Prospecting for Love

by Barbara Baldwin

  Something wasn't quite right with the whole scenario, though. It didn’t make sense to kill Jesse if he had nothing to do with the bank, which held all the money. Ellie felt sure the bank also held the key to this mystery. Unlike her nineteenth century twin, Elizabeth, Ellie did have a head for business, and planned to take a careful look at the dealings of one Clayton Scott.

  She pumped water and heated it for a bath. As she lit two more candles to keep the darkness at bay, she decided the underhanded Mr. Scott could wait until morning.

  She crunched another potato chip and marveled at the things that were available in 1870. In her naiveté, she had assumed modern conveniences had been invented in modern times -- specifically in the twentieth and twenty-first century during her life span.

  It was silly to be thrilled by such little things as potato chips and scented soap, she thought, sniffing the small bar appreciatively, but a person didn't miss something until she had to do without. She eyed the small stash of pre-made cigarettes Zeke had left her. If she smoked more than that, he had said, she would just have to learn to roll her own. Or quit, he had reiterated.

  Yes, life was just full of little treasures to stockpile and savor. She banged her knee on the side of the tub as she adjusted her body so hot water covered most of it. She decided to reserve judgment on copper bathtubs until later.

  She reached for the glass of wine from the table. Zeke had brought her a bottle after she threatened to go to the saloon herself. She took a sip and settled her head against the back of the tub, grinning as she wiggled her painted toes against the far rim. Perhaps she would start a woman's movement right here in Peavine. She chuckled, knowing the few women she had seen in town that morning were basically two types. Matronly wives of the rich, and the kind who were already very liberated.

  She closed her eyes and thought of Jesse Cole instead. Twinkling eyes came to mind, tiny lines fanning out from the corners when he smiled. Regardless of the rough life he led, she recalled he had smiled quite a bit that day. So much about him made sense now, whereas it hadn't when she thought he was a weekend visitor to the mountains.

  His strength and ruggedness were natural characteristics of the kind of work he did. Zeke had said there was a lot of timber cutting needed for braces and shafts, in addition to the hard work with a pick and shovel. Ellie had no doubt Jesse did quite a bit of his own work.

  In order to learn more about him, she would have to get him away from the mine for awhile. Ellie soaped her body and washed her hair, wondering if she had what it took to divert a man's attention from his work. She had never purposely set out to seduce a man.

  She recalled how a stray lock of jet black hair had fallen over Jesse's forehead, giving him the look of a fallen angel. She definitely wouldn't have any trouble being seduced. She just hoped it would work as well the other way around.

  Chapter 5

  Ellie surprised herself the next morning by lighting a fire in the stove without burning the house down. She figured the idea must be to keep a fire burning, because the coals in the bottom of the stove quickly ignited the other tinder she shoved through a hole.

  Lucky hadn't come over this morning to bug her, and while she considered that a good thing, she would have liked someone around to cook. A search of the cupboards produced a tin of coffee. As she put a pot on to brew, she convinced herself she could be a pioneer. After all, how hard could it be?

  While she waited for her morning coffee, she ventured out the back door and immediately revised her opinion. An old-fashion outhouse stood further back in the yard, the quarter moon cut into the door causing Ellie to recognize it. They actually looked like that, she thought, smiling at all the times she had seen them portrayed in movies and such. A huge pile of sawed logs lay in a heap by a flat-topped tree trunk with an ax sticking from it. When Ellie looked closer to the house, she found a small stack of wood, but realized she would have to find someone to cut more before long.

  The morning sun was barely up, but Ellie could already feel the heat rising from the earth. If not for the breeze which seemed to continually blow down the mountain and through the trees, she knew it would be intolerable, especially without central air conditioning.

  A distant boom echoed and the ground shook. Ellie jumped. Several more blasts quickly followed. She prayed quickly that the dynamite blasts were no more than work in progress, and not a premonition of doom. Her gaze wandered in the direction of the mines which ran along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain ridge.

