Lincoln County Series 1-3 (41 page)

A lover’s spat.

Cameron wondered how the evening would be affected by this occurrence. Lacey’s painful look changed the second she laid eyes on them. She said most inappropriately, “Well don’t you three cut a fine picture.”

Mortified, Cameron sucked in a breath. Jake ignored Lacey’s jab and guided her and Drew inside. They all walked into the dining room where Penny promptly removed Drew from her aching arms. He was a hefty child. “Bless you Penny!” How did it seem that Penny could manage him with such ease?

Able to move freely now, she made her way to Lacey. “What was that about with Ed?”

“He asked me to marry him. For real this time.”

“What are you going to do?”

Lacey swept her delicate and jeweled hand over her brow and said bitterly, “Nothing. I’m already married.”

Chapter Twenty

For some reason, Lacey was giving Jake the cold shoulder as she served him breakfast. To the rest of the patrons, he noted, she was as cordial as could be. Although he wasn’t up to playing into her manipulation, he had to wonder what he’d done. Seeing her response to Ed the night before made him extra curious. And her blasted statement about the image they made walking into the place hadn’t brought much compassion for her during the festivities. He’d heard Cameron’s intake of breath, aghast at the thought, he was sure. During the transaction, he’d caught a glimpse of redness coloring her cheeks at the shock of Lacey’s words. He hadn’t given Lacey much attention after that. Embarrassed for Cameron is what he was.

Now as he watched her friendliness, faux or not, being lavished upon others save him, he was going to find out what her problem was where he was concerned. He chugged down the rest of his coffee, then signaled her for a refill. Short of rebuffing him, she finally made her way over.

While she poured he became resigned. “All right. What have I done?”

Eyeing him with disgust, she said, “You don’t want to hear what I have to say to you, Jake.”

Feeling humorous over her dramatics he insisted that he did. “I can’t fix whatever I’ve done.”

In haste, she sat across from him.

He surrendered. “Why don’t you join me?”

“Oooooh you are infuriating!”

Valiantly, he tried not to smile. This was ridiculous. Casually he took a sip of the hot liquid and looked at her expectantly.

She planted the copper pot onto the tabletop. “Ed asked me to marry him and as you know, I cannot.”

He shrugged, then judging by her look, realized how callous that may have been. “What’s that got to do with me?” Truly, he was puzzled.

“You are daft. I can’t have what I want… but you can.”

This was not the direction he cared to be going in. Losing his casual manner, he stiffened as she continued. “You’d better go and get her, Jake. Stop trying to be careful and polite or you might lose your chance to. And that--” she thrust her chin forward “--would only cause for greater problems in the future… for both of you.”

“I don’t know.”

“Stop it, Jake! I’m telling you, the both of you are meant to be together. If you lose her again, her heart will only pine after you. And if you love her, you’ll do something now and save everybody from the heartache to come if you don’t.”

“Hey Lacey!” Someone called her for service. She glanced back at them. “Coming!” Abruptly she rose and left him to mull around her ruthless words.

*** *** ***

Deciding to focus on the monthly logs at work, Jake entered the Gun Shop and sat behind his desk. After some time, the numbers refused to cooperate with his mind so he slammed the logbook shut. For a moment he felt like praying, but with the lack of knowing exactly how to do so he just sat there, shaken.

He closed his eyes and pulled from his memories on Andrew when he prayed. He made it seem so easy. Thinking further on this, he began to realize that it didn’t need to be all that complicated. Andrew was only speaking normally. Although the words spoken out loud in the quiet of his office made Jake feel foolish, he did it all the same. Getting past the embarrassment, he said one word after another until it felt somewhat natural and became simple. At a much greater peace than he’d ever experienced, he asked God outright what to do about the Jackson family. Not getting a direct answer did not deter him for doing next what he felt the past several months had been preparing him for, and he set off to pay Cameron a visit.

*** *** ***

Hopeful that she was home, Jake dusted the loose snow from the rail on the side of her house and tied Hunter to it. The door creaked open before he reached the steps, and oddly enough, the first thing he thought about was that he needed to oil its hinges and clear the ice and snow from her porch. Then he brought his eyes to Cameron’s and took the first step towards her. A brief look of panic appeared across her brows and was replaced with open curiosity that seemed to ask,
why was he there?

“Apologies for dropping by… Do you mind?”

She shook her head, but remained speechless.

He took the rest of the stairs, and she moved aside so he could enter. He spotted Drew sitting on a blanket in the middle of the floor, surrounded with wooden toys. He grinned wide at Jake, baring proudly, all of his eight teeth.

Cameron wrung her hands. He realized he missed witnessing that motion whenever she got nervous. She confessed, “It’s Lacey… The toys. She spoils him so.”

“Do you expect anything less from her?”

She laughed, and he was grateful she decided to relax in his presence. She offered him some coffee.

“Would love some.”

She gestured to a hook near the door. “You may hang your coat, and put your gloves near the fire to dry.”

*** *** ***

Her heart was picking up its beat. They were in such an intimate setting. The fire, Drew playing in their midst, Jake hanging his coat just as Andrew did when entering their home, she, in the kitchen preparing to serve… him.

