The Devil and Miss Julia Jackson

by Cheryl Pierson

  “Got a coat, Miss Laura?” Dev asked, washing away the words he’d just spoken that had hit him like a slap in the face. How many times had he vowed in his heart not to let harm come to Heather? But he hadn’t been able to save her. Not when it counted.

  “I’ll get it!” Lauralee was off in a flash.

  “I’d like to talk with you tonight, after Jamie and Lauralee are in bed,” Dev said in a low voice.

  Julia looked down and nodded. “All right, Mr. Campbell. I look forward to it. I best get the meal underway—”

  “I’m all ready!” Laura’s little face was aglow as she bounded back into the room.

  “Oh—your shoes—” They certainly had no money to replace shoes ruined by slush, mud, or snow, Julia’s tone said.

  “I’ll carry her,” Dev cut in reassuringly at the youngster’s crestfallen look. “We won’t be gone too long.”

  As Dev started out the door, he realized he’s made a mistake. How could picking up a child and carrying her to the barn open up the dam that locked his heart away?

  But Lauralee weighed almost exactly what his Heather had. And she held tight to his neck—did all little girls do that?

  As they entered the barn, Lauralee shivered with excitement.

  “Now, we can’t get too close,” Dev cautioned her. “Daisy doesn’t know you, yet. And mama cows take good care of their babies.”

  “Can we pet the calf?”

  “No—”

  “Can we pet Daisy?”

  “I don’t think—”

  “What’s the calf’s name?”

  “Well, I haven’t had a chance—”

  “It is a girl, isn’t it?”

  “Yes—”

  “Ooooh…” Lauralee’s questions ended abruptly at the first glimpse she got of Daisy and her new baby. They were snuggled together in the warm straw. The calf looked around curiously. “She—is so…beautiful…” Lauralee’s voice trailed off in wonder.

  “I’m going to name her,” she said, matter-of-factly. “She’s just like—like a princess!”

  Dev swallowed hard. “Well…let’s call her that, if you like.”

  She nodded her head, her blonde curls jiggling again under the hat she wore. “Yes. I love that name! And I love her. I wish I could pet her,” she said wistfully.

  Dev smiled. “It won’t be long before you can, Miss Lauralee.”

  They were silent a moment, then Lauralee sighed. “Do mama cows ever die, Debbil?”

  Dev hid his smile at his new name. He supposed he deserved it, after the way he’d acted. After a moment, he answered carefully. “Not very often. But, it happens, sometimes.”

  “I hope Princess’s mama doesn’t.”

  “I do, too.”

  “Is Daisy a good mama?” Lauralee turned to look at him intently.

  Dev chuckled. “Far as I know. This is her first calf.”

  Lauralee cocked her head, studying baby and mama. “They love each other. I can tell.”

  Dev regarded the pair with all seriousness. “Yep. I believe you’re right.” After a moment, he asked, “Ready to go help your Aunt Julia get dinner on the table?”

  “Sometimes, people call her Julie, instead, Debbil.” Lauralee yawned, laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m not sleeping, you know. Just resting my eyes…”

  • ♥ •

  But Lauralee was asleep, and as Dev laid his precious burden on the settee, he shared a faint smile with Julia.

  “Blankets are in the linen closet, just down the hallway, there,” he said softly, making sure to rest Lauralee’s head on one of the settee cushions as Julia hurried to fetch a covering for her.

  “Supper should be ready very soon,” Julia murmured softly as she returned, spreading the blanket over her niece. “Little Jamie is a sleepy boy, too. He didn’t have much of a nap today, I’m afraid.” She tucked the blanket close around Lauralee, then glanced at Dev. “We arrived about the time one of the men—Charlie, I think he said—was trying to get him to lie down. I fear in all the excitement, Jamie didn’t sleep more than a half-hour, here in my lap.”

  “Happens a lot. The men aren’t good about lying down with him…as you might guess.”

  Yes, Julia wanted to say. She certainly did guess that was the case, more often than not. Instead, she bit her tongue and asked, “Would you like me to feed Jamie now? I could put him on a pallet here in the Great Room. It’s so much warmer in here.”