  It awed her to think she was within walking distance of some of the richest gold, silver and copper mines in the history of the United States. Just past the back of the house to the trees, and a little beyond that to the creek. And if she walked along the creek a little ways, she would come to Jesse's cabin.

  His image immediately rose to Ellie's mind; eyes of indigo blue and full of laughter, broad shoulders and a tall, trim body. She couldn't imagine any woman wanting to hurt him, but then she hadn't lived in the 1870's for more than a few days and didn't know what motivated people here. Greed, jealousy and hatred were definitely factors which existed in her world. While she hoped things hadn't always been that way, somehow she doubted it had changed over the years.

  She had a crime victim and she had a final result, unless they could somehow change the course of history. While Zeke and Lucky might have lived during the times, they didn't seem to understand the why of things. It looked like Ellie would have to find the motivation that had gotten Jesse Cole killed -- or would get him killed on the fourth of July.

  Ellie heard the coffee sputtering from inside and hurried through the door to the kitchen. Her coffee was boiling over and splattering onto the fire. Without thinking, she grabbed the handle, forgetting the entire fixture was made of metal and conducted heat.

  "Damn." she swore, dropping the pot back onto the stove and shaking her hand in the air. She quickly jerked at the pump handle, sighing as cold water rushed over her blistering hand. Patting it gingerly with a towel, she swore again, feeling royally sorry for herself and her plight.

  It took two cups of coffee, after cooling, and her last rolled cigarette before Ellie felt ready to tackle the problems Zeke and Lucky had discussed with her last night. But as with everything else in her life, Ellie dug into a project with a vengeance once she knew the parameters.

  She decided to start with Jesse -- the one who needed protecting -- and work her way back from there. In this case, Zeke had explained who belonged to who and who was dead and alive, but that left alot of holes. The biggest lack of information concerned Clayton Scott. He hadn't lived in Peavine as long as the rest of them, and his background appeared dubious.

  From her brief encounter with the man yesterday, a very obvious connection could be made between him and Elizabeth. That connection wasn’t one Ellie wanted to pursue, so she decided to tread lightly. She definitely needed Clayton around until they could uncover the whole plot, but she didn't trust the man and didn't know if she could pretend otherwise. She knew Clayton Scott wanted more from Elizabeth than Ellie would be willing to give.

  Ellie pulled on a pair of jeans without thinking before she realized that probably wasn't the way to approach Jesse. While he might have excused her dress the other day, she figured she better act as close to Elizabeth as she could. To that effect, she dug through the closet in search of something suitable.

  Elizabeth must think highly of her appearance, for all the clothes Ellie found were full of frills and lace, and entirely too dressy for life in the town of Peavine. Of course, if Elizabeth had recently returned from some east coast boarding school, that might explain the fancier attire.

  Ellie tried to view Elizabeth's wardrobe as she did her own. Three categories divided her clothes -- work, play and party. Using that criteria, Elizabeth had no play clothes and very few work things. Ellie finally decided to wear the blue skirt again, this time with a cream colored blouse. It appeared a trip back to Murphy's was in order.

&nbs
p; Another dig clear to the back of the wardrobe led to the discovery of a worn pair of slip-on shoes. The leather was scuffed and soft, and when Ellie put them on she sighed with pleasure. These would be much more comfortable than the heeled boots she had worn yesterday.

  An hour later Ellie ventured outside. She swung a picnic basket from one hand and pulled the door closed behind her. The warmth of the day made her wish for a pair of cutoffs, but she guessed a skirt was cooler than jeans would have been. Cooler, but not as comfortable, she thought caustically, as she grabbed a handful of said skirt and hiked it up as she stepped down from the porch.

  Instead of turning towards town, Ellie headed for the trees, and as she remembered, soon came to the creek. The grassy bank spread along both sides, and the crystal water tumbled along. It might be fun to come down here and swim sometime, she reflected.

  Once she got to the area of the creek where the stones acted as a bridge, she hesitated. The spaces between them looked a lot further apart than they had the other night. She worried her bottom lip as she decided whether to use the stones or just wade across. She couldn't see to the middle and wondered if it might have some deep pockets.

