Just One Kiss (The Dream Catcher Series-Book Two) (8 page)

“I heard them ride up. There were too many to be very quiet about it,” Lee answered, joining him. The shed was gone and there was nothing to do but let it burn itself out. They dug a small ditch around it, so it wouldn’t spread then they both flopped down to the ground.

“Guess I better git back up to the house, she’ll be worried about me.” Joe smiled. “Damn fool pack of heathens. When’s it gonna stop?”

“How long has this been goin’ on?” Lee asked. “How long they been terrorizing her?”

“Too long. We had some dogs, but they got them first. They poisoned them.”

“Killed your dogs?”

“Yep, one of them bit them and they shot it. The others they poisoned. They tried to set fire to the house last time. She was able to put it out before it done too much damage.”

“I heard of this bunch up in Tennessee. Men in white ridin’ through the night to murder and torch places. Never seen it though, not ‘til now.” Lee glanced at Joe. “They know you’re still here, don’t they?”

“Oh yeah, but they don’t pay much never mind to me, ‘cause I treat them the same way. She ain’t no squatter. That’s part of what’s burnin’ their hides, she got this land legal and there ain’t nothin’ they can do about it, except kill her. And I reckon they ain’t above that neither.”

“I know. And there’s gonna be trouble because of it. Damn water rights, that’s all it is.”

“Always is. But you know Joe…I been thinkin’…water rights ain’t really a cause to die for. She needs to let them have ‘em.”

“Are you serious?” Joe’s eyes were round and big. “After all this time, you just gonna hand it over to them…”

“It ain’t enough to die for Joe, and someone is definitely gonna die if this keeps up. War teaches you pretty quick that a man should pick and choose what he wants to die for. I’d die for the land, I’d die for you or Hattie or Sam, but water rights…?”

“But she ain’t gonna give ‘em them rights.”

“Yeah, I see that. But maybe I can reason with her, make her see…”

“Then you gonna tell her who you are?”

“No…not now at least. Maybe someday. And its best she don’t know. But with me dead, there is less reason to fight over the water…don’t you see?”

Joe studied on it for a minute. “Yes sir…I guess you is right about that.”

“Man…I been fightin’ for so long, I guess its habit. I sure did want to come home and settle down though. Has she ever done anything to upset anyone around here? Is it some kind of vengeance they are after?”

Joe thought on it for a minute, then nodded as though it just occurred to him. “Well, now that you mention it. The first time Frank came out here, she turned her nose up at him and he tried to get too friendly and she pointed a gun at him. Tears came into her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She stood there, bit her lip and put the gun to his head and told him to get or she’d blow his head off. Course he did, for the time, but he came back a lot. He’s more determined than ever to take an advantage just to put her in her place. She turned him down and don’t nobody turn Frank down. He’s determined to rub her nose in it now. Like she some kind of scum. But no sir, she ain’t done nothing Mr. Lee. Nothing at all. When she first showed up, the judge told the Jeffries they’d have to ask for water rights from her.”

“Did she give anyone else the rights?”

“Mr. Harvey. Him and his Missus came and she granted them rights and had a paper drawn up by the judge that just made the Jeffries madder.”

“I can see where it might, yeah.”

“That shore did set them off, because after Frank treated her the way he did, she told them they couldn’t have her water, she’d die first. That set things to movin’. It’s pretty crazy, they need that water, and they are bound and determined to get it. Frank, he thought he could just waltz in here, romance her a little and take it. But he found out different, and he shore don’t like it. Now he’s set on takin’ her down, any way he can.”

Joe shook his head. “Someone mumbled, ‘That could happen too.’”

“Seems like there is always someone wanting to get rid of someone else around here. Hasn’t anyone told them that the war is over? You’d think fighting would get old.”

“That was before the war. Before the war, things weren’t so bad, ‘til the north decided they needed to free the slaves. A decent man did his work and the master of the house treated them fair most times. Course there was always the ones that was too lazy to work and they got beat. Now things have changed. They hanged a couple of Negroes over in Mobile area. I think it’s your friends the Jeffries that keep stirin’ this up though. He’s tied in with ‘em.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that a bit. Is she okay?” Lee asked, his eyes straying to the house once more. He wished he’d got a better look at her but he was too far away to see or hear much.

“You shore do love that gal, don’t you?” Joe asked with a smile.

