Winter Love Part 24

Laura washed and dried the dishes, pots, and pans, then rolled down her sleeves and walked out onto the porch. Night had fallen as they ate, and stars were beginning to blink in the sky. A pale yellow moon was reflected on the lake, and on the other end of the island a pack of wolves were baying at it.

She sighed. She'd hate leaving this place. She had known peace here if not complete happiness. But she had been content enough, and she didn't know what lay ahead of her in Detroit. Maybe she would only find more heartache.

The hoot of an owl drifted through the darkness as Laura stretched and yawned. It had been a long day, filled with many emotions. Emotions that had ran the gamut of anger, pa.s.sion, despair, and anger again.

She turned to go back into the cabin to go to bed, and found Fletch blocking the doorway. "Where's Jolie?" she asked, peering around his shoulder.

"She fell asleep and I put her to bed."

"Did you change her into her nightclothes?"

Fletch shook his head. "She was sleeping so soundly I hated to wake her up. I took her shoes off."

"I guess it won't hurt this one time," Laura said after a thoughtful pause. "If you'll let me past, I'm going to bed myself."

"Look, Laura, things will work out if you give them a chance. Just be a little patient."

"Are you trying to tell me that you're going to change?" Laura challenged Fletch. "I think not. You could no more change than those wolves out there could stop howling." With those cutting words she pushed past him and walked into the cabin.

Fletch stepped out on the porch and went to stand where Laura had stood. He looked up at the same moon, bleakness in his eyes. Laura had no intention of returning to Big Pine, he realized. Only one thing would bring her back there. He stepped off the porch and walked thoughtfully along the lake path.

Back in the cabin, Laura was forced to climb into bed in her daytime clothes. She wasn't about to change clothes in front of eagle-eyed Red Fox. He would probably think she was skinny and a weakling and would make some demeaning remark about it.

She couldn't get comfortable at first, being on the wrong side of the bed. Usually she put Jolie next to the wall so she wouldn't fall off. But Fletch had put her in front, and Laura hesitated to risk awakening the little one if she moved her.

Exhaustion overtook her finally and she fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.

Some hours had pa.s.sed when Laura came wide awake, as though someone had shaken her shoulder. She lay in the darkness, listening to the snores coming from beside the fireplace. She recognized Spotted Horse's nasal rattle and supposed that the rumbling sound came from Red Fox, since she couldn't remember ever hearing Fletch make sleeping noises.

Now is your chance to get Spotted Horse's money and slip away with your daughter, her inner voice whispered. Fletch will not he expecting you to leave so soon.

Laura sat up and prepared to scoot off the bed, then gasped aloud. Jolie was no longer in bed with her. In a panic, she thought wildly that Jolie had fallen out of bed and cracked her head.

Her eyes flew to where Fletch had stored his bedroll next to the hearth. Her heart began racing. It was gone. He had outguessed her. He must have taken Jolie and was now on his way to Big Pine with her.

How long a head start did he have on her? her mind asked frantically as she shoved her feet into her shoes. Could she overtake him tonight? He'd have to stop and make camp somewhere along the way for Jolie's sake, and she was sure he wouldn't try to cross the lake at night.

Laura was stuffing a grub bag with tins of milk, bacon, corn bread, coffee, and rice when Little Fox hissed from his pallet, "Laura, Fletch had been gone a little over two hours."

"Thank you, Little Fox," Laura whispered back. "Please pray to your Great Father that I will catch up with Fletch."

She was out the door then, running to where Beauty was tethered to a tree and where Brave watched over her. She dug her saddle from beneath a pine and heaved it onto the mare's back.

When she had the saddle in place and secured the grub bag behind the cantle, she tied Brave to a long lead rope attached to the saddle and swung onto the little mount's back. With a kick of her heels she sent the animal racing down the lake trail.

Laura figured she had been riding an hour when fog began drifting off the lake. It came in fast, and within minutes it had thickened until she could scarcely see a foot in front of her. The fog had an ominous quality, as though it waited for something dire to happen.

Beauty had slowed to a careful walk now, picking her way, following Brave who seemingly was leading the way. When suddenly Beauty p.r.i.c.ked her ears, a cold shiver ran down Laura's spine. Did the mare sense that a wolf was near? She peered ahead through thick gray mist, her ears attuned to any sound that a running wolf might make.

Her heart gave a great leap when in the total silence she heard a child crying. She wanted to kick the mare into a hard gallop but knew it would be a foolish and dangerous action. She had never felt so frustrated in her life as they moved along at a snail's pace.

The cries were becoming louder, bellowed out in angry tones. Laura relaxed a little. Jolie was all right, she was only cross.

Laura almost rode past the small campfire a couple yards off the trail. The only reason she spotted it was that Brave started barking and straining against the lead rope. Laura turned Beauty's head in the direction of the stand of birch where Fletch had camped and hit the ground running. "d.a.m.n you, Fletch Thomas," she cried in mingled rage and relief as she s.n.a.t.c.hed Jolie off his lap. Jolie wrapped her arms around Laura's neck and clung to her like a little monkey.

"A fine father you are." Laura glared at Fletch as she sat down across the fire from him. "You take a baby from her warm bed without a thought of bringing any food for her. What did you plan on feeding her? Rabbits and squirrels?"

A sheepish look flooded Fletch's face. That was exactly what he had planned on doing. When Laura ordered him to bring her the grub bag tied to Beauty's saddle, he went meekly to do her bidding.