  Dev gave her a grateful look. “Yes. I usually put him in my room, but I don’t like to burn a fire up there all day while I’m gone. I’ll go get one started to warm the room up, but he can sleep down here for now ’til we finish our meal.”

  Julia fed Jamie a quick meal of toasted bread and oatmeal, along with a few small bites of bacon she’d just cooked while Dev started the fires in the bedchambers upstairs.

  Jamie went to sleep quickly in the warmth of the Great Room. Then, Dev and Julia sat down to eat their meal in the silence that was broken only by the crackling of the fire.

  • ♥ •

  “Miss Jackson—”

  “Mr. Campbell—”

  They both started to speak at once, then smiled.

  “We sound pretty ridiculous,” Dev said. “Do you think maybe we could see our way clear to use our given names, Julia?”

  Julia’s heart bolted and ran at his words. Oh, her own upbringing in the South would never allow for such familiarity, but…

  “Why, of course, Devlin,” she heard herself say.

  “Please,” he said with a grimace. “Call me plain ol’ Dev. Lauralee was right—Devlin does sound like ‘Debbil’—Dev’s a lot better. And…” he added hesitantly, “Lauralee tells me sometimes you’re called Julie.”

  Julia shook her head, remembering her niece’s words. “I’m so sorry. She knows better. She—feels the need to defend me. It’s been just the two of us for a while, now.” Her cheeks warmed as she steered the conversation to a safer subject. “She’s right about my name—I do prefer Julie.”

  Dev shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips at the memory. “She thought—well, I was rude. There wasn’t any excuse for my behavior. I was just…surprised.”

  Julia raised a dark brow. “Unpleasantly so, by the sound of your greeting.”

  “I’ll be honest with you, uh—Julie…” He paused to pour a measure of syrup over his pancakes, and to collect his thoughts.

  She waited, watching him in silence, somehow pleased with the sound of her name on his tongue.

  Finally, he said, “Lauralee—she reminds me of–of my daughter, Heather. Heather was about her age when she—passed.”

  “Oh, Dev! I didn’t have any idea. What—oh, never mind. That’s rude of me to say—”

  “No, I just haven’t…I don’t talk about her much to anyone.” He cut the pancakes and took a bite.

  “Did she—die in an accident? With your wife?”

  He laid his fork down. “Yes, Heather…drowned. But Annella’s death was no accident,” he added harshly. “She died of a broken heart, I suppose. Jamie wasn’t enough to convince her to live—nor was I!”

  “But—oh, Dev, I couldn’t bear to lose a child, if I ever—” She broke off, her face reddening. “Maybe she didn’t have any kind of choice. Maybe losing her daughter broke her heart so badly she—she just gave up.”

  Dev let go a brittle laugh. “Would we all had been given that choice. I was left behind. Someone had to raise Jamie.” He stared into nothingness. “Life had to go on, for us.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Julia drew back, as if he’d slapped her. She’d experienced the sorrow of the deaths of loved ones, but never, never the passing of her own child! That was an unimaginable sadness. And Dev was right—he’d had no choice. Jamie needed him.

  But what of his needs? Suddenly, her perspective changed…perhaps Annella had been selfish. She’d left Dev alone, with no one to talk to. No one to share his own sorrow with—and had added to his devastating sadness—Oh, goodne
ss…Annella hadn’t died on purpose! Yet, the thought niggled…even with a young baby boy to love and care for, she’d been unable to summon up the will to remain. And Dev seemed so…certain...so sure she could have pulled herself up by the bootstraps. But Julia’s heart cried otherwise. Some sorrows were too much to bear. Annella may not have been strong enough.

  Julia watched Dev determinedly take another bite of food. He knew he had to eat—though he probably was no more hungry than she was now, with the way the conversation had turned. Julia could see he was not enjoying his food, but eating out of need. She’d not intended to bring him unhappiness.

  “Our trip out West was full of excitement,” she ventured, sipping her coffee. “It was the first time Lauralee or I had travelled so far from home.”

  “I imagine Indian Territory has been quite a different experience,” Dev said.

