Song of the Road (40 page)

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes, unless they mean something worse than ‘stubborn little mule.’ ”

His laugh was low, intimate. His arms tightened. “If I tell you, you might not want me to call you that again. I think of you as
‘querida mía
.’ ”

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Rosa Santez.”

“Then I’d better tell you. You might get the word wrong and Rosa would come after me with a skillet.
‘Querida’
means . . . ‘beloved.’ ”

She caught her breath, and then there was a long pause before she spoke.

“Is it true? You think of me as . . . that?”

“I hadn’t intended to tell you this when we came out here tonight.” With fingers beneath her chin, he turned her face up to his. “It’s something I’ve known for a while, thought about a lot and worried about what you would say if you knew. I had about given up thinking that I’d ever tell you. Now I’m afraid that you’ll think me a stupid man reaching for the stars.”

“What is it, Jake. You’re scaring me.” Her hand came up to his cheek.

“I love you, Mary Lee Finley. I’ve never said those words out loud, but I’m saying them now. I . . . love . . . you.” He spaced the words for emphasis. “I’m in love with you. Completely, unconditionally, forever.”

“Oh, Jake! Are . . . you sure?”

“I’ll not burden you with it.”

Her arm moved up and around his neck. “Jake Ramero, I love you too. It’s been eating me up. I just couldn’t see how you could have feelings for me when I’m so clumsy and . . . ugly. I was just sure that you only felt sorry for me.”

“You’re beautiful, my beloved. Just as beautiful as that little girl who cried over my sore feet years ago. Just as beautiful as that proud girl who came to the door a few months back, looked me in the eye, and told me to move.” He was smiling when he touched his lips to hers and kissed her gently, reverently. “Even then, I was as smitten with you as I was when I was just a kid.”

“But the baby . . .”

“I think of him as mine,
amor,
because he’s yours. When he comes, I would like for his name to be Ramero and not Clawson. Do you think that’s possible?”

“That would mean —”

“That we marry. I never thought I would ask you to be the wife of a jailbird. But,
querida mía,
I don’t think I can bear the long, lonely years ahead without you. Think carefully, sweetheart, before you answer. Folks won’t forget I spent time in prison.”

“I’m the daughter of the town drunk, remember? It was even worse because the drunk was my mother. Folks won’t forget that either.”

“I don’t have but six horses, a truck, and a heart full of love for you. I’ll work my fingers to the bone to take care of you . . . and Gaston.”

“We’ll have the court. We’ll get by until you can get back to ranching again. I know that’s your dream and I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“Mother of God, don’t let me wake from this dream.” He breathed the prayer against her lips, then kissed her, and kissed her again. His mouth on hers was incredibly sweet and warm. His tongue stroked her full lower lip, and her arms tightened about his neck.

He lifted his head; his eyes, soft with love, drank in her face. Then, with a deep sigh, he held her head to his shoulder while he gently stroked her hair. They sat quietly for a while, hugging each other. Then he lifted her chin.

“I love you,
querida.
I will never say the words but to you and ours.” His voice was husky and quivered with emotion.

“Beloved. I do —” The words melted on her lips when she tried to speak, swept away by his kisses.

His hand moved down over her breast. “Will they be this full after . . . ?”

“They’re swollen now.”

“I’ll see them someday.”

“I’ll be all yours. You’ll be all mine.”

“Ahhh . . . that’s what I want to hear.” He kissed her long and hard, his mouth taking savage possession, parting her lips and invading them in a wild, sweet, wonderful way. His hand stroked her, touching her hungrily from breasts to abdomen. “Oh, love, I’ll be so careful of you . . .”

“Not too careful, I hope.”

His laugh was low and intimate. His eyes danced lovingly over her face. His hand curled possessively around her breast.

“I’ll remember three days in my life for as long as I live: the day I hobbled to your house for a drink of water, my first birthday cake and this day, by far the happiest day of my life.”

His kiss was long and deep and full of promised passion that flared whenever they touched. His fingers moved up into her hair, their touch strong and possessive. She took his kiss thirstily. She wanted to stay in his arms forever. His lips pulled away, but he drew her closer.

“My life has been empty up to now. You fill it completely.” He kissed her again. Her lips were clinging moistly to his. His hand slipped beneath the loose shirt and cupped her full breast. Her nipple hardened. “You’ll soon have milk,” he whispered huskily.

“Uh-huh . . .”

His lips fell hungrily to hers. They were demanding yet tender. “I’d better stop this and take you home.”

She laughed and pulled away from him. “This has been quite a day.”

“I don’t want it to end, but if I don’t take you back soon, Eli will be coming after me with a shotgun.”

“You’ll help me persuade him to go to school?”

“He needs clothes, honey. He would be embarrassed to go in the ones he has.”

“I’ll give him money to buy some. I’ll call it back wages or he won’t take it. Jake, I want him to be part of our family.” She looked anxiously up into his face.

“Of course. He loves you. But . . . not as much as I do.” He started the truck. “No, stay here,” he said when she attempted to move away. “I can see that I’m going to have to teach you how to shift gears.”

Eli was stunned when Mary Lee told him that she and Jake were going to be married and that they wanted him to be a part of their family. When he didn’t say anything, she looked at him anxiously.

“You do want to be with us, don’t you?”

“ ’Course I do. I’m just surprised . . . is all.”

“Why? I’ve told you all along that I want you to be with me always. We both want you to be our son, the same as . . . Gaston.”

“Gaston? Is that what you’re goin’ to call him?”

“Not on your life! Jake’s been calling him that. Eli, now that I don’t have to worry about the loan, I can afford to pay your back wages. I’m going up to the bank this morning —I can’t wait to see Mr. Rosen’s face when I give him the money. Will you come with me?”

“If you want me to.”