He felt helpless and stupid when a minute later Laura began feeding their daughter com bread, washed down with sips of watered-down canned milk. In his anger at Laura he hadn't thought of anything but taking Jolie away, to force her mother to come looking for her.

When Jolie smiled happily, her tummy filled, Fletch fully expected Laura to take the baby and ride back to the cabin. He wouldn't try to stop her. He realized now that to force her to return home with him would be like keeping a wild animal penned up in a cage. All the life and laughter would go out of her.

As he stared into the flames, he decided he would take Laura and Jolie to Detroit, find them a nice small place, then send money to them every month. He could still take care of them even though they would be hundreds of miles away.

He started to speak of his decision, but Laura was lying on his bedroll, Jolie tucked close in her arms. His pulse rate increased with hope. She could have ridden back to the cabin. The fog had lifted half an hour ago. He laid more wood on the fire and stretched out on the other side of Jolie, hoping that in the morning Laura would be riding with him instead of away from him.

Laura kept her eyes closed, feigning sleep. She did not want Fletch talking to her. They would only get into a heated argument, and she had resigned herself to returning to Big Pine, and a few sarcastic words from him might change her mind. Her scare tonight had shown her that Jolie needed two parents even if the husband didn't love the wife. She would just have to turn a blind eye to Fletch's indiscretions.

I can do it for Jolie's sake, she told herself as she drifted off to sleep.

It was around noon when Laura and Fletch rode into the village, tired and hungry. Jolie rode with Fletch, sitting safely in front of him. A group of Laura's old enemies stood in front of the store staring at them, and Laura grimaced. She knew what she must look like, her clothes all wrinkled and her hair a tangled mess. How their tongues would wag when they got alone together.

She and Fletch had just drawn rein and dismounted when Taylor stepped outside. He stared a moment, then yelled, "Laura!" and rushed to take her in his arms and give her a bear hug. "I've been worried sick about you, girl." He held her away from him and skimmed his eyes over her face. "Where have you been?"

"We'll tell you all about it later, Pa," Fletch said. "Right now would you ring the bell, bring all the people in? I have something important to tell them. I want them all to know at the same time so we don't have to go through the same story a dozen times."

Taylor's roaring welcome had brought everyone out of the tavern, as well as Big Bertha and her girls. Laura didn't have time to wonder what Fletch was up to as Bertha and the young wh.o.r.es gathered round her, exclaiming how they had worried and missed her.

Maida and Daniel were there next, with Justine just seconds behind them. In a short time all the women and most of the men in Big Pine were gathered around the store.

"Fletch has something he wants to tell you folks," Taylor said, then stepped aside, grinning at Fletcher. "Go ahead, son, speak your piece."

Fletch's eyes singled out every woman who had ever gossiped about Laura, who had treated her shabbily, before he said in a ringing voice, "I want to clear up once and for all who Jolie Thomas's father is. I, Fletcher Thomas, sired her. She is my daughter."

Into the shocked silence that followed, Milly Howard stepped forward and sneered, "Why has it taken you so long to come to that conclusion? That blond-headed baby still looks the same to me."

"Yes, she does." Fletcher looked fondly at his daughter in her grandfather's arms. "And I hope that her looks never change. She looks exactly like my mother, Pa's first wife."

When the surprised exclamations of the women who had scorned Laura, mingled with the happy cries from her friends, died down, Fletch walked over to Laura and said softly, "Will you take a walk with me, Laura?"

What is he up to now? Laura asked herself, not trusting him for a moment. But everyone was watching them, and besides, she couldn't resist the pleading in his eyes. When he took her arm, she walked away with him.

They took the path along the lake, Fletcher not speaking until they were out of sight of the people still discussing his astounding news. When the path followed the bend of the lake, he motioned Laura to sit with him on a fallen log.

She hesitated a moment, then walked over and sat down. Arranging her skirt over her knees, she wondered what Fletch was going to say to her. He looked so solemn and tense.

He sat down beside her, and her nerves became more taut when he didn't speak. Whatever he had on his mind he was having a hard time saving it. Laura sighed inwardly. She was sure it was something she didn't want to hear. Something to do with Jolie.

When Fletcher did finally speak, she was sure she misunderstood him, for he said, "Laura, I don't blame you for feeling the way you do about me. I have treated you shamefully, said awful things to you. But all along it was jealousy and hurt that made me act that way. I know that it is hard for you to believe, but I have always loved you, Laura. First as a child, then later as a young woman. I'm begging you now to forget what a b.a.s.t.a.r.d I've been and take me out of my misery. Please, will you marry me?"

Happiness and love shining out of her eyes, Laura cupped his face in her hands and said softly, "d.a.m.n you, Fletcher Thomas, you don't know how long I have waited to hear you say that you love me. Of course I'll marry you."

With happy laughter on his lips, Fletch grabbed her and kissed her until she was dizzy with it. By the time they returned to the post area, everyone was gone. "We'll tell them our news tomorrow," Fletch said as he opened the door to the store.

A soft smile curved Laura's lips as she walked into the room where Taylor had recovered from his broken leg. The cot was narrow, but wide enough for a couple to sleep in each other's arms.

Other Leisure and Love Spell books by Norah Hess:.

RAVEN.

WILDFIRE.

LARK.

SAGE.

DEVIL IN SPURS.

TANNER.

KENTUCKY BRIDE.

WILLOW.

MOUNTAIN ROSE.

JADE.

BLAZE.

KENTUCKY WOMAN.

HAWKE'S PRIDE.

TENNESSEE MOON.

LACEY.

FANCY.

FOREVER THE FLAME.

STORM.