  She definitely didn't want to ruin her new found shoes, so she slipped them off and laid them on top of the basket. She took one step towards the water and decided something had to be done with her skirt, too, because there was entirely too much of it. She grabbed it in one hand, then realized that made her unbalanced to walk on the stones. Finally, she bent over, grabbed the back hem and brought it up between her legs and tucked it into the front waistband. The procedure brought the whole thing up around her knees like a pair of bloomers.

  * * *

  Jesse watched Elizabeth's actions with interest from the trees on the other side of the creek. He smiled when she took off her shoes, but gaped in astonishment when she hiked up her dress and bared her legs. His heart beat faster as she tentatively took a step nearer the water, and he knew it wasn't fear that she would fall in. After all, it was only about a foot deep in most places.

  Deciding his men could do without him for awhile, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a tree, watching her progress. He had started into town three times last night to see her. Each time, he'd talked himself out of it, thinking perhaps she would already be abed, or that he shouldn't push her for an answer to his proposal, even though that had been exactly what he wanted to do.

  Then today, he'd had to ask twice when something was said, had told Lucky to go to town for supplies but hadn't given him a list, and when he showed back up later, had told him to go to town for supplies again. Normally, he worked right down in the mine with his crew, but his supervisor, Carlos, had just told him to take a break.

  Jesse jerked upright and stepped forward as Elizabeth teetered on a rock in the middle of the creek, but before he could move, she'd regained her balance and proceeded on. He didn't understand the profound effect she had on him, and had thought to stay away from her to see if he could get things back to normal.

  Now, here she came instead, with a picnic basket clutched in one hand and an indecent, but enticing, amount of leg showing. Her head was bent to watch the rocks, and her blonde hair bounced around her shoulders. When she reached the last rock, she slipped again, and this time Jesse quickly moved forward to scoop her up in his arms.

  Even in her astonishment, she automatically grabbed him around the neck, much to his delight. She started to wiggle loose, but when she looked up, her brown eyes flashed with recognition.

  "Have I caught a mermaid?" He asked with a grin, then added, "No, I think not. If I recall, mermaids don't have limbs as perfect as these." His gaze moved up her legs.

  A short gasp parted her lips and Jesse tried to recall the taste of them. It had been quite some time since Elizabeth had allowed him that pleasure, but that thought didn't stop him now.

  Ever so gently, his lips grazed hers. To his delight, she didn't pull away. In fact, he swore he felt her lean into him. He pressed his advantage, his tongue seeking entrance to her sweet depths.

  After her initial shock at Jesse's sudden appearance, Ellie quickly relaxed in his embrace and enjoyed his kiss. Too much. If she closed her eyes, she could easily forget her circumstances and only recall Jesse’s handsome face. Until he murmured against her lips.

  "Elizabeth, what an enchanting surprise."

  Ellie knew she was suppose to be someone else, but hearing Elizabeth's name on Jesse's lips when he kissed her effectively doused her passion.

  "Put me down," she managed to say without emotion. Even when he released her, though, she held on long enough to get her footing and not slip down the bank. As quickly as she could, she put some distance between them.

  Jesse shrugged and gave her a half-hearted smile of apology. "Sorry, but seeing you exposed so enticingly just caused me to act loco."

  His comment, and the direction of his gaze, caused Ellie to blush. She quickly jerked her skirts down so they fell to the ground, and slid her still damp feet into her shoes. Her behavior probably wasn't proper for the times, even if they were supposed to be engaged. Regardless, she had enjoyed Jesse's kiss, probably more than she should have. She'd have to remember to ask Zeke the proper courtship procedure with regard to kissing.

  Jesse stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and just stood there with a big grin, staring at her. She scowled, looking down at her attire to see if everything was buttoned.

  "What?"