  “Well, this snowfall has been wondrous!” Julia bit into her buttered biscuit with real hunger. She was determined to say something good about Dev’s home.

  “Glad you made it in early—else you might’ve been stuck in town for several days before you could travel again. This is as bad as I’ve seen things in a good while, and it’s gonna get worse.”

  “You mean more snow?”

  Dev shook his head. “Way it feels, there’s gonna be ice followin’ before long. That’ll be a lot worse than snow—for the animals.”

  “Men, too, I expect,” Julia said grimly. “You all will be the ones having to keep the animals safe. I’ll be sure to have a pot of coffee going. Being raised in the South, I suppose I never thought about the dangers of snow and ice. It’s so…beautiful.”

  He looked up at her quickly, and she smiled. “Well, it looks as though I’ve surprised you again.”

  He nodded. “You did. I wasn’t expecting—ah, hell, I don’t know what I was expecting, Julie. I doubt this place—this situation—me…” He cleared his throat. “If you want to travel back to Georgia, I’ll pay your fare. You’re a long way from home, and—”

  Fear coiled in Julia’s stomach. He didn’t understand. She had no home to return to. No relatives. No friends. It had taken every ounce of her determination and the concern for Lauralee’s well-being to send them packing and set them on this journey. She couldn’t turn back, now. She was almost out of money, and there was nothing to return to.

  “Devlin, I—I fear I am here to stay.” She raised her eyes and met his steady, dark stare. “This is my home now—unless you find me…unsuitable for the position.”

  • ♥ •

  Unsuitable? That was hardly a word that could be used to describe Miss Julia Jackson.

  The woman had a way with Jamie, as well as the clear devotion of her niece. Jamie already looked up at her with clear devotion in his face—Dev’d seen that for certain before he’d ruined everything like a bull in a china closet when he’d come stomping through the door.

  And Miss Julia had learned her way around Dev’s kitchen in a hurry, and made a meal fit for a king out of the meager stores that needed to be replenished—and they’d have to make do with, for now, until they could get to town.

  With her soft, golden hair and blue eyes, she looked like an angel, even after her days of travel with a young child. And she’d uncomplainingly gone the extra mile, taking care of little Jamie and getting their meal together.

  It had felt fine to know she was here, preparing their meal and feeding Jamie, while he had lit the fires and taken care of those things that needed tending. But traveling here, alone—that had been dangerous; she had determination—he’d give her that. And, as he tried to put himself in her place, he could feel how very afraid she must have been to have come so far from home. Then, she’d had to figure out a way to get herself to his ranch, still alone and responsible for Lauralee.

  She was staring at him intently. He realized he’d not responded.

  “Unsuitable—of course not!” He sat up straighter in his chair. “I thought maybe you—well, I know that living on a ranch is a come-down for a lady such as yourself, Julie.” He laid his fork on the edge of his plate. “You’re used to the finer things—” He shook his head. “Not—not like life is here.”

  Julia drew a deep breath. “It’s true that I was raised to be a lady. But…well, can’t a lady live on a ranch?”

  The sincerity of her question made him smile—a genuine smile that led to a chuckle. “I suppose so. I would be glad to have a lady on my ranch.”

  “I won’t trouble you,” she said, sounding eager.

  “Taking care of Jamie is the main thing,” Dev muttered gruffly, trying to ignore the wave of protectiveness that washed over him.

  Julia nodded. “Have no worries. He’s dear to me already.” After a moment, she said, “I will be glad to prepare meals—should I make a list of supplies when we’re finished?”

  The wind whistled around the eaves of the snug house, and Dev gave a wry shake of his head. “There’ll be time for that, by the sound of things outside. I should-a gone into town a couple of days ago. There just hasn’t been time—”

  “Don’t worry. There’s plenty of flour and baking supplies. We can eat biscuits and gravy, if nothing else.”

  Relieved, Dev smiled at her willingness. “I never get tired of that.”

  • ♥ •

  As Dev carried Jamie up to bed, then Lauralee, Julia washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.

  Dev appeared beside her, reaching for a dishtowel. He gave her a questioning glance.

