by Norah Hess
When Fletch pushed open the door, hung with leather hinges, there came the scampering of tiny feet as he stepped inside and field mice scattered in all directions. "Well, Maida, what do you think?" he asked as they stood amid an accumulation of four years' rubble.
She became ecstatic when she discovered there were two other rooms that led off the combination kitchen and family room. To one who had spent her entire life in a one-room cabin, first with her parents and then with Daniel, this cabin seemed like a palace, and she wished she could stay here forever.
When she walked back into the living quarters, she exclaimed in awe, "They have regular beds and chests in the bedrooms."
Daniel grinned at her enthusiasm and hugged her. Then Fletch asked with a crooked smile, "Do you think I could use one of the bedrooms? Or would I be in your and Daniel's way?"
"Oh, Fletch, do you need to ask?" Maida scolded. "Me and Daniel wouldn't have it any other way."
With a rumbling laugh and a slap on Fletch's back that almost brought him to his knees, Daniel said, "Our castle is your castle, friend."
"Well, let's get busy and get this castle cleaned up," Maida said.
While Daniel made a fire in the rusty stove, and Maida grabbed up the broom leaning in a corner and began sweeping down cobwebs, starting with the ceiling corners, Fletch picked up a dented pail and walked to the back of the cabin where he knew there was a springhouse.
When the sun was about to set, and a curious youth had delivered their provisions, the kitchen and family room had been scrubbed clean. And though Maida looked ready to drop in her tracks, she hummed a little song as she bustled about preparing supper.
That night, early, all three completely worn out, they spread their bedrolls on the clean floor before the fireplace and fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.
Chapter Five
Laura had just bathed Jolie, dressed her, and laid her back in the cradle when she glanced out the window and saw Taylor hurrying toward the cabin. I wonder what he's forgotten this time? she thought, smiling to herself Pa was always forgetting something.
"What did you forget this—" she said, starting to tease when Taylor stepped inside, then stopping at the look of bewilderment on the handsome middle-aged man's face. "What's wrong, Pa?" she asked with concern. "You look upset."
"I am upset." Taylor pulled a chair away from the table and sat down heavily. "Elisha just told me that Fletch came back to Big Pine yesterday afternoon. He had a man and woman with him, and instead of bringing them here, the three of them moved into that old cabin of Sam Crock's. He said that, although Fletch didn't say anything, he could tell that he was upset at the news of me and you getting married."
At first the news that Fletch had returned was all that stuck in Laura's mind. Then her pulse settled down and she could take in the rest of what Taylor had said. She wasn't too surprised at Fletch's reaction. Not that she thought he would be all that angry with Taylor, but she had figured all along that he would be incensed at her for marrying his father after letting him make love to her.
She sat down across from Taylor. "It was a big shock to him, Pa. Give him time to get used to the idea and he'll come around," she said, not believing a word she spoke. Fletch would never come home as long as she was here.
"Do you think so, Laura?" Taylor looked anxiously at her. "Me and Fletch have never had any harsh words all these years."
Laura reached across the table and gripped his hands in silent sympathy, heartsick that she had caused the rift between him and his son.
After a moment Taylor stood up. "I'm going over there to explain the whole thing to Fletch." He looked at Laura earnestly. "Don't be afraid that he'll tell anyone what I say to him."
Laura nodded. "I know that, Pa, but I still think you should give him a couple days to think things over." Taylor shook his head. "I couldn't stand the suspense of not knowing how he feels."
Laura went to the window to watch him strike off toward the old Crock place. After Pa told Fletch everything, would he suspect that Jolie was his, or would he believe, like everyone else, that she was no Thomas? Would he, too, think that Adam Beltran was her father?
Laura moved away from the window thinking that at least Fletch would feel better knowing that she and Pa didn't sleep together.
Taylor heard the ring of axes as he neared the old cabin and knew what it meant. Fletch and the man from Canada were cutting firewood. If they had an extra ax he'd give them a hand. When he was a few yards away from the sweating men, he called out, "Howdy. Laying in a wood supply, I see."