“Jake made me promise not to leave the court unless I had you or Trudy with me.”

“Does he think someone will try to hurt you again?”

“No. He’s afraid I’ll fall down, or the baby will come and I’ll not have anyone with me. We’ll go by the telephone office and have the telephone connected. Oh, it’s wonderful, Eli, not to have to worry about that loan.”

When the wash was on the line, Eli and Mary Lee left for town. Trudy would stay near the house, and when they got back, they would all pitch in and clean the cabins.

Mary Lee wore one of Rosa’s daughter’s dresses, her small straw hat and the last pair of stockings she owned. They had only a small run that she hoped wouldn’t be noticed. She was neat but felt as big as a barrel. The baby was all out front. They had walked just a few blocks when her back began to ache and she feared that she would have to sit down. She managed to get to the bank and sat down on one of the benches in the lobby.

After resting until her breathing was even, she went to the window and asked to speak to Mr. Rosen.

“He was about to go home for dinner. I’ll see if he will see you. Your name?”

“Curtis Wessels, you know my name. We went to the same school. Stop acting so stuck-up and go tell Mr. Rosen I want to see him.”

Clenching his teeth to hold back a retort, he knocked on the office door, then opened it and disappeared inside. He returned a short time later.

“Mr. Rosen will see you, but only for a few minutes. He’s very busy today.”

“That’s very kind of him. Come on, Eli.”

“No!” The young man moved to block the swinging door so Eli couldn’t follow Mary Lee.

“Yes!” Mary Lee said with extra force. “He comes with me.”

“Mr. Rosen said to let
you
come in.”

“Curtis Wessels, you’re just as big a dope as you were when we were in school. Now get out of the way. Come on, Eli. Let’s see if Mr. Rosen is as rude as his hired help.”

Mary Lee knew that this new courage had come to her because of Jake’s love. She would never knuckle under or cower again.

The banker didn’t give Mary Lee the courtesy of standing when she entered the office. Nor did he greet her or ask her to sit down.

“Make it snappy. I’ve an appointment.”

“I want to know how much interest I will owe if I pay off the three-hundred-dollar loan.”

He twirled a pencil around with blunt fingers. “Forty-five dollars,” he snapped. His eyes were on her face, his brows drawn together while he waited for her to say something.

She remained quiet, opened her purse, took out a handful of bills and placed them on the desk.

“Three hundred and twenty-five dollars. The twenty-five is the interest.”

Jumping to his feet, the banker was speechless although his mouth moved and his jaws puffed out. Mary Lee wanted to laugh. He looked as if he had swallowed a frog.

“Where did you get this money?” he demanded.

“That is none of your business. Count it and give me a receipt.”

“I can’t take this money until I know that it isn’t stolen. How come it’s in cash? It looks mighty suspicious to me. Are you bootlegging or running a house of ill repute out there on the highway?”

“That, too, is none of your business. But if you want to make a formal complaint, go ahead. I’ll have reason to sue your socks off. Now, are you going to give me a receipt and the loan contract marked paid or will I send Eli for my lawyer?”

Mary Lee remembered the other time she had come to this office and this man had made her feel as if she were trash. Never again was she going to be treated as she had been that day.

The banker sat back down in his chair and reached for the stack of bills. With fingers that trembled, he counted them slowly, placing them in stacks of one hundred dollars.

“I told you the interest on three hundred dollars was forty-five dollars.”

“You’ve jacked up the interest and I’m not paying it. Show me the contract my father signed.”

He jerked a pad of receipts from the desk drawer and hastily wrote on one. His jaws quivered with anger as he shoved it toward her.

“Now get out.”

“Not without the contract stamped ‘paid in full.’ ”

He went to a file cabinet, pulled out a paper, stamped it with a rubber stamp and pushed it across the desk toward her. Mary Lee looked at it closely, then said sweetly:

“Initial it, please.”

After he scribbled something on it, she folded the paper and put it in her purse.

“Thank you. It wasn’t pleasant doing business with you and I’m sure it will not happen again. Come on, Eli, Mr. Rosen is busy counting his pennies.” They opened the door, and Curtis Wessels almost fell into the room.

“Did you hear it all, Curtis? I paid off the loan. Now the old skinflint can’t get his hands on the motor court. Isn’t that grand?

“By the way, Curtis, remember when you were in the fourth grade and you messed your pants? It went down your leg and all over the floor. My whole class got an extra recess while the janitor cleaned up the mess. I never did thank you for that extra playtime. How rude of me! I’ll do it now. Thank you, Curtis, and good-bye.”

As they went out the door, Eli was laughing so hard, he wasn’t looking where he was going and stepped on a wad of chewing gum that had softened in the sun. It stuck to the bottom of his boot and almost pulled it off. Even that was funny and caused more laughter.

Chapter 29

T
HE BLACK SEDAN PASSED SLOWLY
by the motor court. A mile down the highway, it turned on a little-used road and came back toward the court through the woods, on what had once been a wagon trail.

“Godalmighty,” Wyn said, holding on to the door. “These ruts’ll tear up the car — my ass along with it.”

“We can’t have anything happening to your ass, now, can we, kid?”

“We’ve been watchin’ that damn court for almost a week. I’m ready to make our move.”

Lyle stopped the car when they were directly opposite the court and reached for the binoculars. The house and cabins were visible through the trees. It was early afternoon. Sheets flapped on the clothesline. The boy and the short, dumpy girl were working in the last cabin in the line. There was no sign of the pregnant woman. He put the binoculars down on the seat between them.

“We know we can’t take her until after the folks who stay overnight are gone. We can’t get close to her after the cowboy and the runt come back at suppertime. The cowboy sticks to her like glue in the evening. Our best time is while the girl and the kid are cleaning the cabins, preferably the end cabin where they are now.”