  “Yes. This lady does know how to cook and clean up,” she assured him.

  “I am impressed,” he admitted. “You aren’t what I was expecting.”

  “Oh…are you disappointed? I could—”

  “No,” he said quickly, stacking the plates and serving dishes as he dried them. “I just wasn’t figuring on—you.”

  Julia wasn’t sure what to think about Dev’s statement. “And I wasn’t expecting—” She felt heat rising to her cheeks. It was only the awkwardness of their uncertainty with each other, she was sure. “I’ll pour us some coffee, and we can go sit by the fire ’til it burns down some,” she said, to fill the silence.

  “That sounds good,” Dev agreed.

  They carried their cups to the Great Room and sat on the settee where Lauralee had slept earlier. The room was warm and cozy as the wind shrieked outside.

  “We hadn’t been here too long when you got home,” Julia said, making conversation. “Those last couple of miles—the snow was blowing, and I wasn’t sure I was on the right road. The livery owner gave me directions—he couldn’t spare a driver.”

  “You did just fine.” Anger shot through Dev’s heart at the thought of Neal Owens turning Julie down when she’d asked for a driver. A young woman in unfamiliar territory with inclement weather upon them—and with the trouble that had been afoot lately…The cut fences. The bad water. Things that didn’t ‘just happen’. Things he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop before he was ruined. Stealthy attacks that were becoming bolder with each passing day. When he returned the rig, Dev thought, he’d damn sure have a word with Owens.

  It was his fault, for being a Campbell, Dev knew. Oddly enough, this was probably the only instance where his Scottish blood was the point of contention over his Chickasaw heritage. Owens took his clan affiliation seriously—even two generations from leaving the auld country.

  But, Dev wouldn’t allow anyone to slight Miss Julia Jackson, simply for being in his employ. She had no choice about working for him. What a fearful position that must put her in…no choice. What if he’d turned out to be an ogre? A man with no conscience? She would have been trapped. Yet, she’d had to take that chance…

  “Julie—earlier, I only meant to offer you a choice; not suggest that you should go home.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. I truly have no home to return to. Lauralee is my older sister’s daughter. My sister, her husband, and my brother are all gone now. So, I’m Lauralee’s guardian.”

 
“Forgive me. I don’t mean to be—indelicate—but can you tell me how you came to be in such dire straits? I’m sure this was not what you had planned for your life.”

  • ♥ •

  Julia gave him a direct look. “I like your honesty, but I’m not accustomed to it,” she admitted. A faint smile played on her lips. “No. It’s not at all what I thought my life would be. In short, after my parents died, my brother gambled our estate away. I’ll be honest—and blunt, as well. He was murdered—presumably, for not paying up on his debts.”

  She took a deep breath. How she hated to revisit those bleak years! But Dev had a right to know. Best to get this conversation over with.

  “My sister, Helena, married for security—for me and for herself. Her husband, Zion, was much older, with a son, Ellis, by a previous marriage. When his father died, followed soon after by my sister, Ellis inherited…everything.”

  “But—what about Lauralee?”

  Julia shook her head. “No. Ellis Redmond was particularly vicious in his description of what could happen to us if we fought him for her portion. We are perfectly happy to leave Georgia behind, and look forward to a new beginning here. It’s safer that way.” Feeling the melancholy subject settle on her, she shook it off with a bright smile. “And, much more adventurous.”

  • ♥ •

  That was the truth. More than she knew. For a brief moment, Dev debated with himself about telling her what had been happening for the past few weeks here at the Flying C.

  But he couldn’t. Not yet. She was running to the relative safety he could offer her here at the Flying C—he didn’t want to scare her. She needed to feel secure.

  And he would resolve it. She need never know. Until then, he’d make sure she stayed close to home. That shouldn’t be hard, with the aid of the bitter cold and snow.

  “Ready for bed?” he asked, his mind registering his words as soon as he spoke them. “I mean—”

  But Julia didn’t take offense. She only nodded and stood, reaching for his empty cup. “I am,” she said softly. “Thank you for lighting the fires—I truly do hate a cold bedchamber. Do you want me to see to Jamie before I retire?”