From the corners of his eyes he saw the stranger stop and lean his ax against a tree stump. But Fletch, after one glance at him, continued to swing his ax, sending wood chips flying. When it was evident that he had no intention of stopping and introducing his companion, Taylor walked up to the big man and with a friendly smile held out his hand.
"I'm Taylor Thomas. Fletch's pa."
Daniel looked at the weathered, open face, the warm glint in the eyes, and liked what he saw. Here was a good and honorable man. He grasped the offered hand and said as he shook it, "I'm right glad to meet you, Taylor Thomas. Fletch has spoke of you often. Call me Daniel." Taylor looked at his son, who still refused to look at him. "I don't suppose he's said anything good about me recently, has he?"
"Well, come to think about it, he ain't said anything, good or bad." Daniel grinned. "We've been busy cleanin' out the place a little. Although me and my Maida are only gonna be here long enough to get married, she wants the place shaped up a tad."
"Yes, women are like that." Taylor grinned. "They're great ones for neatin' things." He hesitated a couple seconds, then asked, "Is my son planning on going back to Canada with you?"
"Not that I know of."
"Daniel, I'd like a few words alone with Fletch."
Daniel nodded his understanding, then called to Fletch, "I'm gonna take a break and have a cup of coffee."
When Fletch continued to send the ax blade into a felled tree, Taylor walked up to him and grasped his wrist before he could raise the tool for another heavy whack at the birch timber.
"We've got to talk," he said when Fletch turned impatient eyes on him. "I know it must have been a shock to you, learning that me and Laura are married. But there was a good reason for us to wed. You see, I wanted to—"
"You wanted to bed her," Fletch said callously, angrily. He looked at Taylor with contemptous eyes. "Wasn't Butterfly woman enough for you, you randy old goat?"
The blood drained from Taylor's face. He couldn't believe that his son had spoken so coarsely to him, thought so poorly of him. While he debated whether or not to go ahead and try to make Fletch listen to him, Fletch spoke again.
"I guess you know the little bitch cuckolded you into a laughingstock right off birthing a fair white-haired baby."
Taylor stared at his son who had become an ugly stranger. He did not know this man, did not want to know him. After a moment he said with icy control, "If that's what you want to think, so be it." He turned and walked away, almost bumping into Daniel who was bringing him a cup of coffee.
"You were pretty hard on him, friend," Daniel said quietly. "He probably had no idea that you wanted the girl for yours elf" He shoved the cup of coffee at Fletch. "Here, drink his coffee."
Fletch knew Daniel spoke the truth. He had never, by word or action, let anyone know how he felt about Laura. Hell, she hadn't even known until that night in the barn, and even then he hadn't told her that he loved her. He had acted like an ass by going off and leaving her, giving her time to know her own mind.
"He's still too damned old for her," was the only rebuttal he could come up with. "Look what she's done to him already, making his friends snicker behind his back."
Daniel nodded. "So it would seem. But if you had listened to Taylor you might have got a different story. The true one, I believe."
"I don't want to talk about it," Fletch growled and swung the ax into the log as though it were
an enemy he was intent on killing. However, he was more angry at himself now. He was also ashamed of how he had struck out at the kindly man with such hurtful words.
But he hadn't wanted to hear that Taylor and Laura loved each other. There was no telling what he might have done. He might have struck Pa, and that would have been unforgivable.
Fletch continued to swing the ax for close to an hour, split logs piling up all around him. Daniel kept pace with him, wondering when Fletch was going to work the anger and bitterness from his mind.
When Fletch at last stopped to wipe the sweat off his face, Daniel leaned on his ax handle and asked, "You feelin' better now?"
"A little." Fletch shrugged and brought his ax down to bury its blade in one of the new halfdozen tree stumps. "I guess we ought to cord awhile," he said, clearly sending a message that he didn't want to discuss his run-in with his father any further. He bent over and started lining up the cut pieces of wood, separating the short stove pieces from the longer, larger pieces meant for the fireplace.