“Joe,” Lee looked at him seriously. “You’re right, I’m not at all sure I can keep my hands off her. I love her. I love the way she stands up for herself, the way she takes those kids as her own, the way she says no to the Jeffries. What’s not to love? And that is by far the biggest war I’m fightin’. If she’d find her a black man, maybe things would settle out.”

“Won’t never happen. She’s got it in her head that she loves you and that she’ll be true to your memory. And ‘cause you love her?” Joe twisted his head. “I think you two must belongs to each other. Guess God made an exception…”

“God, help me I do.” Lee sighed. “And I love her more for standin’ her ground. I’ve just got to teach her that she don’t have to fight everything. Sometimes you gotta know when to give in.”

“Let’s not worry over it tonight. Not tonight you don’t have to do a thing about it. You hungry?” Joe glanced up at him.

“I could eat a bear.” Lee smiled.

“I’ll see what she’s got cookin’, be back soon.” Joe slapped him on the back. “We’ll eat in the barn.”

“Alright.” Lee nodded. Lee sneaked his way over to the barn and made himself comfortable. He thought about the figure on the porch, he couldn’t see her well from the trees and the very fact that she faced those men had Lee admiring her spunk.

When Joe brought out Lee’s supper, Lee was in better spirits and appreciated the food, mightily.

“She’s one fine cook,” Lee remarked. “Pork chops, potatoes and gravy, creamed corn and pea salad, with mighty fine bread. Looks like Hattie turned out to be quite a woman. Makes me almost anxious to meet her proper like.”

Joe smiled. “Yes sir, she is.”

“Who planted the cotton this year?” Lee asked.

Joe glanced at him peculiar like. “Why, me and her planted it. Why?”

“How does she think she’s gonna get a fair price? Frank won’t let that happen. He’s already closed her credit at the store from what I heard.” Lee wanted to know.

“Mr. Harvey, he offered to help when the time comes,” Joe answered. “If we can get it ready for market. They would rob her blind, her bein’ a woman.”

“You’re right about that. The Harvey’s are a nice bunch of people. He’s a fair man to deal with, always was,” Lee acknowledged.

“Mr. Harvey and his wife have been good neighbors to her. They like those girls. They got manners and they works right alongside her most the time,” Joe said slowly.

Lee nodded. “They are a cute bunch of kids.”

“The youngest is just a little over three years old, I have to tell you Mr. Lee, I was as surprised as anyone when she showed up, but that woman works hard as any man, and she takes good care of her kids.”

Lee smiled. It was the first real smile in a while and Joe began to relax.

After a long silence, Joe was about to leave and Lee stopped him. “I got an idea. It might just work since she don’t seem to recognize me.”

Joe came up to his side, obviously anxious to hear it as he stood waiting.

“If I’m dead, and better off that way, we’ll leave it at that, for now, ‘til I see for myself about things. But this is my home and I’m not going to just walk off and leave it. So you’re gonna get me hired on as help. My name will have to be changed. I’ll be Luke Sayers…how does that sound? He died in the Battle of Bull Run.”

Joe’s eyes brightened. “Sounds right nice. Mr. Luke. But what if she don’t want to hire you?”

“You’ll see that she does,” Lee threatened.

“But Mr. Lee…”

“Luke, and I’ll work the first month for nothin’ but room and meals. So she’ll see how good I am in the fields,” he informed him. “Besides, with a heart like Hattie’s, how could she refuse to help a one-armed man?”

Joe scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Yes sir, that just might work. You don’t think she’ll recognize you?”

“I looked her straight in the eye in town and she didn’t. So…I’ll go up to the house tomorrow and introduce myself and say you sent me by saying she needed someone.” Lee slapped Joe on the back.

“You gonna cut that hair and beard?” Joe asked with a smirk.

“Nope, not just yet. Don’t want anyone recognizing me. Can’t have that, now, can we?” Lee chuckled.

Joe nodded. “That’s right smart, Mr. Lee, I mean Mr. Luke. But, how you gonna ever take over the place, without tellin’ her who you are?”

“Maybe I won’t take it over. I can be near her, with her, help her, and not cause a speck of trouble,” he explained as though it were brilliant. “Besides, maybe she’s got her eye on some other man somewhere. A Negro man somewhere.”

“The way she talks about men folks, I don’t reckon you’ll marry her off to nobody. She said you was the only decent man she ever knew.”