  He shrugged, making his entire upper body undulate. Ellie swallowed hard. The movement, so casual to him, caused ripples of desire across her stomach. She wanted to see him naked, the thought came unbidden to her mind. She blinked and shook her head to clear it. Getting involved with this man wasn't part of the deal. Less than a month and she'd be out of here.

  Endless moments seemed to pass as they stood on the banks of the bubbly creek staring at each other. Ellie couldn't read his thoughts, but from his stance, the sensual curve of his lips, and the passion flaring in his blue eyes, she could make a fair assessment.

  A sudden fit of jealousy came from nowhere and smacked her hard in the chest. If she and Zeke and Lucky managed to change history and save Jesse this time, she didn't want Elizabeth to come back and get to keep him. If Elizabeth was involved as they assumed, Ellie wanted to make sure she got caught and sent away. Jesse deserved better than a back-stabbing bitch.

  "Why such a frown?" Jesse broke the silence.

  Knowing she couldn't tell him, Ellie searched for an explanation. "I, ah, wondered if my potato chips got soggy when you splashed while grabbing me." Ellie mentally groaned.

  "Potato chips? You brought me lunch?" Jesse's grin was back in place, and Ellie's heart melted just a little more. He took the basket from her and grabbed her hand, pulling her up the bank. "Come on."

  Ellie laughed at his exuberance as she scrambled to keep up with his longer stride, lifting her skirts out of the way. He led her along the creek to a grassy knoll where a huge tree canopied the water with its leafy branches. A cool breeze swept along the earth, rippling the grass.

  Ellie brushed her hair out of her face as she watched Jesse take the blanket from top the basket and spread it on the ground. Suddenly shy about being alone with him, especially after their kiss, she couldn't quite decide how to proceed. Perhaps some generic questions might work to move herself to safer ground.

  "Don't you have to work?" She accepted his outstretched hand and stepped forward, dropping cross-legged to the blanket but making sure her skirts covered her legs. His callous-roughened hand engulfed her much smaller one, the warmth of it radiating clear up her arm. Think generic, she cautioned herself.

  "I never work so hard as to ignore a beautiful woman when she comes to see me." He winked at her. "Especially when she brings food." He delved into the basket and Ellie suddenly wished she knew how to make fried chicken and potato salad and cherry pie.

  Apparently Jesse didn't mind her lunch of ham sandwiches, lemonade and p
otato chips, because he wolfed it down like a starving man. She contented herself to munch on chips, spending her time absorbing him. He had sprawled on his side on the blanket, propped up on one elbow. He took a swallow of lemonade and then held up a single potato chip.

  "Isn't it a marvel what modern man can invent?" He held the chip to her lips and Ellie automatically took it, her lips grazing his salty fingers. Body parts lower than her stomach began aching. Think generic wasn't working.

  "Like what?" She found it hard to concentrate on the conversation.

  "Making potato chips; iceboxes to keep food from spoiling."

  "Hot dogs and ketchup," Ellie added, thinking back to picnics in her youth.

  "Hot dogs?" Jesse looked at her in shock. "I know they do things different in the east, but don't ever tell me you ate a dog."

  Ellie began to giggle, and soon rolled to her back in hysterics. Jesse's expression was priceless. But how could she explain something which apparently hadn't been invented yet?

  She opened her eyes to find Jesse leaning over her. "Oh."

  "I haven't heard you laugh in too long a time, El. I know since your father died, it hasn't been easy. Still, it’s time to get on with your life." Before Ellie could think, he lowered his head and kissed her -- a kiss so light and gentle she might have imagined it. Except for her rapid heartbeat and the tantalizing smell of him which filled her head.

  As quickly as he had come to her, he retreated to his side of the blanket. "Tell me about your time in the East. When you first came home, I had the feeling you wanted to go right back there for good, but lately, you seem to have settled in."

  What could she tell him about the East, especially not knowing where Elizabeth had gone to school or what she had studied. She decided to stick as close to the truth as she could, and hope that Jesse hadn't been east of the Mississippi.

  "New York is, well, New York." She began with a shrug. "Very cosmopolitan, you know. It's the center of fashion and trade."