Daniel pitched in, and they had almost a cord finished when a feminine voice called, "My, but you fellows have been busy."
Both men turned around to look at Milly Howard coming toward them. Daniel's eyes narrowed on the overblown figure; the ripe breasts that bobbled as she walked, the wide hips that swung with each step she took. He knew women, and this one was man-crazy. It was almost embarrassing the way her eyes licked over Fletch, fastening on his crotch. He knew that she had known Fletch in the biblical sense and would like to again.
He looked at his friend to see if he was responding to the scarcely hidden invitation in the pale brown eyes. If Fletch wanted to, he could take the bitch behind a tree and hump her right now.
To Daniel's surprise, but satisfaction, Fletch didn't seem to be in the least interested in what Milly was offering. That was good. He didn't want his friend to become involved with this one.
Daniel didn't know that Fletch knew women even better than he did. Fletch was very much aware that he could take Milly right under the big man's nose if he had a mind to. But he had no desire to do so.
However, an idea struck him. He could use Milly to hit back at Pa and Laura. Pa had no use for the village tramp and had been upset last year when rumor had it that his son was thinking of marrying the woman who had known so many men. Fletch hadn't bothered to squelch the gossip, for he was using the older woman to hide his attraction for the younger one.
And Laura and Milly didn't like each other, so if he pretended to take up with Milly again, Laura wouldn't like that one bit. She'd be afraid he might marry her enemy and move her into the Thomas cabin.
He made himself Smile at the woman clinging to his arm and say, "How've you been, Milly? Have you missed me?"
"Oh, I surely have, Fletch." Milly crushed his arm against her full, soft breast. "Shame on you for going off and leaving me for such a long time."
Fletch flicked a playful finger across the tip of her nose. "Were you true to me all that time?"
Daniel snorted his disgust when Milly answered sweetly, "You know I was, Fletch." He hoped that Fletch hadn't swallowed that lie.
All three looked at the cabin when Maida called from the door, "You men come wash up. I'm putting lunch on the table."
Damn, Fletch thought, Milly will expect to eat with us, and I don't think Daniel will want her around Maida. When Maida added with a smile, "Bring your company in with you," he looked at Daniel, and his big friend lifted a helpless shoulder as if to say, "What could I do?"
A short time later Daniel was sorry he hadn't done something.
Everything had gone well enough at first even though Milly had adopted a condescending attitude toward Maida within minutes. "I'll come over and show you how to pretty up the place," she said, gazing around the room. "And we must get you some nice dresses and put some curls in your hair; get you fancied up a little."
While Fletch held his breath at Milly's rudeness, Daniel grew stiff with indignation. "I don't want her fancied up like some whore," he said in a voice that Fletch and Maida knew came from a building anger. "I like her just the way she is."
Milly was smart enough to drop the subject of Maida's looks and switched to another topic. "I notice you don't have any young'uns runnin' around." She slid belittling eyes over Maida's slender, boyish figure. "Ain't you able to get bigged?"
"Oh, I'm sure I can." Maida laughed. Nobody knew better than she that her breasts were almost nonexistent and that she didn't have any curves to speak of But Daniel didn't care, so she didn't either.
She looked at Milly and answered innocently, "As soon as me and Daniel get married we plan to have a large family." She laid an affectionate hand on her man's arm. "What with Daniel being so much older than me, he wants a son who will take care of me after he's gone."
"You mean you ain't married?" Milly pretended to be scandalized. "How long have you been livin' together? He can't have much respect for you." She nodded toward Daniel.
"Don't be too surprised if some mornin' you wake up and he's gone."
Daniel put an arm around Maida's shoulders when her face turned pale at Milly's harsh words. His black brows drawn together and his voice as cold as ice, he bit out, "You bitch. Don't you look down your nose at my little gal. She's only ever known one man. Can you say the same?"
When Milly only gazed at Daniel, knowing she had gone too far, he said through tight lips, "I want you out of our home right now. You're not fit to sit at the same table with this little lady."