“She said that?” He smiled and thought about that. Then he looked at Joe. “God help me Joe, I spent a whole war dreaming about us, about maybe making a family…”

Joe stared at him and a slow smile spread over his face. “Good Lord, Mr. Lee, you ain’t gonna be able to keep this from her. Women know these things.”

“Maybe, but at least it will give me some time to figure out how to deal with it.”

Joe nodded slowly. “Ain’t no fittin’ homecomin’ is it?”

“Maybe. Let’s don’t worry about that,” Lee said, happy with his idea. “Tomorrow I’ll go up to the house…She don’t have to like me, just hire me…Besides, Violet called me her hero, I can’t see her not hirin’ me under the circumstances.”

“You win Miss Violet over, you done somethin’ pretty good. She looks after her Ma, let me tell you. But it’s Daisy you gotta win over. That girl is not an easy one. Yes sir,” Joe grunted.

“She took all those girls in?” Lee shook his head.

“Yes sir, and they love her just like a Ma. She said you taught her to love everyone, no matter what color they are.”

Lee smiled.

“Mind if I ask why you’re so happy about it?”

Lee chuckled. “Well Joe, I got a woman cooking for me, keeping my house, and helping in the fields. She’s beautiful, I can look at her as much as I want. I don’t have to pay her one cent for that. As long as things go smoothly, there won’t be a bit of trouble. And things just might get done around here. And I can look at her every day I live. It might be enough.”

Joe shook his head. “But Mr. Luke, there’s gonna be trouble. There already is, when you love a woman that much, there’s gonna be trouble.”

Lee nodded. “We’ll handle it as it comes up. Quit frettin’.”

“Yes sir, I better be getting back to the house, she might wonder why I’m not taking my meals with her anymore.”

Lee nodded. “Remember, Luke Sayers.”

“Yes sir.”

Chapter Four

The next day, Luke Sayers walked up to the front door and knocked.

He looked about the house, feeling euphoria surrounding him. The house had stood up well through the years, except where they tried to burn her down. But all that was fixable. And as soon as he straightened things out, he’d take care of it. He remembered how he and Dil had painted it the last time they’d been together. He wondered about Dil and the way he died. He missed him. Like a void in his side. He purposely swallowed a lump in his throat.

He expected either a child or Hattie to answer the door in a lovely dress and maybe an apron. But to his surprise the woman who opened the door was wearing men’s britches and a long sleeve cotton shirt, with a big wide brimmed hat on her head. The shirt was tight against her breasts, and her nipples protruded hard against the material, making round circles. He couldn’t stop his staring. She was so beautiful standing there with indignation on her face. It was nearly impossible not to stare. His mouth watered. She seemed totally unaware of how provocative she looked. He almost smiled. His thoughts were lustful and he tried to squash them, but it was pure pleasure looking at her in britches.

Her long hair was braided smoothly down her back. When she looked up and into his eyes, Lee’s mouth hung open.

She stared at him and her expression changed. Her eyes drifted up and down him lazily, stopping only once at the missing arm.

For a long lingering moment, he simply stared. “Somethin’ wrong, ma’am?”

“No, of course not. It’s just, you look remarkably like someone I once knew.” Her voice was soft but almost hostile. “But that’s impossible, he’s dead, I put the stone up myself.. It just gave me a fright to see you standing there. Somethin’ about your expression. Almost ghost-like. I’m being silly. What can I do for you?” Her face went pale and her eyes shone with tears.

He didn’t want to make her cry. His heart went out to her. He hadn’t counted on Hattie too have feelings for
him
, but it sure looked as though she did. Maybe she always had! He could still remember those kisses they shared. Could she?

The urge to protect and take care of her was still there after all this time.

He looked into those eyes again and his heart flipped. He liked pretty eyes, because he believed in looking at people right in the eye. Hattie had the prettiest he’d ever seen.

“Take your eyes off me, mister. I don’t like people starin’.” She licked her lips suddenly, her voice rising along with the shotgun to eye level, her brown eyes narrowing on him suspiciously.

The shotgun got his attention and he shook himself.

“Uh, yes ma’am. I only stared ‘cause I haven’t seen a pretty woman in a while. The name is Luke Sayers, ma’am. Ole Joe sent me up to ask for a job.” His glance slid over her once more.