his view. “The only person talented enough to climb the tree and set a pulley for us to lift this log off you.”
Panic squeezed his chest. He raised an arm to push the man out of the way. “You shouldn’t have sent her up there. It’s too dangerous.”
“She’s the only one who could do the job fast enough. You could end up losing your legs if we don’t get that tree off you quickly.” Arvid moved.
Hank forgot about his legs. The pounding of his heart whooshed in his head as he followed each movement Kelda made.
“Stand in front of him, she’s ready to top.” Arvid walked over to the long rope hanging to the ground and tied on a saw.
“Sven, step to the side,” Hank said, craning his neck to watch Kelda pull the saw sixty feet into the air. His gaze remained riveted even as his stomach clenched when she leaned back against the rope holding her to the tree and worked the saw back and forth.
“Now,” Arvid said as Kelda hooked the saw to the rope length and then pushed on the tree top and dropped the rope circling the tree, plummeting her down the side of the tree. Her cleated boots stopped her fall as the tree top whooshed and tumbled to the earth on the opposite side Hank was pinned.
If it had been anyone but the woman he loved maneuvering at the top of the tree he’d have whooped with the others. But the clamp of fear squeezing his chest barely allowed him to breathe.
Butch, Tobias, Karl, and Dag came loping up on the draft horses.
Butch and Karl hauled the wire and pulleys over to the base of the tree.
Arvid stalked over to Dag. “Where were you? You were supposed to be watching out for the man you’re paired up with.”
“Peder came over and said Karl wanted to talk to me. Said since Kelda was talking with you, he’d help Hank while I talked to Karl.” Dag’s voice held contrition.
Hank hadn’t thought about how he was under the tree, but it all came rushing back at Dag’s comment. He and Peder were sawing on the tree. Peder walked around to the dangerous side and fell to his knees, saying he’d sprained an ankle. When Hank went to help him, the man slammed a limb against his head, knocking him out. Hank came to, couldn’t feel his legs, and realized a log had him pinned to the ground.
“Where’s Peder?” he asked, drawing the men back to him. “He did this. He lured me to the down side of the tree then hit me with a limb. I came to and this tree was on me.” Anger replaced his fear for Kelda. Not only had the man nearly killed him, but he’d put Kelda’s life in jeopardy too.
Arvid’s face darkened with rage. He turned to Tobias. “Go to camp. Tell everyone what’s happened then ride to town, get the doctor, tell Hank’s family what’s happened, and telegraph for a marshal. I want Peder found.”
Tobias nodded and swung up onto a horse.
“My brother’s will find him,” Hank said, knowing with one brother who was a marshal and one a Pinkerton agent Peder didn’t have a chance.
He looked skyward watching Kelda haul first the guide lines up with the rope and secure them as men below pulled on the tree, arching it slightly away from his position. Then she dropped the rope again and hauled up the pulley, securing it.
Men dug under the log near his legs and hooked a chain around the tree.
His gaze remained riveted to the tree as Kelda checked everything and then began the descent. His heart lodged in his throat more than once, watching her fall and catch herself in a leaping motion as she came down the tree. Her arms and legs had to be tired from all the work.
Ten feet from the ground he lost sight of her.
The few minutes between losing sight and her face showing in front of him dragged on for an eternity.
“How are you doing?” she asked, her hand resting on his cheek.
“Better now that you’re on the ground. How are you?” he placed his hand over hers.
“I’ll be better when this tree is off of you.” She leaned down and kissed his lips.
“Move away.” Arvid pulled Kelda to her feet. “We’re ready to lift this tree. Kelda, you and Munson pull Hank out when we get the log high enough.”
“She has to be tired, get someone—”
Arvid glared down at him. “Do you want out from under that log? We use the manpower we have.” He winked. “And there’s no way she’ll back off.”
Hank had to agree with that when Kelda’s face set with determination loomed over him as she grasped him under one arm and Munson grasped him under the other arm.
Slowly, inch by inch the weight of the log lessened. With each inch it gave, pain seeped into his legs until he wanted to cry out. But his arms jerked and his body slid out.
“Got him!” Kelda shouted, and the ground shook as the log dropped. Her hands moved down his legs.
Sharp pain sliced through his legs in bursts. He bit his lip to keep from yelling out.
“I can’t find any broken bones.” She peered into his eyes. “Is the pain awful?”
He couldn’t even nod. Hank focused on her face and slipped into dark oblivion.
Chapter 29
Kelda paced back and forth in the office. Rachel had been in with Hank for nearly an hour. Now she knew the fear Hank had tried to explain to her. Having never had a loved one injured in an accident, she hadn’t realized the horror and unbridled fear that racked a body. This was what she’d put Hank through every time she mentioned working in the woods. His fear for her had been real, and now she knew the full force of it.
She didn’t like the feeling. Hated the not knowing. And loathed herself for putting him in danger. Her insistence to work in the woods had put him in danger. If she hadn’t insisted, she wouldn’t have been paired with Peder, and he wouldn’t have retaliated by hurting Hank.
Aileen stepped through the outside door with a tray. “Tea to settle yer nerves.”
Kelda didn’t have the heart to say she couldn’
t keep anything down. Aileen and Maeve had dropped everything and came with Rachel. Gil and Zeke were out looking for Peder. Her hands fisted and her body shook knowing she caused Peder to harm Hank. She’d known he was no good. Why couldn’t Far have seen that before it was too late? Why didn’t she stay in the cookhouse where she belonged?
“Sit. Yer no’ goin’ to be any good to Hank if yer all tuckered out.” Aileen pulled her over to the stool at the counter and plopped her on it.
“Why’s it taking so long? I don’t think he broke anything.” Kelda had held his hand as they waited for Rachel. He’d been in excruciating pain but had worked as hard at keeping her cheerful as she’d tried to keep him in good spirits.
“Rachel will be thorough and make sure he’s well cared for.” Aileen poured the tea and handed her a cup.
Kelda took the cup and sipped. It was sweet and did calm her a bit. “Thank you. I’m just…”
“Worried. We all are, but you more than anyone else. Yer love for him is new, easier to hurt.” She patted Kelda’s hand. “Ye’ll learn that when ye give yer heart and soul to someone, when they hurt, ye hurt twice as much because ye feel helpless.” She smiled. “But love is what will pull you both through this. Ye’ll see.”
Karl, Dag, and Tobias stomped through the door.
“And family.” Aileen smiled and passed the boys. “Gentlemen, keep yer sister calm.”
Dag walked toward her his head bowed. “Kelda, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”
She put a hand on Dag’s arm. “You didn’t know the meanness in Peder. I’d just realized it and was discussing it with Far. That’s why he was left alone.”
“But I should have known better. I should have known he wouldn’t be telling me Karl needed to see me.”
“That’s for sure.” Karl said, stepping up. “I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time over Hank.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s okay. We needed a good laugh.”
The door behind her creaked. Kelda spun around as Rachel stuck her head out.
“Kelda, I could use your help.”