Milly's face took on an angry red and she looked at Fletch for support. He was occupied with washing his face and hands. When he reached for a towel, completely ignoring her, she wheeled and stormed out of the cabin, a wide hip bumping into the table in her haste, making the plates and flatware jiggle.
"I'm sorry if I've offended you, Fletch, by ordering that woman away," Daniel said when the door slammed. "But I couldn't let the likes of her insult my little gal."
"Think nothing of it," Fletch said, pulling a chair away from the table and sitting down. "You beat me by a heartbeat telling her the same thing." Daniel breathed a relieved sigh. "I'm sure grateful you feel that way. For however long me and Maida stay, this is your home. I'd sure hate for our friendship to break up over a slut like that one."
Fletch nodded that he had the same sentiments. Then, reaching for a hot biscuit, he said, "I don't want you and Maida upset, however, when I pretend to court the bitch."
Daniel studied his friend's face a minute, noted the bitterness on it, and said soberly, "Revenge is no good, Fletch. It can turn to ashes in your mouth."
"Not in this case, Daniel. It will taste as sweet as honey."
Maida nudged Daniel, cautioning him to let the matter drop. She changed the subject by saying, "I'd like to visit your preacher today, Fletch, and make arrangements for me and Daniel to get married as soon as possible. We can't waste much time if we're to get back home before all the passes are blocked with snow. I'm sure Canada has had some snow already."
"We'll go see him as soon as we're finished eating." Fletch smiled at her. "His place is only a scant mile from here."
Laura laid out everything she'd need for Jolie's bath on the kitchen table. When she finished bathing her daughter, she intended to take her outside for their daily walk. Once winter set in, the little one would seldom leave the cabin.
When she gently lowered the plump little body into the warm water, Laura was rewarded with a wide, toothless smile. Jolie loved her bath. Laura talked softly to her daughter as she lathered the soft skin and the blond hair that had grown long enough to twist into tight little curls.
When she had rinsed all the soap off the tiny body and curly hair, she lifted Jolie onto a towel that had been warmed and began to pat her dry. She had just powdered and dressed the little one when Taylor entered the room. "I forgot to take that loaf of bread you promised Elisha," he said. "He's waiting for it. Hunter hinted that he'd like a loaf too, if you can spare it."
&
nbsp; Laura smiled. She liked Hunter, Pa's bartender. He was a quiet, handsome man who went about minding his own business. "The bread is over there." She nodded at the work bench next to the stove. "Take a loaf for Hunter too. But before you leave, will you hold Jolie while I get my jacket on?"
"Going for your morning walk, are you?" Taylor held out his arms for the baby.
Laura nodded, then smiled to herself as he started talking baby gibberish to the little one. When she had drawn on her jacket and taken Jolie from him, Taylor said musingly, "This little scutter reminds me of someone and I can't figure out who. It's the expression in her eyes and the way her lips curl up when she smiles."
Laura made no response. Little Miss Thomas didn't look like anyone she knew. It was decidedly cool when Laura opened the door and walked outside. An upward glance showed her a gray, threatening sky. Bad weather was on the way. When the baby caught her breath from the sharp air, Laura covered the small face with the end of her shawl.
Laura had no destination in mind when she started out and she was at first surprised, and then disgusted when she found herself walking along the path that led to the old Crock place. She never walked this way because it was a lonely stretch through the woods. She asked herself crossly if she had unconsciously hoped to run into Fletch.
Her lips firmed tightly. Surely that wasn't so. Not after the cruel and uncaring way he had treated her. She was about to turn around and retrace her steps when she heard the deep laughter of a man mingled with that of a woman. Almost at the same time two men and a woman appeared from around a bend in the path.
Her feet felt as if they were frozen to the ground as Fletch and his friends came toward her. When they were abreast, her eyes looked straight into Fletch's, and everything and everybody faded away.
He looks different, she thought, and not because of the beard he now wears. There's a hardness on his face that wasn't there before, and threads of gray at his temples. She shivered at the cold contempt that looked out of his eyes.