She stole a glance at Jake making his way to Drew. He raised his hands to be picked up, and when Jake didn’t obey his wishes right away, he began to fuss. She set down the spoon in her hand and went to pick him up until she heard Jake’s strong voice speaking in hushed tones. “You don’t need coddling.” Jake sat on the floor in front of her baby and handed him a train. “You’re a big boy, Drew. There you go, see that? You’re just fine.” Jake reached out and ruffled his head.

Cameron spun around as tears instantly materialized. Swiping them away quickly and hopefully without notice, she began getting the rest of the serving tray ready. Knowing what Jake had just done brought pain to her chest. It was what Andrew should be here doing. But he wasn’t here and Drew needed a father. She felt contrite. She was coddling him, as Jake so rightfully put it. But he’d done it without scolding her. Now that she’d thought on it, when had this Jake emerged? Lifting the tray, she brought it into the living area and deposited it on the table, all the while looking at Jake with renewed questions. There was no doubt in her mind he had changed somehow and somewhere along the way in their off and on relationship. And come to think of it, he’d been around town longer than usual this season.

“Jake?”

He turned. “Yes?”

“The coffee… It’s ready for you.” She couldn’t help but inquire, “Are you heading out of town soon?”

He cocked his head in question. “Why do you ask?”

She sat at the table. “Because I am just getting used to seeing you around and am assuming you’re ready to be on the trail again.”

He joined her and to her shock placed a hand over hers. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Doing everything but looking at his hand touching her, bringing feelings to the surface she’d blatantly buried deep, she intended to find out what he meant. “You mean until you find another outlaw to hunt.”

He lifted his hand from hers and leaned back in the chair. Drew tossed a toy, no doubt wanting their attention upon him but neither looked away from each other. She came into a challenging mood, no longer willing to be hurt by this man.

Intently he replied, “I am no longer a bounty hunter.”

Cameron refused to believe him. “Maybe. But I’m sure you’ll find other reasons to disappear for months at a time.” She focused on the coffee now, pouring herself some and willing her hand to stop its shaking. She then poured his, wondering at the guard popping up, surrounding her heart.

“I should have said that I wasn’t going to go anywhere unless you and Drew were in my company.”

She nearly scoffed. What was he getting at? She laughed more bitterly than she’d intended. “You don’t need to concern yourself with us, Jake. You’re not responsible for us. We’ve been through all of this before.” She heard his chair slide back and shot her eyes at him in anger, sure he was going to walk out the front door. He couldn’t even take a little bit of truth. She was hardly surprised. In fact, he was only proving her point.

Instead he was at her side pulling her out of her own seat! Face to face with him he said in a humble voice, “I am not making myself clear. And you… You’re being difficult.”

A smile came to him and her earlier thoughts became clear. He’d changed for sure. It was in his eyes, his voice, the way he looked at her.

“I want you and I, and Drew, to be a family. Cameron, I would never do anything to dishonor Andrew. In knowing that, would you consider being my wife?”

“I can’t have you leaving us whenever things are difficult…”

“I made a promise to God that I would never do that again. I don’t even have the urge to. Instead, I would fight for my family. I couldn’t do anything different.”

He’d made a promise to God?

That was it. His countenance. She looked at every curve and feature of his face. The old Jake was not there. And the truth of it all was that she’d fallen in love with the new Jake and hadn’t even known it.

“If you’re sure…”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

“Oh Jake.” She embraced him and allowed his strong arms to come around her. His lips turned towards her cheek, and lightly, he laid them there a long moment.

He murmured, “I will love and cherish you and be the best father to Drew as can be.”

She felt his hands move to the back of her neck as joy filled her. “I know you will and we will love you back.”

Their kiss was brief. Both knowing what would happen if they were not wise. Jake backed away and she nearly smiled at the slightest look of regret upon his face. Drew hollered out and tossed another toy in their direction before deciding to crawl away.

She pulled Drew out of reach of the fire and had a thought. “Who’s going to marry us? I’m the preacher.”

Jake had an answer quick enough to make her wonder that he’d already thought this through. “I know a preacher, I’ll have him here after Christmas.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Being the New Year and having a future bride within his grasp brought a welcome season into Jake’s life. He stood, waiting at the train depot on the lookout for Stephen Palmer. He was a nervous suitor and could barely contain himself to stand still. He’d worn out the ground from pacing until finally the train’s whistle echoing in the distance brought his anxiousness to a level he never knew existed.

Calm yourself.

Swiping sweaty hands, despite the cold, onto the pants at his thighs he was determined to look at ease when the preacher-sheriff disembarked. Jake found himself a pole to lean on and refused to move an inch. He was grateful Cameron was not with him to greet Stephen and to witness her husband-to-be acting like a lovesick cowboy. But as his thoughts carried her in his mind he couldn’t help it. His life was about to be complete. Cameron, having been out of his reach for so many years, was finally going to be his. And with Drew, Jake had an instant family.

Never could he have hoped for such a gift to come his way. He now knew what Andrew meant when he made Jake promise to get his life in order with God before he could have Cameron. He hadn’t realized at the time of accepting God into his life that he was fulfilling Andrew’s last wishes. Andrew had been right. Aside from wanting Cameron to be cherished and cared for, Jake needed to be of the same mind as Cameron. And though he felt he had a ways to go in this new area, a willing heart had never been more attainable. Nerves jumped vehemently as the train got closer and finally chugged to a stop.